2012/13 MLB Offseason thread

Everything I've heard about Hamilton and Texas suggests he's absolutely gone.

The Mariner's just signed Hisashi Iwakuma.  They signed him to a one year, $1.5m deal last year.  He started the year in the bullpen, but made 16 starts at the end of the season going 8-4 with a 2.65 ERA.  The new deal is two years, $14m with an $7m option for 2015.

This is great for the Mariners.  They have a lot of payroll flexibility going into the offseason, somewhere between 35 and 40 million (minus the $7m now going to Iwakuma).  They desperately need offence, and with more financial flexibility and the fences coming in a Safeco they stand a good chance of bringing in some good bats to help some of the kids they have.  I'm excited to see what they do.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gabe T 

Everything I've heard about Hamilton and Texas suggests he's absolutely gone.

I've read from multiple sources that the Braves are interested in him, which makes no goddamn sense as he would be another lefty joining a lefty heavy lineup.  He also supposedly wants $175 over 7 years, which the Braves ain't doing.

The Haren/Marmol trade never happened and Haren was bought out; the rumor is that Haren's health issues aren't limited to his back and that he might have some serious shoulder issues as well.

I'm actually hearing some Hamilton to SF talk. He could do well in that ballpark.

I am a Mets fan, and we are desperate.

Come to NYC, Josh. You can have all the drugs you want!

This feels so good.

I will be shocked if he is signed to anything more than a minor league deal.

Seriously, fuck Jeff Loria!

Marlins trade away everyone not named Giancarlo for 3 prospects and a couple of middle of the road major leaguers. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ben W 

Seriously, fuck Jeff Loria!

 

Marlins trade away everyone not named Giancarlo for 3 prospects and a couple of middle of the road major leaguers. 

I am so giddy right now.

This may be as close to the Joe Carter/Roberto Alomar Jr. trade as we're ever going to see again in Blue Jays history.

Now, of course, I fully expect Buerhle and Johnson to be hurt by May, but...

Quote:

Originally Posted by tcjsavannah 

 

 

Now, of course, I fully expect Buerhle and Johnson to be hurt by May, but...

Buerhle might be the most durable pitcher in baseball so I doubt he will have any issues.

As for Johnson ...

I'm hoping that the Rangers end up landing Greinke because if that's the case, they won't be able to re-sign Hamilton.  And according to what I've been hearing, the only other team really in on Hamilton is the Mariners, and they desperately need offensive help.  Here's hoping that's how this plays out.

Two questions...

1) No one really believes this Dodgers team is built for success, right? Right? How will this not backfire?

2) What do the Mets do with R.A. Dickey? You could probably get a good bat for him, and the Mets desperately need hitting, but they might have a surplus of pitching. But give up the best pitcher in baseball (sorta, not really, but whatever) for a bat that might go the way of Jason Bay? Because you think your young arms are ready to compete? As a Mets fan, I'm losing sleep over this issue.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gabe T 

2) What do the Mets do with R.A. Dickey? You could probably get a good bat for him, and the Mets desperately need hitting, but they might have a surplus of pitching. But give up the best pitcher in baseball (sorta, not really, but whatever) for a bat that might go the way of Jason Bay? Because you think your young arms are ready to compete? As a Mets fan, I'm losing sleep over this issue.

They trade him to the Blue Jays!

I want thirty fucking home runs from this catcher that sounds like a Les Mis character. If not, bring me the head of Jeff Wilpon.

Dude, that was a good trade for the Mets.

Dickey would have been in his 40s before the Mets were competitive again and they got 2 of the top 3 prospects from the Jays farm system (which many consider the top in the game.)

It sucks that he was traded after winning the Cy Young but it was also obvious that the Mets front office didn't want to extend him past next season.

The number remains 30.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ben W 

Dude, that was a good trade for the Mets.

Dickey would have been in his 40s before the Mets were competitive again and they got 2 of the top 3 prospects from the Jays farm system (which many consider the top in the game.)

It sucks that he was traded after winning the Cy Young but it was also obvious that the Mets front office didn't want to extend him past next season.

Knuckleballers are often good well into their 40s, and Dickey's numbers actually bode well for continued success. Speaking of which, here's a good article on Grantland discussing this:

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8754454/ra-dickey-38-years-old-be-bewildering-hitters-years-come

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cooper 

Knuckleballers are often good well into their 40s, and Dickey's numbers actually bode well for continued success. 

Definitely; Phil Niekro won a good portion of his games after turning forty.  And I hope that Dickey tears it up in TO (the guy might be the easiest guy to root for in any sport) but it makes no sense to keep him around on a team that is going to be going through a painful rebuilding process for at least three years.  Especially when you can get a major league ready elite catching prospect in return.

I'm just happy because knuckleballers never get hurt, and if there's one thing the Blue Jays have had enough of the last decade, it's hurt starting pitchers.

It's interesting seeing the differences in opinion between Mets and Jays fans on this trade. Some Mets fans are disappointed they gave up a CY Young winner for prospects, while some Jays fans feel the team overpaid by dealing such prospects, especially for a player as old as Dickey. The way some Jays fans talk, you'd think d'Arnaud is the second coming of Christ. But from what I've read, he's the top catching prospect in baseball, and has all the potential to be an All Star.

