# MLB-June 2025 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** baseball-mlb\ **Created:** [June 1, 2025, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2025/1019079 "2025-06-01T19:26:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2025, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2025/1019079/81 "2025-06-15T17:54:18Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Yanks got stiffed by replay tonight. A LeMahieu hit down the line drew chalk and was called foul- replay showed that part of the ball was clearly over the line- thus a fair ball. Replay let the call stand. Worst replay call ever. You don’t have to look past the Yankees for a worse replay call this year. The home run by Judge in Tampa. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2025, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2025/1019079/82 "2025-06-15T23:03:37Z")
Not on my radar. Devers dealt to the Giants > **[Red Sox reportedly deal Rafael Devers to Giants after position change dispute](https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/red-sox-reportedly-deal-rafael-devers-to-giants-after-position-change-dispute-225813488.html)** > > The 2025 season has its first blockbuster trade. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2025, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2025/1019079/83 "2025-06-15T23:09:45Z")
Yipes. If true, the argument between player and team must have been worse than we thought, because he is hitting well. I assume he won’t be playing third in San Francisco. Unadjusted for inflation, is this the biggest contract ever traded? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2025, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2025/1019079/84 "2025-06-15T23:12:32Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I disagree. If any part of the ball is over the line, it’s fair. Perhaps a better angle looking right down the line would have made it more clear. I think MLB should install cameras on the foul poles looking down the lines so that this is never an issue. Why MLB does such a cheap, half-assed job on this stuff I do not understand. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2025/1019079/85 "2025-06-16T00:28:47Z")
Yeah- NHL has cameras directly over every goal. Certainly they could have a few CCTV cameras to cover the foul lines. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2025/1019079/86 "2025-06-16T00:40:46Z")
I am no longer a Red Sox fan. I was so focused on the US Open that I just now found out about the trade (Rafael Devers for 4 pieces of crap from the Giants). Mookie I barely forgave, but this is ridiculous. I have 3 caps, all going into the trash tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2025/1019079/87 "2025-06-16T01:39:18Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Mookie I barely forgave, but this is ridiculous. This isn’t even close to the Mookie trade. Mookie and David Price’s contracts amounted to dumping a relatively small $75m, and got Alex Verdugo - a tremendously boring 2 WAR/yr player in return, and they lost the chance to re-sign Betts. This trade dumps $300 million in contract on the Giants for a couple of decent arms. Harrison is a very highly regarded 2nd year pitcher, and Hicks can throw the ball really fast (he’s not great, but he’ll eat innings). And in the “addition by subtraction” category, this opens up more plate appearances for Roman Anthony, who will now get more exposure to LHPs. Devers is going to be a DH the rest of his career, and his shoulder injuries will follow him to San Francisco. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2025/1019079/88 "2025-06-16T01:51:34Z")
For me it was the _final_ straw, understand. My fandom was already hanging by a thread since Mookie got railed out of town. Note DHing has helped Devers avoid injuries of that sort. Note I have disagreed with the “DH penalty” in WAR calculations ever since Papi played there, since it ignores both the difficulty of hitting there for a lot of players and the positional scarcity-yes “anyone” can play there, but if so why are DHs often the 3rd-5th best hitting position? [yes this year it is 3rd just behind 1B] The Sox FO can try to spin this like you are, but in the end it is another PR disaster. One thing completely ignored in the calculus on the usual Sox sites I occ. drop by on is Raffy’s huge jump in his walk rate-last I checked he was leading the league, a league which has Aaron Judge in it. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2025/1019079/89 "2025-06-16T02:11:17Z")
The Devers trade was a surprise, but mainly because I never thought anyone would take his contract. The fact that he was unwilling to move to 1st base was a selfish move on his part, and I’m not sure what his motivation was behind that. I mean, even Big Papi spent his time at 1st when needed. Are the Sox a better team tonight than the one that just swept the Yankees this weekend? Probably not, but I felt the same way when they traded Nomar. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2025/1019079/90 "2025-06-16T05:39:23Z")
Ohtani pitching tomorrow. > **[Shohei Ohtani to make Dodgers pitching debut on Monday, as an opener](https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/breaking-news/article/shohei-ohtani-to-make-dodgers-pitching-debut-on-monday-as-an-opener-005224666.html)** > > Shohei Ohtani is about to be a two-way player again. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2025/1019079/91 "2025-06-16T10:16:09Z")
It would be funny as hell if Devers became the Giants new first baseman. I know a lot of people are upset about the trade, but somewhere Gerrit Cole is smiling. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2025/1019079/92 "2025-06-16T15:35:55Z")
Funny, I’ve been playing fantasy baseball for a very long time and this is the first situation I’ve seen where I have to check on when someone picks up starting pitcher eligibility! ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2025/1019079/93 "2025-06-16T17:27:50Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Hicks can throw the ball really fast (he’s not great, but he’ll eat innings). Hicks is a very good relief pitcher and a very mediocre starting pitcher. The problem is he apparently REALLY prefers starting. > [@John\_DiFool](#): > > yes “anyone” can play there, but if so why are DHs often the 3rd-5th best hitting position? Not to point out the obvious, but the reason DHs disproportionately tend to hit in important positions is that they are literally only in the lineup because they are capable of hitting. There’s no tradeoff required. If the expectation was that they could not hit, they would not be in the lineup at all. The Devers trade is weird but I don’t see how it can be compared to Mookie Betts at all. Betts was TWICE the player Devers is, he was two years younger, Devers is owed way more money, and I don’t recall Betts petulantly refusing to do something the team really needed him to do. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2025/1019079/94 "2025-06-16T19:11:36Z")
