'08/'09 Hot Stove

http://ballsiest.com/sportsblog/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/cc-sabathia.jpg

Royals obtain 1B Jacobs from Marlins for Leo "Needs a" Nuñez "Pair of Shoes"

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/royals/story/866594.html

Do they even need Mike Jacobs? Weird.

Does anyone need Mike Jacobs?

can he still catch? (i'm guessing no)

HOT STOVE!

CATCH IT

Jacobs is a decent bat.

Not for a 1B.

And no he can't catch apparently.

he was #15 in the NL in slugging... with a <.300 OBP. ouch.

maybe KC isn't planning on him being a fulltime 1b. He could be a chip for the next move.

Again does anyone need Mike Jacobs?

yeah, kc has shealy, teahen, kila, jacobs and billy butler that all can play first base.

apparently, moore doesn't care for billy butler.

Not that this is going to happen, but what if Tampa Bay picked up Manny? Wouldn't that make a ton of sense?

Except for the price tag, it might.

They've got a lot of new fans, and signing a high profile free agent would be a good way of maintaining that.

while at the same time destroying all that was great about them.

Manny makes everything better, though.

long ass FA list

Surprised Smoltz is only type B. Did he miss a lot of time?

Haha okay like 90% of the season. I'll shut up now.

if the cardinals pick up Mark Prior I may eat a bullet.

If they pick up Mark Prior they are going to pay him in bratwurst most likely.

The Chicago Cubs' humiliating postseason collapse was not the result of shaky pitching, nonexistent hitting or an infield as porous as Missouri limestone.

Rather, the club's demise was preordained at a Tennessee tattoo parlor some 600 miles from Wrigley Field. That's where lifelong fan Jimmy Burroughs got the Cubs logo etched onto his right shoulder blade. But that's not all he got. Carved ever-so-lightly within the Cubbie "C" he found the words, "Go Cards."

"I pretty much blame the tattoo for the Cubs losing," said Burroughs, 26, a child therapist from Bloomington, Ind. "It kills me to have a tattoo that says 'Go Cards.'"

In July, the Cubbies were on track to win the National League Central and Burroughs felt confident the team would go all the way. So during a family vacation to Gatlinburg, Tenn., Burroughs stopped at American Rebel Tattoo Studios in nearby Pigeon Forge. There, he and tattoo artist Deke Rivers engaged in some good-humored ribbing about the Cubs' longtime rivalry with the St. Louis Cardinals. Rivers says he is not a Cardinals fan, but wrote "Go Cards" on the tattoo as a joke.

"We laughed about it," Burroughs recalled. "I told him, 'Color it in now.'"

Rivers filled in the "C" with red ink but as the tattoo dried, the message resurfaced. Rivers was shocked.

Rivers refunded Burroughs' $190, but Burroughs decided not to fix his flesh-and-blood endorsement of the Cards.

"This was the weird thing — after I got the tattoo, the Cardinals actually started losing and the Cubs took off," Burroughs said.

"We are very superstitious," said Burroughs' sister, Amanda Burroughs, a Cubs fan living in O'Fallon, Ill. "We're the kind of family where you have to sit in the exact same spot you did last time the Cubs won. So when I heard about the tattoo, I was like, 'Oh my gosh.' But then the Cardinals weren't doing so well, so my family was fine with it. Well, we all know how that turned out."

Yes, we do.

http://i36.tinypic.com/kb258l.jpg

my prediction for the two total garbage free agents the twins sign (they do it every year) -

rich aurilia and mark loretta

My friend in the Padres clubhouse says the only thing Khalil Greene eats is crackers with tuna pretty much. Seems odd, and probably why he gets hurt a lot...

I'm not sure why I posted that, thought I'd share...

lowe back to dirty water?

I think the man's decision to sign will be based mostly on where he can get the most free drinks. So yeah probably.

I don't know if he is available, but I'd like to see if the Reds could maybe get Nick Swisher out of the White Sox. Swisher had a bad year, but he is a switch hitter, is a year or maybe two from free agency and kind of fits into the Reds kind of budget. Swisher is also from Ohio, so he might actually be interested in playing for Cinci. The Reds need to get someone with some power who can hit from the right side to put in left field and bat between Joey Votto and Jay Bruce. I've got a feeling though that the Reds might try to sign Pat Burrell.

Matt Holliday appears headed to the Oakland Athletics in a deal with the Colorado Rockies, baseball sources have told ESPN's Jerry Crasnick and Buster Olney.

Final details are being finalized, though the teams have agreed to terms, a baseball source told Olney.

The deal isalso pending completion of physical exams.

Although the package coming back to Colorado has yet to be determined, it's believed that pitcher Greg Smith was one of the players under discussion.

have fun at sea level, big man

what does Beane know?

Not pleased if Brett Anderson is really part of this deal.

Street and Carlos Gonzalez OTOH is okay by me.

this comes as a surprise.

I think this may make both teams worse

Carlos Gonzalez will win the triple crown in Coors. just watch.

I can't see how this could possibly make the A's worse (I don't think there is any position player on the A's who is better than even road version-Holliday and all the A's pitchers are replaceable commidities.)

The Rockies being worse I can see.

A's LF '08 (nine players): .240/.343/.404

It's a good thing they didn't go after Bonds in 2008.

/bitter

I can't blame them for that though. I'm sure if they thought they could do it without incurring the wrath of Sir Bud they would have.

Rumor has it Holliday for Gonzalez/Smith/Street.

Nats deal Bonifacio, minor leaguers for Marlins' Willingham, Olsen

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3694827

interesting...

so the marlins are apparently serious about shifting away from last year's strategy of bludgeoning both themselves and their opponent by only hitting home runs

well, how can you start rallies if you've got guys hitting rally-killing home runs?

That shit never gets old.

Send more problem children to Washington, please.

i hear billu butler's in the doghouse and the royals are trying to field a team entirely of first basemen. we could have a match!

Beane did a good job selling tickets with this move, and I look forward to finding out what he gets for Holliday when he trades the guy this July.

If the A's are good (and I see no reason why they can't be, the Angels are old and if they don't sign Teixeira their offense is weak) they won't be dealing anyone in July.

If the A's are good, I look forward to the draft picks Beane receives this winter.

Haha too true.

swisher to yanquis

For Jeff Marquez and... is that it?

Marlins' Gregg for Cubs' Jose Ceda

http://i36.tinypic.com/2rlzngo.jpg

sounds like the braves are gonna get peavy with a combo of gorkys and esco + two other guys, which i think would be an incredible deal if it really happens. to me, the key here is what a BARGAIN peavy's contract is - he's signed through 2013 (IIRC) at a rate that can only be described as dirt-cheap by the standards of today's market. this guarantees that he can't become a Hampton-sized albatross if the worst should happen to him. not to mention that the braves get to keep all their top prospects.

I don't understand these deals for the White Sox and the Padres (if the latter is true) at all. I guess that's a sign that Guillen wasn't go to play Swisher regardless so you might as well get SOMETHING back, but this is weak something. And Peavy should be commanding a Haren+ deal, not the nonsense cankles just posted.

The difference is that Peavy has a detailed no trade and Haren didn't.

they are asking for Tyler "blue" Flowers now too according to sources on the world wide web

Also, with respect to Peavy's bargain contract, do not be surprised if he starts asking for an extension pretty much right away.

nick swisher was overpaid and awful last year, perfect for the yankees

Nick Swisher is a good ballplayer who had a slump and then got beat on by his manager. I think he'll be good for the Yanks (note: I hate the Yanks so I am not happy about this.) Certainly he'll be better than what he was replacing.

How is he as an outfielder? I know he plays CF sometimes, but I've always assumed he wasn't very good at it.

***jayson stark reports that the marlins are hot on the trail of orlando hudson***

i realize that only i care about this

"The difference is that Peavy has a detailed no trade and Haren didn't."

What are the details? If the Braves get Peavy without have to give up Schafer or Heyward plus 3/4 other B/C prospects my feeling is the Padres got fleeced.

He's decent at the corners, weak range for CF.

He will be playing first base primarily, no?

Gorkys Park

Will he? Are they conceding they won't get Teixeira?

What are the details? If the Braves get Peavy without have to give up Schafer or Heyward plus 3/4 other B/C prospects my feeling is the Padres got fleeced.

The Padres like Schafer, but the guy they really want is Tommy Hanson. If the Braves had been willing to include Hanson, the deal would've been done by now. I don't really feel comfortable saying whether or not the Padres are getting fleeced when it comes to prospects I've never seen before, and Towers/Depodesta have a great track record on trades.

Peavy's no trade clause does not make an exception for the Braves, so they'll have to extend him AND extend his no trade clause if they want to get him, as far as I can tell.

Also, I really wish the Padres would trade Chris Young instead of Peavy, or maybe in addition to. I really think he's all park factor, and incapable of going deep into a game.

"Towers/Depodesta have a great track record on trades."

Why is their track record on FA signings so shit them?

Gorkys + Hanson + Escobar + another B/C guy seems like it should be enough. I've never seen these guys either, but Gorkys stats/scouting reports don't strike me as a guy who should be the centerpiece of a deal like this.

Why is their track record on FA signings so shit them?

I think their record is pretty decent, honestly. Randy Wolf and Maddux were both capable rotation fillers who earned their contracts for the most part, Giles has paid back his contract despite his lack of power. Iguchi and Marcus Giles didn't work out, but they didn't pay anything for those guys in the first place. Everyone else on the roster was acquired via trade or came through the minors. They've never whiffed big on a free agent contract that I can remember. They specialize in the scrap heap, and those dudes are usually going to suck, but it's never going to cost much.

And of course Depo had an exemplary record with free agents with the Dodgers: Drew, Kent, and Lowe all earned their contracts.

