Third Annual Baseball Hot Stove Thread

[Sausy]

Because there is no bad time to talk baseball!All about the hirings,firings,trades,free agents....if your team is making news this winter,
let's talk about it and share our perspectives!

 

[sonny10305]

You said it babe there is no bad time to talk about baseball.

It will be pleasure and a lot of fun sharing baseball news here.

So people don't be shy, please jump in and share your baseball thoughts
so as to keep the game live for us even in the cold winter.
After all, it's just 96 days to catchers and pitchers

 

[Sausy]

You said it babe there is no bad time to talk about baseball.

It will be pleasure and a lot of fun sharing baseball news here.

So people don't be shy, please jump in and share your baseball thoughts
so as to keep the game live for us even in the cold winter.
After all, it's just 96 days to catchers and pitchers

Thanks sonnythough it still seems like a long time til spring training

Sonny,any pics or tidbits you can offer about the Yankee parade down the Canyon of Heroes in Manhattan today?

First tidbit....interesting trade the Marlins made with Boston centering around the promising but still inconsistent Marlin outfielder Jeremy Hermida going to Boston for two young pitchers.Seems the Nancy ...er,JD Drew era in Boston may be coming to a close.Hermida provides defense and at 25 has youth on his side.JD is playing no where close to his pay grade...the Sox need to retool quite a bit though they have enough to remain competitive.

But does this mean they are forced to pay through the nose for someone like Matt Holliday?I think he would be far better suited to remain in St. Louis anyway,where he wouldn't be forced to carry the team on his shoulders,though I still have secret fantasies of the Mets wooing and wining and dining him!Time to wake up now from that dreamthank you Bernie Madoff!

Red Sox Nation as it were though ,see the parade in Yankee land today and sure aren't happy about it.With David Ortiz a shell of his old self for whatever reason,is Jason Bay the one they should prioritize,or someone else?Bay is a good defender,streaky hitter but has plenty of power even if his strikeouts are a bit alarming,and gets his walks,too.Who should/will the Red Sox make their prime targets to challenge the Yankees in 2010?

 

[Scrub]

I'm done with baseball.

 

[sonny10305]

Awwww Scrub, come on now, your team had a great year, only one can be the champions. I just know you will be back next year with dancing bananas and all smiles agin for your Philies in 2010. Hang in there girl

Hey saucy, some thougts of what you wrote:
Mayor Bloomberg had one of the best lines at the parade, “I have sent Jimmy Rollins a new crystal ball”
The pictures I have a not all that good a lot of fuzz and grain but it was a great day for NY.

Beckett will travel to Boston in the coming weeks and see how the Red Sox feel about giving him a contract extension. Beckett, has a $12 million vested option for 2010, but can become a free agent after next season.
Ya gotta think he will be looking for a deal like CC Sabathia signed with the Yankees, which was, seven years, $160 million.

Matt Holliday for sure remains a high priority for the Cardinals, but yet no offer that I now of has been made. You also have to wonder what effect the Cards bringing in Mark McGwire as the team’s hitting coach will make. Isn’t he tight with Holliday? the kid is one of the best hitters on the market, could be a perfect fit for a lot of teams, ass a right handed hitter with power who would fill in nicely in someone’s left field. Plus we can’t forget the Scott Boras part of all this, he will prolly have Matt hit the open market after the 15–day exclusive window expires. Then let the demand begin as Boras fiddles. I think he is looking for something like a seven-year deal, which would pay him $17 million per season. The Cards are thinking more of a six year, $96 million contract with the Holliday. So they are close.Maybe Abs knows more of this.

It looks like Brett Myers may not be back, the Phillies have now said that they would not attempt to renegotiate. Ya have to bet the $12 million in cap space may be a factor. I’m thinking Myers has been disappointing in his big league career even though he has had notable moments as a Philly. But he is a loose cannon, beating his wife and acting recklessly when he had too much to drink. Just like the Mets an Putz this will give the Phillies money to sign a new starting pitcher, or badly needed relief pitchers.

 

[sonny10305]

Those Phillies have really suffered over the past few years.

I'm a NATIONALS FAN. Try that.

The Nats are having a rough time, as a Mets fan I can relate to your pain
In 2009 the Mets and Nationals came in full of hope and determination to wash away the previous two years. The Mets had fixed the pen and looked really good…on paper. Then all the injuries and all of a sudden they were no longer the team that had been put together over the winter, that coupled by a weak farm system to replace some of our boys left us with not much of a contenting team. The rest is history.

