Blog Archives
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast Archives Dec 1, 2015 – Dec 31, 2015 (Episodes 1134 – 1164)
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 1235 days consecutively!
Past the CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY are episodes 1134 – 1164 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. Read the rest of this entry
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast Archives Dec 1, 2014 – Dec 31, 2014 (Episodes 769 – 799)
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 1235 days consecutively!
Past the CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY are episodes 769 – 799 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. Read the rest of this entry
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast Archives Dec 1, 2013 – Dec 31, 2013 (Episodes 404 – 434)
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 1235 days consecutively!
Past the CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY are episodes 404 – 434 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. Read the rest of this entry
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast Archives Oct 1, 2013 – Oct 31, 2013 (Episodes 343 – 373)
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 1231 days consecutively!
Past the CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY are episodes 343 – 373 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. Read the rest of this entry
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast Archives Sept 1, 2013 – Sept 30, 2013 (Episodes 313 – 342)
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 1230 days consecutively!
Past the CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY are episodes 313 – 342 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. Read the rest of this entry
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast Archives Aug 1, 2013 – Aug 31, 2013 (Episodes 282 – 312)
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 1229 days consecutively!
Past the CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY are episodes 282 – 312 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.
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast Archives July 1, 2013 – July 31, 2013 (Episodes 251 – 281)
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 1228 days consecutively!
Past the CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY are episodes 251 – 281 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. Read the rest of this entry
2016 MLB Player Props: Futures Betting (Year Over/Unders)
On this list of player over/unders it may be worth a well solution to wager over on all bets across the board and go for about a 60 percent win factor. I did bet a few unders on the sheet towards the end. I continue to find value on the whole gambling aspect of listed odds. I will throw down some more money on these selections. I am just hoping that I don’t become too over confident for my own good.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
We will be going hard and heavy on these kind of articles. I will put an advisory and write-up if I think the bet is worthy.
Las year I went 9 – 4 in Player Props, and I am looking to keep that kind of win percentage this season.
The 1st sector will be any player bets. There is some serious value and things I have already earmarked for bets. I honestly can’t believe all of the value that has been out there for picking this year.
Never did I imagine I would have bet this much already, but it is a bettors market. I hope it doesn’t backfire on me. Read the rest of this entry
2016 MLB Preseason Power Rankings
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
With just 5 weeks to the regular season – and all of the important Free Agents finally being locked up with Ian Desmond signing with the Rangers, it is time to see where all 30 MLB clubs stack up.
We are going to be running weekly power rankings once the year starts on Apr.3, 2016.
The way I compile the Power Rankings is best on confidence to win the World Series. Some clubs may be more talented (or playing better) than a squad they are behind in the rankings, but the Division (and strength of opponents) plays a massive factor.
It is the reason why teams like the Royals or Astros will be selected above a team like the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Pittsburgh Pirates might win 90 games (which may only see one AL club join them), but because they have to contend with the Cards and Cubs in the NL Central, it will be tough for them to receive a great ranking (at least until games are played). Read the rest of this entry
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast Archives June 1, 2013 – June 30, 2013 (Episodes 221 – 250)
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 1219 days consecutively!
Past the CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY are episodes 221 – 250 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. Read the rest of this entry
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast Archives Apr.1, 2013 – Apr.30, 2013 (Episodes 160 – 189)
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 1216 days consecutively!
Past the CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY are episodes 160 – 189 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. Read the rest of this entry
2016 NL Cy Young Award Candidates
Charles LeClaire, USA TODAY Sports
Ground Rule Triple Blog (Featured Baseball Website/groundruletriple.com)
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
The Senior Circuit had a very close Cy Young race last season when Zack Greinke’s 1.66 ERA and 19-3 record went against Jake Arrieta’s 1.77 ERA and 22-6 record and Clayton Kershaw’s 300 strikeouts.
Arrieta beat out Greinke and Kershaw in the end but if it was any other year, there’s a good chance any of the other two would’ve won it. So who will be the NL Cy Young in 2016?
This year’s class will have a tough job of surpassing the statistics of last year’s finalists, but who knows?
Past Cy Young Winners
Bartolo Colón (2005 Angels; Padres): The 42-year-old Bartolo Colón will be returning to the Mets this year where he’s expected to fill that back-end rotation spot until Zack Wheeler returns in 2016. His most recent productive season was 2013 when was an All-Star.
After Wheeler returns, Colón won’t have a spot in the young Mets’ rotation and it’s highly unlikely he’ll be able to contend for the Cy Young at age 42.
The Dodgers Make The Right Move To Re-Sign Kendrick
The Dodgers may have overpaid to hold on to Brett Anderson with the Qualifying Offer, however lucked out with Howie Kendrick rejected the QO in November, only to sign for just $4.2 MIL for a 2nd year. The club was able to ink the 31-year-old to a 2 YR/$20 MIL – where the Qualifying Offer would have paid him $15.8 MIL for just 2016. That is luck for the Los Angeles franchise.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
The Dodgers are running pretty good today with the status quo on the offensive side of the ball anyway.
Since it was agreed on that Howie Kendrick would sign a 2 year deal for $20 MIL – this is an economic win.
1st off, the Dodgers avoided the $15.8 MIL Qualifying Offer they extended their 2015 2B, then only had to pad $4.2 MIL to the total for a 2nd season.