That's cuz they've never signed a big free agent (lately.) I usually think of most of their signings as being of the Jim Edmonds/Tony Clark variety, but that stadium is such an offensive death zone it's sort of hard to evaluate pitching/hitting signings. Anyway I was being snide, the Padres do fine.

That's cuz they've never signed a big free agent (lately.)

Or ever. Not under Towers, anyway.

Swisher will be super utility - 40% @ rf/lf and the occasional day off for Texiera (yes, I understand the 'unless everyone knows something about texiera's destination' thing).

the Nats allegedly want to offer Tex 10 years, 200 million.

yeah like that's a good idea for tex

a Newsday columnist pointed out that Swish's BABiP (see, progress) was .249 last year, so some bad luck there.

WNYC said Yamks got Steve Swisher, which wd be a bad deal even for Betemit.

Should I prefer Mets to sign Jenks or Fuentes?

didnt know he was a FA, but jenks definately - younger, fatter, jollier, better

I'm not Jenks is the kind of guy who will do well in NYC. Depending on the deal, I think you want Fuentes. Better control, more strikeouts--imagine the guy will only do better in friendly pitcher's park (assuming SHEA II is, I guess.) That said he is five years older. I'd be VERY VERY suspicious of Jenks declining SO rate.

yeah, that stuck out on his line

What do you guys think if a pitcher's K-rate declines BUT his WHIP and RA also decline?

means he lost the eye of tiger

"What do you guys think if a pitcher's K-rate declines BUT his WHIP and RA also decline?"

It can be luck (or better defense behind them) although if BB also go down it can also be a sign of better control.

I just think of a guy converting from a flame-thrower into a "pitch-to-contact" guy (ie, "Strikeouts are fascist", etc.)

There are many instances of players becoming better pitchers BECAUSE their K rate is declining.

Teams that are lining up for Fuentes or Jenks or F-Rod might want to consider the bargain that is Darren Oliver. I think that guy could close if someone gave him a chance.

He's one of the few options mentioned in Tigers rumors that has not made me queasy.

What do you guys think if a pitcher's K-rate declines BUT his WHIP and RA also decline?

Definitely a good thing with a starter who, as a result, goes deeper into games.

explain.

less k's = less pitches = more innings?

I cannot think of a sustained real-life example of a pitcher doing this (not with lowered WHIP and RA), but I would be accepting of a pitcher who sacrificed K-rate for more IP/GS, lower WHIP, lower RA. To put another spin on it, I would have rather had Cliff Lee (6.9 K/9, 7.2 IP/GS, 1.11 WHIP, 2.74 RA) in my 2008 rotation than Edinson Volquez (9.5 K/9, 6.1 IP/GS, 1.33 WHIP, 3.66 RA).

(For pitchers who threw at least 180 innings last year, Volquez had the second highest K/9. Lee had the 32nd highest. Livan Hernandez brought up the rear BUT HEY 13 WINS.)

yeah, i think we're moving into a "pitcher-type" of discussion... ie, guys who pound the zone with sinking fastballs that get called for strikes versus guys like Matt Cain or Daniel Cabrera who rack up a lot of Ks but either walk tons of dudes or give up dongers left and right. and then there's zito lol.

that's where the Anthony Reyes and Dave Duncan romance ended. Reyes was used to finishing hitters off in AAA, but up here whenever he had 2 strikes it'd just be foul after foul. So even in games where he pitched well he'd still only last 5 innings.

"There are many instances of players becoming better pitchers BECAUSE their K rate is declining."

For starters maybe (although even there it depends--a guy like Jamie Moyer became a whole new pitcher, some guys just learn to pitch more efficiently/intelligently/to first contact whatever you want to call it, but really most guys just decline) but I think for a big fireballing relief guy like Jenks (who you really want to strike people out) going from over a SO an inning to just under a SO an inning to barely a SO every two innings is a troubling sign.

...even though his WHIP and RA is declining? *scratches head*

Bigger question: are Ks overrated in relievers?

No.

Also Jenks WHIP went way up this year. Where do you get that it's declining?

I tell you what's not overrated is the ability to keep flyballs out of the seats. What I'm not sure is whether that is a repeatable skill (esp. when you are only pitching 60 innings a year.)

way up to 1.10 LOL

Look at his first 2 years when he was the fireballer and now look at his last 2 years when he wasn't a striking everybody out.

What's interesting is that his DERA is lower than his NRA which indicates that he's either getting lucky in front of a bad defense or the Sox is not bad defense when he pitches.

This is where a good scouting report would really help, because it would be interesting to see how Jenks is getting these outs. His LD% has plummeted since '06 (as has his HR/9) and his BB have fallen is well. Still getting so few batters out with whiffs means a lot of groundballs and I don't recall the White Sox infield as being exactly GG quality. Is he inducing a lot of weak grounders?

Strangely it looks like the Sox defense is just not bad when he pitches. His DER for the last two years was .757 and .739 compared to .681 and .686 total.

"Bigger question: are Ks overrated in relievers?"

"I tell you what's not overrated is the ability to keep flyballs out of the seats."

Used to be that you would see quite a few sinker ball pitchers that were closers, including some of the classic side arm guys like Kent Tekulve and Dan Quisenberry. So I would think those guys were valued as they could both keep flyballs out of the seats and get lots of double plays, although they wouldn't put up bunches of Ks.

Strangely it looks like the Sox defense is just not bad when he pitches. His DER for the last two years was .757 and .739 compared to .681 and .686 total.

I can't recall whether or not Guillen made a lot of late-inning defense-optimizing maneuvers. I did notice while looking up Swisher the other day that he did a fair amount of position switching during games.

just to be clear, no, Jenks isn't a FA.

the bargain accident waiting to happen that is Darren Oliver

NUMBERS LIE

"I think it's made him a more effective pitcher. He's throwing a little cutter/slider thing now. It breaks really late, and he uses it off his fastball. His fastball velocity is down a little bit [between 92 and 95 mph], but he's pitching more. He's not just rearing back and firing."
—Anonymous AL official, on White Sox closer Bobby Jenks

atlanta's out of the running for peavy, which is a double whammy of suck since now they'll probably set their sights on some shitbag like dempster or burnett - DO NOT WANT

wait, whew, dempster's back with the cubs. well, DO NOT WANT derek lowe either

you want burnett tho. oh yes, you do.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/11182008/sports/yankees/yankees_prepare_a_j__offer_139209.htm

nah, i'm good

i'm holding out hope that the pads come crawling back after they find dealing with the cubs and dodgers to be less than satisfying

Coco to Royals for Ramon Ramirez

oy

wha?

Seems to make much more sense for the Red Sox, unless the Royals have something on the horizon involving OF loss and RP gain.

well, considering the royals gave most centerfield playing time to joey gathright last year, crisp is a HUGE improvement.

Ugh I think I hate this trade for the sox.

i'm holding out hope that the pads come crawling back after they find dealing with the cubs and dodgers to be less than satisfying

This is almost definitely going to happen.

NUMBERS LIE

Did you watch Angels games recently? Dude was great for them.

heh, do Sox fans think Crisp is a star or something?

I'm more worried about the perception this creates that Ellsbury is "ready" for much of anything.

lol @ Boras trying to get Zito money for Lowe.

Moose quits according to ESPN

It is a weird world when Ryan Dempster can sign a 50+ million dollar contract. Not that he didn't have a good year, but criminy it is the DUMPSTER!

It kind of makes the Giants signing Jeremy Affeldt for $4 million bucks a year seem pretty affordable. Affeldt was pretty good for the Reds last year.

It's a good thing the Giants are addressing their offensive needs by signing middle relief.

Poly, Darren Oliver could have turned into the love child of Mariano Rivera and the juiced Eric Gagne, and I'd still expect him to have Rangers flashbacks and crater.

Tim Raines will manage the Newark Bears

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3717532

Renteria bilks Sabean for 2/18.

i kind of assumed that number had to be a mistake. 9 mil/yr for 270/.317/.382? really!?

I thought Renteria was a lot older than 32.

33 that is.

Last year he had the lateral range of a washing machine.

It's a good thing the Giants are addressing their offensive needs by signing middle relief.

Give this meme a rest, it is so 3 years agOH GOD WHY DO I FOLLOW THIS TEAM STILL.

xpost FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF!

I GUESS IT'S WHAT YOU'D CALL A RENTERIA'S MARKET I'MA JUMP OFF A CLIFF NOW.

Sabean @ SF @ a glance:
1997-2004 = 738 - 558 = (.569 W/L%, avg. 92 wins per season)
2005-2008 = 294 - 354 = (.453 W/L%, avg. 73 wins per season)

Deal is fiction, apparently. :(

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3724303

Patel and Singh are learning English, most of which they have picked up from watching ESPN's Baseball Tonight and by taking online classes.

yung kruk

there must be a bollywood movie in development about these guys rite

man! wtf? is no country safe!?

Krukjian Jalfrezi

"Think of them as two Dominican kids," House told the scouts. "They're very raw. But I think this has a huge upside."

"Think of them as two Dominican kids who are TECHNICALLY Indian and HAVE YET TO PITCH A SINGLE INNING OF BASRBALL."

BASEBALL, even.

THAT IS WHAT THEY CALL IT IN INDIA. BASRBALL.
THEY ARE JUST LIKE DOMINICAN KIDS. ONLY INSTEAD OF PLAYING BASRBALL THEIR ENTIRE CHILDHOOD THEY DIDN'T.

"While neither pitcher threw hard enough to earn the $1 million prize, both threw hard enough to be considered an upgrade to the current Pirates pitching staff."

Patrick (City of Angels and Smog): Rob, as an A's fan, I know we are traditionally frugal, but wouldn't signing Rafael Furcal to a 4/$48 million contract look pretty good compared to what Dempster got? We are seemingly getting the better player for less money, right?

Rob Neyer: It's all about his back. If his back injury is exceptionally unlikely to recur, Furcal's worth $12 million a year (or close to it).

