#Carlos Santana

Yesterday, I looked into how the predictions at FanGraphs, both crowdsourced and those produced by me, matched the contracts awarded to free agents this offseason. Today, I'd like to dive into a few cases where I made mistakes in individual player predictions, as well as a few I think I did well on. In each case, I'll try to come up with some…

After an All-Star break festooned with nostalgia, home runs, and bullpen dominance, the MLB schedule restarts Thursday, with some 70 games remaining for each team. So before the second half begins, let's dive into the top 10 story lines to monitor between now and October-because there's a whole lot of baseball left, and just as much drama on the…

2022 Blue Jays Retrospective: Things go south, Charlie Montoyo takes the fall, and more Over the next few days, we'll be taking a look back at the year that was for the Toronto Blue Jays. Toronto hit the "dog days" of summer in June. Emotionally derailing series' against the Yankees, Brewers, and White Sox triggered a multitude of question marks…

The Seattle Mariners and Cleveland Guardians are set to collide for Game 2 of a four-game series, which will be the second Apple TV game on Friday. Entering action on Thursday, both of these clubs occupy playoff positions in the American League, and there's a lot to like about the prospects of this matchup. Pitching has the potential to be the…

To much fanfare, MLB teams tossed aside their actuarial tables to spend huge sums on free-agent players who will age far out of their prime. Carlos Correa, pending his $315 million for 12 years with the Mets, will become the 16th free agent this winter to sign a contract that pays through at least age 36. Teams spent $896 million on 41 player…

With MLB free agency winding down, the league is beginning to take shape. Some teams have drastically improved their chances of competing in 2023 based on swift offseason moves. The New York Mets just pulled off a stunner to land Carlos Correa after the shortstop had previously agreed to a deal with the San Francisco Giants. Other teams such as the…

Regardless of your outlook for 2021, there's one undeniable fact, one that is not criticism but the honest truth - the Kansas City Royals have been an awful baseball team over the last three years. The Royals lost 100 games in both 2018 and 2019, and in a pandemic-shortened season still only managed a 70-win pace in 2020. They have been poor at…

Let's take a look at three members of the Kansas City Royals organization this season: Player A: .105/.217/.105, 13.0 BB%, 21.7 K%, 4 wRC+ Player B: .159/.312/.254, 18.2 BB%, 10.4 K%, 76 wRC+ Player C: .260/.387/.531, 16.0 BB%, 10.9 K%, 144 wRC+ Player A is Ryan O'Hearn, Player B is Carlos Santana and Player C is Vinnie Pasquantino. O'Hearn clearly…

After finishing the 2021 campaign with a 74-88 record, the Kansas City Royals didn't make a ton of changes over the course of the offseason. With that said, there are many reasons to expect a better team to be fielded in 2022. Not only is Zack Greinke headlining a starting rotation filled with hungry youth looking to make their long-term presences…

The Seattle Mariners will try to win their 14th game in a row and complete a series sweep of the Texas Rangers on Sunday afternoon at Globe Life Field. It's time to continue our MLB odds coverage with a Mariners-Rangers prediction and pick. The Mariners defeated the Rangers 3-2 in extra innings to win their 13th consecutive game. Things started…

The Milwaukee Brewers appear to be a team in transition. They entered the 2022 season with the hopes of parlaying dominant pitching with just enough production from a veteran lineup into a deep October run. Milwaukee largely held serve through the first half and weathered an extended injury absence from Freddy Peralta and a one-month IL-stint…

It's amazing how quickly vibes can change during a baseball season, both for the better and worse. Last Saturday felt like the bottom was about to fall out of the Mariners season. Julio Rodríguez got hit on the wrist, and the immediate fear was a broken bone that would keep the rookie phenom out for months. On top of that, Seattle appeared poised…

Major League Baseball's Winter Meetings are occurring for the first time since 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic and the owner-imposed lockout caused the last two events to be canceled. The return of the winter meetings also means the Rule 5 draft will again take place, canceled last year due to the aforementioned lockout. As such, below you'll find CBS…

For their normal standards the Pittsburgh Pirates have been busy this offseason. Thus far, they have traded away Kevin Newman while trading for Ji-Man Choi. They have also signed veteran first baseman Carlos Santana. While general manager Ben Cherington has done a good job addressing first base/designated hitter for the Pittsburgh Pirates, there is…

The 2021 season will be the last one that the Indians play under the name that they've carried since 1915. It might also end their eight-year streak of winning seasons under manager Terry Francona and their run as a serious postseason contender in the American League. Over the last five years, the Indians have made the postseason four times,…

MINNEAPOLIS -- Ballparks hold memories not just for the home team but the opposition as well. When Carlos Santana played for the Indians, he loved to hit at Target Field. He's hit 17 of his 260 career homers there, all but one coming in a Cleveland uniform, to make it his second favorite visinting home-run ballpark. In Terry Francona's first year…

