2009/2010 HOT STOVE

singings, re-singings, deals, steals, chemical peels...

Giambi wants to stay in Colorado. It's great he loves the club, and he's certainly made a good impression (if you can conveniently forget *stuff*). But his mini-renaissance surely screams DH, no? He can't want to finish his career as a pinch hitter when there's more in the tank? Maybe there isn't any more in the tank.

Hoffman is going to come back to Milwuakee and has an option for 2011.

He only had 20 AB in September, and Helton isn't going anywhere. Seems like a weird fit.

But he hit the cover off the ball as a Rockie, so maybe being a pinch hitter is a good role for him at this stage in his career. Like Matt Stairs or something.

These threads are not permitted during the postseason.

-Bud Selig

Uh yeah anyways, Freddy Garcia was resigned by Chicago today.

last week from Perrotto:

An interesting piece of trade speculation that keeps coming up is that the Cubs will send Milton Bradley to the Rays for Pat Burrell in a swap of disappointing free-agent outfielders, with Chicago picking up the $15 million difference in what is left on the players' contracts. The Padres, Giants, and Athletics are also possible destinations for Bradley if the Cubs put a large sum of a cash in a deal

Burrell would play RF in Chicago?

That would be one ugly fielding outfield - Soriano, Fukudome, & Burrell.

I cant believe the Mariners got out of that Johjima contract.. Pretty good news for them.

Rick (Jacket) Peterson is the new Milwaukee pitching coach

sounds like Jed Hoyer is gonna be the new GM of the Padres.

should i know the name?

AGM of the Sox

bobby v interviewing w/ clevo tomorrow

Rockies have resigned GM Dan O'Dowd. Everyone's pretty happy with that.

How about re-signing Tracy?

I think that's a fait accompli. Not sure I want him to get a multi-year deal, because I think much of his success was based on inheriting an incredibly stable line-up. When things became less stable - roster expansion, injuries, pressure - he became the micro-manager of reputation and while some of his decisions were good, he over-thought to the point of playing far from the best team against the Phillies because of their lefty starters.

Next season I will be amazed if the Rox don't regress in some areas - Cargo, De La Rosa, Tulo will be hard pressed to perform as well as they did this season, we're bound to have more first choices out through injury, and we're likely to shift a few players who've been key parts in recent success (Hawpe, Atkins (RIP), Marquis). However, I think we're a good unit and with a bit of luck as well as good training and management, we could be knocking on the door of 90 wins next season. What could prevent that is an improvement in our NL West rivals - the Dodgers may also regress but the Pads and the Dbacks can only get stronger and if SF sorts out its offence they'll be a danger.

I see Tracy's success just being a product of his teams talent and Hurdle finding a way to fuck it up. I had to endure the 2005 Dodgers under Tracy so I kinda hate his damn guts. I like the Rox more if they start Ianetta, Smith and Stewart regularly. Is Hawpe still under contract? Could they ship him out for some rotation insurance?

tracy was KILLED, totally killed, when the bucs fired him iirc. mark c otm about him inheriting a good situation.

Was Tracy manager when DePodesta was GM? I remember that being the front lines of the Moneyball debate iirc.

Yeah he was. Granted the main debate for the 05 Dodgers was whether to start Antonio Perez (traded to A's, proceeded to hit .100 and disappear from baseball) and Hee Seop Choi (rip) over Jason Phillips and Oscar Robles but goddamn what a miserable season.

Sample late 2005 lineup:

Jayson Werth (lol)
Oscar Robles
Jeff Kent
Jason Phillips/Olmedo Saenz
Jose Cruz Jr
Edwards (?)
Dioner Navarro
Jason Repko
Brad Penny

Hee Seop in your perfume!

haha mindmeld on this thread and the revived DePo lolstalgia thread.

joakimsoria off season is good but sometimes is boring

Acta to be an Indian and now it's a...

glad he ended up there and not in houston who wont be much better than the nats pretty soon

Pat Lackey informs us that a Cardinals source confirmed to Fanhouse's Ed Price that Mark McGwire has been hired to replace Hal McRae as the St. Louis hitting coach.

no wai

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/10/bad-contract-swap-meet.html

I wonder where Bradley will end up.

brad mills (redsox bench coach) to manage astros from what i hear

The Cubs have a headache in Milton Bradley. The Blue Jays have a burdensome contract that belongs to Vernon Wells. With that in mind, the Toronto Sun reports the two teams are talking a trade that would amount to an exchange of each other's problems.

"It's early on, but we think this one has some legs," a Cubs official told the Sun.

lolcubs

this is a no-win situation for both teams

from MLBTR:

... a Cubs source "quickly responded to the report by saying the rumor has 'no legs at all,' adding the team has not discussed the possibility of bringing Wells to the North Side."

i also saw something that should delight Barry - Cito is going to step down as the Js coach after 2010.

this is a no-win situation for both teams

I think you mean AWESOME SITUATION FOR THE JAYS.

Can you imagine Soriano and Wells in the same outfield? The most LOLarific contracts standing next to each other every night?

Counting the days until Cito is gone ... after 2010? Why not can his ass right now? I guess the new GM doesn't want to make a bunch of drastic moves right away.

not sure if you'll like where he's headed tho...

i guess the cubs outfield where be pretty loriffic if that were to happen. you could spend an entire game sitting in left field listing off nations with gdps less than the Cubbies outfield!

if the cubs do that trade, they can fuck right off imo. i would rather have bradley any day of the week.

Enough of this celebration bullshit.

Kenny Williams, what are you on?

kotsay!

AND Teahen for Getz and Fields.

wait what.

plz provide details or links

I was going by the Sun-Times, but there's this now:

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091105&content_id=7626428

Angels gave Abreu 2 years with option for 2012. Terms not yet available.

http://twitter.com/ed_price/status/5458707361

Teahen knew nothing about it Thursday morning as he headed to work out at the Royals' complex in Surprise, Ariz.

SURPRISE!

marlins trade hermida to the sox for two minor league LHP

(red) sox

Shocking development! Lincecum cited for pot possession!

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/giants/detail?entry_id=51102&tsp=1

Pretty weak cheese considering he wasnt going very fast and didnt have that much weed. I would rather he have gotten caught going 100 mph with a pound of weed.

It'll stunt your growth, little duder.

not around the midsection

damn at Hermida to Sox. even though he's kinda stalled out I kept hoping the Braves would bring him home. kinda like the opposite of the Francoeur disaster.

yeah he's a big walk guy so he fits w the sox philosophy. his power numbers were pretty disappointing & he's a pretty lousy fielder. also has some mental issues, but maybe moving to the sox will clear his head a bit.

jeremy hermida's babip, 2006-2009: .309 .353 .310 .309

HMMMMMMM

when the guy gets hot he is GOOD, really the problem is that he's a high k/high walk guy, so those babip numbers don't add up to much

so he's a high k/high walk guy with no power?

lol, yes

awes!

but i mean, if he can cut down on Ks (this will happen if he doesn't see lefties) then his value obv increases. his power numbers probably won't get any better in fenway though since he's a lefty

yeah looks like all his power is to right.

his lefty righty splits are pretty dramatic

L: .189/.289/.311
R: .282/.368/.418

and for what it looks like they gave up, i think it's a pretty good trade for the sox - small risk

at worst it's chris duncan part 2 and there's no harm in that

The #Twins have traded CF Carlos Gomez to the #Brewers for SS J.J. Hardy. #stribtwins

http://twitter.com/JoeCStrib/status/5483216750

Poor C1bula.

sweet deal

Teahen for Getz/Fields now a done deal, according to MLB Trade Rumors.

damn was hoping the sox would get hardy

looks like a good deal for the Twins to me.

NYT's Shpigel:

The Mets — remember them? — do not plan to exercise their $9.1 million option on J.J. Putz — remember him? — and will pay him a $1 million buyout.

Elias rankings are out:

http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/09/free-agent-compensation-rankings-released/

Only surprise that sticks out to me is Vlad Guerrero being a type B.

someone is really going to have to relinquish a first round pick if they want to sign kevin gregg?

and a sandwich pick if someone picks up lolfernando tatis

Some of these mediocre type a middle relievers are going to get totally hosed money wise. The only really good one on the list is Betancourt.

"money wise" wtf does that mean.

I guess in a way theyre not getting hosed. I guess if youre a member of the MLBPA you would be..

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/10346028/Sources:-Bradley-being-discussed-in-3-way-deal

CHICAGO - The idea, while described as a longshot, is at least one way for the Cubs to trade outfielder Milton Bradley.

Bradley to the Blue Jays. First baseman Lyle Overbay to the Mets. Second baseman Luis Castillo to the Cubs.

Cito + Milton = ??????????????????

= Js looking for another new GM a lot sooner than expected.

"and a sandwich pick if someone picks up lolfernando tatis"

No one is offering Tatis arb.

Or Kevin Gregg for that matter.

http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/hardball/yankees_could_deal_for_tigers_granderson_ihbBrkhw4ntvdRpbuw2iJJ

URL might be short a few #&$^#*($&^#$&*(^@#s.

oh god no

Griffey staying with the Mariners for one more season...

Granderson hit just .183/.245/.239 against LHP this year, the second time in three years he failed to crack even a .500 OPS against southpaws.

Thanks, KLaw.

An intelligent trade with a different team might be acceptable.

Thanks, KLaw.

:)

I had no idea he was so bad against lefties.

He SORTA turned it around in 2008 (.259/.310/.429) but fell back again in 2009. He is "just bunt, dude"-bad against lefties.

from BP:

The Phillies have to decide on whether to pick up a $5 million option on third baseman Pedro Feliz. If they don't, don't be surprised if they go after Adrian Beltre—a marvelous defender—or even Florida's Dan Uggla, who would provide pop, if not a Gold Glove at the hot corner.

Francona talks Plan L, Plan M, Plan N...

http://fullcount.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/2009/11/18/terry-francona-on-dale-holley/

Perrotto:

"It appears the Mets are indeed going to be major players in the market this winter, as they plan to target Holliday to play left field, with Jason Bay their second option, and Chone Figgins, who would move from third base if signed, being their fall-back if they land neither of the sluggers. They also are expected to make aggressive bids on right-handers John Lackey and Joel Pineiro."

Your thoughts?

pls dont give pineiro any $ just cuz u guys cant ever hit him

are the mets going to outspend the yankees this year?

hopefully not on matsui

I am not at all crazy about Bay or Pineiro, but I can't see Holliday or Figgins not helping the Mets (tho Chone's value is less if he's in the OF).

Omar Vizquel: on the White Sox

youth movement in full swing on the south side

put cal ripken at 3rd imo

Bring back Charlie Hough

Oh man I am on THE EDGE OF MY SEAT.

Grilli tweets, "Well it is official. I am signing with my 7th team. Can you guess? Drum roll please! Will let ya know when I am able."

If, as it appears from Grilli's comment, this is his seventh different team, that rules out the Giants, Marlins, White Sox, Tigers, Rockies and Rangers.

Great detective work by MLBTR, too.

anyone want me to post klaw's top 50 FAs?

sure

i'll help out canks and get it started:

Rank Player
1 Matt Holliday
Age: 29 Bats: R Throws: R
Position: Left field
'09 team: St. Louis Cardinals Status: Free agent (Type A)

2009 STATS

* GM156
* HR24
* RBI109
* R94
* OBP.394
* SLG.515
* AVG.313

Holliday's stint in St. Louis didn't end on a good note, and if he leaves for more lucrative pastures, his legacy in Missouri might revolve around the missed catch that cost the Cardinals a win in the NLDS. Before that, however, he had re-established his place as a top hitter after reverting to his 2008 setup at the plate and getting away from American League pitching. AL hurlers found what the Red Sox had discovered in 2007 -- you can beat Holliday with good velocity, and he'll chase a lot of sliders, although he can crush a bad slider as well as any power hitter. He's moderately patient with good coverage on the outer half and, of course, has plus raw power, particularly to left-center. He's 16 months younger than Jason Bay and a better left fielder, although he looks extremely awkward out there and memories of his NLDS flub will haunt any general managers thinking of signing him, but he and Bay are the only impact bats on the market and will be paid accordingly.

Rank Player
2 Jason Bay
Age: 31 Bats: R Throws: R
Position: Left field
'09 team: Boston Red Sox Status: Free agent (Type A)

2009 STATS

* GM151
* HR36
* RBI119
* R103
* OBP.384
* SLG.537
* AVG.267

Bay is the best overall hitter on the market this winter, with more offensive potential than Matt Holliday but less defensive value. Bay is extremely patient and has shown he can hit American League pitching, including good fastballs; he's actually much worse against changeups. He has plus pull power and could have 40-homer potential in a park friendly to right-handed power hitters, such as Minute Maid. Bay is not a good defensive left fielder, although Fenway Park has made many left fielders look worse than they actually are, both for scouts and in defensive metrics. I don't believe Bay is worst-in-the-majors or unplayable in left; he's below average, but does enough with his bat to compensate. Hitters with strong secondary skills can provide value even in years in which their batting averages drop because of bad luck on balls in play, and Bay's patience and power make him a very good bet to live up to expectations.

Rank Player
3 John Lackey
Age: 31 Bats: R Throws: R
Position: Starting pitcher
'09 team: Los Angeles Angels Status: Free agent (Type A)

2009 STATS

* GM27
* IP176.1
* W11
* L8
* BB47
* K139
* ERA3.83

Lackey is the only bona fide No. 1 starter on the market this offseason; although others have the capacity to pitch at that level, they're all either hurt, struggled in 2009 or lack a major league track record. That, and the perpetual demand for high-quality starting pitching, should give Lackey a healthy market even if teams remain reluctant to spend on free agents. He throws four pitches but works primarily with his fastball, curve and slider. The fastball is 91-94 mph with some riding tail, although I've seen him cut a 92 mph fastball, as well. The slider is 83-85 with good tilt and some depth; it's better than his curveball, an upper 70s pitch with good depth, which he prefers to the slider. Lackey is big and well-built with easy velocity and commands all three of his main pitches. The one negative on his résumé is minor arm trouble that limited him to 51 starts over the past two years, which would make me hesitant to pay him like a 33-start workhorse, even though he's built like one and was that guy from his 2002 debut until 2008.

Rank Player
4 Joel Pineiro
Age: 31 Bats: R Throws: R
Position: Starting pitcher
'09 team: St. Louis Cardinals Status: Free agent (Type B)

2009 STATS

* GM32
* IP214.0
* W15
* L12
* BB27
* K105
* ERA3.49

Pineiro had about as good a platform year as any pitcher on the market, but every team will be wondering how real his one-year improvement was -- and whether he can maintain it away from Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan. Pineiro remade himself this year as a ground-ball machine, leading the majors in GB percentage, while showing 70 control, walking just 3 percent of the hitters he faced in the regular season. He throws mostly fastballs and sinkers, mixing in some fringy secondary pitches (sliders and curves with the occasional changeup) when he gets to two strikes, but nothing he throws is going to miss a ton of bats. He succeeds by avoiding free passes and keeping the ball on the ground and in the park, which is a good way to pitch 'til you're 40 if you can keep it up.

Rank Player
5 Aroldis Chapman
Age: 21 Bats: L Throws: L
Position: Starting pitcher
'09 team: Cuban national team Status: Free agent

2009 WBC STATS

* GM2
* IP6.1
* W0
* L1
* BB4
* K8
* ERA5.68

Chapman is the wild card of the free-agent market, as his track record is largely unknown, he has barely thrown for clubs since defecting and he is represented by agents who haven't handled a free agent of this magnitude before. When Chapman is on, he'll show No. 1 starter stuff, with a fastball in the mid-90s (and yes, as high as 101 mph) with good tail and a mid-80s slider that will show plus with legitimate tilt, although the latter pitch isn't consistent. He does have a soft changeup, but he lacks feel for it and pushes it out of his hand rather than selling it with good arm speed. His command isn't good, and he's more thrower than pitcher, with a very loose arm that makes the velocity come out easily. Since defecting, he has worked on his body, and scouts who've seen him recently say he's stronger and in better overall shape. He might be a No. 1 starter; he might be an ace closer; he might be a mountain of frustration. Is that worth $60 million? Or the fourth- or fifth-biggest contract of the offseason? Not to me, but he's worth some eight-figure amount because of the almost limitless upside.

