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Archive for the ‘Baseball’ Category

The MLB trade deadline is tomorrow, and over the last few days there have been a flurry of minor trades, most of which have been rentals for relief pitchers or infielders. As expected, the Orioles and Royals have continued to sell, with Baltimore reliever Brad Brach going to Atlanta and longtime power-hitting Kansas City third baseman Mike Moustakas joining Joakim Soria (another pre-deadline acquisition) in Milwaukee. The Mets and Twins dealt infielders Asdrubal Cabrera and Eduardo Escobar — both solid if unspectacular players — to Philadelphia and Arizona respectively. The Astros got a moderate boost to their bullpen with the acquisition of Twins’ reliever Ryan Pressly. None of these moves were as exciting as the Manny Machado trade or even the J.A. Happ or Cole Hamels deals, but all of them certainly help contending teams on the margins and are thus worth mentioning. Here are some other players who could move before tomorrow’s deadline:

Chris Archer, SP TB: There have been trade rumors about Chris Archer for as long as he’s been in the big leagues. That’s what it’s like to be a starting pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays, I guess. If the Rays thought they were contending before last weekend (and I don’t think they did), three straight losses at the hands of the Baltimore Orioles surely changed that. Archer, now 29-years-old, has ace-level stuff and is under team control through 2021 at a cheap $8 million per year. He has a 4.31 ERA this year, but that’s misleading, as his BABIP is a career high .343 and his FIP tells us he’s pitching well enough to have a mid-3s ERA. The Rays will surely ask for a lot, and they’ll likely get it. The fact that he’s under cheap team control for three more years means a lot more teams will be in the mix than have been for these rentals. Case-in-point: according to Jon Heyman, the 42-66 Padres are considered the favorites to land Archer. Their big-money signing of Eric Hosmer last offseason indicated that San Diego thinks they’re fairly close to contention. A trade for Archer would be another sign that they intend to make a playoff push next season. As for Tampa Bay, now is clearly the time to trade Archer. They’re not going anywhere this season, and Archer’s nearly 30 and has four straight 30+ start seasons under his belt.

Nick Castellanos, 3B/OF DET: There hasn’t been that much buzz about Castellanos, which I find surprising because I think he’s exactly the type of player I’d be targeting if I were a contending team. He’s a 26-year-old who’s under team control through next year, and he’s clearly proven at this point that he’s an above-average hitter. After hitting 26 homers last year and posting a .810 OPS, he’s hitting .292/.346/.496 (all career-highs) in 445 plate appearances this season. What’s the catch? Well, he’s pretty hopeless defensively, as he moved from third base, where he was poor, to right field, where he’s arguably been worse. But for a contending team looking for another bat but trying also to hold onto their top prospects, it’ll be hard to do better than Castellanos. I would probably bite the bullet and play him at third for the offensive upside he gives at a tough position to fill. I’m not sure there’s a perfect fit, but I think there’s a good chance he moves.

Adrian Beltre, 3B TEX: Beltre isn’t the player he used to be, but he’s a better-defending alternative to Castellanos for teams — think Atlanta — looking for a third baseman for the stretch run. Beltre’s numbers this year aren’t great, but he’s a year removed from hitting .312/.383/.532 and has been an extremely consistent hitter throughout his 30s. Now 39, it’s possible that he’s fallen off a cliff, but if I were a contending team I’d take a chance on him, largely because it likely wouldn’t cost much.

Dylan Bundy or Kevin Gausman, SPs BAL: These two Orioles starters are similar in more ways than the fact that they pitch for the same team. They’re both young pitchers who are under cheap team control for two (Gausman) or three (Bundy) years beyond this one. They both have good enough stuff that they were once top prospects, but neither has quite put it together. Gausman has a 4.43 ERA and a 4.58 FIP this year, while Bundy has a 4.53 ERA and a 5.00 FIP. The Orioles won’t give either away, but they may feel that Bundy and Gausman have exhausted their potential in Baltimore and that the team would be better off bottoming out completely and continuing to replenish the farm system. Like Archer, both of these starters would appeal to a variety of contending and non-contending teams.

Zack Wheeler, SP NYM: There’s been a little trade buzz circulating around aces Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard, but odds are that if the Mets choose to trade a starting pitcher it’ll be Wheeler. Wheeler was once a top prospect who posted mid-3s ERAs in his first two seasons. But then he missed two full seasons due to injury and struggled in his return to the rotation last year. He then got off to a rocky start to this year and was left with a 5.40 ERA through nine starts. Since then, he’s turned it around, posting a 3.20 ERA and a 3.22 FIP in 11 starts with an average fastball velocity of over 96 miles per hour since the beginning of June. The Mets could look to take advantage of Wheeler’s success by trading the 28-year-old, who becomes a free agent after 2019. He’s coming off of six shutout innings, so it’s tough to imagine his value getting any higher than it is now before his contract runs out. There’s certainly no need for the Mets to trade him, but I wouldn’t be surprised if someone comes in with a good offer and New York decides to sell.

Brian Dozier, 2B MIN: Dozier’s the second rental to make this list. Like Beltre, he’s had a tough season. He’s hitting .226/.304/.404 and has been worth just 1.1 WAR a year after he put up a 5.0 win season and two years after a 6.2 WAR season. But Dozier’s always been a super streaky hitter, and he’s also been better after the all-star break in past years (116 career wRC+, as opposed to 103 before the break). There haven’t been any signs yet that he’s primed to break out of his season-long slump, but the fact that he’s a good defensive second baseman gives him a high floor. With Jason Kipnis having another poor year, the Indians look like a natural fit for Dozier as they look to keep up with Houston, the Yankees, and Boston in terms of talent accumulation.

Curtis Granderson, OF TOR: The market is relatively sparse as far as outfielders are concerned, which could mean that there’s some interest in Granderson, who at this point in his career is clearly a fourth outfielder for a good team. He can play all three outfield positions suitably and has posted a wRC+ between 105 and 114 in four of the last five years (the exception: 2015, 131). So he’s a solid hitter with defensive versatility who’s set to be a free agent after this year. He surely won’t cost much, and he should be on his way out of Toronto by tomorrow.

Craig Stammen and Kirby Yates, SD
Brad Ziegler, MIA
Keona Kela and Jake Diekman, TEX
Roberta Osuna, Tyler Clippard, and John Axford, TOR
Bud Norris, STL

I’m sure I’m missing a few relievers who’ll move at the deadline, but it seems nearly impossible to predict which of these relievers will get moved and which won’t. A handful of them are under cheap team control beyond this year, including Kela and both Padres pitchers. But while all of these pitchers have pitched well this season for non-contending teams, I wouldn’t expect anyone to be willing to pay a huge amount for any of them. The Orioles just traded reliever Brad Brach to the Braves for nothing except some international bonus pool money. Granted, these guys have all been pitching better this season than Brach, but they aren’t good enough to fetch more than the Jays got for Seunghwan Oh, who had a 2.68 ERA and good peripheral stats before getting dealt to the Rockies last week. And Toronto didn’t get much for Oh — just two prospects who weren’t even in Colorado’s top-20 heading into the season. That’s why I don’t think anyone’s getting more than a few B or C level prospects for these relievers.

The dreadful Baltimore Orioles, 29-74 at the time of this writing, kicked off baseball’s trade deadline season with trades of star shortstop/third baseman Manny Machado and closer Zach Britton. Both trades were no-brainers for the Orioles. I’m sure it hurt to trade Machado, their franchise cornerstone for the last half-decade. But the 26-year-old is set to become a free agent this offseason and will garner a much larger contract than the Orioles would have been willing to give. With their team, uh, let’s say far from contention this year, the only question is whether they waited too long to trade their star. The answer to that question is probably yes, but at least they got quantity (five decent prospects) if not quality (none of LA’s top prospects). Britton, too, is set to be a free agent this year, and the Orioles surely would have traded him sooner had he not been injured and then struggling. They took advantage of his eight straight scoreless innings before the trade and at least got something (a trio of pitching prospects, including 2015 #4 pick Dillon Tate, who’s struggled in his professional career) for him. I don’t think the Orioles are done making moves. They’ll look to trade outfielder Adam Jones, any relievers they can get value for, and probably second baseman Jonathan Schoop. Heck, even top starters Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman could move if the Orioles get a decent offer. O’s fans should probably cover their eyes for the rest of the season if, by some miracle, they haven’t already. But in a buyer’s market, the Orioles aren’t the only team looking to sell. J.A. Happ was traded from the Jays to the Yankees yesterday after Nathan Eovaldi moved from the Rays to the Red Sox, giving each AL East powerhouse another solid starter. I don’t think the Yankees or Red Sox are done making moves as each looks to win the division and avoid the dreaded win-or-go-home wildcard game. The same goes for a number of other contenders, who’ll all be looking to take advantage the relatively low asking prices for some pretty solid players, players around the same level as Happ, Britton, and Eovaldi. In this post, though I’m going to talk about three players who wouldn’t be so cheap.

