As the Giants take a 2-1 lead in the NLCS, let's look at some news from around the baseball world…
- Though C.J. Wilson will get a big arbitration raise, ESPN's Jason A. Churchill thinks the Rangers are more likely to keep the southpaw rather than put him on the trade market.
- The Twins need another top-flight starter, and Jim Souhan of the Minneapolis Star Tribune thinks the team should try to acquire Zack Greinke. His proposed offer of Delmon Young, Kevin Slowey and a prospect won't be enough to get it done, especially since Kansas City would be sending Greinke to a division rival.
- Dodgers GM Ned Colletti says the club's payroll will increase in 2011, according to Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times. (Twitter link)
- Detroit "will make [a] strong push" to sign Victor Martinez this winter, tweets The Denver Post's Troy Renck. The Rockies, meanwhile, are a "longshot" to sign the free agent catcher.
- Also from Renck (via Twitter), Troy Tulowitzki isn't likely to give the Rockies a discount on his next contract since the six-year, $31MM deal he signed before the 2008 season has already proven to be very team-friendly. Tulowitzki is locked up through 2013 and the Rockies have a team option (for $15MM) on him for 2014, so it'll be at least a couple of years before Colorado thinks about extending the star shortstop.
- PGP of the DRaysBay.com blog looks at why Tampa Bay might think about trading Matt Garza and what he could fetch in a deal.
- If Cliff Lee signs a six-year contract with the Yankees this winter, he could earn close to $200MM in salary and endorsement deals, estimates Forbes Magazine's Patrick Rishe.
- Magic Johnson owning the Dodgers? ESPN.com's J.A. Adande wants to see it happen.
- Padres assistant GM Fred Uhlman Jr. will remain with the club, tweets MLB.com's Corey Brock. There were rumors that Uhlman could head to Arizona to work with former Padres general manager Kevin Towers.
- The Cardinals need to patch up the "rift" that has developed in the front office in recent years, writes Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Gordon also looks at the Cardinals' minor league system and the team's last several drafts.
- Fangraphs' Pat Andriola looks at which teams did and didn't benefit from "the old guy discount" last winter.
I would start the bid off @ 5/115 for Lee and see if anyone else will come close. I heard that the Rangers just signed a big TV deal and have an extra $75 mil per to spend. Let’s see if they’ll use it.
I think there would be a handful of teams willing to pay that price, but I can see the logic behind it.
Yeah but $23 mil offered will thin out the crowd quick.
Rangers: 5yr/115,000,000.01
link to mlbtraderumors.com
Liiiiiitle higher.
You know, I really like what Washington is doing. They want to build a winner. Good for them and their fans.
i think it will take 6 years 150 mil…because i believe The Rangers are serious about being a great team from here on out…
Garza is one the Rays should NOT be moving, but a classic example of a team thinking more of pinching pennies rather than trying to get players back like they may be putting out in PR reports with this chatter.
Garza can be counted on for 200IP and you can write that down, something they still need to see even from young Price, Davis and the shaky at best Shields that should be moved and is over paid by Rays standards.
Get Garza on a team with a pitching coach that can get him focused on the mound on a continual basis, not lose his confidence when runners get on base (ditto with Shields of late) and Garza can easily become an even better horse than he is now and why this moving Garza continues to come out, his young age and all just makes no sense.
I agree and with how young Rays pitchers are, it can’t hurt to have an experienced pitcher who is solid and can give you 200 IP but… unfortunately these are the Rays and they do have to trim payroll.
I’d trade Sheilds but Garza may get too expensive for them so they might have to trade him.
They dont HAVE to trim payroll, they just choose to and its sad when a team doesnt spend on proven talent.
They should trade Shields instead, IMO
Actually, considering the cost-certainty and flexibility of Shields, along with how similar his numbers are compared to Garza, the Rays are (theoretically) making the correct choice in shopping Garza instead of Shields. If you look at their numbers (too lazy right now to post them all) you would find that Garza and Shields are extremely similar pitchers, both are good for 200IP, Shields walks fewer batters and gets a few more groundballs, while Garza gives up the HR at a lower clip. And according to WAR, Shields has been more valuable each of the last 3 seasons. The discrepancies in their respective ERA’s can probably be attributed to Shields getting unlucky with a .354 BABIP and Garza getting a little lucky with a BABIP of .279.
Add in the fact that the current perception right now is that Garza is the better pitcher (and is also younger) the Rays would be foolish to trade Shields and hold on to Garza, in my opinion.
Agreed…Garza is the last pitcher the Rays should think about moving.
Actually that should be David Price or Jeremy Hellickson.
