Cleveland Sports Forum

seagull wrote: Wed Jan 17, 2024 5:37 pm The G's were expecting 60-65M for the 2024 broadcast rights from Bally. If Bally is still interested in the G's, I'm sure the price will be lower.

The Amazon deal might be good for Baseball, Rusty, but the G's might get left out in the cold.

The Guardians have an offer which is less than they were scheduled to make but have until Feb 1 to accept. If they do not accept you would have to think they have a plan to recoup the difference. I like the way this is going because I think it will lead to fans being able to buy one team and not all of MLB.

More on the tv rights thing:

Diamond Sports Group to Escape Bankruptcy with Restructuring and Investment from Amazon
Diamond Sports Group, which owns the Bally Sports regional networks, announced on Wednesday that it has an agreement in place to emerge from bankruptcy and remain in business. The deal already has approval from most of Diamond’s debt-holders but will also require approval from the bankruptcy court.

The restructuring includes a $495-million deal to settle outstanding litigation with the Sinclair Broadcasting Group, roughly $100-million from Amazon for the streaming rights of the Brewers, Marlins, Royals, and Tigers, and a deal with some debt-holders to raise $450 million of “junior secured superiority debtor-in-possession financing.”

Diamond still has broadcast rights to 11 teams: the Angels, Atlanta, Brewers, Cardinals, Guardians, Marlins, Rangers, Rays, Reds, Royals, and Tigers. It forfeited its rights to the Padres and Diamondbacks last year, and its Twins contract expired at the end of last season. Cardinals owner Bill DeWitt Jr. told reporters on Monday that his team would receive its full rights fees for the 2024 season, suggesting some knowledge of this deal. If this deal is approved, it could stabilize the finances of those 11 teams, some of whom have cut payroll this offseason in part due to the uncertainty about their broadcast fees.

So it would seem those teams, including Cleveland, now know they will get full Bally fees this season. Don't be surprised if the market now picks up.

Yankees Designate Oscar González For Assignment
By Darragh McDonald | January 17, 2024 at 9:45am CDT

The Yankees officially announced their signing of right-hander Marcus Stroman, with outfielder Oscar González designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

González, 26, has only been a Yankee since early December, when they claimed him off waivers from the Guardians. The outfielder burst onto the scene with Cleveland in 2022, hitting 11 home runs in 382 plate appearances. His 3.9% walk rate was quite low but he hit .296/.327/.461 overall for a wRC+ of 125. He also became a fan favorite by using the SpongeBob SquarePants theme song as his walk-up music and also hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 15th inning of Game 2 of the Wild Card series, which broke a scoreless tie and clinched the series for the Guardians.

Unfortunately, 2023 was a disaster for González. His offense fell off precipitously and he spent most of his time on optionable assignment in Triple-A. In his 180 major league plate appearances, his walk rate fell even lower to 2.8% while his strikeouts increased, leading to a paltry line of .214/.239/.312. His work in Triple-A led to a nicer line of .287/.323/.496, but that still translated to a subpar wRC+ of 98.

Since he’s considered a poor defender and doesn’t steal a lot of bases, González really needs to hit to provide value. There’s clearly some power there but poor plate discipline as well. He has swung at 49.1% of pitches outside the strike zone in his career, the highest rate among MLB hitters with at least 550 plate appearances over the past two seasons. In 2,734 minor league plate appearances, he has walked in just 109 of them, a 4% rate.

He is still young and has a couple of option years remaining, so a club could keep him in Triple-A as a depth piece while seeing if his approach improves. The Yanks likely had such a plan in mind when they claimed him, but they have since changed their outfield significantly by trading for Juan Soto, Trent Grisham and Alex Verdugo. Those moves have seemingly pushed González down the depth chart and off the roster.

The Yanks will now have a week to trade González or pass him through waivers. If he were to go unclaimed, he could stick with the club as non-roster depth, but some other club around the league might take a shot on him.

Had MLB’s proposal gone through, they would be able to shop the TV rights of 15 teams to new broadcast partners. But with the new cash infusion, Diamond would maintain the rights of most of the teams in question, with three exceptions: the Cleveland Guardians, Texas Rangers, and Minnesota Twins, which all have seen their offseason spending impacted by the uncertainty of the process.

