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I object!

Or he'll have to answer to you? I'm sure they will be the most he can get.

He's going to "give them away" for prospects.

Even without Villar and Mancini? That would be impressive.

The first hacker who figures out how to control the calls will make a fortune.

Obviously, Hyde needs to hustle a little more on those challenges. It's not the challenge that matters, it's how you phrase it. And timing. He should let the batboy issue the challenges. Who could turn down a batboy?

I'd rather have the prospects that Villar and Mancini will return than those players themselves. I also don' t thin the O's are interested in putting the best team possible on the field in 2020. As Elias has said on numerous occasions, next year is not about wins and losses. And as he explained when he was hired, his goal is not necessarily to get back to contention as quickly as possible, but to develop a pipeline of players that will continuously feed the major league team for years to come. We aren't there yet. So, as you put it, "what Elias needs to do" is keep players in the minors until there is nothing more for them to gain from being there. What happens at the major league level is of tangential interest- he doesn't want them to stink the place out while they lose 100 games. If he can find a young, undervalued ML player at minimum, he'll be glad to give him an opportunity to prove himself.

The Yankees and Mets would probably be willing to settle for a one-time fee of $500 million or so, each, to give up their rights to the NJ audience.

Like the really small ones you get at Indian restaurants.

We'll see how much that changes if the formula for calculating how much the teams get in fees is ever resolved.

I'm sure the Yankees/Mets would go for that, because look how well the MASN deal has turned out for everyone involved.

A whim like the MASN deal that permitted the Expos to move to DC in exchange for the O's giving up part of their protected territory?

That depends on how strongly he feels about it. Being a starting pitcher is difficult enough for pitchers who want to do it. It takes a mindset and ability to handle stress that not all pitchers have and relievers don't need. So, changing from a relief role to a starting role is not exactly like a position player being given a new position to play. In Hunter's case, following in his father's footsteps may also be a factor. I'm sure if asked to start he would suck it up and try to be good at it. Maybe he would be. But unless he asks for another shot at being a starter, I'd let him continue to do what he's shown signs of doing well.

JMHO, but I doubt that Hunter Harvey has any interest in being a starter.

A'l check and get back to you on that.

Al-berto, Al-tuve ... coincidence? I like Hanser and I hope they hold on to him to see if they can develop a few more surprises. $1.8 million is a small price to pay to see if they've got a 25-year old diamond in the rough in Alberto. Among all the guys on their arb. list, I think he's the one worth keeping.

Except that this dude is toxic.

He would first have to go through a comprehensive counseling program and prove himself in a much lower position for several years while reporting to his counselor. I don't believe anyone should be unemployable because of past mistakes, but he'd really have to prove that his attitude and behavior had changed.

Exactly.

Some people don't shop in Target, and the standalone is open an hour later.

Starbucks stores are not franchised. All stores are company owned. They do license stores to operators, but that's a completely different scenario. Must be a busy parking lot.

Whether it's a sub shop or ML baseball team, every franchisee has a defined and protected marketing area. Otherwise, there would be chaos and the franchises would have no value.

After having a verbal dispute with a Padres fan in San Diego, Kevin Malone was forced to resign as Dodgers GM for being "a distraction."

30 years ago counting stats mattered. Times change, sometimes for the better.

I'm thinking there could be a decent market in Baltimore for a new brand of matches: Chris Davis Salary Dump Matches. Of course, they would never light, but I'd want some.