Links for Tuesday…
- Phillies' GM Ruben Amaro said a lefty reliever and another starter are still on his wish list, according to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki.
- Troy Renck of The Denver Post provides the details of Chris Iannetta's contract extension. The backstop can void the $5MM club option for 2013 if he is traded anytime before then.
- Braves' GM Frank Wren said he's looking for just "one more small piece" to fill out his club's offensive needs, tweets MLB.com's Mark Bowman. Bowman notes that the Braves need a primary pinch hitter.
- Adrian Beltre will take his physical on Thursday, tweeted Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports.
- Joel Sherman of The New York Post provides some thoughts on the Mets' deal with Jason Bay. He notes that the team's scouts "contend Bay is a better defender than (Matt) Holliday," despite what the metrics and people outside the organization say.
- The Giants designated defensively-skilled shortstop Brian Bocock for assignment to make room for Juan Uribe, tweets Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.
- ESPN's Keith Law sees "very little downside" for the Red Sox with the Adrian Beltre deal. He notes that Boston's defense should be terrific this year. Dave Cameron of FanGraphs says Beltre is "in the conversation of the best defensive third baseman of all time." WEEI's Rob Bradford says the Red Sox considered signing Beltre after the '04 season, and even discussed trying him at shortstop. Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe says Beltre is, at the least, an upgrade over Casey Kotchman.
- Ken Davidoff of Newsday feels the Mets could raise payroll in 2011, so they won't be limited because of Jason Bay's contract. By the way, Bradford has the transcript from Bay's press conference today.
- Maury Brown of The Biz of Baseball notes that the ten-day arbitration-filing period begins today. MLB.com's Doug Miller highlights the biggest eligible names.
- ESPN's Buster Olney suggests the Giants and Mets have been the slowest to adapt to advanced stats. He also notes that the proliferation of better defensive metrics could greatly benefit Carl Crawford as a free agent next offseason.
- MLB.com's Brian McTaggart talked to Astros GM Ed Wade, who said the trade market isn't great because of all the remaining free agents. Also, Wade is focused on one-year deals for arbitration-eligible players such as Michael Bourn, Wandy Rodriguez, and Hunter Pence.
- With Matt Holliday inching toward a large contact with the Cardinals, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch looks at other $100MM deals given to outfielders.
- MetsBlog's Matthew Cerrone has a summary of Peter Gammons' appearance on WFAN this morning.
- R.J. Anderson of DRays Bay interviewed Dan Feinstein, the Rays' Director of Baseball Operations.
Get a scoop and break the Holliday signing while live on the radio in St. Louis! You would be an instant legend and the whole city would be here by the end of the day.
I don’t know why, but I just have this gut feeling that Holliday isn’t going to sign with the Cards.
Two things stick out to me:
1. If he was going to sign with them, he would have done so already.
2. If he really cares about winning more than he cares about money, he wouldn’t have picked Boras as his agent.
I think he signs with the Cardinals….
1. Boras doesn’t let anyone sign early….He is not losing anything by waiting and seeing if another suitor comes along. I think it’s a done deal by early next week.
2. I never believed for one second that he really wants to come back to St. Louis. I don’t believe that he doesn’t want to come back but he is looking for the biggest paycheck and I think it’s pretty obvious that is going to come from St. Louis unless something really unexpected comes up.
The only other options I see is the Orioles which wouldn’t be a bad fit but it just doesn’t seem like their style right now to go spend all that money yet. Or the Giants if they could somehow find enough money for him. Which I do think the Giants are the best fit and need him the most. Just doesn’t seem likely
Me scooping it, that’ll never happen. Just based on reports, I expect a seven-year deal to be reached this week. Questions: will he get $18 mil a year, and will there be an opt-out?
haha, is that Slammin Sammy in your photo?
I’m saying 7 yr 126mil with no opt out…that way he gets his 18per that he passed on a few years ago maybe an option for an 8th year?
If Crawford makes it to free agency watch the Yanks go all in on him.
Maybe that’s why the Yankees are waiting out the LF options for a short term deal. You might just be onto something…
I am shocked! Writers praising a Theo Epstein move? (sarcasm alert)
There is no conversation about the best defensive third baseman of all time.