If he stays healthy it's good deal, if he doesn't it's not. Got it.

Gotta admit I'm surprised that's all it's going to take.

Link via Cosloy the Bleeding

http://www.themilliondollararm.com/blog/

JB sir explained to us today about the mind tricking us. He say that brain trick body to do bad sometimes. What we have to do is learn to say no to our brains and tell our arms to just throw. We need no excuses in our mind. Just do our best and rewards will come.

He ask us what we would do if we were throwing Javelin against man who throw farther than our best throw… We then realize that we trick our body to think we can do better than our best to beat other man. That was good way to show us and we understand much better now.

We want to pitch very good. We are working so hard and we are told that we may sign contract next week. When that is true it will be the best day of our lives!

Is this the most boring offseason ever or what.

It's early. It's going to get exciting.

Yeah today is the arbitration deadline right? this is when everything goes drama.

Mike Hampton signs with Astros. What a time to be alive.

http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/conservation/reveal/graphics/large/queen_mary_deckchairs.jpg

[obligatory Houston schools lol]

this is delightful news

tho apparently wren was prepared to offer hampton even more, hampton just wanted to play in houston... ugh

i've decided i hate frank wren, what with wanting to resign hampton and bidding on burnett - fuck that noise!!!! go get peavy you douche! eye on the prize!!!

He really wanted to resign Hampton? Crazy.

If the prize is getting bombed in the first round of the playoffs, by all means, go get Peavy.

K Law sez Hampton's a good gamble for a year

If you are gambling Hampton's not going to do squat he's a good gamble.

a 2 mil a year there's no risk involved, but prob not much potential reward either

If the prize is getting bombed in the first round of the playoffs, by all means, go get Peavy.

lol @ Padre fan blaming their best player for playoff failures based on NINE WHOLE INNINGS

i would be delighted with gettin bombed in the first round as opposed to NOT GOING TO THE PLAYOFFS AT ALL, ie. the current state of affairs

lol @ Padre fan blaming their best player for playoff failures based on NINE WHOLE INNINGS

I can't make one snarky post per thousand, gimmie a BREAK, JEEZ

ya burnt ;)

anyway, everyone knows it's Hoffman's fault the Pads screw the playoff pooch

Honestly I think there is enough blame to go around, but the most likely candidate is their overall lack of talent. Arguably the '98 team had no business beating the Astros, let alone the Braves, and were properly exposed by the Yankees, and the recent teams didn't exactly strike fear into the hearts of anyone.

Didn't Peavy get lit up in the playoffs because he broke a rib during the goddamn playoff clinching dog pile?

Javier Vasquez to the Braves for Reyes and Lillibridge.

Didn't Peavy get lit up in the playoffs because he broke a rib during the goddamn playoff clinching dog pile?

Once. The other time he just sucked.

Also, career stats:

Home: 2.77 ERA, 47 HR
Road: 3.80 ERA, 81 HR

Not that he isn't a valuable asset to any team or anything, just some causes for concern!

Javier Vasquez to the Braves for Reyes and Lillibridge.

Latest report:

TO BRAVES -- Javier Vazquez, Boone Logan
TO CHISOX -- Lillibridge, Tyler Flowers, Jon Gilmore, Santos Rodriguez

WTF Braves?!?!?

Lose NOW

Lose LATER

lilibridge i was cool with, but flowers AND gilmore? jesus christ klfjsdklfhfhkl

frank wren = ed wade

WOW GIMME SOME OF THAT BOONE LOGAN OH GOD

hawk a looooooooooooooooooogy

so wut can u guys tell me abt vasquez? seems like a consistent innings eater type, never gets hurt... anything to worry abt?

haha -- if you ask fans of teams that had him (that didn't know him during his Expo days), or Ozzie G, he's a cancerous passionless choking sack of shit. But he's more like what you describe, w/ an above average K rate. Flyball guy, IIRC. Solid #2 / excellent #3, especially in the NLOL. :D

oh shit just remembered that CASEY KOTCHMANN is the Braves' 1B -- sorry canks :(

Weird coincidence...I saw him start against Dontrelle Willis in 2003 in Montreal (JV gave him his first loss), bought a t-shirt at the stadium. Today I wear the shirt for the first time in at least six months and Vasquez is traded to "my" team.

lollll

is that pertinent to vasquez at all or was it just a random 'oh you sorry bastard' kinda thing

xpost

ha -- that was totally on the random bastard tip (sorry). Was just thinking about the Braves' offense, and was trying to remember what they got in the Tex trade, and then realized they only got 10-15 HRs and a .380 OBP on a good day.

(I'm totally going to end up overdrafting him in my fantasy league)

Bob Howry is a Gigante. 1 year, 2.5 mil.

oh sabeanpaws

Howry 2008
ERA 5.35
WHIP 1.46
BAA .309

free agent year.

Giants going with the "shitty team signs bullpen vets to look like they're doing something" strategy?

They should sign Hoffman! Reunited with his pal Bochy!

The St. Louis Cardinals announced today that they have agreed to terms with free-agent relief pitcher Trever Miller on a one-year contract for the upcoming 2009 season.

a lefty who can get lefties out? finally TLR's 7th inning triple switches may pay off.....

"Giants still pursuing Renteria" ^_^

Khalil to STL

ehhh not exactly thrilled. people here will love him b/c he hustles IS WHITE BTW

"Greene is coming off a hideous 2008 season in which he batted .213 with a .260 onbase percentage, a .339 slugging percentage and 10 homers. How bad was Greene in 2008? He had an OPS+ of 64, which was lower than the OPS+ posted by Cardinals shortstop Cesar Izturis (67)."

I loved that guy so much, and I think he'll bounce back. He's a very talented kid, but he was fucking horrible last year.

LolRussa will make sure there is plenty of vegan untuna and crackers in the clubhouse.

That profile on him last season (AP?) made him out as a weird emotionless space alien -- I wonder if he kind of freaked out inside under that sort of attention...?

I think he freaked out because he was slumping. He's pretty even keel.

Nate (St. Louis): How does the K. Greene signing improve the Cardinals? Is he a better option than Felipe Lopez? Enjoy your calls into Bernie Miklasz's radio show every Tuesday.

Joe Sheehan: Oh, sure. Even if Greene isn't quite at his peak, there's a 30-, 35-run defense between the two players' gloves. Felipe Lopez is a utility player, not a middle infielder. He cannot be allowed to start much up the middle.

I confuse Greene and Tulowitski in the battle of the sophmore slumping NL SS.

Seems weird considering Greene just wrapped up his fifth full season and sixth overall.

i confuse greene with a black dude

I confuse him with Spicoli.

Note to Sabean, Neukom, et al,

I would like to take this opportunity to announce that I am now pursuing FREE AGENCY. I hope to find a team that either matches my skillset as a fan (such as rooting for a team that doesn't rely exclusively on veteran moxie, non-testosterone derived chemistry, or GM whose best maneuverings are half a decade past) or employs a certain Home Run King.

FU GUYS,

I often confuse Greene with a muppet

"The team [LOL Giants LOL -- ed.] announced this morning it has signed 33-year-old Edgar Renteria to a two-year, $18.5 million contract that includes a third-year option for $9.5 million."

Joked to a co-worker last week that Renteria would end up getting MORE out of Sabean.

It's like Sabean read about that rumor, didn't catch the name of the team that had reportedly signed him, and thought, "OH NO, we should consider offering more so WE can get him."

I kind of like the move, just not the price. I guess they could've put EB at short and found a cheaper option at 2nd (Mark Loretta, for example?), but it's a short term deal, and if he plays well (which wouldn't be a completely absurd proposition), they can probably trade him pretty easily if Frandsen or Velez emerge.

I don't like the move, but yeah at least it's short.

I'm going to guess that option is a player option.

Supposedly Sabean's close to signing Randy Johnson...

.....

...>:[

i think he is just fucking with you guys at this point

I hear Roger Dorn might be available.

Laird to Detroit for two prospects.

Interesting. I wonder who the Tigers even have to give up for Laird.

Guillermo Moscoso: 25 year-old pitcher who has yet to pitch in AAA. Some really good numbers but apparently has had shoulder problems. Baseball America's #10 Tiger prospect, which ain't saying much. Other dude, pitcher Carlos Melo, is/was 17 and played DSL.

Laird had the fifth highest OPS of AL catchers with 300+ ABs last year. Definite upgrade and far more preferable to signing Varitek.

Yeah Laird's a good ballplayer. I wonder if these means Boston doesn't get anyone from the Rangers now.

Ah the Winter Meetings. May the baseless Rosenthal "heard this in the lobby" rumors bloom like a thousand flowers.

Tigers disinter Ray Oyler sign Adam Everett.

Paleolithic Adam

What's the terms on that? I like signing Everett for 1 or 2 years and pennies better than oh let's say signing Cabrera for whatever overpay someone else is going to give him.

MLBTR via Rosenlol sez one million for one year plus incentives. A sensible move but, you know... Inge, Everett, Polanco... kinda helps neutralize the Detroit infield punch-wise.

Yeah, but the rest of the lineup has pop and Everett's still a sweet glove by all accounts.

"The Braves are anxious to get the A.J. Burnett deal resolved. In addition to adding a starter, they’re also in the market for a left fielder. They’ve identified free agent Raul Ibanez as the best fit because he hits for power and plays solid defense. Pat Burrell and Bobby Abreu, both free agents, don’t interest the Braves as much because their defense is suspect.“

what the fuck.

ibanez.gif

Raul Ibanez Takes Pride In His Defense

http://www.lookoutlanding.com/2008/9/21/618960/raul-ibanez-takes-pride-in

http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/15958/RaulSlides2.gif

check the jordan tongue

haha

http://i27.tinypic.com/28akex2.jpg

http://www.lookoutlanding.com/2008/12/1/677207/community-projection-raul

okay wow this is amazing c

-c

There's an entire sidebar!

