I feel like our bigs always play like ass against Denver. I’m not sure if it’s fatigue from trying to stop Jokic, the way Denver plays defense, Jokic as an underrated rim protector, etc.
I don’t know, the Ryan’s Steakhouse story, the dude who paid for a Christmas light tour of his own house, and the Mackovic idiot gold investor stories might take issue with this claim.
I read that this morning, thanks for sharing with the board.
My favorite part:
I can't tell you the number of times I've heard variations of that from neighborhood groups in testimony before the city and it deserves to be on Watson's staff's constituent bingo game.
It reminds me of Castle Rock in that regard.
I am digging the focus on Halloran using the shine; I’ve basically lost interest in the kids and I’m considering Halloran the main character (I say that, I’ve never seen Taylour Paige in anything previously and she’s terrific, and I’m hoping we get to see her do more).
The show does seem to have taken King’s stated goal of “…I will try to terrorize the reader. But if I find I cannot terrify I will try to horrify. If I find I cannot horrify I will go for the gross-out. I’m not proud.”
I think it’s more that the clown becomes less scary the more you see him.
Pitcher
Team
Innings Pitched (IP)
Strikeouts per 9 (K/9)
Arbitration/Contract Status Note
Dylan Cease
SDP
168
11.52
Arbitration 3 (likely Free Agent after 2026)
Garrett Crochet
BOS
205.1
11.18
Arbitration 1 (meets original ≥2 years)
Tarik Skubal
DET
195.1
11.1
Arbitration 3 (Super Two status)
Jesús Luzardo
PHI
183.2
10.58
Arbitration 2 (meets original ≥2 years)
Freddy Peralta
MIL
176.2
10.39
Signed extension through 2025 (Club option 2026-27)
Paul Skenes
PIT
187.2
10.36
Arbitration 1 (meets original ≥2 years)
Joe Ryan
MIN
171
10.21
Arbitration 1 (meets original ≥2 years)
Sonny Gray
STL
180.2
10.01
Free Agent after 2026 (signed 3-year deal before 2025)
Hunter Brown
HOU
185.1
10
Arbitration 1 (meets original ≥2 years)
Logan Webb
SFG
207
9.74
Free Agent after 2026 (signed extension)
Yoshinobu Yamamoto
LAD
173.2
9.64
Under long-term MLB contract
Jacob deGrom
TEX
172.2
9.64
Under long-term MLB contract
Nick Pivetta
SDP
181.2
9.41
Free Agent after 2025
Carlos Rodón
NYY
195.1
9.35
Under long-term MLB contract
Gavin Williams
CLE
167.2
9.29
Arbitration 1 (meets original ≥2 years)
Robbie Ray
SFG
182.1
9.18
Under long-term MLB contract
Here's a table of possible targets I made with Gemini using 100 innings pitched in 2025 and greater than 9 strikeouts per nine. Of these, I'm probably rolling the dice on Sonny Gray in a trade because he's likely got very little surplus value and is probably the lowest trade cost option.
Pitcher
Team(s) in 2024
Innings Pitched (IP)
Strikeouts per 9 (K/9)
2025 Contract/Arbitration Status
Years of Control Remaining (End of 2025)
Chris Sale
ATL
177.2
11.4
Signed through 2026 (Club option for 2027)
2+
Sonny Gray
STL
166.1
10.98
Signed through 2026
2
Jack Flaherty
LAD/TOT
162
10.78
Signed through 2026 (with DET, traded/signed FA)
1
Cole Ragans
KCR
186.1
10.77
Pre-Arbitration (Arb 1 in 2026)
3+
Tarik Skubal
DET
192
10.69
Arbitration 2 (Super Two status)
2
Dylan Cease
SDP
189.1
10.65
Arbitration 3
1
Yusei Kikuchi
LAA/TOT
175.2
10.55
Signed through 2026
1
Michael King
SDP
173.2
10.42
Arbitration 1
3
Freddy Peralta
MIL
173.2
10.36
Signed through 2025 (Club options 2026-2027)
1+
Zack Wheeler
PHI
200
10.08
Signed through 2027
2
Carlos Rodón
NYY
175
10.03
Signed through 2028
3
MacKenzie Gore
WSH
166.1
9.79
Pre-Arbitration (Arb 1 in 2026)
3+
Tanner Bibee
CLE
173.2
9.68
Pre-Arbitration (Arb 1 in 2026)
3+
Bailey Ober
MIN
178.2
9.64
Pre-Arbitration (Arb 1 in 2026)
3+
Pablo López
MIN
185.1
9.6
Signed through 2027
2
Logan Gilbert
SEA
208.2
9.5
Arbitration 1
3
Hunter Brown
HOU
170
9.5
Pre-Arbitration (Arb 1 in 2026)
3+
Brandon Pfaadt
ARI
181.2
9.2
Pre-Arbitration (Arb 1 in 2026)
3+
Sean Manaea
NYM
181.2
9.1
Signed through 2027
2
Charlie Morton
ATL
165.1
9.1
Free Agent after 2024
0 (Signed for 2025)
Shota Imanaga
CHC
173.1
9
Signed through 2028 (Club options for 2029-30)
3+
This table is for 2024, otherwise same criteria. I don't know who you chase off this list, maybe Ober and Lopez in a big swing trade? Ober pitched poorly in 2025 and Lopez has the dreaded "misc. elbow soreness" that appears to precede TJ at some point. Otherwise, most of these guys are already on contenders, have age or health related conditions, or are free agents.
What these lists also show is that Hunter Brown might be the best, cheapest pitcher in MLB, and Crane should be offering him something that offers him security and pushing his FA years out a bit.
Another name that might work as an innings eater but capable of starting a playoff game is Brady Singer, but he's probably not cheap.
I love your optimism but I'd never hire you for a GM. You need to rely on mean outcomes (or just be realistic) for team building. "If healthy" is doing A LOT of work with post.
Just picking on trade candidate Jake, but he's had one season with full health in 2024 and had 1.7 WAR. He's going to turn 30 in June, i.e., we're not talking about projecting a big age-related performance jump (hell, we're probably closer to the decline phase given how reliant he is on his athleticism).
You've acknowledged either here or on clutchfans that we need to replace 200-300 innnings between Framber and just not having reliable starters. I'm out on Nooks fascination with Sandy Alcantara, Rasmussen and Mitch Keller aren't playoff starters on a good team, and probably like you I'd love to not surrender a draft pick trying to bring in someone who can give a Cease like performance.
Anyway, tacking back to that because I think starting pitching is really where I'd devote the off-season attention.
I’m a little more inclined to go all in for 2026 and let Pena walk if needed. We’re not getting the Tucker haul for him.
I could be convinced to trade him in a soft reboot only if we, errr., strikeout on adding a couple of pitchers of the calibre that they can start a playoff game.
I haven't watched Boots, but the USMC subreddit described that one as surprisingly un-gay*, considering it's about closeted homosexual Marines.
*sorry, I forgot this is 2025, I mean heteronormative.
All of the scout snipers I served with were pretty awesome Marines and would deserve the attention, gay or otherwise.
I enjoyed it, too, but that's largely because I'm still in the post-Georgia self-flagellation stage.
I'm not sure that an attack from a Phd and self-described "bastard child of deconstruction and queer theory" and an "ultra-leftist" isn't tantamount to relying on the same, overly intellectual minority interest groups that are pulling at candidates to take non-mainstream positions that alienate voters. Harris is a cypher and failed to connect to voters when she offered platitudes in response to criticism and the piece is better when it highlights that relative emptiness.