MLB 2022: The Long and Winding Thread

You can choose to believe what you want. You seem to believe a lot about the Guardians after watching them play one series.

Francona had no issue rolling Kluber out every four days in 2016 and it got them to the brink of the title. I guarantee you if it was Francona's call, Bieber would have been on the mound yesterday, if only for one trip through the lineup.

Bieber is under team control for two more years, which makes trading him now more appealing if you're the Guardians and you want to secure 3-4 Major League-ready prospects. I believe they will trade him now because people close to the team believe it was Bieber's agent's call for him not to start Game 5. In essence, he's just become a me-first guy at the worst possible time to become one. You have to take the ball in that game. You just have to.

 

It was already explained on the thread that they don't want to risk getting him hurt before they try to trade him, and that desire to trade him is driven by finances. High-revenue franchises don't look to trade guys like that. They build around them. It absolutely relates to money.

I'm not saying you are wrong about Francona's character, but choosing to focus on that while ignoring the influence of money is usually the way people from larger markets tend to think.

 

Bieber has had arm issues. By the very nature of things, every time you have him pitch you're risking his health. If having him pitch a few innings on three days' rest instead of four was going to hurt his arm, it probably was only a matter of time anyway. On one side you had Cole, after throwing 110 pitches, saying he could go. On the other, you had Bieber, not making a sound.

 

It definitely isn't a good look for Bieber that he apparently didn't want the ball, but Cortes is out there. I just think part of that is a lack of commitment to a team he knows won't keep him because they don't want to spend that kind of money.

 

How is that different from the revenue-driven approach they take the rest of the time? It isn't.

I swear, it's as if the big-market baseball apologists have a blind spot that just doesn't alow them to see reality.

 

I agree. Bad look all around. But what does this say to his future teammates, that he'll only play for a mountain of cash? Bieber probably will get somewhere around $12 mil via arbitration this winter. It's not like he's going to starve. Cleveland does a great job of staying competitive without spending. They're not going to start now.

 

Who said anything of the sort? We're insane? Have you ever even watched baseball before this week? If so, you certainly proved over the past three games to not be very good at it.

 

Storyline wise it would be fun(ny) to see Padres/Astros in a World Series of old National League West rivals.

(Yes, just like the Dodgers/Astros was only it's funnier because Padres.)