TheRotofeed

Brewers Provide Updates On Corey Knebel, Others

Steve Adams — Wed, 03 Jun 2020 02:28:11 +0000

The Brewers had a wide slate of injured players during Spring Training — some expected to be key contributors in 2020 — and president of baseball operations David Stearns tells Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee-Journal Sentinel that most are progressing well through their rehab.

Former closer Corey Knebel, who underwent Tommy John surgery last spring, is “getting pretty close” to being able to join the bullpen mix, per Stearns. He’s been on a throwing program and seemingly hasn’t had any setbacks, though Stearns noted that the final test is always to see how players fare in competitive settings with adrenaline flowing, and that obviously hasn’t been possible during the COVID-19 shutdown.

It’s easy to forget just how important Knebel was to the Brewers’ bullpen prior to his injury. Josh Hader’s breakout as MLB’s strikeout king has somewhat overshadowed Knebel, but the two form one of baseball’s best late-inning tandems when both are healthy. From 2017-18, Knebel gave the Brewers 151 1/3 frames of 2.54 ERA ball (2.74 FIP) with a ridiculous 14.7 K/9 and a 40.2 percent overall strikeout rate. He agreed to a $5.125MM salary this offseason — the same as in 2019 — and is under club control through the 2021 season.

Shortstop Luis Urias should be up to speed once play is able to resume, Haudricourt writes. Stearns notes that Urias was already close to getting into Spring Training games at the time of the league shutdown, and he’s of course now had nearly three additional months to mend from the fractured hamate bone he sustained during winter ball. Urias was acquired in the trade that sent Trent Grisham and Zach Davies to the Padres. And while lefty Eric Lauer, the other player the Brewers landed in that swap, was slowed by shoulder troubles this spring, he’s healed up and should be in the rotation competition again when Spring Training 2.0 kicks off (assuming an agreement is reached).

Both players could well hold important roles for the Brewers in 2020 and for years to come. Onetime top prospect Orlando Arcia has yet to seize the everyday role at shortstop, opening the door for Urias — a touted prospect in his own right but one who the Padres felt comfortable dealing to upgrade in other areas. The 22-year-old Urias hasn’t hit in the Major yet but did turn in a ridiculous .315/.398/.600 slash in 73 Triple-A games last year (137 wRC+).

As for Lauer, the 2016 first-rounder was a quick riser to the Major, debuting in 2018. Since that time he’s tossed 261 2/3 innings of 4.40 ERA ball with 8.2 K/9, 3.3 BB/9, 1.20 HR/9 and a 38.9 percent grounder rate. He’s likely more of a mid-rotation or back-of-the-rotation arm, but for a Brewers club that uses its pitching staff in less conventional manners than many other clubs, there could be some ideas to maximize his effectiveness through the use of openers, limiting times through the order, etc. He’s controllable all the way through 2024, so whatever games are able to be played in 2020 will serve as a proving ground of sorts for Lauer. With Brett Anderson lined up for free agency in the 2020-21 offseason, there’s a clear path to innings in future seasons if Lauer or another young Brewers hurler impresses when play resumes.

D-backs, Cubs Owners On Schedule Proposals, Revenue Losses

Steve Adams — Wed, 03 Jun 2020 00:13:37 +0000

As MLB’s 30 owners and the Players Association clash over the length of a potential 2020 season — the MLBPA recently proposed a 114-game length, while ownership recently suggested as few as 50 to 60 games — Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick offered some strong objection to the notion of pushing the regular-season schedule into November. Appearing on the Burns & Gambo Show on 98.7 FM Arizona Sports, Kendrick rebuked the notion of November play (hat tip to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, on Twitter):

We don’t want to take the risk of putting our players at jeopardy and our game in peril to be playing games beyond the end of October. So our model is and will never be changed that we will not be playing baseball in the month of November or later.

It’s never been likely that the league would accept the union’s 114-game proposal, but Kendrick’s strong words are of particular note given that the union’s plan called for the regular season to conclude on Halloween. Kendrick’s framing of the issue as one that puts players first seems dubious; it’s been reported for weeks that the league has concerns that additional spikes in COVID-19 cases could jeopardize the postseason, where they’d stand to make considerable revenue from national television broadcasts (particularly with an expanded playoff field).

Meanwhile, Cubs owner Tom Ricketts again bemoaned a lack of revenue to ESPN’s Jesse Rogers, claiming that most owners don’t profit much from their teams:

[Owners] raise all the revenue they can from tickets and media rights, and they take out their expenses, and they give all the money left to their GM to spend. The league itself does not make a lot of cash. I think there is a perception that we hoard cash and we take money out and it’s all sitting in a pile we’ve collected over the years. Well, it isn’t.

Ricketts contends that the Cubs derive 70 percent of their revenue from gamedays (ticket sales, concessions, parking, etc.) and that his team is hoping to salvage 20 percent of its would-be revenue in 2020. Of course, that’s the very type claim that has caused the MLBPA to bristle not only throughout negotiations to resume play but for decades prior. The union has repeatedly requested that ownership provide transparent documentation of the potential losses they’re claiming in 2020, but owners don’t appear likely to ever acquiesce on that issue.

Asked about agent Scott Boras recently using Ricketts and the Cubs as an example of suspect claims regarding their revenue, Ricketts merely replied that Boras “doesn’t have any insight into our balance sheet.” He also called the losses facing owners throughout the league “biblical” and spoke at length on his belief that revenue sharing between MLB and the MLBPA is a worthwhile concept to explore in the next CBA. The notion of revenue-sharing has been a total nonstarter for the union.

Jim Harbaugh, Michigan football players march in peaceful protest in Ann Arbor

John Buhler — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 23:24:36 +0000

Jim Harbaugh and Michigan football players marched in a peaceful protest. Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh let his actions do the talking on Tuesday in a peaceful protest against police brutality and racial injustice. Harbaugh walked in Ann Arbor, home of the University of Michigan alongside many protestors seeking justice for George Floyd’s murder […]

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Batwoman may not recast Kate Kane after all

Kimberley Spinney — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 22:51:28 +0000

Kate Kane may not be recast on Batwoman after all When Ruby Rose announced that she would not be returning as the titular character of Batwoman on The CW series, fans were shocked and confused. After all, how can you have a Batwoman without the woman who actually brings the character to life? Well, if […]

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Roswell delivers an epic twist with the help of Liz’s mom

Kimberley Spinney — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 21:50:41 +0000

Roswell, New Mexico is setting up an epic twist to the story Roswell, New Mexico is gearing up for their final episode of season 2, and that means delivering some epic moments in episode 11, “Linger.” Not only do we get to see Diego, Liz’s ex-fiance, making a surprise return (anyone else questioning his motives), […]

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The Sleeper and the Bust Episode: 815 – ADP Player Battles

Paul Sporer — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 21:49:22 +0000

06/02/20

The latest episode of “The Sleeper and the Bust” is live. Support the show by subscribing to Fangraphs! With a standard $20 membership, you help maintain and improve our database of stats and graphs as well as our staff of 8 full-time employees and over 50 contributors. The premium ad-free membership at $50 year supports site growth and also includes faster load speeds and better site performance. You can also support monthly for just $3.

Follow us on Twitter

@sporer – Host
@justinmasonfwfb – Co-Host/Producer

NOTABLE TRANSACTIONS/INJURIES/RUMORS

2020 Season Outlook

ADP FALLERS

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As usual, don’t hesitate to tweet us or comment with fantasy questions.

You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or via the feed. Please rate & review the show in iTunes letting us know what you think!

Approximately 70 minutes of joyous analysis.

Chris Ellis, Oscar Hernandez Among Cardinals’ Minor League Releases

Steve Adams — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 21:20:57 +0000

Right-hander Chris Ellis and catcher Oscar Hernandez were among the 33 minor leaguers released by the Cardinals in the final week of May, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports (Twitter thread). Right-hander Johnny Hellweg was also cut loose. Jones’ thread has additional names from each level of the Cardinals’ system, though none of the bunch has any MLB experience.

