MLB Offseason Thread - Page 3

I don't get Arizona in the least. Someone help me here - They're bankrupt, so they look to trade their 18 mil a year pitcher. Then they sign an oft-injured third baseman to a pretty huge contract. This is all after they realized they needed to build from the inside & started developing a lot of young talent...which they then trade away for one player (Sexon) who was a year away from free agency and is now leaving town.

Dumbest baseball orginization? I think so.

Jermaine Dye is with the White Sox apparently. If he stays healthy, he'll hit around 40 homers in The Cell. Still they need some left-handed bats in the lineup. He's still a good signing, though.

OK, Can someone please explain why the D'backs website has a picture of Adam Kennedy with the story of Troy Glaus?

Caption clearly states Troy Glaus, but the pic is clearly AK

Steve Finley to the Angels? Anybody else hearing similar rumblings?

Padres sign Woody Williams and are close to re-signing Wells.

Wells, Peavy, Eaton, Meadows and Williams...Followed by Linebrink, Otsuka and Hoffman.
Damn nice, especially against the weak west.

They also signed E.Y. for a utility role. Now if only someone would take Jay Payton off our hands.


Glaus and Kent signings both seem strange.

Kent's should, the Cubs got Garciaparra and Walker for almost as much as the Dodgers spent on Kent. I almost feel sorry for the guy, leaving Minute Maid for Dodger Stadium... fantasy owners BEWARE.

And I'm reading something about Steve Finley getting a one year deal from Anaheim worth $10.5 million... I mean, seriously, what's going on this offseason?

D'oh! Gracie is a Pads fan too.

Things look great for the Padres.

I kind of like Kent with the Dodgers for some odd reason. Beltre like I expected is pricing himself way too high after 1 breakout season. Speaking of Beware i'd beware of Beltre watching him closely for years the guy always had huge upside but tanked. Last year still seems like a fluke. Saying that he deserves to make money just not Beltran like money. Consistancy would be a good thing with him.

Angels are working on Johnson and possibly Pavano. Pavano seems unlikely but Anaheim is spending right now. I've even heard Pedro's name bandied about which scares me as a halo fan. Pedro's fastball isn't intimidating anymore stay away I says. Beltran is on the backburner and Finley is insurance.

Glaus straight robbed Arizona. He's much too injury prone to earn those dollars.

Finley's a lot more than insurance, ESPN's got him going to the Angels for not one, but TWO years for something between 15 and 20 million. Can someone explain to me why the Angels are spending so much on this guy, and passed that, why they're gauranteeing his age 41 season? Let alone an option for his age 42 season.

Not sure yet... ANOTHER right handed hitter that has the ability to strike out like he plays on the Cubs. If he's healthy, great, but I'm still leary. What do you think about the Hermanson signing?

He isn't worth 20 million.

As for Hermanson well they got themselves a GIANT headache .

D-Backs gave Russ Ortiz 30 mil for 4 years as well. Rebuilding?

Yeah looks like the Halos said the hell with Beltran. Not surprising considering the money.

Looks like the Dodgers might make a play at Tim Hudson. That'd be a great pickup for them.

I think Hermanson is a nice 8th inning guy. Not a huge signing but teams that compete always have one.

What are they offering? I'm hearing the Braves are planning on throwing Marcus Giles their way, bit hard to top that.

Braves have decided not to offer to Giles, so I think they're out.

Pavano and Delgado is all I want for Christmas this year.

Until I see him holding up a Yank's uniform, I'll keep my hopes up.

Delgado over Pavano anyday. Both would be nice, though.

Okay, here's the deal on the D-Backs. The Glaus signing is after they put him through the ringer with medical tests since they've been burned so often. Pretty much, they thought it was a good baseball move but more importantly it makes them look less idiotic for losing Sexson. D-Backs fans are still torqued at the team for dumping Schilling under the guise of needing a power bat and handing half the team over for Sexson to then let him go with almost nothing to show for it.
The Sexson injury had them worried. Because it was a front shoulder injury they thought it was something that could eventually flare up again, or possibly cause Sexson to adjust his swing to compensate for the weakness which would completely change him as a player. The Glaus injury was his back shoulder, so they aren't that concerned about it.
As for the players that they dumped for Sexson, they'd given up on them. Overbay was the only mistake in the bunch which most fans were concerned about. While we liked Spivey he'd pretty well reached his peak already and seemed to be regressing (plus they felt they had worthwhile 2B prospects coming up anyhow). Getting rid of Counsell's salary was the only reason to get rid of Counsell.

