MLB Offseason Thread

[goreds2]

I thought I would start a generic type thread to post news bites from the offseason.

My Reds make a deal for a much needed decent catcher. I hate to lose Freel though. That guy gave 110%. I once saw him SPRINT to first base after grounding to the pitcher. We were down 13-2 in the 9th inning!

Reds trade Freel to Orioles


LAS VEGAS -- The Reds have agreed with the Orioles on a trade to send utilityman Ryan Freel and two minor leaguers to Baltimore in exchange for catcher Ramon Hernandez.


The Reds will send Freel and minor leaguers Justin Turner and Brandon Waring to the Orioles for catcher Ramon Hernandez. The Reds will get at least $1 million in cash in the deal.

Freel was due to make $4 million in 2009.

Turner was the club's seventh-round pick in 2006, Waring was the seventh-round pick in '07. Turner, a second baseman, combined to hit .289 with eight home runs and 53 RBI at Dayton and Sarasota. He hit .337 in the Arizona Fall League. Waring, a third baseman, hit .270 with 20 and 71 RBI for Single-A Dayton. Both are borderline Top 10 prospects.

 

[AJ_II]

Looks like C.C. will be wearing pinstripes next season - ESPN - Sources: New York Yankees 'close' to signing CC Sabathia

Damn it. I really liked Sabathia. Now, it'll be virtually impossible to root for the guy.

 

[Ifandorbut]

Depending on what happens with Manny's contract, the Yankees now have the two richest contracts in baseball.

Damn, I was hoping to believe all of the hometown discount BS that CC's people were floating. I was looking forward to see a pitching staff with 3 Cy Young winners.

I guess he didn't really want to hit all that much. I hope the Yankees finish in second place for the next 6 years.

 

[goreds2]

The Reds sign a quality lefty reliever:

Cincinnati Reds President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Walt Jocketty today announced the signing of free agent LHP Arthur Rhodes to a 2-year contract through the 2010 season.


Last season Rhodes combined to finish 4-1 with a sterling 2.04 ERA and 2 saves in 61 relief appearances for the Seattle Mariners and Florida Marlins. Opposing lefthanded batters hit just .167.He began the season in Seattle and went 2-1 with a 2.86 ERA and 1 save in 36 games before he was traded to Florida on July 31 in exchange for RHP Gabriel Hernandez. Rhodes finished the season 2-0 with a 0.68 ERA and 1 save in 25 appearances for the Marlins.


The 16-year Major League veteran has produced a 79-61 record, 4.23 ERA and 32 saves in 714 career appearances and 61 starts for the Baltimore Orioles, Mariners, Oakland Athletics, Cleveland Indians, Philadelphia Phillies and Marlins. Rhodes made 20 post-season appearances for the Orioles and Mariners, including 9 in the American League Division Series and 11 in the AL Championship Series.

 

[MAJ Badmotherfarker]

The Yankees are losing their goddam minds. They're going to have $200-250 million on the books for their top 3 pitchers alone.

 

[goreds2]

The Yankees are losing their goddam minds. They're going to have $200-250 million on the books for their top 3 pitchers alone.

Tampa Bay's payroll last year was around $42 million.

 

[MAJ Badmotherfarker]

Tampa Bay's payroll last year was around $42 million.

Yea, I think there's something like 5 MLB teams that will have a lower total yearly payroll than the Yankees top three starters. Pretty ridiculous.

 

[goreds2]

Any Reds fans with XM radio:

Every Tuesday Night on XM173 (WLW)

12/16/08:

6PM-7PM CINCINNATI REDS HOT STOVE LEAGUE

What trades still need to be made? Ask Marty and Thom Brennaman.

700WLW - THE BIG ONE

 

[Bandit 5160]

Goreds2:

As a Reds fan, does it frustrate you that the Reds, being a small market team, will probably have trouble making the playoffs now forever unless a salary cap comes into existence? Thast you may never relive the glorious times of the 70s and to a lesser extent the early 90s again? I'm staring to feel that way about my Atlanta Braves...they seem to be unable to afford any great players now, and they are sinking like a lead balloon! I love MLB and listening to it on the radi is always classic to me, as I picture my father and my late grandfather doing that years ago! But MLB definetly has some issues keeping everyone with a chance to be competitive and giving every franchise the same fighting chance!

