Open Thread: Winter Meetings - Day 1
by Taj Adib on Dec 8, 2008 9:19 AM PST
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PrintAnd so it begins! For non-stop rosterbators such as myself and none-too-few others here at AN, today marks one of the most exciting weeks of the year: the Winter Meetings! The Tigers and Rangers got the trade market going last evening by swapping Gerald Laird for a couple of pitching prospects.
Several non-A's hot topics to keep abreast of today:
- CC Sabathia met with the Yankees yesterday and will likely meet with the Red Sox soon.
- K-Rod was wined and dined by the Mets last evening and they might present him a formal offer sometime soon. They are also exploring deals for Brian Fuentes and/or Kerry Wood.
- The Cardinals have reportedly thrown their hat into the A.J. Burnett sweepstakes.
- The Cubs are still interested in Jake Peavy, but want to cut some salary and sign a left-handed hitting outfielder before they acquire him.
As for the A's, the team stands at an somewhat murky impasse. By trading a couple of nice, young trade chips earlier this off-season to get Matt Holliday, the team basically embarked on a goal of contending in 2009. However, since that time Beane has been rebuffed in efforts to further reload the A's offense...at least at the position it most needs it (shortstop).
The team likely has plenty of cash to spend in the free agent market and several nice prospects that would pique the interest of other teams. So it seems like Beane has the resources to do almost anything here at these meetings, which is a very exciting confluence of events, considering that in the past he has been wildly unpredictable even without the benefit of payroll flexibility or a strong farm system...
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Furcal is still Plan A, I hope.
Short of that, though, what’s left? JJ Hardy or Yunel Escobar? Asdrubal Cabrera (that’s my choice) or maybe even Jhonny Peralta?
I would LOVE Hardy.
He’s under team control for 2 more seasons (his age 27 & 28 seasons – right at his peak), has a righty bat with power and is a decent defender at short.
Unfortunately, the only way i see the A’s getting him is if they can somehow become the facilitator in a possible Peavy to the Brewers trade, which i think is unlikely for several reasons.
I'm never gonna do it without the fez on!
What about trading Duke?
Wouldn’t the BrewCrew be open to a Hardy-Duke swap of some kind? We then sign RJ to start opening day?
I think that hurts the rotation too much.
Johnson/Gallagher/Eveland/Braden/Gio or something like that doesn’t scream “PLAYOFFS” to me. Duke fronting that rotation and giving Gio more AAA development time seems better
Also, I doubt that 1 year of Duke would be worth 2 years of Hardy to Milwaukee
There would have to be more added from our side.
more development time for Gio?
What is he, a home permanent?
"I have more questions after these."-WaddellCanseco
by Gaijin_Suketto on Dec 8, 2008 3:20 PM PST up reply actions
I was thinking the samething
We might have to throw in a bit more, but maybe a bullpen arm would be enough to get the deal done. Possibly Cassilla or Brown who could help them right now.
Also, if we traded Duke then adding Johnson would not be enough. In this scenario I would only think Beane would do it if he could use the Furcal money to add another starter to the mix like Derek Lowe.
yeah, right.
no. Hardy is worth way more imo.
www.punditpolitics.com - Political IQ Tests, Pundit Blog, News and Opinion.
If anyone could get a great deal for Hardy I think Beane can do it and for a lot less than most would think.
Although he may have overpaid for a one year rental of Holliday.
I also can see Beane making the decision in July, if we are not anywhere close to the Angels, to trade Holliday and get some great prospects for him. But if we are close he will go for it in 2009.
"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, either way, YOU'RE RIGHT !"
you'd have to stick a fork in the season
i think the brews would be desparate enough to make that trade, but RJ is not enough and u cant count on the young arms to take us to the playoffs
that's gold jerry, gold!!!
I could really see the Brewers getting involved in a Peavy trade.
They make more sense than the Cubs.
They’d have to give up either Parra or Jeffries and another prospect, but I see it happening. And, the A’s could easily net Hardy without giving up Anderson/Cahill IMO. For volume, to say the least.
Send a bullpen arm to Milwaukee, and send prospects to SD.
Dude. This.
Asdrubal, yes
All-time low value right now!
BUY BUY BUY
www.punditpolitics.com - Political IQ Tests, Pundit Blog, News and Opinion.
Shapiro's not an idiot.
He knows what Asdrubal’s true value is, and a deal for Cabrera will almost certainly require Anderson or Cahill.
Dude. This.
Im not so sure...
I know he likes Asdrubal, but he did get platooned with a much worse player last season. Clearly, they don’t believe in him enough to sit through the struggles. Thus, I’d say he is still undervalued.
www.punditpolitics.com - Political IQ Tests, Pundit Blog, News and Opinion.
What?
Beane hasn’t traded anyone yet? Vegas is still PST….correct?
"You may glory in a team triumphant, but you fall in love with a team in defeat."--The Boys of Summer
Greene
Should Furcal fall through, I’d like to see us make a run at Khalil, who might be somewhat undervalued right now. If the price is right, he’d be a nice upgrade over Crosby. Still, the “pie in the sky” part of me says Escobar is an option.
http://www.myspace.com/ryanmac10
Too late.
The Cardinals have him now according to this morning’s transaction list.
Root for the Giants? Not even if they're playing al-Qaeda!
tejada
take on 7mill of his contract 1 yr deal…what would you give up?
