No one West of the Mississippi will be watching the World Series so let's talk off season baseball! Well since the season is over for anyone not in Philly or NY, it's offseason time!

Dodgers have retained Colletti and Ng, so that takes care of the management, of course our CEO was fired... But that's another story.

Brad Mills -new Astros mgr.
Manny Acta -new Indians mgr.

no one east of the mississippi will be watching either (with the exception of the Philly/NY corridor). Baseball's done for the year...on to the offseason and other sports.

No one West of the Mississippi will be watching the World Series so let's talk off season baseball! Well since the season is over for anyone not in Philly or NY, it's offseason time!

Ha...couldn't decide on which hook to use, so you went with both? :)

no one east of the mississippi will be watching either (with the exception of the Philly/NY corridor).

I just don't get this though. Would people really not watch just because it's isolated to a 100-mile stretch of the country? This is a great matchup and I don't see how any other option would be more entertaining.

Ha...couldn't decide on which hook to use, so you went with both? :)


Hah, yeah and by the time I noticed I needed to fix it I just said screw it.

Ha...couldn't decide on which hook to use, so you went with both? :)



I just don't get this though. Would people really not watch just because it's isolated to a 100-mile stretch of the country? This is a great matchup and I don't see how any other option would be more entertaining.

I just don't find much interest in either team. Not really any players I like on either of them as well, just nothing compels me to watch.

I just don't get this though. Would people really not watch just because it's isolated to a 100-mile stretch of the country? This is a great matchup and I don't see how any other option would be more entertaining.

Not just that, but its the defending champions vs. the Yankees. Ratings bonanza here. I mean this isn't Dodgers vs. Angels or anything...

Fair enough, but I think you're selling the Phillies short. As a Met fan, I might not like them collectively but on an individual level a lot of those guys are just awesome to watch.

You'd really rather see Andre Ethier and James Loney than Chase Utley and Ryan Howard?

The Giants will do something stupid, and I will be aggravated.

The Giants will do something stupid, and I will be aggravated.

Bonds says he can still play. :D

Back on topic...no idea what the Mets will do. Supposedly they're ready to spend again. Having everyone come in healthy and having David Wright locate his power would be good first steps.

No idea what the Jays will do, but probably nothing good.

Fair enough, but I think you're selling the Phillies short. As a Met fan, I might not like them collectively but on an individual level a lot of those guys are just awesome to watch.

You'd really rather see Andre Ethier and James Loney than Chase Utley and Ryan Howard?

I'd rather see Matt Kemp and Either then Utley and Howard, even though I can respect Utley and Howard because I do like them, but they aren't on my list of favorite players to watch.

Ha...couldn't decide on which hook to use, so you went with both? :)



I just don't get this though. Would people really not watch just because it's isolated to a 100-mile stretch of the country? This is a great matchup and I don't see how any other option would be more entertaining.

It's mainly just sour grapes by Boston and LA fans. I totally understand though, if the Phillies lost in the NLCS, I probably wouldn't have much interest in the series just because I was too stubborn and hurt to watch.

Very similar situation to when the Eagles lost to the Cards in the NFC championship game. I had 0 interest in the Super Bowl, but if the Eagles didn't make the playoffs at all, I'd probably would have had a lot more interest in the game.

Anyway, I'd really like to see the Dodgers do nothing, since I thought we had the team to win it all this year. But I would like to see some SP depth, I don't think Padilla is then answer.

I'd rather see Matt Kemp and Either then Utley and Howard, even though I can respect Utley and Howard because I do like them, but they aren't on my list of favorite players to watch.

+1

Anyway, I'd really like to see the Dodgers do nothing, since I thought we had the team to win it all this year. But I would like to see some SP depth, I don't think Padilla is then answer.

As a Phillies fan, I can say with certainty that Padilla is not the answer. He's fooled us many times with 5-10 game stretches like he did for you guys, but then he'll go in the tank, act surly, generally be a horrible teammate.

I'd personally let him go - he'll goat someone into giving him 7-8M a year.

Braves are reportedly discussing a 3 yr deal w/ Hudson, with a hometown discount on the price.

As a Phillies fan, I can say with certainty that Padilla is not the answer. He's fooled us many times with 5-10 game stretches like he did for you guys, but then he'll go in the tank, act surly, generally be a horrible teammate.

I'd personally let him go - he'll goat someone into giving him 7-8M a year.

Yes, yes. Wasn't too long ago that Padilla, Randy Wolf, and Brett Myers were our future Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz.

Funny looking back at that.

Braves are reportedly discussing a 3 yr deal w/ Hudson, with a hometown discount on the price.

That would be a good deal for you guys. A consumate professional who always puts up around a sub 4 ERA and is a good teammate.

The Giants will do something stupid, and I will be aggravated.

This is an off-season prediction? I call it an every day prediction with the Brian "pornstache" Bochy.

No idea what the Jays will do, but probably nothing good.

They already did something good when they fired the GM.

What's the word on Lackey? I'm fairly certain I remember hearing he would be asking for Burnett type money, possibly more. I think I heard it on a sports radio talk show, and the fact that the season isn't even over yet, I'm sure it's far too early to tell. But, like Logan said, rumor has it the Mets are willing to spend, and I would assume they would look his way. For whatever reason I just never got on the whole "Lackey is an ace" bus, but the guy has posted some pretty solid numbers the past few seasons, should be interesting. Not sure if this belongs in this thread, but Wilpon apparently made a profit of 48M, contrary to reports he lost a shit ton of money. I also heard he is being sued over this, so I wonder if this whole Madoff scandal will be a factor in the Mets spending plan.

I don't get the sentiment in the OP. I'd watch the World Series even if two dull West coast teams were playing. It's the World Series.

Braves are reportedly discussing a 3 yr deal w/ Hudson, with a hometown discount on the price.

It better be a hefty discount. Get someone that can hit homeruns ffs.

What's the word on Lackey? I'm fairly certain I remember hearing he would be asking for Burnett type money, possibly more. I think I heard it on a sports radio talk show, and the fact that the season isn't even over yet, I'm sure it's far too early to tell. But, like Logan said, rumor has it the Mets are willing to spend, and I would assume they would look his way. For whatever reason I just never got on the whole "Lackey is an ace" bus, but the guy has posted some pretty solid numbers the past few seasons, should be interesting. Not sure if this belongs in this thread, but Wilpon apparently made a profit of 48M, contrary to reports he lost a shit ton of money. I also heard he is being sued over this, so I wonder if this whole Madoff scandal will be a factor in the Mets spending plan.

Lackey is a solid #2, and he has admitted as much. With that being said, I would be surprised if he goes anywhere besides back to the Angels. He is a west coast guy and has no interest in moving east.

CR, can you validate this? I am just going on what I have heard from various sources.

Not exactly true. The court documents said that the Mets Partnership (or whatever it's legally called) made a $48 million profit at some point. That money could have been redeemed years ago for all we know. It's believed that the Wilpons had a lot of their family money invested with Madoff. It would be very curious if they were able to pull out their sole investment right before he went bust, and he would deserve to be sued. I think the current lawsuit is pretty standard.

This is an off-season prediction? I call it an every day prediction with the Brian "pornstache" Bochy.

This is a regular season prediction that has migrated to the offseason thread.

I'm probably as excited for this world series as any I can't remember that the Sox weren't in. I'm a fan of baseball, I always watch the World Series.

The offseason is officially upon us!

Angels resigned Abreu for 2 years.

Rays pick up the $4M option (Might have to check my facts on that figure) on 2B Iwamura and send him to Pittsburgh for reliever Jesse Chavez.

I like the deal simply for the fact that it gets rid of some payroll and they also don't have to buy him out. It allows them to have a three-man platoon of Ben Zobrist, Matt Joyce, and Sean Rodriguez at 2B/RF.

I don't know much about Chavez other than the fact that he throws pretty hard (averages 94 MPH, tops at 96-97 I believe), but the Rays definitely need some bullpen help.

Red sox get Jeremy Hermida from the Marlins for two minor league pitchers, Hunter Jones and Jose Alverez.

link (http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/11/red-sox-acquire-jeremy-hermida.html)

Chavez is okay. He throws hard. But doesn't strike out enough guys. I think he is reasonably effective vs lefties. You could do a lot worse than having him as your 5th or 6th best BP guy.

Iwramura is now our highest paid player.

Attention GM's: Milton Bradley is on the market! Take him! Please!

Willy Tavares is looking to bounce back in a big way. The right GM might be getting a .300 hitter, with a .380 OPB who will steal 100 bases while playing GG centerfield. You pay his salary, you can have him!

So who wants JJ Hardy and what kind of pitching could he net? (value is obviously down)

You want CoCo Cordero back?

