Monthly Archives: December 2016
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – December 3, 2016
Justin McGuire, former MLB Editor of the Sporting News and creator of the new podcast Baseball By The Book, is my guest today.
We talked about which teams should have the greatest sense of urgency going into 2017 and some Hall of Fame thoughts.
The clock is ticking on this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Follow Justin on Twitter by clicking HERE.
Atlanta Braves Deal for Jaime Garcia Puzzling
The Atlanta Braves completed a swap for St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Jaime Garcia last night, sending a package of 3 fringe Major League prospects to Missouri. The deal is an interesting one, but not the type of franchise-altering swap of which Braves fans have become accustomed. If you’re a casual fan, you probably aren’t entirely sure who this Garcia guy is and that is the most puzzling part of the deal for me. The Braves just clogged up their rotation with another #4 starter.
Off the Bench once ribbed the Red Sox for fielding a rotation full of #2 starters. There is likely not verb strong enough to adequately condemn a rotation full of #4 starters, but here we are. Atlanta just added their third veteran starter of the offseason, planning to pay these old guys $36 million in 2017. For a rebuilding team still treading water and waiting on the full calvary of prospect talent to arrive, this is the type of deal that can disrupt the years-long plan.
But let’s get into this deal for a moment before I talk Braves fans back off the cliff.
Just one year ago, Garcia posted a 2.43 ERA across 130 innings but he’s always been injury prone, a result of a delivery that stresses his arm more than one might like.
To continue reading about the Atlanta Braves Puzzling Deal for Jaime Garcia, please click on over to Off The Bench.
6 MLB Teams That Will Benefit The Most By The New CBA
The Toronto Blue Jays have had to contend with the overspending in the last 25 years by the Yankees and Red Sox. With stiffer penalties now imposed on the higher payroll clubs. coupled with their recent back to back ALCS Appearances, the franchise draws enough to spend more money on total team salary in the next few years. It will come down to the management’s ability on player personnel that should determine their success for the next 5 years and not sheer finances.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Tomorrow we will point out the clubs that were hurt most in the short term. today we talk about the winners of the new deal.
I am calling the Nationals, Mariners, Astros, Jays, Cardinals and Giants the immediate victors under the new format.
When i was thinking about more the past two days, the new structure seems to favor mid level payroll teams more than the lower or higher payroll clubs.
With the new penalties for spending way more money than the Luxury Tax Threshold, the Yankees, Dodgers, Red Sox and Tigers are going to find that the impact will run pretty steep on their roster decisions for the next 5 years.
Being that that all of those franchises are still going to dole out the kind of money on player contracts they are, I am not calling them losers for the new CBA either. Read the rest of this entry
Royals Acquire RHP Jared Ruxer From Angels For RHP Brooks Pounders
The Kansas City Royals announced today that they have acquired right-handed pitcher Jared Ruxer from the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for right-handed pitcher Brooks Pounders.
Ruxer, 24, split the 2016 season between Burlington [Iowa] (A) and Inland Empire (A), posting a combined 3.08 ERA in 29 appearances and 19 starts and a 4-8 record. He opened the season with the Bees, going 3-2 with a 1.44 ERA (10 ER in 62.1 IP) in his first 18 outings, before being promoted to the 66ers on July 8, where he was 1-6 with a 5.18 ERA in his final 11 outings (all starts). Last season marked Ruxer’s second year in professional baseball after being selected by the Angels in the 12th round the of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft.
These 6 MLB Hitters Have a lot To Prove in 2017
Now that it’s been about a month since the Chicago Cubs won the World Series and we’re assured there won’t be a work stoppage related to Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations, baseball’s full focus can officially shift to 2017.
With MLB’s Winter Meetings on the horizon, we’ll soon be engulfed in countless rumors as front office executives attempt to improve for next season.
While that’s all taking place, players — who are obviously the subject of these impending rumors — are likely at home watching it all happen as they mentally and physically prepare for 2017 themselves. Some are feeling confident after a solid showing over the past several months, but others are looking to regain their old form.
Just as we recently pointed out a handful of starting pitchers who are entering next season with a lot to prove, we’ve chosen six hitters also feeling that same kind of pressure. However, unlike those hurlers, not all of the below hitters are coming off disappointing campaigns.
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – December 2, 2016
I couldn’t find my car. I had no idea where I parked it. So as I wondered around a parking lot late at night, I tried to remember the 1987 Twins and 1988 Dodgers and praised the powers that be for signing a new CBA.
