Links for Wednesday, as the playoffs finally begin…
- Stop by at 2pm CDT for this week's chat.
- Steve Buckley of the Boston Herald says David Ortiz doesn't deserve a new contract, since "aging, one-dimensional players" are risky investments.
- Meanwhile, Red Sox GM Theo Epstein told Scott Lauber of the Herald that he hopes to mix "guys who have great track records" with low-risk investments as he attempts to improve the team's 'pen.
- Brewers GM Doug Melvin says the Brewers are likely to "go outside" the organization as they search for a new manager, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. It doesn't sound like Willie Randolph and Dale Sveum are serious candidates, then.
- It wasn't long ago that some Giants fans were calling for Brian Sabean's dismissal, but as John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle shows, Sabean has built a winner with a number of shrewd moves.
- Colby Rasmus, who reportedly requested a trade this year, told Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he may have regrets about the season, but he doesn't have hard feelings towards anybody.
“Brewers GM Doug Melvin says the Brewers are likely to “go outside” the organization as they search for a new manager, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. It doesn’t sound like Willie Randolph and Dale Sveum are serious candidates, then.”
A report has Bob Brenly close to signing. The Brewers say nothing is happening yet.
Says who? Haurdricourt? McCalvy?
A report also said they were going to sign Mark Mulder too……
The Brewers should “go outside the organization” to find some pitching. No manager can fix that.
Nice piece on Sabean but it doesn’t change the fact that he’s made a lot of poor moves too. Maybe he’s seen the light now that it appears they’re taking the draft more seriously and maybe he’s learned a bit about high dollar, long term contracts now that he’s been burned by two of them and both are still hampering payroll. Still, I can’t help but feel that he’s gotten quite lucky this year with some of his pickups. It’s not like he jumped on Burrell immediately after he was cut loose by the Rays. Ross fell into his lap, almost literally considering a bunch of other teams had to pass up on him first. Guillen wasn’t exactly an inspired pickup either. Huff is inconsistent and happens to be in one of his up years and no doubt Sabean had no idea that Torres would perform the way he has since joining the Giants. Sabean may have his team back in first place but he owes it mostly to the pitching staff and good luck on the offensive side.
While I respect your opinion, to say that Sabean got “lucky” is short-sighted. Once Bonds was gone he could turn his attention & payroll to rebuilding, thus the pitching was no accident. To say that players “fell into his lap” and the fact that he was able to add talented inexpensive players is certainly more than luck.
So Theo said – mix “guys who have great track records” with low-risk investments as he attempts to improve the team’s ‘pen
Translation = aging guys who are happy to have a job, work cheap, and have washed up arms. Another off season of basement bargain shopping for Theo. Thanks so much, looking forward to 5th place next season.
lol… overreact much?
That poster must be one of the beach bull throwers that shows up at fenway, complains all the time when Boston does not sign horrible contracts to everyone that has -0- reason to get one, complains when they don’t win every season and disappears when they have a rough season. IE? Your prototypical front runner, that understands nothing about the game, other than when they win or lose.
Thank goodness Epstein is no haywood Sullivan, nor Lou Gorman and will go out and actually think before signing new players and extending existing contracts.
Yeah but the point is there are going to be quality bullpen arms and it gets tiring when he still tries to find “bargain arms” I think it would do the Red Sox justice if they invest in at least ONE quality arm, they barely lost this year when you account for the blown saves and late lead changes, it surly would of been a three way race, and keeping in mind the core is still going to be intact in this “bridge year” and knowing a quality reliever will put you back on track to winning, it would behoove the Sox to add quality and not “bargain”.
For the most part and throughout the entire time Epstein has been around he has gone about working on the BP the same way, not giving out large amounts to veteran FA’s in an area where few are consistent from year to year.
For instance, if giving up a 1st round pick and giving in the area of 10M or so is what it would cot to acquire the services of the 35YO Downs, I would pass also.
Trading for them has been done a few times, like when they moved Crisp For Ramirez and got 1 really good season from him, also might see them look to the Asian market again and look for another Okajima type find there, but i would be extremely reluctant to give up the #22 overall pick (think it is) for a 35YO middle reliever when they have done a decent job finding BP pieces for the most part, with the exception of 1 year during the Epstein/Francona Era.
If they sign another far better player than say Downs, or another Type A FA middle reliever, can maybe understand them getting one where they would lose only a 2nd round pick, but then the dollar amount given to that player would have to be reasonable also. Downs worth as a middle reliever IMO can’t in my estimation be worth more than 3m for coming into games no later than the 7th inning for Boston, where on some other teams he would be a viable 8th inning option and worth maybe more.
when i said quality, i wasnt hinting at them getting downs or a type A especially a 35 year old pitcher who is a type A, I was talking more about simply getting a guy NOT comming off surgury or trying to win comeback player of the year, what you stated at the end was more what i was talking about, a trade or an international signing with promise, some excitment, not a guy who gets DFA and we go well he was low risk so no big deal.
