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MLB Hot Stove 2008
- Thread starter IJ Reilly
- Start date
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Yeah he would.
A quick check of the UZR numbers for last year (from fangraphs):
Damon (LF) 8.4
Gardner (CF) 5.1
Gardner (LF) 2.1
Nady (LF) 0.8
Cabrera (CF) 0.0
Nady (RF) -0.7
Matsui (LF) -1.6
Christian (LF) -1.7
Damon (CF) -5.6
Abreu (RF) -25.2
So Abreu was awful. Damon was surprisingly decent in LF, but not good in CF.
Oh. In case you're not familiar with UZR:
UZR/150 provides an extrapolated look of a players UZR rating over a span of 150 defensive games.
Nady's UZR/150:
LF: 2.6
RF: -17.7
While the sample size is fairly small (50 innings in RF), the data suggests that Nady is much better in LF for the Yankees than he is in RF.
The Dodgers have done that enough times that, yes, I do kind of expect them to bid against themselves occasionally. There have been numerous signings that made me think that no other team offered them anywhere close to what the Dodgers paid. Kevin Brown, Darren Dreifort, Juan Pierre, Jason Schmidt. All of those seemed to me like situations in which they bid against themselves. Hopefully they're wising up.
Agreed. And it's not surprising that Lowe wants to go back to the northeast. He's said many times that he missed the pressure-cooker atmosphere of playing in the Yankees-Red Sox series. On the other hand, his affair with a local sportscaster would have gotten a lot more attention if he had been in New York or Boston at the time.
The Angels owner said they wouldn't pursue him. Now that Sabathia and Teixeira are unavailable, it's not clear who the Angels would acquire next.
Any player that has played at least three years in the majors is eligible for arbitration. For players who don't qualify for free agency (fewer than six years in MLB) this is their best route to higher pay. But for eligible free agents, it usually isn't because top players make more if multiple teams bid for them, whereas arbitration means an offer and counteroffer between the team and player.
The main reason that teams offer veteran free agents arbitration -- even when they know the player will turn it down -- is because if they don't, they won't get the extra draft picks that go with losing a free agent to another team. It's an odd way to do it, but basically it's a step of good-faith negotiations. The wrinkle here is that, once in a while, the player accepts arbitration instead and the team risks potentially paying the player more than they want to if the arbitrator rules in his favor. If a team is worried that a player WILL accept arbitration and it could cost them too much money, they may avoid offering it and give up the draft picks.
I've heard that rumor too. Supposedly they would make a lot of the money he's owed this year deferred over about five years so that another team would find him cheap enough to pick up via trade or if he's released. The Dodgers would still have to pay him the bulk of the contract. Supposedly the union is agreeing to it only because Jones wants to leave so badly and because he still gets paid all the money owed him. The Mets were mentioned, but it's still pretty early to guess about it. I say anything that gets him off the roster is a plus.
Signing a free agent isn't the same as "bidding against yourself." That happens when an offer is made, no response is received, then another offer is made, even though no other teams have made competing offers. I don't know that this is what happened in the instances of any of the other players you list. But it does appear that only the Dodgers have made offers to Manny, and that none of those offers have resulted in negotiations.
As of today, Colletti says he is still talking with Boras. Maybe this means they are finally trying to hammer out a deal.
Pavano is out of out hair, he is all yours Cleveland.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3813706
Pavano is out of out hair, he is all yours Cleveland.
Thank god. He had so much potential but just couldn't deliver. He will probably be amazing in Cleveland though.
Both the Dodgers and the Brewers are going after Trevor Hoffman. All other things being equal, he probably signs with LA.
http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/n...ent_id=3734056&vkey=news_la&fext=.jsp&c_id=la
http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/n...ent_id=3734056&vkey=news_la&fext=.jsp&c_id=la
i wonder how many braves fans loved the late 80's...because it's looking like we're going to see a repeat of those days soon thanks to wren and his awful gm'ing trying to outbid the yankees when he knows we need to get young players and rebuild and failing to resign smoltz.
i say 1 year, 2 max. he will probably call it quits after the upcoming season though, seeing that he will be 42 this year and dealing with arm troubles. he'll be on tv or the golf course this time next year.
