To me, if they go with the DH in the NL, the next logical step for the next CBA down the road would be radical realignment/doing away with the NL and AL. They were talking about it already recently..

Bob Costas will have a stroke from this news.

Being a Mets fan would drive me to honest to God kill ownership.

Bad structure thurrrrrrr

<font color=goldenrod>They're terrible. They talked ad nauseum about raising payroll once they got good and they're still decidedly on the low end of dollars spent per dollars earned.

I have no faith whatsoever that the team will spend the necessary cash to keep any of their starting pitchers once the hit the market. There's a chance that each and every one of those guys will land $200+ million deals once they're free agents.</font>

<font color=goldenrod>Rosenthal saying the Nats' offer to Cespedes is clearly the best one he's gotten but he's still torn and wants to go back to the Mets, even if it's for a shorter term deal. Mets don't want to go more than 3, but based on what I've been reading a 4th year might get it done.

Regardless of my feelings on Cespedes...if they REALLY think he can help over 3 years, would it kill them to just guarantee the 4th? They were prepared to give 4 years to Zobrist. Cespedes can move to a corner OF spot in 2 years once Granderson leaves. And in 2019 all of the pitchers will still be here (minus Harvey, who everybody knows is a goner). So it's not like a 4 year deal for Yo will prevent them from re-signing one of the other starters if that's what they're worried about.</font>

With the rumours of a DH hitting the NL soon, and with injuries virtually a guarantee to happen over the course of a 162-game season, having a 4th OF like Cespedes would not be a terrible idea for the Mets at all....for a team with all the pitching in the world, another bat like his would be well worth the gamble in my eyes....

<font color=goldenrod>Now the infamous "mystery team" has jumped into the mix.

I hope he makes up his mind this offseason. Even if it's a mystery team I'll be slightly annoyed but please just not the Nats. Cespedes to the Nats completely swings the division.</font>

:eek: <font color=goldenrod>HOLY FUCK Sandy did it :eek: Cespedes back to the Mets. 3 years, $70 million with an opt out after year 1.

Forget what I said earlier in the off-season. Opt-outs rule!!!

My nipples are hard.</font>

Son of a bitch, Mets ponied up the dough.

Good for you Vito.

Few blizzard related baseball things

Why not add baseball to the winter Olympics/

Well..

Baseball was once played on ice

http://awfulgames.com/fun/comic_stri...w_baseball.gif

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...9590b2a46a.jpg

<font color=goldenrod>I can't decide what I like the most about the Cespedes re-signing.

-He adds another layer of depth to the lineup
-He took less money and years from the Nats to come back to the Mets
-The Mets got him back on their terms, since it essentially is a 1-year contract
-Reportedly the complete and utter outrage from fans on Twitter when he was said to be close to going to the Nats put extra pressure on the Mets to try to get him (The Ces Movement!)
-Perhaps most of all, the Wilpons finally opened up their damn wallets and the payroll went from like $106 million to $140 million in the span of three days

Great deal all around. Cespedes gets a huge $27.5 million salary this year with a 2-year, $47.5 million insurance policy in case he sucks this year. Mets get a highly motivated star player, aren't tied into him for a really long time even if he surprises everyone and opts in, and if he leaves they'll get a first round comp pick.</font>

Was revealed recently that MLB and the USADA (US Anti-Doping Agency) are teaming up together in regards to an investigation into the roids allegation report by Al Jazeera. NFL not asking for USADA's help but are holding a seperate investigation into the same claims.

At the moment, MLB believes in some truth to the allegations due to at least one player admitting to taking roids.

Also being implied the NFL might not be as aggressive as the MLB if actual evidence if found due to their poor reputation with roids fighting.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/14...jazeera-claims

lolnfl

<font color=goldenrod>Astros set to do some fisting this year. Doug Fister heads to Houston on a 1 year, $7 million deal.</font>

<font color=goldenrod>Want to see lots of Fister vs. Pujols matchups in the AL West.</font>

love Fister... wish he'd come back to Detroit

Fister? I hardly even knew her....

TPWW Fantasy Baseball is open. Managers from last year got an email. We have 4 hypothetically open spots if you'd like to play.

Dodgers retain Howie Kendrick. 2-years, $20 mil.