To me, the most bizarre rumor is that the Nationals are considering trading Bryce Harper. Actually, I’ll rephrase: the only thing I’ve seen has been people suggesting that the Nationals trade Bryce Harper. Their rationale is an obvious one: the Manny Machado argument. Like Machado, Harper is set to be a free agent after this year. Like the Orioles, the Nationals are struggling this season. But their are a few obvious and significant differences. First of all, the Nats are far more likely to re-sign Harper after this season than the Orioles were to keep Machado. The player has said that he really enjoys playing in DC and the team is more willing to spend big bucks than the Orioles are. I find it hard to believe that the Nationals would take themselves out of the running months before free agency. Now, you could argue that they’d still be able to sign him after trading him away (a la the Yankees and Aroldis Chapman), but I think that’s unlikely. Second of all, the Nationals are still very much in the playoff race. Sure, they’ve been hugely disappointing this year and sit at 51-51, seven games out in the NL East and 4.5 out of the second wild card. But they have sixty games to bridge that gap and the talent to do so. Fangraphs estimates that they have a 52.8% chance to make the playoffs (34.8% to win the division and 17.9% to get a wild card). If that seems unlikely, just look at the Pirates, who have gone from 40-48 to squarely in the hunt in a matter of weeks. The Nats have the second easiest schedule in the NL going forward, just a tick behind the division leading Phillies. If I were the Nationals, I wouldn’t trade Bryce Harper unless I got a godfather offer. And guess what? Said offer isn’t coming. The Orioles got the most they could for Machado, a better player than Harper, and they failed to get a single blue-chip prospect. It’s clear that the Nationals are better off holding onto Harper and taking their chances down the stretch this year and then in free agency.

A rumor — actually, again probably more wild speculation than anything, but it’s still worth talking about — that makes a lot more sense to me is that the Cardinals are open to trading Matt Carpenter. Carpenter, of course, has been on an absolute tear for months now. In 274 plate appearances since May 16th, he’s hitting .340/.434/.728 with 25 doubles and 22 homers. That was punctuated by his 5-for-5, three homer, two double game against the Cubs last week. But it hasn’t been enough to propel the Cardinals into a playoff position. They’re 51-51 like the Nationals but have a significantly tougher schedule and less roster talent. They fired their manager a few weeks ago and could be looking to retool for next season. Now would be a great time to capitalize on Carpenter’s hot bat in a trade. Carpenter’s nearly 33-years-old and plays a below-average third base, which may necessitate a move back to first in the near future. His deal goes through 2020 (with a team option in 2020) at a reasonable price, something that will boost his trade value. The Cardinals can point to the fact that he’s been a consistent hitter since 2012 — .365+ OBP every year and 117-146 wRC+ (meaning 17% to 46% better than the average hitter) — and of course his stupendous numbers this year and tell teams that they’d be getting a hitter to plug into the middle of their lineup for the pennant race and then the next few years. They could get a good return for Carpenter at the apex of his trade value. Another thing that helps: both the Yankees and Red Sox, the two teams most likely to get into a bidding war with one another, would surely be in the market for Carpenter. The Yankees, who have a ton attractive prospects and young big-leaguers, are stacked pretty much everywhere but have holes at both corner infield positions. Carpenter would be a big short-term upgrade at third over Miguel Andujar, a top prospect who’s acquitted himself well this year but who is clearly worse than Carpenter both offensively and defensively. I’m sure the Cardinals would be interested in a trade centered around Carpenter and Andujar. The Red Sox, too, have holes in their infield, most glaringly at second base but also at third, where Rafael Devers has hit .242/.292/.415. I wouldn’t be surprised to see either team — but especially the Yankees — offer up a/multiple good young players for Carpenter, who leads the NL with 4.2 WAR. If they do, the Cardinals should capitalize.

The return the Marlins would get for J.T. Realmuto would likely dwarf a package for Harper or Carpenter. Realmuto is criminally underrated by casual fans. The 27-year-old is probably the best catcher in baseball, taking the mantle from a gradually declining Buster Posey. He’s having a breakout season this year, hitting .310/.369/.539 and adding plus defense. He’s been worth 3.7 WAR, putting him head and shoulders above Willson Contreras and Yasmani Grandal, who’re deadlocked at second at 2.6. And this is no fluke. It’s Realmuto’s third straight 3+ win season, and he leads all catchers in WAR since 2016. He’s entering the prime years of his career and blossoming into a true star player. He also has two years of arbitration left before he hits free agency, meaning he would appeal not just to teams hoping to contend this year but also to those retooling for 2019 and 2020. So why would the Marlins even want to trade him? Well, they’ll probably have to be wowed by an offer, but consider what they did last offseason. They traded Giancarlo Stanton to the Yankees, but more tellingly they also dealt their two other star outfielders, Marcell Ozuna and Christian Yelich, to the Cardinals and Brewers respectively. Unlike Stanton and like Realmuto, Ozuna and Yelich are young — 27 and 26 respectively — players under cheap team control (Ozuna through 2019, Yelich through 2022 at an unbelievably team-friendly price). All of those trades were clear indications that the Marlins are playing not for 2018 or 2019 but for 2020 and beyond. They’ve modestly outperformed expectations this year but still sit at 44-60 with a -127 run differential, worst in the NL. They won’t be ready to contend while Realmuto is under cheap team control. So it wouldn’t be outrageous for them to consider trading their star catcher, especially during a year in which they can rightfully contend that he’s playing at close to an MVP level. While Realmuto’s been good in the past, he’s never been this good. His wRC+ is 142, 37 points better than this year and better even than any number he put up in the minors. If the Marlins think that this is just the next step in his progression and that he’s a 140 wRC+ player (for reference, since 2014 Bryce Harper, Jose Altuve, and Kris Bryant have are at 143, 142, and 141 wRC+) going forward, they should not only keep him but lock him up to a long-term contract. But if they think he’s in the middle of the best year of his career and won’t be a perennial fringe MVP candidate moving forward, they should strike while the iron is hot and continue to build their farm system.

I wouldn’t be shocked if any of these three players are traded, but I think it’s far more likely than not that they’ll stay on their current teams. There are plenty of less exciting players who are much more likely to be traded, and I’ll touch on some of those in my next post.

Throughout baseball’s history, the American League and National League have been treated as different entities. Unlike in basketball, football, or hockey, where teams from the two conferences play by the same rules and play interconference games regularly, both leagues have developed their own identities over time. They play by different rules — the AL plays with a designated hitter while the NL still forces its pitchers to hit. Until 1997, the two leagues met only in the World Series. And even then, they played each other only over a designated span of a few weeks in the middle of the summer. That’s no longer true now, as teams play a smattering of interleague games throughout the year. But with the different rules and the fact that teams still play a vast majority of their games against other teams in their own leagues, there remains a clear divide between the leagues. Whether that adds to the charm of baseball or is impractical and a relic of the past is up for debate. But that tired argument is not the subject of this post. I’m writing about the fact that this year, for whatever reason (probably luck), the differences between the leagues is as striking as ever.

The National League is the league of parity. The Cubs have the best record in the league at 54-38, marginally ahead of their divisional rival Brewers. Their +111 run differential indicates that they’re actually probably stronger than their record indicates, but they’ve had an up-and-down year and until this weekend were behind (and at times well behind) the Brewers. After Chicago, no team in the NL has a run differential than the Dodgers’ +80. And Los Angeles started the season poorly and sit at 52-43, a half-game behind the Diamondbacks in the NL West. Some of the best teams in the league so far — the Phillies (53-41), Braves (51-42), and Rockies (50-45) — weren’t supposed to get anywhere near the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Nationals and Cardinals, both favorites to make the playoffs, have slumped to records a game below and a game above .500 respectively, with St. Louis firing manager Mike Matheny last night. 10 NL teams are within nine games of the Cubs, leaving just four teams with records more than two games under .500. And even those four aren’t terrible. The Padres have the worst record in the league at 40-58, which puts them 17 games behind the Cubs. As you’ll see soon, there are AL teams in far worse shape. The Marlins have actually outpaced expectations, while the Reds seemed on their way to a horrific season (they started 8-27) before quickly turning things around (35-25 since). The result is an uber-competitive playoff race. Per Fangraphs’ projections, 10 teams in the league have at least an 18% chance to make the playoffs. Two, the Cubs and Dodgers, are meaningfully better than coin flips to do so.

The weird thing is that the NL wasn’t supposed to be this way. Heading into the season, the Nationals, Cubs, and Dodgers were all heavy favorites to win their respective divisions. They were all predicted to win at least 92 games, far more than any other team in the league. At the other end of the spectrum, the Marlins were predicted to be an utter train wreck, with the Padres not given much better odds at a successful season.

The AL, meanwhile, is the league of the haves and the have-nots. That’s true at a team-wide level but also on a player level. Among hitters, the eight WAR leaders — and 12 of the top 15 — all play in the American League. No NL hitter has been worth more than 3.8 WAR. Mike Trout, Jose Ramirez, and Mookie Betts have been worth 6+ apiece, and Francisco Lindor isn’t far behind. To a lesser extent, this is true of pitchers, too. The top three in WAR are Chris Sale, Trevor Bauer, and Justin Verlander, all of whom play in the American League. The flip-side, of course, is that the AL is also home to the worst of the worst. Just two qualified pitchers have been worth negative WAR: Lucas Giolito (-0.8, 6.59 ERA and 6.35 FIP in 18 starts) and Jakob Junis (-0.3, 5.13 ERA and 5.49 FIP in 17 starts). They both call the AL home. And three hitters have been far worse than anyone else: Alcides Escobar (-1.1 WAR), Victor Martinez (-1.8), and historically-bad Chris Davis (-2.3). Guess which league all three of those players call home?