Rank Player
6 Andy Pettitte
Age: 37 Bats: L Throws: L
Position: Starting pitcher
'09 team: New York Yankees Status: Free agent (Type B)

2009 STATS

* GM32
* IP194.2
* W14
* L8
* BB76
* K148
* ERA4.16

Pettitte's status as a free agent the past few offseasons has been a bit of a formality, as he has indicated each time that he'll pitch for the Yankees or retire. Pettitte would find a very active market for his services if he were willing to open it up to other teams. Pettitte's bread-and-butter pitch is a cutter, and he varies the degree of cut, throwing some almost-straight fastballs and cutting other pitches to the extent that they're more like sliders. He also throws a two-plane curveball, a little soft, but one he can drop under a left-handed hitter's hands or backdoor to a righty. He is 37, his control took a step backward this year, and he missed a start in September with a sore shoulder, all red flags for teams considering signing him, but he's also very likely to sign a one-year deal, limiting the team's risk, with the upside that he'll pitch as a midrotation starter who can approach 200 innings.

Rank Player
7 Randy Wolf
Age: 33 Bats: L Throws: L
Position: Starting pitcher
'09 team: Los Angeles Dodgers Status: Free agent (Type A)

2009 STATS

* GM34
* IP214.1
* W11
* L7
* BB58
* K160
* ERA3.23

I've been ranking Wolf highly on these lists for several years now, since he's always a free agent, but even though 2009 was the year I'd been waiting for, I'm not that optimistic about his repeating it. Wolf throws four pitches but has just two that matter -- his fringe-average four-seamer, which he locates very well, and a sharp two-plane curveball that he doesn't throw as often as he should. He's a fly-ball pitcher who relies on getting hitters to chase pitches out of the zone; it's an approach that works in a pitchers' park, and probably works better in the National League. He's fully healthy, throwing more than 400 innings the past two years, and his command and control are well above average, so he has value, but he's much more of a No. 4 starter than a No. 2.

Rank Player
8 Orlando Hudson
Age: 31 Bats: B Throws: R
Position: Second base
'09 team: Los Angeles Dodgers Status: Free agent (Type A)

2009 STATS

* GM149
* HR9
* RBI62
* R74
* OBP.357
* SLG.417
* AVG.283

Teams in need of a second baseman will compare Hudson to Felipe Lopez. Lopez offers a better glove, but Hudson has a stronger track record and lacks Lopez's reputation for a fringy work ethic. Hudson has improved his plate discipline since leaving Toronto, enough that he's an offensive asset for his position, and he has become a good enough switch-hitter that a manager doesn't have to platoon him. Hudson has become quite overrated with the glove; he's good on popups but isn't anything special on ground balls, although he's flashy and plays with energy, making it appear as if he's a better fielder than he actually is. One disturbing trend: Hudson became a pretty severe ground-ball hitter this year, and although he was never a big power hitter, he posted his worst isolated power rate since 2003. It could be an early sign of an overall decline at the plate.

Rank Player
9 Felipe Lopez
Age: 29 Bats: B Throws: R
Position: Second base
'09 team: Milwaukee Brewers Status: Free agent (Type B)

2009 STATS

* GM151
* HR9
* RBI57
* R88
* OBP.383
* SLG.427
* AVG.310

Lopez's season was a blend of ability, luck and situation, and probably put him in line for a solid multiyear contract just a year after he had to settle for a one-year deal with Arizona, which traded him to Milwaukee only to have him go bananas for the Brewers from day one (he was 4-for-4 in his first day with Milwaukee). Lopez, a top-10 pick by Toronto in 1998, has always had ability, with good bat speed and pitch recognition, but the raw power he flashed in his 20s is gone. He's now a batting average/on-base guy who can play an average to slightly above average second base, eschewing power for contact and improving his walk rate after the trade. (Someone probably should put a little cement in his shoes, however, as he's 14-for-28 on stolen base attempts over the past two years.) He was a little lucky on balls in play in 2009, meaning he's not likely to hit .310 again in 2010, but a .290/.365/.410 line is certainly within reach and would make him a valuable bat at second base.

Rank Player
10 Noel Arguelles
Age: 19 Bats: L Throws: L
Position: Starting pitcher
'09 team: None Status: Free agent

Arguelles defected from the Cuban junior national team with current Red Sox prospect Jose Iglesias in the summer of 2008 and is just now at the point that he's ready and able to sign with a major league team. Arguelles is 19 and already pitches with a solid-average fastball, although before he defected he had worked as high as 91-94 and probably will return there once he's throwing on a regular schedule again. His changeup projects better than his curveball, with the change a potentially plus pitch. What everyone notices about Arguelles is his body -- loose, lean, athletic, with good projection; his new agents took him underground for a few weeks to get him back into playing shape, and the results definitely have impressed. If he were an American high school or junior college player, he'd be a solid first-rounder with a chance to be a top-10 guy and probably would be a $4 million bonus baby. As a free agent, he should easily double that.

is piniero at #4 remotely justifiable?

Rank Player
11 Chone Figgins
Age: 31 Bats: B Throws: R
Position: Third base
'09 team: Los Angeles Angels Status: Free agent (Type A)
Chone Figgins

2009 STATS

* GM158
* HR5
* RBI54
* R114
* OBP.395
* AVG.298
* SB42

Figgins had a huge walk year, and because he also does a lot of "little" things well, like bunt, run and play hard, he's destined to be overpaid this offseason. Yes, it's possible that Figgins, a powerless slap hitter whom pitchers can challenge on the inner half, has suddenly become Tony Phillips; it's also possible that this was a one-year fluke when he had a free-agent payday in his sights. His best and most reliable skill is his fielding; he's comfortably plus at third base and can handle second. Between that and the fact that he's been an acceptable on-base guy even in down years, Figgins has value, but some team is going to forget that he'll be 32 next season and hasn't performed at this level before and will give him too many years at too much money.

Rank Player
12 Mike Cameron
Age: 36 Bats: R Throws: R
Position: Center field
'09 team: Milwaukee Brewers Status: Free agent (Type B)
Mike Cameron

2009 STATS

* GM149
* HR24
* RBI70
* R78
* OBP.342
* SLG.452
* AVG.250

The state of center field in the majors right now is poor, and that should help Cameron's market significantly; he ranked eighth among center fielders with at least 400 plate appearances in 2009 in OPS, and remains a plus defender. Despite his age, his offensive skills have all held steady for several years, including his power, ability to work the count and prodigious strikeout numbers, and his range is marginally off his peak. The one concern on Cameron is his legs, since much of his value is tied up in his strong range in center field; he missed time last season with minor knee and hamstring injuries, and set a career low in stolen bases, failing to reach double digits for the first time since he became a full-time player in 1997. If he's still available for a one-year or one-year-plus-an-option deal, he's a great value, but the Brewers got him on that deal last time around because he was facing a 25-game suspension for using a banned stimulant. Given his age and minor questions about his legs, I'd be reluctant to guarantee even two years.

Rank Player
13 Nick Johnson
Age: 31 Bats: L Throws: L
Position: First base
'09 team: Florida Marlins Status: Free agent (Type B)
Nick Johnson

2009 STATS

* GM133
* HR8
* RBI62
* R71
* OBP.426
* SLG.405
* AVG.291

Johnson, when healthy, is an on-base machine and a solid defensive first baseman. Of course, he's not often healthy; he missed almost two full years before playing 133 games in 2009. As expected, he got on base at absurd rates, but with less power than he'd had before the hiatus. Whether that's just a function of the wrist injury is one of the biggest of the question marks on Johnson; it typically takes a full year to recover enough strength in a broken wrist (or hamate) to return to one's previous power level. The other major question: How many games can you reasonably expect him to play? A .265/.420/.450 first baseman who plays solid defense is an above-average player, and there's some upside if the market values Johnson lower because of his frequent injuries.

Rank Player
14 Placido Polanco
Age: 34 Bats: R Throws: R
Position: Second base
'09 team: Detroit Tigers Status: Free agent (Type A)
Placido Polanco

2009 STATS

* GM153
* HR10
* RBI72
* R82
* OBP.331
* OBP.396
* AVG.285

The Tigers have the luxury of a second-base prospect in their system who is major league-ready (Scott Sizemore, although he's recovering from a broken ankle at the moment). So they can let Polanco walk and try to collect a pair of draft picks for him. Polanco's skill set as an offensive player has always been limited to contact -- he doesn't walk much and has little power, but he puts a lot of balls in play and has hit .300 or better in half of the eight seasons in which he's qualified for the batting title. His bat control has started to slip, as has his bat speed, with pitchers now able to beat him on the inner half with above-average fastballs. On defense, he's still an above-average fielder but has also started to show his age. For one year, he's a solid option at second base, but further years entail significant downside risk.

Rank Player
15 Marco Scutaro
Age: 34 Bats: R Throws: R
Position: Shortstop
'09 team: Toronto Blue Jays Status: Free agent (Type A)
Marco Scutaro

2009 STATS

* GM144
* HR12
* RBI60
* R100
* OBP.379
* AVG.282
* SB14

Scutaro always had a good eye, but didn't hit for much average in previous stints in the majors and was more of a utility man in Oakland, masking the fact that he could play a solid-average shortstop on an everyday basis. He's an extremely disciplined hitter with good bat control and rarely swings at pitches out of the zone; the tradeoff is that he has very little power and his 12-homer outburst this year was most likely a fluke. A true shortstop who gets on base at a high clip is an everyday player, perhaps an above-average one, and Scutaro has shown no signs of decline yet through age 33. Given the extreme paucity of capable shortstops in the majors right now, he should be in line for a multiyear deal.

Rank Player
16 Mike Gonzalez
Age: 31 Bats: R Throws: L
Position: Relief pitcher
'09 team: Atlanta Braves Status: Free agent (Type A)
Mike Gonzalez

2009 STATS

* GM80
* IP74.1
* W5
* L4
* BB33
* K90
* ERA2.42

Gonzalez is the best left-handed reliever on the market, a strikeout machine with average to above-average control and no trouble retiring right-handed hitters. He's mostly fastball/slider, 90-96 on the fastball with the occasional cutter at the low end of that range, with a slider that's a little sweepy but remains effective against left- and right-handed hitters. He'll flash a changeup, but goes to the slider even in typical changeup counts. He gets very good deception in his delivery, and since coming back from 2007 Tommy John surgery, his control has improved significantly (just 25 unintentional walks in over 300 batters faced in 2009). He and former Atlanta teammate Rafael Soriano are the two best relievers on the market this winter, and I'd lean toward Gonzalez over Soriano because he's left-handed and has a better medical history.

Rank Player
17 Ben Sheets
Age: 31 Bats: R Throws: R
Position: Starting pitcher
'09 team: None Status: Free agent
Ben Sheets

2008 STATS

* GM31
* IP198.1
* W13
* L9
* BB47
* K158
* ERA3.09

Sheets ended up missing the entire 2009 season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon in his elbow -- that is, an elbow operation considered less serious than Tommy John surgery, with a 6-12 month recovery time -- but figures to have plenty of suitors hoping to sign him to a slightly discounted deal because of the layoff. When healthy, Sheets throws 90-94 mph with a hard downer curveball in the upper 70s and a show-me changeup; he throws a lot of curveballs, which may not be so good for the elbow, but it's his best off-speed pitch and changes eye levels so he can work with the fastball in the upper half of the zone. His command and control were both plus, and there was even a time when he was a 200-inning workhorse. The year off may do him wonders, as he's had a lot of non-arm injuries that have limited his workload for the past few years, and he was never terrible when pitching at less than 100 percent, so as this type of pitcher goes, he's a pretty good value -- not much downside with the upside of a No. 2 starter who might give you 160-180 innings.

Rank Player
18 Miguel Tejada
Age: 35 Bats: R Throws: R
Position: Shortstop
'09 team: Houston Astros Status: Free agent (Type A)
Miguel Tejada

2009 STATS

* GM158
* HR14
* RBI86
* R83
* OBP.340
* SLG.455
* AVG.313

Tejada is another big red-flag guy in a free-agent market full of them. Yes, he's a big name who made the National League All-Star team in 2009 and had superficially solid numbers for a shortstop. He's also slow (he led the NL in grounding into double plays in 2009 … and in 2008), probably needs to move to third base, and hasn't hit away from Minute Maid -- a great park for dead-pull right-handed hitters like Tejada -- in two years there, with a .705 OPS and just nine of his 27 home runs on the road. A third baseman with a .750-.775 OPS that's light on OBP is a fringe-average starter, but Tejada's name value probably will get him paid well above that.

Rank Player
19 Rafael Soriano
Age: 29 Bats: R Throws: R
Position: Relief pitcher
'09 team: Atlanta Braves Status: Free agent (Type A)
Rafael Soriano

2009 STATS

* GM77
* IP75.2
* W1
* L6
* BB27
* K102
* ERA2.97

Soriano is the best reliever on the market, and better than any of the closers available on last winter's market, including the vaunted K-Rod, whose first season in New York was disappointing enough to make him fit in perfectly with his new club. Soriano works primarily with two pitches, a 90-96 mph fastball and a tight slider with late snap; he mostly gets ahead with the fastball, after which he'll throw either pitch, and hitters don't see the ball well out of his hand. Earlier questions about Soriano's toughness on the mound are more than resolved, and he's shown he can handle late-game and highly leveraged situations. He's been healthy now for three of the last four years, missing much of 2008 after non-Tommy John elbow surgery, so he's only marginally more of an injury risk than your typical power reliever. He's a premium arm and should be looking for K-Rod money, given his skill set and track record.

Rank Player
20 Rich Harden
Age: 27 Bats: L Throws: R
Position: Starting pitcher
'09 team: Chicago Cubs Status: Free agent (Type B)
Rich Harden

2009 STATS

* GM26
* IP141.0
* W9
* L9
* BB67
* K171
* ERA4.09

When Harden pitches, he's pretty good -- he just doesn't pitch enough, qualifying for just one ERA title before reaching free agency. Harden mostly throws 90-94 mph but will touch 96, and if injuries ever push him to the pen he'd probably be consistently 94-97. His out pitch is a split-change (he calls it a straight changeup, but it has splitter-like action) from 82-87 mph, and he'll also throw a hard slurve at about 81-85 (MLB's pitch f/x calls it a slider, but he apparently calls it a curve). He's changed his approach significantly from when he was with Oakland and was constantly hurt, when he was fastball/true slider/true splitter, and while you can't call him "healthy" right now, he has had two nearly full seasons since missing most of 2006 and '07 with arm trouble. I wouldn't pay him as more than a 25-start pitcher, even though he's a No. 2 starter in terms of stuff, but there is at least the downside of a dominating reliever if more arm trouble means he can't handle even a light starter's workload. One cause for concern -- Harden was suddenly very homer-prone in 2009, and if that's not a fluke, it drops him at least a full grade.

Rank Player
21 Brad Penny
Age: 31 Bats: R Throws: R
Position: Starting pitcher
'09 team: San Francisco Giants Status: Free agent
Brad Penny

2009 STATS

* GM30
* IP173.1
* W11
* L9
* BB51
* K109
* ERA4.88

Penny found life much simpler in the National League, partly because of luck and partly because he had become too fastball-heavy in the AL (coughVaritekcough). Penny's fastball is plus, 92-97 mph, and he'll move it well side to side, but tends to leave it up in the zone -- so he needs to offset it with off-speed pitches. His curveball is nearly 12-to-6 at 79-80 mph and it's a swing-and-miss pitch for righties, and he can use that or a mid-80s splitter against lefties. With San Francisco, he mixed his pitches better and threw strikes, but didn't miss as many bats as a guy with his stuff should miss. He's fully healthy again and has No. 1/No. 2 starter stuff, so paying him like a No. 3 or a No. 4 would represent solid value with some upside.