This is a loss financially for Kendrick, who must have thought a multi-year offer of 3 – 4 campaigns must have been out there for the same kind of money that Daniel Murphy signed for (3 years at $12 MIL per AAV).
Howie Kendrick was unfortunately in the same market as Daniel Murphy and also lost another club that could have bid for his services, when the New York Mets traded for Neil Walker. Kendrick is a .293 Career Hitter, but doesn’t really have great power for Extra Base Hits. This brought down his value a little. He is till a great professional hitter. I am surprised the Angels didn’t come calling for his services – considering the lower AAV.
Not only did the Dodgers brass finally reel in their Starting Second Baseman, they were able to add Chase Utley as a backup/quality bench hitter for $7 MIL. If you combined Kendrick and Utley salaries, it is just $1.2 MIL over what would have happened had Kendrick accepted the QO.
Love Kendrick as a professional hitter. The man is a .293/.333/.423 career hitter – and his 2015 season closely resembled this at .295/.336/.409 in 2015 for the Dodger Blue.
It shows that the Dodgers management/ownership is also willing to fork out the necessary dollars to keep up their NL West Division prowess.
As the 3 time defending Division Champs, they are in prime position to challenge the Giants for a 4th year in a row in 2016.
This contract vaults the Dodgers up to around $245 MIL in total team salary in 2016, yet it was a necessary move.
Los Angeles is also staring at a 50% penalty for going over the Luxury Tax Threshold for a 4th straight year. They will pay around $28 MIL with cash situated as it is now.
For the fans that wanted the organization to dole up for the bigger Free Agents, it is hard to fathom paying that 50% penalty for years upon years at the present rate.
This approach has had the super management team of Andrew Friedman, Farhan Zaidi, Josh Byrnes and newly appointed Alex Anthopoulos under heavy scrutiny, but may work out better in the long run.
Had the club inked Zack Greinke to his $34.42 MIL AAV, that would have put them so far in committed $ over the Luxury Tax, that they would never be able to get under for a reset.
With the 2016 season concluding without a CBA after, it is also wise not to be so far over the Luxury Tax mark when they don’t know what the new deal between the MLBPA and the owners will look like.
2017 has them over $203 MIL in contracts guaranteed to 12 guys already, but 8 players will become Free Agents after the 2016 season, and after 2017’s end comes the best news for Dodger fans. Andre Ethier and Carl Crawford will finally be off the books!
The Dodgers have a ton of young talent coming into the fold here. Joc Pederson, Yasiel Puig, Corey Seager, Clayton Kershaw and Kenta Maeda are under team control for a long period of time here. You still have Julio Urias just coming up to the Major Leagues for service time as well.
The Infield is definitely going to be clogged up with Utley, Enrique Hernandez and Alex Guerrero on the depth chart. Guerrero is out of options and will need to be kept on the Major League Roster (or be released, waived or DFA’d).
Of course Justin Turner is listed as the Starter at 3B for now. Micah Johnson and Utley may join Hernandez as guys that could spell him at the hot corner.
Guerrero could also play the OF, but I am sure that Dave Roberts would love to use Scott Van Slyke as 1st on the taxi squad.
Los Angeles has also strengthened its bench with this move. The one thing they could still use it Relief help. That may be obtained by signing more Free Agents, or perhaps this may clear the deck for another trade to happen.
The Dodgers were 10th in the NL during 2015 – with a .250 Batting Average, and losing a .293 hitter last year would have been tough for this years lineup.
With Corey Seager for a full year, and a return to prominence for Yasiel Puig, this squad could really put up some runs and improve all facets of the offense.
While the club wasn’t so great at Batting Average, they were 3rd in the Senior Circuit in Slugging Percentage at .413.
One has to also think that Chase Utley will be a lot better in reserve role – compared to his .202/.291/.363 3 Slash Line with the team last year. I would say he could be 80% like his worst year (prior to 2015), where he hit .259/.344/.425 in 2012.
For the record, baseballreference.com has Utley hitting .247/.315/.398 in 2016. I am sure the club would take that.
Whether the implementation of a lot of players on the roster – as opposed to having a limited bench and depth if they would have signed Greinke projects well to the upcoming season is yet to be determined. 4
No doubt they are not as strong in the Rotation at the top. But perhaps the addition of Scott Kazmir, the return of Hyun-jin Ryu, Alex Wood for a full year, and a surprise comeback from Brandon McCarthy could pick up the slack.
Signing Kendrick was the right move all day long. This is one less position with the team having questions for.
The fans are seeing a different management philosophy with the new brass under the tutelage of Andrew Friedman. They are taking a big long term picture look. Even though they wasted $90 MIL in dead money last year with questionable decisions, they are trying to clear the deck for many years in the future, by dropping the heavy amount of committed dollars. With a new CBA forthcoming, who knows what the new Luxury Tax Threshold will be. At least by keeping the new contracts to smaller years and figures, Los Angeles may be able to drop underneath the limit in 2018 – 2020. Right near they are at a 50% penalty for every season they are over the Luxury Tax ($189 MIL) until they get under.
*** The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of mlbreports.com and their other partners.***
A big thanks goes out to our ‘Chief Writer/Part Owner’ Hunter Stokes for preparing today’s featured post.
