2014 MLB Season Thread

[Kramerica Industries]

I'd argue that having "too many" shortstops may be the greatest position player issue a team could ever have. Shortstops are generally the best athletes on the field for their team, and many of them can play second/third and/or outfield positions pretty well. If nothing else, shortstops who are young and talented carry a ton of weight in trade negotiations should the Cubs wish to go down that road.

Are Jason Hammel and Jeff Samardzija going to be on the next Cubs team that is a contending team? If the answer is no, and Theo deems that so, then trading them is the proper course of action. Especially in the case of Hammel, I'm not convinced that he is as good as he has performed this season, so, much like Scott Feldman last year, it makes sense to flip those assets that will be free agents and bring in longer-term assets.

From a rival point-of-view, I saw Theo Epstein oversee two World Series teams. I trust the guy knows what he's doing, even though it's been a much longer process in Chicago than it was in Boston for a bevy of reasons that are not Theo's fault.

[Billy B]

I wish the Cubs would've gotten more back, but I can't really be mad about this trade. Samardzija turned down the contract extensions that the Cubs offered him. They're not going to be contending for anything yet next year, so why would they keep him when they can get something in return? And I'm not too concerned about the logjam at shortstop. You can always move someone to second or third, it'll work itself out. Plus Baez is hitting like .240 in AAA right now, it's not like he's ready to come up right away anyways.

[CS85]

I'm fine w/ the trade. Oakland gave up a clutch of prospects that could work out well and everyone knows the Cubs weren't going to do anything this year anyway. Next year will be the "you haven't seen my final form" power-absorption phase before 2016 hits and who knows what in the sam hill could happen because Cubs.

[HedleyLamarr]

Good to see Samardzija back on the football field....

[The_Admiral]

Cubs are basically screwed until at least 2020 if they fail to sell their over-the-air television package, you know, and it's looking as if they will indeed fail.

[GriffinM6]

2014 MLB All-Stars

AL Starters (fan vote)

C Matt Wieters, Orioles - Was having an all-star season until he got injured
1B Miguel Cabrera, Tigers - Duh
2B Robinson Cano, Mariners - Duh
SS Derek Jeter, Yankees - Duh
3B Josh Donaldson, Athletics - Very deserving of his 1st all-star nod after being a snub last year
DH Nelson Cruz, Orioles - Duh
OF Jose Bautista, Blue Jays (leading vote-getter overall) - Duh
OF Mike Trout, Angels - Duh
OF Adam Jones, Orioles - Quietly having another great season

AL Reserves

C Salvador Perez, Royals -- will replace Wieters (Tommy John surgery) in the starting lineup
C Derek Norris, Athletics - Good choice at reserve
C Kurt Suzuki, Twins - Hmm. I think Milky Cabrera should've had this spot
1B Jose Abreu, White Sox - Duh
1B Victor Martinez, Tigers - Duh
1B Edwin Encarnacion, Blue Jays - Duh
1B/OF Brandon Moss, Athletics - Leads a loaded A's in RBI's.
2B Jose Altuve, Astros - Dude gets overlooked by Cano and Pedroia, but is having an amazing season
SS Alexei Ramirez, White Sox - Guy has worked hard for the past 6 seasons to finally be an all-star
3B Adrian Beltre, Rangers - He's a future HOF and keeps producing.
OF Yoenis Cespedes, Athletics - Meh, I don't like this.
OF Alex Gordon, Royals - Guy has become a much better player since becoming an all-star
OF Michael Brantley, Indians - Having an MVP caliber season, and no one seems to know

AL Pitchers

RHP Yu Darvish, Rangers - K's for days.
RHP Max Scherzer, Tigers - Yeah I guess.
RHP Felix Hernandez, Mariners - Duh.
RHP Masahiro Tanaka, Yankees - Duh
LHP Jon Lester, Red Sox - They couldn't really add another DH/1B to the reserves, so Lester becomes Boston's only all-star
LHP David Price, Rays - Duh
LHP Scott Kazmir, Athletics - His career has really resurged the past two seasons
LHP Mark Buehrle, Blue Jays - Veteran is having a bounce back year after his first season in Toronto
LHP Sean Doolittle, Athletics - Dude has been lights out since becoming the A's closer
RHP Greg Holland, Royals - Consistent
LHP Glen Perkins, Twins - Hometown guy
RHP Dellin Betances, Yankees - So underrated out of the pen. Definitely deserves it.

