The 2008 MLB Offseason Thread

[Guest Smues]

I guess Abreu is just such a hard worker that in his down time he stained the clubhouse and then gave a fresh coat of paint to the dugout. That Bobby, he's a swell guy.

[EVIL~! alkeiper]

I guess Abreu is just such a hard worker that in his down time he stained the clubhouse and then gave a fresh coat of paint to the dugout. That Bobby, he's a swell guy.

I still remember the year Bobby Abreu not hustled his way to 40 stolen bases.

[Guest Smues]

Too much talk about team chemistry. I wanna discuss team biology. Having good DNA on the field is a must.

[garfieldsnose]

I'm telling. stop

[Guest Czecherbear]

Blow team chemistry out your ass. They just perform their tasks.

[The Niggardly King]

it's just doing your job. we need more lunch pail blue collar Ditika like guys in baseball.

[garfieldsnose]

I guess Abreu is just such a hard worker that in his down time he stained the clubhouse and then gave a fresh coat of paint to the dugout. That Bobby, he's a swell guy.

I still remember the year Bobby Abreu not hustled his way to 40 stolen bases.

 

You're a Phillies fan. How can you not remember Abreu getting killed for being lazy in the field? That was the only thing I had, but like I said I was being facetious.

[NYU]

Manny has to end up on either the Dodgers or the Angels. There really is no other market for him. People on MetsBlog have been screaming about how the path is wide open now for Omar to scoop up Manny for three years to replace the Tatis/Murphy platoon they're going with next season but I don't see that happening. Their priority should still be signing a #2 starter -- preferably Derek Lowe over Oliver Perez -- and doing something about that mess at second base.

[EVIL~! alkeiper]

I guess Abreu is just such a hard worker that in his down time he stained the clubhouse and then gave a fresh coat of paint to the dugout. That Bobby, he's a swell guy.

I still remember the year Bobby Abreu not hustled his way to 40 stolen bases.

 

You're a Phillies fan. How can you not remember Abreu getting killed for being lazy in the field? That was the only thing I had, but like I said I was being facetious.

His defense became iffy, but too many people focused on the negatives instead of the positives. The man was a HELL of an offensive force.

[garfieldsnose]

I don't think you can count out the Yanks in the Manny sweepstakes, especially after the off-season they've had.

[garfieldsnose]

I guess Abreu is just such a hard worker that in his down time he stained the clubhouse and then gave a fresh coat of paint to the dugout. That Bobby, he's a swell guy.

I still remember the year Bobby Abreu not hustled his way to 40 stolen bases.

 

You're a Phillies fan. How can you not remember Abreu getting killed for being lazy in the field? That was the only thing I had, but like I said I was being facetious.

His defense became iffy, but too many people focused on the negatives instead of the positives. The man was a HELL of an offensive force.

 

Completely agree.

[Guest Smues]

His defense became iffy, but too many people focused on the negatives instead of the positives. The man was a HELL of an offensive force.

 

Thanks Al, now you just opened the door for people to defend Jeter in the field.

[devo]

Manny has to end up on either the Dodgers or the Angels. There really is no other market for him. People on MetsBlog have been screaming about how the path is wide open now for Omar to scoop up Manny for three years to replace the Tatis/Murphy platoon they're going with next season but I don't see that happening. Their priority should still be signing a #2 starter -- preferably Derek Lowe over Oliver Perez -- and doing something about that mess at second base.

 

Usually anything that follows that phrase is dumbest thing you're going to hear all day.

[garfieldsnose]

I think my posts about team chemistry is the dumbest thing you would be reading all day.

[Fökai]

What happens to Swisher with this signing? I don't think the Yanks are going to field an outfield of Damon/Nady/Swisher/Melky/Matsui, even with Matsui exclusively at DH. That leaves an above-average player on the bench, and that's not even considering Brett Gardner who will also come off the bench.

 

EDIT: Or the deal with the Brewers that does the Melky/Cameron flip-flop.

[Brett Favre]

I assume Swisher becomes the right fielder, Damon at left, and Gardner/Melky at center with Matsui at DH, and Nady off the bench, OR Damon at center, Nady at left, Swisher at right, Gardner off the bench, maybe with Melky in Scranton.

[EVIL~! alkeiper]

I'd run Damon/Swisher/Nady out there. Matsui DH, Cabrera off the bench.

[Cheech Tremendous]

You're a Phillies fan. How can you not remember Abreu getting killed for being lazy in the field?

Abreu's not a lazy fielder; he's just afraid of walls.

 

I don't think you can count out the Yanks in the Manny sweepstakes, especially after the off-season they've had.

