DODGERS NEWS/RUMORS Thread

What I don’t get is, IF we had a culture of cheating, wouldn’t you also be on the lookout for others cheating? Looking back on Astros film it feels grossly obvious what they were doing. How do we not notice that?

 

So that you can call the other team out for cheating and open up an investigation that'd likely turn back your way?
Sounds brilliant.
How many times have the Astros accused other teams of cheating over the last few years?

 

No. Not ratting on them. I mean thinking, hey they seem to know what pitches we are about to throw and they are whistling a lot... let’s try disguising our signs just in case something fishy is going on.

 

Of course, there's actually a report that says the Dodgers did suspect the Astros of sophisticated sign stealing before the WS, but back to the question of how they didn't notice it was actually happening..

This is the org that didn't figure out Kersh was tipping his breaking stuff until it was too late. We lived through the speculation that the Cards were stealing LAD's signs from 2B back in 2014..think we can say that the Cards got away with that one if it really happened. And most recently, more speculation that Kersh was tipping pitches in Game 2 VS the Nats in this year's postseason.

All to say that the Dodgers look like professional victims at this point, so if they are cheating, why wouldn't they be worse at it than others? Feels like they're the suckers most of the time. Regardless of potentially bringing attention to themselves, I'm completely happy that none of them are whining about the Astros because all this shit is just tiresome.

 

• As I mentioned earlier, there are rumors that MLB is now weighing potentially dropping a huge penalty down onto the Astros. Don't expect a death sentence, but their are rumors growing that there could be some all time bans dropped down. This is an instance where apparently the most hated team(behind the scenes) in the game has 29 teams and a bevy of ex-personnel that are ready to bury them. With reporters like Evan Drellich, Ken Rosenthal and Jeff Passan dropping new bombshells seemingly every couple of days, the issue does not appear to be getting closer to going away. Another thing that is being rumored is that MLB was hoping that they could get away with maybe some light fines and let the story fizzle out, but those reporters plus the internet uproar is forcing them to likely have to act stronger than they wanted to. That new wrinkle pisses me off and just proves how much of a pussy Manfred is, btw. All this is paired with another story that dropped this weekend that showed that the Astros ownership group are the ones behind this push to cut 60ish MiLB teams out and completely change the landscape of minor league baseball. The Astros have become supervillains almost overnight as all they did this weekend was piss off baseball fans in small town America and now pushed the MLBPA into the fight against them. Honestly if this whole scandal had not involved the Dodgers and Yankees at such a significant level, there would not have been more than a puff of smoke here, but the fact that they used this method to get by the teams with the largest fanbases in the game gives the angry mob a major strength in numbers.

• Earlier this morning on the MLB Network, Jim Duquette said that Cole and Boras are not interested in the quick sign. So the expectation is that one is going to play out. He did say that the Nationals are looking into him as a backup in the event that Strasburg walks, which is not likely. Duquette also mentioned that Arte Moreno had dinner with Boras recently, this was presumed to be them trying to bury the hatchet as Moreno apparently fucking hates Boras.

• Speaking of Strasburg, Duquette says that he and Rendon are moving quicker in their talks to get a deal done sooner. Boras will likely leverage his major guys one at a time as many of the teams that are in on one, are likely in on all of them. There is some belief that the White Sox are going to do something big that surprises a lot of folks this year. He also reiterated that teams and agents have expressed that things are much more active now compared to a year ago.

• Joel Sherman was on the MLB Network as well. They were playing GM of the Dodgers and his idea was, Sign Cole(to a deal that is much smaller than he is asking for), Trade for Betts in a deal highlighted by Verdugo plus Downs and sign Dellin Betances. That actually would be a pretty awesome offseason in my book, though it would be a reach to see all that happen... also as stated before, the Red Sox are said to be pretty unreasonable in the early goings when it came to Betts talk.

 

No roiders.....ever. And now no Astros from 2016 on to this year

 

Dude, you’re arguing apples and oranges. It’s about conduct that is labeled as against the rules or illegal. Analytics or having more money to throw around isn’t against any rule. If MLB wants to make sign stealing legal then fine, make it legal and let teams know it’s ok for your opponent to do this. But right now you are creating a false equivalency by labeling things that might make the playing field unfair, as cheating

 

analytics is math
drugs and cameras are cheating

 

Lol mandatory volunteer

 

• There are now photos online from the 2017 Houston Astros Championship DVD. In the photos there are quick shots of players going to the locker room and you see a video setup next to a trash can right behind the Astros dugout. Interesting notes: there are towels hanging up to block the view of the setup from the field, and there are lots of seeds on the floor around the setup suggesting 1) someone was sitting there a long time, and 2) the trash can wasn’t being used for seeds.
• There’s a new report out that the Astros may have used electronic buzzers to communicate signs as well.

 

Analytics is information.

How you apply it determines how intelligent it is.

 

Who'd have thought? A guy who thinks it's funny to make light of domestic abuse, also turns on his former team the first opportunity he gets. I'm not saying he shouldn't spill the beans on the Astros... I'm just saying the Astros really have no one to blame but themselves. If you surround yourself with a bunch of assholes you're going to get shit on eventually.

 

No real free agent news, so MLB is cool with riding this Astros' spygate wave right into next year.
Release a little cheese for the mice every week, all good
1st big name FA signs and takes the headline, slide the HOU punishment in under the rug
Voila