As for Dickey, provided he can come close to his previous season's numbers, this will be one of the toughest rotations in the league. Especially when you consider Romero will be the fifth starter, despite having been set up to be the teams ace.

Quote:

Originally Posted by t3cii 

 The way some Jays fans talk, you'd think d'Arnaud is the second coming of Christ. But from what I've read, he's the top catching prospect in baseball, and has all the potential to be an All Star.

 

The bad thing about Buster Posey is that he is such an anomaly: catchers aren't supposed to hit like that.  People think that "elite catching prospect" means MVP-caliber offense when in reality it means Matt Wieters.  20-25 HRs and 70-80 RBI out of a catcher is great but it isn't someone a team would be built around (and Arencibia approaches those numbers, albeit with a less than stellar BA/OBP.)  So, let's not pretend that the Jays traded away the next Bryce Harper or Ken Griffey Jr.

This is cool

Jose Canseco to run for Mayor of Toronto ?

Apparently I have been missing out by not following his Twitter feed. Vampire, really?

Richard Ben Cramer passed away today.  The political writer turned to baseball when sales of his big books on Washington faltered - to our benefit.  He wrote a terrific biography of DiMaggio and crafted one of the great pieces of sports writing, What Do You Think of Ted Williams Now, for Esquire.
 

I'd rather have no one get in than force six or whatever it is that the NFL does each year.  Next year, we get Maddux, Glavine, and Frank Thomas.  This year's group was either overly tainted, possibly-tainted, or just not quite Hall-worthy.  Sure, a few border-line guys could have been voted in, but I'd rather the Hall induct the elite.

Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens are the elite players of this generation, steroids be damned, and having their fates decided by a bunch of sanctimonious hypocritical sportswriters is a load of crap.  I agree with Jayson Stark on this issue.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrossFire 

I'd rather have no one get in than force six or whatever it is that the NFL does each year.  Next year, we get Maddux, Glavine, and Frank Thomas.  This year's group was either overly tainted, possibly-tainted, or just not quite Hall-worthy.  Sure, a few border-line guys could have been voted in, but I'd rather the Hall induct the elite.

The Hall stopped inducting only the elite a long, long time ago.

It's pretty dumb no one got elected today, but the overall process has been dumb for many years.

Baseball has no Hall of Fame.

There is a place where a collection of self-important, hypocritical writers pick and choose the guys they liked to get a meaningless award. These same writers keep "cheaters" out, while pretending that they themselves had no role in the cheating, as they made their salaries off the exploits of these horrible, dishonorable men while turning a conveiently blind eye to the events everyone knew were taking place.

If the BBWAA kicked out every writer who failed to write about steroids -before- Canseco did, they might have a smidgen of credibility on this issue. As it is, the honor they're handing out is no honor at all.

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Originally Posted by Farsight 

If the BBWAA kicked out every writer who failed to write about steroids -before- Canseco did, they might have a smidgen of credibility on this issue. As it is, the honor they're handing out is no honor at all.

Deadspin feels the same way.

At least we can look forward to another year of Jack Morris whining about not being in the HOF.

Hopefully Raines gets in some day.  He was a monster, and one of the great lead-off hitters.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mangy 

Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens are the elite players of this generation, steroids be damned, and having their fates decided by a bunch of sanctimonious hypocritical sportswriters is a load of crap.  I agree with Jayson Stark on this issue.

Was just about to post this article. I completely agree with Jayson Stark as well. Personally, I feel that Bonds and Clemens both deserve to be in the Hall, steroids be damned. And if they arent...then they need to go back and kick EVERY SINGLE PLAYER THAT HAS EVER CHEATED in any way from the HOF.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrossFire 

I'd rather have no one get in than force six or whatever it is that the NFL does each year.  Next year, we get Maddux, Glavine, and Frank Thomas.  This year's group was either overly tainted, possibly-tainted, or just not quite Hall-worthy.  Sure, a few border-line guys could have been voted in, but I'd rather the Hall induct the elite.

Craig Biggio is none of those things, the fact he didn't make it on the first ballot is a travesty. Only one other player with 3000 hits didn't make it on their first try, and that was Rafael Palmeiro, one of the few candidates who actually was caught using steroids. Piazza is the best offensive catcher in the history of the game. Also Schilling, Tim Raines, Jeff Bagwell, none of those guys were tainted and all of them would be better than multiple Hall of Famers at their respective positions.

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Originally Posted by Anyawatchin Angel 

Bagwell/Biggio are steroid/HGH tainted.  Bagwell lost about 30 pounds after baseball came down on steroids.

I understand (and totally believe) the Bagwell suspicion, but how did Biggio get lumped in with him?

Guilt by association? For the record, I don't think Piazza or Bagwell juiced, but if it turns out they did I wouldn't exactly be shocked. Biggio? Now THAT would be shocking. Interesting article from Nate Silver, covering the differences in voting between people who voted for Bonds, and those that didn't.

http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/08/suspicion-of-steroid-use-could-keep-bagwell-and-piazza-out-of-hall/

https://twitter.com/ESPNDanaOneil/status/289364801329692672/photo/1
 

I used to give a shit about steroids.  Now I just wish more players on the White Sox used them to win another World Series.  If you ain't shooting deer antler in your ass, you ain't trying.