There is a sentence about the best defensive third baseman of all time:
The best defensive third baseman of all time is Brooks Robinson.
End.
“ESPN’s Buster Olney suggests the Giants and Mets have been the slowest to adapt to advanced stats.”
Well, except for the fact that Braves have no analytics dept. And, it’s rumored, neither do the Twins.
That explains the Mets belief that Bay could play Left field.
Enough already!
If the Phillies could win a World Series in 08 with Pat “The Bat” Burrel and win a
pennant last year with a 37 year old Raul Ibanez, the Mets should be fine with Jason Bay.
Or the Royals! In fact, Moore likely has the least understanding of statistical value then any GM in the game. He knows they exist and says he has (apparent 2) guys on staff to run them, but openly admits he doesnt understand the stats.
I wonder why the Pecota predictions for Hollidays future is so low…that’s quite a drop in production in just a season or two. I guess we’ll have to wait and see, but I just can’t see his avg dropping below .280 so soon.
Tim…honestly Buster Olney’s article has very little to do with “ESPN’s Buster Olney suggests the Giants and Mets have been the slowest to adapt to advanced stats.” and everything to do with a shift in baseball’s financial paradigm. I know you’re not a fan of of Sabean or Minaya, but what happened to remaining impartial?
I definitely did not pull that out because of some bias against those GMs. I pulled those two things about because they were the most interesting parts of the article for me and were things I had not read or thought about a ton yet.
Understood. However, the fact remains that your summary of the article is an inaccurate representation of its content. Further, the items you pulled from the article, regardless of the reason, indicates a bias. Just saying.
I guess a few people who are brand new to the site might think I only do straight summaries of stuff rather than pull out what I find to be new/interesting.
But I don’t think you can have bias without a tendency, and one item doesn’t cut it. I also don’t think you can have bias without prejudice, so you’d have to prove that pulling out those facts makes me unreasonable, uninformed, or operating based on preconceived notions.
Truthfully, I have been a daily visitor to your sight for the better part of two years. I have enjoyed its convenience and timely posts very much. And I agree, for the most part, you and your crew remain impartial, fair and honest. As human beings though, we are all “biased” in some regard. It is in our genetic makeup to have preferences and dislikes.
My point is not that YOU are biased, unreasonable, or uninformed. Quite the contrary. My point is that YOU, as an unbiased informant, may have inadvertantly created a perception of a bias to your readers.
In recent weeks, you have made requests for feedback from your viewers, which is what I was offering. Your immediate defensive stance on my thoughts would seem to suggest that you really are not as interested in honest feedback as you claim to be.
There’s a big difference between taking a defensive stance and simply answering a question, which is exactly what Tim did. He answered your question.
@ bucs_lose_again – Seriously, it doesn’t matter that much to me. I was trying to offer an honest opinion after reading Olney’s article, and didn’t feel my thoughts were well received. My opinion is Tim’s representation of the article was inaccurate. My thoughts were conveyed in a direct and respectful manner, and if Tim disagrees, that is certainly his perogative. However, jumping to conclusions such as “you’d have to prove that pulling out those facts makes me unreasonable, uninformed, or operating based on preconceived notions.” in my mind shows defensiveness. These are Tim’s words back at me. I never insinuated any of those ideas.
Does it mean I think any less of his website or appreciate his efforts any less? Of course not. It’s just two people who disagree. Life goes on 🙂
Next years free agent class (if they all make it) will be absolutely ridiculous. Top few: Lee, Beckett, Webb, Crawford, Mauer, Victor Martinez Then there is also: Dunn, Aramis Ramirez(14.6 player option), Derrek Lee, Jeter, Manny, Jayson Werth, Aaron Harang, Millwood and (he will prob retire or resign w/ the yankees: Rivera). There could realistically be 1 billion dollars spent on only the above players.
Then there is the next group, most of which are MOSTLY 1 year deals but some solid players that can make some teams better.
Pierzynski, Konerko, Maicer Izturis, Renteria, Cantu, Jose Guillen, David Ortiz, Lowell, Huston Street, Frank Francisco, Javier Vazquez, Blanton, Lilly, Scot Shields
Then you add into if A Gonzalez isn’t already traded next offseason will probably be the time they do it.
