The Summary: It's not enough. But it's a good start. Pending a physical, the Mets have signed a 4 year $66 million contract with Jason Bay.
The Good: power, upgrades the lineup, stability in the outfield
Bay is a solid middle of the order hitter, stabilizing the middle of the Mets lineup. He is a career .280 hitter with a solid .376 career OBP. Obviously, though, he's earning the big bucks for his power. He's averaged 30 HRs in the 6 full seasons he has played, hitting over 30 in 4 of the last 5 years. His power bat is welcome in a Mets lineup that ranked last in HRs last year. Between him, Beltran and Wright (who I expect a rebound, from last year at least), the Mets lineup has upgraded to at least an average NL lineup.
I also appreciate that Bay is a *right* handed power hitter. Wright's power outage notwithstanding, CitiField is supposed to be slightly better for right handed power hitters, and having a second right handed power bat is something the Mets haven't had in ages.
Bay, at 31, may be slightly past his peak, but he isn't in serious decline, and should provide quality at bats through the life of his contract. Which is a welcome change from some of the geriatric charity cases that have been signed in the past.
Finally, Bay should provide some consistency in the outfield. He isn't known as a great defender, but he is not a huge liability, and he is certainly better than Sheffield and the random folks that trotted out there last year.
Oh, and he can steal a few bases, too. He's averaged 11 in the last five years.
The Bad: Streaky, Possibly injury risk, Will he last here?
The big question has been: What took him so long to sign? It took a grand total of 20 days before 'Baywatch' ended. Given that the difference between the initial offer of $65 million and the final offer of $66 million is minute, I would like to assume that the supposed market for Bay never materialized. Bay did receive a tad bit more than most experts expected ($60 million over 4 years) but it wasn't as though there were several offers on the table. More likely, Bay and the Mets got this signing done this week to save face for both Bay (imagine if he ended up having to take the kind of deal that Pat Burrell did last year?) and the Mets (much longer and the Mets may have figured out that they could take the deal off the table).
The key indicator is Matt Holiday. If Holiday does not get at least 6 years at Teixeira level ($20+ milllion) prices, then clearly the Mets paid a premium for Bay. But like the Mets had to do with Pedro Martinez and Carlos Beltran in the early dark years of the 21st century (as opposed to the later dark years of the 2000s), the Mets have to pay to force people to come here.
Less discussed is that Bay's been labeled a fastball hitter, a 'guess' hitter etc. In other words he is a streaky hitter, that unsurprisingly, strikes out a lot. Which can be a bit problematic if things derail as it did for him as a Pirate in 2007 (.247 / .327 / 21 HRs). Hope for everyone's sake he doesn't have a bad year in 2010.
And the last scary point: Boston did not want him because of possible shoulder problems. Obviously, if those shoulder problems are serious, Bay should fail his physical. Then again, these are the Mets. If Bay passes his physical then hurts his shoulder, the Mets eroding fan base may continue to decline.
The Skinny
Taken entirely on it's own, I grade the signing a B. Yes it's a lot of money, but it is still a pretty big offensive upgrade. At this point in the year, other than the Phillies, Brewers and Dodgers, I can't think of a team with a much better lineup. If they get NO ONE else, it's still not a horrible signing (unless Bay hurts his shoulder, in which case this signing is another big F for the Mets). If they get two decent pitchers on top of Bay, or one more good pitcher and one more decent hitter (NOT an aging Bengie Molina. Molina is great...for fantasy purposes but not for my hometown team), they turn the Mets into contenders.
Prediction: Assuming a full season I expect 150G 90 R, 150 H, 25+ HR, 100RBI and 80 walks from Bay. Anything else would be gravy. Anything less is a disappointment.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Saturday, December 26, 2009
BELATED INTRO TO IAN PARFREY
While he's posted quite a few times already, I never did get the chance to publicly welcome Ian Parfrey to BeSBALL TALK.
Ian, AKA The Stats Lab, is another baseball genius whose day job is that of a Catholic High School teacher (bless him), but he's also a musician, a wicked statistician, and a MVP level softball player. This man nurtured my softball cravings by introducing me to the rag-tag bunch known as Softball For the Love Of It, and my life has never been the same!
Ian also is a crazy opinionated fellow who makes me roll with every post. He's brutally honest, and can back up what he says. He's created absolutely awe-inspiring new stats that will have Bill James spinning. Needless to say Mr. Parfrey is a welcome edition to BT. Hope you dig his work!
Ian, AKA The Stats Lab, is another baseball genius whose day job is that of a Catholic High School teacher (bless him), but he's also a musician, a wicked statistician, and a MVP level softball player. This man nurtured my softball cravings by introducing me to the rag-tag bunch known as Softball For the Love Of It, and my life has never been the same!
Ian also is a crazy opinionated fellow who makes me roll with every post. He's brutally honest, and can back up what he says. He's created absolutely awe-inspiring new stats that will have Bill James spinning. Needless to say Mr. Parfrey is a welcome edition to BT. Hope you dig his work!
Friday, December 25, 2009
ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS. . .
. . . is a reason to love the Mets organization in 2010. Wait that's asking too much.
. . . a reason to respect the Mets organization in 2010. Wait, that's even harder.
. . . a reason to like the Mets organization in 2010.
I follow the Mets because it was the first game I went to as a kid. It was 1985 and I was in 2nd grade. I had chicken pox (there's a vaccine for it now. How different would my life be. . . ), so I didn't have to go to school then next day, and got to stay out late. The team was exciting. I got to see Gooden, Strawberry and this awesome veteran 1st baseman Keith Hernandez, who was a great fielder and had a batting stance that I tried to copy endlessly for years after. The crowd was into the game and the Mets won that night. It was a perfect day in an otherwise very uncomfortable two weeks.
I also went to one Yankee game that year. The Yankees were a psychotic mess, with Steinbrenner needing three different managers to get through that season. They were a very good team, but not the day I went. It was a sleepy day game. The Yankees lost. The energy was totally different.
We now know that the crazy energy of the Mets of the mid 1980s was indeed crazy. It was a violent sex and drug fueled pyrotechnic display that burned out what was an amazing collection of talent. Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden, Lenny Dykstra and Kevin Mitchell all on the same team? No sane GM would want to replicate something similar, even if they could. For the young uns, think of it as having Barry Bonds, Milton Bradley, Oliver Perez and Gary Sheffield all on the same team. Add Zack Greinke prior to him getting his head on straight and every other dysfunction player you can think of from baseketball and football. Then it might approach the '86 Mets.
Oddly enough, what cemented my relationship with the Mets is that during the bottom of the 10th of the infamous 6th game of the '86 World Series I was up late (Thank you again, dad!).
I was praying. The irony is no longer lost on me. I was a Gary Carter. Ugh.
Then the ball went through Billy Buckner's legs. It was the biggest example in my life of prayer providing instant gratification. The only other time that happens is when I misplace stuff and I find it after a quick plea upstairs.
In retrospect, maybe I wouldn't slightly less messed up baseball fan and a better Catholic if John McNamara had made a defensive substitution.
Because the Mets are the only professional sports organization (I use the term 'professional' and 'organization' in a purely technical sense here) that I care about. I have developed a deep (unhealthy) emotional attachment to the orange and blue. I miss Shea. A lot. I've even bought a brick in the Sh!ttyField FanWalk for my son, who hopefully will be one of those rare well-adjusted Mets fans that I often pretend to be.
I can never truly hate the Mets organization, no matter how incredibly awful they are. Even though there have been years where I have shut the Mets out of my head, I don't usually follow any other team other than intellectually or statistically.
But after having what I know to be all of the flaws of the Mets upper management exposed in detail this year, coupled with the total lack of responsibility the Mets organization has shown in either acknowledging or improving their fundamental flaws, I will end today's post by saying:
If the Mets were my girlfriend this is the first year that I would want to see other people.
Explanations will have to wait until next week.
. . . a reason to respect the Mets organization in 2010. Wait, that's even harder.
. . . a reason to like the Mets organization in 2010.
I follow the Mets because it was the first game I went to as a kid. It was 1985 and I was in 2nd grade. I had chicken pox (there's a vaccine for it now. How different would my life be. . . ), so I didn't have to go to school then next day, and got to stay out late. The team was exciting. I got to see Gooden, Strawberry and this awesome veteran 1st baseman Keith Hernandez, who was a great fielder and had a batting stance that I tried to copy endlessly for years after. The crowd was into the game and the Mets won that night. It was a perfect day in an otherwise very uncomfortable two weeks.
I also went to one Yankee game that year. The Yankees were a psychotic mess, with Steinbrenner needing three different managers to get through that season. They were a very good team, but not the day I went. It was a sleepy day game. The Yankees lost. The energy was totally different.
We now know that the crazy energy of the Mets of the mid 1980s was indeed crazy. It was a violent sex and drug fueled pyrotechnic display that burned out what was an amazing collection of talent. Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden, Lenny Dykstra and Kevin Mitchell all on the same team? No sane GM would want to replicate something similar, even if they could. For the young uns, think of it as having Barry Bonds, Milton Bradley, Oliver Perez and Gary Sheffield all on the same team. Add Zack Greinke prior to him getting his head on straight and every other dysfunction player you can think of from baseketball and football. Then it might approach the '86 Mets.
Oddly enough, what cemented my relationship with the Mets is that during the bottom of the 10th of the infamous 6th game of the '86 World Series I was up late (Thank you again, dad!).
I was praying. The irony is no longer lost on me. I was a Gary Carter. Ugh.
Then the ball went through Billy Buckner's legs. It was the biggest example in my life of prayer providing instant gratification. The only other time that happens is when I misplace stuff and I find it after a quick plea upstairs.
In retrospect, maybe I wouldn't slightly less messed up baseball fan and a better Catholic if John McNamara had made a defensive substitution.
Because the Mets are the only professional sports organization (I use the term 'professional' and 'organization' in a purely technical sense here) that I care about. I have developed a deep (unhealthy) emotional attachment to the orange and blue. I miss Shea. A lot. I've even bought a brick in the Sh!ttyField FanWalk for my son, who hopefully will be one of those rare well-adjusted Mets fans that I often pretend to be.
I can never truly hate the Mets organization, no matter how incredibly awful they are. Even though there have been years where I have shut the Mets out of my head, I don't usually follow any other team other than intellectually or statistically.
But after having what I know to be all of the flaws of the Mets upper management exposed in detail this year, coupled with the total lack of responsibility the Mets organization has shown in either acknowledging or improving their fundamental flaws, I will end today's post by saying:
If the Mets were my girlfriend this is the first year that I would want to see other people.
Explanations will have to wait until next week.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
VAZQUEZ TO YANKEES, MELKY TO BRAVES: FANS CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC
Congratulations to Joe Girardi. Now that he's proven that he could work with a 3 man playoff rotation, it looks like he won't have to next year.
For those unfamiliar with the details, the trade is as follows:
Yankees receive:
Javier Vazquez RH SP
Boone Logan LH RP
Braves receive:
Melky Cabrera OF
Mike Dunn LH RP
Arodys Vizcaino RH SP
& $500,000.
Both Vazquez and Cabrera are the main pieces of the trade as both are quality everyday players coming off excellent seasons (Vazquez 15-10, 2.87 ERA, 238ks, Cabrera with 13HRs and 10 steals). The Yankees get the better short term deal, as Vazquez is a top tier pitcher, and based on stats, he's a solid#2, even in the Yankee rotation. The Yankees also free up left field to get (yet another) big bat if they are willing to exceed the current $200,000,000 plus 40% of any excess of $170 million in luxury tax.
(For comparison, the Yankees were assessed a 25.69 million tax for having an average payroll of 226.2, well over the $162 million threshold for 2009.)
While at best, Cabrera is only an above average outfielder, Atlanta does reduces the number of starting pitchers on payroll from 6 to the standard 5 (Derek Lowe, Tim Hudson, Jair Jurrens. Tommy Hanson, and Kenshin Kawakami). Salary relief and the better long term options also go to Atlanta, as Vazquez is in the last year of his contract and Vizcaino is a young, fairly highly touted prospect.
Despite Vazquez's fairly impressive resume, Yankee fans will probably have some reservations. Vazquez was a very average pitcher in New York, despite going 14-10, with a 4.91 ERA. Vazquez is a great pitcher. . . in the National League. In the junior circuit his career ERA is a pedestrian 4.52. More importantly, he's also the guy that gave up a grand slam to Johnny Damon among the 12 runs (3 hrs) allowed in 11.1 innings during the 2004 postseason that most Yankee fans don't want to talk about.
Addendum:
In many ways I consider Vazquez to be the Anti-Lackey. Both are top tier starters, who could be an ace in another rotation. Both are now playing on different teams than they were last year. Both are also 33. But the differences. . . let me count the ways.
Lackey:
-Texan
-Will be the first time he will not be playing in an Angels uniform (although technically he played for Anaheim, the Los Angeles Angels and finally the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim).
-Injury prone
- Brief periods of being a strikeout pitcher
-Playing for Boston
-Remarkably consistent
-First year of a 5 year $82.5 million contract (6 years if he misses time due to preexisting elbow conditions)
Vazquez:
-Puerto Rican
-2nd time he has pitched for the Yankees. Has pitched for 4 other teams (Expos, White Sox, Diamondbacks, and Atlanta)
-Practically nonexistent injury history (although he did pitch with elbow trouble while in New York in 2004)
-Strikeout pitcher that has had periods of not striking out people
-Inconsistent and often underperforms
-Playing for New York
-Has pitched at the Major league level since '98 (4 more years than Lackey)
-Free agent for the 2011 season.
If I were to draft a pitcher for the year for fantasy baseball. . . I would pick Lackey for H2H leagues and Vazquez for roto leagues. Vazquez puts up better season numbers, but Lackey is far more consistent week to week.
Merry Christmas to the Christians, Catholics and Greek Orthodox out there.
For those unfamiliar with the details, the trade is as follows:
Yankees receive:
Javier Vazquez RH SP
Boone Logan LH RP
Braves receive:
Melky Cabrera OF
Mike Dunn LH RP
Arodys Vizcaino RH SP
& $500,000.
Both Vazquez and Cabrera are the main pieces of the trade as both are quality everyday players coming off excellent seasons (Vazquez 15-10, 2.87 ERA, 238ks, Cabrera with 13HRs and 10 steals). The Yankees get the better short term deal, as Vazquez is a top tier pitcher, and based on stats, he's a solid#2, even in the Yankee rotation. The Yankees also free up left field to get (yet another) big bat if they are willing to exceed the current $200,000,000 plus 40% of any excess of $170 million in luxury tax.
(For comparison, the Yankees were assessed a 25.69 million tax for having an average payroll of 226.2, well over the $162 million threshold for 2009.)
While at best, Cabrera is only an above average outfielder, Atlanta does reduces the number of starting pitchers on payroll from 6 to the standard 5 (Derek Lowe, Tim Hudson, Jair Jurrens. Tommy Hanson, and Kenshin Kawakami). Salary relief and the better long term options also go to Atlanta, as Vazquez is in the last year of his contract and Vizcaino is a young, fairly highly touted prospect.
Despite Vazquez's fairly impressive resume, Yankee fans will probably have some reservations. Vazquez was a very average pitcher in New York, despite going 14-10, with a 4.91 ERA. Vazquez is a great pitcher. . . in the National League. In the junior circuit his career ERA is a pedestrian 4.52. More importantly, he's also the guy that gave up a grand slam to Johnny Damon among the 12 runs (3 hrs) allowed in 11.1 innings during the 2004 postseason that most Yankee fans don't want to talk about.
Addendum:
In many ways I consider Vazquez to be the Anti-Lackey. Both are top tier starters, who could be an ace in another rotation. Both are now playing on different teams than they were last year. Both are also 33. But the differences. . . let me count the ways.
Lackey:
-Texan
-Will be the first time he will not be playing in an Angels uniform (although technically he played for Anaheim, the Los Angeles Angels and finally the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim).
-Injury prone
- Brief periods of being a strikeout pitcher
-Playing for Boston
-Remarkably consistent
-First year of a 5 year $82.5 million contract (6 years if he misses time due to preexisting elbow conditions)
Vazquez:
-Puerto Rican
-2nd time he has pitched for the Yankees. Has pitched for 4 other teams (Expos, White Sox, Diamondbacks, and Atlanta)
-Practically nonexistent injury history (although he did pitch with elbow trouble while in New York in 2004)
-Strikeout pitcher that has had periods of not striking out people
-Inconsistent and often underperforms
-Playing for New York
-Has pitched at the Major league level since '98 (4 more years than Lackey)
-Free agent for the 2011 season.
If I were to draft a pitcher for the year for fantasy baseball. . . I would pick Lackey for H2H leagues and Vazquez for roto leagues. Vazquez puts up better season numbers, but Lackey is far more consistent week to week.
Merry Christmas to the Christians, Catholics and Greek Orthodox out there.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
GODZILLA'S FINAL WAR
Two of my least favorite Godzilla movies were Godzilla Raids Again and Godzilla: Final Wars. Ironically, though, they are two of the best in terms of a BT column title usage. I was fully prepared to use the former as a title for when Brian Cashman did the right thing and re-signed the Yankees' own Godzilla, World Series MVP Hideki Matsui, but now I am forced to use a variant on the latter title. Fittingly so, I might add, as the two titles really do convey Matsui's history here. GRA could have been the title of a column from when he resigned with the Yanks after the '05 season, and now that he's fought his "final war" in the Bronx, I unfortunately get to use the GFW variant. And there's no doubt, Godzilla has fought his final war here, as yesterday he agreed to a one year deal with one of our big AL rivals, the Angels. So enough about titles, let's get into what will be a multi-headed Ghidorah-type of column.
First on the man himself. Matsui wasn't like other free agent signings, he wasn't a mercenary, he was a player that was worshiped in his homeland, and whose greatest honor was to come play for the world's greatest franchise. Sure, he wasn't what he had been in Japan, but in the Yankee line-up he never needed to be. What he was, though, was clutch, and to Yankee fans that means everything. From the very beginning we knew we were in for a special ride. He hit a grand slam in his debut home game in the snow, and who could forget his double against Pedro in the greatest ALCS of all time and the subsequent emotional slide at home that tied the game (and ultimately got Grady Little fired). He became a natural fit for the club, and soon was thought of as brothers with Jeter, Posada, and Mo. He prided himself with being a Yankee and put up very good numbers during his initial contract. It earned a second pact, which unfortunately was marred with injuries. He broke his wrist in '06 that ended his Iron Man streak, and when he returned he did so with bad knees. It was as if the time off let his body assess all of the time he had put in and it blamed it all on his knees. He battled knee injuries for the next two years, and even this year when he had them more under control, he still missed a bit of time. That said, though, Matsui put up some good solid numbers which led to the playoffs where he did well, and then to a World Series where he was spectacular. He drove in six runs in the clinching game and earned the MVP.
