2005-06 MLB Offseason Thread

[Guest]

I'd bet good money on Soriano having a sub-.300 OBP next year with the switch to RFK.

He's going to be exposed. Hitting flyballs is not the way to do things in that park.

[Guest OKCoyote]

I'm a Red Sox fan first and foremost, but I used to like the Marlins too, merely due to the fact that I live in the South.

 

No more, my friends... no more. Though I'm happy from the Red Sox standpoint about the Beckett trade.

 

I like Loretta for Mirabelli too, since we needed a decent second baseman. Mirabelli didn't have a great year, but ordinarily is capable enough to start on (almost) any other team in the league.

 

Now we need a first baseman - Olerud has retired and Millar was not offered arbitration. If all else fails we can use Youkilis, but don't expect the Sox to settle for that.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Who's gonna catch for Tim Wakefield?

Edited December 8, 2005 by Culloden Hastings

[Guest OKCoyote]

There is that downside.

 

Looks like Varitek and Shoppach unless something else transpires.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

What an awful trade for the Nationals. What's the point of trading for Soriano and moving him to left field when the left fielder you traded for him is a better player?

[Bored 0]

Who's gonna catch for Tim Wakefield?

Varitek will just have to learn.

 

[Vern Gagne 0]

...box

 

Guess the Nats want more of a marquee name. Could also mean a new ownership group will be named soon.

[KingPK 0]

I'd just go with Youklis at first. Get the guy the playing time he needs to show if he's worth making it permanent.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Al, read your article.

 

A few minor points:

 

I think the prevailing notion is that Hanley Ramirez is going to start at SS. Joe Girardi has already comitted to getting Willingham back behind the plate and is going to give him special lessons this offseason, whatever that means.

 

As for the pitchers, while Vargas and Olsen are not established, they did pitch for the big club last year. Vargas did manage to throw a 1 run, CG effort, so he may respond well this year.

 

Overall - I agree. This is going to kill the franchise. Completely dead. But I also don't think they're going to lose 100 games next year.

I gotta give the edge to the player with AAA experience, and that's Josh Wilson. Also, Wilson has a good glove rep, crucial to this team. I plugged Willingham into left field because there was no other way to compile the outfield.

 

I'm not sure what the pitching will do, and that's part of the problem. They could be great. They could get hammered. There's just a great deal of uncertainly, and these are not guys coming off full years of AAA ball. Quite a few of them have never been to Albuquerque.

[The Man in Blak 0]

Wilkerson for Soriano is an ugly deal for the Nationals.

Sledge for Soriano is an ugly deal for the Nationals.

 

Wilkerson, Sledge, and a PTBNL for Soriano is a catastrophe. And any trade leverage that Washington had with Vidro is toast too, now that other teams know the Nats are in a jam. Excellent work all around by Jimmy B.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Who's gonna catch for Tim Wakefield?

Varitek will just have to learn.

 

 

 

LOL. Even though I don't have a clue what's funny about that.

 

I find the Soriano trade to be more proof that the insiders don't know jacksquat. I heard nothing about Soriano to Washington on ESPN.

[KingPK 0]

I just like Varitek's bow-legged walk.

[2GOLD 0]

I'm wondering who will be the first crazy team to offer Sammy Sosa a contract.

Let it be Toronto or the Marlins, cause the Marlins signing him would be hilarious.

[the pinjockey 0]

It's also nice of Bowden to blow around 20% of the team's budget while he is at it (reports have them at a $50 mil payroll, Gammons stated Soriano will get around $10mil in arb). Let's give Bowden a little credit though. At least he didn't go after Mench, otherwise he probably would have given away Zimmerman and Cordero.

[devo 0]

Yeah...even though I don't understand anything else on the site, the comics are great. I love Hoon's summing up of the Mets' last year. These images in particular...

 

 

...had me laughing hysterically. Thanks Bored.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Why is it when the Yankees are active in free agency, and trades they're trying to buy a championship. When they've been quite like this season, they're having a bad offseason?