Hermida is a good pick up. At worst, he is a solid corner OF reserve with a good bat. At his age, he could still turn into an above average starter. I would have liked to see the Pirates add his bat.

Attention GM's: Milton Bradley is on the market! Take him! Please!

Bradley for Rowand, straight up.

You want CoCo Cordero back?

Nope, we re-signed Trevor Hoffman already.... Need starters. A couple names I've heard are Glen Perkins from Minnesota and Brandon Morrow from Seattle. Perkins doesn't excite me all that much, but then again I can't see too many teams getting excited over Hardy after the year he had.

I'd take Morrow in a heartbeat for Hardy whch tells me that perhaps the Mariners would want more.

Looks like another firesale in Marlin-land. Thanks for the new stadium!

two dull West coast teams

No such thing

Looks like another firesale in Marlin-land. Thanks for the new stadium! I wouldn't call trading Hermida a fire sale. Now if it was Hanley Ramirez and/or Josh Johnson.....

Nope, we re-signed Trevor Hoffman already.... Need starters. A couple names I've heard are Glen Perkins from Minnesota and Brandon Morrow from Seattle. Perkins doesn't excite me all that much, but then again I can't see too many teams getting excited over Hardy after the year he had.

I'd take Morrow in a heartbeat for Hardy whch tells me that perhaps the Mariners would want more.

I'd give you Arroyo for Hardy.

Seems like the Tigers are showing a lot more interest in international FA's then ever before, but that doesn't mean it'll translate to signing them.

Otherwise I am not sure what they'll end up doing.

I'd give you Arroyo for Hardy.

I wouldn't complain about that deal.

Lackey is a solid #2, and he has admitted as much. With that being said, I would be surprised if he goes anywhere besides back to the Angels. He is a west coast guy and has no interest in moving east.

CR, can you validate this? I am just going on what I have heard from various sources.

Oops, sorry, Romagoth, I was avoiding this thread until the World Series was over.

I describe Lackey as a high #2. He can be considered a #1, as he has been here in Anaheim, but I have never felt he really had the pitch to pitch dominance to be a true #1 a la a Sabathia, Greinke, Lincecum, etc. Also, he gets too emotional, and not in the "channel your anger into dominance" sorta way, but more the "blind rage I can't throw a bleeping strike to Jeter" sorta way.

I have never actually heard how Lackey describes himself, although he is generally self-effacing to the media (when he isn't riled up) and wouldn't say he's a #1, no matter what he actually thought. He's a "just one of the guys" sorta guy.

He has stated he is looking for a Burnett style contract, and I actually don't expect a hometown discount. He'll go to the highest bidder, is my guess.

He is actually not a coast guy (either coast), period. He's all Texas. Always made a big deal about idolizing Nolan Ryan. If anyone gets a discount, it will be the Rangers, but they'll still have to be in the ballpark of the other offers. If all offers are close and there is no Ranger offer of note, I think Lackey will go back to the Angels. But my guess is that the Angels will set a ceiling, and it will be a good few million short of what Boston or the Mets might be inclined to give him.

My prediction is, in April, Lackey will be an overpaid starter for one of the bigger money clubs (Top 5-7), but most fans of those clubs won't mind, because he won't be #1 and he will produce.

Angels resigned Abreu for 2 years.

Hmm...not too often I get big Angels news from this board first. In fact, usually I am breaking it.

Fantastic. I was hoping we would bring him back and not let him hit free agency. About the length of the deal I thought was good, too. I still have to see what he signed for, but my guess is between $9-10 M per.

Rays pick up the $4M option (Might have to check my facts on that figure) on 2B Iwamura and send him to Pittsburgh for reliever Jesse Chavez.

I like the deal simply for the fact that it gets rid of some payroll and they also don't have to buy him out. It allows them to have a three-man platoon of Ben Zobrist, Matt Joyce, and Sean Rodriguez at 2B/RF.

I don't know much about Chavez other than the fact that he throws pretty hard (averages 94 MPH, tops at 96-97 I believe), but the Rays definitely need some bullpen help.

Hey Jets, you have any idea why the Rays didn't call Rodriguez up in September? I was pretty surprised he wasn't with the big squad for the final month. Not that he would play everyday (the Rays were still in contention, after all), but he's ready for the bigs and I would think they would want to know just what they got in him.

I am looking forward to seeing how he does.

Hopefully Matt Capps gets traded. I wouldn't mind seeing Ankiel get signed to play right field either. I would assume we trade a catcher as well.

The 2010 pirates will invariably suck. But hopefully will get closer to .500.

No return of Jack Wilson either plz k thx.

Hopefully Matt Capps gets traded. I wouldn't mind seeing Ankiel get signed to play right field either. I would assume we trade a catcher as well.

The 2010 pirates will invariably suck. But hopefully will get closer to .500.

No return of Jack Wilson either plz k thx.

With how often Wilson came up in rumors related to the Tigers I would be shocked if they didn't make him an offer.

HAHA didn't see this one coming...

Lincecum cited for marijuana possession - MLB - Yahoo! Sports (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-giants-lincecum-pot&prov=ap&type=lgns)


Lincecum cited for marijuana possession

1 hour, 2 minutes ago
SEATTLE (AP)—San Francisco Giants star pitcher Tim Lincecum(notes) is facing misdemeanor marijuana charges following a traffic stop in his home state.

Washington State Patrol spokesman Steve Schatzel said Thursday that the 2008 Cy Young Award winner and former star at the University of Washington was pulled over for speeding on Interstate 5 about four miles north of the Oregon border on Oct. 30.

An officer approached Lincecum’s 2006 Mercedes and smelled marijuana. Schatzel says Lincecum immediately complied with a request to hand over the drug and a marijuana pipe.

The amount measured was 3.3 grams. Schatzel says police consider that a small amount for personal use.

Lincecum was fined a total of $622 for driving at 74 mph in a 60-mph zone, and for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Bradley for Rowand, straight up.

One of the few trades where the OTHER team would have to eat money.

I'll be amazed if the Cubs can dump Bradley without eating a decent chunk of cash.

So who wants JJ Hardy and what kind of pitching could he net? (value is obviously down)
We'll give you Carlos Silva for him.

In all seriousness, I would expect the M's to sniff around Hardy and see if they can work a deal there. His trade value is low right now after a down season, but he's still under club control for 2 more years and still provides value via his glovework. He's close to Jake Wilson as a defender and has more upside as a hitter while being a lot less expensive.

Dave Cameron seems to think Hardy could net Brandon Morrow. We'll see - as an M's fan I would selfishly hope that Morrow holds more value than that, but Cameron is smarter about these things than I am.

Hardy | U.S.S. Mariner (http://ussmariner.com/index.php?s=hardy)

Dola - the M's claimed Yusmeiro Petit from the D-Backs. He's still likely a AAAA type player, but it's nice to have cheap starting pitcher options. Petit is a good example of the concept of freely available replacement level talent.

One of the few trades where the OTHER team would have to eat money.

I'll be amazed if the Cubs can dump Bradley without eating a decent chunk of cash.

This "rumor" has been getting a lot of play on the Giants' message boards and such lately. People are absolutely in love with Bradley's OBP - which isn't surprising, since Pablo Sandoval led the Giants in walks last season. :eek:

We'll give you Carlos Silva for him.

In all seriousness, I would expect the M's to sniff around Hardy and see if they can work a deal there. His trade value is low right now after a down season, but he's still under club control for 2 more years and still provides value via his glovework. He's close to Jake Wilson as a defender and has more upside as a hitter while being a lot less expensive.

Dave Cameron seems to think Hardy could net Brandon Morrow. We'll see - as an M's fan I would selfishly hope that Morrow holds more value than that, but Cameron is smarter about these things than I am.

Hardy | U.S.S. Mariner (http://ussmariner.com/index.php?s=hardy)

Obviously, I'd much prefer Morrow for Hardy straight up, but if Jack Z does want more he does have the advantage of knowing the Brewers' system quite well.

Not sure if they'd match up on a larger deal or not, but of any speculation by writers I've seen so far, Hardy to the Mariners for Morrow is definitely my favorite. No idea how the details would match up as each player has his lumps.

Oops, sorry, Romagoth, I was avoiding this thread until the World Series was over.

I describe Lackey as a high #2. He can be considered a #1, as he has been here in Anaheim, but I have never felt he really had the pitch to pitch dominance to be a true #1 a la a Sabathia, Greinke, Lincecum, etc. Also, he gets too emotional, and not in the "channel your anger into dominance" sorta way, but more the "blind rage I can't throw a bleeping strike to Jeter" sorta way.

I have never actually heard how Lackey describes himself, although he is generally self-effacing to the media (when he isn't riled up) and wouldn't say he's a #1, no matter what he actually thought. He's a "just one of the guys" sorta guy.

