Weekend Rumblings - News for November 25, 2017

Weekend Rumblings - News for November 25, 2017

Keith Law thinks Eric Hosmer will be one of the most overpaid free agents.

Hosmer is the most likely position player to end up with a bad deal for the signing team, because his platform year (most recent season) was such an outlier in his career, and because he's a first baseman without power who has never graded well on advanced defensive metrics.

Hosmer came into 2017 with a career line of .277/.335/.428, averaging just 19 homers per 162 games played, and only two seasons out of six with a WAR over 2.0. His breakout this past season, which started only after April, led to a career-high 25 home runs, which ranked 18th among MLB first basemen in 2017, tied with Miami's Justin Bour. The problem I can see here is teams paying Hosmer on the assumption that his last five months of production are his new normal, rather than paying him on some probability that it's real and some probability that his 2011-2016 production still reflects his expected output.

Padres beat writer Dennis Lin addresses Hosmer rumors.

Let’s start with the chances that Eric Hosmer, one of the top free agents, lands in San Diego. By all appearances, they are very low. Hosmer’s agent, Scott Boras, is seeking an enormous contract, and people who know Hosmer do not believe he is keen on joining another rebuild. The Padres are on the upswing, but the fact that they have not been to the postseason since 2006 continues to loom.

David Adler at MLB.com writes why Hosmer is drawing interest.

Luke McGrath at Amazin’ Avenue thinks Mike Moustakas could help the Mets a lot, but will the team pay up?

While Moustakas would undoubtedly be a solid asset to help New York contend in the coming years, what free agent money there is may be better suited else where. Moustakas will likely receive a five to six year deal estimated to be worth $80-$100 million dollars. New York would welcome Moustakas with open arms, but no one around flushing wants to open their checkbooks the same way.

David Lesky at Baseball Prospectus Kansas City writes about what he is thankful for.

I’m thankful to get to watch Salvador Perez almost every day as a member of my favorite team. He most certainly has his flaws as a player. I mean, would it kill him to lay off a pitch every once in awhile? But he also has such a crazy joy for the game that it’s really great to watch him. I think he has an opportunity to be one of the leaders as the Royals usher in the next wave of big leaguers over the next few seasons, even if his durability continues to take a hit and his decline accelerates. I think he has an ability to reach both the American and Latin players, which is a skill that is worth quite a bit given the diversity within the game. For a player to be able to reach both guys like Cheslor Cuthbert and Hunter Dozier, it takes a special talent.

Ian Kennedy took time out to serve meals to the homeless on Thanksgiving.

Royals minor league pitcher Travis Eckert is suspended 50 games for a “drug of abuse.”

Lee Judge writes why it is not likely the Royals will lose 100 games next year.

Nicholas Sullivan at Kings of Kauffman writes about what the Royals need to do to make the playoffs.

The Negro League Baseball Museum unveils its statue for umpire Bob Motley.

Phillies pitcher Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez dies in a car collision in Cuba.

Jeff Passan will give up his Hall of Fame vote after Joe Morgan writes a letter calling for steroid users to be excluded.

A pitch clock is coming to MLB, but how many seconds long will it be?

Arkansas’ Bret Bielema is fired walking off the field after losing to Mizzou.

Derrick Rose takes a leave of absence from the NBA.

Elon Musk builds the world’s largest lithium ion battery in less than 100 days.

What if it is China that makes first contact with alien life?

McDonald’s chicken strips are a huge hit, so the company is running out of supplies.

Your song of the day is Miles Davis with Something I Dreamed Last Night.