2016 MLB Thread

[tdmoon]

"People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring."
-Rogers Hornsby

Finally, Spring(Training, at least) has sprung!

I'm fairly new to this board and haven't seen much baseball talk. Are there many baseball fans here? If so, please feel free to contribute anything-your favorite team, predictions, fun stories, trivia, favorite memories, anything baseball-related is interesting to me.

I'll start....
I've been a baseball fan as long as I can remember, about thirty-five years. I'm a huge fan of the NFL and to a lesser extent the NBA(go 49ers and Warriors) but it is baseball that is my true love. I was starting to sweat that I'd never see the Giants win a World Series and then 2010 happened and I was ecstatic. 2012 and 2014 were icing on the cake. Now I'm greedy and fully expecting them to continue their even year magic, lol.
I have high hopes for them this year. My main concerns are the health of the outfield and effectiveness of the starting rotation. I'm leery of the Samardzija deal and skeptical Cain can return to being an effective starter. Pagan is an injury waiting to happen and two other outfielders, Span and Pence, are coming off of injury-plagued seasons. I'm basing my hopes on their strong, young infield; a true superstar in Buster Posey; Bumgarner continuing his progression into being one of the games elite starters; and finally, the steady hand of future HOF manager Bruce Bochy.

I'd enjoy hearing from anybody else on what they expect or are looking forward to this year.

 

[Navi]

Looking forward to the Toronto Blue Jays finally winning another World Series. If they get their bats swinging they can do it.

There are problems after this season though, as Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion are probably going to be free agents. They have been the core of the lineup for the past almost 5 years. Hopefully Toronto will get their asses in gear and resign them, I know other teams would be glad to have them and I don't want to go to the Rogers Centre to watch Bautista in a Yankee uniform.

 

[tdmoon]

Toronto looks to be strong again this season. Their lineup can absolutely mash. Rotation looks solid, though not spectacular. This may be a very fun year for you and the Blue Jay fans. I get a bad vibe about Bautista returning, though, and think the Tulowitzki deal may have been a huge mistake even if I am a fan of his.
When thinking about the Toronto organization, one thing always puzzled me. What happened to Cito Gaston? He won two World Series titles, four division titles, had a good career winning percentage, was the first black manager to win a championship and was very popular with his players. You would think somebody with those credentials would be in high demand yet he went about ten years without getting another managing gig. And that one was also with Toronto. It's a shame that one of the more successful managers of his generation is rarely talked about anymore.

 

[Navi]

Once Toronto gets into the groove there is no team that can beat them. Getting into the groove has proven to be a problem in years past. Yea the lineup is strong, put pitching has put us into some hot water and we've lost games we shouldn't.

As far as Gaston goes, he's retired I believe. His tenure as manager of the Jays seemed to be one long controversy, as we repeatedly heard stories he couldn't get along with some players and media. When you manage a team it should be about the team. Even though the team did well most of the negative coverage was about Gaston and his shenanigans.

 

[tdmoon]

Once Toronto gets into the groove there is no team that can beat them. Getting into the groove has proven to be a problem in years past. Yea the lineup is strong, put pitching has put us into some hot water and we've lost games we shouldn't.

As far as Gaston goes, he's retired I believe. His tenure as manager of the Jays seemed to be one long controversy, as we repeatedly heard stories he couldn't get along with some players and media. When you manage a team it should be about the team. Even though the team did well most of the negative coverage was about Gaston and his shenanigans.

This is why it's cool talking to fans from other teams. I was always under the impression he was very popular among his players. You were closer to it all and probably have a better idea of what the atmosphere was. He must have been a hit or miss type guy; you're saying he couldn't get along with some players, but there were others that thought highly of him. Joe Carter changed his number to honor Gaston after his firing and one of his former players, Kenny Williams, came close to hiring him to manage the White Sox when he was their GM. Love him or hate him-type, maybe?
btw, thanks for the replies!

 

[OYDK]

San Francisco fan, lucky guy. Speaking as a (self professed) hardcore Toronto sports fan, I am dying to see any of my teams competing for a championship. Admittedly, I'm a bit more optimistic about the Raptors chances down the road than I am of the Jays, but seeing as this is a MLB thread, I'll stick to baseball.