If Garza does end up being traded this offseason I think the Mets & Rays trading with one another makes all the sense in the world with the surplus of outfielders the Mets have and the surplus of pitching the Rays have. Seeing as the Rays will probably need to replace Carl Crawford or Carlos Pena’s production most likely in the offseason do you think if the Mets where to eat a good portion of Beltran’s salary the Rays would be open to a Garza/Bartlett for Beltran(maybe a prospect thrown as well) swap…Honestly i’d like to think it would benefit both teams but I guess we’ll see…
Not even close to a plausible trade. The Rays’ outfield is fine without Beltran and he’s not worthwhile to them even if the Mets ate the whole thing. Garza alone would cost the Mets some high end prospects.
the rays OF is NOT fine w/o Crawford.
from left to right…
u have a rookie in jennings…high promise but u have no clue what ur going to get.
u have a consistently underperforming BJ Upton.
Not sure who is in RF…Joyce / Zobrist ?
The sad part is that it doesnt matter if the Rays contend or not…its not like the fans are gonna come see them anyway…
The OF is the exact same other than Jennings in for Crawford. Jennings very likely will put up better numbers than Crawford in 2-3 years. Crawford is overrated. He’s a great fit for the Rays offense but not worth the kind of money that’s being thrown out.
He’s a LFer without big power…..defense isn’t good enough to play CF either.
“The OF is the exact same other than Jennings in for Crawford.”
When you only have three starting outfielders, your best one walking away is, in fact, a pretty big change.
so let me get this straight. U have an underperforming head case in CF. A black hole of production in RF. and a rookie in LF.
so basically u dont think Jennings-Beltran-Upton would be a good OF ?
mind u. this involves the Mets paying ALL of Beltran’s salary. so ur getting him for free.
In most cases the touted prospect does not make it. Crawford is a proven big League player, jennings is not.
The Rays love trading with the Mets, especially when it comes to pitchers.
Cliff Lee and Carl Crawford to the Cincinnati Reds, along with a Trade of Zach Greinke for Prospects inlcuding Yonder Alonso…
Royals dont want Yonder Alonso…
The Reds dont have the money to spend 200+ MIL on 2 free agents.
And With Eric Hosmer, The Big Lava, and Billy Butler, the last thing the Royals need is another 1B.
The Big Lava=Clint Robinson? The only other good 1B prospect for the Royals that I know of. I say trade Butler, put Hosmer at first and Clint somewhere else
The sad thing about Clint, is he falls in to that category of one dimensional slow DH who are AAAA players and is not young which really eliminates his prospect status despite his great year. We’ll see if a team in need of a DH gives the Royals a call. But the Big Lava is Kila Ka’aihue.
i think the big lava is Kila Ka’somethinglongandweird. He is from hawaii and i guess thats where Span is getting the lava part.
i think the big lava is Kila Ka’somethinglongandweird. He is from hawaii and i guess thats where Span is getting the lava part.
Carl Crawford and Cliff Lee to the Cincinnati Reds…
…in MLB 2K11
or Mlb 11: The show
or his crack induced daydreams….
or his crack induced daydreams….
I’m a Reds fan and it sounds like you may be but I’d have to wake you up from that dream. Payroll will not exceed $80 mil this year. That means nobody is signing a major contract for the Reds unless they are named Joey Votto or Jay Bruce
I’m a Reds fan and it sounds like you may be but I’d have to wake you up from that dream. Payroll will not exceed $80 mil this year. That means nobody is signing a major contract for the Reds unless they are named Joey Votto or Jay Bruce
That’s my fantasy baseball team!
I’ve always liked Matt Garza. I think that the Rays have to find a way to keep him and Price together. If they need to move anyone it should be Shields. He could be appealing to a mid market team looking to add a #3 starter. He makes $4.25 in 2011 and has affordable options of $7 mil in 2012 and $9 min in 2013. He get’s pricey in 2014 w/ a $12 mil option.
I think 3/$27 is a good extension for Garza. Buy out 2 years of arb and 1 year of FA. He can still hit the open market at age 30.
FYI, a 3 year extension to Garza will NOT buy out a year of free agency. He was a Super Two this year; he’s still got 3 arby years/controlable years left.
He’s not a free agent til after the 2013 season.
Tulo is the best SS in baseball imo…once they have to extend him, the rockies will have to pay up big time.
That’s pretty strong assessment calling Tulo better than Hanley Ramirez. He may be better with the glove, but the trqack record still has to gov with Ramirez on the bat side, taking into account the home stadium both play in. Tulo in Colorado and Ramirez in the extremely pitcher friendly Land Shark stadium.
It is a strong assessment but I think of it this way: If I was to start a team from scratch and I had to choose from Tulo and Hanley…I take Tulo and Im sure the majority would take him as well.
Magic owning the Dodgers sounds good to me.
Yeah that would be great. It wold also put the Dodgers in a better financial situation, although it they could only be in better shape at this point.
At this point I think that anyone seems like a good owner for the Dodgers..
….except Frank McCourt 😛
I would love to see the Tigers get V-Mart. He and Miggy 3-4 is pretty darn good.