Now that we know his run in pinstripes is over, I can't think of a more fitting way to leave. And honestly, there's a part of me that is happy his time here ends like this. Matsui finally achieving a World Series championship that he helped capture, getting to ride down the Canyon of Heroes, and being cheered like the true Yankee hero he had been. He has been my favorite Yankee since his first day here, the Godzilla connection holding strong, and he'll always have a special place in my heart. And make no mistake, the first tickets for the 2010 season I will be getting will be against the Angels, so I can stand up and help with the standing ovation Godzilla deserves.
That said, let's touch on the culprit here. Yankees GM Brian Cashman. I came down on him over Chien-Ming Wang on Saturday, but Matsui's way above him in the grand scheme of Yankeeland Icons. Matsui had become a true Yankee, and Cashman's refusal to think about his DH spot before answering apparently every other roster question is a clear slap in the face of the noble Japanese warrior. I understand it's a business, but sometimes there needs to be a line for players like this. If not for a player that as recently as November was one of the main catalysts for bringing this franchise its 27th World Championship, then for who?
So Cashman letting him go really gets my goat. I understand the importance that pitching and left field have, but I'm starting to believe the GM never wanted Matsui back. His staunch belief that the DH spot can be used as a weigh station for the aging players is nonsense at this point. I've said it a bunch of times already, maybe in another year or two you can start doing that, but it's just not time yet. It wasn't going to take much to bring Matsui back for one year, as witnessed by the Angels signing, he just needed to show the man some respect. When it was time for Bernie to go, I kind of agreed, as he had clearly declined, but Matsui wasn't there yet, and I valued his return over a possible Johnny Damon return. Matsui wasn't going to hurt you at DH, but Damon hurts you in left. Matsui is the better bat, too! Honestly, though, I'm glad he took the Angels' deal, as it was more a matter of pride and sticking it to Cashman. He didn't deserve to wait, and he didn't. Good for Matsui.
So what now? I'm down on Cashman? My team? No, not really. Cashman is all business, yes, and while that pisses me off sometimes, more often than not I'm on board. And once the season starts, I'm all in. This move, though, isn't even good business wise to me, so for now I'm not happy with the guy, but I'm a Yankee fan through and through, and I'll be anxiously waiting to see if there are other moves to be made.
So let's touch on that for a moment in regards to the outfield and DH spots. Besides Matsui going, another decent outfielder went to the Red Sox yesterday, and that's Mike Cameron. I'm very happy with this because I know the Yanks have had their eye on him for years, and he's never done anything for me. So good signing for the Sox. Does Damon become more imperative now for the Yankees? Perhaps, but I also hear the Yanks have engaged the agent of Jason Bay, who the Mets are hot on the trail of. I'd hate to further sink the cross-town rivals, but I'd prefer Bay over Damon. Might as well get a bit younger in left as well. Or heck, give me Matt Holliday, why not?
I just want the Yankees to show me why Matsui was let go. So let's get on with it Cashman, open the Yankee purses for the player YOU want, just do it already.
First on the man himself. Matsui wasn't like other free agent signings, he wasn't a mercenary, he was a player that was worshiped in his homeland, and whose greatest honor was to come play for the world's greatest franchise. Sure, he wasn't what he had been in Japan, but in the Yankee line-up he never needed to be. What he was, though, was clutch, and to Yankee fans that means everything. From the very beginning we knew we were in for a special ride. He hit a grand slam in his debut home game in the snow, and who could forget his double against Pedro in the greatest ALCS of all time and the subsequent emotional slide at home that tied the game (and ultimately got Grady Little fired). He became a natural fit for the club, and soon was thought of as brothers with Jeter, Posada, and Mo. He prided himself with being a Yankee and put up very good numbers during his initial contract. It earned a second pact, which unfortunately was marred with injuries. He broke his wrist in '06 that ended his Iron Man streak, and when he returned he did so with bad knees. It was as if the time off let his body assess all of the time he had put in and it blamed it all on his knees. He battled knee injuries for the next two years, and even this year when he had them more under control, he still missed a bit of time. That said, though, Matsui put up some good solid numbers which led to the playoffs where he did well, and then to a World Series where he was spectacular. He drove in six runs in the clinching game and earned the MVP.
Now that we know his run in pinstripes is over, I can't think of a more fitting way to leave. And honestly, there's a part of me that is happy his time here ends like this. Matsui finally achieving a World Series championship that he helped capture, getting to ride down the Canyon of Heroes, and being cheered like the true Yankee hero he had been. He has been my favorite Yankee since his first day here, the Godzilla connection holding strong, and he'll always have a special place in my heart. And make no mistake, the first tickets for the 2010 season I will be getting will be against the Angels, so I can stand up and help with the standing ovation Godzilla deserves.
That said, let's touch on the culprit here. Yankees GM Brian Cashman. I came down on him over Chien-Ming Wang on Saturday, but Matsui's way above him in the grand scheme of Yankeeland Icons. Matsui had become a true Yankee, and Cashman's refusal to think about his DH spot before answering apparently every other roster question is a clear slap in the face of the noble Japanese warrior. I understand it's a business, but sometimes there needs to be a line for players like this. If not for a player that as recently as November was one of the main catalysts for bringing this franchise its 27th World Championship, then for who?
So Cashman letting him go really gets my goat. I understand the importance that pitching and left field have, but I'm starting to believe the GM never wanted Matsui back. His staunch belief that the DH spot can be used as a weigh station for the aging players is nonsense at this point. I've said it a bunch of times already, maybe in another year or two you can start doing that, but it's just not time yet. It wasn't going to take much to bring Matsui back for one year, as witnessed by the Angels signing, he just needed to show the man some respect. When it was time for Bernie to go, I kind of agreed, as he had clearly declined, but Matsui wasn't there yet, and I valued his return over a possible Johnny Damon return. Matsui wasn't going to hurt you at DH, but Damon hurts you in left. Matsui is the better bat, too! Honestly, though, I'm glad he took the Angels' deal, as it was more a matter of pride and sticking it to Cashman. He didn't deserve to wait, and he didn't. Good for Matsui.
So what now? I'm down on Cashman? My team? No, not really. Cashman is all business, yes, and while that pisses me off sometimes, more often than not I'm on board. And once the season starts, I'm all in. This move, though, isn't even good business wise to me, so for now I'm not happy with the guy, but I'm a Yankee fan through and through, and I'll be anxiously waiting to see if there are other moves to be made.
So let's touch on that for a moment in regards to the outfield and DH spots. Besides Matsui going, another decent outfielder went to the Red Sox yesterday, and that's Mike Cameron. I'm very happy with this because I know the Yanks have had their eye on him for years, and he's never done anything for me. So good signing for the Sox. Does Damon become more imperative now for the Yankees? Perhaps, but I also hear the Yanks have engaged the agent of Jason Bay, who the Mets are hot on the trail of. I'd hate to further sink the cross-town rivals, but I'd prefer Bay over Damon. Might as well get a bit younger in left as well. Or heck, give me Matt Holliday, why not?
I just want the Yankees to show me why Matsui was let go. So let's get on with it Cashman, open the Yankee purses for the player YOU want, just do it already.
Monday, December 14, 2009
THE WORST PLAYER IN BASEBALL
Using a top secret offensive stat that I will divulge later, I've compared all 165 players who qualified for the batting title this year. If your team has one of the guys listed below, he may be the reason the team isn't going anywhere.
10. Aubrey Huff (1b/dh-Detroit) .241/.310/.384
Huff had a massive collapse after hitting .304 with 32 homers and 108 RBI in Baltimore last season. Acquired by Detroit for the stretch drive, he batted .189 in 28 games as Detroit's starting DH. Detroit lost to Minnesota in a one-game playoff for the AL Central title. Here's one of your reasons why.
9. Melvin Mora (3b-Baltimore) .260/.321/.358
Well, he's 38 years old, that's his excuse. Mora managed only 28 extra base hits in 496 PA's, and looks about done.
8. Jhonny Peralta (3b/ss- Cleveland) .254/.316/.375
Peralta has no speed, middling power, and middling plate discipline. As a shortstop hitting 20 homers, he has value. As a third baseman hitting 11 homers in a full season, he helped Cleveland lose 97 games. He may be destined for a bench role.
7. Cristian Guzman (ss- Washington) .284/.306/.390
Another brilliant signing by the Nats, from back in the Jim Bowden days. The .284 average looks nice, but he drew 16 walks, was 4-for-9 stealing bases, and he only had 37 XBH's. That's as empty a .284 average as you're going to find.
6. Kaz Matsui (2b- Houston) .250/.302/.357
The Barry Larkin of Japan, or that's what the Mets thought they were getting in 2004. Kaz helped the Astros to 88 losses. He's become a decent base stealer, going 19-for-22 this season, and has an 86% success rate for his career, but that makes you a pinch runner, not a starting infielder.
5. Jason Kendall (c- Milwaukee) .241/.331/.305
Kendall is 35, and hasn't hit since he was a Pittsburgh Pirate. The brightest spot in his line is that he managed 17 HBP's. The Royals decided this was worth a 2-year contract, but that's why they're the Royals, innit?
4. David Eckstein (2b- San Diego) .260/.323/.334
Sometimes when an infielder can't hit, you can at least say his fielding makes up for it. That's not the case here. Eckstein can't play short anymore, and pretty soon he won't be able to play second. He's had a hell of a career for someone blessed with only a little more than Joe McEwing in the skills department.
3. Emilio Bonifacio (3b- Florida) .252/.303/.308
Florida decided to negate the advantage that Hanley Ramirez gives them, by playing a third baseman who hits like a triple-A shortstop. Bonifacio is basically a pinch running prospect who managed only 18 XBH's in a full season, and doesn't field particularly well either.
2. Edgar Renteria (ss- San Francisco) .250/.307/.328
Renteria left his glove in St. Louis and his bat in Atlanta. He's supposedly only 34, though one wonders when a Latino player craters in his early 30's. The Giants missed the wild card by 4 games; perhaps Renteria's 25 XBH's had something to do with that.
1. Yuniesky Betancourt (ss- Kansas City) .245/.274/.351
The Royals might have been better off playing Billy Butler at shortstop. Or George Brett. Even though he's 56 years old. Betancourt batted .245 and drew 21 walks. That's pretty damn awful. He does have a little bit of gap power... and you'd think he fields like Ozzie Smith to earn a starting job with that bat... but no. In the Yankees' organization he'd be a bench player at Scranton Wilkes-Barre.
10. Aubrey Huff (1b/dh-Detroit) .241/.310/.384
Huff had a massive collapse after hitting .304 with 32 homers and 108 RBI in Baltimore last season. Acquired by Detroit for the stretch drive, he batted .189 in 28 games as Detroit's starting DH. Detroit lost to Minnesota in a one-game playoff for the AL Central title. Here's one of your reasons why.
9. Melvin Mora (3b-Baltimore) .260/.321/.358
Well, he's 38 years old, that's his excuse. Mora managed only 28 extra base hits in 496 PA's, and looks about done.
8. Jhonny Peralta (3b/ss- Cleveland) .254/.316/.375
Peralta has no speed, middling power, and middling plate discipline. As a shortstop hitting 20 homers, he has value. As a third baseman hitting 11 homers in a full season, he helped Cleveland lose 97 games. He may be destined for a bench role.
7. Cristian Guzman (ss- Washington) .284/.306/.390
Another brilliant signing by the Nats, from back in the Jim Bowden days. The .284 average looks nice, but he drew 16 walks, was 4-for-9 stealing bases, and he only had 37 XBH's. That's as empty a .284 average as you're going to find.
6. Kaz Matsui (2b- Houston) .250/.302/.357
The Barry Larkin of Japan, or that's what the Mets thought they were getting in 2004. Kaz helped the Astros to 88 losses. He's become a decent base stealer, going 19-for-22 this season, and has an 86% success rate for his career, but that makes you a pinch runner, not a starting infielder.
5. Jason Kendall (c- Milwaukee) .241/.331/.305
Kendall is 35, and hasn't hit since he was a Pittsburgh Pirate. The brightest spot in his line is that he managed 17 HBP's. The Royals decided this was worth a 2-year contract, but that's why they're the Royals, innit?
4. David Eckstein (2b- San Diego) .260/.323/.334
Sometimes when an infielder can't hit, you can at least say his fielding makes up for it. That's not the case here. Eckstein can't play short anymore, and pretty soon he won't be able to play second. He's had a hell of a career for someone blessed with only a little more than Joe McEwing in the skills department.
3. Emilio Bonifacio (3b- Florida) .252/.303/.308
Florida decided to negate the advantage that Hanley Ramirez gives them, by playing a third baseman who hits like a triple-A shortstop. Bonifacio is basically a pinch running prospect who managed only 18 XBH's in a full season, and doesn't field particularly well either.
2. Edgar Renteria (ss- San Francisco) .250/.307/.328
Renteria left his glove in St. Louis and his bat in Atlanta. He's supposedly only 34, though one wonders when a Latino player craters in his early 30's. The Giants missed the wild card by 4 games; perhaps Renteria's 25 XBH's had something to do with that.
1. Yuniesky Betancourt (ss- Kansas City) .245/.274/.351
The Royals might have been better off playing Billy Butler at shortstop. Or George Brett. Even though he's 56 years old. Betancourt batted .245 and drew 21 walks. That's pretty damn awful. He does have a little bit of gap power... and you'd think he fields like Ozzie Smith to earn a starting job with that bat... but no. In the Yankees' organization he'd be a bench player at Scranton Wilkes-Barre.
ACES WILD! LACKEY, HALLADAY, LEE ON THE MOVE!
Traditionally, the period between the Winter Meetings and Christmas has produced some very big deals, and this year doesn't look to be much different. Two big pitching deals have been reported on today, forget big, HUGE. The ramifications of which will be felt at multiple locations.
First off, John Lackey has signed a deal with the Boston Red Sox. It's for 5 years and roughly 85 million. Surprised to see Boston go against club policy and sign someone over 30 for that length, but I guess they'd rather give it to a pitcher than a hitter? Or maybe, seeing that Jason Bay is likely leaving, they wanted to strengthen one area, and the Bulldog gives them strength in spades. He's got the perfect fiery demeanor for this team, so Boston pounced silently and quickly and got the job done. This gives them six good starters that they can play with. Will one be a long man? Will one be trade bait? We'll see, but with Lackey in the fold, you can easily see them trying to swing a deal with San Diego for Adrian Gonzalez. Clay Bucholz would be leading that package for sure. Or maybe they can flip Matsuzaka for a left fielder, say maybe Adam Dunn? Whatever they do decide to do, the Red Sox have clearly made a splash and bolstered their rotation.
Next up is a blockbuster three team deal that is currently in the works, but should be finalized within the next couple of days. This deal finally sends Roy "Doc" Halladay to the team that has obviously coveted him the most in the past year, the Philadelphia Phillies. What is surprising is that the reports say that Cliff Lee will be heading to Seattle in the deal. I would think the Phillies would kill to have those guys as their one-two, even if it was for a year of supreme dominance, but maybe the fact that they can sign Halladay for a cheaper/shorter extension than they could with the younger Lee is more attractive. Don't get me wrong, to me, Halladay is the best pitcher in baseball, so grabbing him is an upgrade to even the phenomenal Lee. However, while Halladay and Lee have been the major reports here, Joe Blanton and J.A. Happ have also taken physicals and may be part of this as well. Would Seattle take those two instead of Lee? If so, that's a steal for Philly, but with the major smoke around Lee's name, you'd have to think it was him. Many other prospects from the Phillies and Mariners have also been named, so look for Toronto to get a sizable prospect package with all they desire.
Do these deals affect the divisions they play in? Yes, they affect them aplenty.
Lets start in the NL East. More than anyone else, the Mets are very hurt by this. Their rotation behind Johan Santana is pretty much a mess, and their need to add top flight pitching was great. Lackey was the top free agent pitcher on the market, and Halladay was the top pitcher available in trades, and in one fell scoop they're off the boards. Even if the Phillies are giving up Lee, they are keeping Halladay away from their biggest rivals. The feeling from Mets fans and NY sports columnists and commentators was that they needed to get one of these guys, and while it's hard argue that, I've been steadfast that they wouldn't land either. Lackey was too expensive for their sensibilities even if they do have the money, and unless they were trading Jose Reyes, they didn't have the pieces Toronto wanted. And, yes, they wanted Reyes. Personally, I would've traded the shortstop, but that's me. Now the Mets have to pick up the right second (third? fourth?) tier pitcher, and, more importantly, make sure they land the offensive pieces they need. They could also try to work a creative deal for a better starter, but who would be available? One such pitcher that is available is Derek Lowe, but I don't think the Braves would trade a major piece like that to a division rival. That said, the market for Lowe has now gone up, so the Braves' need for an outfielder can be fulfilled via trade.
That last line ties right into the next division I'll address, and that is the AL West. With these major pitchers moving on, the Angels are faced with two major problems. The gaping hole in their rotation left by Lackey, and a rival's pitching staff getting a major stud in Cliff Lee to add to King Felix. Lowe is a perfect match for the Angels and they can easily deal Juan Rivera for him. This one is imperative for Anaheim more than the Braves. The Angels did add a big bat today, though, much to my chagrin, and that's Hideki Matsui, but that will get its own column. Seattle is becoming a major winner of this off-season, and should everything break right can overtake the Angels next season.
Finally, the AL East is certainly going to feel the ramifications of these moves. Again, the Red Sox have upped the ante with Lackey. They've added to what was already a good rotation, and now may have the best one. The Yankees will have to think long and hard now about how to fill their last two rotational holes. A free agent and a trade? A trade and one of the youngsters? The Yankees' reaction to this will be very interesting, and I wonder if they'd be players for Lowe, who they know can pitch in the AL East. Would they have to send Nick Swisher to Atlanta? I'd say that would create more problems, and Swisher is a big clubhouse guy. Instead, I'd trade for Bronson Arroyo, a solid pitcher whom we can get for Melky Cabrera, which would allow some breathing room in the outfield. Also, let's not forget, moving Halladay out of the league gives each team a few more wins a year. I'll take that.
