2023 Offseason MLB News/Rumors Thread

Scoops Bolling

Scoops Bolling

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Kelenic has put up two good months in his MLB career, September of 2021 and April of 2023. He has otherwise been a below average to outright terrible hitter at the MLB level. He is not a particularly good defensive outfielder or baserunner. I think he may be well be the most overrated young player in the league. He's still quite young so he could absolutely figure it out, but people act like he's proven himself and he simply hasn't. I would not want to have to pencil him into a starting role on my team.
 
JM3

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View: https://twitter.com/redsoxstats/status/1731523387065790538

Phillips was the Braves #7 prospect per MLB Pipeline. Seems like an OK return. As long as they do something with their payroll flexibility.

05/26/2003
THROWS
R
HT
6' 3"
DRAFTED
2022, 2nd (57) - ATL
WT
200
ETA
2027
Scouting grades: Fastball: 70 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50

Phillips was rushing up Draft boards in the spring of 2022 as reports flowed in of the Texas prep right-hander hitting triple digits with his fastball. He seemed like he had a shot at being a first-round pick until the train was derailed temporarily by Tommy John surgery in April. He had been scouted regularly prior to the injury and the Braves felt comfortable enough to take him as their third straight high school arm in the 2022 Draft, signing him for $1.5 million as their second-round pick.

The Braves hope Phillips will get back to the improved stuff he showed before the elbow injury. His fastball now sits in the mid-90s, reaches the upper 90s and touches 100 mph with good running action. His breaking ball, a power curve with depth thrown up to 85 mph, could be a plus pitch. Like many prep hurlers with that kind of fastball-breaking ball combination, he didn’t use his changeup much, but he has shown feel for a mid-80s offering with fade.

Compared by some to big leaguer Nathan Eovaldi, a Texas high schooler who blew out his elbow as a junior, Phillips’ improved strength had led to a repeatable delivery and more strikes. The first step for him will be to build back up and make his professional debut at some point in 2023.
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https://www.mlb.com/prospects/braves/cole-phillips-702551
 
Petagine in a Bottle

Petagine in a Bottle

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Scoops Bolling said:
Kelenic has put up two good months in his MLB career, September of 2021 and April of 2023. He has otherwise been a below average to outright terrible hitter at the MLB level. He is not a particularly good defensive outfielder or baserunner. I think he may be well be the most overrated young player in the league. He's still quite young so he could absolutely figure it out, but people act like he's proven himself and he simply hasn't. I would not want to have to pencil him into a starting role on my team.
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Yeah, this. Why do people like Kelenic so much?
 
SemperFidelisSox

SemperFidelisSox

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Ohtani should do what Kevin Durant did. Go to Atlanta for 3 years, win a couple championships on a Super Team to cement your legacy, and then opt out and do whatever you want.
 
PedroKsBambino

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JM3 said:
For some reason I enjoy these Tweets together...

View: https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1731522786970013775


View: https://twitter.com/BNightengale/status/1731526382662885735
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I believe Evan White is due $15 mil over the next two years, so even if partially subsidized by Mariners they can still save some money by dumping him on Braves - even at say $5 mil cash to Braves, the Mariners still save $10 mil plus Kelenic's salary. He is a cautionary tale for early agreements like Chourio - as is Scott Kingery's deal.

Wander Franco, more a comp to Chourio in terms of upside, may be another though obviously has some other complexity and uncertainty to it.

These are just interesting questions about handling minor leaguers or very young MLBers and long-term extensions...
 
Yelling At Clouds

Yelling At Clouds

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JM3 said:
View: https://twitter.com/redsoxstats/status/1731523387065790538

Phillips was the Braves #7 prospect per MLB Pipeline. Seems like an OK return. As long as they do something with their payroll flexibility.



https://www.mlb.com/prospects/braves/cole-phillips-702551
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This makes it more interesting in a vacuum, but I’m not sure how much sense it makes for them to be building minor-league depth right now when they should be trying to compete instead. So either they’re trying to get pieces in place for a big deal or they’re in the midst of a mini teardown/“skinny rebuild” kind of thing, which would be wild for a team that just came within a couple of games of eliminating the eventual WS champs. Guess we’ll have to wait and see.
 
A

axx

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PedroKsBambino said:
I believe Evan White is due $15 mil over the next two years, so even if partially subsidized by Mariners they can still save some money by dumping him on Braves - even at say $5 mil cash to Braves, the Mariners still save $10 mil plus Kelenic's salary. He is a cautionary tale for early agreements like Chourio - as is Scott Kingery's deal.
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Not just that, Gonzales is making $12M next year.
 
Max Power

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RedOctober3829 said:
Mookie will be the Dodgers everyday 2B next year according to Dave Roberts.
View: https://twitter.com/mike_petriello/status/1731756824729120979?s=20
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That seems like a poor idea for a guy who's still owed $300 million for the next 9 years. The list of second basemen who were healthy and productive into their late 30s is very short. Even in the post-collision days at the bases, there's still a lot of incidental contact with baserunners. And it's the position were a player hits the ground the most. You can dive for balls and still have time to make throws at 2nd that you wouldn't anywhere else on the diamond.
 
