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***Official 2011-12 MLB HOTSTOVE OFF-SEASON THREAD***

Discussion in 'Other Sports Forum' started by BigDogsHunt, Oct 29, 2011.

  1. muscle979

    muscle979 Season Ticket Holder

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    They also got Arodys Vizcaino, he'll turn 21 tomorrow and is a pretty highly regarded pitching prospect as far as I know. Mike Dunn was an important part of the trade to acquire Dan Uggla so that has to count for something. Melky and Javy themselves were pretty insignificant in the trade since neither did much. Maybe not a fleecing but it was a pretty good trade for Atlanta.
     
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  2. BigDogsHunt

    BigDogsHunt Enough talk...prove it!

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    The Red Sox lost their closer yesterday, and today GM Ben Cherington told reporters (including Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe) that losing their DH would affect what the team does in right field (Twitter link). If they're able to retain David Ortiz, they're unlikely to chase a big bat for the outfield. Scott Lauber of The Boston Herald provides a quote...
    tick, tick, tick.........
     
  3. BigDogsHunt

    BigDogsHunt Enough talk...prove it!

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    Ok, Cubs and RSox still on the clock!

    very surprised Cards went the Robin Ventura route from experience standpoint...will see how it works out. If it helps them retain Albert, that alone is a big win!
     
  4. FaninPatsyLand

    FaninPatsyLand The Truth

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    Glad Cherington let him walk at that price - as long as the option to replace him is not Heath Bell.
     
  5. Ray Finkle

    Ray Finkle Member

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    I agree completely. Again the closer's role is completely overrated. I'm fine with going with Bard. And yes I don't want Heath Bell (another closer that's overrated that's helped out by pitching in Petco) or anyone else really. Just sign a bunch of RPers to 1 year deals and hope they pan out or just develop a pitcher from within. It's worked for Tampa Bay the past what 5 years. No need to sign a player to big money that's only going to pitch 60 to 80 innings a year. And I loved Papelbon but I would have been upset if the Sox signed him to that contract.
     
  6. FaninPatsyLand

    FaninPatsyLand The Truth

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    Yup. Heath Bell is a fat 34 yr-old, who while pitching in Petco in the creampuff NL West also saw his K-rate drop significantly from 11.1 to 7.3 last year.

    No thanks.
     
  7. finyank13

    finyank13 Reality Check

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    I am very interested on the price point of that contract, cant wait to see what it is...
     
  8. BigDogsHunt

    BigDogsHunt Enough talk...prove it!

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    well one GM openly agrees with this too...

     
  9. BigDogsHunt

    BigDogsHunt Enough talk...prove it!

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    Dont know $$$ but.....Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch tweets that Matheny received a two-year deal with a club option for 2014.
     
  10. BigDogsHunt

    BigDogsHunt Enough talk...prove it!

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    The HOT STOVE is about to get lit....woot!; Love this time of year!

    Though GMs are flying into Milwaukee today, the GM Meetings will take place in earnest on Tuesday and Wednesday. Today MLB's focus is on the Rookie of the Year awards, which will be announced by the BBWAA at 1pm central time. MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith will be reporting from Milwaukee Tuesday and Wednesday. Here are a few potential stories to watch:

    • Owners meet on Thursday, at which point the sale of the Astros to Jim Crane is expected to be approved.
    • With significant progress last week, a new collective bargaining agreement could be announced at the meetings. The Astros are expected to move to the American League in 2013, creating two 15-team leagues each with three five-team divisions. Two more playoff teams are expected to be added. Changes are also expected in free agent draft pick compensation and perhaps draft spending.
    • The Cardinals named Mike Matheny manager yesterday, while the Cubs and Red Sox still have openings. The Cubs are considering Sandy Alomar Jr., Pete Mackanin, Mike Maddux, and Dale Sveum. With a second interview coming this week, Sveum is the frontrunner for Boston's job, though Alomar, Mackanin, Torey Lovullo, and Gene Lamont are also in the mix.
    • The Miami Marlins have offers out to Jose Reyes, Albert Pujols, and Mark Buehrle. Will any of them sign on the dotted line this week? The Marlins were active at last year's GM Meetings, trading Dan Uggla and signing John Buck. Assuming they're not bringing him back, the White Sox wouldn't mind Buehrle signing before November 23rd, because that would guarantee them a supplemental draft pick.
    • Click here to see the remaining free agents. Aside from the Marlins' targets, big names include Prince Fielder, Aramis Ramirez, Jimmy Rollins, C.J. Wilson, Edwin Jackson, and Carlos Beltran.
    • The Chunichi Dragons are up 2-0 in the Nippon Series over the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks. If the series concludes this week, will the Nippon Ham Fighters post Yu Darvish shortly thereafter?
    • Look for a couple of trades at the GM Meetings. Last year we had trades involving Uggla and Rajai Davis, as well as the Felipe Paulino-Clint Barmes swap. Paulino and Barmes were non-tender candidates. I've got some tentative candidates in this spreadsheet, but my list will be published this week.
    • Last year the Joaquin Benoit contract, signed during the GM Meetings, shook up the market for free agent relievers. Jonathan Papelbon's record deal with the Phillies has done that for the high-end of the market already, but will it have a ripple effect for all decent free agent relievers?
    • Six teams have new GMs: the Orioles (Dan Duquette), Red Sox (Ben Cherington), Twins (Terry Ryan), Angels (Jerry Dipoto), Cubs (Jed Hoyer), and Padres (Josh Byrnes). Former Red Sox GM Theo Epstein is now president of baseball operations for the Cubs. The Dodgers' Ned Colletti and the Astros' Ed Wade are operating under uncertainty with ownership changes on the horizon.
     