Very fascinating day altogether, and as I write this, the Red Sox have also signed Mike Cameron for two years. This definitely closes the door for Jason Bay there, and also takes a good outfielder out of the pool. I'll look at this deeper as part of the Matsui post. As the night goes on, though, we may find out who the players are in the Halladay mega-trade, but I'd be surprised if Lee does not go to Seattle at this point in the reporting. Stay tuned...
First off, John Lackey has signed a deal with the Boston Red Sox. It's for 5 years and roughly 85 million. Surprised to see Boston go against club policy and sign someone over 30 for that length, but I guess they'd rather give it to a pitcher than a hitter? Or maybe, seeing that Jason Bay is likely leaving, they wanted to strengthen one area, and the Bulldog gives them strength in spades. He's got the perfect fiery demeanor for this team, so Boston pounced silently and quickly and got the job done. This gives them six good starters that they can play with. Will one be a long man? Will one be trade bait? We'll see, but with Lackey in the fold, you can easily see them trying to swing a deal with San Diego for Adrian Gonzalez. Clay Bucholz would be leading that package for sure. Or maybe they can flip Matsuzaka for a left fielder, say maybe Adam Dunn? Whatever they do decide to do, the Red Sox have clearly made a splash and bolstered their rotation.
Next up is a blockbuster three team deal that is currently in the works, but should be finalized within the next couple of days. This deal finally sends Roy "Doc" Halladay to the team that has obviously coveted him the most in the past year, the Philadelphia Phillies. What is surprising is that the reports say that Cliff Lee will be heading to Seattle in the deal. I would think the Phillies would kill to have those guys as their one-two, even if it was for a year of supreme dominance, but maybe the fact that they can sign Halladay for a cheaper/shorter extension than they could with the younger Lee is more attractive. Don't get me wrong, to me, Halladay is the best pitcher in baseball, so grabbing him is an upgrade to even the phenomenal Lee. However, while Halladay and Lee have been the major reports here, Joe Blanton and J.A. Happ have also taken physicals and may be part of this as well. Would Seattle take those two instead of Lee? If so, that's a steal for Philly, but with the major smoke around Lee's name, you'd have to think it was him. Many other prospects from the Phillies and Mariners have also been named, so look for Toronto to get a sizable prospect package with all they desire.
Do these deals affect the divisions they play in? Yes, they affect them aplenty.
Lets start in the NL East. More than anyone else, the Mets are very hurt by this. Their rotation behind Johan Santana is pretty much a mess, and their need to add top flight pitching was great. Lackey was the top free agent pitcher on the market, and Halladay was the top pitcher available in trades, and in one fell scoop they're off the boards. Even if the Phillies are giving up Lee, they are keeping Halladay away from their biggest rivals. The feeling from Mets fans and NY sports columnists and commentators was that they needed to get one of these guys, and while it's hard argue that, I've been steadfast that they wouldn't land either. Lackey was too expensive for their sensibilities even if they do have the money, and unless they were trading Jose Reyes, they didn't have the pieces Toronto wanted. And, yes, they wanted Reyes. Personally, I would've traded the shortstop, but that's me. Now the Mets have to pick up the right second (third? fourth?) tier pitcher, and, more importantly, make sure they land the offensive pieces they need. They could also try to work a creative deal for a better starter, but who would be available? One such pitcher that is available is Derek Lowe, but I don't think the Braves would trade a major piece like that to a division rival. That said, the market for Lowe has now gone up, so the Braves' need for an outfielder can be fulfilled via trade.
That last line ties right into the next division I'll address, and that is the AL West. With these major pitchers moving on, the Angels are faced with two major problems. The gaping hole in their rotation left by Lackey, and a rival's pitching staff getting a major stud in Cliff Lee to add to King Felix. Lowe is a perfect match for the Angels and they can easily deal Juan Rivera for him. This one is imperative for Anaheim more than the Braves. The Angels did add a big bat today, though, much to my chagrin, and that's Hideki Matsui, but that will get its own column. Seattle is becoming a major winner of this off-season, and should everything break right can overtake the Angels next season.
Finally, the AL East is certainly going to feel the ramifications of these moves. Again, the Red Sox have upped the ante with Lackey. They've added to what was already a good rotation, and now may have the best one. The Yankees will have to think long and hard now about how to fill their last two rotational holes. A free agent and a trade? A trade and one of the youngsters? The Yankees' reaction to this will be very interesting, and I wonder if they'd be players for Lowe, who they know can pitch in the AL East. Would they have to send Nick Swisher to Atlanta? I'd say that would create more problems, and Swisher is a big clubhouse guy. Instead, I'd trade for Bronson Arroyo, a solid pitcher whom we can get for Melky Cabrera, which would allow some breathing room in the outfield. Also, let's not forget, moving Halladay out of the league gives each team a few more wins a year. I'll take that.
Very fascinating day altogether, and as I write this, the Red Sox have also signed Mike Cameron for two years. This definitely closes the door for Jason Bay there, and also takes a good outfielder out of the pool. I'll look at this deeper as part of the Matsui post. As the night goes on, though, we may find out who the players are in the Halladay mega-trade, but I'd be surprised if Lee does not go to Seattle at this point in the reporting. Stay tuned...
Saturday, December 12, 2009
WANG, WE HARDLY KNEW YA
One of the more unfortunate parts of the business of baseball is having to non-tender players, meaning these particular guys don't get new contracts and are made free agents. This happens when players who are arbitration eligible (less than six years of service time) have either A. become too expensive for their current team, B. worn out their welcome, or C. have become too much of an injury risk and their future prognosis is rather murky. On this day calls have to be made whether a contract will or won't be tendered, and as the title suggests, the Yankees have non-tendered their former "ace" Chien-Ming Wang.
While I understand the logistics of this maneuver, it saddens me that he may go this way. Wang was one of the few pitching bright spots in the in-between era of the Dynasty years and this new one. An international amateur signing that came through our system, and did well on the major league level right away. Sure, he had a few injury issues out of the gate in '05, but for the two years after that he was considered the undisputed Yankee Ace, winning 19 games in each of those two years. In '08, though, it all unraveled for Wang who, for his part, had started the year very well. In June, he injured his foot in a freak base-running accident and missed the rest of the year. He came back this past season to disastrous results. He was then sent to Tampa, where it was revealed that his injury had weakened other parts of his legs, and as a result his pitching motion had been altered. He wasn't that much better when he returned, and, ultimately, all the tinkering led to season-ending shoulder surgery.
Now, Wang was set to make around 5 million in arbitration, but Brian Cashman wasn't set to pay him that or possibly anything at all. In interviews, the Yankees' GM has failed to mention Wang as a candidate for the rotation at all, tipping his hand to his plans to non-tender the Taiwanese pitcher. If there's one thing that can be said about Cashman it's that he's all business. While that's great for the team, as a fan it sometimes disheartens me.
When Cashman felt it was time for Bernie Williams to go, he went, and denied his fans to give him a proper farewell tour. Now, too, a beloved Yankee in Hideki Matsui may be leaving, although winning a World Series and MVP in his final season isn't the worst way to leave. I'm not saying that Wang is either of those well-respected men, and unfortunately for Wang, and while he was doing well in '08, the last two burning memories of him are his '09 struggles and his '07 post-season meltdown. That said, though, the guy is one of ours, and I'd like for him to have a chance to turn it around with us.
Don't get me wrong, there's a chance Cashman signs him to a lesser, incentive-laden deal to prove his way back into the rotation, but something tells me this isn't happening. Again, I'll site Cashman's interviews, and also Wang's agent recently said he doesn't see how this can build any bridges. I kind of agree with that, but at the same time Cashman has been all about doing things on his terms.
So we'll see, but to me it isn't happening, and as Chien-Ming Wang turns to free agency, I want to wish him luck, and tell him thank you for rescuing the rotation when we severely needed it. To me, no matter where he lands, he'll always be a Yankee.
Somewhere, I know Joe Torre is smiling and making a phone call...
While I understand the logistics of this maneuver, it saddens me that he may go this way. Wang was one of the few pitching bright spots in the in-between era of the Dynasty years and this new one. An international amateur signing that came through our system, and did well on the major league level right away. Sure, he had a few injury issues out of the gate in '05, but for the two years after that he was considered the undisputed Yankee Ace, winning 19 games in each of those two years. In '08, though, it all unraveled for Wang who, for his part, had started the year very well. In June, he injured his foot in a freak base-running accident and missed the rest of the year. He came back this past season to disastrous results. He was then sent to Tampa, where it was revealed that his injury had weakened other parts of his legs, and as a result his pitching motion had been altered. He wasn't that much better when he returned, and, ultimately, all the tinkering led to season-ending shoulder surgery.
Now, Wang was set to make around 5 million in arbitration, but Brian Cashman wasn't set to pay him that or possibly anything at all. In interviews, the Yankees' GM has failed to mention Wang as a candidate for the rotation at all, tipping his hand to his plans to non-tender the Taiwanese pitcher. If there's one thing that can be said about Cashman it's that he's all business. While that's great for the team, as a fan it sometimes disheartens me.
When Cashman felt it was time for Bernie Williams to go, he went, and denied his fans to give him a proper farewell tour. Now, too, a beloved Yankee in Hideki Matsui may be leaving, although winning a World Series and MVP in his final season isn't the worst way to leave. I'm not saying that Wang is either of those well-respected men, and unfortunately for Wang, and while he was doing well in '08, the last two burning memories of him are his '09 struggles and his '07 post-season meltdown. That said, though, the guy is one of ours, and I'd like for him to have a chance to turn it around with us.
Don't get me wrong, there's a chance Cashman signs him to a lesser, incentive-laden deal to prove his way back into the rotation, but something tells me this isn't happening. Again, I'll site Cashman's interviews, and also Wang's agent recently said he doesn't see how this can build any bridges. I kind of agree with that, but at the same time Cashman has been all about doing things on his terms.
So we'll see, but to me it isn't happening, and as Chien-Ming Wang turns to free agency, I want to wish him luck, and tell him thank you for rescuing the rotation when we severely needed it. To me, no matter where he lands, he'll always be a Yankee.
Somewhere, I know Joe Torre is smiling and making a phone call...
Friday, December 11, 2009
WINTER MEETINGS DAY FOUR RECAP
The final day of the Winter Meetings went by rather quick. Usually the GM's start leaving after the Rule 5 Draft, so this is traditionally not a very busy day. The major news was that the Mets have come out of their shell and offered both Jason Bay and Bengie Molina contracts. The Molina offering isn't real news, as they've been talking about this for days, and just finally pulled the trigger. The Bay one, though, was a little surprising. They went from having a little interest to jumping out in front of everyone else. The supposed deal is about 5 million more than the Red Sox offered the left fielder, 4 years and 65 mil. I don't think that particular offer will get it done, but it's a good starting point. Bay wants five years, and I think the Mets will have to go there to get him.
A couple of deals were furthered along to the finish line. The Rafael Soriano to the Rays trade is done, and the Mike Lowell to the Rangers has been agreed upon, if not official yet. The Sox will pay a whopping 9 mil to rid of a good player that's aging and coming off an injury marred season. He still did well, and will more than improve the Rangers taking over Hank Blalock's role. This clears the way for Boston to acquire Adrian Beltre, whom they highly covet. The Red Sox also picked by Boof Bonser who was designated or assignment by the Twins.
The battle for Roy Halladay is heating up, with the Phillies getting back into the fray. The huge advantage they hold over the Angels are that they've been to the World Series two years in a row, and their Spring Training facility is just miles away from where Halladay lives. They also have the prospects Toronto wants, although the package dangled by the Angels is fantastic led by Joe Saunders and Erick Aybar. It seems like more and more he will be traded out of the division, although the Yankees still hold pieces that the Blue Jays love.
The Astros, who have been very active this week, signed former Phillies 3rd Baseman Pedro Feliz to man their hot corner. Feliz, while not the biggest bat, won't kill them, and his defense is rather good. The White Sox did sign JJ Putz, and the Royals locked up catcher Jason Kendall to the all popular two year deal for all backstops this winter.
The Rule Five Draft is interesting and at times has produced superstars, but its very hard to tell if any of this year's crop will be any good. The Yankees decided to try and take an outfielder to help recover the Austin Jackson loss. The player, Jamie Hoffmann, was selected out of the Dodgers system, and appears to be a slighter slower Brett Gardner with more pop. They lost two pitchers: Zack Krozenke and Kanekoa Texeira. The Mets selected a right hander out of the Phillies' system, and promptly sold him to the Dodgers. I guess they need the cash to sign Bay.
That concludes this years Winter Meetings. The Hot Stove is just getting started, though, as the biggest free agents have yet to be claimed. This weekend we will also find out which players may be non-tendered. I hope you dug our coverage, we look forward to following the rest of the off season with you.
A couple of deals were furthered along to the finish line. The Rafael Soriano to the Rays trade is done, and the Mike Lowell to the Rangers has been agreed upon, if not official yet. The Sox will pay a whopping 9 mil to rid of a good player that's aging and coming off an injury marred season. He still did well, and will more than improve the Rangers taking over Hank Blalock's role. This clears the way for Boston to acquire Adrian Beltre, whom they highly covet. The Red Sox also picked by Boof Bonser who was designated or assignment by the Twins.
The battle for Roy Halladay is heating up, with the Phillies getting back into the fray. The huge advantage they hold over the Angels are that they've been to the World Series two years in a row, and their Spring Training facility is just miles away from where Halladay lives. They also have the prospects Toronto wants, although the package dangled by the Angels is fantastic led by Joe Saunders and Erick Aybar. It seems like more and more he will be traded out of the division, although the Yankees still hold pieces that the Blue Jays love.
The Astros, who have been very active this week, signed former Phillies 3rd Baseman Pedro Feliz to man their hot corner. Feliz, while not the biggest bat, won't kill them, and his defense is rather good. The White Sox did sign JJ Putz, and the Royals locked up catcher Jason Kendall to the all popular two year deal for all backstops this winter.
The Rule Five Draft is interesting and at times has produced superstars, but its very hard to tell if any of this year's crop will be any good. The Yankees decided to try and take an outfielder to help recover the Austin Jackson loss. The player, Jamie Hoffmann, was selected out of the Dodgers system, and appears to be a slighter slower Brett Gardner with more pop. They lost two pitchers: Zack Krozenke and Kanekoa Texeira. The Mets selected a right hander out of the Phillies' system, and promptly sold him to the Dodgers. I guess they need the cash to sign Bay.
That concludes this years Winter Meetings. The Hot Stove is just getting started, though, as the biggest free agents have yet to be claimed. This weekend we will also find out which players may be non-tendered. I hope you dug our coverage, we look forward to following the rest of the off season with you.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
SUPPOSE THE METS DO GET JASON BAY
The worst thing the Mets could do is to do nothing, and hope last year was a fluke. Some things I hear from the winter meetings are good, like this contract offer to Jason Bay, and their pursuit of John Lackey. Others are terrible, like a 2-year deal for Bengie Molina. Bengie will be 35 years old, and he drew 13 walks in 520 plate appearances last season. His best years are behind him, his defense is slipping, and he will only be a slight upgrade over Omir Santos. Mediocre free agents aren't going to help this team. There are no good catchers on the market, so don't overpay for a bad one. Santos can start, 23-year old rookie Josh Thole can back him up. Maybe you sign a few veteran journeymen to NRI's in the spring.
Jason Bay is 31, and might still be an impact player at the end of a 4-year contract. He has played very well in 4 of his 5 full seasons in the majors, dropping a .247/.327/.418 stinker in Pittsburgh in 2007. His career line is an impressive .280/.376/.519. He posted an OPS of .904 away from Fenway last year, has hit over .300 in the playoffs for his career-- what isn't there to like? By the way, the Mets had him once before, in double-A, but decided they'd rather rent sidearming reliever Steve Reed for the 2002 "pennant race", where they finished 20 games out of the wild card. Oops.
Bay is an excellent player, no doubt about that. A slugging corner outfielder with a touch of speed (13 SB's last year), who is considered slightly above average with the glove. He'd likely bat cleanup for the Mets, and complement their offensive core of Wright, Beltran, and Reyes.
Great signing, assuming it happens, and the Mets don't stop there. There are too many question marks on the rest of the roster. I can live with the uncertainty at catcher, but will Daniel Murphy hit enough to play first base? Is Jeff Francoeur as overrated as I think he is? Can Luis Castillo do anything to change my impression of him as a broken-down slap hitter who rarely gives any effort on the field? Nevermind the dropped pop-up at Yankee Stadium-- I've seen him fail to cover second base on a double play grounder. Even Carlos Baerga didn't do that.
The pitching staff is even scarier. If Johan comes back 100% from what was described as minor elbow surgery, they at least have an ace. Mike Pelfrey regressed badly last year, and may turn out to be a back-end innings eater. Ollie Perez can't throw strikes, and John Maine can't stay off the DL. So last season turned into way too much mound work for Tim Redding and Nelson Figueroa. Adding a second top-tier starter, like John Lackey, is a dire necessity. Roy Halladay would be preferable, but the Mets don't really have any prospects that anyone likes. I've heard rumors of Derek Lowe, who was 36 and ineffective last year; Joel Pineiro, who was awful for 4 years in a row before turning it around in St. Louis; Jeff Suppan, who flat out sucks... maybe Omar could lure Steve Trachsel out of retirement? Lackey at least is a solid #2, and there are no other pitchers on the market who are close to being that.
The bullpen is also a horror show beyond K-Rod and Feliciano, but I don't believe in spending free agent bucks on a bullpen, especially when a team has so many other obvious holes.
The Mets' true failure, in my opinion, has been their inability to develop any homegrown talent to complement Wright and Reyes. I don't know if this is a failure of scouting, drafting, organizational philosophy, or what. The current regime seems to like five-tool knuckleheads with no baseball IQ-- Reyes being the best; but aren't Lastings Milledge, Carlos Gomez, Angel Pagan, Fernando Martinez, etc, etc, all pale versions of the same thing? What the Mets really need is a new GM and front office, but that's not going to happen unless Omar loses 100 games this year, sadly.
In short, if Bay signs with the Mets, they aren't done. Lackey and another hitter, maybe Orlando Hudson, need to be locked up as well. If they lose out on Bay to an actual contender, it's time to blow this mess sky-high and trade everyone on this team for prospects that Omar Minaya doesn't pick, cause the only thing he can pick is his nose.