Yay! (And yes I booed Giambi when he played in Oakland as a member of the Yankees.)
Tucson's choice now to fix the gaping hole to cover the loss of a minor league team and loss of a spring training major league team are to grab a Japanese Team for spring training and create a new minor league team.
Should be interesting for a city hurting for cash, that only updated one of the parks when a kid was electrocuted in the rain.
Don't think they have the cash to save things before everyone leave for Phoenix.
Should be interesting for a city hurting for cash, that only updated one of the parks when a kid was electrocuted in the rain.
Don't think they have the cash to save things before everyone leave for Phoenix.
It looks like all other things were not equal -- Hoffman is apparently about to sign with Milwaukee. He was demanding the exclusive closer role, a guarantee he could get with the Brewers. Colletti wouldn't tie Torre's hands with Broxton also available. Too bad really -- Hoffman and Broxton would have made great closing options for the Dodgers.
If Hoffman had anything left, which I'm not sure he does. Right now Broxton is a better reliever than Hoffman anyway.
As you know, Broxton can be pretty erratic. I don't think he's quite ready for a full-time closer role and possibly never will be. The Dodgers will be looking for some kind of insurance against him not being ready to play this position over an entire season. Hoffman would have been a good pickup as a situational closer, but I guess that's something his ego would not allow. If he's into chasing records then he's probably someone the Dodgers don't really need anyway.
It's going to look like this for the AL West, IMO:
Starting rotation: Angels > Athletics > Mariners > Rangers
Bullpen: Athletics > Angels > Mariners > Rangers
Lineup: Rangers > Athletics > Angels > Mariners
Defense: Angels > Athletics > Rangers > Mariners
Bench/Backup players: Rangers > Athletics = Angels > Mariners
It seems like the NL West is actually going to be extremely competitive this year between these three teams. My theory:
Oakland A's end up 89-73, Angels are going to end up 87-75, Texas Rangers end up 79-83, Seattle Mariners end up 70-92.
Texas Rangers have the best lineup in the MLB, even without Bradley, because with a healthy Hank Blalock, Chris Davis as an everyday player, Josh Hamilton continue rocking, etc., they are still the best all around. They also have a very good bench when it comes to backup/utility players, and a lot of people underestimate how important these types of players are. This was one of the main reasons why Tampa Bay won the Eastern Division in 2008, it was because they had a powerful bench. The Rangers' defense isn't exactly horrible, because they do have some very good defenders like Michael Young, Taylor Teagarden, and Marlon Byrd, but they do have some very bad defenders to go along with that such as Jarrod Saltalamacchia. The part where they really fall off of is their pitching. They do not have more than 2 quality starting pitchers, and their bullpen isn't looking good. If they could possibly trade either Teagarden or Saltalamacchia to a team that needs a catcher (Red Sox!!!) for some pitching, either a bullpen arm or a starting rotation pitcher, they could get better. They could also benefit from signing a mid-level arm such as Odalis Perez or Randy Wolf, like the A's need. If they do these two things, and maybe one of their starting rotation arms becomes a surprise and has a monster season, the Rangers get in the Wild Card or win the division.
Oakland A's with a core group of Matt Holliday, Jason Giambi, and Jack Cust have a very good lineup, especially compared to last season. They have a very good bullpen, and very young, too. They also have 3 decent starting rotation pitchers, and have 2 very young, but questionable starting rotation pitchers (Gallagher, Outman) left. What the A's should do is sign a cheap, but not bad starting pitcher like Odalis Perez or Randy Wolf, and have either Outman or Gallagher take the #5 spot, whoever wins the spot in Spring Training. The A's have a decent bench, and decent defense. They have decent infield defense with Bobby Crosby and Eric Chavez, and average defense in the outfield. The Oakland A's biggest question mark going into this season is if Eric Chavez can stay healthy. They are my favorites to win the division.
