2010 Baseball Season/Off-Season Discussion

[GeorgeSteele]

^ Both Beckett and Dice-K are question marks, so you basically need to go in with 6 guys, especially given what's been invested into the 2011 roster.  You don't put that much money and sweat into a team and then take a chance that Tim Wakefield will end up starting a deciding playoff game for you. 

[pilferk]

Man, I forgot the Phillies had Oswalt too.  Damn, that's quite the rotation.  Mix in their potent lineup.  That's quite a squad there.

I heard this morning that the Phillies and Red Sox have agreed to a deal that would send Joe Blanton to the Sox.  I haven't heard what the Sox would be giving up.  I don't understand the move from the Sox point of view.  They have 5 starters, and IMO they're all better than Blanton.  I guess he'd provide some depth, but I don't know if he's ever pitched out of the bullpen.  He'd be quite an expensive long reliever.  Maybe Dice K could be on the move?  Not necessarily to the Phillies, but maybe somewhere else.  We'll see, doesn't make any sense to me right now.

3 other sources (one of them at the Boston Globe), amongst the pundits, all say there's no deal and that talks never actually got serious.  Heyman was the one who reported it as being done after Rosenthal reported it was being dicussed.

We'll see....

[faldor]

Man, I forgot the Phillies had Oswalt too.  Damn, that's quite the rotation.  Mix in their potent lineup.  That's quite a squad there.

I heard this morning that the Phillies and Red Sox have agreed to a deal that would send Joe Blanton to the Sox.  I haven't heard what the Sox would be giving up.  I don't understand the move from the Sox point of view.  They have 5 starters, and IMO they're all better than Blanton.  I guess he'd provide some depth, but I don't know if he's ever pitched out of the bullpen.  He'd be quite an expensive long reliever.  Maybe Dice K could be on the move?  Not necessarily to the Phillies, but maybe somewhere else.  We'll see, doesn't make any sense to me right now.

3 other sources (one of them at the Boston Globe), amongst the pundits, all say there's no deal and that talks never actually got serious.  Heyman was the one who reported it as being done after Rosenthal reported it was being dicussed.

We'll see....

Yeah I just read that.  I like this theory from The Globe.

UPDATE, 9:13 a.m.: It is conceivable that the Red Sox could have tried to help Philadelphia sign Lee (keeping him away from the Yankees and the Rangers) by taking Blanton off their hands.

But according to our sources, there is no deal as of right now and one was never in place.

More on this as the story develops.

I understand they have question marks in their rotation, but I don't see how Blanton answers any of those questions.  He's simply not any better than Beckett, Lackey, or Dice K.  Not even close IMO.  He's comparable to Tim Wakefield to me.  Maybe I'm not giving him enough credit, but his numbers don't come close to exciting me.  Again from The Globe.

UPDATE, 9:38 a.m.: Joe Blanton was 6-1 with a 3.48 ERA over 95.2 innings after the All-Star break last season. He allowed 103 hits, walked 25 and struck out 83 in that stretch.

His one start in the NLCS (4.2 IP, 3 ER) was nothing special.

The Bill James Handbook projects Blanton for a 4.22 ERA next season. It's also worth noting that new Sox pitching coach Curt Young worked with Blanton when both were in Oakland.

Then again he had a 4.96 ERA in Oakland in 2008 before he was traded to Philadelphia.

Blanton vs. AL teams last season: 7.64 ERA, 1.698 WHIP. Hitters were .342/.375/.592 against him. Granted, it was only 17.2 innings, but that is is not a good sign.

Again, no deal is in place. We'll keep you posted if anything changes.

[faldor]

Looks like Russell Martin signed with the Yanks.  I'm kind of surprised he has gotten so much attention from teams such as the Yanks and Sox.  From all I've heard, his skills have diminished quite a bit.  He's no longer a good defensive catcher and the hope is he can regain his stroke at the plate.  I mean, he's good as a backup I guess, with potential to do even more.  Basically though, I just didn't see how he fit in with the Red Sox, as they already have 2 catchers on the roster.

[pilferk]

Looks like Russell Martin signed with the Yanks.  I'm kind of surprised he has gotten so much attention from teams such as the Yanks and Sox.  From all I've heard, his skills have diminished quite a bit.  He's no longer a good defensive catcher and the hope is he can regain his stroke at the plate.  I mean, he's good as a backup I guess, with potential to do even more.  Basically though, I just didn't see how he fit in with the Red Sox, as they already have 2 catchers on the roster.

He doesn't need to be a good defensive catcher to be an upgrade over what's on the books, right now, for the Yanks and Sox.  Even if he's declined to "adequate", he's better than Posada or Cervelli (and Montero is a great unknown).  I'd say ditto when compared to Veritek....

For the Yanks, he makes a more stable backstop than Posada, who will probably only catch 1/2 the time (at most), and DH the rest. 

