What happened to Andrew Benintendi? And can he rebound from it?

It’s not that long ago the 2015 Red Sox first-rounder seemed like a certain bet for stardom. Baseball America ranked him the No. 1 prospect in the game entering 2017, with scouts falling out of their chairs over his skill set.

At that time, one American League evaluator envisioned him as a center fielder who would win multiple batting titles, an eight- to 10-time All-Star whom he ranked alongside Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, and Mookie Betts as one of the best minor leaguers he’d seen.

“He’s a once-in-a-decade hitter,” said the scout.

A National League evaluator gave Benintendi an “80” grade as a hitter on the 20-80 scouting scale, and suggested he would regularly deliver 70-80 extra-base hits a year. Such projections ...

Let’s Rethink the Playoffs

In the KBO, half of the league’s 10 teams make the postseason each year, albeit with a catch: Instead of the traditional postseason bracket that American audiences are familiar with, the KBO uses a step-ladder format, where the two lowest seeds meet first, the winner faces the next lowest seed, and the bracket continues in that manner until a champion is crowned. To see how it works in practice, let’s use this season’s KBO playoffs as an example.

To start things off, fourth seed LG was given a 1-0 series lead against fifth seed Kiwoom in a best of three, with the idea being to reward the fourth seed for their superior regular season performance. LG prevailed and were thus matched against third seed Doosan in another best-of-three ...

Rockies, Reds Swap Jeff Hoffman For Robert Stephenson

In a challenge trade of sorts, the Rockies and Reds have agreed to swap a pair of former top pitching prospects. The two clubs agreed to a trade Wednesday sending right-hander Jeff Hoffman and minor league righty Case Williams from Colorado to Cincinnati in exchange for right-hander Robert Stephenson and minor league outfielder Jameson Hannah. The Reds have formally announced the swap.

Hoffman, 28 in January, was the ninth overall pick by the Blue Jays in the 2014 draft and went to the Rockies as the centerpiece of the blockbuster deadline swap that shipped Troy Tulowitzki to Toronto. The hope at the time of the deal was that the former East Carolina University ace could develop into a key front-of-the-rotation piece at the ...

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 11-25-2020

Chattanooga News, November 25, 1920:

Police today were investigating the death of an unidentified women beneath the wheels of an automobile, driven by Jesse Hassell, president of the Dallas Baseball club. Hassell faces a charge of criminal negligence, in causing the woman’s death.

This is the first time I’ve run across Jesse Hassell but I think he may be about to become a Dugout regular. I’ve found stories about him getting drunk and running over four people, having his wife throw acid all over him after she found him with another woman, buying the baseball stadium in Dallas while he was trying to sell the team, injuring two women when he drove into their car, having a restraining order preventing him from driving a car in Dallas County, ...

MLB During COVID-19 Behind The Scenes

Before the 2020 season began, New York Yankees reliever Adam Ottavino decided to document what was sure to be one of the most unusual years in MLB history.

Armed with a Leica M240, a trio of lenses and an iPhone, he snapped photos of his teammates and their often surreal surroundings, keeping an eye out for moments that highlighted the quirks, oddities and absurdities of playing professional baseball in the middle of a once-in-a-century pandemic.

Personally I thought this was really cool stuff.

Brian Vikander on Steve Dalkowski and the 110-MPH Fastball

David Laurila: How hard did Steve Dalkowski throw?

Brian Vikander: “In my opinion, he threw over 110 mph. I base that on a couple of things. The first is that there’s not one individual — not one — who has ever come forward and said that he was not the hardest thrower, the biggest arm, in the history of baseball. You’ve got guys who saw ‘Rapid Robert’ Feller, Ryne Duren, Rex Barney, Nolan Ryan, Sandy Koufax…and everybody says it was Dalko. You can debate 2-10 in any fashion that you want, but he’s No. 1. Hall of Famers said it. Earl Weaver said it. Pat Gillick said it.”

