Getting tired of waiting for something to happen

[Pharmabro]

Andy Miller:
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/332 ... ions-stand

POS Marcus stroman
https://thatballsouttahere.com/2022/02/ ... out-drama/
and Harper

But WTF Stroman calls him "Manclown" and he tweets it.

[GL_Storm]

The owners calling for mediation was clearly a delaying tactic designed to push negotiations closer to opening day. This is the entire strategy. This is why, after initiating the lockout, they waited six weeks to reopen negotiations with the players. If the owners wanted to end the lockout, they would be making more meaningful counteroffers to the players, but they are not.

What's hard to understand about this situation is that the differences seem so easy to resolve. This is mostly about how much players get paid in years 1-3. This is not an insurmountable issue. But owners don't seem to want to give much on this point. Would allowing arbitration after year 2 be such a terrible financial burden? Obviously, if you agreed to that, it would include a scale, which would have to be negotiated as well.

I wonder how much this is about Rob Manfred, his position among the owners, and the promises he's made them with this lockout. It seems personal to me, that Manfred needs to make sure he wins and that the players know he's won.

It doesn't seem personal at all to me. Players want more, more, more. It is just that simple. When 2020 came along and they were "negotiating" for the partial year many of the players put it on the record they wanted their full pay even though it was known they would play less than 1/2 the games and with little to no in-person attendees and revenue. Taking the players side and going it is soooo easy just to give them a higher initial salary and earlier Arby raises, anddddd give them less ability to manipulate service time,,,, and let them hit free agency earlier, and somehow do away with the tank and rebuild because being decisive and resetting is """""Bad for baseball and do away with the lux tax that has taken some teams like the Yanks and Dodger from ,,, and Jeez fn christ dude pull your head out.

You're right that the players want more. If the owners could simply extend the current CBA (the one that just expired), they would. If the players didn't want some changes made, then there wouldn't be a dispute.

And yes, I think if you could stop teams tanking it would be good for baseball. I'm not sure how you do it exactly, but there are some good ideas out there that at least alter the incentive structure.

[harmony]

Meanwhile, here is an exchange on Monday's chat with FanGraphs columnist Kevin Goldstein:

12:51
Smoke: Why didn’t Justin Smoak hit?
12:52
Kevin Goldstein: Dude had a career 103 wRC+, and played in nearly 1300 games. He didn’t hit?
12:53
Kevin Goldstein: I think expectations are kinda crazy at times. Smoak had a very good career. If you line up all of the 11th overall picks, he’s near the 90th percentile, no?

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/kevin-golds ... -2-7-2022/

FWIW Justin Smoak had an OPS+ of 97 in 496 games with the Mariners.

[ddraig]

And the fences were too far out.

[bpj]

Meanwhile, here is an exchange on Monday's chat with FanGraphs columnist Kevin Goldstein:

12:51
Smoke: Why didn’t Justin Smoak hit?
12:52
Kevin Goldstein: Dude had a career 103 wRC+, and played in nearly 1300 games. He didn’t hit?
12:53
Kevin Goldstein: I think expectations are kinda crazy at times. Smoak had a very good career. If you line up all of the 11th overall picks, he’s near the 90th percentile, no?

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/kevin-golds ... -2-7-2022/

FWIW Justin Smoak had an OPS+ of 97 in 496 games with the Mariners.

Judas priest. How can you act like a 103 as a first baseman is remotely acceptable.

Some of these nerds are somehow so stupid.

[D-train]

Meanwhile, here is an exchange on Monday's chat with FanGraphs columnist Kevin Goldstein:

12:51
Smoke: Why didn’t Justin Smoak hit?
12:52
Kevin Goldstein: Dude had a career 103 wRC+, and played in nearly 1300 games. He didn’t hit?
12:53
Kevin Goldstein: I think expectations are kinda crazy at times. Smoak had a very good career. If you line up all of the 11th overall picks, he’s near the 90th percentile, no?

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/kevin-golds ... -2-7-2022/

FWIW Justin Smoak had an OPS+ of 97 in 496 games with the Mariners.

Yeah that would have been pretty good for a Catcher or a SS but not so much for a lumbering 1B. And I liked Smoak. Actually France reminds me of him. I like guys with the laid back demeanors as opposed to Stress fest guy, JK.

[D-train]

Meanwhile, here is an exchange on Monday's chat with FanGraphs columnist Kevin Goldstein:

12:51
Smoke: Why didn’t Justin Smoak hit?
12:52
Kevin Goldstein: Dude had a career 103 wRC+, and played in nearly 1300 games. He didn’t hit?
12:53
Kevin Goldstein: I think expectations are kinda crazy at times. Smoak had a very good career. If you line up all of the 11th overall picks, he’s near the 90th percentile, no?

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/kevin-golds ... -2-7-2022/

FWIW Justin Smoak had an OPS+ of 97 in 496 games with the Mariners.

Judas priest. How can you act like a 103 as a first baseman is remotely acceptable.

Some of these nerds are somehow so stupid.

Yikes was that the musician checking in at 26th? lol

[GL_Storm]

I found this article over at Royals Review, which is the SB Nation blog site for the Royals. I think the author does a good job of summing up the situation.

https://www.royalsreview.com/2022/2/8/2 ... -are-lying

[GL_Storm]

No paywall on this one, so I'm just posting the link: https://nypost.com/2022/02/09/mlb-union ... d-lockout/