Master Index of Archived Threads


Stay, Go, or Call it Quits: 2007-2008 Offseason

Valadius Oct 02 2007 04:40 PM

I figured we could use a thread to post about random player movement. A couple of items: The Braves will not re-sign Andruw Jones. Boras, if you can believe it, is looking for $20 million a year. He's insane. Bob Wickman is likely to retire. Craig Biggio retired.

soupcan Oct 02 2007 06:14 PM

I'd like to be as insane as Scott Boras.

Grote15 Oct 02 2007 06:47 PM

Boras could try his hand at Luis Castillo...remember he was an all-star and has a ring, great range and speed..once upon a time.... Is Mark Teixeira up? That should be interesting....

seawolf17 Oct 02 2007 07:58 PM

Teixeira's signed through '08.

Rockin' Doc Oct 02 2007 07:59 PM

The Braves have Teixeira signed for one more year. Assuming the Braves don't sign him to an extension, he becomes a free agent after the 2008 season.

Zvon Oct 02 2007 08:25 PM

The way the Braves handled the A. Jones situation: I have to admit I really respect this organization. Hat the team, but respect that organization. And ya gotta love the GM there. He usually meets with agents for such discussions, but in this case he didn't want to have anything to do with the agent, and called Andruw in for a one on one. He said Jones deserved that, which is true, but it also is indicative of his feelings for Boras. Well played by Mr. Schuerholz.

Edgy DC Oct 03 2007 10:33 AM

The Braves are kind of run like an NFL team.

TransMonk Oct 09 2007 10:38 AM

Pudge's '08 option was picked up in Detroit. http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071009&content_id=2258480&vkey=news_det&fext=.jsp&c_id=det

smg58 Oct 09 2007 01:11 PM

Not surprising, given how thin the catcher market is.

Edgy DC Oct 09 2007 01:23 PM

I think the market is fine relative to most years.

Farmer Ted Oct 12 2007 01:57 PM

That Atlanta shit don't work in B-More, yo. Leo Mazzone, who came to the Orioles with a reputation as one of the best pitching coaches in the modern era, was fired Friday after only two seasons in that role. "I spoke with Leo today and told him I appreciated his efforts here," Orioles manager Dave Trembley said in a statement. "Moving forward, I felt that we would be better served with someone else working with our young staff and that it was in his best interests and our best interests to give him an opportunity to look elsewhere now."

Benjamin Grimm Oct 12 2007 01:59 PM

That rocking back and forth was probably driving them insane. I don't know how Bobby Cox tolerated it all those years. I would have been tempted to strangle the guy.

smg58 Oct 12 2007 02:17 PM

Overseeing a pitching staff that allowed thirty runs to a last place team who had traded away its best hitters can make even somebody with Mazzone's rep look rather bad. That being said, Bedard was pitching really well before the injury, and it's not clear that Mazzone had much else to work with.

Frayed Knot Oct 12 2007 02:28 PM

The other problem was that he was hired because he was Sam Perlozzo's buddy from way back when. Once Perlozzo was kicked out plus there was a partial font office change things probably didn't look good for an expensive pitching coach.

Rockin' Doc Oct 12 2007 08:25 PM

Mazzone found out it's a lot harder to be a genius when your staff is Bedard, Cabrerra, Guthrie, and Trachsel rather than Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz. Hell, being the pithing coach to a staff that includes Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz during their primes could make even me look like a pitching guru.

MFS62 Oct 13 2007 10:02 AM

I doubt that Mazzone will stay unemployed for very long, unless he wants to retire. Impressive resume. His stint in Bal'mer just showed that even the best chef can't make an edible chicken salad out of chicken feathers. Later

OlerudOwned Oct 13 2007 03:42 PM

Rockin' Doc wrote: Mazzone found out it's a lot harder to be a genius when your staff is Bedard, Cabrerra, Guthrie, and Trachsel rather than Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz. Hell, being the pithing coach to a staff that includes Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz during their primes could make even me look like a pitching guru. He still brought out improvement from Cabrera, Guthrie, and Trachsel while Bedard became a bonafide Cy Young candidate under him.

Rockin' Doc Oct 13 2007 08:25 PM

I'm just saying that Mazzone had 3 solid aces to build his reputation with for most of his career. Bedard had a fine season this year. Hopefully, he'll have a good career going forward. However, the number put up by Cabrerra, Guthrie, and Trachsel weren't very good.

Edgy DC Oct 13 2007 09:41 PM

I don't know. Trashie returned to league ERA at 36 after a bad year with the Mets. He gave the Cubs nothing but Mazzone can wash his hands of that.

sharpie Oct 16 2007 06:51 AM

Annoying late-season shutout-hurler Joel Piniero re-ups with the Cards.

Benjamin Grimm Oct 16 2007 07:06 AM

I was hoping the Mets would get a shot at him.

metirish Oct 16 2007 07:08 AM

Yancy Street Gang wrote: I was hoping the Mets would get a shot at him. You're becoming a professional piss taker.

Rockin' Doc Oct 16 2007 05:27 PM

And Yancy doesn't even drink beer.

Valadius Oct 30 2007 09:17 PM

Brad Ausmus re-upped with the 'Stros with a one-year deal. Cross off another name from the list of available catchers.

Valadius Oct 31 2007 08:22 AM

Looks like we may be going after Torrealba: ]Mets, Marlins to pursue Torrealba Wednesday, Oct 31, 2007 10:09 am EDT The New York Mets and Florida Marlins have interest in free agent catcher Yorvit Torrealba. The Colorado Rockies would like to have Torrealba back, depending on his price tag. Colorado, though, will pursue Paul LoDuca and possibly Michael Barrett when they become free agents. Source: Denver Post

Benjamin Grimm Oct 31 2007 08:31 AM

Of course, the Mets aren't yet permitted to express interest in Torrealba, or any free agent other than those who ended 2007 as a Met. I suspect that this is speculation that has moved through the grapevine and is now being reported as fact. I bet they ARE probably interested, but I doubt that the Denver Post knows that.

sharpie Oct 31 2007 10:33 AM

Mike Cameron suspended for 25 games for stimulant usage: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3088062 Curt Schilling put Mets on list of teams he would play for next year: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3087824

Benjamin Grimm Oct 31 2007 11:39 AM

I guess he could be helpful on a one-year deal, but I'd much prefer someone closer to 30 than to 40. Schilling, if he did sign with the Mets, would be the second Alaska-born Met. (Dave Williams recently became the first. Both pitchers were born in Anchorage.)

Nymr83 Oct 31 2007 11:42 AM

i read in the Post today that Schilling WANTS only a 1-year deal, if thats true i'd love to have him aboard

smg58 Oct 31 2007 11:53 AM

My one hang-up with Schilling is that he would be the third pitcher in the rotation who is likely to miss several starts during the season. However, only he and Andy Pettite among this free-agent group would constitute a clear upgrade over what we've got.

sharpie Nov 01 2007 09:17 AM

Adam Dunn not going anywhere: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3088827

Edgy DC Nov 01 2007 09:52 AM

Keeping that whiff record out of Met hands for a little while longer.

Frayed Knot Nov 01 2007 03:02 PM

Kris Benson: Option NOT picked up by Bal'mer.

