2025 Game Thread

[Todd]

I am generally higher on Manfred than others. But signing off on selling the team to Bruce Sherman-a man who came into the league as the 2nd most cash poor owners and by a significant margin-just because he had Derek Jeter attached and doing so enthusiasticly when the Marlins previous owner was one of the poorest owners when the franchise needed an owner who was willing and able to eat a bit of hurt for the time if it was necessary.

It might be one of the biggest unforced errors in sports history.

[fish16]

I am generally higher on Manfred than others. But signing off on selling the team to Bruce Sherman-a man who came into the league as the 2nd most cash poor owners and by a significant margin-just because he had Derek Jeter attached and doing so enthusiasticly when the Marlins previous owner was one of the poorest owners when the franchise needed an owner who was willing and able to eat a bit of hurt for the time if it was necessary.

It might be one of the biggest unforced errors in sports history.

for real. It's crazy how much better things could be here if they had an owner with deep pockets and the ability to make an up front unvestment and lose money for the first few years and eventually settle into a mid tier payroll once the fan base can see they have an owner who is willing to spend money for the first time in it's history. . No one is saying we have to be the dodgers, but it is so stupid that they didnt force this team to be sold to an owner who could afford a mid tier payroll.

Mid tier payroll this year is the giants at 170 million. We are last in the league at 66.8 million. You could almost triple our payroll and we would still barely be above league average. It's a fucking disgrace and an embarassment.

[Namaste]

And his injury concerns were enough that a team desperate for pitching backed out.

He might end up healthy. His arm/shoulder could give out tomorrow.

It's hard to say they traded him at his lowest value when he didn't have much value at all and weighed that against him recouping value/having a bad injury that leaves him with zero.

And it is way too early to tell one way or the other whether it was a good or bad choice.

He's also just a highly volatile pitcher. And questions about him have been present his entire career, as the Phillies are what...his 4th? 5th organization.

He also isn't a top of the rotation LHP. He is either lights out or a disaster and it's often 50/50. He doesn't have just average starts. And that's on top of his injury concerns.

Luzardo has given up 20 earned runs in his last 2 starts.

[fish16]

Luzardo has given up 20 earned runs in his last 2 starts.

and is still tied for 10th best WAR among pitchers in baseball. the guy we got for him is 19 in low a ball on the 60 day IL after playing just 11 games this year. Repeated moves like that could be why we just got swept by a historically bad team at home in front of historically small crowds.

The trio of guys we got for Arraez are Dillon Head, putting up a .641 OPS in low A ball, Jakob Marsee is hitting .197 with a .656 OPS in AAA, and Nathan Mortorella is hitting .201 with a .597 OPS in his 3rd year in AA. Arraez isnt lighting it up so far but he will still somehow probably win the batting title.

Jake Burger has picked it up since an understandably terrible start and he's put up a .774 OPS with 5 HR's over the last 30 days. For him we got Echedry Vargas, who is hitting .172 with a .483 OPS in Beloit, Max Acosta who is hitting .227 with a .605 OPS in AAA, and Brayan Mendoza who is a reliever in A ball with a 1.57 WHIP.

Carter Johnson, the prized possession of last years draft who we went underslot in the first round for is now hitting .177 with a .509 OPS in his second year in Jupiter. For his career he has 311 ab's with a .193 AVG and a .530 OPS. Morlando is once again on the injured list and has played 9 games in his entire career in close to a year.

As it turns out, hope trafficking with prospects is bullshit. Getting rid of quality MLB players for prospects is a hope and a prayer, and just buys the front office more time to sell you on bullshit. Bendix deserves absolutely no benefit of the doubt on anything. He has shown no special ability to identify talent whatsoever.

[fish16]

white sox agreed to sell the team to the brother of the Phoenix suns owner. sad to see other teams be able to live the dream.