Big Football Day Today

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Or handegg, as WBBaS calls it.

Can the Pats beat the Broncos in Denver? Can the Cardinals beat the weather and the Panthers in Charlotte? For info on these burning questions, go to NFL.com.

Can we get these games out of the way so we can enjoy (!) all the hype of the next two weeks and get that much closer to Spring Training?

In Dodgers news, prospect Cody Bellinger is #6 on MLB Pipeline’s ranking of 1B prospects. He hit 30 HRs and led the California League with 97 runs scored and 103 RBI in 2015. If he pans out the Dodgers just need to squeeze two more seasons out of Adrian Gonzalez.

The same outfit has ranked LHP prospects, and Julio Urias of the Dodgers comes out on top. The only thing he’s short on is experience: he’s yet to pitch more than 90 innings in a season.

150 thoughts on “Big Football Day Today”

    • Like the article stated, we would not get much in return and have to pay part of his salary. I would just keep him at this point.

  2. Greg Maddux and Raul Ibanez to Dodger staff. Confirms talk about Maddux a while back.

    http://dodgers.mlblogs.com/2016/02/02/greg-maddux-raul-ibanez-join-dodger-front-office/

    Wouldn’t it be insane if Maddux could pick up and impart something to Kershaw to make him even more dominant? Like help elevate CK’s changeup to the level of his slider and FB? A change was one of Maddux’s best weapons, IIRC.

    Succeed at that and multiple no-hitters may follow. ;-])

    • Another thing: at times this spring Sandy Koufax and Greg Maddux will be on the field at the same time helping pitchers. What young pitcher wouldn’t love that?

  4. We caucused here in Iowa tonight. It is a very interesting process. Caucus today, blizzard tomorrow!

  6. Frequent Flyer Ronald Torreyes is on the move again, from the Angels back to the Yankees, replacing the player that replaced him when the Yankees put him on waivers a few weeks ago. A lot of teams want him, just not bad enough to give him a 40 man roster spot…

  8. Congratulations, Package. Seems like you’re the only one who can inspire any action on this moribund blog…

    • I just checked it out. Bumsrap is posting there. The first article is about Joe Blanton and pitch framing. Read the comments, lots of people have their doubts about pitch framing. I think some of us will enjoy that site too, so far I haven’t seen any crazies on it…

      • There seemed to be only two people questioning “framing” in that thread and one of them cited an article from FanGraphs, which basically said that it exists but that umps may be getting “wise” to it.

        • I guess they had multiple posts then. Point I considered most important was at least several people are in favor of electronic ball and strike calling.

          • Hard to be against accuracy, but at first blush would seem to be awkward to introduce, as the plate guy has other duties. I don’t suppose the umps would take a pay cut.

    • Just to clarify, I won’t mind if they sign Kendrick. I would prefer Desmond but Kendrick has always been OK in my book. If they do sign him, maybe they’ll dump Utley to the Angels or someone…

    • Would lose the draft pick in any event if no one picks him up. Could do worse. Howie has good splits, so Chase could move over to back up both 3rd and 2nd and Quique remains the super sub backing up SS/CF/LF/2nd.

  24. Beachy outrighted to OKC, so an open slot on the forty man. While they could be making a move, it also opens up a slot in case one of the NRIs makes it.

      • Professionals got to get the words out every day to keep their job. I suspect they know it’s not Pulitzer material…

        • In all fairness to the author, he was responding to an esoteric question and apparently had nothing better to do than to research it.

  28. I expect Turner to turn back into a mouse or pumpkin sooner or later, so I favor using him as backup and pinch hitting or trading him while his price is inflated. And. Signing Ian Desmond to play shortstop the next 4 years or so and switching Seager to third base now instead of a year or two from now. Desmond can be had for a quite reasonable sum and he would be a worthwhile addition to the lineup.. Turner’s health makes him more suited to a bench role. I’m not knocking Turner, just wanting to put him in a smaller role and relying on him less.

    • Surrendering a high draft choice to sign an overpriced mediocrity like Desmond makes no sense. You’re in Package territory now.

      • Doesn’t matter what you think of the idea. Or me either for that matter. I just hope FO reads this blog and likes the idea.

