The 2008 MLB Offseason Thread

[Smartly Pretty 0]

I'd take that in a heartbeat.

[naiwf 0]

I'd take that in a heartbeat.

 

What he said.

[YourKock'sReallyGreat 0]

Still waiting for the season when the Yankees buy their own WS trophy. Pretty soon the government is going have to bail out the Yankees.

 

Here's to hoping they crumble. Cheers.

 

 

I think it's pretty sad that the team you root for just won the World Series and you are far more concerned about the Yankees.

[Cartman 0]

A-Rod is good at third. Jeter is below average. Cano is slightly above average, and from what I've seen, Swisher is good at first. They aren't that bad of a defensive infield, considering Wang has good numbers.

 

And Lowe got smacked around the last time he was in the AL East. Pitching in the NL West is totally different.

Jeter, Cano and Swisher are all way below average defensively. I'm not sure what numbers you're looking at to make that determination.

 

Lowe's had one below average season in his major league career. That 2004 season is an outlier. Lowe has also improved tremendously as a pitcher the past couple of seasons; the improvement just happens to coincide with his NL West move. It's more correlation than causation. He's a smart, durable pitcher with insane GB/FB ratios. He's good.

 

hmm..I cant see him going to the Nationals. Who else is gonna offer that kind of money?

The Red Sox and Angels have laid out parameters with Boras that would put them in the same ballpark as the Nationals' offer. Don't count out the Yankees either.

 

I thought Theo doesn't give that long and or big of contracts. Also, maybe he is basing Cano's defense on actually watching him play compared to #'s.

 

He wouldnt give long term big contracts to PITCHERS. Rather develop your own cheaper pitchers and go out to buy the hitters who play everyday. Paying someone $650,000 per game is insanity. (Assuming 35 starts)

 

[Bored 0]

Robothal is reporting the three-way trade that brings that Putz to the Mets is a done deal.

[devo 0]

Very nice. I'll miss Smith's ability to strand runners and Chavez's monthly unbelievable play, but that's about it. I'm comfortable enough with the bullpen at this point that I think Minaya should move onto another aspect of the club. Great work on his part to get this done.

[Smartly Pretty 0]

Parnell/Stokes in the 7th, Putz in the 8th, K-Rod in the 9th has me pretty confident. I'll never call the bullpen a strength on the Mets for the rest of my life, but...well it looks good. Maybe Omar can acquire a starter now.

[naiwf 0]

Getting rid of Heilman is an early Christmas gift. Thanks Omar.

[Smartly Pretty 0]

Aw, we also gave up Ezequiel Carera. I love that guy!

[devo 0]

Maikel Cleto and Jason Vargas, too. Vargas mighta made something of himself, so that's a bit disappointing, but not really a big deal.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Great move by Minaya. If Putz is healthy he's one of the five or ten best relievers in baseball. Not only does it solidify the back end of the bullpen for New York, it gives them a second closer if K-Rod sucks or gets hurt. Even Reed can have an impact as a fourth or fifth outfielder. He's really good defensively.

 

I like this deal for the Mariners, too. How much value does a closer have on a team that will struggle to win 70 games? Not much. Gutierrez and Chavez give them some nice outfield depth. Hopefully they let Heilman start. I'm still convinced he can be a solid #3 if someone will just give him a chance. If not, he's the new closer. These are the kind of deals the new GM needs to make to help flesh out their barren system.

 

EDIT: Honeymoon over, already?

 

His agent, Craig Landis, said Putz wants to remain a closer.

 

"He's one of the top five or 10 closers in the game," Landis said. "No, he would not want to be a set-up man."

[Smartly Pretty 0]

Let 'em fight for it in spring training, I say.

[jwest27 0]

Aw boo. Cheech got me kind of excited about Putz maybe coming to St. Louis in the Winter Meetings thread. Fuckin' New York.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Great move by Minaya. If Putz is healthy he's one of the five or ten best relievers in baseball. Not only does it solidify the back end of the bullpen for New York, it gives them a second closer if K-Rod sucks or gets hurt. Even Reed can have an impact as a fourth or fifth outfielder. He's really good defensively.

 

Do you wonder if 2006-07 was an unsustainable peak? His strikeout rates as a reliever weren't impressive at all until he exploded as a 29 year old.

[YourKock'sReallyGreat 0]

Wfan is reporting that nydailynews is reporting that the Yankees traded Melky Cabrera to the Brewers for Mike Cameron.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Wfan is reporting that nydailynews is reporting that the Yankees traded Melky Cabrera to the Brewers for Mike Cameron.

 

Yeah, I was just reading about that.

 

I don't really like it, unless there is more to the trade than just the two guys straight up. I was hoping the Brewers would get at least one decent arm to put in the rotation. Granted, Cameron is older, but he still plays good defense and brings some power. Cabrera brings defense and cheapness, and that's about it.

[jimmy no nose 0]

I thought for sure there's be something else in the trade, which there still may be. Maybe they're just freeing up money to make sure they can lock up Ben Sheets or something?

