2025 Major League Baseball Thread

[sycro]

Originally Posted by Navster

Almost time to report

WS, terrible, WS, terrible, WS?

[Navster]

Originally Posted by sycro

WS, terrible, WS, terrible, WS?

Better believe it

[fatediesel]

I'm still trying to decide if I want to head down to Arizona for spring training. I've already got a trip planned from March 30-April 5 for Diamondbacks opening day but I'd like to see some spring training too. My parents have a place down there so I wouldn't have to get a hotel and flights are pretty cheap, but I'm not sure if I want to use 2 weeks of vacation time in less than a month. The Cubs new facility opens this year so I'll definitely check that out if I go down there.

[sycro]

Got my flight and hotel "near" Cooperstown booked!

Going first class

[sycro]

Braves came out swinging today.

Heyward: 2-year, $13.3 million (buys out arbitration years)
Freeman: 8-year, $125 million (reportedly). Would be largest contract in team history (passing Chipper's 6-year, $90 million deal in 2001).

[sycro]

So Tracy McGrady is going to try baseball now....

[sycro]

Originally Posted by sycro

Braves came out swinging today.

Heyward: 2-year, $13.3 million (buys out arbitration years)
Freeman: 8-year, $125 million (reportedly). Would be largest contract in team history (passing Chipper's 6-year, $90 million deal in 2001).

Some are now reporting it's actually $135 million for Freeman. The Braves, like the Falcons, don't disclose the terms of contracts.

[ChadFL]

Originally Posted by sycro

Some are now reporting it's actually $135 million for Freeman. The Braves, like the Falcons, don't disclose the terms of contracts.

Even 135m sounds fair. He's still young and still improving. My hope is that the Braves ownership will increase payroll in future years now that they have a new stadium approved. Cobb county is footing most of the deal, so there's no excuse for not increasing payroll.

[sycro]

Originally Posted by ChadFL

Even 135m sounds fair. He's still young and still improving. My hope is that the Braves ownership will increase payroll in future years now that they have a new stadium approved. Cobb county is footing most of the deal, so there's no excuse for not increasing payroll.

The problem is that they are owned by someone (John Malone and Liberty Media) who doesn't care about the team. They essentially want the team to come out slightly ahead or break even, so their payroll is dictated by their income. And their income is held back by a terrible broadcasting rights contract they signed just before those contracts started blowing up. And instead of signing a 5-year deal, they signed a 20-year deal that is between 10 and 20 million a year, with most numbers putting it much closer to 10. They won't be free of it until 2027!

By comparison, the Dodgers get $340 million a year from their 25-year deal. The Braves total 20-year deal is less than each year!

[ChadFL]

Not good times for Curt Schilling. He lost pretty much all his money on a very foolish video game company venture and now he has cancer. Seems no article is saying what type of cancer.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/10...agnosed-cancer

[Clark Kent]

Originally Posted by sycro

So Tracy McGrady is going to try baseball now....

He's been obsessed with baseball for years, going back to the time he was an NBA superstar. One got the feeling he would have much rather been a star in MLB than the NBA. I know he's definitely kept up with playing baseball in his spare time, his home has its own professional batting cage and mound.

Originally Posted by ChadFL

Even 135m sounds fair. He's still young and still improving. My hope is that the Braves ownership will increase payroll in future years now that they have a new stadium approved. Cobb county is footing most of the deal, so there's no excuse for not increasing payroll.

Shazam! I think the Braves got Freeman on a relatively cheap deal. If he puts up another 2013 season, the price would have jumped another 50 to 75 million. I agree with the Braves holding back on Heyward. He has the potential to be a superstar but he needs to stay healthy and prove he can consistently hit.

[sycro]

Originally Posted by Clark Kent

He's been obsessed with baseball for years, going back to the time he was an NBA superstar. One got the feeling he would have much rather been a star in MLB than the NBA. I know he's definitely kept up with playing baseball in his spare time, his home has its own professional batting cage and mound.

Shazam! I think the Braves got Freeman on a relatively cheap deal. If he puts up another 2013 season, the price would have jumped another 50 to 75 million. I agree with the Braves holding back on Heyward. He has the potential to be a superstar but he needs to stay healthy and prove he can consistently hit.

Yeah, but he'll be done with the Braves in 2 years. If he plays like he did the second half of last year, he'll get paid a LOT. If he plays like he did the first half, the Braves won't resign him.