To Subscribe and listen daily to ‘Our Lead Personality’ Sully’s 20 Minutes Daily (every day since Oct.24, 2012) Podcast click here. Guaranteed listening to the Sully Baseball Daily Podcast will be the best time you invest in online!
2016 MLB Previews: Team Salaries + SOTUs (MLB Teams State Of The Unions) Links Page here.
Odds To Win The 2016 MLB World Series
Yoenis Cespedes led all LF for HRs with 35 on the campaign in 2015. He picked a contract year for his best season to date out of the 4 years he has been in the Major Leagues. Cespedes hit 17 HRs with the Mets in 2 months, after smacking out just 18 in the first four months with Detroit. Cespedes finished in the top 40 for both leagues in respective big fly’s, and was tied for 13th overall with Manny Machado and David Ortiz. New York brought him back for at least another year, where he helped the Mets go 34 – 23 down the stretch. Expect more of the same in 2016. Mets are the best bet of the week for the ‘Fall Classic’ value wise.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
A couple of things have happened over the last week. The Mets signed Yoenis Cespedes and no odd was changed after this. Very strange indeed.
With adding the Cuban slugger, the Mets have almost assured their fanbase for another post season berth in 2016. This club is more like it was in the last 2 months than it was in the 1st four months.
Even if the Nationals were to have an unbelievable year – the Mets should still make the postseason as the #1 Wild Card seed.
I have the Mets as a 96 win team after this move, with the Nats listed about 93 victories. Had the Nats picked up Cespedes, I would have given Washington a 95 – 92 win advantage over New York. Read the rest of this entry
Chris Davis (Tied For 20th) + Justin Upton (38th) Join The Top 50 All – Time Salary List
Losing Chris Davis and his 45+ HR power would have been very difficult to replace. The O’s have their man with a creative deferral payment plan that will see them pay Davis $119 MIL from 2016 – 2022, and then pay out $42 MIL over the next 15 years in deferrals. The $161 MIL has him tied for 19th ALL – Time in MLB Player Contracts with CC Sabathia. The Orioles slugger led the league with 47 HRs (2nd time in 3 years), and has clubbed 126 HRs (led all of the MLB) in the last 3 seasons despite being levied a 25 game suspension for his medication in Sept of 2014.
Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst) Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Chris Davis, 30 in 2016, and Justin Upton, 28, are now in the 9 figure club and among historical contracts of ALL – Time. Davis inked a 7 YR deal for $161 MIL – while Upton is at 6 Years for $132.75 (distributed evenly throughout.)
The Big 1B/OF for the O’s will make $119 MIL from 2016 – 2022 paid evenly by $17 MIL per year before the crazy deferral program kicks in. From 2023 – 2030, Davis will earn $3.5 per annum for another $31 MIL. The deal then goes from 2031 – 2037 at a 1.4 MIL per annum clip. All told it is $161 MIL spread over 21 years. Read the rest of this entry
Odds To Win The 2016 MLB World Series
By re-signing Alex Gordon – and then providing depth at the Starting Rotation, KC has cemented itself on a playoff spot in 2016. They are still 4 or 5 wins better than Detroit – but health could play a factor there. Still like them better than the AL East clubs cannibalizing each other at the top, and the AL West is a little up in the air between Houston and Texas. +1200 is still a fantastic odd for the team to repeat as World Series Champs.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Since we last chatted on these odds, the KC Royals have signed Alex Gordon and Ian Kennedy, the Baltimore Orioles have inked Chris Davis – and Detroit settled on a 6 year pact with Justin Upton.
The only club that budged on the odds were the Tigers going from +2500 to +2200. For the record, I believe that both the Tigers and Royals are great value picks right now.
In doing these deals, both franchises have set themselves up nicely for a postseason berth in this forthcoming year.
I believe with the Upton deal that Detroit is now and 86 – 87 win team. I firmly think that KC will be the only club in the American League to top 90. Read the rest of this entry
San Francisco Giants State Of The Union For 2016
With the club pretty much being set for players all around the Infield and Outfield, and now the Starting Staff, the Giants look poised to make another run at a World Series run for an even year this decade. 2016 will see several of its Bullpen members on the last year of their contracts.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part-Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
The only real need to upgrade could be at the Outfield level, with either a CF/LF. Angel Pagan is also in the last year of his deal, so maybe signing a guy to man the position beyond this coming year would be an option.
The Starting Rotation will be a lot stronger in 2016 with the additions of Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija.
You can say what you want about Cueto’s time in Kansas City not being as effective., but he has played most of his career in Cincinnati – and pitched extremely well at Great American Ball Park.
Funny enough his best years have also come in even years with finishing 4th in NL Cy Young Voting in 2012, and 2nd in 2014, when he led the NL in Innings Pitched with 249.2 – and Strikeouts with 241 for the Reds.
Samardzija still has great stuff, and as a #3 Starter, you could see him bouncing back with a nice year in San Francisco. Read the rest of this entry
Arizona Diamondbacks State Of The Union For 2016
The first big surprise of the winter came when the Diamondbacks signed Zack Greinke. The organization followed that up with trading a heavy price tag to acquire Shelby Miller to back him up. Dave Stewart has taken a lot of crap for a lopsided deal. I think that is very speculative to talk like that. Besides Free Agent Pitchers are expensive, and a way for small market clubs to negate that is to trade for a controllable player. La Russa also knows that his club is set up for a winning window of approximately 3 – 4 years. Keep the aggression when it comes to upgrading this team.
Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst) Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
You simply couldn’t have asked for a better start to a winter in 2015 for Arizona. They are legitimate contenders in the NL West, and still should have the wherewithal to spend another $20 – $25 MIL on salaries for 2016.
I love the aggression set forth by the management. I hope they keep the pedal to the metal on this one. A nucleus of a team lasts 3 – 4 years for a mid market club, and by the acquisitions the team has done here completely reflects that.
We have discussed how the Houston Astros developed their young club for a few years now. It is clearly the best way to rebuild a team.
Another reason why the team has had the financial flexibility to create these maneuvers is that they have Paul Goldschmidt on perhaps the best valued contract in the game of baseball right now.
The other Infielders in the mix for the Diamondbacks need to step up the production for he Arizona squad in 2016. Whether it is Chris Owings at 2B or Nick Ahmed at SS, these positions were not league average for the slots, as was third base either.
Arizona was carried offensively by Goldschmidt and a great productive OF in A.J. Pollock, David Peralta and Ender Inciarte.
The club dealt Inciarte in the Shelby Miller deal, but could pick up the slack with giving his OF position to Yasmany Tomas full time in 2016.
Welington Castillo was one of the most prolific Catchers in the Majors least year, featuring a 3 slash of .255/.317/.496 with the Diamondbacks, clubbing 17 HRs and knocking in 50 RBI during his 254 AB for the club.
In a roundabout way, he bettered what the club had previously in Miguel Montero, who incidentally was the reason why Castillo was flipped to Seattle initially.
That trade made up for the previous fiasco that was the trade for Mark Trumbo the previous season. Read the rest of this entry
Los Angeles Dodgers State Of The Union For 2016
The Dodgers need to start spending money like right now, otherwise they stand to jeopardize themselves winning a 4th straight NL West title in 2016. Both the Giants and D’Backs have signed ace pitchers this year, and added another good Starting Pitcher besides the point. The club does have several young pieces and Depth at Roster to pull off a blockbuster trade forth coming – or they still have enough resources to acquire players for their 2016 run. The clock is officially ticking gentlemen.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
The Dodgers are having the same kind of offseason the Baltimore Orioles had in 2014 – going into 2015.
If everyone remembers that year, they rejected a couple year contract with Grant Balfour, when he failed a physical, and they did the same thing with Grady Sizemore.
That club also traded back to back 50 Saves guy Jim Johnson. By the way, the 2014 O’s won the AL East with a 97 – 65 record.
Key cogs in the wheel were new Closer Zach Britton, and Super Utility man Steve Pearce. A lot of parallels can be made between that squad and the Dodgers.
Late last week, the Dodgers pulled out of a three year deal wish Hisashi Iwakuma because they had concerns with a physical.
For the whole winter they have watched the Giants sign Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija, while the Diamondbacks stole Zack Greinke way from them, while trading a kings ransom for Shelby Miller. Read the rest of this entry
Giants Ink Johnny Cueto: It’s Tied For The 37th ALL – Time In MLB Contracts
Johnny Cueto is 97 – 70 (.578) career with a 3.30 ERA however he has put forth a 2.71 ERA since the start of the 2011 year. Much like his new team, Cueto has performed better in the even years of this decade, where he finished 2nd in Cy Young Voting in 2012 and 4th in 2014 Cy Young Voting.
Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst) Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
The landscape of the NL West just changed again. As of right now I give the Giants as equally a shot to win the NL West as I do the LA Dodgers. Signing Johnny Cueto is an awesome move.
Even better than the 6 YRs/$130 MIL deal is an opt out clause after 2 years, when Cueto can forego the final 4 years of the pact – leaving the San Fran club with $84 MIL on the table.
The current contract also calls for a Team Option for a 7th year.
Cueto, who is 30, most likely will opt out after 2017 if he can put up great back to back seasons as good as his 2.71 ERA since the start of the 2011 campaign, – only bested by Clayton Kershaw in that time frame.
Jason Heyward Signs With The Cubs For The 13th Highest Contract In MLB History
Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst) Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
It has been announced that Jason Heyward has just inked an 8 YR deal with the Chicago Cubs for $184 MIL deal. The contract calls for a player opt out after 3 years, but for now he is tied with Joe Mauer for 13th overall in total dollars during a deal.
Whether Heyward is worth that kind of dough in AAV is beside the point. At 26, he was one of the youngest Free Agent players of all time that could garner that type of cash.
No question about the man’s defensive prowess being unique in the game right now. He has also cut down on the amount of Strikeouts from early in his career. Read the rest of this entry
Greinke Signs With Arizona: 12th Best Deal ALL – Time Of 50 MLB Richest Contracts.
Zack Greinke opted of his deal (6 YRs/$147.6 MIL) after this last season with the Dodgers, even though he will still nearly $26 MIL per year left on his deal running through 2018. The 32 Year Old has been dynamite since moving to Los Angeles, featuring a 60 – 17 (.779) record with a mid 2 ERA since he was dealt to the Angels in mid 2012 from the Brewers. He just inked the most lucrative deal ever signed for the MLB in AAV at $34.42 MIL per year.
Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst) Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
A collective haymaker punch has just been thrown at the rest of the National League West. The Diamondbacks have inked Zack Greinke to a 6 YRs/$206.5 MIL pact as of last night.
