Watching the wires

[JohnU]

Moustakas tears an ACL, leaving the defending champs a superstar short.
This too shall pass.
But we will soon say how good this vaunted KC farm system is.

 

[JohnU]

GOMES CALLS IT A CAREER

 

[eburg5000]

Good luck Mr Gomes

 

[JohnU]

Ruben Tejada DFA by the Cardinals. Evidently the rookie has won the job.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

That's one thing you can say about the Cardinals....
If you're not performing, there's no room for you.

The Reds have tried that with the bullpen....
Hasn't worked out as well.

I wonder if Tejada can pitch?

 

[JohnU]

Tejada will probably be picked up by the Jays.

 

[eburg5000]

I wonder if he would be a better option than D Jesus. Probably hit a little better but would cost a lot more, Also he may not be willing to play multiple positions either, as I answer my own question

 

[JohnU]

Tejada is in a nice spot.
Toronto would be smart to go after him since Tulo is out again. If Tulo comes back healthy around the trade deadline, the Jays can flip Tejada for almost anything they need.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Generally by the time the DFA is announced the player has already cleared waivers which would mean nobody was interested at the remaining amount he's owed.

Teams would be more interested if he's released or declines the assignment and can be signed for less.

 

[JohnU]

Tejada will not be playing at Memphis.

 

[JohnU]

wtf ... Dodgers using lasers to position their outfielders. When Kershaw pitches, they can basically just stand inside the white lines.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

The story I read had the Dodgers painting dots in the outfield for it's outfielders to use as a starting point. I guess they use the range finder to pin point the spot for the guy painting the dots.

I guess they're trying to be as accurate as possible when applying shifts and fielding metrics. If you're paying someone to do the research...... I guess you have to pay another guy to paint dots.

 

[JohnU]

I don't think Holliday hit the dot yesterday.

 

[eburg5000]

These people need to leave the game alone. The game was just fine until these decided to add some sort of science to it. Money ball was a nice story.. But in my opinion. It takes away from the game. Metrics my @$$

 

[JohnU]

DIRTY BYRDY

Marlon takes a seat

I think the broken wrist last year and the payoff incentive were important. His HR total went up after he came back from the broken wrist.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Hmm.... I can't believe it.

His home run totals went up after his first violation too.

Studies have shown that athletes benefit from PEDs up to 10 years after they stop using. That's a career for most and the penalty should be just as long.... career ending.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

I see that the Cards finally released Tejada. It's how the game works. DFA a guy and hope someone claims him so you can unload his salary. Now the Cards are responsible for what's left of the $1.5M minus the league minimum some other team may sign him for.

Tejada has had a tumultuous contractual season. Non-tender rumors, agreed to $3M in arbitration, released and payed a termination fee, signed by the Cards and DFA'd...... all in about 4 months.

 

[JohnU]

Even Chris Welsh commented on it last night, saying how the Reds were amazed that Byrd recovered so soon from the wrist fracture. I would guess the Reds were aware of that (hell, just going to owners meetings ought to clue you in) and that he had already been caught before .... could be that's why they traded Byrd. It wasn't like there was urgency there.
HERE'S THE GUY THEY GOT FOR HIM

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Yeah...... and he's on the Reds' 40 man roster.

 

[Redsfan1507]

Ok, take a look at Byrds stats...and imagine him WITHOUT PED's. He would have retired two years ago, and given a younger, cheaper guy his job.

I don't think the Reds, or any team, give a shit about players PED use, unless their guy gets busted and they actually miss his performance more than the salary they aren't paying during the suspension. I think that's rare. Maybe Ryan Braun or Dee Gordon fit that description, maybe, but logically, how much worse would the Brewers be without Braun (they are at he NLC bottom with the Reds, WITH him), and how much worse are the Marlins without Gordon ( a .500 team without him) ? Teams and Commissioners have always played ignorant to PED's. The risk is all on the players. What's Byrd got to risk ? He's already made a ton of money, and he's not a HOF consideration. His "risk" was in NOT taking them, and not getting signed the last 2-3 contracts. I'd say he won in that regard.

I think players use/ed the "healing" PED excuse about as effectively as the "mistaken nutritional supplement" PED excuse. PED's always were, and is still, mostly about money, and the rest about ego. PED's inflated ALL baseball prices, especially salaries and revenues. Stats were just frosting on the money cake. The only people PED's really shit on were paying fans, impressionable kids, baseball purists, and a few resentful HOF'rs that hit .300 with 500 HR, that could have hit .350 with 700 HR if they had them back in the day.

Henry Aaron weighed about 180 lbs., or where Barry Bonds was as a Pirate. If Hank had roided up to Bond's Giant's hat size, he might have hit 1,000 HR. If Ken Caminiti never used them, he would probably still be alive, but he might have been a gym teacher or a drywall installer or policeman instead.