Blog Archives
Who Owned Baseball April 27, 2018 (Daily #MLB AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2018 #WOB
John Sleezer / TNS
For an explanation of how WOB works, click here.
Matt Davidson hit two homers, including a go ahead shot in the 11th inning, to give the White Sox a 7-4 win over the Royals.
Chris Tillman threw 7 innings of 1 hit shutout ball, striking out 5 Tigers as Baltimore rolled to a 6-0 final.
Jose Peraza collected 4 hits, including 2 homers, to lead the Reds past the Twins in a wild 15-9 slug fest.
Jacob deGrom pitched into the 8th, finishing with 7 1/3 innings, 5 hits and 8 San Diego strikeouts to earn the 5-1 decision for the Mets.
They all owned baseball on April 27, 2018
To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.
Who Owned Baseball August 28, 2017 (Daily #MLB AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2017 #WOB Standings
Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
Corey Kluber pitched 8 strong innings, striking out 7 Yankees and earning the 6-2 victory for the Indians.
Jeff Samardzija threw a complete game 3 hit shutout, leading the Giants in the 3-0 blanking of San Diego.
Jose Ramirez hit a go ahead homer and a game tying homer to spark Cleveland’s offense past the Yankees, 6-2.
Howie Kendrick reached base 3 times, including a triple, driving in 3 runs as the Nationals crushed the Marlins, 11-2.
They all owned baseball on August 28, 2017
To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.
Who Owned Baseball August 1, 2017 (Daily #MLB AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2016 #WOB Standings
Bob Levey/Getty Images
Evan Longoria became the first Tampa Bay hitter to hit for the cycle since 2009 as he scored twice and drove in 3 in the 6-4 defeat of Houston.
Anthony Rizzo got 3 hits, including 2 homers to lead the Cubs in a 16-4 pasting of the Diamondbacks.
Dylan Bundy pitched 8 shutout innings, allowing 3 hits and striking out 5 Royals to get the 7-2 decision for surging Baltimore.
Kenta Maeda kept the Braves scoreless over 7 solid 2 hit shutout innings and earned the 3-2 win for the Dodgers.
They all owned baseball on August 1, 2017
To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.
Philadelphia Phillies Optimistic About Heading To Spring Training In 2017
By Dan Wanser
Philadelphia held a massive consecutive sellout streak from the time CBP was in its first year until the latter parts of their team starting to decline in 2012. In 2015, the franchise finished 14th out of 15 clubs at the turnstiles with just 1.8 Million fans. This was the second straight year of a huge decline. For those reasons it is okay to slowly build this team up with salary. Philadelphia even dipped below the $100 MIL barrier in 2016 for payroll, and managed to bump attendance up to 1.95 MIL fans. With a projected payroll of $104.0 based on recent additions of Clay Buchholz and Howie Kendrick, the club will look to be a little more competitive in 2017, and rise that attendance beyond 2 MIL again.
The Philadelphia Phillies used to be a force to be reckoned with. “The team to beat” started their historic stretch in 2007, ripping off five straight National League East Division titles which included two trips to the World Series and a championship in 2008.
Players like Jimmy Rollins, Cole Hamels, Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard paved the way to the first championship team since 1980, but that all began to spiral out of control when Howard tore his achilles tendon during the final out of the 2011 NLDS.
Since then, the Phillies have not broken the .500 mark and the players that led the parade down Broad Street have moved on to other teams or left the game for good; the 2017 team is not the team of old. Read the rest of this entry
MLB Teams Taking A Powder In 2017 So Far
Some MLB Teams have had a tough winter so far, and we take a look at why this is. We understand that not all clubs have to be in win mode, and some maybe rebuilding, however the process and mindset is what we are questioning here. For a team that is not going all in and should be based on their limited window of winning opportunity, we also call them to the carpet. Stop taking a powder in 2017 and give your head a shake!
MLB Teams Taking A Powder In 2017 So Far
There are certain clubs who have done a nice job improving their clubs year over year, some that have done nicely in maintaining, well, and there are teams that are not looking so hot in 2017.
Let me also qualify this in saying that the Toronto Blue Jays are dangerously close to falling into this pegging themselves. You guys can’t seriously think that you can enter into the 2017 campaign with the Outfield trio of Melvin Upton Jr., Kevin Pillar and Ezequiel Carrera can you?