This is the 3rd richest Pitcher contract ever signed behind David Price‘s 7 YRs/$217 MIL deal – and Clayton Kerhsaw’s extension of 7 YRs/$210 MIL.
It is also the highest Average Annual contract ahead at $34.42 MIL per season, edging out both Price and Miguel Cabrera at a clip of $31 MIL each a campaign for their respective deals.
Greinke, 32, who finished 2nd in NL Cy Young Voting with an incredible 1.66 ERA in 222.1 IP worth of work in 2015 had opted out of his 6 YRs/$147.5 MIL deal with the Dodgers after just 3 years.
The Right Handed Pitcher left 3 years and $77.5 MIL on the table – and this was the right move as he was slated to earn just under $26 MIL a season for that contract.
This is the 12th richest deal of ALL – Time in the Major Leagues – and is also the 12th player to crack the $200 MIL+ barrier.
Price With Richest Pitcher Contract In MLB History (8th Best In History): Top 50 ALL – Time Deals
David Price has just inked the most expensive pitcher contract in the history of the MLB. With his and Jordan Zimmermann both hitting the top 50 contracts of ALL – Time in the last week, it has pushed Homer Bailey out of the top 50 deals of all time for chuckers. Right now, there is no one that has had the Tommy John Surgery while having a contract as a pitcher in the top 50. Expect that to change. Which poses the question – are pitchers really worth 9 figure deals?
Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst) Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
David Price just inked the richest deal in MLB history with the Boston Red Sox at 7 YRs/$217 MIL. It is also the 8th richest contract ever doled out.
The question is whether or not it is a worthy investment to put that much dough on the table for a guy that will progressively decline as the deal goes on.
If you follow our Tommy John Surgery Tracker, you will find that 30 or so pitchers are having their names added to the list. Last season, the first 9 figured player – and top 50 salaried player had their arm go under a TJ Surgery in Home Bailey.
The time is coming again when an even higher profile pitcher will have to go down with it while his name is on a pact for a huge 9 figure salary.
it is the main reason why some clubs just can’t afford the risk. Boston has the funds to do this, and this clearly was the prudent move for the franchise to do after losing out on Jon Lester last season.
Most of the Starting Pitchers have not seen better years with their names on this list like Justin Verlander, Felix Hernandez, Matt Cain, Barry Zito, Cole Hamels, CC Sabathia and Mike Hampton. Read the rest of this entry
Top Ten Active List: Wins Leaders For Pitchers: Will Anyone Have A Chance To Win 300 Games?
For a guy who only started 47 games from the 2006 – 2009 years, has defied all odds to be one of the most durable pitchers in the last 5 years, posting a record of 65 – 51, while lugging 147 Game Starts. His career renaissance has enabled him to become the Active Leader in Pitcher Wins (218) and Shutouts (13). He will turn 43 in late May next season. Some team will probably have him in their rotation.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
While surfing through some stats the other day I came to the realization of a few things. Tim Hudson or CC Sabathia were no longer the active Wins Leader for Pitchers, and Bartolo Colon was.
Furthermore, Colon also holds the active record for Shutouts for throwers at just (13) – which is the same total Bob Gibson put up in one season for the Cards in 1968. A year that concluded with the MLB deciding to lower the mound.
At 218 wins, there is no way Colon will ever achieve 300 wins. It is ultimately too bad he lost the greater part of every year from 2006 – 2009 – only making 47 injury riddled starts. He only managed 14 victories in those said starts. Read the rest of this entry
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – November 23, 2015
Fox Sports/MLB
The Red Sox fan in me is thrilled to see Dave Roberts take over the role as Dodger manager.
It means they are going to play his stolen base in the 2004 ALCS on a loop.ring to his collection.
He has his work cut out for him in LA, but if he does his job, he could add another
It is a turn around to a title episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
David Oritz Is Retiring After 2016: It Is A Perfect Time To Eliminate The DH!
David Ortiz has been the quintessential DH in the AL over the last 15 years. Boston is in contention perennially because he put up great #s compared to his competition. Realistically, only he and a few other players are even at the All-Star level, and if given the choice if there were no DH slot in the game, I guarantee you their teams would brave their physical deficiencies – in order to keep their bat in the lineup. The AL has had the Designated Hitter Position since the start of the 1973 season. But that was before Free Agency where the American League has an advantage for signing top guys because of the DH slot, and then there were no Interleague Games, where the AL has a 12 year winning streak, and is routinely posting over a .540 Win Percentage against.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Onwer) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
David Ortiz has announced he is retiring after the next season. Thus ends the greatest Left Handed DH of ALL-Time, (sorry Harold Baines).
The Designated Hitter Position has been taking a hit for effectiveness more and more over the last several years, and more teams than not use it as a rest for veterans.
Listed on MLB.com, only 5 DH’s qualified for the Batting Title race in 2015.
Billy Butler had a crappy year.
David Ortiz started slowly being hampered by the new foot in the box rule, before settling in to a 37 HRs and 108 RBI campaign – with a .913 OPS. Read the rest of this entry
Ranking The MLB Divisions For 2016
The NL may have the best division in best with the NL Central, however this is a top-heavy league. In the other Divisions. the Mets and the Nats in the NL East, and the Giants and Dodgers have been beating up the rest of their respective Divisions. With that being said they own the 1st, 5th and 6th best divisions. Of course a 12 year losing streak in Interleague has killed their win totals of late.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
(1) So the NL Central had 3 teams in the playoffs on the National League said and also boasted the best Divisional record at 427 – 383 (.527) – that was due largely to the Cards, Pirates and Cubs all posting 100, 98 and 95 Wins respectively.