Diamond says it is prepared to broadcast those three teams’ games this year and negotiate a long-term deal. If the one-year price decided by the judge is too high, Diamond said it won’t stand in the way if the teams want to seek another partner for this season.

Glad you posted that. I thought that the Guardians had to decide to take the reduced amount by Feb 1 or Diamond was not going to carry their games. Seems the Guardians have a decision to make. Diamond is basically saying if the Guardians can do better. Goodbye !

Guardians: RSN deal with Diamond Sports Group being renegotiated at a lower price. ’23 revenue: $55MM (reported by Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com in November ’23).

Are there any other options other than Bally?

If you turn down an offer, you better have another option.

The only other option is MLB and the Guardians taking over the production and seeing what they can make.

Jeffmlbdraft
@jeffMLBdraft
·
4h
Guardians had a big amount of complaining about leadership issues that were highlights by Calhoun's impact then they signed Hedges for that reason maybe its really a thing that some dudes just cant be professionals without a player on the team calling them out.

Last season the Diamondbacks here terminated their contract with Bally's.

As for the streaming and MLB season ticket package that Bally's did MLB took those over and kept the same announcers and stuff that Bally's was using.

In addition they added an over the air partner so that locals can actually see the team on an antennae tv channel.

José Ramírez’s Hall of Fame chances: What Adrián Beltré, Scott Rolen tell us about his path
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - AUGUST 29: Jose Ramirez #11 of the Cleveland Guardians takes an at-bat against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at Target Field on August 29, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Guardians defeated the Twins 4-2. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
By Zack Meisel
Jan 19, 2024


CLEVELAND — Unless a couple hundred Adrián Beltré advocates mailed their ballots to the wrong address, next week the third baseman will become the 10th player at his position elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in the last 60 years. He’ll also be the second third baseman elected in two years.

Beltré and Scott Rolen provide us with a pair of data points to evaluate a group of eventual candidates that should include Nolan Arenado and Manny Machado, and maybe even Rafael Devers or Austin Riley or Alex Bregman.

And then there’s José Ramírez, the utility infielder-turned-perennial All-Star. Is he charting a path from overlooked, undersized prospect in Baní, Dominican Republic, to eminence in Cooperstown, N.Y.?

Much hinges on how Ramírez’s body holds up as he navigates his 30s. But it also depends on what the resume of a Hall of Fame third baseman actually looks like.

The last two election results have presented us with two drastically different cases. Longevity was paramount for Rolen, who played 17 seasons, and Beltré, who totaled 21. It’ll be no different for Ramírez if he’s to earn induction one day. Whereas Rolen excelled in his 20s, Beltré aged like a Caymus cabernet, elevating his performance after signing a one-year pillow contract with the Boston Red Sox in 2010.

Ramírez turned 31 in September, the age Beltré was when he rerouted his career path toward Cooperstown. If Ramírez follows that trail, he’ll surely have a museum bust, hopefully one with a dislodged helmet.

Ramírez through age-30 season: .854 OPS, five All-Star Games, six top-10 MVP finishes
Beltré through age-30 season: .779 OPS, zero All-Star Games, one top-10 MVP finishes
Beltré after age-30 season: .872 OPS, four All-Star Games, five top-10 MVP finishes

If only we all aged so gracefully. It’s unfair to ask any player to replicate what Beltré accomplished in the latter stages of his career, and it’s why he’ll be a first-ballot selection.

The question for Ramírez is whether his best days are behind him. How many above-average seasons does he have left? Ramírez’s contract with the Cleveland Guardians stretches through the 2028 season. He’ll turn 36 that September, and he might need to keep his foot on the gas until then.