Each of Ellis, Hernandez and Hellweg has had a fleeting look at the Majors. Ellis was a Rule 5 pick of the Royals in 2018 and subsequently tossed one inning in Kansas City last year before being returned to the Cards. The 27-year-old has been moved in a pair of notable trades, going from the Angels to the Braves alongside Sean Newcomb in the Andrelton Simmons swap before being flipped from Atlanta to St. Louis a year later in the Jaime Garcia deal. (The Braves also sent John Gant and Luke Dykstra to the Cards in that deal.) Ellis had a nice year between Double-A and Triple-A in 2018, but he was rocked for a 7.18 ERA in 79 Triple-A frames in 2019.

Hernandez himself was once a top pick in the Rule 5 Draft, going from the Rays to the D-backs in 2014. He appeared in 22 games with Arizona but hit just .167/.239/.262 in 47 plate appearances. Now 26 years old, Hernandez signed a minor league deal with an invite to big league camp this winter. Despite a solid defensive reputation, he’s managed just a .210/.279/.336 slash in parts of three Triple-A campaigns.

Hellweg, 31, was once a rather well-regarded prospect himself. Originally a 16th-round pick by the Angels (2008), he was in the midst of a solid 2012 campaign at the Double-A level when the Halos flipped him, Jean Segura and Ariel Pena to the Brewers to rent ace Zack Greinke. He was hit hard in 30 2/3 frames with the Brewers and hasn’t pitched in the Majors since the 2013 season. Since then, he’s spent time with the Padres and the Pirates in addition to stints in the independent Canadian-American Association and Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. Like Hernandez, he’d inked a minor league deal with the Cards this winter.

Peter King’s NFL power rankings feature several surprises

Braulio Perez — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 20:53:39 +0000

Peter King is stirring the pot with his first rankings of an NFL season that is sure to be bonkers. NFL insider Peter King is no stranger to offering up controversial opinions. While he’s nowhere near Skip Bayless’ level, King can surely raise some eyebrows every now and then. Such was the case with his […]

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Will Michael Gallup prove more valuable than his ADP for 2020?

John Buhler — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 19:43:35 +0000

Will Michael Gallup prove to be a better value than his ADP for 2020? The Dallas Cowboys will throw the football under new head coach Mike McCarthy. Frankly, they did a good job of that under previous head coach Jason Garrett, but the passing game is McCarthy’s bread and butter. It’s what he did leading […]

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Sean Payton didn’t mince words in his statement on George Floyd

Josh Hill — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 19:40:44 +0000

Sean Payton made a strong statement on the death of George Floyd. Details matter and New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton is here to coach everyone up on exactly how to phrase conversations about police brutality. Payton took to social media to join the ongoing conversation as protests continue across the country in response […]

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The Winding Journey Of An All-Star Slugger

Connor Byrne — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 19:03:50 +0000

Twins designated hitter Nelson Cruz has carved out a fantastic career with a few different teams since he debuted in the majors a decade and a half ago. As you’ll see below, it has been quite an eventful journey for a player who has gone from relatively unheralded prospect to 401-home run hitter with six All-Star nods on his resume…

Professional Entry

The Dominican Republic native entered the pros with the Mets, who signed him as an 18-year-old amateur free agent in 1998, but he never took a professional at-bat with the franchise.

Prospect Status

Cruz was not a leaguewide elite prospect as he climbed his way to the majors. At his best, he ranked as Baseball America’s No. 8 Brewers prospect in 2006. BA rightly wrote then that Cruz, the Brewers’ minor league player of the year, possessed “well above average raw power,” though it also expressed concern over “holes in his swing.”

Early Career Trades

In the first of multiple trades Cruz has been involved in as a pro, the Mets sent him to the Athletics in August 2000 for infielder Jorge Velandia. However, Velandia was a nonentity in the majors for the Mets. He amassed 92 plate appearances with New York across three years and stumbled to a .149/.281/.216 line.
Like the Mets before them, the A’s gave up on a young Cruz, but only after he spent a few years in their system. In December 2004, Oakland dealt Cruz and right-hander Justin Lehr to the Brewers for infielder Keith Ginter. Unfortunately for the A’s, Ginter mustered a weak .161/.234/.263 line over 156 PA in 2005 – his lone season with the club. As mentioned earlier, Cruz was a productive Brewers minor leaguer, though he didn’t get much of a chance in the majors as a member of Milwaukee. Cruz made eight appearances and totaled seven PA in 2005.

Headed To The Site Of His Breakout

The Brewers traded Cruz and former slugger Carlos Lee to the Rangers for righty Francisco Cordero, lefty Julian Cordero, and outfielders Kevin Mench and Laynce Nix in July 2006. Let’s first address the non-Cruz pieces in that swap: Lee was a short-term success as a member of the Rangers, with whom he batted .322/.369/.525 with nine home runs in 260 PA. The Rangers didn’t make the playoffs, though, and Lee bolted for the Astros’ six-year, $100MM contract during the ensuing offseason. Francisco Cordero had a very nice run in Milwaukee, where he pitched to a 2.60 ERA with 11.6 K/9 and 60 saves in 90 innings from 2006-07. He left the Brewers for the Reds’ four-year, $46MM offer, which was then a record for a reliever. Julian Cordero never got past Single-A ball. Mench put up an unimpressive .256/.288/.403 line with nine HRs in 441 PA as a Brewer from 2006-07, while Nix collected a meager 61 PA with the club in parts of three seasons.

Overcoming Adversity

In hindsight, as effective as Lee and Francisco Cordero were after this trade, Cruz emerged as the most valuable piece for either team. It just took a few more years to finally happen. Cruz got off to a brutal start as a Ranger from 2006-07, when he combined to hit a dismal .231/.279/.384 with 15 HRs in 471 trips to the plate. Discouraged, the Rangers designated Cruz for assignment at the beginning of 2008, but they retained him after he cleared waivers. Cruz went on to mash 37 home runs in the minors that year, and he chipped in a tremendous .330/.421/.609 line and seven homers in 133 major league PA. That was truly the start of a fruitful run in Texas and in the majors as a whole. From 2009-13 as a Rangers regular, Cruz piled up 135 homers, batted .272/.331/.511 and won an ALCS MVP in 2011. To be clear, though, not everything went swimmingly for Cruz in the Lone Star State. The former outfielder’s defensive limitations helped lead to a catastrophic World Series loss to the Cardinals in 2011. Two years later, Cruz was hit with a 50-game suspension stemming from the Biogenesis scandal. However, Cruz contended he only took the substance to combat helicobacter pylori, a bacterial infection that caused a 40-pound weight loss.

Trips To Free Agency

The PED ban came at an especially inopportune time for Cruz, then a soon-to-be free agent; after rejecting the Rangers’ $14.1MM qualifying offer, he had to settle for a one-year, $8MM guarantee with the Orioles in February 2014. The move wound up as a positive for both sides, though, as Cruz rebuilt his stock as a member of a playoff team by slashing .271/.333/.525 and establishing a new career high with 40 homers.
Cruz returned to the open market the next offseason, but he did far better that time. In what looked like a questionable move by the Mariners, they handed Cruz a four-year, $57MM guarantee. As it turned out, Cruz more than lived up to his payday in Seattle, where he truly cemented himself as an all-world offensive player. He appeared in at least 144 games in each season from 2015-18 – a 1,967-PA stretch in which he racked up 163 homers, hit .284/.362/.546 and recorded an eye-popping 147 wRC+.
After his superb Seattle stint, Cruz reached free agency yet again prior to the 2019 campaign. And once again, the team that signed him came away happy. Cruz inked a one-year, $14.3MM guarantee with the Twins, though the pact also included a $12MM club option for 2020. Unsurprisingly, the Twins picked up that option after Cruz helped the team set an all-time single-season HR record (307) en route to 101 wins and a division title. Despite only appearing in 120 games, Cruz contributed 41 of those dingers. Pound for pound, it may have been his greatest season at the plate thus far – he registered a .311/.392/.639 line with a personal-high 163 wRC+.

It’s not exactly common to see a player thrive under three consecutive free-agent contracts, but Cruz has managed to accomplish the feat. He’ll have an opportunity to go 4 for 4 if he becomes a free agent again next winter. Although Cruz will turn 40 on July 1, his bat’s aging like fine wine, so it would seem unwise to doubt him.

