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Author Topic: MLB hot stove/ Free agency  (Read 98815 times)
Sunstroke
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« Reply #195 on: January 05, 2009, 09:25:08 pm »


As much as I hate the DH, Pat Burrell is a great fit for Tampa's DH slot. An already very talented offensive lineup just got a little bit tougher.


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« Reply #196 on: January 06, 2009, 08:54:03 am »

^^ And they have slotted him 6. 

6!!!

Holy shit.

Yeah, that's a really tough line up and it just got tougher.  People talk about Yankees, Yankees, Sox...and they really should be talking about Crawford...Longoria...Upton.. .BURRELL!  Yikes.
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MaineDolFan
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« Reply #197 on: January 06, 2009, 08:55:33 am »

you can't have enough good relievers

You can't, but there are only so many slots on a team.  And if they make this signing, they are one over the number for regular season (assuming they actually sign a starting catcher).  I am not even including Aardsma, that makes two.  So who goes?  I have a tough time believing it will be Masterson.
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« Reply #198 on: January 06, 2009, 06:05:16 pm »

I am shocked Pat The Bat went for so little. The Yankees were right not to offer Abreu arbitration. He is 2 years older than Burrell, and would've made at least $16 Million this year, or what Pat is making the next 2 years combined.

Great deal for Tampa Bay.
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Sunstroke
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« Reply #199 on: January 06, 2009, 11:22:02 pm »

^^ And they have slotted him 6. 

6!!!

Holy shit.

Yeah, that's a really tough line up and it just got tougher.  People talk about Yankees, Yankees, Sox...and they really should be talking about Crawford...Longoria...Upton.. .BURRELL!  Yikes.

Add in Carlos Pena, and even at the bottom of their order, Bartlett and Navarro are solid hitters at SS and C in the 8 and 9 slot

And, oh yeah, all that fukkin' pitching. A full season for David Price, Kazmir recovered from the arm woes, Shields, Garza, Sonnanstine...

Damn, I'm having an acute case of ballclub envy here.

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"There's no such thing as objectivity. We're all just interpreting signals from the universe and trying to make sense of them. Dim, shaky, weak, staticky little signals that only hint at the complexity of a universe that we cannot begin to comprehend."
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« Reply #200 on: January 07, 2009, 10:29:41 am »

I agree that Tampa Bay will be tough.

I also think that Boston's inactivity in this market has made people forget how potent that club already is - even without any moves.  The pitching staff is pretty damned great and Lester has supplanted Matsusaka as the #2:

1 - Beckett
2 - Lester
3 - Matsuzaka
4 - Penny
5 - Wakefield

Toss in that they have Buchholz, Masterson and Bowden in the wings as possible #5's or #4's, that's pretty impressive.  There are also rumors that continue to swirl that Boston will end up inking Derek Lowe.

Boston's bullpen last season was pretty darned good as well and they've added Ramirez to that staff in the trade with Kansas City that sent Coco to the Royals.

Offensively Boston got better after the Manny trade...and that was also with Lowell on the shelf and Ortiz a shell of himself.  If Lowell is healthy and Ortiz is even 80%...that's pretty damned good:

1 - Ellsbury  (.280 hitter with 50 steal ability)
2 - Dusty  (.300 hitter with some pop and good OBP)
3 - Ortiz (even in a horrible year hit .270 / 25 / 90)
4 - Youkilis  (career .300+ with improving power numbers)
5 - Lowell (should easily be .280 / 20 / 90)
6 - Bay (should easily by .280 / 25 / 105)
7 - Drew (no reason to think he won't be .280 / 20 / 80)
8 - Lowrie / Lugo (who knows what to expect here)
9 - Bard (as of right now)

That's a pretty potent lineup in it's own right.  Very well balanced.  Good speed, good averages, nice power.  There isn't one bat in that line up that terrifies you...but the line up as a whole is hard to pitch to.  You blink and suddenly they've put four up on you.

Anyone that thinks Boston is going into the season with only Josh Bard as a catcher needs to re-think that.  Bard is coming off a tough '08 but really showed some pop in his bat in '07 with San Diego.  Sunstroke knows how much I love Bard, I think he has every day catcher written all over him eventually, but I would like to see him eased into that role.

All that said, I am hearing too many rumbles to not believe that something is on it's way.  For a while I thought it was Holliday as Billy Bean has a massive hardon for Ellsbury and Boston prospects.  But then Oakland signed Giambi and that idea was shot to shit, Giambi was signed to protect Holliday in that line up.  Unless Oakland is out of it early they won't move him, they'll keep him and take the two draft picks in 2010 when he bails.

But something is on it's way with Boston, I just don't know what. 
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Sunstroke
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« Reply #201 on: January 07, 2009, 10:43:19 am »


Way to list the whole Sox roster there...do you not like it when other AL East teams inspire ballclub envy? 

That roster definitely looks good, but Josh Bard is going to be your regular catcher? Wow...definitely the weak spot there. Be prepared to watch opposing baserunners steal bases at will. When he stopped squatting behind the Padres plate, I celebrated like we won the war.


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"There's no such thing as objectivity. We're all just interpreting signals from the universe and trying to make sense of them. Dim, shaky, weak, staticky little signals that only hint at the complexity of a universe that we cannot begin to comprehend."
~ Micah Leggat
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« Reply #202 on: January 07, 2009, 11:30:51 am »

Way to list the whole Sox roster there...do you not like it when other AL East teams inspire ballclub envy? 

Not at all, I was (more or less) thinking out loud. 

