*** OFFICIAL *** MLB 2020 Thread

[gut]

Red Sox trade Betts to & unload Price on the Dodgers

Rumor has it there is a 3rd team involved.

This is sad news as another season of Dodgers ridicule would be fun. I dearly hope they get stuck with Price.

Giving up Betts is a heavy price (pun) to pay for dumping Price but it’s worth it

gosh, didn't think the Dodgers had the nerve...give up Maeda, Verdugo & Pedersen, but kept Lux, May, Gonsolin, Seager and get Betts, Price & Rengifo (who?)

Still don't know all the moving parts, but am relatively content with the Twins insertion into this. Will take Maeda for Graterol right now. Graterol seems like a possible stud closer, risky possible #3-4 starter at best. Twins window is open, worth it to get the proven talent now.

[gut]

and, its a good time for fans of other AL teams....as the slow descent of the Red Sox and Astros begins this year.

Be nice for me if the Yankees get caught up in this sign-stealing shit, but eh.

[GambleBotsChafedPenis]

be interesting what to see the pieces are...

i'd guess that the pieces wouldn't be all that big if the dodgers (or whoever) have to eat some shit on the 3/93 left on price's contract...

[gut]

be interesting what to see the pieces are...

i'd guess that the pieces wouldn't be all that big if the dodgers (or whoever) have to eat some shit on the 3/93 left on price's contract...

sounds like the main 3 way is set...its just the LAD-LAA trade now:

Young Joc and Pages for Renigfo...although supposedly another prospect going dodgers way, and an "mlb starter" going to angels. Gonsolin or Stripling only ones that make sense.


That 3-way trade if it stands as just that (undisclosed money sent from Bos-Lad)....seems like a decent trade for all. Boston going into a quasi-rebuild, Twins need a starter, Dodgers get a huge upgrade this year.

[Dan Druff]

This basically buys the Dodgers a year of Betts and a small leg up on re-signing him.

The loss of Maeda will be felt harder than you think, because he has been great in a long relief role in the postseason in recent years.

Verdugo has the ability to be a star, but there's already some lingering doubts about him, due to being possibly injury prone. He's by no means a sure thing, but hopefully the Dodgers don't regret this one like when they let Paul Konerko go for relatively little in the late '90s.

Price is pretty much shot, and the Dodgers are just taking on the salary to get Betts. He's being paid $96m for 2020-2022, but the Red Sox are reportedly eating half of that. Price isn't worth $48m guaranteed over the next 3 years, especially at his age (34) and apparent decline, but if they get $30m value out of him over those years, this will be fine.

[gut]

This basically buys the Dodgers a year of Betts and a small leg up on re-signing him.

The loss of Maeda will be felt harder than you think, because he has been great in a long relief role in the postseason in recent years.

Verdugo has the ability to be a star, but there's already some lingering doubts about him, due to being possibly injury prone. He's by no means a sure thing, but hopefully the Dodgers don't regret this one like when they let Paul Konerko go for relatively little in the late '90s.

Price is pretty much shot, and the Dodgers are just taking on the salary to get Betts. He's being paid $96m for 2020-2022, but the Red Sox are reportedly eating half of that. Price isn't worth $48m guaranteed over the next 3 years, especially at his age (34) and apparent decline, but if they get $30m value out of him over those years, this will be fine.

injury prone and/or a loafer. from fangraphs:

For all of Verdugo’s talent, concerns about his makeup have followed him since before he was drafted, with Keith Law (then of ESPN) noting questions about his level of motivation circa 2014, and the Baseball America Prospect Handbook 2018 writing, “Verdugo’s skills are undeniable, but criticism of his effort level and maturity have plagued him since his amateur days and were again prevalent in 2017,” referring, at the very least, to a dressing-down the rookie received from Rich Hill upon showing up to the ballpark late after oversleeping. In their 2019 edition, BA wrote, “Verdugo stays dialed in at the plate, but an indifferent attitude affects the rest of his game,” and noted lapses in his focus afield as well as a “slow motor” that “shows up on the bases, frustrating teammates and coaches alike,” while in their write up of the Dodgers system last year, Eric Longenhagen and Kiley McDaniel noted that “part of the reason teams have been asking for other Dodgers prospects in trades is due to some past off-field stuff.”

[GambleBotsChafedPenis]

interesting post gut...when I first saw the trade was stunned the dodgers gave up a guy like Verdugo and took on a nice chunk of the price salary in the deal...

but reading that little blurb sounds like it might be more a headline grabbing guy in the deal with questionable substance...

