75 thoughts on “Open Discussion: Week of February 6, 2022”

1. https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Kevin_Bradshaw

   I see a shortened ST and a shortened season, maybe 150 games. Hope I am wrong.

   1. Denny……IMO, if they start on May 1st (with a 3/4 week prior training period)…probably a very concentrated 140 game season. Hopefully they get it resolved before April..

2. Keith Law ranks the Phillies minor league system 27th. Just amazing how bad this franchise is. Middleton is worst owner in sports

   1. Uh, he’s not even the worst MLB owner in Pennsylvania!

      1. Or even Philadelphia!!!

         1. Middleton has the curse of not being able to properly identify front office talent. This is why, when he’s failed to find the right person after a long period of time, he’s had to go back to the well and find an established guy like Pat Gillick or DD and basically beg that person to come. This is, primarily, what distinguishes Middleton from Jeffrey Lurie for, all his faults, is actually quite good at identifying coaching and front office talent.

            1. After all……Lurie brought us Howie, who in turn brought us a Broad Street parade Feb., four years ago tomorrow.

               1. Howie, for all his faults (he wouldn’t know a wide receiver if one dropped from the sky and hit him on the head), has kept this Eagles team in the running for the playoffs for years and he has a Super Bowl that he clearly helped deliver.

                  Also, his drafting isn’t perfect, but when did the Phillies have a draft like the Eagles 2018 draft, where the team had only 5 picks, and no first round pick, and scored Dallas Goedert, Josh Sweat, Avonte Maddox and Jordan Mailata (and the other pick, 6th rounder Matt Pryor, is a starting lineman for another team)? You can’t get much more value than that.

   2. It’s honestly hard for me to imagine that there are three worse systems than ours. I guess Stott’s late season rise helps in that regard and having Abel/Painter up there isn’t bad.

      I really don’t think Law is underrating us here. The system lacks both depth and impactful, near ML ready talent. Not a good mix.

3. Although I think KLaw has us too low and doesn’t appreciate some of the talent we do have, we are still far short of having a good farm system. The most telling bit of info is that since 2014, our total WAR from our drafts has been 4.5. That is pretty awful. And, we don’t have the excuse of picking way down in the rounds because of our stellar play at the Major League level. Like the Dodgers do. Oh wait, the Dodgers are the #1 ranked team’s farm system and did actually pick late in each round!

   1. matt13……I do think the Phillies system will climb a lot higher sooner than you think….quite a few of their talented guys are below the AA level.
      They need to keep their 2nd round draft choices also along the way…..signing QO free agents is not a good long term strategy for a farm system….helps the MLB club, but puts a strain on the prospect pipeline down the road.

   2. Part of Law’s reasoning that he noted in the Phillies section was that he doesn’t like taking HS pitchers in the 1st round due to the high fail rate. No doubt that’s part of the reason for his overall rating

      1. 3up3kkk, You are absolutely right that there is indeed a high fail rate of pitchers – and as a number of teams including the Phillies know – non Pitchers – when taken as HS players. But there is also a high fail rate with pitchers taken as college players. In the draft where we took M Moniak 1,1 would we have been better off with Riley Pint or A. J Puk? There is a high fail rate with ALL players taken. I really like the approach of the new draft regime under Brian Barber and just hope they are given at least 3 or 4 years so that there can be a somewhat fair evaluation of success.

4. We’ve also done poorly in international signings. The Yhoswar Garcia debacle was unforgivable today. I think Jhailyn Ortiz will play in Philly, but nowhere near a $4 million bonus guy — the same bonus Toronto gave Vlad, Jr., which shows how quickly a top talent can develop and impact at the MLB level. Btw, don’t know who is correct, but AndyB over on Renegade Phans has KLaw rating of our farm as #28 this year and #27 last year. That seems just about right to me — our first round HS pitchers do have front of rotation talent, but there is a high rate of flameout (usually by injury) for this demographic, although I think the Phillies do well above average in first round HS pitchers (and probably dead last in first round HS OFs)

   1. Outside of the top 5 prospects, the ones who intrigue me most are scattered throughout the top 40….Billy Bergolla (by virtue of his recent helium as a new int’l signee), Alexeis Azuaje, Christian McGowan, Jordan Viars, Griff “the New Crime Dog” McGarry and Erik Miller.

