MLB Winter Meetings

[Guest Smell the ratings!!!]

Similar Pitchers through Age 27

 

1. Brad Radke (959)

2. Frank Viola (950)

3. Steve Avery (948)

4. Andy Benes (946)

5. Livan Hernandez (946)

6. Ted Blankenship (941)

7. Ismael Valdez (941)

8. Lary Sorensen (939)

9. John Smoltz (936)

10. Jim Abbott (933)

 

 

here's another round of "guess that trade bait"

[Brett Favre 0]

Similar Pitchers through Age 27

 

  1. Brad Radke (959)

  2. Frank Viola (950)

  3. Steve Avery (948)

  4. Andy Benes (946)

  5. Livan Hernandez (946)

  6. Ted Blankenship (941)

  7. Ismael Valdez (941)

  8. Lary Sorensen (939)

  9. John Smoltz (936)

  10. Jim Abbott (933)

 

 

here's another round of "guess that trade bait"

Jon Garland? Damn, he is that good?

[The Czech Republic 0]

Jon Garland is baaaaaaaad.

[Brett Favre 0]

Nevermind. It's the Yankee with a future.

[Guest Failed Mascot]

This just in, calling Bronson Arroyo "Brandon Arroyo" is deemed to NOT BE funny in any way, shape, or form. More details forthcoming.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

I wouldn't mind at all parting with Farns, but what's with the Cubs continually trading guys they view as potential closers? Francis Beltran and Todd Wellemeyer were two guys they envisioned one day taking on the closer's role; they've traded the former and may deal the latter.

 

Granted, neither guy really proved he could take on such a role and the Cubs don't have a great track record of picking their closers well (Alfonseca, Borowski V.2004 and Farns, just to name a few), but I would've like to see what Wellemeyer could do.

 

It should be noted that while Kolb was the shiznight for most of last season, when he blew saves, he blew them. He hadn't given up a run in a ton of innings and then during the closing weeks of the season, he seemed to be giving up two or three runs in one appearance on a weekly basis. I also wonder how he'd react going from the laidback atmosphere of Milwaukee to the asylum that has become Wrigley Field.

[The Czech Republic 0]

Miller Park's atmosphere is laid back in the sense that an abandoned warehouse is laid back.

 

Oh and yeah, after last year's debacles of Farnsworth As Usual and LaTroy Hawkins blowing TWO saves with two out and two strikes, I think Wrigley Field is going to eat shitty relievers for lunch.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Miller Park's atmosphere is laid back in the sense that an abandoned warehouse is laid back.

Yeah, exactly. So how well would Kolb make the transition of going from pitching in front of half-empty stadiums, to a rabid, sold-out stadium, where every loss is treated like the end of the world?

[Precious Roy 0]

Who the hell is Dan Kolb?

 

Closer for the Brewers who has mastered the art of not striking out anyone.

 

21 K's. On the season. But yeah, despite that he managed to save 39 games on a crappy Brewers team, with a .234 baa. And he's done this for two years in a row. It appears that he's the rare closer who can get the job done without K's. Very nice pickup for the Cubs, he's more reliable than anyone they have and they can now pitch Borowski and Hawkins as setup.

 

EDIT^ the difference in his road/home splits are negligable, I don't think you can pin his success on Miller Park alone.

[Brett Favre 0]

This just in, calling Bronson Arroyo "Brandon Arroyo" is deemed to NOT BE funny in any way, shape, or form. More details forthcoming.

*sneeze* Sorry. I'm allergic to bullshit.

[The Czech Republic 0]

Miller Park's atmosphere is laid back in the sense that an abandoned warehouse is laid back.

Yeah, exactly. So how well would Kolb make the transition of going from pitching in front of half-empty stadiums, to a rabid, sold-out stadium, where every loss is treated like the end of the world?

Let's ask Esteban Loaiza.

[Guest Failed Mascot]

Carl Pavano, meanwhile, had come to terms on a four-year, $42 million deal with the Yankees, according to several baseball officials, though no official announcement was forthcoming

 

Link

[Brett Favre 0]

Great signing by the Yankees. Now to move onto Beltran.

[The Czech Republic 0]

God help me.

 

If you thought the Chicago Cubs came to baseball's Winter Meetings to shop Sammy Sosa, think again.