He has stated he is looking for a Burnett style contract, and I actually don't expect a hometown discount. He'll go to the highest bidder, is my guess.

He is actually not a coast guy (either coast), period. He's all Texas. Always made a big deal about idolizing Nolan Ryan. If anyone gets a discount, it will be the Rangers, but they'll still have to be in the ballpark of the other offers. If all offers are close and there is no Ranger offer of note, I think Lackey will go back to the Angels. But my guess is that the Angels will set a ceiling, and it will be a good few million short of what Boston or the Mets might be inclined to give him.

My prediction is, in April, Lackey will be an overpaid starter for one of the bigger money clubs (Top 5-7), but most fans of those clubs won't mind, because he won't be #1 and he will produce.

I thought I heard that he hates New York and wants nothing to do with the east coast. Either way, there are far worse options out there than Lackey.

Apparently Hardy just got dealt to Minnesota for Carlos Gomez. Shit, I thought he was meant to be a Mariner in a Morrow deal; I didn't realize his value was that low.

This "rumor" has been getting a lot of play on the Giants' message boards and such lately. People are absolutely in love with Bradley's OBP - which isn't surprising, since Pablo Sandoval led the Giants in walks last season. :eek:

Dude, Rowand is a gritty hustling telegenic white guy who's a "GAMER"; if we could make that deal, I'd be dancing on the walls. I don't want to see the pooping AB ever again (Kalifornia knows what I mean; McCovey meme) while he flails away at a slider in the dirt, and I think Nate could play a reasonable CF.

Royals are saying that Teahan trade rumor to White Sox is not anywhere close to a done deal.........

Reports of Teahen trade appear to be premature - KansasCity.com (http://www.kansascity.com/sports/story/1552259.html)

That's funny. MLBTradeRumors just tweeted that the deal is official.

I thought I heard that he hates New York and wants nothing to do with the east coast. Either way, there are far worse options out there than Lackey.

Interesting. While that may be the case, I have never heard him talk about that. I have heard him (or heard it intimated about him) that he's looking to get paid this offseason. And, really, if that's true, can't really rule out the East Coast. Or if there's any truth to that, he's not going about it smartly.

No surprising but Ruben Amaro told Brett Myers that he will not be resigned.

Apparently Hardy just got dealt to Minnesota for Carlos Gomez. Shit, I thought he was meant to be a Mariner in a Morrow deal; I didn't realize his value was that low.

Wow. Gomez has over 1000 ABs with only a .638 OPS and no year at or over .300 OBP. That's like trading Willy Tavarez for Hardy.

Yeah. But Gomez plus other scrubs=Santana!

Any other Yankee fans on here that are wondering what we will be doing with our pitching rotation next year?

#1 ~ Sabathia
#2 ~ Burnett
#3 ~ ?
#4 ~ ?
#5 ~ Gaudin?

For the love of all that his holy please oh please do not put Joba in the starting rotation again. We have already ridden that train and it derailed almost immediately.

Maybe Petite comes back for another season, but I am not sure if he has enough left in the tank for it or not. Either way, we need 2-3 starters for this pitching staff, and I don't know where they will come from...

Jocketty say s the Reds had interest in Hardy, but wouldn't trade in the division. Given that both of them need improvement to compete with the Cards, I really don't understand the fascination with that chestnut.

edit: Should be Milwaukee wouldn't trade in the division.

Jocketty say s the Reds had interest in Hardy, but wouldn't trade in the division. Given that both of them need improvement to compete with the Cards, I really don't understand the fascination with that chestnut.

I've never understood that mindset either. If you have faith in your organization and really feel you're making your team better, what the hell is the problem?

Either way, we need 2-3 starters for this pitching staff, and I don't know where they will come from...

I've got a guess.

Woohoo, someone was willing to take Carlos Gomez!

For the love of all that his holy please oh please do not put Joba in the starting rotation again. We have already ridden that train and it derailed almost immediately.


Was that before or after he posted a 3.50 era through his first 100 innings, or afterwards when they fucked around with his pitch count and he had a 8 ERA from August onward?

He'll be fine.

Tim Hudson is expected to sign a three-year deal at around $9m per season.

I'm not thrilled with the return for JJ Hardy, but I guess I have to be realistic. How much can you possibly get for a guy that was demoted to AAA this year?

I'll just cross my fingers that Gomez can learn how to hit a little bit and the money saved by trading Hardy and not re-signing Mike Cameron can yield some halfway decent pitching.

In a most surprising move of this young off-season, the Phillies picked up Cliff Lee's option. Shocker.

No surprising but Ruben Amaro told Brett Myers that he will not be resigned.

Bill Giles told my Sports Law class that there were no plans to re-sign Myers this past March (before the hip injury). I'd been sitting on the news til then. :)

I've got a guess.

AAA?

Dude, Rowand is a gritty hustling telegenic white guy who's a "GAMER"; if we could make that deal, I'd be dancing on the walls. I don't want to see the pooping AB ever again (Kalifornia knows what I mean; McCovey meme) while he flails away at a slider in the dirt, and I think Nate could play a reasonable CF.

I've been following McCovey Chronicles since it was Waiting for Boof. I've tried registering there three times and my PC craps out each time, and now all my normal handles are off limits because apparently the registration worked, but it really didn't. I gave up trying and I just read. It's one of my favorite websites on the entire internet.

Edit: I would also be absolutely overjoyed to make that trade. Then again, I'd be overjoyed to just simply not have Rowand on the roster any more.

Teahan deal to White Sox was completed...........

Royals trade Teahen for pair of infielders | royals.com: News (http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091106&content_id=7631498&vkey=news_kc&fext=.jsp&c_id=kc)

Teahan deal to White Sox was completed...........

Royals trade Teahen for pair of infielders | royals.com: News (http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091106&content_id=7631498&vkey=news_kc&fext=.jsp&c_id=kc)

Well, neither team got any better. The Royals got two guys that will fight to make the 25 man roster and the White Sox got a guy that should be a bench player on team with serious playoff hopes and that they'll have to pay up to $5 million for next season.

is there anything good about Teahan? seems like the sox got fucked in this deal. Getz seems to be Teahan's = and then you get a guy who can hit 20 hr a year in Fields. lame

is there anything good about Teahan? seems like the sox got fucked in this deal. Getz seems to be Teahan's = and then you get a guy who can hit 20 hr a year in Fields. lame


Well, Feilds can hit the least productive 20 homers in baseball. Getz seems to have some value defensively, but can't hit at all. Teahen doesn't seem to do anything other than strike out especially well.

Bad trade for both teams.

Can someone who is good with stats tell me if Jeter, again, was the correct choice to get the Gold Glove at SS? Was he really the best fielding SS in the AL? Or does this award continue to be a joke?

Hey, if he deserves it, fine. Just don't have the statistical expertise to tell myself.

Can someone who is good with stats tell me if Jeter, again, was the correct choice to get the Gold Glove at SS? Was he really the best fielding SS in the AL? Or does this award continue to be a joke?

Hey, if he deserves it, fine. Just don't have the statistical expertise to tell myself.

Do you really need stats to tell you Jeter has no business winning a gold glove? ;)

Do you really need stats to tell you Jeter has no business winning a gold glove? ;)

Heh...no, not normally really, but I wanted to be careful and see if I missed something where he might had a strong year defensively for him in what might have been a weak year for SSs overall in the league. ;)

That said, off of the top of my head, I have to think Andrus in Texas and Aybar in LA were better, and that's just in the AL West.

Dola

It should have gone to Elvis Andrus. He was probably the best defensive SS in baseball this year.

Dola

It should have gone to Elvis Andrus. He was probably the best defensive SS in baseball this year.

Ha! Ruined your dola.

On visual basis, I agree. Andrus was fantastic. I don't have the stats in front of me to back it up, just from what I saw the limited times I saw him.

Can someone who is good with stats tell me if Jeter, again, was the correct choice to get the Gold Glove at SS? Was he really the best fielding SS in the AL? Or does this award continue to be a joke?

Hey, if he deserves it, fine. Just don't have the statistical expertise to tell myself.

UZR puts AL SS in the following order among qualifiers:

1. Cesar Izturis (BAL)
2. Elvis Andrus (TEX)
3. Adam Everett (DET)
4. Erick Aybar (LAA)
5. Derek Jeter (NYY)

UZR has Andrus easily #1 and Aybar #2 in the AL. It gave Jeter the first positive score of his career, and since none of the other metrics I've seen really changed I'd consider it an outlier.

UZR puts AL SS in the following order among qualifiers:

1. Cesar Izturis (BAL)
2. Elvis Andrus (TEX)
3. Adam Everett (DET)
4. Erick Aybar (LAA)
5. Derek Jeter (NYY)

Weird. I didn't get all the qualifiers in my first search. Ignore my previous post. This is correct.