Astros Willing To Trade Tejada
By Tim Dierkes [December 8, 2008 at 11:04am CST]
According to Ken Rosenthal, the Astros are willing to trade Miguel Tejada. Teams are interested in him as a shortstop and third baseman. Rosenthal figures the Twins, Dodgers, Giants, and Angels could be matches. He adds that the Astros realize they’d have to eat some of Tejada’s $13MM for ‘09. Richard Justice figures it’d require eating at least half.
Rosenthal says the Astros are not inclined to trade closer Jose Valverde. And Justice figures Ty Wigginton could be tough to move as his salary climbs toward $10MM.
Tejada would only be a one year stopgap
And with his diminishing power numbers and supposed age, is he worth it? I don’t see a viable shortstop option coming up internally for at least the next 2 years.
I am Ray Fosse's infatuations with Clay Wood and high-definition television.
If Houston assumes the majority of his salary
I would be all for it. AND as long as we didn’t have to give up alot. I could see Miggy re-energized by
coming back to Oakland.
by HRH on Dec 8, 2008 9:49 AM PST up reply actions
Is the move a salary dump on the part of
the Astro’s? If so, would an exchange of Crosby and a low level prospect for Tejada be a reasonable exchange? From the A’s point of view, you’d have to ask what SS’s will be on the market next off season.
"You may glory in a team triumphant, but you fall in love with a team in defeat."--The Boys of Summer
What about it then?
Crosby and a prospect for Tejada. Each team assumes their new players salary.
"You may glory in a team triumphant, but you fall in love with a team in defeat."--The Boys of Summer
It would certainly simplify things
I’m curious to know if there’s any market for Crosby before saying yes, though. Assuming there isn’t, I’d guess Crosby plus an arm like Lansford.
The monster at the end of this blog.
Would Tejada be a significant
upgrade over Crosby? Pathological Crosby hatred aside…..
"You may glory in a team triumphant, but you fall in love with a team in defeat."--The Boys of Summer
Between Marcel and Bill James, Tejada is a projected .335 wOBA
Crosby is a projected .300
Sean Smith projects Crosby to be +3 on defense, and Tejada neither plus nor minus.
It’s probably a worthy upgrade, I’m just worried that it’s only for 1 year because the 2009 free agent SS class is going to be even worse than this years.
Eh, a lot can happen in a year.
Worst case, were are right back where we started from, albeit minus Crosby. Not that that’s a bad thing. It gets our prospects a year closer to the show. Who knows, maybe Tejada accepts a one year extension if holds up well this season.
"You may glory in a team triumphant, but you fall in love with a team in defeat."--The Boys of Summer
I suppose so, but I also believe that Tejada is WAY into his decline phase.
His OPS+ and EQA have been getting worse since 2004, and his wOBA has been doing the same albeit fluctuating a bit more than the consistent decline of the other two.
I just have the strange feeling that Tejada is about to fall way, way off the cliff offensively. Playing 81 games in Oakland isn’t going to help that one bit.
+1
There are more efficient uses of money out there than a mini-upgrade with disaster potential.
"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" -Bill Watterson
Hey, that makes it sound like the hatred is just in my head!
Yoo’re gambling on what I call a flare season. That’s when a veteran player puts it all together one last time and produces a season like he had in his prime. Piazza had that… right before he came to Oakland.
The monster at the end of this blog.
If it's in your head....
it’s definately contagious.
This time it might work out better. A year of super Miggy and then he’s gone. I’ll take it.
"You may glory in a team triumphant, but you fall in love with a team in defeat."--The Boys of Summer
frank thomas did it for us
in 2006 and then toronto mistakenly threw a bunch of money at him
Cust is the new Jaha.
by johnjahafanclub on Dec 8, 2008 12:09 PM PST up reply actions
I'd suggest Crosby/Patterson/Rodriguez
Sell (relatively) high on Rodriguez, give them another speedy dork in Patterson.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
I don't even think it would take Rodriguez
If Crosby and Patterson isn’t enough, Houston can go pound sand.
So we could do that trade and then next year sign Crosby as a FA
"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, either way, YOU'RE RIGHT !"
You have to admire his ability to stay healthy
Which is somewhat of an anomaly for this team as of late.
I am Ray Fosse's infatuations with Clay Wood and high-definition television.
True.
Jason Christian or Dusty Coleman are the two most likely A’s prospects that could become potential everyday major league shortstops and neither has played a game above Low-A ball. Both could see time at High-A Stockton next year, or, if they’re really lucky, at Double-A Midland late next season…but even in a super-optimistic scenario, neither will be ready until 2011. So the A’s will be trading for Tejada knowing full well that they’d have to replace HIM in 2010 as well.
If the price was only half his 2009 salary and a middling prospect, then it might be worth it, but beyond that, it doesn’t make a lot of sense.
I'm never gonna do it without the fez on!
Hmm
Sounds like the Astros expect to pay half his salary. The A’s could move in and offer to take on most (say $10 million) of Tejada’s salary and give up a lighter package of prospects than the Dodgers, Giants, etc. It’s for 1 year and the A’s have the cash.
The monster at the end of this blog.
Would Tejada be a potential Type A FA next off season?
And with Holliday and Duke (right?) possiby garnering more draft picks, it might be worthwhile to bring Tejada over, at least in a rebuidling perspective.