I can’t remember a season in which there’s been less to play for after the All-Star break for so many teams than there is this year in the AL. The three best teams in baseball are the Yankees, Red Sox, and Astros. That’s inarguable at this point. They’re all at least five games ahead of everyone else in baseball, with the Red Sox on top at 67-30 and the Astros third at 64-34. They also all gulf the league in roster talent and run differential. The Astros’ run differential is an enormous +191, which gives them an expected record of 71-27. The Red Sox are +160 (expected record: 65-32) and the Yankees are +134 (61-33). So not only have the three won by far the most games, but they also haven’t really benefitted from luck (and in the Astros case have actually been unlucky). Following the big three are the Seattle Mariners, who at 58-38 have a better record than any NL team. Unlike Boston/New York/Houston, the Mariners have gotten lucky. They’re 26-11 in one run games and 8-0 in extra innings thanks to the combination of a terrific closer (Edwin Diaz has 36 saves, seven more than anyone else, and leads relievers with 2.4 WAR) and easily the best clutch hitting in baseball. According to Fangraphs’ “Clutch”, which measures how much better or worse a player does in high leverage situations than he does in other situations, the Mariners have a 4.63 “Clutch” rating. The Red Sox are second at 2.79. If you’re interested in seeing that whole list, I’ve attached it here. So the combination of Diaz and situational hitting has allowed the Mariners to excel despite a -1 run differential. Until recently, they, too, seemed like a playoff lock. But the Athletics have made things interesting recently, adding at least a little intrigue to the playoff picture. They’ve won 20 of their last 26 games, drawing within four games of the Mariners. Per Fangraphs, they now have a 24.4% chance to make the playoffs, while the Mariners are still at 70.5%. But that second wild card spot is likely the only remaining playoff question mark, as the Indians, despite underperforming and getting unlucky (their +79 run differential indicates they should be four games better than their 51-43 record), should still cruise to the AL Central title simply because they’re in the worst division in baseball. Besides the six teams I’ve mentioned, only the Rays and Angels have slight chances to make the playoffs, and they’re both probably in the 1-3% (aka, only if they get super hot and something happens to a playoff team) range.

At the other end of the AL standings, there’s utter carnage. Remember how I said that the Padres, the worst team in the NL, are 40-58 and 17 games behind the Cubs? Well, in the AL there are three teams who are far worse than the Padres. They haven’t been getting much grief because of the two teams below them, but the 32-62 White Sox are dreadful. They have a -135 run differential and are likely to try to trade away the few helpful players they still have at the deadline. The Royals and Orioles, meanwhile, look set to post two of the three worst records since 1962, joining the 2003 Tigers (43-119) in rarified air. They’re 27-67 and 27-69 with -184 and -160 run differentials respectively. And they’re a whopping 38.5 and 39.5 games behind the Red Sox, which at this point in the season can’t be that common. The Orioles’ hitters as a team have actually been worth negative WAR, and that’s even before trading Manny Machado, their only productive all-around player. To put that in perspective, the Padres had the worst stable of position players in baseball last year, and they were worth a combined 7.6 WAR. The last team to put together a position player-wide negative WAR season was the Diamondbacks in 2004. Pitching-wise, it’s the Royals who’ve been worth negative WAR, albeit just barely (-0.1). They have a 5.34 team ERA, which in this day in age is really quite incredible. I bet you’re now starting to see another reason that the teams at the top of the league have managed to rack up so many wins and such a strong run differential.

Given the lack of competition for playoff spots, you would think that the rest of the season is going to be a snooze in the AL. But that’s not quite true. It’s still going to be very interesting to see which teams secures homefield advantage and, particularly, who wins the AL East. I kind of hate that we’re back to the Red Sox and Yankees being dominant, but on the other hand baseball is more intense and interesting when that rivalry is strong. And with 10 games still to come between the two rivals (including three in Boston the last weekend of the season), there are sure to be more fireworks coming there. The AL MVP race is also a fun one simply because of the amount of firepower there is. Can Mike Trout, who tops the leaderboards in WAR yet again, win an MVP despite again being on a non-playoff team? Or will Betts, Ramirez, Lindor, or even Aaron Judge take home the award? Unlike in some years, it’s not likely to be an easy answer this time around.

So what should be the takeaways from the differences between the leagues? Here are a few:

  • There are going to be a lot of sellers in the AL (teams that know they have no chance to make the playoffs) and buyers in the NL (teams that think they do) at the trade deadline.
  • One of the two best teams in baseball — Yankees or Red Sox — is going to be forced into a one game wildcard playoff. What will the backlash be to the wildcard system if that team loses?
  • The AL representative in the World Series is almost certainly going to be the favorite.

Finally, it’s interesting to think about which league’s situation is more fun/alluring for neutral fans. I think conventional wisdom would be that of course the league with more teams in the running — the NL — is the answer, but I’m not sure I agree. In fact, while league offices generally profess their desire for parity, I think interest actually goes up when there’s dominance (see: Warriors, Golden State). That’s true for a few reasons. First of all, it’s fun to root against great teams. That’s especially true this year, given that two of the great teams are the Yankees and Red Sox, but I think it’s always the case that it’s a lot easier to form a rooting interest against a dominant team than it is against a meh team like, say, this year’s Brewers or Braves or Phillies. Second of all, it’s fun to watch sports being played at the highest level. That level of awe or appreciation that you may feel towards the Astros or Warriors would be impossible in a league with more equality. And finally, it’s nice to know that it’s not random. It’s nice to benefit from good luck when it happens to your team, but otherwise I think it’s icky to know that a team’s success is largely due to good luck. I like looking at a team before the season and thinking it’s likely to be really good and then seeing that play out over the course of the season. Of course, there are also downsides to the 2018 AL, especially if you’re a fan of the Rays or Angels or Tigers (etc.). But while I’d like there to be a little bit more drama in the American League down the stretch, I can’t complain too much, because I know that the playoffs themselves will be great for the same reason that the regular season is a bit of a snooze fest.

I’ve been thinking a lot recently about the fact that the most dominant pitchers in baseball are surprisingly old. I think there’s a clear top echelon of starting pitchers based on recent performance, and that list includes Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Corey Kluber, Clayton Kershaw, and Chris Sale. All five have been dominant basically throughout their careers and especially recently. And all have been around for a while at this point. Scherzer is 33 and is on pace for his sixth straight 200+ inning season. Verlander is 35 and is up to 2626.1 career innings. Only Bartolo Colon, C.C. Sabathia, and John Lackey (who may or may not pitch again) have thrown more innings among active pitchers. Kluber is 32, although he has way fewer MLB innings under his belt because he didn’t become a full-time starter until he was 27. Sale is 29 but has a small frame and has already thrown a ton of innings (1405.1, well over a full season’s worth more than Kluber). And Kershaw, the best of them all, is 30 and has a back problem that seems to be chronic. He’s avoided the DL in just one of the past five seasons now and has made just eight starts this year and is back on the disabled list. So unlike the other four, all of whom rank in the top-10 of Fangraphs WAR this year (with Scherzer and Verlander 1-2), he hasn’t been performing at a high level this year, but I thought his track record was enough to elevate him into the top echelon anyway.

The success of these aging pitchers has come at the same time as the ascendance of young, absurdly good hitters. There’s just one 30+-year-old hitter in the top-12 of WAR, and that’s Brandon Belt, who’s all of 30 and one month. This line of thinking led me to another: who would be the players I’d most like to build around for the next 10 years, and how far down would I have to go to get to the first pitcher? The answer is pretty far, and it’s not just because the best pitchers are on the older side. It’s also because pitchers are more susceptible to injuries and thus far more risky and less likely to be available and good 10 years down the road regardless of how good they are now.

I’m valuing each of the next 10 years at 10% each and am obviously disregarding contracts in order to most simply answer the question: which players are the best building blocks thanks to some combination of ability, versatility, and consistency? Here’s my list:

1. Mike Trout (26-years-old): At 26, Trout is older than a lot of players on this list, but he’s still impossible to beat. He’s the best player in baseball by a wide margin, and he may not even have peaked yet. He’s on pace to have the best season of his career. Combine that with his durability (barring last year, of course) and the fact that he should still be in his prime for most of this 10 year window and you have a clear #1 pick.

2. Francisco Lindor (24): Lindor is the second or third best defensive shortstop in baseball (behind the incomparable Andrelton Simmons). He’s also a great hitter who will probably be worth 8+ WAR in his best seasons, which are sure to come in the next 10 years. It’s hard to do much better than a 24-year-old shortstop who has been durable and was worth 4+ WAR in each of his first three seasons (before likely blowing that number out of the water this year).

3. Mookie Betts (25): This is pretty bad timing for Mookie, as he was just put on the DL with an abdominal strain, but 10 days off is but a blip for Betts. He fell in the draft and was overlooked because of his height (5’9″) but like Dustin Pedroia before him has become a star in Boston anyway. His 2016 season was MVP-worthy, and after an offensive setback last year he’s on his way to blowing past those 2016 numbers. He’s also a great defender and barely strikes out, which makes him the complete package. The fact that he plays corner outfield is all that keeps him from jumping Lindor.

