MLB Offseason Discussion Thread

[JMobile]

If Braun cannot put up the same numbers he did for his best year, accusations will commence and the road fans will let him hear it.

 

[Ben]

If Braun hits less than 25 HR or less than 100 RBI it's just going to fuel the fire.

He needs a monster year, and prob 2 more in a row to quite the news.

 

[Killswitch]

Baseball's playoff expansion to start this year

Major League Baseball will expand its playoffs this season from eight teams to 10 by adding an extra wild-card spot to each league, MLB.com reported Friday.
The expansion was agreed last year in a collective bargaining deal between Major League Baseball and its players' union, but the parties didn't announce until Friday that the change would start with the 2012 season.

In each league, the playoffs will now consist of the three division winners plus two wild cards, which would be top two teams that didn't win a division. A league's two wild cards will play one post-season game against each other, with the winners advancing to their league’s Division Series.

I'm okay with this. If anything it places more focus on winning your division and not getting a wild card spot. Too many wild card teams were making deep runs in the playoffs. This should help stop that.

 

[InYourFace]

This sounds pretty stupid.

Im pretty sure every teams intentions is to win there division every year, so i dont think this adds more focus on the divisons, its just a way to give more teams who have great records during the season a chance to play in the postseason so good teams like the Rays, REd Sox, Yankees, Rangers, Angels dont get screwed out because they play in a tough division

 

[JMobile]

How many more days until the season starts??? I just can't wait!

 

[SAL]

This sounds pretty stupid.

Im pretty sure every teams intentions is to win there division every year, so i dont think this adds more focus on the divisons, its just a way to give more teams who have great records during the season a chance to play in the postseason so good teams like the Rays, REd Sox, Yankees, Rangers, Angels dont get screwed out because they play in a tough division

I actually like it from the "home field advantage" standpoint. It gives the top seed in each league a big advantage, as the other team will likely have to use its best pitcher in the playoff. It's definitely not about giving more teams a chance, it's about guaranteeing that, when there wouldn't otherwise a playoff race, there will be some late-season drama. The bullshit part will be when a 98 win team has to play a 1-game playoff against an 88 win team to make the playoffs.

 

[Ben]

I like the idea of a extra team don't like the idea of a 1 game playoff though. Hopefully it get's tweaked cause like Sal said a team could win 90+ games and there season goes to shit because of a 1 game playoff.

Having it as a 3 game series isn't ideal, but it would be easy to facilitate, as they could get it done in 3 or 4 days depending on travel

 

[JMobile]

Hopefully this new Wild Card addition does not start a MLB strike for next year.

 

[Killswitch]

Ruh roh!

@SportsCenter#MLB - Five-time All-Star 2B Chase Utley is leaving Phillies camp to see a specialist about his injured right knee.

 

[JMobile]

Will Utley be a future endeavor soon and be traded?