1-Man’s Opinion on Sports-Tuesday “NFL-FREE AGENCY-SALARY CAP”

Posted by on February 27th, 2024  •  0 Comments  • 

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“NFL-Free Agency”
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Ready-Set-Go..NFL Free Agency.

The Chargers are headed to free agency with alot of work ahead of them.

The excitement of the hire of Jim Harbaugh is now officially over and the real work has begun, with the combine in Indianapolis, then free agency, then the draft.

The NFL salary cap has rocketed to (255M), an all time.  The cap went up (30M) from last season, another all time one year increase.

The NFL financial ledger shows the Chargers still way above the salary cap, some (25.5M) over the cap.  That despite of the 30M-cap increase and the fact they just restricted the contract of soon to retire OC-Corey Linsley, saving them another 10M.

There are problems everywhere, including players not there any longer.  CB-JC Jackson, axed at midseason last year, still have a cap figure (21.2M) and he’s not there any longer.

How do they get below the cap?

Players exiting, buyouts, like oft-injured WR-Mike Williams, DT-Austin Johnson.  But when you buyout Williams (34.2M) cap figure, and Johnson (21M) cap figure, you pick up dead money that still goes against the cap.  Add that to the dead dollars Jackson accounts for, so you still save money by moving big paydays off the roster, but you don’t gave full space.

Khalil Mack’s great season means he stays with a cap figure (38.5) cap figure.  Joey Bosa, his career marred with nagging injuries, has missed 21-of-35 games over the last two seasons, drags a (36.1) cap figure into camp next year.

Star WR-Keenan Allen has a salary figure (34.7M) and won’t be cut.

So Harbaugh and his front office have to do some creative financing work that means veteran starters have to exit.

Austin Ekeler was told he won’t be offered a new deal, taking his (8,239APY-69TD) out the door after a fabulous 6-plus years of productivity.

The Chargers new Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman says his new team will run the ball, and that means you need a proven running back. Is that in free agency or via the draft?

The defense needs veteran talent, and that means a pay day to go get linebackers or corners. How do you do that some (25.5M) over the cap as of today?

They do draft 5-and-37 in the top two rounds.  What they need, offensive lineman, a defensive tackle and a tight end, will be plentiful in those two rounds.   The best order of business might be to trade back from the 5th slot,for a team that wants a shot at one of the top QBs, get a later opening round pick and add maybe another 2nd or 3rd round choice.

Decisions, decisions, an absolute ton of things to get accomplished.

The Chargers do have QB-Justin Herbert, but they now look to have alot less talent on this roster that the roster that opened the season last fall.

Jim Harbaugh talks a good game.  Now he and his newly minted front office have to find ways to fix everything wrong with the franchise.

Get ready-get set-go…solve the cap crisis and find the right draft picks and veteran free agents.

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1-Man’s Opinion on Sports–Monday. “BLACK EYE–BLACK LISTED–BLACK BALLED”

Posted by on February 26th, 2024  •  0 Comments  • 

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“BLACK EYE-BLACK BALLED-BLACK LISTED”

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Bad decisions-bad outcomes.

Matt Araiza-NFL..Trevor Bauer-MLB

One sidetracked his career, the other may have self destructed his career.

Questions worth asking:  Since when is being stupid a reason to keep a player out of the NFL?  How many times do you have to commit hideous acts to make yourself a toxic talent in MLB?

Matt Araiza, surviving a sexual escapade with a 17-year old, is back in the NFL after missing two seasons following an investigation and lawsuits.  It cost him his rookie salaries and his spot on the Buffalo Bills roster, who released him after the gang rape investigation began.

Araiza was cleared by police and both sides dropped their defamation lawsuits against each other.  But the damage was done to his reputation.  He will never get back the two years of athletic ability he lost.

All he did was be stupid and have consensual sex with a girl who lied to him about his age.  Stupid decision with his NFL career just ahead of him.  He was never part of the gang sex possible rape case inside an on campus apartment later that night.

