MLB Offseason Thread 2010-11

[Teletopez]

Oh, that's not all. It is nearly laughable how much more is asked of the Yankees than other teams in trades.

 

@Joelsherman1

I'm pretty sure that, even with the FO's possible state of desperation, they would hesitate to give up Montero alone. Can't say I'm disappointed. Banuelos has put up number similar to Clayston Kershaw's stats in AA, and Kershaw skipped AAA. Betances has made rapid progress and has a number one starter ceiling from what I've read.

[Teletopez]

SANTA ANA, Calif. -- A construction worker who killed a promising rookie pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels and two other people in a horrific drunken driving crash said Wednesday he had all but ended his own life that night by getting behind the wheel after drinking.

 

Andrew Gallo, 24, acknowledged his deadly mistake to the grieving relatives of his victims and said he expected to spend the rest of his life behind bars before a judge sentenced him to 51 years to life in prison.

 

"I know whatever I say will not change anything or the way you think or feel about me," said Gallo, who faced the judge because he was not permitted to look at the courtroom audience.

 

"You're right. I am a horrible person, a drunk driver who took your beautiful kids away," he said.

ESPN

[The Truth]

he should have gotten life. Madoff gets 150 years for stealing, but this guy gets 51 years for killing three people? something's wrong there. at least justice was served in some way - driving under the influence is just one of those things that's utterly inexcusable.

[trutrojan8]

Rockies got Matt Lindstrom from the Astros. I don't know too much about him, but I do know the Rockies desperately needed a closer last year, so I'm all for any upgrade we might get over [expletive]ty Huston STreet

[Phightins]

Rockies got Matt Lindstrom from the Astros. I don't know too much about him, but I do know the Rockies desperately needed a closer last year, so I'm all for any upgrade we might get over [expletive]ty Huston STreet

 

Throws very very hard, pretty shaky command. He wasn't good enough to be the Marlins closer a few years ago, so that might tell you something.

 

He is a project though, I am sure there is still a bit of potential.

[Phightins]

Rangers take a flier on Brandon Webb. Wonder if this one will work out better than Rich Harden did last year.

[BadgerFan]

Brandon Webb has the potential to be a VERY good signing. Don't know how much they gave him, but cannot be more then 5-6 million with incentives. I know he's been injured the past few seasons, but look at what he did from 04 to 08. This is the type of pitcher he can be.

[BadgerFan]

Brewers are close to a deal with RP Takashi Saito.

 

Thoughts? 1 yr, 3 mil is the rumored deal and that includes incentives etc. So base salary is probably 1 yr, 1.5-2.0 mil.

[Phightins]

Brandon Webb has the potential to be a VERY good signing. Don't know how much they gave him, but cannot be more then 5-6 million with incentives. I know he's been injured the past few seasons, but look at what he did from 04 to 08. This is the type of pitcher he can be.

 

The chances of him being anywhere close to that good again are slim to none. But it certainly can't hurt to give him a shot.

[NomarFachix]

Wasn't Webb throwing like 84 last year? Gotta hope his velocity is back for him to be an effective sinkerballer.

[Teletopez]

And while Joakim Soria has the Yankees among the teams listed in a no-trade clause in his contract with the Royals, the two-time All-Star closer told a Mexican newspaper this week that he wouldn't block a trade to the Bronx.

 

"There is a no-trade clause to the Yankees in my contract, but I did not put it there," Soria told Vanguardia in Spanish. "My agent put it in, as a strategy, but if the Royals decide to move me to New York, I would be happy to play with the Yankees or any team."

 

Kansas City shipped ace Zach Greinke to Milwaukee for prospects this month after the 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner demanded a trade, but Soria officially hasn't made a request to be moved, according to reports.

 

Soria, who has a 2.01 ERA and 132 saves in his first four seasons, could be used by the Yanks as a setup man for 41-year-old Mariano Rivera before eventually taking over as the closer. Rivera signed a two-year, $30 million contract this offseason.