That's not Cubs general manager Jim Hendry's intentions this weekend despite Sosa's walkout on the last day of the regular season. The right fielder, who hit 35 homers and drove in 80 runs in 126 games in an injury-riddled season has one more year left on his contract with the Cubs and Hendry is projecting a solid season.

 

"I think the public looks at the last weekend of the season and what happened and they assume that the tendency is to get rid of someone and move on," Hendry said Thursday night. "First of all, I assume he'll be back for a lot of reasons. One, it's a contract that when traded, another year kicks in and that becomes a difficult situation for other clubs (to make a potential deal).

 

"And secondly -- and honestly -- as bad as the last weekend was, let's not forget that the guy has given the organization a lot of good years with absolutely no trouble," Hendry said. "He's played hard every day and played hurt every day and has missed very few games over his career.

 

"The things that happened are not unrepairable," Hendry said. "We have a manager who is top of the line as far as relationships with human beings and getting along with players. I don't see anything that happened that could be a detriment in 2005 to us having a good ballclub and us being able to win."

 

 

 

 

It helps that Todd Walker, who signed a one-year contract on Tuesday to come back with the Cubs, says Sosa doesn't need to apologize.

 

"We had a lot of good guys in that clubhouse," Hendry said. "You travel with somebody and play 162 games, you get irritated with each other a lot of times, and not just somebody irritated with Sammy. It's human nature.

 

"The perception that we had a bunch of bad guys and there was clubhouse unrest is wrong," Hendry said. "If that was the case, you wouldn't have all the people who are coming back want to come back. If we had won seven of the last 10 instead of lost them (the last week of the season), they'd be saying, '(Dusty Baker's) boys got it done again, they got it done in August and September, they overcame the obstacles and got in.'"

 

Instead, the Cubs lost seven of their last nine games and fell out of the National League Wild Card race.

 

The Cubs will need Sosa's offense, especially with the loss of Moises Alou. The team chose not to keep the 38-year-old left fielder, and could start Jason Dubois in left on Opening Day 2005. Or it could be David Kelton.

 

"I'm assuming (Sosa) will hit 40 home runs," Hendry said about the upcoming season. "And you've got a young kid named Dubois. What else do you have to do in winter ball to get a chance?

 

"Sometimes we all assume there's going to be a marquee name player in every spot," Hendry said. "If that was the case, then nobody would ever get a chance to play the game."

 

Dubois batted .316 and hit 31 homers with 99 RBIs at Triple-A Iowa, and hit .257 for Mazatlan in Mexico with 10 homers and 24 RBIs in 42 games. Kelton was playing in Venezuela and batting .299 with eight homers and 33 RBIs in 41 games. Both youngsters have had high strikeout totals, but the Cubs hope they make the 2005 roster.

 

"Somebody's got to be the Rookie of the Year," Hendry said. "You have to be careful that you don't always think the best alternative is to go out and get this guy and buy that guy. If that was the case, (Florida's Dontrelle) Willis would've never won all those games with the Marlins in the World Series."

 

The Cubs also are talking to Todd Hollandsworth and could bring him back. A key left-handed bat, Hollandsworth hit .318 before a freak injury in June sidelined him for the rest of the season.

 

Rumors that the Cubs are trying to sign prize free agent Carlos Beltran are just that: rumors. Because of the Cubs' financial commitment to Sosa for next year plus salary increases expected for the six arbitration eligible players, Hendry doesn't have much money to play with. The Cubs' projected payroll for 2005 will be higher than 2004, and likely approach $100 million.

 

Teams that might have expressed an interest in dealing for Sosa most likely have more realistic budgets now. Sosa is owed $17 million for 2005. There is an option year for 2006 of $18 million which would automatically kick in for any team that traded for Sosa. The Cubs assume he'll be back in right field for at least one more year.

 

As for the Cubs' other needs, Hendry said they may have all the pitchers they need and could decide to stay in-house rather than acquire a closer.

 

"When you can add somebody you know can pitch in the ninth inning or even pitch great in the eighth, you're always in pursuit of that," he said. "It's the hardest thing in the game to fix and it's the hardest thing in the game to keep intact over 162 games. I always say the only team that has a great bullpen every year is the one holding up the trophy.

 

"We'll explore some other things through trade," he said, "and we're not afraid to go with what we have."

[The Czech Republic 0]

OH GOD

 

LaTroy Hawkins might get another chance to close next season.

[Brett Favre 0]

So does this mean the Cubs are out of the running for Beltran?