I seriously doubt that the Tigers will make ANY effort to sign V Mart, much less a “strong push”. They’re going with Avila behind the plate, for better or worse. This is a key part of the “stand pat” strategy that includes Inge, Peralta, Scott Sizemore, and Raburn. $ 75 million off the books? So what! $ 34 million currently given to starting pitchers that are leaving, you think they’ll spend on a starting pitcher to upgrade that 12th best team ERA in the league? Nah! They’ll just convert Phil Coke to a starter!
I feel for you, Tiger Fan. DD’s comments and approach he said was gonna take this offseason are irrelevant to me, and I can’t believe it so much, I think he’s just posturing the media. No way Mike Illitch let’s him get away with that.
Oh, I believe that we are being low balled here, but I do believe that they’re not going to make any upgrades at all in the infield or at catcher, and I don’t think they’ll even test the waters with guys like Crawford or Lee, or V Mart. I think they’ll try to get a bat to hit fifth, maybe bring back Ordonez for the 3 slot, but take a downgrade in the 2 slot, maybe replace Coke in the bullpen, but that’s a sideways move. Most of all, they really need to upgrade the rotation, and I don’t mean just another Bonderman. If Coke is the fourth starter, then DD needs to go. No excuse for that.
Oh, I believe that we are being low balled here, but I do believe that they’re not going to make any upgrades at all in the infield or at catcher, and I don’t think they’ll even test the waters with guys like Crawford or Lee, or V Mart. I think they’ll try to get a bat to hit fifth, maybe bring back Ordonez for the 3 slot, but take a downgrade in the 2 slot, maybe replace Coke in the bullpen, but that’s a sideways move. Most of all, they really need to upgrade the rotation, and I don’t mean just another Bonderman. If Coke is the fourth starter, then DD needs to go. No excuse for that.
I hope it is posturing, because otherwise 2011 is going to be a bleak season. I’d like them to trade for Madison Bumgarner. The giants probably will not even consider giving him up, but one can always dream. And an established veteran for this young staff would help as well. Leave Coke where he is, he does very well there.
Don’t get me wrong, i think they should not blow all the money now. Some of it can be saved to extend some of the young talent when arbitration starts coming up.
I’ll believe Coke is going to the rotation when he takes the mound. I find it hard to believe DD wouldn’t have his hand in a Garza deal if he is availible. I think DD is going to be making quite a few moves this off season and I don’t believe he is not going to upgrade the rotation one way or another. If he doesn’t he needs to go! As far as V mart, its doesn’t make sense unless he platoons with avilia and DH’s but I rather have Dunn at the DH.
I feel for you, Tiger Fan. DD’s comments and approach he said was gonna take this offseason are irrelevant to me, and I can’t believe it so much, I think he’s just posturing the media. No way Mike Illitch let’s him get away with that.
I seriously doubt that the Tigers will make ANY effort to sign V Mart, much less a “strong push”. They’re going with Avila behind the plate, for better or worse. This is a key part of the “stand pat” strategy that includes Inge, Peralta, Scott Sizemore, and Raburn. $ 75 million off the books? So what! $ 34 million currently given to starting pitchers that are leaving, you think they’ll spend on a starting pitcher to upgrade that 12th best team ERA in the league? Nah! They’ll just convert Phil Coke to a starter!
That was one hell of a game. In the end, Matt Cain outpiched the resurgent former WS and NLCS MVP Cole Hamels. However do the Giants make the World Series, Cody Ross should be the NLCS MVP.
Giants look like they have what it takes to get to the WS. Great pitching. To think that nobody gave them a chance when the series started. If the rookie, Bumgartner wins tomarrow they will put the squeeze on the Phils.
I’m not against the Red Sox bringing back Vmart, but if they can get the 19th pick from him I’ll personally drive him to Detroit. Well maybe to the Detroit city line.
I remember joking that if he had to leave that I’d love to see the Tiger grab him so we could get that pick, but I wasn’t even remotely serious about it being a possibility.
I personally would love to the see the Tigers get Victor Martinez. Avila would still be the everyday catcher with Martinez DHing against righties and catching twice a week against lefties or day game after a night game. Martinez could also spell Cabrera at 1st while he DH’s. Also it would allow Tigers to bring back Magglio and only have to play him in the field against righties and could DH with Martinez catching against lefties. This would enable Casper Wells to play in right against lefties. Also would let Tigers carry both Sizemore and Rhymes with no back up catcher eating up a roster space. Lineup would look like this:
Against RH
Jackson CF
Rhymes 2b
Ordonez Rf (Say 1 year/ 7.5 million with and 6.5 club option
Cabrera 1b
Martinez DH (4 yrs/44 million)
Raburn Lf
Peralta SS
Avila C
Inge 3b (2 yrs 10 million)
Bench
Santiago Utility
Kelly OF/1b
Sizemore 2b/3b
Wells OF (Send Boesch to AAA to find swing)
Then have Martinez catch, Sizemore play 2b, Wells in RF and Ordonez DH against lefties.
