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« Twins Acquire J.J. Hardy For Carlos Gomez | Main | Brewers Decline Option On David Weathers »
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Dodgers, Red Sox, Iwamura, Matsui
On this date 33 years ago, Bill Campbell became one of the first players to sign a contract with a new team under baseball's new free agency system. After saving 20 games with the Twins in '76, Campbell signed a four-year, $1MM deal with the Red Sox. In his first season in Boston, he would save 31 games and make his only All-Star appearance. As we enter the 34th Hot Stove season, let's take a look at what is being written in the Blogosphere...
- MLB Notebook suggests Ben Sheets or Erik Bedard for the Dodgers over Vicente Padilla.
- Around the Majors breaks down why Jeremy Hermida is a good pick-up for the Red Sox.
- Fire Brand of the American League explores what it will cost the Red Sox to sign Josh Beckett to an extension.
- Where Have You Gone Andy Van Slyke? likes what Akinori Iwamura brings to the Pirates both on the field and off.
- Raise the Jolly Roger wonders if Iwamura is worth the cost-controlled Jesse Chavez.
- Baseball Daily Digest says that the Iwamura acquisition is the Pirates latest move into the international market.
- Beyond the Boxscore feels the Pirates got a steal, noting that Iwamura is worth $7.5MM more than his $4.85MM salary
- Twins Geek laments the near-acquisition of Iwamura by the Twins.
- Mets Fans Forever hopes the Mets pass on Hideki Matsui.
- Crawfish Boxes takes a look back at every move the Astros made before and during the '09 season.
Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com. If you have a suggestion for this feature, Cork can be reached here, and followed on Twitter here.
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Obviously as a Dodger fan, I'd love to see BOTH Bedard and Sheets brought in on 1+option incentive-laden deals.
Bedard
Sheets
Kershaw
Billingsley
Kuroda
Not bad.
Re: Iwamura being "worth" $12.7 million. More Fangraphs meaningless valuations...
Posted by: vtadave | November 06, 2009 at 01:37 PM
Am I the only Mets fan open to the idea of Hideki as a Met??? A lot of people seem to hate the idea, but I would personally welcome it. Not necessarily as an OF, I think that has disaster potential written all over it. Matsui has said he would be willing to work out over at 1B and personally I would not be unwilling to try that as an option. 1B is not a particularly difficult position to learn, it's really all about footwork and positioning. Case and point, Daniel Murphy struggled mightily in the OF but did quite well at 1B, even though he had never played there before. Now I know that Murph is 23 with good knees and was an IF before this year and Matsui is 35 with creaky knees and never played the IF before, but I think Matsui can learn the position. Let's face it, Matsui can rake. He absolutely destroys LH pitching and I think would be a 2B machine in Citi Field. He would not have the same HR numbers, but I think he could easily get to 100 RBI with a .300 avg with 550 ABs.
I'm certainly not saying Matsui should be high on the Mets priority list, but if they can get him for a 1 year deal relatively cheap, why not? 1B is a position the Mets can play with this season, especially if they sign Matt Holliday. Murphy/Carter wouldn't hurt the Mets, but I would look for guys who have higher upside, like maybe bringing back Delgado or bringing in Matsui. Of course it all depends on what he is looking for in terms of a contract and what other teams offer him. I have a feeling Seattle might pursue him rather aggresively and it would NOT behoove the Mets to overpay or offer multi-year deal to Matsui. But on a 1 year relatively inexpensive deal, why not?
Posted by: JoseJoseJoseeee | November 06, 2009 at 01:47 PM
I would consider Matsui as an option for the Mets if he can play first base... he's just to fragile for LF.
Here's what the Mets should do for next year...
http://rightwingrambling.blogspot.com/2009/11/blueprint-for-world-domination-part-2.html
Posted by: therambler | November 06, 2009 at 02:09 PM
I would consider Matsui as an option for the Mets if he can play first base... he's just to fragile for LF.
Here's what the Mets should do for next year...
http://rightwingrambling.blogspot.com/2009/11/blueprint-for-world-domination-part-2.html
Posted by: therambler | November 06, 2009 at 02:09 PM"
I don't think he can. DH or bust.
Posted by: 661dodgerblue | November 06, 2009 at 02:36 PM
To follow up that short header on Bill "Soupy" Campbell, he not only saved 20 for the Twins, but won *17* for a very pathetic Calvin Griffith owned team that had nothing except for Campbell, Rod Carew, Danny Ford and a young Lyman Bostock on the field other than an aging Killebrew.
Campbell would not last long either, not with the clueless Don Zimmer, who never had an inkling how to use a pitching staff and was the 70's version of Dusty Baker.
Posted by: johns | November 06, 2009 at 02:50 PM
I really think adding Sheets is a great idea
Posted by: Andrew24 | November 06, 2009 at 03:05 PM