The LA Angels of Anaheim are still a good team, despite not signing Teixeira or K-Rod. They still have one of the top 3 best starting rotations in the majors, and they have a very young and athletic team. Their lineup, anchored by Vladimir Guerrero, Torii Hunter, and Mike Napoli, isn't terrible, but not as quite as good as last year. I would say their lineup is above average, give or take a little. The Angels also have a huge hole at first base, since they traded their young first baseman, Casey Kotchman, to the Braves for Teixeira as what ended up being a rental. Their bullpen is still one of the better bullpens in the majors, even without K-Rod, as they still have Scot Shields, Darren Oliver, Jose Arredondo, and more. Their defense isn't terrible, their infield is going to be filled with young and athletics players, while their outfield is about average. In center, you have Torii Hunter, who is a legend for his amazing defense, but on either corner you have Vladimir Guerrero who has bad knees and you have Juan Rivera who is fairly slow. The Angels bench isn't bad because they have many options for each position.
The Seattle Mariners only hope is if half their team can rebound and be what they once were. If Carlos Silva, Kenji Johjima, Erik Bedard, Miguel Batista, and Aaron Heilman have good seasons, the Mariners might just be competitive. Their lineup is full of question marks, as they only have two real threats, Ichiro Suzuki and Adrian Beltre. Their bullpen has lost JJ Putz, and is full of question marks, just like their starting rotation. I think they actually benefited from the JJ Putz trade, as they did acquire a very good prospect in Franklin Gutierrez. I really don't think the Mariners are going to compete, but I think they are going to do better than last year. I think they should trade any of their older or more expensive players, such as Ichiro and Beltre for some serious prospects from a team in need, and start over. The Yankees would be a good option because they are looking for a center fielder, a position Ichiro can play. They could possibly get Melky Cabrera and maybe even Ian Kennedy or Phil Hughes. This would dump a huge contract off the Mariners payroll for the future. If the Mariners are truely looking to compete, what they need to do is the following: Sign a couple above average players to 1 to 2 year contracts, such as Jeff Kent, Rich Aurillia, and Ty Wigginon, and maybe even sign a arm for the rotation and bullpen, such as Jon Garland, Paul Byrd, etc. This should be enough for them to atleast have a chance to compete, but it really isn't worth it. If I was the Mariners, I would wait till Holliday leaves the A's, and for some of the prospects to develop.
Starting rotation: Angels > Athletics > Mariners > Rangers
Bullpen: Athletics > Angels > Mariners > Rangers
Lineup: Rangers > Athletics > Angels > Mariners
Defense: Angels > Athletics > Rangers > Mariners
Bench/Backup players: Rangers > Athletics = Angels > Mariners
It seems like the NL West is actually going to be extremely competitive this year between these three teams. My theory:
Oakland A's end up 89-73, Angels are going to end up 87-75, Texas Rangers end up 79-83, Seattle Mariners end up 70-92.
Texas Rangers have the best lineup in the MLB, even without Bradley, because with a healthy Hank Blalock, Chris Davis as an everyday player, Josh Hamilton continue rocking, etc., they are still the best all around. They also have a very good bench when it comes to backup/utility players, and a lot of people underestimate how important these types of players are. This was one of the main reasons why Tampa Bay won the Eastern Division in 2008, it was because they had a powerful bench. The Rangers' defense isn't exactly horrible, because they do have some very good defenders like Michael Young, Taylor Teagarden, and Marlon Byrd, but they do have some very bad defenders to go along with that such as Jarrod Saltalamacchia. The part where they really fall off of is their pitching. They do not have more than 2 quality starting pitchers, and their bullpen isn't looking good. If they could possibly trade either Teagarden or Saltalamacchia to a team that needs a catcher (Red Sox!!!) for some pitching, either a bullpen arm or a starting rotation pitcher, they could get better. They could also benefit from signing a mid-level arm such as Odalis Perez or Randy Wolf, like the A's need. If they do these two things, and maybe one of their starting rotation arms becomes a surprise and has a monster season, the Rangers get in the Wild Card or win the division.