I am Ray Fosse's infatuations with Clay Wood and high-definition television.
Someone would have to look up Tejada's current point total
I don’t have that link on this computer. Off the top of my head, I doubt Miggy has a 2009 season that would qualify him as a Type A.
The monster at the end of this blog.
Miggy is currently an Type A player
However he is in the lower end of the spectrum so a poor year could in theory knock him out.
Some of the most violent things I’ve ever seen were at Raiders games. And I’ve been to jail. - leopold bloom
by designatedforassignment on Dec 8, 2008 11:06 AM PST up reply actions
It might actually be better if he's a Type B
I think the days of teams signing middling free agents and giving up a high pick are mostly gone. CC Sabathia, sure, it’s worth giving up your first-rounder. IRod, Tejada, etc. at this point in their careers maybe not so much. Mike Magnante, for example, would never ever happen these days – it was dumb enough at the time. So there might be a significantly higher chance of getting a compensatory pick if the guy is a Type B, so the signing team isn’t penalized.
It's difficult to assess because the numbers right now include 2007 data
which will drop out of the rankings for next year. And Tejada was better in 2007, albeit some of that better-ness (like a better walk rate) isn’t captured well by the stupid Elias formula.
The shift in league is also important, though. Right now, the AL has fewer traditional-stat powerhouses at 2b/3b/SS than the NL does. Partly because the AL has better pitching…
I think he’d be a borderline Type A/B player if he repeated his 2009 season in Oakland.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
It would be very risky to offer him arbitration
And I doubt the A’s would take that risk.
welcome back jerome!!
Oakland Athletics
Signed: RHP Jerome Williams
The 39th overall pick in 1999, Williams seemed destined for great things as a Giants farmhand, just like Kurt Ainsworth and Jesse Foppert. But the trio is better known today as another cautionary tale about the unpredictability of pitching prospects. Williams, 27, pitched in the independent Golden League at the beginning of the 2008 season, before latching on with the Dodgers in June. He appeared in 10 games for Triple-A Las Vegas, compiling 21 strikeouts, nine walks and two home runs in 26 innings. He’s pitching in the Puerto Rican League now, where his record stands at 1-3, 5.04 in six starts, with 14-8 K-BB in 30 1/3 innings
Haven't the A's signed him to a minor league deal like 9 times already?
I'm never gonna do it without the fez on!
They claimed him off waivers in 9/06
Then released him in December before he could throw a pitch with the organization.
So....
Billy has thing for f*&^ing with Jerome. Pretty harmless past time….unless you’re Jerome.
"You may glory in a team triumphant, but you fall in love with a team in defeat."--The Boys of Summer
I reckon Forst signs him without Beane's knowledge.
Then Beane, glancing over the roster when he can tear himself away from the ’Quakes books, realises Williams is back and releases him.
Wash, rinse, repeat.
Maybe Beane wants Jerome to bring him his mirror
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
+1 (or +777-9311)
Beane is upset that someone just stepped on his Stacey Adams.
"Camelot sure fell apart, didn't it?"-Steve McCatty
I hope signing Jerome Williams isn't the only piece of A's-related news...
to extract from this year’s Winter Meetings. Although it is comical to imagine Jerome’s agent hanging out in Vegas in hopes of securing a deal for his client. Success!
I am Ray Fosse's infatuations with Clay Wood and high-definition television.
by franks a lot on Dec 8, 2008 10:43 AM PST up reply actions
in the past Beane hasn't necesarily publicly concluded deals in the Winter Meetings
but rather set things up for later. That’s what happened with the Hudson and Mulder trades. So if no news comes out of these meetings for the A’s I wouldn’t necessarily assume that nothing is happening.
If I remember correctly
Wasn’t the major issue with Williams his noggin? In other words, wasn’t he a bit of a head case?
"You know, a long time ago being crazy meant something. Nowadays everybody's crazy."
-Charles Manson
by kaweahkaweah on Dec 8, 2008 12:01 PM PST up reply actions
I remember he used to wear puka shells.
Red Alert for Kurt Suzuki! Someone is infringing upon your trademark.
I am Ray Fosse's infatuations with Clay Wood and high-definition television.
He was known for his necklace before Kurt even graduated from college
It was something that his mom gave to him (not sure if it was before he got drafted). His necklace broke while up on the mainland around the time his mom passed away and he actually went home to get her’s. He wears his mom’s necklace now.
It was part of a f*&^ing process
He released Williams to make room for Durazo, who he then released 3 months later.
man the Durazo era seems like about 8 billion years ago
How the time flies.
Not quite
Wikipedia says 68 to 65 million years ago.
"Dispatch knuckleheadedness with Bond-like aplomb." –74mk
One other small plus to trading for Tejada or Hardy...
is that either one could conceivably cover 3rd in the event of another prolonged Chavez injury. Of course, that would still leave a vacant spot at short, but with Tejada and/or Hardy providing at least a smidge of pop from 3rd, the A’s could get away with going with Pennington or Petit at short for a few weeks without completely shutting down the offense.