[YourKock'sReallyGreat 0]

I thought for sure there's be something else in the trade, which there still may be. Maybe they're just freeing up money to make sure they can lock up Ben Sheets or something?

 

 

Well Mike Cameron makes over 9 million more for next year. Sounds like a salary dump.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Cameron for Cabrera? That's it? The Yankees should have to kick in a pitching prospect at the very least. You don't trade a starting CF for a 4th outfielder.

 

Now that the trade is done (or close), can Yankees fans finally admit that Melky Cabrera sucks?

[YourKock'sReallyGreat 0]

Cameron for Cabrera? That's it? The Yankees should have to kick in a pitching prospect at the very least. You don't trade a starting CF for a 4th outfielder.

 

Now that the trade is done, can Yankees's finally admit that Melky Cabrera sucks?

 

 

Yankees want the Brewers to pay a portion of Camerons salary so the trade is not done. I am hearing that the more the Brewers put into the deal the Yankees would send a pitching prospect as well.

 

Melky his first 2 years wasn't that bad of a player. He was slightly below average offensively but he was pretty good in the field and had an above average arm which looked even more impressive because the previous cf were Damon and Bernie. The problems with Melky is that instead of getting better each season he got worse. He started off 2008 very well in April and sucked after that.

[naiwf 0]

Cameron for Cabrera? That's it? The Yankees should have to kick in a pitching prospect at the very least. You don't trade a starting CF for a 4th outfielder.

 

Now that the trade is done (or close), can Yankees fans finally admit that Melky Cabrera sucks?

 

Hey, he made that one overrated catch on a Manny Ramirez line drive and, uh, yeah that's about it. Thank goodness I'll never have to hear about how he's a future All-Star ever again.

[geniusMoment 0]

Wow, unless something major changes I think the Cubs win the NL Central by 10 plus games easy. If they get Peavy it will be just absolute domination over everyone in the central, complete destruction of their divison, something previously unseen in any sport ever. By mid August with Peavy they should be up by about 15 games or more

[YourKock'sReallyGreat 0]

Wow, unless something major changes I think the Cubs win the NL Central by 10 plus games easy. If they get Peavy it will be just absolute domination over everyone in the central, complete destruction of their divison, something previously unseen in any sport ever. By mid August with Peavy they should be up by about 15 games or more

 

 

And then they can find a way to lose in the playoffs right?

[naiwf 0]

http://www.sportsline.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6270335/12230187

 

Cubs out of Jake Peavy talks

Posted on: December 11, 2008 1:00 pm

 

LAS VEGAS -- The Chicago Cubs are out of the Jake Peavy talks.

 

Cubs general manager Jim Hendry told Padres GM Kevin Towers on Thursday morning that the Cubs have decided to do other things. Among those things, they're investigating the possibility of adding free agent left-hander Randy Johnson. Their first priority is adding a left-handed bat.

 

Whatever they do, it won't be Peavy.

 

"It was the Cubs' decision," Towers said. "They ruled it out this morning."

 

That really doesn't make any sense since the Cubs didn't seem to be giving up much for the chance to acquire one of the better pitchers in the league.

[YourKock'sReallyGreat 0]

The new rumor regarding the Cameron/Melky trade is that the Brewers are interested in the Yankees top pitching prospect Igawa. AAA all star and pitcher of the year. Geter done Cashman!

[Smartly Pretty 0]

Igawa's a top prospect, right.

[Guest Czecherbear]

I can't tell if the Brewers are taking a step back or not. I figure they can stay in the hunt without S&S by just knocking it out of the park all the time. Does this mean putting Bill Hall back in center? So the tentative lineup is

 

Escobar, 2b

Hardy, ss

Braun, lf

Fielder, 1b

Hart, rf

Gamel, 3b

Hall, cf

Kendall, c

Gallardo, p

 

Which is pretty formidable. I figure that Rickie Weeks is done with the team now that Yost isn't around, and Tony Gwynn Jr. is never really gonna happen as more than a pinch-runner/fifth outfielder, so they'll probably look like that. Probably third behind the resurgent Cardinals and Cubs.

[YourKock'sReallyGreat 0]

Igawa's a top prospect, right.

 

 

It's called sarcasm.

[naiwf 0]

Earlier today Mike Francesca was saying that the Yankees may want the Brewers to throw Hall into the package too. I don't know if that was supposed to be done so the Brewers don't have to pay any of Cameron's contract or for something else because I had to answer the phone when that came up.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

New rumor is that the Brewers would send Cameron and Hall to the Yankees for Cabrera and a pitching prospect. Supposedly the Brewers have no interest in Kei Igawa, though. Also not sure about the cash aspect...which is totally ridiculous, since the Yankees will be spending over 200 million this off season. Why the hell should Milwaukee have to eat any of Mike Cameron's contract, who is relatively cheap by New York standards?

 

Hmmm...assuming this trade happens, what did I say about the 2009 Yankees before?

 

Also, Czech, I don't think Escobar will be starting on Opening Day. I doubt Gamel will either. I think they will both still be in AAA. I guess Gamel could be up if they simply can't acquire any kind of proven 3B, at which point maybe they'll platoon him with Mike Lamb or something.