Laurila: A lot of people reading this are going to think, “That’s anecdotal; where is the proof?” They’re going to doubt that Dalkowski ever ...

Why everybody should vote Andy Pettitte into the Hall of Fame

To be clear: There’s a good case for Pettitte that doesn’t involve the decade in which he was born. Pettitte’s WAR—60 at Baseball-Reference, 68 at FanGraphs and 61 at Baseball Prospectus—is around the lower tier of inducted Hall of Famers and near the very top of the non-HOF tier, which makes his case the very definition of arguable. His FanGraphs WAR is higher than Tom Glavine’s or Roy Halladay’s (to compare him to contemporaries), and his Baseball-Reference WAR is about level with Juan Marichal and Don Drysdale (to compare him to his ancestors).

If his WAR gives us a reason not to discard him as a no, his postseason performance gives us the reason to elevate him to a yes. His postseason win probability added is sixth all time. ...

Randy Arozarena filmed in domestic dispute over daughter in Mexico

Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena, whose recent historical postseason performance put him in a national spotlight, has reportedly been involved in a domestic dispute in Mexico.

A Mexican newspaper report indicates that Arozarena arrived at his ex-wife’s home to deliver gifts to his daughter, and then subsequently attempted to leave with the child without permission. The article also alleges that during the attempt, Arozarena assaulted his former father-in-law, and that legal charges are being filed.

According to the report, there was enough commotion caused by the altercation that neighbors arrived and were able to prevent Arozarena from leaving with the child, thwarting an alleged attempted-abduction.

Video of Arozarena attempting to ...

Astros Gauging Trade Interest In Carlos Correa

The Astros are “floating” Carlos Correa’s name in trade talks with other teams, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports (subscription required).  This isn’t the first time that Correa has been mentioned as a possible trade candidate, though last year, then-general manager Jeff Luhnow shot down the possibility.

The root cause of Houston’s openness to a Correa trade remains the same — the team considers it “unlikely” that the shortstop will sign an extension before he hits free agency.  Correa is now only one season away from hitting the open market, as he is slated to be part of an elite group of shortstops headlining the 2021-22 free agent class.

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 11-24-2020

Bismarck Tribune, November 24, 1920:

Jim (Hippo) Vaughn a pitcher for the Chicago cubs, was stabbed by his father-in-law at midnight during an argument at the Vaughn home [in Kenosha]. He is in a serious condition at the city hospital.

Hippo recovered and pitched in 1921, but he wasn’t the same and was out of the big leagues for good by July. I can’t seem to find out where on his body he was stabbed, so it’s tough to tell if the stabbing ended his career or if his career was ended by being an out-of-shape 33-year-old who had thrown 900 innings in the past three years.

Dominant KBO season by NC Dinos culminates in Korean Series title

The NC Dinos climbed to first place on May 13, the ninth day of the regular season in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), and they never came down again as they claimed their first-ever pennant.

And the Dinos were crowned the Korean Series champions on Tuesday, as their dominant year culminated in the franchise’s first KBO title. With a 4-2 win on Tuesday, they knocked off the defending champions Doosan Bears in six games.

During the regular season, the bats kept the Dinos in front, while their pitching overcame some early season bullpen woes and showcased promising young arms.

They led all teams with 888 runs scored in 144 games, during which they also hit a league-best 187 home runs. They were tops in team on-base percentage (.366) ...

Sources: Atlanta Braves, RHP Charlie Morton agree to 1-year, $15 million deal

Charlie Morton is in agreement on a one-year, $15 million deal with the Atlanta Braves, sources told ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

Morton is headed back to the team that drafted him in 2002—and gets the same money that Tampa Bay turned down when it declined its club option last month.

Morton, who led the Rays to the World Series with a Game 7 victory over the Houston Astros in the ALCS, became a free agent after Tampa Bay declined a $15 million option for the 2021 season.

Morton doesn’t have any no-trade protection or incentive clauses built into his deal with the Braves, sources told ESPN’s Buster Olney.