There's no good reason to put much stock into the Gold Glove awards. For a good example of why, read this blog post by Seattle Times baseball writer Larry Stone:

Larry Stone on Gold Glove voting (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/thehotstoneleague/2010236823_gold_gloves_baby_girls_and_oth.html)

For another, any fielding award that doesn't honor Franklin Gutierrez after his phenomenal year in CF this year is one that is flawed.

Do they actually go RF/CF/LF with the awards? Doesn't look like it anyways.

Hoping Mccutchen gets love tomorrow but I'm sure he will have to wait a year. Also Tony Plush better win.

Do they actually go RF/CF/LF with the awards? Doesn't look like it anyways.
Nope. Often there are multiple CF selected. They don't differentiate though - it's just OF.

Ha! Ruined your dola.

On visual basis, I agree. Andrus was fantastic. I don't have the stats in front of me to back it up, just from what I saw the limited times I saw him.Just wait until Jose Iglesias (the 19yo $6m bonus Cuban the Soc signed) and his quick release make the majors. :p (Yes, yes, I know, stop hyping the prospects after seeing 4 plays on youtube. But it's the offseason, and you have to admit those are some quick hands.)

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I wonder who is going to sign Chapman. Obviously it's going to be a big market team.

Neglected to mention that the Phillies declined the 5.5 million option for 3B Pedro Feliz. It appears that there are several quality third basemen on the market, and Philadelphia thinks it can get a player with a better bat without sacrificing too much on defense.

I hope that the Phillies can get Adrian Beltre (albeit at a reasonable price). Seems like he's young enough and has solid right handed power for a corner infielder. A lot in the media seem to like Mark DeRosa for the Phils, but I'm not sold management is really into him. Had they wanted DeRosa in previous years, I think they could have gotten him with some effort.

Still, it's a risky move, probably riskier than going from Burrell to Ibanez last off-season.

How does Jeter still win Gold Gloves? The guy is sad defensively, he has zero range.

That whole award is a total joke IMHO. It's completely based on reputation and non-fielding factors

oh. i see people already railed against that yesterday. haha

Awesome Twins commercial for the new stadium!

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How does Jeter still win Gold Gloves? The guy is sad defensively, he has zero range.

That whole award is a total joke IMHO. It's completely based on reputation and non-fielding factors

oh. i see people already railed against that yesterday. hahaYeah, complaining about Jeter winning is so 2003. :p Now all the cool kids are decrying Franklin Gutierrez's (and presumably Nyjer Morgan's) snub.

Could the Red Sox be opening the wallet as well this off-season?

Could the Red Sox be opening the wallet as well this off-season?There's speculation because Theo mentioned Wake's contract extension "freeing up 1.5m for luxury tax purposes", and that kicks in at 170m while our payroll is at 120m or so, but I don't really see any way we get near there. I'm sure they'll push hard to get one of Bay/Holliday for ~15-17m/y, and maybe go after Lackey/Figgins, but I think they do really like Buchholz as a 3/4 and Lowrie at SS for next year and will push harder to make a trade for a true superstar (Felix and Adrian Gonzalez are the two pipe dreams, Halladay and Justin Morneau two others mentioned) than overpaying a mediocre free-agent class to counter what the Yankees did last year with Tex/CC/Burnett.

There's also Chapman, and speculation he could get 20-25m, but I'm not sure if he really counts in the same class as major league free agents.

There's rumors that the Tigers are in a situation where they need to make some major cuts to payroll and Granderson along with just about everyone outside of Verlander, Cabrera, and Porcello are on the block.

DetTox, you heard anything?

There's rumors that the Tigers are in a situation where they need to make some major cuts to payroll and Granderson along with just about everyone outside of Verlander, Cabrera, and Porcello are on the block.

DetTox, you heard anything?

It doesn't sound like it's a mandate, but the rumor is Dombrowski will trade Granderson if the right deal presents itself. I'd shudder to think what would happen to Dombrowski if he made that deal because Grandy might be the most beloved Detroit sports figure since Yzerman retired: he's just a great person.

Now personally, if a team like the Giants came to Dombrowski and offered a package that was highlighted by Madison Bumgarner, I think you have to do it.

Likely though, I give it a 10% chance of happening. If it did though, I think it'll be the Yankees to take him because they could also take on a guy like Nate Robertson and his terrible contract, and still give up a decent package in return.

We'll see what happens though. I certainly would not put it past Dombrowski because he's done a lot of big wheeling and dealing, but Grandy as a 3 or 5 hitter is a 30 HR/100 RBI type guy with speed and great D who is on an absurdly affordable contract for I believe 3 more years.

So to summarize, unless we either get an elite pitching or middle infield prospect who is about MLB ready, or a ton of salary relief via a team taking on Nate, Willis or Ordonez, I don't see it.

Also, personally, I think Porcello might be our only untouchable player. I doubt we'd deal Miggy or Verlander, but I could certainly see it.

I believe the Cy Young awards for both leagues are announced this week. Hoping that Zack picks up the American League award.

If he doesn't, its a travesty.

Is it Cy Young? I thought it was Manager of the Year and Rookie of the Year this week. But maybe it's all of them and the MVPs alone are next week.

Is it Cy Young? I thought it was Manager of the Year and Rookie of the Year this week. But maybe it's all of them and the MVPs alone are next week.

I know the AL Cy Young is announce tomorrow. Not sure about the NL Cy Young date.

2009 MLB Awards | MLB.com: News (http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/awards/y2009/)

Today, ROY. Tomorrow AL CY. Wed, MOY. Thursday NL CY. MVPs next week.

Interesting:

Andrew Bailey (OAK) wins the AL ROY:

Bailey takes AL rookie award | MLB.com: News (http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091115&content_id=7669396&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb)

Chris Coglan (FLA) wins the NY ROY:

Coghlan is named NL's top rookie | MLB.com: News (http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091115&content_id=7669422&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb)

Not the highest profile names.

Boo.....was hoping Happ would take the NL ROY.

And I wanted McCutchen to win. I would've been fine with Happ winning, too, but Coghlan?

And I'll flip out tomorrow if Greinke doesn't win the Cy Young.

To be fair, Coghlan has the same OPS+ as McCutchen and more games. But Happ or Hanson should have won it.

Should have gone to Happ. Coghlan's defense was terrible killed some of his value as a hitter. I would have gone Happ, Hanson, Wells, McCutchen, Coghlan.

Should have gone to Happ. Coghlan's defense was terrible killed some of his value as a hitter. I would have gone Happ, Hanson, Wells, McCutchen, Coghlan.

It's all perception. After all, terrible defense didn't stop Jeter from getting the Gold Glove. :D

Zack Greinke won the AL Cy Young Award!!!! SWEET!!!!!!!!!!!!! Congrats, Zack!

Very nice! Glad to see the voters made the right choice, even with the relatively low win total!

Any truth to the Adriann Gonzales(1b-SD) to the White Sox rumors that are all over Chicago sports radio today?

I think they got the order right too, which is surprising. Expected more support for CC.

Any truth to the Adriann Gonzales(1b-SD) to the White Sox rumors that are all over Chicago sports radio today?

Only thing I've seen is this from MLBTradeRumors saying there's nothing to it.

http://twitter.com/mlbtraderumors/status/5797895977

Happy for Greinke. He dominated baseball this year despite playing for a bad team and an anemic offense. He had six no-decisions in which he allowed two earned runs or fewer.

And I wanted McCutchen to win. I would've been fine with Happ winning, too, but Coghlan?

Garrett Jones only got like 2 votes. I know it was half a season but he OPS'd like .920ish and hit 20 homers.

Garrett Jones only got like 2 votes. I know it was half a season but he OPS'd like .920ish and hit 20 homers.

You have to forgive some voters who think the Pirates are an AAA team.

Heyman tweets that Lincecum won.

Jon Heyman rant anyone?

Jon Heyman rant anyone?

Fucking fuck Jon Heyman and his fuckin twitter fucking account. It's for jackoffs and/or 12 year old facebook fuckers.

Too bad Wainwright had such a good year. I think he cost Chris Carpenter the Cy Young he should have won. Congrats to Lincecum, though!

BBWAA.com: Official site of the Baseball Writers Assn. of America. (http://bbwaa.com/)

Wainwright actually got the most first place votes.

BBWAA.com: Official site of the Baseball Writers Assn. of America. (http://bbwaa.com/)

Wainwright actually got the most first place votes.


Of course, he had 19 wins. He was 2 wins better than the next best pitcher in the NL.

It is so sad that even having 2 more wins than the next most pitcher is still that powerful in Cy Young voting.