Valadius Nov 01 2007 05:45 PM

The Daily News reports that Posada is at the top of Omar's wish list. ]Jorge Posada: Mets Reportedly Interested RotoWire.com Staff - RotoWire.com Thursday, November 1, 2007 Update: The Mets have Posada at the top of their free-agent wish list, the New York Daily News reports. Recommendation: Mets GM Omar Minaya will have to wait until November 12 before making any sort of offer to Posada, but clearly the Yankees are in jeopardy of losing their star catcher if they don't make a strong offer to retain his services in the next couple of weeks.

Benjamin Grimm Nov 01 2007 06:28 PM

That article in the News suggested the Mets might be willing to go five years for Posada. He'll be 37 next year. A five year contract would take him past his 41st birthday. If they do that, they're nuts. I'd be willing to give him two. Maybe I'd even cross my fingers and offer three. But anything beyond that is way too risky, especially for a catcher.

metirish Nov 01 2007 06:49 PM

Some of this stuff is unbelievable . [URL=http://www.schnecktcs.com/images/oops.jpg]Mets signing Posada is a no-brainer[/url] Sticking it to the yankees is not a reason to sign Posada or anyone for that matter.

smg58 Nov 01 2007 07:20 PM

There's a whole lot of speculation in that article. Which, among other things, means we've already reached the point where commenting on every rumor would take hours out of the day.

Fman99 Nov 02 2007 04:36 AM

="metirish"]Some of this stuff is unbelievable . [URL=http://www.schnecktcs.com/images/oops.jpg]Mets signing Posada is a no-brainer[/url] Sticking it to the yankees is not a reason to sign Posada or anyone for that matter. Ugh. Didn't we just have an aging catcher on a long term deal? One that we had to wait out when the guy hit 38, 39 years old and wasn't hitting his worth anymore? How about, I don't know, a guy who won't be making 13 mil at age 39?

metirish Nov 02 2007 04:55 AM

How about you click on the link mate.:)

vtmet Nov 02 2007 05:40 AM

smg58 wrote: My one hang-up with Schilling is that he would be the third pitcher in the rotation who is likely to miss several starts during the season. . True but...he's also the only starting pitcher that has 3 World Series Ring this Millenium ('01 D'Bags; '04 Sox; '07 Sox)...when he's been paired with another big game pitcher, his team has done pretty well (the Big Eunich in '01; Pedro in '04; Beckett in '07)...I'm gonna sound a little Yankee-like on this one but Curt/Pedro/El'Duque have combined for 8 World Series Rings...I'd kinda like to go with a Pedro/Perez/Schilling/Maine/Pelfrey rotation with El'Duque being in the pen as the long man & fillin starter when either Pedro/Schilling need some rest (basically, I don't anticipate more than about 25 starts from Pedro, Schilling or El'Duque so to maximize their effeciency setup the pitching staff so that none of them are overburdened)...

Edgy DC Nov 02 2007 06:42 AM

I'm going to sound a little asshole-like, but Bob Gibson, Tommy John, and Jack Morris have a lot of rings too. I respect that factor, but I'm leery of it. Tim Leery.

HahnSolo Nov 02 2007 07:23 AM

](basically, I don't anticipate more than about 25 starts from Pedro, Schilling or El'Duque so to maximize their effeciency setup the pitching staff so that none of them are overburdened)... vtmet, Saying you only expect 25 starts from all three of them would suggest that maybe it's not such a hot idea to bring Schilling in, especially when you don't know when they'll miss those starts. I've had two years of El Duque not pitching when we needed him most. I don't want to have to worry about three of those guys this year.

Edgy DC Nov 02 2007 07:36 AM

Well, being less of an asshole here. Part of the fun of old guys who will inevitably break down is it means repeated tryouts of three or four starts for young starters. If a Schilling misses a few weeks and a Humber steps in and doesn't perform, they welcome back Schilling and keep working on Humber. If Humber does perform, they marginalize Schilling (or somebody else) and let Humber keep going. It's a compromise position. An old guy (or two or three) who is effective but injury vulnerable allows you not to riskily commit whole hog to a young starter who hasn't figured it out yet, but guarantees that young starter will get his chances to figure it out.

seawolf17 Nov 02 2007 07:37 AM

Would you rather have 25 Schilling starts and 11 Chan Ho Park starts, or 36 starts from a guy who's somewhere in the middle? That's the gamble. I'm tempted to take Schilling, actually.

Edgy DC Nov 02 2007 07:48 AM

I'd probably rather have 25 Schilling starts and 11 Humber or Mulvey starts. Chan Ho seemed like a worthwhile gamble at the time because it was for one start, it was early enough in the season that the younger starters hadn't had time to come along, and he was coming off a good spring. Of course we lost the division by one game, so that "worthwhile gamble at the time" blew up in our faces, as did any decision that cost us a game. My point being that I'd expect the extra 11 to go to comers, not goners.

seawolf17 Nov 02 2007 08:09 AM

Right, but they won't. They'll go to Chan Ho Park and Brian Lawrence.

Edgy DC Nov 02 2007 08:20 AM

Nah.

Fman99 Nov 02 2007 12:59 PM

Edgy DC wrote: I'd probably rather have 25 Schilling starts and 11 Humber or Mulvey starts. Chan Ho seemed like a worthwhile gamble at the time because it was for one start, it was early enough in the season that the younger starters hadn't had time to come along, and he was coming off a good spring. Of course we lost the division by one game, so that "worthwhile gamble at the time" blew up in our faces, as did any decision that cost us a game. My point being that I'd expect the extra 11 to go to comers, not goners. Mulva? Gipple?

Fman99 Nov 02 2007 01:05 PM

metirish wrote: How about you click on the link mate.:) Oops! My bad. Getting a little cheeky, late at night. It happens.

Valadius Nov 03 2007 10:00 AM

The Daily News is reporting that we're re-signing Marlon Anderson for 2008 with an option for '09.

Rockin' Doc Nov 03 2007 10:37 AM

I'm fine with that as long as the conditions are reasonable. The Mets appear to be rebuilding (retaining) a pretty good bench. The real work will be in filling the void that exists at catcher and second base while rebuilding (and strengthening) the bullpen and rotation.

Valadius Nov 05 2007 08:35 PM

Greg Maddux re-signed with the Padres on a 1-year, $10 million contract.

metirish Nov 06 2007 08:06 AM

Curt Schilling and the Boston Red Sox have reached an agreement on a one-year deal worth about $8 million in base salary and another $2 million in potential incentives, ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney reports.

metsguyinmichigan Nov 06 2007 09:30 AM

HAIL SEAVER!

Benjamin Grimm Nov 06 2007 09:41 AM

metsguyinmichigan wrote: HAIL SEAVER! I was hoping it would slip by unnoticed this time.

Rockin' Doc Nov 06 2007 10:33 AM

Yancy - "I was hoping it would slip by unnoticed this time." It's been hailing all over the forum.

Fman99 Nov 06 2007 11:01 AM

Rockin' Doc wrote: Yancy - "I was hoping it would slip by unnoticed this time." It's been hailing all over the forum. So much so that I've been reluctant to make post #42. The dream must end, eventually, though.

Valadius Nov 06 2007 05:20 PM

Schilling's deal includes a "fat clause" where he earns money based on his not getting fat. I'm not making this up: [url]http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-redsox-schilling&prov=ap&type=lgns[/url] Cleveland would be wise to think about that when sitting down with Sabathia whenever that happens.