Rays open to trading ace Snell

According to multiple sources, the Rays have told other clubs that they’re open to the idea of trading Blake Snell, presenting a realistic possibility that a deal could be consummated this offseason.

A source noted that Tampa Bay is not actively shopping Snell, who has three years and $42 million remaining on his five-year, $50 million extension, but given the financial losses the Rays endured during the pandemic-impacted 2020 season, trading the 27-year-old represents the club’s best chance to create some much-needed flexibility.

Snell will earn $10.5 million in 2021, $12.5 million in 2022, and $16 million in 2023.

HardHit/9: Statcast’s Best Hard Contact Metric

HardHit/9 was the single most descriptive pitcher input stat that I found. Its 0.459 R2 won’t beat ERA estimators like FIP, but that stat takes multiple inputs. As a single indicator, it better explains ERA than home runs do. Based on this alone, it deserves to be included among the premier stats we use to evaluate pitchers. Even its slightly-less-descriptive cousin, HardHit/TBF%, probably has a role. K-HH% is worth looking into as a back-of-the-napkin stat.

As for barrels: they look a whole lot like home runs, don’t they? Connor Kurcon of Six Man Rotation has had a great deal of success using Barrels/BBE% as part of pCRA, but that arrangement was actually the least individually descriptive of the six I’m including here. Again, ...

Here are 10 intriguing 40-man roster adds

Sam McWilliams, RHP, Mets
McWilliams was one of the hottest Minor League free agents this offseason and signed a $750,000 big league contract with the Mets despite logging an 8.18 ERA in Triple-A a year ago. He can reach the upper 90s with his fastball and generates high spin rates on his slider, but he also has averaged just 7.0 strikeouts per nine innings as a starter in the Minors. He has bounced from the Phillies (eighth-round pick out of a Tennessee high school in 2014), to the D-backs (traded for Jeremy Hellickson in 2015), to the Rays (three-team trade in 2018), to the Royals (Rule 5 Draft in 2018), to the Rays (returned by Kansas City in 2019) and now the Mets.

MLB announces tentative plans for 2021 MLB at Field of Dreams presented by GEICO

Major League Baseball today announced its tentative 2021 plans for the MLB at Field of Dreams Presented by GEICO game, featuring the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees in Dyersville, Iowa. MLB has slated the nationally broadcast game for Thursday, August 12th on FOX. Plans will remain contingent upon the status of public health next summer, and the feasibility of ticket availability will be evaluated in the months ahead.

MLB at Field of Dreams will mark the first Major League game ever held in the State of Iowa, to be played at the fan-favorite tourist destination. MLB built a temporary ballpark adjacent to the movie site, with a potential capacity of up to 8,000 fans.

Kris Bryant deal was discussed this past summer, Boston still could have interest in 2016 NL MVP

The Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs discussed slugger Kris Bryant this past summer, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The Tribune listed the Red Sox as one of the potential teams who could have interest in acquiring the slugger this offseason…..

Per the Chicago Tribune: “Two sources confirmed the Red Sox and Cubs discussed Bryant this summer, but those talks faded. Rafael Devers is the incumbent at third base, which means the Red Sox would envision Bryant as a left fielder. ...Mike Bryant, Kris’ father, is a Massachusetts native, but his son will dictate where he plays when becoming a free agent after 2021.”

Bryant has made 172 career appearances (117 starts) in the outfield. Sixty-six of those starts came in left field.

Cardinals’ Carlos Martinez: Arrested in Dominican Republic

Martinez (oblique) was taken into custody Monday by National Dominican Police in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic for violating the country’s social-distancing protocols, Hector Gomez of Deportivo Z 10 reports.

Martinez returned to his native country for the offseason following an injury-shortened 2020 campaign in which he posted a 9.90 ERA and 2.10 ERA over his five starts. The 29-year-old isn’t expected to face any punishment from MLB for his arrest, but he’ll presumably still have to resolve the legal issue before he’s cleared to return to North America for spring training.

