The 2021 Major League Baseball Player Chatter, News and Fantasy Thread

[EmpireMaker]

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!




WE ARE SO DAMN LUCKY!!!

ALL THE BEST!!!

LET'S CONTINUE TO MAKE THIS THE BEST THREAD ON SBR AND BEYOND...

LET'S GO!!!

[EmpireMaker]

Having radically overhauled their rotation and infield mix this week with the acquisitions of Blake Snell, Yu Darvish and Ha-Seong Kim, the Padres are now shifting their focus to the bullpen and to outfield depth, per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Their current pursuits include a pair of potential reunions: closer Kirby Yates and infielder/outfielder Jurickson Profar.
Yates, according to Acee, is “likely looking at” an incentive-laden deal with a guarantee upwards of $5MM. Profar’s target price isn’t fully clear, though Acee suggests the Padres’ interest has been in a deal around the $5MM range as well. There’s no indication that either Yates of Profar is close to a deal that would bring them back to San Diego, but the interest and potential price ranges are nevertheless of note.
The continued interest in Profar, in particular, was far from a given after this week’s dealings. San Diego’s four-year deal with Kim added another option to an already crowded infield mix — so much so that there have been varying reports on the possibility of toying with either Kim or 2020 Rookie of the Year runner-up Jake Cronenworth in left field. Profar would only further add another second base/left field option to the pile.
Presently, the Padres’ starting outfield is likely to consist of Wil Myers, Trent Grisham and Tommy Pham. The team does lack an experienced reserve option, though. Neither Kim nor Cronenworth has any outfield experience of note. Other options include Greg Allen, former top prospect Jorge Mateo and young Jorge Ona. San Diego also has 28-year-old Brian O’Grady on the 40-man roster at the moment, but his MLB experience is limited to 53 plate appearances. Both Allen and Mateo are out of minor league options, which would work in their favor if they made it to the end of Spring Training still on the 40-man roster, but neither impressed in 2020.
Turning to the bullpen, the Padres have a rather deep slate of options even if a reunion with Yates or a new contract with a similar veteran can’t be worked out. Both Drew Pomeranz and Emilio Pagan have considerable late-inning experience. Matt Strahm has emerged as a quality ’pen option in recent years, and righty Pierce Johnson was excellent in his return from Japan this past season. San Diego also picked up Dan Altavilla and strikeout machine Austin Adams from the Mariners in the Austin Nola/Taylor Trammell swap, and veteran Craig Stammen is still under contract for another season. None of that even gets into the bevy of young arms in the upper levels of the Padres’ system.
Still, the appeal of Yates is obvious. Though bone spurs in his elbow limited the 34-year-old to just 4 1/3 innings in 2020, Yates starred as one of baseball’s premier relievers with the Padres from 2018-19, pitching to a combined 1.67 ERA with 13.9 K/9 against 2.2 BB/9 and racking up 53 saves along the way. Few relievers on the market can match his upside, making him a particularly appealing gamble for a club with plenty of alternate depth.
This week’s flurry of activity will likely push the Padres’ 2021 payroll north of $160MM, which would position them as the rare MLB team to actually match last year’s payroll totals. Further additions, even smaller-scale pickups such as Yates or Profar, would almost certainly push San Diego’s payroll even higher than last year’s franchise-record mark.

[jrgum3]

Happy New Year fellas here's to bigger and better things in 2021 cheers!

[BigSpoon]

Happy New Year gentlemen, 2021 can't be worse than 2020 right?

[Cross]

Happy New Year to everyone, well except my Cubs! Just kidding, always fun talking some baseball with you guys!

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Happy New Year fellas! Looking forward to a great upcoming season!

[Stallion]

Any futures odds on the Padres to win it all this year??

[jrgum3]

I hear Bauer is talking to the Jays. That would be interesting if he ended up North of the border especially since I thought he'd go to either San Diego or Anaheim because he's a California boy. Problem with signing Bauer is that he wants Gerrit Cole money and at least 5-6 years. Those type contracts for pitchers are dicey imo which is why I think the Padres traded for Snell and Darvish instead.