I'm never gonna do it without the fez on!
by Taj Adib on Dec 8, 2008 10:33 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
True, but not really a reason to favor Hardy/Tejada
Jack Hannahan is probably a better hitter in 2009 than Petitington. Ditto Jeff Baisley.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
true, but
tejada + pennington is better than hannahan + crosby
Cust is the new Jaha.
by johnjahafanclub on Dec 8, 2008 12:12 PM PST up reply actions
But probably worse than Cabrera/Hannahan
and almost certainly worse than Furcal/Hannahan.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
pennington
no power but really good plate discipline… 50 bb’s : 30 k’s in AAA last year.
tejada hit 38 doubles on top of his 13 bombs last year…
Cust is the new Jaha.
by johnjahafanclub on Dec 8, 2008 12:23 PM PST up reply actions
Hannahan has "really good" plate discipline too...
and at least he has some pop, whereas Pennington is liable to put up a sub-.300 slugging percentage. The guy’s Willie Bloomquist mark 2.0. I’d prefer to keep that sort of player on the bench.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
They will figure out Pennington can't hit very, very shortly
if they haven’t already done so.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
So you're not confident Pennington has finally figured it out
and is going to live up to his 1st round billing?
Yeah you’re probably right.
Prediction:
Billy gets something (big) done at the meetings this year. Usually it’s just laying the ground work for a deal a week or two after, but this year I feel that’s what he’s been doing for quite some time now with a variety of players/teams. I think with the clusterf@#$ that is the WM he’ll get some quality time in with a GM/agent and we’ll have some deal done by the time the meetings end.
"Their batters are patient to the point that it's annoying." -Ryan Franklin
not so sure
furcal has been their target all along
unless they surprise us like the holliday deal…beane has said he wont trade their core pitching depth
plus the fa’s out there, will probably wait for the major guys like CC, Teixiera, etc to set the market
i’ll settle for minor deals for a craig, freese, lillibridge, hu, dejesus, etc
by Asfan4ever723 on Dec 8, 2008 10:49 AM PST up reply actions
That's true if you believe
that Beane has been solely focused on Furcal for these past few weeks. I’m of the opinion that he has his finger in multiple pies and, if anything, the whole “ending” of the Furcal ordeal has him focused on the other pie(s).
"Their batters are patient to the point that it's annoying." -Ryan Franklin
by Helloooo 1st on Dec 8, 2008 12:13 PM PST up reply actions
One reason I admire the Giants..
is that their GM is somewhat predictable. It’s almost a given that Sabean will make some boneheaded move year after year. Beane is almost totally unpredictable and makes me want to pull my hair out. He suddenly trades Haren and Swisher last year.. picks up Holliday…
"To this day and dating back 25 years, before every game he plays, Henderson stands completely naked in front of a full length locker room mirror and says, "Ricky’s the best," for several minutes."
by VORP is too nerdy on Dec 8, 2008 12:24 PM PST up reply actions
Beane has his finger in Pi?
“Hello, Lambda, we’re the Pis
And we’re here to say
We think you are special guys
Lambdas all the way
Alpha Betas are OK
If you like sweat socks
We prefer your high lQs
To their great big… jocks
Lambda Lambda Lambda boys
Really are the best
Won’t you take a piece of Pi?
And we’ll do the rest”
I think I've got a frush
Can we get Fred “Ogre” Palowakski to play 1B?
by EddieVegas_NRAF on Dec 8, 2008 1:40 PM PST up reply actions
Ok guys come vote on the Rangers/A's BA top 10 poll
at minorleagueball.com… Texas i running away with it….
http://www.minorleagueball.com/2008/12/8/684912/a-s-ranger-s-ba-top-10
I don’t really care about the vote results, I just want to see more A’s input.
another SS off the market
Tigers Sign Adam Everett
By Tim Dierkes [December 8 at 2:31pm CST]
2:31pm: Rosenthal confirms it. The Tigers reached a one-year agreement with Everett for $1MM plus incentives. The deal is pending a physical.
1:44pm: According to Dejan Kovacevic, the Tigers are set to sign free agent shortstop Adam Everett. Kovacevic says this takes them out of the running for Jack Wilson. The Twins have emerged as a suitor for Wilson.
Did anyone catch
the interview Beane had with John Shea of the Chronicle? It appears the $ situation for the A’s has retracted. Because of the current economic mess we all face, the willingness of the A’s to spend for potential free agents this year has decreased. The potential to allow their payroll to increase to 60 million+ or more, as earlier envisioned by Beane will not occur.
Paddle Faster! I hear banjo music.
I have no clue how to link
the S.F. Chronicle article by John Shea. Basically here is the key paragraph.
J. Shea writes: " At the same time, considering the no-end-in-sight economic crisis, Beane added,
" Just speaking for us, what we thought we could spend when the season ended and what we can spend now, the projections are different numbers."
I hope this isn’t plagarizing or against AN rules. It was an interesting comment by Beane.
Paddle Faster! I hear banjo music.
Just copy/paste the URL into a comment
Hmm… that sounds interesting. Thanks for sharing.
I hope this doesn’t cut spending by too much.
Dude. This.
how to link
When you’re at the page you want to link to, right click on the header to highlight the web address. A box should open up, click on Copy. That copies the highlighted address.
go to the page you want to write on. Once you’re writing in the text box you right click again and another box will appear. Click Paste and the link you copied will insert itself on the page.
The monster at the end of this blog.
Thanks!
I am a poor computer illterate from Nevada. Did you know we rank first in all of the key negative demographics like Divorce, suicide, etc. We rank last in computer literacy, quality of life, etc. Your help is appreciated!
Paddle Faster! I hear banjo music.
