MLB

[philpritchard]

More batters swinging for the fences rather than just making solid contact and going with the pitch also contributes to more foul balls.

This doesn't appear to be changing any time soon. It seems most coaches in their 30's and 40's are teaching their hitters to "swing big or go home".

Yeah, that's generally a more productive approach, so it makes sense. Velocity increases are probably a factor, too. I bet if you look into the data more the most significant change is in foul balls the other way (and maybe more straight back, too, since pitchers work up in the zone when looking for strikeouts).

[rick malone]

I still say put pressure on the defense and try to make contact with 2 strikes if you're not a power guy. But everyone is or thinks they are a power guy now.

[Chris_H_2]

[Bammer]

Does anyone have a clear favorite as far as Cactus League stadium to visit? I am going to a game this weekend but don’t really care which.

[numbers]

I still say put pressure on the defense and try to make contact with 2 strikes if you're not a power guy. But everyone is or thinks they are a power guy now.

You are punished for small ball in free agency, so guys swing away.

[Electromatic]

Harper is signed in Philadelphia (per John Heyman)

[Simple Torture]

Harper is signed in Philadelphia (per John Heyman)

13 years, 330m with no opt-outs

[Electromatic]

Harper is signed in Philadelphia (per John Heyman)

13 years, 330m with no opt-outs

Should be interesting if Mike Trout wants to go there in 2 years.

[verb_to_trust]

Giants CEO went Kraft

[Bammer]

Dude how much would Griffey make if signing a contract in his prime right now? A billion?

[Simple Torture]

Dude how much would Griffey make if signing a contract in his prime right now? A billion?

In the current market, I have to imagine it would be higher than anything we've seen so far.

In the past four seasons:

---Machado has had an average WAR of 5.8 (good for $300m over 10 years)

---Harper has had an average WAR of 4.4 (good for $330m over 13 years)

In his last four seasons in Seattle, Griffey had an average WAR of 7.6. However, he was 29 when he was traded over (was it a sign-and-trade? I can't remember), whereas Harper and Machado are both 26. Still, I think Griffey today would be looking at 8-10 years, $35m per year, easy.

Of course, they there's Trout. He's averaged a 9.2 WAR over the past four years and is 27. If the Angels were looking to offer him a market-value extension, it'd have to be more than $350m for 10, I think. Closer to $400m. There are rumors out there that the Angels might offer him a $350m extension, and I say he'd be crazy to take it.

[Bammer]

Dude how much would Griffey make if signing a contract in his prime right now? A billion?

In the current market, I have to imagine it would be higher than anything we've seen so far.

In the past four seasons:

---Machado has had an average WAR of 5.8 (good for $300m over 10 years)

---Harper has had an average WAR of 4.4 (good for $330m over 13 years)

In his last four seasons in Seattle, Griffey had an average WAR of 7.6. However, he was 29 when he was traded over (was it a sign-and-trade? I can't remember), whereas Harper and Machado are both 26. Still, I think Griffey today would be looking at 8-10 years, $35m per year, easy.

Of course, they there's Trout. He's averaged a 9.2 WAR over the past four years and is 27. If the Angels were looking to offer him a market-value extension, it'd have to be more than $350m for 10, I think. Closer to $400m. There are rumors out there that the Angels might offer him a $350m extension, and I say he'd be crazy to take it.

Maybe I am biased as an M’s fan, but I cannot think of another baseball who has ever had - or ever will have again - Griffey’s marketability. Let alone his on field play.

[MadTIGERmaN]

Dude how much would Griffey make if signing a contract in his prime right now? A billion?

In the current market, I have to imagine it would be higher than anything we've seen so far.

In the past four seasons:

---Machado has had an average WAR of 5.8 (good for $300m over 10 years)

---Harper has had an average WAR of 4.4 (good for $330m over 13 years)

In his last four seasons in Seattle, Griffey had an average WAR of 7.6. However, he was 29 when he was traded over (was it a sign-and-trade? I can't remember), whereas Harper and Machado are both 26. Still, I think Griffey today would be looking at 8-10 years, $35m per year, easy.

Of course, they there's Trout. He's averaged a 9.2 WAR over the past four years and is 27. If the Angels were looking to offer him a market-value extension, it'd have to be more than $350m for 10, I think. Closer to $400m. There are rumors out there that the Angels might offer him a $350m extension, and I say he'd be crazy to take it.

Maybe I am biased as an M’s fan, but I cannot think of another baseball who has ever had - or ever will have again - Griffey’s marketability. Let alone his on field play.

as an M's fan... you should be able to name 1 other guy. Just think if Ichiro came up a Mariner, and hit his free agent season here, instead of going through the posting system and coming over from Japan. Now think if he was hitting that in todays game. I think both Grif and Ichiro would dwarf Manny and Harper

[philpritchard]

Dude how much would Griffey make if signing a contract in his prime right now? A billion?

In the current market, I have to imagine it would be higher than anything we've seen so far.

In the past four seasons:

---Machado has had an average WAR of 5.8 (good for $300m over 10 years)

---Harper has had an average WAR of 4.4 (good for $330m over 13 years)

In his last four seasons in Seattle, Griffey had an average WAR of 7.6. However, he was 29 when he was traded over (was it a sign-and-trade? I can't remember), whereas Harper and Machado are both 26. Still, I think Griffey today would be looking at 8-10 years, $35m per year, easy.

Of course, they there's Trout. He's averaged a 9.2 WAR over the past four years and is 27. If the Angels were looking to offer him a market-value extension, it'd have to be more than $350m for 10, I think. Closer to $400m. There are rumors out there that the Angels might offer him a $350m extension, and I say he'd be crazy to take it.

Maybe I am biased as an M’s fan, but I cannot think of another baseball who has ever had - or ever will have again - Griffey’s marketability. Let alone his on field play.

I don't know if Trout is as marketable as Griffey was, but the league does a terrible job of marketing its star players these days, so it's kind of hard to compare.

As a player, though, Griffey was a superstar, and he was still nowhere remotely close to as good as Trout.

[numbers]

Yeah, Trout isn’t Griffey, but MLB should at least be able to make him as famous as Jared Goff.

[verb_to_trust]

What about Jay Buhner?

[Simple Torture]

I've only scratched the surface of this one, but an interesting read incoming: some writers at The Ringer got a hold of the Reds' scouting reports from 1991-2003 (over 70,000 individual reports) and are working on a series detailing how scouting was conducted on the eve of the sabermetrics era. It starts where you might expect: Reds scouts were giddy at the prospect of trading for Griffey (interesting considering the convo we just had in here about his value), and many were down on Votto when they drafted him. Excited to read more of this.

https://www.theringer.com/mlb/2019/3/4/ ... a-findings

[lennytheweedwhacker]

not sure where to post this, but pretty cool:

https://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2019/2/ ... ycle-video

[Chris_H_2]

not sure where to post this, but pretty cool:

https://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2019/2/ ... ycle-video

take it to the suburu thread

[lennytheweedwhacker]

not sure where to post this, but pretty cool:

https://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2019/2/ ... ycle-video

take it to the suburu thread

please stop harassing me