Rank Player
22 Johnny Damon
Age: 36 Bats: L Throws: L
Position: Left field
'09 team: New York Yankees Status: Free agent (Type A)
Johnny Damon

2009 STATS

* GM143
* HR24
* RBI82
* R107
* OBP.365
* SLG.489
* AVG.282

Damon might be the biggest beneficiary of the fact that the Yankees' new stadium is a good home run park; his apparent performance boost was largely a product of the new environment, as Damon hit 17 of his career-best 24 home runs at home. He'll play next year at 36, and age and a neutral park next year will lead to a big drop in his numbers. His swing is long and he bails out on anything down, away, or down and away. His reads in left field are poor, and his arm is a 35 on a good day. He's probably a .275/.355/.440 hitter -- if he doesn't have a sudden age-related drop-off -- who'll cost a team several runs on defense, and that's not worth anything close to what he earned from the Yankees on his last contract.

Rank Player
23 Billy Wagner
Age: 38 Bats: L Throws: L
Position: Relief pitcher
'09 team: Boston Red Sox Status: Free agent (Type A)
Billy Wagner

2009 STATS

* GM17
* IP15.2
* W1
* L1
* BB8
* K26
* ERA1.72

Wagner's comeback from Tommy John surgery was unusually quick, as guys just back from rehab typically have command issues, while Wagner was as good as new just a year out from the zipper. He was throwing 94-96 mph the last time I saw him but was sometimes more 92-94, with a good but not plus slider in the low 80s. His slider still has some tilt, but the break is more lateral than a slider with plus tilt would have. Wagner's approach is a little unusual for a lefty -- he uses his slider much more often to right-handers, throwing fastballs more than three-quarters of the time to left-handed hitters. Whether Wagner can close, or even handle a typical closer's workload, in 2010 is an open question. A deal with a healthy games-finished incentive would make the most sense for the signing team.

Rank Player
24 Jon Garland
Age: 30 Bats: R Throws: R
Position: Starting pitcher
'09 team: Los Angeles Dodgers Status: Free agent (Type B)
Jon Garland

2009 STATS

* GM33
* IP204.0
* W11
* L13
* BB61
* K109
* ERA4.01

Garland has long had a reputation as a ground-ball pitcher, even though he isn't one at all, with a ground-ball rate right around the median for a major league starter in 2009. He's a strike-thrower and a very durable one, making 32 or more starts in each of the past eight seasons. Garland throws nothing plus, working largely with his average-at-best fastball from 87-92 mph and an average changeup that has made him as effective against left-handed batters as he is against right-handed ones. He depends heavily on his defense and isn't a great fit for a team in a small ballpark, but there is some value in his ability to take the ball every fifth day and throw enough strikes to soak up some innings.

Rank Player
25 Ryota Igarashi
Age: 30 Bats: R Throws: R
Position: Relief pitcher
'09 team: Tokyo Yakult Swallows Status: Free agent
Tokyo Yakult Swallows

2009 STATS

* GM44
* IP43.2
* W3
* L2
* SV3
* BB6
* K42
* ERA2.47

It's unclear whether Igarashi will come over from Nippon Professional Baseball this winter, but he's eligible to do so and has expressed interest in playing in the majors in the past. Igarashi is a slightly wild power reliever who missed all of 2007 and part of 2008 due to Tommy John surgery, but has fully recovered and handled a regular workload in 2009. He has a very quick arm and has been clocked at 98 mph, although he'll probably pitch at 93-96 in a one-inning role in the U.S. His best off-speed pitch is a mid- to upper-80s splitter with good bottom, and he can throw the pitch for strikes instead of waiting for hitters to chase it in the dirt. He has some deception in his delivery, and he's almost a "drop-and-drift" guy without great forward momentum towards the plate.

Rank Player
26 Hideki Matsui
Age: 35 Bats: L Throws: R
Position: Designated hitter
'09 team: New York Yankees Status: Free agent
Hideki Matsui

2009 STATS

* GM142
* HR28
* RBI90
* R62
* OBP.367
* SLG.509
* AVG.274

Matsui stayed healthy for a full season by avoiding the field, so while I'd expect his agents to market him as a corner outfielder, he should be valued as a DH. His bat has slowed noticeably -- to hit a good fastball on Thursday he has to start his swing on Tuesday -- and he can't run a lick. He does work the count and fouls a good number of balls off to try to get to something he can hit even as his front side flies open. He's at the age where offensive ability, particularly for a player with "old man's skills," can go quickly, but as a one-year DH solution he's likely to be above average at the plate.

Rank Player
27 Adrian Beltre
Age: 30 Bats: R Throws: R
Position: Third base
'09 team: Seattle Mariners Status: Free agent (Type B)
Adrian Beltre

2009 STATS

* GM111
* HR8
* RBI44
* R54
* OBP.304
* SLG.379
* AVG.265

The last time Beltre entered his walk year, he had a career season, with 48 home runs and a .388 OBP in 2004, levels he had never seen before and wouldn't see during the course of his five-year contract with Seattle. This time around, Beltre was hurt and mostly terrible at the plate, sort of a fitting capo to a contract that overvalued Beltre and that he couldn't justify even with his plus defense. He remains superb in the field, worth at least a win over an average third baseman, with great range and an above-average arm. His swing has become long and over the last two years he's been vulnerable to average fastballs in addition to his old habit of chasing breaking balls moving down or away from him. The surgery he had in June -- the second to remove bone spurs from his right shoulder -- was apparently a success, and that injury probably cost him a lot of bat speed. Getting healthy and getting out of Safeco Field, which kills right-handed power, should restore Beltre to a respectable level of offense. And that, coupled with his glove, will give his new team three or four more wins. Beltre will also be more reasonably compensated this time around.

Rank Player
28 Erik Bedard
Age: 30 Bats: L Throws: L
Position: Starting pitcher
'09 team: Seattle Mariners Status: Free agent (Type B)
Erik Bedard

2009 STATS

* GM15
* IP83.0
* W5
* L3
* BB34
* K90
* ERA2.82

Bedard had a great season for Seattle, striking out 162 batters in 164 innings with a 3.24 ERA; of course, it took him two calendar years to do it. His two seasons with the Mariners ended in surgery, and an operation to fix the torn labrum he suffered this year will probably keep him out past Opening Day 2010, although he should be able to pitch later in the year. Before the injury, Bedard was mostly between 89-93 mph with an above-average curveball, but he almost always went fastball with two strikes, so he likely lacked confidence in the curve or wasn't comfortable throwing it. If Bedard's recovery from surgery appears to be going well, he'll probably have a number of offers from teams looking for a buy-low opportunity to get a former front-line starter who might want to make 20 starts in a bid to land a big free-agent contract for 2011.

Rank Player
29 Adam LaRoche
Age: 30 Bats: L Throws: L
Position: First base
'09 team: Atlanta Braves Status: Free agent (Type B)
Adam LaRoche

2009 STATS

* GM150
* HR25
* RBI83
* R78
* OBP.355
* SLG.488
* AVG.277

LaRoche is a rare bird, a player with a sustained, significant performance spike in the second halves of seasons -- which means that before the All-Star Break, he's nothing special. He has average or slightly above-average power and his plate discipline isn't a strength (12 of his walks this year were intentional). He's also very vulnerable to left-handed pitchers, especially anyone with a decent curve or slider. On defense, he has very little range but receives the ball well and can handle the ball hit right at him. He's an average offensive player at a premium offensive position, and the shape of his production means he's probably best served as the strong half of a platoon, but I'd expect some team to pay him as a regular in both salary and years.

Rank Player
30 Miguel Olivo
Age: 31 Bats: R Throws: R
Position: Catcher
'09 team: Kansas City Royals Status: Free agent (Type B)
Miguel Olivo

2009 STATS

* GM114
* HR23
* RBI65
* R51
* OBP.292
* SLG.490
* AVG.249

Olivo is about as productive as a guy who walks less than once a week is going to be, and if he played any position other than catcher, he wouldn't be on the list at all. Every team needs a catcher -- otherwise you get a lot of wild pitches -- and Olivo is an average-throwing catcher with plus power. He's an inveterate hacker, and I cannot imagine watching his at bats while knowing my employer was paying him a few million dollars to see five pitches a game. Still, he actually improved his walk rate this year, from five unintentionals in 317 PA in 2008 to 19 in 415 in 2009. If this all seems like damning with faint praise, it is, but if you need a catcher who can handle the position and isn't a zero with the bat, Olivo is a solid choice.

Rank Player
31 Marlon Byrd
Age: 32 Bats: R Throws: R
Position: Center field/Left field
'09 team: Texas Rangers Status: Free agent (Type B)
Marlon Byrd

2009 STATS

* GM146
* HR20
* RBI89
* R66
* OBP.329
* SLG.479
* AVG.283

Byrd is a classic fourth outfielder -- he doesn't play center field well enough to handle it on an everyday basis, but doesn't have quite the bat to play every day in a corner. His offensive line in 2008 was starter-worthy in a corner, but Byrd regressed in 2009; 25 regular corner outfielders beat his unadjusted .808 OPS. Plus, there's reason to doubt even that number for Byrd. Playing two years in a good hitters' park in Texas, Byrd has done much of his damage at home, posting a .290/.339/.415 line in 516 road PA over the past two years. A corner outfielder with a sub-800 OPS (that's light on OBP) who plays average to slightly above-average defense isn't a starter for a contending club.

Rank Player
32 Jason Marquis
Age: 31 Bats: L Throws: R
Position: Starting pitcher
'09 team: Colorado Rockies Status: Free agent (Type B)
Jason Marquis

2009 STATS

* GM33
* IP216.0
* W15
* L13
* BB80
* K115
* ERA4.04

Marquis made the All-Star team -- look at all those shiny wins! -- and then couldn't make the Rockies' postseason rotation. He's a classic sinker-slider right-hander who, in perhaps a good example of survival instinct, became the ground ball pitcher he hadn't been since leaving St. Louis in 2004. If his control was a grade better, he'd be a solid No. 3 or No. 4, but his control is just fringe-average and he doesn't have a pitch to miss bats consistently -- even his four-seamer tops out in the low 90s. He's very durable, making 32 or more starts in five of the past six years (with just 28 in 2008 because of poor performance), so that provides some extra value, but he's unlikely to be more than a good fifth starter or acceptable fourth unless he takes another step forward in control or in his ability to get ground balls in 2010.

Rank Player
33 Rafael Betancourt
Age: 34 Bats: R Throws: R
Position: Relief pitcher
'09 team: Colorado Rockies Status: Free agent (Type A)
Rafael Betancourt

2009 STATS

* GM61
* W4
* L3
* SV2
* BB20
* K61
* ERA2.73

Betancourt throws a lot of fastballs and throws them for strikes. He's at 89-94 mph, mostly 91-93, with a short arm action and good deception because of it, and his stinginess with the walk -- only 85 unintentionals in 435 career innings -- should keep him employed for a while. He'll get ahead with the fastball, and he primarily uses his slider when he's ahead, especially with two strikes, although he's just as likely to keep pumping heat. His 2008 season, whether bad luck or a carryover from the way manager Eric Wedge overused him in 2007, now looks like a fluke, and Betancourt is the rare middle reliever who's worth a multiyear contract.

Rank Player
34 Pedro Martinez
Age: 38 Bats: R Throws: R
Position: Starting pitcher
'09 team: Philadelphia Phillies Status: Free agent
Pedro Martinez

2009 STATS

* GM9
* IP44.2
* W5
* L1
* BB8
* K37
* ERA3.63

Martinez's entire 2009 season was an audition of sorts for 2010, and his cameos in October can only have helped his value. Pedro is a different pitcher now than he was before the shoulder injury; he's now a four-pitch guy who relies on command, deception, changing speeds and altering his pattern to keep hitters off balance. His fastball is now fringe-average to average, more likely fringe-average if he goes every fifth day 28-30 times in 2010. His best pitch is his changeup, even effective against right-handed hitters, with perfect arm speed and good fading action. His curveball has good depth and he'll vary its speed significantly -- I saw him range from 70-78 mph -- while his worst pitch is the slider, a flat low-80s pitch that does at least give him a different look to show hitters. His command and control remain plus, and his feel for pitching is outstanding. Keep your innings expectations low and he'll be a solid signing.

Rank Player
35 Carlos Delgado
Age: 37 Bats: L Throws: R
Position: First base
'09 team: New York Mets Status: Free agent (Type B)
Carlos Delgado

2009 STATS

* GM26
* HR4
* RBI23
* R15
* OBP.393
* SLG.521
* AVG.298

Delgado was off to a great start in 2009 after a very strong finish in 2008 when a major hip injury ended his season in mid-May, which leaves him a tough player for teams to value this offseason. When healthy, Delgado was a pretty complete hitter, with power and patience and a good approach against anyone other than tough left-handed pitchers. Questions about lost bat speed were answered in the middle of last year. He's never been more than an adequate first baseman, and the hip injury may mean he's better suited to DH; at 37, he's not likely to play first base much longer in any case. Delgado could choose to reestablish his value by playing winter ball, which would in turn probably mean a January signing.

Rank Player
36 Jose Valverde
Age: 31 Bats: R Throws: R
Position: Relief pitcher
'09 team: Houston Astros Status: Free agent (Type A)
Jose Valverde

2009 STATS

* GM52
* W4
* L2
* SV25
* BB21
* K56
* ERA2.33

Valverde has that new-closer smell without actually performing much better than your typical middle reliever. He does have late-game stuff, 93-98 mph on the fastball with a mid-80s splitter with good bottom. His performance was very consistent in his two years with Houston -- good but not great strikeout rates, lots of fly balls and fringy command. His arm is loose, but his arm action is long and he doesn't repeat it well enough to be an elite closer, but he could do the job for a second-division club, or serve as a set-up man/alternate closer for a better team.

Rank Player
37 Xavier Nady
Age: 31 Bats: R Throws: R
Position: Left field/Right field
'09 team: New York Yankees Status: Free agent (Type B)
Xavier Nady

2009 STATS

* GM7
* HR0
* RBI2
* R4
* OBP.310
* SLG.429
* AVG.286

Nady had a career year in 2008, buoyed by an improvement in his ability to hit right-handed pitching that started the year before. He blew out his elbow right after 2009 began, missing the opportunity to take advantage of homer-friendly Yankee Stadium in his walk year, although playing time may have been an issue in the crowded New York lineup. He's a potential value play this winter due to the injury. Realistically, though, his upside is that of an average defensive corner outfielder who'll hit for average power and some batting average but won't have a great OBP, and he may not have much of a throwing arm until later in the year or 2011.

Rank Player
38 Carl Pavano
Age: 33 Bats: R Throws: R
Position: Starting pitcher
'09 team: Minnesota Twins Status: Free agent (Type B)
Carl Pavano

2009 STATS

* GM33
* IP199.1
* W14
* L12
* BB39
* K147
* ERA5.10

Who knew? Pavano returned from his four-year paid vacation as a slightly lesser version of his old self, still throwing a ton of strikes but with a fringe-average fastball, one he tries to keep hitters off by throwing a healthy number of changeups, especially to right-handed batters. He needs a good defense and is a poor fit for a team in a small park, but guys who throw strikes and have some track record have value. Anyone considering giving Pavano multiple years should have his head examined, of course, but he's worth another one-year flier with more guaranteed money.

Rank Player
39 Doug Davis
Age: 34 Bats: R Throws: L
Position: Starting pitcher
'09 team: Arizona Diamondbacks Status: Free agent (Type B)
Doug Davis

2009 STATS

* GM34
* IP203.1
* W9
* L14
* BB103
* K146
* ERA4.12

Davis throws cutter after cutter -- far more cutters than four-seam fastballs, in fact -- and works away from contact as much as he can, leading the NL in walks issued this year yet also striking out more than 16 percent of the men he faced. His fastball is long gone and his next-best pitch after the cutter is a big slow curveball in the upper 60s, with a similarly unimpressive changeup, meaning that he can't go to the American League and his biggest value is as a back-end innings-eater for an NL club. One red flag: His ground ball rate fell about 10 percent this year to its lowest level since he came to the National League in 2004.

