Links for Monday, as Cliff Lee looks to leave a strong last impression on his 2010 season against Tim Lincecum and the Giants…
- The Yankees and hitting coach Kevin Long agreed to a three-year deal, reports George A. King III of the New York Post. He'll be getting a raise on his previous $400K salary.
- The Athletics named Ron Romanick their new pitching coach, tweets Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
- King's colleague Joel Sherman doesn't believe Brian Falkenborg will be the next Colby Lewis, as Falkenborg is likely to remain in Japan.
- The Indians removed catcher Luke Carlin from the 40-man roster, according to the team's Twitter account. Carlin, 30 next month, hit .238/.332/.336 at Triple-A this year. The Indians' 40-man roster is at 38. Andy Marte is another candidate to find his way off the 40-man, in my opinion.
- If Carl Crawford has similar offers elsewhere, he'd need to be convinced to join a former rival like the Yankees or Red Sox says ESPN's Buster Olney.
- The Seibu Lions have again denied Hiroyuki Nakajima's appeal to be posted, according to a report passed along by NPB Tracker's Patrick Newman on Twitter. The Japanese shortstop was said Saturday to be holding out hope.
- Check out the voting for the 2010 Fielding Bible Awards.
I was hoping there was going to be a mention to Terrence Long. No such luck.
Good for you Mr. Kevin Long.
Well if that’s true then it looks like the Angels, Tigers or Braves may have just gained a big-time off season advantage because I would expect all three of those teams to make competitive offers for Crawford. The Yankees have to get Jeter and Mariano contracts as well as try to convince Cliff Lee to forget about the garbage throwing incident. I’ve always seen the Red Sox as more of a Jayson Werth candidate so maybe an under-the-radar team might get CC.
Yeah I’ve never really bought into the Red Sox or Yankees being a major player for Crawford. Obviously he’s a very good player and both teams like him, but for the money he just isn’t a fit. The Yankees have their outfield set, and while he isn’t as good, Brett Gardner has a lot of the same tools as Crawford. As you’ve mentioned they need to re-sign Jeter and Rivera, as well as make a run at Cliff Lee and add depth to the bullpen and bench. They have their work cut out for them, and I can’t imagine they are going to accomplish all their goals AND sign Crawford. If they sign Crawford but can’t get Cliff Lee, there offseason would be a major disappointment.
The Red Sox aren’t a good fit at all, no matter what Gammons says. Crawford’s defense wouldn’t be as important playing 81 games in front of the monster. The Red Sox will most likely be looking to replace one of Beltre or Martinez, possibly both, and already have their 1-2 hitters in place (Ellsbury and Pedroia). Crawford has decent pop and would be an asset to any team, but I can’t imagine the Red Sox find him a pressing enough need to make him the highest paid player on the team. Werth makes a lot of sense as a guy who can replace Drew and be a middle of the order presence. If the Red Sox signed Crawford they would basically be forced to deal either Ellsbury or Kalish because you can’t field an outfield with such little power and expect to be a force. But with Kalish, Ellsbury, and Werth they would have one of the most athletic outfields in baseball for years to come.
I think it makes a lot more sense for CC to sign w/ the Sox than it does the Yanks. Right now an OF of Ellsbury, Cameron and Drew just isn’t that appealing. They absolutely DO need to add a legit middle of the order bat for next year, especially of Beltre and VMart are too expensive, but CC is still an upgrade over anyone they have in their OF. Also, if they sign Werth then would they move him or Drew to LF and keep Ortiz? If they don’t and you lose Ortiz then what’s the net gain in an equation of Add Werth Subtract Ortiz?
A nice look would be to sign CC, move Ellsbury to center and keep Drew in RF. Make Cameron the 4th OF (someone will get hurt) and then slide Pedroia to the 3 spot.
CC
Ellsbury
Pedroia
Youks
so on and so on.
Maybe they can offset some salary by letting go of VMart and bringing in Buck instead. If Beltre can’t be brought back then move Youks to 3rd and sign a stop gap 1B like Berkman, Pena or Konerko to a 1 or 2 year deal and then drop Ortiz and move the other to DH after 2011 if they sign Agonz or Fielder?
It’s already been stated that the Sox see CC as a middle-of-the-order bat and not a leadoff guy.
Crawford is not a leadoff hitter though. Do not understand why everyone keeps acting like he is and posting that he’d hit leadoff for all these teams.
He’d hit 2nd or maybe even 3rd in the Red Sox lineup. His OBP is nothing special. Pedroia and maybe even a healthy Ellsbury are better leadoff options.
Crawford’s career OBP is .337…his career high is .364.