[tim_m]

Buster Olney is suspecting that move by the yanks could have been made to use one of the younger guys as trade bait.

[pilferk]

Buster Olney is suspecting that move by the yanks could have been made to use one of the younger guys as trade bait.

Wouldn't surprise me.  Maybe Montero, more likely Romine...but could be one of them.  Montero would be a good centerpiece to get someone like Grienke...but given his upside, it would almost HAVE to be someone like that.  Romine is better behind the plate, probably MLB ready to catch, but his bat is quite a bit lighter.  He (along with some other prospects) would fetch a decent middle of the rotation young arm (a la another Phil Hughes).

Yanks also signed Mark Prior to a minor league deal yesterday.  I've heard rumblings they're trying to sign Chien Ming Wang to a similar deal...which I would really like to see.

[sandman]

odds to win world series...

Phils 9-5
Sox 6-1
Yanks 6-1

there's your top 3 favorites. but October is a long time away.

i've been thinking about this Lee signing and it really says alot about the phillies organization. it's interesting when you consider the deal the Phillies gave Howard this year. alot of people criticized it, and there's probably an argument to made that they overpaid a little. but their top players and leaders on the team are very happy.

conversely, the Yankees resigned their leader but he is not real happy and the process was a little ugly.

shortly after that you have the top FA choose the Phillies over the Yankees for less guaranteed money. i have to believe that these other events had a little bit to do with all that. i don't know, maybe i'm crazy. whatever the reason, i'm on cloud 9.     

[AxlsMainMan]

Some of the pundits are saying Lee snubbed the Yankees for the way their fans spit on and harassed his wife during the playoffs.

[pilferk]

odds to win world series...

Phils 9-5
Sox 6-1
Yanks 6-1

there's your top 3 favorites. but October is a long time away.

i've been thinking about this Lee signing and it really says alot about the phillies organization. it's interesting when you consider the deal the Phillies gave Howard this year. alot of people criticized it, and there's probably an argument to made that they overpaid a little. but their top players and leaders on the team are very happy.

conversely, the Yankees resigned their leader but he is not real happy and the process was a little ugly.

shortly after that you have the top FA choose the Phillies over the Yankees for less guaranteed money. i have to believe that these other events had a little bit to do with all that. i don't know, maybe i'm crazy. whatever the reason, i'm on cloud 9.     

I'd say those odds are fair, currently. I'd actually say the Sox should have slightly better odds than the Yanks, with current rosters.

My opinion:

Jeter will be fine, once baseball starts.  And, quite frankly, if he's a bit peeved.....he should have told his agent to keep his mouth shut.  Because only after his rep used the term "baffling" in regards to the Yankees offer/negotiation did things get into the press.  You can't expect the Yanks to sit there silently, ESPECIALLY in light of the other stuff going on in the offseason, and let that kind of comment go.

Howard is most assuredly being overpaid, given the market.  But, as I say with the Yanks...if you can afford to do it (and, given the Lee deal, they obviously think they can), then do it.  Just like NOBODY else in the market would have paid Jeter 18 million per, nobody else was paying Howard NEARLY what the Phills will. 

For 2010, the Phillies are the team to beat. I don't think there is any addition that anyone can make that could change that.  In 2013/2014...they've got a couple of top heavy contracts with aging vets (aka: The New York Yankees of 2010) that COULD really hurt them.  And I'm still not convinced they have the resources to eat those contracts like the Yanks have, in the past.  Still, as a Phillies fan, you're going to get (potentially) 2 or 3 STELLAR, special kind of years...unless they somehow topple because of the contract commitments (aka The Rangers), but I don't see that happening.

The Yanks are going to need to find SOME way to prop up their rotation this year.  I don't know what they're going to do, or how they're going to do it, but they are legit in danger of looking at 3rd place in the AL East this year.  The Sox, as currently constructed, are better.  Toronto, this coming year, is DANGEROUS.  They need Pettite, at least.  They probably need one more middle of the rotation guy (the kind of guy that Javy was SUPPOSED to be, last year) and it CAN NOT BE Pavano.  They could use another dependable arm in the bullpen, given the likely departure of Kerry Woods, who has said he wants to be a closer.  If they can get that, they should be OK in the AL East (and the AL).   The nice thing about Lee going to the Phillies (and the NL) is you don't have to worry about him until late October....which makes it sting slightly less.

What stinks is..there are NO "big" FA pitchers coming up in 2011.  So whatever they do this year, they're going to have to go out and do again, in the same depleted market.  Pitching, for 2010 and 2011, is going to be UBER valuable.  Maybe moreso than it has in the past 10 years (and that's saying something).

The Yanks offense should be fine.  I don't expect ALL those big bats to have down years again.  They'll score some runs, I'd expect.  They could use a right handed utility guy (outfield, maybe?), I guess..but that's quibbiling.