      1. mark8:29, they intrigue me especially McGowan and Miller as well. But the ones that I believe have incredible upside are Johan Rojas, Andrew Painter, Griff McGarry, Mick Able, Bryson Stott, and Luis Garcia in that order. There are more that are further away from the majors that less are known, but those 6 have huge upsides (of course with risk)

         1. Right, that’s why I clarified outside of those top 5….Stott, Abel, Painter, O’Hoppe and Rojas…other, lower ranked prospects which, though unpolished, still flash some big league promise.

            1. Those six I believe could all be aces or all star position players

5. I voted Nicolas Torres for prospect #40. Really strange stats last season. Totally forgettable in low-A, then world beater in high A. Only 103 ABs in high-A, so could be RISP, but the strange thing is how much both K-rate and BB-rate dropped. No HRs at Lakewood, so perhaps pitchers had no fear and just gave him pitches to swing at. I see it’s the CLW stats that are the outliers for Ks and BBs. He also was a more efficient base stealer in high A.

6. allentown, In the new ranking KLaw has in the Athletic, we are 28, 27 last year, with just Oakland and the WSox behind us.

   1. Matt, the A’s are prime candidates to go for lots of top prospects should they follow through with their reported fire sale. I can see them improving closer to #20 in a year’s time…of course, the cyclical way cheap teams roll.

7. I agree, Mark, I believe that Chapman, Olsen, Hinkie’s favorite, Laureano, and some Pitching gets them some notable additions to their system. I don’t know How DD feels about the A’s trade pieces, but I fully expect conversation. And, I am fairly certain that they move some of them.

8. One draft class the Phillies were in the top ten as rated by BR….2007…with a grade of ‘B’
   https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2953026-grading-every-mlb-teams-2007-draft-haul

   1. Interesting look back. 2014 was nice as well scoring an A.
      First-Round Picks: RHP Aaron Nola (1-7)

      Other MLB Players: 1B Rhys Hoskins (5-142), LHP Brandon Leibrandt (6-172), LHP Austin Davis (12-352)

      Here’s a quick look at the WAR leaders among pitchers from the 2014 draft class:

      Aaron Nola: 24.2
      Kyle Freeland: 15.0
      Brandon Woodruff: 12.3
      Carlos Rodon: 11.5
      John Means: 9.9
      Jack Flaherty: 8.8
      Jordan Montgomery: 6.8
      Spencer Turnbull: 4.3
      It was slim pickings, but the Phillies managed to walk away with a staff ace.

      They also snagged slugger Rhys Hoskins in the fifth round. He has a 126 OPS+ and 118 home runs in five seasons, joining Kyle Schwarber (153), Michael Conforto (132), Matt Chapman (111) and Trea Turner (103) as the only players from the 2014 class with at least 100 career home runs.

      A slam dunk first-round pick and a second impact player is enough to make this the best haul in a thin draft.

      Grade: A

      1. The most interesting thing about this draft is that the Phillies did not try to take the best player available in every round. Rather, it was a desperate attempt to rebuild the team as quickly as possible by taking college talent in essentially every round. On the one hand it was a height of foolishness to think you can rebuild a baseball team quickly through the draft even if you take only older players. On the other hand, whether it was by luck or design, it actually resulted in a good draft.

         Both Nola and Hoskins turned out better than anyone could have possibly imagined. Hoskins is a legitimate middle of the order hitter who, I think, has his finest seasons ahead of him. And Nola is far, far better than most Phillies fans give him credit for. Through his age 28 season Nola has about 25 WAR, which is superb, but, if he hits his ceiling, he could turn into a borderline HOFer. It’s not likely, but it’s definitely possible.

9. Today in the Athletic Bowden reports that “John M” recommended a trade of Chapman and Laureano to the Phillies for Bohm and first rounder Painter. Bowden stated that was among the best trade ideas he had seen and “let’s call the press conference.” Is the afore named “John M” really Hinkie in disguise ? Bowden felt that both teams would rush to do it. ???? Frankly, I would if I was the Phillies.