Here’s how Ramírez stacks up with Beltré and Rolen:
Hall of Fame credentials?
Scott Rolen

69.9

70.1

.281/.364/.490

122

2,077

316

517

118

7

8

1
Adrián Beltré

83.8

93.5

.286/.339/.480

116

3,166

477

636

121

4

5

4
José Ramírez

46.7

45.6

.279/.355/.499

129

1,327

216

325

202

5

0

4

Rolen earned tallies from only 10 percent of voters in his first year on the ballot. In his sixth year, he received the 75 percent required for induction. Those traditional milestones of 3,000 hits or 500 home runs usually earn automatic induction, but they certainly aren’t prerequisites.

Of the 10 third basemen elected in the last 60 years, Paul Molitor has the lowest fWAR total, at 67.6. Molitor played until he was 41, and logged minus-0.8 fWAR in his final season.

Ramírez needs another 20.9 fWAR to match him. FanGraphs’ ZiPS model projects him for 5.0 fWAR in 2024. He’s exceeded that total the last three years, and would have cruised past it in 2020. Really, he’s achieved that total in all but one season since he became a full-time starter in 2016. Granted, a player his age tends to start a gradual decline in output, hence the modest forecast.

The shortening of the 2020 season to 60 games might have really cost Ramírez, and it’ll be interesting to see what merits consideration in future debates about Hall of Fame candidates from this era. Ramírez was on pace for 8.6 fWAR that year, which would have been a career high, but instead settled for a total of 3.2. If he was sitting at 52.1 fWAR at the moment, he’d be in position to soar past Molitor’s total in a few years, and Rolen’s total shortly thereafter.
Ramírez vs. the Hall of Fame 3B
Mike Schmidt

2,234

548

148

106.5
Eddie Mathews

2,315

512

143

96.1
Wade Boggs

3,010

118

131

88.3
George Brett

3,154

317

135

84.6
Chipper Jones

2,726

468

141

84.6
Adrián Beltré

3,166

477

116

83.8
Brooks Robinson

2,848

268

105

80.2
Ron Santo

2,254

342

125

70.9
Scott Rolen

2,077

316

122

69.9
Paul Molitor

3,319

234

122

67.6
José Ramírez

1,327

216

129

46.7

FanGraphs’ ZiPS projection for Ramírez in 2024: .277/.354/.494 slash line, 136 OPS+, 5.0 fWAR

What type of hitter will Ramírez be as he ages? His walk and strikeout rates should allow him to remain productive, even if his power wanes. He’s accessed his power by yanking fastballs, anyway, not by recoding gaudy exit velocities and barrel rates. He’s exhibited no issues with catching up to fastballs as he ages, either, with a .309 average and .536 slugging percentage against heaters last season (and the metrics to mirror those numbers). Last season, he ranked in the 94th percentile in whiff rate and the 98th percentile in strikeout rate.

Two other factors to consider with Ramírez: He annually ranks as one of the league’s top base runners, which should help him continue to pile up stolen bases even as his body aches more. He has never flashed top speed, yet his instincts allow him to steal 20-some bases a year at a high success rate. And though he hasn’t captured a Gold Glove Award, his defense at third base does boost his WAR each year. (He’s been a finalist for the hardware each of the last three seasons.) He has been spending more time at designated hitter the last two years, though, and the reduced defensive responsibility — as long as his defense is a plus — could ever-so-slightly limit his WAR.

So, what shiny round numbers can he reach that would appeal to some voters?

He sits 184 home runs shy of 400.

Plate appearances per home run:

2020: 14.9
2021: 17.7
2022: 23.6
2023: 28.8

ZiPS actually projects him for one home run for every 25 plate appearances in 2024 (26 home runs, 649 plate appearances).

The last eight seasons (if we extrapolate his numbers from the 2020 season), Ramírez has averaged 650 plate appearances, including 685 and 691 plate appearances the last two years, respectively. Only once in the last eight years — the 2019 season, when he had surgery to remove the hamate bone in his hand — has he not appeared in at least 93.8 percent of Cleveland’s games.

So, if he can avoid significant injury, could he hit, say, 120 home runs over the next five years? That would leave him with 336 — one behind Jim Thome for the all-time franchise record — as he embarks on free agency ahead of his age-36 season. (Again, the 2020 season might have cost him 20-25 home runs.)

He sits 673 hits shy of 2,000.