(2) In a tough AL East, all teams almost made it to the even stature however just the Yankees and Blue Jays were over .500 – with both making the postseason. That Division’s .517 Win Percentage ranked them 2nd in the Majors. Read the rest of this entry
Who Owns October and Who Owns the 2015 World Series (#WOO and #WOWS) Tallies Updated For November 1, 2015
RON VESELY/MLB PHOTOS
The Royals earned their crown as 3 of their 4 World Series wins were won in the 8th or later.
What a strange ending.
Now comes for the final entry of Who Owns October and Who Owns the World Series.
Each winning team for every post season game gets a pitcher and a hitter who earn a full WOO (Who Owns October.)
And at my discretion, I award a 1/2 WOO’S to a worthy player on the losing team.
But the World Series deserves its own stats. WOWS (Who Owns the World Series.)
At the end of the post season, we will see who had the highest WOO total as a pitcher and a hitter. The WOWS total will be kept separately. Each game now counts towards both tallies.
A complete description of the rules can be found HERE.
From November 1st, World Series Game 4:
Receiving 1 WOO’s and WOWS
Luke Hochevar gave the Royals 2 critical shutout innings in the 10th and the 11th where a single Mets run would have forced a game 6. He allowed no hits and walked just 1 and earned the World Series clinching victory in relief for Kansas City, 7-2.
Eric Hosmer broke the Mets shutout with a double in the 9th and dashed home to score the tying run on a wild play with 2 outs in the 9th.
Receiving 1/2 WOO’s and WOWS
Curtis Granderson led off the game with a homer and later scored on a sacrifice fly. In the end, the Mets would collapse in the 9th and lose in the 12th to the Royals, 7-2.
Matt Harvey took a World Series saving shutout into the 9th inning, striking out 9 along the way. He finished with 8 plus innings, 5 hits, 2 runs and 2 walks but would get a heart breaking no decision as the Royals rallied to beat the Mets in 12 innings, 7-2.
Current‘WOWS’ and ‘WOO’ Totals MLB 2015:
Hitters ‘WOWS’ MLB 2015,
Salvador Perez – Royals 1 1/2, Alcides Escobar – Royals 1, Eric Hosmer – Royals 1, David Wright – Mets 1, Ben Zobrist – Royals 1, Michael Conforto – Mets 1/2, Lucas Duda – Mets 1/2, Curtis Granderson – Mets 1/2, Daniel Murphy – Mets 1/2,
Pitchers ‘WOWS’ MLB 2015,
Johnny Cueto – Royals 1, Wade Davis – Royals 1, Luke Hochevar – Royals 1, Noah Syndergaard – Mets 1, Chris Young – Royals 1, Matt Harvey – Mets 1/2, , Jonathon Niese – Mets 1/2,
Hitters ‘WOO’ MLB 2015,
Troy Tulowitzki – Blue Jays 3 1/2, Daniel Murphy – Mets 3, Salvador Perez – Royals 3, Jorge Soler – Cubs 3, Alcides Escobar – Royals 2 1/2, Jorge Soler – Cubs 2 1/2, , Justin Turner – Dodgers 2 1/2, Jose Bautista – Blue Jays 2, Delino DeShields – Rangers 2, Eric Hosmer – Royals 2, Mike Moustakas – Royals 2, David Wright – Mets 2, Lorenzo Cain – Royals 1 1/2, Yoenis Cespedes – Mets 1 1/2, Lucas Duda – Mets 1 1/2, Dexter Fowler – Cubs 1 1/2, Curtis Granderson – Mets 1 1/2, Stephen Piscotty – Cardinals 1 1/2, Colby Rasmus – Astros 1 1/2, Kyle Schwarber – Cubs 1 1/2, Jose Altuve – Astros 1, Chris Carter – Astros 1, Travis d’Arnaud – Mets , Rougned Odor – Rangers 1, Kevin Pillar – Blue Jays 1, Ben Revere – Blue Jays 1, Alex Rios – Royals 1, Ben Zobrist – Royals 1, Starlin Castro – Cubs 1/2, Francisco Cervelli – Pirates 1/2, Michael Conforto – Mets 1/2, Carlos Correa – Astros 1/2, Josh Donaldson – Blue Jays 1/2, Edwin Encarnacion – Blue Jays 1/2, Adrian Gonzalez – Dodgers 1/2, Didi Gregorius – Yankees 1/2, Jason Heyward – Cardinals 1/2, Howie Kendrick – Dodgers 1/2, Kendrys Morales – Royals 1/2, Luis Valbuena – Astros 1/2, Kolten Wong – Cardinals 1/2,
Pitchers ‘WOO’ MLB 2015,
Wade Davis – Royals 4, Jacob deGrom – Mets 3, Matt Harvey – Mets 2 1/2, Noah Syndergaard – Mets 2 1/2, Marcus Stroman – Blue Jays 2 1/2, Chris Young – Royals 2 1/2, Jake Arrieta – Cubs 2, Johnny Cueto – Royals 2, Marco Estrada – Blue Jays 2, Dallas Keuchel – Astros 2, Zack Greinke – Dodgers 1 1/2, Cole Hamels – Rangers 1 1/2, Clayton Kershaw – Dodgers 1 1/2, R. A. Dickey – Blue Jays 1, Jake Diekman – Rangers 1, Kelvin Herrera – Royals 1, Luke Hochevar – Royals 1, John Lackey – Cardinals 1, Jon Lester – Cubs 1, Steven Matz – Mets 1, Collin McHugh – Astros 1, Hector Rondon – Cubs 1, Edinson Vólquez – Royals 1, Travis Wood – Cubs 1, Bartolo Colon – Mets 1/2, Liam Hendriks 1/2, Lance McCullers – Astros 1/2, Jonathon Niese – Mets 1/2, David Price– Blue Jays 1/2,
Who Owns October and Who Owns the 2015 World Series (#WOO and #WOWS) Tallies Updated For October 31, 2015
SEAN M. HAFFEY/GETTY IMAGES
Trick for the Mets! Treat for the Royals! It is Halloween Baseball!