Also would like to see them make a play on Garza or Greinke centered around Andy Oliver. Hold onto Jacob Turner. Or even make a play for Wandy Rodriguez if available.
Rotation
Verlander
Scherzer
Rodriguez or Garza (Don’t see Greinke getting traded within division)
Porcello
Gallaraga (If get Rodriguez can put Coke in bp where he belongs
Lastly sign JJ Putz 1 yr 5 mill plus club option, to shore up bullpen and a lefty if Coke starts. Would love to sign Crawford but not in the bidding war it is going to be. This would put them in the 80-90 million payroll where they belong and not in the 120 range that isn’t feasible in Detroit.
I like all of that! Except the four years which it would probably take to get V Mart.
I’m not sure he holds up that long, but I like it anyway.
Yeah I would love to see the Tigers get him at only three years but think it would take that extra year to get him to go to Detroit. Think he would take 3 from another team to catch everyday. While the Tigers have plenty of money to spend it is tough to get free agents to Detroit. Every big free agent they have signed in past was either coming off an injury ie Ordonez or was towards the end of free agency and had little options ie Pudge, Damon, Valverde. Would love to see Crawford patrolling left in Comerica but think he won’t be worth the 7 years 120 mill it will cost to get him. Wouldn’t mind bringing in Thome to DH as the Tigers are sure to get a lefty bat but don’t see him leaving the Twins unless he wants more playing time. If they sign Thome could see them making a play for Werth as they seem to work very well with Boras over the years. However, I am always leery of a player coming over from National League and how that translates to AL.
That line up is not bad, the only thing that would worry me is the depth in case of injuries. But this a general worry, therefore i think they should sign preferably two good bats.
Pitching: Gallaraga should be traded, he just doesn’t keep consistent enough. I also think they should focus on adding lefties, but i don’t believe Wandy Rodriguez is the answer.
Yeah looking at the lineup it seems like there is only two spots in the lineup that they will look to fill through trades and free agency. I see Magglio wanting to take less to come back here and should take up one spot and the other being a left-handed bat. They still have Guillen coming back even though with his injury history can’t be counted on but still could take the place of rhymes or sizemore if they struggle or be put in outfield and move Raburn in left. Also they still have Boesch and Strieby who I wouldn’t give up on if healthy. Also Wandy Rodriguez had a very good second half and gives the Tigers a left-handed starter and think he could be had without giving up Turner or Oliver but Im sure the Astros would ask for one of them. Would love to see them get Garza but is going to cost Oliver and then some.
Yeah I would love to see the Tigers get him at only three years but think it would take that extra year to get him to go to Detroit. Think he would take 3 from another team to catch everyday. While the Tigers have plenty of money to spend it is tough to get free agents to Detroit. Every big free agent they have signed in past was either coming off an injury ie Ordonez or was towards the end of free agency and had little options ie Pudge, Damon, Valverde. Would love to see Crawford patrolling left in Comerica but think he won’t be worth the 7 years 120 mill it will cost to get him. Wouldn’t mind bringing in Thome to DH as the Tigers are sure to get a lefty bat but don’t see him leaving the Twins unless he wants more playing time. If they sign Thome could see them making a play for Werth as they seem to work very well with Boras over the years. However, I am always leery of a player coming over from National League and how that translates to AL.
I like all of that! Except the four years which it would probably take to get V Mart.
I’m not sure he holds up that long, but I like it anyway.
Pretty sure he wants to catch more than twice a week
Yeah thats why I think it would take the Tigers going 4 years to get him and money does talk. At least he wouldn’t be strictly a DH in Detroit and don’t discount his Venezulan ties which would make him fit in quite well with Ordonez, Cabrera, Guillen and Gallaragga. Just don’t see the Red Sox going more than 3 years which is where I think he woud prefer to sign.
I hope the Red Sox dont go more than four years. Even though I like Martinez and hes a good hitter, I rather have him walk and have them sign John Buck. That way they get a catcher who can at least throw out runners. Then next offseason they can go harder after Agon or one of the top tier first basemen. Ortiz will hopefully be gone after next year too.
looks a hell of a lot better then last year, but they would still need more power. I would trade Dunn & Buck for Vmart and Kelly. Love the pitcthing though, I wonder what it would take to get Wandy? My line up would be
Jackson cf
Rhymes/Sizmeore Platoon 2b
Ordonez rf/dh
Cabrera 1b
Dunn rf/1b/dh
Raburn lf
Peralta ss
Inge-3b
Buck/Avila c
Yeah Dunn would definatly be an upgrade n the power department but don’t think he wants to DH and should be able to find a 1b gig in the NL. Also Vmart gives them a lot of flexbility with his catching/1b eligibility. If they sign Dunn I think they don’t resign Magglio. Still power increase with Peralta, Ordonez and Raburn playing everyday. In that spacious park I would rather have a .300 hitter with 20 plus homerun power than a .250 35 plus hitter but both would be an upgrade. Also Dunn has never played in AL and Martinez has. It probably would cost Oliver to get Wandy but would hope Tigers do all they can not to include him. I wouldn’t mind Buck in a platoon with Avila but think he will find an everyday job, what about Barajas?
