2018 MLB Spring Training Running Thread

The Padres' best hitter is Wil Myers, who hasn't played anything other than 1B regularly since 2015. And he was bad in the outfield then.

This reminds me of when the Tigers signed Prince Fielder and moved Miguel Cabrera to third. They ended up having to trade Fielder after a year or two because Cabrera was so bad at third.

 

She'd outgrown this anyway.

 

All the feels.

 

Just don't tell Vombatus or Cosmo that was taken after a particular series against the O's.

 

We'll tell @ChrisLong it was after an Angels series.

 

Fuck!!!

On a side note, I got poked in the eye by broom bristles once. She’ll sweep her eye out!

 

Gotta wonder how much precedent this has: A guy without a job as spring training begins signs for eight years with a new team.
In an unrelated move, the Rays traded Jake Odorizzzi, a reasonably reliable starting pitcher, straight up for the 24th-ranked prospect. The Twins' 24th-ranked prospect. An infielder who played in A ball last year.
I understand the Rays are playing in an elderly market and in a wretched stadium, but can't you get more than a guy who might show up in 2020 for a credible starting pitcher?

 

LOL. Also, not even the Mets.

 

Oddly enough, those were Cabrera's two MVP seasons, including his triple crown in 2013. If I remember correctly, he pushed for the opportunity to play third base and was probably in the best shape of his career those seasons.

I guess the Padres decided to live with crappy defense from Myers in left field.

 

How is the bidding war for Five-Inning Jake going? Need I admit my failed attempt at lying about his decline? Are the offers into the $300 millions yet?

 

So many variables in play on Hosmer.

First, I wonder if HIS Laz-E-Boy should go to the Smithsonian. His departure means that every decent-looking dude in Kansas City might have a shot at the bars again.

The reason KC at least appeared to really want Hosmer was for strictly business. Not necessarily winning. He could have made a 67-win team a 71-win team this year. Okay.

The Royals have two fan bases:

Guys my age 40 and older who grew up in the first glory phase.

Families under 35 and millennials. All of their female fans love Eric Hosmer. They buy the 35 jerseys. They objectify and, essentially, sexually harass him at home games. Of course he loves it. (What dude wouldn't?)

The Royals have a regional TV deal up at the end of this year. One that, if negotiated in 2016, would have brought in tens of millions each year. A lot of them women watching Hosmer.

The numbers will fall this year and it will hurt the deal. So will attendance. The royals probably figured it wasn't worth $160M for a very very good first baseman.

Love Hosmer. Love Cain. Love Wade Davis. Hate the Gordon contract. Time for a new phase.

 

I'm waiting for Dickie to tell us again about how Jon Lester was going to be fine last year, but ended up with numbers that were far worse than Arrieta's?

Apparently, Dickie missed the fact that the entire market is down this year. Somebody want to catch him up?

Also, in Dickie's world, a debate about Arrieta's performance during just the 2016 season is the exact same thing as a discussion of what will happen to him two years later. Except it isn't. He cherry-picked statistics with the intent of being misleading two years ago, continued to troll the baseball discussions with this topic for almost two years now and then lied about the content of that debate in his comment today.

And he wonders why I call him Dickie the Troll.