EVIL~! alkeiper 0 Report post Posted January 18, 2008 Possibly the greatest Transaction Oracle post ever. http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/files/..._juan_gonzalez/ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jwest27 0 Report post Posted January 18, 2008 Cards - Might Sign Juan Gonzalez what Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
treble 0 Report post Posted January 18, 2008 Ricciardi, being either extremely accurate or somehat confused: "If you look at the division we play in, Boston has a bunch of dirt bags, the Yankees have a bunch of dirt bags," Ricciardi said. "We have some, but we need more." That's JP's favourite buzzword. He's used it more than once to describe Reed Johnson and I'm sure it will be repeated ad nauseum on Blue Jays telecasts all season. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MarvinisaLunatic 0 Report post Posted January 18, 2008 Jeremy guthrie got a 1 year contract extension for 770,000...which begs me to ask if Bedard is traded and he becomes the #1 starter is that the lowest #1 salary..it almost has to be. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EVIL~! alkeiper 0 Report post Posted January 18, 2008 Jeremy guthrie got a 1 year contract extension for 770,000...which begs me to ask if Bedard is traded and he becomes the #1 starter is that the lowest #1 salary..it almost has to be. Nah, Cole Hamels was the Phillies' #1 starter for a mere $400,000. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cheech Tremendous 0 Report post Posted January 18, 2008 Cards - Might Sign Juan Gonzalez what It's going to be a non-roster invite. They won't actually sign him to any sort of contract. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cheech Tremendous 0 Report post Posted January 18, 2008 - The Devil Rays made a couple of stout moves in the last 24 hours. They acquired Willy Aybar and Chase Fontaine from the Atlanta Braves for Jeff Ridgeway. Aybar has had some drug problems, but was formerly considered an elite talent. He'll start at third or work as a utility guy this year. Fontaine has a little upside, and Ridgeway is a 27-year-old southpaw. They also signed Carlos Pena to a three year, $24 million deal. That's an absolute steal for a guy who just mashed 40+ homers. There is some risk that he reverts back to his pre-2007 form, but if he can even replicate 80% of last year's production, they took Boras to the cleaners. - The White Sox signed Octavio Dotel. Apparently they are going to the method of buying every over-priced reliever on the market with hopes of turning around their bullpen. Maybe they should call down to Baltimore and asked how that worked out for them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EVIL~! alkeiper 0 Report post Posted January 18, 2008 They also signed Carlos Pena to a three year, $24 million deal. That's an absolute steal for a guy who just mashed 40+ homers. There is some risk that he reverts back to his pre-2007 form, but if he can even replicate 80% of last year's production, they took Boras to the cleaners. It's a good deal, but remember he was arbitration eligible for (I think) two more seasons. I don't know what Pena might have made in arbitration, but this also guarantees him considerable money for a couple seasons, not just one. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cheech Tremendous 0 Report post Posted January 18, 2008 They also signed Carlos Pena to a three year, $24 million deal. That's an absolute steal for a guy who just mashed 40+ homers. There is some risk that he reverts back to his pre-2007 form, but if he can even replicate 80% of last year's production, they took Boras to the cleaners. It's a good deal, but remember he was arbitration eligible for (I think) two more seasons. I don't know what Pena might have made in arbitration, but this also guarantees him considerable money for a couple seasons, not just one. I want to say he was going to get about $7 mil this year and $10 next in arbitration (then again, I can't find a link to suppor this now). So essentially they bought out one year of free agency for peanuts. It was probably smart for Pena to take this kind of security though. He bounced around everywhere before finally sticking with TB. Not that I ever saw this breakout coming, but I wish the Sox would have given him more of a look in late 2006. They were already out of the race and Mark Loretta certainly wasn't a long term answer, especially at first. Pena was a slick fielder who got on base... it seemed that he fit their mantra. Then again, Tito's never been one to displease his veterans. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cheech Tremendous 0 Report post Posted January 18, 2008 Is there any chance that the Rays have enough fire power to finish third this year? It really seems like they've fixed enough of their weaknesses to take a stab at .500. Couple that with a Jays team that is heading in the wrong direction and whatever the hell the Orioles are doing and we could have a legit surprise contender. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