Oh yeah, am all for Boston looking at the Asian market for pitching once again if they can, even bringing back Saito with his late season shoulder problems and that TJ surgery that is always one pitch away he is putting off for the last 3 seasons with the injections he has been taking.
Was not throwing Downs at you btw, but at many in general whom seem to think he is the answer to what they need for the total cost and risk involved overall.
Epstein well may go with a guy like Dotel this off season if the price is right, just can’t see the FO breaking the past track record of non spending in the BP area like you said and going with more riskier options, even counting on Tazawa to help out later on during the summer when he is fully recovered from his TJ surgery.
Another offseason of bargain shopping? The Red Sox spent more last offseason than anyone and had the highest payroll in history of any team not named the New York Yankees. What are you talking about?
To say that SOME Giants fans were calling for Brian Sabean’s dismissal is an understatement. Many had cute, little anti-Sabean IDs and bashed him daily all over their message board. Where are these people now? I’ve said all along he is building for 2-3 years from now when Lincecum, Cain, Sanchez, Posey, Bumgardner, etc . all hit their prime while players from one of the most talented minor league systems are groomed. Yes, he has made mistakes in the past like the Rowand & Zito contracts but the fact that he was able to add pieces, 1-2 year contracts, for now to make SF at least competitive and fill seats and blossomed into the NL West title was truly remarkable and deserving of the GM of the Year award.
I think Jon Daniels deserve a lot of credit too though in Texas. I’d give him GM of the Year personally. With all the stuff circling with the sale and the owner going bankrupt, he was able to add pieces and has made some pretty studly trades the last few years (both for prospects and players like Lee).
Truly remarkable? Idk about that…if the Padres ended up winning it that would’ve been remarkable. I mean the Giants did a nice job, but no team in that division was great, and some people picked the Giants in the preseason to win the division. It’s not like we’re talking about the 2008 Rays here.
While I agree that the Padres winning the NL West would have been a bigger upset and a few people did pick the Giants to win their division, the overwhelming sentiment was either the Rockies or the Dodgers would win it. While no team was “great” in that division, that can be attributed to the equality; there were no truly “bad” teams in the division either. I have to go back to the topic at hand whereas GM Sabean has been unmercifully bashed by many Giant fans for several years now and many of his moves this year were also highly criticized. While the media talks about the additions of Huff & Burrell, he also brought up Posey & Bumgardner at the right time in addition to adding Castilla, Lopez, & Ramirez in the bullpen. Granted, they have not won a World Series yet, but to win their division in the fashion that they did was remarkable unless me, Joe Morgan, Joe Magraine, Ken Rothenthal, Mitch Williams, and most of the baseball media are all wrong.
I really just wish the REDSOX would just part with ORTIZ but its unlikely.
Well who would they get instead? There is no guarantee they could trade for a guy like Prince and I’d say Ortiz is better then any of the DH options right now assuming Dunn sticks to what he was saying before and doesn’t want to DH. And Ortiz has proven this season that he can still hit so he is worth another year.
With all the options and what they actually have committed in terms of contracts…they might be better off going without a true DH. It would be interesting to see them with a more athletic team for once.
And Ortiz has proven this season that he can still hit so he is worth another year.
Yeah I’d agree with that. He looked as lean as he’s ever been, his weight was probably at a lowpoint to try and pick up a fraction of bat speed.
One more year is fine but if he really got out on the talk-shows and started demanding multi-years I’d tell him that the RS won’t pick up their 12.5op if that’s what he really wants……….
You just don’t know what they want to do at 3b and OF and that could impact what they want to plan for at DH. I think they will be all-in for an attempt at Agon in July and that means Youkilis will have to shift to 3rd if they are fortunate enough to acquire Gonzalez. Cameron will likely see time at rhdh as well.
The funny thing about Ortiz is his option isnt going to be picked up, they are going to show Ortiz that they and no other team is going to pay him 12 million dollars, they will outbid the 6 million maybe some other team would pay him and offer him 7 or 7.5 in bonus incentives and thats about what his market is.
I feel like the consensus is that the Sox will go for the easiest way out, pick up the 12.5m option, and then let him walk next year. But, I still think Boston (and Ortiz) would be wise to try and work out a cheaper 2 year deal with incentives. If Papi won’t take a big enough discount for the 2 year deal, just pick up the option and move on after 2011.