NY Daily News

 

Now the questions arise, who would the Yankees be willing to part with to complete a deal, and how much will Kansas City demand, after we saw what they wanted for Greinke? There should be no reason that Montero's name comes up on our part.

[Guest STL10]

NY Daily News

 

Now the questions arise, who would the Yankees be willing to part with to complete a deal, and how much will Kansas City demand, after we saw what they wanted for Greinke? There should be no reason that Montero's name comes up on our part.

 

Would Soria become a starter with the Yankees?

 

He has 4 plus pitches and the Royals talked about him starting if they signed or acquired a solid closer this off-season.

[Teletopez]

Would Soria become a starter with the Yankees?

 

He has 4 plus pitches and the Royals talked about him starting if they signed or acquired a solid closer this off-season.

I was wondering the same thing, but we haven't heard about the Yankees' interest in Soria at this point, so I don't know what they have in mind. I'd expect us to bring him over as a setup man and eventually our closer, because I don't think it's a good idea to give up prospects in exchange for someone whose role you want to change, especially when the Yanks have the option of doing something similar with Chamberlain.

[Teletopez]

The Orioles are close to knocking off a big item from their offseason wish list as they have agreed to terms with free agent first baseman Derrek Lee, according to sources.

 

The deal is pending a physical and the terms of the deal aren’t currently known, but Lee’s camp has made it clear that the veteran was content with a one-year pact worth between $8 and $10 million that would allow him to improve his value in anticipation of becoming a free agent again next offseason.

 

Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail declined comment.

The Baltimore Sun

[Guest STL10]

The Baltimore Sun

 

Great signing, he'll knock homers in that bandbox.

[Phightins]

Looks like Adrian Beltre is going to the Rangers. Wow. Wonder if there's another shoe to fall with Michael Young. Pretty rough winter for the Angels.

[Phightins]

Carlos Gonzalez officially signs a 7 year extension with the Rockies.

[fish7718]

Carlos Gonzalez officially signs a 7 year extension with the Rockies.

Still going to have to pay Ubaldo too however 3 awesome corner pieces, CF SS SP, 3 positions you can build a franchise around, if they can lock up Ubaldo I'd be very excited as a Rockies fan.

[Phightins]

Roberto Alomar and Bert Blyleven to the Hall of Fame. Both deserving, but this process is so flawed.

 

Jayson Stark actually put it perfectly. I think I agree with every word he said in this article, including his ballot.

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/hof11/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&id=5987228&campaign=rss&source=MLBHeadlines

[NomarFachix]

Didn't read your article, Chris... But Mac and Raffy both seemed more deserving on paper. Tired of the 'steroids = no hall' thing, don't put inferior players in because you didn't police your league properly and PEDs were encouraged.

[Phightins]

Didn't read your article, Chris... But Mac and Raffy both seemed more deserving on paper. Tired of the 'steroids = no hall' thing, don't put inferior players in because you didn't police your league properly and PEDs were encouraged.

 

You really should give that article a read if you get a couple minutes. It is fantastic. It isn't often that I try to force these long articles on people, but this Hall of Fame/steroids thing is a huge issue (about to get bigger in the next 3 years) and IMO Stark absolutely nailed it.

 

FYI I agree with you 100%. I am saying that Blyleven and Alomar are Hall of Fame players, but yes, they absolutely should not be elected over some other guys on this ballot (however they should be eventually). But the two bigger atrocities (as far as a lack of support) are Jeff Bagwell and Tim Raines. Bagwell's numbers over a 15 year period were consistently filthy. Arguably the best NL first baseman EVER (pre-Pujols obviously), but because of some unfounded gossip that he *may* have used some PED, he is going to be excluded. It is a disgrace. And Raines was arguably the best leadoff hitter in the National League for almost 20 years. He is getting screwed because he played for a team that doesn't exist anymore, I think, and there aren't any writers around anymore who covered him closely. There is no public figure out there to scream about what a disgrace this lack of support is.

 

The main point Stark makes is that the Hall needs to take a stand one way or the other. Don't leave the morality policing up to the writers, who each have their own biases and "standards". The process is becoming so hypocritical. I am personally with you though. Let guys in based on numbers.