Jason Bay is 31, and might still be an impact player at the end of a 4-year contract. He has played very well in 4 of his 5 full seasons in the majors, dropping a .247/.327/.418 stinker in Pittsburgh in 2007. His career line is an impressive .280/.376/.519. He posted an OPS of .904 away from Fenway last year, has hit over .300 in the playoffs for his career-- what isn't there to like? By the way, the Mets had him once before, in double-A, but decided they'd rather rent sidearming reliever Steve Reed for the 2002 "pennant race", where they finished 20 games out of the wild card. Oops.
Bay is an excellent player, no doubt about that. A slugging corner outfielder with a touch of speed (13 SB's last year), who is considered slightly above average with the glove. He'd likely bat cleanup for the Mets, and complement their offensive core of Wright, Beltran, and Reyes.
Great signing, assuming it happens, and the Mets don't stop there. There are too many question marks on the rest of the roster. I can live with the uncertainty at catcher, but will Daniel Murphy hit enough to play first base? Is Jeff Francoeur as overrated as I think he is? Can Luis Castillo do anything to change my impression of him as a broken-down slap hitter who rarely gives any effort on the field? Nevermind the dropped pop-up at Yankee Stadium-- I've seen him fail to cover second base on a double play grounder. Even Carlos Baerga didn't do that.
The pitching staff is even scarier. If Johan comes back 100% from what was described as minor elbow surgery, they at least have an ace. Mike Pelfrey regressed badly last year, and may turn out to be a back-end innings eater. Ollie Perez can't throw strikes, and John Maine can't stay off the DL. So last season turned into way too much mound work for Tim Redding and Nelson Figueroa. Adding a second top-tier starter, like John Lackey, is a dire necessity. Roy Halladay would be preferable, but the Mets don't really have any prospects that anyone likes. I've heard rumors of Derek Lowe, who was 36 and ineffective last year; Joel Pineiro, who was awful for 4 years in a row before turning it around in St. Louis; Jeff Suppan, who flat out sucks... maybe Omar could lure Steve Trachsel out of retirement? Lackey at least is a solid #2, and there are no other pitchers on the market who are close to being that.
The bullpen is also a horror show beyond K-Rod and Feliciano, but I don't believe in spending free agent bucks on a bullpen, especially when a team has so many other obvious holes.
The Mets' true failure, in my opinion, has been their inability to develop any homegrown talent to complement Wright and Reyes. I don't know if this is a failure of scouting, drafting, organizational philosophy, or what. The current regime seems to like five-tool knuckleheads with no baseball IQ-- Reyes being the best; but aren't Lastings Milledge, Carlos Gomez, Angel Pagan, Fernando Martinez, etc, etc, all pale versions of the same thing? What the Mets really need is a new GM and front office, but that's not going to happen unless Omar loses 100 games this year, sadly.
In short, if Bay signs with the Mets, they aren't done. Lackey and another hitter, maybe Orlando Hudson, need to be locked up as well. If they lose out on Bay to an actual contender, it's time to blow this mess sky-high and trade everyone on this team for prospects that Omar Minaya doesn't pick, cause the only thing he can pick is his nose.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
WINTER MEETINGS DAY THREE RECAP
With only one day left to the Winter Meetings, the General Managers ramped it up on its third day of negotiations. Deals are going down, with more to be finalized tomorrow before the Rule 5 Draft. Starting at the top, the Granderson trade was completed today, and then Yankee GM Brian Cashman went ahead and resigned Andy Pettitte to an 11.75 million dollar deal. This is more than double a raise from last year, and well worth it for the pitcher that won all three playoff clinchers. This, once again, gives the Yankees three great to very good pitchers at the top of their rotation. There's a possibility that Cashman may fill another slot with another huge name as he met with both John Lackey's agent, as well as engaging with Toronto's GM about Roy Halladay.
However, there's already another team that has actually put in a bid for Halladay. The LA Angels have offered up starting pitcher Joe Saunders, shortstop Erick Aybar, and minor league center fielder Peter Bourjos. This is a great deal for the Jays as they get two major league players that they certainly can use, and a prospect that sounds very good. This may be the best they get, so we'll see if it happens. The Angels are also seemingly really considering Hideki Matsui.
The Rangers have been very busy today. First off, they sent Kevin Millwood to the Orioles for Chris Ray and their Rule 5 pick. This is weird, but I'm guessing the O's want Millwood to help lead their young pitching staff, and teach them a thing or two. The Rangers quickly replaced Millwood by signing Rich Hardin. This could be very, very good for the Rangers. If Harden is healthy, he could really help them out. Speaking of helping them, it looks like the Rangers have just completed a deal to get Mike Lowell from the Red Sox for a much needed catching prospect. I'm guessing he gets most of his at-bats at the DH and 1B spots, and spell Michael Young sometimes as well. This deal is pending medical reviews so we'll see how it turns out tomorrow.
With Lowell likely leaving, the rumors are the Sox will move quickly and sign Adrian Beltre. This will make them younger and stronger at third in every way. So this is going to be very interesting if all goes down right.
The Astros have reworked their bullpen. They traded for Matt Lindstrom from Florida for a couple prospects and their Rule 5 draft (popular this year!), and oddly they signed Brandon Lyon to a three year deal worth 15 mil. Three years for this guy is way too much, but with these two former closers aboard, I would think Jose Valverde's time in Houston is done.
They did, however, lose LaTroy Hawkins today as he signs a two-year deal with the Brewers. Milwaukee also completed their deal with Randy Wolf, which is a great signing for this team. They may also sign Mark Mulder as he attempts to come back.
The Mets have yet to hand their two year deal to Bengie Molina, and I'm not sure what they are waiting for. They are still talking to every pitcher on Earth, but today it sounded like they may be serious players for Lackey. Jason Marquis seems to be higher on their radar than before, too, but the Nats and Phillies like him as well. The Dodgers have made Juan Pierre available for a back-of-the-rotation pitcher. Ollie Perez, anyone? Pierre is perfect for Citi Field.
Other tidbits include the Pirates signing Bobby Crosby, who will compete for the shortstop position. The White Sox appear close to signing JJ Putz. He got a bum-rap last year with the Mets, but this guy was a pretty good closer before, and if he comes back healthy he can be a force in anyone's bullpen. The Royals handed a two year deal to catcher Jason Kendall, but no progress there yet. They also inquired about the availability of the Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner. The Rockies and Yorvitt Torrealba haven't hammered down a price for their deal yet. Lastly, the Rays appear to be on cusp of getting Rafael Soriano. This could be the closer they've been looking for.
So a big day today, we'll see what gets finished before the GMs fly out tomorrow. The Rule 5 draft is always interesting, too, especially this year as a few picks have been traded. The Yankees will get the Nats' 1st pick, which means they get to tell Washington who to grab. There's talk they pick one of their own: lefty Zach Kroenke, who wasn't protected by their 40 man roster. This guy could ultimately replace Phil Coke on the team. We'll check on that, and wrap up the Meetings tomorrow.
However, there's already another team that has actually put in a bid for Halladay. The LA Angels have offered up starting pitcher Joe Saunders, shortstop Erick Aybar, and minor league center fielder Peter Bourjos. This is a great deal for the Jays as they get two major league players that they certainly can use, and a prospect that sounds very good. This may be the best they get, so we'll see if it happens. The Angels are also seemingly really considering Hideki Matsui.
The Rangers have been very busy today. First off, they sent Kevin Millwood to the Orioles for Chris Ray and their Rule 5 pick. This is weird, but I'm guessing the O's want Millwood to help lead their young pitching staff, and teach them a thing or two. The Rangers quickly replaced Millwood by signing Rich Hardin. This could be very, very good for the Rangers. If Harden is healthy, he could really help them out. Speaking of helping them, it looks like the Rangers have just completed a deal to get Mike Lowell from the Red Sox for a much needed catching prospect. I'm guessing he gets most of his at-bats at the DH and 1B spots, and spell Michael Young sometimes as well. This deal is pending medical reviews so we'll see how it turns out tomorrow.
With Lowell likely leaving, the rumors are the Sox will move quickly and sign Adrian Beltre. This will make them younger and stronger at third in every way. So this is going to be very interesting if all goes down right.
The Astros have reworked their bullpen. They traded for Matt Lindstrom from Florida for a couple prospects and their Rule 5 draft (popular this year!), and oddly they signed Brandon Lyon to a three year deal worth 15 mil. Three years for this guy is way too much, but with these two former closers aboard, I would think Jose Valverde's time in Houston is done.
They did, however, lose LaTroy Hawkins today as he signs a two-year deal with the Brewers. Milwaukee also completed their deal with Randy Wolf, which is a great signing for this team. They may also sign Mark Mulder as he attempts to come back.
The Mets have yet to hand their two year deal to Bengie Molina, and I'm not sure what they are waiting for. They are still talking to every pitcher on Earth, but today it sounded like they may be serious players for Lackey. Jason Marquis seems to be higher on their radar than before, too, but the Nats and Phillies like him as well. The Dodgers have made Juan Pierre available for a back-of-the-rotation pitcher. Ollie Perez, anyone? Pierre is perfect for Citi Field.
Other tidbits include the Pirates signing Bobby Crosby, who will compete for the shortstop position. The White Sox appear close to signing JJ Putz. He got a bum-rap last year with the Mets, but this guy was a pretty good closer before, and if he comes back healthy he can be a force in anyone's bullpen. The Royals handed a two year deal to catcher Jason Kendall, but no progress there yet. They also inquired about the availability of the Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner. The Rockies and Yorvitt Torrealba haven't hammered down a price for their deal yet. Lastly, the Rays appear to be on cusp of getting Rafael Soriano. This could be the closer they've been looking for.
So a big day today, we'll see what gets finished before the GMs fly out tomorrow. The Rule 5 draft is always interesting, too, especially this year as a few picks have been traded. The Yankees will get the Nats' 1st pick, which means they get to tell Washington who to grab. There's talk they pick one of their own: lefty Zach Kroenke, who wasn't protected by their 40 man roster. This guy could ultimately replace Phil Coke on the team. We'll check on that, and wrap up the Meetings tomorrow.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
WINTER MEETINGS DAY TWO RECAP
As documented already, the big news of the day is obviously the three way deal between the Yanks, Tigers, and D'Backs. It's pretty amazing to me that Brian Cashman seemed to be almost complacent coming into these meetings, but he's been the one to pull the trigger twice so far. Today's trade was aces, though. While I hated to see Austin Jackson go before giving him a shot at the majors, especially after hearing about him nonstop for the past few years, I'm a fan of Curtis Granderson. What he can do in this line-up is potenially scary. Sure, he had an off-year, but there was a general offness surrounding the Tigers as a whole this season. Now he's coming to the World Champions who'll give him his best chance to earn a championship. He'll be surrounding by positive veterans who will certainly help, and that short porch won't be so bad for him neither. And again, Ian Kennedy and Phil Coke weren't deal breakers in this, nice players, but not deal breakers. Afterall, initial rumors had Detroit asking for Joba or Hughes, but that wasn't happening, and they got Scherzer instead. Better the D'Backs pay than the Yanks from where I'm sitting.
There wasn't much else of real note going on in Day Two, although rumors continue circulate. Hideki Matsui seems to be drawing interest from both the Angels and White Sox to sit in the DH spot, but in the wake of the Granderson deal I actually feel like he has a better opportunity now to stay with the Yankees. I say this because he'll be asking for less than Johnny Damon, and I can see New York now giving Damon a take it or leave it contract. In my opinion Damon will go elsewhere if the money is there, and Matsui, a more loyal soldier, returns. Personally, I'd hate to see Godzilla in another uniform.
Rafael Soriano has given the Braves clearance to trade him. This poses many possible landing places, and since they are on a roll, I wonder if Brian Cashman can send Atlanta Melky Cabrera for him? Maybe that's too low a price, but it doesn't hurt to ask. The Braves, though, are also looking at Xavier Nady to fill an outfield spot, now especially bare since they DFA'ed Ryan Church.
In an interesting and crazy rumor, the Rangers apparently offered the Marlins Justin Smoak and Neftali Feliz for Josh Johnson. Crazy because Florida said no! Those are two of the highest ranked prospects in all of baseball! If the Marlins can't work out a long term deal with Johnson, they're never going to live down this denial. They are also still shopping Dan Uggla and Matt Lindstrom. If I were the Mets I'd look into this.
Speaking of New York's other team, I've also learned today that the Mets are apparently in on every pitcher on Earth, but if they're lucky, will probably end up with Joel Pineiro and Jason Marquis. Meanwhile on the catching front, they are still hot for Bengie Molina, but Yorvit Torrealba is once again on their radar, although he seems like inches away from resigning with Colorado. Darren Oliver could be making his way back to Flushing, and yet another rumor has John Maine going to the Brewers for Corey Hart, which isn't a bad trade. Both guys are coming off down years, and a change would do them both good. Maine would be reunited with former pitching coach Rick Peterson, how sweet. Seriously, though, an outfield of Beltran, Francoeur, and Hart wouldn't be too bad, would it?
Lastly, the Phillies bolstered their bench with Ross Gload. Nice pick-up there, the guy is a pinch hitting machine! And that's all for tonight. Be sure to check out the first column from "The Stats Lab", up now, and we'll be back tomorrow with more from the Winter Meetings.
There wasn't much else of real note going on in Day Two, although rumors continue circulate. Hideki Matsui seems to be drawing interest from both the Angels and White Sox to sit in the DH spot, but in the wake of the Granderson deal I actually feel like he has a better opportunity now to stay with the Yankees. I say this because he'll be asking for less than Johnny Damon, and I can see New York now giving Damon a take it or leave it contract. In my opinion Damon will go elsewhere if the money is there, and Matsui, a more loyal soldier, returns. Personally, I'd hate to see Godzilla in another uniform.
Rafael Soriano has given the Braves clearance to trade him. This poses many possible landing places, and since they are on a roll, I wonder if Brian Cashman can send Atlanta Melky Cabrera for him? Maybe that's too low a price, but it doesn't hurt to ask. The Braves, though, are also looking at Xavier Nady to fill an outfield spot, now especially bare since they DFA'ed Ryan Church.
In an interesting and crazy rumor, the Rangers apparently offered the Marlins Justin Smoak and Neftali Feliz for Josh Johnson. Crazy because Florida said no! Those are two of the highest ranked prospects in all of baseball! If the Marlins can't work out a long term deal with Johnson, they're never going to live down this denial. They are also still shopping Dan Uggla and Matt Lindstrom. If I were the Mets I'd look into this.
Speaking of New York's other team, I've also learned today that the Mets are apparently in on every pitcher on Earth, but if they're lucky, will probably end up with Joel Pineiro and Jason Marquis. Meanwhile on the catching front, they are still hot for Bengie Molina, but Yorvit Torrealba is once again on their radar, although he seems like inches away from resigning with Colorado. Darren Oliver could be making his way back to Flushing, and yet another rumor has John Maine going to the Brewers for Corey Hart, which isn't a bad trade. Both guys are coming off down years, and a change would do them both good. Maine would be reunited with former pitching coach Rick Peterson, how sweet. Seriously, though, an outfield of Beltran, Francoeur, and Hart wouldn't be too bad, would it?
Lastly, the Phillies bolstered their bench with Ross Gload. Nice pick-up there, the guy is a pinch hitting machine! And that's all for tonight. Be sure to check out the first column from "The Stats Lab", up now, and we'll be back tomorrow with more from the Winter Meetings.
A CLOSER LOOK AT GRANDERSON
Curtis Granderson will be 29 years old next opening day. He batted .249 last season for Detroit, but did have 30 HRs, 20 SBs, and 72 walks. Among would-be AL East centerfielders, only Jacoby Ellsbury had a better year, and keep in mind that this was an off-year for Granderson. His 2007 campaign was a monster, with 84 extra base hits including 23 triples, a .302 BA, and 26-for-27 stolen bases.
One of the problems with this trade is the Yankees seem to be expecting the 2007 Granderson, & the D'Backs are expecting the 2009 Edwin Jackson. Why won't this happen? Granderson's OPS has declined each year since 2007. He strikes out a ton-- an average of 142 times in his 4 full seasons. This seems to point to the AL pitchers exploiting a flaw in his swing. At least Granderson, at only 29, is unlikely to decline further right away, and a return to 2008's .280/.365/.494 line isn't improbable. He's an exciting player, and he provides excellent power from the leadoff spot. He's a good pickup for them (though defensively I'd prefer him to play LF, and keep Melky / Gardner in center). Money isn't an issue for the Yankees, and the only question is whether they are paying too high a price in prospects.
Let's move for a second to the Arizona Diamondbacks, who aren't exactly the brightest bulb in the NL. Max Scherzer, now a Detroit Tiger, is a young stud in the making. He'll be 25 next year, and has struck out 240 batters in 226 major league innings, with a 3.86 ERA and 1.32 WHIP. He has given up a lot of unearned runs, which is a small yellow flag, but just look at that strikeout rate. And go back and look at it again. Edwin Jackson is older, more expensive, and not fit to hold Scherzer's jock. Let's look at 2009, Jackson's"career" year. He was 13-9 with a 3.62 ERA, with significantly poorer strikeout and home run rates than Scherzer, though he did post a better WHIP. Pitching in the DH league is a plus for Jackson, but Scherzer pitched in a launching pad in Arizona. Slight edge to Jackson-- assuming we forget that two years ago Jackson was pitching terribly in Tampa Bay, and last year he was league average. I just don't see any breakout ace potential in Jackson, and I do see it for Max Scherzer. But hey, the D'backs can console themselves with Ian Kennedy, who has a bright future in middle relief.
Now, the prospects and the throw-ins. First, Austin Jackson, 23 years old, coming off a year where he batted .300 in triple-A. He has good speed, but his power and plate discipline both declined slightly making the jump from double-A, as he only totaled 36 XBH's and 40 walks in 544 plate appearances. He's major league ready, and it's possible that he hasn't peaked yet. In fact, he could give comparable value to Granderson by 2011 or 2012. Ian Kennedy has only managed 26 starts over the last 2 seasons. His durability and composure are big question marks, though his minor league stats are impressive. But he's 25, the same age as Scherzer, and hasn't proven himself at the big league level yet. The Tigers would also get hard-throwing 23-year old reliever Dan Schlereth and 27-year old lefty reliever Phil Coke, who has looked impressive at times in the big leagues but also allowed 6 home runs to lefty batters last season.
I give the Tigers an A+ for this trade. They screw the Diamondbacks out of Scherzer, and get a major-league ready replacement for Granderson plus two live arms for their bullpen. And they save money. Holy hell. The Yankees get a B for overpaying and not trusting their own farm system (which has produced more great players in the last 15 years than the Mets will between now and 2050). It's a good short term move for them. Hopefully they find another good lefty reliever, and Austin Jackson doesn't become a superstar. The Diamondbacks get an F minus. I can't stress how idiotic a move this is for them. When Max Scherzer wins 20 games for Detroit, I hope I get Josh Byrnes's job.