Jeff Zimmerman Fantasy Baseball Chat

Jeff Zimmerman — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 18:06:42 +0000

Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks calls out NFL for its statement on George Floyd

Braulio Perez — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 17:38:59 +0000

Eric Kendrick is among those rolling their eyes at the NFL’s weak statement on George Floyd’s death. You can add Minnesota Vikings veteran linebacker Eric Kendricks to the long list of folks who were not happy with the NFL‘s statement following George Floyd’s death. With unrest and protests taking place throughout the United States, Kendricks […]

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Kansas City Chiefs: Bet on Clyde Edwards-Helaire to win Rookie of the Year

Braulio Perez — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 17:36:03 +0000

Clyde Edwards-Helaire winning Rookie of the Year in the Chiefs offense is the least surprising bet ever Believe it or not, the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense somehow managed to get even better after the Super Bowl-winning 2019 campaign. In the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Brett Veach and Co. went ahead and selected […]

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Jason Kelce reveals DeSean Jackson inspired him to speak out about George Floyd’s death

Braulio Perez — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 17:31:44 +0000

Jason Kelce and DeSean Jackson have shown just how close the Eagles brotherhood is Throughout the week, we’ve seen countless athletes take to social media to speak out about the unfortunate death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. While it’s taken some a little longer to come out and express their emotions, Eagles offensive lineman Jason […]

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Replacing Lester And Quintana

Tim Dierkes — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 17:00:48 +0000

At present, the Cubs have only two starting pitchers under contract for the 2021 season: Yu Darvish and Kyle Hendricks. The Cubs actually control Darvish through 2023 and Hendricks through ’24, so they’ll continue as rotation mainstays into their mid-30s. The pair combined for 355 2/3 innings of 3.72 ball in 2019, and they’ll earn a total of $36MM in 2021. It’s a good starting point, but the Cubs have to address 60% of their rotation before the 2021 season.

The Cubs’ Three Free Agents

Jon Lester’s time with the Cubs has been a clear success no matter what else happens, and he’ll never have to buy his own drink in Chicago. The lefty will turn 37 prior to the ’21 season. Is there a way he continues with the Cubs? The easiest path would be through his current contract, which guarantees his $25MM mutual option for 2021 with 200 innings pitched in 2020. Obviously Lester can’t reach that number in a shortened season, but such benchmarks would become prorated. Meaning if MLB teams play an 81-game season, Lester’s goal would become 100 innings.

Lester has averaged 5.62 innings per start over the past three years, so in a half-season he’d either need to go deeper into games or make 18 starts to reach 100 innings. In a recent chat with WEEI’s Rob Bradford, Lester talked about the need for pitchers to ramp up carefully to avoid injury, and it’s doubtful he’d push himself well past six innings per start just to get his option to vest. I suppose in the most extreme example, MLB could follow through on its 50-game schedule threat, dropping Lester’s benchmark to about 62 innings. He could theoretically pull that off in 10 starts, but it still seems physically risky to push to a level he hasn’t reached in years.

On the Cubs’ end, they likely prefer the $10MM buyout to locking Lester in for $25MM. So new manager and former Lester battery-mate David Ross could encounter a delicate situation, where if Lester somehow kicks off a 2020 season going deeper into games, Ross’ bosses might push for earlier hooks. Ultimately, though, I don’t expect Lester’s option to vest, in which case it’s a mutual one. It’s rare that both sides exercise such an option, meaning Lester would become a free agent. Working out a new short-term deal could be tricky, with the Cubs already on the hook for a significant $10MM buyout.

The Cubs also stand to lose Jose Quintana to free agency. Quintana, who will turn 32 prior to next season, hasn’t quite gotten the results the Cubs hoped for after giving up Eloy Jimenez and Dylan Cease for him in July 2017. In his time with the Cubs, Q has posted a 4.23 ERA over 429 2/3 innings. His impressive durability has remained intact, but the southpaw has dropped to about 5.4 innings per start since 2018. By a results-based measure, Baseball Reference WAR, Quintana was at just 1.4 in 2019. FanGraphs WAR, rooted in the Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) stat, puts him at a healthy 3.5 – rewarding respectable strikeout, walk, and home run numbers but ignoring his allowing 10.1 hits per nine innings.

Wherever you land on WAR, it’s fair to say Quintana projects to be better than 2019’s 4.68 ERA. 170 solid innings of 4.30 ball might be a reasonable expectation moving forward. It’s not clear yet on what the qualifying offer may look like if teams play a shortened 2020 season, so it’s impossible to say whether the Cubs would offer one. My guess is that they would not make the offer, instead maintaining their financial flexibility. That’s what they did with Cole Hamels last winter.

Though he’s penciled in as the Cubs’ fifth starter for 2020, Tyler Chatwood’s contract has been a bust for the Cubs, and he’ll surely be allowed to leave via free agency.

Internal Options

What options do the Cubs have to fill a rotation spot internally? There’s Alec Mills, the soft-tossing righty who turns 29 in November. Mills was a candidate for the Cubs’ fifth starter job this spring, so he’ll likely be in the mix next year as well. Adbert Alzolay, 26 next March, would be in the running again as well. Alzolay pitched 109 innings in total over the past two seasons, and Mills hasn’t been particularly successful even at Triple-A. Both pitchers are depth options, and if they’re favorites for a 2021 rotation job, it will be because they’re affordable.

Lefty Brailyn Marquez is the crown jewel of the Cubs’ farm system, but he’s yet to pitch above High A and projects for a 2022 ETA. Even that goal could be pushed back given the lack of a minor league season this year. The Cubs do have a few starters with experience at Double-A or above in Cory Abbott, Tyson Miller, and Justin Steele, all of whom have ceilings at as back-end starters according to Baseball America. The bottom line? The Cubs need to add at least two starters from outside before next season, and possibly three.

Free Agency

After paying a $7.6MM luxury tax bill for 2019, the Cubs were looking to stay under the $208MM payroll mark in 2020 as a means of resetting the escalating penalties. The Cubs won’t get a free reset if the 2020 season is canceled, but if games are played the club will likely maintain their goal of staying below the base tax threshold. It’s also possible that the luxury tax will be temporarily reduced in some way as part of the current negotiation between MLB and the players’ union, to grease offseason spending. If the Cubs don’t spend money during the 2020-21 offseason, I don’t expect the luxury tax to be the reason again.

Cubs owner Tom Ricketts recently claimed that “about 70 percent of the revenue that comes into our organization comes in on day of game.” He also said, “We’ve already lost half that season, so in a best-case scenario, we’re looking at recovering maybe 20 percent of our total income.” We’ll never know the real financial picture, but obviously the Cubs won’t make nearly as much money as they expected to in 2020. It’s easy to see this being the justification for modest free agent spending. Still, there almost has to be some money to spend if the salaries of Lester, Quintana, and Chatwood come off the books.

While some of the savings could be offset by arbitration raises for players like Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Kyle Schwarber, and Willson Contreras, it’s impossible to project what those arbitration raises will look like after a shortened season. I imagine we’d be subjected to a fundamental disagreement across baseball on whether a half-season should result in a half-raise, but at least there’s already a mechanism in place to settle that with arbitration hearings.

The free agent market will feature roughly 30 credible options, many of whom the Cubs have already tried. Aside from the trio mentioned above, there’s recent former Cubs Cole Hamels, Jeff Samardzija, Jake Arrieta, Brett Anderson, and Drew Smyly. If the Cubs seek innings, they could make a run at Trevor Bauer, who famously seeks a one-year deal with a team that will let him pitch every fourth day. With three vacancies, getting significant innings out of someone like Bauer could fit the Cubs better than an arguably better pitcher with a poor track record of durability, like James Paxton.

Though the market lacks a true ace, options abound with a solid group including Marcus Stroman, Mike Minor, Jake Odorizzi, Masahiro Tanaka, Robbie Ray, and Anthony DeSclafani. Feel free to explore next winter’s starting pitcher market further with this FanGraphs leaderboard I created. Even on a budget, the Cubs could plausibly target any of these guys.

The Trade Market

I’ve yet to see any concepts floated regarding in-season trading during a shortened 2020 campaign. At the least we can assume players will be traded in the offseason and starting pitchers will be available. The Cubs’ farm system is far from robust, but they do have minor league assets to consider trading. There’s also a good chance of the team trading Kris Bryant, who becomes eligible for free agency after 2021.