Does this hit him on the head?!?!?

A++++++

sumbitch didn't realize ade already linked to the "lawn dart" -- my bad

HAHA I DIDNT EVEN SEE THE SIDEBAR JESUS CHRIST

http://209.85.117.197/12413/88/0/e25948//e25948.gif
http://209.85.117.197/12413/88/0/e25948//e25948.gif
http://209.85.117.197/12413/88/0/e25948//e25948.gif

The gift that keeps on giving.

Dear National League: please sign Raul to a long-term deal.

http://images.lookoutlanding.com/images/admin/go_m_s.gif
http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/3220/scrappyvsdinoyn7.gif

this site owns

RIP Nomar in LA

The Dodgers and Mark Loretta have come to terms on a one-year deal, according to agent Bob Garber.

Last year, during a game at Safeco, Ibanez lost track of the outfield wall's location and ricocheted off of it while chasing a fly. (His hat and/or his shades popped off.) I really wish a .gif of that existed.

How on earth could Francoueuer possibly be the centerpiece in a deal for Zach Greinke?

what the fuck are you talkin about dude, link plz

haha, whoa

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/extra_bases/2008/12/and_another_thi.html

I will enjoy not reading the Joe Pos blog treatise if that one goes down.

if greinke went to the nl he might put up jake peavy numbers imo. lol @ the royals if they do this.

That trade is not happening as reported.

These Peavy trade rumors complete with retarded Kevin Towers commentary receive my vote for stupidest post season storyline of 2008.

Which retarded Kevin Towers commentary, please be more specific.

Haha I just don't understand his need to go over every trade scenario with the media. Unless its some kind of master mind fuck negotiating strategy I don't see it being helpful unless you run a trade rumor-mongering website.

So indications are that, once again, Greinke is a name they'll at least talk about this week. But judging by the theoretical sticker price, it's obvious they have almost zero appetite for trading him. "Let me ask you something," said an official of one team. "Would you give up three major league pieces and two top, top prospects for him? Because that's what it would take."

K... Rod?

Her?

Senator ... Caroline?

$3 for 37 for K-Rod seems almost shockingly sensible if that's what it actually ends up being.

there must be a Saves are Bullshit epiphany in front offices...

More likely it's a giving five years to dudes with short lifespans is a bad idea epiphany.

While the rumored existence of a fourth vesting makes it less awesome, every team looking for a closer will still prob pop some champagne.

i still think any team bothering dropping that kind of money on a closer they're only gonna use for 3 outs is pretty stupid

k-rod was what, the 10th best closer in the majors last season?

You pay extra for the celebration spectacle once K-Rod gets the last of above stated 3 outs.

"k-rod was what, the 10th best closer in the majors last season?"

Sure, but he's been consistently top ten for what 5-6 years now. I don't think it's a complete waste of money (assuming you think his arm isn't going to fall off) for a guy who's still only what 26 and probably has at least a couple more of those top ten years in him.

Y'all (where y'all = Alex in SF) should check K-Rod's BAA, WHIP, K/9 and K/BB for his career.

...by year, i mean.

Yeah I've seen the numbers, Shasta, but even supposedly not as great as he was in '06 K-Rod is still probably one of the best 10 non-starting pitchers in either league.

if he's a Met, Shasta will prove he's sub-Schoeneweis

~240 outs for $11M = $45k/out

It would be interesting to look at Runs Prevented and then put a price on it, maybe Salary/WEXP?

~240 outs for $11M = $45k/out

It would be interesting to look at Runs Prevented and then put a price on it, maybe Salary/WEXP?

if he's a Met he will be the next in the long line of goats re: why the Mets didn't make the playoffs.

Joey Devine
2008 OAK

ERA 0.59
WHIP 0.83
BAA .150

if he's going 2 innings on some of those starts he might be worth the money but i dunno, spending that kind of cash on a dude who might spend a lot of his games w/a three run lead and needing to get only one out is a little weird to me.

especially since we know he's never going to be the guy to pitch more than one inning

Ask Atlanta fans how consistent Joey Devine is, Steve.

As if signing Joey Devine is even an option anyway.

And for the record, obv I love love love how the A's build their bullpens, but Minaya isn't forced to worked under my team's constraints. If you are going to pay out the nose for one one-inning guy, this 1) seems like the guy to pay the money on (rather than Jenks or Fuentes or whomever) and 2) this deal isn't long enough that the Mets'll be regretting it for too long if Rodriguez does end going completely South.

yep, KLaw and Neyer said same, basically.

I don't think he is guaranteed as many 3-run leads as he had in Anaheim.

• Orioles send Ramon Hernandez to Reds for Ryan Freel
• Kerry Wood headed to Indians

Wood to Injuns seems nice.

Dear everyone,

FUCK.

Sincerely,

A Brewers Fan.

Shit, this sucks. I don't want the Sox in close proximity to CC for any period of time.

as a godless yankee fan i don't know how to feel about this.

You should be thrilled.

Posted by Peter Gammons

John Smoltz wants to come back for another season. He is throwing and thinks he will be ready early next season. The Red Sox have been given his medicals and videos. The feeling is that Boston might be a good fit.

According to SI.com's Jon Heyman, the Yankees -- fresh off agreeing to a 7-year, $160 million deal with CC Sabathia -- are closing in on a deal for Derek Lowe as well. Heyman reported Wednesday that an agreement with Lowe -- a four-year, $66 million deal was being discussed -- appears likely to be finalized in the coming days.

those 2 are more then the entire marlins roster

what stood out to me was the opt-out clause in CC's contract (after just 3 years i think)

and that in turn has sent the Braves running to AJ with a five year $80mil deal. that's $16 million per injury year!

The sentimentalist in me loves that the Tigers are interested in Smoltz.

ALERT ALERT

CC SABATHIA HAS NEVER WON 20 GAMES

DANGER DANGER

LAS VEGAS -- The New York Mets obtained J.J. Putz from Seattle on Wednesday night as part of a three-team, 12-player trade that gives them a set-up man for new closer Francisco Rodriguez.

J.J. Putz

Putz

New York dealt seven players -- six to the Mariners and one to Cleveland -- to get three back in a huge swap at baseball's winter meetings.

The Mets shipped reliever Aaron Heilman, outfielder Endy Chavez, lefty Jason Vargas and three minor leaguers to the Mariners for Putz, center fielder Jeremy Reed and reliever Sean Green in the first trade by new Seattle general manager Jack Zduriencik.

Promising outfielder Franklin Gutierrez was sent from the Indians to Seattle. Cleveland gets reliever Joe Smith from the Mets and 23-year-old second baseman Luis Valbuena from Seattle.

random

Putz is apparently not happy about being slated for set-up.

jesus fuck the mets i hope they tank

wow.

i'm confused.

personally i'm not ready for the joe smith era to be over in new york

heilman was an endless nightmare, smith is decent but yeah, no big loss

and that in turn has sent the Braves running to AJ with a five year $80mil deal. that's $16 million per injury year!

― The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall, Wednesday, December 10, 2008 2:04 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

jesus fucking christ!!! if this happens (plz outbid them yankees) AND they let smoltz go to the sawks or detroit, i will angrily tear to pieces my commemorative 95 WS wheaties box

WAU @ Putz/KRod becoming Nasty Boys 2009. I also like the Mets rolling the dice on Reed. Maybe he'll finally develop into an everyday player -- changing organizations can't hurt.

what stood out to me was the opt-out clause in CC's contract (after just 3 years i think)

It's also a bit strange to have a opt-out option after three years but still insist that the Yankees add a seventh year to their original 6Y/140M offer.

Matt Joyce (Detroit) for Edwin Jackson (Tampa Bay)

It's also a bit strange to have a opt-out option after three years but still insist that the Yankees add a seventh year to their original 6Y/140M offer.

It's strange that a player wants both security and control?

I guess not ... it will only appear strange in retrospect if he actually opts out.

Kahrl, Law, Neyer and some other dude now in BBWA; to vote for people w/o MVP awardszzz...

^Will Carroll, as noted yesterday

Can't wait to hear how Gary Cohen chooses to prounounce "Putz."

I love Joe Smith but he was mighty uneven last year.

I can't believe I'm saying this but really nice job by the Mets so far.

J.J. Putz

Putz

Yankees trading Melky Cabrera for Mike Cameron?

This is getting real interesting today.

Getting Jackson (that's THREE Rays castoff pitchers since April) and leaving James Skelton unprotected in the Rule 5 draft (for Arizona to pick up) during the last 24 hours, plus all those bad contracts? Dombrowski = somewhat Millenish.

The Mets shipped reliever Aaron Heilman

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1233/1079167149_d0aba8cc1b.jpg?v=0

Steiny (NYC): You said that J.J. Putz is a better closer than K-rod. Can you explain please?

Keith Law: (1:09 PM ET ) Well, he has better stuff, misses more bats, and has far better control. Does that cover it?

J's sign Matt Clement! minor league deal.

lol good luck with that

http://i.a.cnn.net/si/2006/writers/jon_heyman/10/20/world.series.lookahead/Chavez.jpg

nevar forget

Endy! The idol!

some Perrotto:

The Cardinals are now the frontrunners to sign free-agent closer Brian Fuentes, though they may have to hold off a late bid by the Angels. Though Fernando Rodney now stands as their likely closer, the Tigers will not enter the bidding for Fuentes but may turn to Trevor Hoffman on the free-agent market.

–The Brewers and Yankees are working on a trade in which Milwaukee would send center fielder Mike Cameron and infielder/outfielder Bill Hall to the Yankees for center fielder Melky Cabrera, left-hander Kei Igawa and a minor-leaguer.