 

[Ifandorbut]

Goreds2:

As a Reds fan, does it frustrate you that the Reds, being a small market team, will probably have trouble making the playoffs now forever unless a salary cap comes into existence? Thast you may never relive the glorious times of the 70s and to a lesser extent the early 90s again? I'm staring to feel that way about my Atlanta Braves...they seem to be unable to afford any great players now, and they are sinking like a lead balloon! I love MLB and listening to it on the radi is always classic to me, as I picture my father and my late grandfather doing that years ago! But MLB definetly has some issues keeping everyone with a chance to be competitive and giving every franchise the same fighting chance!

Sorry for interrupting your question to Goreds, but really, just think back to last year when the Rays broke through and won the division that features the biggest stacked deck of overpaid millionaires in all of baseball.

Anything is possible. Never count your team out of it until they are mathematically out of it.

The Yankees just got tagged with a 27 million dollar salary cap tax...and you know what...it means nothing to them. To them that's just another player they're paying to sit on the IR list.

But really, you're a Braves fan....you had over ten years of winning your division...you had sure fire Hall of Fame players in your starting rotation...you shouldn't be complaining for at least another ten years of non competitive ball. So what, they couldn't land Furcal, you're better off anyway. He's going to have a bad back sometime before the All Star Break. You guys would have been much better off trying to get Jack Wilson from Pittsburgh.

Why not take a year contract on Omar Vizquel, he can still play defense like an MF'er.

 

[goreds2]

Why not take a year contract on Omar Vizquel, he can still play defense like an MF'er.

I am all for signing him. It will probably never happen but the only way to get a salary cap in MLB would be for the owners to lock out for a season or maybe two.

Teams that look hopeless for one season can get some motivation from the D-Rays on how they turned it around.

 

[Ifandorbut]

I am all for signing him. It will probably never happen but the only way to get a salary cap in MLB would be for the owners to lock out for a season or maybe two.

Teams that look hopeless for one season can get some motivation from the D-Rays on how they turned it around.

Oakland could have done all those years when they faced the Yankees in the playoffs, but they always fell a game or two short. Their payroll was a third of the Yankees, it's considerably less than that now.

It can happen...absolutely it can...and when it does, it's a feel good story. There is no feel good story concerning the Yankees. They're the organization with the most marbles, although George is losing his, they're still the team with the most.

 

[goreds2]

A's-Giambi reunion pending physical

A's-Giambi reunion pending physical
Veteran first baseman collected AL MVP with Oakland in 2000
By Tom Singer / MLB.com

Giambi appears headed to Oakland


Jason Giambi's Oakland homecoming is a done deal, only a physical away from becoming official.
Tying a bow around day-long reports that the free-agent first baseman and the A's were nearing an agreement, the New York Post reported Tuesday night that the two have signed off on a one-year contract with a 2010 club option.

Giambi is scheduled to undergo the physical on Wednesday, the last step before the reunion becomes official.

Confirming details reported earlier, the Post pegged Giambi's 2009 salary at $3.5 million, with the $5 million option for next season carrying a $1 million buyout.

Giambi broke into the Majors in 1995 with Oakland under the wing of incumbent first baseman Mark McGwire and has split his career evenly between the A's and the Yankees, playing seven seasons with each.

A year after reigning as the 2000 American League Most Valuable Player, Giambi signed a seven-year, $120 million contract with the Yankees.

Although his Bronx tenure was marked by frequent fan criticism and a sensationalized case of confessed steroids use, Giambi was productive enough with the Yankees to hit 30-plus homers five times and have three seasons of 107-plus RBIs.

A's-Giambi reunion pending physical | MLB.com: News

 

[YankeeXDev]

Giambi, Holliday, Cust middle of the order. That is going to be a lot of walks and strikeouts between 3 hitters.

 

[Ifandorbut]

Giambi, Holliday, Cust middle of the order. That is going to be a lot of walks and strikeouts between 3 hitters.

Giambi built quite a career for himself in Oakland already, it will interesting to see if the fans take to him and his, "I always wanted to be a Yankee" routine.

