The latest from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports…
- One prominent agent told Rosenthal he can envision a free agent frenzy if a labor agreement is reached by the start of the offseason. The last labor agreement, in 2006 was followed by ridiculous overspending on mediocre veterans. The current labor agreement is set to expire on December 11th, three days after the conclusion of this year's Winter Meetings in Dallas.
- Rosenthal has a source familiar with the thinking of Ozzie Guillen who has recently dropped his predicted chances of the manager returning to 50-50.
- Rosenthal sees "mixed signals" on whether the Nationals will spend big this offseason, but he considers Jimmy Rollins a good fit.
- The Marlins intend to discuss every available starting pitcher this winter. The free agent market is looking thin, so teams with starters to trade will be in a good position.
- The Reds' top goal is to add a middle-of-the-order hitter.
I will not attend another White Sox game until Kenny and Ozzie are gone, this organization needs change in a big way.
Agree. However, I disagree that both need to go. I think one of Kenny or Ozzie (prefer Ozzie. NL lineup in the definition of an AL park doesn’t work) will be gone after this season. they are so far off of the same page that it is an embarrassment.
Kenny wants big power bats and Ozzie wants pitching and defense.
Again….NL – Pitching and Defense vs AL – Power Bats.
But it is more than that. Ozzie wants speed guys (aka Juan Pierre, not bringing Thome back). Kenny actually wants to play to what their park is good for HRs. And if someone brings up the Small Ball of 2005, the team hit 200+ HRs. It wasn’t small ball.
Problem with the AL way of thinking is when that bat gets cold you have a NO dimensional player you have to run out there every day and just pray they “do good” today.
eample: see Adam Dunn
Adam Dunn was a force before being signed by the Sox. Nothing wrong with a three outcomes player
How is a SS on the wrong side of 30 a good fit in D.C.?
Yeah, I don’t get that either. Rollins might be a “better fit” than Reyes because they can’t afford Reyes while they’re paying Werth and trying to extend Ryan Zimmerman. But they have 3 young middle infielders with talent (Desmond, Espinoza, Lombardozzi) and should give them a chance while they’re making the big-league minimum instead of paying $10M/year for Rollins’ twilight years.
Agreed. The Nats shouldn’t sign anyone whose prime won’t overlap at all with the primes of the core they’re building. 2012 isn’t the point.
Rollins to the Nationals? Never….
I did a double take when I saw that.
You must have not remembered when the Phillies had this guy called Jayson Werth.
The Phillies were Werth’s fourth organization, he spent a whopping four seasons there, and he got offered about twice as much as a sensible team would have offered to go to D.C. That’s a very different set of circumstances than what Rollins faces.
shouldn’t every org discuss every available starting pitcher each off-season?
Phillies don’t! Besides bullpen help of course 😀
Does 4Liphe mean starting last season?
Actually I’ve been watching the Phillies every game I can since I can remember. I watched through the Mesa,Eaton,Leiberthal,Padilla days and the list goes on. But I wasn’t old enough to care if they won most of there games or lost.
What are you, 12? No Kruk, Daulton, or even Schmidt?
Judging by his response, you must have hit that tiny 1% that didn’t hop on the wagon.
what are you an 04 sox fan ?
Rollins to the Nats on a 7 year 125 million dollar deal. Its the Nationals way!
That signing I guess really marks the Nationals as long time losers, unlike the Phillies of the last three years. But then again prior to the last three years (2007) the Philadelphia Phillies had lost 10,028 games, the most in MLB history. I hope that signing doesn’t portend a Philly trend for DC.
The Marlins and Braves should talk. Atlanta has surplus starting pitching and needs a LF; Florida needs pitching and is tired of Logan Morrison’s tweeting.
This makes sense. Ideally, Morrison would play first somewhere, but a team with Bourn is a good fit to put him in left.
I really want the Dodgers to try and trade for Yonder Alonso….but they don’t really have anything the Reds would want. Ethier for Alonso would be a great trade for the Dodgers….but the Reds would laugh and hang up the phone. Maybe Ethier and some prospects…..
Trayvon Robinson would look good for the Reds in left. Oh wait…
Ethier’s a hell of a hitter. I’m not sure the Reds would laugh at that.
One year of team control of Ethier at 13 mill salary is not close in value to 6 years of team controlled Alonso at a low salary
I’m not sure ethier provides anything that alonso can’t at a much larger price. Now, Kemp is a different story.
Alonso playing anywhere but first is going to provide a level of ugliness that Ethier never would.
Ok that comment about the Reds adding a middle of the order bat….. That was so bland that I spit it out… Of course they are going to say that… Oh and we are going for a real ace too this offseason too. Laughs… They have to say that if they want to get anyone to buy season tickets next year. haha.. So funny
Why would they get a top of the line pitcher when they have emerging K leader Drew Stubbs?
Walt Jocketty has said for the past two off-seasons that the Reds’ #1 goal is adding a middle-of-the-order hitter. Maybe the third time’s a charm?
Maybe waiting for the right one to come along? “Middle of the order” bats are pretty expensive, so, in order to accomplish that, the Reds would either have to spend money or prospects. I’m not so sure they are willing to go either route. They haven’t really done either in years.
I agree with most of the premise, but Alonso might be genuinely unplayable anywhere but first, which means his real value to the Reds is as a trade chip–which everyone but Jocketty seems to have thought for two years now. Not that I see Alonso ever hitting like Ethier’s best years either.