Even the teams that were clearly rebuilding for 2020 could adjust course if they somehow make a fluke run in a shortened season with expanded playoffs. Names like Matthew Boyd, Daniel Norris, Joe Musgrove, Jon Gray, Danny Duffy, Chris Archer, Jose Urena, and Nick Pivetta could reasonably be available, though we may be in for an unpredictable offseason.

Whatever path they choose, the Cubs seem likely to remake their rotation in a significant way for 2021. What do you expect them to do? Let us know in the comments.

Rolling In The Deep: Fishing In Murky Waters

Laura Holt — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 17:00:13 +0000

Well, I thought by the time June rolled around I'd be writing knowing whether or not a plan was in place for at least an attempt at baseball in 2020, but instead as I write this the immediate future of the MLB, along with much else in the world, is still painfully up in the air. As we all deal with everything going on around us, though, I don't think it's too self-indulgent to turn to a favorite past time/hobby/obsession/part-time job to help strengthen us mentally and emotionally -- and for the readers and writers here at Razzball, that past time, of course, is fantasy baseball. Since I've always been a fan of mining bad real-life MLB teams for deep-league value -- attempting to find treasure in the perceived trash pile that other owners may overlook completely -- we'll take one of those bad MLB teams and see what it might have to offer, especially for us deep leaguers. I'm choosing the Marlins, since for about five months now I've just had a feeling that they could be at least a bit better than folks expect, especially in fantasy terms (though in a shortened season with expanded playoffs, who knows what craziness could ensue). I've gone through my rosters, and here are the Marlins I have on multiple teams, all of whom I'd consider grabbing more shares of if and when I draft more teams for 2020. Let's see who on this team is leading the charge to make me think there might be something to see here...

Green Bay Packers fan-made new 2020 hype video and it will give you chills

Braulio Perez — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 16:51:38 +0000

A Green Bay Packers fan-made a hype clip that will fans ready to run through a wall Throughout the offseason, there’s been nothing but bad vibes surrounding the Green Bay Packers. As soon as Brian Gutekunst used a first-round pick on quarterback Jordan Love instead of getting some receiver help for future Hall of Famer […]

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Hall of Famer and 1969 NBA MVP Wes Unseld passes away at age 74

Brad Berreman — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 16:47:59 +0000

Basketball Hall of Famer Wes Unseld passed away on Tuesday morning at the age of 74. According to a statement from his family, Basketball Hall of Famer Wes Unseld passed away on Tuesday morning. He was 74 years old. “It is with profound sadness that we share that our adored husband, father, and grandfather Wes […]

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Ohio State football team makes powerful video calling for change

John Buhler — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 16:25:46 +0000

Ohio State football stands united in fight against racism with video. Ohio State football will not remain silent any longer. With the events surrounding George Floyd’s murder by a Minneapolis police officer, many people in this great country of ours have grown sick of racial injustice plaguing it. Our black brothers and sisters need us […]

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Star Wars: Latest rumors could mean a live-action Rebels sequel series

Sayre Bedinger — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 16:07:37 +0000

Recent rumors could mean a Star Wars Rebels live-action series is on deck. Now that Star Wars has officially (and very successfully) broken into the live-action TV realm with The Mandalorian, what’s next? The possibilities are endless, including the option of sequel series involving characters who have only appeared in animated series. Season two of The Mandalorian has already reportedly […]

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49ers fans should be concerned by George Kittle’s agent’s contract demands

Braulio Perez — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 15:53:56 +0000

John Lynch and the 49ers must be smart in their ongoing contract talks with All-Pro TE George Kittle Sooner or later, the San Francisco 49ers will have to open up their pocketbooks and shell out some serious dough for superstar tight end George Kittle. Inarguably one of the best tight end options out there, reports […]

49ers fans should be concerned by George Kittle’s agent’s contract demands - FanSided - FanSided - Sports News, Entertainment, Lifestyle & Technology - 300+ Sites

Latest On MLB, MLBPA

Connor Byrne — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 15:52:02 +0000

It’s well known that Major League Baseball owners and players have been at loggerheads over several important issues during the sport’s shutdown. One of the key disagreements centers on the length of a potential season. The union side proposed a 114-game campaign with full prorated salaries over the weekend, but the owners clearly have other ideas.

While they have already proposed a sliding pay scale based on an 82-game schedule, they’ve at least kicked around the idea of something in the vicinity of 50 games. Even as few as 42 contests is a possibility, according to Bill Shaikin and Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times. At least to the owners, that would offer some sort of season while mitigating teams’ monetary losses during a year in which there may not be any fans in the stands. MLB claims it would lose $4 billion if there’s an 82-game, spectator-less season in which the players would receive full prorated salaries.

As of now, however, a 50-game season doesn’t look like something the players are going to accept. Commissioner Rob Manfred is allowed to implement as long or short a schedule as he wants; however, as Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich of The Athletic reported earlier, the players may be able to object based on the agreement the sides made in March. That deal says the commissioner’s office must make “best efforts to play as many games as possible.”

The players, like the owners, have finances near the forefront of their minds during this standoff. The league’s potential proposal would entitle the players to prorated salaries, but it wouldn’t move the needle enough for them during a severely truncated campaign. As Travis Sawchik of FiveThirtyEight tweets, 50 games is “not acceptable” to the union side. Furthermore, Sawchik points out this potential proposal wouldn’t make nearly enough of a financial difference in the players’ minds. They’d earn roughly 31 percent of their pay – about the same total as owners offered in their first proposal – per Sawchik.

Beyond the money factor, there’s concern on the players’ side over whether a 50-game season would be worthwhile, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com explains. For instance, would it behoove the players to put themselves at greater risk for injury or contraction of the coronavirus during what would essentially be one-third of a typical season, wherein they’d earn far less money than expected? Rogers also wonders how such a shortened season could affect salaries down the line, as teams and players would have to weigh such a small sample of statistics in future contract talks.

This continue to look like a dire situation for the game, especially with time running out toward actually starting any kind of season (remember, the players would still have to go through another few weeks of spring training beforehand). Now, if the owners don’t offer another counter-proposal, the players will be “done” talking, Sawchik reports.

UFC 250: 5 keys to victory for Felicia Spencer

Nathan Grotenhuis — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 15:45:21 +0000

5 keys to victory for Felicia Spencer. Although she’s just three fights into her UFC run, Felicia Spencer will be fighting for championship gold on Saturday night. After soundly defeating Zarah Fairn dos Santos this past February, Spencer cemented her status as No.1 contender in the women’s featherweight division. However, the 29-year-old Spencer is not […]

UFC 250: 5 keys to victory for Felicia Spencer - FanSided - FanSided - Sports News, Entertainment, Lifestyle & Technology - 300+ Sites

Rob Gronkowski loses the WWE 24/7 championship to R-Truth on Raw

Thomas Albano — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 15:38:41 +0000

Rob Gronkowski loses the WWE 24/7 championship to R-Truth on Raw After virtually disappearing from WWE since hosting WrestleMania 36 and winning the 24/7 championship there, NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski dropped the championship to R-Truth during a filmed segment that aired on the June 1 edition of Raw. In the segment, in Foxborough, MA […]

Rob Gronkowski loses the WWE 24/7 championship to R-Truth on Raw - FanSided - FanSided - Sports News, Entertainment, Lifestyle & Technology - 300+ Sites

Latest On Carlos Carrasco

Connor Byrne — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 15:00:57 +0000

Right-hander Carlos Carrasco has been an eminently successful part of the Indians’ pitching staff since he broke out six years ago, but serious health problems knocked his life and career off course in 2019. It has been almost a full year since Carrasco was diagnosed with leukemia in July, but he made so much progress in his recovery that he was able to make a late-season return as part of Cleveland’s bullpen and earn AL Comeback Player of the Year honors.

Heading into spring training this year, Carrasco looked like a shoo-in to reclaim a spot in the Indians’ rotation. However, before the coronavirus shut down camp, the 33-year-old dealt with a hip flexor strain and inflammation in his pitching elbow. The latter problem threatened to sideline Carrasco for a normal Opening Day, but with the season having been delayed by more than two months so far, he may have a better chance of partaking in a “full” 2020 campaign.

