2024 MLB Thread

[RandyMarsh]

Soto turned down a 15/440 extension from the Nats in 2022, he ended up getting 800 million guaranteed by waiting to FA.(If you include the money from 23/24)

[lordstanley]

On 12/6/2024 at 5:32 AM, chasfh said:

You look at ballpark factors for RHH over at Savant and even though it’s 98 overall, which reads as average, we still rank 22nd among all ballparks. And our RHH home run factor, which is what I assume income- and legacy-seeking sluggers care most about, is 88 which ranks 23rd. So, I agree, tough sell.

I’ve been noodling the idea of moving the LF fences in five or ten feet. Left-handed pitchers we desperately want to extend wouldn’t love that, but how would that play to right-handed sluggers?

That’s the next gimmick Manfred is excited about. Outfield fences on wheels. Home team gets to move the fences in or back by 10ft for one at-bat per inning. 

[Hongbit]

I fear this sport is doomed.   There is no way the market can handle this type of drastic salary increase.    

[Timmitch55]

1 hour ago, RandyMarsh said:

Soto turned down a 15/440 extension from the Nats in 2022, he ended up getting 800 million guaranteed by waiting to FA.(If you include the money from 23/24)

Sotos contract will come back to haunt them.

[CMU97]

3 minutes ago, Hongbit said:

I fear this sport is doomed.   There is no way the market can handle this type of drastic salary increase.    

That is exactly what was said 45 years ago when Dave Parker (congrats on the HOF nod) became the first $1 million a year player.

[gehringer_2]

7 minutes ago, CMU97 said:

That is exactly what was said 45 years ago when Dave Parker (congrats on the HOF nod) became the first $1 million a year player.

as long as the media money keeps growing. Given the Diamond bankruptcy it's less clear to me that it is still growing, but then again, It wouldn't bother me if a few teams went under -- as long as mine isn't one of them....¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[papalawrence]

15 minutes ago, CMU97 said:

That is exactly what was said 45 years ago when Dave Parker (congrats on the HOF nod) became the first $1 million a year player.

The cost burden will get passed to the consumer

[Hongbit]

42 minutes ago, papalawrence said:

The cost burden will get passed to the consumer

How much more can they continue to increase before people get fed up?  

$25 beers and $10 hot dogs along with $50 get in tickets just doesn’t seem sustainable especially over an 81 game home schedule.    

From a competition standpoint, we are quickly moving into an English Premier League model where 6 teams fight for the title and the other 14 are just fodder.  
 

 

[monkeytargets39]

I’m swinging towards us needing to trade Skubal next summer unless we are in control of the division.  There’s no way we are going to extend him or re-sign him for what he will get on the open market…..nor should we.   Too much long term financial burden for a short term success.

[monkeytargets39]

3 hours ago, papalawrence said:

The cost burden will get passed to the consumer

And the stadium workers 

[gehringer_2]

2 hours ago, Hongbit said:

How much more can they continue to increase before people get fed up?  

$25 beers and $10 hot dogs along with $50 get in tickets just doesn’t seem sustainable especially over an 81 game home schedule.    

From a competition standpoint, we are quickly moving into an English Premier League model where 6 teams fight for the title and the other 14 are just fodder.  
 

 

what saves baseball is that as long as the playoffs allow in enough teams that that some med/small market teams have to get in, there is always a reasonable chance that the 88 win StL team will beat the 106 win NYC team and that will generally be enough to keep fans interested. Plus the divisional structure - the Central divisions in both leagues have only one really big market - Chicago - and it's split, so that guarantees the midwest a shot in a short series against the coast. But bias toward high salary teams in the playoffs is pretty clear.

Edited December 9, 2024 by gehringer_2

[papalawrence]

You just know Sasaki is going to end up with the Dodgers

[chasfh]

7 hours ago, papalawrence said:

The cost burden will get passed to the consumer

That will work only as long as the consumer is willing to pay it.

[HeyAbbott]

7 hours ago, Hongbit said:

How much more can they continue to increase before people get fed up?  

$25 beers and $10 hot dogs along with $50 get in tickets just doesn’t seem sustainable especially over an 81 game home schedule.    

