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Posted

Al Leiter is finally retiring after 19 seasons. I hope he becomes an announcer, he's certainly shown he's capable. Maybe if we're really lucky, he can replace Tim McCarver.

 

I'll always remember him for striking out John Kruk with the bases loaded in the sixth inning of Game 1 of the 1993 World Series and getting the win.

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Posted
Glad to see Pena away from the Reds, but damn, that's a steal if guy ever learns to play in the outfield.

 

It may already be a steal right now. Arroyo's cheap, but it's arguable whether he's even shown a glimpse of the pitcher who threw a perfect game in Pawtucket a few years back. Furthermore, going to Cincinnati makes him a bonafide powder keg: he's a heavy flyball pitcher with a sinking strikeout rate.

 

The Reds are insane. Pena has poor contact rate and his plate judgment leaves a lot to be desired, but he's cheap, he's young, and he has a frightening amount of power. This leaves them with an outfield of Griffey, Kearns, and either Dunn or Freel. Opening up a spot for Freel would normally be celebrated, except when you consider that he was previously blocked due to the franchise's quasi-sexual obsession with Rich Aurilia. If Dunn moves to the outfield for Scott Hatteberg to take up first base and Freel stays on the bench, then they might as well just implode the franchise.

Posted
WEEI sports dadio in Boston reporting Bronson Arroyo traded to Cincy for Wily Mo Pena.

 

Love this deal, LOVE!

YEAH-UH! FUCK YOU BRONSON ARROYO! WHAT DID YOU EVER DO FOR ME? Wily Mo can hit, but he's a human blooper reel in the outfield. Wouldn't you guys know better than most?

 

So, uh, who's left from '04? Schilling, Ramirez, Wakefield, Nixon, Varitek? And of those guys, the only ones with significant tenures are the last three. Same deal with the '03 Cubs, Wood-Prior-Zambrano is about all that's left.

Posted

I have no ill will towards Bronson Arroyo I just don't think he's anything special. We have more than enough starting pitching at the moment so this is a positive deal if you ask me. Arroyo has declined since 2004 greatly.

Posted
WEEI sports dadio in Boston reporting Bronson Arroyo traded to Cincy for Wily Mo Pena.

 

Love this deal, LOVE!

 

I feel the same way too. Great deal for both teams actually. Boston moves the least valuable guy from their glut of starting pitchers and acquires a platoon parter for Nixon. Cincinnati solves the outfield logjam and acquires the SP they so desperately need. Win-win in my estimation.

Posted

The Reds have just about nuked their lineup in favor of mediocre starting pitching. Arroyo's been a nice pitcher but he's essentially league average. Pena has warts but star potential. The problem with the Reds now is that their best first base options are guys with slugging percentages south of .400. Plus, two-thirds of their outfield defense is awful, and one of those guys is injury prone to boot. Ryan Freel could outhit Hatteberg perhaps, but that opens the door for Tony Womack at second base.

 

Trading excess hitting for pitching is a good move for Cincinnati. But they haven't demonstrated that they have an honest plan to move back into contention. None of their pitchers exhibit any kind of star power, and there is nothing left to excite fans besides Dunn and Griffey. The farm system ranks among the worst in baseball.

Posted

Guess this sets the rotation at Schilling, Beckett, Wells, Wake and Clement and leaves Papelbon as middle relief/setup with the chance that he'll close if Foulke goes on the DL. I really don't think they want to move Timlin from his spot like last year.

Guest NYankees
Posted

Nobody has mentioned it recently but Soriano refused to play in the outfield today for the Nationals. They will give him one more chance tommorow. This guy used to be my favorite player in the game, fast and could hit the homerun. I was thisclose to buying a $200 Soriano Jersey at the Yankee store back in 2002. I am so happy that I didn't purchase it. This guy refuses to improve his game and makes the same dumb mistakes game in and game out for the past 6 years.

Posted
Nobody has mentioned it recently but Soriano refused to play in the outfield today for the Nationals. They will give him one more chance tommorow. This guy used to be my favorite player in the game, fast and could hit the homerun. I was thisclose to buying a $200 Soriano Jersey at the Yankee store back in 2002. I am so happy that I didn't purchase it. This guy refuses to improve his game and makes the same dumb mistakes game in and game out for the past 6 years.

I'll jump on the "Soriano is overrated" bandwagon as fast as anyone. But I really can't blame him for taking this stand. The Nationals are asking him to learn a new position in a week and a half. The team seems determined to make extremely stupid moves this offseason and I'm glad to see yet another bite them in the ass.

Guest NYankees
Posted

I think it is both of their faults. Nationals knew he didn't want to change posistions and he knew that they wanted him to play the outfield. He had all off season to work on playing the outfield and they had all off season to work on the situation with him. It comes down to the fact that the Nationals are his boss and pay him 10 million dollars. My argument against Soriano is that he stagnated and regressed as a hitter. He still swings at outside shit and his obp, slugging outside of Texas the past couple of years were horrible. I still have nightmares of the 2003 playoffs and his 20 k's in 50 a.b.'s.

Posted
I think it is both of their faults. Nationals knew he didn't want to change posistions and he knew that they wanted him to play the outfield. He had all off season to work on playing the outfield and they had all off season to work on the situation with him. It comes down to the fact that the Nationals are his boss and pay him 10 million dollars. My argument against Soriano is that he stagnated and regressed as a hitter. He still swings at outside shit and his obp, slugging outside of Texas the past couple of years were horrible. I still have nightmares of the 2003 playoffs and his 20 k's in 50 a.b.'s.

Fair enough. That's the big problem, that neither party can come out of this looking good unless Soriano relents.

Posted

Soriano should agree to play the outfield on Opening Day and once a ball is first hit to him pull a Kelly Leak, just hold on to the ball and refuse to throw it back to the infield. Seeing the other Nats players trying get the ball from him while the hitter rounds the bases would be mighty entertaining.

Posted

Here's a prediction for you:

 

Soriano made $10 million in arbitration this year. If Soriano refuses to play the outfield again, I'll bet that he won't make $10 million for the rest of his career in baseball.

 

The Nationals have put themselves into a stupid situation but, in the end, Soriano is an employee who needs to go wherever they tell him. He can complain to the press on a daily basis, he can do whatever, but if he dogs it out in the field or outright refuses to play, then he's going to be doing a LOT of damage to his free agent value come next year. I can't believe that his agent hasn't pounded that into his skull yet.

Posted

One other point: the fact that Soriano has only a week and a half to learn his position is almost entirely his fault. It's not like the Nationals walked in on Monday and sprung this on him - he basically knew this from the second that he arrived in Washington.

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