NBA OFF TOPIC THREAD

[shopson67]

I dont think Bauer pitches for the Dodgers again. They seem adamant that he will go elsewhere if/when he is reinstated

Buehler is probably an ace- hes close....I might be bitter because he fucked me in fantasy baseball a couple years ago. I just dont think he is quite there yet where you feel like you run him out for game 1 and you have a pure ace on the mound. I like Woodruff and Burnes better.

May is pretty solid. He is like a 5 and fly guy though- or at least has been so far. Heaney is kinda garbagy.

NL pitchers stats are going to decline a little bit this year now that the DH has been instituted. No more facing the pitcher a couple times a game.

All solid points, other than I feel that Buehler is an ace at this point. I think May has a chance to elevate much higher than a 5, but has to show he can return to the level of his 2021 performance prior to his injury.

 

[fightinfunbags]

The thing that makes the Dodgers scary is they have two huge elements that can make a franchise great. They have the huge purse strings and a willingness to spend in the only remaining non salary cap sport. But they also have a great farm and great development of young talent so when the big money guy gets hurt or doesn’t produce they can fill that gap with great young talent. Much respect. Now they just need to get better at closing the deal.

 

[The Q]

All solid points, other than I feel that Buehler is an ace at this point. I think May has a chance to elevate much higher than a 5, but has to show he can return to the level of his 2021 performance prior to his injury.

Those 2 are studs

People gotta stop over thinking stuff

It’s an embarrassment of riches lol

 

[The Q]

The thing that makes the Dodgers scary is they have two huge elements that can make a franchise great. They have the huge purse strings and a willingness to spend in the only remaining non salary cap sport. But they also have a great farm and great development of young talent so when the big money guy gets hurt or doesn’t produce they can fill that gap with great young talent. Much respect. Now they just need to get better at closing the deal.

The cbt is basically a cap at this point

 

[fightinfunbags]

The cbt is basically a cap at this point

Not for franchises with big purse strings like Yankees Dodgers etc…

 

[The Q]

Not for franchises with big purse strings like Yankees Dodgers etc…

And yet the Yankees spent more in the mid 2000s than they do now.

Dodgers spend more in the early 2010s than they do now

 

[shopson67]

The thing that makes the Dodgers scary is they have two huge elements that can make a franchise great. They have the huge purse strings and a willingness to spend in the only remaining non salary cap sport. But they also have a great farm and great development of young talent so when the big money guy gets hurt or doesn’t produce they can fill that gap with great young talent. Much respect. Now they just need to get better at closing the deal.

Well, cheating Astros didn't help that one year....

 

[shopson67]

And yet the Yankees spent more in the mid 2000s than they do now.

Dodgers spend more in the early 2010s than they do now

Dodgers spend more intelligently now, big difference. Can't speak for the Yankees, but that likely comes down to a difference in Steinbrenner generations.

 

[shopson67]

Those 2 are studs

People gotta stop over thinking stuff

It’s an embarrassment of riches lol

Speaking of embarrassments, May needs to get rid of that Ronald McDonald look, lol. Every time I watch him pitch I'm fighting back laughter.

 

[The Q]

Not for franchises with big purse strings like Yankees Dodgers etc…

The biggest benefit other leagues have is that they have floors close to that cap.

That forces more teams to try. Especially in the nfl

 

[dtgold88]

AL has some depth- but im not sure if there is a truly elite team in the AL.

Blue Jays might be the closest to elite. Their lineup is almost as good as the Dodgers. Their pen is kinda weak though. WEll see how GAusman and Berrios do in the AL East.....

Yanks are good of course- but I after Cole I dont really like their rotation much. ITs actually pretty bad. I dont have a ton of faith in Montgomery or Sevirino. Maybe they make a deal for BAuer - if Bauer gets reinstated.

Red Sox rotation sucks- even if Sale comes back in June- i still dont like it.....Story was a nice pickup though at 2nd. Devers, Boagertes, Story is a nice core-- rest of their hitting is pretty ordinary though.

Astros have taken a step back. McCullers is hurt- again. A lot rides on verlander. Correa is gone. They need Bregman to become elite again in the worst way.

I like what the Mariners have put together actually- a little bit of a dark horse to some extent---- but they are solid. Julio Rodriguez is going to be so good. Him and Kelenic are an amazing young duo in the OF. Their pen is really nice too- esp. if Giles gets back at some point.

Rays need some hitting if you ask me- unless Franco can immediately be a super star- which maybe he can be. They need Lowe to repeat what he did last year. Need Josh Lowe to be the real deal....I dont love their SP---- when healthy- Mclanahan, Kluber, Baz, Rasummussen is okay- but they dont have a true #1- not even really close unless McClanahan grows up fast.

White Sox and Blue Jays are prob. the best AL teams. I love Koepechs potential. Losing Crochet hurts since I thought his potential was off the charts and had game changing reliever or starter written all over him. His stuff is nasty but hes gone for the long term. Giolito is an ace- legit. Legit ace closer. 2nd best lineup in the AL to the Blue Jays. Full years of Robert and Eloy. Vaughn is a great long term guy. Grandal one of the best hitting catchers.