I think what they've decided now is to try to sprinkle some vets in with the young guys. They're going to make a horrible signing at shortstop (Royce Clayton) and let 3 guys duke it out for 2nd. They'll most likely trade Shea Hillenbrand (for pitching probably) and move Chad Tracy to 1st to clear 3rd for Glaus. I have no idea why they're wooing Delucci for the RF spot, we had the guy and he's a decent 4th OF but nothing more than that. Apparently all of these moves are also aimed at keeping the Unit happy. For whatever silly reason they feel they absolutely want to keep him for the remainder of his career rather than letting him go and getting some good talent for him. And as silly as that sounds, they're now close to a legit rotation. Johnson/Ortiz/Webb is actually a very nice front 3. If Gonzalez comes back fine from his shoulder injury and gets the protection he was missing all last season from Glaus, they may be a #4 pitcher (in exchange for Hillenbrand) and a decent (not great) power hitter away from contending in the weak West.

They aren't trying to dump Unit, though. If they get a decent return I don't think the fans here would even be concerned. The 3 team trade with the White Sox and Yankees (getting Garland and Konerko, plus prospects) sounded good to most fans. Unit wants to be traded, they want no part of it.

As far as their finances go, I have no earthly idea what they're thinking.

I like Renteria but thats way too much money.

I think I'm done saying teams are overpaying, theres been a clear shift in the market. Perhaps this has more to do with MLB backing off of their "recommendations" for fear of collusion charges.

all the teams seem to be overpaying this offseason. those 3 deal's are way out of wack. the wright deal may fall through though. it's pending his physical. i really like the yanks siging of pavano today. he's pitched great for the marlins the past 2 years and he's in his prime.he's also shown he can pitch in the big game.

the rumors are the a's want edwin jackson. i really hope the dodgers will pull the trigger on this one. hudson would fit in there nicely. i say they'd be able to sign him fairly easily as well.

And the Braves traded for Kolb today, meaning John Smoltz is moving back into the rotation.

thanks for the info, A-Pathetic. I see a bit more where they're coming from. Not that I agree with the D-Backs ideas (they can test Glaus all they want, but he's been injured more than once) but it makes more sense now.

Dan Kolb to the Braves means some Cub fans are going to be none too pleased. Of course I fully expect anya's next post to be about how the Cubs didn't need him & he was overrated.

The front shoulder/back shoulder thing actually has a lot of merit. I'm shocked they actually thought of it. The offers for Sexson were very fair, but all of them had a kicker that they didn't have to pay him if that same shoulder got injured again. They were completely paranoid about it, and he realized he could get the exact same deal from other teams without having to sign that kicker.

I'll agree about Glaus' injury history though. Sexson was an absolute workhorse before the D-Backs had him and Glaus hasn't been dependable for years. He is only 28 though, and is possibly (statistically speaking) in line for his best season. Assuming he stays healthy.

"I think for us to have signed David would not have been a good use of money," Padres owner John Moores said. "I think Kevin's judgment on this is exactly correct. We can get more bang for the buck elsewhere. So maybe it's one of those things where David got exactly what he wanted and we'll go off and figure out how best to spend our money and the Red Sox will hope for the best."

Too Bad. Maybe they'll look at Hudson.

I think Wells is a pretty terrific signing at $4 million per year. Yeah, he doesn't blow anyone away, but his control is superb and his injury risk appears low. It's not often you can sign an above average starter for that amount.

Rule 5 draft is today. The Cubs are really going to get raided of some of their minor league depth. Most Rule 5 picks don't work out, but every once in a while a Johann Santana emerges. Andy Sisco has a large upside and is certain to get picked.

Apparently the Brewers and White Sox are talking. Carlos Lee for Podsednik and Ginter being the rumored deal. Podsednik is overrated (.313 OBP last year), but Ginter has a lot of pop in his bat for second base. And Carlos Lee fits in well with the Brewers needs. I think Ginter has the most long term value in the deal, and is better than the overrated, injury prone Spivey, so I'm not eager to see the deal happen, but I can understand the thinking from the Brewers. Lee should hit a lot of HRs in Miller Park.

Mariners supposedly getting Sexson.

Link

Deal is pending a physical

Sweet.

And the Mets break the bank on the wrong player, but I suppose that was to be expected.

According to Peter Gammons, the Mets have gauranteed the fourth year, meaning the Mets have a four year $50 million dollar offer on the table for Pedro Martinez.

Come on Boston, save the Mets from an inevitable albatross of a contract on their payroll.

$14 million dollars a year, $56 million total

Omar Minaya got his big splash, here's to hoping Pedro can still pitch effectively in year three (36) and four (37).

To try to be a little optimistic, it gives the Mets a serious rotation in '05:

Pedro Martinez
Tom Glavine
Victor Zambrano
Kris Benson
Steve Trachsel

But what little sliver of hope I had for the Mets to swoop in and steal Carlos Beltran is finally gone... *sigh*

Now, to switch this back to a Boston perspective, both teams from NY have severely hindered their staff. Perhaps they'll make a strong push for Hudson? Take a shot at Matt Clement? Boy have things changed this past weekend, it's gone from the RedSox potentially starting '05 with Curt Schilling, Pedro Martinez and Carl Pavano to Curt Schilling and David Wells.

UPDATE:
EEI is backing off of the deal, saying neither side is confirming, though I doubt Boston is going to save the Mets from this disaster waiting to happen.