The last three seasons, he has totaled 147, 168 and 172 hits. ZiPS projects him for 158 in 2024. If he avoids a lengthy injured list stint, he should reach 2,000 in a Guardians uniform. Write this down: It’ll happen on May 22, 2028, at Progressive Field when the Guardians host the Nashville Stars. That’ll be more than enough to earn him a spot in the Guardians’ Hall of Fame as he waits for a possible call from Cooperstown.

Wow.

Even Meisel Is scrambling for something to write about in this nothing off season.

10 to 15 years in the future is not something I care about.

Guardians’ Stephen Vogt Discusses How Team Is Improving Power Hitting

Cleveland's manager described how the team has been working on both its swing speed and decisions this offseason.

LOGAN POTOSKY 1/20/24 3 HOURS AGO

On Saturday, the Cleveland Guardians hosted their 2024 Guards Fest, giving fans and media alike a chance to interact with players and other members of the organization.

For Stephen Vogt, it was his first-ever Guards Fest as the team’s manager.

One item of discussion during his media availability was how his team has been working to improve its power at the plate.

“We’re working," Vogt said. "[Hitting Coach Chris Valaika] and the hitting group, we’re putting plans in place. They’ve put players on really good plans this winter, improving swing speed and swing decisions to swing at our pitches that we can do damage on. And really just putting emphasis on it.”

Last season, Cleveland excelled in plate discipline, finishing with the fewest strikeouts (1,142) and most intentional walks (40) in MLB. The team also ranked top-10 in the league in doubles (294, sixth), triples (29, tied for seventh), stolen bases (151, fifth), and sacrifice flies (44, tied for eighth).

However, the Guardians had the fewest home runs (124) and lowest average exit velocity (87.5 miles per hour) in the league. They also ranked bottom-five in RBI (622, third-fewest), slugging percentage (.381, second-lowest), and OPS (.694, fourth-lowest).

But in terms of power, Cleveland will look for some returning bright spots to be the driving forces of its lineup this year. Third baseman José Ramírez, first baseman Josh Naylor, and second baseman Andrés Giménez each recorded at least 15 home runs and 62 RBI last season. Catcher Bo Naylor also had 11 home runs, 32 RBI, and an .803 OPS in just 67 games in 2023.

All in all, both the Guardians and their fans are hoping that the team’s offseason hitting regimen will lead to a stronger power performance this season.

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“Yesterday it really sank in,” Stephen Vogt looking forward to upcoming Guardians season

By Leah Doherty (WOIO)

Published: Jan. 20, 2024 at 4:39 PM CST

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - Stephen Vogt was hired as the manager of the Cleveland Guardians back in November, but he said it didn’t hit him that the job was his until yesterday.

Vogt and several Guardians players were able to gather this weekend for the annual ‘Guards Fest’ fan event. The event held at Huntington Convention Center, allowed fans to take pictures and get autographs from their favorite players, play interactive games and purchase Guardians merchandise. It was also a chance for fans to meet the new skipper.

Vogt said he’s been able to speak with his players on the phone and via Zoom since he was hired, but this was the first time that he was able to gather with his team and speak with them face-to-face.

“Coming back and forth and really just trying to iron out all the logistics,” Vogt said. “But I felt like yesterday when I got to the stadium and players were there, it felt like now we’re baseballing finally. For me yesterday it really sank in.”

Right-handed pitcher Triston McKenzie was able to throw a bullpen in front of Vogt yesterday, and said it’s nice to see Vogt interact with guys on a personal level, all being together in Cleveland.

“It’s definitely making it a little bit more real and definitely settling us in and getting us ready for spring,” McKenzie said.

“We’re just walking in it’s like first day of school vibes, everybody is asking how everybody is doing,” Outfielder Steven Kwan said. “It’s cool it’s a good primer for Spring.”

“Everybody is smiling,” Vogt said. “You know that’s the beauty of a new season is everybody’s got the same record right now and we all feel like we’re going to win the World Series.”

Guardians pitchers and catchers will report to Spring Training on February 15, and the first full squad workout will be held on Feb. 20 in Goodyear, Arizona.

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