4. Carlos Correa (23): Had Correa not gotten injured last year and missed roughly 50 games, he might be ahead of Lindor. Because like his counterpart on the Indians, he’s a tremendous young two-way shortstop who’s already proven himself. He’s at least as gifted as a hitter as Lindor but lags slightly behind defensively. His size (6’4″, 215 pounds) makes it at least plausible that he’ll move away from shortstop at some point, while Lindor was born to play short. But I’m nitpicking, because you can’t go wrong with a shortstop who’s amassed more than 15 WAR before his 24th birthday.

5. Manny Machado (25): Machado’s stock has taken a slight hit since the start of 2017. He had a really bad (.259/.310/.471) offensive season last year, and has rebounded this year. But his long-awaited move to shortstop has also come this year, and he hasn’t been the plus defender at short that he was at third base. It’ll be interesting to see where he plays with his next team, because Machado at third base is a true two-way difference maker. But even if he’s an average defensive shortstop, his age and offensive profile make him a tremendous building block.

6. Aaron Judge (26): Judge can’t fall past here simply because he rakes and is as close to a sure thing as can be. I know he’s an average defender who plays corner outfield, and that’s obviously what put the other five ahead of him. But he hits for average, walks, and hits a ton of homers. Pretty lethal combination! He’s the best bet to lead MLB in OPS over the next 10 years. And I’m pretty confident that he’ll be productive through his mid-30s.

7. Corey Seager (24): Seager will likely miss the rest of the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery to repair his elbow. Otherwise, he’d be right up there with fellow young shortstops Lindor and Correa. He actually topped both of them in WAR in 2016-17, with better offensive output than Lindor and better defense than Correa. He takes a hit because of the injury and because we can’t be 100% certain that he’ll be as good as he was before, but besides that he’s the complete package.

8. Kris Bryant (26): It seems like the Kris Bryant hype has died down of late. Maybe that’s because we all got Kris Bryant overload the year the Cubs rampaged through the league and won the World Series. It certainly isn’t because Kris Bryant’s stock has depreciated, because it hasn’t. He may not quite have the homer potential that he was advertised to have coming up, but he’s more than made up for it by hitting .288 with a career .390 OBP and .527 SLG. If anything, those numbers undersell how good Bryant is as a hitter and will be going forward. He’s also a solid defensive third baseman, although I’m skeptical about whether someone of his size (6’5″) can stay that way when he’s on the wrong side of 30.

9. Jose Ramirez (25): There’s a case to be made that Ramirez, the Indians’ third baseman, only fell this far because he doesn’t have the pedigree of any of the flashier names above his. Here are his stats since the beginning of 2016: .313/.372/.541, 120 doubles, 58 homers, 46 steals, 127 walks, 156 strikeouts. Pretty good. He’s also a good defensive third baseman who should be in his prime or thereabouts for most of this 10-year window. Maybe I should have had him higher.

10. Bryce Harper (25): Harper falls this far because he’s not as well-rounded nor as consistent as most of the players above him. After his unbelievable 2015 MVP season, he hasn’t quite lived up to expectations, and his poor defense means that he has a smaller margin for error. But there’s still no doubt that he’s an exceptional hitter who has many great years ahead of him. There’s something to be said for plugging in a no-doubt offensive stud in your lineup until he’s 35.

11. Ozzie Albies (21): The first 10 players on this list are established stars between the ages of 23 and 26. I value them highly because I’m very confident in their output for the first five-seven years of the 10-year window. But I recognize that most of them will not return the same value at the end. That’s not true of Albies. I was tempted to move him higher up the list because he’s vastly outperformed expectations, especially power-wise. He’s also a very strong defender at second base and will likely remain one for the duration of this window. But the error bars are a lot bigger offensively than they are for everyone above (and most below) him on the list, so I chose to be somewhat cautious.

12. Andrew Benintendi (23): Benintendi isn’t much more experienced than Albies, but he’s far more of a sure thing. He was a great hitter in college, was drafted seventh overall in the 2015 draft because he was thought to be close to a lock to be a good Major League hitter, and quickly climbed to the big leagues for just that reason. He’s not terrible defensively, and it’s been interesting to see him play center field for the Red Sox, who have chosen to rest the struggling Jackie Bradley Jr. liberally. But most of his value comes with his bat, and I feel confident in saying that he’s going to be a very good hitter for the next 10 years. Can he reach the heights of a Judge or Harper? That’s still to be determined. P.S., look out for his sneaky speed. He stole 20 bags last year and is on pace for 20+ more steals this year.

13. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (19): I know, he’s never played a game above AA. But I think this is about right anyway, and it has nothing to do with the identity of his father. Guerrero is such a skilled hitter that it’s impossible for me to imagine him not making multiple All-Star games. He’s hitting .414/.464/.691 in AA this year, boosting his career MiLB numbers to .329/.416/.522. He has more career walks than strikeouts, and there’s no reason to believe that his power numbers won’t go way up as he matures. It remains to be seen what position he plays in MLB, but he’s a good enough hitter that it won’t really matter. I acknowledge that this could look spectacularly wrong in five years (let alone 10).

14. Trea Turner (24): Turner, the Nationals’ shortstop, hasn’t quite put together a great all-around year yet, but he clearly has all the tools. He’s a great base stealer, with 97 career steals in 255 games. He’s a solid defensive shortstop. He probably doesn’t have 30-homer power (even in this ball-inflated era), and he’s been susceptible to injuries, but if he stays healthy there’s no reason that he can’t average 5+ WAR over a five-seven year period.

15. Shohei Ohtani (23): You won’t have to wait long for the first pitcher-only, but here’s the first pitcher. Two months into his career, Ohtani has proven that he is skilled enough to do the impossible: hit and pitch and provide strong value with both. He’s hitting .292/.380/.557 through 121 plate appearances and has a 3.18 ERA and 3.24 FIP through eight starts. Couple that with his NPB stats and his age and there’s no reason to think he can’t keep this up. The one thing that keeps him from being higher on this list is my concern that he’ll be more susceptible to injuries than most for, well, the obvious reason. But even if he becomes exclusively a pitcher, I think he’s good enough that he’ll be able to return good value.

16. Luis Severino (24): Severino’s an established ace with great stuff, and he’s young enough that it’s conceivable that he’ll remain great throughout the 10-year period. What more can I ask for? Besides for him to be on a team other than the Yankees, absolutely nothing. The only reason he ranks this low is the fact that he’s a pitcher, and as I mentioned above I’m inherently nervous about pitchers.

17. Aaron Nola (24): Like Severino, Nola is already an ace and likely has at least one Cy Young award in his future. Unlike Severino, he’s never lasted a full season. Fingers crossed that that ends this year.

18. Gleyber Torres (21): Am I jumping the gun a little bit? Probably. But Torres produced at ever stop in the minors and has produced so far in the big leagues through 130 plate appearances. The Yankees’ infielder is a talented hitter, and I’ll get him for his entire prime. Plus, I want to be sure that I’m not paying for past performance, so guys like Nolan Arenado and Jose Altuve, who are excellent players and likely have had/will have higher peaks than Torres continue to fall because of their age. I’m a bit concerned by his K:BB rate thus far and think he will continue to strike out a lot, but he should make up for it with plus power and solid defense at second or short.

19. Jose Altuve (28): It may seem a bit weird to have one of the best players in baseball this low, but that’s just a function of his age. He’s probably already at the tail end of his prime, although I’d expect him to continue playing at a pretty high level for most of this window. He seems set to hit well over .300 for a fifth straight season while providing speed on the basepaths and decent defense at second base.

20. Nolan Arenado (27): The main reason that I’ve dropped Arenado to #20 is that a whole lot of his offensive success is due to the fact that he plays home games at Coors Field. His career home OPS is .972, nearly 200 points higher than his .795 road mark. With that being said, he’s an excellent defensive third baseman who’s been a consistent 4+ WAR player for four years (and remember, that takes his home park into account). I’m comfortable ranking him here.

21. Ronald Acuna (20): Acuna is basically the definition of a can’t-miss prospect. He showed no flaws in the minor leagues, where he showcased his bat, legs, and glove. And his MLB career started brightly before he was shelved with a knee injury. I’m not as confident in his bat than I am in Vlad’s, but he fully deserves to be on this list.

22. Cody Bellinger (22): Bellinger has had a poor start to his sophomore season, which combined with the fact that he came out of nowhere last year makes me worry that his excellent performance last year was a fluke. But I’m putting him here because he’s so young and was so good last year. I think he’ll turn it around.

23. Freddie Freeman (28): Freddie Freeman is 28 and injury prone. He also plays first base. But he’s so darn good that he’s making this list anyway. He has the type of swing that lets players flourish well into their 30s, and he’s young enough that he could theoretically maintain a high level of play throughout the 10-year window.

24. Christian Yelich (26): Yelich is a very under-appreciated hitter, largely because he’s a corner outfielder who doesn’t hit for much power. But his OBP has been .360+ every season of his career, and his career OPS is north of .800. He’s also still young and I think is a pretty good bet to be a great two-hole hitter for the next 10 years.

