Running 2017 MLB regular season thread

They released Montero for calling out Arrieta and are using a rookie backup right now. There is no veteran catcher on the roster.

 

This makes sense and they for sure need pitching help. My thing is the Giants sold out to get pitching in the off season and crossed their fingers for left field. The Giants might be eyeing Stanton anyway and figure they should get other holes filled, but this isn't going to be just a last field problem. Left is the biggest hole but Span is declining and Pence is showing his age. They are going to need a whole new outfield if not next year than by 2019.

The "that's the way they've done it" doesn't mean that's the way they should keep doing it. On the other hand, apart from Bum, Buster, Crawford and maybe Panik, I feel the whole team can either be traded or dumped by next season. They're just a mess.

 

Gotcha, forgot about the Montero situation. That said, if Contreras remains healthy, the backup is going to play what, 10 games? Lucroy would cost them $5M or so the rest of the way. Avila makes some sense, but not sure Theo would want to give up much of anything for a guy who's going to play a dozen games and then hit free agency.

 

There are reports linking A.J. Ellis to the Cubs. He would bring a David Ross-esque presence to the team.

 

Someone wanna take a flyer on Cueto for the rest of the year?
I guess he's planning to opt out at the end of the year.........basically a 3 month rental........wouldn't be a bad idea......

 

Hmm, has anybody ever won two World Series with the same team as mid-season acquisition both times?

 

The Indians were shut out for nine innings last night. But the game went 11. They scored 7 in the second and 4 in the 11th. Grand slams in both innings after a slew of walks by the Angels' Jesse Chavez and Bud Norris. The Angels did tie it after facing a 7-0 deficit.

 

Appropos of nothing, I just finished Jeff Passan's book on the UCL tear epidemic, "The Arm." There was a little bit of slow going at times during the really technical R&D passages (which were absolutely necessary), but a pretty illuminating read nonetheless. It was nice to read something about the modern game and how it is played that wasn't just a sabermetrics manifesto.

 

Ah, the joys of interleague play: An 18-minute delay in the Twins-Dodgers game last night for a discussion of a double switch by the Twins.

 

Me: "N.L. fans really need to shut up about how tougher it is to manage over there. Any manager worth his salt, N.L. or A.L., can handle a double switch. It's not rocket science."

Paul Molitor: "Hold my beer while I go out and talk to the umpire."

 

Bud Black just read this and kicked a cat across the room.

 

On the game broadcast, announcers brought up the idea that MLB needs an NFL-type system of announcing to the fans and viewers what's going on in this kind of a situation.

It was oddly fascinating TV as the umps were looking at their scorecards and Joe Davis and Orel Hershiser opined on what may have happened.

In the postgame interview, Dave Roberts alluded to some obscure rule that allowed Polanco return to the game after he was mistakenly taken out.