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I don't believe we've touched on this topic yet, but I would not be surprised to learn that this particular group of "refugees" are the most strident, most vocal, most retrograde, most political white supremacist activists in South Africa.

The Tigers are 7-0 in his starts, so, so good indeed. Just about any pitcher is going to scuffle in his first extended exposure to big league hitters, but it's a little easier and more comfortable to work out the kinks at this level where your team is scoring six-plus runs a game for you.

I don't care how diplomatic Bregman is—he was never coming here this season. We've talked ad nauseam about why he chose Boston over Detroit, with the ballpark and the opt-outs offered being the biggest reasons many of us concluded as much. But I think another reason we really didn't discuss all that much was also the AAV. The Tigers' offer would have resulted in an AAV of $28.5MM, which ain't a bad day's work. But the Boston contract's AAV is $40MM, and even setting aside the opt-outs, it makes a huge difference in the setting of marketplace expectations going into free agency coming off a $40MM AAV versus a $28.5MM AAV.

I hadn't considered this but that makes a lot of sense. It must have been very isolating for Javy to be on the team last year as the only high dollar veteran guy, outside of Kenta Maeda who is both not Latin and not a hitter. Having a veteran on the team from that part of the world who produces at the plates and, bonus, Javy can bond with, could conceivably lead to both guys optimizing their performance. I know nothing about whether they actually are bonding like that, so it's all hypothetical to me. But it makes sense.

Someone here should educate Jamie Raskin about the fact that Trump is far too stupid to manipulate the stock market.

I think the other reason Jobe’s here is because at a certain point, a kid can’t learn anything more from mowing down AAA hitters, and has got to either sink or swim at the big league level.

You’re probably right, but part of me also wonders whether Bregman would have negatively affected the bonhomie in the clubhouse, not because I think he’s a bad guy necessarily, but injecting a new highly-paid mercenary into a clubhouse full of kids learning how to be big leaguers all together would definitely have shifted the vibe, and who knows whether for the better or the worse.

Chaos is back, baby!

The “official” definition is two-fold: (1) Two or more errors on the play; and (2) batter scores on the play.

The others in the top five back then were Michael Fulmer, Derek Hill, Christin Stewart, and some guy named Mike Gerber. Mike who, you ask? Well, Gerber was a 15th round draft pick out of Creighton who immediately shot into the top ten of the Tigers system. He made top five the following season. The glowing reports about him included such gems as “Gerber can do a lot of things fairly well” and “At worst, he's looking like a very valuable fourth outfielder of the future”. After slipping to #11 in the system in 2018, Mike actually had a cup of coffee with the team that summer and promptly spilled it all over his lap. He made his way to Japan in 2021 and flopped around there like a caught fish on the deck of a boat before disappearing into the Tennessee ether, where he’s probably coaching a kids’ baseball team while dominating some mens’ amateur league, which, good for him if he is.

It’s generous to call that a little league home run, but OK.

I feel icky as though I'm watching baseball porn

Tanner Houck = Kenta Maeda right now

That's not an inside-the-park homer by Riley, but that's still three runs! The Red Sox are an absolute MESS tonight!

Man, what a gift Duran gave us by not advancing on that line out to McKinstry, who made a throw to the plate that was roughly as accurate as throws I make to the plate from left field.

Dan almost miscalled the Riley line drive as going into the outfield, although Story almost made an amazing catch. Maybe he should considered letting the play play out before making the call.

Gleybomb! Tigers hitters back on the horse!

Jed appears to be unclear on the nature of the major league baseball business: namely, it's a legalized monopoly that's essentially a license to print money regardless of the quality of the product.

That's what they're doing. Besides, they'll match up pretty well against those other three teams specially when they get Imanaga and Assad back, and should they get Alcantara, although really, they'd be better off pursuing back end bullpen help.

Don't know but desperate teams in active markets can do crazy things. Cubs pushed all the chips into the middle of the table for this season so they can't afford to just let it slip away without a fight.

I've been assured that Trump is far too stupid to use his power as an autocratic president to manipulate the market.

Alcantara is going to be the hottest trade target of the deadline and it would take probably more than one Pipeline numbered prospect to win him, over other suitors. The Cubs in particular are down three starters now in their 2025-or-bust win-now season, and have a ****ton of numbered guys they can offer up in trade. Would you be willing to give them two or more of ours?

Talking to you from the future ...

"You're a national security threat with your anti-Trump posts, so, yeah, that's gonna be a 'no'."