One of the problems with this trade is the Yankees seem to be expecting the 2007 Granderson, & the D'Backs are expecting the 2009 Edwin Jackson. Why won't this happen? Granderson's OPS has declined each year since 2007. He strikes out a ton-- an average of 142 times in his 4 full seasons. This seems to point to the AL pitchers exploiting a flaw in his swing. At least Granderson, at only 29, is unlikely to decline further right away, and a return to 2008's .280/.365/.494 line isn't improbable. He's an exciting player, and he provides excellent power from the leadoff spot. He's a good pickup for them (though defensively I'd prefer him to play LF, and keep Melky / Gardner in center). Money isn't an issue for the Yankees, and the only question is whether they are paying too high a price in prospects.
Let's move for a second to the Arizona Diamondbacks, who aren't exactly the brightest bulb in the NL. Max Scherzer, now a Detroit Tiger, is a young stud in the making. He'll be 25 next year, and has struck out 240 batters in 226 major league innings, with a 3.86 ERA and 1.32 WHIP. He has given up a lot of unearned runs, which is a small yellow flag, but just look at that strikeout rate. And go back and look at it again. Edwin Jackson is older, more expensive, and not fit to hold Scherzer's jock. Let's look at 2009, Jackson's"career" year. He was 13-9 with a 3.62 ERA, with significantly poorer strikeout and home run rates than Scherzer, though he did post a better WHIP. Pitching in the DH league is a plus for Jackson, but Scherzer pitched in a launching pad in Arizona. Slight edge to Jackson-- assuming we forget that two years ago Jackson was pitching terribly in Tampa Bay, and last year he was league average. I just don't see any breakout ace potential in Jackson, and I do see it for Max Scherzer. But hey, the D'backs can console themselves with Ian Kennedy, who has a bright future in middle relief.
Now, the prospects and the throw-ins. First, Austin Jackson, 23 years old, coming off a year where he batted .300 in triple-A. He has good speed, but his power and plate discipline both declined slightly making the jump from double-A, as he only totaled 36 XBH's and 40 walks in 544 plate appearances. He's major league ready, and it's possible that he hasn't peaked yet. In fact, he could give comparable value to Granderson by 2011 or 2012. Ian Kennedy has only managed 26 starts over the last 2 seasons. His durability and composure are big question marks, though his minor league stats are impressive. But he's 25, the same age as Scherzer, and hasn't proven himself at the big league level yet. The Tigers would also get hard-throwing 23-year old reliever Dan Schlereth and 27-year old lefty reliever Phil Coke, who has looked impressive at times in the big leagues but also allowed 6 home runs to lefty batters last season.
I give the Tigers an A+ for this trade. They screw the Diamondbacks out of Scherzer, and get a major-league ready replacement for Granderson plus two live arms for their bullpen. And they save money. Holy hell. The Yankees get a B for overpaying and not trusting their own farm system (which has produced more great players in the last 15 years than the Mets will between now and 2050). It's a good short term move for them. Hopefully they find another good lefty reliever, and Austin Jackson doesn't become a superstar. The Diamondbacks get an F minus. I can't stress how idiotic a move this is for them. When Max Scherzer wins 20 games for Detroit, I hope I get Josh Byrnes's job.
GRANDERSON TO YANKS IN BLOCKBUSTER!
The deal first talked about yesterday looks like is coming to fruition. While it changed a bit, the major players remain the same: Curtis Granderson is coming to the Yankees, Edwin Jackson and Ian Kennedy go to Arizona, and Detroit gets Austin Jackson, Max Scherzer, Daniel Schlereth, and Phil Coke. All three teams do pretty well here.
First off, the Yankees get a proven center fielder just entering his prime. Sure, they give up a player that could've been that guy, but the difference between "could've been" and "proven" are huge. They also give up Ian Kennedy, who may not of had a chance to make the Yankee rotation anyway, but is a decent pitcher, and Phil Coke, a lefty reliever who faltered down the stretch this year. This is also gives the team great leverage with Johnny Damon. They can now give him a take it or leave it contract, and just use Melky and Gardner in left if Damon moves away. Getting back to Granderson, though, this guy gives you extra base hit/home run power, some speed, and decent-to-pretty-good ability in the field. His attitude and personality is also perfect for New York.
Arizona gets a possible upgrade over Scherzer in Edwin Jackson, plus another young starter in Ian Kennedy. Jackson has blossomed in the last two years, but oddly has been traded twice now, however he could be a star. Kennedy was terrible for the Yanks in early '08, but seemed to get it back together this past season before having serious surgery for an aneurysm under his armpit. He still has a lot of potential, and may be a lot better in the NL.
Detroit gets a good young starting pitcher in Scherzer; one that may end up being better than Jackson. Even better, they get a center fielder that's on the cusp of being major league ready in Austin Jackson. This is the hugest pick-up for them as he's one of the top prospects in the Yankee system, and did very well in Triple A this year. I can see Detroit starting him right away. They also get two relievers, a lefty and righty, from each team, both who have great upside, and with the Tigers losing both Fernando Rodney and Brandon Lyon to free agency, those are big pick-ups.
All in all, a huge blockbuster trade that may work for everyone involved. We'll be watching this coming season to see who ends up as the winner and loser here.
First off, the Yankees get a proven center fielder just entering his prime. Sure, they give up a player that could've been that guy, but the difference between "could've been" and "proven" are huge. They also give up Ian Kennedy, who may not of had a chance to make the Yankee rotation anyway, but is a decent pitcher, and Phil Coke, a lefty reliever who faltered down the stretch this year. This is also gives the team great leverage with Johnny Damon. They can now give him a take it or leave it contract, and just use Melky and Gardner in left if Damon moves away. Getting back to Granderson, though, this guy gives you extra base hit/home run power, some speed, and decent-to-pretty-good ability in the field. His attitude and personality is also perfect for New York.
Arizona gets a possible upgrade over Scherzer in Edwin Jackson, plus another young starter in Ian Kennedy. Jackson has blossomed in the last two years, but oddly has been traded twice now, however he could be a star. Kennedy was terrible for the Yanks in early '08, but seemed to get it back together this past season before having serious surgery for an aneurysm under his armpit. He still has a lot of potential, and may be a lot better in the NL.
Detroit gets a good young starting pitcher in Scherzer; one that may end up being better than Jackson. Even better, they get a center fielder that's on the cusp of being major league ready in Austin Jackson. This is the hugest pick-up for them as he's one of the top prospects in the Yankee system, and did very well in Triple A this year. I can see Detroit starting him right away. They also get two relievers, a lefty and righty, from each team, both who have great upside, and with the Tigers losing both Fernando Rodney and Brandon Lyon to free agency, those are big pick-ups.
All in all, a huge blockbuster trade that may work for everyone involved. We'll be watching this coming season to see who ends up as the winner and loser here.
Monday, December 7, 2009
WINTER MEETINGS DAY ONE RECAP
The first day of the Winter Meetings is coming to an end, but there haven't been too many concrete deals yet. Some smaller ones have occurred, and many rumors are circulating, but there could be some big ones coming. Also, today was day that players had to accept or reject arbitration. First to the real deals.
The Yankees made the first trade of the week, sending reliever Brian Bruney to the Nationals for their Rule 5 draft pick this Thursday. Interesting trade off here. While Bruney didn't get any love down the stretch, he was OK overall, and on a team like the Nats he could easily work his way up to closing; so a good deal for Bruney and Washington. The other significant deal saw Brad Penny sign with the St. Louis Cardinals. Penny wasn't very good for the Red Sox, but after being dropped and subsequently picked up by the Giants he did very well. Enough for a guaranteed 7.5 million with another 1.5 in incentives?! Maybe not, but the plus side is he still throws very hard, and with the added help of Dave Duncan, he could very well be the best in a long line of Cardinal reclamations. Also, Adam Everett resigned with the Tigers, and it looks like the Nats have a surprising 2 year deal in place with Ivan Rodriguez.
Amongst the major arbitration cases, the following players have accepted: Carl Pavano, Rafael Soriano, and Rafael Betancourt. I'm surprised Pavano accepted, as he could've tried to pursue a longer deal, but maybe his above 5.00 ERA made him think twice. Even with that, his line wasn't so bad, but maybe another year past Tommy John surgery will help him land a longer contract. As I talked about yesterday, Soriano could be dealt if he accepts a trade, which I think he would. I won't talk about individual rejections, but I will say that I'm surprised more guys didn't accept it, especially after what went down last off-season. Egos never learn, do they?
On the rumor front, there may be a major three way blockbuster in the works. The Yankees, Tigers, and D'Backs were exploring a deal that would land Curtis Granderson and prospects in NY, Edwin Jackson and Ian Kennedy in Arizona, and Max Scherzer, Austin Jackson, and a couple Yankee relievers in Detroit. Clearly, the Tigers would get the best part of this deal. Austin Jackson may be ready to replace Granderson already, Scherzer may be better than Edwin Jackson, and they would also get Phil Coke and Mike Dunn, two good, young relievers. As of tonight, it sounds like things have halted, but some form of this may happen. Seems like the Yanks really want Granderson, but maybe not at that price.
In other news, Randy Wolf appears ready to sign with the Brewers for three years. If so, this would be a great pick-up for a team in desperate need of good starters, and Wolf has been very good the last couple of years. I applaud Milwaukee for going three years with him, something the Dodgers should've done. The Angels appear to be in on Jason Bay, which would make that outfield very scary offensively. The Mets could be offering Bengie Molina a year and an option, and have interest in Adam Kennedy, Kevin Millwood, Gil Meche, Kelvim Escobar, Josh Willingham, and Juan Rivera. Millwood would be a good fit, as would either of the outfielders. I think Willingham or Rivera would be a more cost effective solution to their left field problem, and one Mets fans could live with.
That's it from BT on Day One. If anything major happens we'll let you know, and either way we'll recap tomorrow night.
The Yankees made the first trade of the week, sending reliever Brian Bruney to the Nationals for their Rule 5 draft pick this Thursday. Interesting trade off here. While Bruney didn't get any love down the stretch, he was OK overall, and on a team like the Nats he could easily work his way up to closing; so a good deal for Bruney and Washington. The other significant deal saw Brad Penny sign with the St. Louis Cardinals. Penny wasn't very good for the Red Sox, but after being dropped and subsequently picked up by the Giants he did very well. Enough for a guaranteed 7.5 million with another 1.5 in incentives?! Maybe not, but the plus side is he still throws very hard, and with the added help of Dave Duncan, he could very well be the best in a long line of Cardinal reclamations. Also, Adam Everett resigned with the Tigers, and it looks like the Nats have a surprising 2 year deal in place with Ivan Rodriguez.
Amongst the major arbitration cases, the following players have accepted: Carl Pavano, Rafael Soriano, and Rafael Betancourt. I'm surprised Pavano accepted, as he could've tried to pursue a longer deal, but maybe his above 5.00 ERA made him think twice. Even with that, his line wasn't so bad, but maybe another year past Tommy John surgery will help him land a longer contract. As I talked about yesterday, Soriano could be dealt if he accepts a trade, which I think he would. I won't talk about individual rejections, but I will say that I'm surprised more guys didn't accept it, especially after what went down last off-season. Egos never learn, do they?
On the rumor front, there may be a major three way blockbuster in the works. The Yankees, Tigers, and D'Backs were exploring a deal that would land Curtis Granderson and prospects in NY, Edwin Jackson and Ian Kennedy in Arizona, and Max Scherzer, Austin Jackson, and a couple Yankee relievers in Detroit. Clearly, the Tigers would get the best part of this deal. Austin Jackson may be ready to replace Granderson already, Scherzer may be better than Edwin Jackson, and they would also get Phil Coke and Mike Dunn, two good, young relievers. As of tonight, it sounds like things have halted, but some form of this may happen. Seems like the Yanks really want Granderson, but maybe not at that price.
In other news, Randy Wolf appears ready to sign with the Brewers for three years. If so, this would be a great pick-up for a team in desperate need of good starters, and Wolf has been very good the last couple of years. I applaud Milwaukee for going three years with him, something the Dodgers should've done. The Angels appear to be in on Jason Bay, which would make that outfield very scary offensively. The Mets could be offering Bengie Molina a year and an option, and have interest in Adam Kennedy, Kevin Millwood, Gil Meche, Kelvim Escobar, Josh Willingham, and Juan Rivera. Millwood would be a good fit, as would either of the outfielders. I think Willingham or Rivera would be a more cost effective solution to their left field problem, and one Mets fans could live with.
That's it from BT on Day One. If anything major happens we'll let you know, and either way we'll recap tomorrow night.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
BT'S WINTER MEETING PRIMER
The Baseball Winter Meetings are on the verge of beginning, officially going from Monday through Thursday; ending with the Rule 5 draft. For the uninitiated, the Winter Meetings are all about the General Managers and Agents gathering in one place to broker deals of the free agent or trade varieties. For those that love the Hot Stove season, this is like the World Series. Deals may or may not happen, but there will be lots of intrigue, speculation, and seeding. Usually something of significance happens in or around the Meetings, and we'll analyze what's going down as the week progresses. The week leading up to the Winter Meetings have seen a flurry of signings, which could bode well for this coming week. Let's look at those, and give you a little heads up on what may follow.
Atlanta has remade the back of their bullpen adding vets Billy Wagner and Takashi Saito. I think this a great move for them. Wagner showed very little rust coming back from Tommy John surgery this past season, showcasing good form down the stretch. He'll now return to his closing role, giving the Braves a proven 9th inning commodity. Their new set-up man has also been a closer as well, so if Wagner falters, Saito will be ready. Interestingly, both players ended the year with the Boston Red Sox, so the connection between the two teams continues. One of their two free agent closers, Rafael Soriano, may actually accept arbitration. That would give the Braves a pricey bullpen, but a rather good one. It's a shame they can't freely trade the guy till June 1st without his approval if he accepts, though, as they do need a bat, and Soriano could be enough to pry Josh Willingham away from the Nats, or be involved in a trade for the Rangers' Nelson Cruz. How about Milton Bradley? Or not... Of course if he approves a trade, he'll be very attractive.
The reigning National League Champion Phillies made a couple of maneuvers as well. The smaller one was signing a new back-up catcher in Brian Schneider to a two year deal. Maybe they saw something New York fans didn't. The other one is a slighter bigger deal, as they've locked down their new 3rd baseman, Detroit 2nd baseman Placido Polanco. I'm not sure I'm a big fan of this one either, as there were much better options out there. Sure, Polanco is a fine player, no doubt, but he doesn't provide more pop than Pedro Feliz did, although he'll probably get on base more, but the thing to look out for is if he can readjust to third base. He did start out at the position, but he hasn't played there since '02! And while he's played in Philadelphia before, I'm just not seeing this reunion being beneficial for the length of this three year contract.
Rounding out the NL East transactions, the Mets made a few small moves. First off, they've brought back utility infielder Alex Cora. He's a solid player, so you can't fault them there. They then proceeded to sign two catchers not named Bengie Molina. Chris Coste and Henry Blanco are now in the fold, and you have to wonder if there will be more catcher signings. Coste will most definitely start at Triple A, most likely taking Josh Thole under his wing. You have to figure that Blanco, though, will start in the majors. They also have Omir Santos under contract, so it'll be interesting to see what happens as the team is still linked to both Molina and Rod Barajas. If one of those sign, expect Santos or Blanco to be non-tendered.
Speaking of catchers, Greg Zaun, who appeared to be heavily sought out this off-season, has signed with the Brewers. It seems like Jason Kendall's days there are done. The Mariners need a catcher, though, and he'd fit in perfectly with their defense-first new attitude.
The biggest signing so far, fittingly belongs to the Mariners. It isn't yet completed, but word has it it's a physical away from being done. Chone Figgins is coming to Seattle. The Mariners were thought to be big players this year, and this signing will go a long way to paving the way for more. Figgins will give them a super solid third baseman, high on base percentage, and good overall hitting. You have to love a line-up that may start with Ichiro and Figgins. I can see them getting Jason Bay in the mix as well, and heck, they have to be players for John Lackey, too.
A couple of trades were made this past week as well. First, The A's traded with the Cubs, acquiring Jake Fox, Aaron Miles, and cash for three minor leaguers. Both could help Oakland's infield situation. Secondly, The Rays acquired catcher Kelly Shoppach from the Indian, which makes me wonder if they plan on keeping Dioner Navaro, who had a terrible season. If not, you can expect the two to split time evenly. The Rays may also be looking for relief help in the form of Matt Lindstrom from the Marlins. Rumors are circulating a deal may be in the works. Lindstrom and Howell could make a nice one-two punch in the late innings.
More AL East news centers on the Red Sox as they've found their new shortstop in Marco Scutaro. Obviously, this comes at no surprise. Boston needed a shortstop badly, and he was the best available on the market, coming off his best year ever. Boston is also involved in talks with Toronto about Roy Halladay, but I'm not sure they'd want to part with the right pieces.
So that has been the week heading up to tomorrow's race, but now who will finish first? Who needs the most? Is the most desperate? Who will spend the most? Make the most? Many questions may be answered, and more will likely join them. Welcome to the Winter Meetings, BeSBALL Talk style!
Atlanta has remade the back of their bullpen adding vets Billy Wagner and Takashi Saito. I think this a great move for them. Wagner showed very little rust coming back from Tommy John surgery this past season, showcasing good form down the stretch. He'll now return to his closing role, giving the Braves a proven 9th inning commodity. Their new set-up man has also been a closer as well, so if Wagner falters, Saito will be ready. Interestingly, both players ended the year with the Boston Red Sox, so the connection between the two teams continues. One of their two free agent closers, Rafael Soriano, may actually accept arbitration. That would give the Braves a pricey bullpen, but a rather good one. It's a shame they can't freely trade the guy till June 1st without his approval if he accepts, though, as they do need a bat, and Soriano could be enough to pry Josh Willingham away from the Nats, or be involved in a trade for the Rangers' Nelson Cruz. How about Milton Bradley? Or not... Of course if he approves a trade, he'll be very attractive.