Holliday can hit in any park, not just Colorado. Cust...eh, he's got a lot of thunder, but he will strike out quite a bit.

 

[goreds2]

It's all about $$$ for Pettitte

Blogging The Bombers - NY Daily News

It's all about $$$ for Pettitte
January 6, 2009
Happy New Year.

My vacation continues, even as the Yankees introduced Mark Teixeira this afternoon at the old Stadium, but I figured I would check in after reading John Harper's story in today's paper that Andy Pettitte had rejected the one-year, $10 million offer.

Let me start by saying I like Pettitte, and I believe he has been a legendary Yankee who played a major part in the four World Series titles. He has always treated his teammates, the writers and - most importantly - the fans with respect.

But this latest chapter in Pettitte's Yankees career has put a black mark on his pinstriped legacy, even more than last year's HGH admission did.

If you were inclined to believe Pettitte's explanation - and I think most people were, not including the Yankee-haters out there who reveled in the whole thing - it was easy not to view him in the same light as many of the other players mixed up in the steroid era.

Now, after listening to Pettitte tell everyone who would listen all year that he wants to pitch for the Yankees - that it wasn't going to be about the money - it turns out that it's all about the money.

Here's the thing - if Pettitte had simply said during the season that he would assess his options after the year, nobody would be frowning upon his decision to play hardball with the Yankees. Every player is entitled to seek as much money as they can get, especially when their careers are nearing the end. But if you're going to come out and express your loyalty to the Yankees repeatedly, then try to hold them up for $16 million when you are no longer a $16 million pitcher, that's weak.

How many other teams would even give him $10 million right now? Given the current market, I'd say very few - if any. If he wants to play, he'll likely have to take less from another team (the Dodgers, perhaps?) in 2009, which would make him look even worse.

Assuming the two sides still want to get together, Pettitte should reconsider the offer - if the Yankees are still willing to extend it, of course. Otherwise, we may have seen him throw his last pitch in pinstripes - or in any uniform.

PERFECT PICKS: Eight contestants in our Pinstriped Prognosticator Challenge have correctly picked the destinations of CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Mark Teixeira and Francisco Rodriguez, putting them in position to win the DVD sets. The contest ends on Jan. 15, with Manny Ramirez the last free agent on the market.

For the record, six of the eight have Manny heading to the Dodgers, while one has him becoming an Angel and another has him landing with the Mets. We'll check back again in 10 days.

 

[gilpdawg]

Oakland could have done all those years when they faced the Yankees in the playoffs, but they always fell a game or two short. Their payroll was a third of the Yankees, it's considerably less than that now.

It can happen...absolutely it can...and when it does, it's a feel good story. There is no feel good story concerning the Yankees. They're the organization with the most marbles, although George is losing his, they're still the team with the most.

Small market teams can absolutely contend. Minnesota is usually average to good, and Oakland is usually a threat. The small market teams that don't do well don't do well because of incompetence. The Royals for instance, do some of the dumbest shit possible. It's their own fault. The "small market" excuse is just that, an excuse. You CAN win by developing your own players and getting other inexpensive players to fill the holes, like Beane does in Oakland. The Reds haven't sucked for the last 10 years due to being a "small market" and I know goreds will probably agree with me. It's been dumbass GM's and owners. Bowden set this franchise back 10 years the last couple of years of his tenure.

 

[goreds2]

Yes, if you are a small market team, there is no margin of error. You have to have quality personel across the board concerning scouting, management etc. I have read where the KC Royals have made a profit the last few years because they sit on their wallets instead of spending "some" money on players. They pocket the Luxury tax money.

I commend the job the Twins and A's have done throughout the years. :bigclap:

The A's have had the 4th best record in the AL the last few years. (Source: MLB Network)

 

[goreds2]

John Smoltz signs with BOSOX.

Hoffman: New closer for the BREW CREW.

 

[Ifandorbut]

John Smoltz signs with BOSOX.

Hoffman: New closer for the BREW CREW.

I know they're both older and all that, but man, I feel so much better in knowing that they're not going to be beating my team anymore. A psychological feel good Hot Stove story.