Rays trade Odorizzi to Twins, acquire Cron from Angels, DFA All-Star Dickerson

UPDATE: Pirates acquire Dickerson from Rays

Hudson is owed $5.5 million this season. No word on how much cash the Pirates sent to Tampa.

The Pittsburgh Pirates today acquired outfielder Corey Dickerson from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for pitcher Daniel Hudson, minor league infielder Tristan Gray and cash considerations. The announcement was made by Executive Vice President, General Manager Neal Huntington.

Rays made two other moves yesterday.

The most perplexing was designating for ...

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 2-22-2018

Washington [Pennsylvania] Reporter, February 22, 1918:

The end of the spit-ball spit-ball [sic] is coming. John K. Tener, president of the National League, has issued a warning to young pitchers, advising them not to cultivate the use of the spitball, and indicating that it was only the matter of a short time when it would be abolished.
...
[Tener:] “The spit-ball is a disgusting, unsanitary delivery not likely to endure more than a few more seasons at the most. All the members of the National ...

MLB Should Embrace Rule That Lets Teams Bat Anyone They Want In 9th Inning

According to Rich Eisen, one MLB exec recently told him that there is a rule being discussed by some in the game that would basically cause a riot. It goes like this: In the 9th inning only, the manager of the trailing team would be allowed to send up any three players he wants for the first three at-bats of the inning. It doesn’t matter where a team is in the batting order during the game. The skipper can send up anyone he wants in any order for the first three at-bats in the 9th.

  ...Read More...

What if the Rays actually have a good plan?

Dickerson and Odorizzi aren’t very good. Particularly with Odorizzi, the Rays have capable replacements. Why pay extra money for no gain?

We still don’t know the two PTBNL the Rays are getting in the Souza deal. If Keith Law’s report about the guys not being insignificant prospects is accurate, Bloom’s assertion that it was a baseball talent deal makes the handwringing about the deal misguided.

Inside Mickey Callaway’s steps toward modernizing the Mets | New York Post

Better coaching through better technology.

“We have enough storage on our computers, we can put as much on there as we want,” he said. “When you are working on those drills, you need that side angle, especially for pitchers. That open angle is huge.’’

National Baseball Writers: Your Tampa Bay Rays Hot Takes are Bad - DRaysBay

A smart take.

The Rays are now the least interesting team in baseball - CBSSports.com

A bad take.

Baseball’s Economics Aren’t As Skewed As They Seem - The Ringer

Don’t have time to read right now but it looks interesting.

What Explains Labor’s Declining Share of Revenue in Major League Baseball? by J.C. Bradbury.

Rays move fast to fill RF void, strike 1-year, $4M deal with Carlos Gomez

A reasonable facsimile of Steven Souza and the Rays get a few other players. (PTBNL still waiting to be named. Keith Laws says, “The Rays can still come out ahead in this deal depending on who the players to be named are—I’m told they’re more than just throw-ins—but Souza, with three years remaining before free agency, is a big loss, and Banda and Solak alone don’t make up for it.”)

Cameron Maybin reunites with Marlins after signing free-agent deal - Sun Sentinel

Cameron Maybin is a Marlin again.

Miami signed the 30-year-old outfielder to a one-year deal, the team announced Wednesday, an early-spring addition that gives the Marlins much-needed major league outfield stability and a veteran presence in what is expected to be a young clubhouse.

Astros’ Yuli Gurriel to play more infield positions - Houston Chronicle

Yuli Gurriel will play more at all four infield positions this season to give Astros manager A.J. Hinch more options in games and with the roster.

Gurriel has the experience and enthusiasm to do it. At spring training last year, the Astros turned Gurriel into a full-time first baseman, which was a new position for him. He had played second, shortstop and third base in his years playing for the Cuban national team.

“His versatility needs to be utilized a little bit more,” Hinch said. “I ...

The gambles that turned George’s Yankees into Hal’s Yankees | New York Post

Good stuff from Joel Sherman.

Steinbrenner has had what he calls a “recurring dream” for years that the Yankees could honor his twin mandates — “be under $200 million [in payroll] and be a championship-caliber team.” His goal was to do this in 2014, but he felt the club didn’t have a puncher’s chance to contend without an ace, so he approved the signing of Masahiro Tanaka.
He feels the team is there now and that the Yanks “have a lot of money to spend in July [without exceeding ...

One of baseball’s top 10 prospects was suspended 50 games for a drug violation - CBSSports.com

What’s interesting here is MLB in the release didn’t specify what exactly the suspension is for. Generally, if it’s a “drug of abuse” suspension (such as marijuana) or a PED, the league says so. In the Whitley release, the league was vague. Perhaps there will be more news on this front in the coming days.

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 2-21-2018

Bridgeport Times, February 21, 1918:

“Snooks” Dowd, a highly touted player with the Springfield [Massachusetts] High school last season, has turned down an offer from Miller Huggins, manager of the Yankees, according to a report from his home town. The lad intends to complete his education at Dean Academy and at Lehigh before he gives thought to professional baseball. Dowd is said to be a fine hitter, excellent fielder and possessed of remarkable speed.

Dowd hit .115/.115/.115 in 26 career plate ...

Rays, Neander Time To Shift Focus To Building 2018 Roster

GM speaks. Read the whole thing.

“No, this was something we categorize much more so as a pure baseball decision. Given what was put to us and how we valued it was something that a couple of guys that are not far off from the big leagues to add to what we have to build that momentum.

The moves prior to this one were things that factors involved there were moving pieces from areas of depth that we felt we could absorb and come out the other side o.k. Especially with the addition of C.J. [Cron] ...

