2025 Major League Baseball Thread

[BizCat]

Puig, Kemp, and Wood traded to the Reds

[ctujackbauer]

Brady Singer (Royals #1 pick/prospect) gave a pretty big gift to his parents (see twitter video, mlb article has "spoilers"):

https://twitter.com/Bsinger51/status...721664/video/1

https://www.mlb.com/news/brady-singe...ft/c-302193556

[BizCat]

Nelson Cruz joins Minnesota; 1year/$14M

[Samus Aran]

The Rays, second to last in attendance last season, have reached a new low. They're eliminating seating people in the upper deck and reducing stadium capacity to 25,000.

"These renovations mark our continued commitment to providing a first-rate fan experience at Tropicana Field," Rays president Matt Silverman said in a statement. "Together, in concert with the reduction in seating capacity, these investments will help create a more intimate, entertaining and appealing experience for our fans."

Cities looking for a Major League franchise should start getting ready to make their pitches for 2028.

[Samus Aran]

Going by ballot tracking, it looks like Mariano Rivera, Edgar Martinez and Roy Halladay are getting elected into the Hall of Fame, with Mike Mussina as a possible fourth entry.

[BizCat]

Tony Romo has predicted that Harper goes to the Rangers.

[Hatter]

56% of the ballot known and Rivera is still at 100%. I really hope the finally ends this absurd notion that no one can be unanimous.

[BizCat]

Originally Posted by Hatter

56% of the ballot known and Rivera is still at 100%. I really hope the finally ends this absurd notion that no one can be unanimous.

Griffey Jr should have been.

[Samus Aran]

Curmudgeons, snobs, elitists, grumpy old men. That's why there's never been a 100% before this year.

Were the baseball writers who didn't vote for Ken Griffey, Nolan Ryan, Rickey Henderson, Tony Gwynn, Cal Ripken, Greg Maddux, etc. ever asked why they didn't?

[Hatter]

Originally Posted by BizCat

Griffey Jr should have been.

He and several others should have been. Don't know why Griffey always comes up above all others though. He was league average after he left the Mariners, just like Pujols since he left the Cardinals.

[ChadFL]

Originally Posted by Samus Aran

Curmudgeons, snobs, elitists, grumpy old men. That's why there's never been a 100% before this year.

Were the baseball writers who didn't vote for Ken Griffey, Nolan Ryan, Rickey Henderson, Tony Gwynn, Cal Ripken, Greg Maddux, etc. ever asked why they didn't?

Better yet... here's the 1936 HOF vote.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/a...hof_1936.shtml

I'd love to know what 11 voters looked at Babe Ruth's career and said "nah, pretty good, but not Hall of Fame worthy."

Just as bizarre was the fact that Walter Johnson, still to this day almost universally regarded as one of the top-3 (maybe the best) pitcher of all time, got only 83.6% of the votes cast.

[ChadFL]

Originally Posted by BizCat

Griffey Jr should have been.

My guess is a few voters refused to vote for him because he played in the PED era and automatically assumed he used, despite no evidence of it.

FWIW, I've always thought Griffey a little overrated. I'm not saying he wasn't a ridiculous talent, just that he wasn't quite as historically great as many think. He was broke down by age 30, accomplishing very little beyond that.

[Erzengel]

Mo is my favorite baseball player ever. Lucky to see him play, have a ball signed by him. Happy that he is a HOFer and while I’m sure people are upset that others didn’t get unanimous votes but doesn’t mean that Rivera didn’t deserve it.

[Hatter]

Originally Posted by ChadFL

FWIW, I've always thought Griffey a little overrated. I'm not saying he wasn't a ridiculous talent, just that he wasn't quite as historically great as many think. He was broke down by age 30, accomplishing very little beyond that.

Through his age 29 season with Seattle, he had 70 war. Once he left up until retirement in his 40s, he only added another 13 career WAR. He could have been historically great is his body didn't fail him or even adjusted his style of play to adapt to reduce the punishment on his body.

Larry Walker made quite the surge this year. He's got a realistic shot next year at this rate. He too suffered from tons of injuries but he managed to stay far more useful as he aged and injuries piled up. His last year in the league was quite solid also. If you consider his peak to be 1997-2001, his road OPS during that time was in the high 900s range (check how even his home/road splits are in his 1997 mvp year)

[Erzengel]

Next year will be interesting as Jeter is probably the only 1st round lock.

Schilling and Walker could get in next year. And with 2021 without any locks, maybe Clemens and Bonds might get to 75% then.

[Hatter]

Jeter should be 100% as well now that the voting curse has been lifted.

[Samus Aran]

Mussina getting in helps Schilling's case.

[fatediesel]

Originally Posted by Hatter

Jeter should be 100% as well now that the voting curse has been lifted.

I could see some South Florida voters not voting for Jeter just because of the way he dismantled the Marlins after his group bought the team.

[Erzengel]

Originally Posted by Samus Aran

Mussina getting in helps Schilling's case.

Martinez helps Ortiz as well, even more so with Clemens and Bonds.

[Hatter]

Originally Posted by Samus Aran

Mussina getting in helps Schilling's case.

Schilling and Smoltz had very similar careers. At this point it's just Schilling's mouth that's keeping him out.