Tim Lincecum was head and shoulders above other pitchers; glad people got it correct, though its depressing how many old farts look at wins and nothing else.

Head and shoulders? I'm not sure you can necessarily say it that extreme vis a vis Chris Carpenter.

As much as I think Lincecum was the best pitcher this year (and I may be biased, but I think this is true), it's not "head and shoulders" better. Perhaps "clearly" better, but even that is pushing it.

By WAR, Lincecum was significantly ahead of Wainwright and Carpenter. I think it was pretty clear that Lincecum was the most dominating pitcher in the NL and the most effective - his edge in K's, IP and xFIP more than make up for the edge Carpenter had in ERA. Wainwright's only edge on Lincecum was IP, and only by 7 2/3.

Good on the BBWA for getting over their past bias towards W's.

Free agency has begun, do something good Braves.

I thought this (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&page=rumblings091119&campaign=rss&source=MLBHeadlines) was an interesting article on MLB revenue sharing.

Joe Mauer wins the AL MVP, and the BBWAA is impressing me this year by being a bit smarter than usual:

Mauer catches AL MVP Award | MLB.com: News (http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091115&content_id=7669440&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb)

I'm rather amazed Jeter didn't pull in a couple first place votes.

So does anybody here want to burn Keith Law and Will Carroll at the stake for leaving Chris Carpenter of their Cy Young ballots? Or was that what that angry white man rant thread was about?

This is a great article a few days ago in the NYT about sabermetrics and Brian Bannister:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/22/sports/baseball/22awards.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

So does anybody here want to burn Keith Law and Will Carroll at the stake for leaving Chris Carpenter of their Cy Young ballots? Or was that what that angry white man rant thread was about?
No. It was a totally valid decision.

No. It was a totally valid decision.

Agreed. Just trying to fan some flames. Obviously, nobody wants to take the bait :)

The only award the BBWAA got wrong this year was the NL rookie of the year. I can live with that, although Adam Wainwright getting the most 1st place Cy Young Votes and Miguel Cabrera getting a 1st place vote bugs me.

No. It was a totally valid decision.

I'm not entirely sure putting Wainwright at 3rd and Carpenter at 4th is "totally valid".

I'm not entirely sure putting Wainwright at 3rd and Carpenter at 4th is "totally valid".
Sure it is. By WAR, Wainwright was ahead of Carpenter 5.7 to 5.6; by xFIP, Wainwright was ahead 3.45 to 3.46, and with 37 1/3 more IP than Carpenter.

It really depends on what measures you most value in your Cy Young voting. I have no problem with someone putting Wainwright just ahead of Carpenter, as I think there are valid arguments both ways. The most important thing is this - Lincecum won, and he deserved to do so.

Sure it is. By WAR, Wainwright was ahead of Carpenter 5.7 to 5.6; by xFIP, Wainwright was ahead 3.45 to 3.46



Do you really think the old farts that vote for the award look at those sort of stats?

Seriously, Wainwright was ahead by miniscule margins in both measures. 0.1 in WAR and 0.01 in xFIP. They are basically equal in those measurements. Therefore you should look deeper and thus, looking at WPA and ERA+, Carpenter easily outclasses Wainwright. If you are going to use those season long stats as reasons why Wainwright should be above Carpenter, then there is NO REASON not to have Haren above both.

Do you really think the old farts that vote for the award look at those sort of stats?

Well, I'm pretty sure Law and Carroll do.

Well, I'm pretty sure Law and Carroll do.

Fair enough, but outside a handful of writers, scouting personnel, and geeks like us no one else does.

My old man has been a baseball fan for 75 years, I guarantee you he has no clue what any stats beyond ERA, wins, K's and a few other basics mean.

I would venture to say most writers are in the same category as my dad.

Sure, but I think the conversation is whether Law was justified in putting Wainwright ahead of Carpenter.

Not gonna lie, I have no freakin clue what the hell those stats are. Guess it's a good thing I'm not really a "stats" kind of guy.

Seriously, Wainwright was ahead by miniscule margins in both measures. 0.1 in WAR and 0.01 in xFIP. They are basically equal in those measurements. Therefore you should look deeper and thus, looking at WPA and ERA+, Carpenter easily outclasses Wainwright. If you are going to use those season long stats as reasons why Wainwright should be above Carpenter, then there is NO REASON not to have Haren above both.
Regarding WAR, if you value that stat, you value the fact that it attempts to quantify the impact of the player over an entire season. It's an all-encompassing stat. I'm not going to get into a debate over how accurate it is, or whether it's a better stat to use than WPA - that's a personal value judgment.

When you look at xFIP, you have to keep in mind that it's only part of the equation, as it doesn't factor in IP. I simply pointed out that not only did Wainwright best Carpenter slightly in that stat, he did so while also pitching quite a few more innings.

Those two things combined, to me, present a valid reason to rank Wainwright ahead of Carpenter, even if the margin is tiny.

As far as Haren goes, I would agree that he should've gotten more love from the voters, especially ones like Law who shouldn't care so much about win totals.

But I will stand by my contention that it's perfectly valid to place Wainwright ahead of Carpenter. I don't think it's a slam-dunk either way, so I'm not going to quibble with one being ranked ahead of the other. As I stated, I think the right guy won the award, and that's the more important thing.

The only award the BBWAA got wrong this year was the NL rookie of the year. I can live with that, although Adam Wainwright getting the most 1st place Cy Young Votes and Miguel Cabrera getting a 1st place vote bugs me.We can always cherry-pick and complain about the random lower votes for MVP :)

3 voters thought Cano was 7th? Victor Martinez? Ian Kinsler?? Jason Kubel 7th??? Todd Helton 2nd in the NL? Carpenter and Wainwright with more votes than Lincecum? Yunel Escober 5th? Miguel Tejada, Jeremy Affeldt, Brad Hawpe???

It looks like the Braves have a new closer.



The Braves did not take long to find a new closer.

The team reached preliminary agreement Tuesday with free-agent left-hander Billy Wagner on a one-year, $7 million contract with a vesting option for a second season, according to a major-league source.

The deal will become official once Wagner passes a physical, which he will take in Atlanta on Wednesday. The vesting option, worth $6.5 million, will become guaranteed if Wagner finishes 50 games next season.

foxsports.com link (http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/10460524/Source:-Braves,-closer-Wagner-agree-to-deal)

Wagner is a type-A free agent so the Red Sox will get Atlanta's first round pick but Atlanta will be losing type-A relievers Soriano and Gonzalez and will be getting picks back in return. After coming back from injury Wagner only pitched 15.2 innings last year but his stats were impressive in those innings and he should be at least a slight upgrade from Soriano/Gonzalez.

cool - i'll take the type-a pick for wagner, k thnx?

Yeah, the 20th overall pick and a sandwich pick for Chris Carter and a couple million bucks? That's one hell of a deal.

Yeah the Mets came out the worst in the whole thing. They should have just kept Wagner.

Yeah the Mets came out the worst in the whole thing. They should have just kept Wagner.

If only any of us thought of this when the deal was announced!

I love that the Braves signed Wagner to be the closer. It can only mean great things for the Phillies.

Does Wagner really have much left after his injury? Sure, he had a pretty ERA but it was in 15 IP. How were his velocity and movement?

Wagner is a type-A free agent so the Red Sox will get Atlanta's first round pick but Atlanta will be losing type-A relievers Soriano and Gonzalez and will be getting picks back in return. After coming back from injury Wagner only pitched 15.2 innings last year but his stats were impressive in those innings and he should be at least a slight upgrade from Soriano/Gonzalez.

Yeah, for them, it looks like "lose a 1st rounder, gain a 1st rounder" but they could have had both. Or how about the scenario with the Blue Jays last year where they only got a 3rd for Burnett because the Yankees went shopping for so much stuff in the high rent district? Was that worth it? Heck, if a bottom 15 team grabs him, don't they only get a 2nd rounder?

SI

Heck, if a bottom 15 team grabs him, don't they only get a 2nd rounder?

Yes, but still would get the sandwich pick.

refresh my memory-

Sandwich picks have to be signed, or you don't get another pick. That's correct?

What about if you get a pick from someone else for them signing your type A? Does that one also have to be used or lost?

If only any of us thought of this when the deal was announced!Given how retarded Elias' ranking system is (Mike Gonzalez more valuable than John Lackey? Thanks!) that's why the PTBNL should have been dependent on his performance or eventual Type A/B/none status.