Fman99 Nov 06 2007 05:37 PM

Valadius wrote: Schilling's deal includes a "fat clause" where he earns money based on his not getting fat. I'm not making this up: [url]http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-redsox-schilling&prov=ap&type=lgns[/url] Cleveland would be wise to think about that when sitting down with Sabathia whenever that happens. I believe that is the "Terry Forster" clause.

sharpie Nov 09 2007 08:20 AM

Former and recently-discussed-in-this-thread Met Chan Ho Park returns to the Dodgers, site of his greatest successes and where he gave up two grand slams in one inning.

Valadius Nov 09 2007 03:56 PM

Omar Vizquel re-ups with the Giants for one more year. That seemingly ends the possibility that A-Rod ends up in San Francisco, with Feliz and Vizquel on the left side of the infield.

seawolf17 Nov 09 2007 05:41 PM

Feliz is a .250 hitter who's not signed yet. I'm sure they can find room for A-Rod in there.

Valadius Nov 10 2007 08:44 PM

J.C. Romero re-signs with the Phillies for three years, $12 million.

Fman99 Nov 11 2007 08:39 AM

Valadius wrote: J.C. Romero re-signs with the Phillies for three years, $12 million. He's rich, I tell ya. Schoewenweis rich! These three year, 8-figure deals for relievers never cease to amaze me. Don't 2/3 of these guys regress from one year to the next?

smg58 Nov 11 2007 10:38 AM

Plus his peripherals actually sucked. ERA is very misleading for one-out relievers. They can have him for that price.

Valadius Nov 12 2007 03:32 PM

Todd Jones re-signed with the Tigers on a one-year, $7 million deal.

smg58 Nov 12 2007 03:38 PM

Jones was probably on his way out the door before Zumaya's injury. Funny how things work sometimes. I tell you what though, if Troy Percival asks for that price I'd give it to him.

Valadius Nov 13 2007 12:06 PM

Craig Monroe traded from the Cubs to the Twins for a PTBNL.

Edgy DC Nov 13 2007 12:17 PM

Cubs are hemmoraging salary to load up for A-Rod, I tells you.

Valadius Nov 13 2007 06:31 PM

We're close to re-signing Ramon Castro to a 2-year deal. [url]http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AorDRLqjHF41CR6mejx0pJYRvLYF?slug=ap-mets-castro&prov=ap&type=lgns[/url]

Nymr83 Nov 15 2007 11:11 AM

information about Fukudome and 5 other japanese free agents [url]http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/articles/2007/11/14/six_japanese_free_agents_to_watch/[/url]

Valadius Nov 15 2007 02:32 PM

The very first free agent to sign with a new team is... Randy Choate. With the Brewers.

Valadius Nov 17 2007 07:19 AM

From the Daily News: ]Mets eye David Eckstein BY ADAM RUBIN DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Saturday, November 17th 2007, 4:00 AM Mets officials dined with free-agent infielder David Eckstein in Greenwich, Conn., this week in the hopes he'll fill the second base vacancy in Flushing. By employing the same kind of treatment that wooed Billy Wagner and Tom Glavine during previous offseasons, Mets officials are illustrating how serious they are about signing the sparkplug to play second. Eckstein, the 2006 World Series MVP at shortstop, apparently is looking for a contract comparable to the four-year, $36 million deal Julio Lugo signed with the Red Sox last December, which might prove a stumbling block. That's a larger price tag than fellow free agent Luis Castillo is expected to command. Castillo has several other suitors, including the Astros. How serious the 32-year-old Eckstein is about playing second base isn't clear, but he was interested enough about getting the Mets involved in the bidding to dine with Omar Minaya, Willie Randolph and other team executives in chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon's neighborhood. The 5-7, 177-pound Eckstein did have career lows with 117 games played and 434 at-bats in '07. He missed 23 games from June 14-July 13 with lower-back trouble, but still hit .309 with three homers, 31 RBI and 10 steals for the Cardinals. Aside from signing Eckstein or Castillo, the Mets could pursue a trade for Orlando Hudson, Arizona's second baseman and a three-time Gold Glove winner, who is a year away from free agency. But signing a free agent would allow the Mets to preserve their top prospects for a run at a front-line starting pitcher. Regarding Eckstein, new Cardinals GM John Mozeliak told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on the eve of open free-agent bidding: "We're going into it looking for a shortstop, and given the fact that David is out there, obviously we have him in mind. One of the things we're doing internally is trying to get a feel for the supply and the demand of shortstops in this market. David probably is doing the same, and right now there doesn't appear to be a lot of teams looking for shortstops."

Nymr83 Nov 17 2007 09:24 AM

why would the Mets even be interested in converting a SS to 2B when he is a worse hitter than any of Castillo, Easley, Gotay or Valentin?

smg58 Nov 17 2007 09:30 AM

Eckstein and Castillo are more or less equivalent. I wouldn't opt for the more expensive player. Castillo's zone rating at second for the Mets (.759) was actually lower than Gotay's (.774), and way lower than Easley's (.863). Are we sure he's an upgrade? After looking at the D-Backs further, I think Callaspo's weak showing in the majors and some off-field issues (an assault charge) make it unlikely they'd trust him enough this year to deal Hudson, plus they'd want major league pitching if they do. (I have no doubt they'd take Maine, but I don't think there are enough good pitching options out there to make dealing Maine a luxury we can afford.) I think there's a fair chance they'll let Hudson hit the market next year, but I'll wager that they'd have to fall out of the pennant race to deal him.

Valadius Nov 17 2007 09:32 AM

I know. It doesn't make much sense at all. Especially when he's looking for more money than Castillo is. Although I have heard rumors that Castillo may have been the bad influence on Reyes in the second half of the season.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 17 2007 10:05 AM

]Castillo's zone rating at second for the Mets (.759) was actually lower than Gotay's (.774), and way lower than Easley's (.863). Are we sure he's an upgrade? That he turned the DP much better than either of them was plain to see, however. I know they got metrics but when in doubt go with EDR: eyewitness defense rating. Castillo was better than either one. I think that wine-and-dine in Greenwich indicates Eckstein is about a sure thing. It's almost as if the Mets are consciously trying to replace the scrappiness factor with LoDuca gone. I'm especially eh about Eckstein.

Nymr83 Nov 17 2007 10:22 AM

doesn't scrapiness just mean "short white guy with no real skills we can point to so we call him 'scrappy'"?

metirish Nov 17 2007 10:24 AM

Never heard about Castillo being a bad influence on Reyes, not saying it's not true though. If not Castillo then I hope they trade for Hudson, at the least he can play second base, the scrappiness factor for Eckstein is probably overrated .

DocTee Nov 17 2007 10:45 AM

With Green and Newhan gone, Omar needed to appease the Jewish fans by bringing in a token.

Nymr83 Nov 17 2007 10:50 AM

DocTee wrote: With Green and Newhan gone, Omar needed to appease the Jewish fans by bringing in a token. he has appeased us already by removing newhan

metirish Nov 17 2007 10:51 AM

Nymr83 wrote: ="DocTee"]With Green and Newhan gone, Omar needed to appease the Jewish fans by bringing in a token. he has appeased us already by removing newhan Funny.

smg58 Nov 17 2007 11:00 AM

But isn't Eckstein Catholic?

DocTee Nov 17 2007 11:14 AM

isn ]'t Eckstein Catholic? Have you been spying on the locker room again?