[EmpireMaker]

the five rotations that allowed the most earned runs in 2020… Tigers (6.37 ERA/5.53 FIP, 8.04 K/9, 3.91 BB/9):

• The Tigers received solid production from Spencer Turnbull and … nobody else last season. Matt Boyd, who was a coveted trade chip before the campaign, imploded; Michael Fulmer had a rough year in his return from Tommy John surgery; and high-end prospects Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize couldn’t keep runs off the board. Turnbull, Boyd and Fulmer are all coming back in 2021, while Skubal, Mize and fellow prospect Matt Manning should factor into the mix. Detroit also has a newcomer in former Marlins starter Jose Urena, whom the Tigers signed to a $3.25MM guarantee late last month. Urena was effective in Miami from 2017-18, but his numbers have gone off the rails since then.

Angels (5.52 ERA/4.78 FIP, 8.68 K/9, 3.52 BB/9):

• Over two months into the offseason, Angels fans are surely awaiting the acquisition of a high-profile starter. The team hasn’t done anything to improve its rotation thus far, though the group isn’t devoid of potential as it is. Dylan Bundy enjoyed a long-awaited breakout in 2020 – his first year as an Angel – Andrew Heaney stayed healthy and performed pretty well, and Griffin Canning had a promising sophomore season. Those three are locks for starting jobs in 2021, but the rest is up in the air (will Shohei Ohtani finally regain his health as a pitcher? Will Jaime Barria stick in the rotation after a bounce-back season?). With that in mind, odds are the Angels will add a starter before next season, whether that means splurging on Trevor Bauer or shopping at lower tiers of the market.

Braves (5.51 ERA/4.98 FIP, 8.01 K/9, 4.04 BB/9):

• The Braves’ status as a bottom-feeding rotation is deceiving because of the injury adversity they faced. They barely got anything from Mike Soroka, a 2019 ace who tore his Achilles early in the season, while Cole Hamels pitched once (on Sept. 16) because of nagging arm issues. Soroka will be back next season to join Max Fried and Ian Anderson as one of the best young trios in the game next season. Hamels is now on the open market and unlikely to return, but the Braves replaced him with veteran standout Charlie Morton in free agency. They also grabbed Drew Smyly on the market. While Smyly has gone through an up-and-down career, in part because of injuries, he was terrific as a Giant in 2020. The Braves are banking on Smyly continuing to roll in their uniform.

Nationals (5.38 ERA/5.17 FIP, 8.55 K/9, 3.17 BB/9):

• As was the case with the division-rival Braves, the Nationals’ rotation couldn’t get through 2020 without key injuries. There wasn’t a more notable victim than Stephen Strasburg, who threw all of five innings after winning 2019 World Series MVP honors and re-signing with the Nats on a seven-year, $245MM contract. The good news is that Strasburg is on track for next season after undergoing surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome. If healthy, Strasburg, Max Scherzer and Patrick Corbin should return to being an elite trio. There are some issues after those three, however. Joe Ross will come back after opting out last season, but he posted an ERA north of 5.00 in each year from 2017-19. Erick Fedde and Austin Voth were tattooed in similar fashion in 2020. General manager Mike Rizzo has spoken this winter of adding a No. 4/5 type of starter, which seems like a necessity.

Mets (5.37 ERA/4.21 FIP, 8.55 K/9, 3.17 BB/9):

• The Mets were yet another NL East team whose rotation battled health-related misfortune in 2020. Noah Syndergaard didn’t take the mound after undergoing TJ surgery in March, while the team also got zero contributions from Marcus Stroman because of an opt out. Things are looking better for 2021, though, with Syndergaard set to return at some point (perhaps in June) and Stroman coming back after accepting the Mets’ $18.9MM qualifying offer. Stroman, all-world ace Jacob deGrom and David Peterson are in line for starting spots at the opening of next season. The same could potentially be said of Steven Matz, whom the Mets elected against non-tendering, though he was terrible in 2020. Thanks in part to Matz’s struggles last year, it seems likely the Mets will pick up at least one established starter in the coming months. Bauer seems like a possibility when considering new owner Steve Cohen’s deep pockets, but even someone like Jake Odorizzi or Masahiro Tanaka could go a long way in bolstering New York’s rotation.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

I hear Bauer is talking to the Jays. That would be interesting if he ended up North of the border especially since I thought he'd go to either San Diego or Anaheim because he's a California boy. Problem with signing Bauer is that he wants Gerrit Cole money and at least 5-6 years. Those type contracts for pitchers are dicey imo which is why I think the Padres traded for Snell and Darvish instead.

