AverageJoesGym

What I find funny is how Bengal fans said the Bengals should have known how to stop Lamar his first starr, when wasnt much tape at all on how the Ravens would use him. Yet now there is plenty of tape on him and teams still arent stopping him. It's not as easy as some thought to stop him.

Well, to be fair they didn't stop anyone all year. I don't know why they would have been surprised.

Finally got to watch the last 4 episodes the last 2 days. I'm glad Nick won. I thought it was a solid season overall.

I think the reason Ohio State gets so much talk on the Kentucky board is because Kentucky usually stinks in football and in basketball, they seem to be able to blow a sure thing.

This doesn't even make sense.

Clemson was clearly the better team. I know that many felt that Georgia should have been in, but with Notre Dame going undefeated, they earned their way in IMO. With a four team playoff, that’s why winning your games is critical. With saying that, I strongly believe that this season has made a clear point that the playoff needs to include eight teams.

Actually, I think we'd have been good with just 2 this season.

Want to continue our debate over ND deserving to be in or not? Or should we toast?

You should beat Purdue. Then it would be Oklahoma making this argument.

The difference in this game is 3 big plays. This game is no where near the domination of the 2012 game. Clemson scored 2 tds in last 2 minutes of the first half. One one a third and 16, and another on basically last play of first half where receiver made a heck of a play.

It only takes a couple of big plays when one team is unable to generate anything on offense.

That was a great catch. Notre Dame is overmatched. This one is over.

Dodgers shed a lot of payroll with the deal with the Reds.

 

Cubs had a 3 hour talk with Scott Boras and Harper himself at the winter meetings and have asked them to hold off on signing with a team so that they can try and shed some payroll and that they wanted them to be the first to know if and where he's signing.

 

Cubs will have to get rid of Heyward and Addison Russell and maybe Yu Darvish if not someone else.

Good luck getting someone to take on Heyward and Darvish's salaries.

I loved the Mayfield stare down of Hue Jackson. Go Browns!

Hopefully so, if it doesn’t workout they can likely trade them at the deadline and basically be right back where they were.

That was my thoughts as well. Also, if they do contend looking enough not to flip them at the deadline it will probably be safe to give Puig and Wood qualifying offers and get the supplemental picks if they go elsewhere. Probably can't do that with Kemp though.

While UNC just had a very nice win over Gonzaga. UNC has a lost where Michigan ran them out of the gym. UNC also lost to Texas, and Texas has already lost 3 games including a lost to Radford.

 

So UNC has 2 losses that are very similar to the two losses UK has had. So until UNC just beat Gonzaga, they were very similar to UK in the regard to how they had looked this year.

 

IMO this is a game where UK kind of will show people that they are better than what people believe. I think this game will be a game decided by 6 or less one way or another.

A 16 point loss to Michigan on the Wolverines home court is not nearly as bad as a 34 point loss to Duke at a neutral site.

Maybe CF or 2B depending on Schebler or Scooter being invlodes in a trade. Or like you said being invloded in one himself which I don’t see that happening. CF would likely only be for one year anyway so if he can be serviceable in ST there that would be ideal.

But they have to add a number one starter for this deal to make sense. Otherwise all they've done is moved from 5th place to 4th place at the cost of 2 good prospects. Sure, the deal will sell some tickets and make them more competitive but it doesn't come close to making them a playoff team. Hopefully it is the first of a couple of big moves.

Also he gets to bat around Suarez/Votto/Winker and possibly Senzel who all get on base a lot in a more hitter friendly park. My guess is he’s thrilled.

He was hitting in a better lineup in LA but the increase in homers should definitely help increase his value when he hits the open market after next season. Just curious, where does this leave Senzel for next season? It appears a supersub is the only open spot for him. Maybe traded for Bauer, Syndergaard, Bumgarner or Kluber?

Only Kemp is under contract after this year though.

That's untrue. All 3 are free agents after 2019.