Yankees, Rays, D-backs swing three-way deal

D-backs get:
Steven Souza Jr. (from TB)
Taylor Widener (Yankees’ No. 14 prospect)

Yankees get:
Brandon Drury (from ARI)

Rays get:
Anthony Banda (D-backs’ No. 4 prospect)
Nick Solak (Yankees’ No. 8 prospect)
Two players to be named later (from ARI)

Danny Farquhar’s data-centric approach paying dividends for Lucas Giolito – The Athletic

Danny Farquhar, future pitching coach.

Baseball believes in Jeff Mathis and the hidden value of game-calling by catchers - CBSSports.com

Game-calling once got Jim Leyritz exiled from the New York Yankees.

The story, as Jon Pessah tells it in his book “The Game,” goes something like this: In the 1996 World Series opener, Leyritz instructed his pitchers to throw fastballs to Atlanta Braves teenage outfielder Andruw Jones—that despite the Yankees scouts warning their battery to approach Jones with breaking and offspeed pitches. Jones homered twice as part of a blowout victory, with Leyritz confessing afterward he had hoped to ...

Red Sox fans have David Price, vilified in Boston, to thank for J.D. Martinez

If David Price pitches well, he’ll feel the love.

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 2-20-2018

Bridgeport Times, February 20, 1918:

Clark Griffith yesterday received a contribution to his bat and ball fund from the Juno Islands, the most outlying possession of the United States. The Junos came under Uncle Sam’s protection with the Philippines. The money was cabled by a company of United States marines who are stationed there. They said: “We civilized these cannibals with baseball. Accept this to help civilize Germany.”

I’m not saying this isn’t true. I’m just saying I can’t seem to find ...

Arizona Diamondbacks set to sign Jarrod Dyson | MLB.com

I’m a little surprised the Giants didn’t sign him.

A baseball source has confirmed the deal is worth $7.5 million [two years], and a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand that Dyson’s deal includes performance bonuses each year: $50,000 at 100 and 125 games played; and $50,000 each at 350, 400 and 450 plate appearances.

The Sabermetric Movement’s Forgotten Foremother - The Ringer

Her work was truly ground breaking. I learned about r.s.b in the middle 90’s and was a big fan of Defensive Average. Baseball lost a great mind when her interests and responsibilities took her away from the game.

“I thought DA was a very interesting system that advanced our understanding of defense during that time,” Tippett says via email. Before spending 13 years with the Red Sox, Tippett developed the computer baseball sim Diamond Mind, which relied on Defensive Average ratings for a few ...

J.D. Martinez reportedly has deal with Red Sox

Reportedly front-loaded at $25 million each of the first two years. The free agent market was held up for this?

The prolonged courtship of slugger J.D. Martinez has paid off for the Red Sox, as MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi reported via sources that the sides have reached agreement on a five-year, $110 million contract that includes opt-outs after the second and third years of the deal.

MLB announces pace of play initiatives | MLB.com

I don’t see a pitch clock. Of course, they can just enforce the current rules.

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 2-19-2018

Bridgeport Times, February 19, 1918:

An overseas professional baseball organization to be composed of six clubs and to be known as the Anglo-American League has been launched, according to W.A. Parsons, who was in [Bridgeport] yesterday on a hunt for players.
...
London, Paris and Brighton are sure of places in the league. Three clubs will be located at camps—with representation likely for Aix-les-Bains and Vichy, recreation centres for American troops. The league will play a five-month season, ...

For Yankees and Gleyber Torres, it’s about wins, not money | Newsday

We will see.

So do the math. If Torres’ major-league debut were delayed by 16 days or more, he would fall short of that critical full season, enabling the Yankees to squeeze an extra year from him before his salary begins to skyrocket through arbitration and then free agency.

For those in charge of talent compensation, such as general manager Brian Cashman, paying less for a longer period of time would seem to be the optimal course of action, as the Cubs did with Kris Bryant in 2015.

And yet ...

OTP 19 February 2018: Does Buster Posey Have a Post-playing Career in Politics?

Buster Posey is one of the most accomplished catchers in baseball history. At 30 years old, he already has a Hall of Fame resume.

In eight full seasons with the Giants, Posey has won National League Rookie of the Year, NL MVP, four Silver Slugger awards, a Gold Glove, and is a five-time All-Star. While he still has plenty of years left, Posey has naturally thought a bit about what he would like to do once his playing days are done.

But, politics? Well, kind of.

Mets General Manager Sandy Alderson Thinks Tim Tebow Will Play in the Major Leagues

Tim Tebow could be playing baseball at the highest level in the Mets organization sooner than many expected.

Position players, pitchers and catchers are already in Port St. Lucie, Fla. and if it hasn’t already joined them, Tebowmania is sure to be coming their way as well. On Sunday, Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said he thinks Tebow “will play in the Major Leagues,” according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.

Huntington reacting to Josh Harrison wanting the Pirates to show they’re committed to winning.

Players play.

Neal Huntington reacting to Josh Harrison wanting the Pirates to show they’re committed to winning.

Complete coverage at @DKPghSports https://t.co/Z6lrWCZKJG pic.twitter.com/Xlq4j806Wd

— Lance Lysowski (@LLysowski) February 18, 2018

Eric Hosmer surprised Red Sox didn’t pursue him | The Kansas City Star

His actions don’t match Marrero’s info. If he really believed in himself and wanted to play for a contender, he would have signed a three- or four-year deal with a contender for a higher AAV. Hosmer’s priority, though, was clearly getting the most guaranteed money. I don’t begrudge him for it but, in the short term at least, he’ll be playing in a lot of meaningless games.

Now, the overall dollars on the deal aren’t bad. $21 million a year for five years then $39 million over the last three ...