NFL rosters are dotted by alot of players who been arrested.  Pick any charge, DUI, guns, domestic abuse, cocaine, PEDs and guys are still playing.  No one would touch Araiza until his troubles finally were off the court dockets and out of the court room.

He kept his mouth shut, kept working out, got cleared and got another job kicking in the NFL for Kansas City.  A painful price for being stupid.

Trevor Bauer says he’s served his sentence, a record 194-game suspension, loss of 31M-in salaries, his exile to the Yokohama Bay Stars, for sexual misconduct.

He too investigated, never charged, case tossed out of court, lawsuits dropped too.  But his case is deeper because the ‘rough sex’ allegations are not isolated incidents.  3-other women say they experienced similar issues while Bauer was in the Indians-Reds organizations.

Trend there, lifestyle choice, not a stand-alone happenstance.  Kind of surprising for someone with a UCLA degree.

He’s still unsigned.  That’s him standing on your street corner wearing a sandwich board that reads ‘willing to work for minimum MLB salary’.

He has kept talking, kept active on social media, saying he paid his price, deserves a 2nd chance, apologizing for his reckless decisions, but still alluding to the fact ‘it was consensual’.

No one has offered him any type of incentive laced contract, despite baseball teams being desperate for established starting pitching.  Even his (83-56) record doesn’t impress anyone anymore because of what is attached to his resume now.

Black eyes for both Araiza and Bauer for sure.
Black listed maybe for the punter.
Blackballed-sure looks like for the pitcher..

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1-Man’s Opinion on Sports-Friday “PADRES-1ST GAME AT A GLANCE”

Posted by on February 23rd, 2024  •  0 Comments  • 

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“BASEBALL TOPICS ON THE TABLE”

Love the opening of spring training, a truly breath of fresh air.

I grew up in a baseball family on Long Island.  I loved watching spring training games as a kid, the Yankees and Mets from Florida, on TV back to my house where we were always coming out of a snowy-cold winter.

My first trip to spring training was when I worked in Cleveland, went to Tucson to cover the Indians.  You know winter weather in Cleveland.  And then you land in Arizona, cactus, sunshine, and games at Hi Corbett Field.

Loved my first Yuma experience with the Padres, and then when they moved to Peoria.

The best however was my first trip to cover the Dodgers at Vero Beach.  Dodgertown, the fields where Jackie Robinson and Sandy Koufax worked out.  Holman Stadium.  Meeting Tommy LaSorda, Vin Scully and taking in the heritage of Dodgers Blue baseball, where they trained as far back as 1948.

So cool.

What I saw, what I think after day one of exhibition baseball.

PADRES..Bad flashback, giving up 8-runs in the 1st inning and six more after that in a (14-1) opening day loss to the Dodgers in the Cactus League.  Reminded me of Andy Green’s regular season debut against the Dodgers, a (15-0) thrashing in a regular season opener.  In fact LA swept the 3-game series.

PITCHING..The only thing that counts is how Joe Musgrove feels the next four days after his 1-inning struggle, 24-pitches, 4-runs allowed, no outs recorded.  This is work in progress coming off a winter of rehab for the shoulder capsule issue.

HOT…Yuki Matsui came from Japan with quite a reputation as a closer.  First outing for the Padres, 1-inning, no hits, 3-strikeouts.  That was impressive.

DODGERS…Not wanting to tip their hand, they change their mind and do not start Yosh Yomamoto.  Hide him till regular season opener in South Korea.

THE LINEUP…A 14-run outburst and the Dodgers did this without Ohtani-Freeman-Muncie-Smith in their batting order.  Of course virtually all the damage was done against minor league pitcheres.

YOUNG ARMS…Impressive start from last year’s rookies who were overwhelmed  when they were pushed onto the mound.  Gavin Stone and Michael Grove were dominant against the Padres.

ESPN..Spring training for them too.  All the excitement of opening day in the Cactus League was wiped out by technical problems on the field.  Their sideline reporter had mic problems right at the start.  And they had hot-micd Fernando Tatis, but he has mic problems, his answers sounded muddied, and who wants to listen to his 6-word answers for all 26-minutes of the top of the first.  Would rather have had a sideline reporter to quick dugout interviews during the game with a wide variety of both Dodgers-Padres players and the managers.

