Tuesday Bantering

There isn’t much for Blue Jays news out there.

Baseball America has been doing their 2019 Draft report cards. The Jays one is here.

Some of the highlights:

• Best pure hitter: Tanner Morris a shortstop, who was picked in the fifth round:

Between his pure hitting ability and plate discipline, he has a chance to be a high on-base percentage player, with an approach geared toward hitting the ball toward the middle or opposite field.

• Best Power: Will Robertson, an outfielder picked in the fourth round.
• Fastest runner: Dasan Brown, an outfielder, picked in the third round:

immediately becomes one of the fastest players in baseball, an 80-grade runner on the 20-to-80 scouting scale.

• Brown was also mentioned as best defensive player and best athlete.
• Best Fastball: Alek Manoah.
• Best Secondary Pitch: Manoah and Kendall Williams (second round) were mentioned.
• Best Pro Debut: Manoah again. Catcher Dalton Sloninger was mentioned. A 38th round pick, playing catcher, who hit .304/.379/.551 split between Bluefield and Vancouver.
• Most Intriguing Background: Branden Halladay.
• Closest to Majors: Manoah.
• Best Late-Round Pick: Michael Dominguez, a pitcher pitched in the 15th round. He throws 89-93.
• One Who Got Away: Nathaniel LaRue a catcher/RHP, picked in the 25th round.

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Julian Merryweather is looking good in the AFL:

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MLB is ‘floating’ an idea to shutdown 42 minor league teams. The stated reasoning:

From the perspective of MLB clubs, our principal goals are upgrading the minor league facilities that we believe have inadequate standards for potential MLB players, improving the working conditions for MiLB players, including their compensation, improving transportation and hotel accommodations, providing better geographic affiliations between major league clubs and their affiliates, as well as better geographic lineups of leagues to reduce player travel.

I imagine the real reason is to save a few dollars. And MLB wants to push minor league towns into building better ballparks.

It would cut the number of jobs for minor leaguers (but our minor leaguer will always have a spot).

Under the proposal, some teams would have to shed as many as 100 players from their current MiLB rosters. The Yankees currently field eight U.S. minor league affiliates, which means they can currently have as many as 285 players under contract. Under this proposal, they would have to drop as many as 135 players to meet the new restrictions. Right now, there are no restrictions on how many teams—and, therefore, how many players—a team can field. Under this proposal, all MLB teams would be limited to the same number of teams and players.

There is also the suggestion that they will move the MLB draft to the end of July, after the College season ends. That would also make it so that drafted players wouldn’t play pro-ball the year they are drafted, but instead play in instruction league type games instead.

It will be interesting to see all this plays out.

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It seems like the Astros assistant GM might not be the nicest guy in the world. I’m sure you’ve seen the story. Jeff Passan wrote about it:

The Astros’ response Monday night to a Sports Illustrated report that Brandon Taubman, an assistant GM, repeatedly yelled, “Thank God we got Osuna! I’m so f---ing glad we got Osuna!” wasn’t just tone deaf. It was stupid. It was insulting. It was demeaning. It also was false, as other reporters who witnessed the incident soon confirmed.

As Jeff goes on to say:

If he wanted to offer support for Osuna, he would tell Osuna, not yell it in front of reporters and cameras.

No, this was something darker. Arrogance, intimidation and a contemptible sort of nastiness. Something the organization easily could have disavowed. Instead, it tried to spin it -- and whirled itself into a corner from which there is no extrication.

I don’t understand how a baseball executive of a team that says they have a “zero tolerance policy” on domestic abuse could think that this is the way to act (even if he was likely drunk at the time), And it is also hard to understand why the team would, instead of apologizing, would instead try to say ‘no that’s no what happened’.

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You want to make some last minute World Series bets? Bet on line has these:

World Series MVP

Alex Bregman (HOU) 5/1

George Springer (HOU) 7/1

Jose Altuve (HOU) 7/1

Anthony Rendon (WSH) 15/2

Carlos Correa (HOU) 8/1

Gerrit Cole (HOU) 8/1

Yuli Gurriel (HOU) 8/1

Justin Verlander (HOU) 10/1

Yordan Alvarez (HOU) 10/1

Juan Soto (WSH) 12/1

Max Scherzer (WSH) 12/1

Michael Brantley (HOU) 12/1

Stephen Strasburg (WSH) 16/1

Adam Eaton (WSH) 20/1

Ryan Zimmerman (WSH) 25/1

Zach Greinke (HOU) 25/1

Trea Turner (WSH) 33/1

Howie Kendrick (WSH) 40/1

World Series Specials

Houston Astros Total Home Runs

Over/Under 8½

Washington National Total Home Runs

Over/Under 8½

Will there be a leadoff Home Run in the 1st inning?

Yes +1000 (10/1)

No -2500 (1/25)

Will any player have 3 or more HR for the World Series?

Yes +150 (3/2)

No -200 (1/2)

Will there be a walk-off home run in any game?

Yes +500 (5/1)

No -1000 (1/10)

Will there be a pitcher hit a HR in the World Series?

Yes +2000 (20/1)

No -5000 (1/50)

Most pitchers in a game by one team in one game?

Over/Under 6½

Most K’s in a game by one pitcher

Over/Under 9

Which team’s pitching staff will have more K’s

Washington Nationals -140 (5/7)

Houston Astros EVEN (1/1)

Will there be a shutout in any game?

Yes EVEN (1/1)

No -140 (5/7)

Will a starter get a save in the World Series?

Yes +170 (17/10)

No -250 (2/5)

Will the World Series end on a strikeout?

Yes +300 (3/1)

No -500 (1/5)