MLB General Discussion (Official Thread)

[brodybuck21]

Phillies find perfect free-agent fit in Michael Saunders

• 
  Michael Saunders is heading to Philadelphia. (Getty Images/Matthew Hazlett)
  Few teams understand exactly where they are in their contention cycle more than the Philadelphia Phillies. They proved as much Monday, reportedly agreeing to a one-year deal with free-agent outfielder Michael Saunders. While Saunders isn’t the best player remaining on the market, he’s the perfect fit for the Phillies.
  
  It’s tough to criticize any one-year deal, and Saunders’ contract with Philadelphia is no exception. The 30-year-old will make just nine million in 2017, and has an $11 million club option for 2018. That option can increase to $14 million depending on whether Saunders can reach certain incentives.
  
  Last season, Saunders hit .253/.338/.478, with 24 home runs, over 558 plate appearances with the Toronto Blue Jays. His excellent first half, in which he hit .298/.372/.551, with 16 homers, earned him his first-ever trip to the All-Star game. He couldn’t keep up that hot streak. Saunders slumped badly in the second half, hitting just .178/.282/.357 to finish the year.
  

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/phillies-find-perfect-free-agent-fit-in-michael-saunders-003646972.html

 

[buckeyemania11]

Dodgers acquire IF Logan Forsythe from the Rays for RHP Jose De Leon

De Leon was rated as the #23 prospect by BA last season.

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/m...-rays-swap-2b-logan-forsythe-for-jose-deleon/

Forsythe, 30, hit .264/.333/.444 (113 OPS+) with 24 doubles, 20 home runs, 52 RBI, 76 runs and six stolen bases last season. A DL stint limited him to 127 games. He's served as a super-utility type in the past, but settled in as an everyday second baseman with good seasons in 2015 and 2016.

The Dodgers have been trying to fill a void at second base for a greater portion of the offseason.

The return of De Leon gives the Rays additional starting pitching depth. He was regarded as a top-25 prospect in baseball before last season. In 16 Triple-A starts, he had a 2.61 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 111 strikeouts in 86 1/3 innings. He got a cup of coffee in the bigs and didn't fare well, but that doesn't change the upside. Lots of great players have a rough start in The Show.

 

[brodybuck21]

good pickup by LA

 

[brodybuck21]

Cardinals must give Astros top 2 picks, $2M for hacking


RONALD BLUM (AP Baseball Writer)
The Associated Press•Jan 30, 2017, 3:23 PM

In this Friday, Dec. 9, 2016, photo, St. Louis Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak speaks during an introductory news conference announcing free agent center fielder Dexter Fowler has signed with the Cardinals in St. Louis. Mozeliak wants to avoid any notion that the Chicago Cubs winning the World Series is the driving force behind the St. Louis push to improve after missing the postseason for the first time since 2010. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
NEW YORK (AP) -- The St. Louis Cardinals were stripped of their top two picks in this year's amateur draft Monday and ordered to give them to Houston along with $2 million as compensation for hacking the Astros' email system and scouting database, the final step in an unusual case of cybercrime involving two Major League Baseball teams.

Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred also banned former St. Louis executive Christopher Correa for life as he ruled the Cardinals must give the 56th and 75th draft choices in June to Houston. They must pay the Astros the money within 30 days.

Correa, the Cardinals' director of baseball development until July 2015, pleaded guilty in federal court to five counts of unauthorized access of a protected computer. He was sentenced last summer to 46 months in prison and ordered to pay the Astros $279,039 in restitution.

''Although Mr. Correa's conduct was not authorized by the Cardinals, as a matter of MLB policy, I am holding the Cardinals responsible for his conduct,'' Manfred wrote. ''A club suffers material harm when an employee of another club illegally accesses its confidential and propriety information, particularly intrusions of the nature and scope present here. In addition, as a result of Mr. Correa's conduct, the Astros suffered substantial negative publicity and had to endure the time, expense and distraction of both a lengthy government investigation and an MLB investigation.''

https://sports.yahoo.com/news/cardinals-lose-top-2-picks-must-pay-astros-192545020--mlb.html

 

[brodybuck21]

season starts in a little over 2 weeks!

 

[Fungo Squiggly]

season starts in a little over 2 weeks!

 

[Jake]

Cardinals must give Astros top 2 picks, $2M for hacking


RONALD BLUM (AP Baseball Writer)
The Associated Press•Jan 30, 2017, 3:23 PM

In this Friday, Dec. 9, 2016, photo, St. Louis Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak speaks during an introductory news conference announcing free agent center fielder Dexter Fowler has signed with the Cardinals in St. Louis. Mozeliak wants to avoid any notion that the Chicago Cubs winning the World Series is the driving force behind the St. Louis push to improve after missing the postseason for the first time since 2010. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
NEW YORK (AP) -- The St. Louis Cardinals were stripped of their top two picks in this year's amateur draft Monday and ordered to give them to Houston along with $2 million as compensation for hacking the Astros' email system and scouting database, the final step in an unusual case of cybercrime involving two Major League Baseball teams.

Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred also banned former St. Louis executive Christopher Correa for life as he ruled the Cardinals must give the 56th and 75th draft choices in June to Houston. They must pay the Astros the money within 30 days.

Correa, the Cardinals' director of baseball development until July 2015, pleaded guilty in federal court to five counts of unauthorized access of a protected computer. He was sentenced last summer to 46 months in prison and ordered to pay the Astros $279,039 in restitution.

''Although Mr. Correa's conduct was not authorized by the Cardinals, as a matter of MLB policy, I am holding the Cardinals responsible for his conduct,'' Manfred wrote. ''A club suffers material harm when an employee of another club illegally accesses its confidential and propriety information, particularly intrusions of the nature and scope present here. In addition, as a result of Mr. Correa's conduct, the Astros suffered substantial negative publicity and had to endure the time, expense and distraction of both a lengthy government investigation and an MLB investigation.''

https://sports.yahoo.com/news/cardinals-lose-top-2-picks-must-pay-astros-192545020--mlb.html

 

[OHSportsFan]

Oh man, I don't like the Cardinals, but I can't deal with the Cubs being clutch. Still have nightmares.

3 run HR in the bottom of the 9th ties it up to start Opening Night.

 

[Jaxbuck]

Oh man, I don't like the Cardinals, but I can't deal with the Cubs being clutch. Still have nightmares.

3 run HR in the bottom of the 9th ties it up to start Opening Night.

It was top 9, they were in St Louis.

Cubs fans being Cubs fans they go nuts and confirm what dickbags they are by waiving their little W banners.

problem is they had only tied it, St Louis walked it off bottom 9

I don't care who wins, despise them both but it was nice to see someone get a pecker slap this early in the season

 

[Magua]

Was Joe Buck seen near Schwarber on his knees last night in the Cubs dugout? Asking for a friend...

 

[Jake]

So Jeremy Guthrie made his first start for the Nationals tonight:

Bottom 1st

PHI
0
1
Maikel Franco hit sacrifice fly to right, César Hernández scored, Howie Kendrick to third

PHI
0
2
Michael Saunders singled to shallow right, Howie Kendrick scored, Odúbel Herrera to second

PHI
0
3
Tommy Joseph singled to center, Odúbel Herrera scored, Michael Saunders to third

PHI
0
4
Freddy Galvis hit sacrifice fly to center, Michael Saunders scored

PHI
0
5
César Hernández walked, Tommy Joseph scored, Cameron Rupp to third, Aaron Nola to second

PHI
0
8
Howie Kendrick tripled to deep right center, Cameron Rupp, Aaron Nola and César Hernández scored

PHI
0
9
Odúbel Herrera reached on an infield single, Howie Kendrick scored

PHI
0
10
Maikel Franco doubled to right center, Odúbel Herrera scored

PHI
0
11
Michael Saunders doubled to right center, Maikel Franco scored

PHI
0
12
Tommy Joseph singled to center, Michael Saunders scored

 

[Jaxbuck]

So Jeremy Guthrie made his first start for the Nationals tonight:

Bottom 1st

PHI
0
1
Maikel Franco hit sacrifice fly to right, César Hernández scored, Howie Kendrick to third

PHI
0
2
Michael Saunders singled to shallow right, Howie Kendrick scored, Odúbel Herrera to second

PHI
0
3
Tommy Joseph singled to center, Odúbel Herrera scored, Michael Saunders to third

PHI
0
4
Freddy Galvis hit sacrifice fly to center, Michael Saunders scored

PHI
0
5
César Hernández walked, Tommy Joseph scored, Cameron Rupp to third, Aaron Nola to second

PHI
0
8
Howie Kendrick tripled to deep right center, Cameron Rupp, Aaron Nola and César Hernández scored

PHI
0
9
Odúbel Herrera reached on an infield single, Howie Kendrick scored

PHI
0
10
Maikel Franco doubled to right center, Odúbel Herrera scored

PHI
0
11
Michael Saunders doubled to right center, Maikel Franco scored

PHI
0
12
Tommy Joseph singled to center, Michael Saunders scored

 

[Jake]

 

[bennyy]

The 2016 Major League Baseball season began on April 3, 2016 with a Sunday afternoon matchup between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Pirates, the two teams with the best regular season records in 2015, at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. The regular season ended on Sunday, October 2, 2016, and the postseason on Wednesday, November 2, 2016, with the Chicago Cubs coming back from a three games to one deficit to defeat the Cleveland Indians in the World Series and win their first championship since 1908.The Major League Baseball All-Star Game's 87th edition was played on July 12 at Pepco Park in San Diego, California, home of the San Diego Padres. The American League was awarded home-field advantage in the World Series by winning the game 4–2.

 

[Jake]

Both of these guys are Pirates, but they are also "firsts".

P Dovydas Neverauskus made his debut last night. He's the first Lithuanian-born player in MLB history.

INF Gift Ngoepe got in tonight. He's the first African-born player in MLB history.