There are just 24 days until Opening Day, but as spring training opens up, most teams aren't even sure who will be in their organization by then. A 99-day transaction freeze has caused teams to compress what would usually take most of an off-season into a few weeks. The Royals may have a bit more stability than other teams, hoping to improve the…

The Los Angeles Angels will visit the Seattle Mariners in the first game of their series in the American League West from T Mobile Park on Friday night. The weather is expected to be mildly humid with a 0% chance of rain and 9.4 miles per hour winds. The Los Angeles Angels are coming off of a 1 run loss against the Oakland Athletics in their last…

The Kansas City Royals are yet again one of the worst teams in Major League Baseball. This was supposed to be a step in the right direction up the rebuilding staircase, instead, the team lays lifeless on the bottom floor. Kansas City received praise for making "competitive" moves by doing the bare minimum in signing Carlos Santana, Mike Minor,…

After a slow-to-develop off-season, there has finally been some movement in Major League Baseball's free agency, and with the annual winter meetings just around the corner, the pace might be about to pick up even more. This week saw veteran slugger José Abreu join the Houston Astros on a three-year deal worth $60 million (all figures US).…

The 2022 season has not gone according to plan for the Kansas City Royals. The Royals signaled its plans to compete by signing starting pitcher Zack Greinke in the offseason and debuting the team's top prospect, shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. , on Opening Day. As recently as a couple of weeks ago, the Royals' general manager, J.J. Picollo *, stated that…

Earlier this fall, 10-year veteran starting pitcher Kyle Gibson got his first taste of Championship Series and World Series postseason baseball as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies. While Gibson did not pitch in the Wild Card Series and NLDS against the St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves, respectively, the right-hander did see NLCS and…

There is no getting around the fact that, one month into the 2022 baseball season, the Royals have been nearly unwatchable. Before Friday's action, only two teams had worse records than the Royals - the Tigers at half a game back with an extra game played and the Reds with a remarkable three total wins. The Royals' pitching has been inconsistent…

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Bright sunshine met the Guardians on the first day of June on Wednesday afternoon at Progressive Field. After a stormy May, which included six postponements because of bad weather, it was a welcomed sight even if the grounds crew had the tarp unrolled awaiting a cloudburst that didn't come until the final out of the game. Konnor…

The 2022 MLB trade deadline is going to be here before anyone knows it, as the August 2 cutoff doesn't leave clubs with much more time to finalize whatever trade packages they've been working on over the past several weeks. For the Kansas City Royals, they project to have as much activity at this year's deadline as just about any team in…

General manager Ben Cherington and the Pittsburgh Pirates have been busy addressing the first position this offseason. After trading for Ji-Man Choi and claiming Lewin Diaz off waivers, Friday night the team signed veteran Carlos Santana to a one-year deal. Currently, the Pittsburgh Pirates 40-man roster is full. Due to this they will need to make…

I think there was probably a split second (or more) of fear in Royals fans hearts on Monday when it was announced the owners and players couldn't come to a deal on an international draft. Why the fear? It meant that the qualifying offer was back on the table for pending free agents. With that, combined with the Royals playing better baseball, I…

The Seattle Mariners head to the nation's capital for a matchup with the Washington Nationals! It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Mariners-Nationals prediction and pick. The Mariners are hot right now! The M's have won their last eight games in a row after beating the Oakland Athletics in a series followed by a sweep of the San Diego…

Game 7 of the 2016 World Series between the Cubs and Indians beckons. What's going to happen in this decisive final contest? No one knows! As for best guesses, though, they're in abundance. Already we've heard from Strat-O-Matic and SportsLine regarding the likely outcome of Game 7, and now it's time for some odds. Bovada.lv ( @BovadaLV on Twitter)…

After a 6-3 road trip, the Royals come home to take on the third-place team in the AL Central, the Cleveland Indians. With the unbalanced schedule, all division games are pretty important, but this (and the next one against the White Sox) feels extra important. The Indians lost a lot in the offseason with some of their trades and aren't as strong…

Carlos Santana and the Kansas City Royals hit the field on Saturday at Kauffman Stadium against Jared Koenig, who is starting for the Oakland Athletics. First pitch is at 4:10 PM ET for the second game of a three-game series. The Royals pitching staff ranks 26th in MLB with a collective 7.4 strikeouts per nine innings. The Athletics strike out 7.7…

Online sports betting site William Hill lists Tribe with+550 odds to win AL Central Division in the upcoming 2021 MLB season. CLEVELAND - Opening Day is a little over a week away for the Cleveland Indians and with a different-looking roster heading into the 2021 season, apparently comes different expectations -- at least according to offshore…

As the Kansas City Royals are slated to begin their Opening Day festivities later on Thursday, the team is poised for an exciting season. For better or worse, a youth movement is expected to sweep through the big-league club and shape how the year unfolds. Don't tell that to those projecting the team's record, though: Everyone is familiar with the…

