2016 MLB thread. THE CUBS HAVE BROKEN THE CURSE! Chicago Cubs are your 2016 World Series champions

[DeadsetAce]

Hanley in LF? he has a hard enough time covering ground at SS

Hanley in LF? he has a hard enough time covering ground at SS

Manny did it there

this. if Manny can, anyone can

and remember that LF at Fenway is small, relatively. not as much ground to cover as you might think.

He'll be fine in LF, injuries are a concern, and we'll see how he handles the spotlight that Boston has. Sucks to see him go. When he played he was great to watch (offensively), his bat is incredible. His defense is the complete opposite, tough to stomach. Everything says Panda will play 3rd, Boegarts plays SS and Hanely LF. I think eventually Hanley will find his way to first base, Napoli has one more year on his deal and Papi can't play forever .

He'll have all spring to adjust to playing to LF,

Most of you make it seem as if he is going from LF to SS. He'll be fine, he'll get injured because he is Hanley, not because he will be playing a less demanding position.

agreed here. i hear Hanley has always wanted to come back to Boston. hearing he's the one that reached out to Cherington and the Sox FO. even heard he'd ask the Dodger clubhouse guy to always put the Sox game on. so I feel like he really wants to play here and knows what he's getting into in terms of the spotlight. but time will tell.

 

[frink85]

I wonder what made Hanley change his stance on moving positions...probably that no one would sign/pay him that $$$$ if he stayed at short

Sad to see him go. When he wasn't hurt by HBP and etc his bat was great. His defense though...he owes Clayton a perfect game

 

[johnnyredstorm]

i'm sorry but russell isn't worth 10 mill a year let alone 16. be serious.

 

[jumpmanfromdabay]

Hanley in LF? he has a hard enough time covering ground at SS

Manny did it there

this. if Manny can, anyone can

and remember that LF at Fenway is small, relatively. not as much ground to cover as you might think.

what about the games on the road?

 

[DeadsetAce]

Hanley in LF? he has a hard enough time covering ground at SS

Manny did it there

this. if Manny can, anyone can

and remember that LF at Fenway is small, relatively. not as much ground to cover as you might think.

what about the games on the road?

hopefully he misses road games with all these injuries you guys are talking about


nah but im just saying overall, LF is easier to play than SS from a range/athleticism standpoint. i think he'd be fine in LF. it's not like we're asking David Ortiz to play LF or something

 

[ooiron manoo]

i'm sorry but russell isn't worth 10 mill a year let alone 16. be serious.

He was going to get that from whatever team signed him, most teams were only offering 4 years. Blue Jays went 5 and got him.

Brian McCann set the market last off season and Martin is a better catcher than McCann based on advanced metrics. McCann hit more home runs, so that makes him better to casual fans. Still laughing at the "bat is trash" comment. As if Catchers that hit near .300, get on base 40% of the time (.402 OBP) just grow on trees.

If anything, Yadi, should be blaming his agent for signing such a team friendly deal. Then again, free agents set the market, not franchise players that sign team friendly deals.

If you want to argue that he didn't deserve 5 years, I agree, that was "desperation".

If you want to argue that he's a $5mil a year Catcher, then, please present an argument. Top 5 Catchers are getting $13-$20 mil annually, not counting those that are still accumulating service time or have had their arbitration years bought out (Lucroy).

 

[johnnyredstorm]

I've got nothing to say. If I was a GM I'm offering him max 5 million. You could find another guy like him around that price. These baseball contracts are ridiculous.

 

[ooiron manoo]

I've got nothing to say. If I was a GM I'm offering him max 5 million. You could find another guy like him around that price. These baseball contracts are ridiculous.

That is why you're not a GM, you can't even comprehend the market.



It's not a shot at you...

To bolster my argument, AJ Ellis got paid $3.5 million last year, he's going into his third year of arbitration and is slated to get $4.2 to $4.5 million.

AJ Ellis is ******* awful, great guy, just an awful catcher. Cant' hit, advanced metrics don't like him, etc etc.

You're going to offer Russ $5 mil max when guys like AJ Ellis getting $4.5... don't quit your day job.

Supply and demand.

 

[johnnyredstorm]

I'm just logical. Why give a guy Martin that kind of money when I could bring in a guy from the minors at a 1/10 of the cost and distribute that money elsewhere to build a more rounded team.

Martin doesn't make you a contender and he's getting paid big impact player money. That's a joke.

 

[dland24]

I am with JRS.  Not saying that Iron Man's point of the market dictating his pricetag isn't valid.  I just agree with JRS in the sense that if I am a GM, there is no way in hell I am giving Martin a contract that the "market dictates."  I am spending that money elsewhere.

 

[jewbacca2]

I'm just logical. Why give a guy Martin that kind of money when I could bring in a guy from the minors at a 1/10 of the cost and distribute that money elsewhere to build a more rounded team.

Martin doesn't make you a contender and he's getting paid big impact player money. That's a joke.

That's why developing your own talent is going to become more important.

That theory is what still get thrown around here in Houston when we signed Carlos Lee.

At the time, you could have gotten slightly less production from Luke Scott and saved a 100 million to be spent elsewhere.

