2006-07 MLB Offseason Thread

[Guest Smues]

Drew left $11 a year for free agency? I can't be the only one who thinks that's insane. Not that I don't think he'll lose money from doing this, it's just insane that he can leave that contract and know he'll get more.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

All I can say for certain is that he certainly won't be a Phillie.

[UZI Suicide 0]

BEST. OFFSEASON. EVER.

 

I heard this rumor on the radio the other day but I never honestly thought it would happen.

 

There's no team out there dumb enough to pay Drew what he was going to get the next three years.

 

Good fuckin riddance.

[Guest Smues]

BEST. OFFSEASON. EVER.

 

I heard this rumor on the radio the other day but I never honestly thought it would happen.

 

There's no team out there dumb enough to pay Drew what he was going to get the next three years.

 

Good fuckin riddance.

 

Never under estimate Scott Boras' ability to get teams to overpay his clients.

[Annabelle 0]

drew opting out of his deal is a blessing for the dodgers.

[Bored 0]

J.D. Drew is so irrationally hated by the common fan because of the way he came into baseball but the guy is a damn good player. Although I would agree it's a risk to give up $11 million/year but a team that loses out in the Alfonso Soriano bidding war may throw big money at him.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

It's interesting. J.D. Drew has always been the far better player, but Soriano's more valuable due to his ability to stay healthy.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

The Red Sox will probably offer Drew something like 4/$52 million. He's going to make way more this offseason than he would have made in his old deal. Drew is a far superior player to Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Lee and any other outfielder on the market this year. Why wouldn't you pay him?

 

By the way, he's been healthy two of the past three years, and the only reason he missed time in '05 was because he was hit on the wrist by a pitch. That's a freak accident, not a durability issue.

[vivalaultra 0]

That's it. I'm jumping off the Carlos Lee bandwagon and onto the JD Drew bandwagon. JD Drew is a vastly superior player to either Lee or Soriano. He walks more, strikes out less...he's a better fielder. I hope the 'Stros make a play for Drew before Carlos Lee or Soriano, but, Hell, I'd take Trot Nixon in the Astros' outfield at this point...just something so I don't have to watch Jason Lane bat .215 as a number 5 hitter anymore.

[Guest]

I'm elated.

[vivalaultra 0]

Really, what's so bad about JD Drew? Is he like..."Bobby Abreu" bad, meaning that he's actually really good, but for some reason there's this thing going on that he's not a good player...or is it something else? Just the injury thing? I don't see what's so bad about a career .286 hitter with a career OPS of over .900.

[Guest]

He's not likeable. He's unapproachable. He gets paid a high wage and hasn't done much for the Dodgers to justify it. I like that he gets on base a lot, and plays nice defense, but that's not worth 11 million dollars.

 

Anything else?

[vivalaultra 0]

Uh...his brother's a pretty good player. I don't think it's fair to say he hasn't done alot for LA. I mean, last year was kind of a lost year...he broke his wrist and all. But before that, he was on track to have a really good year. And he had quite a good year this year. I don't know if he was worth $11 million last year, but I'd say he was this year, more or less. And the Dodgers are full of ornery, unlikeable bastards. JD Drew can't be any more unapproachable than JK or Brad Penny.

[UZI Suicide 0]

Really, what's so bad about JD Drew? Is he like..."Bobby Abreu" bad, meaning that he's actually really good, but for some reason there's this thing going on that he's not a good player...or is it something else? Just the injury thing? I don't see what's so bad about a career .286 hitter with a career OPS of over .900.

 

I don't even know what to say about JD Drew.

 

The stats say that he's an elite player.

 

As someone who has watched nearly every game he played the past two seasons, he is so fuckin' NOT an elite player.

 

A true enigma, but I guarentee you'll despise him if your team signs him, then at the end of the year you'll be like, "how did he get those stats? he didn't do shit this year"

[Guest]

Thanks for making this post an easier one. Stats aren't everything.

[vivalaultra 0]

Stats are so everything...especially when they have retarded names like VORP and WARP.

[Guest]

They have ruined baseball.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ok, that post wasn't in seriousness.

[Precious Roy 0]

So JD Drew is getting the Abreu treatment, huh?

 

I agree that he isn't a "superstar", but anyone who puts up the numbers he does IS helping his team, whether or not he's flashy or spectacular enough for some people. You put up a 900+ ops and play good defense you're helping your team win games, no debate.

 

He's the best fit on a team where he can be a complimentary guy in the lineup, and when healthy he's one of the best 3 or 4s in the game. In a market that gives out obscene contracts to mediocre pitchers I think he's certainly worth 11 or 12 mil a year, provided you're putting him alongside a couple other top notch hitters.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

I'm not sure Drew is worth that kind of coin, but all things considered, I'd rather see the Cubs get him over Soriano and perhaps Carlos Lee. That said, I don't suspect the Cubs net any of those guys, since they'll cost a lot. I'm envisioning a platoon of Todd Hollandsworth and Jeromy Burnitz. That way, we can go out and sign Juan Pierre to a multi-year deal so he can continue being a fabulous leadoff man with a .330 OBP and no power.