That would of course assume the Mets/Minaya would have offered arbitration, and indications were they weren't due to the financial downside if he accepted. If you assume that, the Mets did well enough getting something in return, and the Red Sox continue to use their financial muscle and willingness to spend to pick up potentially valuable pieces (see also Jeremy Hermida).Does Wagner really have much left after his injury? Sure, he had a pretty ERA but it was in 15 IP. How were his velocity and movement?His velocity and movement appeared to be all the way back. No idea if he'll hold up over a whole season, but he was blowing the ball past hitters, not getting lucky out there in his minimal time with Boston.Not gonna lie, I have no freakin clue what the hell those stats are. Guess it's a good thing I'm not really a "stats" kind of guy.No commentary, I just love that people on a text sim message board in 2009 still post in a stats discussion to point out their ignorance.refresh my memory-

Sandwich picks have to be signed, or you don't get another pick. That's correct?

What about if you get a pick from someone else for them signing your type A? Does that one also have to be used or lost?When you get a Type A from another team it is treated as a regular pick and you will receive the one after next year it if you fail to sign the player. It's only when you're on that second year pick (pick 20a instead of 20) that you have to sign the player.

I don't think sandwich picks are any different, but I'll try to get confirmation.

Polanco signed with the Phillies today @ $6mil/year.

Philadelphia Phillies, Placido Polanco agree to 3-year, $18 million deal - ESPN (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4709838)

Polanco signed with the Phillies today @ $6mil/year.

Philadelphia Phillies, Placido Polanco agree to 3-year, $18 million deal - ESPN (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4709838)

Good get for the Phils. He'll benefit from going back to the NL and being able to play in a variety of positions (I am assuming 3B there?)

He was very good down the stretch but seemed to lose a bit of what he had.

In Amaro We Trust

I think its 1 year more than they should have given him - IMO, the Phillies with Beltre would go in as favorites to make the WS next year. Still, he will be better offensively than Pedro Feliz (but not by much), but may be a downgrade defensively.

Good get for the Phils. He'll benefit from going back to the NL and being able to play in a variety of positions (I am assuming 3B there?)

He was very good down the stretch but seemed to lose a bit of what he had.

Yes, he'll play third base. I get the feeling the Phillies went this route because:

(1). He's cheaper than what DeRosa and Beltre will go for.
(2). Phillies keep their first round pick.
(3). He's a righty who doesn't strike out that much.

I don't think he's that much of an upgrade over Feliz, but he should break up our heavy lefty lineup a little bit and get on base without changing J-Roll's free-swinging ways.

dola

Also, it gives us payroll flexibility to add a big ticket guy via trade (i.e. Halladay) if we still want to go down that route.

Yes, he'll play third base. I get the feeling the Phillies went this route because:

(1). He's cheaper than what DeRosa and Beltre will go for.
(2). Phillies keep their first round pick.
(3). He's a righty who doesn't strike out that much.

I don't think he's that much of an upgrade over Feliz, but he should break up our heavy lefty lineup a little bit and get on base without changing J-Roll's free-swinging ways.

He can also play 2nd if something were to happen to Chase, and could give Chase a rest when needed.

Plus he takes pitches. :)

Yes, he'll play third base. I get the feeling the Phillies went this route because:

(1). He's cheaper than what DeRosa and Beltre will go for.
(2). Phillies keep their first round pick.
(3). He's a righty who doesn't strike out that much.

I don't think he's that much of an upgrade over Feliz, but he should break up our heavy lefty lineup a little bit and get on base without changing J-Roll's free-swinging ways.

He's the prototype #2 hitter. His patience was not very good at times this year, but usually he makes pitchers work, mainly because he fouls so many pitches off. Very tough to K. Has some pop, especially in your guys park, he should be good for 10-12 HR with 50-60 RBI.

His D isn't going to be awful. The range is an issue but he is reliable and has a strong arm. Not the ideal 3B but there are worse for sure.

Not sure how proving Lathum's point of "outside of a handful of writers, scouting personnel and geeks like us, no one else does (know what these stats are)" is considered ignorant, but hey, maybe in 2010 it will be less so.

Nice signing by the Phils with Polanco. As much as I hate to admit it, they really are becoming a model franchise. They remind me of the Yanks of the mid to late 90's, building the team from within (Rollins, Utley, Howard, Hamels) and adding hardworking, team oriented impact type guys.

I get the feeling it's a move I'll like more as time passes (much like the Ibanez signing).

Yes, he'll play third base. I get the feeling the Phillies went this route because:

(1). He's cheaper than what DeRosa and Beltre will go for.
(2). Phillies keep their first round pick.
(3). He's a righty who doesn't strike out that much.

I don't think he's that much of an upgrade over Feliz, but he should break up our heavy lefty lineup a little bit and get on base without changing J-Roll's free-swinging ways.

DeRosa and Beltre are both type B free agents though, so they wouldn't lose a 1st round pick.

Not sure how proving Lathum's point of "outside of a handful of writers, scouting personnel and geeks like us, no one else does (know what these stats are)" is considered ignorant, but hey, maybe in 2010 it will be less so.

You must be new here....;)

New concepts are scary, for sure, but that doesn't mean they're not worth understanding.

I was under the impression the Phils were after Figgins. This must mean they went a different direction. I thought Figgins would have been the perfect leadoff hitter for that lineup.

I was under the impression the Phils were after Figgins. This must mean they went a different direction. I thought Figgins would have been the perfect leadoff hitter for that lineup.

Figgins is supposedly looking for about $12 mil per year. He's coming off of a career year and even if he drops back down to something between what he was last year and what he had been before that, Polanco is a much better deal.

I really don't like the Polanco move for the Phillies.

I'll let you translate that.

Figgins is supposedly looking for about $12 mil per year. He's coming off of a career year and even if he drops back down to something between what he was last year and what he had been before that, Polanco is a much better deal.

Hes a good signing. Now Rollins will still bat leadoff though. Maybe Charlie will smarten up and put Victorino #1 followed by Polanco. Doubtful!

I really don't like the Polanco move for the Phillies.

I'll let you translate that.

Did you morph into a woman?

Ha.

General apathy about how your franchise is being run while seeing the competition make the right moves rips a lot out of you.

Ha.

General apathy about how your franchise is being run while seeing the competition make the right moves rips a lot out of you.

Is there some sort of countdown calendar to when Minaya will resign/be fired? I am not a big fan of Cashman, but I feel bad for Mets fans having the management you have had lately.

Is there some sort of countdown calendar to when Minaya will resign/be fired? I am not a big fan of Cashman, but I feel bad for Mets fans having the management you have had lately.

Sources: Mets GM gets vote of confidence, 4-year extension - MLB - ESPN (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3605338)

2012? With all the talk about the Mets cash issues, I would be surprised if they flushed a lot of cash down the drain by firing him.

Sources: Mets GM gets vote of confidence, 4-year extension - MLB - ESPN (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3605338)

2012? With all the talk about the Mets cash issues, I would be surprised if they flushed a lot of cash down the drain by firing him.

Sounds like the Mets cash issues are behind them. Wilpon lost a fuckload of money, but he's apparently given the ok to go after a big-name free agent this offseason. The Mets are expected to target either Holiday or Lackey.

Great way to screw the franchise more (unless they come cheap, which I doubt). Save the money for next year's FA class.

As surmised after receiving a pick for Wagner, the Red Sox sign Type A Marco Scutaro. 2 years 12.5m, 3rd year option (not sure what type). Not exciting, but not bad. Don't get too excited about that 1st Blue Jay fans - it probably means we're going after another Type A (Holliday swapped with Bay, Lackey, or possibly even one of the relievers.)

Option is $6 team, $3 player, $1.5 buyout.

Ambivalent, moving to pleased if this means they go after more Type-As.

The Minayan's predict the end of the Mets playoff chances until 2012.

Option is $6 team, $3 player, $1.5 buyout.

Ambivalent, moving to pleased if this means they go after more Type-As.

Hmm, methinks you guys are overthinking the Type A stuff. I don't think the Red Sox care that much about that when it comes to the big time free agents. If a Lackey or a Holliday want to come, no draft pick is going to stop the Sox from offering them a deal. Signing Scutaro doesn't really change that.

If anything, Scutaro isn't the precursor to anything; it's the aftermath. Scutaro, being a Type A, is the result of the Wagner signing. Knowing they were receiving an even better pick from the Braves, the Red Sox cared less that they dealt away their top pick with the Scutaro signing (which they probably are going to give up anyway because of an actual major Type A signing).

I do think the Scutaro signing indicates the Red Sox aren't going to go after Gonzalez or Halladay. You could sign a guy who does at least in the ballpark of what Scutaro does but not a Type A, so signing Scutaro shows a lack of concern about farm depth. Which tells me the Red Sox don't think they're going to pull off a Gonzalez or Halladay deal, because that would impact their farm depth. If they thought a deal was remotely likely, they would be more picky with their picks.

Hmm, methinks you guys are overthinking the Type A stuff. I don't think the Red Sox care that much about that when it comes to the big time free agents. If a Lackey or a Holliday want to come, no draft pick is going to stop the Sox from offering them a deal. Signing Scutaro doesn't really change that.