Rank Player
40 Vladimir Guerrero
Age: 34 Bats: R Throws: R
Position: Designated hitter
'09 team: Los Angeles Angels Status: Free agent (Type B)
Vladimir Guerrero

2009 STATS

* GM100
* HR15
* RBI50
* R59
* OBP.334
* SLG.460
* AVG.295

Vlad is no longer the Impaler after leg and back injuries have wiped out his speed and sapped his power to the point where pitchers are increasingly emboldened in the way they pitch to him. He still has good bat control but does less with pitches when he makes contact, so pitchers are attacking him more in the zone than they ever did before, with more success. He can still hit a fastball and his power is only reduced, not gone, but a full year of DH duty didn't keep him healthy or help him recover his past level of performance. Several AL teams had worse DH options than Vlad in 2009, so there will be demand for him, but don't expect a return to his glory days.

Rank Player
41 Fernando Rodney
Age: 32 Bats: R Throws: R
Position: Relief pitcher
'09 team: Detroit Tigers Status: Free agent (Type B)
Fernando Rodney

2009 STATS

* GM73
* IP75.2
* W2
* L5
* BB41
* K61
* ERA4.40

Rodney may still be on the mound at the Metrodome right now, but any team willing to bring the paperwork to Minneapolis can probably get his signature. Despite the way his season ended, Rodney had a fairly typical Rodney year -- lots of big velocities, good changeup, too many walks, not as many strikeouts as the stuff should produce. He was miscast as a closer or late-game, high-leverage pitcher, but the raw stuff (fastball 95-98 mph with a little glove-side run, changeup 81-85 with plus tail) is good enough that it's worth seeing if your pitching coach can improve his command.

Rank Player
42 Justin Duchscherer
Age: 31 Bats: R Throws: R
Position: Starter/reliever
'09 team: Oakland Athletics Status: Free agent (Type B)
Justin Duchscherer

2009 STATS

* GM22
* IP141.2
* W10
* L8
* BB34
* K95
* ERA2.54

Duchscherer is a value play in this market, although he comes with more risk than the typical starter value plays we've seen in the last few years, because it's not clear what he is. Duchscherer was very successful prior to 2008 as a curveball specialist who threw a ton of strikes. Two years ago, the A's converted him to the rotation and he was solid (and extremely hit- and homer-lucky) through 22 starts and 140 innings, mixing his fastball, slider, and curve to keep hitters guessing. He hasn't pitched since due to hip and elbow injuries and depression that ended his 2009 season while he was rehabbing the elbow injury. I think asking Duchscherer to stay healthy as a starter in 2010 is a stretch, but I'd give him a chance in a major league 'pen and try to use him a little less often for outings of more than an inning, since he has starting experience and two viable breaking balls. It's also the fastest way for him to reestablish his value and hit the market again next winter.

Rank Player
43 Chan Ho Park
Age: 36 Bats: R Throws: R
Position: Relief pitcher
'09 team: Philadelphia Phillies Status: Free agent (Type B)
Chan Ho Park

2009 STATS

* GM45
* IP83.1
* W3
* L3
* BB33
* K73
* ERA4.43

Park reinvented himself as a two-seamer/slider reliever who gets a decent amount of ground balls. Park was bad as a starter for the Phillies this year, but his approach in relief is simpler, throwing more fastballs and sliders, bringing his control up to solid-average and making him a viable setup option for 2010. He'll throw a four-seamer as high as 95 mph but settles in the low 90s and mixes in a lot of two-seamers because his four-seamer is so true. He's had a significant (but not enormous) platoon split in his career, but lefties were only slightly better against him in 2009; whether that's a small sample size fluke or a true change in approach remains to be seen, although he doesn't throw many changeups in any role and may be a guy you pull for a lefty specialist when there's a Ryan Howard at the plate.

Rank Player
44 Mark DeRosa
Age: 34 Bats: R Throws: R
Position: Infielder/Outfielder
'09 team: St. Louis Cardinals Status: Free agent (Type B)
Mark DeRosa

2009 STATS

* GM139
* HR23
* RBI78
* R78
* OBP.319
* SLG.433
* AVG.250

DeRosa is now recovering from surgery to repair a torn tendon sheath in his left wrist, an injury that contributed to an incredibly disappointing season for him after a career year in 2008. When fully healthy, he's a useful utility player who can play four or five positions, but none of them really well enough to handle every day. The average power he developed in Texas has stayed with him through three more teams, none in parks as hitter-friendly as the Rangers' stadium, and prior to 2009 he'd shown increased patience. He has a strong reputation for intangibles, which should keep his market fairly strong even with the injury and down year and may even have him land a starter's salary, but if a team can grab him at a reserve's salary there's value to be had here.

Rank Player
45 Brandon Lyon
Age: 30 Bats: R Throws: R
Position: Relief pitcher
'09 team: Detroit Tigers Status: Free agent (Type B)
Brandon Lyon

2009 STATS

* GM65
* IP78.2
* W6
* L5
* BB31
* K57
* ERA2.86

When you throw strikes, good things happen, and the one thing Lyon does exceptionally well is throw strikes, with just 22 unintentional walks this year while facing a career-high 314 batters. Lyon doesn't have an out pitch, so he has never missed many bats, but he mixes his fastball, curve, and slider/cutter well while avoiding extra baserunners. He threw more cutters than ever this year, and that may be the reason for the career-best groundball rate, which - if he sustains it - makes him a reliever with some upside in a market well-stocked with guys who will probably be fully valued.

Rank Player
46 Jarrod Washburn
Age: 35 Bats: L Throws: L
Position: Starting pitcher
'09 team: Detroit Tigers Status: Free agent
Jarrod Washburn

2009 STATS

* GM28
* IP176
* W9
* L9
* BB49
* K100
* ERA3.78

Washburn might have tricked someone into giving him a three- or four-year deal had the 2009 season ended on Aug. 1, but Washburn was so bad after his trade to Detroit that the Tigers had to remove him from their rotation, even though his stuff remained the same. He throws a lot of below-average fastballs and doesn't have a plus breaking ball to offset it, although he does change speeds and looks to try to keep hitters from sitting on an 87-mph four-seamer. Seattle was a good spot for Washburn, a fly-ball, high-contact pitcher in a big ballpark with the best defensive outfield in the majors in 2009, but those environmental factors alone don't explain the collapse, and I wonder if Washburn is now destined to be undervalued. He's a Scott Boras client, but Boras has signed players to short-duration contracts to rehabilitate their value, and it's hard to imagine any team giving Washburn three years when a contender desperate for a starter wouldn't even use him down the stretch. He had offseason knee surgery and says that the injury limited him when he was with the Tigers, although his stuff was unchanged and the timing of when he stopped pitching well coincides perfectly with the trade.

Rank Player
47 Randy Winn
Age: 35 Bats: B Throws: R
Position: Left field
'09 team: San Francisco Giants Status: Free agent (Type B)
Randy Winn

2009 STATS

* GM149
* HR2
* RBI51
* R65
* OBP.318
* AVG.262
* SB16

Winn had a bad year in 2009 and looked bad doing it, hitting a lot of soft line drives and diving into the ball at the plate, but prior to this he'd had two respectable years with OBPs of .353 and .363, and I'd be willing to take a one-year flier on him to see if that hitter is still in there. Of course, I'd be willing to take that flier because Winn has become a very solid defensive left fielder; he could play right, but his arm is below-average and his throwing motion is going to lead to some unflattering descriptions on pro scouting reports. He's still an above-average runner, and has been caught just seven times in 63 stolen-base attempts in the last three years, so we're not looking at a complete erosion of skills. The bat might be gone, but there's enough still there to make him valuable even if he only posts a .750 OPS.

Rank Player
48 Darren Oliver
Age: 39 Bats: R Throws: L
Position: Relief pitcher
'09 team: Los Angeles Angels Status: Free agent (Type A)
Darren Oliver

2009 STATS

* GM63
* IP73.0
* W5
* L1
* BB22
* K65
* ERA2.71

Oliver isn't a lefty specialist, but has been pretty effective against hitters on both sides of the plate because of command and a big slurvy curveball he uses very often. His fastball is just average at 89-91 mph, but he'll cut it slightly at times, and sets it off with that 78-80 mph slurve. He throws a ton of strikes -- he's issued just 27 unintentional walks in 145 innings the last two years -- and has a rubber arm, averaging 73 innings a year since 2006. The downside for Oliver is that he's a Type A free agent; he was last offseason as well, and accepted the Angels' offer of arbitration because no team was willing to give up a first-round pick to sign a middle reliever. I wouldn't give up such a pick either, but if the Angels should decide not to retain Oliver he's a fairly low-risk pickup on a one-year deal who could help just about any bullpen.

Rank Player
49 Juan Uribe
Age: 30 Bats: R Throws: R
Position: Third base
'09 team: San Francisco Giants Status: Free agent
Juan Uribe

2009 STATS

* GM122
* HR16
* RBI55
* R50
* OBP.329
* SLG.495
* AVG.289

Uribe had a fluky year with the bat -- he hit .330 on balls in play, 40-plus points over his career norm -- but showed enough with the glove to give him a shot at a utility role or maybe even a full-time gig in 2010. At the plate, Uribe is a dead fastball hitter with no patience and mediocre pitch recognition but above-average power; he's good for 20-plus homers in a full season in a decent park, but won't provide much OBP. He's above average defensively at second and third, and he can fake shortstop although his body has gone south enough to preclude full-time play there.

Rank Player
50 Adam Everett
Age: 32 Bats: R Throws: R
Position: Shortstop
'09 team: Detroit Tigers Status: Free agent
Adam Everett

2009 STATS

* GM118
* HR3
* RBI44
* R43
* OBP.288
* SLG.325
* AVG.238

Catches ball. Does not hit ball. Everett has been quite consistent in both aspects of the game in his career: He's a plus-plus fielder and a minus-minus hitter. He hasn't seen a .700 OPS or a .300 OBP since 2004, but continues to be worth double-digit runs a year with his glove. Signing him solidifies your infield defense, but you need to carry a solid backup and be prepared to pinch hit for Everett as you would a pitcher late in games.

Andruw Jones: on the White Sox

^this is all valuable information btw and thank you xp

Billy Wagner to Atlanta.

how many times will he strike out Francoeur?

7 mil?!

sounds feasible

Phillies sign 34 yo Polanco to 3 year deal to play 3B. I guess theyre committed to not getting a whole lot out of 3B for the near future.

nice one from my view (what if it had been Chone?)

and Braves add Saito for $3 million. they replaced their closers with two dudes each a decade older, and yet I'm pretty much cool with it. four draft picks for Soriano and Gonzo help.

Saito is a bro. I miss him.

While I was typing that blurb about Polanco I realized the Phillies outside of Victorino, Werth, Rollins and Utley dont need to be all that awesome. Also when you factor in all the arb raises some of these guys will be getting they probably cant afford a Chone or Beltre.

Saito always seemed solid. dunno why he didn't (seem to) get more love.

I know the Dodgers jettisoned him because he sprained the bejesus out of his elbow 2 years ago and got experimental platelet treatment for it and I don't think they were 100% convinced he would come back strong considering how old he is. Dont know what the deal is w/ Boston but their bullpen always seems like a circus.

This concerns me a little. If they're willing to let Gonzalez and Soriano go, I hope they manage to re-sign Moylan -- he was crucial this past year.

pretty sure Moylan's under team control for at least two more seasons.

Polanco is 34 and has not played 3B since 2005.

Oh, ok, I looked at Cot's Baseball Contracts and it looked like he'd been signed year to year, but maybe I'm misreading it or they're underinformed.
xpost

I think when you make it to the big leagues the big club 'purchases' your contract from the minors and then they're one year contracts each while you're under team control for 6 or whatever years.

it seemed weird to me to let both Gonzalez and Soriano go. but i guess they figured either one would be too expensive?

but then they went and got Wagner. so um...

scutaro > red sox

this guy: http://img.fannation.com/upload/truth_rumor/photo_upload/131/010/full/Chris-Coste.jpg
ny met

anytime you can lock up a 34 year old shortstop coming off a career year, you have to do it.

What is it with Theo's obsession with shitty shortstops?

I'd rather go with Coste/Santos at catcher than Bengie (.285 obp) Molina.

(and perhaps Josh Thole)

This concerns me a little. If they're willing to let Gonzalez and Soriano go, I hope they manage to re-sign Moylan -- he was crucial this past year.

― WmC, Thursday, December 3, 2009 5:51 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

yeah i'm not really liking this at all. is saito gonna cost a draft pick too?

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

http://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/6346785546

is saito gonna cost a draft pick too?

nope.

I don't have a problem with the Wagner or Saito deals. Sure, they're older than the guys they're replacing, both with recent major injuries, but it's not like Soriano or Gonzo have good injury histories. Both those guys are going to get long-term, big-money deals. Atlanta just reallocated the ten million they spent on closers last year to two guys who have great track records and will be off the books in a year.

anytime you can lock up a 34 year old shortstop coming off a career year, you have to do it.

Pff, Sabean's been doing that for years.

they already offered arb to both soriano and gonzalez, right? what if nobody signs them?

Word from the winter meetings is that the Yankees, Red Sox and Mets are interested in signing every free agent and exploring trades for every player from any organization.

You heard it here first.

Some teams are asking for too much in return for players they'd be OK with keeping.

brad penny to the cards for 7.5 mil plus another 1.5 in perf bonuses?

that should be the other way around.

lol well-put

The production values on the MLBTV winter meetings show is tacky and slapdash but A+ attempt at content

http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/1677/nats-perplex-with-bruney-deal

Also if the Rule V rumors in ^^^ article are true, that's some advanced GMing by Cashman imo. I mean, having watched bruney for the better part of 2.5 yrs I assure you a flyer on a Rule V guy is better than paying him in arb next yr or waiting for him to get hurt in August.

Pudge is a Nat

I dont know how I would react to Granderson being traded to the Yankees. Always thought he was one of the good guys. ;_;

According to Steve Gilbert of MLB.com, the proposed three way-trade between the Yankees, Diamondbacks and Tigers is "very close" to getting completed.

News is expected to pour in by 2 p.m. EST. Yankees prospects including Austin Jackson and Ian Kennedy and Diamondbacks prospect Daniel Schlereth are rumored to be involved, but Curtis Granderson, Max Scherzer and Edwin Jackson are the major names reportedly switching hands. Stay tuned.

so Granderson could be a Yank very soon?! some weird 3-way with Arizona (they'd get Edwin Jackson).

xpost! O_o

they already offered arb to both soriano and gonzalez, right? what if nobody signs them?

― farting irl (cankles), Friday, December 4, 2009 6:27 PM (4 days ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Rafael Soriano has decided to accept salary arbitration and return to pitch for Atlanta in 2010.

ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick writes that Soriano apparently felt more comfortable with a sure thing from Atlanta -- one year and $6.5 to $8 million -- than going out on the market. The Braves weren't planning for this, and now they can try to trade Soriano. But any deal before June 15 would require his consent.

Braves GM Frank Wren agreed that Soriano could be elsewhere next season. "The one thing about good players is that when you have good players, you can trade them," Wren told MLB.com.

Soriano's agent, Peter Greenberg, said it was an "extremely tough decision" for the pitcher to accept salary arbitration.

Returning to Atlanta, Soriano might have to accept being a high-priced setup man since the Braves have signed Billy Wagner and Takashi Saito.

One high-ranking official told ESPN's Buster Olney last week that "If Rafael Soriano turns down arbitration, he's insane."

Buster Olney

Braves may have a problem now

"The Braves now have a budget problem on their hands after Rafael Soriano accepted their offer of arbitration. They had hoped that Soriano would turn down arbitration so that they would be set up for draft picks, but as it stands, Soriano took a bite out of the money that they intended to spend on some hitters. It figures that Soriano will ask for a trade now, but the Braves might have difficulty moving him without eating a sizeable chunk of his salary."

murder frank wren

@SI_JonHeyman teams in agreement on trade. assuming medicals check out, it's a go.

Josh Byrnes, wow.

So is Damon still in the Yankees plans? Are they going to have an all lefty lineup and dump even more cheap HRs into the short porch in right?

You play 81 games there why not?

That Braves situation is messed up. Could they get anything for Wagner?

Church DFA'd, btw.

RIP
Awesome Jackson and Phil Cokehead

So how overrated are both Ian Kennedy and Austin Jackson

i thought something was going to be done about that right field shelf in NY?

Max Scherzer is dope.

something will be done about the right field porch, stock more lefty bats lol

good trade for the tigers. i like granderson but dude is a platoon player.