Give a man a link and he an read for a while
Teach a man how to link and he can procrastinate all day.
The monster at the end of this blog.
Do both and he'll have a model to work off of (and you get thanks from vk)
"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" -Bill Watterson
Cueing up my inner-Cartman
If Baby Jesus wasn’t kind enough to give him both, why would you think I’d be so kind?
The monster at the end of this blog.
Set a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.
"I'm going to take a camera crew and march into Billy Beane's office and demand to know why instituting his newfangled cost-saving measures means that the run manufacturing plant had to get shut down." FJM
Why are they called the winter meetings?
They’re never held during winter.
Root for the Giants? Not even if they're playing al-Qaeda!
Jordan Brown
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081203&content_id=3700324&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb
Is this guy worth a Rule 5 pick?
Root for the Giants? Not even if they're playing al-Qaeda!
After the Ryan Goleski Happening...
would AN be on board for another Indians prospect as a Rule V selection? Besides, we just signed Tagg Bozied for minor leage 1b duties…yay!
I am Ray Fosse's infatuations with Clay Wood and high-definition television.
Bet you
that every commentator out there would proclaim after a Bozied homerun, “That ball was Tagg-ed!”
"Their batters are patient to the point that it's annoying." -Ryan Franklin
Looks like an interesting player
But if the A’s are really trying to compete I don’t think they can spare a spot on the 25 man roster for someone like Brown. A good AVG low power first baseman is hard to fit into a back up role, especially a player with no big league track record. I doubt there are many teams out there that could spare a roster spot for this type of player which is probably why the Indian’s left him unprotected. As a AAA player he is very interesting but I don’t think you can justify giving him a roster spot.
He's like an older, worse version of Daric Barton
Don’t see it.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
Time for another LOLColletti.
Great to have a few stupid signings to laugh at to pass the time.
Dodgers nearing 3 year deal for Blake.
Dude. This.
2B
It's not the results, it's how you look going about those results -- Tim McCarver
by WaddellCanseco on Dec 8, 2008 2:15 PM PST up reply actions
interesting
not the blake part, but the mention of furcal possibly hiding back problems. more and more it seems like the only offer worth making was the “lowball” offer we made.
If he's hiding back problems, I dont' want to touch him with any offer, even a lowball offer.
Dude. This.
true
though he’d be a complete idiot to turn down a decent 4 year offer if he actually was hiding something
if he's hiding back problems
that makes it more likely we will be starting Bobby Crosby next year
Save Rajai Davis
If we can get him without giving up Anderson/Cahill, I'm on that wagon.
I’m just 90+% sure that he will cost Anderson/Cahill.
Dude. This.
It may be worth it
It's not the results, it's how you look going about those results -- Tim McCarver
by WaddellCanseco on Dec 8, 2008 2:45 PM PST up reply actions
Maybe, but I can't completely be on board with that yet.
It’s not like a SIGN ME UP YES PLZ thing as it would be if it were non-Anderson/Cahill guys.
Dude. This.
Right, but the "sign me up yes plz" deals are usually not very likely to happen
It's not the results, it's how you look going about those results -- Tim McCarver
by WaddellCanseco on Dec 8, 2008 4:29 PM PST up reply actions
{runs over mikev with the Yunel-wagon}
"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" -Bill Watterson
Again, if we can get him without giving up Anderson/Cahill, I'm 100% on the wagon
I’m just hesitant to give up Anderson/Cahill for anyone.
I can be on both bandwagons. I like young shortstops.
Dude. This.
I dunno - Yunel would absolutely require one of Anderson or Cahill.
I dunno why, but I think that Cabrera could be had without giving up one of them.
Indians need him though. They have him and Peralta for 2B-SS-3B.
They actually need another IF.
It's not the results, it's how you look going about those results -- Tim McCarver
by WaddellCanseco on Dec 8, 2008 4:31 PM PST up reply actions
They're probably thinking of a major league IF
It's not the results, it's how you look going about those results -- Tim McCarver
by WaddellCanseco on Dec 8, 2008 7:54 PM PST up reply actions
I would do Yunel for one of them plus H-Rod plus someone else
and never look back
"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" -Bill Watterson
Sure but the Braves probably wouldn't
I don’t even understand why they wanted to trade him for Peavy
It's not the results, it's how you look going about those results -- Tim McCarver
by WaddellCanseco on Dec 8, 2008 7:54 PM PST up reply actions
speaking of wagons
cool term from the 1830s…walking was called
“Taking the ankle wagon”.
awesome……..
Officially awaiting the 2009 season.
by One won lost won on Dec 8, 2008 9:11 PM PST up reply actions
Someone who's not "hiding" past back problems
They’re right out in the open…Joe Crede. I deserve what I’m gonna get for this, but- even as a Boras client, he’s gotta be looking at short-term inexpensive. Best case scenario, he’s healthy and allows Chavvy to take his time coming back, maybe even slide over to first, go three-way between Barton/Chavvy/Crede. Great glove, right-handed power. Worse case- well, it’s pretty obvious, but it wouldn’t cost too much, I wouldn’t think, with a possible stellar upside.
Let's Go Fremont! clap clap clapclapclap
Crede is good when healthy but..
Crede will either go to the giants or phillies on a 1 year deal. My best bet is the giants on a 1 year deal incentive base. Since Boras is his agent nothing happening until start of spring training when Crede needs a job.