This next offseason there will be alot of money spent, the rich getting richer, and teams really changing personel.
And as a fan of one of the largest market teams; i can hardly wait.
If Lilly can keep up the production he’s had with the Cubbies, I could see him getting a multi-year deal, even if he will be 35 by the start of the 2011 season.
Vasquez as well, again he isn’t exactly young but if he puts together a solid season in the Bronx I could see him getting a 2-3 year deal.
Aramis Ramirez will EXERCISE his player option and remain cubbie. In no way he would exceed the money he would receive from the Cubs.
As for Cliff Lee & Carl Crawford.. They will be Yankees next season.. especially if andy Pettitte decides to hang it up. Also, Jeter will resign with the Yankees. I say 4yr 90mill 2 finish out his career.
The twins will find a way to resign Joe Mauer.. I say a contract similar to what Pujols got from STL in 2004: 7yr 105mill.
I believe Jason Werth will get a big pay-day by the Phillies.. I say 5yr 60mill(similar to A.Rowand’s contract).
I also believe A-Gonzo will be in a red Sox uniform by either this seasons trade dealine or the 2010-2011 Offseason. Padres GM Jed Hoyer is very familar with the farm system boston has b/c of his previous job employed by the Red Sox. Hoyer can pry about 4-5 top prospects
Guestimated Trade..
– OF Ryan Westmoreland, RHP’s Clay Buccholz& Michael Bowden start package.
The Red Sox are unwilling to give up Westmoreland or Kelly. Also, Lee probably will be a Yankee, and I don’t see Mauer even getting close to that ’04 Pujols extension. He will get way more than that.
There are a lot of reports he’ll be signed by the end of this week, with the Cards. At this point, no other team really seems to be interested. The Orioles are the Cards biggest threat and considering the money will probably be similar, I imagine Holliday will go with the Cardinals.
My prediction is on Thursday we get the first post “Holliday agrees to deal with Cardinals”.
I have to work the rest of the week…I was really hoping for today. After yesterdays reports of a deal being close and then Mozeliak flying back to St. Louis from texas(where negotiations were taking place) I was really hoping something would come out. Appears to be pretty quiet today though. Which sometimes is a good thing in St. Louis
Why are the Cards in such a rush for a big commitment like this? There really is no other threat. I’d like to see them be agressive and force Holliday’s hand.
If they end up signing Holliday and lock up Pujols in a couple years then they’re going to have about 50% of their payroll tied up in 2 players. Not good, no matter how good the 2 are.
It will not be 50% of payroll….You do realize we just paid Glaus 12mil and K Greene 7mil last year? That means we will have Holliday for what we were paying 2 guys who did not contribute to the team AT ALL. Payroll will go up…by 2012 look for the Cards payroll to be well over 110mil. They are getting ahead on paying off the ballpark and preparing for Alberts extension is why payroll has stayed about the same the last few years. Look for it to be making a jump here in the next couple years.
Also the reason we are in a “rush”….The Cardinals have a great chance to be one of the two best teams in the NL just by signing one player. You don’t get those chances too often. Holliday gives this team a real shot at a World Series for at least the next 2 years while the core they have now is in place. If we win a world series this year then I can take Hollidays contract holding us back a little bit in the last year or two of the deal.
I don’t see how the Cardinals are better than they were last year right now. Let alone in a few years when they are paying Pujols nearly double what he is making now (if they want to keep him) and Holliday $18M for likely worse production from each of them.