Guessing thousands would like to see Dombrowski's head on a pike.

not seeing how this one makes sense for the dbacks

to call Granderson's 09 an off year would be an understatement - but i think he's good enough to be an everyday guy. he's fast, he has power - i think he could rebound alright from last year.
it looks to me like the Tigers were selling low with Grands and selling high with Jackson.

xpost - ya, agreed - but i know nothing about whoever the not-Scherzer-guy is they sent to Detroit.

someone get me a .jpg of the diamondbacks gm doing this

http://images.usatoday.com/sports/_photos/2006/07/22/dombrowski.jpg

... or did he go to NY?
xpost

how come Cashman wasn't forced to pick up Dontrelle Willis' contract? they could have sent him and Matsui barnstorming through Japan or something. Or hosting their very own YES talk show.

he is an everyday player as long as you don't care that he doesn't hit lefties and never really has.

holy crap. i knew he struggled - but wow - just looked at his splits.

Ian Kennedy is going to be a bust whatever league he's in methinks.

>.500 OPS vs. left handers makes Ryan Howard look like Babe Ruth against 'em.

career .614 - which is still, ugh nevermind.

can anyone explain dbacks thinking on this one? they thought Scherzer was an injury risk? shitbird Kennedy as a bonus 5th starter? huh?

Has to be injury risk. Perhaps they are afraid of dudes with different colored eyes.

grandy bats left throws right
island of misfit toys

Sheehan:

In general, this is the wrong year to get crazy with a checkbook; in the specific case of the Mets and Omar Minaya, going after John Lackey and Matt Holliday may well be worth it. There’s an element of moral hazard here, of course—the success of the 2010 Mets is probably more important to Minaya and Jerry Manuel than it is to anyone else—but remember that this team isn’t as bad as its 2009 record. Adding a couple of good players to the core here could quickly put the Mets back in the discussion in an NL East that has become very, very tough.

Setting aside the big moves, the Mets should make a run at Nick Johnson, who’s a much more valuable player than is perceived to be. His OBP would be very valuable in front of Carlos Beltran and David Wright, and in a world where the alternative is Daniel Murphy, Johnson looks like Derrek Lee....

"Pudge is a Nat"

When I heard that DC had signed Pudge the first thought that came to my mind was that they would have someone to deal at the trade deadline.

Peter Gammons to leave ESPN for MLB Network

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/business/6759995.html

Not a trade for Harold Reynolds.

no longer any reason to watch espn baseball coverage iirc

about the Braves: they can't trade Wagner or Saito 'til mid-June, I think. according to the AJC they've already gotten permission to trade Soriano and are working on a deal. I'm sure their desperation will significantly cut into whatever value he might have. bummer all around.

what a terrible job by the braves

frank fucking wren http://i.somethingawful.com/forumsystem/emoticons/emot-argh.gif

I like the gammons move as PG bailing on the corrupt horndoggery at TWWL, preserving his credibility in the process and going somewhere where, frankly, he doesn't have to sit next to John Kruk (H. Reynolds not withstanding, they have Leiter, whom I enjoy very much). cf. "let 'em go son... he knows what he's doing..."

or he's getting old and doesn't want to travel to bristol anymore but hey whateva

lol tru. where is MLBTV based out of? NYC?

hes doing appearances for them remotely from his homes in mass from what i hear

its out of seacaucus, nj (the studio they shoot in)

http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091208&content_id=7776210&vkey=news_bos&fext=.jsp&c_id=bos

or what it's worth, the Red Sox did inquire about Granderson before he was moved to New York. According to a Major League source, the Tigers wanted starter Clay Buchholz and center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, two players who played a significant role in Boston's 95-win season of 2009. The Red Sox declined

wtf lol

horrible redsox board i read totally up in arms abt this btw

why would you read a thing?

i dont know man :(

tbh in 2003-2004 it was a rad board where i learned a lot abt baseball stats. now reading it is mostly interesting anthropology w/r/t uptight "smart" guys who wouldn't know fun if it punched them in the face.

Hah tbf theres a big difference between those two and a guy who lost his first 8-9 ML starts and another guy who posted a .750 ops in AAA last year.

sorry that wasn't gloating, i think we're saying the same thing.

hi, for for our CF we will need future star pitcher Buttholz and your cheap, better center fielder

yeah the sentiment i was referring to was "why are yankees prospects ridiculously overhyped and teams won't deal with the sox unless players on their current mlb roster are mentioned"

Dodgers fans do the same shit. Also seems like every trade proposal to the Doyers is 'give us Kershaw and Kemp'

i finally saw a picture of austin jackson in the paper today. it's funny, due to ny media i had always pictured him in my mind's eye as a nine foot tall brett gardner whose head is backed by a perpetual lens flare

Its like the Tigers got Cameron Maybin back only he hits for less power, average and has less speed.

does every team board turn into dudes hoping "their" team loses so they are proven right on the internet? that is the saddest type of fan

not really familiar with every teams board - but the J's one is irredeemable. and yes, there are a few guys like that.
it's mostly guys with no communication skills whatsoever cutting up other posters lack of "baseball knowledge". and god forbid politics should come up...

wolf to the brewers

http://www.latimes.com/sports/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-bbn-brewers-wolf,0,2203435.story

Still pissed off the Dodgers didn't offer him arbitration.

Millwood traded to Orioles for reliever Ray

Latroy to the Brewers

harden is a ranger 1 year 7.5m

Lyon an Astro

Matt Lindstrom to the Astros for minor leaguers

Mike Lowell to the Rangers for Max Ramirez is likely. Apparently Lowell would play 1B in Texas? Weird.

Move Michael Young to Storage B.

harden is dumb to choose texas if he's doing the 1-year-reestablish-his-value thing

looks like an overpay to me for one year of harden. probably best offer he got.

hot rule 5 draft action

Ed Wade is the best. Signs Brandon Lyon for a 3 year deal and they just got Pedro Feliz!

Where did you go Morgan Ensberg, Houston turns its lonely eyes to u

Loving the Ramirez deal.

bravos trade soriano to Tampa Bay for right hander jesse chavez

http://mvn.com/chopnchange/2009/12/10/interview-with-keith-law-espn-analyst-and-former-assistant-to-toronto-blue-jays-gm.html

klaw talkin w/chop n change

http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=4730758&name=law_keith

Thursday, December 10, 2009
Rays fill a need, Braves fix a money problem

Soriano fills a big need for the Rays.

Rafael Soriano was one of the two best relievers on the market, with former teammate Mike Gonzalez, and the Rays are fortunate to get someone of his caliber on a one-year deal for the price of a cheap middle reliever.

The Rays' pen, a strength of the 2008 pennant-winning club, was a major weakness in 2009, and Soriano helps them in almost any role as someone who throws strikes and misses bats; last year, nobody in Tampa's pen came close to Soriano's ability to do both of those things, and his arrival allows Joe Maddon to shift J.P. Howell to work in the seventh and eighth innings depending on matchups.

You will still hear whispers about Soriano being less than tough, especially when he blows his first save, but he didn't show any propensity to melt down in 2009 in a full year of closing. The trade is worth a couple of wins on paper -- maybe more if Soriano's used in a highly-leveraged way -- and with Soriano likely to make somewhere between $7 million and $7.5 million in arbitration, he should be a good value.

Jesse Chavez -- Atlanta's addition -- is a three-pitch reliever with an above-average fastball and a solid-average changeup; he has shown plus control throughout his pro career, making him a good bet to be an average middle guy, although he doesn't miss enough bats to be a late-game reliever. I'm a little surprised this was the best offer Atlanta could get for Soriano, but they also seemed desperate to move him immediately rather than wait out the winter and run the risk that they couldn't trade him.

The lesson here for clubs wavering on offering arbitration to a Type A free agent is that having the player accept against your wishes is not the end of the world. If the player is good and his market was hurt by the Type A designation, you should still be able to dump the salary, at the least, if not actually trade him for something of value. Atlanta's decision to offer might not look like the right one because Soriano accepted, but it was the right call, and I'd rather take the risk of having a good player accept than throw away the chance for two high draft picks the way Dodgers did by not offering a deal to Randy Wolf.

the big mistake was signing Wagner so quickly. although I guess now they have their $7 million closer and another potentially useful bullpen arm, instead of just Soriano on a one-year arbitration deal.

internet sez the Sox are throwing a gang of money at Lackey and Aroldis Chapman. hopefully their championship drought ends soon.

i hope Chapman blows up in their face.

i hope they pass on halladay because of lackey and the cuban version of

http://i.cdn.turner.com/sivault/multimedia/photo_gallery/0804/sidd.finch.april.fools/images/005150370.jpg

Twitterweb reporting the Angels are expanding their Yankee retirement home wing to include godzilla

The Angels and Hideki Matsui are in "serious discussions" about a one-year contract, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark.
A league source told Buster Olney that the parties were nearing acceptance of a one-year deal worth about $6.5 million. Matsui would replace Vladimir Guerrero as the team's designated hitter. Matsui, 35, enjoyed a resurgent season in 2009, batting .274/.367/.509 with 28 homers and 90 RBI in 456 at-bats.

that would make a lot of sense. not a bad price either. though i'd rather see napoli get those dh at bats and show up scioscia. and for some reason i've pictured matsui winding up on the white sox.

Heyman: 3-way trade agreed to with halladay going to phils, cliff lee to mariners. phils trying to lock up roy now.

Don't understand why the Phils wouldn't just keep Lee! He's younger and pitched well in the postseason.

UGH

Lackey to Sox for 5 years, apparently.

totally confusing move.

this is a roller coaster ride of emotions here

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/10523430/Sources:-Jays,-Phils-talk-Halladay-Lee-blockbuster

all the sox board posters who scoffed at lackey now praising this deal. these people are unbelievable.

i guess it makes sense if the phillies are worried about losing lee, but at the same time the guy has been a monster for two years running and it's not like they can't afford him.

Yeah getting older and more expensive doesnt seem like the best move for the Phillies.

However the Phills are doing a good job at establishing a NY-Phi-Bos corridor of hate for me..

lackey is a perfectly serviceable starting pitcher but idk...

well it's just that since they currently have no LF and will need a corner IF if they trade lowell this seems a little out of place

i feel like the bosox have this offense that could end up being truly dire very quickly and their rotation moves over the past several years have been a little desperate.

this is only in comparison to the yankees, though, who seem to have been a lot more willing to go for the top guys rather than the second tier. i realize i sound like the curly haired girlfriend right now.

i mean i suppose that's what i like about this--it's not smoltz/penny/some other garbage. lackey has been a very good pitcher for several years in a row. i was getting murderously angry with the reclamation strategy--not that my anger will be alleviated if jeremy hermida is starting in left.

their offense is ellsbury, drew, ortiz, pedroia, youk, scutaro, v-mart, hermida?, lowell?...it's pretty good but at the same time i worry about half of them. they're good enough for the playoffs, i'm sure.

Seems like they're actively trying to trade Lowell.

yeah lowell is either going to get traded or going to need thumb surgery--either way they need a corner IF.

One rival GM theorizes that if the Red Sox sign free-agent right-hander John Lackey, they then will lock up righty Josh Beckett long- term and trade righty Clay Buchholz in a package for Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.

Under that scenario, first baseman Kevin Youkilis would move to third and the Sox would employ a Mike Cameron-Jeremy Hermida type platoon in left.

The Sox's big investments would be Lackey and Beckett; Gonzalez will earn a club-friendly $4.75 million next season, and his deal includes a $5.5 million club option for 2011.

Free agents Adrian Beltre, Matt Holliday and Jason Bay?

All would be shut out in Boston. -- Ken Rosenthal

Does Lackey not detest Fenway?

"Hey, John, you have been traded to the Red Sox."

"GODFUCKINGDAMNIT!!!!!"

ok. i need more details of the Halladeal!

i'm glad this saga is coming to en end.

Are you? Are you really?

3:56pm: Rosenthal and Morosi write that pitcher Phillippe Aumont of the Mariners and "possibly" outfielder Michael Taylor of the Phillies are among the players heading to Toronto in the trade. They add that outfielder Michael Saunders and pitcher Brandon Morrow are "in play." The FOX duo confirms an agreement is in place to send Halladay to the Phillies and Lee to the Mariners.

I know the Phils need a right handed starter, but giving up Cliff Lee to get Roy Halladay seems like a sideways move.

not even sideways (real time edit -- if having halliday means going to brad lidge one less time during the week, etc...)

Are you? Are you really?

yes.

"I know the Phils need a right handed starter, but giving up Cliff Lee to get Roy Halladay seems like a sideways move."

Not if they are signing Halladay to an extension (and Lee was refusing to sign an extension) which is what it seems like is going to happen.

a king felix/cliff lee 1-2 punch would be pretty formidable

hell yes

but who will sign Jack Cust?

white sox?

Don't understand why the Phils wouldn't just keep Lee! He's younger and pitched well in the postseason.

― real bears playing hockey (polyphonic), Monday, December 14, 2009 4:00 PM (5 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

lee's great, but doc's gonna go 33-0 with a 0.00 ERA in the NL. ugh, fuckin phils

cameron to boston

http://blogs.suntimes.com/scanners/tpgiant.jpgUnder that scenario, first baseman Kevin Youkilis would move to third and the Sox would employ a Mike Cameron-Jeremy Hermida type platoon in left.

http://blogs.suntimes.com/scanners/tpgiant.jpg

between lackey and lee, i love how badly today has screwed the angels

lee's great, but doc's gonna go 33-0 with a 0.00 ERA in the NL. ugh, fuckin phils

halladay will take a 280 inning hot steaming dump over all NL batters. no Cy Young trifecta for Timmy.

that is a long dump

60 mil, 3-year extension.

25+ wins

not that you people care about wins

why did he accept such a short extension??

Welcome to the South Side, Juan Pierre.

is that real?

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/12/white-sox-acquire-juan-pierre.html

Does Williams really expect Pierre to be that much more valuable than Podsednik?

If that team ever fields an OF of Pierre, Rios, Andruw... uh... LOOOOOOOOL.

Cannot really talk shit when DET's OF is looking like Guillen, prospect who has yet to play MLB, Magglio.

every year i want to be like "this is the year for a 4th place white sox team" but it never happens

Buster_ESPN
Pierre will cost the White Sox $3 million in ‘10 and $5 milllion in ’11, with the Dodgers picking up $10.5 million of the last $18.5 m.

Not as bad as thought -- assuming the minor leaguers are marginal.

i suppose it could be worse for CHIA, and so long is Pierre is out of Torre's hands....

wow the Dodgers are picking up alot there!

i wonder if mrs mccourt brokered this deal by calling ned colleti and disguising her voice to sound like frank's.

wow! from mlbtr:

The Blue Jays will trade outfielder Michael Taylor to the A's for third base prospect Brett Wallace, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney and Jerry Crasnick

is brett wallace the guy w/ the weird body?

Yes and that rumor seems hard to believe.

dont clown too hard and dont forget about

http://www.juanpierrewood.com/beastmode.jpg

esp considering the A's have no (0) 3B?

Well it's kind of debatable whether or not Wallace actually qualifies as a first baseman. I really just find it hard to believe that the A's/Blue Jays would be trading two blue chip prospects straight up. The potential for embarrassment is just too high there.

ahem, third baseman.

don't know much about Wallace - but i was wondering why the A's would do that given their 3b situation.

Well if they were going to do it, it would be because they don't believe for a second that he can play 3B, but if they don't believe that I don't see why the Blue Jays would ya know?

Law: "Wallace is a better prospect -- much better bat potential, in my opinion. Oakland has a logjam at 1B/DH, so trading him for Taylor makes sense, since Taylor can play the outfield. But in the abstract I'd rather have Wallace's higher offensive potential."