I personally would love to the see the Tigers get Victor Martinez. Avila would still be the everyday catcher with Martinez DHing against righties and catching twice a week against lefties or day game after a night game. Martinez could also spell Cabrera at 1st while he DH’s. Also it would allow Tigers to bring back Magglio and only have to play him in the field against righties and could DH with Martinez catching against lefties. This would enable Casper Wells to play in right against lefties. Also would let Tigers carry both Sizemore and Rhymes with no back up catcher eating up a roster space. Lineup would look like this:
Against RH
Jackson CF
Rhymes 2b
Ordonez Rf (Say 1 year/ 7.5 million with and 6.5 club option
Cabrera 1b
Martinez DH (4 yrs/44 million)
Raburn Lf
Peralta SS
Avila C
Inge 3b (2 yrs 10 million)
Bench
Santiago Utility
Kelly OF/1b
Sizemore 2b/3b
Wells OF (Send Boesch to AAA to find swing)
Then have Martinez catch, Sizemore play 2b, Wells in RF and Ordonez DH against lefties.
Also would like to see them make a play on Garza or Greinke centered around Andy Oliver. Hold onto Jacob Turner. Or even make a play for Wandy Rodriguez if available.
Rotation
Verlander
Scherzer
Rodriguez or Garza (Don’t see Greinke getting traded within division)
Porcello
Gallaraga (If get Rodriguez can put Coke in bp where he belongs
Lastly sign JJ Putz 1 yr 5 mill plus club option, to shore up bullpen and a lefty if Coke starts. Would love to sign Crawford but not in the bidding war it is going to be. This would put them in the 80-90 million payroll where they belong and not in the 120 range that isn’t feasible in Detroit.
VMart’s value is not truly a catcher anymore although he is better than he gets credit for.
His top value is moving through C, 1B, DH and a consistent switchy with a nice balance of avg/slugging.
this makes him (on paper, at least) look like good, maybe great, fit in Motown: hitting in front of MCabrera, switching off with MC and Avila both in position and at the plate
yeah, just like AA-ron said above as we posted at the same time!
yeah, just like AA-ron said above as we posted at the same time!
His value comes from providing his offense as a catcher..providing similar defense as a 1B is around league average. He certainly wouldn’t be a top 10 offensive 1B..maybe top 12-17, which is about average. He could benefit offensively by not catching as much, although I’d argue he will start to decline soon and that will offset any benefit. I think Vmart has real value on a 3yr deal if you believe he can catch for at least two of those seasons. Strictly as a 1B he should get no more than 3/27 or so.
VMart’s value is not truly a catcher anymore although he is better than he gets credit for.
His top value is moving through C, 1B, DH and a consistent switchy with a nice balance of avg/slugging.
this makes him (on paper, at least) look like good, maybe great, fit in Motown: hitting in front of MCabrera, switching off with MC and Avila both in position and at the plate
There’s a decent chance this Rangers team could make it to the world series and lose Cliff Lee to free agency. Why would they even consider trading away their seasons most consistent pitcher? It’s be basically rebuilding despite having the pieces to continue competing.
I wonder if winning the WS increases or decreases their chances of signing him…I’d guess it would increase the chances, but it may satisfy the fans enough to justify not ponying up the money. The 28 other MLB teams should pass the hat around and donate to keep Lee away from the Yankees. But with the new TV deal maybe the Rangers can take care of it themselves after all.
By “him” I assume you mean Lee. My bet is if it changes anything the change would be minor. Lee’s already indicated he’s going to be the mercenary and go to the highest bidder. The teams that can afford him are likely already potential playoff contenders, so the chance to get a first or another ring won’t be the question.
By “him” I assume you mean Lee. My bet is if it changes anything the change would be minor. Lee’s already indicated he’s going to be the mercenary and go to the highest bidder. The teams that can afford him are likely already potential playoff contenders, so the chance to get a first or another ring won’t be the question.
I wonder if winning the WS increases or decreases their chances of signing him…I’d guess it would increase the chances, but it may satisfy the fans enough to justify not ponying up the money. The 28 other MLB teams should pass the hat around and donate to keep Lee away from the Yankees. But with the new TV deal maybe the Rangers can take care of it themselves after all.
There’s a decent chance this Rangers team could make it to the world series and lose Cliff Lee to free agency. Why would they even consider trading away their seasons most consistent pitcher? It’s be basically rebuilding despite having the pieces to continue competing.
Poor C Johnson. Never did live up to his potential.
Damn they changed it.
C Johnson?
Charles?
Poor C Johnson. Never did live up to his potential.