–The Mets have pulled out of the bidding for Derek Lowe and the Yankees now look like they have a legitimate chance of signing the starting pitching trifecta of Lowe, left-hander CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett.

how i hope they succeed and aj does his best pavano impression and age catches up with d-lowe and sabathia has a healthy crop of 15-12, 4.08 era kinda seasons.

OTOH I'm trying not to think about the scary potential of a Sabathia-Wang-Lowe-Beckett-Chamberlain rotation.

yeah, as fun as it is to imagine cc/aj/lowe somehow blowing up, if you are a dedicated yankee hater you should be very afraid right now
yankee offense is garbage tho

And it's pretty obvious that the Jays won't be making the playoffs in the next five years at least :/

you're probably being optimistic there.

"garbage" NYY offense is a little extreme, esp if Matsui plays all year and isn't steeply declining

why would the Crew want melky or igawa???

yankees o is

cameron
matsui
damon
swisher
cano
jeter
a-rod
posada
nady

rotation

sabathia
wang
chamberlain
lowe?
burnett?

there are circumstances in which i could see most of that lineup turning in a horrible season and most of that rotation disappointing, but of course i still think they're in a great position now esp if they get either lowe or burnett.

LaGenius has been out and about demanding Fuentes pretty hardcore.

their lineup is getting kinda old and possibly decline-y- posada jeter damon matsui cameron
swisher & cameron are strikeout kings

it's garbage compared to most of the last 15 years, but that potential rotation could compensate and then some

(As a dedicated yankee-hater) I hope they sign Burnett.

swisher & cameron are strikeout kings

like Ruth, Mantle & Reggie?

yes. as a J's fan i look forward to his pin-stripes clad return to the dome. will be entertaining fer sure!

xpost

what year were those three in the same line-up again?

lol nu-murderer's row

They'll be a good 3rd place team. And a wealthy one at that.

lol @ NYY losing 5-3 games

& I think the Cameron / Melky talks have been (rightly, for MIL) scrapped -- I read rumors that the Yankees were trying to get Milwaukee to take Igawa and/or THROW IN CASH

Ibanez to Phils for 3 years, the assholes can throw away their Burrell voodoo dolls.

Wasn't Igawa unprotected on Rule V? If the Brewers wanted him why didn't they just grab him that way? And why would they want him?

Maybe they wanted Melky and the Yanks insisted on including Igawa?

Maybe they wanted Igawa but not at the salary the Yankees signed him for.

why the hell would they want igawa? also lol phillies. ibanez and his defense have been shuttered away far too long for too many years, time to bring his skills to the big time!

burrell had the worst defensive ratings of any LF not named Cliff Floyd for the past several years.

Spaceman called him a statue.

lol burnett to yankees apparently

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3765754

"burrell had the worst defensive ratings of any LF not named Cliff Floyd for the past several years."

Ibanez is just about as bad and older.

I find it hard to believe the Yanks won't be regretting the Burnett contract quite soon.

Wow Law just eviscerates teh Ibanez signing:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=3765688&name=law_keith

How is it possible that Bill Simmons still doesn't know how to pronounce Teixeira.

I think you know how it is possible (hint: it's cuz he's a dope!)

The Mets sign Willie Harris

Adam Dunn in Flushing wd be OK

TO YOUR SATISFACTION

furcal's a brave!!! again! imo! 3 years, 39 mil. i love this cuz it's clearly a prelude to making another push for peavy, with esco heading to SD. imo.

they're saying Johnson is going to be moved to the OF with Furc at 2nd!

o_O

would maybe rather they pushed hard for Greinke than Peavy?

although I'd be fine with keeping Furcal Escobar and Johnson, signing Sheets and Smoltz, and then trading for a medicore innings-eater who isn't a guaranteed injury

Signing Furcal could allow the Braves to move shortstop Yunel Escobar to second base or market him in a trade. Escobar had been part of discussions in a potential trade for San Diego Padres starter Jake Peavy.

what the hell?

Rob CT: Just heard the Red Sox offered Texiera a contract in the range of 8 years 175mil, is this true? And will he take it?

SportsNation Rob Neyer: (12:13 PM ET ) If that's true, now it becomes an auction, as the Angels reportedly offered eight years, too.

weird, i didn't see this coming. hey also phils signed moyer for 2 more years, if he has two more seasons like this past one the dude will have around 280 career wins which i also didn't see coming when he was sucking with the cubs in '86. o_O

I can't really believe the Red Sox are going to sign Teixeira. Will anyone want Lowell's contract, esp. coming off an injury?

yeah moving kels to left and playing furcal at second is the other move that occured to me, and it'd be a good one - kj's bat loses value in left, but defensively he was pretty blargh last year. esco's an interesting player and i really have no idea what to think of him at this point - great instincts, great arm, immature personality, big frame but not a lot of power, everyone in atlanta is in love with him and sees him as having star potential - not sure i'm down with that but it'd be tough to part with him at this point, but i think for a guy like peavy it'd be worth it~~~

"although I'd be fine with keeping Furcal Escobar and Johnson, signing Sheets and Smoltz, and then trading for a medicore innings-eater who isn't a guaranteed injury" <-- pretty otm

Can Furcal actually play 2nd?

with esco heading to SD

First thing I thought when I heard about this

peavy might be a risky signing because of his home/road splits but even then the guy is still a superior pitcher, probably a better bet than sheets.

I wouldn't bet on Sheets staying healthy tying his shoelaces.

You'd be wasting Furcal's cannon of an arm at second.

has any season ever better pointed out how insignificant W-L records are in evaluating a pitcher than Sheets' 2004?

Year Team G GS W L IP H R ER BB K CG ERA WHIP
2004 MLW 34 34 12 14 237.0 201 85 71 32 264 5 2.70 0.98

I wouldn't bet too much on Sheets either, but I'd take my chances with two years of him over five of Burnett

whoa that looked fine before posting
dude went 12-14 with a 2.70 ERA and .98 whip in 237 innings
forgot the Brewers were that bad that recently

"I wouldn't bet too much on Sheets either, but I'd take my chances with two years of him over five of Burnett."

I'd take two years of Moyer over five of Burnett. I just have no faith that Burnett can stay healthy.

Not so fast!

Furcal renegs "gentleman's agreement" with Braves and chooses Dodgers instead:

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/8954110/Sources:-Furcal-picks-Dodgers-over-Braves

Hahaha loverly.

Frank Wren just said on “The Bill Shanks Radio Show” that a Furcal deal is now “highly unlikely.”

He sounds very frustrated. Here are some points:

*-Wren said they had an agreement. Furcal’s representatives asked them to send over a Terms Sheet. The Braves signed it and faxed it but the Dodgers never signed and returned it.

-Wren said this is the first time this has happened to him. Every time he’s sent a Terms Sheet, a deal has been done. Agent’s purposefully don’t ask teams to send Terms Sheets unless the deal is done.

-When asked to talk about Furcal’s representatives, Shanks then said he understood Wren had to be careful about not “burning bridges,” Wren promptly said “The bridge is gone.”

-Wren said Furcal told him he was excited about moving to 2B in order to return to the Braves

-Wren said Furcal was the only person on the market that the Braves would consider moving Johnson to LF for. He mentioned interest in “2 other players” but wasn’t optimistic a deal would happen.

-“Very difficult” to re-approach Peavy deal. Was offering “by far the richest package of any team out there.” “The dynamics were different in (the Peavy deal)” than anything he’s experienced(Relationship between Peavy’s agent and Towers).

-The Braves addressed Burnett’s wife’s problem with traveling. They didn’t put anything in the deal about it but let them know AmTrak and limo services are available.

-Burnett was “really excited about being a #1, leading a staff.”

-“Very limited” amount of guys that fit the bill as top of the rotation starters. The Braves are going to try to build depth and feel they have some “kids that will surprise people.”

-Lowe and Sheet are on the Braves’ list but he couldn’t comment on their level of interest.

-Wants to fill holes in rotation through free agency. They want to keep their “kids.”

-“Could get just about anybody he wanted” with Heyward and Hanson. Not going to happen though.

-“Not a good market.”*

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/sports/baseball/padres/Alleged-Beating-by-Padre-Caught-on-Tape.html

brian giles hitting his old lady, causing a miscarriage

Congratulations, Brian Giles, you are now the biggest fucking scumbag in modern baseball history!

wow what a douchebag

wow. accused and convicted just like that, eh?

God, that sounds horrible. :/

ya, it is pretty brutal if true.

bummer about Giles. I always liked that guy. now I'm glad the Braves never got him.

speaking of which, Furcal's agents are a disgrace.

Bob (Tinley Park, IL): Hey K-Law, thanks for the chat. What do you think of the Cubs signing Joey Gathright? Low OBP, kinda reminds me of Pie, so why not just keep Pie as 4th/5th OF'er?

SportsNation Keith Law: (1:09 PM ET ) Pie has actual upside, whereas Gathright just kind of stinks. And Gathright's a lousy defensive CF too.

speculation in chicago is that piniella just hates pie and wants him gone. speculation in the cubs' wardrobe office is that piniella likes pie a little too much.

they say piniella hates uh fukudome too. what's the deal with that?

::seinfeld voice::

http://www.ajc.com/braves/content/sports/braves/stories/2008/12/18/atlanta_braves_john_schuerholz.html

dude is upset

Yeah no kidding. But really so what? "Agent Is Sleazy"! Not exactly "FILM AT 11!" material there.

http://www.fannation.com/si_blogs/hot_stove/posts/33741-braves-gm-we-wont-deal-with-furcals-people-again

lol

Gammons:

The Red Sox did work out 22-year-old Junichi Tazawa, with the pitcher throwing major league baseballs. The difference between Japanese and American baseballs is even greater than the difference between balls used in college and those used in the minors and majors. This occasionally creates problems and has been a problem for Matsuzaka. Japanese baseballs are smaller and more pliable, and Matsuzaka, who has small hands, has had some problems with commanding certain pitches, so much so that Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell says, "We eventually had to eliminate two of his pitches because of the differences in the balls. Of course, what compounds the problem is that every major league team in Japan manufactures their own baseballs."

