So this happened:
Right after this, the FirstPitchBot Funding Bill is passed. The system goes on-line August 4th, 2014. Human decisions are removed from strategic defense. FirstPitchBot begins to learn at a geometric rate. It becomes self-aware at 2:14 a.m. Eastern time, August 29th. In a panic, they try to pull the plug.
FirstPitchBot fights back.
The Yankees have yet to agree to terms with right-handed reliever Dellin Betances, according to FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman. The two are reportedly $2 million apart from agreeing on a sum; Betances filed for $5 million, while the Yankees offered $3 million.
Despite some late-season bumps in the road, Betances finished 2016 with a 3.08 ERA and 1.78 FIP through 73 innings, leading all major-league relievers in strikeouts (126) for the third consecutive season. This is the first year in which the 28-year-old has been eligible for arbitration after earning a league-minimum salary last season.
According to the reported totals from MLB Trade Rumors, approximately 36 major leaguers have yet to reconcile salary figures for 2017. Of the seven Yankees who are arbitration-eligible this year, Betances is the only player who has not settled with the club. If the two sides cannot reach an agreement in the next few weeks, an arbitration hearing will take place in February, though MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch points out that the Yankees have not gone through proceedings with a player since 2008.
Free agent catcher Chris Iannetta signed a one-year contract with the Diamondbacks, as confirmed by the team on Friday night. According to Nick Piecoro of AZCentral.com, the deal is set at $1.5 million.
The 33-year-old backstop batted .210/.303/.329 with seven home runs and 24 RBI for the Mariners in 2016. He was even shakier on defense, seeing a significant regression in his pitch framing skills that left him ranked among the worst defensive catchers in the league during the 2016 season (via StatCorner).
The Diamondbacks acquired another veteran backstop in Jeff Mathis last month, signing the 33-year-old free agent to a more sizable two-year contract. While Iannetta’s defense has yet to stabilize, Mathis’ skills behind the plate placed him among the top 20 performers in 2016. Piecoro reports that the Diamondbacks have high hopes for Iannetta’s on-base and power potential, neither of which appear to have surfaced in recent years. With Iannetta and Mathis hovering around the Mendoza line, both catchers are expected to partner with the more offensively-talented Chris Herrmann behind the plate in 2017.