Edited January 5, 2011 by Phightins

[Phightins]

http://blogs.thescore.com/mlb/2011/01/05/hall-of-fame-voters-are-idiots/

 

This is another reason why it sucks.

[fish7718]

Didn't read the article (I may in the future, just read the Landry Fields article and thats enough reading for me today!) but I agree to a point, my point ends at if it's clear you did roids and you don't admit it, sorry no HoF for you. Show a little humilty and admit your wrong doing and I'm fine with it. However don't try to insult us and continue to tell us you didn't do it when you did, it's just adding to the farce. A-Rod I have no problem with him going, he admitted, I understand, I'm over it. McGwire, you took a while but eventually you came around, you got my vote. Barry Bonds, just come clean and you got my vote.

 

Oh well that's my take, if I had it one way or the other I'd let the Bonds, Ortiz's, Ramirez's and Clemens's in. However it would be nice if they just gave closure and

Edited January 6, 2011 by STATCity

[Phightins]

Didn't read the article (I may in the future, just read the Landry Fields article and thats enough reading for me today!) but I agree to a point, my point ends at if it's clear you did roids and you don't admit it, sorry no HoF for you. Show a little humilty and admit your wrong doing and I'm fine with it. However don't try to insult us and continue to tell us you didn't do it when you did, it's just adding to the farce. A-Rod I have no problem with him going, he admitted, I understand, I'm over it. McGwire, you took a while but eventually you came around, you got my vote. Barry Bonds, just come clean and you got my vote.

 

Oh well that's my take, if I had it one way or the other I'd let the Bonds, Ortiz's, Ramirez's and Clemens's in. However it would be nice if they just gave closure and

 

It's cool that you feel that way about it, I think many others agree with you.

 

My take is that the general baseball public adored these guys and loved every second of their careers, when in the cases of Bonds, Sosa, Clemens, etc. there was always that strong suspicion that they were juicing. But most writers and fans (and most importantly, baseball themselves) just looked the other way. It was apparently OK then, but now when it's time for them to enter the Hall of Fame it is a crime.

 

My biggest wish is that the Hall of Fame would take a stand, one way or the other. Stop leaving the moral questions up to the BBWAA. Even if the Hall says "if you had a positive test you are banned from the ballot", I could live with that (although I'd disagree with it). What I don't want is guys without positive tests being left out just based on suspicion, which is what is starting to happen. It is pretty disgraceful IMO.

Edited January 6, 2011 by Phightins

[fish7718]

My take is that the general baseball public adored these guys and loved every second of their careers, when in the cases of Bonds, Sosa, Clemens, etc. there was always that strong suspicion that they were juicing. But most writers and fans (and most importantly, baseball themselves) just looked the other way. It was apparently OK then, but now when it's time for them to enter the Hall of Fame it is a crime.

Certainly, and I don't want any punished for what they did back then, I just feel that it's not too much for them to come out and admit it, it's not about what happened, it's about accepting it and moving forward. I agree what happened in the past is [expletive]ed and for the players it's sad that it's come to this, but some guys may or may not have been HoF's with our without the juiced ball era, I don't think it's too much to ask for a short apology and admission for them, it would not only redeem them, but the players could all shift the blame from themselves onto the era which I think would make everyone happier. It just feels better to think that it was the game that tainted the players and not the players that tainted the game.

My biggest wish is that the Hall of Fame would take a stand, one way or the other. Stop leaving the moral questions up to the BBWAA. Even if the Hall says "if you had a positive test you are banned", I could live with that (although I'd disagree with it). What I don't want is guys without positive tests being left out just based on suspicion, which is what is starting to happen. It is pretty disgraceful IMO.

Yeah, I agree with this as well. It's strange, although not surprising how they've handled it, and yes it is extremely disgraceful how it's been handled. It seems instead of just drawing a line and ending it they are letting it just linger and linger whereas if we had a clear distinction we could just move on and try to get over it.