I agree that if a Lackey or a Holliday want to come then draft pick compensation is irrelevant.

If a Scutaro wants to come, however, I do think it is relevant. He doesn't offer so much that his value dwarfs the value lost from the pick. If you tried to monetize the value of such a first round pick (I've seen studies that have put such picks at $5m to $7m) then it is certainly relevant in this case. Not only are the Sox outlaying the $12.5m+ for Scutaro, but they have also lost the value of the pick.

I agree that if a Lackey or a Holliday want to come then draft pick compensation is irrelevant.

If a Scutaro wants to come, however, I do think it is relevant. He doesn't offer so much that his value dwarfs the value lost from the pick. If you tried to monetize the value of such a first round pick (I've seen studies that have put such picks at $5m to $7m) then it is certainly relevant in this case. Not only are the Sox outlaying the $12.5m+ for Scutaro, but they have also lost the value of the pick.

Oh, I certainly get that. I'm just not following the logic of "Sign Scutaro" == "Going after more Type A's".

Unless people mean more Type A's that shouldn't really be Type A's (not top end guys), but why get excited about that?

It doesn't equal going after more Type As, but as a Sox fan it makes signing a non-impact Type A (Scutaro) more tolerable.

Rosenthal tweets:

M's on verge of signing Figgins. Two sides very close. Four years, $36 million range

Rosenthal tweets:

If this is true, bummer to lose such a key clubhouse guy, and Figgy's skills aren't reproduced as often in the league now as bombers like Bay.

That said, I'm happier seeing him go to the M's than one of the big, big clubs. I would have been happiest to see him go to a non-AL West, non-big club, though.

The Angels have been more or less headed down the road to putting Wood at 3B in 2010 for a while now, and Aybar can at least be a passable leadoff hitter, even if he doesn't draw nearly as many walks as he should (but then, Figgy didn't used to either until this past season).

Figgins makes a lot of sense for the M's due to his defensive versatility, being a switch-hitter and adding more on-base skills to the lineup. I'm bummed to see Beltre go, but Figgins is a good replacement option and makes the roster more flexible.

Wow. $9M per year for Figgins? That seems like a lot at first blush, but Z seems like one of the sharpest GMs out there so maybe I'll have to re-examine my thoughts.

SI

Figgins makes a lot of sense for the M's due to his defensive versatility, being a switch-hitter and adding more on-base skills to the lineup. I'm bummed to see Beltre go, but Figgins is a good replacement option and makes the roster more flexible.

You'll really like him on a personal level, dawgfan. He's always been a good guy, a guy you root for. And he has really improved, a plus defender at 3B and 2B, and he could play SS or any OF spot as well and not embarass himself. Plus, the speed, of course, and his growth as a more patient hitter now. He turned himself from a slap hitter with speed to an elite level leadoff guy.

Him and Ichiro would be a fantastic 1-2 punch for the M's.

Twins better get their activity level up a bit or they will force Mauer right out of town. From everything I have heard Mauers biggest concern in staying in Minnesota is whether or not they will be able to put him in a situation to win. Standing by and watching other teams makes moves the offseason before moving into a new stadium isnt exactly confincing.

Wow. $9M per year for Figgins? That seems like a lot at first blush, but Z seems like one of the sharpest GMs out there so maybe I'll have to re-examine my thoughts.

SI

Actually, that's slightly under projections for him. The comparable deal has been Pierre, who got $10-11 M for four years. Furcal also got a similar deal. If you want to go players who aren't Dodgers and go back a few years, you have Damon's deal with the Yanks. It's pushed a little higher, of course, because the Yanks commonly over-spent to get a guy off of the market, plus Damon has more power than those others, but he also had less speed or defensive ability.

$9 M is probably about market value, taking into consideration a slight drop due to the economic downturn.

I think it is a bad deal for the M's. Figgins will be 32 when the season starts and has only played one full season the last three. Four years for an injury prone, 32 year old guy is a lot. I think it may work out the first two years, but I can see them getting really stuck on the back end of this deal.

Sometimes it works to have two different sets of rules for stars and everybody else. This is Sparky's first spring training speech as told in Posnanski's new book on the Big Red Machine.

"He announced that the Machine was made up of two different kinds of players. First, there were the superstars. To be more specific, Sparky said, there were four superstars - Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, and Tony Perez. Those four made their own rules.... Those four were royalty.

"The rest of you," Sparky said, "are turds."

I think it is a bad deal for the M's. Figgins will be 32 when the season starts and has only played one full season the last three. Four years for an injury prone, 32 year old guy is a lot. I think it may work out the first two years, but I can see them getting really stuck on the back end of this deal.
I'm not terribly concerned about that. Even considering the economic downturn, $9M per season for Figgins is likely undervaluing him. Even if he regresses a bit from last year's hitting numbers, he'll still be worth the money.

You'll really like him on a personal level, dawgfan. He's always been a good guy, a guy you root for. And he has really improved, a plus defender at 3B and 2B, and he could play SS or any OF spot as well and not embarass himself. Plus, the speed, of course, and his growth as a more patient hitter now. He turned himself from a slap hitter with speed to an elite level leadoff guy.

Him and Ichiro would be a fantastic 1-2 punch for the M's.
It's always cool to have guys that are easy to root for on a personal level - Edgar Martinez will always be beloved in Seattle for much more than his great hitting - but what really excites me about Figgins is getting another patient bat in the lineup and a good on-base guy for the top of the lineup.

I would suspect that Ichiro remains the leadoff hitter, but either way you go it's nice to have those two at the top of the lineup.

That got me thinking (Ichiro/Figgins). I think I'd rather have Figgins 1st and Ichiro 2nd. Figgins is about 10 points below Ichiro for career OBP but the spread between his BA and OBP is about 70 points where as Ichiro's is only 40 since he doesn't take many walks. So, over the course of the season, I think 10 points of OBP would be wiped out by the extra bases a fast runner like Figgins would take on an extra 30 points in hits.

SI

That got me thinking (Ichiro/Figgins). I think I'd rather have Figgins 1st and Ichiro 2nd. Figgins is about 10 points below Ichiro for career OBP but the spread between his BA and OBP is about 70 points where as Ichiro's is only 40 since he doesn't take many walks. So, over the course of the season, I think 10 points of OBP would be wiped out by the extra bases a fast runner like Figgins would take on an extra 30 points in hits.

SI

Also, although Ichiro is fast, too, and steals bases, he doesn't seem to create the kind of trepidation/fear from batteries that Figgins does, who is more along the lines of a Crawford or an Ellsbury in impression/impact. So Ichiro at the #2 would see a lot more fastballs. And he would be able to do more with them than Figgins. A lot of fastballs to Ichiro == nothing good for teams playing the M's.

So Pat Burrell has been reportedly traded to the Cubs who have in turn traded him to the Mets.

If true...poor Pat, he's gone from the Penthouse to the shithouse in little over a year.

Edit: There are some sources denying it so. Hopefully the denials are true.

Too bad we don't play in Shea anymore.

Too bad we don't play in Shea anymore.

my thought exact.

It'll be interesting to see how Philly fans treat Pat the Bat.

I remember hearing a while ago about a deal involving the Cubs, Mets and Rays that involved Burrell, Bradley and Castillo. Pretty much just exchanging one problem for another.... wonder if there is any truth to it.

I remember hearing a while ago about a deal involving the Cubs, Mets and Rays that involved Burrell, Bradley and Castillo. Pretty much just exchanging one problem for another.... wonder if there is any truth to it.

From what I read it was discussed a little, but nothing serious ever came of it. Every team seems to want the cubs to pay some of Bradley's salary and the Cubs are only offering around $5 million.

1:54pm: Cryptic tweet from Ed Price of AOL FanHouse: "Rumor that Mets acquire Edwin Jackson." Price then updated that the rumor was "heard in the lobby" but not confirmed.

This will be interesting between Dombrowski and Minaya. Is it possible for both GM's to be raped in a trade?

Never a good sign for the acquiring team when an already young pitcher is being shopped for more young pitching, especially when it's coming off a 2nd half slide.

Never a good sign for the acquiring team when an already young pitcher is being shopped for more young pitching, especially when it's coming off a 2nd half slide.

Jackson will be a fine 3 to 4 starter in the NL. Detroit doesn't want to pay him what he'll make in arbitration and he's a Boras guy so I doubt they wanted to even attempt to resign him.

A young pitcher that will then be on his fourth team.

If the Mets get him, I guarantee they pay more than 3/4 starter price.

If the Mets get him, I guarantee they pay more than 3/4 starter price.

Well do you have any young pitchers who touch 100 and need to develop secondary pitches or white middle infielders who are any good?

