February 4, 2021
With the players’ union rejecting Major League Baseball’s proposal to delay the start of the 2021 season by a month in hopes of winter coronavirus rates declining, the start of spring training is less than two weeks away, and from a logistical standpoint, so much remains undecided. Will there be a universal designated hitter? Will last year’s experiments with seven-inning doubleheader games and man-on-second extra inning rules carry over? What will the playoff format be? From a personnel standpoint, more than 150 free agents are still looking for work.
The ice has begun to thaw for some of the top free agents, particularly in the past two weeks as the likes of George Springer, J.T. Realmuto, Michael Brantley, Brad Hand, Marcus Semien, Nelson Cruz, Kolten Wong, Joakim Soria, and Alex Colomé have found homes; news of the last three doing so broke while I was working on this very piece. That still leaves 14 members of our annual Top 50 Free Agents list in li
Red Sox first-round draft pick Nick Yorke at the alternate training site in Pawtucket. (Courtesy of Pawtucket Red Sox/Kelly O Connor).
WELCOME BACK!!! Despite a scorching hot stove (I can’t believe the player you’re thinking of did or did not sign with the team you thought they would!), these long winter months can be some of the darkest of the year (figuratively and literally). But fear not, restless readers. The Dynasty Guru is here to the rescue.
While you were quarantining and enjoying virtual holidays, our brave group of writers has been ranking, debating, re-ranking, re-debating, and re-re-ranking over 600 players for dynasty leagues. The fruits of our efforts will be filling January and February with the deepest, most thoroughly and painstakingly selected dynasty baseball rankings on the internet. We have top-40s, top-50s, top-125s, top-200s, and of course top-500s.
As Boston Red Sox rebuild farm system, Chaim Bloom points to Dustin Pedroia, Jon Lester as examples of a second-round pick’s value
Updated Dec 16, 2020;
Posted Dec 16, 2020
Red Sox s Chaim Bloom speaks at a news conference, Monday, Oct. 28, 2019, at Fenway Park in Boston. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)AP
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The Red Sox hit home runs in the second round of the 2002 and 2004 MLB Drafts, picking Jon Lester and Dustin Pedroia who helped them win World Series titles in 2007 and ‘13.
Boston has swung-and-missed in the second round, too. Mickey Hall (54th overall, 2003), Jonathan Egan (57th overall, 2005), Hunter Morris (84th overall, 2007) and Derrik Gibson (77th overall, 2008) all never played a game in the major leagues.
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Winslow Townson/Associated Press
The MLB world is already buzzing about next winter s free-agent class, which could include shortstops Francisco Lindor, Corey Seager, Javier Baez, Trevor Story and Carlos Correa.
Teams in need of shortstop help this offseason have a significantly thinner pool of talent to pick from.
Marcus Semien finished third in AL MVP voting in 2019, but after a disappointing season, he looks like a prime candidate for a one-year, prove-it deal.
That s exactly the position Didi Gregorius found himself in last winter when he inked a one-year, $14 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. And after posting a 119 OPS+ with 10 doubles, 10 home runs and 40 RBI in 60 games, he is set to cash in with a multiyear pact.
Cardinals claim lefty Williams from Angels, lose two righthanders in minor-league Rule 5 draft houstonherald.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from houstonherald.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.