Nats had gooder SP than the Astros and didn't have a ******ed manager. However, Strasburg has opted out so don't expect them to be back on top.

White Sox will be pushing to win the AL Central.

Mariners will continue their non-title status.

Angels will continue to keep one of the GOATs out of the playoffs.

Lol Cubs #dynasty

Doyer will be stout again.


Braves may get er dun, but I'm still thinking Phils win the division and then Mets get a WC.

Also, mad jelly teams trying to put sanctions on the Astros for being outsmarted 3 years ago.

FA ranks from Fangraphs:

Gerrit Cole
Rendon
Strasburg
Donaldson
JD
Yazmani
Ozuna
Bumgarner
Wheeler
Didi
Castellanos
Keuchelangelo
Ryu
Moose
Kyle gibson
will smith
odorizzi
Puig
Hamels
Pineda
and more https://blogs.fangraphs.com/2020-top-50-free-agents/

Oops, bad thread start from the beginning title.

Shocking that Yu didn't opt out.

Astros are cheats

Yoshitomo Tsutsugo,

I'm always excited to see the Japanese hitter come over.

I for one am mildly surprised that Jake Odorizzi accepted his qualifying offer to remain with the Twins. I'm a big disbeliever in his, and the Angels were rumored to have interest, so I'll consider it a bullet dodged.

But I had a nightmare the other night that the Angels signed Cole for 300M and he experienced forearm tightness in spring training. For this reason I am rooting against this transaction too. It's just too much money to stake on the health of an oft-used ligament. There are only two types of pitchers, they famously say: those that are injured and those that are soon to be injured. The pitchers that have avoided injury coming into free agency offer zero insurance, as Phillie fans experienced this past season with David Robertson. So lean into it. Disregard the risk because it can't be managed. Give me....Hyun-Jin Ryu! Ryu would look great in Angel red and would allow them to right a wrong from last offseason - getting Yasmani Grandal in the building. That's my Christmas list this year.

Good OP though, mr. Txdome. I agree with your White Sox take - this may be the year that Nick Madrigal becomes a household name. It won't take him longer than a month once he gets called up.

Greinke has been an exception to the injury rule, which makes him a great grab by the Astros. McCullers will be back next year. It's uncertain whether or not Colin Mchugh is retired. Either way he is a FA too.

Astros are cheaters.

I fully expect the Astros to sign Kyle Gibson and for him to finish top-5 in Cy Young voting, all while AJ Hinch looks on with tacit approval from his jail cell.

Kyle Gibson has always been "almost there" for a decade. Astros will give him the Gerritt Cole treatment.

Exactly Mr. Txdome. I said Gibson, not Wheeler, for a reason. Gibson is potential gold. Wheeler is fool's gold. Until Manfred gives Houston the SMU treatment, they will still have a number of intellectuals in that organization. They will be able to tell the difference, and then they will be blackballed shortly thereafter.

Wheeler biggest FA bust, is my prediction. I'm going heavy on predictions because I intend to link back to my own old posts in support of my insight later on in 2020. You understand.

I'll book Braves vs Phillies for the NL East for a 2-figure (maybe 3-figure) amount after they set the lines when free agency ends

Phils aren't going to slow down with grabbing talent, they've been planning this push for 5 years. I don't think the Braves are in the same mindset, which may be the correct plan. The Mets with their starting pitching is scary.

The Ass Throws are cheaters

the houston astros love to cheat

when will free agent signings start happening?

With how many clients Scott Boras represents this year, check back around the all-star break and maybe a third will have signed somewhere. This is gonna be a long ld winter in the absence of any other news.

But alas! Other news is unfolding. This Astros cheating scandal is a helluva time to be alive imo

The Winter Meetings is usually the starting point. December 8th this year.


Also, **** all y'all.

World Series Champions*

Agreed txdome, **** all the cheaters in that photo you posted

You redneck teams can stick with binoculars and flags the Astros realize what decade this is.

Now someone is trying to say that because there was an AB where Christian Yelich's eyes maybe, possibly moved when facing Yu Darvish that the Brewers were stealing signs.


Yu seems to buy into it at least somewhat. So Yelich takes him deep:

Yeah you're right, Postle used technology so everyone else is a redneck

Yelich comes off like a real jackass there. Yu was only explaining why he stepped off the mound, not accusing him of anything.

Let us back away from this equivalency, because they aren't in the same ballpark.

The Astros didnt really use technology in any sort of impressive manner. Quite the opposite. In 1951, the Giants had a more sophisticated methodology in place that involved a telescope and alerting teammates with electronic buzzers. The result was the shot heard round the world, and because nobody was bashing on trash cans, no one got caught until well after the fact.

ETA: I sat on that fun fact for several days waiting for you to bring it up yourself, Mr Txdome!