MLB Off-Season News & Notes Thread: Things Be Boring

[Big McLargehuge]

He was waived for Bobby LaFromboise. One in, one out.

*shrugs*

 

[MurrayBannerman]

He was waived for Bobby LaFromboise. One in, one out.

*shrugs*

Yea, but they'll actually use him.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

Again, I get that...but LaFromboise is a 29 year-old LOOGY who is on waivers 3-4 times a year, every team has a guy like him sitting in AAA.

I'm probably/definitely more sensative to this issue because of Littlefield, but that smacks of exposing guys like José Bautista & Chris Shelton to the Rule 5 Draft so that he could have the roster spots to sign such gems as Rubén Mateo & Willis Roberts.


Anyway, I've probably spent more time talking about this than it deserves, it just seems like a short-sighted move for a rebuilding team.

 

[MurrayBannerman]

It's basically a guy who's run his course in an organization - due to performed poorly and had injury issues - for a guy who will see immediate usage and bridge the gap to better players.

Plus, it's not like the Phils lack upside arms. Nola, Thompson, Kilome, Velasquez, and Appel all represent a strong core of pitching prospects near or at MLB level.

 

[MurrayBannerman]

Also, the Phillies aren't flush with depth at all.

 

[SJSharksfan39]

It's Super Bowl week, and I'm craving for Baseball News. Anything exciting happening in the last week. I know the Brewers made a trade but kinda wish the Giants were in the news. I guess they don't really need to do anything since they've already done it. Giants Fanfest is next week, which I'm going to miss.

 

[Big Poppa Puck]

In a bit of an odd move, the Phillies traded Jesse Biddle to the Pirates after DFAing him last week.

Biddle, a former 1st rounder and top prospect, will miss the entire season after Tommy John Surgery...but it still seems weird that Philadelphia would DFA a 24 year-old former 1st rounder with clear upside and 2 options remaining while in an obvious rebuilding situation. Having to burn an off-season 40-man roster spot kinda sucks, but...in a fun little twist the spot that was cleared by DFAing Biddle was used to claim former Pirates reliever Bobby LaFramboise...a 29 year-old LOOGY who spent a month as an Angel on paper. LaFramboise isn't going to be a Phillie by the time they turn things around. Well, he might be an Iron Pig...

No clue what the Pirates gave up yet, but given that he was DFA'd I wouldn't expect it to be anything of note.

I doubt anything comes of this, but given the Pirates track-record with 'fixing' pitchers and rehabbing pitchers coming off of Tommy John Surgery...I mean, there's really nothing to lose here. I'd rather spend a 40-man roster spot on him than, say, an A.J. Schugel (who would be my bet to be DFA'd by the Pirates to make room for Biddle).

Traded Yoervis Medina for Biddle and DFA'd Schugel.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

Medina was outrighted last week after being DFA'd himself.

 

[GIN ANTONIC]

Sick. Want this card so bad.

https://twitter.com/toppscards/status/694607797195943936/photo/1

 

[TNT87]

Sick. Want this card so bad.

https://twitter.com/toppscards/status/694607797195943936/photo/1

I was just going to post this. That is a sweet looking card.

 

[Brodeur]

Sigh, just another reminder of another prospect who failed to launch. Tempted to dig up Keith Law's old article from 2012 when he touted the Padres farm as the best in the league. They didn't have one true blue chipper, but the depth was supposed to be great....

 

[Voight]

Sigh, just another reminder of another prospect who failed to launch. Tempted to dig up Keith Law's old article from 2012 when he touted the Padres farm as the best in the league. They didn't have one true blue chipper, but the depth was supposed to be great....

Not to rub more salt in the wound but I think Gyroko and Grandal are the only ones who nade the MLB as regulars.

 

[MurrayBannerman]

Not to rub more salt in the wound but I think Gyroko and Grandal are the only ones who nade the MLB as regulars.

Hedges and Alonso.

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

Sick. Want this card so bad.

https://twitter.com/toppscards/status/694607797195943936/photo/1

Classless.

 

[Reality Check]

People still collect cards? That industry seemed to crash once Playstation1 was released.

The cards I still have are buried somewhere in a box.

 

[GIN ANTONIC]

People still collect cards? That industry seemed to crash once Playstation1 was released.

The cards I still have are buried somewhere in a box.

I used to collect since I was a kid so basically started in 89/90 and kept it going pretty much all the way through high school.

Don't collect anymore but I want that Joey bat flip card

 

[Brodeur]

Not to rub more salt in the wound but I think Gyroko and Grandal are the only ones who nade the MLB as regulars.

Hedges and Alonso.

Joe Ross is somewhere in there as well. He and Grandal are probably the only above average MLBers off the 2012 prospect list at this point. Jace Peterson is technically a MLBer now, but we'll see how he progresses.

On an unrelated note, it looks like my Spring Training trip idea has been squashed by various factors. But I'll probably substitute that with a weekend trip to watch the US U18 hockey team take on Arizona State at the end of the month.

 

[Voight]

Joe Ross is somewhere in there as well. He and Grandal are probably the only above average MLBers off the 2012 prospect list at this point. Jace Peterson is technically a MLBer now, but we'll see how he progresses.

On an unrelated note, it looks like my Spring Training trip idea has been squashed by various factors. But I'll probably substitute that with a weekend trip to watch the US U18 hockey team take on Arizona State at the end of the month.

ST is great to see. Neighbour of mine is also a baseball nut and was amazed at seeing 35 games in like 4 days.

 

[Reality Check]

I used to collect since I was a kid so basically started in 89/90 and kept it going pretty much all the way through high school.

Don't collect anymore but I want that Joey bat flip card

I started around a year or two earlier. I would buy some occasionally in high school but stopped altogether probably by sophomore or junior.

What pissed my off was that I used to have the Starting Lineup action figures. Of course, I opened them. But by the time I was in middle school, the rarer in box figures were listed in the Beckett mags for a fortune.

Which I just happened to have...except I broke off his arms

 

[John Price]

@CLoweMe http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/21753540/v541936183/harbaugh-discusses-athletics-melvin

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

That's neat.

 

[ChiGuySez]

Jake Arrieta signs one-year, $10.7 million contract

NL Cy Young winner and Chicago Cubs ace Jake Arrieta has agreed to a one-year deal with the team, the Associated Press reports.

The deal is reportedly worth $10.7 million, the highest one-year deal ever for a pitcher eligible for salary arbitration a second time. The deal concludes an arbitration process in which Arrieta asked for $13 million and the Cubs offered $7.5 million, eventually settling above the midway point of the two numbers.

SI

 

[ChiGuySez]

Kris Bryant swims with sharks

Why.

sports.yahoo.com

 

[John Price]

Nice

 

[LeafsNation75]