2010 MLB offseason - Page 10

Then give him a bobblehead day.

What do you even care though? It's not like you'll ever go to Miller Park.

My guess is his hatred for all things steroids. Seriously, I've never seen someone so quick and angry about it.

EvilTwin, you got the AL Central, so where's the rest??

Thoughts on the rest of the divisions, starting with the AL West.

Angels
No doubt they'll miss Lackey. And it's likely that Brandon Wood won't be as good as Figgins. But they have a fairly deep rotation, a good bullpen, and no glaring holes in the lineup. And Scioscia gets the most out of his teams year after year. I think they're still the team to beat in the division.

Rangers
I think there's going to be some of the plexiglass principle in play here as I don't see the Rangers holding on to all of their gains. They do have a very bright future though, their minor leagues are stocked, but I think there are going to be some growing pains along the way. They could win the division, but I like their chances much better in 2011 and 2012 than in 2010.

Mariners
Jack Zduriencik undid a lot of damage by his predecessor in short order. They're a fascinating team as noone has embraced defense as much as the Mariners. They really might have a historically great defensive team. OTOH, I can see the plexiglass principle being at play here too. The offense will likely struggle to score runs and they overperformed their run differential last year. Figgins and Lee will help, but that just might get them back to where they were. I don't know how much Griffey has left in the tank. The back end of the rotation is suspect. Even though the Royals don't show it, fixing gaping wounds is the easy part, getting from decent to playoff caliber is the hard part. If they're really going to make a run, I expect that they need to make an impactful inseason trade.

Athletics
I'm not quite as down on the A's as some others. The pitching staff appears to be relatively fine, although I expect growing pains from some of the younger starters and who knows what they'll get out of Ben Sheets, beyond giving some younger guys some more time in the minors. The offense is really lacking in impact bats though, even though Beane has done a good job filling in some holes. Moving on from Eric Chavez and Bobby Crosby was well overdue. I don't get the Coco Crisp signing either. I could see them being surprisingly competitive in the short run, although I can't see them sustaining over a full season.

I am always glad to see Valentine's Day come and go because it almost always means that pitchers and catchers are reporting. Baseball is almost back.

The Yankees haven't issued the following numbers for Spring Training:

6 (Joe Torre)
21 (Paul O'Neill)
35 (Mike Mussina)
51 (Bernie Williams)

Which one of these doesn't fit? The only reason I can't see them issuing 35 is they are afraid that the jinx ghost that followed Mike Mussina throughout his career might haunt the new wearer.

Since I couldnt find a 2010 season thread I'll just post this in here. I was able to get to a Braves game with my girlfriend today in Atlanta. It had been a couple years since I'd gone to a game. We had such an amazing time! Got myself a Jason Heyward shirt (I had a Jeff Francouer one from a few years ago). Braves won in the 12th inning with a Gonzalez 3-run homer! Always been a Braves fan, and I'm loving seeing them do so well this year.

So who should win the AL Cy Young? Felix Hernandez (even with only 13 wins) appears to be the clubhouse favorite, but I still think they'll give it to Sabathia.

No question I'd give it to Felix, as he has ridiculous numbers. The win/losses argument is stupid. My order:

King Felix
Jon Lester
David Price
CC
Buchholz

So we are on the verge of a possible 3 way tie for 2 spots. Braves and Giants are about to lose. If Braves and Pads win tomorrow then SF @ SD, loser faces ATL.

Wait, wuuut? Jeter wins the gold glove? Gotta love rewarding a lack of range.

The Gold Glove award has really become a joke in the past 10-15 years. They used to give the award to the best pure fielder at every position; now the guy has to be a great hitter and be well known by both baseball fans and non-baseball fans in order to receive the award.

Mariners center fielder Franklin Gutierrez disproves your sarcasm.

Not sure where to put this, but since Pos is usually a baseball writer, this is as good of a place as any:

http://joeposnanski.blogspot.com/2010/11/promise.html

Another outstanding article by my favorite sports writer (by far). Doesn't really have anything to do with sports, but it shows how brilliant Joe is.

Elvis Andrus got screwed.

Jeter wants what?
Nobody will give that to him. Not even 10 years ago would a 26 year old SS get a deal like that.

Whenever the topic of Jeter's impending free agency came up over the last year or so, An overwhelming majority of the people I spoke with assumed this deal would be taken care of in ten minutes. Jeter would come in, say "X years, $xx dollars", and Yankee brass would shrug, sign a check, and hand him a contract.

I fucking knew it would come to this.

Everyone wanted to believe Jeter would take a paycut, agree a 3-4 year contract benefits both sides, and, you know, cue the press conference.

It just seems to me that this should so obviously resolve at 4 for 80- I wonder if other people feel that way. Obviously way more than he's worth to any other team, but it just feels like the right number.

$20 mil per year is pretty absurd for Jeter at this point, even for the Yankees. And that's a year longer than they want, too. It's not much of a compromise. Maaaayyybe 3 for 60 but even that's a lot of guaranteed money.

Jeter has to either cave or accept a shitload of incentives.