   1. Matt Chapman would solidify this lineup defensively and power wise. I would take Laureano (a risk himself, albeit extremely talented) only if Chapman was part of the deal. Bohm is essentially a man without a position, even if his bat soon returns to form, which is only reasonable to expect but not assume. All the fluff about his off season efforts to improve his D is nothing to bank on. Considering that Painter is several years away from his major league debut, and historically HS arms are risky anyway, I would agree to send him to Oakland, especially since Abel would still be in the Phillies pipeline. However, I think other teams could exceed what the Phillies can offer, so I would think they might have to include Rojas in the trade.

   2. RU…..A’s could elect to take Erik Miller ilo of Painter….seeing what they got with Cole Irvin from the Phillies.
      Painter, as KLaw often says…..is far away and is in that high attrition category as a hi-velo HS RHP, and the A’s may elect to pass on that risk factor.

      1. RU … LOL, I’m not John M (wouldn’t it be funny if that was John Middleton?), but I’d be all in on that deal if Dombrowski could get David Forst to agree to it. Painter is my #1 Phillies prospect, and I believe Bohm will bounce back in 2022 … but … Chapman and Laureano better fit the Phillies window for contention.

10. Anyone else think if the MLB had any other commissioner other than Manfred there we would be no lockout or an agreement would have been reached by now? It’s my personal opinion the MLBPA/players hate Manfred..

    1. Manfraud, much like the gutless wonder atop the NFL, is your garden variety empty suit whose only aim is to preserve his livelihood by playing the corporate hack, speaking fork tongue, and currying favor with those owners who carry enough weight to keep the status quo. I’m not pro-player in this case. But money is ALWAYS the bottom line. Posturing is the standard tactic in these types of negotiations, but to insult the intelligence and betray the loyalty of true baseball fans (I couldn’t care less about broadening fan interest at the expense of keeping the game’s original design intact) is unconscionable. Any good businessman knows you don’t alienate your customers and expect them back. Not this clown, hiding behind the veil of “good faith” measures…if he’s not instructing his labor relations people by insisting on ongoing daily talks, then he’s acting in bad faith. Period. And the players union should be demanding the same, or they’re just as culpable.

    2. No, not at all.

    3. Hawkeye, the commissioner is a paid employee of the owners. No matter who held the position of commissioner, the current situation would be the same. The association and players would likely dislike the commissioner whoever he is. They might not hate him as much as they hate Manfred, but they might hate him more.

       Anytime a commissioner reaches an agreement with the players association that is less than what the owners wanted, he incurs the wrath of the hardline owners who invariably drive the negotiations.

       I don’t hate Manfred, he’s just doing what his bosses want. I hate the office of the commissioner. The commissioner is not the caretaker of baseball most like to think it is. The commissioner is there to optimize the revenue going to the owners.

       1. Jim – thanks for the post. I was going to say the same thing. The Commissioner is part of management. He is installed by the owners to further the owners’ interests. Although he has some “best interests of baseball” powers, he serves at the pleasure of the owners to improve their lot and he most definitely is not an advocate for, nor does he serve to the protect the interests of, the players.

          That said, a good Commissioner will still try to take action as a steward of the sport for the best interests of all participants, such as by taking all steps necessary to keep the sport relevant, such as by improving the pace of and timing of games and making them more exciting. It is so clear this needs to be done and yet, year after year, it’s not even an apparent talking point and this is highly disappointing to me because MLB reminds me of the old U.S. automaker monoliths. They just kept doing the same old thing as the competition innovated and one day they woke up and they were too far behind and could not catch up – at least not quickly.

          As for calling the lockout, I still think that is the right thing to do even though I hate it as much as anyone. After the disaster of 1994, there’s no way baseball should have a season without a CBA. Let’s address the problem and get baseball moving again, even if some of the season is lost, which I fear could easily happen here.