 

Truth be told, I'd rather see them focus on re-signing Ramirez if the price isn't THAT outrageous. I know it's going to be overspending, but better they do it on him than Soriano. Forget about Juan Pierre and go get Dave Roberts. I can't see any advantage has over Roberts, other than his a few years younger. Roberts will play a better centerfield, can hit leadoff, has some pop, steals bases with accuracy, and walks. And he's cheaper.

 

My fear with signing either Soriano or Lee (besides the obvious) is that it means discarding Matt Murton. I know he doesn't hit for enough power, but his second half stats were awfully impressive and I think that he'll continue to grow into a good hitter with some decent pop. The real problem is up the middle, where we're saddled is Isturiz and who the hell knows what's going on with second base. The Cubs have disillusions of competing next year, but they're gonna have to spend a lot just to keep the pile of poo squad they fielded last season.

[Guest]

So JD Drew is getting the Abreu treatment, huh?

 

I agree that he isn't a "superstar", but anyone who puts up the numbers he does IS helping his team, whether or not he's flashy or spectacular enough for some people. You put up a 900+ ops and play good defense you're helping your team win games, no debate.

 

He's the best fit on a team where he can be a complimentary guy in the lineup, and when healthy he's one of the best 3 or 4s in the game. In a market that gives out obscene contracts to mediocre pitchers I think he's certainly worth 11 or 12 mil a year, provided you're putting him alongside a couple other top notch hitters.

JD Drew is no Bobby Abreu. Drew is a good guy to put in the 5th slot of the order, and if you'd like me to elaborate I will.

[Precious Roy 0]

Please do. I have a feeling I'll agree with you, he's not a 3 or 4 hitter, a guy you can build an offense around, but as a guy complimenting an Ortiz or Guerrero type hitter he's about as good as it gets. And like I said, with the money some teams throw around for average pitchers and positional players if a contending team wants to pony up for his services I see it as a good investment, provided he can stay healthy. Really, that's the only thing about him that gives me pause.

[Precious Roy 0]

To clear up any possible confusion, I think I worded things poorly in my first post RE: Drew when I said, "when healthy he's one of the best 3 or 4s in the game". I didn't mean hitting out of the 3 or 4 spot, I meant as the "3rd or 4th option" in a lineup hitting next to a couple of power hitters that opposing pitchers prefer to pitch around. Drew isn't a guy that pitchers try to avoid facing, but if you have a guy or too like that next to him in the lineup it just makes him more dangerous/valuable.

[Guest]

Drew is really good at cleaning up whatever the 3 and 4 hitters would leave on the basepaths, and he's good at getting on base for the guys that hit later in the order. A 4 yr/36 million dollar deal is what I think he deserves, but not what he will get. Someone will give him more, that's what always happens nowadays.

 

His health is also a big reason as to why I'm happy that he opted out of his deal.

[UZI Suicide 0]

Drew is the kind of guy who will get a walk when you need a homerun, strikeout when you've got RISP and hit a homerun when you're up by five runs late in the game.

[Precious Roy 0]

Drew is the kind of guy who will get a walk when you need a homerun, strikeout when you've got RISP and hit a homerun when you're up by five runs late in the game.

 

He hit .297 with a .901 OPS with RISP last year. For his career he's .295 and .924. Last year he had 33 K's in 148 ABs with RISP. He had 106 Ks total in 494 ABs, so his strikeout rate is pretty much the same in all situations. 106 Ks total is a lot, but there isn't a whole lot of difference between a K and an in play out in most cases, the fact that he gets on base as much as he does trumps the strikeouts.

 

He's getting the Abreu treatment.

 

And for the hell of it, Adam Dunn strikes out waaaay more, walks a bit more, but because he hits homers rather than the singles and doubles that Drew hits everyone overlooks it.

 

I like the longball as much as anyone, but all things considered Drew and Dunn give you about the same production, and nobody would have a problem paying Dunn the kind of money Drew will get.

[Guest]

and nobody would have a problem paying Dunn the kind of money Drew will get.

I do, but that's not saying a whole lot since I would never want Adam Dunn as a Dodger.

[Precious Roy 0]

and nobody would have a problem paying Dunn the kind of money Drew will get.

I do, but that's not saying a whole lot since I would never want Adam Dunn as a Dodger.

 

[Guest]

I really dislike solo HR baseball. I like the bases to be clogged up.

 

I'm not saying that's Adam Dunn's fault or anything, but that's what he does.

[Open the Muggy Gate 0]

Drew is the kind of guy who will get a walk when you need a homerun, strikeout when you've got RISP and hit a homerun when you're up by five runs late in the game.

 

[Fökai 0]

The Dodgers have a really big decision when it comes to keeping Garciaparra. They're going to have a lot of money to play with, with the subtractions of Drew and Gagne. ESPN hinted that a few new talents would get the chance to compete for an everyday starting job, but they need bats now with Drew leaving. You don't want to overpay for Soriano or Aramis, but they might have no choice with the remaining free agent infield class.

 

Anyone have any suggestions as to what they should do?