The reigning National League Champion Phillies made a couple of maneuvers as well. The smaller one was signing a new back-up catcher in Brian Schneider to a two year deal. Maybe they saw something New York fans didn't. The other one is a slighter bigger deal, as they've locked down their new 3rd baseman, Detroit 2nd baseman Placido Polanco. I'm not sure I'm a big fan of this one either, as there were much better options out there. Sure, Polanco is a fine player, no doubt, but he doesn't provide more pop than Pedro Feliz did, although he'll probably get on base more, but the thing to look out for is if he can readjust to third base. He did start out at the position, but he hasn't played there since '02! And while he's played in Philadelphia before, I'm just not seeing this reunion being beneficial for the length of this three year contract.
Rounding out the NL East transactions, the Mets made a few small moves. First off, they've brought back utility infielder Alex Cora. He's a solid player, so you can't fault them there. They then proceeded to sign two catchers not named Bengie Molina. Chris Coste and Henry Blanco are now in the fold, and you have to wonder if there will be more catcher signings. Coste will most definitely start at Triple A, most likely taking Josh Thole under his wing. You have to figure that Blanco, though, will start in the majors. They also have Omir Santos under contract, so it'll be interesting to see what happens as the team is still linked to both Molina and Rod Barajas. If one of those sign, expect Santos or Blanco to be non-tendered.
Speaking of catchers, Greg Zaun, who appeared to be heavily sought out this off-season, has signed with the Brewers. It seems like Jason Kendall's days there are done. The Mariners need a catcher, though, and he'd fit in perfectly with their defense-first new attitude.
The biggest signing so far, fittingly belongs to the Mariners. It isn't yet completed, but word has it it's a physical away from being done. Chone Figgins is coming to Seattle. The Mariners were thought to be big players this year, and this signing will go a long way to paving the way for more. Figgins will give them a super solid third baseman, high on base percentage, and good overall hitting. You have to love a line-up that may start with Ichiro and Figgins. I can see them getting Jason Bay in the mix as well, and heck, they have to be players for John Lackey, too.
A couple of trades were made this past week as well. First, The A's traded with the Cubs, acquiring Jake Fox, Aaron Miles, and cash for three minor leaguers. Both could help Oakland's infield situation. Secondly, The Rays acquired catcher Kelly Shoppach from the Indian, which makes me wonder if they plan on keeping Dioner Navaro, who had a terrible season. If not, you can expect the two to split time evenly. The Rays may also be looking for relief help in the form of Matt Lindstrom from the Marlins. Rumors are circulating a deal may be in the works. Lindstrom and Howell could make a nice one-two punch in the late innings.
More AL East news centers on the Red Sox as they've found their new shortstop in Marco Scutaro. Obviously, this comes at no surprise. Boston needed a shortstop badly, and he was the best available on the market, coming off his best year ever. Boston is also involved in talks with Toronto about Roy Halladay, but I'm not sure they'd want to part with the right pieces.
So that has been the week heading up to tomorrow's race, but now who will finish first? Who needs the most? Is the most desperate? Who will spend the most? Make the most? Many questions may be answered, and more will likely join them. Welcome to the Winter Meetings, BeSBALL Talk style!
Thursday, December 3, 2009
HALLADAY/MAUER DRAW THE LINE (OR DO THEY?)
Roy Halladay has given the Blue Jays a deadline: trade him by Spring Training, or it isn't happening. Threatening to invoke his No Trade Clause to any proposed deal after this date, the Toronto Ace has really turned up the heat on GM Alex Anthopoulos to get something done or risk losing Halladay for just a draft pick next year, which may derail the new GM completely. No, the best route is to get something done now, and maximize your return. That said, I'm on the fence about Halladay going about this the way he has.
While I understand that last year he was dangled at the trade deadline with imminent destination possibilities, only to be left out to dry must have been frustrating, I just feel like there has to be a line of respect shown for your team. Halladay's job is to pitch, distractions or not, and not to undermine management. Don't get me wrong, for the most part professional sports really don't work that way. Most players feel completely free to run their mouths at the team's expense. I'm not really saying that Halladay is being quite like this, but because of that, I'm not shocked he's come out and delivered his ultimatum. Again, there's the line in the sand that former GM J.P. Ricciardi drew up in July by putting the Doctor through that to begin with, so he's not really at fault either. You can also argue that by doing this he's trying to take away the obvious cloud that would linger over the entire Jays locker room the whole season. So maybe it is a maneuver for the team as well.
While, that all sounds contradictory, it's hard not see it both ways. The best course of action is for Anthopoulos to just take his time and make the right deal. Spring training is still a while away, and Halladay is in demand. As I've outlined here before, both the Red Sox and Yankees have the right pieces, as I'm sure, if willing, the Angels and Phillies do as well.
As for Mauer, according to his camp, the rumor of his asking to be extended by Spring Training or it isn't happening appears false. It doesn't seem like Mauer's way, and he does want to stay, so the story doesn't jive anyway. The Twins would be absolutely insane not to get this done with now, so the story can become a nonstory. If Mauer does hit free agency all hell will break loose. Cats and Dogs living together. Mass Hysteria. Get this done, Twinkies!
While I understand that last year he was dangled at the trade deadline with imminent destination possibilities, only to be left out to dry must have been frustrating, I just feel like there has to be a line of respect shown for your team. Halladay's job is to pitch, distractions or not, and not to undermine management. Don't get me wrong, for the most part professional sports really don't work that way. Most players feel completely free to run their mouths at the team's expense. I'm not really saying that Halladay is being quite like this, but because of that, I'm not shocked he's come out and delivered his ultimatum. Again, there's the line in the sand that former GM J.P. Ricciardi drew up in July by putting the Doctor through that to begin with, so he's not really at fault either. You can also argue that by doing this he's trying to take away the obvious cloud that would linger over the entire Jays locker room the whole season. So maybe it is a maneuver for the team as well.
While, that all sounds contradictory, it's hard not see it both ways. The best course of action is for Anthopoulos to just take his time and make the right deal. Spring training is still a while away, and Halladay is in demand. As I've outlined here before, both the Red Sox and Yankees have the right pieces, as I'm sure, if willing, the Angels and Phillies do as well.
As for Mauer, according to his camp, the rumor of his asking to be extended by Spring Training or it isn't happening appears false. It doesn't seem like Mauer's way, and he does want to stay, so the story doesn't jive anyway. The Twins would be absolutely insane not to get this done with now, so the story can become a nonstory. If Mauer does hit free agency all hell will break loose. Cats and Dogs living together. Mass Hysteria. Get this done, Twinkies!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
YANKEE ARBITRATION: BINDING THE MOUTHS OF THE KINE THAT TREAD THE GRAIN
Today is the deadline for salary arbitration and the Yankees have made the first surprising move of the 2010 baseball season in New York by acting like the Mets.
About an hour ago, The Yankees declined arbitration on MVP Hideki Matsui, Johnny Damon and Andy Pettitte.
Here's some information for context: By midnight today, teams may offer salary arbitration to players who have filed for free agency. Teams that decline arbitration to Type A (such as Damon) or B players (such as Carlos Delgado) lose the right to receive compensatory draft picks in June if they were to sign with other teams.
Given that salary minimums in arbitration would be extremely high for certain players, I was not surprised to hear that players like Erik Bedard (SEA) and Carlos Delgado were declined arbitration. Both of those players had serious injury issues last year and would have made intolerable amounts of money in arbitration if they were to accept.
But disrespecting your World Series MVP, the winning pitcher of the final, and most important, win for the Yankees in 2009, and well, Johnny Damon? Really?
I totally expect a complete lack of social grace from my Mets. Really. I relate to the neurotic, psychotic character of the front office that makes it impossible for the Mets to groom and keep a halfway decent player for their career (knocking on wood for David Wright). More on that another day.
I do expect just a teensy bit better from the Yankees. Just a bit. I mean Yankees have all of those career players like Dimaggio and Berra, or more recently Jeter and Mo and Jorge, so you'd think they would know how to treat the truly professional athlete that is Matsui. He brings in all of that Japanese press and tourism to New York!!! He was completely awesome for you in the World Series (Sal can attest I predicted his MVPness long the award was announced)!! He's a friggin' Japanese national treasure! Even if his knees make him more and more of a living statue every year. Bah, knowing Matsui, he'll almost definitely resign with the Yankees or retire, unless he wants to throw everyone for a loop and go to Seattle, I suppose. Well, what about Pettitte, the third winningest pitcher in Yankee history? Ahh wait, look how they treated him at the beginning of this year. And Pettitte will also either resign with the Yankees or retire. And there's, um, Johnny Damon. Damon's a Type A after all. They probably need him anyway and they would have at least gotten draft picks for him! Sheesh.
Sigh. The anger is waning. Especially given that the Dodgers apparently are going to recognized as the boneheaded team of the year by declining arbitration to a parcel of pretty good players, including Randy Wolf and Orlando Hudson. Hm, Hudson would fit well on the Mets, wouldn't he? And he wouldn't cost the Mets yet another draft pick. . . Hmm. . .
About an hour ago, The Yankees declined arbitration on MVP Hideki Matsui, Johnny Damon and Andy Pettitte.
Here's some information for context: By midnight today, teams may offer salary arbitration to players who have filed for free agency. Teams that decline arbitration to Type A (such as Damon) or B players (such as Carlos Delgado) lose the right to receive compensatory draft picks in June if they were to sign with other teams.
Given that salary minimums in arbitration would be extremely high for certain players, I was not surprised to hear that players like Erik Bedard (SEA) and Carlos Delgado were declined arbitration. Both of those players had serious injury issues last year and would have made intolerable amounts of money in arbitration if they were to accept.
But disrespecting your World Series MVP, the winning pitcher of the final, and most important, win for the Yankees in 2009, and well, Johnny Damon? Really?
I totally expect a complete lack of social grace from my Mets. Really. I relate to the neurotic, psychotic character of the front office that makes it impossible for the Mets to groom and keep a halfway decent player for their career (knocking on wood for David Wright). More on that another day.
I do expect just a teensy bit better from the Yankees. Just a bit. I mean Yankees have all of those career players like Dimaggio and Berra, or more recently Jeter and Mo and Jorge, so you'd think they would know how to treat the truly professional athlete that is Matsui. He brings in all of that Japanese press and tourism to New York!!! He was completely awesome for you in the World Series (Sal can attest I predicted his MVPness long the award was announced)!! He's a friggin' Japanese national treasure! Even if his knees make him more and more of a living statue every year. Bah, knowing Matsui, he'll almost definitely resign with the Yankees or retire, unless he wants to throw everyone for a loop and go to Seattle, I suppose. Well, what about Pettitte, the third winningest pitcher in Yankee history? Ahh wait, look how they treated him at the beginning of this year. And Pettitte will also either resign with the Yankees or retire. And there's, um, Johnny Damon. Damon's a Type A after all. They probably need him anyway and they would have at least gotten draft picks for him! Sheesh.
Sigh. The anger is waning. Especially given that the Dodgers apparently are going to recognized as the boneheaded team of the year by declining arbitration to a parcel of pretty good players, including Randy Wolf and Orlando Hudson. Hm, Hudson would fit well on the Mets, wouldn't he? And he wouldn't cost the Mets yet another draft pick. . . Hmm. . .
Saturday, November 28, 2009
GETTING HALLADAY...
For the longest time, the talk in NYC had been how the Mets need to get Roy Halladay, and for the longest time, I've said that I don't think he would accept a trade to them. Well now, that speculation is on the back-burner, possibly for good, as word has leaked that A. Boston has put on a full court-press to try to land the Ace, and B. that the Doc would accept a trade to the Yankees. Interesting duo of information to come out back-to-back. Is it Halladay's preference to come to the Yanks over Boston? That's quite possible, as the pitcher's friend and protege plays for the team, and just won a World Series with them. Make no mistake, above all else, money included, the Doctor wants to wear a ring as well. So the question is, who can get him there?
The Yankees won it all this year with their core growing to include two great players: CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira, and two good players: A.J. Burnett and Nick Swisher. Their infield is completely set, they have a good catcher, but their outfield needs work. The rotation behind the top two is up in the air, but they have some pieces that can make it work, and Pettitte is still unsure of his situation. And they have Mariano Rivera. With that said, I think this team has the glue to become a successful team for years to come, and adding Halladay for the next four-five would tremendously improve their chances at achieving multiple championships. Halladay would certainly waive his No Trade Clause to join this team, especially knowing how committed they are to putting together the right pieces.
The Red Sox also seem to be in a decent spot, but less so. Their nucleus is good with Youkilis, Pedroia, Victor Martinez, Ellsbury, Beckett, Lester, Papelbon, and is also younger than the Yankees. However, their infield has a hole at short, Mike Lowell is aging at third, and their outfield is equally full of question marks as the Yankees'. Surely, though, Halladay would come here as well.
What are the other options for the Doctor? The Angels and Phillies for sure, but beyond them, I'd say only the Dodgers have a shot, although I'm not sure they'd part with the neccessary parts to land him. There lies the key to all of this, who blinks first and gives up the farm to get Halladay? The Angels and Phillies would probably have to give up less than Boston or NY being they aren't in the same division, but Toronto's new GM seems like he knows what he's doing, and may try to squeeze them as well. Still, the best deals will be with the division rivals, but should they do it?
It's all a matter of what Toronto wants here. They want pitching for sure, and Major League ready hurlers Clay Bucholz or Joba Chamberlain/Phil Hughes would have to go. Those guys we know, but beyond them is where it would get interesting. From the Yankees all signs point to either outfielder Austin Jackson or catcher Jesus Montero going as well, neither of which I'd trade. Thats your possible future Center-fielder and Catcher right there, both extremely valuable positions. Casey Kelly seems like a guy Toronto would target from Boston. Kelly is particularly attractive because he's a pitcher and a shortstop. Ah, and there it is, the possible key to getting Halladay, a future shortstop. Now, it seems like Kelly may be untouchable, so what if the Yankees had a good shortstop prospect? Wait, they do! Eduardo Nunez sounds like he is able to hit the ball very well, and while his defense needs some seasoning, this could be the player that makes the deal, and keeps Jackson/Montero out of it.
So how does a Joba Chamberlain/Eduardo Nunez/Austin Romine for Roy Halladay trade sound? Yes, I added another great catching prospect in Romine, but you didn't think it would only take two players, did ya? That would give Toronto three players that can completely help them for many years to come, for one year and all of the money the Yanks would have to shell out for an extension on the good Doctor. Well worth it for both teams.
Of course, when it came down to the Yanks and Sox battling over another ace, that guy went to the Mets...
The Yankees won it all this year with their core growing to include two great players: CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira, and two good players: A.J. Burnett and Nick Swisher. Their infield is completely set, they have a good catcher, but their outfield needs work. The rotation behind the top two is up in the air, but they have some pieces that can make it work, and Pettitte is still unsure of his situation. And they have Mariano Rivera. With that said, I think this team has the glue to become a successful team for years to come, and adding Halladay for the next four-five would tremendously improve their chances at achieving multiple championships. Halladay would certainly waive his No Trade Clause to join this team, especially knowing how committed they are to putting together the right pieces.
The Red Sox also seem to be in a decent spot, but less so. Their nucleus is good with Youkilis, Pedroia, Victor Martinez, Ellsbury, Beckett, Lester, Papelbon, and is also younger than the Yankees. However, their infield has a hole at short, Mike Lowell is aging at third, and their outfield is equally full of question marks as the Yankees'. Surely, though, Halladay would come here as well.
What are the other options for the Doctor? The Angels and Phillies for sure, but beyond them, I'd say only the Dodgers have a shot, although I'm not sure they'd part with the neccessary parts to land him. There lies the key to all of this, who blinks first and gives up the farm to get Halladay? The Angels and Phillies would probably have to give up less than Boston or NY being they aren't in the same division, but Toronto's new GM seems like he knows what he's doing, and may try to squeeze them as well. Still, the best deals will be with the division rivals, but should they do it?
It's all a matter of what Toronto wants here. They want pitching for sure, and Major League ready hurlers Clay Bucholz or Joba Chamberlain/Phil Hughes would have to go. Those guys we know, but beyond them is where it would get interesting. From the Yankees all signs point to either outfielder Austin Jackson or catcher Jesus Montero going as well, neither of which I'd trade. Thats your possible future Center-fielder and Catcher right there, both extremely valuable positions. Casey Kelly seems like a guy Toronto would target from Boston. Kelly is particularly attractive because he's a pitcher and a shortstop. Ah, and there it is, the possible key to getting Halladay, a future shortstop. Now, it seems like Kelly may be untouchable, so what if the Yankees had a good shortstop prospect? Wait, they do! Eduardo Nunez sounds like he is able to hit the ball very well, and while his defense needs some seasoning, this could be the player that makes the deal, and keeps Jackson/Montero out of it.
So how does a Joba Chamberlain/Eduardo Nunez/Austin Romine for Roy Halladay trade sound? Yes, I added another great catching prospect in Romine, but you didn't think it would only take two players, did ya? That would give Toronto three players that can completely help them for many years to come, for one year and all of the money the Yanks would have to shell out for an extension on the good Doctor. Well worth it for both teams.
Of course, when it came down to the Yanks and Sox battling over another ace, that guy went to the Mets...
Friday, November 27, 2009
SHORTSTOP NOTES FROM A SLOW FREE AGENCY
Things will certainly pick up once the Winter Meetings come around in a couple of weeks, but as expected, this year's free agency has started slow. While the economy has picked up somewhat from last year, it still isn't what it was, and teams are milking this as they once again try to undercut players. Don't get me wrong, players do indeed get paid far too much anyway, but once a precedent has been set, its tough to go the other way, as was the case last year, and now seems to be this time as well. The marquis players will still get their money, there's no doubt about that, but it'll be interesting to see how the mid-tier fares, and I just feel bad for the lower-tier guys.
That said, a couple of lower end guys have signed, both with Toronto, and both being shortstops. John McDonald re-signs as the probable back-up while the Blue Jays also went with all-defense for their starter with Alex Gonzalez. This most likely spells the end for Marco Scutaro in the Great White North, but honestly, I never thought he'd go back. He priced himself out of there with a career year, and the journeyman plans to cash in, which he should. Baseball is all about cashing in on those types of rewards, and teams have historically given out decent contracts to these types of players, see Gary Matthews Jr.. The Red Sox would be silly not to go for Scutaro, now the head of the short-stop class, unless they want a return dance with Orlando Cabrera. It seems like a perfect match, unless the Sox have other ideas?
