2009-2010 MLB Hot Stove (1 Viewer)

[Ockeghem]

Mike,

I don't like the possibility of Bay being traded. I thought he was quite happy to be with the BoSox. As of last night, he hadn't heard too many lucrative offers (above and beyond what the Sox and Mets have offered him). Maybe that will change. If it does, I hope the Red Sox match it -- but I don't think they are going to do that.

 

[Mike Frezon]

I'm pretty sure the Sox have already washed their hands of Bay.

It's really such a shame. He's quite an above-average player...and there was SO MUCH good will after he took over for Manny.

While the Sox rotation now looks terrific on paper, we seem to be lacking some ooomph in a line-up that used to feature that offensive one/two punch of Ortiz/Ramirez:

Rotation: Beckett/Lester/Lackey/Matsuzaka/Buchholz/Wakefield

Lineup: Ellsbury/Pedroia/Ortiz/Youk/Martinez/Drew/Lowell (if he doesn't pass his medicals!)/Scutaro/Cameron?

(Not a whole lot to fear there. Solid, mind you. A lineup many teams would LOVE to have. Just not fearsome necessarily.)

 

[Mike Frezon]

Some significant Hot Stove news that doesn't involve players' transactions:

Commissioner Selig is putting together a 14 member advisory panel to study how to improve the game on the field.

This, of course, can be very dangerous. The game itself is fine. They could start post-season games earlier, etc...but I hope they don't screw things up too bad.

The panel will consist of a member of the comish's office, four managers, four owners, four GMs and one other interested party:

The committee includes four managers, four former and present general managers, four owner representatives, MLB consultant and Hall of Famer Frank Robinson, plus renowned columnist George Will.

"The four of us are particularly excited to be part of this committee," said Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, who will be joined from the managerial ranks by the Tigers' Jim Leyland, the Dodgers' Joe Torre and the Angels' Mike Scioscia. "We welcome the opportunity to talk to [the Commissioner] about some of these issues. We especially like the no sacred cows part of it."
From the GM ranks is Braves executive John Schuerholz, Andy MacPhail of the Orioles, former Twins GM Terry Ryan and Mark Shapiro of the Indians.
Among the owner representatives is Chuck Armstrong of the Mariners, Paul Beeston of the Blue Jays, Bill DeWitt of the Cardinals and Dave Montgomery of the Phillies.

This could be very, very big.

The group will take up such subjects as pace of game, umpiring, further extension of the use of instant replay and various rule changes, among others. It will meet for the first time during the first quarterly owners' meetings of the new year in the Phoenix area scheduled for Jan. 13-14. The 30 active GMs have also been invited to sit in on those meetings for the first time.

 

[EricW]

how about the fact that Kate Hudson and A-Rod have apparently broken up? that can't be good for Yankee fans...

 

[TonyD]

Originally Posted by EricW

Lee is apparently determined to be a free agent after the 2010 season so the Phillies would have had to pay as much as anybody. Halladay likes playing for Phillie because he lives in Dunedin where the Phillies do their spring training, so Halladay would be easier to sign long term (if they haven't already agreed in principal to that already).

Totronto plays there the Phils play about 20 minutes down the road in Clearwater.

Originally Posted by Ockeghem

Thanks everyone.

I saw an extended segment on the Halladay - Lee trade last night, and it finally made some sense (coupled with what some of you have written). The funny thing is, before the commentator began, he looked flummoxed as well -- almost as if he had no explanation for the trade. But it's starting to make a bit more sense to me now. One reason that Lee had to be let go (additional to what Eric said above) is that the Phillies could not carry the salaries of both Lee and Halladay next year.

Lee wanting to become a free agent at the end of the season.
Even with that I'm confused by this deal.
I feel like they could have traded for Halladay and kept Lee for this one season.
The Phils made the deal As salary dump for Lee.
They didn't want to keep both Lee and Hallady as that would have jumped the team salary well over $140 mil which happens to e the Phils self imposed cap limit.

So what Scott says is true but it isn't "could not" but "will not"

What I see is a slight improvement to the roster as it will be hard to pitch better then Lee did especially what he did in the playoffs.

What the phils gain is a guarantee of Halladay on the roster for 4 years
plus I think there may be 2 option years at the end.
This I have no problem with.

My problem is that this on the outside appears to be the Phils trading about 7 prospects and Cliff Lee for Halladay.
this includes everyone they traded last year for Lee.
So why couldn't the Phils Have traded these guys last year for Roy, since this trade included the then untouchable Kyle Drabek.

So even if the Phils kept Lee and lost him as a free agent, Lee is group A free agent and the Phils would have recieved 2 compensation draft picks.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Originally Posted by EricW /forum/thread/294354/2009-2010-mlb-hot-stove/30#post_3638693

 

[Ockeghem]

Tony,

Thanks for the info. on this trade. Last night, ESPN was making it sound like a three-team deal. Have you heard anything about that?

BTW, I think the price was a bit too steep for Halladay (not just as far as $$ is concerned). That is a lot of prospects.