 

[ooiron manoo]

I'm just logical. Why give a guy Martin that kind of money when I could bring in a guy from the minors at a 1/10 of the cost and distribute that money elsewhere to build a more rounded team.

Martin doesn't make you a contender and he's getting paid big impact player money. That's a joke.

I seriously think you are underestimating the value of a good catcher.

Jorge Posada
Damian Miller
Bengie Molina
Ivan Rodriguez
Jason Varitek
AJ Pyrzyinski
Yadier Molina
Jason Varitek
Carlos Ruiz
Jorge Posada
Buster Posey
Yadier Molina
Buster Posey
Jarod Saltalamachia
Buster Posey

List of the catchers behind the dish for every World Series winning team since 2000. Those are some strong ******* names, can you Trent Dilfer it, yes you can, it happens but you have to be ******* special to overcome your Trent Dilfer. 2001 D'Backs had Randy Johnson and Curt Shilling in their prime and barely got past the Yanks. 2013 BoSox always have that bean town juju.

 

[johnnyredstorm]

Not underestimating the importance, just that you could find a good game caller for half the price of Martin's contract. The guy isn't gonna make the Blue Jays a team that could win the pennant and he's being paid as a high impact player.

 

[ooiron manoo]

Not underestimating the importance, just that you could find a good game caller for half the price of Martin's contract. The guy isn't gonna make the Blue Jays a team that could win the pennant and he's being paid as a high impact player.

Name one...

I am with JRS. Not saying that Iron Man's point of the market dictating his pricetag isn't valid. I just agree with JRS in the sense that if I am a GM, there is no way in hell I am giving Martin a contract that the "market dictates." I am spending that money elsewhere.

Awesome mindset to have on a message board, however, in the real world moves need to be made. There's a lot of people you need to answer to.

The only other option is what Jew mentioned, and if you don't have any in-house options, you are SOL and have to "overpay".

 

[proshares]

Did you guys miss the huge impact he had on that staff in Pittsburgh? His defense, ability to call the game and how good he is with top end young pitching is worth a lot by itself. I think you guys are severely underestimating how important that is and how many catchers can actually do that. There are not that many catchers that have that skill at his level. And this is exactly the void they needed to fill. Going from Navarro to him will make them much better this year and probably the two years after that.

Saying all that, I wouldn't have given him the years but that's the cost of getting someone that can literally turn the tides of that division with the Yankees and Rays in limbo, the Sox trying to rebuild and the O's trying to be team that slugs their way to a WS.

 

[johnnyredstorm]

Did you guys miss the huge impact he had on that staff in Pittsburgh? His defense, ability to call the game and how good he is with top end young pitching is worth a lot by itself. I think you guys are severely underestimating how important that is and how many catchers can actually do that. There are not that many catchers that have that skill at his level. And this is exactly the void they needed to fill. Going from Navarro to him will make them much better this year and probably the two years after that.

Saying all that, I wouldn't have given him the years but that's the cost of getting someone that can literally turn the tides of that division with the Yankees and Rays in limbo, the Sox trying to rebuild and the O's trying to be team that slugs their way to a WS.

Guy's not worth 16 million a year.

 

[ooiron manoo]

Guy's not worth 16 million a year.

I get that, and still waiting for an argument aside from "he's just not an impact player" or "if I was GM I wouldn't let the market dictate"... which are not even plausible.

Pro just said he is a vast improvement over Navarro, which he is by every metric imaginable, even those friendly to the layman. Dioner Navarro is going to get paid $5 mil next season.

I wish, "just bring someone up for 1/10 of the cost" was that easy. This is someone that roots for a team that went with a terrible "in-house" option (AJ Ellis) to save money and not to tender a contract to someone better (Martin).

Having a good catcher will make or break your pennant hopes.

Russell Martin is an impact player, McCutchen wasn't going to carry that team to the playoffs by himself. Real GM's know that.

 

[johnnyredstorm]

I don't care, I'm not getting extorted for 80 million just because that's market value.If I'm spending 80 million, that's gonna be on a player that makes my team a contender.

 

[proshares]

And he makes them a contender. I don't see how that's even debatable with what he did in Pittsburgh. Especially moving to a park that doesn't kill right handed power like PNC does.

I would think Met fans would get it because they have to deal with d'Arnaud, he's one of the worst defensively and framing wise and that's cost them pretty big.

 

[johnnyredstorm]

16 million is a steep price that's gonna limit their ability to put more talent on the field. I don't think he impacts them enough to win the pennant. Just don't see it.

 

[GreenNGold89]

I would take Martin for $80 million. Having to watch Norris behind the plate has taken years off my life.

 

[DeadsetAce]

i think Peter Gammons is tweeting that "Jon Lester to Boston is a done deal..."

 

[pacificnorsewst]

Damn man.

 

[DeadsetAce]

i dunno...that sounds WAY premature from PG

 

[proshares]

16 million is a steep price that's gonna limit their ability to put more talent on the field. I don't think he impacts them enough to win the pennant. Just don't see it.

They have the talent everywhere else though, that was a part of it. He'll be a big help to their kids in the rotation and the pen.

Rangers trying to pry Upton away.

Haven't seen Gammons tweet anything