Vinnie Pasquantino delivers gifts of RBI.
Jaylon Thompson wrote about how the Aroldis Chapman signing was the gift that keeps on giving.
“That one worked out, obviously, very nicely for us and very nicely for Texas,” Picollo said. “They won the World Series and we were able to get Cole Ragans and move forward. There was the thought that when we signed Aroldis, we were the right type of team for him to rebound. And then, if he was doing what he was capable of doing, we would be able to turn him into something.
“Never in our wildest imagination did we think it was an All-Star, Cy Young-type of pitcher that Cole has turned into. We are certainly excited about that.”
MLB.com lists a prospect from each team who saw his stock rise this year.
Royals: Noah Cameron, LHP (No. 12) Facing a 40-man decision in 2024, Cameron was coming off a 2023 season in which he posted a 6.10 ERA in 17 starts for Double-A Northwest Arkansas. The southpaw showed improvement in a Texas League return (3.63 ERA in 16 starts) this summer and was even better with Triple-A Omaha, where he finished with a 2.32 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 62 strikeouts in 54 1/3 innings. Cameron doesn’t wow with fastball velocity (91-93 mph), but his changeup and curveball (both around 78-81) get high whiff rates. Kansas City added him to the 40-man in November.
David Lesky wrote about Vinnie Pasquantino leading the league in sacrifice flies.
A lot was made of Pasquantino’s sacrifice flies. I made the point a couple of times that I think they unnecessarily dinged his on base percentage. A sacrifice bunt doesn’t count in plate appearances, which means that a player’s OBP isn’t hurt when they lay one down. But a batted ball that scores a run in spite of being an out does go against a player’s on base percentage. Take away his 13 sacrifice flies and his OBP goes up to .322 from .315. It’s not nothing! But I do wonder a little bit if Pasquantino was so hellbent on getting that one run in that he wasn’t concerned enough with multiple runs.
David Schoenfield at ESPN Insider writes about one critical number for each team. [$]
What can Witt do for an encore? Coming off a miracle season in which they improved from 56 wins to 86 and a wild card, the Royals will likely need a similar performance from him to get back there, even if that’s asking the impossible. The good news is that Witt has an area that is still ripe for improvement: He ranked in the 25th percentile in chase rate. He somehow hit .288 when swinging at pitches out of the zone — the MLB average is .155 — but imagine the additional damage he might do if he learns to control the strike zone a little better. If Witt does that, he’ll become the second MVP in Royals history.
Preston Farr at Farm to Fountains writes about the organizational depth at pitcher.
The Red Sox discussed Pirates pitcher Jared Jones during the Winter Meetings.
The Astros are looking for a left-handed hitting outfielder and a reliever.
The Marlins may still deal ace Sandy Alcantara.
Are the Red Sox contenders now?
Tim Dierkes at MLB Trade Rumors lists the largest contract in each team’s history.
The Yankees once tried to lure Ted Williams out of retirement.
Are pitching and defense 80 percent of the game?
What’s it like to get selected in the WNBA expansion draft?
How Netflix took on live TV, including the NFL.
Squid Game is now in franchise mode.
Your song of the day is The Clash with Spanish Bombs.