Mega Thread MLB season 2024

[Dixie Flatline]

The Detroit Tigers are right in the mix for a wild card spot in the AL post-season and are bringing reinforcements for their pitching, promoting top pitching prospect Jackson Jobe to make his MLB debut when he's called upon by manager AJ Hinch out of the bullpen. The Tigers designated RHP Shelby Miller for assignment to create a roster spot for Jobe.

As the Tigers reached the trade deadline, they decided to cash in on some of their better trade chips, trading out Jack Flaherty, Andrew Chafin, Mark Canha and Carson Kelly and went all-in on the youth movement with two months of the season to go. Since the start of August, the Tigers have gone 30-17 to take a hold of a Wild Card spot, ahead of Minnesota (by a game) and the Mariners (by two games). With a week to go, the Tigers are looking to consolidate their position in the race for the postseason.

Jobe was the third overall pick by the Tigers in the 2021 draft, and was ranked the 79th prospect in all of baseball without pitching in the professional league by Baseball America. Jobe made 18 starts at Single-A in his professional debut season, with 61 2/3 innings, for a 26.3% strikeout rate and a 9% walk rate. He was promoted to High-A to finish his first season, making three starts for a 1.15 ERA. In 2023, Jobe suffered inflammation in his lower back that prevented him from pitching until the middle of June. He pitched 64 innings across multiple levels in the minors, with a combined 2.81 ERA, 32.6% strikeout rate and a walk rate of 2.3%. In 2024, he has pitched 91 2/3 innings across multiple levels, for a combined 2.36 ERA in 21 starts.

Currently, Jobe is ranked the second best prospect in all baseball, behind the Red Sox Roman Anthony. MLB Pipeline lists Jobe 6th and FanGraphs has him 15th.

Although Jobe was undoubtedly drafted as a starter, he'll make his MLB debut as a reliever, in order to take into account the number of innings he has already pitched this year. Jobe will not exhaust his rookie status in 2024, so the Tigers will be able to retain prospect promotion incentives for 2025 with respect to Jobe.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Former New York Yankee reliever RHP Ron Marinaccio has been claimed off waivers by the White Sox and sent to Double-A Birmingham. Marinaccio was designated for assignment by the Yankees last week, and the White Sox moved to fill a vacant spot on their 40-man roster by claiming the reliever. Marinaccio made his MLB debut in 2022 and pitched 44 innings for the Bronx Bombers that season, with a 2.05 ERA and a 30.9% strikeout rate. As major league hitters got to study the tape against Marinaccio, his results took a step back in 2023, as he pitched 47 1/3 innings for a 3.99 ERA and a 27.3% strikeout rate. In 2024, the Yankees have bounced Marinaccio between Triple-A and the majors, and he had been optioned five times already in the season (the maximum number allowed). The Yankees needed to reinstate Cody Peteet to the 40-man roster and Marinaccio was the odd man out.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The Cincinnati Reds announced that they have fired manager David Bell after the Reds failed to make the postseason. Bench coach Freddie Benavides will act as the interim manager for the last week of the season. Bell had a winning record in three of the six seasons he steered the Reds, including a 31-29 record in 2020 that allowed them to reach the postseason, an 83-win season in 2021 and an 82-season in 2023. The latter season suggested that the Reds would be primed for a big season in 2024, as it was largely built off the back of the Reds' younger players, such as Elly de la Cruz. The Reds signed Bell to an extension in July 2023 that covered the 2024-2026 seasons.

The Reds started the season without Noelvi Marte, who was suspended for the first 80 games of the 2024 season through PED, and then the Reds lost Matt McLain in Spring Training to shoulder surgery that has cost him the entirety of the season. Christian Encarnacion-Strand did not play again after the first week in May due to a wrist injury that required surgery.

Further, other players took a step backwards in their production, with Spencer Steer and Alexis Diaz not thriving, while off-season acquisitions like Frankie Montas (now in Milwaukee) and Jeimer Candelario not succeeding.

With the Marlins poised to end the managerial tenure of Skip Schumaker, he is being linked with the role in Cincinnati, as a former Reds player (2014-2015).

Bell leaves Cincinnati with a lifetime record of 409-456, with one postseason appearance in 2020 (that led to a sweep).

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

American League wildcard battle very tight



Tigers had a couple of tough wins over the Orioles in their series to sneak ahead.

Finish with Tampa Bay and the White Sox, both at home

27-11 since sitting Javier Baez in early August.

 

[FreoRicci]

American League wildcard battle very tight

View attachment 2120933

Tigers had a couple of tough wins over the Orioles in their series to sneak ahead.

Finish with Tampa Bay and the White Sox, both at home

27-11 since sitting Javier Baez in early August.

Out of all the teams which I support, Detroit looks most likely to make playoffs. Go figure.

It’s mostly a solid bullpen. Skubal has been solid.

But yep, Baez out is definitely telling. Be interesting if he’s suddenly available for WildCard. Guy is a jerk. Awful player

 

[Jatz]

Huuuuuuuge series starts today with the Braves. Need to win at least 2 to break their spirit I think.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

After setting the AL rookie record in 2023 for the most stolen bases by a rookie, OF Esteury Ruiz had a 2024 season he would like to forget. He was demoted to Triple-A back in April by the Oakland Athletics and while he was recalled a few weeks later, he mostly played as a bench bat before he suffered a left wrist injury that put him on the IL. Ruiz never made it back to the majors as he battled renewed soreness in the wrist when he was sent on a rehab assignment. He has now been shut down for the season with arthroscopic surgery to fix the patellar tendon in his right knee. The Athletics expect him to be healthy for Spring Training.

