Jack Parkman

Idk how possible that's going to be after the economic hit to baseball from covid+ already committed dollars. The good news is that Keuchel and Grandal come off in 2023. The bad news is that we don't know what Moncada/Eloy/Robert's contracts will look like in comparison to market value after the economic hit. A lot depends on if JR is still alive and with it or not. If there is new ownership by then, all bets are off. Jerry is 84 years old.

I'm not sure we have enough information to make that conclusion yet.

Balta had the chart last week. I've been looking for it but can't find it.

Yeah, but even among people from age 20-69, the death rate hovers between 0.4-0.6%. Statistically, if 250 players got Covid one would die. 10% get would be seriously ill, so that would be 25 players in ICUs. 0.4% is high if you think about it.

You guys make good points, I can't argue. I stand in the player's corner here, but...I'm a bit worried about public perception. I'll never understand how the average joe could possibly side with billionaires but it's actually the more common position. If they have a strong case for the grievance, then by all means have at it. I have a crusade against pitchers batting and I'm disappointed that the NL will have pitchers hit again in 2021. Hopefully the MLBPA can keep the health regulations in place in 2021 as well. I can absolutely buy the players position if they actually have a decent shot to win their grievance. If not, they'll have damaged their public perception for nothing. PR matters.

I don't think they can. In 1994 they were allowed to strike because the owners decided against locking out, and they were playing without a CBA. I don't think the owners would make that mistake again. They'll definitely lock out.

The other factor is that Giolito and Kopech are free after 2023 and 2024 respectively so they have to find some TOR talent that's ready by then.

I disagree that the players are going to win their grievance. That's why I think they should have taken the deal. If they do end up winning the grievance, I was wrong and they made the right move. I still think that being able to complete a season is incredibly optimistic at this point.

They could lose the battle but win the war. Now is not the time for this fight. After 2021 is when you fight. This is doing more damage to the sport, than helping.

Trevor Bauer remains awesome. I'm as pro labor as you can get, but the MLBPA were pretty dumb to reject that proposal yesterday.

Collins is probably only below average because he's awful at receiving pitches and framing. He's average behind the plate and has an above average arm. If they do go to the automated strike zone, his disadvantages become minimized and Grandal's advantages do as well.

If the players can still get the DH and expanded playoffs for the remainder of the current CBA, they should take it IMO. I'm not keen on giving in, but it seems the owners strategy has worked. They wanted 60 games or fewer, so they just wait it out without a deal until 60 games is the maximum feasible amount. At this point, there's no way in hell they're getting 70 so just take the DH and expanded playoffs and go into CBA discussions with a chip on your shoulder. I also don't think that the MLBPA realizes how much money they're losing by not instituting a cap and floor system. Pretty much everyone except the Yankees, Dodgers, Cubs and Red Sox has an internal budget that they won't exceed anyway. Forcing the 26 other teams to spend at least 90-100M on payroll puts more money in players pockets than allowing those four teams to spend whatever they want.

One of the first things that companies will cut in an economic downturn is luxury suites at sporting events.

It has nothing to do with the value of a dollar. It has everything to do with the value of a dollar within the bubble of baseball. I think everyone misunderstands what I wrote. If revenue drops, baseball salaries drop. It's that simple. How low will they go is the question. You'd have to be crazy to think that players are going to get the same dollar amounts as in 2019. I mean, I'm about as pro-labor as you can get but if revenue has been cut by 40-55%, then salaries will drop by a similar amount.

One of the biggest things I'm worried about as a Sox fan, and it's very ironic...is that the changing economics post covid make all of the contracts that were signed over the 18 months overpayments, and it significantly hampers the Sox ability to retain talent and even keep those players. Imagine if the going rate for stars drops to a point where Moncada and Robert's contracts are market value or worse. What if Grandal and Keuchel's contracts look ridiculous as soon as this winter? How would that affect the Sox window? Things are even worse for the Angels with Trout and Rendon's contracts probably making it impossible to build a team around them, and the Phillies might get messed up from Harper and Wheeler. Not only would these contracts be impossible to build around, they could be impossible to move.

BTW everyone keeps talking about anecdotal evidence, as if this virus has been around for years and there is established, peer-reviewed science out there. Everything we know about Covid is anecdotal, period. We won't have anything beyond that for a few years at least. This thing is has been around for less than 9 months.

When you have a 70 fastball and a 70 slider, you don't need to use the changeup all that much in NCAA baseball. The change very well may be a 60 but he doesn't need to use it.

There's probably lung scarring in all cases, even the mild ones. That's what they were saying in Italy in February. Covid-19 also seems to be very hard on the kidneys and liver. Younger people are dying from multi organ failure rather than ARDS. My mom's friend's brother had it in California and lived. Not only was he on a vent for weeks, and flirted with death multiple times, the virus attacked his intestines, and they had to remove a lot of his colon. He now has to wear an ostomy bag. There are also neurological effects being seen. It's causing dementia like symptoms in younger people. It's too early to know if these are permanent.

It's more about 27 vs 30. Age matters in the NFL. Clowney is likely to be productive for a longer period of time.

We're probably losing the season at this point. It is what it is with Kopech. Just find out what he is ASAP and try to sign him up.

One of you is misunderstanding. I think he means that 15% of those tested are coming back positive.

I'm going to remind people of this article from March: https://medium.com/@tomaspueyo/coronavirus-the-hammer-and-the-dance-be9337092b56 If we continue to have Covidiots, then we're going to have to use the hammer more often. Masks in public should be national law, and I'm saying this as someone who absolutely can't stand them because I'm autistic and they give me sensory issues. I find them damn near intolerable. But I use them anyway, because I give a fuck. If I can deal with how much they bother me, the Covidiots can too. Eventually, I'll get used to them. I've spent over $50 trying to find one that's comfortable enough to wear regularly.

When climate change and other science has been politicized for 2 decades, I can't really say I'm that surprised. We have to fundamentally change the system because of this. People are going to be out of work long-term, not able to pay rent/their mortgage, we're going to run into food shortages etc. This is going to be a huge problem.

^^^^

I think the NHL is going to try anyway. With a bubble, there's a chance they can pull it off. The other thing is that hockey culture is different than the other sports, that are more business oriented from the players perspective. The NFL is gonna have huge issues this fall.....they don't know what they're in for.