    • Loved Desmond in watching the Nats over the years, but he refused an extension for 5 years that would have paid him $18 million per year! After a down season in 2015 and not much interest on the FA market, what is the reasonable sum that you think he can be had for (given that he would cost us a draft choice)?

      • He now has some idea of how high an opinion some people have of him. I’m sure he would jump at 5 years@$14MM with a two year opt-out. Maybe start at $12MM and work up…

        • Would guess that his own opinion of himself hasn’t changed, so might be looking for a one-year contract/opt out to prove himself to others again as an alternative to a longer contract for less money yearly.

          • Bottom line, he may not be the longer term solution for what you see as issues involving Seager and Justin (full disclosure: I don’t buy into these requiring urgent and major moves at this point at such risk and costs).

          • You think he is a long term solution at a reasonable price for the issues that you have identified?

          • Five years is a long time in MLB, $14MM is not much money in MLB. From what I have red about Desmond, he is considerably about average in shortstop offensive output, at least average in defense, and the Dodgers do have money. I would rather pay him $14MM than pay $7MM for the corpse of Chase Utley/

          • Ian is unlikely to take a five year contract at $14 million, which is significantly below the $18 million offer he rejected last year, as well as the $16 million qualifying offer he more recently rejected. On the Dodger’s side committing $90 million plus over five years and losing a draft pick is not comparable to spending $7 million one year. Ian could sign a one-year contract/opt out to regain his value on the market next year, but then it wouldn’t be a long term solution that you think the Dodgers need..

          • It doesn’t have to be long term, that’s why I put the opt-out suggestion in the contract. The Dodgers have some viable shortstop options in the minors for the future. Only time will tell whether they are as good as Desmond. I doubt they will hit as well.

          • Really? I mean there is Alphabet, who we might both agree doesn’t seem to be up to snuff for the Bigs. Other than that, we don’t have anyone else in our top 50 prospects. Beyond that we have a couple of teenagers who wouldn’t be ready for 3-4 years at best, even if they turn out to be very good. Perhaps we can pick up someone better in upcoming drafts.

          • Or we might reassess the need to sign him at all. In the Dodgers’ case it’s “only money plus 50%”.

          • (Utley is right up there with Carl Crawford on my list of people for whom there’s no room on Earth.)

      • Thanks Audit, Link, and WB. I was trying to do a quick paste instead of saving the picture and then do the usual clicks to show the picture. The picture pasted successfully but when I tried to post it, I got a message that said I had to have text. So I added text and only the text posted. When I tried to delete the meaningless text without the picture it would not let me delete everything so I had to change my text for the edit to be successful. That is when I wound up with the text that you all saw.

        Sometimes my comments just go up in flames.

    • When you try to make a post, there is a dialog box divided into two parts. The lower part has a small symbol in it. Click on that symbol and it will open up your files to select the picture or video you want to post. Click on the selected picture and then on the usual “Post As Bumsrap” button.

      • I hadn’t thought about that. I like it. I am for the DH. If the NL wants to tweak the DH rule by saying a DH can’t be used after the 6th inning I would be okay with that compromise.

        I also want electronic calling of balls and strikes. The ump can still be behind the plate calling foul tips and plays at the plate. I want a bi-product of calling balls and strikes electronically to be stats on pitchers that throw up and in with penalties for those who do it too much, whatever too much would be.

        One way to penalize pitchers that throw up and in too much would be to electronically shrink their strike zone for a period of time.

    • My eyes have been on him for a couple of years now. I am a fan. I think Seager will be a very good shortstop and will stay there until he either gains maybe 20 pounds or the Dodgers have a chance to put a super quick player there.

      But I have to admit that Bellinger and Seager at the corner infield positions intrigues me. I can vision three young lefty hitters playing together for a long time in Seager, Pederson, and Bellinger.

      I wish Verdugo swung from the right side because I like Puig and Verdugo playing in the outfield corners. Maybe Verdugo plus X could be traded for Javier Baez to get that right handed bat that could play either left or second base.

    • Cody with a Tweet today crediting his trainer for adding 20 pounds over the offseason.