And yes, Wallace is the guy with the huge ass

Juan Pierre actually wore his own black beast mode shirt during a playoff celebration this season but I cant find pictures =(

when I saw the twilight singers in nyc shortly after the '01 WS, greg dulli taunted the crowd about juan pierre fucking the yankees up the ass. just fyi.

what exactly is wrong with his ass?! O_o

xpost - to the mayor

Apparently it's enormous. He's got one of those bad-baseball bodies that always get brought up.

http://www.portersprospects.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/brett-wallace.jpg

that is indeed a thick trunk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asmPFX-yxbc

when I saw the twilight singers in nyc shortly after the '01 WS, greg dulli taunted the crowd about juan pierre fucking the yankees up the ass. just fyi.

awesome

The night after the Red Wings lost the '95 Stanley Cup, the Whigs played Detroit and Dulli's first words were "How 'bout them Devils?!" A beer ricocheted off his chest and he laughed it off.

http://www.tatteredcoat.com/images/heat-pacino-great-ass.jpg

jeez, wallace's ass quits around his knees

StoneLarry
I'm hearing it's NOT one of the Mariners' prospects that failed the physical, and that deal is NOT going to unravel.

not sure if that means the Roy-Phils won't unravel or just the Lee-M's part that won't unravel. one would think if Lee to the Mariners happens that Philly would *have* to work something out w. the J's if it's one of their prospects.

GloBlair
Well-placed baseball source on failed physical reports involving a player coming to the Jays? "Totally false rumour."

this shit will go down fine but jog my memory what were some famous deals that were all but sure to go down and then fell apart due to minor technicalities or failed physicals?

Yorvit Torrealba to Mets, lol^

According to Heyman, Verducci, and Rosenthal on MLB Network, the Phillies CLEARLY won the trade.

klaw's take

The deal: Mariners win, Jays win, Phillies lose

Tuesday, December 15, 2009 | Feedback | Print Entry

Assuming that this series of three trades as currently reported stands, here's how I'd break down the exchanges for each of the four teams involved:

The Toronto Blue Jays: They landed three top-100 prospects for one year of Roy Halladay and $6 million (a sunk cost), which is more impact talent than Cleveland and Philadelphia received in total in the two Cliff Lee deals. Kyle Drabek is a potential No. 2 starter with good velocity and a potential out-pitch curveball; his changeup is still fringy and he needs to show he can command his fastball to his arm side and either work lower in the zone with it or complement it with a two-seamer or cutter. Toronto doesn't have anything like Drabek in its system now, as former GM J.P. Ricciardi was opposed to taking high school pitchers in the draft; the Blue Jays' focus on polished college arms has only produced one pitcher (Shaun Marcum, a college reliever) who might be a No. 2 starter in the big leagues. Travis d'Arnaud is a still unpolished but moderate-to-high-upside catching prospect who finished very strongly after a rough start at Class A Lakewood in 2009. He has a good idea of the strike zone with bat control and a short path to the ball; he's athletic for a catcher and has arm strength but still needs work on his feet and his throwing mechanics.

The Jays also acquire outfielder Michael Taylor in the deal, but are sending him to Oakland for third baseman Brett Wallace; I'd rather have Wallace than Taylor, although the reactions of people within the industry with whom I've spoken have been mixed on the side deal. Wallace is a hitter -- one of the best pure bats in the minors -- and would have been a top-10 pick in the 2008 draft if he had a clear position and didn't have an unusual body type; while he's not fat, he's often labeled as such or as a "bad-bodied" guy because his thighs are enormous and he doesn't have any lateral quickness. But he hits -- with great plate discipline and an unusual ability to hit left-handed pitching -- and if Toronto wants him to come north with the club in April he's ready to do so as a hitter. He's probably going to end up at first base, although he has played third and the Jays do have one of the best infield coaches in the game in Brian Butterfield; a lineup with Adam Lind, Travis Snider and Wallace will get a lot of production from young, inexpensive hitters in the middle of its order.

Taylor is a monster who remade his swing in pro ball and has shown a good approach at the plate and very good bat control; the main question on Taylor is whether his new swing is going to generate the power his frame implies, as it's flat and more geared to line drives than big flies. The trade still makes sense for Oakland, however, since they already have a logjam of first base/DH types with Chris Carter, Daric Barton and Jake Fox -- but don't have impact bats for corner outfield spots. It's a smart reallocation of resources, and Taylor and Wallace are close enough that the A's could easily have ended up with the better player.

The Seattle Mariners: They made the biggest gain in this series of transactions by landing Cliff Lee. They're giving up two of their top pitching prospects in Phillippe Aumont and Juan Ramirez, but there's a good chance both end up in the bullpen; Aumont is already there after hip problems and some makeup questions (he broke his non-throwing hand by punching a locker in August).

He gets great life on a low-to-mid-90s fastball and should get plenty of ground balls as he learns to command the pitch better; unlike a lot of low-slot right-handers, he hasn't shown a pronounced platoon split against left-handed hitters. Ramirez has electric stuff but hasn't missed a lot of bats in full-season ball and his ultra-skinny build has raised long-term durability questions -- although, unlike Aumont, he continues to start and should remain there until he proves he can't handle it. Tyson Gillies is among the fastest men in baseball and has a decent approach at the plate, but guys with below-average power often find their ability to work the count compromised by higher-level pitchers who realize they can challenge those hitters in the zone with some impunity, and unless he becomes a plus-plus defender in the outfield he's going to end up a fourth outfielder.

So, it's a large price to pay for one year of Lee because they're giving up so many years of control of three almost-certain big leaguers -- but trading second-tier prospects for one impact big leaguer is nearly always a good value because of the benefit of having so much major-league value occupying just one roster spot. Seattle sees an opportunity for 2010 with the Angels losing John Lackey and Chone Figgins, and while the losses do deplete Seattle's system, the Mariners are not barren (they still have Dustin Ackley and Alex Liddi) and making a legitimate run at a division title is a pretty good reason to empty out your farm.

The Philadelphia Phillies: They swap one ace for a very slightly better ace in Roy Halladay, whose value over Lee may be as much in his stronger track record as in pitching ability. The price they pay for this small improvement is a major dent in their farm system, trading a superior package of prospects to Toronto for the three players they landed from Seattle in the exchange for Lee. I'm not sure why the Phillies -- who were the favorites to win the NL East in 2010 before this move -- were motivated to make the trade; yes, they can sign Halladay to an extension and couldn't sign Lee, but that's independent of the deals used to obtain one pitcher and trade the other. They might be half a win better in 2010, a whole win at most, but deleted a lot of value from what was a solid farm system before they made the moves.

thank u klaw for not using the adjective 'toolsy'

There was all kinds of deals that included a bunch of cash that Bowie Kuhn shot down in the 70s. Charlie Finley pretty much tried to sell off the A's a player at a time in the mid 70s. One of the deals that was voided was Vida Blue going to the Reds in 1977.

thx for posting that cankles

axtually, Finley tried to sell off 3 of his stars at the same time, I think.

All these people who are claiming that Halladay is a marginal upgrade over Lee are missing the fact that a) Lee has had maybe 2.5 great seasons in his career vs Halladay's 7 or 8, b) Halladay never pitched in a pushover division (i.e. Lee arguably didn't deserve his Cy Young), c) the Phillies just signed arguably the best pitcher in baseball for a fraction of the money that guys like Santana and Sabathia got.

joe sheehan with a point abt the halladay trade that i haven't seen other people make:

Roy Halladay signed a contract extension today that will guarantee him $60 million over three years, with a vesting option that would pay him another $20 million if he pitches enough innings in the first three years of the deal.

That’s the story here: Not the first trade, not the second trade, and not the third trade. The story here is that one of the best players in baseball took somewhere between 35-50 percent of his market value to facilitate a trade, leaving somewhere between $60 and $100 million in guaranteed money on the table. This is a staggering upset, one for which there is virtually no comparison in baseball history.

One year ago, CC Sabathia got $161 million in guaranteed money, an average of $23 million per season over seven seasons, as a full-fledged free agent. Two years ago, in a similar situation to that of Halladay, Johan Santana engineered a trade to the Mets and signed an extension totaling $137.5 million over six seasons, just shy of $23 million per season. Halladay, a bit older than both pitchers at the time of their deals but essentially even in value to both, took less guaranteed money per season across half the guaranteed years. To pull an example from this winter, John Lackey just got a guaranteed $82 million as a free agent. Halladay’s teammate for three years, A.J. Burnett, got a guaranteed $82 million one year ago. Neither Lackey nor Burnett has Halladay’s credentials. Lackey and Burnett have a combined 36 points in Cy Young voting in their careers; Halladay had 71 in just the 2008 vote alone, the third of four straight seasons in which he’s finished in the top five in AL Cy voting.

Halladay’s contract is so far removed from his market value that it looks like an error. Remember, he had to approve not only the contract, but the trade to the Phillies that precipitated it. He made the choice that he wanted to be with the Phillies so much—and wanted to be with them immediately so much—that it was worth it to him to leave $60 million, $80 million, maybe $100 million unclaimed. There is no way anyone could have predicted this even a few weeks ago. This is the kind of decision that a player gets to make for himself and his family. Halladay gets to play for a contender in 2010 and gets to do so with a team he wishes to play for, one that holds spring training near his Florida home, and he valued those things more than the marginal dollars foregone by not testing the market. I don’t judge him for it, but I do think we should all be stunned by how much money this man left on the table. There is no precedent for it in sports.

maybe doc's thinking he can contend for a few years with the phils, then get his big contract afterwards

nah that still doesnt make sense

nah he pitches 5 years with them if the option vests, he'll be 36. i bet then he goes into one year at a time hired gun mode.

he really hated toronto? that's all i can figure

i don't think he hated it, just realized they were never making the playoffs in his career

he seems like a guy who'll age well, but yeah he's not getting a 7 year megacontract in his late thirties.

i don't think he hated Toronto at all. it would not surprise me in the least if he just doesn't see the need to extort millions out of an organization he wants to play for when he's already made tens of millions already playing baseball.

he's the anti-Boras, essentially, in my mind.

All this talk of ZOMG only a possible 80 million instead of 180 million reminds me of this

http://nuncahubounavez.googlepages.com/chester2.jpg

Cubs trade Milton Bradley for worst pitcher in baseball. Good job.

According to the Seattle Times' Larry Stone, the Cubs have agreed to trade Milton Bradley to the Mariners for right-hander Carlos Silva.

It'll be interesting to see what kind of money is being exchanged. Silva, who is owed $24 million over the next two years, posted an 8.60 ERA and 1.70 WHIP in 30 innings this past season and a 6.46 ERA in 153 1/3 innings the year before. Bradley, owed $21 million, batted a disappointing .257/.378/.397 this season with Chicago but is only one year removed from a career-best .321/.436/.563 batting line. For now, it appears the Mariners and GM Jack Zduriencik have pulled off another excellent deal.

you have got to be fucking kidding me

http://thecitylovesyou.com/cinerex/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/kitano-sonatine.jpg

wow what a move by the m's

utter genius move. fire hendry.

jack z is ON FIAH!

neyer and law are gonna have a field day with this one

At least it will cheer up Cliff Lee who is ;_; about being traded

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4753045

if youre a Cubs fan would you rather trade for Silva or Gary Matthews Jr?

man that is the most difficult question i have ever been asked

Kristi ******* not sure how I'm feeling about this trade....I know Bradley was a problem but Carlos Silva?? really?
9 minutes ago · Comment · LikeUnlike

Mike *****
They are sending the Cubs $9 Mil along with Silva. Great deal for the Cubs.
6 minutes ago

Sandy ******
Carlos is a good friend of mine. He's good peeps.

i think that trade is embarrassing for both teams really.

the way i see it, bradley is a dude who cannot deal with aggro managerial styles and already-weird clubhouse atmosphere (which i think the cubs have both of in spades.) maybe him heading to the M's, a team that seems to have neither, will be beneficial. i figure they'll just cut him loose the instant he begins to stir up trouble. silva i assume will have a cubs career defined by his wide eyed amazement at this style of pizza that's really thick and has lots of cheese.

Silva, who is owed $24 million over the next two years

hard to read past that

the m's could use some offense at dh and won't ask bradley to play the outfield. this seems to be the best situation for him.

if the M's still manage to get jason bay they will have a pretty dope team.

Silva may make more money than Halladay over the course of their careers.

ha ha haha

i was thinking more about Halladay's extension and what i may have done in his shoes. and i can't really think of anything more embarrassing for a ball player than being that guy with the huge albatross contract. with someone like Silva or Matthews or Wells - it's not like you're even an athlete anymore. you're a 24 million dollar burden for two years. no team can really want you any more - so much as being willing to take your contract off of someone else's hands. usually cash needs to be thrown in. so here you are - a walking nightmare contract and your team has just had to pay someone off to take you. it's gotta suck in a way.
not that i feel all that much sympathy.

Barry Z may make 2x what Halladay will make over his career.

i can't feel much sympathy for silva. it's pretty ridiculous that i'm hearing cubs fans cheering this move b/c bradley was a clubhouse cancer and a d-bag (true, yeah), but wasn't silva one of the guys who was like, "let's jump ichiro and fuck him up, yo" while ichiro was hitting .350 and silva was tossing to the tune of a 6+ era?

!
what are you referring to?!

well-documented dissension in the mariners clubhouse, mostly in 2007 iirc?

huh i never heard abt that either. totally believe it tho

cannot find documentation.

fangraphs needs cancer stats.

i found one thing saying Silva hinted that Ichiro was causing problems in the clubhouse. seems a far cry from lynching the guy tho.

http://ussmariner.com/2008/09/25/teammates-hate-ichiro-we-hate-teammates/

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/mariners/2008101921_mari09.html

Silva, who lasted six-plus innings, said his sinker worked well outside of that one frame. But he decided to speak out, he said, because he has seen too much selfishness from the team -- even when it's winning games.

"Maybe Chief has to go and grab somebody from his neck and throw him into the wall and something's going to change," he said, speaking of himself. "I'm very close to doing that, so write that down."

carlos silva in 2008: 4-15, 6.46 ERA, 1.598 WHIP

according to game logs, silva followed up that start he talks about with a 3.1 inning, 9 earned run performance against minnesota.

silva i assume will have a cubs career defined by his wide eyed amazement at this style of pizza that's really thick and has lots of cheese.

ahaha

this has been the most amazing offseason
holding on to griffey now makes more sense. he can chill milton maybe

Can't recall if it was in the '09 Ms thread, but one of us (me?) linked to an article where new New York Met JJ Putz also took some shots at Ichiro.

Cannot wait to watch this team next year.

how is the M's bullpen?

VictorRojas29
where are the doom and gloom #mets fans? ELMER DESSENS BABY! Christmas cometh early...#mlb

I inadvertently found out about the Bradley-Silva trade from a post at The Dugout, I LOLed and figured it was part of the joke. Then I clicked on this thread ...

ha hahah!

Perrotto:

The Rangers are targeting free-agent designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero after their attempt to trade for Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell ended on Saturday when Lowell failed a physical examination.

Would the Rangers like to consider Brad Hawpe?

Good god, Vlad's splits at Arlington: .440/.500/.640

Obv this is not old man Vlad but its not a bad idea.

Goddamnit I cant read. That was last season. This is his career numbers - 394 .471 .705 1.175

even better!

Prepare for fistings, Braves fans:

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-braves-caray&prov=ap&type=lgns

sorry cankles : /

GOD DAMMIT

my sincerest sympathies cankles and wmc

the worst part is that he's replacing boog sciambi, the best tv pbp guy in the world (would be the best period if vin scully wasnt still chugging along)

anyway:

the m's could use some offense at dh and won't ask bradley to play the outfield. this seems to be the best situation for him.

― call all destroyer, Friday, December 18, 2009 2:22 PM (3 days ago) Bookmark

what the hell do they do with griff if bradley's DHing? i cant imagine that they'll let junior take the field, not with their organization-wide emphasis on defense and run prevention

i imagine they'll just have griffey on the bench/farewell tour--it's entirely possible bradley wasn't on their radar and the cubs came knocking

klaw

Cubs better off without Bradley or Silva
Saturday, December 19, 2009 | Feedback | Print Entry
The Cubs failed in their trade with the Mariners. They would have been better off simply releasing Milton Bradley rather than trading him for Carlos Silva and cash unless they intend to release Silva before he plays a single game in a Cubs uniform; at least it would have spared them the humiliation of watching Silva pitch.

