2025 Misc MLB News Thread

[Jopal78]

1 hour ago, markedman5 said:

 

He’s been good and been bad for long stretches the last few years. (Bad with the Cubs, good with the Cubs, bad with the White Sox, marginal with the Dodgers, good with the Phillies, bad with the Orioles) That’s why he’s a journeyman pitcher now. 

[JosephC]

And even an modest deal like the Hoskins deal is looking like a bad investment for the Brewers.

34 million guaranteed / 8 million per WAR = 4.25.  Brewers need to get 4.25 WAR out of Hoskins over the two years for the deal to be worth it at the market rate.  So far Hoskins has totaled 1.1 fWAR and 0.8 bWAR during his time in Milwaukee.

And 8 million is the market rate, considering the Brewers payroll ranks 24th in MLB.  Quick math from Cot's...league average payroll is 172.32 million and the Brewers are at 110.5 million, roughly 64% of the league average.  Estimates in the past have indicated that the Brewers are looking to get 1 WAR for every 5.25 million invested, and that pretty much matches up with the numbers.  Brewers were probably hoping for about 6 WAR out of Hoskins when they signed that deal, and through 1 1/3 season he is only at 0.95 bWAR/fWAR.

[Samurai Bucky]

1 hour ago, JosephC said:

 Brewers were probably hoping for about 6 WAR out of Hoskins when they signed that deal, and through 1 1/3 season he is only at 0.95 bWAR/fWAR.

6 would have been on the high side.  His last two years before getting hurt were 2.1 and 3.0 (best single year).  The -0.2 last year was horrid.  If he can finish the year at 3 or better, it will not be the best trade, but will be ok (just ok, though).  I'm expecting a 2, though.

[biedergb]

6 hours ago, sveumrules said:

We’re almost even from a pure production standpoint despite trading away the two star players

I know. I got you. I conceded that most don’t agree, but I can still feel we didn’t get the maximum value for those trades, it’s really my opinion and I may be wrong or right, but that’s the point we get to express what we think which is why I like the forum here.
 

Either way we did dodge a bullet as signing Burnes long term and losing 1+ seasons of production would have crippled the team given the limits on spending.

[endaround]

5 hours ago, JosephC said:

And even an modest deal like the Hoskins deal is looking like a bad investment for the Brewers.

34 million guaranteed / 8 million per WAR = 4.25.  Brewers need to get 4.25 WAR out of Hoskins over the two years for the deal to be worth it at the market rate.  So far Hoskins has totaled 1.1 fWAR and 0.8 bWAR during his time in Milwaukee.

And 8 million is the market rate, considering the Brewers payroll ranks 24th in MLB.  Quick math from Cot's...league average payroll is 172.32 million and the Brewers are at 110.5 million, roughly 64% of the league average.  Estimates in the past have indicated that the Brewers are looking to get 1 WAR for every 5.25 million invested, and that pretty much matches up with the numbers.  Brewers were probably hoping for about 6 WAR out of Hoskins when they signed that deal, and through 1 1/3 season he is only at 0.95 bWAR/fWAR.

The Brewers did not want Hoskins for $34 million.  They were hoping for $16 million for one year of 2-3 wins and then Hoskins leaves for a better deal elsewhere.

[markedman5]

Adrien Houser getting great results with the White Sox.

doubt it will last but it’s funny how a guy can look washed and then get picked up by a bad team and turn things around…….🤷‍♂️

[homer]

Denzel Clarke with an amazing catch to rob Nolan Schanuel of a homer:

 

[dlk9s]

I'd like to congratulate Denzel Clarke on his 2025 Gold Glove.

[igor67]

Short of standing on the wall I'm not sure how you top that one. The anticipation to parkour off the wall for both the extra height and to get over to his left I never recall anything like it.

[folly412]

On 6/8/2025 at 12:25 AM, markedman5 said:

Adrien Houser getting great results with the White Sox.

doubt it will last but it’s funny how a guy can look washed and then get picked up by a bad team and turn things around…….🤷‍♂️

After collapsing to the point where he was non-tendered by the KBO team he pitched for last year, Eric Lauer is also back in MLB with the Jays and pitching effectively.

[Oxy]

5 hours ago, igor67 said:

Short of standing on the wall I'm not sure how you top that one. The anticipation to parkour off the wall for both the extra height and to get over to his left I never recall anything like it.

I was at a game in Fenway (my only game in Fenway) like 8 years ago where if I recall Austin Jackson caught a ball while robbing a homer in that goofy corner in CF they have and flipped over the fence afterwards...which is my only comp to that Clarke catch.

EDIT: here it is:

 

[nate82]

6 hours ago, igor67 said:

Short of standing on the wall I'm not sure how you top that one. The anticipation to parkour off the wall for both the extra height and to get over to his left I never recall anything like it.

While Bo Jackson didn’t catch the ball on the wall his running on the wall is the closest I could think of.