 

[TonyD]

It will be 3 teams in the end.
Seattle, Philly and Toronto.
The Phils will get Halladay and 3 prospects.
Seattle gets Lee
Toronto gets Prospects.

Toronto gets the former untouchable Drabek from the Phils.
and 2 or 3 other minor leaguers also from the Phils.


so last year the Phils trade 4 palyers for Lee, then this year they trade Lee and 3 more for Halladay.
So total 7 minor leaguers and Lee for Halladay.

 

[TonyD]

The Phils have a news conference at 5 to announce the details.

Looks like the phils get Roy plus 3 minor leaguers from Seattle.

 

[Ockeghem]

The Red Sox sure are considering quite a few moves at this time. I'm hearing talk now of Buchholz being put into the mix for a new trade, and then I heard Ellsbury's name mentioned by Tim K. in the same sentence (something having to do with the Padres). I didn't catch the report from the beginning, and hope that Ellsbury's name was mentioned with regard to the possibility of Cameron playing left, rather than having Jacoby's name mentioned in the context of any kind of trade.

Tony,

The Mariners sure will have quite the one-two punch next year.

 

[Mike Frezon]

A bit of a surprise from Seattle with Lee saying he wanted to stay in Philly.

The Cubbies got busy and dumped Milton Bradley on Seattle.

The Cubbies, on the other-hand, pick up pitcher Carlos Silva. I don't know what's up with Silva...but he's in the midst of a 4-year $48-million dollar contract! In 2008, he was 4-15 in 28 starts. In 2009, he was 1-3 in six starts (8.60 ERA). Maybe he's been hurt?

 

[EricW]

A bit of a surprise from Seattle with Lee saying he wanted to stay in Philly.

i think the surprise on his part was that Philly wasn't willing to give in to his multi-year extension demands.

 

[Mike Frezon]

The Red Sox continue to amaze by building a team that is based on pitching and defense rather than offense. After scarfing up John Lackey and Mike Cameron they now add Adrian Beltre at third base.

Not to say that the current expected starting line-up is weak. It's pretty well balanced, in fact. This is one Red Sox fan who thinks this off-season has gone pretty well. They just have to figure out how to move Mike Lowell.

=======================

And tomorrow is Hall of Fame announcement day!

[url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091125&content_id=7720686&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb]2010 candidates
• [/url]Roberto Alomar
• Harold Baines
• Bert Blyleven
• Andre Dawson
• Andres Galarraga
• Barry Larkin
• Edgar Martinez
• Don Mattingly
• Fred McGriff
• Mark McGwire
• Jack Morris
• Dale Murphy
• Dave Parker
• Tim Raines
• Lee Smith
• Alan Trammell
• Other candidates

 

[Mike Frezon]

And, congrats to Andre Dawson. Wonder what cap the HOOF will pick for him?

Today, Mark McGwire finally comes clean.

The ESPN guys this morning were quoting Tony LaRussa (who hired McGwire as the Cardinal's 2010 hitting coach) as saying he could very well activate McGwire at the end of the season. This would do a couple of things. It would mean maybe McGwire could actually try to get into the 600 club. It would also freeze his HOF eligibility by putting it out now five years from the point of his new retirement...but then keeping it at 12 years from that new date (subtracting out the 3 years he has already been eligible). Some people figure this is why LaRussa would do this--in order to give him a better crack at getting the necessary votes by pushing back the decision a few years to allow his reputation to "heal."

 

[Patrick_S]

Ok so now Mark McGwire has finally admitted to using PEDs.
I have to ask, who the hell is advising him? It’s good that he came clean but to then say it didn't’t help him hit HRs? Talk about totally ruining the positive step of coming clean all in the same press conference.

 

[Mike Frezon]

I think A-Rod said similar things. When asked if he felt 'roids helped him perform better they can't bring themselves to admit it and hem-and-haw something about...how they can't know and they were insecure and felt it gave them confidence...blah blah blah.

It's sort of along the same lines of how people don't know how to apologize anymore. Public personas will start to apologize...or think they are apologizing...only to then start making excuses or pointing blame elsewhere.

 

[EricW]

i just recently got into the Discovery series Time Warp and thought i'd share this.

if you can't see it go here:

 

[Ockeghem]

Eric,

I just watched the video -- fascinating! And get this -- I'm a UMass (Lowell) alumnus. So that was quite a treat to see a building or two I used to visit.

 

[EricW]

this might be a stupid question, but who's batting second for the Yankees? is it Johnson or Granderson?

 

[Mike Frezon]

Originally Posted by EricW

My guess would be Johnson. His on-base percentage is a LOT higher than Granderson's, I think.

Finally took the time to watch that video you posted above. Very cool. I knew that bats bent...but never realize a baseball would squish so much on contact.

The only thing I find might be wrong with their methods (and I'm no scientist) is that they don't seem to account for the motion of a full swing and follow-through. They seem to think that throwing the ball at the bat @ 150mph does the same thing as account for a 90mph pitch and a 60mph swing. I would think they're somewhat different...but maybe not.