Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in
Arizona Diamondbacks fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.Since I was out of range this week – I will be leaving a one-star review on Yellowstone’s TripAdvisor page, due to the lack of wifi – there was no specifically D-backs related question this week. So let’s just discuss the national poll, sent out to those on the list
(and if you aren’t on it, the link above has you covered). There were three questions. The first was in regard to which executive was on the hottest seat. You probably won’t be surprised to discover that the Mets’ David Stearns was the clear winner there, at 62%. However, the Giants’ Buster Posey (20%) while the Red Sox – and former D-back – Craig Breslow (18%) also got significant support.
These are all examples of teams with large payrolls, in excess of $210 million cash value per Spotrac, putting them comfortably in the top half of MLB spending this year. But they are also all struggling: the Red Sox, at 38-48, have the best record. We’re still not even at the All-Star break, and they only have a fifteen percent chance of making the playoffs, according to Fangraphs – and that feels generous to me. The Mets and Giants might as well pack it up and go home. New York and Boston have already fired their managers, and one wonders how long San Francisco will stick with Tony Vitello, the first man to go straight from a college job to MLB management.
Related: another question was “Who won the Rafael Devers trade?” and a resounding victory there was “No one” at 69%. However, the Red Sox did beat the Giants in the remainder, by a 22-9 percent margin. That seems fair. Boston did get to dump a massive contract for a player who was increasingly toxic there. However, the players they got back have either fizzled, or been traded on. For example, Kyle Harrison was yesterday’s starter for the Brewes against the D-backs, and despite his struggles there, is 8-1 with an excellent 2.82 ERA. Meanwhile, Devers has been worth just 3.2 bWAR over a year and a half. He’s on the SF books for seven more seasons and $225 million. Yep. Happy not to be them.
However, I want to focus on, and ask you here about, the result above. Almost half of respondents think it’s time to revamp the MLB draft, which will be coming up in a couple of weeks. Unfortunately, I do not have any data on exactly how things should be changed. Are we talking about timings? Draft order? An international draft? [Something which was part of the owner’s proposals during the current CBA negotiations] So, basically: what are your thoughts? If you had unfettered power to re-arrange and re-organize the draft to your liking, what would you do? That would be what the comments section is for…