Per Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com, Carrasco has continued to throw bullpen sessions and send videos of them to manager Terry Francona and Carl Willis. Carrasco has been a regular attendee of Indians workouts at Progressive Field. Those actions show Carrasco plans to pitch this year, as Hoynes writes, though he adds that the team’s “prioritized the health of their players and staff members above all else so that decision is still on hold.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cancer survivors are among those who are at the highest risk of contracting the coronavirus, which puts people like Carrasco in especially dangerous territory. But if he is able to take the mound this season, it should be a welcome sight for the club from both morale and on-field standpoints. Carrasco understandably saw his numbers dip in 2019, but he was a front-line starter over the previous five seasons – an 856-inning stretch in which he logged a 3.27 ERA with 10.13 K/9 and 2.05 BB/9.

Introducing The BAT X

Derek Carty — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 14:00:42 +0000

I haven’t been this excited to announce something since I first created THE BAT. Today I get to announce a brand new projection system I’m calling THE BAT Experimental (or THE BAT X)! These are now available on the FanGraphs player pages and as sortable projections.

THE BAT X is going to serve as a sort of drawing board for new ideas and innovations that I’m not quite ready to replace the tried-and-true, classic version of THE BAT with yet. Basically, it will be a set of projections that should be the best possible version of THE BAT, but which I’m not 100% certain of yet. The first of these THE BAT X innovations: Statcast data!

I’ve been meaning to fold Statcast into THE BAT since its inception, but I’ve always been too busy to find the time to do it the right way. With the delayed start to the 2020 MLB season, however, I’ve spent the past couple months diving deep into the world of Statcast data, evaluating what stats make hitters effective, what stats are the most stable, what stats are the most predictive, how player aging impacts them, what they can tell us about a player’s intentional approach, and all kinds of fun questions like that.

I evaluated 150+ variables, starting with the basics like average launch angle and exit velocity and then evaluating various deviations and subsets of launch angles, spray angles, exit velocities, hit qualities, and so on. League-wide HR rates spike over 20% between a launch angle of 23° and 34°? I want to see how that predicts future home runs. BABIPs start to plummet once the launch angle goes over 27° degrees? Yup, let’s throw that into the mix. What about a player’s maximum exit velocity? Or the top 5% of his exit velocities? Let’s see if that adds value. Sprint speed? Oh yeah, that’s gotta’ be in there too.

What I finally arrived at was a brand new projection system based entirely on Statcast data. Stability and regression to the mean, weighing of multiple years of data, aging curves, the works. But because Statcast data gives us better insight into a hitter’s intentional process-level decisions (i.e. hitters essentially have the ability to decide what kind of swing plane they want), I didn’t want to treat this exactly the same as a normal projection. (Normally, we kind of look at what a hitter did last year, look at what he did the years before, give a bit of extra weight to the more recent data but more or less just split the difference.) No, I wanted to know if a hitter who changes his approach is more likely to maintain that approach the following year.

Are there certain players for which last year matters more than it otherwise would? I’m not going to go into all of the secret sauce here, but it’s safe to say that there are indeed ways to project the continuance of an approach change, which is pretty damn fantastic. And it makes sense: if a player’s breakout last year was supported by peripherals, it should count more than if it didn’t, right? After all, he’s going to try to do the same thing again! The only appropriate name for this system, the only thing I could possibly think to call a projection system with THE BAT methodology and Statcast data, is… THE BATcast. I know; it’s pretty badass.

Of course, I didn’t stop there, because as great as Statcast data is, it’s not the whole story. Everything that goes into the classic version of THE BAT also has plenty of value, and so we really want both. That’s where THE BAT X comes in. I ran tests to find the optimal combination of THE BAT and THE BATcast to form a final projection: THE BAT X.

In theory (and according to back-tests I’ve run), THE BAT X is the best of the three systems. It should be, after all, since it starts with THE BAT and layers on valuable new information. We only have a few years of Statcast, though, and early years have some data missing. There’s also the issue of imputed data, which THE BATcast does its best to handle. Overall, given the small-ish sample, I’m not ready to say “This is the new THE BAT” and throw the old projections away, especially when the classic version of THE BAT has performed so well for DFS players and in season-long accuracy contests (Ariel Cohen found it to be the best non-aggregate system he tested over the past two years; at FantasyPros, it was found to be the best non-aggregate system in 2018 and the third-best in 2019 of the dozen-plus systems they tested).

Plus, keeping the original projections around affords us the added benefit of being able to compare projections for players. It will gives us the ability to look at what a hitter is projected to do just based on surface level stats, and what he is projected to be after incorporating more advanced stats. It could help us identify potential breakout players, players that may have fundamentally changed something about their game to make them better… or the reverse.

Take Alex Bregman. Every projection system here on FanGraphs (including THE BAT) pegs him for a wOBA between .390 and .395 and as the fifth-best hitter in MLB. THE BAT X, however, puts him at .381 – one of the largest negative differences for an elite hitter between THE BAT and THE BAT X. Bregman is obviously great, and his surface numbers have been fantastic, but is he a top 5 hitter in baseball? Probably not.

THE BAT X puts him outside the top 10. Why? Because his average exit velocity is only 1 mph above average. The average of his top 5% of exit velocities is 2 mph below average. The percentage of balls he hits above 100 mph? 7% below average. His Barrel rate was 16% above average in 2018, but it was 25% below average in 2019. None of that is good.

Bregman is a fantastic hitter, no doubt. The plate discipline is elite, and Statcast mostly just tells us new information about what happens after contact. But this is a great example of why we need both sides of this coin. The surface numbers are probably inflated given the fairly middling Statcast peripherals, but it also seems really unlikely that Bregman is below-average based solely on those peripherals when his actual results have been so outstanding (the dude hit 41 dingers last year—that didn’t happen by chance).

There are surely things the Statcast data can’t capture that show up in the surface numbers. THE BAT X combines the best of both worlds, and comparing it to the classic version of THE BAT will allow us to see which players may be playing over their heads and which may be underperforming and are primed for a breakout.

Here is a list of the top and bottom players heading into 2019 that THE BAT X either liked or disliked more than THE BAT. As you can see, THE BAT X did an excellent job and identifying both riser and faller candidates.

Players THE BAT X liked more than THE BAT (wOBA)

Player	THE BAT	THE BAT X	Difference	Actual 2019
Teoscar Hernandez	.314	.333	.019	.325
Mitch Moreland	.314	.331	.017	.347
Scott Kingery	.291	.307	.016	.329
Lewis Brinson	.295	.310	.015	.205
Hunter Pence	.295	.308	.013	.377
Jackie Bradley Jr.	.311	.324	.013	.314
David Bote	.299	.312	.013	.336
Kendrys Morales	.313	.325	.012	.264
Jesse Winker	.335	.347	.012	.351
Aledmys Diaz	.312	.324	.012	.345
Luke Voit	.326	.338	.012	.360
Jose Abreu	.351	.363	.012	.344
Jake Cave	.302	.313	.011	.343
Trea Turner	.339	.350	.011	.356
Marcell Ozuna	.351	.361	.010	.336
Ronald Acuña	.356	.366	.010	.369
Jason Heyward	.311	.321	.010	.328
Nelson Cruz	.355	.365	.010	.417
Chad Pinder	.313	.323	.010	.298
Ketel Marte	.322	.332	.010	.405

Players THE BAT X liked less than THE BAT (wOBA)

Player	THE BAT	THE BAT X	Difference	Actual 2019
Billy Hamilton	.282	.262	-.02	.251
Mallex Smith	.317	.301	-.016	.278
Dee Gordon	.304	.288	-.016	.282
Jesus Aguilar	.339	.324	-.015	.307
Michael Conforto	.359	.345	-.014	.358
Jake Lamb	.333	.319	-.014	.297
Brandon Crawford	.316	.303	-.013	.281
Didi Gregorius	.335	.322	-.013	.298
Jonathan Villar	.307	.294	-.013	.335
Jonathan Schoop	.321	.309	-.012	.324
Daniel Murphy	.341	.329	-.012	.328
Eugenio Suarez	.350	.338	-.012	.381
Martin Prado	.299	.288	-.011	.243
Ender Inciarte	.317	.306	-.011	.318
Asdrubal Cabrera	.328	.317	-.011	.331
Yasmani Grandal	.329	.318	-.011	.361
J.D. Martinez	.388	.377	-.011	.386
Miguel Rojas	.298	.288	-.010	.305
Eric Hosmer	.336	.326	-.010	.309
Matt Adams	.336	.326	-.010	.306

Of the top 20 players THE BAT X liked more than THE BAT, 15 finished 2019 with a wOBA higher than their projected wOBA in THE BAT. On the other side, 13 finished 2019 with a wOBA lower than their projected wOBA in THE BAT.

