The Baseball Show with Rany and Joe - 4/2/13

Now sponsored by Baseball-Reference.com’s Play Index!

- Joe is a character in the new MLB: The Show video game.  (So is Aaron Gleeman, BTW.)  Since Joe isn’t a video game player, he doesn’t really know the details, but he’s happy.

- Playoff predictions:
Rany: TOR, DET, LAA, TB (wild card), TEX (wild card), WAS, CIN, ARI, ATL (wild card), STL (wild card); play-ins: TB d. TEX, ATL d. STL; World Series: WAS d. TOR
Joe: TB, DET, TEX, TOR (wild card), LAA (wild card), WAS, CIN, SD, SF (wild card), ATL (wild card); play-ins: TOR d. LAA, ATL d. SF; LCS: TB d. TEX, WAS d. CIN; World Series: WAS d. TB

- Award predictions:
AL MVP: Rany: Mike Trout (LAA), Joe: Evan Longoria (TB)
AL Cy: Rany: Justin Verlander (DET), Joe: Felix Hernandez (SEA)
AL Rookie: Rany & Joe: Wil Myers (TB)
AL Manager: Rany: Jim Leyland (DET), Joe: Joe Maddon (TB)
NL MVP: Rany: Joey Votto (CIN), Joe: Bryce Harper (WAS)
NL Cy: Rany & Joe: Stephen Strasburg (WAS)
NL Rookie: Rany: Julio Teheran (ATL), Joe: Kolten Wong (STL)
NL Manager: Rany: Davey Johnson (WAS), Joe: Bud Black (SD)

Joe sings an Animotion parody.

- Justin Verlander extension: Joe doesn’t like it because in the two years between now and the time the extension kicks in, there’s too much risk of injury.  He likes the Adam Wainwright extension better because it’s only one year forward.  Rany speculates that Verlander’s ability to “dial it up” within a game indicates that he isn’t a “max effort” pitcher and thus is less likely to be injured.  Joe thinks that makes a lot of sense, but points out that there have been logical arguments why previous pitchers with solid health records would keep it up, yet they then proceeded to get hurt anyway.  Joe compares late-era Bill James to late-era Gary Busey.

- Buster Posey extension: Joe thinks that the Giants “bought high” on Posey, paying him as if he will consistently repeat 2012, which is very unlikely.  Rany thinks Posey is worth the money - “given where offensive numbers have dropped, [Posey] is very, very close to Mike Piazza as a hitter, and better as a catcher.”  Joe clarifies that he likes it better than the Verlander deal, but does feel that the Giants overpaid.

- Ned Yost’s managing: Joe criticizes Yost’s decision not to pinch-hit George Kottaras for Jeff Francoeur against closer Addison Reed on Opening Day.  Rany doesn’t like it either, but points out that most current managers also wouldn’t have pinch-hit with their sole backup catcher.  Rany: “The state of managing in baseball, overall, generally sucks.”

Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants agree to 9-year contract

Buster Posey and Justin Verlander could team up to buy the Royals!

At 26 years old, Buster Posey already is a two-time World Series champion and the National League’s Most Valuable Player. Now he could be a Giant for life.

Posey and the Giants agreed to a nine-year contract on Friday, one that covers his three remaining arbitration years and buys out his first five years of free agency. The deal includes an option for 2022.
Posey had previously signed a one-year, $8 million deal to avoid arbitration and wasn’t eligible to be a free agent until after the 2016 season. But the Giants have spent much of spring training quietly negotiating with Posey’s agent, Jeff Berry, in an effort to lock the franchise catcher into a long-term deal.