Emerson and the roster

[GL_Storm]

Passan on Emersons extension

“I think Colt Emerson’s a better bet, because if you look at what his skills are, there’s a lot less variance in those than a guy like Jarred Kelenic, for example,” Passan said. “Like, let’s look at Colt Emerson’s numbers in the minor leagues. And listen, I understand minor league numbers do not always translate to the big leagues, but I’m looking especially this past season, when at 19 years old he went from High-A essentially up to Triple-A.

Bat to ball really matters, and swing decisions really matter. … The numbers, to me, that stand out the most – it’s not the batting average. It’s not even the on-base percentage, which is really good. It’s not the slug, it’s not the defensive positions he plays, it’s not the home runs, the RBIs, the stolen bases, any of that. It’s the walks and the strikeouts. In 600 plate appearances, he struck out 105 times, which would make him in the top 20th percentile if he can carry that over in the big leagues right now. And he walked 71 times, which would probably be the top 10 percentile.

If you can lock in a franchise shortstop who makes good swing decisions, has good bat-to-ball skills, has some power, you do that eight days a week,” he added. “And I understand the price was hefty, but there’s so much money to be made in terms of marginal value on this contract that the Mariners’ front office, they’re smart people and they get the math.

“And the math in this case was good enough for them to lay out essentially $100 million for a guy who’s never had a single day of big league service.

I think he's right about bat to ball skills being more important in a young hitting prospect than power. Too often, you see this pattern in the low minors where guys hit for power but also strike out a lot and don't take their walks, and then those free swinging tendencies get exploited more and more as they move up levels. The trifecta, of course, is when you get a guy that shows superior contact skills, takes his walks, and hits for power early on. But I'll take the low-k, high walk, good batting average combo in a young athlete any day. Most of the time, some amount of power will develop along with that, even if you don't see much of it early on.

[Donn Beach]

And he also said that, he feels it turned on Emerson wanting to do it, any club given the opportunity would want to given the opportunity

Why did it happen

“I think because he wanted to do it,” Passan said. “With situations like this, you always have to look at the player as being the driving force behind it, because every club will do a deal like this. Like, every club will line up to get free agent years on a young player – years in their 20s – that they need to pay a little extra for early on.

There's the link
https://sports.mynorthwest.com/mlb/seat ... on/1844274

[Donn Beach]

Griffin first ML game at 19

There was the tidy double play, Pittsburgh's first of the season, he turned in the second inning. There was the rope he hit to the wall in center field in his first at-bat in a few minutes later, a 105 mph laser off the bat against Baltimore's Kyle Bradish that scored Ryan O'Hearn and sent a jolt through a sellout crowd.

There was blistering dash from second to home on a ensuing groundball to right field by teammate Jared Triolo. There was the confidence to successfully challenge a strike call in his third at-bat. Oh, and the composure to gather a chopper he briefly bobbled before firing to first for an out to end the eighth, too

[D-train]

I am protesting and boycotting Pirates game because they are name after murderers thieves and Rapists. I hope you all join me in this stance.

Also this Griffin guy seems pretty sketchy.

Screenshot 2026-04-04 003319.png (252.25 KiB) Viewed 158 times

[Double Mocha Man]

JK kicking ass in Charlotte!

Screenshot 2026-04-02 111146.png

Atlanta has 19 runs in the last 2 games. Bring up JK. They need to get that big run number in check... closer to the league average.

[D-train]

JK kicking ass in Charlotte!

Screenshot 2026-04-02 111146.png

Atlanta has 19 runs in the last 2 games. Bring up JK. They need to get that big run number in check... closer to the league average.

They foolishly no longer have that option. He is in the White Sox org now. And btw he is now 0-19 with 9 Ks vs. AAA pitching.

[Double Mocha Man]

My bad, I forgot that. Well, trade for him! Poor JK is gonna end his career with a lot of money if he's invested it properly. But only the Hall of Shame for baseball achievements.

[D-train]

My bad, I forgot that. Well, trade for him! Poor JK is gonna end his career with a lot of money if he's invested it properly. But only the Hall of Shame for baseball achievements.

He can't just watch day time TV all day. How about a job as a hitting coach in Haiti?

[Donn Beach]

Morosi on Emersons deal, the new CBA coming up is impacting these deals

“There’s no accident for me that it’s a lot of these infielders who have a high ceiling. There are comparables out there from other recent players, and we don’t know what the next CBA is going to be,” Morosi said. “So when you look at where we’re at with that, when you look at the unknown, when the unknown is waiting for you in 2027, one way of hedging a bit is to say, OK, I’d like to have a contract that depending on whatever the future looks like, I might be grandfathered into (the new CBA)

[Donn Beach]

Griffin gets $140 mil

The deal is worth $140 million, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan and Buster Olney, the largest guarantee in Pirates history as well as for any player in his rookie season