Valadius Nov 17 2007 11:19 AM

Yes, he is Catholic. Funny thing though - he was selected to the Jewish All-American team in college despite the fact that he's not Jewish. In reading up on Eckstein, I found that he actually came up through the Red Sox farm system as a second baseman. From ESPN.com, circa 2002: [url]http://espn.go.com/talent/danpatrick/s/2002/0828/1424027.html[/url]

DocTee Nov 17 2007 12:00 PM

] Funny thing though - he was selected to the Jewish All-American team in college despite the fact that he's not Jewish Didn't something similar happen to Marlins 1B-man Mike Jacobs (Gentile) at a promotional event (Jewish Heritage Day or somesuch)?

Nymr83 Nov 17 2007 12:28 PM

if i remember correctly the Marlins gave out Jacobs bobbleheads on their Jewish Day.

Valadius Nov 18 2007 11:32 AM

]Athletics trade IF Scutaro to Blue Jays November 18, 2007 OAKLAND, California (Ticker) - The Oakland Athletics on Sunday traded infielder Marco Scutaro to the Toronto Blue Jays for a pair of minor league pitchers. Scutaro batted .260 with seven home runs and 41 RBI in 104 games this past season. The six-year veteran started 86 games for the A's at five different positions, including 38 at shortstop and 33 at third base. In six seasons with Oakland and the New York Mets, Scutaro has a .259 career batting average with 31 homers and 174 RBI. In return, Oakland received righthanders Kristian Bell and Graham Godfrey from the Blue Jays. Bell, an 11th-round pick in 2004, posted a 3-7 record with a 5.33 ERA in 22 games, including 11 starts, for Class A Dunedin last season. The 23-year-old has a 18-17 record and a 4.18 ERA in 79 appearances, including 49 starts. Godfrey, 23, went 6-7 record with a 3.98 ERA in 21 starts for Class A Lansing last season. He was drafted in the 34th round in 2006.

Fman99 Nov 19 2007 10:26 AM

I think the ChiSox get the better end of this deal... The White Sox and Angels completed a major trade Monday, with Chicago acquiring gold glove shortstop Orlando Cabrera in exchange for right-handed starting pitcher Jon Garland. Cabrera, 33, enjoyed a career year in 2007 for the Angels, batting .301 with 35 doubles, 8 home runs and 86 RBIs. He also scored a career-best 101 runs in 155 games. Cabrera earned his second Gold Glove award in 2007. He also had 20 stolen bases in 2007, his fifth year of 20 or more steals in his career. The 28-year-old Garland was 10-13 last season with a 4.23 ERA in 208 1/3 innings pitched. He had two complete games in his 32 starts. He is 92-81 in his major league career.

metirish Nov 19 2007 10:29 AM

That deal probably sets the bar for trading to get starting pitching, I guess Garland would be considered frontline material.

soupcan Nov 19 2007 11:46 AM

And I'm guessing it nixes Contreras being traded.

seawolf17 Nov 19 2007 11:47 AM

How many sixty-year-old Cuban pitchers do we need on the roster? Pass on Contreras. Would have liked Garland as a back-end guy.

Valadius Nov 19 2007 12:01 PM

I don't get it. The White Sox just re-signed Uribe.

Valadius Nov 19 2007 12:58 PM

Lowell to re-sign with Boston: [url]http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AoMbUx6t2TdTMGkM3dG6lkMRvLYF?slug=ap-redsox-lowell&prov=ap&type=lgns[/url] 3 years, $37.5 million.

metirish Nov 19 2007 12:59 PM

Seems like a sensible deal .

Nymr83 Nov 19 2007 01:08 PM

Garland is better than a backend guy, he'd likely pitch to an ERA under 4 in the NL, in Shea it would be almost a given. i think the Angels got a good deal, pitching seems almost impossible to find right now.

Fman99 Nov 19 2007 01:46 PM

[url=http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/baseball/red_sox/view.bg?articleid=1045795]Boston Herald[/url] is reporting that the BoSox and Mike Lowell are close to a 3 year 38 million dollar deal. No real surprise there.

Fman99 Nov 19 2007 01:47 PM

Valadius wrote: Lowell to re-sign with Boston: [url]http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AoMbUx6t2TdTMGkM3dG6lkMRvLYF?slug=ap-redsox-lowell&prov=ap&type=lgns[/url] 3 years, $37.5 million. Heh, oops. Didn't read the entire thread. My bad.

smg58 Nov 19 2007 03:06 PM

Nymr83 wrote: Garland is better than a backend guy, he'd likely pitch to an ERA under 4 in the NL, in Shea it would be almost a given. i think the Angels got a good deal, pitching seems almost impossible to find right now. I agree, although an established ML shortstop who's an elite defender and coming off a strong year offensively is a high price to pay. Not a good sign should a better pitcher than Garland hit the market.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 19 2007 03:09 PM

I think this might telegraph the Angels making a trade for Tejada and really loading for bear.

Valadius Nov 19 2007 03:26 PM

Jason LaRue signs with the Cards to back up YFM. [url]http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-cardinals-larue&prov=ap&type=lgns[/url] Also signing with them are John Wasdin and Tampa Bay first-round bust Dewon Brazelton.

Valadius Nov 19 2007 05:54 PM

Victor Diaz DFA by Texas: [url]http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-rangersmoves&prov=ap&type=lgns[/url]

Valadius Nov 20 2007 01:44 PM

Japanese closer Kobayashi signs with Cleveland: [url]http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=ArsuK_ZWIMRaw6kJa0hCqScRvLYF?slug=ap-indians-kobayashi&prov=ap&type=lgns[/url]

Valadius Nov 20 2007 04:27 PM

Scott Podsednik has been DFA'd by the White Sox: [url]http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=Aq6KMxCceDrppOG.rcTE9GXavrYF?slug=ap-whitesox-podsednik&prov=ap&type=lgns[/url] Geoff Blum signs with Houston: [url]http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-astros-blum&prov=ap&type=lgns[/url]

MFS62 Nov 21 2007 05:18 PM

Craig Brazell DFA'd by KC. (I couldn't get the link to open. But I'm not sure if this should be in the Rico Brogna thread, anyhow.) Later

TransMonk Nov 23 2007 03:41 PM

Cordero looks to be on the way to Cincinnati. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3124583

metirish Nov 23 2007 06:08 PM

Four years for $46 million ,WOW

smg58 Nov 23 2007 08:44 PM

The market is high again. I'm a bit surprised the Reds chose to be big free agent players, but you can't say they don't need bullpen help.

Valadius Nov 26 2007 11:58 AM

Kerry Wood agrees to a 1-year deal with the Cubs: [url]http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-cubs-wood&prov=ap&type=lgns[/url]

Valadius Nov 27 2007 08:53 AM

]Mets looking at Dotel, Chacon Tuesday, Nov 27, 2007 10:23 am EST The New York Mets are showing interest in free-agent pitchers Octavio Dotel and Shawn Chacon. Dotel went 2-1 with a 4.11 ERA this past season with the Kansas City Royals and Atlanta Braves. Chacon, who turns 30 next month, went 5-4 with a 3.94 ERA for the Pittsburgh Pirates and can both relieve and start. ]Mets may acquire another catcher Tuesday, Nov 27, 2007 10:38 am EST Don't pencil in Johnny Estrada behind the plate for the New York Mets just yet. GM Omar Minaya has explored other options at catcher, inquiring about the Texas Rangers' Gerald Laird, the Baltimore Orioles' Ramon Hernandez and the Washington Nationals' Brian Schneider. Even the San Francisco Giants' Bengie Molina reportedly could be available.