Like Navi, I think the Jays are going to have a very strong team this year and will have a good chance of going far in the playoffs. However, this in my opinion, is the last year to make a push towards the World Series before the downward swing starts. While R.A Dickey may piss me off constantly, he's still a solid hand on the mound. He'll likely be gone next year. They're also likely to lose one of the big two in the heart of the their lineup with both Encarnacion and Bautista looking for a substantial raise, and while I don't necessarily think they should pay both, it's still going to significantly affect the offense. I'm a little weary on some of the younger pitchers as well. I think expecting guys like Estrada, Osuna, Sanchez, and Stroman to all match the seasons they had last year further down the road is a bit optimistic. Losing Price to the Red Sox hurt too.

While I hated that the Jays let Anthopolous go, and though I have very little faith in the current front office, this season should be a great one for the BJ's if everything stays the way it should. Personally, I think Boston will be tough but the Jays should AT LEAST win the Wild Card. I'm hoping that the best offense in baseball will be more than sufficient enough to cover up any holes on the mound.

 

[nwocongo]

Toronto definitely has to be one of the favorites in the AL this year along with KC and Houston. I'm not sure about Houston but I won't write them off yet, a lot of writers predicted last season that KC would fade back into obscurity and we know how that ended so maybe Houston can continue their upswing this year. If not for the starting pitching I'd have Toronto as my run away favorite but it's hard to bet against KC who has all the pieces back.

As far as the NL I'd like to think this is the Cubs year to finally overtake the Cards in the Central, arguably the best division in baseball again but I've been a Cubs fan as long as I've been able to swing a wiffle bat so I'm never going to be too optimistic about their chances in October. Mets still have the great rotation, time will tell how long all those guys can hold up, they did have great run in the playoffs so it's hard to nitpick them too much but they benefitted from being in the weakest division in league last year so I'm still skeptical about their longevity. With the addition of Greinke, Arizona is looking like the favorite in the west this year. This should be a very interesting season and I can't wait to watch it unfold.

 

[Navi]

This is why it's cool talking to fans from other teams. I was always under the impression he was very popular among his players. You were closer to it all and probably have a better idea of what the atmosphere was. He must have been a hit or miss type guy; you're saying he couldn't get along with some players, but there were others that thought highly of him. Joe Carter changed his number to honor Gaston after his firing and one of his former players, Kenny Williams, came close to hiring him to manage the White Sox when he was their GM. Love him or hate him-type, maybe?
btw, thanks for the replies!

He was popular and we the fans loved him. He delivered back to back World Series wins for us, but we didn't play for him. I've heard good and bad, but he did the job he was hired to do and that's what counts. He managed a winning team.

Now if only Bautista and Encarnacion can get what they deserve, and I do think they deserve it. For the pair they are we are getting a bargain. Other teams would pay much more. Looking forward to opening day.

 

[OYDK]

Now if only Bautista and Encarnacion can get what they deserve, and I do think they deserve it. For the pair they are we are getting a bargain. Other teams would pay much more. Looking forward to opening day.

I hear what you're saying Navi, but you also have to realize that Bautista is going to be 36 by the end of this season. He's looking for a deal within the 5 year 130 million dollar range and in my opinion that's a bit much for a guy who's best years are behind him. He'd be 41 by the end of his deal and making about 25 mill that year if we were to sign him for what he wants. I respect Bautista and I do believe he's given the Jays a "hometown discount" as he likes to say, but that was his decision. He's not entitled to a huge contract now because he failed to negotiate for one when he had more leverage. Sounds harsh I know, but that's business.

Throw in the fact that Encarnacion will be looking for a similar contract and there's no chance that both get locked up again. They'd be paying 2 players a total of about 250 million over 5 years. I know it's baseball but still, that's craziness for 2 guys in their mid-30s. Personally, I think they should re-sign Edwin seeing as he's only 33 and he seems to be more flexible when it comes to negotiations. Bautista is taking a hard line and refusing to negotiate. Unless they pay him an excessive amount, he'll leave. And really, it's quite obvious he wants that big payday to end his career. He may say, "Oh yeah, I can compete at the same level when I'm 40", but we all know that's likely not true and what he really wants is to make sure he's financially set for when he eventually leaves. Smart guy.

 

[nwocongo]

"People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring."
-Rogers Hornsby

Finally, Spring(Training, at least) has sprung!

I'm fairly new to this board and haven't seen much baseball talk. Are there many baseball fans here? If so, please feel free to contribute anything-your favorite team, predictions, fun stories, trivia, favorite memories, anything baseball-related is interesting to me.

