MLB Off-season Thread

[Guest Pizza Hut's Game Face]

Six-man rotations are stupid. A sixth pitcher takes starts away from five better pitchers. If they really have this glut, move someone to long relief or trade him away for a more pressing need.

 

I don't really want Dempster in the rotation, because he's not very good at pitching, but I suppose I'd rather have him walk the lineup in the first than the ninth. Besides, the rest of our starters are bad, too. Marshall? Bad. Marquis? Bad. Lilly? Not to be depended on after last year; he'll regress to the mean big time. Hill? Erratic, tended to be bad down the stretch. Trachsel? Gone, and really bad.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

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

Not an option, they resigned him for $4.5 million. The White Sox earn my first official "What the hell" of the offseason. It's one thing to overpay for talent. It's another to give money to someone who doesn't even merit a starting job. Sub .300 OBPs the last two seasons, poor plate discipline, low batting average, poor stolen base percentage, you name it. He can field. That's not worth the money.

[Guest Pizza Hut's Game Face]

And he's really out of shape. But Kenny Williams thinks he's a grinder. Or "eats a lot of grinders." Imagine if they trade for Miguel Cabrera. That'll be the fattest infield ever, just based on those two guys.

[vivalaultra 0]

From the Houston Chronicle:

 

Clemens starts 'post-playing' career with Astros in '08

 

 

By JOSE DE JESUS ORTIZ

Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

 

ORLANDO – For the first time since he signed with the Astros in January 2004, future Hall of Famer Roger Clemens will inform the Astros today that he intends to start a season working under his post-retirement, personal services agreement. Through his agents, Randy and Alan Hendricks of Houston, the 11-time All-Star will inform Astros owner Drayton McLane the news today.

 

Clemens had vowed to retire after the 2003 season with the Yankees, but McLane, a strong community lobbying effort and Andy Pettitte’s signing with the Astros prompted the hard-throwing righthander to put off retirement in 2004. Since then, Clemens has vowed never to officially say he’s retired. Nonetheless, today’s news is the closest sign that Clemens, 45, may indeed be close to retirement.

 

“Roger has said several times that he has failed at retirement, so I am not announcing his retirement,” Hendricks told the Chronicle. “The plan for 2008 is this: Roger plans to start the new year as the first year of his post-playing career contract as a consultant to the Houston Astros.

 

 

“Roger really enjoys the teaching aspects of baseball and loves his interaction with the young players.”

 

Clemens signed a discounted $5 million deal with the Astros in 2004, receiving $3 million in attendance incentives and a $3 million, 10-year personal services contract. He played three seasons with the Astros.

 

In three seasons playing in his hometown of Houston, he won the Cy Young Award in 2004, helped the Astros win a postseason series for the first time in franchise history in 2004, helped them reach Game 7 of the 2004 National League Championship Series and then helped the 2005 team win the NL pennant and reach the first World Series in the state of Texas.

 

His good friend Pettitte left the Astros to return to the New York Yankees after the 2006 season, and Clemens followed him to the Bronx after receiving a major-league record $28 million prorated deal for a partial season. Without Pettitte and Clemens, the Astros finished fourth in the weak National League Central with a 73-89 record, their worst since they were 72-90 in 2000.

 

Clemens was nagged by a few injuries in 2007, including an elbow problem that made some wonder if Father Time had caught up with him and finally led to his final season in baseball. He was 6-6 with a 4.18 ERA in 2007, throwing 99 innings over 18 appearances, 17 of those starts for the Yankees.

 

Even though he also pitched a partial season in 2006 with the Astros, his 99 innings were the second-fewest in his 24 seasons in the majors. The 99 innings were the fewest he had thrown since throwing 98 1/3 for the Boston Red Sox in his injury shortened 1985 season, which was his second in the majors.

 

Clemens, a seven-time Cy Young Award winner who is 354-184 over his career, is eighth on the all-time victories list and first among pitchers alive. In strikeouts, he is second only to Hall of Famer and former Astro Nolan Ryan.