That would be pretty cool if Bauer signed with Toronto.

[BigSpoon]

That would be pretty cool if Bauer signed with Toronto.

I am on the fence on Bauer tbh. He's going to cost huge money and he's only had 1.5 seasons of 'ace' production in 2018 and shortened 2020.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

I am on the fence on Bauer tbh. He's going to cost huge money and he's only had 1.5 seasons of 'ace' production in 2018 and shortened 2020.

Agree with that. I would not want him for more than a 3 year contract for that reason. I think it would probably be worth the risk to roll the dice and potentially have him level up the pitching staff.

[Stallion]

That would be amazing if Bauer signs in Toronto!! Go Jays!!

[EmpireMaker]

Power Rankings Top 5:
1. Dodgers
The flurry of activity of the past week did not change how our voters view the Dodgers, who have been mostly idle, save for a couple of tweaks in the bullpen. The reigning World Series champs will enter 2021 the same way they ended ’20 -- as the presumed best team in the big leagues. They will likely lose some players to free agency, most notably Justin Turner and Kiké Hernández. Otherwise, the Dodgers are lined up nicely for ’21. They could use another starting pitcher, but if they don’t add one, it’s probably not going to cripple their season.
Dec 29, 2020
·
2:18

IT: Padres vs. Dodgers






2. Padres
Whew. Where to begin? For those of you that have been otherwise occupied binge-watching "Schitt’s Creek," here’s a brief synopsis: A.J. Preller acquired two of the game’s most accomplished starting pitchers, signed a high-profile Korean infielder and reignited that “rock star GM” label that he earned after winning the 2015 offseason. Presumably, his moves this time around will play out more positively on the field. The only question that remains is whether the additions of Yu Darvish and Blake Snell give the Padres the best rotation in the Majors.
Dec 30, 2020
·
6:49

A.J. Preller on Padres' deals






3. Yankees
Unlike the Dodgers, the Yankees’ need for a starting pitcher is more pressing. Gerrit Cole sits alone at the top; beyond that, upgrades are warranted. A slow-moving offseason for the Yankees has been mostly about DJ LeMahieu and whether he’s going to re-sign or go elsewhere. What seemed like a foregone conclusion that he would return isn’t so clear as both sides plunge into the new year.
Dec 16, 2020
·
2:15

Cashman on LeMahieu's future






4. Braves
Atlanta's rotation is getting as much attention now as it did during the season, but for entirely different reasons. In 2020, it was more about what the starting staff lost to injuries and underperformance; now, it looks to be one of the best-assembled rotations in the Majors. Charlie Morton and Drew Smyly bring stability to a young staff loaded with budding stars in Max Fried and Ian Anderson. And if Mike Soroka is able to return to form after missing most of '20 with a freak right Achilles injury, look out.
Dec 18, 2020
·
29:00

Brian Snitker previews 2021






5. Twins
The Twins barely edged out the White Sox for the last spot in our Top 5, a likely foreshadow of what should be a fabulous fight to the finish among these two clubs. For now, the edge goes to Minnesota, but the club has work to do. It needs starting pitchers after losing veterans Jake Odorizzi and Rich Hill. The Twins have some developing relief arms coming up through the system, but the bullpen will be largely inexperienced, especially if they are moving forward without Trevor May (who signed with the Mets) and Tyler Clippard and Sergio Romo, both free agents.
Dec 15, 2020
·
1:00:30

Rocco Baldelli on Twins offseason






All 30:
6. White Sox
7. A's
8. Mets
9. Blue Jays
10. Rays
11. Indians
12. Cardinals
13. Astros
14. Phillies
15. Cubs
16. Reds
17. Marlins
18. Brewers
19. Angels
20. Giants
21. Mariners
22. Nationals
23. Red Sox
24. Tigers
25. Royals
26. D-backs
27. Rockies
28. Rangers
29. Orioles
30. Pirates

[BigSpoon]

Surprised the Jays are #9 in the power rankings, seems a bit high. The starting rotation 2-4 is quite ugly. I'd still favor the Rays over them with the current rosters.

[jrgum3]

I am on the fence on Bauer tbh. He's going to cost huge money and he's only had 1.5 seasons of 'ace' production in 2018 and shortened 2020.

