2013 Major League Baseball (MLB)

MrMarcello

In a well-ordered universe...
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Didn't see a thread and with free agency in the process I figure a new thread is necessary.

Royals trading away top prospects for probable rentals in Davis and Shields.
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8732913/assessing-myers-shields-trade-royals-side-aint-pretty

Dodgers looking to have the highest payroll in history having just signed Greinke to a monstrous contract, picked up lefty Ryu, and have stated they aren't finished chasing FAs yet with Sanchez a possibility, perhaps Hamilton.
http://espn.go.com/blog/los-angeles/dodger-report/post/_/id/3463/wheres-the-fun-in-fiscal-restraint

Rangers having lost out on Greinke may overpay for Sanchez and/or keep Hamilton; they've also traded Young and his high salary to the Phillies. Thankfully they refused to deal Profar for Shields.
http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/texas-rangers/post/_/id/4894258/no-zack-greinke-what-now
 
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Bet no one ever thought this would happen. Youk is now a Yank.
 
Youkilis as a Yankee.........well he was basically the only option for 3B once A-Rod went down, I was expecting Cashman to swing a trade to fill it but a 1 year option I'm not gonna moan about, especially if we see a glimpse of pre-2011 form.

Ichiro expected back too on a 1 year deal, this whole payroll limit is basically limiting the Yankees to short term stuff given the amount still on the books for 2014 and beyond. Saying that it wouldn't be unlike them to just sit in the weeds waiting to sign Hamilton to a mega deal.
 
All these rumours with Cano/Boras wanting 10 years, I wouldn't want the Yanks to go over 6 for Cano even if this 189m number wasn't around for 2014. I don't want to trade the Yankees best 2 hitters but both 1 year left on deals, wrong side of 30 maybe you take a risk with Hamilton ( 3 to 5 years I've read) and see what you get in a trade.
 
White Sox got Jeff Keppinger for 3 years/$12m as replacement for Youk who signs for the Yankees for 1 year/$12m. I like that. Gonna be weird watching a White Sox player who hits the ball.
 
If you can get Hamilton at a maximum of 5 years with plenty of null clauses should he fall off the wagon then I would be all over it, that short porch would be awful nice with that swing of his, I'd take a couple of down years at the end for his production now.

Cano at 10 years, forget it, we don't need another A-Rod contract. Depending on what happens I would be really open to trading Granderson if it meant a prospect or two given that farm is pretty lean right now for almost there talent.
 
Recapping the offseason so far.

The Dodgers' new owner bought the team for $2 billion and most thought they overpaid by a lot. Less than a year later, they sold the TV rights for $250 million per year for the next $25 years. That's more than $6 billion, without selling a single ticket, parking space, beer, hot dog or jersey. The Dodgers have more money than God and they can spend it on whoever they want.

Free Agency

SP Zach Greinke to the Dodgers - 6 years, 147 million - Good deal
SP Kevin Correia to the Twins - 2 years, $10 million - Bad deal
MI Macier Izturis to the Blue Jays - 3 years, $9 million - Good deal
OF Torii Hunter to the Tigers - 2 years, $26 million - Good deal
OF B.J. Upton to the Braves - 5 years, $75 million - Solid deal
C/1B Mike Napoli to the Red Sox - 3 years, $39 million - Solid deal
SP Dan Haren to the Nationals - 1 year, $13 million - Great deal
OF Shane Victorino to the Red Sox - 3 years, $37 million - Bad deal
1B James Loney to the Rays - 1 year, $2 million - Great deal
SP Joe Blanton to the Angels - 2 years, $15 million - Good deal
3B/1B Kevin Youkilis to the Yankees - 1 year, $14 million - Bad deal but low risk


Trades

Ervin Santana to the Royals - Okay deal for all
Jose Reyes/Mark Buerhle/Josh Johnson extravaganza - Great deal for the Jays
Tommy Hanson for Jordan Walden - Win for the Angels
Shields/Davis+ for Myers/Odorizzi+ - Huge, huge win for the Rays
 
That's $250m per year for TV rights.

Not sold on Upton being a good deal when he hit .246, his OBP was sub .300, and his SLG was sub. 500 - those are terrible numbers for a "premier free agent." Yet he cashed in.

Napoli was vastly overpaid, heard the Rangers were offering closer to $9m per year as were most other interested clubs (not many).
 
