2013 Baseball Season/Off-Season Discussion

[pilferk]

Here's the new thread for the 2013 season!

Because it's almost Jan 1st and pitchers and catchers report in about 7 weeks.

[pilferk]

Looks like Swish signed a deal with the Indians (and they are overpaying him!)

Looks like Ibanez signed a one year deal with Seattle (his original team).

[Falcon]

A log on the Yankee Hot Stove for Tim and pilf:

http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/31753/never-count-out-the-new-york-yankees

[Falcon]

Sad news from St Louis this, the greatest player in Cardinal history is gone.

Stan "The Man" Musial has passed away this evening at 92.

"Baseball's perfect warrior, baseball's perfect knight".

[GypsySoul]

Sad news from St Louis this, the greatest player in Cardinal history is gone.

Stan "The Man" Musial has passed away this evening at 92.

"Baseball's perfect warrior, baseball's perfect knight".

Wow.  Earl Weaver passed away today too.

God bless their souls. RIP

[GeorgeSteele]

Sad news from St Louis this, the greatest player in Cardinal history is gone.

Stan "The Man" Musial has passed away this evening at 92.

"Baseball's perfect warrior, baseball's perfect knight".

The consummate sportsman and gentleman.  In addition to being married to one woman for 72 years, he still holds the following records:

Total Bases - Left Handed Batter: 6134
Home Runs - All Star Game: 6
Home Runs - Doubleheader: 5 (tied)
Doubles/Triples - Only player to record 50 Doubles and 20 Triples in same season
Offensive Categories - All time League Leader in Different Offensive Categories: 16
Most seasons to lead the league in Doubles: 8 (tied)
Most seasons to lead the league in Extra Base Hits: 7 (tied)
Most consecutive seasons (3.1 PA) with Batting Average .300+: 16
Most seasons (3.1 PA) with Batting Average .300+: 17 (tied)
Most consecutive seasons (3.1 PA) from first year in majors to record a .300+ BA: 16
Most consecutive seasons (3.1 PA) to Slug .500+: 15
Most seasons (3.1 PA) to record On Base Percentage of .400 or better 14 (tied)
Most 5 Hit games in a season: 4 (tied)
Most consecutive seasons (3.1 PA) to Strike Out 40 or fewer times: 16
Most seasons to lead league in Runs Created: 9 (tied)
Most consecutive seasons to lead NL in in Runs Created: 6
Most consecutive seasons to lead ML in runs created: 4
Most consecutive seasons to record 30+ Doubles: 16
Most consecutive seasons to record double-digit Doubles: 21 (tied)
Most consecutive seasons to record double-digit Triples and Home Runs: 7 (tied)
Most seasons (3.1 PA) to record .300+ BA / .400+ OBP / .500+ SLG: 14
All-time highest Fielding Percentage - 2500+ games in the field: .989

[Falcon]

Sad news from St Louis this, the greatest player in Cardinal history is gone.

Stan "The Man" Musial has passed away this evening at 92.

"Baseball's perfect warrior, baseball's perfect knight".

The consummate sportsman and gentleman.  In addition to being married to one woman for 72 years, he still holds the following records:


Home Runs - Doubleheader: 5 (tied)

May 2nd 1954 - my late father was a young man in the stands that day, what a memory.

Stan was Dad's all time favorite player and had the pleasure to spend some time with The Man in St Louis at Stan's restaraunt in the early 70's.

Dad's admiration for Stan was the reason I wore #6 through my 11 years in organized baseball.

[tim_m]

Blockbuster trade today.

Braves get Justin Upton in big deal
ESPN.com news services

PHOENIX -- Arizona has traded outfielder Justin Upton to the Atlanta Braves in a seven-player deal that sends former All-Star infielder Martin Prado to the Diamondbacks.

The Braves also get third baseman Chris Johnson. Atlanta is giving up four minor leaguers in the deal, including top pitching prospect Randy Delgado. The other minor leaguers headed to Arizona are right-hander Zeke Spruill, shortstop Nick Ahmed and first baseman Brandon Drury. Prado, projected to play third base for the Diamondbacks, can become a free agent after this season.

Trade Details

The Braves and Diamondbacks have completed a seven-player trade. Here's where everyone is headed.
Atlanta Braves Get
Justin Upton OF
Chris Johnson 3B
Arizona Diamondbacks Get
Randall Delgado P
Martin Prado INF
Nick Ahmed SS
Brandon Drury 3B
Zeke Spruill P

Upton, who has five-plus major league seasons but still is just 25 years old, will join older brother B.J. Upton, who recently signed a free agent contract with Atlanta. The younger Upton, who has three years and $38.5 million left on his contract, had been the subject of trade speculation throughout the offseason and vetoed a trade to the Seattle Mariners.

"Bittersweet day for me. So happy to get the chance to play with my brother in Atlanta but will miss the city and the fans here in Phoenix," Upton said in a tweet.

Prado, who joins fellow Venezuelan Miguel Montero in Arizona, made the All-Star team in 2010 as a second baseman and played mostly in left field last season. A versatile infielder, Prado was projected to move to third base for the Braves this season to replace the retired Chipper Jones.

Diamondbacks President Derrick Hall said via Twitter that the team wants to sign Prado to a long-term deal.

"This is the type of player we want in our lineup," he wrote.