On we go with the rest of the Cactus League-Grapefruit Circuit games coming this weekend.

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1-Man’s Opinion on Sports-Thursday “PADRES-QUESTIONS-ANSWERS”

Posted by on February 22nd, 2024  •  0 Comments  • 

“PADRES-SO IT BEGINS”

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The Cactus League opening game on Thursday at noon vs the Dodgers starts the spring training season.

The Padres open the season with more question marks than answers.

They’ve lost their owner, run off their manager, traded an MVP-candidate, let the Cy Young Award winner and top closer walk as free agents.

The Peter Seidler passing, the departure of Bob Melvin, the Juan Soto trade,and the defections of Blake Snell and Josh Hader are all negatives.

Starters 1-2 in the rotation are both coming off health issues, and durability becomes a question for both Yu Darvish-Joe Musgrove.  Do they have 30-starts in them?

The Yankees may have liked Michael King, may have used Jhony Brito and Randy Vasquez alot, but they dealt them all away to the Friars.

Yuki Matsui and Woo Suk-Go come with credentials, but that is in Japan-Korea, and this level of baseball is really different, from the mound, to the ball, to training methods in the US.

There are no legitimate stars in CF-or-LF.  Can you tell me who is your real first baseman?  Is there a true DH on the roster?

Will the rookie Jackson Merrill hit enough to warrant staying on the roster?

Can Robert Suarez stay healthy after last year’s elbow ailing season?

Have scouting reports figured out Jake Cronenworth?
Can Manny Machado hold up post elbow surgery?
Is young C-Luis Campusano ready to do it with the glove and the bat?

Who is starter 4-and-5 if Brito-Vasquez cannot be whom the Padres hope they are?

Does the phrase ‘bullpen day’ come up once a week with a 9-man deep relief core?

Will Adrian Morejon ever become anything beyond a prospect always hurt?

Will it be Mike Schildt’s clubhouse and dugout or will the meddling of AJ Preller and his people still exist?

Will fans feel Padres baseball is ‘bait and switch’, buy the season tickets at high prices, but sorry our payroll is 101M lower than last year?

So you can be excited what’s infront of you at 12 noon when they open against the Dodgers?

But you cannot ignore all the points I just raised?

A year ago, the expectations were thru the roof.  A year later I sense much less excitement about Padres baseball, almost a cloud of resignation, because of the loss of Seidler’s leadership and money.

And one final question, if this season isn’t the season, how much longer will fans keep coming to games and how much longer is AJ Preller allowed to the decision maker?

You tell me baseball fans.  You are allowed to have an opinion.

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1-Man’s Opinion on Sports-Wednesday “BASEBALL-VS-SCOTT BORAS”

Posted by on February 21st, 2024  •  0 Comments  • 

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“Scott Boras-Love Him-Hate Him”
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Which street corner do you stand on?

The one that likes super agent Scott Boras?
The one that detests Scott Boras?

As always, baseball’s mega agent is always in the spotlight in season and in the off season.

Here we are on the eve of the opening of the popular Cactus League and Grapefruit Circuit, and 4-of the biggest named free agents, all whom he represents, are not in camp.

A Cy Young Award winner, a former MVP, a World Series arm and a premiere DH.

And the conversations are not just about who is out of camp, but the next record setting free agent whom he reps too.

He’s not doing anything wrong, just doing his job.  His job is to get the best contract, whether that is length of deal, or average salary, for his clients.

If you are willing to pay, then he will send you the 60-page statistical brochure, about the client you are interested in.  He will spend the off season playing your offer against whatever other offers he can dig up.

Not his job to care whether he puts a club in Luxury Tax hell.  Not his concern if he is going to force your favorite team to trade a star player he reps, who is about to become a free agent next off season.  Not caring if people paint him for holding teams ‘hostage’ in free agent talks.

Just doing the job that’s all.