With Bard, I just don't think he's had enough time behind the plate in general.  Defensive skills can be learned.  I'm not sure if he's a full time solution, but catching is so watered down right now (in general) that you need to at least look at the guy.  Right?
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Sunstroke
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« Reply #203 on: January 07, 2009, 12:56:26 pm »

Not at all, I was (more or less) thinking out loud. 

With Bard, I just don't think he's had enough time behind the plate in general.  Defensive skills can be learned.  I'm not sure if he's a full time solution, but catching is so watered down right now (in general) that you need to at least look at the guy.  Right?

I think he'll hit for a decent average (.280's) for ya, but no power at all. As far as his defense goes...you may be able to coach him into blocking the plate better, but cannon arms aren't taught, they're born. This is where Bard is going to kill you, especially against a team with speed like the Rays.

Bet ya a buck on the side that by the all star break, Boston will be looking hard for someone to take his place. That'll probably be your trade deadline move...

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"There's no such thing as objectivity. We're all just interpreting signals from the universe and trying to make sense of them. Dim, shaky, weak, staticky little signals that only hint at the complexity of a universe that we cannot begin to comprehend."
~ Micah Leggat
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« Reply #204 on: January 07, 2009, 03:11:32 pm »

Not to derail this thread, but Jason Bartlett is a TERRIBLE hitter and hurts the Rays whenever he is in their lineup. 87 OPS+ is very bad.

That being said, their lineup still has a bunch of question marks, but should remain solid, if not improved because of Burrell.
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Sunstroke
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« Reply #205 on: January 07, 2009, 03:30:00 pm »


He hit .286 last year, which for a #9 hitter, doesn't really qualify as extreme suckage.

His OBP of .329, while not phenomenal, isn't bad for a #9 hitter either.

Would you appreciate him more if he wore pinstripes?


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"There's no such thing as objectivity. We're all just interpreting signals from the universe and trying to make sense of them. Dim, shaky, weak, staticky little signals that only hint at the complexity of a universe that we cannot begin to comprehend."
~ Micah Leggat
EDGECRUSHER
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« Reply #206 on: January 08, 2009, 03:39:32 am »

He also slugged .361, which is terrible. He didn't get on base and he didn't really steal. 20 SB with 6 CS is not a good ratio. It was actually an 82 OPS+, which is even more terrible. He was also garbage in the playoffs, though it's just one season, so it shouldn't be made that big of a deal.

As far as his fielding goes, he was 12 out of 18th in Range Factor (Jeter being 16th because he sucks). 18th out of 20 in fielding percentage. In terms of VORP.....Jesus Christ.

In every facet, he is a bad baseball player. The fact that his average wasn't terrible due to slap singles and he is white pretty much made him a story, just like David Eckstein. The media loves a good, shitty ballplayer who hustles and plays hard to make up for the fact that he sucks. It's a great story, but it doesn't change the fact that an asshole like Gray Sheffield is a better ballplayer.

I appreciate work ethic, I really do. I feel it can help a team sometimes by making your teammates play harder just by watching that player do so as well, but it has it's limits. Hard work doesn't make a guy who hit 1 HR be worth 45 HR.
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EDGECRUSHER
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« Reply #207 on: January 08, 2009, 03:47:08 am »

http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/01/07/report-john-smoltz-nears-deal-with-red-sox/

Sorry, but I felt this needed it's own thread. Smoltz is one of my favorite pitchers ever. He is a warrior, that rare player that elevates his game come playoff time. Him, Curt Schilling and Mariano Rivera are the Trifecta of Playoff Death. You face them, you lose.

I don't even remember hearing that he was on the way out in Atlanta. Why wouldn't they want him back? He wouldn't have cost much and he is versatile. If he can't start, he can close. It was worth the gamble.

Favre did not belong with the Jets and Smoltz does not belong with the Red Sox.
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« Reply #208 on: January 08, 2009, 07:07:05 am »

Smoltz is a little long in the tooth.  That's probably why Atlanta didn't want him around.  They were looking to get younger.
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MaineDolFan
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« Reply #209 on: January 08, 2009, 09:04:05 am »

I love it when people took the "well what Bartlett doesn't give you at the plate he makes up for in the field."  (and no one has said that here, I'm talking about Joe 'I don't know anything' Buck on national games)

LOL...really?  I'm completely with Edge on this one.  Along with a pretty weak bat he's always in double digits in errors.  He had 26 the year before with the Twins in only 138 games played. 

I don't mind SS that are weak with the bat but bring a "nuttin' gets through me" mindset in the field.  Give me a .250 hitting short stop any day that fields his position at a .990 rate.  Bartlett basically let Boston back into the ALCS by himself with his bad defensive play last season.  What I really loved about that is that they had just showed Maddon talking about Bartlett being the "one guy I can't do without" as Boston rallied for seven runs, started by Bartlett's back to back errors. 

You should know better than anyone about Bartlett, Stroke.  Once San Diego got this kid in camp they couldn't get rid of him fast enough.  They drafted him and signed him and dumped him less than one year after seeing him in the lower levels.  The Twins stuck with him longer because he showed some promise but always skidded back to who he is.

In other news, looks like the Brewers are about to tab Hoffman is their closer. 

Boston signed Smoltz and Baldelli last night which begs the questions:

1 - What does this mean for Tim Wakefield?
2 - Boston will STILL need another OF player.  I love Baldelli and when he's right he's a 30/110 guy.  But until his condition is proved to be one that can be managed and he can play multiple games in a row you can't go into the season with only Baldelli as your 4th OF player.

« Last Edit: January 08, 2009, 09:09:47 am by MaineDolFan » Logged

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