They basically have the same team now that they went into 09 with. Minus Ankiel, Glaus, Greene, Wellemeyer, and Pineiro
Pineiro was the only one out of all those that contributed to the run to the playoffs. I’m not saying we’re alot better but I don’t see how we are any worse than we were heading into 09
actually, wellemeyer, ankiel, duncan, glaus all had 0.0 war..or negative war, so those guys would be addition by subtraction..just saying.
actually, Bill Dewitt Jr already said they will be slightly expanding payroll to the 100-110 range. and if holliday does sign, and pujols gets say…25MM a year for the first 4 years..then 25+18=43million which is less than or about 40%..sorry for being a picky nazi, but their is a pretty big difference in terms of a medium market team like the cards/twins/brewers/etc etc.
and to add to stl_cards16
it was glaus’s 12MM, K.Greene’s 7mil, wellemeyers 3MM, ankiel’s 3MM, duncan’s 1MM, pineiro’s 7.5MM..thats a ton of money coming off the books
and i half way hope holliday does use his opt out clause next offseason, because id love to take aramis ramirez off the cubbie’s hands ^.^ though no gurantee that holliday gets an opt out or that ramirez doesn’t use his player option. if he does, id like adam dunn a lot too.
I really can’t see Ramirez not picking up his option. At 14.5mil that’s the last big payday he will get. I don’t think there will be an opt-out in Hollidays contract but if there is I would think it would probably be after year 3 or 4 of the contract not year 1.
But who knows with Boras at the controls of the negotiations
ya ryan thats why i said ALMOST all will be one year deals.
Alright…
I wasn’t saying you were wrong or anything, just saying who I thought could get multi-year deals.
oh you forgot brandon inge, he will prob get a 1 or 2 year deal and can contribute when healthy
If Holliday signs with the cards then the cards and the cubs will have a left fielder who can’t catch the ball. lol
Maybe, but only one of them does a little bunny hop when he catches it.
Lol!Anyway, Holliday is a plus fielder in Left so not sure where Timmy there gets the statement. People really need to remember 1 Game =/= Ability when making comments.
Timmy, add the mets and whoever signs dye (if he is to play left)
Its funny how the same people sit on here and complain about how everyone else is wrong, nit picking every post anyone is to write saying how their opinions are always incorect b/c they r not the same as their own.
TO ALL OF THOSE:
Get a full time job, a social life and out of your mothers spare bedroom. Sorry, i had to get that off my chest and now we can continue to talk baseball.
* if you have a sneaky suspision you are to be included in this statement, then you probably are *
awww poor guy…….
Beltre best defensive 3rd basemen of all time? Please…if that conversation doesn’t begin and end with Brooks Robinson, you’re kidding yourselves.
Or Mike Schmidt. Of course, since Beltre is now a Red Sox, that’s all we are going to hear for the next year.
Schmidt was good, but Brooks had 16 gold gloves…6 more than him. Of course, Brooks played for 5 more years, but still…the point is, Beltre isn’t even close. And yes, the Red Sox fans have a lot to say for a team that has as many World Series titles as the Florida Marlins in the past 80 years.
Joel Sherman of The NY Post provides some thoughts on the Mets’ deal with Jason Bay. He notes that the team’s scouts “contend Bay is a better defender than (Matt) Holliday,” despite what the metrics and people outside the organization say.
The Mets may not be high in many statistical categories(HR, CG, RBI), but they do lead the league in dillusion.
Ha.
“[Sherman] notes that the team’s scouts ‘contend Bay is a better defender than (Matt) Holliday,’ despite what the metrics and people outside the organization say.”
Sherman forgot to mention that the Mets scouts are a pizza delivery guy from Queens, Kevin James, and a six-year-old girl.
“Braves’ GM Frank Wren said he’s looking for just ‘one more small piece’ to fill out his club’s offensive needs, tweets MLB.com’s Mark Bowman. Bowman notes that the Braves need a primary pinch hitter.”
So in other words the trading of Javier Vasquez to free up funds is slightly more head scratching, although I didn’t mind the move. Also I’ll take this to mean that RF is now Jason Heywards to lose and Melky will hopefully be a 4th OF, albeit one who could still easily log 350ab’s. Well if were looking for just one more bench bat I guess right now were assuming the bench will be made up of Melky, Infante, Ross, Jones/Conrad/Hernandez and this player to be named later. So who are the candiditaes? Obviousley Eric Hinske comes to mind, but some guys I thought of are Gary Shefield,Brian Giles,Nomar Garciapara, and Melvin Mora. In my opinion none of those guys are in a position to command much more than the job of a primary pinch hitter and likely wont be offered a starting job by a contender.