 

As part of his post-retirement deal, Clemens will show up to spring training and work with the major-leaguers somewhat but mostly with the minor-leaguers. In 2006, he worked on some of those duties after he returned from the World Baseball Classic and before he began his three-stop tour of the Astros’ farm system while preparing to join the Astros after signing a pro-rated deal.

 

He also worked with the Astros’ minor-leaguers when he was away from the Astros in 2007, especially when he visited his son Koby, a third base prospect at Class A Lexington.

 

Last spring, he worked with the Astros’ minor-leaguers and followed his son at Lexington before signing with the Yankees in May.

 

“I love it,” Clemens said last Feb. 22 of working with the prospects. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t enjoy doing this and having the opportunity to be available to the kids when they ask questions. I still enjoy it.

 

“I’ve been real blessed to be able to do this and really for the Astros to let me come down and let me be a part of this. We worked real hard, I think on my first or second contract, to have the personal services deal, and now it’s coming true.”

 

Of course, this doesn't mean anything. Roger Clemens will never actually retire. Ever. Even when he retires, he won't be retired, like how in the article they say that even though starting work on his Personal Service contract was supposed to indicate the end of his playing career, they still won't call it retirement. However, I guess since he's taking a consultant job with the Astros, when he does pitch next year, it'll be in Houston. I'm glad he learned his lesson about going to the AL East.

[Brett Favre 0]

He's like a wrestler.

[Guest Pizza Hut's Game Face]

A roided-up douchebag who justifies his existence through attention whoring? Yes.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

I still say that MLB needs to have a rule where a player has to be under a playing contract with a team by Opening Day in order to play in that season, or something along those lines. I don't want him to pull the same attention whoring BS he did in '07.

[Prophet of Mike Zagurski 0]

It's ESPN's fault for hopping on the Clemen's bandwagon. If Houston threw more money at him, he would be starting on Opening Day. It is stupid that he isn't officially retired. He is waiting for his next big payday.

[Guest]

Please, someone create a Clemens thread or something. I don't want to read that trash in our offseason thread.

[Guest Pizza Hut's Game Face]

I still say that MLB needs to have a rule where a player has to be under a playing contract with a team by Opening Day in order to play in that season, or something along those lines. I don't want him to pull the same attention whoring BS he did in '07.

I understand the idea, but you can't really do that, because there are other cases where players might be picked up as unsigned free agents after the season starts. It's not fair to draft a Clemens Rule just because one asshole abused the system.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I still say that MLB needs to have a rule where a player has to be under a playing contract with a team by Opening Day in order to play in that season, or something along those lines. I don't want him to pull the same attention whoring BS he did in '07.

I understand the idea, but you can't really do that, because there are other cases where players might be picked up as unsigned free agents after the season starts. It's not fair to draft a Clemens Rule just because one asshole abused the system.

Exactly. Most common are players coming from independent ball.

[NYU 0]

His good friend Pettitte left the Astros to return to the New York Yankees after the 2006 season, and Clemens followed him to the Bronx after receiving a major-league record $28 million prorated deal for a partial season.

 

Okay, what's the deal with this already? Anytime there's an article about Clemens or an article about Pettitte, sports writers have to mention the special friendship between these two. Constantly. Are they lovers and I've just been left out of the loop? There's something odd about one having to follow the other everywhere.

[Brett Favre 0]

They're the same person.

 

Haven't you ever noticed that they never pitch in the same game?

[NYU 0]

Impossible. Pettitte has a big nose and Clemens has a big ass. The proportions don't match up.

[Mik 0]

So, Buster Olney said there's 0% chance that the Marlins keep Miguel Cabrera.

 

I give up, I think.

 

I'm just going to latch on to the local team wherever I end up moving to, unless I end up getting a job I am looking at in New Jersey. No way in hell I cheer for either of the NY teams... then I have a decision to make.

