MLB 2018 regular season thread

Actually, I don't mind a bit. Especially this year when the break was so late. It's nice to have a day or two without sports.

 

Not that anyone asked for my solution, but play the Futures Game on Monday (instead of Sunday, competing with the final day of the schedule), Home Run Derby Tuesday and the game on Wednesday. Keep Thursday off for players to reunite with their teams.

But this is too logical for a commissioner who hates intentional walks and wants to put a runner on second automatically in extra innings.

 

Odd criticisms.

 

I guess the O's got a lot considering Manny is a rental.

 

They could play the Futures Game on Sunday night since there's no night game. Was flipping back and forth with that and a few other games on Sunday.

 

Potentially a lot. But, hey, sounds like the Baysox will be fun to watch for the next couple of years.

 

21 year old at AA with more walks than strikeouts this season and some power. If he can play center, that is a great return.

 

Indians suddenly are back in the discussion for the AL pennant with the trade for Brad Hand and Adam Cimber if — and that's a big if — Andrew Miller can get healthy and Cody Allen can get back on track. The rest of that team is good enough, just needed a bullpen. Also extends their contention window another year or two once Miller and Allen bolt next offseason.

Having a 1-3 of Kluber, Bauer and Carrasco and a bullpen of Miller, Hand and Allen is championship quality.

But Mejia is a steep price.

 

At least the Indians paid from a position of strength. They've got Gomes and/or Perez locked up thru 2022 and seem happy with them. Plus they already traded Mejia once, in the thwarted Jonathan Lucroy trade, so they know they can live without him.

 

The way Tito Francona always talked about Mejia, in lukewarm terms, I always assumed he knew he'd be trade fodder. Then when they called him up for that game last week, it was pretty clear they were showcasing him.

 

I thought as much, too. The problem with Mejia is that he may not stick at catcher and I'm not sure his bat is that special if he's playing somewhere else.

In terms of value, it's a bit like Joe Mauer, whose value dropped considerably once he stopped catching. The difference is that Mauer was a hell of a defensive catcher. From what I've read about Mejia, at best, his glove isn't quite ready for the majors yet.

 

The AL is pretty much seperated into postseason and non postseason already. Seattle and Oakland battle for the final spot. Angels and Tampa really have to show something special to get into the finals Wild Card contention. But do the Yankees and Severino or Boston and Sale really lose the play-in game?

The Nationals only leave the east coast twice for the rest of the season. Cubs/Cards road trip and they end the season in Colorado. They see Miami, the Mets and the Reds (25 games) enough to get back into playoff race