The thing about Gonzalez last year was that I was willing to punt any type of offensive production we might have seen from the SS position just to get an adequate defender out there as such a crucial position. After already losing Bay this offseason, I'm not all that willing to take a similar approach to 3rd base. I suppose its a good thing that Mike Lowell will not be in Boston this year, but its an interesting point you bring up with Kotchman. Are they really all that much better off with Youkilis at 1st and Beltre at 3rd than they would have been with perhaps Kotchman at 1st and Youkilis at 3rd? I conceed that Beltre is a better defender than Youkilis would be at 3rd base, but is the value of that superior defense equal to the difference in Beltre and Kotchman's salaries for 2010? If not, I think you could make a strong arguement that the Red Sox didn't really improve with the Beltre signing when you consider the alternative options available. The home/road splits are garbage. Great, he's raked in PNC park, Dolphin Stadium (prior years) and Coors. Not exactly the type of venues or opposition he'll be facing in the AL East.
Beltre is better than Kotchman both with the glove and bat and speed too if that matters to the discussion. The money isn't an issue for the Red Sox because it's not like signing Beltre will prevent them from being able to take on additional salary (whether it be another small FA signing like a back up INF/OF or another RP pitcher or making some trades during the year). And even with Beltre's injuries last year and down offensive year he was still worth more than 10 million dollars because he's that good with the glove. What's your strong arguement that the Sox didn't really improve with Beltre? What other realistic options were available that would make the team better? Staying with Kotchman? Hank Blalock? Mike Lowell? I really think that after 7 years building the team people should give Theo the benefit of doubt, I'm confident he knows exactly what he's doing. Remember last year when fans are calling for Theo's head for not trading Buchholz for Saltalamacchia or Taylor Teagarden? Or even at the trade deadline for not trading Buchholz straight up for Victor Martinez? The guy knows how to run a team. Not saying he's perfect because Renteria, Lugo, Clement etc say hello but most often than not he's good at what he does.
Agreed. But by how much (which was my original point)? Enough to justify the difference in their contracts? I don't think so. Clearly the Sox are not a small market club and don't need to be concerned with what amounts to pocket change, but the point remains. See above.
Ok so you agree that Beltre is the better player and money isn't an issue, nor is the length of the contract, so why do you still hate the deal then? I think the difference between offensive and defensive stats between the two players is much bigger than you think. Good ahead and look at both guys stats because they surprised me too. Beltre is labeled a hacker while Kotchman has a good eye at the plate yet Kotchman's career OBP is .337 and doesn't have much pop in the bat. Are you willing to have a light hitting 1B on this team? Beltre at least has some raw power and has shown the ability to hit 20 plus HRs in a pitcher's parks during his career.
A stat I just saw regarding run provention: the 2009 Mariners won 24 more games in 2009 while scoring 31 fewer runs than in 2008. The main difference between the 2008 and 2009 teams was the defense. I'd also like to point out that the West was much tougher in 2009 with both the Rangers and Angels being better teams than in 2008. So run prevention does in fact work.
Rumors going around that the Red Sox will trade Casey Kotchman to Seattle for a MLB role player (speculation is that it's Bill Hall), a minor league PTBNL and cash.
The Red Sox will acquire Bill Hall from the Mariners in exchange for Casey Kotchman, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com. This will be Hall's third organization in the space of one year. He didn't fare much better in the American League after coming over from the Brewers, batting .200/.244/.333 with two home runs and 12 RBI in 120 at-bats, but is right-handed and can play a variety of positions on the diamond. He's slated to make $8.4 million next season, but Boston won't take much of a salary hit if Seattle includes the cash they received from Milwaukee last summer.
The Cardinals and Matt Holliday have reached agreement on a seven-year, $120 million contract according to SI.com's Jon Heyman. Holliday confirmed he is staying in St. Louis during an appearance on ESPN Radio. Holliday will receive a no-trade clause as part of the new pact, according to Heyman. The final deal is worth just more than $17 million annually. Holliday hit .353 with 13 home runs and 55 RBI in 63 games with the Cardinals after he was acquired from the A's. A formal announcement from the club is expected in the next 48 hours.