I wonder if they would entertain the possibility of trading for Jose Reyes? While his value might a little tarnished after an injury marred season that seemed ridiculous, he should be ready to go for the new season, and Mets can still get back some decent chips. While most Mets fans wouldn't let him go, to me he's a headache I'd get rid of. They have a big shortstop prospect coming in Wilmer Flores, so trading Reyes is possible. Can they get Clay Bucholz, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Lars Anderson for Reyes? It would certainly solve rotation, outfield, and first base problems. Of course, the Sox have a SS prospect coming and the Mets a first base one, but there's a probable match there somewhere.
Speaking of first basemen, the Mets should look into signing former Yankee Shelly Duncan. He'll be super cheap, and I think he could be ready to break out in the majors. I think the guy has always had the ability to play in the big leagues, he just needs a chance to do it. Have him platoon with Murphy for this year, he'd certainly bring the power. At the very least, he can be a good pinch hitter off the bench.
That said, a couple of lower end guys have signed, both with Toronto, and both being shortstops. John McDonald re-signs as the probable back-up while the Blue Jays also went with all-defense for their starter with Alex Gonzalez. This most likely spells the end for Marco Scutaro in the Great White North, but honestly, I never thought he'd go back. He priced himself out of there with a career year, and the journeyman plans to cash in, which he should. Baseball is all about cashing in on those types of rewards, and teams have historically given out decent contracts to these types of players, see Gary Matthews Jr.. The Red Sox would be silly not to go for Scutaro, now the head of the short-stop class, unless they want a return dance with Orlando Cabrera. It seems like a perfect match, unless the Sox have other ideas?
I wonder if they would entertain the possibility of trading for Jose Reyes? While his value might a little tarnished after an injury marred season that seemed ridiculous, he should be ready to go for the new season, and Mets can still get back some decent chips. While most Mets fans wouldn't let him go, to me he's a headache I'd get rid of. They have a big shortstop prospect coming in Wilmer Flores, so trading Reyes is possible. Can they get Clay Bucholz, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Lars Anderson for Reyes? It would certainly solve rotation, outfield, and first base problems. Of course, the Sox have a SS prospect coming and the Mets a first base one, but there's a probable match there somewhere.
Speaking of first basemen, the Mets should look into signing former Yankee Shelly Duncan. He'll be super cheap, and I think he could be ready to break out in the majors. I think the guy has always had the ability to play in the big leagues, he just needs a chance to do it. Have him platoon with Murphy for this year, he'd certainly bring the power. At the very least, he can be a good pinch hitter off the bench.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
REVIEW: THE WORLD SERIES DVD
Last night was pretty special for me as I had the honor to attend the Red Carpet Premiere of the official Yankees World Series film. Held at the legendary Ziegfeld Theater, this Yankee extravaganza was held by MasterCard, the Yankees, and the MLB Network, and hosted by Yankee announcers Michael Kay, John Sterling, and Suzyn Waldman. I have to give it up for the announcers, they were as energetic and entertaining as they usually are. Suzyn, in particular, looked like she was on cloud nine the entire time. They then introduced GM Brian Cashman and manager Joe Giradi to a standing ovation, and like wrestling heroes, they came down the aisles slapping folks high fives. I actually got to slap Giradi high five and patted him on the back as he passed. A geek-out moment for a guy that came down pretty hard on the manager during the ALCS, but that's how these things usually roll. The Commissioner's Trophy was on display as well, which was pretty cool.
Onto the documentary, though, and the fantastic job MLB and The Shout Factory did putting this together. First off, it's extremely Yankeecentric, so if your a Phillies fan looking for an even-keel look at the World Series, this isn't the doc for you. Don't get me wrong, it covers how they got there, and it doesn't gloss over their 2 wins in the Series, but it's all about the 27th World Championship. They interviewed the players and coaches as the Series went on, so listening to their ongoing commentary is truly interesting, especially when knowing the final outcome. I loved that all of the the dramatic moments were heightened with beautiful shots and slick camera work. In the same regard the editing is impeccable, bringing together Series footage and interviews to form a perfect marriage. The narration helps propel everything forward in a way that isn't overbearing, and just makes the experience more enjoyable. As a Yankee fan, I was moved by all the plays in a way that I hadn't felt as they originally happened, and that is a sign of good filmmaking. There were actually moments where I just couldn't fight back the tears.
It was a true spectacle to have seen this movie on the big screen , and I cherish how rare this opportunity was. As part of our involvement we received the DVD as well, but I would've bought it regardless. I can easily recommend it to any Yankee fan, but I firmly believe all baseball fans would enjoy this documentary. It's a reminder of how great and unique this World Series truly was in the age of the Wild Card. A series where the defending world champions faced off against the greatest franchise is sports, the two best teams in baseball. There is a million interweaving storylines at play here, and it's all in this this movie. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. The DVD was released today.
Onto the documentary, though, and the fantastic job MLB and The Shout Factory did putting this together. First off, it's extremely Yankeecentric, so if your a Phillies fan looking for an even-keel look at the World Series, this isn't the doc for you. Don't get me wrong, it covers how they got there, and it doesn't gloss over their 2 wins in the Series, but it's all about the 27th World Championship. They interviewed the players and coaches as the Series went on, so listening to their ongoing commentary is truly interesting, especially when knowing the final outcome. I loved that all of the the dramatic moments were heightened with beautiful shots and slick camera work. In the same regard the editing is impeccable, bringing together Series footage and interviews to form a perfect marriage. The narration helps propel everything forward in a way that isn't overbearing, and just makes the experience more enjoyable. As a Yankee fan, I was moved by all the plays in a way that I hadn't felt as they originally happened, and that is a sign of good filmmaking. There were actually moments where I just couldn't fight back the tears.
It was a true spectacle to have seen this movie on the big screen , and I cherish how rare this opportunity was. As part of our involvement we received the DVD as well, but I would've bought it regardless. I can easily recommend it to any Yankee fan, but I firmly believe all baseball fans would enjoy this documentary. It's a reminder of how great and unique this World Series truly was in the age of the Wild Card. A series where the defending world champions faced off against the greatest franchise is sports, the two best teams in baseball. There is a million interweaving storylines at play here, and it's all in this this movie. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. The DVD was released today.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
MIDNIGHT MARKET
Free Agency officially begins at midnight. Before this, teams had an exclusive window to sign their free agents. That ends soon, and everyone is fair game. Let's look at some of the more interesting ones and peer into the crystal ball, because, you know, I know everything:
Catchers
Rod Barajas: A good, cheap choice for the Mets.
Bengie Molina: If the Mets don't sign him, they are crazy. Pop at Catcher will surely help them.
Jose Molina: Unfortunately, the Yankees don't figure on taking him back. He'll make a fine back-up anywhere he goes, though. How about backing up Yadier in St. Louis?
Miguel Olivo: Another guy the Mets can go for, also Toronto could be a good destination.
Ivan Rodriguez: I can see Houston taking him back for one more go around, otherwise he can be used to whip Dioner Navarro into shape on the Rays.
Yorvit Torrealba: Return trip to Colorado or possibly Toronto or Houston.
First Basemen
Hank Blalock: He fits well with the Mets in a platoon with Daniel Murphy, or maybe the A's as a DH.
Russell Branyan: Returning to Seattle would make a lot of sense. If not the Orioles are in serious need of a good first baseman, and he'd fit well in their lineup.
Carlos Delgado: I have a feeling the Mets take him back, but maybe the Orioles as a DH.
Nick Johnson: The Giants could use a better first baseman than Ryan Garko. The O's could be a nice fit as well.
Adam LaRoche: Atlanta would be silly not to take him back, if not I see the Giants being involved or the O's.
Second Basemen
Jerry Hairston Jr.: His diversity will land him somewhere, if not the Yankees again.
Orlando Hudson: He wants to go to the Mets. Trade Luis Castillo, Omar, and make this happen!
Adam Kennedy: Also can be used at 3rd, Kennedy turned his career around with the A's. The Twins or the O's could be an option.
Felipe Lopez: Could be a fit with Detroit if they decide not to bring Polanco back.
Placido Polanco: This Tiger could return, but he was on the Phillies short list for third as well. The Brewers could be a good landing spot.
Shortstops
Orlando Cabrera: A return trip to the Red Sox? Twins? Tigers sound like a good match.
Alex Gonzalez: Sox return is possible, he could be a good back-up for the Mets, too.
Khalil Greene: How about the Astros for Greene? He'll be cheaper than bringing back Tejada.
Marco Scutaro: After a career year, he could be a good selection for the Red Sox, or possibly just return to Toronto.
Miguel Tejada: Tejeda in a Red Sox uniform could be scary.
Omar Vizquel: Solid back-up at this point in his career could be signed anywhere. The Yankees or Mets would be interesting.
Third Basemen
Mark DeRosa: The Phillies is a top destination, but the O's or Twins would work, too. Supersub for the Yanks?
Adrian Beltre: Same suitors as above with a possible return to Seattle.
Pedro Feliz: I like him with the Orioles or Seattle.
Chone Figgins: Figgins could also play the outfield, so any number of suitors can be put on his list.
Troy Glaus: If healed, Seattle or the Twins could work.
Melvin Mora: I don't see him back with the O's, and I'm not sure what his market will be as a starter with many better choices out there.
Outfielders
Jason Bay: Possible return to the Sox, the Cardinals could work as well, and I have a feeling the Yankees like him, too.
Marlon Byrd: Good possibility for the Mets.
Johnny Damon: The Giants or the Mets are the best spots for him if he doesn't return to the Yankees.
Matt Holliday: If the Cards pull the trigger on him, I'll be surprised. The Angels or Giants have the cash for him.
Mike Cameron: Still solid, wherever he goes, I hope it's not the Yankees.
Designated Hitters
Aubrey Huff: Maybe a first base option for the Mets, but maybe Toronto.
Hideki Matsui: Coming back to the Yanks, has to.
Jim Thome: Retirement? Toronto? Texas?
Jermaine Dye: My second choice for Texas, but still an OK outfield option.
Vladimir Guerrero: My top choice for Texas, Toronto as well.
Starting Pitchers
Erik Bedard: The Dodgers could be a good fit, as this guy's an ace when he's not injured.
Aroldis Chapman: I have a feeling the Red Sox outbid everyone ala Dice-K.
Doug Davis: Return to the Brewers? St. Louis is possible. He's pretty solid.
Justin Duchscherer: Injury prone, yes, but good. Could be a value for a team like the O's.
Jon Garland: The Brewers need folks, Mariners as well.
Mike Hampton: Return to the Astros? Retire?
Rich Harden: The Cubs or the Mets may work. Angels or even the O's.
Randy Johnson: He should retire or close it out with like Seattle.
John Lackey: I could see him seriously coming to the Yankees more than anyone else.
Braden Looper: Ack, who knows. D-Backs always like signing one of these back-end guys.
Noah Lowry: Remember this dude?!
Jason Marquis: Mets or Yanks could use him.
Pedro Martinez: He's not done, and I see somewhere sunny in his future. Dodgers or Angels would be my best bet.
Brett Myers: Don't underestimate this guy. He'll be valuable. I'd take him.
Vicente Padilla: He proved his worth, but how many teams outside the Dodgers want to deal with him?
Carl Pavano: He pitched his way to a contract, so lets see who's buys? Astros? Cubs?
Brad Penny: Still got something, worth a flyer. O's need some sort of fireballer, no? A return to the Giants is possible, too. Colorado perhaps?
Andy Pettitte: Yankees or bust.
Joel Pineiro: Mets want this guy. I wouldn't touch him with a ten-foot pole!
Ben Sheets: He's going to healthy...
John Smoltz: As a starter or closer, he'll be worth it. Indians maybe.
Jarrod Washburn: The Brewers or Twins would work.
Randy Wolf: Solid. Mets is possible, or a return to the Dodgers.
Closers
Mike Gonzalez: Sox/Yanks/Braves?
Kevin Gregg: Oy, I dunno, he messed up in Chicago bad.
Fernando Rodney: Tigers aren't bringing him back? I'd be shocked. The Phillies could use him.
Rafael Soriano: Sox/Yanks/Braves?
Jose Valverde: A return to the Astros is possible, or even the D-Backs.
Billy Wagner: Could actually return to the Sox, or close for the Nats.
Happy shopping!
*Thanks to MLB Trade Rumors for the list. For the current entire list click here.
Catchers
Rod Barajas: A good, cheap choice for the Mets.
Bengie Molina: If the Mets don't sign him, they are crazy. Pop at Catcher will surely help them.
Jose Molina: Unfortunately, the Yankees don't figure on taking him back. He'll make a fine back-up anywhere he goes, though. How about backing up Yadier in St. Louis?
Miguel Olivo: Another guy the Mets can go for, also Toronto could be a good destination.
Ivan Rodriguez: I can see Houston taking him back for one more go around, otherwise he can be used to whip Dioner Navarro into shape on the Rays.
Yorvit Torrealba: Return trip to Colorado or possibly Toronto or Houston.
First Basemen
Hank Blalock: He fits well with the Mets in a platoon with Daniel Murphy, or maybe the A's as a DH.
Russell Branyan: Returning to Seattle would make a lot of sense. If not the Orioles are in serious need of a good first baseman, and he'd fit well in their lineup.
Carlos Delgado: I have a feeling the Mets take him back, but maybe the Orioles as a DH.
Nick Johnson: The Giants could use a better first baseman than Ryan Garko. The O's could be a nice fit as well.
Adam LaRoche: Atlanta would be silly not to take him back, if not I see the Giants being involved or the O's.
Second Basemen
Jerry Hairston Jr.: His diversity will land him somewhere, if not the Yankees again.
Orlando Hudson: He wants to go to the Mets. Trade Luis Castillo, Omar, and make this happen!
Adam Kennedy: Also can be used at 3rd, Kennedy turned his career around with the A's. The Twins or the O's could be an option.
Felipe Lopez: Could be a fit with Detroit if they decide not to bring Polanco back.
Placido Polanco: This Tiger could return, but he was on the Phillies short list for third as well. The Brewers could be a good landing spot.
Shortstops
Orlando Cabrera: A return trip to the Red Sox? Twins? Tigers sound like a good match.
Alex Gonzalez: Sox return is possible, he could be a good back-up for the Mets, too.
Khalil Greene: How about the Astros for Greene? He'll be cheaper than bringing back Tejada.
Marco Scutaro: After a career year, he could be a good selection for the Red Sox, or possibly just return to Toronto.
Miguel Tejada: Tejeda in a Red Sox uniform could be scary.
Omar Vizquel: Solid back-up at this point in his career could be signed anywhere. The Yankees or Mets would be interesting.
Third Basemen
Mark DeRosa: The Phillies is a top destination, but the O's or Twins would work, too. Supersub for the Yanks?
Adrian Beltre: Same suitors as above with a possible return to Seattle.
Pedro Feliz: I like him with the Orioles or Seattle.
Chone Figgins: Figgins could also play the outfield, so any number of suitors can be put on his list.
Troy Glaus: If healed, Seattle or the Twins could work.
Melvin Mora: I don't see him back with the O's, and I'm not sure what his market will be as a starter with many better choices out there.
Outfielders
Jason Bay: Possible return to the Sox, the Cardinals could work as well, and I have a feeling the Yankees like him, too.
Marlon Byrd: Good possibility for the Mets.
Johnny Damon: The Giants or the Mets are the best spots for him if he doesn't return to the Yankees.
Matt Holliday: If the Cards pull the trigger on him, I'll be surprised. The Angels or Giants have the cash for him.
Mike Cameron: Still solid, wherever he goes, I hope it's not the Yankees.
Designated Hitters
Aubrey Huff: Maybe a first base option for the Mets, but maybe Toronto.
Hideki Matsui: Coming back to the Yanks, has to.
Jim Thome: Retirement? Toronto? Texas?
Jermaine Dye: My second choice for Texas, but still an OK outfield option.
Vladimir Guerrero: My top choice for Texas, Toronto as well.
Starting Pitchers
Erik Bedard: The Dodgers could be a good fit, as this guy's an ace when he's not injured.
Aroldis Chapman: I have a feeling the Red Sox outbid everyone ala Dice-K.
Doug Davis: Return to the Brewers? St. Louis is possible. He's pretty solid.
Justin Duchscherer: Injury prone, yes, but good. Could be a value for a team like the O's.
Jon Garland: The Brewers need folks, Mariners as well.
Mike Hampton: Return to the Astros? Retire?
Rich Harden: The Cubs or the Mets may work. Angels or even the O's.
Randy Johnson: He should retire or close it out with like Seattle.
John Lackey: I could see him seriously coming to the Yankees more than anyone else.
Braden Looper: Ack, who knows. D-Backs always like signing one of these back-end guys.
Noah Lowry: Remember this dude?!
Jason Marquis: Mets or Yanks could use him.
Pedro Martinez: He's not done, and I see somewhere sunny in his future. Dodgers or Angels would be my best bet.
Brett Myers: Don't underestimate this guy. He'll be valuable. I'd take him.
Vicente Padilla: He proved his worth, but how many teams outside the Dodgers want to deal with him?
Carl Pavano: He pitched his way to a contract, so lets see who's buys? Astros? Cubs?
Brad Penny: Still got something, worth a flyer. O's need some sort of fireballer, no? A return to the Giants is possible, too. Colorado perhaps?
Andy Pettitte: Yankees or bust.
Joel Pineiro: Mets want this guy. I wouldn't touch him with a ten-foot pole!
Ben Sheets: He's going to healthy...
John Smoltz: As a starter or closer, he'll be worth it. Indians maybe.
Jarrod Washburn: The Brewers or Twins would work.
Randy Wolf: Solid. Mets is possible, or a return to the Dodgers.
Closers
Mike Gonzalez: Sox/Yanks/Braves?
Kevin Gregg: Oy, I dunno, he messed up in Chicago bad.
Fernando Rodney: Tigers aren't bringing him back? I'd be shocked. The Phillies could use him.
Rafael Soriano: Sox/Yanks/Braves?
Jose Valverde: A return to the Astros is possible, or even the D-Backs.
Billy Wagner: Could actually return to the Sox, or close for the Nats.
Happy shopping!
*Thanks to MLB Trade Rumors for the list. For the current entire list click here.
SABATHIA FINISHES 4TH! (OH, AND ZACK GREINKE WINS THE AL CY YOUNG.)
I love living in New York. And, CC Sabathia is a very good pitcher. 19-8 with a 3.37 ERA and 197 Ks is a season to be proud of. But after being inundated with articles that have titles similar to the one above, I reach over for a Baseball Weekly. Oh, that's right, make that Sports Weekly. I'll skip through the football news.