How much do you think he'll get?
Let's Go Fremont! clap clap clapclapclap
I believe that Chavez will be too
I liked it for the 1b/3b possibilities. Crede didn’t have a good year last year, but he’s like 30 yrs old, and was a Silver Slugger as recent as ’06 (I think). Plus, that would be some sick corner defense.
Let's Go Fremont! clap clap clapclapclap
Word. "Belief" not equal to "Reality"
That’s why I’m curious about Crede, at any rate
Let's Go Fremont! clap clap clapclapclap
yeah ridiculous comment by brown
A’s were willing to offer 4 yr/9mill per…its not lowball if the guy is still injured and now says his market is dwindling when no one else has offered more
i’m glad he didnt take the lowball offer
by Asfan4ever723 on Dec 8, 2008 2:51 PM PST up reply actions
so they would be problems that weren't apparent
when the A’s checked his medical records? Makes me wonder who from the A’s saw the records…
Larry Davis?
Nooooooooooooooo!!!!
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
anyone else think Beane's not above starting that "he's hiding back problems" rumor?
I'll send you a postcard from Space Mountain. @('.')@
Not me
That sounds ridiculous IMHO.
"Their batters are patient to the point that it's annoying." -Ryan Franklin
Not really, no.
Not unless Beane doesn’t care about how other agents / players view him.
ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524
Cololtti, surely
maybe colloltti?
BB should send scouts to watch cricket players.
by alea iacta est on Dec 8, 2008 3:59 PM PST up reply actions
Good news on Furcal gate
Detroit is out of the running. Dodgers signing Blake means Dodgers are using up more money. If the sign Manny it will mean less of a chance for Furcal.
He's not hiding it very well. We all know about it.
It's not the results, it's how you look going about those results -- Tim McCarver
by WaddellCanseco on Dec 8, 2008 2:46 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
More LOLCubs: Lou is asking Seattle reporters whether Raul Ibanez can play RF.
See, I love that Cubbies 101 year curse, and want it to continue. A few lawn darts in RF wouldn’t be unwanted.
Of course, we budded our way in. Pretty cordial stuff really. Lou did say that he loves Raul Ibanez, pronouncing it EYE-Bahnes as only he can, and what a great “kid” he is. But the first thing he asked us, “Can he play right field?”
Um, well, um, well, he can play it. Can he play it well? Well that’s a whole other issue. And that may be the determining factor in offering him a contract. The Cubs already have Alfonso Soriano in left field, and he isn’t winning a gold glove any time soon. Lou said that they are planning to move Kosuke Fukudome to center field leaving an opening in right.
http://blogs.thenewstribune.com/mariners/2008/12/08/winter_meetings_2008_listening_to_lou_bo
Dude. This.
Then sign Ibañez to play right,
leaving an opening in right?
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
I hope Cubs fans/BCB can be cool enough to continue what Jeff and Jl started.
and gif all the Raul web gems.
I want to keep up with all the fun plays Ibanez will make in RF in Wrigley. It will be hilarious (I dont like the Cubs).
Although I prefer Raul to Mets though.
Dude. This.
Big Unit-to-A's rumor alive in Vegas
“To me, Randy Johnson would be a nice fit. He’s a one-year guy, he’s a local guy and he’d be a huge drawing card because he’s [five victories away from] locking in that Hall of Fame vote with his 300th win.”
Johnson, 45, starred at Livermore High School, about 30 minutes southeast of Oakland.
One snag, of course, could be Johnson’s asking price. Coming off a season during which he went 11-10 with a 3.91 ERA in 30 starts for the Diamondbacks while making about $15 million, he’s reportedly looking for something in the neighborhood of $10 million.
“In this economic climate, he’s probably going to have to come down from that,” said an agent not affiliated with Johnson who requested anonymity.
The agent said Johnson seems a better fit for a team that fancies itself a serious contender in 2009.
“Just chasing 300 wins isn’t going to get enough butts in the seats to justify that kind of outlay,” the agent explained. “So you’d better need him for another, bigger reason. Like putting you over the top.”
http://hotstove.mlblogs.com/archives/2008/12/big_unittoas_rumor_alive_in_ve.html
It would have been funnier if Johnson's agent had said that.
It's not the results, it's how you look going about those results -- Tim McCarver
by WaddellCanseco on Dec 8, 2008 4:32 PM PST up reply actions
"agent not affiliated with Johnson who requested anonymity."
his mother?
BB should send scouts to watch cricket players.
by alea iacta est on Dec 8, 2008 4:59 PM PST up reply actions
Johnson's own mother won't even affiliate with him?
He must really be a bastard.
The monster at the end of this blog.
"he’s probably going to have to come down from that"
was more what sounds like a parent. who knows, i’m reading this through a fug of painkillers
BB should send scouts to watch cricket players.
by alea iacta est on Dec 8, 2008 5:57 PM PST up reply actions
a fug of painkillers
I think we have a new collective noun.
I'll send you a postcard from Space Mountain. @('.')@
Anyone know if Susan Slusser is on vacation?
She hasn’t posted anything on the Chronicle website in over a week and you’d think she’d be in Vegas giving us updates on the Chron blog at the very least this week, but I haven’t heard a peep…
I'm never gonna do it without the fez on!
Please keep Giambi out of the green and gold plz.
