2013 Baseball Season/Off-Season Discussion

[tim_m]

Nice pick up for your cards there Falcon .

[tim_m]

Another deal just confirmed by Ken Rosenthal. Joe Smith to the Angels. 3 year deal.

[Falcon]

Nice pick up for your cards there Falcon .

Not bad at all.

It's an $$ overpay but understandable.

They weren't about to overpay in what it would have taken in personnel to get Tulo, Andrus or Hardy so the FA route was the way to go.

[Falcon]

It's not a done deal per Jon Morosi:

"Jon Morosi ‏@jonmorosi 
In sum: Source said Jhonny Peralta is expected to get 4 years with STL, but this is not a done deal as of yet."

[faldor]

You beat me to it again! I don't know how you get your info so fast lol. I'm not too familiar with McCann. Good deal for the Yanks?

It's a lot of $$$/years but ya, I think he'll be great for them.

Left handed hitting catchers with power are a helluva commodity and they just signed the best one out there.

McCann's a pissy SOB as well, he'll bring an edge to them they haven't had in a while.

 

McCann is a good player, no doubt. Lefty power should play well in that stadium. But that's a lot of money and years for a catcher. May not look so good in a few years. The richest contract given to a catcher outside of Piazza. I guess the Yanks are ready to spend money again. Clear upgrade for them though in the short term, as long as he stays healthy. 100 million for a GOOD catcher though seems a bit steep.

[pilferk]

IMHO, it's a good deal. 16 million per for 6 isn't terrible, and it wouldn't be hard to unloade ( while picking up some $$) if one of their catching prospects actually pans out.

And it keeps Stuart out from behind the dish...which, in itself, might be worth the price.

[Falcon]

IMHO, it's a good deal. 16 million per for 6 isn't terrible, and it wouldn't be hard to unloade ( while picking up some $$) if one of their catching prospects actually pans out.

He's got a full no trade so unloading would be a bit tricky.

I suppose they'll be paying 16 mil for a part time DH late in the contract but it's still a good deal, he's going to absolutely pulverize the short porch in right.

[pilferk]

IMHO, it's a good deal. 16 million per for 6 isn't terrible, and it wouldn't be hard to unloade ( while picking up some $$) if one of their catching prospects actually pans out.

He's got a full no trade so unloading would be a bit tricky.

I suppose they'll be paying 16 mil for a part time DH late in the contract but it's still a good deal, he's going to absolutely pulverize the short porch in right.

Of late, we've seen lots of players with full no trades go.  They just have to waive/approve any deal....and I don't think that's too far outside the realm of plausibility, provided he can manage to hit through his contract.

He's going to be a VERY scary hitter for 81 games a season, and a good hitter the other 81...at least for the next 2 to 3 years.  What I like is...he's pretty good defensively, especially when it comes to pitch calling.  I think Stuart sucked at both those aspects.....which didn't help the Yanks staff last year.  Not that that was the entire reason for their trouble...far from it.  But it didn't help.

[pilferk]

Hearing reports that Yanks are now going after Beltran, HARD.  And he's very receptive.

Couple sources (both also reporting Yanks increased interest now that they've signed their first "target") saying they expect Beltran to sign SOMEWHERE (meaning make a decision) within the next week.

[Falcon]

Hearing reports that Yanks are now going after Beltran, HARD.  And he's very receptive.

Couple sources (both also reporting Yanks increased interest now that they've signed their first "target") saying they expect Beltran to sign SOMEWHERE (meaning make a decision) within the next week.

Yep, heard the same thing on MLB Radio.

Speculative numbers were 3 years just south of 60 million with a possible 4th year option.

Great hitter, great guy and a great fit if it happens.

I like the Yankees proactivity, they're not waiting around.

[tim_m]

The Yankees had no choice but to come out of the gate aggressive like this. Last year was a train wreck. We're losing Rivera, Pettitte and Granderson for sure. We could lose Cano. That's a lot to fill. Waiting around would've gotten us probably a worse team next year.

[pilferk]

The Yankees had no choice but to come out of the gate aggressive like this. Last year was a train wreck. We're losing Rivera, Pettitte and Granderson for sure. We could lose Cano. That's a lot to fill. Waiting around would've gotten us probably a worse team next year.