Benjamin Grimm Nov 27 2007 08:56 AM

I'd like him to stop exploring Laird. Haven't formed an opinion yet on the other guys. Dotel would be interesting from a trivia perspective. For every set of three consecutive decades, the Mets have had at least one player who has played in all three. 60's-70's-80's: Seaver and Jorgensen 70's-80's-90's: Alex Trevino 80's-90's-00's: David Cone If we're to have someone for 90's-00's-10's, our best bets would involve reacquiring either Jay Payton or Octavio Dotel.

Edgy DC Nov 27 2007 08:58 AM

I have an opinion on Schneider, nothing good. I'd like him to see an interesting catcher with options.

sharpie Nov 27 2007 09:20 AM

Bengie Molina is a pretty good player, the other catchers I'm not interested in. I can live with Estrada for a year.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 27 2007 09:48 AM

I'm not campaigning hard for Laird, but the sense I get is that he had a messy 2007 season between an injury, the acquisition of Saltymacchia, and some belief that he didn't get along with manager Ron Washington. Like Estrada if you're interested in seeing Laird at his best you should skip back to 2006. He was also a defensive stud that year.

Vic Sage Nov 28 2007 02:05 PM

Wasn't he the lead in RAGTIME?

metsguyinmichigan Nov 28 2007 02:07 PM

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I'd like him to stop exploring Laird. Haven't formed an opinion yet on the other guys. Dotel would be interesting from a trivia perspective. For every set of three consecutive decades, the Mets have had at least one player who has played in all three. 60's-70's-80's: Seaver and Jorgensen 70's-80's-90's: Alex Trevino 80's-90's-00's: David Cone If we're to have someone for 90's-00's-10's, our best bets would involve reacquiring either Jay Payton or Octavio Dotel. The information at your fingertips amazes me! We could always bring Mike Piazza back for one at-bat in 2010!

seawolf17 Nov 28 2007 02:11 PM

I think we should bring back Piazza, a la Minnie Minoso, every ten years until he dies.

Edgy DC Nov 28 2007 02:26 PM

="MFS62"]Craig Brazell DFA'd by KC. (I couldn't get the link to open. But I'm not sure if this should be in the Rico Brogna thread, anyhow.) Later The guy slugged .601 in AAA last year. If somebody doesn't give him a break he's going to make some Japanese team very happy.

smg58 Nov 28 2007 02:31 PM

The Rays might be on the verge of dealing Delmon Young and Brendan Harris to the Twins for Garza, Bartlett, and Rincon, according to a rotoworld report. [url]http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/player_main.aspx?sport=MLB&hl=226705&id=868[/url] An odd deal. Bartlett is underrated, but so is Harris, and besides the Rays have a highly regarded shortstop in their system. I understand the Rays' need for pitching, but Young's upside is a hell of a lot to part with. It's strange that the Twins are dealing pitching, but not so much if they get multiple arms for Johan. I think the Twins win this one.

Valadius Nov 30 2007 08:53 AM

Houston Chronicle reporting that the Astros are on the verge of signing Kaz Matsui to replace retired future Hall-of-Famer Craig Biggio at second base.

Valadius Nov 30 2007 10:53 AM

Troy Percival signs 2-year deal with the Rays: [url]http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-rays-percival&prov=ap&type=lgns[/url] Kenny Rogers re-signs with Detroit for a year: [url]http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-tigers-rogers&prov=ap&type=lgns[/url]

Valadius Nov 30 2007 12:01 PM

Cesar Izturis signs with St. Louis: [url]http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=txcardinalsizturis&prov=st&type=lgns[/url]

smg58 Nov 30 2007 02:56 PM

Percival got signed for a very fair price, given how well he pitched in his comeback. Riske might get three years at a reasonable price for the Brewers. If Minaya didn't want either of them (granted Percival wanted to close, so he might not have really been an option), who DOES he want to help the pen? I know one rumor mentioned Dotel, who'd be fine if he's healthy, but if he signs for a more generous offer than Percival it's not going to look good.

Edgy DC Nov 30 2007 10:14 PM

I thought Percival got too much, and that he's the type of fool's gold I've long expected the Rays to chase.

DocTee Dec 01 2007 07:39 PM

KazMat: 3 years, $15 Million+ with Houston as Biggio's replacement

DocTee Dec 01 2007 09:07 PM

Randy Wolf to Pods-- one year, $4 Million. wouldn't have minded him in Blue and Orange this summer

Elster88 Dec 01 2007 09:51 PM

..

Nymr83 Dec 02 2007 01:46 AM

DocTee wrote: Randy Wolf to Pods-- one year, $4 Million. wouldn't have minded him in Blue and Orange this summer sounds pretty cheap and only 1 year? if omar wasn't so busy trading 22 year old prospects for 31 year old slap hitting catchers he could have gotten in on this

Frayed Knot Dec 03 2007 08:23 AM

Pettitte to return to Skanks ... just in case y'all were holding your breath over this one.

Valadius Dec 03 2007 02:20 PM

Rays trade Elijah Dukes to Nats for player to be named later. So that gives them two young outfielders with attitude problems.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Dec 03 2007 02:24 PM

That's been Bowden's MO going back to Cincy. Attitude problem guys come at a discount.

Frayed Knot Dec 03 2007 02:30 PM

Even if one thinks that Milledge has an attitude problem he's not in the same league as Dukes who is basically a criminal. I guess Tampa figures sending Dukes & Delmon Young away fits with their winter make-over theme of taking the Devil out of the Devil Rays.

Edgy DC Dec 03 2007 02:30 PM

Whoah, wait a minute. Dukes has a heckuva rap sheet for a baseball player. He's been arrested six times, had a restraining order filed against him for allegedly threatening to kill his wife, and impregnated the teenaged foster child of a relative. And lest that threat appear to be unsubstatiated, he busted into a school to make his threats, with witnesses, and his wife has publickly played a phone message: "You dead, dawg. I ain't even bullshitting. Your kids, too." Milledge high-fived some fans and appears to have had sexual contact with a teenager when he was a teenager. Dukes is sociopath. On edit: beaten to the punch.

metirish Dec 03 2007 02:31 PM

Valadius wrote: Rays trade Elijah Dukes to Nats for player to be named later. So that gives them two young outfielders with attitude problems. Who's the other one?, oh wait never mind, their outfield is getting crowded.

Valadius Dec 03 2007 02:36 PM

Well yeah, obviously Dukes is in a league of his own in terms of his problems. He's a criminal. Milledge is just a cocky kid.

MFS62 Dec 03 2007 02:38 PM

The third other starting outfielder may be Willy Mo Pena, who certainly has a 'tude. Remember his insistence on signing a major league deal on his first contract? But I wouldn't call him a criminal. Later

John Cougar Lunchbucket Dec 03 2007 02:39 PM

Brandon Phillips, Dmitri Young, Alfonzo Soriano...

Edgy DC Dec 03 2007 02:44 PM

MFS62 wrote: The third other starting outfielder may be Willy Mo Pena, who certainly has a 'tude. Remember his insistence on signing a major league deal on his first contract? But I wouldn't call him a criminal. Later That's not a 'tude. That's an agent. There's maybe 100 guys out there who signed major league contracts their first time out.

