Brian MacPherson (@brianmacp) of the Providence Journal talks about David Ortiz’s new contract extension and what makes him “an exception to the rule”…
The Red Sox came to terms Sunday with the 38-year-old designated hitter on a one-year, $16 million contract extension with a pair of options that could take him through the 2017 season. A 2016 option will vest if he reaches 425 plate appearances in 2015 and increase in value if he reaches other playing-time benchmarks. A 2017 club option is built in similar fashion, connected to playing time in 2016.
The deal “virtually guarantees” Ortiz will end his career in a Red Sox uniform, Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington said Monday. That was a strong motivator for the team to get a deal done even with a year still left on the contract Ortiz had signed 18 months ago.
Dave Cameron (@DCameronFG) of FanGraphs talks about the myth of six years of team control…
The Springer news has brought about another round of calls for reformation of the rules in order to remove the incentives for teams to keep their best young players in the minor leagues to begin the season, and I’m with the crowd who thinks that MLB is best served by allowing teams to make roster decisions based on talent and performance rather than worrying about accrued service time. I’d rather see George Springer play in April than whoever the Astros end up rolling out there on Opening Day. But for MLB and the MLBPA to come to any sort of consensus on this in the next CBA negotiations, everyone will first have to admit that the concept of six years of team control is basically a myth.
Gerry Callahan (@GerryCallahan) of the Boston Herald writes that the Red Sox job is Jerry Remy’s call…
Jerry Remy has answered questions and done some interviews, which is more accountability than you’ll get in a lifetime from Judges Walker and Flynn. And they did more to fuel Jared Remy’s sense of entitlement than Jerry or Phoebe ever did, and yet they say nothing and apologize to no one.
Jerry Remy admits he made mistakes and he knows things will never be the same for Remdawg Inc. But he shouldn’t be stripped of his livelihood and sent home to stare at the walls. Jared should go to prison for the rest of his life. Jerry should go back to work, and, finally and at last, give up on his rotten, hopeless kid.
Eno Sarris (@enosarris) of FanGraphs breaks down Joey Votto’s plate discipline…
Take, for example, his command of the strike zone. Some in Cincinnati were beating the drum for Joey Votto to swing at more pitches. Even his General Manager commented that he might benefit from swinging at more pitches with men on base. Too bad. Votto saw things a little differently: “I swung too much in the strike zone last year.”
It’s interesting to see what happened to his plate discipline over the season last year. His elite rate of swinging at pitches outside of the zone just got more elite…but his rate of swinging at pitches inside the zone did increase
Evan Grant (@Evan_P_Grant) of the Dallas Morning News writes that the Rangers are trying to fill holes as injuries continue throughout camp…
The exception of injuries? This camp has been nothing except injuries.
Since the calendar year turned to 2014, the Rangers have gotten injured in every way possible. Derek Holland: playing with his dog. Joseph Ortiz: Walking on the side of the road. Elvis Andrus: Doing nothing, apparently, was the cause of the arm/elbow soreness that has kept him from playing shortstop most of the spring.
The list goes on and the injuries are becoming more significant. Yu Darvish is now doubtful to make the season-opening start because he slept wrong.