FWIW Price is backing down hard on that one.

Well, David Wright's been hitting like a 1980s middle infielder recently...

Sounds like it's not gonna be the Mets, but he will be gone pretty soon.

Looks something was brewing with the Yankees, but they backed out.

Granderson's price tag too high for Yankees

<abbr title="2009-12-08T10:20:08-06:00" class="published">December 8, 2009 10:20 AM</abbr> | No Comments (http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2009/12/the-high-cost-of-granderson.html#comments)

By Phil Rogers ([email protected])

INDIANAPOLIS -- No team has been more aggressive in its pursuit of Curtis Granderson than the Yankees. But they backed out of a three-way deal involving Detroit and Arizona when the demands expanded to include four players.

According to Jon Heyman of SI.com, the Tigers asked for center fielder Austin Jackson and three pitchers -- Phil Coke, Ian Kennedy and lefty Mike Dunn, who struck out 99 in 73 1-3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A.

The Cubs, Mariners and Angels also have had recent discussions with the Tigers about Granderson. Talks between the Tigers and the Cubs stalled over Detroit's interest in 19-year-old Starlin Castro.

It's looking like Granderson to the Yankees may be a done deal now. Detroit would get Austin Jackson and Phil Coke from New York and Max Scherzer and Daniel Schlereth from Arizona. Arizona would get Edwin Jackson and Ian Kennedy.

It's looking like Granderson to the Yankees may be a done deal now. Detroit would get Austin Jackson and Phil Coke from New York and Max Scherzer and Daniel Schlereth from Arizona. Arizona would get Edwin Jackson and Ian Kennedy.Well reports are now saying Schlereth may not be in the deal. Would be disappointing for me if he wasn't.

I'm seeing Schlereth still in the deal, per Ed Price a moment ago.

It's looking like Granderson to the Yankees may be a done deal now. Detroit would get Austin Jackson and Phil Coke from New York and Max Scherzer and Daniel Schlereth from Arizona. Arizona would get Edwin Jackson and Ian Kennedy.


If this is the deal then Detroit did really, really well here.

I would like to take the time to thank Arizona for being utterly retarded and getting involved in a deal that made no sense from their perspective.

Without what they gave us, this is an awful deal for Grandy, but now with Mad Max (who I love) and Schlereth I am quite a fan.

Grandy is my favorite Tiger in many, many moons. Wish him the best in the Bronx.

Yep, not a bad haul by the Tigers there.

I hope Arizona at least got a reach around included.

ESPN is saying:

Sources: Trade sending Curtis Granderson to New York Yankees nearing completion - ESPN (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4725108)

Arizona just giving up Scherzer and not Schlereth.

ESPN is saying:

Sources: Trade sending Curtis Granderson to New York Yankees nearing completion - ESPN (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4725108)

Arizona just giving up Scherzer and not Schlereth.

Interesting. Sure hope it's not the case. It'd be a bad time for an ESPN report to actually be true.

Way to go Tigers!

Interesting. Sure hope it's not the case. It'd be a bad time for an ESPN report to actually be true.

Gammons just said Schlereth is in the deal. MLB.com is also saying Schlereth is a part of it.

I like this move from a Yankees standpoint. Now we don't feel compelled to bring back Damon as a position player, and Granderson is in his prime, right when this team is stacked to win.

I hope Austin Jackson turns into a good player for the Tigers.

If Schrlreth is in the deal, MLBTR has it mentioned that the four players are going to be under Tigers control for a combined 22 years. That is a huge, huge aspect to this deal.

Gammons just said Schlereth is in the deal. MLB.com is also saying Schlereth is a part of it.

Figured. I think it was obvious the Tigs wanted to replace the two holes in the pen with any move so a fourth guy had to be in it.

The other interesting thing now is that the Tigers have 4 lefties in their bullpen. Seems like an overkill although Seay and Coke are both guys who can come in vs righties. Only Ni seems like a LOOGY.

Dammit. Good deal for the Yankees. Even if Jackson and Kennedy are solid 3/4 starters with deflated numbers from pitching in the NL west I agree it makes little to no sense from Arizona's perspective.

Great deal for Yankees damn it. They gave up good prospects but nothing they can't replace or anything that negatively alters the team on the field from last season . I hope the Sox get a move on and sign Matt Holiday. I would like them to get Gonzalez from San Diego also. Plus they need a decent starter not necessarily a ace but a #3 would be good. Halladay is too rich for my blood.

Great deal for Yankees damn it. They gave up good prospects but nothing they can't replace or anything that negatively alters the team on the field from last season . I hope the Sox get a move on and sign Matt Holiday. I would like them to get Gonzalez from San Diego also. Plus they need a decent starter not necessarily a ace but a #3 would be good. Halladay is too rich for my blood.

you'd rather holiday than bay?

i guess i haven't dug in and done enough research to know (to my shame), but is holiday an upgrade over bay, or just a bigger "name?". fine...5 minutes of research shows me that they're basically identical players offensively. give me whoever will come cheaper please.

i'd also like to see gonzalez, but i don't think he's moving. price for halladay is also too rich for me...concentrate on what you've got and a reclamation-project or three for short money (Ben Sheets?).

you'd rather holiday than bay?

i guess i haven't dug in and done enough research to know (to my shame), but is holiday an upgrade over bay, or just a bigger "name?"

i'd also like to see gonzalez, but i don't think he's moving. price for halladay is also too rich for me...concentrate on what you've got and a reclamation-project or three for short money.


Holliday is easily an upgrade over Bay.

you'd rather holiday than bay?

i guess i haven't dug in and done enough research to know (to my shame), but is holiday an upgrade over bay, or just a bigger "name?"

i'd also like to see gonzalez, but i don't think he's moving. price for halladay is also too rich for me...concentrate on what you've got and a reclamation-project or three for short money.

Holliday, at worst, is a league average fielder. Bay is at the very least a below average fielder and if you buy into some of the advanced fielding metrics, he's one of the worst fielders in the leauge. I know that from just watching Bay for a season and a half his defense leaves a lot to be desired.

you'd rather holiday than bay?

i guess i haven't dug in and done enough research to know (to my shame), but is holiday an upgrade over bay, or just a bigger "name?"Holliday's a year younger and far better defensively than Bay (i.e. league average or slightly better). Bay has "proven he can hit in Boston" - I personally don't think Holliday would have an issue like Renteria did. We'd also gain a 1st and 1st round supplemental in exchange for a 2nd if sign Holliday instead of Bay. But really the main difference is going to be contract length. If we could get Bay for 3 or Holliday for 5 I would love it, but since this is likely the last big deal for each they both obviously want more years. Bay seems to be garnering more interest at the price they're floating, so it's quite possible we could leverage Holliday down if Bay signs with the Angels/Mariners now that the Yankees are out, but Boras is his agent so it wouldn't be easy or quick.

dola

2009 OPS+

Holliday - 139
Bay - 134

so you could say they're close to a wash offensively. Holliday is a year and a half younger and a far better fielder. My biggest fear is giving Bay 17 million a year for 4 or 5 years and then watching his defense continue to deteriorate to the point that he's basically a 17 million dollar DH in two years.

fair enough

Gammons is leaving ESPN

Gammons, 64, leaving ESPN


<cite class="source"> ESPN.com
</cite>
Peter Gammons is leaving ESPN following the end of baseball's winter meetings this week.

http://a.espncdn.com/i/columnists/gammons_peter_m.jpg
Gammons
Gammons, who joined ESPN in 1989 after a distinguished print journalism career with the Boston Globe and Sports Illustrated, has decided to pursue other endeavors.
"My decision to leave ESPN and move on at this point in my life has been conflicted," said Gammons in a statement. "I owe a great deal of my professional life to ESPN, having spent more than half of my 40 years in journalism working for the network, and the choice to move on was made with nothing but the strongest feelings for the people with whom I worked. ESPN gave me a great deal more than I gave it, and will always be a huge part of who I am."
Gammons, 64, was named the 2004 J.G. Taylor Spink Award winner for outstanding baseball writing during the 2005 Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
"As a print journalist moving to television, Peter was a pioneer who became a Hall of Famer," said Norby Williamson, ESPN's executive vice president, production. "His contributions to ESPN will never be forgotten. We're sad to see Peter go, but understand his desire for new challenges and a less demanding schedule."

I'm actually pretty sad about that. Liked Gammons a lot.

MLBtv?

Gammon has annoyed me. The way he was a PR person for the Red Sox was tiresome and he seemed to have grown quite a hatred for the statistical community in recent years.

Despite that, the guy did a lot for baseball sportswriting (which could also be bad or good I guess).

Gammons will be working for NESN and the MLB Network next season per the Globe's Amalie Benjamin.