Randy Johnson has officially announced his retirement, according to Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse. The 46-year-old southpaw announced his decision during a Tuesday conference call. Johnson's 22nd season was cut short due to injury, posting a 4.88 ERA in 96 innings, but he did reach the 300-win plateau against the Nationals in June. The Big Unit finishes his illustrious career at 303-166 with a 3.29 ERA and 1.17 WHIP, including five Cy Young Awards. His 4,875 career strikeouts are second only to Nolan Ryan. He'll surely be a member of the Hall of Fame class in 2015.
We talked about it in one of threads. Can't remember which one though. If Glaus can give is 135-150 games it's a great deal by Wren as 1B has been a blackhole for HR's and RBI's since Tex left. Although LaRoche did pretty well for us after we acquired him.
They officially signed him yesterday I believe but had an agreement with him before Christmas. Not a bad gamble if he can stay healthy, but that's a big if right now. Braves also signed Eric Hinske to a 1 million dollar deal I believe today.
I like Eric (customer of mine), good guy and a solid bat off the bench. This means we'll FINALLY say goodbye to Greg Norton.
Yeah he's a nice role player. Too bad he can't really play the corner OF too well (i.e. somewhat average) or a platoon of him vs. RHP and Diaz vs. LHP wouldn't be a terrible idea by any means. What do you do again (if you don't mind me asking) that he's a customer of yours? I think I remember you saying something about LaRoche being one too a while back.
Rumors on metsblog and rotoworld that the mets will resign Delgado and are considering John smoltz for a rotation or bullpen role. Delgado still showed power when he was healthy last year and smoltz sported a 4.25 era with st Louis.
The Astros have reached a deal with right-hander Brett Myers, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Myers, 29, has reportedly been offered a spot in Houston's starting rotation. The right-hander posted a 4.84 ERA, a 1.37 WHIP and a 50/23 K/BB ratio in 18 appearances (10 starts) last season for Philadelphia. He won't be much of a fantasy asset no matter the role he's given.
A source has informed Jim Bowden of Sirius XM that the Rangers are finalizing a one-year contract with Vladimir Guerrero. It's probably worth noting that Bowden has been wrong before, but he's citing a "source close to" Vlad and it's common knowledge that the 35-year-old slugger has been in contact with the Rangers all winter. If the news is true, he will take over designated duties in Arlington, Texas, where he boasts a 394/.471/.705 batting line in 50 career games.
The Orioles will send representatives to Puerto Rico next week to scout free agent Carlos Delgado, according to MASN.com. Delgado is playing for the Carolina Giants of the Puerto Rican Winter League in an effort to show that his right hip is back to full strength. The Mets are also sending representatives and are interested in signing him to an incentive-packed one-year contract.
According to SI.com's Jon Heyman, the Blue Jays have offered a $23 million bid to Cuban left-hander Aroldis Chapman. Heyman says the Jays "have a decent shot" with that offer but still face pressure from the Nationals, Marlins, A's, Red Sox and Angels, who may also be players in the negotiation process. Chapman, 21, is expected to sign a five-year major league contract within the next few weeks.
Rosenthal tweets: KC Royals sign Scott Podsednik to a one year deal for $1.75 million plus incentives that could bring the deal to $2 million. Also, a $2 million club option for 2011, also with incentives, but he can void the option if he gets 525 plate appearances in 2010. Coulda been worse I suppose. And hey, if Podsednik has a really, really great year he could boost the Royals from 65 to 67 wins.
MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez reports the Mets are only willing to give Joel Pineiro a contract in the neighborhood of Jason Marquis' most recent deal. Marquis received two years and $15 million from the Nationals, a figure that seems very reasonable for Pineiro. The right-hander is seeking a three-year deal worth around $30 million but will have to move off that number to sign anywhere, not just New York. Many expect Pineiro to wind up with the Mets.
According to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan, the Rangers and Vladimir Guerrero have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with an option for 2011. A significantly better choice for Texas than Jermaine Dye would have been. Guerrero may see sporadic outfield duty, particularly in NL parks, but he'll be the Rangers' primary DH. The move makes David Murphy a fourth outfielder, but all signs pointed to that happening.