Nymr83 Dec 03 2007 02:49 PM

Pelfrey among them i think. and hey if you can get that deal for yourself good for you, i have no idea why that would make you a bad attitude guy.

metirish Dec 03 2007 02:53 PM

Nats outfield. Austin Kearns Ryan Langerhans Nook Logan Justin Maxwell Lastings Milledge Wily Mo Pena Dukes.

Valadius Dec 03 2007 02:53 PM

Yeah, I believe Pelfrey is included there.

Frayed Knot Dec 03 2007 02:54 PM

The only thing unusual about the ML deal given to WM Pena was that the Yanx were dumb enough to give it to a kid who was the age of a HS sophmore. Plus, it's not like they were locked into him via a draft pick or anything and were thus even freer to walk away at any time. It's very unusual for HS draft picks to get an ML deal - usually only the very top picks do (Beckett, both Upton brothers, Delmon Young) - and those guys are 18 y/o seniors, not a 16 y/o man/child

Valadius Dec 03 2007 03:06 PM

Scuttlebutt is that Omar's meeting with the O's to discuss Bedard again.

metirish Dec 03 2007 06:59 PM

Apparently Bedard's people have told the Orioles that he will not resign with them when his contract is up, Mets are talking to Garcia and Colon.

seawolf17 Dec 04 2007 06:38 AM

metirish wrote: Nats outfield. Austin Kearns Ryan Langerhans Nook Logan Justin Maxwell Lastings Milledge Wily Mo Pena Dukes. Kearns! Why couldn't we have gotten Kearns instead of Church! Nuts.

metirish Dec 04 2007 07:33 AM

Good Lord. ] "But I also asked the question of my staff: 'Where are we today compared to where we were when we broke camp last year?' And when I look at where we are today compared with where we broke camp last year, top of the order, we have more on-base percentage, which is what we want. We've got more speed at the top of the order. We've got more speed in the outfield. So we feel pretty good."

attgig Dec 04 2007 10:39 AM

Valadius wrote: Scuttlebutt is that Omar's meeting with the O's to discuss Bedard again. according to espn rumors: Carlos Gomez, Aaron Heilman and Phil Humber isn't enough for bedard.

Edgy DC Dec 04 2007 10:52 AM

Fuck off Orioles then. These guys are closer than we think. CLOSER THAN WE THINK!

TransMonk Dec 04 2007 10:54 AM

Edgy DC wrote: These guys are closer than we think. I agree. Party in the Oriole suite.

Edgy DC Dec 04 2007 11:00 AM

I actually mean Carlos Gomez, and Phil Humber (and Lastings Milledge) are closer than we think to being productive big league performers. (Heck, Milledge more or less is one already.) But yeah, I fear the Orioles may be frighteningly close to pulling off the second fleecing of the Mets in a week.

Vic Sage Dec 04 2007 01:01 PM

I don't believe for a moment that any of Heilman, Humber or Gomez will ever approach the performance level of Bedard, and I would do that deal in a heartbeat.

Edgy DC Dec 04 2007 01:05 PM

Bedard? Really? Put it in the predictions archives, I guess. I'd really like to see a 200-inning season before I come around on anybody as a star pitcher.

Johnny Dickshot Dec 04 2007 01:06 PM

The New York Times really loves Bedard. They put accents all over his name.

Valadius Dec 06 2007 11:15 AM

Aaron Boone signed a one-year deal with the Nats.

Valadius Dec 06 2007 11:58 AM

Daily News reporting Lo Duca will sign a one-year, $5 million deal with Toronto.

Nymr83 Dec 06 2007 01:02 PM

1 year 5 mil? where are the mets on deals like these, omar cant seem to sign an aging veteran for less than 2 years

metirish Dec 06 2007 01:11 PM

Did the Mets talk to LoDuca's agent?, I don't htink they even did although the Mets say LoDuca wanted a three year deal. Nice deal for the Jays.

Valadius Dec 09 2007 10:23 AM

Milton Bradley signing with Texas: [url]http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-rangers-bradley&prov=ap&type=lgns[/url]

smg58 Dec 10 2007 02:39 PM

Paulie's a Washington National: [url]http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3149188[/url] So, Lastings Milledge and one year of Paulie, or Ryan Church and two years of Brian Schneider? Hmm...

Nymr83 Dec 10 2007 04:39 PM

Minaya got majorly outplayed by the Nationals.

Rockin' Doc Dec 10 2007 06:29 PM

Milledge + LoDuca > Church + Schneider Minaya is having a real bad winter thus far.

Valadius Dec 11 2007 10:25 PM

Cubs sign Fukudome to a 4-year deal: [url]http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-cubs-fukudome&prov=ap&type=lgns[/url]

Nymr83 Dec 11 2007 10:29 PM

Prediction: Fukudome puts up numbers that make the Cubs miss Cliff Floyd or Jacque Jones.

duan Dec 12 2007 06:35 AM

Prediction for the archives: Lastings Milledge has great VORP numbers over the next 6 years then all of Carlos Gomez/Fernando Martinez/Ryan Church Lastings Milledge has great VORP numbers over the next 3 years then Ryan Church.

metirish Dec 12 2007 07:13 AM

Yeah but we will have the better defensive player in Church.

Edgy DC Dec 12 2007 07:32 AM

Well, what good is he to us if he's in church? HAR!

Vic Sage Dec 12 2007 08:31 AM

metirish wrote: Yeah but we will have the better defensive player in Church. what's the SC meter on that?

metirish Dec 12 2007 08:40 AM

Higher than a Church spier.

DocTee Dec 12 2007 09:44 PM

Mark Prior non-tendered by Cubs. Please, Omar, sign this guy.

smg58 Dec 13 2007 08:22 AM

El Duque and Pedro are more likely to start 30 games than Prior is to start 10. He's a lottery ticket at this point. I don't think I could offer more than a minor-league deal. Jason Lane might also be worth a minor-league deal to see if he has anything left. Akinori Otsuka's rehab is supposedly going well, so the Mets could do a lot worse than give him a look.

DocTee Dec 13 2007 08:25 AM

But Prior is better than Dave Williams, Jose Lima or any of the other retreads we have run out there in the past two years. My point is that we should take a flyer on an oft-injured youngster who may yet recover rather than an aging vet who never really had it.

Valadius Dec 13 2007 08:26 AM

We really should take a flyer on both Prior and Otsuka.

Edgy DC Dec 13 2007 08:42 AM

One thing about Prior is his immediate availability may not be as much of a factor, as we may not need him until he's available. The Mets have a rotation ready to go; they just need to be ready for attrition.

Valadius Dec 13 2007 11:38 AM

Adam Everett has been signed by the Twins to a one-year deal. We can all exhale, as Reyes won't be sent to Minnesota.

smg58 Dec 13 2007 01:48 PM

The Jays land David Eckstein for one year and $4.5M. And we gave four years to Castillo? [url]http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071213&content_id=2324652&vkey=news_tor&fext=.jsp&c_id=tor[/url]

Rotblatt Dec 13 2007 01:57 PM

smg58 wrote: The Jays land David Eckstein for one year and $4.5M. And we gave four years to Castillo? [url]http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071213&content_id=2324652&vkey=news_tor&fext=.jsp&c_id=tor[/url] Well, when you put it that way . . . I hate this off-season.

duan Dec 14 2007 04:02 AM

metirish wrote: Yeah but we will have the better defensive player in Church. I really think that Lasting's defensive misadventures were being slightly overplayed, he's only learning out there (in left/right) and has the 'tools' to adjust.