For that much money, no problem saying bye to Pedro.

Should be interesting what Theo tries to get done now.

Apparently the White Sox have traded Carlos Lee for Scott Podsednik and possibly a second baseman. I'm not too sure how I feel about this one. I know the team is looking to get faster, better defensively and less reliant on the home run and that they needed to get rid of one of their base-cloggers in the middle of the lineup, I guess I just hoped it wasn't Lee that got sent away.

Lee should do very well in Miller Park. People will say he's a suspect fielder, but they're full of shit as he's become one of the better left-fielders in the AL with a pretty good throwing arm (very accurate).

Fuck.

I suppose at that price, it's a no-brainer, but it still blows me to see Pedro leaving.

Also, we're now going to have almost a completely different team next year, which REALLY sucks me. I didn't want to be "that" team...the team with a huge fire sale after they won it all. Granted, we're spending (well, acting like we're spending) just as much as we're losing, but it still won't be the same.

Pedro a Met? Fucking bizarre.

Is this official yet?

I hope the Sox manage to avoid a trade involving Kevin Millar or Bronson Arroyo and resign Orlando Cabrera.

Bruce Levine is saying that it will be announced sometime tonight but that it's done right now.

Luis Vizcaino, Scott Posednik and a player to be named later.

I like the stolen bases... I don't like the on base percentage.

I don't know much about Vizcaino...

Not a friend of this trade unless something big happens now that they don't have Ordonez's or Lee's salary.

As a Mets fan, I can TOTALLY get behind this. I can also get behind Anna Benson,

Unless Podsednik bounces back close to 2003, White Sox fans are going to hate this trade. Vizcaino is o.k. and they're both pretty cheap, but Podsednik was pretty awful last year outside of the stolen bases. Kenny Williams really should have insisted on including Ginter in the deal, as Ginter would have helped make up a lot of the offense lost in the deal by replacing Willie Harris.

As a Brewer fan, I'm very happy with the deal. They're not contenders by any means, not with 3/5ths of the rotation full of question marks, but they're markedly better offensively and some of their top prospects are going to be ready very soon.

I don't think they'll resign O-Cab, but I believe Bronson will be staying. However, if the Sox are really serious about signing Tim Hudson (and I have to believe that they are now the front-runners for him), they'll have to give up Bronson (amongst others).

I like the idea of having Renterria, but still, I did like Cabrera a lot.

I'm so glad we got that WS ring, 'cause I couldn't imagine how all of this would feel if I actually cared right now.

Dunno too much about Lee, but if my Sox-rootin' friends are unhappy to see him go, that's good enough for me.

Podsednik had a miserable OBP and BA last year - and STILL led the majors in SBs. I don't think he'll ever be a much-above .300 guy, but if he can learn pitch selection, he's got nice wheels and a good head for the game. Solid in the field as wel.

Vizcaino, um, I have to admit I get confused as to which reliever is which. Basically, the Brewers have ton of fair-to-middlin' relief pitchers who do well until overworked.

I guess if Lee is a LF, that means Jenkins moves to RF.

So Ginter wasn't included? Weird, I thought he would be from earlier reports. Not surprised about the WhiteSox trading Lee though, isn't he entering his walk year?

New D-Backs rumor. After they were turned down by Clement (that's right, they're STILL shopping for quality free agents) they turned their attention to a trade for A.J. Burnett. Apparently the Marlins are hoping to dump the arbitration eligible Burnett and are thinking of a trade with the D-Backs that centers around Shea Hillenbrand who they want to get rid of anyhow. So a theoretical rotation of Unit, Ortiz, Burnett and Webb (with some scrub as a 5th). Unfortunately, they can blow that theoretical out their asses because Unit doesn't give a crap how many moves they make or how good the team could possibly look, he's set on leaving. Too bad, because those 4 could easily compete in the West even with a gimped offense.

Didn't you just bitch about how I bring up the White Sox? You just love talking Cub baseball. The Cubs need a closer. I would have loved Kolb but he does have flaws. His ERA in Aug/Sept were shit and he doesn't strike out anyone. He got the job don but he could be a flash in the pan.

Has Sosa been traded yet? I'm shocked to hear teams are interested in him. It was reported on the radio that the Cubs have actual players worked out that equal Sosa's contract with one team.

Atleast the Southside is doing something. Not very good things but Kenny Williams wants people to know he is a GM. You don't replace Maggs with Jermaine Dye. Get JD Drew. He has injury factors(like Dye) but you can DH him once a week. And if he kbew he was going to trade Carlos Lee He definatly should have saved up money for a bigger name outfielder. KW has lost his 2 best hitters(clutc hitters too) and replaced them with a speddy leadoff hitter who doesn't get on base enough and a #5 hitter. Unless They get top notch pitching(Hermie aint it) it will be another long summer on the Southside.

And will somebody PLEASE take Sammy. Carlos Beltran and his agent are waiting for this so the bidding war can really begin.