The Nationals came in with the same hopes, they had Olsen and willigham (2 grand slams in one game) Dunn, and the two Zimmermans. (Pitching and third) But things began to go down hill fast. They lost their first seven games then demoted their center fielder Lastings Millage The pitching was dreadful especially in the pen which had the worst ERA in baseball, (13 blown saves) that followed the firing of the pitching coach to continue the woos of the team. Then the manager got the boot.
Still They managed the first selection in this year’s draft, Stroosburg
Now comes word that The Nationals have chosen Jim Riggleman over Bobby Valentine to be their manager. A mistake? Well Bobby is amazing with young teams and prolly would have done a hell of a job but Riggleman will I think continue to bring stability to the team so maybe he was a good choice.
Still ya have to think Bobby V

 

[King Gumby VIII]

Nationals 3B: Ryan Zimmerman won;
- the 2009 Gold Glove Award & Silver Slugger Award.

Nationals named Jim Riggleman their manager, signing him to a two-year deal.

 

[sonny10305]

Congrats to Joe Mauer as 2009 American League Most Valuable Player
What an awesome athlete and so deserving of the award. As a catcher he is up there with the greats like, Ivan Rodriguez, Mike Piazza, Johnny Bench, Roy Campanella, Yogi Berra and Mickey Cochrane. I could go on to say that perhaps Mauer is the most valuable player in Major League Baseball.
Hey! the Mets need a catcher

Today the winner of the NL MVP will be announced and that has to go to Albert Pujols

 

[Absolut]

Today the winner of the NL MVP will be announced and that has to go to Albert Pujols

I heart him. And baseball. And my baseball fanatics here

Third time is charming for MVP Pujols

Cardinals slugger unanimous selection for NL honors


ST. LOUIS -- This wasn't an announcement. It was a coronation. Then again, a case could be made that the entire 2009 season fit that description for Albert Pujols.

Long since established as one of baseball's great players, Pujols emerged as the game's dominant figure in 2009. On Tuesday, the Baseball Writers' Association of America once again recognized him as such, naming Pujols the National League Most Valuable Player in a unanimous decision.

Pujols received all 32 first-place votes, good for 448 ballot points. Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez garnered 15 second-place votes and 233 points. First baseman Ryan Howard of the Phillies was a close third with 217 points. He was followed by Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder and Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki.

The rest about this fantastic baseball god...

 

[sonny10305]

I never had a doubt he would win, he lead all of baseball with 47 home runs and ranked third with 135 RBI.
And I know, it's pretty undeniable how imposing Pujols is at the plate. Ya gotta be intimidated by that growling stare he gives the pitcher. like go ahead punk take yor best shot mudder fucker
It was unanimously, big Al won for the second straight year after leading Major League Baseball with 47 home runs and 124 runs scored. He’s the sixth unanimous NL MVP winner and first since 2002, when Barry Bonds claimed the fifth of his record seven awards.

 

[caddy87]

fuck the yanks

 

[flyingfree]

The Nats are having a rough time, as a Mets fan I can relate to your pain

The Nationals came in with the same hopes, they had Olsen and willigham (2 grand slams in one game) Dunn, and the two Zimmermans. (Pitching and third) But things began to go down hill fast. They lost their first seven games then demoted their center fielder Lastings Millage The pitching was dreadful especially in the pen which had the worst ERA in baseball, (13 blown saves) that followed the firing of the pitching coach to continue the woos of the team. Then the manager got the boot.
Still They managed the first selection in this year’s draft, Stroosburg
Now comes word that The Nationals have chosen Jim Riggleman over Bobby Valentine to be their manager. A mistake? Well Bobby is amazing with young teams and prolly would have done a hell of a job but Riggleman will I think continue to bring stability to the team so maybe he was a good choice.
Still ya have to think Bobby V

As a passive Natinals (sic) fan due to where I reside I never had much hope for the 2009 team. In March I foolishly predicted that the Nats would end the season with 61 to 71 wins. By May 31st the Nats had played 50 games and managed to win 14; by July 31st they had a record of 32-71. This assured them of 100 losses once again.

The Nats are a team that turns a profit for a number of reasons (favorable tax breaks, low payroll, decent attendance). The ownership group has discovered that putting a bad team on the field has no affect on the financial bottom line. Bobby Valentine would have asked for a salary higher than what the Nationals would have been willing to pay. That alone was a deal breaker if the negotiations ever got that far. The Nats are content to wait for their minor league pitchers to succeed and then they may have reason to enter the free agent market for proven players. Last winter in an effort to appease the fans the principal owner opened his wallet to Mark Teixeira who had no intention of coming to Washington but was polite enough to listen to the offer. I'm guessing that the Nationals will not pursue any free agents of note this winter since they are adverse to offering multi-million dollar contracts for multi-years. There is a better chance of me pitching for the 2010 Washington Nationals than John Lackey.

