The 2008 MLB Offseason Thread

[garfieldsnose 0]

alkeip, the rumor is a three team trade with the Cubs getting Peavy, Phils getting DeRosa, and Padres getting possibly Happ and Coste. Thoughts? I'd like to keep Happ, he has a ton of potential. He's a lefty, too, and so far looks better than Randy Wolf did in Philly.

[Guest Czecherbear]

You're telling me the Mets don't have cheaper in-house options for the 4 and 5 spots? Because that's all he is. If you don't, I guess it wouldn't be the worst signing in the world, but my point stands that nobody should covet Jon Garland.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

alkeip, the rumor is a three team trade with the Cubs getting Peavy, Phils getting DeRosa, and Padres getting possibly Happ and Coste. Thoughts? I'd like to keep Happ, he has a ton of potential. He's a lefty, too, and so far looks better than Randy Wolf did in Philly.

I'm not tremendously high on J.A. Happ. How many good MLB starters were full time AAA starters at the age of 25? And Happ was good in AAA, not dominant. I've seen him live a couple of times, he never impressed me. Check the TSM blog for more thoughts on that. I'll be stunned if Happ is as good as Randy Wolf was from 2000-02. Coste is obviously expendable with Marson coming up and Ruiz possibly sliding into the backup role. I'd support the trade myself. DeRosa would replace Utley in the short term, and be a useful piece in the long term. It also helps that he's a righty hitter, and a UPenn graduate.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

You're telling me the Mets don't have cheaper in-house options for the 4 and 5 spots? Because that's all he is. If you don't, I guess it wouldn't be the worst signing in the world, but my point stands that nobody should covet Jon Garland.

He's no star, but there's definite value in a pitcher who never misses a start.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

The Os should be interested in Garland since they wont get anyone else.

 

 

[garfieldsnose 0]

alkeip, the rumor is a three team trade with the Cubs getting Peavy, Phils getting DeRosa, and Padres getting possibly Happ and Coste. Thoughts? I'd like to keep Happ, he has a ton of potential. He's a lefty, too, and so far looks better than Randy Wolf did in Philly.

I'm not tremendously high on J.A. Happ. How many good MLB starters were full time AAA starters at the age of 25? And Happ was good in AAA, not dominant. I've seen him live a couple of times, he never impressed me. Check the TSM blog for more thoughts on that. I'll be stunned if Happ is as good as Randy Wolf was from 2000-02. Coste is obviously expendable with Marson coming up and Ruiz possibly sliding into the backup role. I'd support the trade myself. DeRosa would replace Utley in the short term, and be a useful piece in the long term. It also helps that he's a righty hitter, and a UPenn graduate.

 

 

Good points, as usual. But I think Ruiz will be the starter this season barring unforeseen events. His work in the playoffs will get him a year or two as a starter, imo.

[Smartly Pretty 0]

You're telling me the Mets don't have cheaper in-house options for the 4 and 5 spots? Because that's all he is. If you don't, I guess it wouldn't be the worst signing in the world, but my point stands that nobody should covet Jon Garland.

 

The rotation as of right now is Santana-Pelfrey-Maine-???-Jon Niese. I think Garland fits just fine.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

The Orioles got a good haul for Ramon Hernandez. Ryan Freel plus two decent infield prospects. Not bad for a catcher with a .308 OBP that was only blocking the best prospect in baseball.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

alkeip, the rumor is a three team trade with the Cubs getting Peavy, Phils getting DeRosa, and Padres getting possibly Happ and Coste. Thoughts? I'd like to keep Happ, he has a ton of potential. He's a lefty, too, and so far looks better than Randy Wolf did in Philly.

I'm not tremendously high on J.A. Happ. How many good MLB starters were full time AAA starters at the age of 25? And Happ was good in AAA, not dominant. I've seen him live a couple of times, he never impressed me. Check the TSM blog for more thoughts on that. I'll be stunned if Happ is as good as Randy Wolf was from 2000-02. Coste is obviously expendable with Marson coming up and Ruiz possibly sliding into the backup role. I'd support the trade myself. DeRosa would replace Utley in the short term, and be a useful piece in the long term. It also helps that he's a righty hitter, and a UPenn graduate.