From a competition standpoint, we are quickly moving into an English Premier League model where 6 teams fight for the title and the other 14 are just fodder.  
 

 

The model is the Harlem Globetrotters versus the Washington Generals.

[chasfh]

You know, because he was worth way, way, WAY more than $760 million. 

 

[RatkoVarda]

no idea if this is just some rando's website, but he claims Elias won't spend $ in free agency to make O's better

https://pitcherlist.com/orioles-gm-unwilling-to-spend-despite-green-light-from-owner/

bigger problem is that Elias has traded away a lot of young talent the last 2 years and does not have enough to show for it heading into 2025.

[Tiger337]

23 minutes ago, RatkoVarda said:

no idea if this is just some rando's website, but he claims Elias won't spend $ in free agency to make O's better

https://pitcherlist.com/orioles-gm-unwilling-to-spend-despite-green-light-from-owner/

bigger problem is that Elias has traded away a lot of young talent the last 2 years and does not have enough to show for it heading into 2025.

pitcherlist is a respected fantasy league site.   I am not sure how much insight they have into GMs though.  

[papalawrence]

Yankees trade for Devin Williams

 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/12/brewers-trade-devin-williams-yankees.html

Edited December 13, 2024 by papalawrence

[papalawrence]

Wow, big trade day! Tucker heading to Cubs. Parades and others to Houston. Is Houston out in Bregman now?

 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/12/cubs-to-acquire-kyle-tucker.html

[SoCalTiger]

5 minutes ago, papalawrence said:

Wow, big trade day! Tucker heading to Cubs. Parades and others to Houston. Is Houston out in Bregman now?

 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/12/cubs-to-acquire-kyle-tucker.html

Maybe but Issac could play first..interesting...

[IdahoBert]

Hoping the Mets and Soto will disappoint at Citi Field I asked Google if Citi was a home run ballpark and this is what its AI summary disclosed:

“No, Citi Field is not considered a home run ballpark. In fact, it's known for being pitcher-friendly: 

Citi Field has a homer park factor of 91, which is in the bottom third of all parks. It also has the lowest park factors for singles, doubles, and triples in baseball. 

In May 2024, only 26.5% of fly balls with exit speeds between 100–105 mph at Citi Field were home runs, compared to 32.7% of MLB fly balls in that category.”

it doesn’t reflect well upon me to be churlish about the good fortune of other teams, but I take some comfort in the fact that Soto may deliver less for the Mets then they would like.

[chasfh]

11 hours ago, IdahoBert said:

Hoping the Mets and Soto will disappoint at Citi Field I asked Google if Citi was a home run ballpark and this is what its AI summary disclosed:

“No, Citi Field is not considered a home run ballpark. In fact, it's known for being pitcher-friendly: 

Citi Field has a homer park factor of 91, which is in the bottom third of all parks. It also has the lowest park factors for singles, doubles, and triples in baseball. 

In May 2024, only 26.5% of fly balls with exit speeds between 100–105 mph at Citi Field were home runs, compared to 32.7% of MLB fly balls in that category.”

it doesn’t reflect well upon me to be churlish about the good fortune of other teams, but I take some comfort in the fact that Soto may deliver less for the Mets then they would like.

In marketability terms, he doesn’t need the numbers because he’s guaranteed employment until he’s 40. In self-esteem terms, this will probably be a big problem for him.

I’m coming around to believing that it came down to “I’m the Man”, which he never could be under Aaron Judge’s thumb.

 

Edited December 14, 2024 by chasfh

[gehringer_2]

9 minutes ago, chasfh said:

In marketability terms, he doesn’t heed the numbers because he’s guaranteed employment until he’s 40. In self-esteem terms, this will probably be a big problem for him.

I’m coming around to believing that it came down to “I’m the Man”, which he never could be under Aaron Judge’s thumb.

I can see that. We saw it here with Justin and Max. And probably more so now with Judge having not performed well in the playoffs and Soto tearing it up.

[1776]

Carson Kelly to Cubs on a two year deal. I’m still a Kelly fan. 

[RatkoVarda]

good defense and league average offense is a borderline allstar at C.