MLB Off-season Thread

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Jeter lost this year, so the stranglehold is broken.

[treble 0]

I thought it would have been John McDonald, but Eckstein is going to get most of the playing time (at least at the start of the season).

 

And Eckstein will be on the bench of some playoff team by the end of the year. Kind of like Royce Clayton last year, except maybe he'll be on the active roster.

[devo 0]

http://homerderby.com/archives/1653

 

White Sox General Manager Kenny Williams has now expressed his frustrations …

 

“If I ever leave this job or if I ever get fired,” Williams says, “I’m not coming back to the American League. I’m going to the National League. You’ve got a fighting chance over there.”

 

So with this in mind (and the White Sox fanbase growing edgy) you’d think that some disgruntled fan has already snatched up FireKennyWilliams.com to rant about the recent misfortunes of the Pale Hose.

 

Well, FireKennyWilliams.com has indeed been registered. Someone with some foresight did it back on April 13, 2007.

The owner, however, might surprise you.

 

The owner of FireKennyWilliams.com is …MLB Advanced Media, LP

[Guest My Pal, the Tortoise]

I've always maintained that win or lose, it's just much more fun to be a North Side fan than a South Side fan. However, with Ozzie Guillen and Kenny Williams concurrently spiraling into madness, I'm not so sure. Maybe I'll just observe from afar.

 

Oh, and Kenny, if you do leave (because Uncle Jerry will never fire you), you won't find a job in the National League, or the American League, for that matter, because you're a posturing jackass who sucks at his job, ring or no ring. The only other team that would tolerate the abject unprofessionalism you've displayed day-in-day-out from its general manager already has the position filled by some leather-wearing drunken castoff from Cincinnati.

[Guest RyechnaiaSobaka]

I've always maintained that win or lose, it's just much more fun to be a North Side fan than a South Side fan. However, with Ozzie Guillen and Kenny Williams concurrently spiraling into madness, I'm not so sure. Maybe I'll just observe from afar.

 

Oh, and Kenny, if you do leave (because Uncle Jerry will never fire you), you won't find a job in the National League, or the American League, for that matter, because you're a posturing jackass who sucks at his job, ring or no ring. The only other team that would tolerate the abject unprofessionalism you've displayed day-in-day-out from its general manager already has the position filled by some leather-wearing drunken castoff from Cincinnati.

 

What you perceive as unprofessionalism is just being colorful. Kenny and Ozzie aren't boneheads or bigots, they're characters who motivate their players to pitch lights-out baseball in 2005 and win the World Series, and attribute it to bunting.

 

I'd much rather have someone with a little passion like Kenny Williams as my GM than some lawyer who wears suits and thinks he can determine someone's guts and hustle with a graphing calculator.

 

The Tigers are still a couple pieces away from competing with them for the AL Central crown next season, if you ask Kenny & me.

[Smartly Pretty 0]

Adam Everett signed a 1-yr., $4.5 million deal with the Twins only 12-hours after being non-tendered by the 'Stros. Adam Everett is (was?) obviously the best defensive shortstop in baseball, but, if anything, going to the American League greatly decreases his chances at winning a Gold Glove.

Why? There's no obvious front-runner and if he plays a full year, he's the top choice.

 

 

 

Edit: Obviously I'm talking about Jeter...not Marlon Anderson (Is that Marlon Anderson?).

 

 

Marlon Anderson has kind of never been on the yankees.

[Brett Favre 0]

Thats Kevin Thompson.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Two D'backs trade today.

 

Alberto Callaspo to the Royals for Billy Buckner.

Six prospects, including Carlos Gonzalez, Brett Anderson and Greg Smith to the Athletics for Danny Haren and Connor Robertson

[Guest My Pal, the Tortoise]

Fucking Dbags have Haren now? Great.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Three trades. MLB.com says Jose Valverde to the Astros for Chris Burke and Chad Qualls.

 

Total haul for Haren is Smith, Gonzales, Anderson, Dana Eveland, Aaron Cunningham and Chris Carter.

[LivingLegendGaryColeman 0]

Fucking Dbags have Haren now? Great.

 

Well, D-Backs made another trade also. They traded Jose Valverde, their 40 plus Save closer to the Astros for infielder Chris Burke and reliever Chad Qualls. Doesn't seem like a good trade there.

[Bored 0]

2008 Oakland A's: We don't give a fuck till you give us our Fremont stadium!

 

Who knows Haren's arm could blow up next year and maybe two or three of these guys end up being All-Stars. But as I said before it is pretty hard to think positively about your team when they dump their 26-year old ace, with no injury history, who they had locked in thru 2010 at a low salary. I'll at least wait to read up more on the prospects before I slit my wrists but at first glance none of the names jump out at me.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

2008 Oakland A's: We don't give a fuck till you give us our Fremont stadium!

 

Who knows Haren's arm could blow up next year and maybe two or three of these guys end up being All-Stars. But as I said before it is pretty hard to think positively about your team when they dump their 26-year old ace, with no injury history, who they had locked in thru 2010 at a low salary. I'll at least wait to read up more on the prospects before I slit my wrists but at first glance none of the names jump out at me.

