Morning Mound Visit: sabermetrics news - 2/12/20

FanGraphs | Jay Jaffe: Yasiel Puig, as of February 12th, still does not have home. It makes some sense; his defense has dropped off, and he could really just be a platoon hitter this year. Yet there are teams like the Reds, Cleveland, and the Cardinals who could use a little pop in a corner outfield spot, and all the excitement he brings to the game.

Baseball Prospectus | Rob Arthur ($): With the Red Sox trading Mookie Betts, the thinking is that they will use their flexibility down the line to spend that money, but evidence shows that while teams rebound in spending after cutting it, it is still overall less than the crowd, and they do not compensate for past years.

The Ringer | Michael Baumann: The Padres were a major contender for Betts themselves, and they probably should have gone for it. They haven’t won more than 90 games in two decades, and the Dodgers are on pace for yet another easy divisional win. The team has stars like Tatís and Paddack, but that likely isn’t enough on its own to overcome the weight of the NL West competition.