THAT IS A FUN FACT

D Cabrera to Nats, one year

good for them

http://collinbalester.mlblogs.com/collin%20burried.jpg

When Paulsen asked Ballester (sic) this week about his feelings if the Nationals sign Mark Teixeira, here's what Balester said...

"If that happens it's going to be a dream come true. That guy is a great player and if he comes to the nation's capitol, watch out, we're going to the World Series and we are winning it all. I'm calling it right now. We're playing four games in the World Series, sweep, see ya!"

(sic) on the image title, too.

shane (knoxville): from what I've heard, the Nats may be offering Teixera a 10 year deal. Would you agree with me that it is foolish to sign anyone over the age of 25 for 10 years?

SportsNation Rob Neyer: (11:57 AM ET ) Not Alex Rodriguez, necessarily. Or Willie Mays. But Mark Teixeira, who hasn't really been a *great* player during his 20s? Yeah.

I think Teixeira will likely be good player (barring injury) until the end of a 8-10 year deal (he doesn't seem to have any of those crazy decline flags i.e. he's a good athlete and he doesn't appear to have an eating disorder.) I could see this being like a slightly better version of the Giambi deal (minus years lost to cancer, cataracts and whatever other shit that dude got and w/ better 1B defense and fewer walks and strikeouts) w/ a potential MVP season or three thrown in there. Of course if he plays for the Nationals, he'll be miserable haha.

he definitely a good player, don't get me wrong - but when did he become some kind of super-star!? 10 or even 8 sounds a little ott for the guy to me.

It's sort of a collection of things I think--still in his 20s, no major injury history, hits for average and power, runs well, plays defense. He's one of a few FAs where you could reasonably say you're paying fairly for future performance, not the past work of someone who might be on the decline. He's certainly not the type of guy you'd see flaming out 5 years into an 8-year contract. His value also speaks to the lack of available really good corner players--guys like Dunn and Manny have a major drawback or two, and 2009 really only brings Matt Holliday into the FA mix for guys who could be expected to match Texeira's output.

SWITCH hits for average and power...

kinda a big deal imo

Teixeira is such a Yankee, this makes too much sense.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3790141

WHAT LUXURY TAX

http://assets.espn.go.com/i/columnists/Smith_Stephen_55.jpg
Yankees need to sign Manny -- now!
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/hotstove08/columns/story?columnist=smith_stephen&id=3789788

makes Olney look pretty dumb saying it was btwn boston/washington just this morning

haha of course.

I expect to see a certain MAN WITHOUT A TEAM to now rag ceaselessly on the mega-payrolled Yanquis for the next ten months.

man, I hope the entire rotation turns into Pavanos.

Is Nick Swisher available now?

Obvs we'll never know the full story but the Yankees just bought back their annual playoff spot, and that sucks.

Swisher is dependent upon Abreu, right?

Or Cabrera, LOL.

Fuck it -- collect 'em all, let Skipper Dogs sort it out.

whoa at this

I really like Teixeira, but I'm strangely happy about this--I'm never comfortable with the Sox committing this long to a FA. Also, makes it easier to hate the Yanks again.

:-/

I hate thinking about how old I'm gonna be when these contracts are up.

"Obvs we'll never know the full story but the Yankees just bought back their annual playoff spot, and that sucks"

I'm not so sure. Defense is still suspect and other than Teixeira and Rodriguez it's not the lineup isn't exactly packed with pop. And you are still relying on Wang, Burnett and Chamberlain to stay healthy which isn't exactly a given.

I mean it's great to say stuff like that but arguments about health aside they easily have the horses to finish 1-2 in the AL East for the foreseeable future.

I think people are forgetting how good Tampa Bay is awfully quickly.

xp: until CC's fat ass breaks down

What's the Yankees' 2009 payroll now? Are they even finished adding guys?

Not saying I'm going to lay money on the Yankees missing the playoffs next year or the year after that, but the Rays and Red Sox are good enough that it's far from a foregone conclusion as far as I'm concerned.

written this morning before the deal:

The luxury tax threshold for 2009 is $162 million. The Yankees are already at roughly $164 million for 15 players, so any dollar they spend from now on is really $1.40.

Andy Pettitte, Xavier Nady and Brian Bruney will cost roughly $16 million. Then the Yankees will have seven 0-3 service time players to sign. That’ll cost another $3-4 million.

So while it’s easy to say, “Go get Manny or Tex,” the reality is that a $150 million deal for Mark Teixeira is really a $210 million deal.

I agree w/ Alex, it could even be a 94/93/92-win donnybrook in the East

Every dollar the Yankees spend is more $$$ to the A's so good on them.

I think people are forgetting how good Tampa Bay is awfully quickly.

― Alex in SF, Tuesday, December 23, 2008 4:36 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark

^^^^ REAL TALK

I fully expect some TB regression next year, if only because you don't typically get ~30 starts each from five average or better pitchers.

You do if you have 5 (or more) average or better young pitchers.

jus' sayin it's a hard thing to do two years consecutively.

Largest contracts (total) in MLB:

#1: Alex Rodriguez, Yankees
#2: Derek Jeter, Yankees
#3: Mark Teixeira, Yankees
#4: CC Sabathia, Yankees
#5: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit

fuck the al east. fuck the fucking yankeees
why can;t it be like the premiership or somehting. let all the teams buying up all the talent be stuck in some retarded league with eachother. what a fucking shitty year to be a J's (or O's) fan.
fuck the al east right in it's ear

i'm sorry. i've been drinking.m

i stand by what i sadi tho.

said

yeah its pretty retarded, luxury tax needs to go up up up imo

who is a jays/o's fan tho?

sabathia is great, yeah, but he could break down at some point. burnett? meh. teixeira doesn't strike me as some kind of team-changing superstar, either. they gave this guy pujols money and he's closer to derrek lee imo. i'm not saying they won't do better, but i think the combined skills of these guys is a little overstated and probably not quite enough to offset the possible declines of the other players the yanks already have. they could win 89 games (though they could also win 106).

I think he's a lot better than Lee (who is a little inconsistent), but he certainly is no Pujols.

Sabathia's always a threat to rupture a manboob.

haha

Yeah Teixeira's more like a Berkman who can't and couldn't ever play outfield, minus a few walks plus a little more health.

Largest contracts (total) in MLB:

#1: Alex Rodriguez, Yankees
#2: Derek Jeter, Yankees
#3: Mark Teixeira, Yankees
#4: CC Sabathia, Yankees
#5: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit

Johan's contract is bigger than Cabrera's FWIW.

Brewers' comp draft pick for losing Sabathia slides from first to second round thanks to Yankees signing Teshera.

Johan's contract is bigger than Cabrera's FWIW.

Not according to CNNSI's image gallery!

Another dude who does not know how to pronounce "Teixeira" is Brian Sabean.

this will just make it even funnier when the rays take the division again

Supposedly Sabean's close to signing Randy Johnson...

.....

― (*ﾟーﾟ)θ L(。･＿･)　　　°~ヾ(･ε･ *) (Steve Shasta), Thursday, December 4, 2008 8:33 PM (3 weeks ago) Bookmark

.....

Hard to argue with one season of RJ in a pitcher's park. They could use some bats, but even more important is deciding if any of their outfield/1b/2b prospects are for real. That process is a lot more palatable with a strong pitching staff. They upgraded their biggest offensive weakness even if Renteria plays at 2008 levels. I think Sabean has improved the team without much investment, and the Giants could easily win the West next season given how weak everyone else is. They also could finish fifth.

I think people are forgetting how good Tampa Bay LAD are awfully quickly.

― Alex in SF, Tuesday, December 23, 2008 4:36 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark

Which is to say, they were the least wrong team in a weak division (known fact). But with Torre having his miguel cairos slowly taken away from him I can't think of a reason LAD won't be the top team.

Bold clam, poly!

Yeah, I predict they will finish between 1st and 5th! CHALLOP

I would be a little surprised if they finished fourth or fifth, though. I think the Rockies and Padres have those spots locked up.

Dusty welcomes nu-Brock(-type) Willy Taveras (two years).

blarf

PERFECT!

Sabean thinks Giants can contend in 2009, only two years to rebuild! He's a genius.

Brad Penny, Josh Bard to Boston

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3797047

lol.....

"That would be like saying Madonna sold her penthouse in Columbus Circle, so therefore that may have an impact on whether my house would sell in Danville."
—A's general manager Billy Beane, on whether the Yankees' money will have a trickle-down effect on other players.

(*ﾟーﾟ)θ L(。･＿･)　　　°~ヾ(･ε･ *)

LOL at Billy Beane for choosing to live in Danville.

it's to be closer to his daughter you heartless beast.

what is this andruw jones to the mets talk??

Just that, talk. Mets wanted to dump Castillo, Dodgers want to dump Jones but nothing happened.

Kinda interested in this Manny-Dunn brinkmanship going on with LAD. Do the Dodgers sign angry Manny, regret it, and try to get rid of him within a year? I can't see anyone else really interested in him.

it's to be closer to his daughter you heartless beast.

He should tell his daughter to live somewhere less shitty.

She lives with her mother, didn't you read moneyball dude?

I guess I didn't memorize it, and also I'm pretty sure it's been awhile since Beane wrote that book ... maybe some things have changed since then? *shrug*

and also I'm pretty sure it's been awhile since Beane wrote that book

lol

thank god: the o's have signed mark hendrickson.

lol

;-)

U GUIZE PITCHERS AND CATCHERS REPORT ON FEB 14TH. THAT'S LESS THAN 2 MONTHS AWAY

dude.

you really need to get into basketball or curling or something to keep your mind occupied.

I'm just crackin' anti-Obama jokes til then!