25. Gerrit Cole (27): Cole has exploded in his first season with the Astros, posting a 2.20 ERA and striking out 12.78 batters per nine innings thus far. A former top prospects, Cole had never really delivered on his promise, although he’s been a lot better than people have given him credit for. He has a career 3.38 ERA and a 3.20 FIP, with the stuff to suggest that he’ll be a force for a long time. The lack of year-to-year consistency is the only reason he doesn’t rank higher.

Just missed:
Noah Syndergaard — a great pitcher who’s still just 25, Syndergaard missed most of last season due to injury and is hurt again this season.
Jacob DeGrom and Stephen Strasburg — both have extensive injury histories and are 29.
Austin Meadows and Juan Soto — they’re both top prospects who have flashed at the beginning of their MLB careers, but I need to see more before elevating them into the top-25.
Andrelton Simmons, George Springer, Alex Bregman, and Anthony Rendon were all close to making the list, but none of them are quite good enough offensively.
The pitchers mentioned at the beginning, Giancarlo Stanton, Joey Votto, and Paul Goldschmidt have all been among the best players in baseball for years, but all are too close to the twilight of their careers for me to put them on this list.
I really wanted to include Brewers sensation Josh Hader, who has been remarkable in a relief role this season, posting a 1.05 ERA, 1.00 FIP, and 69 strikeouts in 34.1 innings. That’s one of the most dominant starts to the season I can remember, and if he can keep that up for a full season (~90 innings of relief) I’ll be very impressed. But for now I’ll refrain from putting a reliever on the list of most impactful players for the next decade.

The Tampa Bay Rays Are Experimenting Again

Posted: 05/22/2018 by levcohen in Baseball

The Tampa Bay Rays rank 28th in baseball in team payroll at $80,074,591. That’s almost $60 million below the league average of a shade over $139M. They have some good young talent under team control but nowhere near the top-level talent they had in the days of Evan Longoria, David Price, James Shields, and B.J. Upton. Like other small market teams, their ability to compete will hinge on whether they can find competitive advantages that gives them an edge. The most commonly referenced example here is obviously what became Moneyball — the Oakland Athletics’ capitalization on a market that didn’t adequately value on base percentage. But there are other obvious examples — Kansas City’s reliance on heavy innings from their bullpen in their World Series seasons and Tampa’s early embrace of defensive shifts come to mind. As time goes on (and as stats get better and are more widely available), it becomes harder and harder to find those competitive advantages. It seems that there are fewer and fewer unadventurous teams, and baseball’s strategic norms (i.e., the things to take advantage of) are falling by the wayside.

One norm that remains, though, is the five man starting rotation. It was once a four man rotation and now some teams (notably the Angels, who are looking to preserve the arm of ace and slugger Shohei Ohtani) going with six starters, but most teams still pick what they think are their five best starters at the beginning of the season and give them the ball game after game until something goes wrong. Not the Rays. Due both to injuries — potential starters Nathan Eovaldi and Yonny Chirinos are on the DL — and lack of resources, Tampa Bay seems to have just three starters they’re willing to roll out there on a consistent basis. Two of those starters have ERAs north of 5.00, but that’s another story. Outside of those three starters, no other Rays pitcher has started more than five games (Chirinos), and no healthy pitcher has more than three starts. So when a weekend series with the solid Los Angeles Angels (26-21, sixth in baseball in payroll) came around, the Rays had Blake Snell — the best of their three starters — going Friday and then empty slots on Saturday and Sunday.

Most teams would have called up pitchers from the minors to start those games or at the very worst thrown long relievers out for four-ish innings. Not the Rays. Instead, Sergio Romo, a guy who’s thrown 514 career innings in 590 games, started both games. He became the first pitcher to start consecutive games since Zack Greinke started three straight in 2012 in very different circumstances (he was ejected early in the first game, started the second, and was able to start the third because the All-Star break was in between). The goal was not to stretch Romo out but simply for him to get out the top of the Angels’ order, which is full of good righty hitters. Throughout his career, Romo has had very strong numbers against righties, and the thought was that it would be helpful to give the Angels’ top hitters less exposure to the next pitcher, who would be expected to throw the brunt of the innings. It worked both times. On Saturday, Romo struck out Zack Cozart, Mike Trout, and Justin Upton in a perfect first inning en route to a 5-3 Rays win. On Sunday, Romo went 1.1 innings, leaving with a runner on first and one out in the second. He again struck out both Upton and Trout and also retired Andrelton Simmons. Ohtani and the Angels eventually overpowered Tampa, but it wasn’t because of the decision to start Romo for the second straight day.

Does this strategy have a future? I think it might. The Rays’ goal was obvious: get the best possible matchups against LA’s best hitters. If the thought is that you’re going to have to go through the order four times, you obviously have to plan on getting Trout, Upton, and the other righties at the top of the lineup out four times. If you think Romo is the toughest matchup for those guys — and Trout, Cozart, Simmons, and Upton are a combined 2-for-32 against him with just two singles — why not ensure that he’ll get to face them by starting him in the first? You can even do this if you have a “starting pitcher” you want to throw out there for a normal number of innings. In fact, it makes a lot of sense to ensure that the guy going through the order multiple times has to show his stuff to the opponent’s best hitters one fewer time. It’s a widely accepted fact that it becomes tougher to get outs when you’ve already faced the opposing hitters a few times. That’s borne out by the stats: pitchers have a .705 OPS against the first time through the order, .725 the second, and .805 the third. And the hitters most likely to take advantage of seeing your “starter” a third time are obviously the Trouts and Uptons of the world. So starting a tough reliever like Romo would serve to protect the real “starter,” who could then avoid facing the stars until the third or fourth inning — and would thus likely be limited to two showdowns against them.

In the most predictable development of all-time, the experiment was met with resistance. Cozart, who faced Romo both days, said: “It was weird…it’s bad for baseball, in my opinion…It’s spring training. That’s the best way to explain it.” I’m sure that was the commonly held belief among most players and managers in baseball. But the analytically-minded, forward-thinking baseball strategists often disagree with the Cozart’s of the world, whom I like to call the scions of conventional baseball. The bottom line is that while Tampa Bay did this out of necessity, I think this idea could have staying power.

It’s the second week of March. Spring training is well under way. At this point most years, the top free agents would have been acclimated to their new teams by now after signing well before the beginning of spring training. This is not most years. It took J.D. Martinez weeks of flirting with the Red Sox to eventually ink his five year deal with Boston on February 19th, and that was barely a week after Yu Darvish, the top starting pitcher on the market, signed for the Cubs. And even now, two and a half weeks after the Martinez deal and just three weeks before Opening Day, Mike Moustakas and Carlos Gonzalez  just re-signed with the Royals and Rockies respectively while a handful of quality free agents remain unsigned, including Greg Holland, Jonathan Lucroy, and three quality starting pitchers. It’s a much bigger deal for the pitchers, because while most hitters can get themselves ready for real action within a week or so of swings, it generally takes pitchers a lot more time to ramp up their preparations. And while we can assume that Jake Arrieta, Lance Lynn, and Alex Cobb are throwing regularly and keeping themselves in shape, it would obviously be better for them to be settled in with their new teams by now. So why the hold-up?

Of the three, it’s least surprising that Arrieta is still a free agent. That’s because his agent is Scott Boras, and Scott Boras is notorious for holding his players out for as long as possible. A few years ago, Boras clients Kendrys Morales and Stephen Drew were out until about halfway through the season. J.D. Martinez is a Boras client. So is Holland, who’s also still a free agent, and both Moustakas and Gonzalez. Boras’s strategy works when demand for quality free agents exceeds supply. But the exact opposite has been the case this year, which is why Martinez settled for a deal that was well below his expectations. That also explains why these starters remain unsigned after all three turned down $17.4 million qualifying offers. Clearly, the market for starting pitching isn’t what they expected it to be going in.

That’s not to say that there aren’t teams that need starting pitching. In fact, there are a bunch of teams that do. The Phillies, Orioles, Brewers, Twins, Yankees, and Nationals have all been rumored to be interested in one or more of the three starters, and they aren’t the only teams who could use another quality starter in their rotations. The problem is that, now more than ever, teams are rightfully wary of signing aging pitchers to long-term deals. Lynn and Cobb are both 30-years-old and sat out recent years due to Tommy John surgeries, while Arrieta is 32. If teams are snakebitten about signing 30+ aged pitchers to big deals, I can understand why. Baseball is getting younger and younger, as studies show that players now actually reach their primes around 24-years-old, rather than the late-20s number that was often bandied about during the steroid era. Teams want youth, especially in their rotations. And they certainly don’t want to be saddled with albatross contracts attached to ineffective players. That’s why it’s probably more likely that Arrieta, Lynn, and Cobb will be stuck signing shorter term deals.