If I were a Jays fan I'd be happy they were willing to open their pocketbook to try and improve the pitching staff but I'd be hesitant as well because it is a lot of money and years for someone who might not live up to the expectation. Who knows maybe he will meet expectations and then some. If he does then the Jays will probably be the best team in the AL East for a while because they have a lot of quality talent on their roster they just need to beef up the pitching staff.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

If I were a Jays fan I'd be happy they were willing to open their pocketbook to try and improve the pitching staff but I'd be hesitant as well because it is a lot of money and years for someone who might not live up to the expectation. Who knows maybe he will meet expectations and then some. If he does then the Jays will probably be the best team in the AL East for a while because they have a lot of quality talent on their roster they just need to beef up the pitching staff.

Gotta spend some money and bring in some players when you have a nice base of young talent.

[Stallion]

As a Jays fan they are waaaaaay too high on that list. Bauer would be a great addition to the team. The young guys need to step it up at the plate and defensively this year.

[Otters27]

Pirates last again

[Cross]

Pirates not even trying.

[koz-man]

Happy New Year All. 1st post in new thread.

[EmpireMaker]

• Shogo Akiyama had to make major adjustments to his swing during his first season with the Cincinnati Reds. The Japanese import explains the changes he made in this video linked to by Bobby Nightengale of The Enquirer (via Twitter). Essentially, Akiyama attributes his struggles at the plate to a timing issue, something he remedied by delaying his front leg lift. The change appeared to work. After producing just a 46 wRC+ with a triple slash of .192/.280/.247 in 83 plate appearances across 24 games in August, Akiyama rebounded with a 135 wRC+ over the rest of the regular season. Over 79 plate appearances in September and October, Akiyama slashed .317/.456/.365, helping the Reds into the playoffs.
• As a minor league free agent this winter, former Orioles’ right-hander David Hess jumped quickly at the opportunity to join the Tampa Bay Rays, signing a minors deal early in December. The Rays made their pitch to Hess on the first day of free agency, writes Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. Said Hess, “One thing the Rays have built a track record of is developing guys and being specific in who they’re looking for, and so when they came in that quickly, we right away knew how serious they were. That meant a lot to us. That was just something, them being the first team and how interested they were, that tipped the scales in their favor in a pretty good way.” Hess owns a 5.96 ERA/6.41 FIP in 190 1/3 innings spanning three seasons in his career.

[jrgum3]

Gotta spend some money and bring in some players when you have a nice base of young talent.

Yeah you definitely have to take risks if you want to win. The fact Bauer's even listening to what they have to say should make Jays fans feel good about the direction the team is headed. They have a chance to be good for a long time if they bring aboard a stud pitcher even if they don't get Bauer.

[Cross]

Pitchers and catchers going to report soon I hear.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Pitchers and catchers going to report soon I hear.

I wish Zach Davies well, he is underrated.

[BigSpoon]

Gotta spend some money and bring in some players when you have a nice base of young talent.

Agree with that, need to spend before the young core hit their arbitration years.

[batt33]

Power Rankings Top 5:
1. Dodgers
The flurry of activity of the past week did not change how our voters view the Dodgers, who have been mostly idle, save for a couple of tweaks in the bullpen. The reigning World Series champs will enter 2021 the same way they ended ’20 -- as the presumed best team in the big leagues. They will likely lose some players to free agency, most notably Justin Turner and Kiké Hernández. Otherwise, the Dodgers are lined up nicely for ’21. They could use another starting pitcher, but if they don’t add one, it’s probably not going to cripple their season.
Dec 29, 2020
·
2:18

IT: Padres vs. Dodgers








2. Padres
Whew. Where to begin? For those of you that have been otherwise occupied binge-watching "Schitt’s Creek," here’s a brief synopsis: A.J. Preller acquired two of the game’s most accomplished starting pitchers, signed a high-profile Korean infielder and reignited that “rock star GM” label that he earned after winning the 2015 offseason. Presumably, his moves this time around will play out more positively on the field. The only question that remains is whether the additions of Yu Darvish and Blake Snell give the Padres the best rotation in the Majors.
Dec 30, 2020
·
6:49