  11. finyank13

    finyank13 Reality Check

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  12. BlameItOnTheHenne

    BlameItOnTheHenne Taking a poop

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    You would think they would hire someone with, uh, experience.
     
  13. BigDogsHunt

    BigDogsHunt Enough talk...prove it!

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    Oh, its a wait and see for sure...depends on exactly which teams are in the race to bid.

    Its possible this is the new wave....take the non-MLB experienced, but with past history to the org, and give them a whirl, vs. reaching into Minor League Coaching ranks, or the retreads!

    I am surprised by both ChiSox and STL, but others with familiarity to these organizations and Ventura, and Matheny seem to give them the benefit of the doubt. Interesting to see how it shakes out.
     
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  14. BigDogsHunt

    BigDogsHunt Enough talk...prove it!

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    Pujols would be smart to wait to see what others do....including Prince.

    Now if this deal with Kemp goes down....katy bar the door....cause its setting the floor; not the ceiling.

     
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  15. finyank13

    finyank13 Reality Check

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    oh well there goes my plans for him in right....

     
  16. BigDogsHunt

    BigDogsHunt Enough talk...prove it!

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    • The Dodgers and Matt Kemp agreed to an eight-year, $160MM extension today, which ties for the seventh-richest contract in MLB history. It sounds like the deal includes a full no-trade clause, tweets SI's Jon Heyman.


    • The Marlins are very confident on signing Reyes, a baseball source tells Kevin Burkhardt of SNY (Twitter link). Burkhardt says not to be shocked if Hanley Ramirez winds up in center field if the Marlins sign Reyes.


    • "There is an expectation [the Marlins] will work something out with Reyes for something in the range of five years, $18-20MM a year," said ESPN's Buster Olney on Sportscenter. Olney sees the Marlins as Reyes' most aggressive suitor.


    • The Phillies have agreed to sign the 30-year-old to a precedent-setting four-year, $50,000,058 deal that establishes the record for guaranteed money for a reliever. The Phillies announced the deal today, noting that Papelbon will continue to wear #58. The contract includes a $13MM option for 2016 that vests with 55 games finished in 2015 or 100 in 2014-15, tweets ESPN's Jayson Stark.


    • Check another item off the Dodgers' winter to-do list, as the team reached an agreement with second baseman Mark Ellis on a two-year, $8.75MM deal. With Dee Gordon penciled in at shortstop and Juan Uribe at third, second base was considered one of the Dodgers' offseason needs.


    • The Diamondbacks may have declined Aaron Hill's option last month, but the second baseman will still be calling Chase Field his home. The two sides have agreed to terms on a new two-year contract that will pay Hill $11MM.
     
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  17. BigDogsHunt

    BigDogsHunt Enough talk...prove it!

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    Nappy Roots and muscle979 like this.
  18. Samphin

    Samphin Κακό σκυλί ψόφο δεν έχει

    Mark Ellis at second for the Dodgers in interesting. I enjoyed him in Oakland and think he will fill the Jamey Carroll role quite well. Definitely a glue guy and someone who can sub anywhere in the infield.

    Outside of maybe Prince Fielder, I can't see the Dodgers being too active in the free agent market this year with their restrictions. I wouldn't be surprised to see them possibly trade players like Billingsley or Ethier though. Personally, I would hold on to those pieces, but I can see them shuffling them around to try and net a bat in return.

    They also need to find a catcher and left fielder PRONTO. I assume the left fielder will be from within their ranks already, but catcher is an abyss right now.
     
  19. schmolioot

    schmolioot Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    If the Marlins get Reyes and move Hanley to center that eliminates the Marlins from Cespedes competition. If the Marlins are willing to push their payroll to the $100 mil range they could actually get Pujols. Eliminates them from pitcher bidding though
     
  20. finyank13

    finyank13 Reality Check

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    ...
     
  21. finyank13

    finyank13 Reality Check

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  22. SICK

    SICK Lounge Moderator

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    Looks like Hanley is not too friendly with Reyes, and would not be happy about moving from SS. Things could get interesting for Ozzie already, if Reyes is signed.

    http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2...ut-having-to-switch-positions-for-jose-reyes/

     
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  23. BigDogsHunt

    BigDogsHunt Enough talk...prove it!

