Teams are leveraging the fact that free agency isn't working in the favor of players due to the aging curve and signing the best players to extensions that will only pay them for their prime years. Read more »
John Watson - Baseball Analysis
On MLB's Tenuous Labor Situation And Recent Extension Glut
Predictions For The 2019 MLB Season (Bold, Tepid & Otherwise)
Some rankings, thoughts and predictions for the 2019 season, all of which will certainly come to pass and which we will in no way regret in the future. Read more »
Grading The 2019 Offseason: AL East
While the Red Sox mainly stood pat, the Yankees made some aggressive moves to come after their throne. Read more »
Grading The 2019 Offseason: AL Central
While the White Sox pursued Manny Machado and Bryce Harper and the Indians were rumored to be shopping Corey Kluber and Trevor Bauer, the Twins signing Nelson Cruz was the biggest actual transaction of the winter. Read more »
Grading The 2019 Offseason: NL Central
Paul Goldschmidt, Yasmani Grandal and Yasiel Puig are the big additions to the NL Central this offseason. Read more »
Grading The 2019 Offseason: AL West
The 2019 offseason for the Angels, A's, Astros and Rangers was notable in how quiet it was, while the Mariners decided to engage in a more serious roster rebuild. Read more »
Grading The 2019 Offseason: NL West
With the Dodgers continuing to dominate the division, the Padres signed Manny Machado, the Rockies extended Nolan Arenado, the D-Back traded Paul Goldschmidt, and the Giants hired Farhan Zaidi as GM. Read more »
Gimme Dat Harp, Boy: On the Bryce Harper Signing
If any team could afford to take a risk on a very special player like Bryce Harper, it's the Phillies. Read more »
Sweet Relief: Manny Machado Finally Finds A Home In San Diego
A.J. Preller just went out and improved his team by getting the owners to throw some money at it in signing Manny Machado. Sometimes free agency works like it’s supposed to, after all. Read more »
Grading The Deal: J.T. Realmuto Reeled In By Phillies
J.T. Realmuto makes the Phillies better and all he cost was some prospects (even if one of them is one of the better pitching prospects up for grabs). Read more »
Miles Ahead: On the Surprisingly Interesting Wade Miley Signing
Don't gloss over Houston's signing of Wade Miley. It could prove to be very meaningful for one of baseball's leading contenders. Read more »
Come Together: Thoughts On The 2019 Hall Of Fame Class
While Mariano Rivera and Edgar Martinez give credit to the more historically underappreciated positions in the sport, Mike Mussina and Roy Halladay were starters and had different bars to clear. Read more »
Labor Pains: On Another Troublesome MLB Offseason
The MLB posted record revenues in 2018 yet player salaries were down and were midway into January yet the biggest free agents remain unsigned. Read more »
Grading The Deal: Reds And (Of Course) Dodgers Do Unconventional Trade
This was one of those fancy new faux salary cap related moves that showed how they can actually be truly interesting sometimes, especially after last year's offseason of doom. Read more »
Grading The Deal: Nationals Make Big Bet On Patrick Corbin
While there's every reason to believe that Patrick Corbin can make good on his insane contract year, there's a ton of risk to consider on the Nats' side. Read more »
Meditations On Many, Many Mariners Moves
Jerry Dipoto had a tough job, trying to maximize his return on his best players while ensuring that the owners cut costs and lined their pockets. But it's hard to see a light at then end of the tunnel. Read more »
Grading The Deal: Yankees Add An Ace In James Paxton Trade
So, the Yankees basically went out and got themselves an ace, even if it was one who has some question marks. Read more »
Bound For Glory: On The 2018 World Champion Boston Red Sox
No curse was broken, no drought was extinguished. But Boston's 2018 World Series win was a truly remarkable achievement by a truly remarkable team. Read more »
A World Series We Deserve: Boston Red Sox Vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
This should be a closely matched series between arguably the best teams in their respective leagues and that makes seven games seem about right. Read more »
2018 ALCS Preview: Houston Astros Vs. Boston Red Sox
The ALCS is a thing of beauty with two regular-season behemoths fighting for a spot in the World Series. Read more »