Flags fly forever. The Kansas City Royals haven't had a winning season since winning it all in 2015. In fact, their only three winning seasons since 2003 were grouped in a row: 86-76 in 2013, 89-73 in 2014 and lost in the World Series, 95-67 in 2015 and won the World Series. Kansas City hasn't finished higher than fourth in any of the last four…

The Cardinals are in the market for a catcher. Hopefully they'll be smart about this and view the opening as an opportunity to upgrade their offense. Defense must be a consideration, which doesn't really need to be stated. But in this case the defensive requirement has been overstated, with too much attention being paid to the standard established…

We've got Thursday night American Athletic Conference action to entertain us in college football Week 11 as 3-6 Tulsa travel to Tennessee to take on the Memphis Tigers. Get prepared for Power Six action with the latest odds, DFS and fantasy picks, and a Tulsa vs. Memphis prediction. Spread Memphis (-6.5) Moneyline Memphis (-245); Tulsa…

Dusty Baker finally got his long-awaited ring as the Houston Astros secured their second World Series title in six years, suffering just two postseason losses at the end of an outstanding regular season. Well done, Houston. Now, can you become the first back-to-back champion in more than two decades? An awful lot will change before Major League…

Baseball is back, and one of the first games on Thursday's jammed-pack Opening Day slate features Cleveland and Detroit at 1:10 pm ET. Cleveland was a playoff team for the fourth time in five seasons in 2020, while the Tigers had the third fewest wins in the Majors. Odds as of March 31st. Not surprisingly, Cleveland is a heavy -205 favorite over…

HOUSTON, Texas - Thanks to claiming the top seed in the American League playoffs, the Houston Astros are well-rested heading into Game 1 of the AL Division Series on Tuesday afternoon against the Seattle Mariners. They've had five days off at are good to go. But what we've learned from the wild-card round is that home-field advantage hasn't meant…

The Royals may not be legitimate contenders in 2021, not in a division with the White Sox and Twins, but don't tell GM Dayton Moore and manager Mike Matheny. Kansas City enters the season expecting to challenge for the AL Central crown. Pitching is the division's main currency. It's also the strength of the Royals' farm system, but the big names in…

TORONTO - It is the privilege and bane of MLB closers that, when the most meaningful moments and fate-changing postseason events occur, they're the ones with the ball in their hand. They begin the chain of events that are remembered forever. They wear the glory or the heartbreak. And so, as the final four Seattle Mariners crossed home Saturday,…

Game 2 of the ALDS between the Seattle Mariners and Houston Astros starts early on Thursday evening! It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Mariners-Astros prediction and pick. Game 1 of this series was as intense as a playoff game can get. The Astros stormed back and took down the Mariners 8-7 after a walk-off 3-run home run from Yordan…

The feel-good story that is the Seattle Mariners will add another chapter when they hit the road to square off with the mighty Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park Tuesday afternoon. The opener of the American League Divisional Series bill will start at 3:37 PM. This should be one of the most exciting MLB matchups of the day. The hosts have been the…

Join our channel to stay up to date on the latest in marketing We have a ALDS Game 1 this afternoon when the Seattle Mariners meet the Houston Astros. Seattle will send righty Logan Gilbert to the mound, and Houston has tabbed right-hander Justin Verlander as their probable starter for this 3:57 pm ET contest. We have three plays you can use…

The MLB playoffs continue with the American League Division Series on Tuesday, October 11, and here you can read the best Mariners vs. Astros betting pick and odds. Seattle and Houston will play the first of a best-of-five ALDS series at Minute Maid Park, and the Astros are -205 moneyline favorites on Bovada Sportsbook, while the total is set at…

The feel-good story that is the Seattle Mariners will add another chapter when they hit the road to square off with the mighty Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park Tuesday afternoon. The opener of the American League Divisional Series bill will start at 3:37 p.m. The hosts have been the ones to have better success in the clubs' season set, winning a…

Adam Frazier hit a tiebreaking RBI double in the ninth inning, and the visiting Seattle Mariners erased a seven-run deficit and topped the Toronto Blue Jays 10-9 on Saturday for a sweep of their American League wild-card series. It was the biggest road comeback win in playoff history and baseball's largest comeback victory to clinch a postseason…

After winning Game 1, the Kansas City Royals host the Seattle Mariners in the second of their three-game series on Saturday (September 24) where the Mariners will look to bounce back in style. Game 1 saw a slight upset as the Mariners succumbed to a defeat against a struggling Kansas team. It had to be Brady Singer versus the Seattle offense and it…

After two decades of futility, frustration, and plenty of hope deferred, the Seattle Mariners have broken their long standing playoff drought. They've come close before, as recently as last year, but this season was different. After their July hot streak and an equally good August, making the postseason seemed like an inevitability, even if there…

The Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners play their Wild Card Series this weekend, starting with Game 1 on Friday. Oddsmakers at Caesars Sportsbook have a series price of Blue Jays -160/Mariners+140. That means a $100 bet on Seattle to win the best-of-three series would pay $140, while a winning $160 bet on Toronto would result in a $100…