Pedroia’s career worst OBP was his .367 this year.
IF and everything is speculation at this point the Sox sign CC I can see him in the 9 spot in the line up serving as a big rock to anchor the bottom of the order and a great bridge for when ells is at bat given he gets on base.EllsPeddyVmartYoukBeltreOrtizDrewScutaroCC
You know the more and more I look at it, the more and more it seems like the Yankees offseason has the potential to be a complete failure, by their standards anyway. Werth screams Red Sox to me, Crawford doesn’t want to play for the Yankees and isn’t a fit anyway and it sounds like Cliff Lee hears Marvin Gaye and Barry White songs in his head whenever he thinks about his current team. So I’m gonna take a long shot and predict that this off season will be one to forget for the Bronx Bombers. Here’s who I see them coming away with
Petitte-yet another 1 year contract
Jeter-ummmmm….duh
Rivera-he’ll be pitching in the Bronx until he’s fifty
Rafael Soriano-talk about a RIDICULOUS back-end of a bullpen and the highest paid 8th inning setup man in history
Bronson Arroyo-The best after Cliff Lee, I don’t care what anyone says. The dude is money.
CC
Petitte
Arroyo
AJ
Hughes
Soriano-8th
Rivera-closer
Nastiest pitching staff in baseball
I’d take my Red Sox starting 5 over that starting 5 any day of the week. Although that WOULD be a nice 1-2 punch for the late innings that would surely rival or top Bard/Papelbon.
Depends, Dice-K is average at best, Lackey is average (in Boston), Beckett is inconsistent and can be injury prone but I’ll easily take him over AJ. The only players I’d take in your rotation are Lester and maybe Buccholz, then again I’d only take CC and maybe a healthy Pettitte from the Yankees rotation. I’d say it’s about even
Small sample size on Lackey. Let’s see how he pitches in 2011 before we label him average. We’ll also see if the “Beckett only pitches well in odd years” theory works in 2011. Dice-k is average at best, that I agree. And if you don’t take Buchholz w/ his 2.33 ERA and only 26 you’re crazy. Lester and Buchholz deserve to be mentioned in any “top 2” starters conversations in MLB after 2010.
“And if you don’t take Buchholz w/ his 2.33 ERA and only 26 you’re crazy.”
Read what I wrote, I said I’d take Buchholz and Lester without question.
I’m sorry, I misinterpreted, I thought you said maybe Buchholz.
Blaa I thought I edited that, my mistake. Originally I put maybe Lackey and took out Lackey, but forgot to take out the maybe, so it looks like I put maybe Buchholz, although that wasn’t my intention. I originally put “maybe Lackey, Buchholz”
Sorry about that.
No problem, we cool! haha
Arroyo is not leaving Cincy though……
Westbrook would make sense if they’re going after a #3/4 guy. Has some history with the club from a ways back.
And yeah, tha’ts not hte nastiest pitching staff in baseball….may not even be the nastiest in their own division. Rays and Red Sox may have tem beat (though the Rays pen could take a major beating).
CC
Petitte
Arroyo
AJ
Hughes
Soriano-8th
Rivera-closer
Nastiest pitching staff in baseball
—–
JKALADAKL:SDJ jk;
Whew, sorry.. I was having a panic attack while thinking about this. I am gonna have to disagree and go with teh Giants. God have mercy on my soul.
except the Giants have a phenomenal 1-4 and the Yankees would have a phenomenal 1-5. Who’s the Giants 5th guy? Zito?!?!? You can’t be serious…any pitching staff with him included cannot be called the best.
Listing off the Giants starting pitchers can be compared to that game on Price is Right…the guy climbs up and up with Sanchez, Bumgarner, Cain and Lincecum and then falls to the ground when someone priced something too high aka Zito’s contract.
AJ Burnett: Zito for New York
“Crawford doesn’t want to play for the Yankees ”
Are you his wife?
Arroy’s option will be picked up. He is also not the second best FA picther. Kuroda>>>Aroyo.
No point in wasting 7-10 mill. on Soria each year.
CC
Lee
Petitte
Hughes
AJ
Top 5 in MLB.
Crawford said he didn’t want to play for a former rival if there is a good deal from another team…sorry, should have elaborated
Crawford’s agent should think of a different line. The RS want him but know he’s not a difference maker and won’t overpay (Div. rival or not).
I think he’d be a good value acquisition because of his abilities, relative youth and attitude. But they should re-up Beltre then trade for DeJesus whose final year option is about 40% of Crawford’s ’11 per-year salary. The team is being built for 2012 and revolves around the 2011 FA class. Crawford would be a fine addition but he’s not a must get.