Transmogrified Tiger

Yes, stabilization gets abused so much because that connection gets missed so often. Even when you finally get to 'this is meaningful' (stabilization), the gap between 'this is meaningful' and 'this is predictive' is often still really big!

Think about the motion you're making on that play, you're concentrating on catching the ball first and foremost. That throw, unlike say, the return bounce when you're dribbling a basketball, can get to you in a wide variety of locations and the runner could be sliding multiple ways which changes your tag target. That means there isn't a muscle memory that when you catch the ball you make this specific movement and that's a clean tag every time. You're taught(at least I was) to bring the ball to the base, the runner has to get there. At the MLB level it's not exactly that simple, but that's the general mechanic. You can see Swanson doing a version of this, but he came in a little low and the ground slowed the sweeping motion just enough for the runner to be safe. The other end of the spectrum is if you come in too high, a hand can sneak in under you.

Maybe ESPN lost/gave up radio for Sunday night baseball since they lost the TV rights

Feel like we collectively should be making a bigger deal that our new large adult son hit a ball about 715 feet last night

You'd think after the Cam Smith experience last year we'd learn our lesson about this particular brand of overreaction

Full No trade. In the practical sense it's for the first 3 years of the extension because he'd have 10/5 rights for the back half of the deal.

Next season per Rosenthal

Nico was 4th among qualified 2B in offensive value last year

Yes if you assume the Brewers will be better at filling 90% of the roster indefinitely then it will be difficult to overcome that. Also the Pirates seem fearsome if you focus on the best case scenario for their handful of pitchers and ignore that their offense looks extremely dire for the foreseeable future.

Bregman's bat is likely to age better into his mid-30s than Nico's speed/defense, and he didn't have the QO penalty that Nico would. Also, if you're paying for 5 years at FA rates why would Jed be in a hurry to make that deal a year early

I love Nico but if he's getting 30M AAV I'm gonna go from lukewarm on this extension to harshly negative.

This Texas/Purdue game has become such a ref-baiting slog that Texas is able to play a guy who can't walk and get away with it

Nick Madrigal is a Top 5 FA hitter for next offseason*, Happ is gonna get paid *Only a slight exaggeration

The Cubs were 1st in the NL and 3rd in MLB in position player value last year. Their bench is weak partially by design, their lineup is too good to provide the opportunity for lower quality players to succeed in sheltered roles.