treble 0 Report post Posted January 18, 2008 Slight bias here, but I'm not sure that they're better than the Jays. I can't see the Jays hitting being as bad as it was last season, although I'm not sure if their pitching will be as good with Eckstein at short as opposed to McDonald. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dobbs 3K 0 Report post Posted January 18, 2008 However, the public's perception of the sport is awful. The strike and steroid scandal are two of the game's biggest scars and they both happened as a result of his laissez faire attitude. Many of his creations, such as interleague and the Wild Card, have watered down the game for long-time fans. It's definitely a mixed bag. How do you feel about Bud? I think Bud Selig has been a great commissioner. As I've said before, I like both interleague play and the wild card system. 8 teams out of 30 making the playoffs is perfect. I really feel MLB has the best playoff system out of all the major US sports. I don't care about "public perception." The people you usually hear whining about baseball are the types who don't go to any games and don't watch games on TV, so who cares what they think? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Ghost of bps21 0 Report post Posted January 18, 2008 ugh...I hate interleague play and I'm not shot in the ass about the Wild Card. I don't blame Selig for the steroid problems...that would have happened to anyone I think. Plus baseball's popularity has been growing so as much as I hate those 2 things...I can't argue with their success. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Cock Ring Warehouse Report post Posted January 18, 2008 White Sox re-signed Joe Crede. Don't stop believin'! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cheech Tremendous 0 Report post Posted January 18, 2008 Viva is reading the thread! White Sox re-signed Joe Crede. Don't stop believin'! This will never get old. The White Sox are pulling out all the stops to try and finish fourth this year. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Smartly Pretty 0 Report post Posted January 18, 2008 lol at the board's brewer fan being pro selig. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cheech Tremendous 0 Report post Posted January 18, 2008 I don't understand how anyone could like Interleague. As for the Wild Card, I can sort of see why people would like it even though all it's done is weakened the postseason and diluted the divisional races. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Smartly Pretty 0 Report post Posted January 18, 2008 I definitely like the wild card, but yeah, fuck interleague. The wild card, really, is just more fair. To send a 90 win team home and an 85 win team to the playoffs because they play in different time zones shouldn't be, and the wild card fixes that without really shitting on too much of the pride that should come from winning the division. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Report post Posted January 18, 2008 Interleague play isn't used properly, it should only be used for local rivalries, although I know there's no way to do that, logistically speaking. The WildCard is ok. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Ghost of bps21 0 Report post Posted January 18, 2008 The thing I don't like about Wild Card is that the season is so long. You play 162 games and you aren't the best in your division after that LONG stretch...but if you're hot for a month you can win the Series. Hell...before Interleague everyone competing to win their division played the exact same schedule. Get rid of both. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vivalaultra 0 Report post Posted January 18, 2008 I've been referenced! Yeah, I've been meaning to provide interesting and hopelessly optimistic commentary on my beloved Astros' moves this offseason, but my teaching job has occupied a lot of time and TSM is blocked by my school's filter (under the category "Humor/Jokes", no less). I'll find time to do one of my 'long, homeric rants' later, but here's some random thoughts: -Presuming Tejada isn't deported or indicted, the middle of the order-Tejada, Berkman, Lee, Pence-should be very good. The rest of the lineup is definitely an improvement offensively. We even have a catcher that can hit now, so that's a plus. -The Matsui signing was horrible. Lance Berkman had a good line on one of the call-in sports shows after the 'Stros signed him. It was right after Berkman made comments in the paper about feeling like he had been traded to the Astros because of all the new guys on the team and he wasn't sure how they'd gel. Anyway, one of the hosts on the show was talking about the comments and said, "Hey, Lance, why don't you and Matsui go hang out sometime?" and Berkman said something to the effect of "Who? Me, him, and his interpreter?" I would've preferred leaving Burke at 2nd, but I guess Drayton wanted to tap into the large Asian population in Houston or something... -The pitching frightens me. The bullpen, I think, should be average to above average, but the starting pitching is going to be interesting to see. Oswalt's a bonafide ace (dropping K rate be damned), but if they're asking Brandon Backe to be the #2 starter, that's got me really worried. I think Wandy Rodriguez is going to have a breakout year in 2008. Mark it down. -Despite the questionability of some of the moves Ed Wade's made, I think he's done a lot to improve the team with what was available on the market. Trading Willy Taveras, Jason Hirsh, and Taylor Buchholz for Jason Jennings last year had serious negative reprecussions. -If Tejada ends up going to jail and he has to be replaced at SS by Geoff Blum for a long period of time, all of those fans that wanted to get rid of Adam Everett are going to be begging for him and his .230 average to come back. -As of right now, I think the Astros are the 3rd best team in the division on paper behind the Cubs and the Brewers. I think 2008's either going to be a pennant winning year or a year when they lose 100 games. This half-assed youth movement/trade the farm for 'superstars' combo has the potential to bomb big time. We shall see... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Cock Ring Warehouse Report post Posted January 18, 2008 The thing I don't like about Wild Card is that the season is so long. You play 162 games and you aren't the best in your division after that LONG stretch...but if you're hot for a month you can win the Series. The Twins were hot enough for a month to not just win the wild card, but overtake the division, and they were sent home without a whimper. The Tigers had a great April through August and tanked the last month, backed in with the wild card, and won the pennant. The games aren't weighted on an escalating scale, and there's no such thing as game-to-game momentum. The Rockies would have made the postseason if their September was their April. As for the wild card, I think it's a good thing, and unlike the obvious destruction that realignment/relocation has wrought in the NHL, I can't be nostalgic for a system that ceased when I was six years old. Pshyeah, when the S.F. Giants missed the cut with 100 wins, that was baseball to me. To address the Crede signing with more than a flippant remark, how does this affect the plans to trade him away for other needs while clearing the hot corner for Josh Fields? Does this $5.1 million contract make him more difficult to trade? What if he winds up hurt again? I don't understand this. p.s.: Kenny Williams, it's hard for you to cry poor if/when you just paid eleven million dollars over two years for Octavio Dotel. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Ghost of bps21 0 Report post Posted January 18, 2008 Any system that resulted in the Red sox winning their first World Series in all those decades is inherently flawed and I wish to hear no more on the subject! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
USC Wuz Robbed! 0 Report post Posted January 19, 2008 Even though Hail bps replied after that, I would like to say I agree with him in the sense that all it takes is a hot OCTOBER to win the World Series (yeah that's not rocket science, I know), so his point is valid. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EVIL~! alkeiper 0 Report post Posted January 19, 2008 When it comes to Selig, the first strike is the 1994 strike, we all know that one. Second is the Expos fiasco. Selig created a situation where one team was owned by the other 29, a CLEAR conflict of interest. It's counter-intuitive to competition. Arbitration figures exchanged today. Ryan Howard asked for $10 million, the Phillies offered $7 million. Carlos Pena just got $7 million himself, while Justin Morneau signed for $7.4 million. Howard really should settle this case, he will lose in arbitration. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EVIL~! alkeiper 0 Report post Posted January 19, 2008 Viva is reading the thread! White Sox re-signed Joe Crede. Don't stop believin'! This will never get old. The White Sox are pulling out all the stops to try and finish fourth this year. It's just a case of a player and team agreeing to contract terms, it's not as if the White Sox made a roster move here. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mike wanna be 0 Report post Posted January 19, 2008 Even though Hail bps replied after that, I would like to say I agree with him in the sense that all it takes is a hot OCTOBER to win the World Series (yeah that's not rocket science, I know), so his point is valid. It takes a respectable April through September to even be playing past the third of October. And I like interleague play, dammit. No other game is divided by leagues not playing in the other league other than the final game/series of the playoffs and it seems to be working well for the other sports. Seriously, how many Florida/Washington games do we need? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EVIL~! alkeiper 0 Report post Posted January 19, 2008 19 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MFer 0 Report post Posted January 19, 2008 I really don't have a problem with the wild card or interleague. Hockey and baseball have 16 teams make the playoffs, football has 12, so I'm not really seeing where 8 is too much or it waters things down, especially when they have roughly the same amount of teams. I know they play more games but that really doesn't change my thinking. As far as interleague goes, I don't see what's so wrong about every team having a chance to play every other team. To me, it just reeks of baseball thinking it's "above" the other sports (like Division I-A football is doing by not having a playoff). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Cock Ring Warehouse Report post Posted January 19, 2008 Hey, want a good way to drive yourself insane? Try realigning the National League back into West and East, eight teams per division, and the Cubs and Cardinals have to be in the East because they'll have utter shitlosings again (especially the Cubs) if they're forced to air a ton of L.A./S.F./S.D./Denver/Phoenix road games. You can't do it without putting the Marlins in the West. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
