The weather is the biggest "x" factor involved in this equation. But many fans consider these guys as automatons who are impervious to distractions.
Teams can send 40-man roster players out on option as often as they want for three years' worth, in most cases. But that could mean multiple times in one year, as several athletes will find out this year.
Carpenter actually signed his contract when he was 28. I'd be hesitant to offer more than three years to anybody who's over 30. The Cardinals probably didn't need to give Fowler five years as a free agent but they were going to lose that first draft pick (compensation) anyway because of the hacking scandal that gave Houston the top two draft picks the Cardinals had left.
Carpenter, if injured, could play some rehab games at Memphis if he was on the DL, but you couldn't do it right away without raising the antennae at MLB. Carp also would have to agree to do it _ if, indeed, he was hurt.
Wong already has started. His average jumped 36 points in the last week. ,
They could use a little more pizzazz, if that's the word, on the bases and elsewhere. Let's wait a bit before we have some real baseball weather before drawing final conclusions.
The pressure is on every day. But until this last weekend series, I'd have to say many people were pretty happy. That said, the All-Star break might offer time to sit back and really evaluate.
If teams like Baltimore and the White Sox had strong two-way players, they wouldn't be in the second division or trading those players. In truth, you wouldn't get a whole lot for either Carp or J. Mart right now. Both have their limitations so you're better off having them yourselves.
If you're saying this is the way it's going to be for the next five months, too, then you're right.
I don't really know but the likes of Matheny and Dave Roberts have shown that freshman managers can be successful. And maybe they're more agreeable to accept the analytics that come down from the front office.
I wouldn't trade Pham even up for Abreu, let alone throwing in a couple of pitchers, too. Anybody would love to have Freddie Freeman, most likely the Braves who are quietly building a contending team with Albies, Acuna and Swanson. Freeman is the capper to that club. But, no, this is a championship-type infield defensively. And nobody said that it was. They just want it to drive in more runs than it lets in.
I'm sure they would ask about Donaldson but I'm not sure they would be in the "rental" business this year. They usually aren't unless they have a chance to do something special. Moustakas was never really on their radar. If I'm a GM or manager, I try something different when something else isn't working but I don't go outside the organization until halfway or more through the season.
If anything, it has helped. He was leading the majors in batting average last week and he was well up in runs scored and OPS, too.
Whitey was actually GM for a while and, de facto GM, at other times. Mike doesn't have that kind of clout and Tony generally let Walt Jocketty do what he thought was best although Tony would push for certain things. And, one more thing, it isn't as if the season is hopelessly lost. Pittsburgh has beaten the Cardinals for years at PNC Park. What new?
You should be happy then, because the organization is loaded with young starting pitchers and outfielders, many of whom will be on your TV screens very soon. The approach you suggest is always the more rational approach although a collection of said prospects occasionally brings you what you want, a la the Ozuna trade.
To reiterate, a 3-3 record against the Brewers suggests that neither side was "beating up" on the other.
It worked out that way because Martinez's bat was too productive to keep out of the lineup. It still may be, although more questions are being raised.
My point wasn't about the results of games but more so the performances of the individuals involved that are affected. Some team always wins the game but that doesn't mean its players haven't been affected, too.
I'm going to consider Pujols as being 38 until shown otherwise. At this point, what difference should his age make anyway? It's about performance and I think the Angels will be quite happy to have a 3,000-hit man who also belted his 500th, 600th and maybe 700th home run while in their employ. He will also get his 2,000th RBI this season or next as an Angel. The downside of their Pujols signing has been their inability to do anything in postseason play or even get into the postseason. I do not think the Angels have any recourse. They should have been aware of the rumors long before they signed him.
Not in their wildest dreams either.