Max Power

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simplicio said:
The list of baseball players as good as Mookie is probably shorter, tbf.
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Even if you just include modern Hall of Famers, Joe Morgan, Ryne Sandberg, Craig Biggio, and Robbie Alomar all had their last great season at age 32 or 33. Rod Carew was able to keep producing later, but he moved to first base when he was 31. You really take a physical beating at second.
 
John Marzano Olympic Hero

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Max Power said:
Even if you just include modern Hall of Famers, Joe Morgan, Ryne Sandberg, Craig Biggio, and Robbie Alomar all had their last great season at age 32 or 33. Rod Carew was able to keep producing later, but he moved to first base when he was 31. You really take a physical beating at second.
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Right. But they had ten plus years at second base which contributed to their dips in production. I'm not saying that Mookie is going to get better, but he's spent the last ten or so years in rightfield, which is a less demanding (physically) position. I can't think of many outfielders who made the transition to the infield this late in their careers (it's usually always the opposite, like Robin Yount or Craig Biggio) so this is pretty much new ground and I don't think that the comps to second basemen who have been playing the position are apples-to-apples.
 
snowmanny

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Max Power said:
Even if you just include modern Hall of Famers, Joe Morgan, Ryne Sandberg, Craig Biggio, and Robbie Alomar all had their last great season at age 32 or 33. Rod Carew was able to keep producing later, but he moved to first base when he was 31. You really take a physical beating at second.
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And former DPOY Dustin Pedroia was done at 33.
 
Ale Xander

Ale Xander

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normstalls said:
Would this be to clear an OF position for Ohtani? That is where my mind went.
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Only because they have both Muncy and Rojas for 3B so I’m thinking Muncy DH’s

they did just sign Heyward though for I’m thinking RF
3 man rotation for LF and RF between him Ohtani and Taylor? (Ohtani also spells Muncy at DH)
Taylor also Outman insurance/rest for CF?
 
Max Power

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normstalls said:
Would this be to clear an OF position for Ohtani? That is where my mind went.
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Ohtani won't be able to do anything but DH next year, so it is unlikely to have anything to do with it.

John Marzano Olympic Hero said:
A runaway Manny Machado had a lot to do with that.
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Yeah, but what are the odds of Mookie finding himself in the same division as Manny Machado?
 
normstalls

normstalls

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Max Power said:
Ohtani won't be able to do anything but DH next year, so it is unlikely to have anything to do with it.
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Oh ok. I didn’t realize he wasn’t going to be able to throw at all next year and was going to have to be a full time DH. I assumed he was going to see some time on the field. Carry on.
 
John Marzano Olympic Hero

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Max Power said:
Yeah, but what are the odds of Mookie finding himself in the same division as Manny Machado?
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Very good point.

You know who was still producing (at least offensively) at a late age? Lou Whitaker. He had a better than decent season at 38, which was his last year (129 OPS+). That guy belongs in Cooperstown.
 
jon abbey

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Yes I was in the middle of a detailed post saying essentially that, also it’s almost certainly best for both sides to finish it soon.
 
ThePrideofShiner

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If Ohtani goes to the Blue Jays how big of an upset would that be in the realm of surprise free agent signings? I think it'd be the biggest one maybe since Robinson Cano randomly signed with Seattle.
 
jon abbey

jon abbey

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Semien and Seager both going to TEX in the same offseason was pretty shocking, but I'll believe Ohtani to TOR when it actually happens.
 
SemperFidelisSox

SemperFidelisSox

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Rogers Centre has been undergoing a $300 million dollar renovation. They might be motivated to bring in a real global superstar to help sell all those fancy new seats.
 
Yelling At Clouds

Yelling At Clouds

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ThePrideofShiner said:
If Ohtani goes to the Blue Jays how big of an upset would that be in the realm of surprise free agent signings? I think it'd be the biggest one maybe since Robinson Cano randomly signed with Seattle.
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Kris Bryant to the Rockies was a huge surprise. Worked out great so far!
 
moondog80

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SemperFidelisSox said:
Mike Hampton going to Colorado. Cliff Lee going back to Philly. Teixiera to NY was a big surprise too.
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I know we were all expecting him and NY swooped in at the last minute, but no NYY signing can ever truly be a surprise.
 
BigSoxFan

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moondog80 said:
I know we were all expecting him and NY swooped in at the last minute, but no NYY signing can ever truly be a surprise.
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Yeah, I joked to a friend before the FA period that they’d get Sabathia AND Teixeira…and they did.
 
Wingack

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Barry Bonds picking the San Francisco Giants was a big surprise right?

I may just have WFAN brain and all the talk was that Bonds was definitely going to go to the Yankees, but I recall at the last minute the Giants stealthly swooping in and Mad Dog exploding in excitement.
 
Ale Xander

Ale Xander

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Wingack said:
Barry Bonds picking the San Francisco Giants was a big surprise right?

I may just have WFAN brain and all the talk was that Bonds was definitely going to go to the Yankees, but I recall at the last minute the Giants stealthly swooping in and Mad Dog exploding in excitement.
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You know what BA in Balco stands for right?
 
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