I think the pitchers and their agents are probably shocked by the quality of the offers they’re getting. The Twins reportedly offered Cobb a two-year, $20 million deal, which seems like a shockingly low offer for a guy who has added between 2 and 3 WAR in each of his last four full seasons (per Fangraphs). Now, it’s worth being concerned about the fact that Cobb’s strikeout rate went way down after his Tommy John surgery, but his fastball velocity is back up, and he is still coming off of a very solid season. A few years ago, that would have been enough to net him something like a four-year, $70 million deal. No longer, it seems. Lynn, meanwhile, has a career 3.38 ERA and has never had an ERA higher than 3.97. His struggle finding a suitable deal could have to do with teams focusing more on underlying stats. While his 3.43 ERA and 11-8 record in 33 starts coming off of his injury last year seem right in line with his career numbers, his FIP was 4.82, miles higher than his previous career high of 3.49. That could indicate that some ERA regression is in store, which could be scaring teams off. Lynn, like Cobb, has a much lower strikeout rate after surgery than he did before. Arrieta’s different. He has a much higher ceiling than Lynn or Cobb — he had a 1.77 ERA and won a Cy Young just three years ago. He hasn’t fallen off a cliff since, but he’s gone through obvious mechanical issues and suffered through an uneven season last year. Like Lynn, his surface numbers — 14-10, 3.53 ERA — look fine, but his FIP was 4.16, and he forced way fewer ground balls than in his superb 2014-15 stretch. His unorthodox mechanics and the fact that he’s 32 are also surely red flags for the teams who are balking at Boras’s asking price.

Gone are the days when 30+-year-old non-superstars got 5+ years and $100+ million in free agency. Teams are wary of those guys now, as they seem to recognize that baseball’s a (very) young man’s game. But it’s unclear whether the players and agents have realized it yet, and the fact that these three starters (as well as the other guys I mentioned above) remain unsigned would indicate that they haven’t. Why are Cobb, Arrieta, and Lynn still free agents? It’s a perfect storm: they’re all at least 30, all three are coming off years during which they didn’t pitch as well as their surface numbers indicated, and there a injury or mechanics related question marks attached to all three. It just so happens that teams are paying more attention to all three of those factors than they ever had before. To make matters worse, all three players are comparing themselves to previous free agent pitchers who got big deals in years that were much more generous to aging free agents. The Twins’ offer for Cobb is still a low-ball, but it now seems more likely than ever that Cobb, Arrieta, and Lynn will have to take a deal far below what they were looking for (both in terms of years and average annual value) if they want to get back on the mound by the start of the season. Otherwise, we could be looking at a Morales or Drew type situation, which is really a shame because all three of these starting pitchers are easily good enough to improve MLB rotations this season.

In the last week, Derek Jeter and the Miami Marlins’ new ownership group have fully announced their arrival by doing what everyone thought they’d do: cleaning house. First, they traded Giancarlo Stanton to the Yankees. Then, they moved Marcell Ozuna to the Cardinals. Obviously, these were two big trades. Stanton won the NL MVP this year, while Ozuna hit .312 with 37 homers and a .924 OPS. These two were the best players on the Marlins last season, worth a combined 11.7 WAR. They’re both in their primes, having turned 28 and 27 last month. They combined to hit 96 homers, etc. You get the point. So it’s no surprise that, when the Marlins failed to recoup that much value for either player, their front office got lambasted. Remember, this was the franchise — different ownership group, but still — that became known for being too cheap to hold onto its talent. The biggest example of this came after 2012, when the Marlins sold Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, Josh Johnson, Emilio Bonafacio, and John Buck (and their $186 million in future salaries) to the Blue Jays. That trade didn’t end up looking terrible for them, but it sure did at the time. The biggest name Miami received back this time was Starlin Castro, and they also got several mid-tier prospects from the Yankees for Stanton and from the Cardinals for Ozuna. It certainly wasn’t a win-now move, and it probably isn’t fair value for either player. But here’s why I won’t rag on the Marlins for making either move. Everyone in the world knew that Miami was going to trade Stanton. And the Marlins didn’t have much leverage for a few reasons. I wrote about those reasons in August, and came to the conclusion that they shouldn’t move Stanton because they were unlikely to recoup much value for him because of his contract (he’s due $77 million over the next three years, then $210 million for seven more years if he opts in after 2020) and because he had a no-trade clause that he refused to waive for all but four teams. In fact, the Marlins had deals agreed to with the Cardinals and Giants, then told Stanton that he would have to waive his no-trade clause or risk being stuck in Miami. Stanton called the bluff, keeping the list at four: the Dodgers, the Cubs, the Yankees, and the Astros. Given all of that and given the contract, it would have been hard to imagine the Marlins getting much more from one of those four teams for Stanton. Castro’s an everyday player, and the two prospects are both B-level. Should they have traded him? That’s still debatable, but I can understand why they did it.

I agree that Miami did not get enough for Ozuna. But is it really that egregious? Here are the facts: before last year, he had a career slash line of .265/.314/.427. He’s no sure thing. He’s also arbitration-eligible for two more years before becoming an unrestricted free agent. That seems like a long time now, but that’s precisely what makes now the perfect time to trade Ozuna, especially if the two parties were far apart on extension talks. I don’t think it would have made sense to trade Stanton but not Ozuna, and I have to think that Miami got about as much as it could have for Ozuna. Christian Yelich, the Marlins’ third valuable outfield piece — probably the most valuable of all because of his defensive ability and contract — is a different story, because he’s under team control through 2022 at absurdly low rates. Yelich is 26, a perfect, cheap cornerstone to build around. I get why the Marlins are intent on keeping him. Did Jeter and Co. handle this perfectly? No. But they were also given an unplayable hand, and I’m going to reserve judgement rather than writing off this ownership group after one offseason.

Here are some takeaways from NFL’s Week 14:

  • It always amuses me to see the cycles of NFL stories over the course of a week. Last Sunday’s biggest news, obviously, was Carson Wentz’s season-ending injury. The first wave of stories were about how devastating the injury was for Wentz and for the NFL. Next came the postmortems about the Eagles, who are sitting at 11-2 and are odds-on favorites to win the #1 seed in the NFC. And then came the predictable next wave of “are the Eagles really done, or can they still win the Super Bowl?” articles. Here are my thoughts: nobody in their right minds will ever mistake Nick Foles for Carson Wentz. It is a huge, gut-wrenching loss for the Eagles. There are no silver linings. And the Eagles still have a good chance to win the NFC. It’s important not to underestimate the advantage of having the #1 seed. It means a first round BYE, and it means only home games until the Super Bowl. The Eagles aren’t guaranteed to win the #1 seed, but they’ll lock it up if they win any two of their last three games. Those games come against the Giants, Oakland, and Dallas. They’ll be substantial favorites in all three games. There’s also this: there are no dominant teams in the NFL. The Eagles were the closest thing to one. Are you telling me the Eagles wouldn’t have a great chance of beating the Vikings, Saints, Rams, Falcons, etc. at home? They would. I’m not sure they’re favorites in the NFC anymore, although Football Outsiders does, giving them a 29% chance to make the Super Bowl and a 14.3% chance to win it. But teams that go 11-2 have more going right for them than just their quarterback. Don’t count them out.
  • In this era of divisiveness outside of and more importantly inside of sports, I think we can all agree on one thing: snow football is great. I don’t mean flurry football. I mean blizzard-foot of snow on the ground-impossible to throw football. That’s what we got with Bills-Colts last week. The two quarterbacks completed a combined four passes in the first half. Frank Gore and LeSean McCoy combined to tote the ball 68 times. Speaking of LeSean McCoy, that guy is the king of blizzard football. He ran for 156 yards (4.9 yards per carry) and the game-winning touchdown in overtime last week. His first blizzard game came with the Eagles against the Lions in 2013. His stats in that game: 29 carries, 217 yards, two touchdowns. He’s good at snow football.
  • This week’s obvious quitters were the Bengals and the Jets. The Bengals, playing at home against the crappy Bears just six days after their brutal loss to the Steelers, gave up 27 straight points to end the game and lost 33-7. And the Jets were blanked by the Broncos, who had lost eight games in a row. Sometimes, teams come back from big deficits in football. You could have given the Jets and Bengals 20 quarters each and neither of them would have put many more points on the board. It looked like they didn’t want to.
  • The Steelers missed Ryan Shazier last week. A lot. Alex Collins gashed them for 120 yards on the ground and 46 more in the air, and the Ravens and their bland offense put up 38 points. The Steelers managed to win by a field goal or less for the third straight game, coming back from sizable deficits in the last two. Big Ben and their offense is getting better, and Antonio Brown is rightfully getting MVP buzz. Maybe the offense can keep this up and offset the defensive regression. But the team isn’t the same on the field without Shazier, and you get the feeling that it’s not the same off it, either. This week, cornerback Artie Burns said:

    I definitely know I have [CTE]. I’m going to [test positive for] CTE. I don’t need a test. Is it going to tell me how much I have? We play a physical sport, man. Humans are not made to run into each other.

    His last line (and all of it, probably) is true, of course, but it’s striking — and really sad — coming from him.

10-6 straight up… 131-77 on the season
9-7 against the spread… 109-92-7
11-5 on over/unders… 110-94-4

It could have been much better. I got burned by both overtime games, and by Alvin Kamara’s early injury and Drew Brees’s game-ending interception.

4-2 on upset picks… 22-29 on the season

Denver Broncos (4-9, 3-9-1 against the spread) at Indianapolis Colts (3-10, 6-7):
Spread: Broncos favored by 3
Over/under: 40.5
My prediction: The less said about this game the better. The Broncos are still winless on the road, and the Colts beat the other two terrible teams they played at home — Cleveland and San Francisco. But Denver showed some life last week, and I still trust the Broncos more than I do the Colts. The Colts go as T.Y. Hilton goes, it seems. They’re 3-0 when he goes off (150+ yards in each game) and 0-10 when he’s quiet (30.6 yards per game in those 10). I’ll take the Broncos to win 20-14, but I’m not at all confident in that pick.
Broncos cover


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Flores East Nusa Tenggara, INDONESIA

Flores Indonesia is a beautiful mountainous land. Vast area of the island feels more like a desert, empty and dry. However in Ngada regency approximately 1,100m above sea level, the air is cool and temperature doesn’t make you sweat.

