Good morning HDWEB'ers, it's February 24th and Ervin Santana still doesn't have a job. Here's everything you need to know.
HDWEB: Brett Gardner gets extension, Mike Trout discusses one, and LOL Phillies
In today’s HOW DARE WE ENJOY BASEBALL, we look at Brett Gardner’s extension, Mike Trout considering an offer less than a $BILLION, another look at how silly the Phillies are, and maybe some stadium destruction porn if you’re into that sorta thing.
If you have ideas or suggestions, send 'em my way at @justinbopp.
Mike Trout, Angels discuss $150 million contract extension -- The deal would obliterate the record for dollars on a pre-arbitration extension.
But Mike Mike Mike Mike, You don’t even know what you are yet. How big you can get, how far you can go. This is not time to take your chips down! One hundred fifty million dollars isn’t cool, you know what’s cool?
A billion dollars.
Brett Gardner, Yankees agree to $52 million extension -- Gardner was heading into his last year before free agency, but will now stay a Yankee for the foreseeable future.
Ervin Santana free agency: Orioles, Rangers among teams interested in pitcher -- Santana has had a hard time finding as big a deal as he had hoped for on the market. Perhaps some recent signings will sway negotiations? Too bad the Royals are exactly one Ervin Santana away from legitimate playoff contention and won't even consider him.
Stephen Drew free agency: Shortstop still struggling to find new contract -- Drew has not received many solid offers this offseason and has turned down those he has gotten. With Nelson Cruz signing, he might lower his demands.
J.J. Hardy extension: Orioles had face-to-face discussions with SS -- Hardy is set to become a free agent after the season.
Ike Davis injury: First baseman didn't report oblique strain in 2013 -- Davis' oblique injury might have limited him last year, but he didn't want to use it as an excuse.
Garza Rejected Offer from Twins Before Signing with Brewers - Twinkie Town -- Details have emerged over the weekend, highlighting what kind of an offer the Twins actually made to Matt Garza before he signed with the Brewers.
Scott Boras: Rogers is Cheap - Bluebird Banter -- "Add Scott Boras to the list of "Rogers is cheap" champions. Of course, Boras is speaking out of self interest. He has free agent clients that still are looking for a contract and would love..."
Chase Headley On Crutches; Out At Least Two Weeks - Gaslamp Ball -- Chase Headley will look on from the dugout to start out Spring Training with a right calf strain.
What the hell, Phillies?
Phillies respond to Ben Wetzler controversy - The Good Phight -- Phillies GM Ruben Amaro says the team's reputation in the league is still good. Ten minutes on the internet or watching TV would seem to indicate otherwise.
Phillies tread same path as White Sox in reporting players to the NCAA - South Side Sox -- The Phillies reported to the NCAA that two of their unsigned 2013 draftees violated the "no agent" rule. The White Sox did the same thing more than 20 years ago. What effect did it have on later drafts? Hint: wasn't good.
The Phillies & Wetzler -- Scout.com -- Kiley breaks down the Ben Wetzler suspension and has a theory about what the Phillies were thinking:
So, Why Did The Phillies Do It?
Here’s where it gets interesting: nobody knows.
It doesn’t make rational sense at first and second glance, so I then tried to dream up a scenario where doing this actually made sense and was done intentionally. When I twisted myself into a mental pretzel, I realized there are actually some benefits for the Phillies here and it makes logical sense if you consider how they operate in the draft.
The Phillies don’t do anything too creative in the draft—they typically draft high school athlete types, pay them about slot and (relative to other clubs) don’t sign too many well above or under slot deals. They’re trying to play the draft straight and they got burned last year, losing over $500,000 in prospect value after two verbal deals fell through.
So, what if the Phillies wanted to make sure this wouldn’t happen again? (much more at the link)
It’s particularly telling that it requires this much mental effort to come up with a good reason the Phillies would be willing to look so petty on a national stage, ruin their reputation (further?), and potentially harm their system for years to come. That’s not a slight against Kiley, either -- he certainly came up with something that kinda-sorta makes sense if you’re up drinking your last can of Coors Banquet by yourself at 4AM and ... no.