MLB.com reports that the Rangers have signed Khalil Greene to a one-year, $750,000 contract. Greene sure has fallen a long way. Not only did he settle for a minimal deal, but he couldn't even find a team willing to give him a real chance of winning a starting job. The Rangers' infielders figure to get very few days off when healthy, so Greene really should have kept looking and hoping that something better opened up.
Chapman to a NL team (the reds?) for 30 mill. Was hoping Kendry would help the Angels lure him to Anaheim. Oh well.
Thank god a small market team signed Chapman, so now we don't have to hear about how there should be a cap in the MLB. By the way the top 3 international free agents this year have signed with Kansas City, Minnesota and now Cincinnati so that will stop the whole international free agents need to be put into the draft thing too. Last year the top FA signed with Oakland. My only questions is should the Reds introduce Chapman to Dr. James Andrews now or have him wait until Dusty Baker abuses him after a year or 2?
My gut tells me this is the Nats. they were rumored to be interested in Chapman and would give them a rotation of Strasburgh, Chapman, Lannan, zimmerman
According to Jeff Blair of Toronto's Globe and Mail, Aroldis Chapman has agreed to a five-year, $30 million contract with the Reds. The Cuban left-hander drew bids this winter from baseball's biggest spenders and several surprise teams, but the Reds stepped forward and grabbed him with an overwhelming offer. Perhaps Cincinnati management has finally come to the realization that they must establish a quality pitching staff in order to win ball games in the cozy confines of Great American Ballpark. Chapman, 22, could be part of the answer eventually though expectations should be tempered in his first year. His fastball has been clocked in the triple-digits but he has zero major league experience.
Johnny Damon told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe that there is "nothing there" in negotiations with the Yankees. Damon wants a $10 million-a-year deal from the Yankees, but the club isn't willing to match that. His demands could still come down, but for now, he's holding out. The possibility of Atlanta was broached, and Damon said he would love to play in Atlanta. He has his eye on a few teams with the criteria that they have a chance to win the World Series.
The Marlins plan to discuss a contract extension for Josh Johnson with his agent this week. In November, contract negotiations fell apart over agent Matt Sosnick's demands for a four-year deal with the Marlins only willing to guarantee three years. Johnson took a major step towards being an ace in 2009, tossing 209 innings of 3.23 ERA ball. If Florida is willing to guarantee four years, an accord will likely be reached.
Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune reports that the Cubs are "kicking the tires again" on Padres closer Heath Bell. The Padres haven't seemed open to moving Bell at all this winter but may reconsider at the right price. The San Diego closer had a superb 2009 season, tallying a 2.71 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 42 saves in 68 appearances. He would probably snatch closing duties from Carlos Marmol in Chicago.
I see your sarcasm. But it's January, so there's reason to be optimistic if you're a KC fan (sadly, I am). I like the Podsednik signing, though I'm scared he reverts back to a .260 to .270 batting average in KC. That said, if Alex Gordon can stay healthy, and Zach Grienke can continue to be dominant, they can be competitive. Still, Podsednik excites me a lot more than say a Jason Kendall, who hasn't been an offensive threat since 2006. That said, I have no idea who KC is going to have bat cleanup. I don't see anyone on the team that can really hit for power.
Unfortunately Dayton Moore is one of the worst GMs in baseball, if not the worst. The Royals won't be good until they fire him and hire someone with some common sense and brains and even then it will take the next GM a good 5 years or so until the team will be good again.
I don't disagree at all Finkle. We're a directionless franchise, and have bee for the last 15 years. I still enjoy watching the team, and I'll take a game at the K any day. It's one of the best ballparks in America, IMO. Too bad the team is so damn bad.
According to CBS5 in San Francisco, via MLB Trade Rumors, the Giants and Aubrey Huff have come to terms on a deal. A bit of a surprise in light of the recent Mark DeRosa and Juan Uribe signings. Now Pablo Sandoval will seemingly move back to third base, with DeRosa playing left field and Uribe occupying a utility role. Huff probably won't play full-time -- it'd still make sense to use Sandoval at first and Uribe at third against lefties -- but he's an adequate first base option in a platoon role.
