Major League Baseball

[Boo Khaki]

I think the past week has finally sunk any chance at all the Pads had of getting hot and challenging for a WC spot. 

Same story it's been the entire season. Inability to win 1 run games, 3 in 4 are a LOBfest, they'll splurge for 10 runs then go 1,0,0,1,0 the rest of the week, produce nothing in high leverage situations, stare at meatballs down the middle and swing at anything off the plate, and there are clear signs that a few of the players don't put anything like the hustle into their efforts that they are pretending they do.

It has the reek of bad coaching and bad management about it, starting with nonsense like the Bogaerts contract when there was no hole at SS to begin with. I didn't understand the logic of that signing at the time and I still don't. Pads have a glaring deficiency at 1st Base and DH, it's a black hole in fact, so I can not for the life of me understand throwing that money at a 31 year old SS and guaranteeing him playing his preferred position when it doesn't address any sort of need.

It feels like a team-wide slump year but that's not actually true. Soto and Tatis are performing pretty much as expected, Kim has always been elite defensively but has now developed into an above average lead-off guy. Gary Sanchez is having a bit of a revival, Grish plays because of his defense not his bat, and if you look at team ERA and total runs scored the W/L doesn't really make sense. It's the inability to win close games, come up with clutch hits, and produce any sort of consistency is utterly killing the season. I think they only have one series sweep all year, they've lost comprehensively to the likes of the Pirates and Royals. 

"Bad team" doesn't really ring true either given some of the talent available, yet I can't help but look at last season and wonder if it is just the case that they aren't as good as people think. Getting to the NLCS totally masked the fact that April and September aside, they played .500 ball for the other 4 months. They were lucky to come out of the traps hot, and warmed up again after some serious clubhouse introspection after months of mediocrity, but they were also a faltering, screeching mess across the second half of 2021, so in reality it's been near on 3 years of utterly 'meh' production despite all the money being spent, and knocking off the Mets and Dodgers just looks like a bit of a fluke hot-streak.

Edited August 14, 2023 by Boo Khaki

[Craig fae the Vale]

Despite losing 2 out of 3 over the weekend to the League leading Orioles, the Mariners are on a great run of form and hovering around the final wild card spot. It's been an up and down season, but can hopefully keep this run of form going.  Four game series against a rank rotten Kansas City Royals starting tonight so a good chance to pick up some wins and regain the momentum. Thursday's game is a 7.10 first pitch over here, so should hopefully get to watch it if the IPTV server is playing ball.

[Zanetti]

5 hours ago, Craig fae the Vale said:

Despite losing 2 out of 3 over the weekend to the League leading Orioles, the Mariners are on a great run of form and hovering around the final wild card spot. It's been an up and down season, but can hopefully keep this run of form going.  Four game series against a rank rotten Kansas City Royals starting tonight so a good chance to pick up some wins and regain the momentum. Thursday's game is a 7.10 first pitch over here, so should hopefully get to watch it if the IPTV server is playing ball.

The Seattle Baltimore series was incredible to watch, it had a real postseason energy. Cedric Mullins had to turn into Superman to finally win it.

[Craig fae the Vale]

6 minutes ago, Zanetti said:

The Seattle Baltimore series was incredible to watch, it had a real postseason energy. Cedric Mullins had to turn into Superman to finally win it.

T-Mobile Park has a real knack of making even the most run of the mill game feel special. I was there for a game in 2018, mid July, both teams having below average seasons and the atmosphere was incredible. 

I can only imagine what it must feel like when the team has something to play for. Will hopefully get back for another game in the future.

[Zanetti]

10 minutes ago, Craig fae the Vale said:

T-Mobile Park has a real knack of making even the most run of the mill game feel special. I was there for a game in 2018, mid July, both teams having below average seasons and the atmosphere was incredible. 

I can only imagine what it must feel like when the team has something to play for. Will hopefully get back for another game in the future.

The Friday night game was especially bouncing given the score, but the O's did well to grind out a series win. I could definitely see the Mariners ending the season in a wild card position though.

[Boo Khaki]

Ack... Tony Gwynn Junior in the booth with Don Orsillo. Freaks me out because he sounds so much like his father. 

[Craig fae the Vale]

Mariners beat the Royals 6-4 to win the 4 game series. Julio Rodriguez went 5-for-5 with 5 RBI's. Some performance. 

[Zanetti]

Gunnar Henderson is an absolute monster, can't believe he only just turned 22. It is frankly absurd that Baltimore drafted him and Adley Rutschman in the same year.

[Boo Khaki]

Ha-Seong Kim Grand Slam.

I can die a happy man 

[Craig fae the Vale]

Mariners on an eight game win streak and now only one game back from the Division lead. Absolutely adore this team!

[Zanetti]

Are the Yankees going to 10 games in a row for the first time since 1913?

Find out tonight!

[Savage Henry]

Ohtani has torn his UCL.  Very often a precursor to Tommy John surgery.  That’s probably going to knock $200,000,000 off his next contract.  

[Craig fae the Vale]

That Ohtani news has definitely hurt his value in free agency. Apparently seeking a second opinion on whether he needs the Tommy John.

