And yet they low balled Skubal. They must think they don’t have a chance signing him long term
I don’t disagree with your assessment. Valdez is a really good pitcher, and has been one of the best over the past five years. But pitchers are also really volatile year to year - and while there are pitchers now who are better than Valdez (Skubal, Skenes, Crochet, Yamamoto, Sanchez, Brown, Ragans, Fried, etc.), none of them have done it every year for the last half decade.
Speaking of Skubal, he won his arbitration case against Detroit, and will make $32 million this season.
And he got to hear why the Tigers think he’s worth half of what he thinks he’s worth while paying Valdez $38 million a year. Maybe that’s not going to make much of a difference when he’s a free agent but it might.
I can’t speak for him, obviously, but it would certainly factor into my decision, were it me.
Two things could make it be not very important.
The Tigers might have decided they won’t get in a bidding war during the short time between the end of the season and the end of the CBA. Since he’s a Boras client Skubal might be advised to roll the dice and wait until baseball is guaranteed to be back.
Also because he is a Boras client he would be advised to sign with the Tigers if they their offer is tied but they throw in an Arby’s gift card. He will go to whoever bids the highest. Why have Boras if you’re not going to listen to him.
Buck Martinez has retired from broadcasting. I would assume, given his 40+ year association with the Blue Jays, that he will soon be on the Level of Excellence.
Baseball won’t be the same without him.
As much as I value his insight and experience, his voice was a little too nasally for me to listen too long. It really grated on me.
I’m surprised:
Yankees re-sign Paul Goldschimdt to one-year deal
I figured they would prefer the open roster spot for a younger player. Goldschimdt is 38.
Terrance Gore passed away due to complications during surgery. He was not a great player (not even a good player, really), but he was lightning on the basepaths, and he earned three World Series rings during his 8 year, 85 PA career. After retirement, he became a youth coach in Florida. What a tragedy.
I didn’t remember him at all, but crap he was young. Only 34.
It makes sense as a role player. It’s a relatively cheap contract. He’s well liked and a clubhouse leader. He’s a superior fielder to Ben Rice. He still kills lefty pitching. He hit .336 with a .981 OPS against lefties last year. It will allow Rice to rotate through 1st base, DH and sometimes catcher. Goldy will be a good late defensive replacement and pinch hitter against lefties.
Former MLB player Yasiel Puig was found guilty of obstruction of justice and lying to officials regarding a gambling probe. He faces up to 20 years in prison.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 26.
Two rings, actually. With the Royals and Cubs.
From cbs.sports.com:
The next year, Gore earned a World Series ring as a member of those same Royals, the team that originally drafted him with a 20th-round selection in 2011. Gore was also a member of the Dodgers in 2020 and, for a time, on their playoff roster, but he did not appear in a playoff game during Los Angeles’ run to the title in that COVID-abbreviated season. As well, Gore appeared in a playoff game for the Braves in 2021, when they went on to win the World Series.
2015 Royals
2020 Dodgers
2021 Braves
3 rings, 1 career RBI!
That was a guy who knew how to play a good parlay.
And he got his first hit as a member of the Cubs. A single off Max Scherzer, four years after his major league debut.
Gore won his three World Series rings with three different franchises, the Royals, Dodgers and Braves. In that regard he is tied for the all time record there; at least a dozen other guys have done it too. No one has managed four.
Gore surely holds the record for the highest ratio among those players of games played to rings won.