Free-agent first baseman Jason Giambi has told friends that he expects to sign with the A’s, but his former team has him “way down on its list of priorities,” according to a major-league source.
Nooooo… Just no.
Dude. This.
I was on the side that agrees he's not a great fit any more,
but the language in this blurb (which needs to be taken with a huge grain of salt) makes it seem like there’s a slim possibility for a discount deal. i think this is a bit of a pipe dream, but if it’s true, I would edge over to the sign giambi camp. he would not represent a huge improvement over staplehead, but I’d like to see his name in our lineup.
then, for kicks, we can get tejada huddy and mulder. and adam piatt. and mecir. weeee.
Save Rajai Davis
If he gives ENOUGH of a discount for Oakland, then I say go for it
Enough of a discount would be him taking 5MM/yr though, so that’s unlikely.
Dude. This.
That's not "below market value" enough for me.
I set Giambi’s “fair market value” at about 8MM per year.
Dude. This.
Ya but it was probably $11M two months ago.
If it drops to $6M in another month, are you going to insist on $4M?
It's not the results, it's how you look going about those results -- Tim McCarver
by WaddellCanseco on Dec 8, 2008 7:57 PM PST up reply actions
Maybe
signing Giambi will give Barton is swing back. One year, what could it hurt?
by CichirelloMagnet on Dec 8, 2008 6:24 PM PST reply actions
If Giambi actually wants to come back to the A's specifically...
then maybe that inkling, together with the flourishing market for defensively challenged sluggers, will drive his price down considerably, maybe into the 1-year, $7-8 million range. Now that the talks with Furcal are in limbo, the A’s will be looking to upgrade the offense in other ways.
Giambi’s not a perfect fit for the team as currently composed, but on a 1-year deal, he could be a decent asset and run producer. Run him out at 1st 3/4 times a week, DH him once a week and play Barton the rest of the way at 1st and use Jason as the mentor to Daric.
A Cust-Holliday-Giambi heart of the order is certainly respectable…if the A’s also got RJ for the rotation, they could put a nice little run together in 2009.
I'm never gonna do it without the fez on!
= tejada at SS
Sweeney
Buck
Giambi
Holiday
Cust
Tejada
Chavez
Suzuki
Ellis
Now we just need Terrence Long and we'll have the whole gang back together!
Also Barton shouldn’t back up Giambi. He needs to play everyday either in the majors or AAA
It's not the results, it's how you look going about those results -- Tim McCarver
by WaddellCanseco on Dec 8, 2008 7:58 PM PST up reply actions
If Barton can defensively play 3B, he probably would've been moved to the position by now.
because his bat is more valuable at 3B.
Dude. This.
you're forgetting TAGG BOZIED
he’s got that starting 1B in AAA job locked up.
A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05
uh emmmmm...what about Jermaine Dye?!
and just for funsies…David Justice is out there somewhere….and he’s alive still.
'That's something we do...thirteen hits and not score'-Terrence Long
by DyeLongJustice on Dec 8, 2008 8:15 PM PST up reply actions
Matt Stairs!
Can’t believe no one’s worked out a crazy trade scenario to get Stairs back.
"I'm going to take a camera crew and march into Billy Beane's office and demand to know why instituting his newfangled cost-saving measures means that the run manufacturing plant had to get shut down." FJM
why not bring Velarde out of retirement
and throw in a free round of steroids for kicks. Mac is out there, Conseco probably still needs money, Ricky is always ready to roll, and I’m sure Eck wouldn’t mind one more go ‘round. Bring back the 2000’s? Heck, bring back the last century!
'That's something we do...thirteen hits and not score'-Terrence Long
by DyeLongJustice on Dec 8, 2008 8:44 PM PST up reply actions
See I knew there must be a reason.
"I'm going to take a camera crew and march into Billy Beane's office and demand to know why instituting his newfangled cost-saving measures means that the run manufacturing plant had to get shut down." FJM
i agree, bring back grieves too
we dont need tejada’s slowing bat (he was a righty in minute maid park last year, that should be automatic 30 homers) and shrinking range. i’d rather have crosby’s cheaper defense and (little) upside
that's gold jerry, gold!!!
It's a Cust-Holliday-Giambi-Chavez heart of the order,
with Sweeney, Buck, and Suzuki outside the 3-6 spots. In other words, a pretty damn good lineup all of a sudden. If the A’s hope to contend with the rotation they have (plus a Randy Johnson or not), they need another hitter of Giambi’s caliber. The defense is an issue, but this team currently is not quite there in terms of sure pitching or hitting, so at least shore those up and go from there – you’re still strong defensively up the middle, at catcher, and at 3B.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
Yeah, that's definitely a nifty little lineup.
I think the lineup could be juggled effectively enough to somewhat mitigate Giambi’s defensive issues. As long as he gets 400-500 at-bats during the season, he’ll be productive. Geren could give him 6/7 innings a game at 1st with 3/4 at-bats and then replace him with Barton for a defensive upgrade in the later innings.
Plus, it’s important to remember how great Ellis’s range is at 2nd. The team should basically just tell Jason, “Just worry about the balls you are sure you can get to. Mark will handle the rest.”
I'm never gonna do it without the fez on!
Or perhaps,
"Just worry about the balls you are sure you can get to. Mark will handle the rest – along with the ones you’re sure you can get to."