[quote=“RickJay, post:93, topic:1019079”] Not to point out the obvious, but the reason DHs disproportionately tend to hit in important positions is that they are literally only in the lineup because they are capable of hitting. There’s no tradeoff required. If the expectation was that they could not hit, they would not be in the lineup at all.[/quote] This may be a whoosh-I was alluding to the [hitting splits](https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/split.cgi?t=b&lg=MLB&year=2025), where quite often a DH who can’t hit is indeed in the lineup anyway. Thus a superior hitter who can avoid the well-known DH “penalty” can be more valuable [than the WAR splits indicate](https://tht.fangraphs.com/re-examining-wars-defensive-spectrum/). > [@](#): > > The Devers trade is weird but I don’t see how it can be compared to Mookie Betts at all. Betts was TWICE the player Devers is, he was two years younger, Devers is owed way more money, and I don’t recall Betts petulantly refusing to do something the team really needed him to do. Betts WOULD have been owed a lot of money if the Sox had signed him, which they didn’t; any trade would likely involve a trade and sign at some future point, which indeed is what happened (albeit 5 months later). So it’s a bit disingenuous to claim that there was this huge deficit in cash in Devers’ case, but not Betts’. [And yes before someone raises the issue I grasp how it helped to dump Price’s contract too] I certainly don’t see the blame as belonging solely to one side or the other, so the Sox brass are definitely not blameless here, and their wilfull actions helped to ensure they felt they “had” to pull the trigger and likely get a poorer return than if they were dealing from a stronger position. And you also ignored how I indicated that this was simply the last straw for me even if the two trades in question were not the same strictly in terms of ability/value, so that’s a straw man (heh). I also am convinced that with his new plate discipline that he’ll be a better hitter going forward, esp. if he can now avoid the kinds of in-the-field injuries that ruined 2 of his recent seasons. In any event I am done with this topic, here or elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2025, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2025/1019079/95 "2025-06-17T04:19:06Z")
Ohtani pitched tonight for the first time in 2 years. He only lasted one inning, though. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2025, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2025/1019079/96 "2025-06-17T04:20:57Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > He only lasted one inning, though. Intentionally, as I understand it; they had not intended for him to pitch longer than that tonight. He’s still in the process of rehabbing his elbow, and apparently the Dodgers are going to use short appearances like tonight’s to act as the next phase of his rehab. The Dodgers used him as an “opener” tonight, a relatively new pitching role; such a pitcher starts a game, but typically only goes one (maybe two) innings: > [@](#): > > An “opener” is a pitcher – normally a reliever – who starts a game for purposes of matching up against the top of the opponent’s lineup in the first inning, which has traditionally been the highest-scoring inning, before being relieved by a pitcher who would otherwise function as a starter. This allows for a team to counter its opponent’s first three batters with the pitcher it feels has the best chance for success against them. > > The second pitcher (often called the headliner) usually pitches the bulk of the game, potentially relieved in the later innings due to high-leverage situations or high pitch count. > **[Opener | Glossary | MLB.com](https://www.mlb.com/glossary/idioms/opener)** > > The Official Site of Major League Baseball ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2025, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2025/1019079/97 "2025-06-17T14:08:56Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Intentionally, as I understand it; they had not intended for him to pitch longer than that tonight. I had heard he had a 30 pitch limit. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2025, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2025/1019079/98 "2025-06-17T19:59:36Z")
Interesting, thanks. Does whichever pitcher who pitches 6 innings or more get credited with the victory, regardless of who was on the mound in the first inning? ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2025, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2025/1019079/99 "2025-06-17T20:17:09Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Does whichever pitcher who pitches 6 innings or more get credited with the victory, regardless of who was on the mound in the first inning? If the starting pitcher does not pitch 5 innings, he cannot be credited with the win. The victory then is generally awarded to the pitcher who, in the opinion of the official scorer, was the most effective relief pitcher in maintaining the lead. For example, assume that Ohtani pitches one inning tonight, and leaves the game with the score tied 0-0. Relief pitcher A comes in, allows a run in the top of the second, but then the Dodgers score 2 runs in the bottom half and take the lead. Relief pitcher B comes in to pitch the third inning and eventually pitches 4 innings of shutout ball, followed by Relief pitcher C for the 7th inning who allows no runs, Relief pitcher D for the 8th who allows no runs, and finally Relief pitcher E to pitch the ninth and closes the game. Dodgers win 2-1. Ohtani cannot get the win, because he started and only pitched one inning. Pitcher A pitched one inning, allowed a run, but was the pitcher of record when the Dodgers took a lead that they never relinquished. But Pitcher B would probably be awarded the win, because he was the most effective relief pitcher. This is my understanding, anyway. Smarter guys may very well know better. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2025, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2025/1019079/100 "2025-06-17T21:33:17Z")
That’s my understanding. The scorer has a fair amount of discretion. I believe they can award a win to a reliever even instead of a starter who goes five innings. If this opener thing becomes a standard thing in the coming years, I wonder if they will invent a stat similar to a Save for them. You get credit for a scoreless inning or a perfect inning if it’s the first and you only pitch the first. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2025/1019079.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2025/1019079.md?page=6)