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    Place this in the WOW - I AM FLOORED TO FIND THIS OUT:
    That's it...SD only has 2 players currently under contract...all others are with Options, or Arbitration Eligible, or currently a FA....

    wow....thats crazy. Only 2 out of the 25 man or 40 man on the required roster. So, simply put, the SD Padres owe $11MM to their starting middle infield for 2012, and nothing beyond that currently. GM Jed Hoyer has a clean slate and a payroll expected to be in the $53-55MM range once they fill out their team.
     
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  24. Section126

    Section126 We are better than you. Luxury Box

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  25. BlameItOnTheHenne

    BlameItOnTheHenne Taking a poop

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    Davie
    Clark Spencer looks like he could play a nerd in an 80's movie.
     
  26. BigDogsHunt

    BigDogsHunt Enough talk...prove it!

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  27. BigDogsHunt

    BigDogsHunt Enough talk...prove it!

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  28. Ray Finkle

    Ray Finkle Member

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    Talk about throwing money away....
     
  29. padre31

    padre31 Premium Member Luxury Box

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    inching to 100k posts
    In SD that is known as a spending spree.

    To make things worse, Moorad was Kotsay's agent at one time.
     
  30. Ray Finkle

    Ray Finkle Member

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    Which explains why he was signed to a guaranteed contract. He's not really a useful MLB player anymore, hasn't been for years.
     
  31. padre31

    padre31 Premium Member Luxury Box

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    Yessir, why sign him when they may as well give a young player a chance is sort of some of the issues with SD and Moorad, as an example, Aaron Harang was a good Petco pitcher, demonstrably so, he wanted to return for a cheapy contract around 4 million or so, club declined to pick up the option.

    Led us in wins, 13 iirc, huge dfference in home v road eras but you need those innings eaters and they let him walk.
     
  32. muscle979

    muscle979 Season Ticket Holder

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    http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/the....espn.go.com/blog/the-gms-office/post?id=2336
     
  33. Ray Finkle

    Ray Finkle Member

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  34. HardKoreXXX

    HardKoreXXX Insensitive to the Touch

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    .

    Yep, a bad trade for multiple reasons. No way Wren would take on Youngs contract.

    Compared to what Prado is making, I should add.
     
  35. finyank13

    finyank13 Reality Check

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    Wow Yanks showing some fiscal restraint...

     
  36. Nappy Roots

    Nappy Roots Well-Known Member

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    If I were the Yanks, I wouldn't touch Edwin Jackson anyways. I think he would blow up in their face.
     
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  37. BigDogsHunt

    BigDogsHunt Enough talk...prove it!

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    You know as well as I do, Cashman and the name Yankees gets painted with the Steinbrenner brush....since Cashman's reign took over where Stick Michaels left off "restraint" has been part of his INFRASTRUCTURE on placing this franchise into a consistent short term - but like Michales a long term Championship caliber organization from depth within its farm system.

    Paying for the tallest midget is not part of his M.O.

    Now, I dont think by any means Yanks are sitting tight, a move or two will be made, and one of those or both could be labeled "BlockBusters".....

    Here is a small sampling of what I could see happen....

    Step 1) Package Montero, one of the B's, and even $ and grab the likes of King Felix, Lincecum, (or to make you happy Kershaw) for example
    Step 2) Sign the likes of Prince Fielder as your full time DH

    I am not predicting this...just saying in a down FA year from arms standpoint, Cashman sees the limits, and wont waste dollars for the sake of throwing his hat in the ring, he will circumvent the arms via trade, and pluck a FA bat to fill a need. I could see that this offseason, before I see a contract for Wilson and especially before one for Jackson, etc.

    This offseason, I would be just as happy if they standpat with both B's and Montero...this one could pass without a blockbuster move or two as described above, and I would be fine. Next offseason is much richer to dabble with another year under the belt for both B's...and let Montero shine (but he will always be a trade option from Offensive weapon to another AL team).
     
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  38. finyank13

    finyank13 Reality Check

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    Cashman has been right on alot of decisions post Steinbrenner......he didn't want to spend on Soriano and was right....he didn't want to give A-Rod that money when he opted out and was right....he is definitely heady with money...I think he is trying to say, for the right person he will spend, but don't shove a slightly above avg player in front of us, and expect us to pay 20M......

    I like alot of these kids, they should keep them for a little.....again I wouldnt trade Montero for anybody except Linecum/Kershaw, and the King...thats it.....same goes for all of them actually....With the money they have to spend on current contracts, plus Cano/Grandy/etc next year....NY might have a very quiet few years in FA....until Jeter leaves...
     
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  39. muscle979

    muscle979 Season Ticket Holder

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    That is a relief. I'm hoping they don't trade Prado away.
     
  40. finyank13

    finyank13 Reality Check

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    Seems to me that Mr. Wilson dabbles in illegal narcotics.......

     

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