Kent and Gonzalez

by Kelly on Nov 12, 2004 9:18 AM PST

ESPN is predicting Jeff Kent and Juan Gonzalez go to the A's. I'm laughing so hard I can hardly type. Here's the link - top 50 free agents:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?page=top50mlbfreeagents

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Ya' know...

In this case I think Kent is the bigger reach than Gonzalez. Kent will be looking for a multi-year deal and Gonzalez knows he's going to have to play a show-me season to make get a big contract. I can see Gonzalez signing a one-year, incentive laden contract with some team, just not Oakland.

by grover on Nov 12, 2004 9:29 AM PST reply actions

Their assessment of some of the top FA pitchers...

is even more hysterical.

Pavano to the Orioles?
Clement to the Tigers??
Radke to the D-Rays???

Is ESPN operating under the assumption that the Sox, Yanks, Cards, Angels, Phillies, Mets, Dodgers, Astros, etc. are going to sit back and relax after signing one guy?

by Vic @ Athletics Nation on Nov 12, 2004 9:34 AM PST reply actions

I forgot

about Radke to the D-Rays. Classic.

No TV and no beer make Homer go crazy!

by nothinlikethetown on Nov 12, 2004 9:36 AM PST up reply actions

Maybe, maybe not

A lot of people think the Yankees are going to go hard after Eric Milton. If they do, and if Steinbrenner can find a way to acquire Randy Johnson, than the Yankees won't go after Pavano. Pedro and Varitek are going to tie up much of Boston's attention early on and the Orioles might be able to sneak in and snatch Pavano. He seems to want to pitch on the East coast so that pretty much rules out the Dodgers and Angels.

Radke might be just the type of veteran pitcher they are looking for to anchor their rotation. They need to dump some contracts to free up the money. Aubrey Huff is getting more and more available.

And the Tigers are no longer the biggest joke in baseball. I can't think of one reason why they wouldn't want to go after a groundball pitcher like Clement. Would he go? They have a great pitchers' park and their money is as green as anyone else's.

by grover on Nov 12, 2004 9:42 AM PST up reply actions

This is hilarious

Aside from the ridiculous A's predictions, they have Carlos Delgado going to the Marlins! Moises Alou to the Dodgers? My boss is wondering why I'm laughing so hard.

No TV and no beer make Homer go crazy!

by nothinlikethetown on Nov 12, 2004 9:35 AM PST reply actions

hahaha

hehehe. Juan Gonzalez might be in the price range, though surely we can't afford that risk. i didn't realize he only made $4M last year, i thought he'd somehow con somebody out of more.

Jeff Kent?!? hahaha. do they have any idea how little money we have?

what i really don't like is the notion of Odaliz Perez, Esteban Loaiza, and Paul Byrd all going to Texas. Aaak.

by Eric in Atlanta on Nov 12, 2004 9:44 AM PST reply actions

Juan "played" in KC last year.

He "played" 33 games and then spent the rest of the time on the DL or in Arizona rehabbing. 33 games. Only $4 million. Do the math. =)

by Jennifer on Nov 12, 2004 10:06 AM PST up reply actions

haha

i wasn't saying it was a bargain, i just figured when he signed the contract he'd have gotten more. i'm with you, he was a total bust, and i'd be unhappy to see him coming our way.

by Eric in Atlanta on Nov 12, 2004 10:43 AM PST up reply actions

Utter nonsense

The Braves sign both Wickman and Benitez?

Yeah, this whole thing, aside from the obvious (Beltran to the Yankees, which is still not 100%), is preposterous and malinformed.

by monkeyball on Nov 12, 2004 9:49 AM PST reply actions

Man........

I think they were just playing drinking games and drawing names out of a hat after the first two........

by AlwaysSweatin on Nov 12, 2004 9:54 AM PST up reply actions

Would you not be happy

With Jeff Kent? i knwo most of these predictions are just downright stupid, but ill be happy with waht they said. I also noticed they had people going in ridiculous directions. I wonder if they decided to have every team sign at least one free agent, just for kicks.

Beanetown Baby

by ohad on Nov 12, 2004 9:56 AM PST reply actions

Easy to make the keent Juan Guan numbers work.

trade hudson to Yankees for brown (NY picks up his whole salary) and Gordon. Thus bullpen and starters are taken care of.
Rhodes for Charles Johnson. salary even.
Durazo traded for prospects and let Dan Johnson play.

4.that leaves 9 Million left, assuming a 62 million dollar Payroll. 3 for Juan 6 for kent and a nice line up in my opinion

It is a long shot but we need powerful righties and a second baseman.

by novaoakland on Nov 12, 2004 10:00 AM PST reply actions

Don't think so

Brown missed a third of the season last year. Plus he's a groundball pitcher and you want to put a statue at 2nd base. Kent is going to want at least a two year deal and probably push for three years. Gonzalez missed most of last season and you want to give him $3 million? Johnson's due $8 million for this season vs. Rhodes $3 million. Where do you get an even swap for this season?

by grover on Nov 12, 2004 10:15 AM PST up reply actions

Why would we take brown

If we could get vasquez?

