Here we are in December of one of the most anticipated free agent classes in recent memory, and already there are grumblings that teams might be reserved now as they look ahead to the names in future classes. One of those names, banish the thought, is Nolan Arenado.
Ken Rosenthal offers a couple noteworthy items in this write-up in regards to Arenado. One is really good: the Rockies plan to pursue an extension this winter. One is really bad: he mentions the Los Angeles Dodgers as a possible landing spot if Arenado hit the market.
That’s a nightmare scenario, but it’s not hard to piece together why it’s a fit. It would put Arenado, a California kid, on a team that is likely to be a perennial championship contender. It puts him under the bright lights of a big market and away from a park where people question his accomplishments on offense.
When you put it that way it all makes sense and you can’t even blame him for that hypothetical decision, save for the fact that the Dodgers are evil and he can never leave us.
Banning the shift in MLB generates growing, heated baseball debate | Denver Post
Patrick Saunders checks in on a topic that has gained some traction this winter. He notes that Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost took a break from sneaking up on his players and scaring them to decry the shift and say it should be banned. Thankfully Bud Black and Jeff Bridich do not feel that way.
Black says that hitters should adjust to hit it to the holes created by the shift. That’s the route I would like to see this go as well. See if teams and hitters adjust their approach to swing the pendulum back and let it be another aspect of the strategy that can make baseball so fascinating.
Growing prospects and a fan base: Inside the success of the Hartford Yard Goats | Rox Pile
Kevin Henry has a great conversation with Yard Goats GM Mike Abramson. It covers a number of topics of interest. There is the important area of the team’s success with prospects as a key stop on the way to the Rockies. There is the even more important area of the Yard Goats social media presence. It’s a great look at what has made things work for the Rockies’ Double-A affiliate.