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The MLB Daily Dish is a daily feature we're running here at MLBDD and rounds up roster-impacting news, rumors, and analysis. Have feedback or have something that should be shared? Hit us at @mlbdailydish on Twitter or @MLBDailyDish on Instagram.
Good morning baseball lovers! Unless you’re a Met fan, in which case I’m so sorry. I hope you’re doing okay. Just keep watching this awesome Granderson catch. Shhh, it’s gonna be fine, take a deep breath.
The Giants vs. Mets game last night is what historians will point to when they wants to perfectly define what a pitchers duel is. Both Syndergaard and Bumgardner were calm, laser focused, and came to win. But sadly, only one of them could, and now the Giants are on their way to Chicago to face the Cubs on Friday. If you listen closely, you can hear the growing chants of the “Even Year” people. Sigh.
In a time of the year that sets up a lot of coaches and players to be out work, let’s take a moment to focus on who will still be employed come February.
Ichiro Suzuki will be donning the Marlins uniform for at least another year. Mostly because you cannot stop Ichiro, you can only hope to contain him.
“The Marlins have exercised their $2 million contract option on outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, according to a team announcement. According to a major-league source, Miami also added a $2 million option for 2018 to the veteran’s contract.”
The Tigers will be bringing back manager Brad Ausmus next season. And we can’t see why not—Ausmus has been great for the organization, although it doesn’t look it to the casual baseball fan.
“The Tigers have exercised their option to retain manager Brad Ausmus for the 2017 season, according to the team. Despite missing the postseason in somewhat heartbreaking fashion, Ausmus and the Tigers will work together for at least part of the upcoming season.
While the Tigers finished 86-75 and missed the postseason for the second consecutive season, it appears that isn’t being put on Ausmus—at least not completely. After all, the Tigers were not looked on as particular powerhouses coming into the 2016 season as they were in previous years. And without an eight-game winning streak in early August, the team would have finished much worse.”
Aaaaaand just like that, more people could be getting the axe at the hands of the Royals. So if you ever failed an algebra test, remember, there are way worse things to miscalculate.
“Royals GM Dayton Moore says that the team’s payroll will be re-evaluated this offseason and possibly “regress,” according to Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star.
According to the same article, Moore said that the payroll was put together with the postseason in mind. The reigning 2015 World Series champions missed the postseason all together this year, finishing third in the AL Central. “Moore cautioned that the club could face financial restrictions that could shape its offseason strategy,” the article states.
With a literally middling team—the Royals finished 2016 with an 81-81 record and a .500 win percentage—the team began the year with a $131,487,125 budget, up from $112,857,025 on Opening Day in 2015. This is a drastic change from a few years ago when, in 2011, their Opening Day budget was a mere $38,176,000.”
PS in case you’re an Orioles fan and you want to be outraged (or you’re just someone who enjoys being angry, no judgement here):
Buck Showalter just said Zach Britton was healthy and available, so he held his best pitcher back for a "save situation" that never existed.
— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) October 5, 2016
I’ll just leave that there...
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The deeper we get into the postseason, the more managers will lose their jobs. Keep up with that game of chess in one place . Send us a thank you card later.
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Today in baseball: On October 6th, 1995, in Game 3 of the ALDS, Bernie Williams becomes the first major leaguer to hit a homerun from both sides of the plate in a postseason game.