MLB Off-season Thread

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

I know Schilling's first choice was returning to Boston, but he really took a massive paycut to stay. I know that a lot of teams would have jumped on a one year deal at $13 million. But $8 million? I'm glad to have him back, but that almost seems insulting.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

The general managers have voted 25-5 in favor of adding instant replay for disputed home run calls. Where this goes from here is unclear, but the first steps have been taken in changing the way the game is officiated.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Schilling's contract:

 

$8 million in base salary

$3 million in incentives for IP

$2 million for keeping weight down to predetermined level - measured six times over season (Shockingly, it was Schilling who insisted this be included in the deal. He felt he made a mistake by showing up to Spring Training out of shape last year.)

$1 million if he receives a Cy Young vote

 

Totals $14 million if all incentives are met.

[Guest Pizza Hut's Game Face]

Rumor: Damon for Crede. White Sox get a center fielder with no arm, Yankees get a third baseman with no back (and herpes).

 

I don't like the idea of instant replay for home run calls. Doesn't seem like that's the one thing we need replay for.

[Brett Favre 0]

The rumor's been sorta shot down. It looks like the Yankees will look elsewhere. I like Crede's defense but he's been a pretty bad hitter for his career.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Rawlings Gold Glove winners (announced on espnews):

 

AL

 

C- Pudge

1B- Youks

2B- Polanco

3B- Beltre

SS- O-Cab

OF- Ichiro, Hunter, Sizemore

P- Johan

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

I thought Cano had a good shot.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

I thought Cano had a good shot.

 

 

Really? I know some of the more advanced defensive systems rate him highly, but he seems to have an awful defensive reputation amongst media types. Kind of like a Julio Lugo. They're far above average on most plays, but their mistakes are usually the type that get old-timers to groan.

 

The only player off the top of my head that got screwed was Coco Crisp. He was quite clearly one of the best three outfielders in the game.

[Failed Bridge 0]

Crisp got screwed and I think Pedroia should have gotten more recognition as far as the GG goes.

 

nice to see Youkilis get the recognition.

[Boon 0]

A tie yields four outfielders in the NL.

 

C: Russell Martin, LA

1B: Derrek Lee, CHC

2B: Orlando Hudson, ARI

3B: David Wright, NYM

SS: Jimmy Rollins, PHI

OF: Aaron Rowand, PHI

OF: Andruw Jones, ATL

OF: Carlos Beltran, NYM

OF: Jeff Francoeur, ATL

P: Greg Maddux, SD

[Failed Bridge 0]

at this point Andruw is winning based on name alone. He has no arm now and from the games I watched he certainly has lost a step.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Francouer's fairly awesome in right field, but he doesn't even belong in the same conversation as Jones or Beltran. As for Rowand, I guess this is his reward for smashing into the wall a year ago.

 

Derrek Lee is an odd choice at first with Pujols out there. The rest look good.

[Guest Pizza Hut's Game Face]

Even though he's saved Aramis Ramirez's ass numerous times on 5-3 plays, I feel like Derrek Lee has lost a step in his fielding. Maybe the numbers would prove me wrong, though.

 

Boy, that Gold Glove is going to make the fire and the passion even more expensive for the White Sox.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

at this point Andruw is winning based on name alone. He has no arm now and from the games I watched he certainly has lost a step.

 

No, no he's not. Andruw Jones is still an awesome defensive outfielder. He's as good now as he's ever been because his reads are so good. Losing a step has done nothing to affect his ability to play the position.

 

This whole "Andruw has lost a step" thing started with Jayson Stark's stupid book and it's become way too accepted amongst fans.

[Failed Bridge 0]

I felt he lost a step in what I watched. I saw him dive for a ball and flat out miss it when it was a play he would have made a couple years back and then there was one I remember him chasing to the wall that he couldn't catch up to when you know he made the basketcatch or the pompous glove grab in years past. He just doesn't look as fast and there's not as much life on his throws anymore.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Even though he's saved Aramis Ramirez's ass numerous times on 5-3 plays, I feel like Derrek Lee has lost a step in his fielding. Maybe the numbers would prove me wrong, though.

 

Boy, that Gold Glove is going to make the fire and the passion even more expensive for the White Sox.

 

 

I've always considered Derrek Lee to be a fairly average defensive first basemen and the numbers seem to bear that out.

[Guest Pizza Hut's Game Face]

There's hardly any such thing as a fielding whiz at first base, though. Come on.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

More thoughts:

 

-Placido Polanco has nothing on Aaron Hill at 2B. It's hard to complain of the choice because Polanco did go errorless this season, but he's not in the same league defensively

-Same thing sort of applies to Youkilis over Kotchman at first, although that's much closer

-Sizemore in the outfield is sort of pathetic. Winning over deserving candidates like Crisp, Granderson and Alex Rios is just wrong on many levels

-Orlando Cabrera is beyond mediocre at short, but anything is better than Jeter at this point. McDonald should have been the run away winner, but playing only 123 games hurt him

 

-David Wright is great defender at third, but surprised to see him win over Pedro Feliz, Chipper, Rolen and Zimmerman. Not that he didn't deserve it, but there were some strong defenders that went overlooked.

-Lee is not in the same class as Pujols. Fat Albert is good on the defensive side as he is with the bat

-Rowand wins based on his Sportscenter highlights. Don't see how you can argue for him ove Eric Byrnes

[The Man in Blak 0]

Three deserving winners out of nine - that's a pretty good year for the Gold Gloves, if you get down to it.

[UZI Suicide 0]

Anyone see Steve Phillips on Sportscenter last night? After talking about Joe Torre, they ran a segment where Phillips discussed what else the Dodgers need to do to be World Series contenders.