[gut]

interesting post gut...when I first saw the trade was stunned the dodgers gave up a guy like Verdugo and took on a nice chunk of the price salary in the deal...

but reading that little blurb sounds like it might be more a headline grabbing guy in the deal with questionable substance...

yeah, I mean obviously with getting Betts there is positional overlap, but I would imagine if they were trying a blockbuster for an elite pitcher, they still would have pushed Verdugo first before offering Smith, Ruiz, May, or Lux. Then just kept Joc in town.

But yeah, basically everything I read over the past year was Verdugo was highly acquirable.

[GrenadaRoger]

Ross Stripling also a part of the Angels/Dodgers trade involving Pederson...Alex Wood made Stripling expendable?

So the Dodgers will be without Ryu, Maeda, Hill, Garcia, Sadler & Stripling...

looks like it will be Kershaw & a bunch of youngsters starting on the mound: Buehler, Urias, May, Gonsolin, Wood and who else?...will probably be a gong-show audition in spring trading to fill out the rotation

all in for Dodgers; Kershaw & Jansen last chance at WS Title?

[Sanlmar]

Dodgers are always there to solve the Red Sox problems.

Wish they woulda taken Josh Becket too. Oops, I mean Chris Sale

Machine Gun Kelly & Price. Amazing


Dodgers should retire Maeda’s number. Warrior. He gave up a lot of bonus $ to pitch out of the dreadful Dodgers pen. Never complained. Just performed. Did what was needed. Dodgers damn near killed him. Wonder if anything is left

[gut]

lulz at this new Red Sox front office. Trade held up because they apparently just figured out who the fuck they are trading for.

It has been more than 24 hours since the Mookie Betts trade was first reported, but the potential blockbuster featuring the Red Sox, Dodgers and Twins still hasn’t been finalized as we head into Thursday. There’s still confidence the deal will be completed, but there may end up being more pieces involved in the trade, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports

Despite missing the final couple of months of last season with back/oblique/core problems, Verdugo has already been medically cleared, according to Rosenthal. However, Rosenthal writes that the Red Sox do have some concerns over the hard-throwing Graterol, whom they now regard as more of a reliever than a starter after looking at his medical records. Notably, Graterol’s a past Tommy John surgery patient who has also dealt with other injuries. The 21-year-old missed two months last season with shoulder issues that limited him to a combined 70 2/3 innings at four different levels (including 9 2/3 in the bigs).

I could have told them that.

I sometimes wonder if some of these front offices are much more advanced than simply acquiring information the same way we do. Like Bloom was just "Oh this guy is on the top 100 prospects list. we'll take em!"

[GambleBotsChafedPenis]

Manfred says New York Mets sale from Wilpons to Cohen off

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/...pons-cohen-off

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred says talks have ended over the proposed sale of a controlling share of the New York Mets from the families of Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz to hedge fund manager Steven Cohen.

The Mets said on Dec. 4 that the contemplated deal between Sterling Partners and Cohen would allow 83-year-old Fred Wilpon to remain as controlling owner and chief executive officer for five years.

"There is not going to be a transaction," Manfred said at the end of an owners meeting. "I can tell you, and it's based on conversations with the buyer and the seller on an ongoing basis, the assertion that the transaction fell apart because of something the Wilpons did is completely and utterly unfair."

Cohen bought an 8% limited partnership stake in 2012 for $40 million. The deal under discussion would have seen him acquire an 80% controlling share in a transaction that values the team at $2.6 billion.

Wilpon repeatedly declined comment at the MLB meetings this week.

Cohen, 63, first bought into the Mets in 2012 when the team sought $20 million minority investment stakes following the collapse of Bernard Madoff's Ponzi scheme, which cost the Wilpons and their companies large amounts of money.

Cohen is CEO and president of Point72 Asset Management.

Cohen controlled SAC Capital Advisors, which in 2013 pleaded guilty to criminal fraud charges. SAC agreed to pay a $900 million fine and forfeit another $900 million to the federal government, though $616 million that SAC companies had already agreed to pay to settle parallel actions by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission was to be deducted from the $1.8 billion.

Doubleday & Co., a publisher, bought the Mets in 1980 from the family of founding owner Joan Payson for $21.1 million, with the company owning 95% of the team and Wilpon controlling 5%.