Did anyone other than a diehard Yankee fan or a person with less than a third of a functional brain honestly think that Sabathia had any chance to win the Cy Young? Now, by all accounts Sabathia is a great teammate and person, but he's not even the best pitcher with 19 wins. Felix Hernandez had superior numbers (19-5, 2.49 ERA, 217Ks). Verlander and Sabathia had comparable seasons, but I suppose Verlander having the most Ks this year in all of baseball (269) meant something to one voter.
Actually Yankee fans should be happy that Mr. Carsten Charles (mmm . . .Charleston Chew) did not win. First, if there are any incentives in CC's contract, the Yankees will not have to add another .025% to their operating budget for the year. I'm sure that savings will go straight back to the fans. If there are no contract incentives, I applaud the man. His contract is far more straightforward than Johan Santana's.
More importantly, we can use this information the next time a Met or Yankee wins a Cy, ROY or MVP award as proof that the New York media bias is not as strong as people think. Though, I'm sure that I'll be reading some permutation of this headline tomorrow:
Santana ties for 17th! Cy Young goes to Cardinal's Carpenter.
or
Santana fails to get a single vote! Oh, and Tim Lincecum wins a second NL Cy Young.
Carpenter gets an edge with the better ERA, W-L record and like Greinke, he makes for a better story, being the Comeback Player of the Year. Lincecum has already won it before while putting up more eye-popping totals: 18-5 with 265 Ks in '08, versus 15-7 with 261 Ks in '09.
However, Lincecum had a pretty impressive season. He had an ERA comparable with Carpenter's with more starts and led the National League in Ks with 261. And batters hit a disgusting .206 against Lincecum. Only Clayton Kershaw who walked twice as many as Lincecum did, had a lower BAA. We'll see if Baseball Writers give it to a kid who has only won 15.
If anyone else, even Wainwright, gets the NL Cy today, it's a total travesty.
Did anyone other than a diehard Yankee fan or a person with less than a third of a functional brain honestly think that Sabathia had any chance to win the Cy Young? Now, by all accounts Sabathia is a great teammate and person, but he's not even the best pitcher with 19 wins. Felix Hernandez had superior numbers (19-5, 2.49 ERA, 217Ks). Verlander and Sabathia had comparable seasons, but I suppose Verlander having the most Ks this year in all of baseball (269) meant something to one voter.
Actually Yankee fans should be happy that Mr. Carsten Charles (mmm . . .Charleston Chew) did not win. First, if there are any incentives in CC's contract, the Yankees will not have to add another .025% to their operating budget for the year. I'm sure that savings will go straight back to the fans. If there are no contract incentives, I applaud the man. His contract is far more straightforward than Johan Santana's.
More importantly, we can use this information the next time a Met or Yankee wins a Cy, ROY or MVP award as proof that the New York media bias is not as strong as people think. Though, I'm sure that I'll be reading some permutation of this headline tomorrow:
Santana ties for 17th! Cy Young goes to Cardinal's Carpenter.
or
Santana fails to get a single vote! Oh, and Tim Lincecum wins a second NL Cy Young.
Carpenter gets an edge with the better ERA, W-L record and like Greinke, he makes for a better story, being the Comeback Player of the Year. Lincecum has already won it before while putting up more eye-popping totals: 18-5 with 265 Ks in '08, versus 15-7 with 261 Ks in '09.
However, Lincecum had a pretty impressive season. He had an ERA comparable with Carpenter's with more starts and led the National League in Ks with 261. And batters hit a disgusting .206 against Lincecum. Only Clayton Kershaw who walked twice as many as Lincecum did, had a lower BAA. We'll see if Baseball Writers give it to a kid who has only won 15.
If anyone else, even Wainwright, gets the NL Cy today, it's a total travesty.
WELCOME SEUNG LEE TO BT!
I'd like to give a warm welcome to BeSBALL Talk's newest author, Mr. Seung Lee. Seung is a teacher and accomplished Fantasy Baseball player. While I've known the man through a mutual friend for a number of years, I really got to know him within the last year through softball and the aforementioned fantasy baseball. It was my first year playing FB and I thought of Seung as a mentor through the process.
Folks, this guy seriously knows his stuff, and when I expanded BT into its own thing, one of my goals was to get more folks involved. Mr. Lee was at the top of this list, and I'm honored he's accepted, and even more excited to read his work. Besides, its nice to get a Mets' fan's POV to the blog.
So BT grows by one, and with it becomes a more diversified stop. Thanks for reading.
Folks, this guy seriously knows his stuff, and when I expanded BT into its own thing, one of my goals was to get more folks involved. Mr. Lee was at the top of this list, and I'm honored he's accepted, and even more excited to read his work. Besides, its nice to get a Mets' fan's POV to the blog.
So BT grows by one, and with it becomes a more diversified stop. Thanks for reading.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
WHAT DOES THE YANKEE ROTATION NEED?
The Yankees played through the playoffs and won the World Series on the backs of three pitchers. It was a scary strategy that worked out for Joe Giradi's crew, but one that should not have happened. General Manager Brian Cashman could've netted a higher quality pitcher at the July trade deadline, but chose not to. Instead, he ended up getting Chad Gaudin in a waiver wire deal. Don't get me wrong, he was fine for a number five starter, but Giradi had no confidence in him going into the playoffs, and they gambled on the three man rotation. They had also lost all confidence in Joba Chamberlain, one of their highly regarded young pitchers, but that is their own fault.
The way they misused Joba was borderline criminal. They continually moved his pitching days around down the stretch to keep his inning totals down, but had they just started him in the bullpen early on, and built him up throughout the year, they may have achieved better results, and had a surefire fourth starter in the playoffs. They can't do that next year, and should they make the playoffs again, they are going to need more ammo.
So what are the World Champs to do? Do they go with their young pitchers as they tried two years ago with disastrous results? Do they make another big splash in free agency and sign John Lackey? A lot of this depends on whether or not Andy Pettitte returns for another season, and that's an issue I'm torn on. Should Andy return for another season in pinstripes?
Personally, as much as I like Pettitte, and 100% appreciate all he's done for the Yankees, what a better way to go out than with another ring on your finger? He's contemplated retirement for years now, and everyone would certainly understand him doing so now. If he does retire, then the Yankees should absolutely go for Lackey.
If he returns, I'd hold off, sign a mid-tier pitcher, and have Joba and Phil Hughes battle for the 5th spot.
Make no mistake about it, only one of the youngsters should start next year. I don't want them weakening the bullpen too much, especially with many decent available mid-tier starters out there. I can't trust Hughes and Joba to try and prove their worth again in the rotation either, that's too many iffy starts to worry about, and they just don't deserve it. Let them fight it out in Spring Training, and the "loser" heads to the bullpen, where honestly he wouldn't be much of a loser. He'd be Mariano's set-up man. And that's that. No silly rules, no messing with their heads. Let them know their jobs, and let them do it. See how it goes from there.
If Andy retires, and you can sign Lackey, then you can try to grab a Randy Wolf or Jason Marquis for the fourth spot. Would you try out Chad Gaudin again? Possibly, maybe he gives you more than he did, but he can be an asset as a long man, too. While Wolf is the better pitcher, Marquis brings in a real NYC flavor that I'd love the team to have. I just think he'd pitch well in his hometown.
So signing a Lackey-Marquis or Pettitte-Wolf combo would both work very well. If you went Lackey-Pettitte that would obviously be the best, but I'm not sure the Yankees need to go there this year.
What about the dark horses? Will Chien Ming Wang be back healthy? What about Ian Kennedy, should he be able to get in on the action? Kei Ig...nevermind. Wang was the De-facto Yankee ace for two years plus before a freak injury derailed his career. He should be back healthy from all his ailments come late spring. Does that factor into the decision making or is that just a bonus, and something the Yanks won't think about till it happens? Or do they non-tender the guy and send him packing? I'd hate to see that happen, but if he doesn't fit, it may make sense. Kennedy is interesting, and should be allowed to compete in Spring Training as well, but he may just be a trade chip at this point.
With a World Series in their back pocket, though, and next year's crop of free agent pitchers looking better with Doc Halladay and Cliff Lee possibly leading the fray, the Yanks can afford to sit back and see how the Hot Stove plays out. However, a 1-2-3 of Sabathia-Lackey-Burnett would sure be a nice Christmas gift...wouldn't it?
The way they misused Joba was borderline criminal. They continually moved his pitching days around down the stretch to keep his inning totals down, but had they just started him in the bullpen early on, and built him up throughout the year, they may have achieved better results, and had a surefire fourth starter in the playoffs. They can't do that next year, and should they make the playoffs again, they are going to need more ammo.
So what are the World Champs to do? Do they go with their young pitchers as they tried two years ago with disastrous results? Do they make another big splash in free agency and sign John Lackey? A lot of this depends on whether or not Andy Pettitte returns for another season, and that's an issue I'm torn on. Should Andy return for another season in pinstripes?
Personally, as much as I like Pettitte, and 100% appreciate all he's done for the Yankees, what a better way to go out than with another ring on your finger? He's contemplated retirement for years now, and everyone would certainly understand him doing so now. If he does retire, then the Yankees should absolutely go for Lackey.
If he returns, I'd hold off, sign a mid-tier pitcher, and have Joba and Phil Hughes battle for the 5th spot.
Make no mistake about it, only one of the youngsters should start next year. I don't want them weakening the bullpen too much, especially with many decent available mid-tier starters out there. I can't trust Hughes and Joba to try and prove their worth again in the rotation either, that's too many iffy starts to worry about, and they just don't deserve it. Let them fight it out in Spring Training, and the "loser" heads to the bullpen, where honestly he wouldn't be much of a loser. He'd be Mariano's set-up man. And that's that. No silly rules, no messing with their heads. Let them know their jobs, and let them do it. See how it goes from there.
If Andy retires, and you can sign Lackey, then you can try to grab a Randy Wolf or Jason Marquis for the fourth spot. Would you try out Chad Gaudin again? Possibly, maybe he gives you more than he did, but he can be an asset as a long man, too. While Wolf is the better pitcher, Marquis brings in a real NYC flavor that I'd love the team to have. I just think he'd pitch well in his hometown.
So signing a Lackey-Marquis or Pettitte-Wolf combo would both work very well. If you went Lackey-Pettitte that would obviously be the best, but I'm not sure the Yankees need to go there this year.
What about the dark horses? Will Chien Ming Wang be back healthy? What about Ian Kennedy, should he be able to get in on the action? Kei Ig...nevermind. Wang was the De-facto Yankee ace for two years plus before a freak injury derailed his career. He should be back healthy from all his ailments come late spring. Does that factor into the decision making or is that just a bonus, and something the Yanks won't think about till it happens? Or do they non-tender the guy and send him packing? I'd hate to see that happen, but if he doesn't fit, it may make sense. Kennedy is interesting, and should be allowed to compete in Spring Training as well, but he may just be a trade chip at this point.
With a World Series in their back pocket, though, and next year's crop of free agent pitchers looking better with Doc Halladay and Cliff Lee possibly leading the fray, the Yanks can afford to sit back and see how the Hot Stove plays out. However, a 1-2-3 of Sabathia-Lackey-Burnett would sure be a nice Christmas gift...wouldn't it?
Sunday, November 15, 2009
NOW THAT THE GM MEETINGS ARE OVER...
Now that the first round of GM Meetings are over, the Hot Stove logs are really starting to catch fire. While these first meetings are more to go over rules, and such, General Managers tend to feel each other out during this time, and get prepared to start talking trades. Talking to free agents and their agents are another big part of this time of year, and some of that happened here as well. So let's recap where we're at, and what might happen.
The Yankees want to resign Johnny Damon or Hideki Matsui, but don't know if they should. Scott Boras is playing up Damon's value, but I don't think anyone will buy that line. I like both players for their bats and think one of them should return. That one guy should be Matusi. He's put in his time, done his thing, and just won a World Series MVP for the team. Too many folks are talking about using the DH as a weigh station for the older players. I think it's just a poor excuse for not to bring back Godzilla, and I just don't think the Yanks are at that point yet where they need to do that. 2011, maybe, not next year. Posada is going to do a majority of the catching, and rest of the guys aren't that old just yet. Matsui can be brought back as your dangerous DH weapon for one more year. He's not going to hurt you in field because he doesn't play it, but Damon may, and there's a position you could fill and make younger.
One rumor has the Yankees going after Curtis Granderson of the Tigers. I like this one a lot, and see good value here. Granderson can slip in nicely in center for years to come, while the Caberera/Gardner duo can play left while Austin Jackson readies himself, or one of the former two make a serious case to trade him.
The Red Sox talked to John Lackey's agent over the meetings, but I'm not sure if I see this as a fit. The Sox have Beckett, Lester, Matsuzaka, Buchholz, and Wakefield ready to go for next year, and unless they are expecting to unload one of these guys, then that rotation seems set to me. Of course with the Yankees winning the World Series, the Sox are sure to make a splash and signing Lackey or trading for Roy Halladay would most certainly do that. Buccholz seems to be a great chip for a trade with for Toronto's Doctor. If they do sign Lackey, then they could always trade Buchholz for a shortstop.
The Sox aren't the only ones interested in Lackey. The Rangers, Dodgers, and Mets could also be players. The first two are in dyer need of an Ace, and the Mets desperately need to add some solid depth behind Johan Santana. The Dodgers could make the best bid here, but Texas is his home, and the Bulldog could be swayed by that. I just don't the see him signing with Mets right now as I'm not sure how they can be a desirable location after what has gone down the past few seasons.
The Phillies seem to be still in play for Doc Halladay, a target during the trade deadline, and still have the system to do it, but right now they seem to be more concerned in filling their third base hole that's been vacated by free agent Pedro Feliz. While he's been a good player for them, there is better out there, with the best being lead off specialist Chone Figgins. This is a player tailor made for the Phillies style of offense, and one they should pounce on before their arch rival Mets throw some cash at him to play left field.
And that has seemed to be one of the big rumors floating around the Mets camp, and I can see why. I'm not sold that they really need power. At Citi Field, the formula should be speed, defense, and pitching. Figgins fits with that train of thought, and he'd be a hell of a lot cheaper than Jason Bay or Matt Holliday. The Angels would be silly not to resign him, though.
Improving the Mets is such an interesting topic this off-season, and earlier this week, I gave some thoughts towards it, but the above move is one I didn't mention. Another guy not mentioned was Russell Branyon for first base, but that's because he's just become a free agent. He's looking for a two year deal after his breakout season with Seattle, and I think the Mets should look into him. He'd be a nice addition while they find out if prospect Ike Davis can mature into a real player. There's some serious pop in Branyon's bat, and would solve a lot of power issues while allowing the Mets to go for Figgins for left. Another guy to consider is Johnny Damon. A little pop, a little speed, lots of guts, and he could add some character to this team. They should also inquire about Ryan Doumit from the Pirates as the catcher seems to be on the block. A trade for him and closer Matt Capps could be valuable. Capps can slip into the set-up role for K-Rod, a big hole last year on the team.
A new week begins now, and with it I'm sure a slew of new rumors will come, so I'll be back with more as the week roles on.
The Yankees want to resign Johnny Damon or Hideki Matsui, but don't know if they should. Scott Boras is playing up Damon's value, but I don't think anyone will buy that line. I like both players for their bats and think one of them should return. That one guy should be Matusi. He's put in his time, done his thing, and just won a World Series MVP for the team. Too many folks are talking about using the DH as a weigh station for the older players. I think it's just a poor excuse for not to bring back Godzilla, and I just don't think the Yanks are at that point yet where they need to do that. 2011, maybe, not next year. Posada is going to do a majority of the catching, and rest of the guys aren't that old just yet. Matsui can be brought back as your dangerous DH weapon for one more year. He's not going to hurt you in field because he doesn't play it, but Damon may, and there's a position you could fill and make younger.
One rumor has the Yankees going after Curtis Granderson of the Tigers. I like this one a lot, and see good value here. Granderson can slip in nicely in center for years to come, while the Caberera/Gardner duo can play left while Austin Jackson readies himself, or one of the former two make a serious case to trade him.
The Red Sox talked to John Lackey's agent over the meetings, but I'm not sure if I see this as a fit. The Sox have Beckett, Lester, Matsuzaka, Buchholz, and Wakefield ready to go for next year, and unless they are expecting to unload one of these guys, then that rotation seems set to me. Of course with the Yankees winning the World Series, the Sox are sure to make a splash and signing Lackey or trading for Roy Halladay would most certainly do that. Buccholz seems to be a great chip for a trade with for Toronto's Doctor. If they do sign Lackey, then they could always trade Buchholz for a shortstop.
The Sox aren't the only ones interested in Lackey. The Rangers, Dodgers, and Mets could also be players. The first two are in dyer need of an Ace, and the Mets desperately need to add some solid depth behind Johan Santana. The Dodgers could make the best bid here, but Texas is his home, and the Bulldog could be swayed by that. I just don't the see him signing with Mets right now as I'm not sure how they can be a desirable location after what has gone down the past few seasons.
The Phillies seem to be still in play for Doc Halladay, a target during the trade deadline, and still have the system to do it, but right now they seem to be more concerned in filling their third base hole that's been vacated by free agent Pedro Feliz. While he's been a good player for them, there is better out there, with the best being lead off specialist Chone Figgins. This is a player tailor made for the Phillies style of offense, and one they should pounce on before their arch rival Mets throw some cash at him to play left field.
And that has seemed to be one of the big rumors floating around the Mets camp, and I can see why. I'm not sold that they really need power. At Citi Field, the formula should be speed, defense, and pitching. Figgins fits with that train of thought, and he'd be a hell of a lot cheaper than Jason Bay or Matt Holliday. The Angels would be silly not to resign him, though.
Improving the Mets is such an interesting topic this off-season, and earlier this week, I gave some thoughts towards it, but the above move is one I didn't mention. Another guy not mentioned was Russell Branyon for first base, but that's because he's just become a free agent. He's looking for a two year deal after his breakout season with Seattle, and I think the Mets should look into him. He'd be a nice addition while they find out if prospect Ike Davis can mature into a real player. There's some serious pop in Branyon's bat, and would solve a lot of power issues while allowing the Mets to go for Figgins for left. Another guy to consider is Johnny Damon. A little pop, a little speed, lots of guts, and he could add some character to this team. They should also inquire about Ryan Doumit from the Pirates as the catcher seems to be on the block. A trade for him and closer Matt Capps could be valuable. Capps can slip into the set-up role for K-Rod, a big hole last year on the team.
A new week begins now, and with it I'm sure a slew of new rumors will come, so I'll be back with more as the week roles on.
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