Baseball Lavas

03/26/2025

After 10+ years of this page. I decided to change the cover photo.
Credit goes to respective owners. ❤️

01/18/2025

01/17/2025

My all-time favorite Nolan Ryan fact

01/17/2025

I actually don’t think the Braves are in the SS market at all at the moment, and with good reason.
In 2023 Orlando Arcia hit .264/.321/.420 with a .741 OPS, 17 homers, 65 RBIs, 66 runs.
In 2024 Arcia hit .218/.271/.354 with a .625 OPS, 17 homers, 46 RBIs, 50 runs.
With those two next to each other I do think that the perception of his decline is a little over-exaggerated. He had a 1.6 WAR in 2023 and a 0.6 WAR in 2024. He did decline, as did Olson, Riley, Harris, etc.
Shortstop was the easiest position to look at as an obvious opportunity for an upgrade, as Arcia makes $2M in 2025 with a club option for $2M in 2026. That’s absolute peanuts for one of baseball’s most expensive positions. You can have him as a backup infielder and feel no pain as we paid Adam Duvall more last year to be a 4th outfielder.
My perception of Anthopolous’ approach is that he does want to upgrade at shortstop, but not to the detriment of the payroll or farm system. Right now there are 10 shortstops making over $20M, some as much as $35M. Next year a few more become available but very few at a good price. Bo Bichette is the big name for 2025.
On top of that, Nacho Alvarez hit .284, .792 OPS, 10 HRs, 57 RBIs, 65 runs at Mississippi and Gwinnett last year.
Nacho isn’t a franchise altering prospect, but he is productive enough that we can keep our foot off the gas without jumping into a new situation at shortstop. By the end of 2025, I expect you’ll have a pretty even comparison between Arcia and Nacho. And they’re both the cost of a 40-man roster spot, there’s no reason both of them can’t compete at the position soon.
I would put it this way, for the Braves to go make a splash at the shortstop position, you need it to be because you don’t believe in Nacho Alvarez as the Braves future starter, not because you don’t believe in Arcia as the Braves future starter.

01/17/2025

We're playing in the first Sunday Night Baseball of the season! This is going to be epic

🗣 credit goes to respective owners.

01/17/2025

RIP Bob Uecker

🗣 credit goes to respective owners.

01/17/2025

RIP Bob Uecker. Truly Mr.Baseball.
There will never be another.

🗣 credit goes to respective owners.

01/17/2025

SIX alumni currently rank as Top 10 prospects in their respective organizations heading into the 2025 season… The gators have produced some top talent 💪

01/17/2025

"When I came up to bat with three men on and two outs in the ninth, I looked in the other team's dugout and they were already in street clothes."
Bob Uecker

01/17/2025

There will never be another quite like "Mr. Baseball." We'll miss you, Ueck. The baseball universe was better for you having been in it.

🗣 credit goes to respective owners.

01/17/2025

WINKER BACK IN FLUSHING
It appears the Mets & OF/DH Jesse Winker have an agreed on a one year deal for $8 million including a $1 million dollar signing bonus. Baseball beat writer Jon Heyman is reporting the signing.

01/17/2025

Bob Uecker is now officially in the front row. Legend.