Greinke would be perfect for Twinks, but don’t see it happening.
Also thinking Delmon would regress in that situation (losing) with the Royales with cheese.
Delmon Young for Matt Garza !?!??!?
I would hold on to Young no matter what if I were the Twins. He made huge strides this season and the Albert Belle comparisons aren’t far off the horizon IMO.
Has Young mad a 180 degree turn on his attitude from his Rays days, one of the reasons they pawned him off on the Twins in the Garza deal? This guy even as a rookie had a penchant for not running out ground balls, lackadaisical going after flyballs hit towards him on occasion and was benched a couple of times by Maddon, things any MLB players simply cannot due. Maybe he played with Elijah Dukes too long or something, but this guy was a ticking bomb waiting to go off, though he was a decent bat if he could ever get his head screwed on straight.
Delmon has made some pretty significant changes in his attitude. He had a rough season in 2009 when he was dealing with his mother failing health and eventual death. After dealing with that I think he realized what the Twins were trying to do for him by giving him a second shot. Toward the end of the season he started to actually listen to his hitting coach and then in the off season he lost all of that weight. I strongly believe he can continue to hit .300 with 20-30 HRs and 40+ doubles.
I agree with you. Like the post says Minnesota needs another starter but not at the expense of Delmon Young. He carried them for much of the second half this year and with the lineup they have they need the right handed balance that he along with Cuddyer give them.
I dont know much about the state of their farm system bet perhaps a deal for one of Pittsburghs lefties Duke or Maholm. Maybe a Pineiro or maybe a Derek Lowe. Or if a FA is preferable perhaps a Chris Young or a Hiroki Kuroda could help. Cause there isnt really much out there right now.
I don’t think Duke, Maholm, Pineiro, Lowe, Young or Kuroda are enough of an upgrade over Baker, Slowey, Blackburn and Duensing. The Twins really need a dominant Ace. Liriano is dominant and proved that he can pitch a full season (192.2 IP), but he doesn’t go deep in games (7th inning at best) and for that reason he isn’t quite an Ace. Outside of Cliff Lee and Zach Greinke there aren’t Aces available (Josh Johnson coming back to MN is just a pipe dream). I would rather give our best pitching prospect, Kyle Gibson, a shot at the rotation in 2011 and trading Slowey could open a spot for him. We do need a Veteran innings eater, and the best candidate is Carl Pavano. Here is the likely 2011 rotation: Liriano, Pavano, Baker, Duensing, Blackburn. The best case scenario is: Greinke, Liriano, Baker, Duensing, Gibson.
Yeah agreed. The names i mentioned were mainly if Pavano doesnt return. Although getting a SP from ATL could be helpful either Jurrjens or Lowe. Lowe might not be an Ace in the true sense of the term but he would provide an upgrade over Pavano. He has pitched well in the postseason. He hasnt made less than 32 starts since he became a full time starter. and pitching with a better defense and a much better offense in the AL central he could realistically win 18 or 19 games.
Pavano and Lowe both fit the mold of a “Twin’s Pitcher.” They aren’t dominant, but they throw strikes, don’t walk many and rely on their defense. This is great to get through the regular season, but the power pitchers we see dominating in the playoffs are not drafted or groomed by the Twins (Liriano is the exception). Unfortunately, I think it would take a change in the organization’s philosophy to get a dominant pitching rotation because the Twins can’t outbid the Yankees/Red Sox/Phillie/etc for the services of Sabathia/Lee/Halladay/etc.
Here is one small step I would like to see happen: sign Barret Loux. If his elbow checks out, give him a shot. It worked out so far with Kyle Gibson and his drop in the draft due to injury concerns. It would be great to see Gibson (6’6″) and Loux (6’5″) on the mound back to back. I’m not saying big pitchers become aces, but there are a bunch of big dominant righties with early draft pedigree out there (Halladay, Verlander, J. Johnson, Wainwright, Weaver, Haren, Carpenter).
Has Young mad a 180 degree turn on his attitude from his Rays days, one of the reasons they pawned him off on the Twins in the Garza deal? This guy even as a rookie had a penchant for not running out ground balls, lackadaisical going after flyballs hit towards him on occasion and was benched a couple of times by Maddon, things any MLB players simply cannot due. Maybe he played with Elijah Dukes too long or something, but this guy was a ticking bomb waiting to go off, though he was a decent bat if he could ever get his head screwed on straight.
I would hold on to Young no matter what if I were the Twins. He made huge strides this season and the Albert Belle comparisons aren’t far off the horizon IMO.
Greinke would be perfect for Twinks, but don’t see it happening.
Also thinking Delmon would regress in that situation (losing) with the Royales with cheese.
Delmon Young for Matt Garza !?!??!?
I’d love for the Rockies to sign V-Mart. That would definately make Olivo available and he’d be the perfect C for the Rangers.
I’d love for the Rockies to sign V-Mart. That would definately make Olivo available and he’d be the perfect C for the Rangers.