Most prospect lists put Gonzales in the top 25.

[milliondollarchamp 0]

A 1 - 2 punch of Webb and Haren ain't to bad at all.

[Bored 0]

Well I do see Baseball America had Gonzalez as the D-Backs top prospect, Anderson is #3, Cunningham is #7, and Carter is #8. Gonzalez apparently has a plus arm and hits for power but doesn't draw many walks.

 

They might as well deal Blanton too as what'd be the point now in hanging on to him?

[Guest RyechnaiaSobaka]

I don't doubt the A's anymore when they let pitchers go. They've earned it.

[Guest]

I saw Gonzalez play a whole bunch during 2006, in A ball. He swings at everything. And makes contact, too. Great arm, good range in the outfield, good BP power. He'll stick in the majors, as an everyday guy. But no more than that. He's a fast guy too, he just doesn't know how to run the bases.

[geniusMoment 0]

Wow, the Diamondbacks have one hell of a rotation now, and probably the best 1-2 in baseball. Also, the Astros made a good pickup. I don't really understand why Arizona made that deal.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I saw Gonzalez play a whole bunch during 2006, in A ball. He swings at everything. And makes contact, too. Great arm, good range in the outfield, good BP power. He'll stick in the majors, as an everyday guy. But no more than that. He's a fast guy too, he just doesn't know how to run the bases.

Not to discount Gonzales, but be extremely wary evaluating players in Lancaster. To say that place is a hitters' haven is putting things mildly.

[Mik 0]

I almost thought that said they traded for Billy Butler and I was wondering how Alberto Callapso was comparable, but then I remembered they had a Buckner in the Billy department who isn't quite as heralded.

 

Butler can never be traded to the NL because he has DH written all over him.

[Guest RyechnaiaSobaka]

Wow, the Diamondbacks have one hell of a rotation now, and probably the best 1-2 in baseball. Also, the Astros made a good pickup. I don't really understand why Arizona made that deal.

 

They suspect that Valverde was dealt to free up money. Also, they knew they were going to be getting Burke shortly, which is why they dealt Callaspo.

 

That's what I hear anyway.

[Brett Favre 0]

They have a good bullpen anyway, and Qualls can be almost as good. Burke may eventually replace Hudson.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

The Cardinals traded Jim Edmonds to the San Diego Padres for 3B David Freese. For the Cardinals it probably gives Colby Rasmus a clear shot at the CF job in St. Louis.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

As a side note because I can't resist, the Phillies had a third baseman named Freese as well. After a season in which Freese hit 23 HRs (at the age of 25), the Phils shipped him to the White Sox for an unproven, toolsy outfielder. Fans were outraged. Freese had one more good season in him, while Johnny Callison is on the Phillies' Wall of Fame.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

The Cardinals traded Jim Edmonds to the San Diego Padres for 3B David Freese. For the Cardinals it probably gives Colby Rasmus a clear shot at the CF job in St. Louis.

 

So that probably also means Rolen more than likely is going to get traded.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

The O's claimed Greg Aquino off waivers from the brewers.

 

might be better move to improve the bullpen than giving Baez $6 million a year like they did last year.

 

 

[Guest RyechnaiaSobaka]

The O's claimed Greg Aquino off waivers from the brewers.

 

might be better move to improve the bullpen than giving Baez $6 million a year like they did last year.

 

How about getting someone who can hit too? Then they might win 70 games next year.

 

[Guest My Pal, the Tortoise]

That trade really surprised me, but a pleasant surprise, for sure. Farewell, Jim. Don't forget to bring your mascara.

[Guest]

I saw Gonzalez play a whole bunch during 2006, in A ball. He swings at everything. And makes contact, too. Great arm, good range in the outfield, good BP power. He'll stick in the majors, as an everyday guy. But no more than that. He's a fast guy too, he just doesn't know how to run the bases.

Not to discount Gonzales, but be extremely wary evaluating players in Lancaster. To say that place is a hitters' haven is putting things mildly.

It's hard to evaluate players through the entire league, because of that. It's a hitter's league, for sure. His ability to make contact is the best part of his game. I guess that's what I was trying to point out the most.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

The O's claimed Greg Aquino off waivers from the brewers.

 

might be better move to improve the bullpen than giving Baez $6 million a year like they did last year.

 

How about getting someone who can hit too? Then they might win 70 games next year.

 

 

I think Luke Scott could hit 20 HR and around .280 avg/.340 OBP for the Orioles in 08 which would be way more than Jay Payton's 7 HR and .256 avg/.292 OBP as the primary starter in LF last year.