White Sox and Blue Jays really dont have weaknesses. Maybe the Blue Jays pen is a little weak.

My Guardians just dont have the hitting. I really like the rotation. Bieber is prob. the best pitcher in the AL. Id take him over Cole all day. Clause is an elite closer. Got Jose of course who is one of the best position players in baseball.....but no hitting depth. Plesac, Civale, Quintrell are all solid young arms. Indians have a ton of other young arms on the horizon and some young hitting talent--- but its a year or two away. Guardians need a legit 1B and a legit corner outfielder. If they had that- id feel very good about them- but they just dont. They have like 4 dependable major league hitters- the rest are just question marks. Naylor may come through. Like Kwan' potential and some people love Kwan's bat--- but they are without a doubt question marks.

The Tigers have elite young talent in the rotation in Manning, Skubal, Mize. Erod was a nice signing. Torkelson is going to be great. Greene is hurt but will be up by June at the latest. They just need time for Manning, SKubal and Mize to establish themselves. Manning, SKubal, Mize, Greene, Torkelson is just an amazing young core. All of them former top of the top prospects- all should perform, but just not their yet.

and the Tigers made a move to get Meadows....a guy the Tribe really could have used.

 

[trojanfan12]

Dodgers lineup is just insane.

Bullpen is really good too.

if they dont get back to the WS or win it- itll be because of their SP

Buehler is great but I dont feel like he is a knock-out sure #1 quite yet. He was great last year but hes still pretty young and has had some injury issues in the past. Urias- looks like he is going to be a very good pitcher- but again- I dont think he is a legit ace. Kershaw used to be a legit ace but has question marks at his age.

You can beat the Dodgers if you can get to their SP and have good SP yourself- wont be easy but losing Bauer, and Kershaw aging leaves the door open slighty for the Braves or Brewers- or maybe even the Padres or Giants or Phillies.

Agree with pretty much all of this Kershaw is at a point in his career similar to Lebron. He can still be the best pitcher in the game, but he can't be that guy every game.

If Roberts is smart (and I'm not convinced he is) he will limit Kershaw to no more than 6 innings a game. For the last 3-4 years, there has been a noticeable drop in Kershaw's effectiveness after the 5th inning and some games, it has been a "falling off a cliff" kind of drop.

Buehler is kind of frustrating because he is soooo close to being an ace, but he's just not quite there. Maybe he makes the leap this year?

The biggest issue I have seen with Urias is that he's inconsistent. Not just game to game, sometimes it's inning to inning. He'll come out one inning and be unhittable, then he'll come out and I could get hit off of him...or he can't find the plate.

 

[dtgold88]

The thing that makes the Dodgers scary is they have two huge elements that can make a franchise great. They have the huge purse strings and a willingness to spend in the only remaining non salary cap sport. But they also have a great farm and great development of young talent so when the big money guy gets hurt or doesn’t produce they can fill that gap with great young talent. Much respect. Now they just need to get better at closing the deal.

agree...sometimes that last part just comes down to it's baseball and harder for the more talented team to win than the other major sports.

 

[trojanfan12]

I dont think Bauer pitches for the Dodgers again. They seem adamant that he will go elsewhere if/when he is reinstated

It's weird. When things were looking really bad for Bauer, they basically were looking to cut all ties. But now, it looks like he's not really guilty of anything more than being into weird sex. So I'm not sure what they will do. Especially if it looks like they need him.

 

[Wamu]

All solid points, other than I feel that Buehler is an ace at this point. I think May has a chance to elevate much higher than a 5, but has to show he can return to the level of his 2021 performance prior to his injury.

 

[Wamu]

It's weird. When things were looking really bad for Bauer, they basically were looking trying tocut all ties. But now, it looks like he's not really guilty of anything more than being into weird sex. So I'm not sure what they will do. Especially if it looks like they need him.

Remember when Bauer lost his mind and threw a baseball into the stands when he was taken out of a game? That really pissed off Fancona.

 

[trojanfan12]

Dodgers spend more intelligently now, big difference. Can't speak for the Yankees, but that likely comes down to a difference in Steinbrenner generations.

^^^This^^^

The 2010's was about getting names. They decimated the farm system.

This FO builds through the farm system and then uses the big money to fill holes.

 

[trojanfan12]

Remember when Bauer lost his mind and threw a baseball into the stands when he was taken out of a game? That really pissed off Fancona.

lol

You don't want him doing that a lot...but I like a guy who gets pissed when he has to come out.

 

[trojanfan12]

Speaking of embarrassments, May needs to get rid of that Ronald McDonald look, lol. Every time I watch him pitch I'm fighting back laughter.

I don't know man. I believe it was last year, or the year before...Justin Turner got a haircut and immediately went into a slump. lol

 

[Wamu]

loli

You don't want him doing that a lot...but I like a guy who gets pissed when he has to come out.

Shows Bauer has a real competitive spirit. But there are some things you just don't do in baseball game. No matter how frustrated you are.