So Blake Snell, exiting the Padres, remains unsigned.  As does Texas Rangers frontliner Jordan Montgomery.  As does the Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger. Plus well travelled but productive DH-JD Martinez, all unsigned for a wide variety of reasons.

Some people like Boras and his bravado style of hammering deals thru.
Some dislike him because he sales pitches every client as the next best deserving megabucks

It must be hard being a team owner knowing what is ahead and how it might impact your franchise.

So here we are wondering about the big names still out there.

BLAKE SNELL..A most unique talent, a double Cy Young Award winner, who put up Bob Gibson type numbers in 2023 for the Padres (1.20-ERA), dominating like he did the year he won the same award with the Tampa Bay Rays.  Asking price according to MLB sources (7Y-210M).  That is alot of money for a 5-inning per start pitcher, who leads the world in walks, yet has high octane stuff pitching out of trouble.  But 7-years long is alot for a power pitcher, who has had 1-elbow surgery already.  I tend to think 30M a year is what he deserves, considering the market place for quality arms.  What works against him is the 7-year length.  The Angels should make a pitch (3Y-150M) pitch, for they still have Ohtani dollars to spend and a critical need.  Arte Moreno needs to set aside his dislike for Boras, and do what is right, get an ace for an in-need pitching staff.  Boras drives a hard bargain.  Does Snell blink and take the best offer now for the next 3-years or stand strong and wait for his terms?

JORDAN MONTGOMERY…He reinvented himself in Texas, end result a strong season, a World Series ring too.  But 30M a year for a second tier starter seems excessive.  The Cardinals and Yankees both had him, but both let him go.  He is a different pitcher now, just  refer to page 20-on Boras’ brochure on the hurler.  But Texas is really up against the luxury tax and has spent a ton over 3-years to build this winner.  Maybe he winds up going back there on maybe 1Y plus an option.  Not many other people seem willing to do a big deal for him, considering whom he was, despite whom he became.

CODY BELLINGER…Some superb season-recapturing the magic he once had with the Dodgers, in his MVP type season.  He’s healthy.  Who knows if the long rehab from shoulder issues impacted his two final lousy seasons at Dodgers Stadium.  He had a huge bounceback season with the Cubs, maybe should have been ‘Comeback Player of the Year’ with that (.306-26HR) season.  The Boras price tag, (8Y-200M) package seems over the top.  Wonder what playing at Wrigley Field had to do with the big 2023 summer of baseball?  But he is young, now healthy, and ready to be a multi position player.   Maybe he should consider staying at Wrigleyville, on a shorter big money deal the Cubs could afford.  Win-win, hit for average and hit homers in Chicago and become an icon.

JD MARTINEZ…Pretty good years for the often moved DH, first with the Red Sox and the Dodgers.  But as a 1-position guy, DH, the offers come with a lower price tag.  But cannot see someone willing to write an 8M check for an aging DH.  Also cannot see him taking a veteran’s minimum 1M package with incentives.  Somewhere in between there should be a good deal for him, maybe with a pennant contender.  Maybe he waits to see if spring training shows a club short of the right guy to designate hit.  Maybe somebody has an injury.  Sure Boras’ phone will ring in Newport Beach.

JUAN SOTO..The next name to watch.  Don’t think they speak highly of Boras there in Washington after rejected something like a (440M) package from the Nationals, forcing his early trade to the Padres.  Now that all has happened in San Diego, we see Soto moved to the Yankees.  And now NY-GM Brian Cashman says Soto-in-pinstripes is a one year situation before he goes to free agency.  They don’t hate Boras in San Diego, yet, but if the players the Padres get in the Soto trade don’t work out, they will be taking numbers to stand in line and fire criticism at the agent.

Fascinating to watch the machinations of clubs who have to deal with Boras.  Some MLB execs compare him with the hostage taking tactics of former NFL agent Howard Slusher, or Alan Eagleson-NHL or some people in the NBA, who have turned that league into a players league, give me my money, screw the GM, the owner, the league, pay me.

Love him or hate him, the super agent is just doing his job.

Will see where the next couple of weeks take us with the big names-seeking big dollars, still on the board.

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