11. Terrific article about Daniel Brito’s collapse and his recovery in the Athletic for anyone with a subscription.

    https://theathletic.com/3113839/2022/02/09/how-a-phillies-prospect-is-willing-his-way-back-to-baseball-after-a-month-long-coma-and-two-brain-surgeries/

    1. Halfway home: a Phillies prospect is willing his way back to baseball after a month-long coma and two brain surgeries https://t.co/im6anr82Wy

       — The Athletic Philadelphia (@TheAthleticPHI) February 9, 2022

       .

       3up3kkk beat me to it. Such an awesome, and inspiring story. I’m not sure if he’ll ever play in MLB, but man is it great to see Daniel living a near normal life.
       Matt Moniak mentioned a few months ago how fortunate it was that the incident happened in Rochester (the home of one of the country’s top neurosurgery hospitals), and Matt Gelb pointed out the same thing in his story.
       Finally … kudos to the Phillies organization for the support they’ve showed the Brito family.

       1. Is Brito able to play this year? Is there any word on that or whether he will make (or has made) a full or nearly full recovery? He was definitely on track to be a legitimate big league middle infielder and perhaps even a starter in the Cesar Hernandez mold.

          1. I’ve known for weeks of Brito’s progress but was asked to keep it to myself by my sources because Brito and his family are private people. Thankfully, the Gelb article brings everything to light. I’ve heard that Brito could be in camp, maybe as early as next week. I’m sure we all hope so.

             1. That’s great news! Hopefully, in not too long, he can pick up where he left off.

             2. catch … I’m not sure if you’ll be able to see these videos w/o a subscription to The Athlietic, but I’ll post them in case you can. The first is Brito learning to walk again in the hospital. The second is Brito more recently hitting off a tee in the batting cage.
                BTW … this story alone (Matt Gelb is the best baseball writer anywhere IMO) is worth the annual subscription fee. If you’re a football fan, Bruce Feldman’s annual Freaks List and Dane Brugler’s draft guide (called the Beast) are also awesome pieces of journalism.

                https://cdn.theathletic.com/app/uploads/2022/02/08113810/BritoWalking.mp4?_=4

                https://cdn.theathletic.com/app/uploads/2022/02/08151226/IMG_8329.mp4?_=3

                1. Thanks – I’ll probably buy a subscription. It’s not like I won’t read it.

                2. I don’t use Instagram, but according to Gelb, Brito posts these videos (and others of his progress) on his Instagram account.

                3. Hinkie…thanks for those videos…great to see Daniel on his way back.
                   With modern medical advances he has a good chance.
                   Thirty plus years ago John Olerud had a brain hemorrhage while running and was able to make it back…..I think Daniel can do the same

                4. Agree Hinkie, it’s a well done story beyond the subject itself. Also speaks well of how the Phillies organization stepped up to help Brito and his family as they move through his recovery.

12. FYI
    I just blocked this guy, Jimmy.

    Jimmy is an account used correctly by two other guests. One from gmail.com and the other from berklee,com.

    Today’s Jimmy made 3 comments with 3 different email addresses –
    jimmy@phillies.com
    jummy@ohillies.com
    jummysextin@ohillies.com

    Two are typing mistakes, one is bogus.

    This is a reminder that I do check this sort of stuff. I especially check all new commenters and guys who pretend to be returning.

    Use the same account name every time you comment.
    Use the same email address every time you comment.

    1. Great detective work, thanks for account purity.

       1. Thanks. I guess the lesson is if a person wants to make up an email address, use the same made-up address every time. And if that person is going to make up one for an existing domain, don’t use a domain where I know their name formatting. And, of course, don’t use someone else’s name, even as a joke.

13. Thanks, jim! Manfred is supposed to speak today at the conclusion of the Owner’s meeting in Orlando. I believe he will announce a delay to the start of ST. I am guessing there will also be nothing of any substance towards an agreement.