 

[kaiserchief13]

Mets, Braves and Dbacks. Who will miss playoffs?

 

[Jatz]

Braves did it easy against us today.

Got to turn it around tomorrow.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

What a way to book your playoff spot. A triple play by the Padres to win the game over the Dodgers.

 

[FreoRicci]

Mets, Braves and Dbacks. Who will miss playoffs?

Always Mets isn’t it?

Be incredible to not see Atlanta in the post season. DBacks as well, but being in Dodgers and Padres’ division certainly doesn’t help

 

[largebus]

Atlanta have the easiest final series against the Nats who demoted their best player. I'd be very surprised if they missed.
Mets missing again would be hilarious given their massive payroll

 

[kaiserchief13]

Atlanta have the easiest final series against the Nats who demoted their best player. I'd be very surprised if they missed.
Mets missing again would be hilarious given their massive payroll

Pretty sure Braves finish the season against the Royals. Both will be playing for their playoff lives

 

[Jatz]

Atlanta have the easiest final series against the Nats who demoted their best player. I'd be very surprised if they missed.
Mets missing again would be hilarious given their massive payroll

This was expected to be a down year for us. We're paying a truckload to players that aren't on the squad anymore (Scherzer for instance).

Genuinely surprised we're even in contention for a playoff spot.

 

[RPCB]

People pay good money to watch a baseball game and that green arseh*le is blocking their view. Phillie Phanatic worse than The Drake.

 

[largebus]

Pretty sure Braves finish the season against the Royals. Both will be playing for their playoff lives

Yeah the Phillies finish with the Nats not the Braves.

Hurricane bearing down on Atlanta is gonna cause scheduling headaches. They're already moving today and tomorrow's games vs Mets to Monday, Royals game Friday will likely be washed out.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The Pittsburgh Pirates have released OF Michael A. Taylor and 1B Rowdy Tellez after they were designated for assignment a few days ago. The release of Tellez is particularly painful as he was four plate appearances short of qualifying for a $200,000 roster bonus. He needed to reach 425 plate appearances for the season and was cut loose by the Pirates at 421 plate appearances. Tellez signed a contract with a $3.2 million guarantee with the Pirates at the start of the season, while Taylor received a $4 million guarantee. Neither produced in the manner the Pirates expected.

Tellez started the season badly, hitting .177/.239/.223 up until the end of May 2024, but when the calendar turned over to June, he got red hot, hitting .310/.346/.533 between the start of June and the end of August. However, when the weather started to cool, Tellez slumped, hitting just .116/.255/.209 in September. Overall, Tellez will likely finish the season with a .243/.299/.392 slashline, worth 89 wRC+ on the season, making him sub-replacement level on the season given his poor defence and poor baserunning.

Taylor has always been known for his glove in centre field, but in 2024, he was particularly poor at the plate, striking out 35% of the time and hitting just .193/.253/.290, worth a wRC+ of only 50. Among players with at least 300 plate appearances this season, only Brandon Drury and Eddie Rosario have a lower wRC+. The Pirates took Taylor out of the lineup and are working with Oneil Cruz in centre field.

Given their guaranteed salaries and the fact that they would not be eligible for the post-season if they signed with another team now, it's highly likely that both their seasons are done and they will be looking for new teams when the off-season arrives.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The Minnesota Twins look like they are set to miss the playoffs this season, and they have made some moves before their most recent game against the Marlins. This includes designating LHP Cole Irvin for assignment, optioning LHP Brent Headrick and putting OF Matt Wallner on the 10 day IL due to a left oblique strain. The Twins called up Justin Topa, Jorge Alcala and Austin Martin to replace all three players. Alcala and Martin were recalled from Triple-A St Paul while Topa was activated off the 60-day IL.

Irvin was claimed off waivers by the Twins last week after he was released by the Orioles earlier in the season. He pitched four times out of the bullpen for the Twins, allowing five earned runs across 3 2/3 innings, walking four and striking out only two batters.

Irvin made his name in the majors with the Oakland Athletics, pitching for Oakland between 2021-2022 before being traded to Baltimore at the end of 2022. He managed a 4.86 ERA in 107 1/3 innings for Baltimore this season before being released by the Orioles.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The Orioles will be without RHP Grayson Rodriguez in what is a blow to their starting rotation for the postseason, with manager Brandon Hyde telling reporters that Rodriguez is out for the rest of the season with the lat injury he suffered back in August. The Orioles will rely on impending free agent Corbin Burnes as well as Zach Eflin, but will need to work out the remainer of their starting rotation from the likes of Dean Kremer, Albert Suarez, Trevor Rogers (who struggled on joining the Orioles and is now in the minor leagues) and Cade Povich (5.59 ERA in five starts).

 

[kaiserchief13]

Yeah the Phillies finish with the Nats not the Braves.

Hurricane bearing down on Atlanta is gonna cause scheduling headaches. They're already moving today and tomorrow's games vs Mets to Monday, Royals game Friday will likely be washed out.

Do they think they'll be able to play the 3 games Atlanta Kansas City over Saturday and Sunday?

 

[largebus]

Do they think they'll be able to play the 3 games Atlanta Kansas City over Saturday and Sunday?

Its forecast to clear by Saturday so they'll get a double header on Sunday. Either way their rotation and bull pen will be screwed up for the postseason

 

[largebus]

 

[Upstart Swan]

I feel depressed.

 

[RPCB]

I feel depressed.

Give it about 28 and a half hours.

 

[RPCB]

Cubs and Reds want the season to end already. They played a 1 hour and 48 minute game today lol.