 

 

Good points, as usual. But I think Ruiz will be the starter this season barring unforeseen events. His work in the playoffs will get him a year or two as a starter, imo.

His OPS in the playoffs was .737. If the Phillies let that get in the way of a personnel move, they are delusional. I doubt it will matter, it will come down to Spring Training performance.

[Guest Czecherbear]

I really like Mark DeRosa, I think he's really great, but now would be a wonderful time to sell high, and he'd be an asset to anyone, especially the Phils. That said, I find the whole Peavy thing fishy. He's gotta be damaged. There's no way the Padres would be this eager to divest him if they didn't know something was terribly wrong with him. He was on the DL twice last year. Something's up; there's more to it than Moores's divorce settlement. While the idea of a Zambrano-Peavy-Dempster-Harden-Lilly rotation makes me positively giddy, it's too good to be true. I might just hang on to what we know we have in DeRosa.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

The Orioles got a good haul for Ramon Hernandez. Ryan Freel plus two decent infield prospects. Not bad for a catcher with a .308 OBP that was only blocking the best prospect in baseball.

 

The Matt Wieters Era in Baltimore has officially arrived!

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

I really like Mark DeRosa, I think he's really great, but now would be a wonderful time to sell high, and he'd be an asset to anyone, especially the Phils. That said, I find the whole Peavy thing fishy. He's gotta be damaged. There's no way the Padres would be this eager to divest him if they didn't know something was terribly wrong with him. He was on the DL twice last year. Something's up; there's more to it than Moores's divorce settlement. While the idea of a Zambrano-Peavy-Dempster-Harden-Lilly rotation makes me positively giddy, it's too good to be true. I might just hang on to what we know we have in DeRosa.

They're selling everything that's not bolted to the ground in San Diego. Payroll has to be cut by like 50% and Peavy eats up $17 million a year. He has a limited no trade clause, and therefore very limited value*.

 

*He may also be hurt. He has a really fishy injury history and Kevin Towers is no dolt.

[geniusMoment 0]

Wait, so the cubs are essentially trading Mark DeRosa and getting Jake Peavy? How is that possible?

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Wait, so the cubs are essentially trading Mark DeRosa and getting Jake Peavy? How is that possible?

It's not. I'm sure that Cedeno and Pie are included at the least. It'll probably take Vitters and Marshall as well to get anything done.

[jimmy no nose 0]

For some reason I couldn't find the details with a quick search, does anyone have the numbers on the extension Joe Nathan signed with the Twins last year for comparison to the K-Rod deal?

[YourKock'sReallyGreat 0]

For some reason I couldn't find the details with a quick search, does anyone have the numbers on the extension Joe Nathan signed with the Twins last year for comparison to the K-Rod deal?

 

 

Rotoworld reports that he signed a 4 year 47 million dollar contract. WFan was talking about how KRod was offered more money by Anaheim earlier this year or last year and turned it down because he wanted to go to free agency. Sucks for him that it happened at the worst time ever.

[Prophet of Mike Zagurski 0]

I just wanted to share this. I figured when the off season started, the Yankees would do this. It's one of my favorite Dugout chats.

http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/11/16/the-dug...sized-annual-1/

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

For some reason I couldn't find the details with a quick search, does anyone have the numbers on the extension Joe Nathan signed with the Twins last year for comparison to the K-Rod deal?

 

-4 years/$47M (2008-11), plus 2012 club option

 

-signed extension with Minnesota 3/24/08, replacing option year of previous deal

 

08:$11.25M

09:$11.25M

10:$11.25M

11:$11.25M

12:$12.5M club option ($2M buyout)

 

-price of 2012 option increases by $0.5M each for 55 GF in 2010, 55 GF in 2011, and 110 GF in 2010-11 combined

 

-limited no-trade clause

 

-award bonus: $25,000 for All Star selection

[YourKock'sReallyGreat 0]

Lets not forget that Francisco Cordero at the age of 33 received a 4 year 46 million dollar contract last year as well.

[YourKock'sReallyGreat 0]

alkeip, the rumor is a three team trade with the Cubs getting Peavy, Phils getting DeRosa, and Padres getting possibly Happ and Coste. Thoughts? I'd like to keep Happ, he has a ton of potential. He's a lefty, too, and so far looks better than Randy Wolf did in Philly.