This organically grown passionfruit is to die for!. Sweet!

This organically grown passion fruit is to die for. Sweet!

It took us quite sometime to drive up to the peak of plantation area from Pak Freddy’s office, which is the head of the village here. When we reached the top, the temperature changed a little cooler, and we looked down and there were all the coffee trees in the mist. The trees were in great shape and coffee cherries were abundant. The coffee trees were grown on a very steep slope. It needs a lot of effort to get the coffee cherries down to farmers’ house for processing.

Driving around to another village, we saw some farmers and joined them. The picking was looking impressive. Farmers are obedient to their leader as they are diligent to picking only red cherries.

Learning how to pick only ripe cherries from the expert.

 Those sweet cherries are lovely to look at!

Those sweet cherries are lovely to look at!

The cherries were then carried back to the villagers’ home. Some rent the pulping machine and some have their own. The pulping of the cherries is done using a pulping machine as you can see from the photo.

The cherries are brought to the pulping machine, on the left are the cherries skins and on the right are coffee seeds with mucilage intact.

The cherries are brought to the pulping machine, on the left are the cherries skins and on the right are coffee seeds with mucilage intact.

Wet processing refers to various methods where the seeds are mechanically separated from the skin of the fresh fruit before drying and may or may not include a fermentation step. Fermentation in coffee refers to the microbial reaction of yeasts and bacteria breaking down the sugars in mucilage. This process produces acids, which will later add complexity and depth to a coffee. This reaction has been studied and developed in coffee-growing regions everywhere, and a great care is taken to understand and master this process.

After pulping the seeds out from cherries, it will be packed into gunny bags for fermentation. Typically, farmers will store them under shaded space for 36 hours. A common practise with this level of fermentation is to allow the mucilage to coat the seeds after they are pulped. This is called ‘dry fermentation’ where the mass of mucilage and parchments are not covered with water. With this process we will clearly be able to taste inherent qualities of the coffee itself.

Villagers use fresh clean water sourced from the foothill of the mountain for washing process. At this stage, only dense and ripe seeds will stay at the bottom of the basins and whatever floats will be removed.

The man washing his coffee and removing defects floating in the basin.

Drying on raised beds.

The washed coffee seeds will then be placed on meshed wires ready for drying process. Villagers constructed the waist height raised beds from bamboo and screened mesh for ease of use. These materials are particularly practical to small or remote farms because they are inexpensive and easy to transport. The use of screen promotes uniformity in drying the coffee as it allows fresh air to easily flow from beneath and above the coffee. The drying beans are frequently ‘stirred’ about in the raised bed using hands. This process typically takes up to 7 days for the moisture to come down to 12% from approximately 60% after washing.

Chilling with the farmers and taking down notes.

The dried coffee parchment will be kept in storage. Upon order, these parchments will go through hulling and milling to remove the parchment from the seeds. This coffee plantation doesn’t promote the use of any artificial fertilizers or chemicals. Hence, the dried cherry skins would be burnt and used as natural fertilizer.

During our trip, we encountered plenty of banana, corn, passion fruits, avocado, tobacco trees, pineapple, jackfruits and cinnamon trees. These trees are planted for own consumption but anything extra will be sold in a local market at the town centre.

It has been an eye opener and amazing trip for us. We will definitely come back to this blessed land next year!

  • Altitude 1300-1900 metres.
  • Harvest season from May to October.
  • Varietals: Flores S-795, Typica, Catimor, Timor hybrids.
  • Preparation: Wet process dry hulling. Removes the outer skin of red cherries by pulping machine. The mucilage covered parchment is then put into fermentation gunny for 36 hours. After washing, parchment is sun-dried on raised tables to 12% moisture.

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16:10 GMT +320 November 2018
Listen Live
    MiG-31 aircraft

    Orbital Warrior: What to Expect From Russia's Next Gen Interceptor MiG-41

    © Sputnik / Mikhail Voskresenskiy
    Military & Intelligence
    Get short URL

    The Russian MiG-31 interceptors are famous for their ability to accelerate to an incredible speed of 3,000 kilometers per hour and operate at altitudes of more than 20 kilometers. In the next ten years, even more advanced MiG-41 long-range intercept aircraft, which are set to destroy targets in outer space, will replace them.

    The Russian MiG-31 interceptors, dubbed 'Foxhound' in the West, are unique in all respects and still have no competitors in the world. They will cover Russia's air borders for the next ten years up until their decommissioning. The next generation MiG-41 will replace them as Russia's main interceptor aircraft.

    RIA Novosti's Andrei Stanavov explored the new features of the MiG-41 interceptor, comparing them to the MiG-31 aircraft.

    Masters of the Skies

    The issue of resuming the production of the MiG-31 or developing a new high-altitude interceptor to replace it was discussed in the Russian parliament in 2013. This was the first time in history that the Russian lower house of parliament devoted an entire session to the fate of a specific weapon amid NATO's eastward expansion.

    MiG-31 is indeed a very interesting aircraft, despite it being developed in the early 1970s. Its motors accelerate the 40-ton machine to close to hypersonic speeds. The aircraft is equipped with a six-barrel 23-millimeter gun and six mounting points for a variety of air-to-air missiles. Its maximum combat load is nine tons.

    The upgraded MiG-31BM locates targets at a distance of 320 kilometers and reaches them with missiles at a range of 280 kilometers. Four interceptors in a group are capable of taking control of the skies with a length of up to 1,200 kilometers along a front. The aircraft can intercept ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as low-flying orbiting satellites.

    MiG-31 long-range fighter-interceptors at the Sokol Aircraft Building Plant in Nizhny Novgorod. File photo
    © Sputnik / Sergey Mamontov
    MiG-31 long-range fighter-interceptors at the Sokol Aircraft Building Plant in Nizhny Novgorod. File photo

    Production of the MiG-31 ended in 1994; Russia currently possesses more than 250 aircraft of different modifications.

    Russian Aerospace Forces Commander Viktor Bondarev rejected the idea of resuming interceptor production, saying that it's better to invest in a new project than to restore the old one. It was decided to upgrade existing aircraft to the version to MiG-31BM and look for new solutions. Then, talks concerning a possible successor to the MiG-31 — a long-range intercept aircraft PAK DP began.

    Outer Space

    Earlier reports suggested that the aircraft of the PAK DP project would be called MiG-41. At the same time, the interceptor will not be the product of the complete modernization of the MiG-31, but will be a "completely new aircraft."

    Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG Director General Ilya Tarasenko said on Tuesday that supplies of Russia's MiG-41 interceptor aircraft, known earlier as the PAK DP, will begin in the mid-2020s.

    "The PAK DP is the logical development of our MiG-31 aircraft. Once contacted by the Defense Ministry, we will take up this project closely and I think that its deliveries will begin in the mid-2020s," Tarasenko said.

    There is not very much known about the MiG-41 because everything about this plane, just like with all top modern military projects, remains classified.

    Even though the MiG-31 is the fastest military aircraft around, it will eventually have to make way for newer and more advanced types of aircraft.

    The MiG-41 will be hypersonic (reported speed — 4,500 km) and will be able to carry hypersonic missiles. It is also designed for the Arctic and could possibly be turned into a drone.

    The MiG director general told earlier the Russian Zvezda TV channel that the aircraft will have unique combat capabilities, in particular, it will be invisible to enemy radars and even be able to work in outer space. He provided no further details. It is only known that some modifications of the MiG-31 are already capable of launching small satellites into near-Earth orbit.

    According to the veteran test pilot of the USSR, Hero of Russia Anatoly Kvochur, speed and range of action, not maneuverability, are the main features of a high-altitude interceptor. He said that such aircraft could be also used for peaceful purposes, for example, eliminating space debris in low orbits.

    The Mikoyan MIG-31, a supersonic all-weather long-range interceptor jet
    © Sputnik / Vitaliy Ankov
    The Mikoyan MIG-31, a supersonic all-weather long-range interceptor jet

    "These planes are not designed to maneuver […], they are needed to give huge impetus to objects that they carry. It's their feature. Reaching high altitudes is important. There are hundreds of different satellites around the planet, some of them are no longer controlled and are considered to be space debris. In particular, such aircraft can be used to collect and destroy space debris," Kvochur told RIA Novosti.

    It should be also noted that, in addition to eliminating reconnaissance aircraft and enemy bombers, high-altitude interceptors' goals remain to be the search and destruction of ballistic and cruise missiles as part of an air defense system. They have already proved their effectiveness in performing the task. In the summer, the MiG-31 successfully shot down a missile flying at an altitude of 12 kilometers at a speed three times the speed of sound.