How the hell would Magic Johnson have enough money to own the Dodgers?
Because he’s a WINNER.That’s basically what I got from the article.
100 Million won’t buy him the Dodgers, however so it would be an ownership group, which he probably wouldn’t be the head of.
selling his part of the Lakers and over 100 Starbucks he owns…
Magic Enterp. is worth an estimated $700-$900 mil. Plus most of these teams are owned by a group of investors. I’m sure he could put up an easy $100 mil and easily find others to invest as well. Keep in mind Starbucks, Majic Johnson Theatres, etc. If Cookie doesn’t take half he’ll be ok.
“Magic Enterp. is worth an estimated $700-$900 mil.”
That’s a lot.
who got paid to write words saying the rangers would prefer to keep wilson rather than trade him?
seriously
That’s exactly what I said.
I think a James Shields for Billy Butler makes a lot of sense for both sides. Shields is affordable for the next few years and can be bought out when he gets too expensive. He could be their de facto ace if they trade Greinke and has pitched better than his numbers suggest. Also can’t hurt leaving the AL East. Butler would be able to play some first and DH if they can find a better fielding 1b to platoon with him. Rays showed they can use a righthanded bat and while he might not have ideal power he is an above average hitter with a .850 or so OBPS.
Shields contract is too payroll friendly for the Rays to deal him. Just 20.25 over the next 3 years if his options for 2012 and 2013 are picked up. Billy Butler is not a guy that really fits with Tampa. They have in house options at first such as Zobrist or maybe even Dan Johnson might get a look if brought back.
I think that the ideal fit would be someone like Adam LaRoche on a 2 year deal. He can help replace some of the run production that will be lost with CC and Pena leaving and he is a pretty solid defender at 1B.
If TB does make a trade from their staff it will be Matt Garza. If you want to use KC as a trade partner perhaps a Garza for Soria deal would be more feasible.
That would give KC a top of the rotation guy to either pair up with Grienke or to replace Grienke.
And on the TB side you replace 31M of Pena, CC, Soriano, and Garza (not including arb raise) with 4M for Soria, say 6-7M for LaRoche at 1B, and a couple of guys for the pen to replace Wheeler, Benoit, and maybe Balfour although I think Balfour resigns.
With money that was used on Benoit and Wheeler you can replace them and with a potential deal to trade Bartlett for a younger/cheaper middle infielder (Padres-Everth Cabrera or SF Manny Burriss) you would still have a contending team and can shave off 15M or so taking arb raises and such into account and still put a team on the field that looks like this.
C-Jaso
1B-LaRoche
2B-Zobrist
SS-Bartlett or Rodriguez
3B-Longoria
OF-Jennings, Upton, Zobrist, Joyce
SP-Price, Shields, Niemann, Davis, Hellickson
RP-Balfour, Howell, ???
CP-Soria
Thoughts?
“Perhaps a Garza for Soria deal would be more feasible.”
LOL.
Yeah i know that its a long shot. But logically its not that bad. Yeah Soria is a dominate closer. But do you really need a closer more than a top of the rotation starter? Grienke and Garza at the top would be arguably the best 1-2 in the central. And as was shown this year you can pick up a closer off the “scrap heap” and have him succeed ex. Matt Capps and Kevin Gregg this year and David Aardsma the past 2 years.
Im just sayin that a #2 starter is more valuable in the long run for a team trying to crawl up the standings than a 35-40 saves a year guy.
Question. Were you a Royals fan during the Baird era?
So from your question Im guessing you value a closer more than a #2 starter? Believe me I understand KC fans wanting to keep him. But bullpen guys and closers are some of the relatively easiest to replace. A top of the rotation starter that is under team control for another couple years is much harder to find.
I laughed too. Way too much to give up for Soria. No closer other than maybe Mo is worth a starter that can go 200+ innings, has 3 years of controlability left, and has playoff/World Series experience.
Royals would have to throw in someone else.
I wasnt meaning it as a straight up 1 for 1 deal. Garza would head to KC with Soria, DeJesus and maybe a A or AA prospect going to Tampa
You maybe be right that the Rays would deal Garza but I think they will try and lock him up this off-season making Shields expendable. Either way I believe one of them goes. While Im sure they would want a better fielding 1B, Butler would give them a righthanded bat that the lineup severily needs and couldn’t be pitched around as easily in Tampa. I think Zobrist is too valuable given his production to take him away from 2b unless they feel S Rodriguez is the answer. Could still see Pena coming back as his off year definatly played in the rays favor. While Soria is affordable this year just don’t see the Rays commiting that much money to a closer in the future (Worth every penny though). Soriano was an exception because the Rays were all in this year with Crawford and Pena being Free agents. When a team cuts costs the bullpen is the 1st to go. I do agree with you that they could sign Laroche though who is a guy that is consistenly undervalued.