I'll start....
I've been a baseball fan as long as I can remember, about thirty-five years. I'm a huge fan of the NFL and to a lesser extent the NBA(go 49ers and Warriors) but it is baseball that is my true love. I was starting to sweat that I'd never see the Giants win a World Series and then 2010 happened and I was ecstatic. 2012 and 2014 were icing on the cake. Now I'm greedy and fully expecting them to continue their even year magic, lol.
I have high hopes for them this year. My main concerns are the health of the outfield and effectiveness of the starting rotation. I'm leery of the Samardzija deal and skeptical Cain can return to being an effective starter. Pagan is an injury waiting to happen and two other outfielders, Span and Pence, are coming off of injury-plagued seasons. I'm basing my hopes on their strong, young infield; a true superstar in Buster Posey; Bumgarner continuing his progression into being one of the games elite starters; and finally, the steady hand of future HOF manager Bruce Bochy.

I'd enjoy hearing from anybody else on what they expect or are looking forward to this year.

I was expecting the Giants to go after Dexter Fowler over Span considering his injury history. Span is arguably a better defender and hits for better average, but Dexter is a couple years younger and has a comprable OBP. Despite hitting about 20 points lower than Span's usual BA. Giants still have a solid team though, Crawford is probably in the top 3 shortstops right now and Duffy looked very good last year. I'm a Chicago fan so I can definitely understand being leery of Samrdzija, I think they should win 80 + this year easily but the rotation is questionable with Cain's uncertainty and there is a lot riding on how many games Pence and Pagan can play. If everyone stays healthy they could be a 90 +win team.
All that being said I'm ecstatic to see Fowler back with the Cubs, he was one of the more consistent bats in September and October last year, I was almost sure they wouldn't keep him after signing Heyward but I was pleasantly surprised.

 

[tdmoon]

I was expecting the Giants to go after Dexter Fowler over Span considering his injury history. Span is arguably a better defender and hits for better average, but Dexter is a couple years younger and has a comprable OBP. Despite hitting about 20 points lower than Span's usual BA. Giants still have a solid team though, Crawford is probably in the top 3 shortstops right now and Duffy looked very good last year. I'm a Chicago fan so I can definitely understand being leery of Samrdzija, I think they should win 80 + this year easily but the rotation is questionable with Cain's uncertainty and there is a lot riding on how many games Pence and Pagan can play. If everyone stays healthy they could be a 90 +win team.
All that being said I'm ecstatic to see Fowler back with the Cubs, he was one of the more consistent bats in September and October last year, I was almost sure they wouldn't keep him after signing Heyward but I was pleasantly surprised.

You aren't alone, many Giants fans thought the team would make serious efforts towards acquiring Fowler. Span was a bit of a surprise and his injury is very concerning. I'm not too worried about Pence staying healthy; last year was a blip, he's generally been something of an iron man. Pagan is the opposite in that I pretty much just expect him to be hurt. He's thirty-four years old and has only managed to get 500 ab's in a season three times. One of those was last year, but he was worn down physically and only played that much because it was required with all the other more serious injuries in the outfield. I'm guessing Blanco will start out as a fourth outfielder and end up playing a full-time role, which he seems to have to do every season.

A key player you didn't mention is Joe Panik. Him coming back to form after some injuries last year adds another .300 hitter to the lineup and he's a heady young player. Crawford is outstanding defensively and surprised me with his offensive output last season. With his glove, I've always thought that anything better than .250/15/60 would be gravy but he was an excellent run producer last year. Duffy was definitely a surprising bright spot and the only positive to come out of the Casey McGehee fiasco. The entire infield is all homegrown and still young and the strength of the team.

Hate to say it, but I believe Cain is done. Been saying it a couple years now and taking heat from other Giants fans, lol. If Cueto can live up to his contract, it will be a huge help. Chris Heston pitched pretty well last year and I thought he was deserving of a chance to make the rotation this year and I believe he will be in it sooner rather than later. I've been down on Peavy as well but he was better than I expected last year. Keep an eye out for prospect Clayton Blackburn. I see Bumgarner, Cueto and Heston leading the rotation with Cain and Peavy being hurt/ineffective. If Samardzija can at least be competent as a number four-type(though his salary indicates a front of the rotation starter), I think the starting pitching could be good enough. Casilla is shaky as a closer, but Bochy has proven to be masterful at managing a bullpen.