The Braves didn't re-sign center fielder and leadoff hitter Michael Bourn and Prado, the No. 2 hitter behind Bourn, had been a candidate to hit leadoff. Shortstop Andrelton Simmons now is expected to assume that role. Simmons hit .289 with a .335 on-base percentage in 49 games as a rookie last season.

Arizona had accumulated a glut of outfielders, signing Cody Ross as a free agent last month. Upton was the most marketable.

More From ESPN.com

The pairing of Justin and B.J. Upton in the same Braves outfield will be a fascinating thing to watch in 2013, writes Jayson Stark. Story

Every day must be marvelous when brothers are teammates on the same team. The Upton brothers will get to experience that, writes Tim Kurkjian. Story

Keith Law says the Diamondbacks didn't do as well as they could've in trading Justin Upton to the Braves. Blog Insider

? Vote: Braves favorite?
? Stats & Info: Elite company

Upton, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 draft, raced through the minors and came up to the big league club in August 2007 at age 19. He made the NL All-Star team in 2009 and 2011.

Upton has played five full major league seasons, so his best years could well be ahead of him. Last season, he hit .280 with 17 home runs and 67 RBIs but did score a career-high 107 runs. In 2011, while helping Arizona to its surprising NL West crown, Upton hit .289, with 31 home runs and 88 RBIs -- the latter two categories are career bests -- and finished fourth in NL MVP voting. Overall, he's a career .278 hitter with 108 home runs, 739 hits, 147 doubles and 80 stolen bases.

Delgado, a 23-year-old right-hander, had been expected to challenge for a spot in the Braves rotation. His acquisition bolsters the young pitching depth in Arizona depleted by the trade of Trevor Bauer. Delgado was 4-9 with a 4.37 ERA in 18 appearances, 17 as a starter, for the Braves. Rated Atlanta's No. 3 prospect by Baseball America the past two years, he was 4-3 with a 4.06 ERA with Triple-A Gwinett last season.

The trade leaves Arizona with three veteran outfielders -- Ross, Jason Kubel and Gerardo Parra -- along with two youngsters the team feels are ready for the majors -- Adam Eaton and A.J. Pollock. General manager Kevin Towers has praised Eaton's potential as a center fielder and leadoff hitter.

Johnson was acquired by the Diamondbacks on July 29 from Houston and batted .286 with seven doubles, seven home runs and 35 RBIs in 44 games with Arizona. In Atlanta, he could platoon at third with Juan Francisco.

"Really enjoyed my time in Arizona," Johnson said in a tweet. "Thank you to the Diamondbacks organization and fans for your hospitality!"

Information from The Associated Report was used in this report.

[Falcon]

MLB Network "Remembers Stan Musial" tonight at 8 CST hosted by Bob Costas and Tom Verducci.

Thousands paid respects today at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis at the public memorial with the funeral this Saturday being broadcast live on MLB.com at 11am.

[Falcon]

All four networks in STL along with Fox Sports Midwest will be broadcasting the Musial funeral tomorrow morning at 11am.

Bob Costas will be delivering the eulogy with representatives from the White House, all 30 major league teams, Bud Selig and a multitude of living HOF'ers including Hank Aaron and Willie Mays in attendance.

The funeral procession will stop at the Musial statue at Busch Stadium before a private burial.

Massive outpouring of respect for The Man nationwide, incredible.

Budweiser has been running the following tribute on all media formats over the last few days, awesome.

[Falcon]

Bob Costas eulogizing The Man - perfection.

http://fox2now.com/2013/01/26/bob-costas-gives-emotional-eulogy-for-musial/

[Falcon]

The St Louis Blues wearing these jerseys tonight in honor of Stan The Man - very cool.

[AxlsMainMan]

A-Roid may miss the entire season according to Cashman.

[faldor]

A-Roid may miss the entire season according to Cashman.

That may be a blessing in disguise for the Yankees.  Only problem is, I don't see Youkilis making it through the entire season at 3B.  Not even close in fact.  Will age finally catch up with the Yankees, at least with their position players?  They still have pretty good pitching though, so I'd expect them to be in the mix.

[tim_m]

In more ridiculous news, Carl Pavano lacerates his spleen shoveling snow when he fell and had to have it removed. Only this idiot could seriously hurt himself shoveling snow.

[pilferk]

A-Roid may miss the entire season according to Cashman.

That may be a blessing in disguise for the Yankees.  Only problem is, I don't see Youkilis making it through the entire season at 3B.  Not even close in fact.  Will age finally catch up with the Yankees, at least with their position players?  They still have pretty good pitching though, so I'd expect them to be in the mix.

In more ways than one:

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/alex-rodriguez-is-the-biggest-name-in-a-new-ped-report-that-could-rival-balco-143803741.html

[tim_m]

He's already denying it of course and if he is guilty it sure isn't helping him in October.

[Falcon]

Does any of this (names nonwithstanding) surprise anyone anymore?

As Patrick Swayze as "Dalton" in "Roadhouse" said.

"It's going to get worse before it gets better"

Yes, I just quoted Patrick Swayze from Roadhouse.

[tim_m]

Nope and HGH is gonna continue to be a problem until the testing is better. Starting this season they are testing in season and not just spring training. We'll see if that catches more people.

[Falcon]

Nope and HGH is gonna continue to be a problem until the testing is better. Starting this season they are testing in season and not just spring training. We'll see if that catches more people.

It will.

The hammer is gonna drop and drop hard - alot are going to go down and no name will surprise me.