Oh I'm on top of the NHL just fine, but pitchers and catchers is when the year actually begins

Angels sign Fuentes. LOL Scot Shields u will never close.

Hmmph that's a pretty good deal (2yrs/$17.5M).

Mark DeRosa to Cleveland for minor league pitchers Jeff Stevens, Chris Archer, John Gaub.

Cubs also signed Aaron Miles.

Hoping the Rays or Nats get Milton Bradley.

are any of these three cleveland prospects supposed to be good? if they are i assume they will be flipped for some horrible low obp/no power CFer~

They are not.

Sounds like Jeff Moorad will be the new owner of the Padres.

DeRosa comes cheap for Indians

Friday, January 2, 2009 | Feedback | Print Entry

Posted by Keith Law
The Indians didn't quite get Mark DeRosa for free, but they got him on clearance in a post-Christmas sale. I wasn't a fan of the DeRosa signing after the 2006 season, but he increased his walk rate in Chicago, setting two consecutive career highs in both walks drawn and OBP. The power surge in 2008 is likely a mirage, but a .285/.365/.440 line is well within reason, and would make him a significant asset at second base. He's average at best defensively there, but allows Cleveland to move Asdrubal Cabrera to shortstop (his natural position, where he was a defensive wizard in the minors) and Jhonny Peralta to third base (getting him out of harm's way). The net improvement should be two wins, perhaps more if Cabrera turns out to be a plus glove at short once he's playing it every day.

None of the three arms going back to Chicago is anyone for Cleveland fans to worry about. Jeff Stevens will pitch in the majors as a middle reliever, but despite high minor league strikeout rates, his stuff is average (he'll touch 93 mph, but sits 89-92) and he doesn't have a pitch that projects to miss bats in the majors. John Gaub looked like a potential first-round pick during his sophomore year in college, but hurt his shoulder before his junior season, after which he had trouble getting on the mound and showed a marked decrease in velocity when he did pitch. He hurt his shoulder again after 2006 and his stuff is fringe-average; the high strikeout rate he showed in Lake County was as much a product of the competition, as he was three or four years older than most of the hitters he faced. Chris Archer has youth on his side, but not stuff and definitely not control. It's a package of bulk, not upside or clear big-league value, making this appear to be a salary dump for the Cubs.

A salary dump to help obtain someone who mostly DH'd last year -- only 20 games in the OF -- and still missed 30+ games.

Burrell to the Rays - $16M/2 years.

Phillies is so dumb.

yeah serious

Ibanez got 3/30, right?

LOL.

Excuse me.

RBI MACHINE Ibanez got 3/30, right.

The best thing is that this will finally take Burrell out of the outfield where he was known to have the zone rating of a statue.

Not only did they give Ibanez more, but they have to give Seattle their pick and cuz they didn't offer Burrell arb they aren't going to get the Rays. Just plain ol' incompetence.

Law just tore Phillies apart on his blog.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=3811793&name=law_keith

2B A. Iwamura (L)
CF B.J. Upton (R)
LF C. Crawford (L)
3B E. Longoria (R)
1B C. Pena (L)
DH P. Burrell (R)
RF M. Joyce (L)
C D. Navarro (S)
SS J. Bartlett (R)

Milton Bradley to the Cubbies.

$30M/3 years.

How long before a fist-fight breaks out in the Cubbies dugout?

fukuplatoon

so who's going to get pie?

http://i42.tinypic.com/2m4atjo.jpg

"so who's going to get pie?"

Wait who is the Cubs CF?

Fukudome

I thought he couldn't play center. Isn't that why they signed Edmonds?

It's only speculation, of course, but I've read that he could possibly platoon in center and play some right.

Anyone recall the last time Bradley did something more violent than slam an empty water bottle into concrete or (attempt to) get in someone's face?

Well he tried to go after a booth guy this year and had to be restrained by teammates.

There were scattered reports of domestic violence with his wife in Long Beach in 2005(?) but the whole situation was kind of muddled and didn't seem like either party was without blame.

you guys need to leave milton bradley alone. you would be angry as hell too if your folks named you that shit. his anger at the world is justifiable, his hatred of jeff kent laudable:
http://www.baynews9.com/content/40/2005/8/24/114736.html

Jason Giambi to Oakland: $5M/1yr with a 1 yr club option.

Carl Pavano to Cleveland: $1.5M/1yr w/ incentives.

Scott Proctor to Florida: $1M/1yr

Colorado trades Luis Vizcaino to Cubbies for Jason Marquis and cash.

Phillies sign Chan-Ho Park for $2.5/1yr plus incentives.

Not sure I understand the Giambi deal, but it's for peanuts so really who cares.

Phillies again making the worst deal of the five haha.

Are the A's just demoting Barton to AAA or is Giambi the DH and Cust staying in LF? Or are all three just bopping around until one of 'em gets injured? They are lefties too so it's not like you can even get some platoon shit going with 'em.

you guys need to leave milton bradley alone. you would be angry as hell too if your folks named you that shit.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=1574709&type=story

For all the board-game jokes about his name, the way he got it isn't one. Charlina Rector dated a man named Milton Bradley in the late 1970s but says she broke off their engagement because she claims he was hooked on cocaine. When she gave birth to their son in April 1978, she was still unconscious when Bradley filled out the birth certificate without her permission. He wanted a Junior, and made damn sure he got one.

Andy TOM, Alex can you fill out what the A's opening day lineup card would look like?

C Suzuki
1B Barton
2B Ellis
SS Crosby (sigh)
3B Chavez
CF Buck/Cunningham
RF Holliday
LF Cust
DH Giambi

I guess. Or maybe this.

C Suzuki
1B Giambi
2B Ellis
SS Crosby (sigh)
3B Chavez
CF Cunningham
RF Holliday
LF Buck
DH Cust

Milton Bradley is awesome.

yay! o's signed koji. 2/10 mill. incentives could take the deal to 2/16.

Alex, I just threw a phone across the room, Hal McCrae stylee after reading that bit on Bradley's name. See?

http://i27.tinypic.com/28akex2.jpg

real talk

http://imgs.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2009/01/07/ba-sinkhole_0499631653.jpg

Oakland Athletics' new designated hitter Jason Giambi, right, leans on the shoulder of A's general manager Billy Beane after Beane said the returning Giambi is like marrying his first wife again, who he has a great relationship with. The pair along with team manager Bob Geren spoke at a press conference in Oakland, Calif., Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009. (Lance Iversen / The Chronicle)

Hoffman to the Brewcrew $6M/1yr

That's a lot more money than I would think he should get.

Dodgers still don't have a closer.

Hoffman's had lower ERA/WHIP/BAA than K-Rod for the past 3 seasons...

I agree with most of your thoughts and opinions but you have a weird stance on closers that I don't understand. Is it WXRL related?

it doesn't really matter what a guy gets if it's just a one year deal, does it?

"Hoffman's had lower ERA/WHIP/BAA than K-Rod for the past 3 seasons..."

Park and league adjusted?

YOU TELL ME I'M NOT A BP SUBSCRIBER!!!

HOLY FUCKING SHIT SMOLTZ ON THE SAWKS I AM SO FURIOUS RN

WHAT THE FUCK!!!!!!!!!

"I agree with most of your thoughts and opinions but you have a weird stance on closers that I don't understand. Is it WXRL related?"

I'm generally against paying a lot of money for dudes pitching one inning. $6M isn't a lot of money, it just happens to be more than I thought a 41 year old declining closer would get (esp. considering how cheaply Burrell and Giambi have been obtained.)

i guess lowe is visiting atl today but who cares ;_;

"YOU TELL ME I'M NOT A BP SUBSCRIBER!!!"

He's worth a lot less PRAA over the last three years than Rodriguez and he's like 14 years older. So I'd say yeah he's not better.

John Smoltz has pitched his entire major league career with the Atlanta Braves, but he is on the verge of a deal with the Boston Red Sox, according to sources.
lastname
Smoltz

Smoltz, 41, has pitched in 708 games for the Braves, winning 210 games and earning 154 saves. He has been been rehabilitating his shoulder since having surgery last season, and there have been reports that the has made excellent progress.

Smoltz's departure from Atlanta would come in a winter in which the Braves have struggled to fill holes in their rotation; Atlanta was unable to land Jake Peavy, after extensive trade talks, and was unable to sign free agent A.J. Burnett.

Boston's proposed deal with Smoltz is for $5.5 million in base salary, and $5 million in incentives.

Shocked the Braves couldn't/wouldn't match that.

this shit is pretty fucking strange cankles

Although I guess now they are saying Smoltz won't pitch until June so maybe it makes sense.

http://www.sabernomics.com/sabernomics/index.php/2009/01/so-long-smoltz/

Jeff (Detroit): You wrote recently that you liked the Penny signing in Boston. How about today's rehab acquisition, John Smoltz? Did the Braves have any business trying to keep him by giving him a guaranteed $5 million? I'm thinking no.

SportsNation Keith Law: (1:06 PM ET ) I agree. That's a lot of scratch for a guy who probably can't pitch until June, and who knows what he'll be at that point. It's fine for Boston - add four more Monster seats and Smoltz is paid for - but most clubs can't roll that particular pair of dice.

Keith Law: (1:09 PM ET ) OK, it's great to see many of you posting questions via your phones, but if u use txt msg spelling im not answering ur ?s u drks.

boston maybe got him for postseason clutchitude

Yeah I was sorta hoping Smoltz'd get a homecoming in Detroit, but it wasn't really possible.

Rocco Baldelli also to the Red Sox $.5M/1 year but could escalate up to $1.75M conditionally.

You know who made one million more than Trevor Hoffman will make this year (incentives excepted)? Todd Jones.

made = made last season

Yeah but last season was last season.