Give Jose Bautista a 1 Year Deal worth $15 MIL – with a 2nd year Team Option of $19.4 MIL – or a Buyout Clause of $2.2 MIL The Player could also opt out if he wants to after 2017. You may risk losing a Draft Pick at all with the way this is going Toronto.
With the 1st ED pick attached to Joey Bats. and the looming future QO’s never receiving as much again, how could a team justify losing that high of Amateur Draft Selection for an aging 36 year old slugger.
Here is the thing though Blue Jays brass: You need him..Both at the turnstiles and in the lineup. He doesn’t cost you anything but money – and the guy still carried out a .815 OPS despite a rough down year.
With a chip on his shoulder, I think he will bounce back big time. You can defensive replace him every night if you wish, or use Kendrys Morales at First, and let Justin Smoak ride pine for some DH AB to open up for Bautista.
Losing Edwin Encarnacion, Bautista and Michael Saunders is not made up by Morales and Steve Pearce fellas! You drew 3.4 Million Fans in 2016. Toronto will keep the faith if you bring back #19 for one more year. Read the rest of this entry
The Dodgers Should Do Another Trade With The White Sox In Order To Bolster Their 2017 Roster
The Dodgers have spent over $300 MIL in back to back years, and are the clubhouse leaders in Luxury Tax penalties paid. At a 50% penalty, the Los Angeles forked out $40 MIL in Luxury Taxes in 2016. With an estimated $204 MIL payroll – considering there are several roster holes now created by departing players, the team will need to spend around $235 MIL in 2017 total payroll. 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. This means that they should not re-sign Kenley Jansen or Turner. The White Sox have the Closer, Third Baseman and Second Baseman needed to complete their roster/winter shopping – if a deal can be reached.
Last year the Dodgers were in the middle of a 3 way trade with the Reds and White Sox.
December 16, 2015: Todd Frazier was Traded as part of a 3-team trade by the Cincinnati Reds to the Chicago White Sox. The Los Angeles Dodgers sent Brandon Dixon (minors), Jose Peraza and Scott Schebler to the Cincinnati Reds. The Chicago White Sox sent Micah Johnson, Frankie Montas and Trayce Thompson to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
with the full rebuild going on in the south side of Chicago now, the Los Angeles Dodgers brass should be targeting some players back in return. This time they should acquire Todd Frazier, but I also think they should go for Brett Lawrie and White Sox team Closer David Robertson.
The total net projected salary of those 3 players would equal $28.5 MIL – which would be substantially less than what it would take to re-sign Justin Turner and Kenley Jansen. David Robertson has pitched for a big market like New York before, so playoff baseball is not foreign to him.
Lawrie would adequately replace the production the club had with Chase Utley and Howie Kendrick this past year for a fraction of the cost.
Having Todd Frazier’s power would really benefit the ailing/aging slugger of Adrian Gonzalez, and also the young and brilliant Corey Seager,
So who goes back in return for these guys? Read the rest of this entry
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
Daily Fantasy MLB DFS Picks For DraftKings 8/25/16
P- Robbie Ray (vs. Atlanta Braves): $10,400. Over Ray’s last three starts, he has been absolutely dominant. Those starts include 19 innings pitched, 2-0 record, 0.95 ERA, and 22 strikeouts. He is facing a mediocre Braves lineup, so this shouldn’t be a tough matchup for the left-handed pitcher. His hot streak and opponent makes me believe he is the best top-tier pitcher available on Thursday.
P- Tom Koehler (vs. Kansas City Royals): $7,100. Koehler has been great since the All-Star break. Since July 21st, the righty has thrown 39 innings, with a 1.62 ERA, 26 hits allowed, and 30 strikeouts. Kansas City’s offense has been very average all year long, so it shouldn’t pose a huge threat for Koehler.
SEE THE REST OF THE ARTICLE
Daily Fantasy MLB DFS Picks For DraftKings 8/18/16
P- Hisashi Iwakuma (vs. Los Angeles Angels): $9,300. Iwakuma has shown great career success against the Angels in over 150 plate appearances. The Angels offense is also struggling over the last week, which should help Iwakuma. Iwakuma has won three straight starts.