<font color=goldenrod>Brewers get:
2B Aaron Hill
RHP Chase Anderson
SS Isan Diaz
and cash considerations

Dimondbacks get:
SS Jean Segura
RHP Tyler Wagner</font>

Seems like a decent enough way to clear a little payroll space and get a workable major leaguer in return. The Dbacks didn't want to pay Hill $12 mil. Chase Anderson was going to be the odd guy out of the rotation, and Collmenter is better in long relief rather than starting.

Segura gives them mix and match options at the middle infield positions with Owings, Segura, and Ahmed. I think they go with Owings at short and Segura at 2B though. Segura will probably leadoff also (whether that's the right move or not, given a 301 career OBP) and the DBacks needed a leadoff guy after including Inciarte in the Shelby Miller trade.

Milwaukee picks up a guy that can do baseball things in Aaron Hill and a good mid-rotation starter in Anderson.

Hill is aging, but if he gets hot he can provide a lot of power from second, seems like a a great veteran mentor for the young guns there as well....

Segura was rumored to be getting bounced eventually. Heard his name being floated around Mets Nation during the trade deadline.

Not a bad get for the Snakes.

<font color=goldenrod>Yankees top 1B prospect Greg Bird to get shoulder surgery and miss the 2016 season.</font>

This should cover it.


<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WWaLxFIVX1s" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>

That's gonna hurt when Teixeira goes down for his yearly injury.... A-Rod could fill the void short-term, or they'll have to deal one of many OF they have on their 40-man....

<font color=goldenrod>I'm guessing that they'll go with McCann at 1B with Sanchez catching if Teix goes down.

Could also see an Ike Davis or Pedro Alvarez signing.</font>

they might even go cheaper with Garrett Jones, who they are already familiar with from last season, or maybe other fresh blood in Chris Parmelee or Brock Peterson....

<font color=goldenrod>AL seems like it's way more "wide open" in terms of realistic playoff contenders. I don't feel good about every AL team but there really aren't any that I can look at at say with 100% certainty that they're going to suck.

In the NL however I feel like you can already cross out the bottom 2 teams in each division: Braves, Phillies, Reds, Brewers, Rockies, and Padres. Don't really see a scenario in which any of those teams are good.</font>

As far as the AL East goes, I think the Rays/Jays will decline slightly from 2015, Orioles will decline a decent amount and BoSox/Yanks will be on the upswing.... My guess is that there will be less than 7 games in between all 4 teams by seasons end.....

AND THEY WILL ALL LOSE TO THE DERTROIT BEISBOLCATS SIMULTANEOUSLY

Orioles are going to be better than last year, just watch.

You willing to wager on that

How many wins the Orioles have last year...

I don't see it happening, sorry dude.... Machado will get hurt again and Jones is due to miss some time as well....

81-81

Right now the biggest question is the Os rotation. Specifically who is the 5th starter.

The offense and bullpen should be good enough to support an average rotation.

I'm back! My phone reset and I forgot my password, and the email I used is an old college account. So, from the ashes rises Damian Rey 2.0.

First off, congrats Vito on signing Cespedes to a stellar deal. We've discussed defense in center but you don't pass up that kind of contract.

As for Baltimore, I think Droford is forgetting the Orioles are worse roster wise than last year, have zero pitching and still need outfield help while the rest of the division either improved or only slightly declined.

The Orioles will be likely last place this year barring a catastrophe.

The only place theyre worse is Starting Pitching and thats only because they lost Chen and haven replaced him.

They brought back their two most important free Agents (oday and davis) and signed Trumbo and Kim. Trumbo will be a huge imprivement at DH and if Kim can come somewhat close to his career .420 OBP over in korea hell be a great leadoff hitter and upgrade at LF. A full year of healthy Wieters catching (hasnt played full year since 2013) is a plus.

Trumbo is barely a league average player. He's not going to make much if any difference what so ever. He's not a very good player.

You can't just graph international players' numbers and say "oh if he comes close" because the league he was posting those numbers in isc the equivalent of AA or AAA at best. He's not going to be facing the same inferior talent.

Can you name even 10 guys in the least 20 years who came over from Japan or other country who came over here and hit like gangbusters? Can you name even 5?