Occam’s razor cuts hard and deep and in this case it still makes the most sense: the Phillies were probably just overcome by pettiness and somehow had no idea that the fallout would be like this. Good lord, Amaro.
Spring training 2014: MLB Network televising more than 200 games -- More meaningless baseball than you can handle will be available for consumption on MLB Network this spring.
White Sox spring training battlefields: Catcher - South Side Sox -- Tyler Flowers gets a second chance to hold down a starting job after Josh Phegley let him off the hook
Nationals Spring Training: Matt Williams Talks Felipe Rivero, Ross Detwiler's Cutter - Federal Baseball -- Matt Williams has talked recently about how impressed he is with the number of major league-ready arms in the organization. Yesterday it was Sammy Solis and Matt Purke impressing the skipper. Today it was Felipe Rivero and Ross Detwiler.
Team Everett wins intrasquad scrimmage; pitching machine designated for assignment - The Crawfish Boxes -- Team Everett wins intrasquad game of spring training; pitching machine gives up five home runs including one to Carlos Correa.
Dee Gordon, Hanley Ramirez homer in Dodgers intrasquad game - True Blue LA -- The middle infield of Team Wills proved powerful on Sunday, as both Dee Gordon and Hanley Ramirez homered in a 3-1 victory in a Dodgers intrasquad game on Sunday at Camelback Ranch.
Sandy Koufax hit in head by line drive during batting practice - True Blue LA -- The 78-year-old Koufax was in good spirits on his way to the clubhouse after being struck, telling fans he was okay.
- 2014 Consensus Top 160 Prospects - Beyond the Box Score -- What happens if you put 20 top 100 prospect lists together for a consensus?
How does the Brett Gardner extension impact the Yankees' outfield prospects? - Pinstripe Alley -- What does the Brett Gardner deal mean for the likes of Mason Williams, Slade Heathcott, Tyler Austin, and the rest of the Yankees' outfield prospects?
Amazin Avenue Top 25 Mets Prospects: No. 1 Noah Syndergaard - Amazin' Avenue -- The 21-year-old Texan looks primed to join Harvey and Wheeler as a potential ace atop the Mets rotation for years to come.
The Slow Train to Boston: Once again, the Red Sox buy veteran depth, slow-play prospects - MLB Daily Dish -- All the best pitching prospects in the world might not have stopped Boston from adding Chris Capuano. That's just how they roll.
Steve Stone: White Sox broadcasts will feature more sabermetrics - South Side Sox -- Analyst says booth will try to explain advanced statistics a year after Hawk Harrelson introduced "TWTW" to the world
Shelby Miller Pitch Usage Rates (2013)
Shelby Miller's Pitch Repertoire & the Whiff - Viva El Birdos -- Shelby Miller's four-seam fastball is really good. His other pitches? Well, they aren't all that great.
Yankee Stadium and the hypothetical homer jump from the newest Yankees - Pinstripe Alley -- Homer-happy Yankee Stadium has a history of lifting new players' home run totals, so how do their recent acquisitions' previous performances translate to their new home?
Is it the right time for a Brandon Belt extension? - McCovey Chronicles -- That is, should they give Brandon Belt a Freddie Freeman-like contract?
The fall of Nick Markakis - Beyond the Box Score -- In the mid-'00s, Nick Markakis quickly became one of the rising stars in baseball. Then, somehow, he fell off the radar and the Orioles signed OF/DH Nelson Cruz.
Determining the true (read: most attractive) Face of MLB -- Let's drop the popularity contest shtick and figure out what really matters: who's prettiest in the majors.
AL Central starting lineups and rotations, as described by Google autocomplete -- Here are the starting lineups and rotations for each AL Central team, as described by Google's autocomplete function.
Yankees picture day open thread - Pinstripe Alley -- The best/worst of Yankees picture day
Video: Metrodome Demolition Continues - Twinkie Town -- Want to watch the Metrodome implode? Of course you do! Come for the stadium destruction porn, stay for the audible "BOINNNNG!" some lady lets out after seeing a particularly righteous explosion:
Have suggestions or want to be featured in HDWEB? Send links to Justin at @justinbopp and hashtag #HDWEB.
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