 

His ideas?

 

- Sign A-Rod

- Sign Andruw Jones and get rid of Juan Pierre

- Trade for Johan Santana

 

Do all that, Los Angeles Dodgers, and YOU can be in the World Series.

 

BRILLIANT.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Of course the problem with all that is that the Dodgers already have good prospects at center field (Matt Kemp), third base (Andy LaRoche) and shortstop (Chin Lung Hu). The only thing the Dodgers really need to do this offseason is kick their unproductive veterans to the curb.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Baseball's World Cup (Not the World Baseball Classic) has commenced in Taiwan. Games are being streamed on the internet.

 

http://www.stadeo.tv/baseball_world_cup_2007/games/" target="_blank">http://www.stadeo.tv/baseball_world_cup_2007/games/

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Check this quote from an interview with new Pirates GM Neal Huntington (Courtesy: FJM)

 

The Pirates upper management has widely ignored OBP (on base percentage) in the past. How important will OBP be in player evaluation under your leadership?

-- Eric S., Pennsboro, W.Va

 

We are going to utilize several objective measures of player performance to evaluate and develop players. We'll rely on the more traditional objective evaluations: OPS (on base percentage plus slugging percentage) , WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched), Runs Created, ERC (Component ERA), GB/FB (ground ball to fly ball ratio), K/9 (strikeouts per nine innings), K/BB (strikeouts to walks ratio), BB%, etc., but we'll also look to rely on some of the more recent variations: VORP (value over replacement player), Relative Performance, EqAve (equivalent average), EqOBP (equivalent on base percentage), EqSLG (equivalent slugging percentage), BIP% (balls put into play percentage), wOBA (weighted on base average), Range Factor, PMR (probabilistic model of range) and Zone Rating.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Brian Cashman met with Larry Beinfest last night regarding a possible trade for Miguel Cabrera. According to reports, Cashman said that Hughes, Chamberlain and Kennedy (ha!) were all untouchable. He suggested a deal revolving around Alan Horne, Ross Ohlendorf or Humberto Sanchez (double ha!).

 

Whoa boy. It's one thing to want to keep your young talent instead of trading for marginal players on the downside of their career, but refusing to give up a low upside guy like Kennedy for a possible HOFer is patently ridiculous. Congratulations Yanks fans, you now have Bill Stoneman running your team.

 

Just for perspective, Buster Olney reported that the Dodgers could be willing to give up LaRoche, Kershaw and Kemp for Cabrera, each of whom are probably superior to any of the Yankees young players.

[Brett Favre 0]

Don't underestimate Cashman's ability to negotiate.

[2GOLD 0]

 

And don't underestimate the Orioles ability to be stupid.

[Guest Pizza Hut's Game Face]

The White Sox picked up the option on Juan Uribe for 2008. Don't stop believin'!

[HarleyQuinn 0]

Check this quote from an interview with new Pirates GM Neal Huntington (Courtesy: FJM)

 

The Pirates upper management has widely ignored OBP (on base percentage) in the past. How important will OBP be in player evaluation under your leadership?

-- Eric S., Pennsboro, W.Va

 

We are going to utilize several objective measures of player performance to evaluate and develop players. We'll rely on the more traditional objective evaluations: OPS (on base percentage plus slugging percentage) , WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched), Runs Created, ERC (Component ERA), GB/FB (ground ball to fly ball ratio), K/9 (strikeouts per nine innings), K/BB (strikeouts to walks ratio), BB%, etc., but we'll also look to rely on some of the more recent variations: VORP (value over replacement player), Relative Performance, EqAve (equivalent average), EqOBP (equivalent on base percentage), EqSLG (equivalent slugging percentage), BIP% (balls put into play percentage), wOBA (weighted on base average), Range Factor, PMR (probabilistic model of range) and Zone Rating.

 

I'll be curious to see how quickly this mode of thinking filtrates down the club system and how effective it'll be for the Pirates in the next 3-4 years. Nice to see he's not afraid of the modern day sabremetric statistics though I also love that he mentions "several" and then names at least 18 different factors.

[Guest Pizza Hut's Game Face]

According to my WARP and VORP calculator, the Pirates are crappy.

[HarleyQuinn 0]

More news...

 

- GM Pat Gillick said Tuesday that the Philles are among the teams interested in Japanese right-hander Hiroki Kuroda. General manager Pat Gillick said Monday that the Phillies may enter 2008 with Wes Helms and Greg Dobbs splitting time at third base.

- General manager Jim Hendry said Tuesday that manager Lou Piniella will give Felix Pie a chance to claim the starting job in center field during spring training. Cubs manager Lou Piniella has gotten clearance to move Ryan Dempster into the rotation next season. According to the Chicago Tribune, the Cubs will only tender Mark Prior a 2008 contract if he agrees to give them an option for 2009.

- "We've discussed that concept, the concept of a six-man rotation," Epstein said. "I think it's premature to commit to any usage pattern, but certainly we're in a bit of a unique situation where you'd say a number of our starters might benefit from something like that in one way or another. But there's just so much attrition in baseball that the minute we start counting on having a six-man rotation or give it serious consideration, that's when we lose a pitcher or two in spring training and we look for someone to step up."

- Indians exercised their $1.5 million option on LHP Aaron Fultz for 2008. Indians exercised their $8 million option on RHP Paul Byrd for 2008. Indians exercised their $4 million option on RHP Joe Borowski for 2008.

- General manager Ed Wade said Monday that the Astros still view Chris Burke as the "heir apparent" to Craig Biggio at second base despite having interest in free agent Luis Castillo.