But then again, payroll doesn't win ballgames.
Giants added some pop and spent some money this year and last. We were thrilled to get Willy Adames because our shortstop has been a platoon position since BCraw left.
Willy Adames Stats SF · 2025 season .210 Avg 9HR 36 RBI 65 Hits $182 Million
Fan Favorite Jung Hoo Lee Stats SF · 2025 season. 240Avg 6HR 34RBI 74Hits $113 Million
Shocking Trade Rafael Devers .217/.333/.391 with just two homers, five RBI and more strikeouts (17) than hits (10). $250 Million
Really good 3B Matt Chapman SF · 2025 season .243Avg 12HR 30RBI 56Hits $151 Million
Certainly the Bobby Bo deferral is peanuts compared with what the Dodgers are doing. A commissioner working for the betterment of the game would prohibit these moves to avoid the salary cap. You want to pay Ohtani 700 million for 8-ish years of productive ball? You'll have to pay the Colorado Rockies 100 million for the privilege.
Ran across this earlier. It's amazing to consider....
FROM ESPN:
There have been 2,664 pitchers who have made at least 30 career starts since 1901.
Three of those pitchers â or one out of every 888 â own a career ERA below 2.00. Two of them are Hall of Fame deadball era greats: Ed Walsh (1.82) and Addie Joss (1.89). The third is Pittsburgh Pirates superstar Paul Skenes.
The chances of Skenes, who has made just 39 career starts, remaining in that class are slim. That's nothing against him. It's the reality of math and the era in which he plays. The careers of Joss and Walsh overlapped in the American League from 1904 to 1910, when the aggregate ERA was 2.61. The collective ERA in the majors since Skenes debuted is 4.04.
Given the aggregate ERA's of the two eras of the three pitchers.....Skenes is leading the conversation about the greatest pitcher through 40 starts in the history of baseball.
In some respects it's a shame he's stuck in Pittsburgh (although that's exactly how the draft is supposed to work)... but I'm guessing the Dodgers already have plans for him. $1B.... paid over 20 years?
The Pirates are a dwindling-market team for sure, but there's a LOT of national awareness of them and if they field a decent team that makes a run into the playoffs more often, their merchandising value would make up maybe half of whatever fat contract he gets from them. The Dodgers on the other hand really have nowhere to go with merch since they're already stratospheric. Skenes is literally the guy you build a club around. He's presumably already bringing the team more money, and if they invest in players they could compete in a year or two. Or they could let him go before free agency for a whopping amount of cash and/or players and improve the team immediately.
Giants are in Spend Mode and are probably going to DFA Verlander before he gets a win (12 starts, no wins) so they've got a slot to fill...
Ran across this earlier. It's amazing to consider....
FROM ESPN:
There have been 2,664 pitchers who have made at least 30 career starts since 1901.
Three of those pitchers â or one out of every 888 â own a career ERA below 2.00. Two of them are Hall of Fame deadball era greats: Ed Walsh (1.82) and Addie Joss (1.89). The third is Pittsburgh Pirates superstar Paul Skenes.
The chances of Skenes, who has made just 39 career starts, remaining in that class are slim. That's nothing against him. It's the reality of math and the era in which he plays. The careers of Joss and Walsh overlapped in the American League from 1904 to 1910, when the aggregate ERA was 2.61. The collective ERA in the majors since Skenes debuted is 4.04.
Given the aggregate ERA's of the two eras of the three pitchers.....Skenes is leading the conversation about the greatest pitcher through 40 starts in the history of baseball.
In some respects it's a shame he's stuck in Pittsburgh (although that's exactly how the draft is supposed to work)... but I'm guessing the Dodgers already have plans for him. $1B.... paid over 20 years?
PS.
I was talking to one of the upper management guys, who is my buddies godson, at his grandmothers funeral at the beginning of the season and Devers name came up in the conversation by me.
Did I do that?
This was a fun interview but at about 3:30 or so he brings up the trade. The announcers mention a couple of the throw-ins "I don't know who that is. College? I don't care about college."
The most boring games are 6 to 0 in the 2nd inning, one pitcher doesn't have it and his team's bats are limp too. Not so lopsided that it's fun/funny, everyone has to keep trying, but also after the third inning you're pretty sure it's not going to get better. Although in the Dodger blowout the other day, they put a position player in to pitch and he gave up five runs including a grand slam, so that was fun: short term goal: make the Dodgers get a real pitcher up in the bullpen. Check. Make the Dodgers call a real pitcher in to relieve the position player. Check. Then keep scoring runs and win the game on a 2-out 12-run rally. No check.
I like lots of action, lots of hits and runs on both sides - for me, that's intensity.
One fan's intensity is another fan's boredom, I guess.
The most boring games are 6 to 0 in the 2nd inning, one pitcher doesn't have it and his team's bats are limp too. Not so lopsided that it's fun/funny, everyone has to keep trying, but also after the third inning you're pretty sure it's not going to get better. Although in the Dodger blowout the other day, they put a position player in to pitch and he gave up five runs including a grand slam, so that was fun: short term goal: make the Dodgers get a real pitcher up in the bullpen. Check. Make the Dodgers call a real pitcher in to relieve the position player. Check. Then keep scoring runs and win the game on a 2-out 12-run rally. No check.
Those are intense! A 7â8 walkoff had to have a lot of iffy pitching and probably some misadventures in the field. I do like it when they force the defense to make a play and they can't do it, but a 1â0 game usually has some sweet defense going on. And the longer it goes, the more intense it gets.
One fan's intensity is another fan's boredom, I guess.
You know, the kind where no one scores, or even gets a hit or two?
Those are intense! A 7â8 walkoff had to have a lot of iffy pitching and probably some misadventures in the field. I do like it when they force the defense to make a play and they can't do it, but a 1â0 game usually has some sweet defense going on. And the longer it goes, the more intense it gets.
Rightâit's already sudden death for visitors now but I wholeheartedly reject the premise that shortening games is any sort of priority. If it gets to extra innings, it's probably a fun game to be watching so why would I want less of that? I already don't like the Manfred Man because it makes that Happy Fun Time Ball⢠go by too fast.
There are also instances where the game is a boring pitcher's duel and extras just make it worse.
Rightâit's already sudden death for visitors now but I wholeheartedly reject the premise that shortening games is any sort of priority. If it gets to extra innings, it's probably a fun game to be watching so why would I want less of that? I already don't like the Manfred Man because it makes that Happy Fun Time Ball⢠go by too fast.
If MLB wants to shorten games even more, perhaps they could implement "sudden death" in extra innings - whoever scores first wins. Thoughts?
Or start with the bases loaded and 1 out....or 2 outs...or have a home run hitting contest with 5 pitches each. Time the fastest player to circle the bases?
They could do a lot to shorten the game... make all games 7 innings.
It can go too far.... the experience of going to the ballpark needs to remain valuable. I've heard complaints from my kids that if you go to get something to eat and hit the bathroom that you miss an inning or two. There is also value in getting those that showed up to pay for more of everything, and not feel like the $40 to park was extortion.
There is a balance, and I think right now things are pretty good.