14. I think this is a question for Hinkie. But if anyone else is go for it. I was at my grandson’s basketball game last evening. He is a freshman at a high school in central Indiana. He is a good basketball player and a really good baseball player at this time. He plays JV and dresses Varsity as a Freshman.
    After the game the Varsity baseball coach came up to me and asked where my grandson was tonight. I told him he was home sick since Tuesday evening. So we talked about the upcoming high school baseball season. One of his first comments was that he had to be really careful how he handles J this season. Said one of the top 15 year olds in Indiana who plays with the Indiana Bulls the top program is already out for the season and needs Tommy Johm surgery. My grandson is a top flite pitching prospect as well. My question is if someone has heard of a 15 year old having TJ surgery? I know you now see some later in high school. I was kinda caught off guard when he mentioned that. Thanks for any input.

    1. Don53…perhaps you ought to look at this piece.
       https://www.bsrphysicaltherapy.com/2021/03/07/young-baseball-pitchers-tommy-john-surgery/

       And good luck to your grandson, sounds like he is an outstanding athlete.

       1. Thanks Romus.
          I should have known you would find info on this issue
          Hope all is well for you.
          Hope baseball is just around the corner. Always my favorite sport.

          1. Don53…..one thing I did pick up and have seen over the last 30 years or so with younsters…..is the inordinate amount of baseball that is played thru the whole year
             When I was in Oklahoma, my sons player tournaments every weekend, from Feb thru the first part of June….and during the week also…..and sometimes there was Fall Ball.
             So if a boy is not pitching, he could be at shortstop or catching and still throwing the ball quite often…..with zest.
             So those young tendons eventually start fraying until it pops.

             1. I know of different instances of HS pitchers undergoing TJ, but I’m not sure I’ve heard of a 15 YO. That’s especially young.
                That’s a good article found by Romus. The only other thing I would add is to not allow younger pitchers <16 YO to spin the baseball. They should only throw FB and CH.

                1. Great points by both of you on this matter. I 100% agree.
                   A little more on the TJ kid. Apparently, Louisville offered him and another on the same team last Fall. Both kids are just Freshman now in high school. One is an infielder. Both are very good.
                   Romus, you are correct on the playing too much as well. My grandson plays basketball all Winter but he trains with the same guy who is the head person of the Bulls and another who is involved with the White Sox.
                   My attention was caught couple weeks back when the conversation involved the spin rate of my grandson at one of these sessions. My grandson is growing lots at this time and going thru all kinds of physical changes. But very physically immature at this time.
                   A little note on this from a former Varsity basketball coach who is good friend and the Varsity baseball coach from other night. Basketball coach said he knew it went on but he would have been furious if one of his kids was doing baseball workouts all Winter. Baseball coach the other night implied he wished he wished kids were not playing Basketball. Says they exert so much energy and burn so many calories in practice that it is hard for them to replace the calorie intake consistently. Then my daughter tells me yesterday 4 baseball people have told the grandson he should just focus on baseball. I told her I disagree 100% at this time. I am a believer in kids playing multiple sports if they are talented enough to do so.
                   I realize this stuff has gone on for years as Romus mentioned but more attentive when it involves one of your own. Plus on personal note I played too much 50 years ago and like Romus mentioned played other positions when not pitching. Played shortstop and centerfield. The day after pitching it always seemed like I had to make a strong throw from one of those positions. Eventually tore the rotator cuff in my right shoulder just before going to college to play.
                   Hinkie. Kids are throwing curve balls at younger and younger ages all the time now. But I had never heard of a 15 yr old needing TJ.

                2. Don53….the arm injuries are not limited to baseball for youngsters…I have heard of swimmers who do it all year round that develop rotator cuff tears … primarily continually to practice and perfect their times in the butter-fly.
                   So for kids , who are still maturing physically, there can be concerns with over-usage.
                   What amazes me to some extent…the kids in Latin countries like Dom.Republic….they start sandlot ball at 5 or 6 years old , along with soccer as we know it….and play all year round. And many are of slight build..lean and wiry…..but strong.

                3. While my son was still pitching I read research that showed that fastball velocity too early is a bigger issue than curveball spinning.