The main reason why i think Garza is the one thats going is that he would bring back the most in a deal. Shields right now is under a friendly contract and idk that there is really a market for him for someone that can help the club this year. Maybe a couple of A or AA prospects but not someone who can contribute right away.
Soria is very affordable this year and next at just 4M and 6M. Adding a guy who can shutdown games would keep them in contention because I think that with just a couple of moves and production from their 2 high profile kids (Hellickson and Jennings) they could be right back in the playoffs next year
Yeah i could see that with Soria and they could always deal him when he get’s expensive. Would you trade Soria and Butler for Garza or Shields, and Jake McGee? Give me your thoughts Rays and Royals fans?
Hell no!!!
I dont think TB needs Butler. KC could look to trade him but not in a Garza deal. So take him out and put DeJesus in along with maybe a AA prospect and it would look a little better
I kind of like that idea. While I love Butler, and would hate to lose him (especially if he lives up to his potential), but 1B/DH is one position they could afford to deal away.
Well since my Yankees season is over I don’t care if its not technically I’m just being honest I’m just gonna sit back and pray that the Yankees sign Lee. On a serious note I was just thinking because of the year Cano had and I know hes not a ss who do you think is the better player Hanley or Cano. It has to be pretty damn close.
It’s really not that close (Though closer than it was a year ago). Cano had a phenomenal 2010 at the plate, but Hanley’s definitely the better player.
Hanley’s over a year younger and in one less full season, he’s accounted for almost a full ten wins over what Cano has provided. Cano’s showing marked improvement, but this is the first year he’s ever posted a WAR above Hanley and Hanley’s considered as having a major “down” year (Posting his second worst UZR and worst OPS since his rookie year).
Cano has more power (Which to be further fair to Cano, is NOT related to being a lefty in NYS as some may assume, his away slugging is actually better than his home slugging) and strikes out a whole lot less, but Hanley gets on base more (Generally) and is a much better baserunner. Hanley also plays at a more premium position. Both could be considered below average fielders (Both have only ever posted a positive UZR/150 once in their careers). Cano is the better fielder at his position, but again, Hanley’s is at more of a premium position and many say he’d be much better as a second baseman, so it could be potentially a push (Unfortunately, Hanley’s never played second in the majors, so there’s no real way to judge).
While Cano has made huge strides in his game and is probably a top three MLB second baseman at this point, I’d say Hanley’s still definitively the guy I’d rather have.
How about Wiggington to the Rays. Trade Garza to Cinny for Alonzo and one of their catching prospects.
idk if Wigginton is the right fit. With CC and Pena leaving the Rays are going to be pretty right hand dominant with Longo, Upton, Bartlett, Rodriguez, Jennings. Their only LH regular is Jaso with Zobrist as a switch hitter.
IMO a guy like Adam LaRoche is a better option at 1B and Garza could be useful as a trade piece for a closer like Joakim Soria or maybe Huston Street.
Or Carlos Marmol.
Just a thought and not sure the Yankees and Rays would ever make a deal but say Lee resigns with Texas, would you trade Montero straight up for Garza? Seems like a deal that would benefit both sides.
I wouldn’t if I were the Yankees but as a rival, that’s what it may take to get Garza.
I could see the Yankees trying to acquire Greinke, particularly if Lee stays with the Rangers. Maybe a package of Gardener/Montero/Chamberlain + an additional pitching prospect (not sure who their top P prospect is off the top of my head)…and by trading Gardner, it opens up a spot in left field for Crawford.
The Yankees wouldn’t trade Montero and Joba for Halladay so I doubt they would trade them plus Gardner for Grienke.
i’m a yankee fan and i think Hanley is better…but if Cano continues on the path he is on he’ll take that crown…
At this point, anyone not named McCourt would be a better owner for The Dodgers.
Except in this case, $1 will not win. Gotta bid $2.
Actually, if you were simply basing it off of defense (I know you are not), Brendan Ryan is better than both if you go by UZR: Ryan 11.5; Tulo 7.1. No matter what you go by, they are both excellent defensively. Now, if you were to take all parts of the game into account, I’d want Tulo.
Or 1 cent….
In that manner, yes, that’s a fair point. Though the question being “who is the better player,” the positional scarcity of capable shortstops would make it so that you essentially have to count the fact he plays a less premium position against Cano. There’s actually been a resurgance of great second basemen of late (Heck, there isn’t a bad one in the AL East), but finding a great hitting shortstop is very difficult these days. It’s pretty much Hanley and Tulo.
I missed an important point. While the scarcity itself might make it more of a value thing than a quality thing, the demands of the position make it a quality thing. By virtue of the difficulty of the position, one could argue that a barely adequate shortstop is better than an adequate second baseman, without even accounting for the fact that Hanley is a better and more well rounded hitter overall.
If the questions are “who is more valuable,” who is a better player,” and “who would you rather build a team around?” I’d have to answer Hanley to all three.