2020-2021 Off-Season News, Notes and Discussion

[WrongVerb]

NC Dinos To Post Sung-Bum Na

The NC Dinos of the Korea Baseball Organization have asked the league to post outfielder/designated hitter Sung-Bum Na for Major League teams, Jee-ho Yoo of South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reports. Once the posting is made official by the two leagues, MLB clubs will have 30 days to negotiate with Na. Yoo reported earlier this year that Na had hired the Boras Corporation to represent him during the posting process.

Na, 31, just wrapped up an outstanding effort with the KBO champion Dinos, hitting .324/.390/.596 with 34 homers, 37 doubles and a pair of triples in 584 plate appearances. (Those interested can check out some 2020 highlights from Na on YouTube). He did strike out at a career-high 25.3 percent clip in that time against an 8.3 percent walk rate, although the career 21.3 percent strikeout rate he carried into the 2020 season is a bit more palatable.

During Na’s 30-day posting window, he’ll be able to negotiate with all 30 MLB clubs. In addition to the actual contract paid to Na, the team that eventually signs him will also owe a posting fee to the Dinos. That fee would be equal to 20 percent of the contract’s first $25MM, plus 17.5 percent of the next $25MM and 15 percent of any dollars thereafter. That fee is in addition to the contract — not deducted from the contract itself.

[WrongVerb]

Jon Morosi
@jonmorosi
Sources: Kris Bryant is unlikely to be traded before Wednesday’s 8 pm ET deadline to tender contracts, but his marketplace is likely to become clearer after that. More activity is expected across @MLB
industry beginning Thursday. @MLBNetwork
7:52 AM · Nov 30, 2020

[JFLegal]

buyer beware when it comes to batters from the korean league for a myriad of reasons. first, it's a very hitter-friendly league. second, the league overall is considered a step down from the japanese league (not a huge step down, but a step down) and we see how most japanese players do not live up to expectations when coming to MLB. third, eric thames tore it up in the KBO for 3 years ... came back to MLB and had two crazy hot months ... and hasn't been heard from since.

i would steer clear of any hitters from the KBO unless they are willing to sign for very cheap.

[RED VAN HOT]

An article on The Athletic details the struggles of one of the Reds top picks (Nick Howard) and makes it easy to understand why the Reds have had such a difficult time developing pitching. Hopefully this is behind the team with the addition of Kyle Boddy.

A snippet from the article is below but there is a lot more to the story that you should read.


https://theathletic.com/2217438/2020...-he-could-not/

I read the article too and the bolded part stood out to me. The theme of the article was the 'yips', but the arm problems caught my eye. IIRC, the Braves favor retaining a pitcher's natural arm slot.

[Ron Madden]

Alec Lewis @alec_lewis
The Royals also announce they have signed OF Michael Taylor.
Taylor's deal is worth $1.75 million with $1 million in performance bonuses, per a league source.

[Ron Madden]

Mark Feinsand
@Feinsand
The Marlins have acquired RHP Adam Cimber from the Indians for cash considerations. RHP Jose Urena - Miami's Opening Day starter in 2018 and 2019 - was designated for assignment to make room on the roster for Cimber.

[WrongVerb]

Anthony DiComo
@AnthonyDiComo

Luis Rojas will have at least one change to his coaching staff in 2021. Hensley Meulens, who originally signed on as the Mets' bench coach under Carlos Beltrán one year ago, won't be returning to that role.
2:14pm · 30 Nov 2020

I know it won't happen, but I sure would love having Muelens on the Reds' coaching staff.

[Ron Madden]

Bobby Nightengale
@nightengalejr
#Reds named Eric Jagers as their new assistant pitching coach, filling Caleb Cotham's role. Jagers was the organization's assistant MiLB pitching coordinator and spent the season working with pitchers at the alternate site. Driveline background.

Kyle Boddy on Eric Jagers earlier this year: "He’s the best in the world at pitch design, technical capacity. That’s Eric Jagers. Anything that has to do with the technical side of pitching, he’s the best in the world."

Michael Lorenzen
@Lorenzen55
This is REALLY good news! Congratulations to
@ericjagers! Hard work and an obsession to learn is paying off brother!! Soon, every team will be trying to steal you from us.

[Ron Madden]

Buster Olney
@Buster_ESPN
5h
An interesting observation from one evaluator: The catching market is loaded with a lot of options... but very few players you'd believe could handle the rigor of catching every day. Lots of older veterans who might be best suited to be complementary No. 2s.

Maybe there could be a market for Barnhart

[Ron Madden]

Ken Rosenthal @Ken_Rosenthal
Free-agent catcher Luke Maile in agreement with Brewers on major-league contract, pending physical, sources tell The Athletic.

Maile, 29, missed all of last season after getting hit by a pitch in an intrasquad game with the Pirates and fracturing his right index finger. Strong defender, career slash line of .198/.252/.304 in 657 plate appearances.

[Tom Servo]

The Twins are putting Eddie Rosario on release waivers, don't see how this is anything but more evidence of how broken the business side of baseball is.

[RedTeamGo!]

The Twins are putting Eddie Rosario on release waivers, don't see how this is anything but more evidence of how broken the business side of baseball is.

He has a career .310 OBP and is projected to make $10 million in arb.

I mean, baseball might be broken, but that guy isn’t really the poster child for it IMO.

[Tom Servo]

He has a career .310 OBP and is projected to make $10 million in arb.

I mean, baseball might be broken, but that guy isn’t really the poster child for it IMO.

He's got an .810 OPS over the last four seasons including seasons with fWARs of 2.6 and 3.5. It's absurd that he's non-tendered, he's easily worth arbitration salary.

[Ron Madden]

Mark Feinsand @Feinsand
The teams making the biggest push to sign starters, per sources, are the Mets, Blue Jays, Red Sox, White Sox, Padres, Giants & Rays, while the Twins, Marlins & Reds are also expected to be in the SP market. Big game of SP musical chairs; who will be left without a seat?

[Kinsm]

He has a career .310 OBP and is projected to make $10 million in arb.

I mean, baseball might be broken, but that guy isn’t really the poster child for it IMO.

The Reds gave Moustakas (career OBP of .310) a four year 64M$ contract 12 months ago and he was two years closer to retirement than Rosario.