P- Joe Musgrove (vs. Los Angeles Angels): $7,000. Musgrove does a fantastic job of keeping the baseball in the ballpark. The Orioles’ bats have been ice cold and they only seem to score runs on home runs. Hopefully Musgrove can have another great start.
SEE THE REST OF THE ARTICLE
Daily Fantasy MLB DFS Picks For DraftKings 8/16/16
P- James Paxton (vs. Los Angeles Angels): $9,400. Over Paxton’s last four starts, he has a 1.59 ERA. Unfortunately, is last time out he was hit in the elbow, and he hasn’t pitched since. Luckily he is coming back on Tuesday against a team he has dominated throughout his career. In seven starts against the Angels, he has a 3-2 record and a 2.17 ERA. Keep an eye on his injury status heading into this game just in case he doesn’t start.
P- Ervin Santana (vs. Atlanta Braves): $9,000. Over Santana’s last three starts, he has a 2-1 record, 2.11 ERA, and 18 strikeouts in 21 innings pitched. In 185 career at bats against Santana, the Braves’ lineup is batting .222, with a .243 OBP, and 37 strikeouts. The Braves offense has struggled this year, so hopefully Santana’s recent success can shut them down.
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Who Owned Baseball August 9, 2016 (Daily #MLB AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2016 #WOB Standings
AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski
John Lackey allowed just 3 hits and 1 run over 8 innings and earned the 5-1 decision for the Cubs over the Angels.
Howie Kendrick doubled and homered, driving in 3 and helped the Dodgers go into a first place tie by topping the Phillies, 9-3.
Rick Porcello gave the Red Sox 8 solid innings, allowing 2 runs to the Yankees and got the 5-3 victory.
Jose Altuve collected 4 hits, including an RBI single, scored 2 and stole a base as Houston came from behind to win over Minnesota, 7-5.
They All Owned Baseball on August 9, 2016.
To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.
In Memoriam Video For all baseball family who have passed since 2015 ASG.
MLB Power Rankings 2016: Week 7 – May
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner)
Follow @stokes_Hunter21 Follow The MLBreports On Twitter
MAY 15, 2016
Well not much has changed from this week as compared to last week. Detroit carried its free fall to 4th in the AL Central, the Yankees took 5 of 7 contests – and 7/10 in their homestand to save their season for now.
Miami and Philadelphia continue to stick around in the NL East, and the Giants and Dodgers finally had winning weeks to make the NL West Division Leader respectable.
Nobody looks scarier right now than the Boston Red Sox offense, who led by David Ortiz, Jackie Bradley JR. and Xander Bogaerts, plated 10 runs or more in 5 of the last 6 games, after going their 1st 32 games without doing so.
I am still awaiting for a Jays big winning streak. Houston has not played winning baseball since the 1st 6 weeks of the 2015 – and are tending to resemble the 2007 Tampa Bay Rays more than anything.
All offense and little pitching and defense.
There is nobody struggling worse than Logan Morrison, Russell Martin, Carlos Gomez and the consortium of LF’s in Anaheim! Recently bouncing out of this list are Jason Heyward and Chase Headley.
We are nearing the quarter pole and rapidly approaching Memorial Day Weekend, so it is not early anymore.
Read the rest of this entry
MLB Power Rankings 2016: Week 6 May
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner)
Follow @stokes_Hunter21 Follow The MLBreports On Twitter
MAY 8, 2016
Disclaimer: We based these rankings on best strength to win the World Series. Therefore some teams that have an easier division to play in, with the least path of resistance to the postseason overall may be ranked a lot higher than a club who is equally talented, yet may play in a juggernaut of a division.
Rank – Team Record (Last week rank) (Up down) (W – L Record Last week)
(1) (1) Chicago Cubs (E) (24 – 6) : A real bad day for the Cubs is battling with a team like Washington on Sunday, to see whether or not they are going to sweep them or go 3 – 1 in a series.
Yep, they swept the 4 game set in a 13 inning walk off HR by Javier Baez – to cap a 7 – 0 week. They are on pace for about 129 wins right now.
Depth of the Starting Rotation is looking solid with Jake Arrieta, Jon Lester, John Lackey, Jason Hammel (Killer J’s) and Kyle Hendricks.