Beanetown Baby

by ohad on Nov 12, 2004 10:28 AM PST up reply actions

Brown

Why the hell would we want Brown? Guy is garbage, even if free. You do not want a pitcher with that wind up and a history of back problems. He would just waste space sitting on the bench all year.

I would take Huddy over Brown/Gordon, even if its for a year.

"Not the fucking ducks again." Tony S.

by rook on Nov 12, 2004 10:33 AM PST up reply actions

Kent and Brown.

First of all Kevin Brown still has one year in him. I do not want vasquez because he has 3 years left on his contract and we need to free up salary.

Kent is an above average 2B by all statistical means.

The Johnson for rhodes deal has been published in numerous papers as a salary Swap. Obviously they make different amounts but COL would pay his slarary.

We need to gamble to imporove and and a half year of brown would be worth it.

by novaoakland on Nov 12, 2004 11:15 AM PST up reply actions

Kent not above average by all statistical means

His Zone Rating last year was closer to McLemore than Ellis 2003 or Scoot. His Range Factor is good.

ZR is a percentage whereas RF is a count of putouts. Because the Colosseum has more foul territory than Minute Maid, second sackers may get fewer chances at putouts. Of course the number of chances they get is also dependent on the pitchers and hitters they face.

I'm not an expert on defensive stats so someone please correct me if I'm off base (ha ha).

by floyd on Nov 12, 2004 1:49 PM PST up reply actions

Defensive Stats

Throw Range Factor out the window. Its not a good stat at all since it basically depends more on the pitcher than the fielder. His zone rating is only mediocre. He's not as bad a fielder as most say, but he's not good either.

My seatbelt is broken. What do you suggest I do?

by Diesel @ Athletics Nation on Nov 12, 2004 3:36 PM PST up reply actions

Wow

Clearly you are determined to torpedo the 2005 season.

by jmoney on Nov 12, 2004 12:52 PM PST up reply actions

Kent

Id love kent , and if we had a chance to get him it wouldf be stupid not to. As muchn as scutaro was good kents 5 times better. Bottomline Kent would be a great

giants suck

by bballfanr33 on Nov 12, 2004 10:11 AM PST reply actions

Kent

He can't play defense, he's got a questionable attitude, and he's going to want a multi-year deal. Plus he's been in the NL so long he'll probably have a hard time adjusting to AL pitching. Some hitters are good enough that you don't have to worry about it, but I don't think Kent is in that category. He's 36 years old and you have to ask yourself how much more he's got left in his tank. You give him a 3 year/$18 million contract and chances are by the end of it your wishing he was somewhere else. When his bat goes he's done.

by grover on Nov 12, 2004 10:20 AM PST up reply actions

Kent

Has Been. His defense is right up there with Nomar. Not the direction our infield needs, no matter what his bat can still produce.

"Not the fucking ducks again." Tony S.

by rook on Nov 12, 2004 10:34 AM PST up reply actions

come on...

you know the list is bullshit when Jermaine Dye is #23, and Damion Miller and Chris Hammond arn't on the list...

"I still stand firm that Johnny Damon is really Jesus, The Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer..."

by Zonis on Nov 12, 2004 10:57 AM PST reply actions

Gonzales & Kent

I don't see how Gonzales gets a contract worth more than a million or two for one year at best - He's been too injured for him to be worth much more - That said I think that if the A's give him a league minimum contract with incentives based on games played, at bats, something that would require him to stay healthy - even if it bumped it up to like 2-3 million if he did it - odds are that the risk at that rate could be well worth the reward.

Kent, I can't see signing with the A's - he had a good year in 04 and I can't imagine how the A's could afford to have him without unloading some salary - Just seems unrealistic

But this is the fun part of the off-season - They all start as wild-ass rumors and then Bllly Beane pulls a rabbit out of his hat and we're not surprised because he seems to consistenly make up good pickups.

by jumperjh on Nov 12, 2004 11:25 AM PST reply actions

bs

My Personal Favorites:

The D-Rays are dumping salary to the tune of Abury Huff almost .300/30/100 at 3 MIL! Yet they can Sign Delgado and Radke. Give me a break.

If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world. - J. R. R. Tolkien

by Jordan33 in Santa Cruz on Nov 12, 2004 3:05 PM PST reply actions

Excuse me

But ESPN is saying Delgado would go to the Marlins, not the Devil Rays. Tampa (probably) wants to free up money to go after a pitcher like Radke.

by grover on Nov 12, 2004 3:45 PM PST up reply actions

Doesn't matter how much money...

the Rays free up, unless Radke has some previously unreported jones to play in Tampa.

I read today that the Yanks, BoSox, Dodgers, and Twins may all be willing to offer Radke something in the neighborhood of 2 years/20 million. Even if the Rays freed up a few more million to throw at him (which I seriously doubt), why on earth would he take it rather than pitch for a contender for 10 million per?

by Vic @ Athletics Nation on Nov 12, 2004 4:08 PM PST up reply actions