[pilferk]

Some of the pundits are saying Lee snubbed the Yankees for the way their fans spit on and harassed his wife during the playoffs.

I've heard it.  I don't buy it.  If you're a pro athlete and you make a major business decision based on the bad behavior of a few fans in the stands at an opposing teams ballpark....you're an idiot.  And, likely, you're not cut out to play in NYC (or Boston, for that matter) because you're going to see precisely that kind of behavior directed toward you at 75% to 80% of your away games when playing for those teams.  It makes for good (or at least salacious/sensational) copy, though.

I think this boiled down to "unknown vs known".  With the Yanks, there were too many unknowns for him and his family (the touchy feely stuff).  With Philly....he was entering a clubhouse he knew, under a manager he knew, in an area he REALLY enjoyed playing in.  That, obviously, was worth about 15+ million dollars to Lee.  And I'm OK with that.....I'm incredibly miffed at Seattle's front office, because if they hadn't engaged in some shady practices just prior to the trade deadline, Lee likely would have had answers to those "unknowns" (and, frankly, the Yanks probably would have been playing in another World Series)...but I'm OK with LEE'S decision, based on what he knew.

[pilferk]

NYC talk radio has been abuzz, this morning, with talk about an impending AJ Burnett divorce.  It's being described as "ugly" and "the ugliest", basically.

That jives with some of the rumors that have been making the rounds (since AJ's black eye....which a lot of people thought was probably a domestic issue).  Also might explain some of his troubles last year....

[tim_m]

NYC talk radio has been abuzz, this morning, with talk about an impending AJ Burnett divorce.  It's being described as "ugly" and "the ugliest", basically.

That jives with some of the rumors that have been making the rounds (since AJ's black eye....which a lot of people thought was probably a domestic issue).  Also might explain some of his troubles last year....

Interesting. I had no idea he was having marital problems. Everyone always says what a sweet guy he is.

I would be all for giving Wang another shot assuming he has gotten over his problems stemming from the foot injury.

[pilferk]

Interesting. I had no idea he was having marital problems. Everyone always says what a sweet guy he is.

I would be all for giving Wang another shot assuming he has gotten over his problems stemming from the foot injury.

From what was being said on Colin Howherd's show today (ESPN radio), it doesn't sound like AJ was the cause of the problems.  Colin said some pretty strong things about AJ's wife.....

Wang is still recovering, from what I've read.  He's recently pitched some innings in the instructional league and the scouts say he looks filthy, and his velocity has gotten back to right around 90 mph.

[tim_m]

Interesting. I had no idea he was having marital problems. Everyone always says what a sweet guy he is.

I would be all for giving Wang another shot assuming he has gotten over his problems stemming from the foot injury.

From what was being said on Colin Howherd's show today (ESPN radio), it doesn't sound like AJ was the cause of the problems.  Colin said some pretty strong things about AJ's wife.....

Wang is still recovering, from what I've read.  He's recently pitched some innings in the instructional league and the scouts say he looks filthy, and his velocity has gotten back to right around 90 mph.

That makes more sense since all i've ever heard about AJ is he is one of the nicest guys you'd ever meet.

That would be great. Do you know if the Yankees have shown any interest though?

[pilferk]

That makes more sense since all i've ever heard about AJ is he is one of the nicest guys you'd ever meet.

That would be great. Do you know if the Yankees have shown any interest though?

AJ's agent, late yesterday, denied the reports of the divorce...which may, or may not, mean anything.

I've seen it reported that the Yanks have sniffed around, but they only want to offer a minor league deal (much like the Nationals, where Wang was last  year).  Wang's agent says they're looking for an MLB deal.  I suspect, if they don't find it, they'll go back to the Nats...but you never know.

[faldor]

Buster Olney is reporting Bobby Jenks has signed with the Red Sox for 2 years, 12 million.  IF they keep Papelbon, not a bad setup crew with Bard and Jenks.  All 3 have closing potential and/or experiece too.  Supposedly they're looking into Dan Wheeler as well.  He'd be a great addition to any team.

[tim_m]

Looks like the Jenks deal is official. Great pickup for the sox.

[pilferk]

Wang signed an MLB deal with the Nats today.

Yanks, so far, are NOT having a very good hot stove season.....

[faldor]

Wang signed an MLB deal with the Nats today.

Yanks, so far, are NOT having a very good hot stove season.....

I don't think things could've been scripted to go any worse.  Well, I suppose Rivera could've signed with the Sox.  That would've been worse.  But aside from that, not much has gone right for the Yankees so far this off-season.  However, you know they'll do something.  If not soon, during the season, at the trade deadline.  I don't foresee them taking a nosedive to the bottom of the AL East.  Even if they do nothing, they'll still be in the playoff hunt.

With that being said, every day that goes by that they don't do much of anything to improve their team and the Sox DO, it's twice the pleasure, for me.