When Doubleday & Co. was sold to the media company Bertelsmann AG in 1986, the publisher sold its shares of the team for $80.75 million to Wilpon and Nelson Doubleday, who became 50-50 owners.

Wilpon led a buyout of Doubleday's shares in August 2002 and became chairman and sole controlling owner. Saul Katz, the owner's brother-in-law and partner in the real estate firm Sterling Equities Inc., became team president, and Jeff Wilpon, Fred's son, became COO.



mets gonna mets...

[Dan Druff]

Max Muncy signed to a 3-year extension covering his arbitration years for $26m, plus a $13m club option for the following year.

They decided not to risk that he continues to crush and ends up making big $ in arbitration, like Betts did.

Smart. He seems good enough to where the $26m isn't that likely to be wasted, even if he declines somewhat. Unless he's on roids and gets caught, which I suppose is possible.

[Sanlmar]

lulz at this new Red Sox front office. Trade held up because they apparently just figured out who the fuck they are trading for.

It has been more than 24 hours since the Mookie Betts trade was first reported, but the potential blockbuster featuring the Red Sox, Dodgers and Twins still hasn’t been finalized as we head into Thursday. There’s still confidence the deal will be completed, but there may end up being more pieces involved in the trade, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports

Despite missing the final couple of months of last season with back/oblique/core problems, Verdugo has already been medically cleared, according to Rosenthal. However, Rosenthal writes that the Red Sox do have some concerns over the hard-throwing Graterol, whom they now regard as more of a reliever than a starter after looking at his medical records. Notably, Graterol’s a past Tommy John surgery patient who has also dealt with other injuries. The 21-year-old missed two months last season with shoulder issues that limited him to a combined 70 2/3 innings at four different levels (including 9 2/3 in the bigs).

I could have told them that.

I sometimes wonder if some of these front offices are much more advanced than simply acquiring information the same way we do. Like Bloom was just "Oh this guy is on the top 100 prospects list. we'll take em!"

I appreciate the Sawks ridicule. Just not in this spot.

Beginning last year, around the time Dombrowski was being walked to the gallows, it was leaked to the press that Red Sox mission #1 was getting rid of Price and his albatross of a contract. There simply was no future if Price remained. The Sawks were committed to resetting the salary cap tax.

Dombrowski was prolly fired b/c of the Price deal. I mean if you had to pick one thing that would be it.

The Sawks spilled a lot on the floor but were fortunate to find an outfit dumb enough to take him. The Dodgers took the sinkhole that is Price in their “go for broke” 2020 season if it meant a one year rental on Mookie Betts.

Everything else, including Graterol, is just incidental. Sawks will sit down with the Twins and hammer out a compromise.

Huge relief in Beantown

[Dan Druff]

Now there's talk that the whole deal will fall through because of Graterol.

I think the Sawks are just trying to hold out for more.

[mulva]

i wouldn't sell price short.

there's plenty of potential upside with him going to chavez. even if he pitches like last year the numbers would be translated much better in la.


what you get is a great pitcher that's battled injures the past few years while still being very good. the dodgers get a pitcher that can pitch like an ace every time he takes the mound.

this was a great trade for the dodgers

don't know why they want the dude from the angels though,..unless seager is going to be on the move the following year

[gut]

The Dodgers and Red Sox have once again agreed to a trade that will send outfielder Mookie Betts and lefty David Price to the Dodgers, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The Red Sox will include $48MM to cover half of the remaining salary on David Price’s contract. In this updated version of the deal, Alex Verdugo, minor league shortstop Jeter Downs, and catching prospect Connor Wong comprise the package heading to Boston. If we haven’t learned our lesson, the deal is pending medical reviews.

This trade will be accompanied by a separate agreement between the Dodgers and Twins that will send Kenta Maeda to Minnesota in exchange for right-hander Brusdar Graterol, with other unknown pieces likely involved. Those players were involved in the first iteration of the megadeal, which is now two distinct trades between the same three teams. Notably, Graterol will now join the Dodgers, whereas he was previously destined for Boston.

[Dan Druff]

lulz at this new Red Sox front office. Trade held up because they apparently just figured out who the fuck they are trading for.




I could have told them that.

I sometimes wonder if some of these front offices are much more advanced than simply acquiring information the same way we do. Like Bloom was just "Oh this guy is on the top 100 prospects list. we'll take em!"

I appreciate the Sawks ridicule. Just not in this spot.