[the pinjockey 0]

First trade of the offseason

Phils get: Brad Lidge, Eric Bruntlett

Houston gets: Michael Bourn, Geoff Geary, Mike Constanzo

 

I like it a lot. Either it gives them a Madson-Gordon-Lidge-Myers backend which can be terrific. Or it allows them to move Myers back into the rotation instead of signing someone off this FA SP scrapheap.

[Brett Favre 0]

That's a pretty good trade for both teams.

[vivalaultra 0]

Wow. That was ballsy. I love Michael Bourn. In all honesty, it was time to get rid of Lidge in Houston. Great guy, great pitcher, but there was just too much else going on.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Holy shit. I just added a new level of respect for Pat Gillick. We get our closer and utility infielder. In turn that allows the Phils to move Brett Myers back into the rotation where he belongs. Regarding the guys we gave up, I like Bourn but the presence of Shane Victorino makes him expendable. Geoff Geary is a favorite, but his ability may not carry him well down the line. Mike Costanzo is a fringe prospect.

 

For the Astros, this gives them their center fielder off the bat. Bourn is a Houston native as well, so they'll get a hometown kid.

[Conspiracy_Victim 0]

Wow. That was ballsy. I love Michael Bourn. In all honesty, it was time to get rid of Lidge in Houston. Great guy, great pitcher, but there was just too much else going on.

 

Yeah, Lidge needed a change of scenery. And I'm sure the Philly fans will be very understanding when he gives up another 500 foot homer. I had always held out hope that Brad would return to pre-Pujols form.

 

But hey, at least the Astros got a real life centerfielder now. Pence can move to right, Bourn can help cover for Lee's...lack of range, and I guess Luke Scott can be traded for some pitching depth. Give me Kaz Matsui to replace Bidge at 2nd, Jon Leiber to hopefully be something of an anchor for the starting rotation, and Francisco Cordero to take Lidge's place at closer and I'd call this a somewhat successful offseason. Plus, now that Bagwell and Bidgio are off the books, the Astros actually have some money to throw around.

[the pinjockey 0]

must...resist.....Lieber..anchor...joke

[vivalaultra 0]

Yeah, methinks the homerun ball might be a problem for Lidge. His decline over the last couple of seasons has been an increased walk rate (66 BB in 142 innings) and a very high homerun rate (19 HR in 142 innings) over the past two years. And I really like Michael Bourn. I gotta like a fellow UH Cougar. And he projects as every bit as valuable as Aaron Rowand and almost as valuable as Torii Hunter next year and on the cheap.

 

For 2nd base, I'd say either try to get Castillo and failing that, give it to Burke. Kaz Matsui just wouldn't cut it for me. What I really like about this trade, outside of some of the players involved, is that it really took balls. I mean, trading Brad Lidge a couple weeks into the offseason? That's completely out of the box thinking. The way that Ed Wade has been so agressive and forthright so far this offseason...frankly, it kind of arouses me...in a baseball sense.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

And he projects as every bit as valuable as Aaron Rowand and almost as valuable as Torii Hunter next year and on the cheap.

 

Umm, WHAT?!

[Conspiracy_Victim 0]

Yeah, methinks the homerun ball might be a problem for Lidge. His decline over the last couple of seasons has been an increased walk rate (66 BB in 142 innings) and a very high homerun rate (19 HR in 142 innings) over the past two years. And I really like Michael Bourn. I gotta like a fellow UH Cougar. And he projects as every bit as valuable as Aaron Rowand and almost as valuable as Torii Hunter next year and on the cheap.

 

For 2nd base, I'd say either try to get Castillo and failing that, give it to Burke. Kaz Matsui just wouldn't cut it for me. What I really like about this trade, outside of some of the players involved, is that it really took balls. I mean, trading Brad Lidge a couple weeks into the offseason? That's completely out of the box thinking. The way that Ed Wade has been so agressive and forthright so far this offseason...frankly, it kind of arouses me...in a baseball sense.