NL Starters (fan vote)

C Yadier Molina, Cardinals - Lucroy deserved it. Just another reason to hate the Cards
1B Paul Goldschmidt, Diamondbacks - Love this player. Sucks that he's on the D-Bags
2B Chase Utley, Phillies - Hate the Phillies. Neil Walker deserved this spot.
SS Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies - Duh
3B Aramis Ramirez, Brewers - Todd Frazier is having the best season of his young career, and Brewers fans back up Mr. Ramirez. He should be an all-star, but not a starter.
OF Andrew McCutchen, Pirates - Duh.
OF Carlos Gomez, Brewers - Punk ass Gomez doesn't deserve it.
OF Yasiel Puig, Dodgers - Please shoot me.

NL Reserves

C Jonathan Lucroy, Brewers - Should've been the starter
C Devin Mesoraco, Reds - Guy is having a breakout season. Much deserving of this honor.
1B Freddie Freeman, Braves - Good choice and great guy.
2B Dee Gordon, Dodgers - Breakout season, and has an insane amount of SB's.
2B Daniel Murphy, Mets - Guy is having a good season on a terrible Mets team.
SS Starlin Castro, Cubs - Rizzo shoulda been here in stead for the Cubbies
3B Todd Frazier, Reds - Shoulda been the starter. Best player on the Reds this season.
3B Matt Carpenter, Cardinals - NO. Neil Walker should have this guy's spot. Cuck the Fardinals.
IF/OF Josh Harrison, Pirates - I love this. Ultimate utility man having a breakout season in the Burgh.
OF Charlie Blackmon, Rockies - The guy has never been a bad player, but just never got to play a full season. Now that he gets to play every day, he's showing everyone how good he is.
OF Hunter Pence, Giants - Love Pence, and he's doing very well.
OF Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins -- will be in starting lineup at DH - It's good that he still got to start anyway, because he definitely deserves it.

NL Pitchers

RHP Johnny Cueto, Reds - Good for him
LHP Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers - Duh
RHP Zack Greinke, Dodgers - Another great pitcher in the Dodgers' potent starting rotation.
LHP Madison Bumgarner, Giants - Best pitcher on Giants this season.
RHP Adam Wainwright, Cardinals - Duh
RHP Tyson Ross, Padres - Huston Street should be the Padres' all-star instead.
RHP Jordan Zimmermann, Nationals - Very good pitcher who doesn't get a lot of attention
RHP Julio Teheran, Braves* - Alfredo Simon should replace Teheran
RHP Craig Kimbrel, Braves - Duh
LHP Aroldis Chapman, Reds - Duh
RHP Francisco Rodriguez, Brewers - Returning to his old self.
LHP Tony Watson, Pirates - Love it.
RHP Pat Neshek, Cardinals - Journey man has finally found himself in the ASG. Good for him.

Snubs

*Note - I left the guys in the final vote off of this.

2B Neil Walker, Pirates - Deserved it much more than Matt Freaking Carpenter.

SS Ian Desmond, Nationals - If his average was higher, he would be one.

1B Adam LaRoche, Nationals - Definitely an odd man out. Stinks that he couldn't be one.

1B Matt Adams, Cardinals - Another odd man out.

OF Melky Cabrera, Blue Jays - Probably should've been there instead of Kurt Suzuki.

OF Khris Davis, Brewers - His average is a little low, but the guy had a shot at making it.

3B Nolan Arenado, Rockies - IF hadn't been injured so long, he probably would've made it.