Hector Rondon is not even needed in most leads, with the team almost at a +100 differential through 30 games,
(2) (3) Chicago White Sox (+1) (22 – 10) ( 4 – 2): Chris Sale is 7 – 0, and may go Ron Guidry (circa 1979 on us). If anyone will win 25 games in a year, it would be him or Jake Arrieta.
Bob Welch won 27 games in 1990 for the A’s was the last guy to do that.
Has anyone noticed that Brett Lawrie has an OBP closer to .400 – than his usual .310 – .320?
Jose Quintana is finally receiving some run support. If Todd Frazier and Jose Abreu start hitting for BA, than look he the hell out. We could see a “Windy City” World Series for the 1st time since 1906. Read the rest of this entry
Odds To Win The 2016 MLB World Series
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Answer me a question bet365.com? The Dodgers were a +1500 odd when the start of Spring Training commenced, are without Corey Seager, Howie Kendrick, Yasmani Grandal, Brett Anderson, Andre Ethier as of right now on the big roster, and you saw fit to move them to +1300. Wrong. They automatically go to a poor wager from a good one just weeks ago.
The Jays have also jumped from +1000 to +800 but since I have them and the Cubs winning their respective leagues. the odds are about where they should be.
Previously I had the Giants on the bad odd list, however with the recent rash of injuries to Los Angeles, and a horrible break for A.J. Pollock of the D’Backs, confidence is at an all time high for the Giants to take the NL West.
The Kansas City Royals have a lower win total on the year over/under than Cleveland. but have a +1300 odd to win the World Series. Baffles me guys.
The Cardinals lose just one game and now are on par with the Pirates as the 10th best favorite to win. Love the odds for both of these clubs.
Detroit was a good bet last month at +2500, but are now properly pegged, as are Cleveland.
With the Angels having such a thin roster it surprises me that they are sitting up with the Mariners for value, as opposed to being near the A’s,where they probably should be. 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
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
Odds To Win The 2016 MLB World Series
best odd value on the board this week.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Howie Kendrick signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers this past week, and the club has learned that Yasiel Puig has dropped 15 LBS in the offseason.
While I still peg the Dodgers for about 90 – 91 wins as of right now, they have the best odds on the board this week.
There is no doubt the San Francisco Giants lineup 1 – 8 is way better and Pitching Staff is also more rounded, however the gap between the two clubs is not a difference of +600.
I would put the Giants about 93 – 94 wins. Their roster moves while decent this winter with Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija and Denard Span, they all come with a little question mark here or there. Read the rest of this entry
MLB Power Rankings: Early Win Total Predictions For Spring Of 2016
Just because there is parity in the American League it doesn’t mean that the Junior Circuit will not club the National League in Interleague this upcoming season. In fact, I am calling for them to be 50 games over .500 versus the Senior Circuit in the AL vs NL schedule. Most of that will be versus the weaker NL clubs, however the better NL clubs will not entirely dominate the whole AL either.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Updated on Feb.18, 2015
There is parity in the American League and their is a growing distance between the good and the bad clubs in the National League.
One could argue that the top 7 teams (NYM/CHC/SF/WSH/STL/PIT, LAD) in all of the Majors reside in the NL right now, and you then you can counter that by saying they have the 6 worst squads as well (PHI/ATL/MIL/CIN/SD/COL).
The funny thing about this whole ordeal is that the AL is absolutely going to cream the NL in Interleague this forthcoming season. On a 12 year win streak already, I am predicting a 175 – 125 W – L for the games between both leagues. The AL speedbags the National League in my view.
Last year, the American League held a 167 – 133 mark over the National League so that prediction up there is not foreign by any means.
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
Teams That Should Take Advantage Of A Weak Penalty For The Luxury Tax In 2016
In the last year of the current CBA, there is potentially only one more year to take advantage of a feeble penalty as a first time abuser in 2016. With Boston set to join the Dodgers and Yankees as abusers, I took a look at other teams who should consider the 2016 campaign as a rare gamble to dole out some cash in seeking a World Series trophy before the new CBA is authored in prior to the 2017 season.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part-Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
The Boston Red Sox might just be on to something. They will be penalized for the 1st year of going over the new $189 MIL limit in 2016, but it is also the last year the CBA may have the percentages.
Currently right now, there is a 17.5% penalty for spending dollars over $189 MIL. The Dodgers and Yankees are the only other teams that are budgeted over the mark in addition to Boston.