Here’s the lists for 2020. Update your fantasy cheat sheets accordingly.

Players THE BAT X likes more than THE BAT in 2020 (wOBA)

Player	THE BAT	THE BAT X	Difference
Mookie Betts	.376	.396	.020
Andrew Benintendi	.332	.349	.017
Lewis Brinson	.270	.286	.016
Gio Urshela	.305	.320	.015
Avisail Garcia	.326	.341	.015
Yandy Diaz	.322	.337	.015
Teoscar Hernandez	.313	.328	.015
Jose Abreu	.339	.352	.013
Mitch Moreland	.319	.332	.013
Brandon Lowe	.326	.338	.012
Rougned Odor	.312	.324	.012
Ryan Zimmerman	.324	.336	.012
Nomar Mazara	.322	.334	.012
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.	.350	.362	.012
Howie Kendrick	.340	.352	.012
Dansby Swanson	.317	.328	.011
Shohei Ohtani	.347	.358	.011
Luke Voit	.337	.348	.011
Starlin Castro	.326	.337	.011
Brandon Drury	.295	.306	.011

Players THE BAT X likes less than THE BAT in 2020 (wOBA)

Player	THE BAT	THE BAT X	Difference
Kurt Suzuki	.334	.316	-.018
Ender Inciarte	.309	.293	-.016
Omar Narvaez	.331	.315	-.016
< Alabama football schedule 2020: Predicting every Crimson Tide game Cody Williams — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 14:00:12 +0000 Picking every game on the 2020 Alabama football schedule. The Alabama football schedule is tougher than is normally is with a season-opening date with USC and Georgia in September but the Crimson Tide is poised to contend for another national title. The 2019 season was entirely uncharacteristic for Alabama football under the watch of head […] Alabama football schedule 2020: Predicting every Crimson Tide game - FanSided - FanSided - Sports News, Entertainment, Lifestyle & Technology - 300+ Sites Henry Ruggs III’s injury should concern Raiders fans Mark Powell — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 13:58:44 +0000 Oakland Raiders rookie Henry Ruggs III suffered a thigh injury during his move. Rumors of a Henry Ruggs III injury injury swirled on Monday, as the Raiders rookie suffered a freak thigh ailment during a move. His father later confirmed said report after the Raiders released a vague statement highlighting his medical privacy. However, regardless […] Henry Ruggs III’s injury should concern Raiders fans - FanSided - FanSided - Sports News, Entertainment, Lifestyle & Technology - 300+ Sites The Whiteboard: Dispatches from the multiverse, where the Rockets win it all Ian Levy — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 13:57:43 +0000 The Whiteboard is The Step Back’s daily basketball newsletter, covering the NBA, WNBA and more. Subscribe here to get it delivered to you via email each morning. The concept of the multiverse posits that there are infinite parallel universes, each an echo of every other, and that, collectively, they represent every possible variation of the […] The Whiteboard: Dispatches from the multiverse, where the Rockets win it all - FanSided - FanSided - Sports News, Entertainment, Lifestyle & Technology - 300+ Sites Quick Hits: Bitsko, AFL, Minor League Pay, Boras Connor Byrne — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 13:29:39 +0000 With the draft fast approaching, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.com profiles Pennsylvania high school right-hander Nick Bitsko, who ranks among the highest-upside pitcher in this year’s class. Bitsko could go anywhere from the top 10 to the late 30s, per McDaniel, who reports that he has recently helped his stock with Zoom interviews and social media videos showcasing his enticing repertoire. While teams haven’t gotten an extensive look at Bitsko in person, McDaniel explains that the 17-year-old features a fastball that reached 98.5 mph last week and has so much spin that it could be near the top of the majors in that category already. Bitsko also has a pair of breaking balls that have the potential to turn into “above-average” offerings in the bigs, according to McDaniel, who goes into greater detail on those pitches in his piece. It’s worth a read for those interested in learning about an intriguing draft prospect. More from around the game… There may not be any minor league season in 2020, but that could be made up for to an extent with an extended Arizona Fall League campaign. The AFL season usually runs from September to October, but a 2020 version could begin “within weeks” of a potential Opening Day in the majors, Josh Norris and J.J. Cooper of Baseball America report. The MLB and MLBPA would first have to agree to a season, and Norris and Cooper highlight other roadblocks (including financial issues). But if a longer AFL season does come to fruition, all 30 teams would send a roster of prospects to their spring training sites to play games. It’s possible each of those clubs would also have “a second lower level” prospect team, Norris and Cooper write. A few more teams have committed to paying their minor leaguers for at least the next handful of weeks. The Tigers’ farmhands will continue to earn $400 per week, and there’s “no end in sight,” Chris McCosky of the Detroit News tweets. The club’s also not planning to cut any minor leaguers as of now, McCosky adds. The Rockies, meanwhile will pay their minor leaguers through at least June, according to Thomas Harding of MLB.com. The Yankees are taking the same approach as Colorado, James Wagner of the New York Times relays. Super-agent Scott Boras is taking action to make sure his released minor league clients still receive compensation, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network. Boras, who called those releases “completely unanticipated,” will personally pay all of those players their expected salaries for 2020. Justin Fields just extended his Heisman lead over Trevor Lawrence without even playing John Buhler — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 13:15:59 +0000 Justin Fields may bring the Heisman Trophy back to Ohio State. With Justin Fields at quarterback, the Ohio State Buckeyes are poised to contend for the national championship and could add another Heisman winner in the process. Fields is coming off a Heisman finalist campaign the year prior when he helped guide the Buckeyes to […] Justin Fields just extended his Heisman lead over Trevor Lawrence without even playing - FanSided - FanSided - Sports News, Entertainment, Lifestyle & Technology - 300+ Sites Heisman Watch: Trevor Lawrence’s Heisman campaign takes hit with loss of Justyn Ross John Buhler — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 12:30:05 +0000 Without Justyn Ross, Trevor Lawrence’s Heisman bid just got tougher. 2020 was supposed to be The Year of Trevor Lawrence. Then again, it still may very well be. Though Clemson is viewed as the betting favorite to win the 2021 College Football Playoff, Lawrence may have suffered a hit he may not be able to overcome […] Heisman Watch: Trevor Lawrence’s Heisman campaign takes hit with loss of Justyn Ross - FanSided - FanSided - Sports News, Entertainment, Lifestyle & Technology - 300+ Sites 2020 Prospect Opportunities — Royals Mike Podhorzer — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 12:15:04 +0000 Today, we continue with the American League Central teams in our 2020 Prospect Opportunities series, as I move along to the Royals. 1B At Risk: Ryan O’Hearn Replacement: Ryan McBroom After a fabulous 2018 cup of coffee that saw him wOBAing .398, Ryan O’Hearn came crashing down to Earth last season. His ISO was nearly cut in half, while his BABIP plummeted. I think there’s some rebound potential here, but he remains at great risk for losing his job…again. Luckily, the Royals severely lack true first base prospects, and while they could stick someone like Hunter Dozier there, that would just be shuffling players around who already have starting jobs. At this point, the only reasonable replacement option seems to be Ryan McBroom, who they acquired from the Yankees late last season. He was given an immediate opportunity, but failed to impress, posting just a .318 wOBA, which was inflated by a ridiculous .440 BABIP. That said, he enjoyed a power breakout at Triple-A in 2019, posting an ISO over .200 for the first time and HR/FB a smidge over 20%. He doesn’t swing and miss too often, even if his strikeout rate has been high at times. While there’s clearly nothing to be too excited about here, there’s a real possibility he earns a starting role and is acceptable in AL-Only leagues. 2B At Risk: Nicky Lopez Replacement: Matt Reynolds Nicky Lopez only struck out five times over 138 plate appearances, for a microscopic 3.6% rate, at Triple-A! Granted, it’s a rather small sample size, but he’s always posted strong strikeout rates, never exceeding 11.5%, so this wasn’t a complete fluke, even if it’s obviously not repeatable. That alone got fantasy owners interested when he was called up. Unfortunately, he failed at the big league level as his BABIP retreated below .300 and he hit for little power. That resulted in a sad .260 wOBA, meaning he has no firm grasp of a job. Luckly, the team has weak replacement options. At age 29 now, Matt Reynolds is no prospect, but he enjoyed a power breakout last season at Triple-A, posting an ISO over .200 and HR/FB rate over 20% for the first time. Of course, it was his sixth stint at Triple-A, but maybe he really did figure something out, especially given that he was generally sitting in the mid-single digits in HR/FB rate previously. He also owns pretty good plate discipline, making him a true darkhorse fantasy contributor. 