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 11-23-2020

Pittsburgh Press, November 23, 1920:

A dispatch from Washington says that Eddie Cicotte must pay to the United States government $2,200 of the $10,000 he received as his share for throwing games to the Cincinnati Reds in the world’s series of 1919.

The internal revenue department with a view to collecting income taxes took up the cases of the ball players who admitted before a Chicago grand jury that they accepted bribe money.

In addition to the regular income tax the dispatch announced, the players were assessed an added amount as a fine for delinquent payment and false returns.

This wouldn’t be the last time the IRS came calling for a crook from Chicago.

Orioles Designate Renato Nunez For Assignment

Some may be surprised to see the Orioles letting go of Núñez. The 26-year-old has been an everyday player for Baltimore over the past two seasons, slugging .469 and hitting 43 home runs in 815 plate appearances. However, as MLBTR’s Steve Adams explored at length in previewing the Orioles’ offseason, Núñez indeed looked like a potential non-tender candidate. Núnez’s relatively low walk rates have led to a lackluster .314 on-base percentage over the past two years. He’s not well-regarded as a defender at third base, either. Overall, he’s only been worth around one win above replacement the past two seasons combined in the estimation of both FanGraphs and Baseball Reference.

Evidently, Baltimore decided Núñez’s on-base and ...

Pirates part ways with Trevor Williams, Jose Osuna to clear room on 40-man roster

It was quite the fall for Williams, 28, a member of the Pirates’ starting rotation the past five seasons. He was only two years removed from an incredible 2018 season, when he had a 1.38 ERA in the second half and 1.29 over his final 13 starts to finish 14-10 with a 3.11 ERA.

But Williams went 2-8 with a 6.18 ERA and 1.572 WHIP in 55 1/3 innings over 11 starts this past season and had a 31-37 record and 4.43 ERA in 94 starts with the Pirates. With Williams entering his second year of arbitration, which likely would have increased his $2.825 million salary, he became a candidate to be nontendered.

“I had a chance to talk to Trevor today and just express to him how much we appreciate who he is as a person, his professionalism and what ...

Tampa Bay Rays designate outfielder Hunter Renfroe to clear roster room

he Tampa Bay Rays have designated outfielder Hunter Renfroe for assignment, helping clear room on the 40-man roster for three young prospects who were not part of the team’s run to the World Series.

Renfroe, 28, appeared in 42 games with 34 starts during the pandemic-shortened regular season and hit the first grand slam in Rays postseason history during the team’s wild-card playoff sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Renfroe batted .156 with eight homers and 22 RBIs in his first season with Tampa Bay. He started six of 12 games he played in the postseason, batting .174 with two homers and seven RBIs.

Yonder Alonso Announces Retirement

First baseman Yonder Alonso announced his retirement in an Instagram post this afternoon (h/t to reporter Ben Ross). That will bring to an end a career that saw him log big league action in parts of ten seasons.

The seventh overall pick by the Reds in the 2008 draft, Alonso immediately became a top prospect, a status he’d hold each season climbing up the minor-league ladder. While he made his big league debut with the Reds, Alonso became an integral part of the Padres’ return in the Mat Latos blockbuster during the 2011-12 offseason.

Over parts of four seasons as the Friars’ regular first baseman, Alonso posted a .271/.339/.386 slash. San Diego traded him to the Athletics after the 2015 season. After a disappointing 2016 effort, ...

Why Curt Schilling Has No Place In Cooperstown

For better or worse, the positioning of the Hall of Fame as purely about on-field merit is part of what makes it meaningful. The mythologies of all American sports are premised on the idea that performance on the field is ultimately the great equalizer, no matter your identity.

But it’s both ludicrous and irresponsible to suggest that Schilling’s exclusion would somehow make the Hall of Fame less legitimate, or damage its legacy. Ryan Fagan can make himself feel better by turning and looking away, but it doesn’t change the fact that Schilling will give his speech all the same, and he will forever be on a literal pedestal among players whose very humanity he would throw dirt on.