Frayed Knot Dec 15 2007 04:56 AM

I think the Dublin-living Irishman is missing the NY-living Irishman's sarcastic mocking of Omar's spin of the Schneider + Church acquisitions as worthwhile due to the upgrade in defense alone. Meanwhile, Jim Edmonds (and cash) is sent by the Cards to Sandy Eggo in exchange for a minor leaguer (3B David Freese) Edmonds obviously replaces Mike Cameron as Padre CFer, but he also turns 38 in June and is so often injured that he's not likely to be an upgrade either with the bat or in that big outfield.

Valadius Dec 15 2007 07:04 AM

The Padres have signed former Mets Shawn Estes and Glendon Rusch to minor league deals.

Edgy DC Dec 15 2007 07:26 AM

Frayed Knot, the translator that allows the Irish to talk to the Irish.

DocTee Dec 20 2007 10:17 AM

Phils add lefty bat of Bret Favre doppelganger Geoff Jenkins: 2 years, $13 Million

John Cougar Lunchbucket Dec 20 2007 10:33 AM

Nice bat to have around. Could platoon with Werth.

metirish Dec 20 2007 10:37 AM

How's his defense?

DocTee Dec 20 2007 11:59 AM

Phils also add Chad Durbin: 8-7 4.73 in AL last year.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Dec 20 2007 12:05 PM

Phillies have an outstanding Durbin Factor.

metirish Dec 20 2007 02:01 PM

] Pitcher Dontrelle Willis has reached an agreement in principle on a three-year, $29 million contract extension with the Detroit Tigers, a source told ESPN.com. Willis The deal includes incentives that could push the total value to more than $30 million, the source said. An announcement was expected after Willis took a physical exam Thursday in Detroit. The Tigers acquired Willis and star third baseman Miguel Cabrera from the Florida Marlins in an eight-player trade at the winter meetings two weeks ago in Nashville. Willis will join a Detroit rotation that also includes Justin Verlander, Jeremy Bonderman, Nate Robertson and Kenny Rogers. Willis, 25, has a 68-54 record an a 3.78 ERA in parts of five seasons with the Marlins. He went 10-15 with a 5.17 ERA last season. Willis earned a base salary of $6.45 million for the Marlins last year. He would have been eligible for free agency after the 2009 season, but is now locked up through 2010. Jerry Crasnick covers baseball for ESPN.com. In other news , Jonathan Papelbon's dog ate the WS ball that he threw to Varitek to record the final out of the WS. It's true, look it up.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Dec 20 2007 02:09 PM

Crasnick wrote a book about Dontrelle Willis' agent, I assume he's "the source." I like the Tigers in the AL.

DocTee Dec 21 2007 06:02 PM

Reds sell high (no pun intended), deal Josh Hamilton to Texas: [url] http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3165275[/url]

smg58 Dec 21 2007 08:17 PM

Curious deal. On one hand, Hamilton seems to have turned the corner personally and has huge upside if he stays healthy. On the other hand, after Chris Young and Adrian Gonzalez for Adam Eaton and Akinori Otsuka, you'd think the Rangers would be a bit more reluctant to part with talented young pitchers.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Dec 23 2007 05:43 PM

Phillies ink So ("the F What?!?") Taguchi to a 1/year, $1 million deal w/ option.

Edgy DC Dec 23 2007 06:15 PM

So Taguchi is such a creature of LaRussa. It's jarring to see them split. Eckstein also for that matter.

smg58 Dec 23 2007 07:40 PM

Not sure if it got reported in one of the other threads, but the Mets re-signed Juan Padilla to a minor-league deal. I'm glad he's getting another shot with us.

metirish Dec 23 2007 10:40 PM

Keith Law on the Rangers/Reds trade. ] Rangers get best of Hamilton trade There's some risk involved, but there's a very good chance by acquiring Josh Hamilton, the Rangers just picked up a middle-of-the-order bat who's about to enter his prime years in exchange for a hard-throwing young pitcher (Edinson Volquez) with more risks around his future. For the Reds, they cash in some of their outfield surplus to add some pitching depth, but it's surprising to see a club aiming to contend in 2008 take a young arm in return, rather than using that surplus to acquire a starter who can push them toward 85-90 wins now. The Rangers' system is full of pitching prospects, and they have a good number of infield and catching prospects, but they're light in the outfield, with 2007 draftee Julio Borbon probably the best of that group. Hamilton immediately becomes the best center fielder the Rangers have had in a decade -- all apologies to Laynce Nix, Tom Goodwin and Damon Buford -- and has a good chance to be the best hitter in the Rangers' 2008 lineup. Hamilton was a five-tool player coming out of high school, and he's a four-tool player now, with his speed diminished by injuries. He has good bat speed and centers the ball well, shows at least 30-homer power, plus a cannon arm and above-average range in center. In limited time, he showed a patient approach at the plate and a willingness to work deep counts, although that will be tested with a full season of playing time in 2008. The risks with Hamilton are obvious. One is his history of substance abuse, which kept him out of pro ball for almost four full seasons; we know he's been clean for at least 18 months, and you can be sure the Rangers are going to have a support system in place. (If I'm Rangers general manager Jon Daniels, I track down Johnny Narron, who has known Hamilton since the kid was in high school and who was Hamilton's personal coach in Cincinnati, and hire him to fill the same role in Texas.) The bigger concern is Hamilton's history of injuries. He's had at least two operations on each knee, although his knees didn't pose any trouble in 2007. He missed time with an intestinal ailment and then a hamstring pull this season, playing in just 90 games. It's fair to say he's injury-prone, and he's going to face fatigue issues if he stays healthy for a full season at some point. However, these are risks worth taking if you're Texas because of the sheer magnitude of Hamilton's talent. In exchange, the Reds get Volquez, a 24-year-old right-hander with five years in pro ball who still is more a thrower than a pitcher. He has a strong two-pitch combo in his fastball and changeup; his fastball is 91-96 mph and is "heavy," so he breaks a number of bats and it's hard for hitters to drive the ball, but he doesn't generate groundballs. His changeup is his best secondary pitch, always plus and occasionally rating a 65 or 70 on the 20-80 scale, making him more effective against left-handed hitters than right-handed hitters. But Volquez has some significant red flags. His control has never been good, with 150 walks over the last two years in about 330 innings, and his fastball command is fringe-average; despite the heaviness of his heater, he's still been homer-prone in Texas, and heads now to another hitter-friendly park. Volquez still doesn't have an average breaking ball and it seems likely that at this point, he never will, in which case, he's much more likely to end up in the bullpen. If he's going to be a starter long-term, it's hard to envision him as more than a fourth starter because of the lack of a third pitch, although he could be an excellent short reliever with that two-pitch repertoire because he won't have the large platoon split so many short relievers have. The Reds also received Danny Ray Herrera, a slight 5-foot-6 lefty with a low-80s fastball and a curveball right out of the 1940s. He's a quality organizational player, but pitchers with grade-35 fastballs do not pitch in the majors, especially not in a hitter's park like Great American. Even if Hamilton settles in as a 120-game, 500-plate appearance hitter, it will be hard for Volquez to perform well enough to provide more value to the Reds than Hamilton will to the Rangers. Add to that the normal risks associated with pitchers and the fact that Hamilton can contribute right away while Volquez has yet to show he's ready to pitch regularly in the majors and the exchange clearly favors Texas.