 

Unless MLB decides to change the collective bargaining agreement before next season to allow a team to sign more than three Type As, then yes, you can count them out.

 

I'd run Damon/Swisher/Nady out there. Matsui DH, Cabrera off the bench.

 

Woof... that's one bad outfield defense. I'd give that until about April 15th until we heard complaints about the pitching. It might not matter with the team they've assembled, but they are going to be so bad on defense.

[Brett Favre]

Damon or Gardner at center with Nady and Swisher in the corners isn't bad defensively.

[EVIL~! alkeiper]

Damon or Gardner at center with Nady and Swisher in the corners isn't bad defensively.

Damon really can't throw well enough to cover center.

[Cheech Tremendous]

Damon or Gardner at center with Nady and Swisher in the corners isn't bad defensively.

 

Damon hasn't had a full season in center since 2006 when he was -7.4 runs defensively. He was -5.6 runs last year in just 30 games. I can't imagine injuries and age have made him any better.

 

Nady was about average last year, but has posted some horrendous numbers in the past. He's somewhere between really bad and passable.

 

Swisher's numbers are all over the place due to small sample sizes. He was bad last year, but that was mostly in center. Scouting reports indicate that he is a below average defender.

 

At best, I'd call it below average. But getting Teixeira was the right move. That makes them marginally better in the infield. Really, the defense is this team's only weakness right now.

[Cartman]

Damon is abysmal in the field at this point...and Swisher ain't no prize either.

[Cheech Tremendous]

The Yankees signed Kevin Cash? Kevin Cash!

 

"Hey Boston, sorry we just stole the one impact free agent on the market out from under your nose, but we'd also like to extend a big fuck you by signing a completely worthless piece of shit player who has value to your team and your team only because he can catch a knuckler. Maybe later we'll come by and fart in your soup."

 

Fucking Yankees.

[Smartly Pretty]

Manny has to end up on either the Dodgers or the Angels. There really is no other market for him. People on MetsBlog have been screaming about how the path is wide open now for Omar to scoop up Manny for three years to replace the Tatis/Murphy platoon they're going with next season but I don't see that happening. Their priority should still be signing a #2 starter -- preferably Derek Lowe over Oliver Perez -- and doing something about that mess at second base.

 

Usually anything that follows that phrase is dumbest thing you're going to hear all day.

 

Do you mean the commenters and the like? Because Matt Cerrone is about as good a blogger as you can find on the internet.

 

And call me crazy but I'd much rather have Oliver Perez than Derek Lowe.

[devo]

The commenters, absolutely. Cerrone's great.

 

I wouldn't prefer Ollie, per se, but I think his contract's going to end up being much more reasonable.

[Smartly Pretty]

Lowe is aging and going to get a much bigger deal. Ollie is practically a discount, and if Citi is anything like Shea, then it doesn't particularly matter that Perez is more of a flyball pitcher as opposed to Lowe as a groundball pitcher. Perez is still young, he could mature and become a little more consistent. Lowe is more likely to regress.

[Cheech Tremendous]

What exactly is it about Lowe that would regress? The guy throws a heavy ball that ends up on the ground at a ridiculous rate. It's not like he requires much "stuff" to get by. This isn't necessarily directed at you, Pujoljunkie, but it seems like the TSM group-think suggests that he won't be that great going forward. The guy just reeled off four straight 200 inning years with an ERA well above league average. And that was with a bad Dodgers defense. Worst case you get an innings-eater over the next few years. Upside is a guy who can potentially pitch like an ace.

 

If Lowe hooks up with the Red Sox or Mets, he's going to have some very good seasons during his next deal. I think he'll be one of the few guys to earn his next contract.

[Dobbs 3K]

Lowe just strikes me as the kind of guy that will age well, barring some freak injury. I don't think it's that risky giving him a 3 or 4 year deal as long as the dollars aren't way out of line.

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe]

So then why did Boston let him go the first time?

[Brett Favre]

Going back a bit, it turns out the Yankees can sign Manny Ramirez because there are more than 62 Type A/Type B FAs:

 

Clubs shall be limited in the number of Type A and B Players, as defined below, they may subsequently sign to contracts. The number of signings permitted shall be related to the number of Players electing free agency under this Section B. If there are 14 or less such Players, no Club may sign more than one Type A or B Player. If there are from 15 to 38 such Players, no Club may sign more than two Type A or B Players. If there are from 39 to 62 such Players, no Club may sign more than three Type A or B Players. If there are more than 62 such Players, the Club quotas shall be increased accordingly. There shall be no restrictions on the number of unranked Players that a Club may sign to contracts.