I remembered all the 87 Twins and 88 Dodgers except for George Frazier on this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
The New Luxury Tax Threshold Means The Top 11 Salaried Clubs Will All Be Affected In The Present + Future
The Dodgers have spent over $300 MIL on salary in back to back years, and are the clubhouse leaders in Luxury Tax penalties paid in that time frame. At a 50% penalty currently until falling under the limit for a year, the Los Angeles forked out $40 MIL in Luxury Taxes in 2016. With an estimated $193 MIL payroll already is signed and team controlled players – considering there are several roster holes now created by departing guys, the team will need to spend around $235 MIL in 2017 total payroll in order to be competitive.. With a 50% penalty – and an additional 45% hit for going $40 MIL over the new $195 MIL limit in 2017, I highly expect the organization will be less willing to spend 90 cents extra for every dollar spent beyond that.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
With the new CBA being tentatively signed yesterday through 2021 – the lower payroll teams will finally see some steeper enforcement of higher payroll squads.
With several penalties that range up to a 90% max penalty for spending over the limit, the dollars finally make sense for the MLB to curtail a team going rogue on their payroll spending.
Under the new deal, the format will jump from a team’s AAV (Average Annual Value) limit of $189 MIL to $195 MIL in 2017, $197 MIL in 2018, $206 MIL in 2019, $208 MIL in 2020 and $210 MIL on 2021.
The penalty for a 1st year abuser went from 12.5% to 20%, The 2nd year Still remains at 30%, the 3rd season escalates from 40% previously to 50% already. Each campaign the team is over following 3 years, the team is nailed for 50% of money spent over the limit.
Additionally, the franchise will pay a fee of 12% for spending between $20 MIL to $40 MIL over the Threshold.
If a organization goes $40 MIL over, they are faced with a surcharge of 42%.
3rd time abusers will pay 45% for every dollar doled out past $40 MIL over.
This means a 1st time penalty would still spank a team to the tune of 60% if a club spends more than $40 MIL over the limit. Read the rest of this entry
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast Archives Dec 1, 2016 – Dec 31, 2016 (Episodes 1500 – 1530)
Paul Francis Sullivan (please call him Sully) does a podcast 365 days a year – unless it is a leap year – then he will do another 1. He has done a show everyday since Oct.24/2012. This to date represents a streak of 1499 days consecutively heading into Dec of 2016!
Past the CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY are episodes 1500 – 1530 of the Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
We will also archive all of his podcasts to date (in coming weeks) so they are easily accessible for all his fans. Check out all his Archived info here.
Our website followers have grown larger each year for his podcast.
Follow Sully Baseball On Twitter Follow @sullybaseball
To subscribe on iTunes, click HERE.
To subscribe on SoundCloud, click HERE.
Is it Time for the Joey Gallo Era for the Texas Rangers?
Over at Off the Bench we’ve written a lot about where this offseason’s free agents might end up. Some of the bigger names that generate all sorts of buzz are the likes of Aroldis Chapman (who threw an incredible pitch), Kenley Jansen, and Yoenis Cespedes, whom we think might end up back with the New York Mets, we were right. We even pondered about the final destination of lower profile players like Michael Saunders, but we never got so deep in the weeds as to discuss the fate of free agent first basemen Mitch Moreland.
Moreland has spent the last few seasons manning first base for the Texas Rangers, taking his place as the lowest profile position player on a team full of offensive studs. With Prince Fielder’s tragic forced retirement this summer, Moreland became the answer to the oft-posed question ‘So who’s the Texas Rangers’ first basemen these days anyway?’
Why The Philadelphia Phillies Should Be Aggressive This Offseason (Their Infield Is Good)
The Philadelphia Phillies are coming off of a year in which they went 71-91. They performed better than most pundits thought they would, but they are still a few pieces away from truly competing. Those pieces are likely in the outfield where the team managed a 0.6 WAR all told. They could use help at all three outfield positions, even as Odubel Herrera does his best 3-hitter impression. I expect the Phillies to make a push for a big time bat (Andrew McCutchen, anyone?) and a complimentary bat to add to a young roster that could suddenly look pretty good. Why am I so optimistic about the Phillies 2017 chances? Well, it starts with a surprisingly strong infield that is ready to be among the game’s best in short order.
Consider:
Second Base
Cesar Hernandez posted a 4.4 fWAR in 2016 that was buoyed by an all-around game that was nearly unmatched in baseball last year. The advanced stats simply loved this guy. According to fangraphs, he earned the Phillies a run on the basepaths, 7.1 at the plate, and 16.1 in the field. Those totals seem pretty good, but are definitely abstract. For context,the only players to match those numbers last year were Corey Seager, my boy Adam Eaton, Francisco Lindor, and Brandon Crawford.
To continue reading about why @OTBB_Sean thinks the Phillies offseason plan should be aggressive, please click on over to offthebenchbaseball.com.
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – December 1, 2016
One Thousand Five Hundred straight days of podcasting.
Today, along with the audio that as always can be found on Soundcloud and iTunes, I did a video podcast to mark the occasion.
I looked at the concept of baseball nostalgia and realized that everything is trying to celebrate the late 1940’s. Why should post WWII monopolize traditional baseball?
Celebrating 1500 shows in the can and many more to follow on this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
MLB Reports 
You must be logged in to post a comment.