Nymr83 Dec 26 2007 03:33 PM

Mark Prior to the Padres.

Valadius Dec 27 2007 11:25 AM

Miguel Olivo signs with the Royals: [url]http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-royals-moves&prov=ap&type=lgns[/url]

metirish Jan 03 2008 01:14 PM

] Swisher sent packing to White Sox for three prospects OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- The Oakland Athletics made their second major trade in three weeks, sending outfielder and fan favorite Nick Swisher to the Chicago White Sox for three minor leaguers on Thursday. The A's -- who dealt ace Dan Haren to Arizona on Dec. 14 -- received left-hander Gio Gonzalez, right-hander Fautino De Los Santos and outfielder Ryan Sweeney. Oakland general manager Billy Beane acknowledged last month that the A's are rebuilding and said he expects the club to take its lumps next season after the team missed the playoffs in 2007. The A's reached the AL championship series in 2006, but Oakland (76-86) had its streak of winning seasons end at eight and went 9-17 in September. The 27-year-old Swisher, a switch-hitter and a favorite in the clubhouse because of his high-energy, playful nature, had been one of few constants for Oakland in recent seasons -- playing in the outfield and at first base while the team dealt with injuries at most every position. He batted .262 with 22 homers and 78 RBIs in 150 games in 2007, his third full big league season. He also drew 100 walks, ranking him sixth in the AL, for a career-best .381 on-base percentage. His 80 home runs were a franchise record by a switch-hitter, and Swisher also recorded career highs for batting average, walks and doubles (36). Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 03 2008 01:16 PM

wOw

smg58 Jan 03 2008 01:16 PM

That's a lot for a corner outfielder with an .830 OPS.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 03 2008 01:25 PM

I hear De Los Santos is a big time prospect. Gonzalez I think was involved in the original Rowand trade with Philly (?) I kinda like though that the White Sox are going for it, along with the Injuns and Tigers in the AL Central, and even the Royals are getting better. Maybe this puts more pressure on the Twins to throw in the towel and go for a rebuild.

AG/DC Jan 03 2008 01:46 PM

If the Sox want to go for it, they might want to close the curtain on the Ozzie Guillen era.

Frayed Knot Jan 03 2008 01:47 PM

De Los Santos has the best upside of anyone in that trio, although is still at least a year away. BP's analysis had him a the ChiSox top prospect; a RHP who'll turn 22 next month he split last year between low A and high A; features a 91-95 MPH fastball, power curve, improviong change-up, etc, with the usual caveat that he's young and overthrows at times and needs to pitch and not just throw, yadda, yadda. Can become a frontline starter if his change comes around or maybe evolves into a closer if not. Gio Gonzalez (LHP) is also just 22 and is coming off a decent year at AA John Sickels gives both De Los Santos and Gonzalez 'B+' grades - which are very high praise from him. Sweeny = 'C+' which is still above average although he worries about his power Bottom line: he thinks that the ChiSox took a mediocre system and "gutted it" for Swisher

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 03 2008 02:04 PM

AG/DC wrote: If the Sox want to go for it, they might want to close the curtain on the Ozzie Guillen era. Yeah but that's not my point. The point is, I like it when I see 2 or more teams from some division I don;t care much about all stacking up at once. aIt's competyition! I don't particularly care whether the Chisox succeed or not -- they're going for it next year.

AG/DC Jan 03 2008 02:20 PM

In that sense, then, keep Ozzie, as he makes for good storylines. I'm just glad he's not managing my team. You hear that Willie? That's implicit praise. Maybe the only kind you're going to get this offseason.

metirish Jan 03 2008 02:29 PM

I wouldn't mind snapping up Kenny Williams if he became available.

Frayed Knot Jan 03 2008 02:39 PM

="metirish"]I wouldn't mind snapping up Kenny Williams if he became available. After this deal ChiSox fans may want you to snap him up. KW just gave up 3 of his top 5 prospects for a good, though not great, OFer.

metirish Jan 07 2008 12:21 PM

Know what I saying" ] Reliever Duaner Sanchez, sidelined by a shoulder injury since a July 2006 taxi accident, agreed Monday to an $850,000, one-year contract with the Mets. Sanchez, who earned the same amount last year, was the primary setup man for closer Billy Wagner before separating his right shoulder in the cab accident. He had surgery, then went to spring training and was disciplined for repeated tardiness. In his first bullpen session in eight months, he felt a pop on March 22 and made just 11 pitches. He had surgery four days later to repair a broken bone. New York also agreed to minor league contracts with right-handers Juan Padilla, Joselo Diaz and Andy Cavazos; left-hander Ryan Cullen; infielders Anderson Machado and Fernando Tatis; and catchers Robinson Cancel and Salomon Manriquez.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 07 2008 12:27 PM

Salomon Manriquez -- slugged 500+ last season for AA Frisco (Rangers) -- 16 HR in 276 PAs. He's originally a Expos prospect.

metirish Jan 07 2008 12:48 PM

Salomon Manriquez sounds like a holiday destination.

Benjamin Grimm Jan 07 2008 12:55 PM

How did the Mets manage to be able to sign him? Was he DFA'ed or out of options?

AG/DC Jan 07 2008 12:58 PM

He was a minor-league free agent. Not the best name among Texas' minor league free agents, though. The best one is Luther Hackman.

Benjamin Grimm Jan 07 2008 01:13 PM

AG/DC wrote: The best one is Luther Hackman. Great name for fans of the original Superman movie, huh?

AG/DC Jan 07 2008 01:16 PM

Valadius Jan 16 2008 12:07 PM

San Francisco gave Brett Harper a minor league deal.

smg58 Jan 16 2008 01:35 PM

Jose Valentin gets a minor-league deal from us, Jon Lieber gets a major-league deal from the Cubs.

Valadius Jan 23 2008 08:17 AM

]Mets looking at Odalis Perez? Wednesday, Jan 23, 2008 8:10 am EST According to the New York Post, the New York Mets, who have been unable to deal for a front-line starter, also are reportedly talking to free-agent pitcher Odalis Perez, who was 8-11 for the Royals last season. The nine-year veteran is 66-70 lifetime with a 4.21 ERA. Source: New York Post

Rockin' Doc Jan 23 2008 11:33 AM

Perez would probably be a good insurance policy to have should the inevitable injury knock one of the starters out of the rotation for an extended period. Almost certain to be an upgrade over Lima, Gonzalez, Ho Park, and Williams that have filled that role over the past two seasons.

Benjamin Grimm Jan 23 2008 11:43 AM

Two guys named O. Perez will REALLY screw up my Schaefering!

Nymr83 Jan 23 2008 11:46 AM

i like how they post his 8-11 W-L record (which looks ok with the lowly royals) as well as his lifetime 4.21 ERA but fail to mention his recent history- ERAs of 4.56, 6.20, & 5.57 the past 3 years while making only 19, 20, & 26 starts thanks to injuries.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 23 2008 11:52 AM

Plus he's was always one of the craziest characters in the Benson Bunch. For getting the chance to be this year's Aaron Sele, I wouldn't have a big issue with him. OD PEREZ OL PEREZ

Valadius Jan 31 2008 12:40 PM

Luis Gonzalez signs a one-year, $2 million deal with the Marlins.

Valadius Feb 12 2008 01:50 PM

Livan Hernandez signs a one-year, $5 million deal with the Twins.