Oakland A's with a core group of Matt Holliday, Jason Giambi, and Jack Cust have a very good lineup, especially compared to last season. They have a very good bullpen, and very young, too. They also have 3 decent starting rotation pitchers, and have 2 very young, but questionable starting rotation pitchers (Gallagher, Outman) left. What the A's should do is sign a cheap, but not bad starting pitcher like Odalis Perez or Randy Wolf, and have either Outman or Gallagher take the #5 spot, whoever wins the spot in Spring Training. The A's have a decent bench, and decent defense. They have decent infield defense with Bobby Crosby and Eric Chavez, and average defense in the outfield. The Oakland A's biggest question mark going into this season is if Eric Chavez can stay healthy. They are my favorites to win the division.
The LA Angels of Anaheim are still a good team, despite not signing Teixeira or K-Rod. They still have one of the top 3 best starting rotations in the majors, and they have a very young and athletic team. Their lineup, anchored by Vladimir Guerrero, Torii Hunter, and Mike Napoli, isn't terrible, but not as quite as good as last year. I would say their lineup is above average, give or take a little. The Angels also have a huge hole at first base, since they traded their young first baseman, Casey Kotchman, to the Braves for Teixeira as what ended up being a rental. Their bullpen is still one of the better bullpens in the majors, even without K-Rod, as they still have Scot Shields, Darren Oliver, Jose Arredondo, and more. Their defense isn't terrible, their infield is going to be filled with young and athletics players, while their outfield is about average. In center, you have Torii Hunter, who is a legend for his amazing defense, but on either corner you have Vladimir Guerrero who has bad knees and you have Juan Rivera who is fairly slow. The Angels bench isn't bad because they have many options for each position.
The Seattle Mariners only hope is if half their team can rebound and be what they once were. If Carlos Silva, Kenji Johjima, Erik Bedard, Miguel Batista, and Aaron Heilman have good seasons, the Mariners might just be competitive. Their lineup is full of question marks, as they only have two real threats, Ichiro Suzuki and Adrian Beltre. Their bullpen has lost JJ Putz, and is full of question marks, just like their starting rotation. I think they actually benefited from the JJ Putz trade, as they did acquire a very good prospect in Franklin Gutierrez. I really don't think the Mariners are going to compete, but I think they are going to do better than last year. I think they should trade any of their older or more expensive players, such as Ichiro and Beltre for some serious prospects from a team in need, and start over. The Yankees would be a good option because they are looking for a center fielder, a position Ichiro can play. They could possibly get Melky Cabrera and maybe even Ian Kennedy or Phil Hughes. This would dump a huge contract off the Mariners payroll for the future. If the Mariners are truely looking to compete, what they need to do is the following: Sign a couple above average players to 1 to 2 year contracts, such as Jeff Kent, Rich Aurillia, and Ty Wigginon, and maybe even sign a arm for the rotation and bullpen, such as Jon Garland, Paul Byrd, etc. This should be enough for them to atleast have a chance to compete, but it really isn't worth it. If I was the Mariners, I would wait till Holliday leaves the A's, and for some of the prospects to develop.
And if he gives up home runs at the rate he did last year, they don't really need him either.
He did manage to convert nearly all of his save opportunities, even playing for the stinking Padres.
if Rocco is still capable of hitting around .280, has .340 on base percentage, and hits around 10-20 homeruns, steals about 10-15 stolen bases, he definitely is a bargain for the Red Sox. Not to mention he is an absolute stud in the outfield with very good range and a cannon of an arm. If he can stay healthy, I bet they are going to have Baldelli start in center, with Ellsbury in left and Bay in right. The season opener for the Sox is most likely going to be Bay in Left, Ellsbury in center, and Drew in right, though.