SP Alfredo Simon, Reds - Are you ing kidding me?!?! This guy has been absolutely amazing all season. A 2.78 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 11 W, and only 23 walks in 110 IP. This guy was seriously not named an all-star. That's just stupid.

[(probably)notabandwagonfan]

Teheran is having a really good year, I'm shocked that he was a replacement.

[Sport]

Usually there's about a one year delay between your first good season and making the All-Star team. I'm glad that wasn't the case with Devin Mesoraco. He's been killing it this season.

I'm okay with Mike Matheny picking players for the all-star team.

[monkeypower]

Garrett Richards got snubbed for the AL.

10-2, 2.71 ERA, 119 K's, 1.07 WHIP, 116.1 innings pitched, .196 opposition average which is top in the AL.

He's in the final vote though.

[Billy B]

It's too bad Jeff Samardzija won't be able to actually pitch in his first All-Star game after being traded. He's had a great season.

[Kramerica Industries]

A few nights ago on BBTN, when the subject of parity came up (yay!), Buster Olney mentioned that in 2000, there were only three pitchers who posted sub-3 ERA's in that season (without looking; Pedro, Johnson, and...Wood, I'm guessing). This season, as of when it was mentioned, there were 29 starting pitchers with sub-3 ERA's. Not all these pitchers can make the ASG. Snubs do happen.

For instance, you see Chris Sale and Garrett Richards on the Final Vote. Then you see Masahiro Tanaka is slated to start on Sunday before the game (among others, perhaps). That will open up a spot.

[dbadefense1990]

Self-served Anheuser-Busch beer stations are now available at Target Field.

http://m.espn.go.com/mlb/story?storyId=11185913

[BigEd76]

It's too bad Jeff Samardzija won't be able to actually pitch in his first All-Star game after being traded. He's had a great season.

Wasn't sure which topic on the main board this belonged in, but here's something interesting:

susanslusser

Jeff Samardzjia will wear generic "National League" jersey at All-Star Game, sit with the NL team, an MLB official tells me. #Athletics

[HedleyLamarr]

I assume that jersey will be the All-Star jersey. Will it even have a team patch on there?

[GriffinM6]

That's interesting. If he had gotten traded to an NL team, would he still been allowed to play?

And in other news Mariners 3B Kyle Seager replaces the injured Edwin Encarnacion in the ASG.

[wonderbread]

That's interesting. If he had gotten traded to an NL team, would he still been allowed to play?

And in other news Mariners 3B Kyle Seager replaces the injured Edwin Encarnacion in the ASG.

Yes someone got traded to the dodgers but never got to play for the team before the All star game but had a dodgers jersey waiting for him when he arrived at the stadium.

" In 1998, Reds reliever Jeff Shaw was named to the N.L. roster but was then traded to the Dodgers on the Saturday before the All-Star break. He wasnt able to join the Dodgers in time for their game the next day (the final game before the All-Star break), so he went straight to Colorado for the ASG, where his Dodgers uniform was waiting for him. His first appearance in a Dodgers uni was at the ASG."

[The_Admiral]

Didn't Carlos Beltran get special dispensation to play in the 2004 All-Star Game after being named to the team from Kansas City but playing for Houston?

[Kramerica Industries]

I vaguely recall, who was it, Sandis Ozolinsh in 2003 or something? Believe he was dealt from one conference to the other but still played in the ASG for the conference he played most of the season with.

[SFGiants58]

In non-ASG related new, Bronson Arroyo will undergo Tommy John Surgery, after pitching 6 starts with a torn UCL. I have no idea how he put himself through that kind of pain (the tendon had come completely off the bone).

[chrysleraspen08]

This guy is definitely just trying to make a quick buck fortune.

http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb/story/2014-07-07/yankees-fan-caught-sleeping-on-tv-suing-espn-for-10-million-andrew-robert-rector-dan-schulman-john-kruk-mlb-video