I don’t think you’re quite grasping the concept; everything that is true of Johnny Cueto** is also true of all other pitchers. ** Cueto’s numbers may appear superficially better than they otherwise would have but he will not actually be a more valuable pitcher.
To use the opposite example, suppose Toronto builds a new ballpark in which the fences are only 240 feet from home plate, like a softball field. We could expect someone like Josh Donaldson to hit 100 home runs a year, 80-90 of which will be hit at home. He’ll have incredible hitting numbers. But he would not really be a better hitter, because EVERYONE ELSE will also be hitting ridiculous numbers of home runs, including all the opposing players when they are in Toronto.
The only way moving to San Francisco actually makes Cueto a more valuable pitcher is if the park is unusually favourable to pitchers who are like Johnny Cueto. Of course, we know what San Francisco is like; it is brutal for home runs. It reduces betting average too, but what makes it a pitcher’s park is largely that it turns home runs into long fly ball outs. So the type of pitcher who would be more valuable for playing for San Francisco is, specifically, a fly ball pitcher. Cueto is not particularly fly ball prone, though.
The other way that moving to San Francisco could make Cueto a better pitcher is if the Manager, Pitching Coach, and Catcher are better there than in Cincinnati/Kansas City.
Because I’m greedy, I’d love to have a bullpen with Andrew Miller, Dellin Betances and Aroldis Chapman, but I think Miller will now be traded in a deal for a starter.
Scott Kazmir signs a three-year, $48 million deal with the Dodgers, with an opt-out option after the first year.
In response to the potential for an all-lefty rotation next season, Brett Anderson tweeted to Clayton Kershaw that all the starters would be sharing Kershaw’s glove as a sign of solidarity.
A one-year opt out? Have we ever seen one of those before? Kind of a variation on the “pillow contract” I guess, with the added benefit of a much bigger payday for the player if he “makes good”.
That seems like a pretty good deal for the Royals. I’m a bit surprised nobody went higher (and kind of wish the Cardinals had).