Once again Nats fans will be are asked to show patience with the 25 man roster that is presented on Opening Day 2010. The manager may even promise that the team will perform better but the underlining hope is that the team will not lose 100 games for the third time in a row. Does it pain me that my hometown team was horrible to watch in 2009? Of course it does. Yet in November 2009 my favorite baseball team was awarded their 27th World Series trophy. How sweet it is.

 

[sonny10305]

Not a whole going on so far in he Winter meetings although the New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, and Arizona Diamondbacks made a three-way trade.
The Yankees get all star Curtis Granderson from Detroit
Detroit gets: Austin Jackson and Phil Coke from the Yankees and Max Scherzer and Daniel Schlereth from Arizona
Arizona gets Edwin Jackson from Detroit and Ian Kennedy from the Yankees.
I guess my question would be how this Granderson deal will affects Damon and Godzilla.
My other question, is Granderson that much of an upgrade in center field, is he worth giving away the promising Austin Jackson?
I did some research and found that over the past three seasons Granderson has had fewer hits, doubles, home runs and RBI than Damon. He has also walked less than Damon, had a lower batting average and on base percentage than Damon. About the only area where Granderson was c better than Damon is in runs scored. I suppose ya have to consider that Granderson is a lot younger than Damon so maybe the yanks figure his future may be more than Damon’s.
Of course now The Yankees now have less pressure in deciding between Damon and Godzilla and for sure sends a message to Boras about any wild ideas he may have about Damon’s value.

Looks like Ryan Church’s days with the Braves are over. In order to make room on the 40-man roster for Rafael Soriano, the Atlanta Braves have designated him for assignment. Atlanta has 10 days to either trade him or release him. That Church/Francoeur deal was sure a better deal for Jeff than it was for Ryan and of course for the Mets.
I always liked Church I sure hope he lands on his feet somewhere. Good bet he could end up in Washington with Schneider.

Late yesterday The Brewers and Randy Wolf agreed to a three-year deal.

 

[sonny10305]

It's over, everyone has left the winter meetings.
Right after the morning's Rule 5 draft of minor league players, all he general managers, scouts, agents all headed for the airport.
There wasn't even a formal end or announcement, everyone just bolted.
Leaving Scott Boras yelling "wait, don't go, come back, I still have deals for you."
"Guys?......hello?......where ya goin, all the best players right here....anyone?

 

[flyingfree]

Two weeks from today NYY Spring Training begins for pitchers and catchers (2/17). For other teams in FL and AZ see ...

http://www.springtrainingonline.com/home.htm

 

[Sausy]

Two weeks from today NYY Spring Training begins for pitchers and catchers (2/17). For other teams in FL and AZ see ...

http://www.springtrainingonline.com/home.htm

I started this thread and almost forgot it existed!

Just two more weeks til baseball...yay!

 

[Sausy]

Speaking of the New York Yankees,another spring is near with another king-sized "clash" for Joba Chamberlain,going from starter to reliever extraordinaire to starter and now rumblings of set of guy for Mariano Rivera and eventual sucessor.I guess as a New York paper suggests that the infamous "Joba Rules" will now evolve into the "Phil-osophy" as Phil Hughes looks like he's favored to get the fifth slot and Joba will be soon groomed for the closer job.Not official but rumors running everywhere the Yankees have become convinced that Joba Chamberlain is much more mentally geared for the late innings challenge...his fastball showed great life in the Yankees playoff run(not consistent but signs of the powerhouse Joba blowing away the competition a few years back in the set up role).Apparently they feel Phil Hughes has more of the even keeled makeup required of a successful starter and will be groomed for a higher spot in the rotation after Andy Pettitte retires in a year or two and Javier Vazquez talking about retirement either after next year or not far down the line.At 24 Phil still has a huge upside and just needs to improve command and gain confidence.I think Joba really is meant to,with his natural enthusiasm and energy,shut down the competition late.He may have the tools and talent to become a good,maybe great starter,but I don't know by any means he's assured of that.It is clear he thrives on overpowering and beating down on the opponent with the game on the line.

 

[Sausy]

I'm first and foremost a Mets fan,of coursebut living in the New York area I like the Yankees,respect their professionalism and can't knock the results of history...27 rings!but totally can understand how outside the New York area,warm cuddly feelings about the Bronx Bombers doersn't come as ea$ily!


The Mariners look good in the AL West....when you've got an elite 1-2 rotation punch as Cliff Lee and Felix Hernandez,you've got a decent shot.Don't think the Angels will be as good losing a tough competitor especially down the playoff stretch in John Lackey and a versatile top of the order grinder like Chone Figgins to ignite the offense.