How is Bourn not nearly as good? He gets on base at a better clip, is a good fielder in his own right, and the best WAR of Upton's career only beats one of Bourn's WAR's from the last 4 seasons. I really don't get the whole Upton thing - sure he's got lots of potential, but there comes a point in time when you've gotta live up to it. He's a good player, but much, much better than Bourn? Don't see it.

I'm also not sure why so many people are going on about how the deal between the Royals and Rays is so terrible for the Royals. They went 72-90 last year with seasons you'd expect Hosmer, Moustakas, and Gordon to improve upon. They trade away a top prospect and good prospect (both no guarantees) and get Shields and Davis, the former of which actually gives them a pitcher with ace stuff. Add in they've already acquired Guthrie and Jackson and for the first time in years the Royals really have a chance to be a good baseball team. And they've picked the best time to go for it too - the Red Sox and Yankees are both in relatively poor positions by their standards. There are wildcard spots up for the taking. I think it's a good deal for both teams really - both fill out their respective needs.
 
Bourn's value is built on great defense and baserunning. He turns 30 in two weeks. If we expect him to get roughly the same contract, he will be making $15 million per year through his age 35 season. Do you expect him to still be the fielder and baserunner he has been thus far? I also think his relative offensive success is due to high BABIP which is due to his speed. So if he declines in speed, as players in their thirties are wont to do it will turn him into an average defender, good baserunner and 80-90 OPS+ guy. Is that worth 5/75? Not in my opinion.

As for the Myers/Shields trade, I honestly think this surpasses the Wells/Napoli deal as worst of the century. The Royals aren't a contender. They are roughly a .500 team before the deal, now they'll get 2-3 more wins and finish 7-8 behind the Tigers. Guthrie gives up too many HR and doesn't strike out nearly enough. His career ERA+ is 103. I'd be surprised if he does even that well this year. Ervin Santana's ERA+ was incredibly bad, 73! The HR rate is fluky and will likely come back down but he is still just a 3/4 starter at best. (I assume you mean Santana and not Jackson). Alex Gordon was a 6 win player last year, how much improvement can we reasonably expect?

Myers was the Minor League Player Of The Year. That's about as close to a guarantee as it gets. Going back through the last ten years, these are the previous ML PoYs.

Trout, Hellickson, Heyward, Wieters, Bruce, Gordon, Young, Francis, Mauer. Pretty damn good. Myers is ML ready right now. Why not call him up and improve the offense that was 12th in runs last year? The Royals are going to start Francouer at corner outfield and here they are trading away the best hitting prospect in the league.

But then you get to the real problem. The Royals didn't get an ace back. Shields has a career 107 ERA+, below Fister and Scherzer (#2/3 with their biggest rival). He's also 31 and making $11 million for the next two years. Why not keep Myers and spend that money on Sanchez or Haren or Blanton or Jackson? Wade Davis has one good season in relief but has shown no ability to be a good starter. Odiorozzi is a good prospect as well and the other two are fliers. If they traded Odiorozzi and Myers for Scherzer or Price or some other young ace it would be worth it.

As it is, they've mortaged their future - the future they've waited so long for - in exchange for the outside shot at a wild card spot the next two years. Their 2015/16 window is gone and they aren't favorites in 2013/14. Not smart
 
Bourn is perfect for what Atlanta needed and he's been a great player for us, but he's just too old for the money he wants (and will get) given Atlanta's limited budget.

Upton gives us a different type of player and a second legit 30/30 player with Heyward.

I wouldn't really call the Hanson/Walden deal a win for the Angels. Hanson has gone to shit the last year and a half and the Braves should get better by having him out of the rotation. Walden's probably going to be our setup man with Eric O'Flahrety leaves after this season.
 
forevrared said:
Bourn is perfect for what Atlanta needed and he's been a great player for us, but he's just too old for the money he wants (and will get) given Atlanta's limited budget.

Upton gives us a different type of player and a second legit 30/30 player with Heyward.

I wouldn't really call the Hanson/Walden deal a win for the Angels. Hanson has gone to shit the last year and a half and the Braves should get better by having him out of the rotation. Walden's probably going to be our setup man with Eric O'Flahrety leaves after this season.
Click to expand...

I know Hanson has mechanic issues but he's still a young cost controlled starter. It wasn't so long ago he was one of the top prospects in the entire league. Walden is a good young reliever but still just a reliever. Honestly, I like it for both teams just more for the Angels. Anaheim is taking a risk but if Hanson can return to form (or at least somewhat return) then he will be worth the risk.
 