Your Cubs are definitely loaded with talent and on paper are the team to beat in the NL. I know I may take some heat for this, that it's stupid and out of touch, but....I'm just superstitious enough that I think there could be something to the whole curse thing. Maybe nothing actually supernatural, but I think maybe a feeling or vibe can permeate an organization. That said, Maddon may just be the kind of guy who is squirelly enough to overcome it. I can't help but like the guy and I'm no fan of the Cubs(no offense-my father is a life-long Cardinals fan and I guess it kind of sinks in by osmosis The flip side is that he hates the dodgers, too). I caution people against counting St. Louis out; they have their own class of young players getting ready to make their mark in Grichuk, Piscotty and Pham. They need to worry about Molina, the years of squatting behind the plate are taking their toll and Holiday-a lumbering ox even at his best-isn't getting any younger, though he is still a dangerous bat. Matheny is a very capable manager, though, and the organization knows how to win. Being a Giants fan in the Midwest surrounded by Redbird fans, I don't like the Cardinals but have learned they almost always find a way to contend for the pennant.

Season can't start soon enough!

 

[nwocongo]

Your Cubs are definitely loaded with talent and on paper are the team to beat in the NL. I know I may take some heat for this, that it's stupid and out of touch, but....I'm just superstitious enough that I think there could be something to the whole curse thing. Maybe nothing actually supernatural, but I think maybe a feeling or vibe can permeate an organization. That said, Maddon may just be the kind of guy who is squirelly enough to overcome it. I can't help but like the guy and I'm no fan of the Cubs(no offense-my father is a life-long Cardinals fan and I guess it kind of sinks in by osmosis The flip side is that he hates the dodgers, too). I caution people against counting St. Louis out; they have their own class of young players getting ready to make their mark in Grichuk, Piscotty and Pham. They need to worry about Molina, the years of squatting behind the plate are taking their toll and Holiday-a lumbering ox even at his best-isn't getting any younger, though he is still a dangerous bat. Matheny is a very capable manager, though, and the organization knows how to win. Being a Giants fan in the Midwest surrounded by Redbird fans, I don't like the Cardinals but have learned they almost always find a way to contend for the pennant.

Season can't start soon enough!

I forgot about Kelby Tomlinson too, he didn't look too bad from what I saw last year, he and Panik give SF some depth in the middle infield, always important. I honestly did not see much of Heston last year, I remember one game I watched he had a rough outing so I wasn't sure about what to expect there and I think Samardzija may benefit greatly from not being expected to be a top of the rotation guy. I've heard a lot about Blackburn and I look forward to seeing what he can do.

I've always thought as silly as it may be, the curse could have a psychological effect on some guys. The pressure of being the group finally give the pessimistic fans a championship probably does get to some guys late in the season. I mean I've been a lifelong fan, stood by them trough all the crappy seasons, I don't necessarily buy into the curse but even when the team did look promising and as loaded as it is this year I still don't get my hopes up.
My girlfriend and her whole family are from St. Louis and diehard fans so I always wishfully count out the Cardinals against my better judgement. I think they are still a very solid team this year but I think with Molina aging, the injuries to Lynn and uncertainty of what Martinez and Wainwright can do coming off injuries this year may finally see a changing of the guard at the top of the division, again wishful thinking.

 

[Radical Canadian Goose]

As a Jays fan, I am excited about the upcoming season. This year there has to be a "Do or Die" attitude in the locker room, considering the potential losses of Bautista, Encarnacion, Cecil and I believe Dickey at the end of the season.

Since you are a Giants fan I have to say I love your starting rotation on paper. I miss Lincecum though. good luck to you guys this season and maybe our teams will see each other in October

 

[Gallops77]

All this talk about the Blue Jays and the Giants....

Mets have the best pitching staff in baseball. Nobody else is close.

Their lineup is better than it was starting last season, and they still won the division.

Cespedes with a full year in New York, Walker and Murphy are a wash, and they have Conforto from the get go.

Mets win the World Series this year.

 

[NSL]

Mets still have the great rotation, time will tell how long all those guys can hold up, they did have great run in the playoffs so it's hard to nitpick them too much but they benefitted from being in the weakest division in league last year so I'm still skeptical about their longevity.

As a Mets fan, I'm scared of this rotation for so many reasons. If they stay healthy, and are as advertised, there's not a team in the league that could stop them. I'm talking 110+ wins. But, they logged a lot of innings in the playoffs, and there's always the worry about too much too soon. I'm dying to see what Wheeler can add, when he returns.

All this talk about the Blue Jays and the Giants....

Mets have the best pitching staff in baseball. Nobody else is close.

Their lineup is better than it was starting last season, and they still won the division.