He wasn't worth a 40-man roster spot before he got hurt, but he injured his shoulder and missed three-quarters of the 2009 season. The Cubs at least captured some value through the money they receive from Seattle ($9 million spread out over the next two years), but they will probably destroy that value by letting Silva take up space on their roster and appear in games.

Bradley generally does produce when healthy, and if his knees force him to DH most or all of the time he's now with a team that has an actual DH slot; even in a lost season in 2009 he managed a .378 OBP, and he's a good bet to increase his performance in a situation in which he'll be handled more appropriately. The question with Bradley, of course, is one of makeup. The concern is not whether he'll cause problems in the clubhouse or make his teammates worse; there's no evidence that this has ever happened with Bradley or any other player with similar makeup problems. The concern is whether Bradley can keep himself out of trouble and on the field. I'm not sure that anyone but Bradley himself can fix his issues -- it's not even clear whether he can -- but it is fair for Mariners fans to wonder if he'll be able to control his emotions for enough games to justify his salary.

One larger issue raised by this deal is the gradually widening gulf between teams that have embraced the sort of metric-based decision-making processes that have been the norm in the business world for decades, and those that continue to operate as if Bowie Kuhn was still commissioner and computers were still expensive, mammoth devices that run on punch cards. Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik is nobody's idea of a stat-drunk computer nerd, but he runs his team like it's a business. As more teams turn their baseball operations over to people who, like Zduriencik, bring rational approaches to their jobs, it's going to be harder for teams that still operate under the old paradigm to come out ahead in trades, or even in free agency.

thx again dude for the ins1der cont3nt.

morrow to jays for league and....?

(seattle mariners fireballing badass brandon) morrow

Heyman:
#yankees, #braves deal will send vazquez, boone logan to ny for melky, lhp mike dunn and a prospect. si.com story up soon

Cabrera instead of Swisher, EH?

http://topbillinmusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/mike_dunn.jpg

melky must be cheaper right?

first nick johnson, now vazquez? yanks have set the wayback machine to ~2004 ?

weirdly enough i think the yanks got vazquez in exchange for johnson

December 16, 2003: Traded by the Montreal Expos to the New York Yankees for Randy Choate, Nick Johnson and Juan Rivera.

never forget 12/16

jesus christ what are the braves doing

just making sure the Yankees win 110 next year, i think

damn i was at melky's first game ever. i started my section to cheer for the new guy's first at bat.. kind of knew he'd be traded this offseason though..

but this trade, LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

12/18/09 1:19 PM EST

ATLANTA -- A Major League source has confirmed that it is highly unlikely Javier Vazquez would provide the Braves clearance to trade him to the Angels.

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

between these moves and hiring Chip Caray, the Braves are just driving me into the arms of another woman team. Just about guaranteed to drop cable and go back to Directv to I can get Extra Innings for 2010.

couldn't they have worked Tommy Hanson into this deal somehow?

what should our new team be, wmc

i'm thinking the pirates would be at worst a lateral move

i <3 wren i <3 this shitty economy

I think the pirates would be a good idea xp

pirates have a great stadium

wow - this Marrow trade came out of nowhere!

may i suggest the J's, guys? nowhere to go but up!

xpost

if Boog gets picked up by another team, I'll go there just because he's a pleasure to listen to -- unless it's back to the Marlins.

Red Sox, maybe. Gotta be an east coast team because I'm an old, old man and I can't stay up late for west coast games.

pittsburgh is technically not on the west coast

boog got picked up by ESPN, which i guess is a nice consolation because i'll still be able to hear him regularly - just not for the braves

gotta be pirates with MCCLUTCHEN and no matt capps this year

If the Mets have their triple threat of .300 OBP regulars in Francoeur, Murphy and Molina, there'll be plenty of room at Citi for ya.

pirates but not a bad idea to go nationals (don't laugh) get in on the ground floor before everything breaks in 3-4 years. orioles too for the same reason.

No, I fucking hate the Mets. Their misery is a consistent warm glow of pleasure in my life. xp

THE_ADAM_JONES The Yankees do it again. But who really cares.

now is your chance to escape the nat'l league!!

Jays is a real option. I want to pitch a reality show where they move me to Canada and teach me their foreign ways because I've grown so disillusioned with American beisbol.

jays are disqualified for me b/c of the 92 WS (tho i harbor no particular ill will towards them), but their old unis are gorge so that would be a plus

nice hash tag #WishitwereDerekLowe

i do love the old unis so.

hatin on the yankees 2010

wtf is Frank Wren doing

so the "prospect" the J's give up for Morrow is pretty much a nobody! looks like they got a hell of a deal to me!

looking for Schuerholz to either retire after 2010 or fire Wren or take back his old job

fire wren AND take back

imo the front office situation is even worse now that roy clark is gone

klaw

Yanks deepen staff; Braves, their prospect pool
Tuesday, December 22, 2009 | Feedback | Print Entry

Getty Images
The Yankees hope that a second stint in the Bronx can be a better one for Javier Vazquez.
Even in his down years, Javier Vazquez has been a pretty good pitcher, giving around 200 innings of league-average performance to his employers. But twice in the past three years he's been significantly better than that. The Yankees will hope the trend continues.

Vazquez is durable and consistently misses bats -- he finished fourth in the American League in strikeouts in 2006, 2007 and 2008 while with the White Sox, then second in the National League in 2009 -- working with a true four-pitch mix and plus control. The main knock against him has been his difficulty when pitching in tight spots, as he's less effective by about 100 points of opponents' OPS out of the stretch. Still, he's so good out of the windup and good enough from the stretch that he can be one of the most valuable pitchers in his league in most years.

For the Yankees, Vazquez provides more bulk innings to a rotation that worked its front three starters very hard in 2009 (including short-rest work in the postseason), allowing the team to shave a few pitches off their starts in 2009 because manager Joe Girardi doesn't have to be prepared for a three-inning outing every time the rotation's fourth spot comes up.

The key player in this trade for Atlanta is Arodys Vizcaino, who becomes one of the top five prospects in the Braves' system and gives them a trio of potential No. 1 or No. 2 starters in the low minors with Julio Teheran and Randall Delgado. Vizcaino, who pitched at short-season Staten Island this past season, has a live fastball that sits 91-93 mph and touches a little higher. He throws a curveball that flashes plus and should miss bats at the big league level when he reaches it. He already has good feel for pitching and just needs experience and a little cleanup in his delivery, as he often finds his arm slot drifting down, at which point he starts to sling the ball instead of just throwing it.

The Braves also get a few years of control of Melky Cabrera, a capable fourth outfielder who can play an average center field and has a plus arm. I don't think Cabrera has the offensive skills to play every day in a corner-outfield spot, particularly because of his willingness to expand the zone and chase pitches that most hitters wouldn't consider. Atlanta could use him as a platoonmate for Matt Diaz, a right-handed hitter who has a 200-point career platoon split, or as a backup at all three outfield spots, playing him behind Diaz, Nate McLouth and -- assuming he makes the club -- Jason Heyward, the top prospect in baseball.

Cabrera was a Super Two (eligible for arbitration with less than three years of service) this past offseason and should earn between $2.5 million and $3 million this offseason in arbitration, which is fairly pricey for a fourth outfielder. The third piece going to the Braves, Mike Dunn, is a converted outfielder with arm strength -- he hit 94 repeatedly when I saw him in the Arizona Fall League -- but he has 40 command at best on the 20-80 scale. He also has an inconsistent slider with some late break but that he has trouble finishing. It's possible he'll improve his command and/or control with more experience, but after nearly 400 pro innings, he's still below-average in both departments.

Atlanta's need to make this deal dates back a full year to the signing of Kenshin Kawakami, to whom the team owes more than $13 million in the next two years. The Braves signed Kawakami despite having Tommy Hanson knocking on the door of the majors last winter and Tim Hudson returning from injury -- a situation perfect for a one-year stopgap but one that made signing Kawakami (along with Derek Lowe) superfluous. Kawakami is untradable given his contract, and to clear a roster spot and payroll, they had to move their best starter from 2009. It's a salary dump, and one in which Atlanta is lucky to get a young pitcher as good as Vizcaino, who is among the top 100 prospects in the game.

For the Yankees, adding Vazquez means either Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes will start the season in the bullpen. It probably also signals that the Yankees feel one of them belongs there, most likely Hughes at this point. If the organization believed that both pitchers eventually would work out as starters in the majors, it would be more willing to give both rotation spots and back them up with a lesser option than Vazquez, who was, as you might have heard, the second-best pitcher in the National League this past season.

At this point, the Yankees have a rotation close to that of the Red Sox, and they could very well enter 2010 a better team on paper than they were at the same time before 2009.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/12/wren-were-going-to-add-a-run-producer-.html

Aubrey Huff is available

09 payrolls

1. N.Y. Yankees……………………..$220,024,917

2. New York Mets…………………..$142,229,759

3. Chicago Cubs…………………….$141,632,703

4. Boston………………………………$140,454,683

5. Detroit……………………………..$139,429,408

6. Philadelphia………………………$138,286,499

7. Los Angeles Dodgers…………$131,507,197

8. Los Angeles Angels…………….$121,947,524

9. Houston…………………………..$108,059,086

10. Chicago White Sox…………..$105,287,384

11. St. Louis………………………..$102,678,475

12. Seattle……………………………$102,343,617

13. Atlanta…………………………..$100,078,591

14. San Francisco…………………..$95,202,185

15. Milwaukee………………………$90,006,172

16. Colorado………………………….$84,450,797

17. Toronto…………………………..$84,130,513

18. Kansas City………………………$81,917,563

19. Baltimore………………………..$79,308,066

20. Texas…………………………….$77,208,810

21. Cleveland……………………..$77,192,253
22. Arizona………………………..$73,800,852

23. Minnesota……………………$73,068,407

24. Cincinnati…………………….$72,693,206

25. Tampa Bay……………………..$71,222,532

26. Washington…………………….$69,321,137

27. Oakland……………………….$61,688,124

28. Pittsburgh……………………..$47,991,132

29. San Diego………………………$43,210,258

30. Florida………………………….$37,532,482

baseball!!!

yeah thermo it looks like the jays got the better half of this deal. morrow's pretty interesting, i've seen him blow guys away and seen him locate his pitches with the worst of them

god damn fucking Cubs buying the world series every year with their $141 million

Marlins finishing 5 games out of the wild card is truly incredible. How are they looking for 2010?

I don't like their chances if they trade Uggla, which has been rumored. Bonafacio is a lousy replacement, and they already let Nick Johnson go.

Ken_Rosenthal
Troy Glaus close with Braves. He will play 1B

they would be wise up to see if he can catch up to a fastball yet.

(too many ups, oh my.)

i'm a big glaus fan i like this imo

how do you think he'll do at 1b? i was surprised when he played a few games at SS when he was in T. he actually did ok.

Two million/one year -- not bad!

holy shit!

there's gotta be some serious incentives in there.

probably some funny incentives too. (MVP votes)

HGH receipts, amirite

Former Toronto Blue Jay Roy Halladay took out a full-page advertisement in Tuesday's edition of the Toronto Sun to thank his former organization, the fans and the City of Toronto.

"My wife Brandy, sons Braden and Ryan, and I would like to express our deepest gratitude to the Toronto Blue Jays organization, its incredible fans, and the City of Toronto," Halladay wrote in the ad.

"I feel blessed to have been part of the Blue Jays since 1995 and am extremely grateful for the opportunities it has provided. Throughout this past 15 years, there have been so many people within the organization that have made a wonderful and significant impact in my life, it would be impossible to name them all.

I am sincerely grateful for the incredible support and compassion the Blue Jays fans have always shown me. I am in awe of your overwhelming passion and devotion.

Toronto will forever have a special place in my heart.

The memories will last a lifetime and so will my gratitude.

Best regards, Roy"

dawwwww

read through a couple pages of thanksroy.com--jays fans haven't always had much to look forward to but they usually had this guy going every 5th day, and that means a lot.

Not sure why, but the Angels have signed Fernando Rodney for 2/11. Did they think it was a bargain since he was originally asking for 3/30?

but see now the team will get twice as many saves, thus winning twice as many games

mets sign RA DICKEY

they signed fernando rodney because he is better than anyone else they have in the BP. An aside, I like fernando rodney

really?

They could have re-signed Oliver to do a better job (and is more durable) at a fraction of the cost.

Angels could get Scot Shields back next year too if he can bounce back from the arm problems. Then again those half dozen years of putting up big bullpen innings might have worn him down for good.

Darren Oliver is going to be 39 next year, whereas Rodney is 32. From 2005-2007 Rodney was a very solid reliever. Maybe Oliver can continue to pitch well at his age, but I can see going with Rodney instead, especially since he seemed to have fixed a few of his problems last year. If he can get back to 2007 form, it'll be a smart decision.

Plus, the Angels have some sort of deal with the devil when it comes to pitching.

Mets on verge of signing Kelvim Escobar, SO excited

Giants add the big bat they have been searching for in Mark DeRosa.

Yankees also claim signing X. Nady is out of the limits of their "budget".

The Giants have (one of) the best young 3B in the game (.330/.387/.556 in an extreme pitcher's park/division) and they go out and spend $12M/2yrs for Mark DeRosa whose 2009 was .250/.319/.433

Good job Sabean!

like that fat boy wasn't going to be a 1B two years down the road anyway

supposedly the giants put him on a "fitness program" ?

prince fielder vegan option

When was the last time a guy that fat lasted at 3B for an extended period? As soon as Miggy Cabrera got fat they moved him to first.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/nl/2009-12-04-1776901726_x.htm

(as of 12/4) He lost 13 pounds in the first three weeks of the plan and was down to 259. He knows he very well could have hit 300 if he kept eating the way he had been.

In early November, he lifted a weight for the first time in his life.

listed @ 245# (@1B), pretty good winter league line: .425/.605/1.030

http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?pos=1B&sid=l132&t=p_pbp&pid=467055

Anyway, Derosa doesn't have to play 3B.

i f'd that up: .439/.452/.707

boo hiss bring back fat ichiro

this radio guy's saying Bay to the Mets is done pending a physical.

MORBZ TO THRED

http://imgur.com/BRRqr.gifhttp://imgur.com/BRRqr.gif

fuck

Yeah. We'll see.

That's what the commenters here say, too:

http://bats.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/28/mets-ticket-deadline-approaches/

March 24, 2002: Traded by the Montreal Expos with Jimmy Serrano to the New York Mets for Lou Collier.

SI_JonHeyman
#redsox found some "physical issues'' with #bay. #mets are believed to be aware of this. med. exam could be a marathon

lol Sheehan

"I'm stunned, just floored, that Brian Sabean thinks the answer is to sign a league-average player in his mid-thirties. In other news, a newspaper folded."

now that its fairly certain that Bay won't be a Yankee let me say he's always been a potent offensive threat but that Skeletor sunken eye socket thing coupled with the chipper Canadian personality has unnerved the fuck out of me that past couple years.

Dierkes lists Rodney (and two other ex-Tigers) as one of the five worst FA signings:

Fernando Rodney, Angels - two years, $11MM. What would Rodney have gotten without the 37 saves? I have a reliever, 33 in March, who posted a 4.40 ERA, 7.3 K/9, and 4.9 BB/9. Can I find a one-year, $2MM offer?

Add to this that his non-save numbers in '09 were horrible (37 IP, Suppan-like 1.08 K/BB, 1.79 WHIP, 6.08 ERA) and he wasn't signed by the Angels to close.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/12/best-and-worst-signings-so-far.html

I take it all back.

On the radio this morning, Bruce Bochy was talking about the DeRo signing, and he said "he can play anywhere on the diamond" three times in the first thirty seconds.

Also, Juan Uribe re-signed!

Cards reportedly 'closing in' on Holliday

they seem to be the only one doing it so...

"I'm stunned, just floored, that Brian Sabean thinks the answer is to sign a league-average player in his mid-thirties. In other news, a newspaper folded."

I hardly can muster anger now, should I be concerned?

hot stove hot stove hot stove hot stove hot stove hot stove hot stove hot stove hot stove hot stove hot stove

Hot Stove, Cool Music

The Chicago Cubs made their first major addition of the offseason, signing former Texas Rangers outfielder Marlon Byrd to a three-year, $15 million deal on Thursday.