[Brett Favre 0]

OH GOD

 

LaTroy Hawkins might get another chance to close next season.

Maybe Mosies Alou will wait until May 1st to sign with the Cubs.

[Guest Failed Mascot]

OH GOD

 

LaTroy Hawkins might get another chance to close next season.

"Kyle Farnsworth presented with the key to Chicago by mayor"

[the max 0]

This just in, calling Bronson Arroyo "Brandon Arroyo" is deemed to NOT BE funny in any way, shape, or form. More details forthcoming.

I think it is, especially since it happened not once, not twice, but THREE times on a national fucking broadcast. Not only did it happen those three times, but TIMMAY actually plugged game two of the Red Sox v. Yankees as a battle between Brandon Arroyo and Pedro Martinez. So not only did he screw up Arroyo's name, but he told a national audience that he would be competing against his teammate in the ALCS.

[Guest I *Heart* Jeff Weaver]

Great signing by the Yankees.

Unless New York has some reason to believe that Carl Pavano's one good year out of seven, in the National League, in a pitcher's ballpark, in a week hitting division is going to translate, I can't see this pushing them over the hump. They still have an extremely weak rotation to go up against a very strong one in Boston. Unless they intend to somehow bludgeon their way to a division title with a worse rotation than what almost lost it last year, they need to make a run at Johnson.

[Brett Favre 0]

Great signing by the Yankees.

Unless New York has some reason to believe that Carl Pavano's one good year out of seven, in the National League, in a pitcher's ballpark, in a week hitting division is going to translate, I can't see this pushing them over the hump. They still have an extremely weak rotation to go up against a very strong one in Boston. Unless they intend to somehow bludgeon their way to a division title with a worse rotation than what almost lost it last year, they need to make a run at Johnson.

Fine, lets go and trade for Jason Schimdt, Randy Johnson, Johan Santana, and Carlos Zambrano. Great idea, AS.

[Mik 0]

I'm surprised no one has posted this here, but on another board I read that Edgar Renteria came to a 4 year 40 million deal with the Red Sox.

 

Apparently boston.com reported it, but I haven't looked in to it.

[Bored 0]

Similar Pitchers through Age 27

 

   1. Brad Radke (959)

   2. Frank Viola (950)

   3. Steve Avery (948)

   4. Andy Benes (946)

   5. Livan Hernandez (946)

   6. Ted Blankenship (941)

   7. Ismael Valdez (941)

   8. Lary Sorensen (939)

   9. John Smoltz (936)

  10. Jim Abbott (933)

 

 

here's another round of "guess that trade bait"

Jon Garland? Damn, he is that good?

Ironically enough #2 on Garland's most smiliar pitcher through age 24 is Javier Vazquez.

[Guest Failed Mascot]

I'm surprised no one has posted this here, but on another board I read that Edgar Renteria came to a 4 year 40 million deal with the Red Sox.

 

Apparently boston.com reported it, but I haven't looked in to it.

I posted that much earlier today actually. Gonna be 4 years and $38mill most likely.

 

Pedro is going to be 3 years $38-39mill. They're working out something on the incentives.

 

Red Sox sign John Halama to be their second lefty out of the pen. This is going to be one of those great under the radar signings. I've always felt Halama has been under appreciated yet year in and year out he'll give you around 50 innings and an ERA of around 2.50 . Deal is 1 year and $1mill

[Bored 0]

I've always felt Halama has been under appreciated yet year in and year out he'll give you around 100innings and an ERA of around 2.50

Considering his career best is 3.56 and his career is 4.52....

[Guest Failed Mascot]

Look at his last 3 years. almost 150innings pitched and an ERA of 2.64

[Guest I *Heart* Jeff Weaver]

Fine, lets go and trade for Jason Schimdt, Randy Johnson, Johan Santana, and Carlos Zambrano.

Hey, if you're willing to go into battle with a rotation consisiting of Mike Mussina, Javier Vazquez, Carl Pavano, Jaret Wright and Eric Milton, no skin off my back. I'd rather the Angels compete against that for a possible Wild Card birth than Boston.

[mike546 0]

I think they key for the Yankees next year is Javy. If he can turn things around, and I really think he will, that gives the Yankees with a good rotation.

 

Also, Wright isn't a Yankee, as he failed his physical.

[JangoFett4Hire 0]

Where does it say that Red Sox signed Halama? I didnt see that anywhere...

[Guest Failed Mascot]

Halama