[Savage Henry]

35 minutes ago, Craig fae the Vale said:

That Ohtani news has definitely hurt his value in free agency. Apparently seeking a second opinion on whether he needs the Tommy John.

Which means he needs Tommy John. 

[Craig fae the Vale]

5 minutes ago, Savage Henry said:

Which means he needs Tommy John. 

Almost certainly.

[Boo Khaki]

I think the Ohtani injury elevates the Pads as serious contenders to throw silly money at him. It might scare a few other suitors off, but I wouldn't be surprised at all to see Preller just go ahead and offer the $500m or so being spoken about prior to the injury.

In reality, when the Pads are finally eliminated this season then Preller should be fired, but I doubt that happens, and given they bought at the deadline there is no sign at all of them thinking twice about throwing around even more of Seidler's money. I think they'll  try to bring back Snell, but they may as well let Hader walk since they only let him pitch about once a week anyway.

[Savage Henry]

1 hour ago, Boo Khaki said:

I think the Ohtani injury elevates the Pads as serious contenders to throw silly money at him. It might scare a few other suitors off, but I wouldn't be surprised at all to see Preller just go ahead and offer the $500m or so being spoken about prior to the injury.

In reality, when the Pads are finally eliminated this season then Preller should be fired, but I doubt that happens, and given they bought at the deadline there is no sign at all of them thinking twice about throwing around even more of Seidler's money. I think they'll  try to bring back Snell, but they may as well let Hader walk since they only let him pitch about once a week anyway.

Yeah, that can’t be any fun.   Did the Padres not gut their farm system too?  With the exception of the Rockies, the NL West is churning out prospects left, right and centre.   The Diamondbacks and Giants are playing with teams of 20 year olds at the moment.  Tank and replenish, I say.
 

Throwing money at everyone results in diminishing returns.  Ohtani is a generational talent - maybe a historical talent - so I can see why any team would throw money at him though.   His bat alone as an everyday DH is worth a few Bob.   It’s just a shame that he’s never going to get the money he’s worth.  He spent his Angels contract on a shite team making league minimum, and now this.  
 

Dodgers and Braves, though.  Light years ahead of the National League.   I’m not sure how they do it, but I really wish teams would stop trading with the Dodgers.  Getting Mookie Betts for bugger all should have been the first warning sign. 

[Boo Khaki]

Pads have been trading away prospects left and right, but they still have a few really promising talents on the horizon.

Ethan Salas has only just turned 17 and he's tearing up AA. Jackson Merrill is probably a year or two off the Majors, but I'm not sure what they do with another talented SS since the Pads already have natural SS's playing all 4 infield positions, and Tatis Jr playing RF/CF.

I have this sinking feeling that they have already thrown so much money at the likes of Bogaerts that when it finally stops it'll be Kim that doesn't get a deal, which is bloody stupid, because he's really the guy who has performed no matter what, pushes himself constantly, and is more deserving of big money than anyone else.

[Savage Henry]

1 hour ago, Boo Khaki said:

Pads have been trading away prospects left and right, but they still have a few really promising talents on the horizon.

Ethan Salas has only just turned 17 and he's tearing up AA. Jackson Merrill is probably a year or two off the Majors, but I'm not sure what they do with another talented SS since the Pads already have natural SS's playing all 4 infield positions, and Tatis Jr playing RF/CF.

I have this sinking feeling that they have already thrown so much money at the likes of Bogaerts that when it finally stops it'll be Kim that doesn't get a deal, which is bloody stupid, because he's really the guy who has performed no matter what, pushes himself constantly, and is more deserving of big money than anyone else.

I presume you don’t expect Soto to re-up?   I also presume you aren’t as bothered by that as you once would have been?   He’s got DH for the Yankees written all over him. 

[Boo Khaki]

Soto is difficult to call.

I see no reason at all why the Pads shouldn't try to sign him up, because if they are happy to throw 10 year deals at Manny, Bogaerts, Darvish etc, then it makes no sense to not bother doing the same for as equally as talented a guy who is only 24-25. I think it will depend on just how much money Seidler is willing to spend, and whether or not they actually value Soto producing at the level he is currently. 

I think there are fundamental problems at a coaching level inside the Pads org. They don't really have a hitting coach, and I think it shows in the fact that the hitters don't just blow hot and cold as expected, they tend to fall into periods whereby there are really obvious flaws in the approach or mechanics, and it goes unaddressed for weeks or months on end. Soto was rolling over the top of everything and hitting endless soft grounders to 2nd at the start of the year. He'd shaken that off by June, got hot for a couple of months and hit like you'd expect, then all of a sudden in August he's straight back to the exact same stuff we saw in April and May. 

If Soto was hitting consistently like he has shown he can, then even given the fact he's a liability in the OF I can't think of any reason why the Pads wouldn't re-sign him, but given the inconsistency, even though I suspect that is in part down to the Pads own organisational failings, I wouldn't be surprised if they let him walk, then he goes on to be a 40 Homer/100 walk guy for 10 years somewhere else. 

And yeah, I have no idea why he doesn't DH for the Pads beyond the fact that egos wont permit it. He's the obvious solution, and it would also mean they could play an OF who isn't a defensive liability.