[Underachiever]

Dave Roberts is letting Sauers get torched. Guy hasn’t thrown more than 82 pitches this year. He is on 111 in the sixth, having given up 9 runs and 13 hits to the Padres. This site would melt down if Murphy did that. 
 

Kike Hernandez is now in to finish the sixth

[markedman5]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2025/06/13/wade-miley-tyler-skaggs-eric-kay/84168332007/

[nate82]

The baseball has changed again.  MLB has confirmed the ball is creating more drag this season and isn’t flying as far.  On average it is flying about 4 feet shorter this year than in previous seasons.  MLB has admitted they haven’t made any changes on purpose this year.  The players have also noticed this and have brought it up with the MLB commissioner who has admitted they have noticed a change also.

More can be found at this article.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6422877/2025/06/13/mlb-baseball-fly-ball-distance-drag/?source=user_shared_article

Kind of vindicates everyone who said the ball changed a few years ago when MLB denied changing the ball.  Those weee definitely designed changes previously on the drag of the ball with what the MLB’s commissioner has confirmed recently.

[wiguy94]

46 minutes ago, nate82 said:

The baseball has changed again.  MLB has confirmed the ball is creating more drag this season and isn’t flying as far.  On average it is flying about 4 feet shorter this year than in previous seasons.  MLB has admitted they haven’t made any changes on purpose this year.  The players have also noticed this and have brought it up with the MLB commissioner who has admitted they have noticed a change also.

More can be found at this article.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6422877/2025/06/13/mlb-baseball-fly-ball-distance-drag/?source=user_shared_article

Kind of vindicates everyone who said the ball changed a few years ago when MLB denied changing the ball.  Those weee definitely designed changes previously on the drag of the ball with what the MLB’s commissioner has confirmed recently.

Having a dead ball this season is honestly a good thing for the Brewers. Fewer HR in Brewers games typically is going to be a good thing for the Brewers.

[nate82]

3 hours ago, wiguy94 said:

Having a dead ball this season is honestly a good thing for the Brewers. Fewer HR in Brewers games typically is going to be a good thing for the Brewers.

It is also a bad thing.  When the Brewers have hit the ball hard there have been times I am like how did that ball not make it out or how did the fielder catch that it should have went above their heads.  The ball is definitely not carrying like it should be.  That can be good for the Brewers pitching but it is also bad for the Brewers offense.  

[Playing Catch]

19 hours ago, nate82 said:

Kind of vindicates everyone who said the ball changed a few years ago when MLB denied changing the ball.  Those weee definitely designed changes previously on the drag of the ball with what the MLB’s commissioner has confirmed recently.

I think that while it is important for the league to be on top of how they procure a consistently performing baseball, and as such, may recommend changes to the baseball, or the manufacturing of the baseballs, I don't believe that anyone in the league office has put their thumb on the production in such a way to manipulate how the game is played, or enjoyed by fans. Everything that I've read over the years seems to demonstrate that the league wasn't any more educated on ball-flight patterns over time than the public. Or, at least, not any more capable of affecting a change to the ball with foreknowledge of that change's impact on ball-flight, excepting generalities.

I'm not sure why people constantly presume conspiratorial malintent with the league office, or for that matter, any administrative oversight by organizations/institutions.

[wallus]

Devers traded to the Giants

[Jopal78]

Hiura DFA’d by the Rockies. If you can’t play for the worst team of all time; it probably means his career in the majors has reached the end of the line.

Still somewhat unbelievable that after a sublime rookie season, pitchers figured him out and he spent the next 5 years being unable to make a counter adjustment. 
 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/06/rockies-designate-keston-hiura-for-assignment.html

[Frisbee Slider]

29 minutes ago, Jopal78 said:

Hiura DFA’d by the Rockies. If you can’t play for the worst team of all time; it probably means his career in the majors has reached the end of the line.

Semi seriousness, .333 OBP on 21 PA isn’t enough to DFA the guy.

What he needs is more PA!

[Brian]

7 minutes ago, Frisbee Slider said:

Semi seriousness, .333 OBP on 21 PA isn’t enough to DFA the guy.

What he needs is more PA!

But also had 2 errors during the 8 games he was involved in with the 21 PA. 

[Frisbee Slider]

1 hour ago, Brian said:

But also had 2 errors during the 8 games he was involved in with the 21 PA. 

DHs should not bring their glove to the ballpark 🙂

[Jimbo]

19 hours ago, Jopal78 said:

Hiura DFA’d by the Rockies. If you can’t play for the worst team of all time; it probably means his career in the majors has reached the end of the line.

Still somewhat unbelievable that after a sublime rookie season, pitchers figured him out and he spent the next 5 years being unable to make a counter adjustment. 
 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/06/rockies-designate-keston-hiura-for-assignment.html

I was looking forward to seeing him in Milwaukee next week.  Well, back to ABQ.

 

[markedman5]