The effects of math and spit on the 2020 season

Sources: Players balk at MLB’s proposal to cut salaries | ESPN

The MLB owners offered their first economic proposal to the players association today. Rather than the rumored 50/50 revenue split or prorated salaries, the owners’ plan includes a sliding scale so that the lower-paid players will have their salaries cut by a lower percentage than higher-paid players.

A player who makes league minimum ($563,500) would make $262,000 for an 80-game season, or approximately 46% of his previously agreed-upon salary, and the pay cuts would increase (percentage-wise) from there.

So how would this affect the Rockies? Here are a few examples:

• Carlos Estévez: $434,000 (43% of his $1 million salary).
• Scott Oberg: $736,000 (37% of his $2 million salary).
• Germán Márquez: $1.5 million (33% of his $4.8 million salary).
• Trevor Story: $2.5 million (31% of his $8 million salary).
• Ian Desmond: $4 million (27% of his $15 million salary).
• Charlie Blackmon: $5.4 million (25% of his $21.5 million salary).
• Nolan Arenado: $7.84 million (22% of his $35 million salary).

Players are reportedly not enthused about this proposal.

‘I’m Still Gonna Spit’: MLB Players Are Facing a New Reality | Sports Illustrated

The owners’ proposal also came with a number of health and safety guidelines, including limited access to indoor batting cages, weight rooms, and trainers, along with no showering, no touching, no hot and cold tubs, and no spitting. Charlie Blackmon has some thoughts on that: He’s still going to spit. Maybe not on purpose. But spitting is going to happen.

Which 15 Players Should The Rockies Protect In An Expansion Draft? | MLB Trade Rumors

Before the bad times, rumors about MLB expansion were rampant, with Portland and Montreal reportedly at the top of the list (along with Las Vegas, Charlotte, Nashville, Vancouver, and some others). But now, with revenue down due to baseball not currently existing, some have speculated that one way to raise revenue in the coming years would be to aggressively pursue expansion.

So this is kind of a fun one. Assuming 15 players can be protected, who on the Rockies would be protected, and who could be going to Portland or Montreal?

Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon have no-trade clauses, so they would be on the protected list. The folks at MLB Trade Rumors also think Jon Gray, Germán Márquez, Trevor Story, David Dahl, and Brendan Rodgers would make that list. That leaves eight more spots.

Would the Rockies protect starters Kyle Freeland, Antonio Senzatela, and Peter Lambert? Or relievers Scott Oberg, Carlos Estévez, Tyler Kinley, and Jairo Díaz? Are Ryan McMahon, Raimel Tapia, Ian Desmond, and Tony Wolters safe? What about Garrett Hampson and Sam Hilliard? That’s 13 players, so at least five of them would be left exposed in an expansion draft.

So what do you think? Could Peter Lambert get to live the dream of the ‘90s (a decade that he technically did experience)? Could Ian Desmond finally get to play for the city that originally drafted him? Would expansion to Montreal increase the chances of Bartolo Colón getting another year in the majors?

It’s fun to dream.

New slugger thriving at KBO’s biggest ballpark | Yonhap News Agency

Former Rockies farmhand Roberto Ramos is doing pretty well for himself in Korea. He currently leads the league with seven home runs and a .767 slugging percentage and is second in OPS at 1.210. Ramos’ home park in Seoul is, as the headline suggests, the biggest in the KBO, at 410 to center and 328 down the lines. But if you’ve watched any KBO games or you saw Ramos play in the minors, you probably already knew he wasn’t hitting any cheap home runs.

Former MLB Players In NPB: Japan Pacific League | MLB Trade Rumors

Speaking of baseball that is happening in places, Japan is set to open their season on June 19. The Pacific League teams feature a number of former MLB players, including Matt Moore, Leonys Martin, Cory Spangenberg, Daisuke Matsuzaka, and Adam Jones. So if you get tired of watching Roberto Ramos hit home runs, you may soon have other options.

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