Quote of the Week
“ If Bryce Harper is worth $330 million, Mike Trout is the sun that provides the energy for all life processes on Earth, warming our seas and lighting our skies, the celestial body around which our planet orbits. ”
– Ted Berg, baseball writer
This Week in Baseball
Phinally...
Bryce Harper officially signed with the Philadelphia Phillies on a 13-year megadeal that should keep him in red until the end of his career. Harper's deal doesn't include any opt-outs and has a full no-trade clause. The contract's $330 million salary is a new record for overall dollars, topping the $325 million of Giancarlo Stanton. Oh, man, Stanton must be SO bummed out now.
Rocky Mountain High...
While most teams are squeezing player contracts, the Rockies have decided to go the other way as they signed Nolan Arenado to an eight-year extension worth $260 million. The $32.5 million average annual value is the most ever for a position player. Arenado was due to make $26 million this season, but will instead make $35 million. The team also gave him an opt-out clause after three years AND a full no-trade clause. He will also be allowed to invoke Prima Nocta on anyone in the organization.
Testees...
The independent Atlantic League agreed to a deal that will allow MLB test experimental new rules. Robot umpires, pitch clocks and pitching mound variations are all expected to be tried out. The teams will be renamed to The Lab Rats, The Guinea Pigs, The Human Test Subjects and The Unfortunate Side-Effects.
Thrown Out...
Royals catcher Salvador Perez has been diagnosed with damage to the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and he will need Tommy John surgery to repair it. Perez is expected to miss the whole season which changes the Royals playoff chances from "No Way" to "Hell NO!"
Dream a Little Dream...
During the night before his spring debut, Alex Bregman had a nightmare about being hit by a pitch. When game time came around, he was still thinking about his dream and asked a teammate to borrow a guard to cover his elbow. He was then hit by a pitch. And he's lucky that was the dream that came true and not the one where he's back in school taking a test and naked.
On the Air
“ Share the show. Don't be greedy. Or don't share the show and BE greedy because I admire that as well. ”
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Episode 96: Bryce Harper to Phillies; Nolan Arenado Extends; Clayton Kershaw Aches; Pitch Clock Woes; Fantasy Baseball Sleepers; Oscar Recap
First and foremost, the news of Bryce Harper signing with the Phillies broke moments after we finished recording this week’s episode. Through the magic of audio editing, however, Jed Rigney makes a special appearance in the middle of Jed Rigney …
Going Deep
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Why Doesn’t Anyone Want Cy Young Winner Dallas Keuchel?
Pitchers and catchers reported for Spring Training a couple weeks ago. We’re less than a month from the start of the season. The off-season is usually over by now. But Dallas Keuchel, one of baseball’s best free agent starting pitchers, …
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Fear and Loathing in Spring Training
Spring is a time of new life. It is a time of flowers and leaves and hummingbirds and bees. It is also the time of baseball’s spring training, so called because the teams are training for the upcoming season and …
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A.J. Preller Latino-Player Passion Helped Land Manny Machado
A.J. Preller, the strangely eccentric general manager of the San Diego Padres, grew up a rich white kid from Suffolk County Long Island and became an Ivy League graduate. Oddly, he also has unique instincts for recruiting and signing Latino …
Off Base
