MLB Off-season Thread

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

orioleshangout.com? Uggh.

[Fuzzy Dunlop 0]

Hey, I was just trying to figure out where Marvin was getting his information.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

I dont post there as you have to pay, but its still USUALLY very reliable information. There are several people that post there that have contacts within the Os front office.

There is also a lot of unsubstantiated rumors flowing but I dont think this is one of them.

[Smartly Pretty 0]

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20...7&fext=.jsp

 

"The Cubs and Orioles continued to discuss a deal that would bring switch-hitting second baseman Brian Roberts to Chicago, but the Cubs shot down a report Wednesday claiming the team has traded pitchers Sean Gallagher, Sean Marshall and shortstop Ronny Cedeno to the Orioles for Roberts."

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

I think that deal will happen because A) the cubs are the only team that seems interested in Roberts and B) the Cubbies aren't giving up the players that the Os really want no matter what (Pie mainly) but they want to trade him so they'll take the best offer available.

 

 

[devo 0]

http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/13627791.html

 

The latest word out of Minnesota is that the Mets can have Santana - for the price of Carlos Gomez, Deolis Guerra, Kevin Mulvey, Phil Humber and Fernando Martinez.

 

Honestly, I don't make that trade. Admittedly, the package without Martinez is a little light, but I think it's too expensive with him in the mix. I'm not comfortable trading Martinez in the first place, but I realize Santana isn't going to be had without him. Drop one of the pitching prospects and we'll talk, as I can live with the loss of Martinez so long as the pitching system isn't rendered completely barren at the same time.

[Smartly Pretty 0]

I'd be all for that trade if we still had Lastings Milledge. At this point I'm more interested to hear what the A's want for Joe Blanton.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

Rumor on the OH from Ken Rosenthal is Bedard to Seattle for Jones definitely and a combo of Sherrill, Triunfel, and/or Tillman

 

Everyones pining over Adam Jones but the rest of the deal is fishy.

 

The Os are also replacing the scoreboards with LED HD scoreboards including the RF Out of Town Scoreboard

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

Apparently the Yanks have signed Jason Lane to a minor league deal (says Pete Abraham), and may be pursuing Mike Cameron as well (says Ken Rosenthal).

[Guest My Pal, the Tortoise]

I only hope she can hang on to see me go into the Hall of Fame.

 

You think that I played my career because I am worried about the damned Hall of Fame?

 

Who you crappin'?

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Apparently the Yanks have signed Jason Lane to a minor league deal (says Pete Abraham), and may be pursuing Mike Cameron as well (says Ken Rosenthal).

 

 

Those are both good moves for the Yankees.

 

At worst, Jason Lane provides a little bit of outfield depth. At best, he hits a little and becomes a stop-gap for first base.

 

Pursuing Mike Cameron could be a little controversial, but it's a sound move. Relative ages aside, Mike Cameron is still a better player, both offensively and defensively, than Melky Cabrera. Adding Cameron allows them to sell high on Cabrera and getsomeone who can keep the seat warm for Austin Jackson (who should be ready by mid-'09 or '10).

[Dandy 0]

To answer your question, Czech, Clemens kept saying int he press conference that he has chronic pain in his "lower back, upper...well, my lower back." He said he received the injections at that area. Sounds like he really didn't want to paint the picture of receiving injections in his ass, but the excuse given for the lidocaine was chronic lower back pain.

[treble 0]

Goodbye Jacobs Field, hello Progressive Field. Ugh.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Despite a last minute pursuit from the Yankees, Cameron is going to the Brewers. I like this move, but then again, I like Cameron. If they move Braun to left and put Hall back at third, it improves the defense immensely.

[CanadianChris 0]

Goodbye Jacobs Field, hello Progressive Field. Ugh.

The Indians are dead to me.

[Smartly Pretty 0]

I'm being told the Mets have three first round draft picks this year - if we ship Fernando Martinez could we potentially re-bulk the farm on this draft alone?

[Guest My Pal, the Tortoise]

To answer your question, Czech, Clemens kept saying int he press conference that he has chronic pain in his "lower back, upper...well, my lower back." He said he received the injections at that area. Sounds like he really didn't want to paint the picture of receiving injections in his ass, but the excuse given for the lidocaine was chronic lower back pain.

That still doesn't answer the question about the "B12 injections." People who take Vitamin B12 supplements say that they do so only because they were diagnosed with a B12 deficiency, and in the even that one has this deficiency, it's administered through a pill, not a shot in your ass. Moreover, he said that he was taking this odd B12/lidocaine cocktail "for muh joints," which I don't believe either would affect. Marion Jones was sentenced to six months today. I see more ass injections in Roger's future.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

I'm being told the Mets have three first round draft picks this year - if we ship Fernando Martinez could we potentially re-bulk the farm on this draft alone?

 

 

They have two first round picks (#18, from Atlanta and #22), plus a sandwich round pick (#33). Picks outside the top 10 are usually less than sure things. Out of those three picks, it would be difficult to project more than one of them as a future quality major leaguer.

 

Clearing out your top 4 or 5 is going to devastate the system, especially one as top heavy as yours. But it may be worth it for Santana.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

To answer your question, Czech, Clemens kept saying int he press conference that he has chronic pain in his "lower back, upper...well, my lower back." He said he received the injections at that area. Sounds like he really didn't want to paint the picture of receiving injections in his ass, but the excuse given for the lidocaine was chronic lower back pain.

That still doesn't answer the question about the "B12 injections." People who take Vitamin B12 supplements say that they do so only because they were diagnosed with a B12 deficiency, and in the even that one has this deficiency, it's administered through a pill, not a shot in your ass. Moreover, he said that he was taking this odd B12/lidocaine cocktail "for muh joints," which I don't believe either would affect. Marion Jones was sentenced to six months today. I see more ass injections in Roger's future.