Todd Jones WAS TODD JONES

Todd Jones WAS TODD JONES

― Andy K, Thursday, January 8, 2009 1:20 PM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

this is tough to argue with

Yes, but he wrote for Yahoo!

I would rather have Trevor Hoffman for $6M this year than Todd Jones for any amount of money basically last year.

Blogging for YardBarker > writing for Yahoo!, The Sporting News

The Boogeyman: Before going to sleep at night, I check under the bed for Jim Rice. He's *that* feared.

SportsNation Keith Law: (1:22 PM ET ) I check under the bed for Dan Shaughnessy. Mostly because he's weird.

I wonder what Shasta thinks is the best pitchers' park in the majors?

James (WI): Can Hoffman struggle through one more season or will the move from Petco finish 'em off?

SportsNation Keith Law: I think the move from Petco is going to result in a lot of action in Miller Park bleachers.

Hoffman's numbers at Miller Park:

Appearances: 11
Saves: 8
Innings Pitched: 11.1
Earned Runs: 2
Home runs: 1
BB:K: 4:19
ERA: 1.59
WHIP: 1.32
BAA: .239

YES I KNOW IT'S ONLY 11 APPEARANCES BUT HEY HE PROBABLY WILL ONLY HAVE 25-35 APPEARANCES IN ONE SEASON AT HOME ANYWAYS.

The main problem for me about the Hoffman signing is that the Brewers are not going to be competitive this year, and having Hoffman around is arguably a waste of resources. They should spend that money on someone who isn't infinity years old.

On the other hand, he provides a valuable Veteran Presence.

tell me again why the brewers won't be competitive again?

these are the same brewers that ended a 26 year playoff drought last year with a young team, right?

They lost their two best pitchers would be the main reason, I would think.

I mean, I guess they could compete, but I think they'll struggle to keep up with the Cubs or the AL East's wild card candidate.

shit, they only had Sabathia for half the season and I'm not sure they played any better with him (remember they nose-dived for almost an entire month down the stretch and what's his face lost his job?)

also, Sheets is definitely not coming back?

I am not so quick to write these guys off...

They certainly still have most of the guys who played well in the first half (Sheets being the notable exception), but they also still have all of the guys who stunk in the second half (and who stunk in the second half the previous year). Sabathia was brilliant.

I'm not saying I am writing them off either. Just saying if you were looking for a reason to write them off that would be a pretty good one.

If Bill James' predictions are right, I think the Brewers have a decent shot. Could just be that the NL Central will be full of surprises this year.

Takashi Saito to the Red Sox $2M/1yr. but could escalate to $7.5M with incentives.

ffs - remind me again what free agents haven't signed with either the Sox or Yanks?

NYY: CC Sabathia, Mark Teixiera, AJ Burnett = $423.5 million. Also Nick Swisher = $21 million over the next three years if he doesn't get traded.

BOS: Takashi Saito, Brad Penny, Rocco Baldelli and John Smoltz for a total of a guaranteed $14.75 million (max: $30M w/ all incentives reached) and resigned Mark Kotsay to a one-year $1.5 million dollar contract.

That 15.25M - 30M is for roleplayers (What are you HONESTLY expecting out of Penny and a half-seasons' worth of John Smoltz)... which is what you SHOULD be paying...

Boston bought a shitload of lottery tickets this off-season.

yeah, Boston really should overhaul their team who nearly made it to the WS last year... ???

Why wouldn't they want role-players?

They do kinda have the other stuff covered.

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=506523

commit to it

I'd rather the Mets pay Oliver Perez, so go Braves

seems alot for the man.

^statement could prolly follow 99% of FA signings, i know.

Dont know how I would feel about paying Lowe 15 million for when hes 40. I doubt the man has the brain power to succeed with diminished stuff.

Panic move by ATL after the Smoltz backlash. Not a good offseason for them.

I'd rather the Mets pay Oliver Perez, so go Braves

― Dr Morbius, Tuesday, January 13, 2009 10:32 AM (5 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

really? you'd rather have another 4-5 years of bad ollie/good ollie drama than the best starter on the market?

braves also signed kenshin kawakami, who i know nothing about but i guess he will be the third or fourth starter

atl entered the offseason needing reliable innings-eater types (rotation at end of season: jair jurrjens and 4 douchebags), which is what they got in lowe and javy. i'm not stoked about the signing but it's a solid one.

yeah i get that but if i'm ATL and have limited resources i would have taken gambles on a Smoltz return + someone else rather than throw 60 mil at D-Lowe (though he'll be great for a couple of those 4 years no question).

i can't really argue with that, but maybe they also saw it as worth their while to keep him off the mets

"great"

Makes me happy:

While the Braves prepared to introduce Japanese pitcher Kenshin Kawakami as the newest member of their starting rotation, they also signed utilityman Omar Infante to a two-year, $4.325 million contract Monday that includes a third-year club option in 2011.

Infante played five positions for Atlanta in 2008 and hit .293 with 30 extra-base hits and 40 RBIs in 317 at-bats, including .300 with 29 RBIs in 55 games after the All-Star break. In 26 games at third base, the veteran hit .347 with a .918 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS).

He led Braves regulars with a .341 average with runners in scoring position. Infante would have been eligible for free agency after the 2009 season.

Lowe should be good for ATL if the defense is solid. My main beef with him as a Dodger fan was that something bad would happen to him like an error of some sort and the guy would completely fucking lose it. That and he also had this amazing ability to get absolutely zero run support. I remember he threw a great CG against the Marlins in 07 and lost 2-0 to Sergio friggin Mitre.

atl's infield defense is excellent aside from KJ at 2nd; i've been saying since the end of the 08 season that they should consider swapping KJ and infante. kels was pretty brutal in the field last year and infante is a natural middle infielder. KJ's bat loses some value in LF (where he's played before) and he probably wouldn't appreciate the move since he's put a lot of work into becoming a second baseman, but if they're both gonna be regulars (not clear w/infante) then you might as well put them in positions where they can prevent the most runs~~

http://www.accessatlanta.com/living/content/shared-blogs/ajc/social/entries/2009/01/12/foxworthy_on_smoltz.html

jeff foxworthy is FUCKING FURIOUS WITH YOU frank wren!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://alt.coxnewsweb.com/shared-blogs/ajc/social/upload/2008/10/smoltz_on_smoltz/johnandjefffinal.jpg

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/01/dodgers-to-rele.html

8:29pm: Several e-mailers have pointed out that Andruw Jones is in attendance at the Duke-Georgia Tech men's basketball game and is wearing an Atlanta Braves hat. Interesting, eh?

7:46pm: According to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com, the Dodgers are expected to officialy release Andruw Jones Thursday morning.

The worst thing about the Padres' pursuit of David Eckstein is that they can actually use him.

tragic lolz

dude was losing playing time to Marco Scutaro and John McDonald in T. fer crisakes!

That's because he made them better.

Marco Scutaro and John McDonald also would be upgrades.

That's because he made them better.

uh, like in a Heroes power-absorbing kind of way?

The writers got that idea from watching Eckstein, obv.

Michael Young agrees to shut up and play 3b:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=3837793&name=Neyer_Rob

i always forget that he is 32.

Michael Young: Winning baseball

Michael Young always forgets that he is 32 and has one of the fattest albatross contracts in MLB.

what's his contract like?

disturbing.

Worst contract ever.

enabled by Gold Glove he didnt deserve, they say

well... i lets not go crazy here. mlb does love its albatross contracts.

xpost

Naw they gave him the contract prior to the GG. His resistance to moving off SS was enabled by giving him the GG.

Worst contract recently.

i'm thinking it's time for a poll!

xpost again

Most unnecessary contact ever?

i think aj's, within a year or two, will make young's look like a steal!

WOW how did i miss that Young signed that??

WILL ONE OF YOU DICKS QUOTE THE CONTRACT

They had him signed til the end of next year I think and then extended it another four years after that. For like $80M.

hahahaha $16 mil annually from this year through 2013.

Come on now, there's Zito's deal, now and forever or four more years, which ever comes first.

Hah Giants are so dumb.

felix pie is now an oriole~

feel sorry for him that he goes from batting .223 in the NL Central and into the AL East. :[

What is Baltimore going to do w/ Pie? Where are they going to put him?

Ah. O's say LF...

the next corey patterson?

Cards getting an earful from fans
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/hotstove08/columns/story?columnist=crasnick_jerry&id=3846058

"The fan base seems angry,'' St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz wrote earlier this month. "On the talk shows and in the blogosphere, where the rage bubbles into a rapid boil, there's chatter of a boycott, of customers giving up their season tickets. They question the commitment to winning. They are tired of excuses. They won't spend another dollar until things change."

These fucking fans

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/01/arbitration-fig.html

latest arb figures

cards fans sound like some damn babbies to me

i don't really know what they expected. signing ben sheets would placate them? great, that'll go well.

C'mon -- they're going on their THIRD consecutive season without winning a World Series.

umm its because we were told ownership needed a new stadium to remain competitive. they got it and payroll has flatlined. and because management has talked about keeping "dry powder" available when other teams are signing FA's so they can pounce later, except that never happens. and because they constantly bemoan how they came in a close 2nd on their bids for people like A.J. Burnett. And because we're told getting a closer and left-handed relief is the first priority but they can't offer Fuentes more then 2 years, and then its "oh, we are comfortable with what we have." and because they don't even make an offer to Aaron Miles who has basically saved their middle infield from being a total disaster these last 2 years. and because ownership is now crying that the economy is going soft and they project attendance to fall, none of which should effect how they operate currently.

mostly though, people on talk radio and message boards bitch about everything. we'll still pull way more fans then any city of comparable size ;)

Cards fans (no offense bnw) are babies, but so are fans of every sports team.

Cards fans should rejoice everyday that they got Pujols for $100M/7yrs.

klaw's prospect and farm rankings released today

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=law_keith&id=3848691
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=law_keith&id=3840355