    MiG Corporation's Bold Plans: Interceptor to Replace MiG-31 & New Drone Designs
    Russian MiG-31 Intercepts Norwegian Anti-Submarine P-3C Plane Over Barents Sea
    Airtight: Russian MiG-31 Interceptor Jets Practice Defending the Sky Frontier
    Deadly Grace: Russian MiG-31 Interceptors Refuel in Midair
    Russian Pacific Fleet's MiG-31 Interceptors Repel Simulated Attack
    US Aircraft Intercepted by Russian Supersonic MiG-31 in Far East - Media
    interceptor jet, intercept, MiG-41, MiG-31, Russia
    Community standardsDiscussion
    Comment via FacebookComment via Sputnik


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Showdown vs. JS Beautifier vs. Dinero.js

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What is Showdown?

Showdown lets you add in-browser preview to existing Markdown apps. Any app that accepts HTML input can now be made to speak Markdown by modifying the input pages's HTML

What is JS Beautifier?

This little beautifier will reformat and reindent bookmarklets, ugly JavaScript, unpack scripts packed by Dean Edward’s popular packer, as well as deobfuscate scripts processed by

What is Dinero.js?

Create, calculate and format monetary values in JavaScript. You can perform arithmetic operations, extensively parse and format them, check for a number of things to make your own development process easier and safer.

Why do developers choose Showdown?
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What are some alternatives to Showdown, JS Beautifier, and Dinero.js?

  • Underscore - JavaScript's utility _ belt
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North Coast Energy Forums ~ 2010 to 2013

The purpose of the North Coast Energy Forum (NCEF) is to develop a comprehensive strategy for transitioning the region to a ‘home grown’ sustainable energy system.

This vision is being achieved by regularly bringing together the wide range of stakeholders to strategise and priorities the way forward. These stakeholders bring a broad range of interests across the range of energy matters such as local energy generation, energy storage, energy conservation and efficiency.

The transition to sustainable energy will reduce reliance on fossil fuels and reduce greenhouse emissions while at the same time grow the local economy, business and employment as well as strengthening community empowerment, leadership, learning and cohesion.

NCEF’14 | Cabarita Sports Club | Monday 27 October 2014

NCEF’14 was the fourth Forum held since 2010. It was a full house of 120 participants from business, government and the community. Its focus, as always, was to discuss recent and potential progress towards creating a sustainable energy system for the NSW North Coast.

This year’s Forum included:

  • mapping the many existing projects in the region, the sheer number of which surprised most participants
    four masterclasses ~ bioenergy, community energy, storage and selling energy
  • a plenary session to begin working out how to go about creating a social licence for the bioenergy industry in the region (bearing in mind it is the energy source, or rather range of sources, in which this region has the greatest natural or competitive advantage
  • an electric vehicle expo, featuring productiForum Outcomes on all-electrics and hybrids, as well as a scooter and solar charged bicycle
  • the use of innovative POLL everywhere audience participation technology.

A number of initiatives have come out of this year’s forum, including:

  • Utilitas’s extraordinarily generous offer to fund 5 bioenergy (anaerobic digester)  business case developments to turn agricultural and food processing waste into electricity at up to $200,000 each
  • Elevare Energy’s offer to fund the feasibility stage of a community energy project in the region, and
    the idea of the North Coast being part of a larger EV charging station network stretching from Noosa down to Ballina.

For the full summary of Forum Outcomes see here.

Starfish’s Role

Starfish is auspice for the North Coast Energy Forum and has designed and facilitated each of the North Coast Energy Forum programs to optimise the participation and outcomes they achieve from the 100+ attendees each year.

Starfish has also developed NCEF’s website and broader online presence.

In 2011 Starfish facilitated a business feasibility assessment for the establishment a community-owned renewable energy enterprise, which was an agreed priority from NCEF’11.

Find Out More

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As part of the most proficient internet conference Webrazzi Summit 2018, we organized Turkey’s most important entrepreneurship contest, with the distinction of Webrazzi! In short; through Webrazzi Arena, we provide plenty of opportunities and advantages to local entrepreneurs, without requesting anything in return (such as stock-sharing, namely there will be no written/verbal agreement between us).

What are the promises of Webrazzi Arena to initiatives /entrepreneurs?

  • By participating in the Webrazzi Summit 2018 which is most proficient internet conference of Turkey and the region, and also by participating in the most important entrepreneurship contest of Turkey and the region, they can easily reach potential business partners and investors.
  • Alongside from meeting local/international media members, they can gather plenty of feedback
  • Not only can they participate at the Summit for free, but they can also join the Startup Lounge for free as well. We can call the Startup Lounge as one of the most essential parts of the Webrazzi Summit 2018. In this special area where initiatives will have a chance to meet potential clients, business partners and investors, tens of initiatives will take place.
  • They can win an invitation for 2, for the ‘VIP Dinner’ which will be organized before the Summit and where very special guest will be hosted and win access to all the other VIP organizations.


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Five Things to Do for the Labour Day Weekend in Vancouver

August 30, 2018

Don’t fret if you don’t have plans for the Labour Day long weekend because there’s plenty going on around the city. Whether you’re in the mood for catching a nighttime concert at the PNE or venturing outside Vancouver to snap a pic of the biggest Sunflower Festival in BC, we’ve rounded up the best stuff going on around the city. Scroll through to see our top picks and start making your long weekend plans!

It wouldn’t be summer without a visit to the PNE. Whether you go for the rides, food or music, there’s a little something for everyone. If you’re there for the tunes, check out the PNE’s concert series with performers like Jann Arden and Cyndi Lauper performing Labour Day Weekend. If you’re more of a foodie, be adventurous and try the talked-about Milkshake Burger or the Fair-Size Meatball.

Stroll through over five acres of peak-season sunflowers at the Chilliwack Sunflower Festival and we promise you’ll come out with at least one Instagram-worthy snap. Ride through the fields on the by-donation train or play one of the many outdoor lawn games taking place. After all that you’ll probably be hungry, so be sure to check out the local food trucks on site. It’s worth the drive, we promise.

Shipyards Night Market

Make sure you have an empty stomach before you visit the Night Market in North Vancouver. Located at the foot of Lonsdale Quay, with stunning views overlooking the ocean, this Friday evening event is home to a big line up of the city’s best food trucks, local vendors and live entertainment.

Farmer’s Market

Grab your cute straw tote and hit up one of the many farmers markets around Vancouver. From Kitsilano to Mt. Pleasant, there’s no shortage of markets for you to shop local and stock up on fresh produce, baked goods, cheeses and more.

Le Burger Week

Every year, several restaurants in Vancouver participate in Le Burger Week, a competition to find the best burger creation in the city. Stop by a few (or all) of the participating restaurants, like Fable Diner or Bells & Whistles, to try out their masterpieces. Don’t forget to cast your vote for the best burger!

What are your long weekend plans? Tell us by tagging @levelfurnishedliving on Instagram with your best end-of-summer snap.


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Christmas at Tivoli Gardens

Tivoli Gardens is likely one of the first sites you will encounter in Copenhagen, and allegedly the oldest operating theme park in the world. Opened in 1843, Tivoli Gardens is located next to the Copenhagen central station and is decidedly out of place in comparison to the clean cut Scandinavian architecture that surrounds it.

While Tivoli is strangely kitsch in a city that is known for its minimalist chic design, at Christmas the gardens shine and the holiday magic takes over. Warm twinkling lights, carousels and lovestruck couples wander in the night. Tivoli is also a great place to sample traditional Danish cuisine while you wander through the Christmas stalls. If you plan on spending longer book in at one of the many restaurants in the gardens.

If you find yourself in Copenhagen during the Christmas season, make this a special stop on your journey. It really is at its best during Christmas.

Website | Map

Chris Stenberg is a Canadian researcher, filmmaker and photographer specializing in the expression of cultural understanding through film and photography. He is the founder of VideoResearch, a documentary research and production agency; and The Photo Lesson, a place to learn photography online.


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Antique Oriental Rugs

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Map Club

mapclub_fMap Club is a club for mappers like you. It’s a place to make OpenStreetMap a much more friendly and less daunting experience to mappers new and old.

The idea came after rounds of feedback following OSM PLUS. Could we build some kind of organization to facilitate interaction in OSM, help people work together, without the shortcomings of relying solely on volunteers? If we created a paid-for community of mappers, what would it look like? What could we build with the membership fees?

Today, map club offers a welcoming and moderated mailing list for its members. Longer-term, a much broader vision includes staging servers, OSM activity summaries, OSM evangelism efforts, meetups and much more. But, we can only get there with members.

Map club is about trying new things

  • A phone number where you can call people for help with OSM: +1-855-367-9711.
  • Servers completely open to importing data to experiment with
  • New ways of collecting and editing data collaboratively
  • Training programs to get you up to speed with OSM

In some ways, geocaching is an inspiration for map club. By providing services at a cost, is able to go above and beyond what a pure volunteer geocaching organization would be able to do. What could we build together within the OpenStreetMap ecosystem, if we tried the same thing?

I’d love to hear what you think.

3 Responses to Map Club

  1. Richard Welty September 6, 2013 at 10:41 am #

    i think i like this, although there’s one thing that’s unclear to me. are you aiming for new mappers specifically, or are you looking for a broad mix of mappers of varying experience so the old timers can help with the support?

    • Steve Coast September 9, 2013 at 9:24 am #

      A broad mix would be my goal…

  2. Sergey Markelov September 6, 2013 at 11:16 am #

    Steve, the banner on the left side is not nicely stretched on this page (

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