A.J. Preller on Padres' deals








3. Yankees
Unlike the Dodgers, the Yankees’ need for a starting pitcher is more pressing. Gerrit Cole sits alone at the top; beyond that, upgrades are warranted. A slow-moving offseason for the Yankees has been mostly about DJ LeMahieu and whether he’s going to re-sign or go elsewhere. What seemed like a foregone conclusion that he would return isn’t so clear as both sides plunge into the new year.
Dec 16, 2020
·
2:15

Cashman on LeMahieu's future








4. Braves
Atlanta's rotation is getting as much attention now as it did during the season, but for entirely different reasons. In 2020, it was more about what the starting staff lost to injuries and underperformance; now, it looks to be one of the best-assembled rotations in the Majors. Charlie Morton and Drew Smyly bring stability to a young staff loaded with budding stars in Max Fried and Ian Anderson. And if Mike Soroka is able to return to form after missing most of '20 with a freak right Achilles injury, look out.
Dec 18, 2020
·
29:00

Brian Snitker previews 2021








5. Twins
The Twins barely edged out the White Sox for the last spot in our Top 5, a likely foreshadow of what should be a fabulous fight to the finish among these two clubs. For now, the edge goes to Minnesota, but the club has work to do. It needs starting pitchers after losing veterans Jake Odorizzi and Rich Hill. The Twins have some developing relief arms coming up through the system, but the bullpen will be largely inexperienced, especially if they are moving forward without Trevor May (who signed with the Mets) and Tyler Clippard and Sergio Romo, both free agents.
Dec 15, 2020
·
1:00:30

Rocco Baldelli on Twins offseason








All 30:
6. White Sox
7. A's
8. Mets
9. Blue Jays
10. Rays
11. Indians
12. Cardinals
13. Astros
14. Phillies
15. Cubs
16. Reds
17. Marlins
18. Brewers
19. Angels
20. Giants
21. Mariners
22. Nationals
23. Red Sox
24. Tigers
25. Royals
26. D-backs
27. Rockies
28. Rangers
29. Orioles
30. Pirates

Aren't the dodger picked first every year?

[Cross]

I’m fully expecting a Darvish like year from Davies...
Cubs 2021 Rotation
1. The Professor
2. Zach Davies
3. Alec Mills
4. Adbert Alzolay
5. ????????

[jrgum3]

Aren't the dodger picked first every year?

Hard not to pick a team with so few weaknesses. I hate the Dodgers but lets give credit where credit is due they are good every year. Hard to believe that in all that time with all that talent that they seemingly grow on trees they've only won one championship and it came during a pandemic shortened season.

[EmpireMaker]

The Mets have interest in free-agent left-hander Brad Hand, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports. As Heyman notes, Mets team president Sandy Alderson said back in November the club may have been interested in claiming Hand off waivers had Cleveland parted with the reliever at a different time.
Not only did it come as a surprise that Cleveland let go of Hand, who was due a $10MM team option for 2021, but it was an eye-opener that nobody placed a claim on him. After all, the 30-year-old is a three-time All-Star who remained one of baseball’s most effective relievers a season ago. While Hand’s average fastball did drop from 92.7 mph to 91.4, he still recorded a 2.05 ERA with a 33.7 percent strikeout rate and a 4.7 percent walk rate over 22 innings. Hand also converted all 16 of his save opportunities.
Because nobody claimed him, Hand has been sitting on the open market for roughly two full months. He’s one of the premier relievers available, though, and the fit in New York is obvious. The Mets already spent a good amount of money on their bullpen earlier this offseason when they signed Trevor May to a two-year, $15.5MM contract, but doing so added another right-hander to a righty-heavy group. The Mets don’t have an established southpaw in their relief corps, so picking up Hand would give the team’s bullpen some balance.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

I’m fully expecting a Darvish like year from Davies...
Cubs 2021 Rotation
1. The Professor
2. Zach Davies
3. Alec Mills
4. Adbert Alzolay
5. ????????

I'd be surprised if the Cubs started Hendricks and Davies back to back as they are essentially the same pitcher.

[Otters27]

Who's the youngest MLB player right now?

[Stallion]

Dodgers always get picked to win it all every year... before the season starts.

[BigSpoon]

Dodgers always get picked to win it all every year... before the season starts.

It finally worked last season.

[jrgum3]

Pitchers and catchers going to report soon I hear.

Hard to believe they'll be reporting next month and baseball hopefully will start on time this season.