Great so I guess thats the offense for us woo hoo….not! We need another big bat not a stinkin pinch hitter. make that 5 years the braves are out of the playoffs…
I agree. We still need one more bat like Uggla or Nady. If we don’t. That will make the Vazquez trade head scratchy. This better not be our offensive or else. I think there will be no point of watching the Braves. I don’t think the Braves are out of the playoffs for 5 more years. I’ll just be mad if the Braves think we got our offensive needs already because we don’t. Compare our outfield to the Mets, Phillies, and Dodgers. We’re not done yet.
so the facts that Nady has already said that he wants a starting job and that the Marlins have said that they would have to be blown away to trade Uggla within the division don’t mean anything to you? I personally think that Heyward is going to be fine out of spring training with Schafer coming up a little later. I really do think we can contend with a playoff spot and I am so sick of all you guys chastising Wren for making bench moves. Guess what? In the National League, pinch hitters mean quite a bit.
Wren, all the Braves NEED is one small offensive hitter? Yes they need a consistent pinch-hitter. They shouldn’t rely too much on Heyward.
i will continue to mooch off my parents until i turn 18 thank you. but i do have a job and makes solid grades.
Awesome. Just what I wanted. More rumors! Anyways, I don’t think they need a primary pinch hitter. I think Mitch Jones (someone who we signed earlier this off season can take that spot.) And yes, we need one more piece. Someone like Nady or Uggla.
I hope it dont make the fifth year out of the playoffs either. I agree Nady or Uggla although Nady will provide more options such as if Chip gets hurt and then Glaus could move to 3rd and NAdy to 1st.
I hope Wren isn’t serious! Glaus is fine, but he’s not an upgrade over Laroche. They need some pop in the outfield still. If they stick with this team as is then Wren may have just had the worst off season of any team.
Gains- Wagner, Saito, Glaus, and Melky, Chavez
Losses- Vazquez, Laroche, Gonzalez, Soriano, Johnson
The Braves are now a worse team. At least pick up a bat like Nady.
The Braves amaze me. They trade Velazquez for virtually nothing (in comparison) with the idea of opening up cash for beefing up their offense. They pick up Glaus with the hope that he can stay healthy and produce (what I don’t know). Then Wren has the audacity to announce that he’s looking for just “one more small piece”. Wow! How disappointing can you get? Perhaps I should just stick with being a Padres fan.
Phillies will definitely need another starter if they want continued success. Jaime Moyer just isn’t going to cut it. He got away with the slow fastball for a season but with a 7 point ERA in 09 they cant afford to hand him the ball. Go get a 5th starter Ruben
well, I guess this means that our outfield is gonna be Diaz, McLouth and Heyward as starters with Melky coming in when necessary. I wonder who that pinch hitter might be? It won’t be Nady because he wants a starting job, so don’t bother
“He notes that the team’s scouts “contend Bay is a better defender than (Matt) Holliday,” despite what the metrics and people outside the organization say.”
Well, if Sherman has accurately quoted internal sources with the Mets, they are certifiably delusional and need immediate hospitalization/lithium therapy. I watched Jason Bay play left field for roughly 1700 innings. He is, undoubtedly, and for whatever myriad reason(s), one of the worst full-time starting defensive left fielders I’ve ever seen. If this is the true Koolaid their drinking from the Mets’ scouting staff water cooler, Omar needs to get to firing them fast. We’ll cover their mental health treatment under a generous COBRA package.
i really miss how mlbtr used to be with good commenters such as scribbletone (who now has his own blog and i suggest you check it out). I still check this site everyday but most days i dont even sign in to post comments. It just feels like it went from being about purely baseball to a more cliche espn-like site
Perhaps the Tigers and Phillies have a match: the Tigers could send Bobby Seay to the Phillies for, well, almost anything, as the Tigers have a few lefty options in the ‘pen and need to shed Seay’s salary.
haha zolecki’s article on the phils….lookin at ol’ wang-an-ator for starting gig. love it.
i like ye ideas of philz signing sheets….he can contribute……… when healthy, this is what i project the Philz rotation to be like in 2010
Halladay
Hamels
Happ
Sheets/ Wang/ Whoever
Blanton