Cespedes with a full year in New York, Walker and Murphy are a wash, and they have Conforto from the get go.

Mets win the World Series this year.

Easy there, tiger. I think the lineup is improved, and they have the best rotation, but pitching staff? The bullpen will take some time before we know what there is there. Cespedes disappeared way too much in the playoffs last year, but I'm hoping we can at least get a regular season similar to what he gave us after August 1st last year. He didn't get a contract like he wanted, so hopefully there's no complacency that always happens when the Mets sign a big name. I am stoked to see Conforto over 162 games though.

 

[Gallops77]

As a Mets fan, I'm scared of this rotation for so many reasons. If they stay healthy, and are as advertised, there's not a team in the league that could stop them. I'm talking 110+ wins. But, they logged a lot of innings in the playoffs, and there's always the worry about too much too soon. I'm dying to see what Wheeler can add, when he returns.

They have 5 starters who would likely be top 3 in any rotation in baseball, 3 of which would be aces on most staffs.

They are going to get more rest during the season, especially when Wheeler comes back because they are going to be preparing for that playoff run again.

The pen will be better this year than it was last year, especially when Wheeler comes back because if they don't go with a 6 man rotation, Colon will be in the pen and was great out of the pen in the playoffs.

 

[nwocongo]

All this talk about the Blue Jays and the Giants....

Mets have the best pitching staff in baseball. Nobody else is close.

Their lineup is better than it was starting last season, and they still won the division.

Cespedes with a full year in New York, Walker and Murphy are a wash, and they have Conforto from the get go.

Mets win the World Series this year.

That division was god awful, granted they still had to win the games and they did well in the playoffs, playing the Braves, Marlins and Phil's 19 times a piece definitely helps.

Don't get me wrong I think they will be in the playoffs again but you never know how long young arms are going to hold up, Ex. Mark Prior, Ben McDonald, Tim Lincecum, Mike Minor etc... If Syndergaard can maintain what he did in his rookie season over the course or 2 or 3 seasons I'll eat my words. I'm not wishing anything on him or any of the other youngsters but sometimes young fireballers have 1-2 good years and that's that. I feel like DeGrom has a better chance at longevity than Syndergaard, DeGrom seems to really have a grasp on changing speeds and how to pitch while the latter is more of a hurler.

I agree with you on Walker and Murphy. Walker may be the better everyday player, I think his glove is definitely better.

 

[OYDK]

If Syndergaard can maintain what he did in his rookie season over the course or 2 or 3 seasons I'll eat my words. I'm not wishing anything on him or any of the other youngsters but sometimes young fireballers have 1-2 good years and that's that. I feel like DeGrom has a better chance at longevity than Syndergaard, DeGrom seems to really have a grasp on changing speeds and how to pitch while the latter is more of a hurler.

I don't know, Syndergaard has been one of the top pitching prospects in baseball for a while now. He really does have the makings of a legend and speaking as somebody who's followed him while he was with Jays organization, he is definitely able to adapt. Whether he can adapt in the majors is yet to be seen, but judging from his first season, the guys set for the long haul barring any sort of injury. Hopefully Tommy John doesn't show up...

I'm still pissed the Jays gave up Noah and D'arnaut for that bum Dickey. Cy Young my butt. With Syndergard in our rotation today we'd have a World Series locked up.

 

[NSL]

Don't get me wrong I think they will be in the playoffs again but you never know how long young arms are going to hold up, Ex. Mark Prior, Ben McDonald, Tim Lincecum, Mike Minor etc...

I hate that this is a good thing, but 4 of our 5 young pitchers have all already had Tommy John surgery, and are arguably better after it. Syndegaard is the lone holdout, and is an absolute flamethrower, so it's likely, but I can easily picture him having a long Randy Johnson-like career where he just blazes past everyone.

 

[nwocongo]

I hate that this is a good thing, but 4 of our 5 young pitchers have all already had Tommy John surgery, and are arguably better after it. Syndegaard is the lone holdout, and is an absolute flamethrower, so it's likely, but I can easily picture him having a long Randy Johnson-like career where he just blazes past everyone.

That's a possibility as well. Some guy's are just freaks of nature like Johnson and they are just built to hurl fastballs and snap sliders. I'm just itching for the season to start already!

 

[nwocongo]

Harvey didn't look too bad Sunday, that ump was all over the place with the strike zone and Cespedes showed right off the bat why a lot of teams were wary of giving him a big $ deal... E7. Syndergaard looked phenomenal today mowing down the defending champs and shut me up