3B At Risk: Maikel Franco Replacement: None The Royals just signed Maikel Franco, so you assume they’ll give him a long leash. But it shouldn’t mean he couldn’t play himself out of a job after posting two sub-.300 wOBA marks in the last three seasons, including a sad .281 mark last year. Yet again, the team has a precious lack of replacement options outside of shuffling the deck chairs. Kelvin Gutierrez is the closest, but he doesn’t need to be anywhere near your fantasy radar. SP At Risk: Mike Montgomery & Jorge Lopez Replacement: Jackson Kowar Upon landing in Kansas City last year, Mike Montgomery did what he normally did — miss few bats, show acceptable control, and generate around 50% grounders. He’s at the mercy of his defense and home park, which means he found a good landing spot. But still, the soft skills make him a risky bet. Jorge Lopez can’t seem to translate his mid-90s fastball into strikeouts, so he stands with a 5.89 career ERA. Jackson Kowar is the team’s sixth best prospect, and really the only upper minors starting pitcher who seemingly has any fantasy potential right now. He hasn’t pitched at Triple-A yet, though, so he’s unlikely to make the rotation when/if the season begins, and assuming no minor league season, it means we wouldn’t see him until 2021 the earliest. He’s armed with a 65 grade changeup and a mid-90s fastball, which have resulted in SwStk% marks around 13% at each of his minor league stops. Even better is that his strikeout rate has risen at each stint, reaching 25.2% in his latest. He has also shown good control, with a walk rate just below 7% last year. MLB Could Propose Shorter Schedule With Prorated Salaries Connor Byrne — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 12:05:44 +0000 JUNE 2: While the league may implement a 50- or 60-game schedule, the union could object to it based on March’s agreement, which says the commissioner’s office must put forth its “best efforts to play as many games as possible,” per Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich of The Athletic (subscription required). Regardless, the two sides aren’t making much progress, nor have they scheduled further negotiations. As Rosenthal and Drellich point out, if MLB and the MLBPA are going to meet in the middle for an 82-game season that starts July 4, time’s running out. For that to happen, the players would have to be back in spring training by the middle of this month. JUNE 1, 10:09pm: The two sides remain far apart in talks, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports in a piece that’s worth reading in full. In regards to the counter-proposal the union made over the weekend, deputy commissioner Dan Halem told Sherman via text: “The one piece of good news out of [Sunday’s] meeting is that Tony Clark acknowledged that the March Agreement contemplated another negotiation over player salaries if the 2020 season could not be played in front of fans. We were concerned based on media reports if players knew that. Tony told us the players were aware that the March Agreement did not resolve the issue of player salaries in a season without fans. And he said the players‘ decision to accept nothing less than 100 percent of their prorated salaries was due to the risks of playing the season, not because they were promised it in the March 26 agreement.” Clark fired back in an email to Sherman, though, calling Halem’s quote “purposefully misleading and inaccurate.” Clark added that MLB is trying to “negotiate through the media instead of focusing on how to bring baseball back to its fans.” 6:58pm: A season with roughly 50 games would be “a last resort” for the league, Passan writes. The hope remains that MLB and the MLBPA will reach an agreement to avoid that outcome. 4:48pm: The MLBPA and MLB haven’t been able to see eye to eye on a potential 2020 season as they negotiate during this pandemic. In the latest developments, the union proposed a 114-game season this past weekend, though it seems the league is open to a much shorter campaign. MLB plans to propose a smaller schedule – perhaps one with as few as 50 to 60 games – per Jeff Passan of ESPN, but the league would give players a full portion of their prorated salaries. Whether this plan will appeal to the players remains to be seen, as they wouldn’t come close to their normal salaries in such an abbreviated season. However, as Jon Heyman of MLB Network notes, commissioner Rob Manfred has the right to implement a schedule that’s as long or short as he wants based on the agreement the owners and players made back in March. As of now, Manfred and the league are still hoping to reach some sort of compromise that works out for both sides, Heyman suggests, but Passan adds that MLB is prepared to go with a schedule length of its choosing if it’s unable to find common ground with the players. Season length aside, it’s notable that the league’s willing to give players their prorated salaries without further reductions in pay. The league presented its latest economic proposal last week – one that didn’t go over well with players, including Nationals ace and influential union member Max Scherzer, who noted the players had already agreed to take lower salaries in the form of prorated salaries and weren’t open to accepting even less money. A 50- to 60-game schedule obviously would not be ideal for the players from a financial standpoint, but if they’re not on board with this plan, perhaps they and the owners will be able to meet in the middle on schedule length in the coming weeks and get a 2020 campaign underway. The Step Back Roundtable: Format options for the 2020 NBA Playoffs Alec Liebsch — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 12:00:00 +0000 Basketball could be coming back soon, but how will the 2020 NBA Playoffs be structured? In regards to resuming the 2019-20 NBA season, the gears are starting to turn. Per The Athletic‘s Shams Charania, the league office has sent a survey to all 30 general managers to get feedback on how the season should finish. The variables […] The Step Back Roundtable: Format options for the 2020 NBA Playoffs - FanSided - FanSided - Sports News, Entertainment, Lifestyle & Technology - 300+ Sites Dart Throws: Jo Adell Grey — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 07:00:43 +0000 Players are saying they want to play 114 games; owners are saying 50 games; I've been saying 100 games, and, if I were just guessing now for the first time, I'd split 114 and 50 and still tell you 80-100 games. In response to the MLB owners suggesting a 50-game season. MLBPA is suggesting a 200-game season and pepper games are allowed. — Razzball (@Razzball) June 1, 2020 The players are saying 114 games because, well, for a myriad of reasons, I imagine. One reason might be they want to seem like they're ready to play, but owners are holding them back. This way the players can say, "We said 'Let's go and play,' but the owners said, 'Nah, you can't have any money, we're poor babies, so no baseball.'" Another less cynical reason might be the players just want to play, if they're paid. What stood out to me in the players' proposal was the contingency that a player can sit out if they want. They don't need to be high-risk to Covid-19. They can just say, "Yo, y'all do your thing, and I'm gonna do my thing and I'll catch you on the flip." So, with that in mind, and, in the highly speculative market of futures and dart throws, or simply Fu DarTh, as it's known in most circles that rely on the Force and midi-chlorians, a guy like Mike Trout could sit out this year. Fu DarTh relies on space (on the field) and a light (on players) and dark side (of the MLB this year without its best player). Jo Adell would benefit in this space (on the field) scenario. white text on a black screen scrolls out with the MLBPA proposal, suddenly, a SWOOSH, and a giant Joe Maddon head overtakes the dark space It will give Joe Maddon less options to use instead of Adell, too. Keep your nonsense with playing Brian Goodwin, if you must. Assume Justin Upton gets on the field, if you have to. If Mike Trout's not there, Jo Adell will have to be. By the way, I mention this on Trout, because he's already said he doesn't want to play if it means he can't leave the team to be with his wife for the birth of their child. Plus, Trout's set for life; he doesn't need this headache. Finally, I haven't even mentioned how rosters will be expanded and there won't be minor leagues this year. Even if Mike Trout plays, Jo Adell should too. So, what can we expect from Jo Adell for 2020 fantasy baseball and what makes him a great dart throw? WWE Monday Night Raw: Drew McIntyre defeats MVP and full results Raphael Garcia — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 03:38:31 +0000 Monday Night Raw full results. The WWE continued their weekly tradition of Monday Night Raw and this week the action across multiple storylines continued. Former WWE champion Seth Rollins started out the evening by berating Rey Mysterio and the accolades of the future Hall of Famer. Rollins was holding what he called a retirement ceremony […] WWE Monday Night Raw: Drew McIntyre defeats MVP and full