On the cusp are the Detroit Tigers, sitting at around $177 MIL – while the Giants and Angels are nearly at $170 MIL. The Cubs are also near the $165 MIL area.
Why not spend like crazy in 2016 – and take advantage of the system as it is presented towards you? Read the rest of this entry
The Middle Infield Positions Have Regressed To What They Used To Be In The MLB Power Wise
Carlos Correa led all Shortstops with 22 HRs in 2015 – despite not being called up until early June. With how rare his power is at the position currently, this will be an automatic advantage for the Houston Astros for the next half – dozen years. Brandon Crawford was the only other Shortstop to hit the 20 HR plateau in 2015. The position has receded to what it used to be over 20 – 25 years ago when Cal Ripken was a rare player to hit for power at Short.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Onwer) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Part of going over the winter transactions wire for all players available in the league has taught me even more of what I had thought about the state of the MLB currently.
Since steroids have been removed practically from the game, Third Base, Short Stop and Second Baseman have seen their numbers plummet offensively.
You could also lump the First Baseman, Outfielders and Catchers to this list as well, however they still own the predominant amount of power hitters in the game.
So you have a need a Third Base this offseason…That is bad news for you because David Freese is the best available Free Agent on the market. Read the rest of this entry
MLB Top Free Agent Predictions (Picks 1 – 25)
The Red Sox will need to spend some money on Pitching this season. But don’t be surprised if they overstock on a few more offensive pieces in the lineup, and then use some of their prospects to obtain even more pitching. They orchestrated a trade for Closer Craig Kimbrel on Friday. A bona fide shutdown guy with 225 Career Saves and an ERA of 1.63 lifetime. The winter has just started for the Beantowners.
Jordan Gluck (Part Owner/Featured Writer) Follow @jgluck777
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MLB Free Agent Predictions
I will be using mlbtraderumors.com top 50 free agents to make things easy. To be clear there are other free agents outside this list (some who I think should be on it) who will be available and many could have breakout or comeback seasons.
Additionally there will be players that get non tendered during arbitration. Well so here are my predictions.
How To Fix The Nats For 2016: Washington Nationals State Of The Union
In 2012, the Nationals won the NL East and then followed up with a disappointing 2013 year. The same pattern happened in 2014 and 2015. The Nats window is closing as the club only has one more of team control on Stephen Strasburg – and the total salary for the club escalates with Bryce Harper being Arbitration Eligible starting next year. The team has solid Starting Pitching and a lineup that is coming back for the most part. A key acquisition for both the offense and defense may suffice.
Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst) Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
So having been back from my 224 MLB Game all year trip in 2015 – I was happy to have put in such a great season of witnessing games. My real disappointment was the Nationals not making the playoffs in 2015.
I am guilty as charged for having a National League favorite team in Washington, and also be a Yankees fan for the American League.
I am a Nats fan because they used to be the Montreal Expos before 2005. It was a tough negotiation to have been a fan when they moved to D.C., but I followed the team. I saw some bad baseball via MLB.TV for about 6 or 7 years. Read the rest of this entry
Los Angeles Dodgers Payroll In 2016 + Contracts Going Forward
The Dodgers have not won or appeared in the World Series since 1988. With the spending the ownership will do in the next decade, I would be surprised if the team doesn’t rake in multiple championships. But it will take diligent finagling on the brass – to skate around the Luxury Tax with the pending CBA of 2017 coming in. Yes the ownership is willing to spend boatloads of money, but they have to be smarter than they were in 2015.
Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst) Follow @chuckbooth3024
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This article deals with sensitive material that will self destruct in a few years. Whether the current regime wants to be saddled with blame or not, or put most of it during the Ned Colletti days, last year’s fiscal budget was a dumpster fire.
Not only did the franchise exceed the Luxury Tax Threshold again at (over $189 MIL), they put it to shame – reeling in a lofty mark of $314 MIL in total Cap Spending.
For folks scoring at home, that is $125 MIL over the limit, and with a third year penalty at 40% now, the squad will take down a historic levy hovering around $50 MIL.
We wrote a blog back in April stating the disregard the brass took in approaching this year’s salary structure. The worst part about it was that it didn’t culminate into a World Series Birth. 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,