Look guys, I am a math guy, and 2 + 2 doesn't equal 4 in this deal. So it has to be an accounting transaction and that never gets clarified because the media has no clue. Can someone clarify for me how the accounting works? Take on a $22M contract plus payout $7M to Cinti because the luxury charge is only $17.5M and then release Bailey. Superficial-monopoly talk to me.

Bailey deferred some of his money in his contact so not all of it counts against the luxury tax threshold. The Bailey and Kemp contracts are largely a wash. But it looks something like this:

The Dodgers pay Bailey $28 million (but only take a luxury tax hit of $17.5 million ) and send Bailey to the house. They send the Reds back $7 million. That's $35 million. In the process they shed $18.25 million owed to Kemp (the Padres have to pay $3.5 million of his $21.75 million this season.), as well as approximately $11 million to Puig and Wood's arbitration number which will be more than the $6 million that he made last season. So that's $35 million paid out by the Dodgers and at least $35 million saved depending on what Wood and Puig get paid. The Dodgers save a little bit against the luxury tax threshold but also gain 3 spots on their 40 man roster to go after some other players.

Agreed, this only makes sense if you truly go for it this year.

Good take. If they don't add a top of the rotation pitcher all they've done is move up a spot, or maybe 2 in the division for one season at the cost of a premium prospect. Surely they have a plan to add Keuchel, Kluber or Bauerr or they wouldn't have done this.

Reds are getting a lot of old-timers.

Puig and Wood will both be 28 next season. Only Kemp would be outside of his prime.

Or move Winker to Cleveland in part of a trade for Kluber.

I would think Winker would have a lot of value, particularly to an AL team that can DH him and hide his defensive shortcomings. With his injury and Riggleman's goofy outfield rotation we didn't get to completely see just how good a hitter that he is. He could maybe allow them to hang on to Senzel, Trammel or India if they trade for a number 1. Of course, they might be able to spin Kemp to a contender if they'd rather keep their young guys. Solid deal for the Reds and the Dodgers pick up a couple of nice prospects and some luxury tax relief.

I was hoping the series with Somerset would be able to continue. But that's a long drive for each team.

He refuses to come out of the bullpen, so I’m not really sure what that “something” would be.

He will come out of the bullpen if he's told to. That's on management for not forcing the issue. If he's not injured and refuses to pitch I sid think that would invalidate his contract.

The Angels have signed Matt Harvey to a one year deal with a club option for 2020.

Angels Sign Matt Harvey - MLB Trade Rumors

I guess I'm the only one that thinks Sanchez and/or Fiers would be solid additions?

Sanchez is good if healthy. I'd be all for it, but they need a serious #1. Those guys are getting them to the playoffs with a big addition.

I agree on being solid additions, especially Sanchez. I'm very hung up on all the talk about Keuchel, etc. Makes it hard to settle on these guys.

It depends on how much you like to gamble and whether they will sign one year deals. Sanchez ERA the last 4 seasons: 4.99, 5.87, 6.41, 2.83. Fiers ERA the last 3 years: 4.48, 5.22, 3.56. Did these guys suddenly discover something in their mid-30s or was last season an aberration? Fiers is particularly risky. He gave up 32 homers last season pitching in Oakland and Detroit. He'd likely surpass 40 in Great American Small Park. His FIP was 4.93 and that's probably closer to what you'd be getting. I'd stay away from Fiers completely and only offer Sanchez a 1 year deal with a club option.

No. How is a larger number of 3 pointers attempted hurting the game?

So you admit Roark is a #4 or #5, yet you had issue with us saying he was a back of rotation arm? Interesting....

I said he was a #2 on the Reds. Big difference in where he stands in that rotation and where he would be on a good staff. Didn't I say: Until, and unless, the Reds make a big move he's their #2? In pretty sure I did. Y'all acted like it is a given that he'll slot in as a back of the rotation innings eater. That's far from a given with this front office. It won't be a shocker at all if he and say, Wade Miley are the big additions this offseason.

Sure? I really don’t know that’s why I asked. Castillo is as good as any.

They've got a staff full of #4 and #5 starters. He seems to be able to most often put together a good start.