results - FanSided - FanSided - Sports News, Entertainment, Lifestyle & Technology - 300+ Sites Why was J.R. Smith beating up a protestor in Los Angeles? Mark Powell — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 02:20:55 +0000 J.R. Smith was seen beating up a protestor who tried to break into his car in Los Angeles. NBA veteran and soup connoisseur J.R. Smith was in the news for the wrong reason on Sunday, as protests erupted nationwide in the wake of the George Floyd shooting at the hands of Minneapolis police. A video, which […] Why was J.R. Smith beating up a protestor in Los Angeles? - FanSided - FanSided - Sports News, Entertainment, Lifestyle & Technology - 300+ Sites Chiefs pausing Super Bowl celebration in classy move amid George Floyd protests Mark Powell — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 01:52:16 +0000 The Kansas City Chiefs are showing solidarity with the George Floyd protests. The Chiefs are still celebrating their first Super Bowl victory in 50 years, and we don’t blame them. Yet, recent protests nationwide over the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis have rightfully convinced them to halt such exuberance […] Chiefs pausing Super Bowl celebration in classy move amid George Floyd protests - FanSided - FanSided - Sports News, Entertainment, Lifestyle & Technology - 300+ Sites James Dolan makes it worse after Knicks players reportedly ‘furious’ over lack of statement Gerald Bourguet — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 01:47:08 +0000 Knicks players are reportedly furious the team hasn’t made a public statement about George Floyd. One week ago, George Floyd was murdered in a senseless act of police brutality, and since then, protests have broken out in cities across the United States. Peaceful protests have been met with more police violence, as have looters and […] James Dolan makes it worse after Knicks players reportedly ‘furious’ over lack of statement - FanSided - FanSided - Sports News, Entertainment, Lifestyle & Technology - 300+ Sites Angels Release Luiz Gohara Connor Byrne — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 01:08:13 +0000 The Angels released 39 minor leaguers last week, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic relays (click here for the full list). Left-hander Luiz Gohara may be the most notable player the Angels subtracted. Now 23 years old, the Brazil-born Gohara was once a premium prospect as a member of the Braves, who acquired him from the Mariners in a January 2017 trade that saw outfielder Mallex Smith go to Seattle (though the M’s quickly flipped Smith to Tampa Bay). Gohara mowed down minor league hitters that year, combining for a 2.62 ERA with 10.7 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 123 2/3 innings, and ended up making his major league debut. That was the first of two straight seasons in which Gohara appeared in the majors, and though has only amassed 49 frames of 5.33 ERA pitching at the game’s highest level so far, he has managed nine strikeouts per nine against 2.94 walks. It’s now anyone’s guess whether Gohara will make it back to the bigs. Shoulder problems prevented Gohara from pitching professionally last season, when the Braves released him in early August. Gohara caught on with the Angels a few weeks later, but his Halos tenure is now over before he ever threw a meaningful pitch as part of their organization. Browns should be insulted Jadeveon Clowney reportedly turned down huge contract offer Mark Powell — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 00:50:39 +0000 Jadeveon Clowney doesn’t want the Browns money, and Cleveland should be insulted. Top free agent pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney is holding out hope for a deal that may not exist. While his financial obligations have decreased somewhat since the start of NFL Free Agency, lowering a bit from his $20 million per-season standard, Clowney still […] Browns should be insulted Jadeveon Clowney reportedly turned down huge contract offer - FanSided - FanSided - Sports News, Entertainment, Lifestyle & Technology - 300+ Sites Will the loss of Justyn Ross affect Trevor Lawrence’s NFL Draft stock? Mark Powell — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 00:17:35 +0000 How the loss of Justyn Ross will affect Trevor Lawrence. Clemson football got bad news with the season-ending spinal surgery that will keep Justyn Ross off the field this year. Ross, a rising junior and former five-star recruit out of Alabama who rose to prominence as a freshman in the Tigers National Championship victory over […] Will the loss of Justyn Ross affect Trevor Lawrence’s NFL Draft stock? - FanSided - FanSided - Sports News, Entertainment, Lifestyle & Technology - 300+ Sites Rangers Release 37 Minor Leaguers Connor Byrne — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 00:08:42 +0000 The Rangers have released 37 minor league players, per reports from TR Sullivan of MLB.com and Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. Grant’s tweet contains the full list, which includes right-handers Austin Bibens-Dirkx and Taylor Jungmann and outfielder Eric Jenkins, to name a few. The well-traveled Bibens-Dirkx, who has had several North American stops and has played in China, is a familiar name to Rangers fans. Originally a 16th-round pick of the Mariners in 2006, he made his major league debut with Texas in 2017 and also pitched for the club the next season. To this point, the 35-year-old is the owner of a 5.27 ERA/5.63 FIP with 5.59 K/9 and 2.68 BB/9 in 114 1/3 major league innings. Bibens-Dirkx spent some of 2019 as part of the Rangers’ Triple-A team, with which he struggled to 7.98 ERA over 38 1/3 frames. Jungmann, 30, was a 2011 first-round pick (No. 12, Brewers) who cracked top 100 prospect lists in his younger days, but he only managed a 4.54 ERA in 146 2/3 innings as a Brewer from 2015-17. He spent the previous two seasons pitching in Japan. Jenkins was also a high selection (a second-rounder in 2015), but the speedster didn’t hit enough in the minors for the Rangers to keep him in the fold. The 23-year-old hasn’t gotten past High-A ball, where he batted .176/.270/.278 with a 32.2 percent strikeout rate and 21 steals in 295 plate appearances in 2019. The Brewers benefits the most from a shortened season Mark Powell — Mon, 01 Jun 2020 23:39:24 +0000 The Brewers benefit the most from a shortened MLB season. After finally facing a breakthrough with negotiations for a 2020 MLB season, it’s become clear that such a campaign will be significantly shorter than the originally pre-planned 100 games. The owners are willing to face a financial hit in terms of prorated salaries, but only […] The Brewers benefits the most from a shortened season - FanSided - FanSided - Sports News, Entertainment, Lifestyle & Technology - 300+ Sites Maxx Crosby got an awesome Raiders tattoo John Buhler — Mon, 01 Jun 2020 23:19:11 +0000 Maxx Crosby just committed to excellence with a sweet Raiders tattoo. Maxx Crosby is the embodiment of a Raider. Crosby overcame his small-school status to put together a remarkable rookie campaign for the Silver and Black. The fourth-round pick out of Eastern Michigan University had 10 sacks in 16 games as yet another hidden gem […] Maxx Crosby got an awesome Raiders tattoo - FanSided - FanSided - Sports News, Entertainment, Lifestyle & Technology - 300+ Sites ESPN’s Jeff Passan fires shot at Jay Glazer after making us watch SportsCenter for MLB update Mark Powell — Mon, 01 Jun 2020 22:58:27 +0000 Jeff Passan’s jab at Jay Glazer caught us all off-guard in the best of ways. Sports news is rarely disseminated on network television these days, with Twitter timelines serving as the primary place to catch up on updates of any kind. Every now and then, however, we get an exception. ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan […] ESPN’s Jeff Passan fires shot at Jay Glazer after making us watch SportsCenter for MLB update - FanSided - FanSided - Sports News, Entertainment, Lifestyle & Technology - 300+ Sites Pittsburgh Steelers aren’t getting enough attention in AFC Matt Verderame — Mon, 01 Jun 2020 22:29:16 +0000 The Pittsburgh Steelers could be a real threat to the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens in the AFC. Kansas City or Baltimore? Who is going to represent the AFC in Super Bowl LV? That’s been the conversation since the confetti settled upon the Chiefs’ feet in Miami back in February. Of course, last year […] Pittsburgh Steelers aren’t getting enough attention in AFC - FanSided - FanSided - Sports News, Entertainment, Lifestyle & Technology - 300+ Sites MLB owners are now proposing a 50-60 game season David Salituro — Mon, 01 Jun 2020 22:05:08 +0000 MLB tells players they want a shorter season in return for paying prorated salaries. Major League Baseball owners are prepared to make a major concession to the players in order to start the 2020 season, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported on Monday. The owners are dropping their demand that the players take a second pay cut […] MLB owners are now proposing a 50-60 game season - FanSided - FanSided - Sports News, Entertainment, Lifestyle & Technology - 300+ Sites

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