                4. The 15 yr old needing TJ is one of the best 15U pitchers in Indiana.
                   I have watched him numerous times since he was like 10U.
                   He has always been one of the hardest throwers.
                   He is not a big kid. Slight build.
                   In times I observed him pitching never saw him throwing many curveballs.
                   So maybe the fastball reference has some merit on the injury issue.
                   Thanks guys for your inputs. I do appreciate.
                   Romus I am fully aware that so many kids train year round when their bodies are developing so rapidly. Unfortunately many parents want to get whatever advantage they can achieve. One last big injury area is young girls with knee injuries. See that all the time.

                5. One final point on this. Kid who has injured his arm also played basketball till this year. Total baseball. He works with same guys as my grandson at same facility. These are the head guys of the baseball organization. My grandson does one night a week. I wonder if the other boy was there more frequent since no basketball. I am not informed on that. Back to Romus’s over usage possibility.

15. Saw good article today on mcall.com. Titled Phillies ‘History Might Be Different With Do-Overs’ .

16. Manfred said no delay. Let’s hope this is at finish line.
    MLB and MLBPa agreed on DH. Ok that’s great as long as the luxury tax limited been increased.

17. ST starts next week. I don’t think that happens, despite Manfred being “an optimist.” I think they were all in on a universal DH, but the Owners were looking for something back. The positive I got was that the Owners are willing to eliminate a loss of draft pick for FA signing. I hope there can be some compromise on the LT threshold. I don’t think the Owners will budge on revenue sharing, which should be their call anyway, as long as there is some kind of salary floor. Any team, with Baseball generating this much money, that cannot have a $90/$100M payroll should not be in the league.

    1. matt13……12 teams below the $100M floor……….Pirates, Indians, Marlins, Orioles, Rays, Mariners, Tigers, A’s, Royals, Rangers, Diamondbacks and Brewers in 2021 according to COTS.
       —Brewers and Rays fared very well on the field.
       —Mariners and Tigers came on in the 2nd half of their season
       —As and Indians started well then faded

       I can see the MLBPA reasoning for a floor…but they will have to give up something for the owners of those 12 teams to agree to that ‘floor threshold’

       1. Romus, I thought Milwaukee was in the 90’s, I may be wrong. Tampa in the 70’s. I figure with the minimum going up somewhat, even a $75M floor stops something like the Pirates $50M payroll, which I think is a joke.

18. The universal DH, the draft lottery, and not losing draft picks for signings FAs are cautiously in.

    The Phillies will definitely benefit from the universal DH. You figure that Hoskins will be the primary DH, with Harper/Realmuto having their chances there as the season progresses.

    As a large market team, the Phillies will obviously benefit from not losing draft picks for signing FAs.

    The draft lottery is a mixed bag. You can argue that teams are tanking because they’re just cheap and want to get their hands on future better cheap labor. Don’t tell me that the draft lottery means that the Pirates and the Marlins are going to start spending. And with the high failure rate of prospects, there’s almost no such thing as can’t miss anymore.

    1. Both sides may agree on a draft lottery … but … the two parties are not very close on the details of the lottery. Owners are offering a weighted lottery for the top three picks. This is the way the NBA runs theirs, and it does not prevent teams from tanking. The owners are willing to add a rule that disqualifies teams from picking in the lottery for more than two years in a row.
       IMO, the only way to deter teams from tanking is to make it harder for teams with bad records to land the top pick(s). I believe the top (at least) five picks should be up for grabs, and the odds should be weighted in reverse order. In other words, the non-playoff club with the best record should have the top odds of landing the 1-1 selection, and the team with the leagues worst record should be awarded the lousiest odds of winning the top pick.

       And … there was always a good chance both sides were going to agree to do away with the lost of a draft pick for signing a QO FA. This is why Dave Dombrowski did the smart thing by waiting until the old CBA ran out to land a FA. After the new CBA is signed, the Phillies should be able to bring in a QO FA (Michael Conforto?), and still hold on to all their draft picks, while clubs like the Rangers (who signed guys while the old CBA was in effect) will be w/o their second and third round picks.

       In any event, things are going to be wild in the time frame right after the new CBA is agreed to, and the beginning of spring training. I think DD will be as active as any POBO/GM in the league.

