Heyman On Rockies, Wedge, Strasburg

...not just because the Tribe lost the ALCS, by the way. Wedge has always been a questionable manager, and the way he handled the ALCS should have been the last straw.

right...cause taking a young team that close to the WS against a veteran championship club is totally a reason to loose your job.

Don't forget how bad that team was until the end of the season. They got a bit of a spark when they got Lofton and called up Cabrera, and that, combined with some luck, took them pretty far. But they did it despite having Wedge as a manager, not because of him. He makes horrible decisions, and does not know how to manage a team. His teams start off slow (at best) almost every year because they are totally unprepared. His lineup changes/platoons are ridiculous and don't help anybody. He doesn't know when to take pitchers out and when not to (I consider his decision to send Sabathia out to pitch the 7th inning in game 5 of the ALCS to be the turning point of the series). He doesn't understand that Dellucci is a horrible player. He doesn't know how to deal with young talent (what good is it to call up LaPorta and Valbuena while they were hot in the minors if Wedge is just going to bench them after a couple of games, so that they get rusty and lose their confidence?)

Getting a little lucky and getting a mediocre team to the ALCS one year out of seven years or whatever it has been which have otherwise been "disappointing" doesn't prove anything.

"He'd be the right-handed power bat they're missing..."

Last time I checked Hawpe bats and throws left-handed.

Garret Anderson is currently slugging .277 -- not quite sure how you can say Hawpe wouldn't be a better right-handed power option* ;)

(and yes, I know he's left handed)

"If only the Rox would have sold on Atkins in the off-season. Pennies on the dollar for the guy now."

Yeah, they really should've pursued dealing Atkins to Minnesota or something, but they never really seemed to make him that available after Holliday was dealt.

Atkins is a below average defensive player at both first and third base, and his offensive production has steadily decline for four straight seasons now.

Look at his wOBA's from 2006-2009: .410, .368, .337, and he's down to .273 this season.

His walk rate has declined and his strikeout rate has increased slightly, and this season his line drive rate has been WAYYY down.

I'm not sure that the Rockies could land much of anything for Atkins anymore.

And Colorado REALLY needs to get some value out of Huston Street, because otherwise they just dealt Holliday for Carlos Gonzalez and a AAAA starter.

"And Colorado REALLY needs to get some value out of Huston Street, because otherwise they just dealt Holliday for Carlos Gonzalez and a AAAA starter."

I agree with this.

I could see Indians, Tigers, Rangers, Cubs, or Angels, assuming all these teams stay in contention.

Fangraphs lists Atkins as the 2nd least valuable 3rb baseman behind Wigginton. At this point, I don't think Atkins is tradeable. They are better off convincing him to accept an assignment to AAA and passing him through waivers. I don't think anyone would pick him up.

They really should have traded him to Minnesota when they had the chance. They should have taken Perkins or Blackburn. Oh well, now they are stuck with him.

HA! whatever, Hawpe is left-handed, so give me a freakin break. Show's you how much us Braves fans watch the Rockies...atleast our manager isn't on the hot seat.

I'm starting to get to that point where I feel like the 1-2 punches of Chciago and St. Louis are going to determine the division.

If Harden/Zambrano can stay healthy and be more productive than Wainwright/Carpenter, then I feel pretty good about our chances.

But letting Gaudin go really hurt our starting pitching depth, and the Cubs don't have any young guys in the minor leagues who could come up and contribute, really.

I think there's a decent chance that the team trades for a mid level starting pitcher.

Peavy would be a bigger possibility if the Cubs had more pieces, but lets be honest: Peavy would look really, really good in Chicago's rotation right now.

My only concern with the Cubs trading for Bedard is that the Cubs would then have both Bedard and Harden as free agents after the season, and the team would almost assuredly have to resign one of them.

Then again, the idea of a Zambrano, Dempster, Bedard, Harden and Lilly rotation is absolutely scary, and he's a guy that the Cubs could likely afford.

I also agree that the Mets and White Sox could look into Bedard, because both teams appear to have some serious rotational depth issues, and Bedard is likely to be the best affordable top of the rotation guy out there, as guys like Halladay, Lee and/or Peavy will cost a haul.

"Andrew Cashner + Tyler Colvin + Junior Lake for Bedard. Fair?"

No.

And Strasburg ain't getting $50M. I can see him getting $15M-20M, but I doubt he wants to risk being Matt Harrington version 2.0.

"Why should any team exceed the $6 million last year's #1 received?"

Because sitting at 100 mph WITH COMMAND doesn't grow on trees?

Strasburg is worth more than twice Tim Beckham. Without a doubt.

Scott Boras is about as far from an idiot as it possible to be.

Why offer strausberg even $15 million?

This is just another ploy by bor-ASS to inflate future contracts for the unproven, non-professional athletes who come through the draft.

Boston was great with matsuzaka. They bid on a pitcher who was expected to be instantly successful because he had already dominated in japan and showed composure and skill against professionals in the WBC.

College and high school players with big talent have, and I am repeating myself for those who are drinking the bor-ASS cool aid, proven nothing.

Sorry, but no hitting air farce is far different than no hitting a high A or double A or a major league team. I'd be surprised if just ONE player from air farce sees time in the bigs let alone has a career...and this is something people seem to be ignoring.

It is far more likely that Strasburg will sign for a signing bonus of $10-12 million with $20-$24 million of guaranteed money as part of a 6 year/$30+ million deal.

Posted by: Websoulsurfer | May 12, 2009 at 04:38 AM

Why should any team pay this much?

Even if he did produce the numbers you state it was against PRE-olympic talent. Furthermore, Matsuzaka pitching against japanese players is far more indicative of his talent than strausberg pitching against the local college team. Sorry, no comparison.

If he doesn't want to sign for relative money based on historical signings, sit out and re-enter next year. And if he does sit out, I shall then wish he becomes matt harrington 2.0.

Sidebar, I can just imagine what the roto world/prospect lovers would be saying if alex rodriguez came up through the minors today and slugged .650 in triple A as an 19 year old!

.650!? Give him $100 million!

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