 

Matsui wouldn't cut it for you, but giving the job to BURKE would?

[Conspiracy_Victim 0]

must...resist.....Lieber..anchor...joke

 

Compared to what the Astros have lurking in the rotation behind Oswalt, Leiber's an upgrade.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

must...resist.....Lieber..anchor...joke

 

Compared to what the Astros have lurking in the rotation behind Oswalt, Leiber's an upgrade.

Lieber had some noted problems with weight gain the last year or two, hence the anchor comment being apropos.

[vivalaultra 0]

And he projects as every bit as valuable as Aaron Rowand and almost as valuable as Torii Hunter next year and on the cheap.

 

Umm, WHAT?!

 

Yeah, that came out wrong. I meant that for what Michael Bourn is costing and his youth, his value will be worth as much as Rowand or Hunter respective of what they will cost and where they're at in their careers. Not saying that Bourn has the fire and the passion like Rowand or anything. Rowand's pretty much got the market cornered on fire and passion.

 

Re: Kaz Matsui

 

2007 Home/Road splits

 

Home: .330/.381/.482 4 HR

Road: .249/.304/.333 0 HR

 

Basically, Kaz Matsui hit like Biggio circa 99 at Coors and like Biggio circa 2007 on the road. Chris Burke's been jerked around way too much for a 1st round draft pick that everyone in the FO seems to be so high on. Give him the job at 2nd or trade him along with Luke Scott for a SP. I think he'd be fine at 2nd.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Nate Silver of Baseball Prospectus weighs in.

 

Is that worth giving up two good prospects in the form of Michael Bourn and Mike Costanzo? No, and it isn’t close. Costanzo is not a Grade-A prospect, but he had a very solid year in Reading, where his 27 home runs placed him second in the Eastern League. That translates to a .263 EqA in our hot-off-the-presses Davenport Translations, indicating that he could be a major league average third baseman right about now, probably along the lines of a Steve Buechele type of player, which would be very encouraging for a 24-year-old.

 

Bourn has five more full seasons until he hits free agency, and Costanzo has six. All together, that’s 11 seasons of below-market performance that the Phillies traded away … in exchange for one season of below-market performance from Lidge.

 

To suggest that Mike Costanzo could be a league average third baseman now is laughable, ludicrious. Yes, he hit 27 home runs in Reading. He also struck out 157 times and had a .917 fielding percentage. He is nothing special as a player at all. Michael Bourn I have already brought up. You can look at service time, but if you have service time of fungible players, there's no point to it.

[the pinjockey 0]

Do you think moving Costanzo suggests they really plan on going after a 3B for more than a 1-2 year gap? If they get anyone for longer than that then he really would have been written out of the future as a 26 year old "prospect". And now at 3B there is nothing else in the pipeline for the next 5 years. Or do you think it is just a matter of selling high on him before he officially becomes Jack Cust?

 

Plus, if they lose him they should end up getting two picks back which probably wouldn't have much less value themselves than Bourn/Costanzo (if any less value at all).

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Do you think moving Costanzo suggests they really plan on going after a 3B for more than a 1-2 year gap? If they get anyone for longer than that then he really would have been written out of the future as a 26 year old "prospect". And now at 3B there is nothing else in the pipeline for the next 5 years. Or do you think it is just a matter of selling high on him before he officially becomes Jack Cust?

 

Plus, if they lose him they should end up getting two picks back which probably wouldn't have much less value themselves than Bourn/Costanzo (if any less value at all).

I'm a big Pedro Feliz booster myself. Right handed power and an excellent defensive player. The offense doesn't concern me much since the team already led the league in runs scored. They could use a lefty corner bat in the outfield, but beyond that the offense as constructed is Spring Training ready.

 

I don't think moving Costanzo suggests more than he was simply a piece that netted a quality player. They won the division last year with Dobbs/Helms, they can survive with that again.