Beginning last year, around the time Dombrowski was being walked to the gallows, it was leaked to the press that Red Sox mission #1 was getting rid of Price and his albatross of a contract. There simply was no future if Price remained. The Sawks were committed to resetting the salary cap tax.

Dombrowski was prolly fired b/c of the Price deal. I mean if you had to pick one thing that would be it.

The Sawks spilled a lot on the floor but were fortunate to find an outfit dumb enough to take him. The Dodgers took the sinkhole that is Price in their “go for broke” 2020 season if it meant a one year rental on Mookie Betts.

Everything else, including Graterol, is just incidental. Sawks will sit down with the Twins and hammer out a compromise.

Huge relief in Beantown

Dodgers are only paying about half of Price's salary. They're basically paying the same they paid for Rich Hill for the past 3 years. Price should contribute more than Hill, because Hill was injured so often.

If this $48m was just going to be dead money, I'd understand the criticism, but Price should at least be able to be worth $25m-$30m over the 3 years, and maybe a lot more if he rejuvenates his career in LA.

You've criticized the Dodgers for not going for it, and just standing pat because they knew they could keep winning the NL West.

This year they've finally made a real move with an eye towards winning the Series. I still think they need some starting pitching for the playoffs, but maybe that will come later.

[GrenadaRoger]

okay, so the Bettis deal closed after the Dodgers did a make good...from the Twins they took back Graterol who was going to Boston, and then gave Boston Jeter Downs & Conor Wong instead...Downs has potential, while Wong looks like a benchwarmer/bullpen catcher.

But now the mystery: the Angels/Dodgers trade has been cancelled! Its was a trade that was held up by the Bettis trade and looked to be a salary dump to clear up about 10million in salary off the Dodger books and stay under the salary penalty...why cancelled? did Boston kick up the amount of Price's salary they would assume? That hasn't been covered/disclosed so far. Meanwhile, the Dodgers say the trade with the Angeles is no longer needed...so they pick up 2 pitchers, Price & Graterol, plus keep Stripling...moves that don't jibe with the spin put out with the original deals.

anyway, neither Boston or Milwaukee come out of this looking good right now...Boston looks as if they got greedy for more at the last minute, while Milwaukee looks as if they might have tried to put one over on Boston...time will tell which one was the goniff

[Sanlmar]

I appreciate the Sawks ridicule. Just not in this spot.

Beginning last year, around the time Dombrowski was being walked to the gallows, it was leaked to the press that Red Sox mission #1 was getting rid of Price and his albatross of a contract. There simply was no future if Price remained. The Sawks were committed to resetting the salary cap tax.

Dombrowski was prolly fired b/c of the Price deal. I mean if you had to pick one thing that would be it.

The Sawks spilled a lot on the floor but were fortunate to find an outfit dumb enough to take him. The Dodgers took the sinkhole that is Price in their “go for broke” 2020 season if it meant a one year rental on Mookie Betts.

Everything else, including Graterol, is just incidental. Sawks will sit down with the Twins and hammer out a compromise.

Huge relief in Beantown

Dodgers are only paying about half of Price's salary. They're basically paying the same they paid for Rich Hill for the past 3 years. Price should contribute more than Hill, because Hill was injured so often.

If this $48m was just going to be dead money, I'd understand the criticism, but Price should at least be able to be worth $25m-$30m over the 3 years, and maybe a lot more if he rejuvenates his career in LA.

You've criticized the Dodgers for not going for it, and just standing pat because they knew they could keep winning the NL West.

This year they've finally made a real move with an eye towards winning the Series. I still think they need some starting pitching for the playoffs, but maybe that will come later.

The Dodgers improved

The Dodger’s Betts rental has my full attention. Betts is Trout. That is going for broke. But what else? Pitching?

This is 2nd only to Yankees
RF Betts
1B Muncy
3B Turner
CF Bellinger
LF Pollock
SS Seager
C Smith
2B Lux

be serious
serviceable regular season rotation
Buehler (max respect)
Kershaw
Price

May (I like him)
Urias (I hold the upper hand here - correct since day 1)

Awful
Kelly
Treinen
Jansen

The Red Sox looked at NYC and folded. They have multiple fresh rings. They will take some abuse for appearing financially focused but they had ZERO shot against Yankees. Just can’t say it publicly.

Price is an aging mental defective. You will find out soon enough. Countdown to the Fortnight gamer stories.