Of course it's absurd, but this is the bed the Yankees have made for themselves.

Who else signs him though? Mets have Reyes, Both Chicago teams can't afford him. Dodgers aren't spending money. I doubt Boston is that stupid to sign him.

Jeter won't go anywhere else for what the Yanks are offering. He's stuck.

You don't think the Sawx would pursue Jeter just to fuck with the Yankees. And I dunno the SS situation in Anaheim but I could see them as a destination.

but for 20-25 million? In this economy there is no way he gets anything.

How dare you, Juan Uribe. Hope you strain your oblique on opening day you glorified utility infielder.

No, because the Sox don't want to be stuck with him when Cashman calls their very, very obvious bluff. Even if it worked, sticking the Yankees with a bad contract isn't really much of a fucking over.

There are clubs that might spring for Jeter, who is of course still serviceable (at the very least) and would probably provide a nice attendance boost for a while, but even then only at half to two-thirds of the Yankees' offer.


Well, 3 for $21 mil seems a leeeeetle bit generous.

The fact that Blyleven isn't in yet is criminal. Alomar and Raines deserve to be in eventually. Everyone else? Meh.

I feel old because I remember watching Charles Johnson catch in college, and now he's HOF eligible? Ouch.

Crime Dog, man!

I think this is the year the Pittsburghness finally takes over my Atlanta-born ass and I support the Pirates.

Reasons:
-Steelers were originally the Pirates
-Pittsburgh's first hockey team was called the Pirates
-Everyone assumes I'm a fan anyway

Wow...The Rockies definitely over-paid for Tulowitzki. 157 million? He's not worth that much...nor is he worth the 10 years that the Rockies will be stuck with him.

That's Nucking Futs!

He's great, and if they were signing him from now.. well, it would still be a lot, but it's possible it would pan out for a while. To paraphrase Michael Bluth, sometimes you gotta lock that down. But the fact that it's actually a six-year extension from 2014 is bizarre.

Yet another baseball travesty that a more-than-worthy Hall of Fame candidate died before getting elected. R.I.P. indeed.

Yeah, if there's one thing you can count on in baseball it's the HoF voters screwing the pooch.

Adrian Gonzalez to the Red Sox, pending a physical and contract extension. Players from Sox TBD:

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/red-s...quire-gonzalez

Christmas came early. Outstanding news! This takes them out of the Carl Crawford sweepstakes, so I imagined their sights are now set on Werth. Just in time, too, as tickets go on sale in a week.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...html?eref=sihp

If this is true, well then me and baseball are taking a break in 2011 i think. Time to start liking Cricket!

Awww poor Red Sox can't get an All Star team like the Yankees. My heart bleeds for Red Sox nation.

Jesus! How will the Red Sox compete with only a dozen or so All Star players?

Jayson Werth signs with the Nationals for 7 years / $126 million:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5888329

Absolute insanity.

Carl Crawford now asking for one billion, 25 years.

Thanks for your concern guys. Need all the support we can get during this trying time. Would you mind changing your facebook picture to a cartoon character to raise awareness for us?

Jayson Werth is 31 years old and has had exactly three quality (yet not superstar-level) years. Worst contract in baseball history? Sure looks like it.

Anytime Theo gets close to pulling a steal like this, Red Sox Nation needs to put Bob Ryan in the hurt locker until it goes down.

Probably but it definitely means that Scott Boras is the greatest agent ever.

AGon is definitely a Red Sox. Press conference scheduled for tomorrow, they just didn't hammer out an extension...yet. Rumor has it the groundwork for a contract has been laid, and they'll wait for the end of spring training to exercise, sort of like Beckett's deal last year.

Wan't that (Beckett's contract signing early in the season) some sort of luxury tax relief? I bet they wish they could have taken a mulligan on that signing.

Yea, it was to help against the luxury tax, which I assume is part of the plan with AGon.

As far as the Beckett signing, I don't think the Sox regret it. He had a tough year, but by all reports, he was injured. He'll be much better in 2011 and going forward, I bet.

Anyone bashing AGON hasn't been paying attention. He is gonna rake in Boston.

Can any of you chow'ds tell me anything hopeful about the four prospects: right-hander Casey Kelly, first baseman Anthony Rizzo, outfielder Reymond Fuentes and a player to be named later?

I believe this was a good trade for both sides, considering AGon's trade value would only go down as the season progressed, due to his impending free-agency. What the Pads got beats the hell out of what they would have gotten at the 2011 trading deadline or the 2 draft picks for letting him go at the end of the 2011 season.

Kelly was the #1 Sox prospect; Rizzo was the #3; Fuentes the #6. All three players were drafted by San Diego assistant GM Jason McLeod, so he knows them well.

Kelly has the biggest upside, while Rizzo is the "surest thing". Both are predicted to be in San Diego by the end of 2011, right around their 22nd birthdays. This trade also pushes Kyle Blanks, AGon's former replacement, to the outfield, once he recovers from Tommy John surgery.

I could barely contain myself today, seeing AGon being introduced and wearing a Sox uniform.