We have ourselves a World Series.
And now the Sully Metrics of October get a little more complicated.
I will continue to figure out Who Owns October.Time to figure out who owns October!
Each winning team for every post season game gets a pitcher and a hitter who earn a full WOO (Who Owns October.)
And at my discretion, I award a 1/2 WOO’S to a worthy player on the losing team.
But the World Series deserves its own stats. WOWS (Who Owns the World Series.)
At the end of the post season, we will see who had the highest WOO total as a pitcher and a hitter. The WOWS total will be kept separately. Each game now counts towards both tallies.
A complete description of the rules can be found HERE.
From October 31st, World Series Game 4:
Receiving 1 WOO’s and WOWS
Wade Davis continued his post season dominance with 2 shutout innings (plus an at bat) to shut down the Mets and earn the save in Kansas City’s 5-3 win.
Salvador Perez went 3 for 4 with a double, scored in the 5th and drove in a critical insurance run in the 8th to lead Kansas City to a stunning 5-3 win over the Mets.
Receiving 1/2 WOO’s and WOWS
Michael Conforto launched a pair of homers that put the Mets ahead. But the bullpen and defense would conspire against him as the Mets lost to the Royals, 5-3.
Current‘WOWS’ and ‘WOO’ Totals MLB 2015:
Hitters ‘WOWS’ MLB 2015,
Salvador Perez – Royals 1 1/2, Alcides Escobar – Royals 1, David Wright – Mets 1, Ben Zobrist – Royals 1, Michael Conforto – Mets 1/2, Lucas Duda – Mets 1/2, Daniel Murphy – Mets 1/2,
Pitchers ‘WOWS’ MLB 2015,
Johnny Cueto – Royals 1, Wade Davis – Royals 1, Noah Syndergaard – Mets 1, Chris Young – Royals 1, Jonathon Niese – Mets 1/2,
Hitters ‘WOO’ MLB 2015,
Troy Tulowitzki – Blue Jays 3 1/2, Daniel Murphy – Mets 3, Salvador Perez – Royals 3, Jorge Soler – Cubs 3, Alcides Escobar – Royals 2 1/2, Jorge Soler – Cubs 2 1/2, , Justin Turner – Dodgers 2 1/2, Jose Bautista – Blue Jays 2, Delino DeShields – Rangers 2, Mike Moustakas – Royals 2, David Wright – Mets 2, Lorenzo Cain – Royals 1 1/2, Yoenis Cespedes – Mets 1 1/2, Lucas Duda – Mets 1 1/2, Dexter Fowler – Cubs 1 1/2, Stephen Piscotty – Cardinals 1 1/2, Colby Rasmus – Astros 1 1/2, Kyle Schwarber – Cubs 1 1/2, Jose Altuve – Astros 1, Chris Carter – Astros 1, Travis d’Arnaud – Mets , Curtis Granderson – Mets 1, Eric Hosmer – Royals 1, Rougned Odor – Rangers 1, Kevin Pillar – Blue Jays 1, Ben Revere – Blue Jays 1, Alex Rios – Royals 1, Ben Zobrist – Royals 1, Starlin Castro – Cubs 1/2, Francisco Cervelli – Pirates 1/2, Michael Conforto – Mets 1/2, Carlos Correa – Astros 1/2, Josh Donaldson – Blue Jays 1/2, Edwin Encarnacion – Blue Jays 1/2, Adrian Gonzalez – Dodgers 1/2, Didi Gregorius – Yankees 1/2, Jason Heyward – Cardinals 1/2, Howie Kendrick – Dodgers 1/2, Kendrys Morales – Royals 1/2, Luis Valbuena – Astros 1/2, Kolten Wong – Cardinals 1/2,
Pitchers ‘WOO’ MLB 2015,
Wade Davis – Royals 4, Jacob deGrom – Mets 3, Noah Syndergaard – Mets 2 1/2, Marcus Stroman – Blue Jays 2 1/2, Chris Young – Royals 2 1/2, Jake Arrieta – Cubs 2, Johnny Cueto – Royals 2, Marco Estrada – Blue Jays 2, Matt Harvey – Mets 2, Dallas Keuchel – Astros 2, Zack Greinke – Dodgers 1 1/2, Cole Hamels – Rangers 1 1/2, Clayton Kershaw – Dodgers 1 1/2, R. A. Dickey – Blue Jays 1, Jake Diekman – Rangers 1, Kelvin Herrera – Royals 1, John Lackey – Cardinals 1, Jon Lester – Cubs 1, Steven Matz – Mets 1, Collin McHugh – Astros 1, Hector Rondon – Cubs 1, Edinson Vólquez – Royals 1, Travis Wood – Cubs 1, Bartolo Colon – Mets 1/2, Liam Hendriks 1/2, Lance McCullers – Astros 1/2, Jonathon Niese – Mets 1/2, David Price– Blue Jays 1/2,
Who Owns October and Who Owns the 2015 World Series (#WOO and #WOWS) Tallies Updated For October 30, 2015
Doug Mills/The New York Times
My my my!