 

 

Why do the Phillies want to help the Cubs get a former Cy Young winner who is still a pretty good pitcher.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Indians are close to signing Kerry Wood

By Gordon Edes, Yahoo! Sports

6 hours, 44 minutes ago

 

LAS VEGAS – A Cleveland Indians source expressed confidence Tuesday afternoon that the team is close to signing closer Kerry Wood, who also had been targeted by Cleveland’s American League Central rival, the Detroit Tigers.

 

With Wood having been on the disabled list 13 times, the source cautioned that the Indians would have to be satisfied that the 31-year-old right-hander is healthy, meaning a physical would come before any announcement.

 

The length of the deal is uncertain, but likely would be for two years with a club or vesting option for a third year. Wood’s base salary last season was $4.2 million, but his contract contained numerous performance bonus clauses that added another $3.45 million.

 

Wood enjoyed a bounce-back season in 2008, notching 34 saves in his first season as a closer and striking out 84 batters in 66 1/3 innings.

 

One factor apparently working in the Indians’ favor, according to the source, is their impending move from their spring-training home in Winter Haven, Fla., to a new facility in Goodyear, Ariz. Wood’s off-season home is in Arizona.

 

 

EDIT: Hey, why aren't we using the new Winter Meetings thread? Say no to mega-threads, people!

[YourKock'sReallyGreat 0]

WFan is reporting that Joel Sherman is reporting that the Yankees have come to an agreement with CC Sabathia. Only took him a month. It's funny because Mike Francessa pretty much spent his whole show yesterday on CC and ripping him for taking so long and dragging his feet.

 

http://www.nypost.com/seven/12102008/sport...deal_143481.htm

[YourKock'sReallyGreat 0]

WFan is reporting that the Yankees are closing in on a 4 year 66 million dollar deal with Derek Lowe.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Well, sounds like Sabathia is a Yankee. I'm hearing it's actually 7 years, $160 million. If so, that is just crazy. It doesn't matter for the Yankees...even if he stinks for half of that length, it doesn't matter to them.

 

Thanks for the memories CC, but I won't be cheering for you now that you're going to be wearing pin stripes.

 

Hopefully Doug Melvin is moving to get some top quality pitcher for the Brewers...as of right now the Brewers rotation is going to be Gallardo/Parra/Suppan/McClung/Bush. Not exactly confidence inspiring.

[Brett Favre 0]

Shit. I really hope the Yankees don't sign Derek Lowe.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Shit. I really hope the Yankees don't sign Derek Lowe.

 

I think they can have him. He's bound to start regressing sooner than later. I hope they sign him to the four year deal he's asking for.

 

Rumor has it they may actually go after Ben Sheets...if they do that and then trade for CC's buddy Mike Cameron, maybe we can just say: "Your 2009 New York Yankees...your 2008 Milwaukee Brewers!"

[Brett Favre 0]

Ben Sheets would be a better signing. Derek Lowe makes no sense when you can sign Andy Petttitte to a 1 year deal, and get nearly if not the same production.

[YourKock'sReallyGreat 0]

Ben Sheets would be a better signing. Derek Lowe makes no sense when you can sign Andy Petttitte to a 1 year deal, and get nearly if not the same production.

 

 

Couple of things, Lowe has pitched 180 innings plus every year since 2002, has been above average plus in era, whip, k's and has been durable. Pettitte is coming off of the steroid scandal which the Yankees stood behind him the whole way and he had a horrible second half. The Yankees want him to take a pay cut and offered him a one year 10 million dollar deal. He feels that he should still be paid 16 million a year. Pettite went 4-7 in the second half of the season with an era of 5.35. In his last 11 starts, the Yankees lost 9 times. Look at his splits last year, he beat up on the bad teams 5-0 against the Orioles and Oakland with an era around 1.5. Against the Red Sox, Angels, Blue Jays, White Sox and Devil Rays he was 4-9 in 14 starts with an era of around 6. The batting average against was well above .300

[YourKock'sReallyGreat 0]

New rumor is that CC is going to get an opt out clause after year 3. CC Sabathia for 2011 AL Cy Young. Bet on it!

[YourKock'sReallyGreat 0]

One more rumor is that Hank Steinbrenner wants Manny. Can you imagine a one two punch of Arod with Manny 3 and 4?