[the pinjockey 0]

The Phillies didn't offer arbitration to any of their UFAs. Brilliant move there, if Urbina is cleared of charges he'll only cost about $7mil/yr. in this market as a FA as opposed to the $4.5/mil he'd get in arb.

[Precious Roy 0]

Abreu is a slight upgrade to Gibbons

 

lolololololololololololololol

 

- Brad Wilkerson, when healthy, is an awesome player. He was playing with a bum shoulder last season IIRC, but he has the potential to absolutely tear it up at Arlington. I like Soriano and all, but that's an awesome deal for the Rangers.

 

- I also really like the Brewers chances to make some noise next year. I think they could have made out better in trading Overbay, but they seem to do real well with their pitchers, so who knows. I love the trade for Toronto, Overbay/Hillenbrand/Koskie is a good trio of workman type players, and it gives them some flexibility at the corner spots/DH. I wouldn't be surprised to see Shea moved, but for a team that has spent a ton of money on pitching and done nothing to upgrade the offense this was a smart move.

 

- Damien Jackson is now the full-time 2B for San Diego I assume? He had his moments when Loretta was out last year. Greene/Jackson is a talented young middle infield. San Diego needs to add a few more pieces, a solid #2 wouldn't hurt, but they still look like a contender in the West to me.

[Guest]

Wilkerson for Soriano is an ugly deal for the Nationals.

Very ugly. In that park, Wilkerson has the ability to put up huge numbers. Soriano on the other hand, playing in RFK has the ability to put up at best; a .310 OBP, 25 HR's and 90 RBI's. That's an awful deal and Soriano's going to have to steal a lot of bases to make up for his lack of production.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

Why is it when the Yankees are active in free agency, and trades they're trying to buy a championship. When they've been quite like this season, they're having a bad offseason?

 

The former is Yankee haters. The latter is Yankee fans.

[Dogbert 0]

Yet another move that makes me look like a genius for not cheering the Nationals anymore after the move. The team is, without a doubt, a fucking disgrace at this point.

[bob_barron 0]

Franco was not offered arbitration. So long Old School.

 

Eddie Perez and Brian Jordan were, but probably won't return.

[the pinjockey 0]

Unconfirmed: Ray King to Colorado for Larry Bigbie and Aaron Miles

 

I just saw this on another board, no confirmation link yet

[bob_barron 0]

Braden Looper wasn't offered abritration- maybe the Braves could pick him up to bolster the pen.

[Guest]

I *think* he's headed to Cleveland.

[Dogbert 0]

Unconfirmed: Ray King to Colorado for Larry Bigbie and Aaron Miles

 

I just saw this on another board, no confirmation link yet

 

Well, here you go.

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article...e2005&fext=.jsp

[bob_barron 0]

Kenny Rogers is also still available and wasn't offered arbitration. I think he'd be another good pickup for any team, aside from the Yankees or Mets where he's villified.

[the pinjockey 0]

The Phils website has a story up concerning interest in Looper, also says that the Cardinals have shown interest.

 

It also has a comment about how his health affected him this year

Looper spent the past two seasons closing for the Mets, but pitched with an injured AC joint in his right shoulder, a condition he and the club kept secret until Sept. 28.

 

While it didn't affect his velocity, Looper's pitches stayed up in the strike zone and he was hit harder as a result. A ground ball pitcher, Looper allowed seven homers in a career-low 59 1/3 innings and did not pitch in 70 or more games for the first time in his seven-year career.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Wow, maybe the Cards should have pursued Womack. I certainly hope they don't expect Miles to be their second baseman. Wait, yes I do.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait. How in the world did I (or any other Cubs fan) miss this one:

 

Acquired OF Juan Pierre from the Florida Marlins in exchange for RHP Sergio Mitre, RHP Ricky Nolasco and LHP Renyel Pinto; Agreed to terms with free agent INF/OF John Mabry on a one-year contract; Designated 3B Jose Macias for assignment.

 

Dusty's pillow shall be soaked with tears tonight.