Supposedly, Granderson wants to return.  And the Yanks have "some interest" in him.

But at a shorter term, cheap deal.

Given Granderson turned down the qualifying offer (which was, IMHO, more than he's going to get for any single year in a new deal), I don't think he's going to be willing to accept "cheap", though.  Either that or it was the one year deal he found objectionable.

[tim_m]

I'd be happy to keep him as long as its not a deal we over pay him for.

[pilferk]

I'd be happy to keep him as long as its not a deal we over pay him for.

Rumors are he wants a deal similar to the one the Yanks just game McCann.  5 year 15 to 16 per.

Yanks prefer a 3 to 4 year deal around 10 to 12 per.  Basically, the deal he just finished up.  And they're not "interested" enough to up that.  And there are a glut of OFs on the market (like Beltran) who would serve similar purpose and can probably be gotten at less (either term or annual $) than Granderson is looking for.

And they might not strike out 25% to 30% of the time.

That's my big complaint.  I wouldn't care if he hit the same number of homeruns, and you took maybe 20 to 30 of his 200-ish SO a year and made them groundouts/flyouts.  But with this offense, those strikeouts are KILLERS.

[faldor]

Falcon, how is Beltran's defense these days? I know he's lost a step or two over the years but he's not a liability out there, is he? The guy can still hit, that I know.

[LongGoneDay]

Falcon, how is Beltran's defense these days? I know he's lost a step or two over the years but he's not a liability out there, is he? The guy can still hit, that I know.

Ask Ortiz!

[pilferk]

Falcon, how is Beltran's defense these days? I know he's lost a step or two over the years but he's not a liability out there, is he? The guy can still hit, that I know.

In CF? Yes.  But he's not going to play CF on the Yanks (Gardner, IMHO, has that locked up)....just like he really didn't play CF last year. He played mostly RF.

In RF? I doubt it.  He's going to play in a pretty forgiving RF park for 81 games a year...because at YS, it's either a can of corn, or it's out of the park, over the short porch. The other 81, I think he'll be at least as serviceable as Ichiro was last year.  I think he'll be fine, and, honestly, probably better than Ichiro was out there last year.  He'll probably make Gardner a better CF'er, too, because right now Beltran has better range than Ichiro showed last year.  If you watch last year, Gardner cheated a LOT toward RF...seemingly to cover for Ichiro a little bit.  I don't think he'll have to do that, this year, and can either play straight up, or cheat toward left (if they, again, have a defensive liability out there).

If LF? If they try to convert him..maybe.  But, then, I can't see how he could be worse that what the Yanks trotted out there last year...and his offense would quickly make you forget his defense (unlike the guys who played out there last year who, honestly, were pretty much terrible on defense AND offense).  My worry would be his range, since he'd either have to cheat toward the line (he throws right handed), or try to play cross body on plays down the line (and there seem to be a lot of those at YS).

[Falcon]

Falcon, how is Beltran's defense these days? I know he's lost a step or two over the years but he's not a liability out there, is he? The guy can still hit, that I know.

Little range - very close to liability.

The arm is still accurate but not he's not throwing anyone out from the warning track.

And yes, he can still hit - and hit well.

[pilferk]

Falcon, how is Beltran's defense these days? I know he's lost a step or two over the years but he's not a liability out there, is he? The guy can still hit, that I know.

Little range - very close to liability.

The arm is still accurate but not he's not throwing anyone out from the warning track.

And yes, he can still hit - and hit well.

Couple things to keep in mind:

You are going to notice that more limited range a lot less in rf at YS. Compared to Busch Stadium, About 20 feet shorter down the line and, really about 10 feet shorter to dead center rf (they'll tell you it's 382 in center right at YS...but real center right is about 365...they move 4 feet further down the sharp angle, which isn't really right center). There is less ground to cover.  And if you look at the al east, and the al in general, there are a lot of band boxes, many with shorter right fields. I mean....YS made swisher look like a credible defensive RFer.

And even with his current more limited range, he is an improvement over Ichiros last season...both in range and arm strength. Probably a push in accuracy. And, frightening as it is, Beltran actually makes the yanks YOUNGER at that position.

[Falcon]

Sounds like the Reds are making a strong push for Beltran as well, didn't see that coming.