Probably requires a hipster extraction from the SWAAM category as well.

Thought this tidbit from MLBTR was interesting.

Left-hander Craig Breslow will throw for teams on Jan. 23 in Boston, reports Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald (Twitter links). The 36-year-old Breslow has been working out with Rich Hill this offseason and changed his arm angle, Drellich notes. Back in September, Breslow spoke to Drellich about how he planned to take an analytical look at his pitch selection this winter, exploring horizontal/vertical movement, spin rate and other factors and pair that knowledge with a lower arm slot in order to revive his career. Breslow has spent parts of 11 seasons in the Majors, but his last truly successful year came back in 2013 with the Red Sox (1.81 ERA in 59 2/3 innings).

Sounds like a job for kyleb!

Craig Breslow went to Yale iirc and majored in something insane while there.

Molecular biophysics and biochemistry. Yeah, that counts.

Pretty interesting watching you guys compile the lists. At some point it went from compiling the guys who were best for their team over a long period to compiling a list of the best overall players who played even an inning with a team

I only saw him play once in person. He hit his last homerun that day.

Babe Ruth for Braves

Brock, Maddux, Palmiero, Carter


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ex-Cubs_Factor

I don't know how to paste a link with my phone, so hopefully somebody else can do it, but right now on mlb.com there's an article that features a really cool game. 12 different old scouting reports, along with 12 pics of current stars, and you have to select which player belongs to which report.

http://m.mlb.com/cutfour/2016/12/19/...outing-reports

89%, gets super easy at the end when you have eliminated some. Would be harder if you had to guess all up front.

That's what I got, totally bricked the Betances one 3 times.

The Clay Bucholz Experiment is finally over! Sent to Independence Hall in exchange for a young fellow who plays the position of future Hall of Famer Sanders Pedroia!

Not much of a prospect, a 24 year old Class A player?

As in "we can't allow you to trade for him and take on the entire salary for nothing. /Something/ has to go the other way." Kind of like trading Buccholz for a dollar.

This should actually get Boston right around the luxury tax number. Cots suggests that they're at ~198MM or $204MM (not sure if Luxury Tax is paid on 25-man salary or 40-man salary) before the trade. Buccholz' salary is $13.5MM, which suggests that current projected opening day salaries would equal 184.5 or 190.5MM. Obviously depends on whether or not they sign anyone else, or add anyone else to the 40-man, or take on any salary during the season, or trade anyone else off the current roster. Pretty obvious move to make, but also quite good for them to get PHI to take on all the salary.

I think this is lolphilly

Buchholz

I don't know...he eat 125 innings or so, then gets traded at the deadline. They were going to have to pay someone to eat those innings anyways.

Agree, hope he does decent, get a better prospect for him at deadline than what you gave up. Small price to pay for half a years salary

Fun fact: Buchholz had the lowest FIP in the AL with at least 100 IP in 2015. That's pretty much the definition of a cherry picked stat and he's more likely to end up injured and ineffective than a cy young candidate, but I hope he does well. He began his career with insanely youth expectations but I do think he's become underrated as time has gone by.

What about Ernie Banks?

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??? Was listing ex-Cubs who were more successful after leaving

I'm very interested to see what becomes of him and I'm of the mind they gave up on him too early. Assuming health I think there's a good chance he's the phils #2 guy whether that means they keep him and build or flip him at the deadline. 2015 he had a dominant changeup 2016 it completely disappears. 2013 same story + a dominant cutter 2014 both are gone

Maybe the problem is mechanics? Idk. But he has the stuff to be good and his velocity is consistent throughout his career and the Phillies seem pretty adept at pitching coaching