[fatediesel]

Alex Rodriguez dropped his suit against MLB, Bud Selig, and the MLBPA. Hopefully this means he finally realized he has no case and he'll quietly sit out this season.

[ChadFL]

Originally Posted by fatediesel

Alex Rodriguez dropped his suit against MLB, Bud Selig, and the MLBPA. Hopefully this means he finally realized he has no case and he'll quietly sit out this season.

I think he's also finally realizing the ramafications that lawsuit is having between himself and the MLBPA. You can't sue your own union and expect fellow players to not hold a long-term grudge. Then again the damage is probably already done either way. He'll be a major target if and when he ever plays again.

[sycro]

Originally Posted by ChadFL

I think he's also finally realizing the ramafications that lawsuit is having between himself and the MLBPA. You can't sue your own union and expect fellow players to not hold a long-term grudge. Then again the damage is probably already done either way. He'll be a major target if and when he ever plays again.

He is required by law to sue his union if he sues MLB for breach of contract:

When union members sue their employer for breach of contract under section 301 of the LMRA, they must also state a prerequisite claim of breach of their union’s duty of fair representation. See Vaca v. Sipes, 386 U.S. 171, 186-87 (1967); Thomas v. United Parcel Serv., Inc., 890 F.2d 909, 914-16 (7th Cir. 1989). This is because ordinarily, union members must first use the grievance procedures specified in the CBA rather than directly sue the employer; only when the union has breached its duty to fairly represent the union members in that grievance process may the union members bring a claim against their employer. See, e.g., DelCostello v. Int’l Bhd. of Teamsters, 462 U.S. 151, 163-64 (1983).

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/20...sue-the-union/

[Wingman1977]

The Mashahiro Tanaka press conference is on right now on the YES network.

[Lacit170]

Originally Posted by Wingman1977

The Mashahiro Tanaka press conference is on right now on the YES network.

he speak english? i assume no but just curious

[R3P0]

Originally Posted by Lacit170

he speak english? i assume no but just curious

Yes somewhat initially, he did and mad props to this guy hes a baller. In order to make the presser today he chartered a private 787 Jetliner to make it from Japan to NYC. Now that's style, lol 5 people and a dog on a 787 just wow!

New York — Masahiro Tanaka was introduced by the Yankees on Tuesday after chartering a Boeing 787 Dreamliner for his trip from Tokyo to New York.

The 25-year-old right-hander agreed Jan. 22 to a $155 million, seven-year contract and stopped in New York for a news conference at Yankee Stadium en route to the team’s spring training complex in Tampa, Fla., where workouts start this weekend.

Tanaka put on his No. 19 jersey and, speaking in English, said “I’m very happy to be a Yankee.”

Tanaka reportedly charted the Japan Airlines plane in order to avoid a snowstorm. The airliner, which seats about 200, was chartered for what was reported to be about $200,000 for a flight said to include five passengers and his poodle Haru.

New York held the news conference in its Legends Suite Club rather than its regular press conference room adjacent to the clubhouse. Yankees spokesman Jason Zillo said it was the team’s most-attended news conference since Hideki Matsui was introduced before the 2003 season.

“This is Yankee big. This is Steinbrenner big,” general manager Brian Cashman said.

Tanaka was 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA last year, leading the Rakuten Golden Eagles to the Japan Series title.

He said his first meal in New York was sushi from a grocery store.

Tanaka spoke with Matsui and understands the Yankees’ win-or-else mentality.

“I’ve heard that this place can be very harsh to you at times,” he said through a translator. “I just wanted to put myself in this environment and see where I could get to with my ability.”

[Lacit170]

Originally Posted by R3P0

Yes somewhat initially, he did and mad props to this guy hes a baller. In order to make the presser today he chartered a private 787 Jetliner to make it from Japan to NYC. Now that's style, lol 5 people and a dog on a 787 just wow!

this is the most encouraging thing he said obviously...

“I’ve heard that this place can be very harsh to you at times,” he said through a translator. “I just wanted to put myself in this environment and see where I could get to with my ability.”

the fact that he wants the challenge is a very good sign of the type of guy he is.... lookin forward to watching what he can do!

[sycro]

Originally Posted by R3P0

Yes somewhat initially, he did and mad props to this guy hes a baller. In order to make the presser today he chartered a private 787 Jetliner to make it from Japan to NYC. Now that's style, lol 5 people and a dog on a 787 just wow!

And then his first meal is sushi from a grocery store?