I had B12 injections for a time due to my diabetes. It happens.

[snuffbox 0]

Maybe Milwaukee will give Rog his next big bag of cash. He'll get along well with Gagne, Cameron, Turnbow...

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Maybe Milwaukee will give Rog his next big bag of cash. He'll get along well with Gagne, Cameron, Turnbow...

 

Come on, snuffbox. Turnbow's one apparent drug violation happened before he was even in MLB. Let it go.

 

As far as the Cameron signing, I'm not a huge fan because of the 25 game suspension to start the '08 season. That said, I do like the idea of Hall moving back to 3B (I've always said he didn't really look comfortable in CF), and moving Braun, a defensive liability, to LF, should help the defense quite a bit.

 

Now, it just remains to be seen if the Brewers deal any of their excess starting pitching. Otherwise, there's going to be a couple guys starting the year in AAA who don't really need to be there.

[Smartly Pretty 0]

I'm being told the Mets have three first round draft picks this year - if we ship Fernando Martinez could we potentially re-bulk the farm on this draft alone?

 

 

They have two first round picks (#18, from Atlanta and #22), plus a sandwich round pick (#33). Picks outside the top 10 are usually less than sure things. Out of those three picks, it would be difficult to project more than one of them as a future quality major leaguer.

 

Clearing out your top 4 or 5 is going to devastate the system, especially one as top heavy as yours. But it may be worth it for Santana.

 

You know, cleaning out the farm system or not...I think I'm leaning towards making this deal.

[Brett Favre 0]

The way pitchers are getting paid these days, I don't know if I'd make that deal. On one hand, you'll get a pitcher who can pitch and deserves the money, but on the flipside you give up like three pitching prospects. I wouldn't make the trade when you still have to pay to keep Oliver Perez next year and he'll be making upwards over ten million.

 

Omar made that trade that sent Grady Sizemore, Cliff Lee, and Brandon Phillips to Cleveland for Bartolo Colon, so I wouldn't be surprised to see him make this deal.

[Bored 0]

Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the Blue Jays and Cardinals are close to doing a Troy Glaus for Scott Rolen swap with the Cardinals throwing in some cash.

[Brett Favre 0]

That's a lateral trade. Well, Glaus is better than Rolen right now.

[snuffbox 0]

There is absolutely no reason why Turnbow is still on our team, Invader. None.

 

On one level I do like the Cameron signing...good defense, decent numbers, and less than half the price Jenkins was asking (and, if he plays next year, it will still be cheaper than the one-dimenional Jenks). And, as you mentioned, Braun in the outfield, Hall back in the infield, and a much better glove in center is a really good development. But, he's already going to miss a month of games. And, personally, I don't have much trust in anybody that has been caught cheating once already, and that includes Turnbow and Cameron.

 

I also dont mind having an excess of starting pitching. It's inevitable that at least 3 Milwaukee starting pitchers will go down every season, we need plenty of guysready to fill in from the minors. If anything, package Turnbow and Capuano (and another starter if necessary) and get another quality arm for the bullpen.

[jwest27 0]

Hmm. Well Glaus is pretty good, I guess. I wouldn't mind this trade.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

the Os are leaving Ft. Lauderdale in 09/10 for Vero Beach when the Dodgers move their ST to Arizona.

 

Guess they cant call it O Town...Bird Town? Loserville?

 

Also, all the talk of Adam Jones to the Os for Bedard (as well as some other players from SEA, but Jones is the centerpiece of the deal) has me optimistic about the Os OF for the next several years (Scott/Jones/Markakis). Hopefully some of the pitching prospects they've gotten already pan out and help offset losing Bedard as Tillman (rumored in the Bedard deal) is Seattle's #1 pitching prospect and Patton was one of Houston's top pitching prospects. Combine them with Guhrie, Loewen, Penn and Olson and they could have one of the best young pitching staffs in Baseball, but it probably wont materialize for 2 years. 08 is going to an absolutely miserable season for the Orioles.

[CanadianChris 0]

The conspiracy theory floating around town is that Roger filed his lawsuit so that he can avoid going in front of Congress on the grounds of not wanting to potentially harm his pending litigation by speaking about it under oath elsewhere.

You called it:

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3194113

 

After saying repeatedly that Roger Clemens will answer any questions Congress wants to ask him, a source familiar with the inquiry said Saturday night that attorney Rusty Hardin is hedging over the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee's request to depose Clemens under oath next week because it might interfere with his defamation lawsuit against personal trainer Brian McNamee.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Surprised there's not much said on the Glaus/Rolen trade and the Kotsay/Devine deal.

 

I like Joey Devine going to Oakland. He had a real nice bounceback year after getting pushed to the Majors too quickly after he was drafted. It'll be interesting to see what Mark Kotsay has left in the tank with the Braves. He's a one-year stopgap until Jordan Schafer is ready.

 

The Cardinals and Blue Jays traded each other their good hitting but injury prone third basemen. The difference is that Rolen can play defense. The relationship between him and the Cardinals though made a trade inevitable. Rolen left Philly after he couldn't get along with Larry Bowa. Has he just had a run of bad situations or is there something more under the surface? Rolen has Hall of Fame talent, but he is going to need to put together a good run to have a shot.

 

Johnny Podres died yesterday. Podres worked as a roving instructor for the Phillies, and a guy I got to meet in 2005. He beat the Yankees in game seven of the 1955 World Series, giving Brooklyn their only World Championship.