Hot Stove, Cryptic Tweets Full of Misspellings and Syntactical Liberties

Adrian Beltre to BoSox, looking like $22m/2y

good luck boston

small sample size & all but in 09

vs nyy: .167/.167/.250
vs tb: .200/.273/.233
vs tor: .182/.308/.182

he cleaned up against the orioles though!

where'd you see 2/22? everywhere i saw this it was 1/9 with a 5 mil player option for the second year in case he sucks

and at that price i love it btw

this is a boras client remember

http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/mlb/news/story?id=4795915

Looks like CAD has it right.

thats pretty good for the best defensive 3b in the bigs

from the boston herald:

The deal was agreed to in principle on New Year’s Eve and finalized on Sunday night. Beltre turned down more money from at least two teams – he had a four-year offer early in free agency and then a three-year deal for roughly the same annual value as the deal the Red Sox offered – but he chose Boston with an eye on having a big year for a contender and then hitting the market again next year.

fyi may i never hear the phrase "he's a boras client" used again for anybody

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8IKDeH9SEg

d_a_cameron
My favorite clip of that video is at the 5:50 mark, when Beltre makes a play in the hole and you can tell that Yuni hadn't even moved.

that video is dope & all but you would think that after losing lowell & bay & with the ortiz fiasco of last year that they would try and sign someone for a corner position who hit at least double digit home runs

or i guess they are keeping lowell? i still don't think it makes it much better

mets have signed crash davis mike hessman to a minor league deal

they'll trade lowell and a healthy beltre out of safeco should have no trouble hitting double-digit home runs

if you read teh fangraphs fanboys beltre is already a lock for 30+ hrs..

lololololololololol

that is a push no doubt but i think he'll hit 20 if healthy

big if

but agreed

they need to put him on that Papi program and Beltre will be in vintage 2004 form.

trying to find that vid of beltre going down on his knee practically to swing at a curveball that he hits out of petco (!)

one of the more badass HRs i've seen recently, think it might have been in 08 though

this guy must be so sad, will he move too?

http://assets.sbnation.com/imported_assets/573/450mari02_097mu_beltrea_medium.jpg

not a shoppe

haha wow

they need to put him on that Papi program and Beltre will be in vintage 2004 form.

― ┌∩┐(◕_◕)┌∩┐ (Steve Shasta), Tuesday, January 5, 2010 8:27 PM (32 minutes ago) Bookmark

Ugh so much juice flowing through that 04 clubhouse.. LoDuca, Gagne, Mota... Pretty sure DePodesta was actively trying to get rid of all the roiders with his moves as GM.

here's klaw on beltre

In adding Adrian Beltre, the Red Sox continue to remodel. By signing one of the game's premier defensive third basemen, the Sox now have one of the best-fielding lineups in the game, with plus defenders at potentially five positions and the only question marks on defense in center (where Jacoby Ellsbury's defensive value is a subject of much debate) and behind the plate.

Great defense aside, a healthy shoulder and a smaller park should mean a more productive Beltre in Boston.

Combine those defenders' ability to turn balls in play into outs with the six-deep rotation -- including new addition John Lackey and perhaps a bounceback season from Daisuke Matsuzaka (who threw much better late in the season after he came off the DL) -- and Boston should be among the league leaders in fewest runs allowed.

At the plate, Beltre still has quite a bit of raw power -- or did before he hurt his shoulder -- but Seattle's ballpark, which kills right-handed power, has masked it, with Beltre slugging exactly 112 points higher on the road in 2007 and 2008. He's shown flashes of patience, but not recently, although he's not a hacking reprobate either; if he could just lay off that slider low and away, he'd have solid control of the zone, although at 31 he's probably past the point where we might see that sort of improvement.

So where's the problem? Frankly, there's very little downside here for Boston on a one-year deal, although it's not zero. Beltre is coming off a season in which he had a shoulder injury that required surgery, and the injury killed his offensive performance in 2009. So there's certainly the risk that he isn't fully recovered from the injury or has a setback at some point, especially since shoulder operations are nowhere near as simple or routine as elbow operations. There's also risk that Beltre's offensive slip in 2009 wasn't entirely a function of the shoulder, but due to some unexpected, early decline, although that seems extremely unlikely.

The worst-case scenario for Boston is that Beltre plays great defense, misses some time with injuries and hits like he did in 2009, in which case he might still be worth $10 million to a team like the Red Sox with a high marginal revenue product.

The move lets the Red Sox leave Kevin Youkilis at first base, where he's become a premium defender and has less risk of hurting himself and taking his bat and patience out of the lineup. They do now have one excess Mike Lowell on the roster, but given his own recent surgery, Lowell is probably untradeable until March, and with his hip problem he's not likely to attract a ton of interest from other clubs as a third-base option.

The Mariners get a sandwich pick as compensation for losing Beltre, who would almost certainly have earned $13 million on a one-year deal had he accepted Seattle's offer of arbitration in December -- although I can understand the strategy in getting him out of Safeco to try to boost his performance on another one-year deal and get him on the market healthy after 2010. Moving to Oakland would have had a similar effect to staying in Seattle by putting Beltre in a bad hitters' park and setting him up, in theory, for a rough go on the free-agent market again when he's 32.

holliday staying w/cards; just broke on sportscenter

7/120....seems fair.

zito money!

with that money he can buy a pair of sunglasses!

we gonna have 40% of the payroll in 2 players :O

yeah that does make it weird

just watched that video of beltre at 3rd; guy has a fucken rocket launcher for a right arm and stupid amounts of range.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4799462

randy johnson retires. 5 cy youngs, shoulda been 6.

shasta you dodged a bullet on laroche. third tier 1B rejecting 2 year 17 mil?

dude wtf i'm not a braves fan. i hate the braves!

ohhhhh the giants lol, nm. i hate the giants slightly less than the braves.

wait that's not true, i LOVE the giants legacy from NYC -> SF, love their 50-60s teams. HATED their 80s teams. LOVED Bonds (but I loved him in Pittsburgh, nothing to do with geography). HATED the team ever since they got rid of Bonds.

Sabean (and Coletti) are the worst GMs in baseball.

(for the record, i've co-owned A's season tix for the past 3 seasons but I'm not renewing this year, I've had enough of Beane's empty promises and the abject failure of moneyball).

http://imgur.com/6mTKc.jpg

Here is how Moneyball fits into the A's decade
Oakland A's win/loss/%/notes
2000 91W-70L .565 ALW Pennant - ALDS loss
2001 102W-60L .630 ALWC - ALDS loss
2002 103W-59L .636 ALW Pennant - ALDS loss
2003 96W-66L .593 ALW Pennant - ALDS loss
*** MONEY BALL PUBLISHED ***
2004 91W-71L .562 2nd in ALW
2005 88W- 74L .543 2nd in ALW
2006 93W-69L .574 ALW Pennant - ALCS loss
2007 76W- 86L .469 3rd in ALW
2008 75W- 86L .466 3rd in ALW
2009 75W-83L .475 4th in ALW

― Change Display Name: (Steve Shasta), Thursday, October 1, 2009 11:37 AM (3 months ago)

Shasta reupping for Yakult Swallows' Saturday ticket plan.

the thing about moneyball is, those successful A's teams (lets say 99-06) didnt really have any 'moneyball' players on them aside from giambi - and it was the top of their rotation (mulder, hudson, zito) along with guys like tejada and chavez who were carrying that team... and i dont think beane had anything to do with the acquisition of a lot of those guys.

r u high? beane took over GM in 94. he was the assistant GM for 4 years prior.

Shasta reupping for Yakult Swallows' Saturday ticket plan.

― Rage, Resentment, Spleen (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, January 6, 2010 10:41 AM

wrongo Morbsies. In the PL I follow the Tigers, and in the JL I follow the Lions. Do keep up.

but you won't DEIGN to follow a MLB team?

sorry always thought the Bonds love was tied to digging the team too. added to the faq.

I follow my fantasy teams religiously trust me!

so lame.

don't knock it until you try it.

i can't wait to start up our first ~*keeper league!*~

but TT, at least you're a fan of an actual team as well. Shasta just wants immunity from ridicule.

um. didn't he just admit to being a Bonds fan?!

but so am I!

My ILB name is gygax! I'm 31, I live in San Francisco and I root for the Giants.

rip gygax!

owning A's season tix for the past 3 seasons is enough IRL ridicule for me thxUvrymuch.

wait i have a real bonds question no trollo
came up after reading this the other day http://bleacherreport.com/articles/314039-red-sox-trade-lowell-to-giants-for-barry-bonds-abandoned-lay-z-boy-ap

i always thought it was just one sick comfy leather chair in front of bonds' locker. didnt know it was a whole ensemble set. what were the rules of who got to sit on the couch? did you have to be invited personally by bonds? will the chairs be enshrined in the hall?

yes.

kinda love that that article came from a boston fan. if they get rid of big papi all is forgiven?

beane took over GM in 94.

ah whatever. theres still nothing ~*MONEYBALL*~ about the team he put together, they just picked up a bunch of dope ass players at the top of the draft

John Jaha, Jeremy Giambi, Matt Stairs, Olmedo Saenz?

Scott Hatteberg, Ray Durham (good OBP for a 2B, but diminished defensive ability), Erubiel Durazo, ...

John Jaha is perhaps the ULTIMATE moneyballer... maybe more so than Hatteburg.

cankles, you are slipping dude. gargle on my balls if you can't resolve the pre-internet A's team assemblage.

What happened? Part 1: John Jaha

1999- John Jaha had the following line: .276AVG .414OBP .970OPS 35HR 111RBI

The 1999 A's were quite possibly my favorite team. A fantastic offense with no leadoff hitter. Rich Becker and Ryan Christenson just never could cut it. I'm going off track slightly here, but John Jaha for one very fun summer was one of my favorite players.

He had two injury plauged seasons in 2000 and 2001 where he hit .175 and .089 in the back to back seasons. He was 34 and 35 during those seasons. Past the normal prime for the average player, obviously, but quite a few players have more solid seasons at that age and older. Especially players that hit 35 homeruns at the age of 33.

Injuries can only be so much of the problem. His injury's apparently weren't severe enough in 2000 to prevent him from playing in 2001, and I believe, and please correct me if I'm wrong, that he just flat out retired in 2001.

With Jason Giambi recently admitting the use of steroids, you hate to think (at least I do, being an A's fan) what other players were using steroids. John Jaha is perhaps a great example on how much steroids can help a baseball player. Of course you have to be in shape and injury free, which Jaha was in '99, to have a good season. But it does make you think.

A fantastic season for Jaha in 1999 was highlighted perhaps by his first and only All-star appearance. Jaha struck out in his only at-bat, and participated in the Home Run Derby, where he hit one homer. He also holds the distinction of being the only person I've seen swing and miss in a homerun contest.

But it was a great season.

2005
http://www.wiffleball2k.com/allstar/celebrecap01.jpg
John Jaha is now 39.

The above picture is from a celebrity wiffle ball homerun derby from 2003. From the picture one can infer that he enjoyed his time with the A's, enough to wear an A's ballcap. You can also infer that he is enjoying his millions of dollars he earned from playing Major League Baseball, he's gained some pounds. But I've never met a retiree that hasn't let himself go a little bit.

What has brought Mr. Jaha to play in a celebrity wiffleball derby with such stars as Jeff Henning (who won), Bic Bickley, Casey Sylvester, Mike Walsh, and Josh Bartholomew, I have no idea. I'm sure I'm looking to far into this, but I have a tendency to do this.

Maybe I'm not up on pop culture as much as I think I am, but I've never heard of one of these people. To give an example of one's star power. Bic Bickley is the former Commissioner of the TWA (Trampoline Wrestling Association).

By the way 2003 was the second straight year he competed in the derby. He's finished 8th (out of 8) and 4th (out of 6th). Of course it is wiffleball, but still he was a major league hitter.

But, as good as he was during the regular season, he just never was very good at Home Run Derby's anyway.

Below are John Jaha's career stats.

.263AVG .369OBP .834OPS 141HR 490RBI's

sorry i was talking about IMPORTANT players - thats my entire point, the guys from that succesful run who actually MATTERED didnt fit the mold for the most part

owned

the thing about moneyball is, those successful A's teams (lets say 99-06) didnt really have any 'moneyball' players on them aside from giambi

Wrong, but later you explained that you meant "important" players, unlike guys who were starting players on the team and hit as 30+ hr in some years. You know: extraneous guys. The only guys who count are Tejada, Chavez, and Giambi ... oh wait, not Giambi! Gotcha.

and it was the top of their rotation (mulder, hudson, zito)

Three college pitchers, and Moneyball was partly about drafting college pitchers over high school guys, or short dudes who can pitch (Hudson) over tall dudes, or guys with unusual tools (Zito). Undervalued commodities.

along with guys like tejada and chavez who were carrying that team...

Tejada was a power-hitting SS. You think that doesn't fit the mold of Moneyball? If Beane could've traded him for a guy with a 1.200 OPS he would have, but he had limited resources, which was partly what Moneyball was about!

Chavez didn't perform like a Moneyball guy because he got injured and never got healthy. When he was coming into his own, he was developing into a patient hitter who also hit for power. He never was much of a runner, and only developed as a fielder because of Ron Washington's help. Hatteberg was another guy who was a butcher with the glove and yet eventually became a good fielder based almost entirely on hard work.

i dont think beane had anything to do with the acquisition of a lot of those guys.

Wrong.

stop, you hear that sound? that's the sound of some gargling.

http://bit.ly/qBdyI

SEATTLE -- Center fielder Franklin Gutierrez and the Seattle Mariners finalized a $20.5 million, four-year contract Friday that avoided salary arbitration.

Gutierrez's deal includes a team option for 2014.

The 26-year-old hit .283 with 18 homers and 70 RBIs last season, his first in Seattle, and made several excellent catches while playing a career-high 153 games.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4808467

Vlad Guerrero is a Ranger

Chapman to the loving arms of Dusty Baker for 5/30.

haha wow

rip

wow

prediction: will break record for IP by a rookie.

and walks.

didn't see that one coming.

gives the fans something to hope for for a year or two

Saying that Moneyball is about finding high-OBP guys is missing the forest for the trees, the philosophy is finding qualities that are being undervalued in the market that can help you win. An argument to be made about the recent decline of the A's is that OBP, for instance, is no longer an undervalued asset, that its market value has increased and effectively priced out teams like the A's, right? So BB has to find a new undervalued commodity -- that's Moneyball.

and that commodity is losses.

speaking of...

SF Giants sign 33y/o LH 1B Aubrey Huff to a one-year, $3 million contract.

He isn't any great shakes, but the contract isn't too bad.

defense is the "new" OBP.

^ otm, was just thinking about this

thing is, these things aren't confined to 2 or 3 teams anymore now that nearly all teams have sabermetric-style analysts. Which means these trends only slip past the likes of Omar Minaya.

RE: A Chapman; does't he have some non baseball guys repping him? i.e. if Boras (possibly a bad example; some bb savvy agent anyway) was his agent there is no way he'd let him go to a D Baker and risk long term health (and therefore moniessssss....)

these are the same guys that rep'ed Morales - no? so they have *some* baseball experience.
i was wondering about the Baker effect tho - and why they'd do that. money was my conclusion on that one.

how is CIn rotation in general? AC could be quickened to the majors if it's in a shambles.

Ml rotation -> $$$

Mark Sheldon

Signing of Chapman is for $30 MM with $16.25 million bonus included. Money spread well beyond six years

Jeeezus

A Red going on the DL for me.

Im still surprosed Felipe Lopez and Orlando Hudson are still on the market. I thought O-dog got hosed during free agency last year and it looks like its happening again. I guess the smart teams are just waiting to sign them for peanuts in a couple weeks..

Valverde to DET, 2/14. Hmm.

I'm staunchly on the 'no contracts to relievers not named hoffman or rivera for over 5m/per' bandwagon

marlins sign josh johnson to 4 year $39 mill deal

spendin that money (that mlb forced them to spend)

spending big market money they're not supposed to squirrel away

klaw's top 40 songs of the decade http://meadowparty.com/blog/?cat=15 (hint: they are pretty boring)

hey a harvard education only gets you so far