I think he's lost something like 4-5mph off his fastball since the start of the 2011 season. That's pretty alarming given that his throwing motion is going to wear his elbow out guaranteed in the next couple of years. That's not to say I've always been down on him, there was a time I was sure he would be our ace for as long as his elbow worked.

On the other hand, the vast majority of his good pitching has come on the west coast recently so he may still find a way to become effective again.
 
Angels threw another lavish contract at a hitter, giving Josh Hamilton a 5yr, $125m contract. I think they'll come to regret this deal by year three. However, might actually propel them past Oakland and Texas in the short-term.

$25m per year for five years... for a guy that can be lazy at times and to a city with plenty of distractions and temptations... could be a recipe for disaster.
 
How about no HOF electors this time?

Anyone you see as certainly worthy?

My take is that the era from the late 80s to about ten years ago was littered with PEDs and steroids so I say they all did it. Therefore, until MLB starts taking away awards, championships, hitting/pitching records and stats, then they should all get in, save players like Sosa (ultimately one-dimensional and a clear benefactor of steroid usage and a corked bat cheat).
 
I think the writers are a disgrace to the game. Yeah, lots of those guys cheated but cheating is nothing new to baseball. Willie Mays took amphetamines, Gaylord Perry used a spitball, Joe Niekro Don Sutton and Whitey Ford would cut baseballs, Norm Cash had a corked bat, Koufax and Drysdale were beneficiaries of the high mound in Dodger Stadium, George Brett used too much pine tar, Pud Galvin injected himself with monkey testosterone, Bill Madlock Willie Stargell and Mike Schmidt used amphetamines, Amos Otis used illegal bats, Lennie Dykstra used steroids, Mike Scott doctored the ball, the 61 Giants had an elaborate sign stealing system. So I think all the moralizing from baseball writers (who, by the way, watched all this go on and did nothing about it) about cheaters is ridiculous.

I think we should look at the steroid era players and maybe discount their numbers a little but besides that we should vote for them as we would any other player. That's for the obvious cheaters like Bonds and McGwire and Clemens. For the other guys who played during that era but have never had a sniff of steroid accusations (Bagwell, Biggio, Martinez), they should have already been voted in.

Then for the guys who aren't even tainted by the steroid stuff, how the feck does Kenny Lofton fall off the ballot in his first year? Absolutely disgraceful.
 
I started watching bball last season and I love it(hint: I love almost any sport over time) and I need a team. I think I'll follow Mariners, Nationals, and the Mets until I like one..
 
What are you looking for in a team? History of success or still waiting for the breakthrough? Small market or financial dominance? Pitching or hitting? Specific location?

The Mets seem like a weird choice to be honest.
 
Purely geographic:
Parents live in NJ, almost NY: Mets

We lived in Seattle for a while: Mariners

I go to college in Virginia- the state thatI actually identify being from- and will probaly end up in DC: Nationals.
 
At least I am not supporting the Yankees. Whenever I visit my parents I am surrounded by people who support (Giants-Yankees-Rangers). Eww
 
Arizona trades Justin Upton & Johnson to the Braves for Prado, Delgado and 3 prospects.

Great deal for the Braves, their outfield is now looking awesome.
 
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Up, Up and J-Hey!

:D :D :D

After getting over the initial shock of losing Prado when he was never even mentioned as part of the trade, I love this deal.

When's the last time any team has been able to claim three 5-tool players in their outfield? Probably the most exciting outfield in recent MLB memory and it's guaranteed for the next 3+ years. With BJ being under contract for 5 years, I find it hard to believe that Justin will up and leave in 3 years and even if he does, three years of Justin is still better than 1 year of Prado. Delgado's development has stalled big time and he's nowhere near where I thought he'd be by now.

Also excited that we managed to keep hold of Teheran and I actually expect that Chris Johnson will play his way into being our starting 3B as well over the course of the season.

Only big question now is who will hit lead-off?
 
Couldn't be happier for Upton getting the chance to play with his brother in a much better environment, hopefully he goes on to make this look like one of the worst trades of recent times. Fan reaction to the D-back's off season has been amazing, lots promising to switch allegiances. There just seems to be no semblance of a plan there.

Towers has just said on AZ sports radio that he didn't have the chance to speak to Prado's representatives before the deal, so at the moment they're just 'hopeful' that he'll extend there.
 
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