Mack’s Apples – Matt Reynolds, 2018 Stats Leaders, 2018 Labor Talks, PEDs, Brady Singer

Good morning.

Federal Baseball on Matt Reynolds –

In 33 games and 144 PAs at Triple-A Las Vegas in the Mets’ system in 2017, Reynolds put up a .320/.396/.484 line with nine doubles and four home runs.

Reynolds will likely compete for a spot on the bench, though with the likes of Wilmer Difo, Howie Kendrick, Brian Goodwin, and Matt Adams expected to claim roles, he’s probably a long shot to make the Opening Day roster.

With the addition of Reynolds, the Nationals now have 40 players on the 40-Man roster, and additional depth in the system.

Washington Post beat writer Chelsea Janes noted on Twitter that Reynolds has an option remaining.

Isportsweb projects the statistical leaders of the 2018 Mets –

        

   Batting Average: Michael Conforto: Projected 2018 Statistics: .283 BA, 20 HRs, 60 RBI

           Home Runs and RBIs: Jay Bruce: Projected 2018 Statistics: .249 BA, 35 HRs, 105 RBI

           Runs Scored: Yoenis Cespedes: Projected 2018 Statistics: .280 BA, 30 HRs, 85 RBI, 80 Runs

           Stolen Bases: Amed Rosario: Projected 2018 Statistics: .260 BA, 8 HRs, 30 RBI, 35 Steals

Collusion, Tanking,  Debt : Yes, Baseball Has A Dark Labor History, But 2018 Doesn't Feel Like -

The Collusion I, II and III grievances of the 1980s and what was called the “information bank,” which the owners used to tamp down salaries, eventually led to the downfall of Commissioner Peter Ueberroth and cost the owners $280 million (over half a billion dollars in today’s money). And with the ruling that players got the raw end of contracts when owners worked together to keep salaries down, the situation allowed — as just one example — Kirk Gibson to get out of his contract with the Detroit Tigers and sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1988. No collusion, no World Series Game 1 arm-pumping heroics by Gibson off Dennis Eckersley. In the 1985-86 offseason, of the 33 free agents available, 29 of them went back to their original clubs, and salaries decreased by 5%.1985 –

Baseball Agency Made Under-The-Table Payments To Players, Helped Provide Them PEDs -

          

ACES Baseball Agency is being sued by a former associate, Juan Carlos Nuñez, who says his former bosses encouraged him to make under-the-table payments to players and their families as well as help clients get steroids for bigger contracts. The lawsuit was filed today in New York State Supreme Court in Kings County.

Players To Watch in  College Baseball  -

         

         RHP Brady Singer, Florida - Singer enters the season projected to be the No. 1 overall pick by the Detroit Tigers in the Major League Baseball draft in June. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound junior made 19 starts, pitched 126 innings and went 9-5 in 2017. He made two starts in the College World Series, winning both and striking out 21 in 14 innings. He set a CWS finals record with 12 strikeouts against LSU in Game 1. Singer and fellow Gator Jackson Kowar, also expected to be a first-round pick, are joined by Tyler Dyson in one of the nation's most formidable weekend rotations.