What makes this cowardice, apparently shared by the ...

Arenado to Dodgers? Don’t rule it out

One source said Thursday that the Dodgers—who have liked Arenado for years—remain interested in trading for him. If anything, there are more reasons to believe in the viability of an Arenado trade with the Dodgers today than last offseason, when his future was a dominant industry topic.

The Rockies must remain open-minded to trading Arenado for a variety of reasons: Even with him, their chances of finishing ahead of the Dodgers and Padres in 2021 are not especially good; Arenado can opt out of his contract and sign elsewhere following the ’21 season, leaving the Rockies with only a Draft pick as compensation; and if Arenado doesn’t opt out, he’s due $164 million from ’22 through ’26, a significant obligation as the Rockies ...

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 11-20-2020

Chicago Eagle, November 20, 1920:

George Whitted of the Pittsburgh Pirates says there is just as much reason in a pitcher throwing a baseball to frighten a batter as there would be in a batter taking a bat and breaking the arm of a pitcher whom he could not hit—same theory in each case. And Whitted hints that if he finds any pitcher trying to dust him off he’ll do just that trick of equalizing things by busting the offending pitcher’s arm.

Jeez, George, dial it back a bit. You’re a .270 hitter with no power. Nobody’s throwing at you because they can’t get you out.

Former Rays prospect Brandon Martin gets life in prison after murdering three people with baseball bat

Former Tampa Bay Rays prospect Brandon Martin has been sentenced to life in prison after murdering three people, including his father, with a baseball bat, according to Nathan Fenno of the Los Angeles Times.

Martin will not be eligible for parole during the sentence.

Martin, 27, was selected in the first round of the 2011 MLB draft by the Rays. He went in the supplemental round and was the No. 38 overall pick. Martin, a shortstop, spent three seasons in the minors, hitting .211/.281/.371 over 628 plate appearances. Martin did not play in the minors following the 2013 season. He was released by the Rays in March 2015.

Ricketts family gets a landmark tax break on Wrigley Field just in time to gut the Cubs

But there’s always an endgame, and with Wrigley on the precipice of gaining landmark status, they’re becoming clear. There’s a pretty immense tax credit that comes along with it, namely 20 percent of the costs of the improvements.

It’s a little hard to figure out just how much that will be, but when Fenway gained that status it was worth $40 million in credits to them, and that was eight years ago. The Cubs have claimed that all of their development work cost them $1 billion, but a lot of that was for the neighborhood around Wrigley, which might not apply. But you can be sure they’re going to claim as much as they can of that $1 billion went into the park, though. Even if half of that total was spent on the park itself, and ...

Rochester Red Wings have new parent club: Washington Nationals

The Rochester Red Wings have a new parent club: the Washington Nationals.

Sen. Chuck Schumer announced the affiliation Thursday morning, saying he had spoken directly with Nationals owner Mark Lerner.

“For Spikes, Mittsy, Milo, and all members of the Red Wing’s world-class organization, especially Naomi Silver and Dan Mason, I’m excited we can add the next great chapter of Red Wings baseball to our ‘things to be thankful for’ list this Thanksgiving,” he said.

The Red Wings had been affiliated with the Minnesota Twins since 2003. The Twins called off the relationship earlier this month and are expected to pair with the St. Paul Saints, until now an independent league team.

The unforgettable high school days of Kim Ng

Ng was a middle infielder on the diamond, showing off a mix of leadership skills and scrappiness (she once told her younger sister she knew she’d played hard only if her uniform was dirty). Second base was her position when she joined the team in ‘84 and, by senior year, she was the starting shortstop. She was also very “analytical” about everything and seemed to have a natural feel and knowledge of the game.

“I gave her free reign on the bases,” Paul says. “She was so smart and could read catchers. Lots of delayed steals.”

Paul wanted to make her the three hitter because she could, well, hit, but she was forced to bat her leadoff.

“Her on-base percentage was ridiculous,” Paul remembers, laughing. “She just knew what to do, how to work ...