Here’s the latest from the National League West:
- Rockies GM Jeff Bridich discussed his club’s approach this winter with Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. The club’s top baseball decisionmaker didn’t shy away from acknowledging that the team focused on adding big arms to the relief corps, as even the signing of Gerardo Parra functioning as a prequel to an eventual trade of Corey Dickerson for power lefty Jake McGee. “We have added powerful, impactful arms to our bullpen,” Bridich explains. “There is no secret that pitching talent has to get bigger, stronger and better. Not everybody works out, of course, but we have set out to focus on this, and I think it’s been a fairly consistent philosophy.”
- Meanwhile, Saunders writes in response to a fan question that he’s not sure he agrees with the decision to part with Dickerson to add McGee. It’s encouraging to see some action, says Saunders, but odd for Colorado to give up a fairly high-upside, controllable hitter in exchange two years of a reliever given the team’s current roster situation. Ultimately, he writes, the organization ought to choose a direction, but “’rebuilding’ seems to be a dirty word at 20th and Blake.”
- Giants ace Madison Bumgarner isn’t quite paid up to his ability under the pre-arb extension he signed back in 2012, but he said today that he’s not worried about his earnings. As Alex Pavlovic of CSNBayArea.com reports, the celebrated southpaw is taking the long view: “If everything goes the way I want and what I work for, then that’ll come along in due time,” he said. “I’m not at all worried about that. When I signed my deal I knew what I wanted to do, but you never know what’s going to happen. I was prepared for that.”
- Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner will be looking to bounce back from microfracture surgery this spring, as Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register writes. Turner says he is progressing well and believes the prognosis to be good, as his procedure was performed in a portion of the knee that doesn’t carry weight. Of course, it remains to be seen how heavily the 31-year-old will be pushed both in camp and early in the season, and Los Angeles has lined up multiple depth options behind him. It’s an important season for the pending free agent, who has been a revelation in L.A. and could profile as a major free agent with another strong campaign.
Not so medical, but another article in the LA Times today explains one of the reasons why we like JT.
link to latimes.com
The only way the McGee trade makes sense is if they sign him to a long-term deal or they trade him at the deadline (this year or next) for a haul of pitching prospects.
Then why not just trade Dickerson at the deadline for said pitching prospects. It doesn’t make sense IMO. Bullpen arms are the most variable commodity in the sport
The Rays wanted young bats. Not very many teams want to give those up. The Rockies probably felt they weren’t going to get the arms for Dickerson. McGee gives them a good shot as there are always teams in need of arms at the deadline. They’ll probably get a good package back. Add on the package they get for CarGo and the Roxs can fast track that aspect of their farm.
Dickerson is not going to bring you the arms you envision. Rays wanted a young MLB bat. It kind of makes sense in a simple way. They are betting McGee’s fastball shows up and makes it more enticing for teams that need arms. With the double wild card he can potentially be the big name on the market. We’ve seen teams overpay for backend arms. He probably won’t fetch as much as Giles, but he can probably fetch a good amount. Add that to a package for CarGo they can probably fast track that position. All that being equal Dickerson is probably best suited for 1b/dh and going to fetch you potentially what McGee can.
For the Rockies sack they should keep McGee past the trade deadline.
What is with people regarding the Rockies? For the past 20 years everyone has said that the Rockies needed pitching and they should trade from their offense to get it. Now that they have picked up a really good reliever, everyone is saying that they shouldn’t have traded Dickerson. Dickerson is a really good hitter, but is just not good in the outfield. With the size of the outfield in Coors, Parra is a much better bet for the position.
As far as McGee goes, the bullpen and not the rotation has been the Rockies weak link since Brian Fuentes left town. Huston Street was pretty good and Raffy Betancourt had his moments as well, but for the most part, the bullpen has been overworked at best and hot garbage at worst. I don’t anticipate a playoff run by any means, but the Rox easily could surprise some people in 2016. At the very least that would give the fans some hope because I don’t want another 60-something win season this year. I am hoping for at least 75 wins, maybe even a .500 record if certain things go well. Then maybe even more in 2017.
MadBum…..the deal you signed was stupid. You or your agent sold you short. …and if that’s what your agent is telling you to say to the media now, I’d find a new agent….cause you are way under paid and will be for the next 4 years. Meanwhile the rest of the pitchers of your caliber (and some that don’t match your caliber) are making $18M or more. per year….
He signed his deal before he was even Arb-eligible, meaning he got guaranteed dollars even if he never panned out. It was one of the largest guarantees for such an unaccomplished pitcher in history. Matt Moore of the Rays signed a similar deal…Bumgarner’s career could have gone the way of Moore’s (always injured) and he could have made out like a bandit. The fact that he’s turned into a terrific pitcher who could have made more is only one outcome. He’s still making more money than 99% of the population, and doing it doing something he loves. Not a bad position any way you think about it.
As long as he stays healthy the next two years I’m sure the Giants will give him David Price money when extension talks begin, most likely some time around when the team options pick up. I’d imagine they guarantee his option years and give him like 7/200 on top of that.
Bumgarner’s locked up longer than the next two years…Giants hold options for ’18 & ’19 at $12.5 each. AFter that they may give him 7/$200 or simply decide they get his best years at discounted rates and let someone else pay him.
I know he is, that’s why I said guarantee his option years in addition to the new contract. It’s pretty common in situations like this when you have a guy on a super team friendly deal you would like to keep past the option years. Longoria and Braun’s contracts come to mind. Just seems to me like 2018 would be about when they would want to start those talks, assuming he stays healthy.
Who would you rather be?
The guy who took $35 and is “underpaid”?
OR
The guy got non tendered without a contract bcuz he fell off the map?
Hmm… How dare he play it safe by taking ‘only’ $35M. Stupid MadBum.
It’s not a 50-50 proposition.
mad bum is not that good only in the 2014 world series.
he has to won 16-20wins to get paid 18 or more
He is in line to make over $40MM over the next 4 years at a minimum AND head for free agency when he is just 30. I wish my career was that stupid.
Like. How about Tim Lincecum as another example? Could have taken the money and run, instead went year to year trying to maximize his earnings as Hozie suggests. Came back to bite him in the end.
When did Lincecum “decide” to go year to year? He took the money the Giants offered. They didn’t offer him a mega contract because they likely feared what a lot of people in and out of the game feared…that the freak wouldn’t hold up forever. And for getting bit in the end? He’s already made almost $100M playing baseball. Not to shabby, and nothing to cry about.
Giants offered an extension of 5/100 after the 2011 season to Lincecum. He is the one who wanted the short term deals.