       1. I have discussed this in the past with my buddy concerning the NBA draft and it applies here. If you’re the worst team, you deserve the best odds to to get the #1 pick. However, if you’re picking in the top 3 one season, you cannot be picking in the top 3 next season. This is more of a solution in the NBA where #1 picks have way more probability of being can’t miss players. Less so in baseball, but you never know when the next Bryce Harper or Stephen Strasburg comes along. And I would rather the lottery be for the top 5 picks.

          1. As a side note, imagine if in 2023, the next Bryce Harper was available. Teams this season will try to be good to avoid falling into the top 3 picks so they can have a chance to draft this elite player in 2023.

             1. Sorry, I meant for 2024.

       2. Maybe make it simple and just give all non-playoff teams the same odds in the first round on the picks. That way there is no incentive to tank to get the #1 pick. If there are 16-18 non playoff teams, simply draw teams randomly for picks 1 through 16-18. If all non playoff teams have the same odds to get the top picks, there is no incentive to tank.

          In addition, rather than reduce revenue sharing by $100m as the players are proposing, it might make more sense to take some of the revenue sharing money and re-allocate it to the teams that MAKE the playoffs creating even more incentive to actually make the playoffs. Maybe allocate $5 million from each team’s revenue share ($5 m * 30 teams = $150 m) and then allocate to the 12-14 teams that make the playoffs. I would probably give more to the wild card teams that make the playoffs and are bounced right away because they won’t earn as much as the teams advancing in the playoffs

          It should be an easier sell to the owners to re-allocate revenue share funds instead of reducing them which the owners oppose.

    2. Hinkie/Guru.:
       IMO, the draft lottery is being conflated with the payroll floor.
       The whole idea of tanking, and why MLBPA and agents like Scott Boras, are against it, is because teams go ‘cheap’ on payroll,
       to reach that end. They want the obvious when it comes to the draft…the best selections
       Establishing a payroll floor, ie $100M or $110M……forces a team to put a more competitive team on the field.
       But like I mentioned earlier, small market teams , like the Rays, As, Indians, Brewers still put good teams out there,
       with small payrolls….so that argument will ensue between the MLB and MLBPA..
       IMO, they will end up with a combination of both…a modest floor for all teams,
       and also a draft weighted lottery system

19. Spring Training starts Tuesday the 15th. Unless they can get a quick agreement I dont see it happening on time. Manfred stated they need 4 weeks of ST to prevent injuries which is March 3, I would think they need a bit more time than that. Pitchers are usually there a week earlier meaning Feb 24th (2 weeks from now) would be the date to avoid missing in season games. If both sides would just sit down for 5 straight days they could get this thing hashed out.

20. CBS has a top 50 draft prospect list up now on site. Just thought some of the draft gurus here might be interested who might be around in Phillies area. I looked because a good friend of mine has nephew who is considered the top OF prospect in Indiana. Currently committed to Ohio State.

21. Another nuttin’ burger counter-offer response today from Manfred/MLB. If I was the players union I would tell Manfred/ML “let’s talk next over a 4th of July BBQ.” By then the MLB will have lost a couple of billion dollars and walking out the door the MLBPA should say “oh’ BTW the expanded playoffs are off.” The MLBPA offer will look pretty cheap by then…

22. Looking more likely as if there will be no MLB for a while. Greed on both sides.

    Let’s talk about some minor leaguers and not even discuss the greedy owners and players!!

23. this link is REALLY clumsy but it is the best i could do for MLB’s summary of a recent proposal. Someone else can probably do better. I don’t understand the following, in the Service Time category, being listed as a “concession” to the players: MLB added draft-pick incentives to further disincentivize clubs from managing the service time for top prospects. Teams will now potentially have the chance to earn two Draft picks per player if the player reaches certain benchmarks in awards voting. https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-new-offer-to-mlbpa-details?partnerId=zh-20220213-544985-mlb-1-A&qid=1026&utm_id=zh-20220213-544985-mlb-1-A&bt_ee=FVchWemX7E2%2BF1w1seq%2BOVNAe4nRmkmvVS2900k45tr9%2FTGDOW0bDqMOdpZ8QHH5&bt_ts=1644764146479

Comments are closed.