We have ourselves a World Series.
And now the Sully Metrics of October get a little more complicated.
I will continue to figure out Who Owns October.Time to figure out who owns October!
Each winning team for every post season game gets a pitcher and a hitter who earn a full WOO (Who Owns October.)
And at my discretion, I award a 1/2 WOO’S to a worthy player on the losing team.
But the World Series deserves its own stats. WOWS (Who Owns the World Series.)
At the end of the post season, we will see who had the highest WOO total as a pitcher and a hitter. The WOWS total will be kept separately. Each game now counts towards both tallies.
A complete description of the rules can be found HERE.
From October 30th, World Series Game 3:
Receiving 1 WOO’s and WOWS
Noah Syndergaard did not have his ace stuff but pitched well enough over 6 innings with 6 strikeouts to earn the 9-3 decision for the Mets over the Royals.
David Wright hit a 2 run homer and a 2 run single to lead the Mets to a critical 9-3 victory over the Royals.
Receiving 1/2 WOO’s and WOWS
Salvador Perez reached base twice and scored a run in the Royals 9-3 loss to the Mets.
Current‘WOWS’ and ‘WOO’ Totals MLB 2015:
Hitters ‘WOWS’ MLB 2015,
Alcides Escobar – Royals 1, David Wright – Mets 1, Ben Zobrist – Royals 1, Lucas Duda – Mets 1/2, Daniel Murphy – Mets 1/2, Salvador Perez – Royals 1/2,
Pitchers ‘WOWS’ MLB 2015,
Johnny Cueto – Royals 1, Noah Syndergaard – Mets 1, Chris Young – Royals 1, Jonathon Niese – Mets 1/2,
Hitters ‘WOO’ MLB 2015,
Troy Tulowitzki – Blue Jays 3 1/2, Daniel Murphy – Mets 3, Jorge Soler – Cubs 3, Alcides Escobar – Royals 2 1/2, Jorge Soler – Cubs 2 1/2, , Justin Turner – Dodgers 2 1/2, Jose Bautista – Blue Jays 2, Delino DeShields – Rangers 2, Mike Moustakas – Royals 2, Salvador Perez – Royals 2, David Wright – Mets 2, Lorenzo Cain – Royals 1 1/2, Yoenis Cespedes – Mets 1 1/2, Lucas Duda – Mets 1 1/2, Dexter Fowler – Cubs 1 1/2, Stephen Piscotty – Cardinals 1 1/2, Colby Rasmus – Astros 1 1/2, Kyle Schwarber – Cubs 1 1/2, Jose Altuve – Astros 1, Chris Carter – Astros 1, Travis d’Arnaud – Mets , Curtis Granderson – Mets 1, Eric Hosmer – Royals 1, Rougned Odor – Rangers 1, Kevin Pillar – Blue Jays 1, Ben Revere – Blue Jays 1, Alex Rios – Royals 1, Ben Zobrist – Royals 1, Starlin Castro – Cubs 1/2, Francisco Cervelli – Pirates 1/2, Carlos Correa – Astros 1/2, Josh Donaldson – Blue Jays 1/2, Edwin Encarnacion – Blue Jays 1/2, Adrian Gonzalez – Dodgers 1/2, Didi Gregorius – Yankees 1/2, Jason Heyward – Cardinals 1/2, Howie Kendrick – Dodgers 1/2, Kendrys Morales – Royals 1/2, Luis Valbuena – Astros 1/2, Kolten Wong – Cardinals 1/2,
Pitchers ‘WOO’ MLB 2015,
Wade Davis – Royals 3, Jacob deGrom – Mets 3, Noah Syndergaard – Mets 2 1/2, Marcus Stroman – Blue Jays 2 1/2, Chris Young – Royals 2 1/2, Jake Arrieta – Cubs 2, Johnny Cueto – Royals 2, Marco Estrada – Blue Jays 2, Matt Harvey – Mets 2, Dallas Keuchel – Astros 2, Zack Greinke – Dodgers 1 1/2, Cole Hamels – Rangers 1 1/2, Clayton Kershaw – Dodgers 1 1/2, R. A. Dickey – Blue Jays 1, Jake Diekman – Rangers 1, Kelvin Herrera – Royals 1, John Lackey – Cardinals 1, Jon Lester – Cubs 1, Steven Matz – Mets 1, Collin McHugh – Astros 1, Hector Rondon – Cubs 1, Edinson Vólquez – Royals 1, Travis Wood – Cubs 1, Bartolo Colon – Mets 1/2, Liam Hendriks 1/2, Lance McCullers – Astros 1/2, Jonathon Niese – Mets 1/2, David Price– Blue Jays 1/2,
MLB Reports 
You must be logged in to post a comment.