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
Ooh, that sounds risky
I’m thinking “4 unassisted” on grounders to second.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
'Just worry about your balls'
BB should send scouts to watch cricket players.
by alea iacta est on Dec 8, 2008 8:59 PM PST up reply actions
Too bad this discussion ran its course
Before I could get my obligatory anti-Giambi repetitive comment in.
On a 1/5 deal, sure. There’ll be enough injuries we can use him. On an RJ deal or a multi-year he makes absolutely no sense.
"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" -Bill Watterson
Upon reading this, two thoughts come to mind.
1. “Bobby Crosy SUCKS” jokes are starting to become overused…but they are still funny/true.
2. Did Billy suddenly move the A’s to San Francisco this offseason? Randy Johnson, Jason Giambi, Chavez, Miguel Tejada? How did we go from one of the youngest teams in the majors to “let’s sign old guys (especially old guys who used to play for us) like we’re Brian Sabean”? Not that I’m arguing, but it is an interesting shift we are undergoing.
'That's something we do...thirteen hits and not score'-Terrence Long
oh ya, and on a potential Jason Giambi signing
while it will suck to watch his atrocious defense, at least when our team gets down by more than 0 runs, we’ll at least have a chance of coming back! If nothing else, at least it will be fun to watch our offense for once (I fear I have forgotten what a major league offense looks like).
'That's something we do...thirteen hits and not score'-Terrence Long
by DyeLongJustice on Dec 8, 2008 8:24 PM PST up reply actions
yes, i surely jest some
but its definitely a risk that these old players we sign won’t be good anymore. Randy Johnson is 45…that’s not exactly a spring chicken there. What are the chances he stays healthy for most of a season AND is effective? probably the latter but probably not the former. Giambi is 38 and is harmed by his crappy 1b, and Tejada is sucking more and more by the minute. Yes, they were still good last year, but last year was history, and tomorrow is a mystery. However, you are right, as long as Beane doesn’t sign them to long deals, they he isn’t Sabean.
'That's something we do...thirteen hits and not score'-Terrence Long
by DyeLongJustice on Dec 8, 2008 8:48 PM PST up reply actions
Sure, but I think only Johnson is the one that has any real possiblilty.
I’m pretty sure that Tejada is just wishful thinking by a bunch of people who want to have the 2002 guy back in Oakland and are still harboring resentment for keeping Chavez instead.
Tejada could play upgrade four positions for the A's
by virtue of his RH bat and durability.
SS better than Crosby
3B better than Hannahan, healthier than Chavez
1B better than Barton
DH better than whoever (assuming Cust stays in the outfield)
For that matter I bet he could play a better RF than Cust if that is being considered.
For a 1 year deal that doesn’t cost real prospects, I think he’s a decent deal, Especially in light of the Holliday signing.
They're called RUNS for a reason.
The problem is, it will be very difficult to get Giambi or Tejada for only one year.
After 2009 we have possibilities coming up for SS and 1B and shortly after that even DH with Cardenas, Doolittle and Carter. I would rather not block them for too long. Also, average defense is ok but bad defense will kill you.
"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, either way, YOU'RE RIGHT !"
Tejada would be a 1 year thing.
He’s under contract for 1 more year. If the A’s were to trade for him (which they should NOT do), they’d be on the hook for him for only 2009
Dude. This.
so the asking price for nick johnson...
an mlb ready sp for a guy who has 100ab’s in 2 yrs + taking on the 5mill contract
paging jason windsor, mike madsen, etc
i’d do one of the relievers or braden at most
but my guess is bowden wants a simmons/mazzaro
Besides, we know the A’s might be targeting free agent Jason Giambi, and have shown interest in trading for the Nationals’ Nick Johnson at first base. I’m told the Nats would want a major league-ready starting pitcher in exchange for Johnson if the A’s ever got serious about things. After unloading Greg Smith already, it’d be interesting to see if they would deal another young arm.
I don't give up Braden for Nick Johnson.
Just look at what MLB-ready 4-5 starters get on the open market again.
Unless its for an impact player (i.e. Hardy), no decent young arms should be dealt.
Dude. This.
im seeing something...
barton,crosby,h.rodriguez,a.bailey,patterson for C.Guzman,N.Johnson
that's gold jerry, gold!!!
So..no one trades for Crosby, ST opens and..
then what? Crosby hits the snot off the ball, with the usual suspects pitching in ST, and he “wins” the job at SS? Opening Day SS??
If Furcal goes elsewhere, is it Pennington, with Crosby on the bench, or??
It’ll be interesting
Officially awaiting the 2009 season.
by One won lost won on Dec 8, 2008 9:22 PM PST reply actions
crosby w/ penny/petit
seems the plan for now
defense shouldnt be an issue
beane hopefully adds 2 more bats
by Asfan4ever723 on Dec 8, 2008 9:56 PM PST up reply actions
Barton's defense
While he may improve I don’t have the impression that Barton is some sort of Gold Glove defender at first base. His fielding percentage and range factor according to mlb were actually lower than Giambi’s in 2008.
Fielding percentage is heavily, heavily flawed.
Chone has Barton projected at +4 runs for a 1B, Giambi at -8 (difference of 12!!! runs)
6.8 UZR/150 for 2008, which is 5th in MLB.
Barton is really, really good defensively. Giambi is not.
Dude. This.
Barton
That’s one measurement and I agree fielding percentage is imperfect but I recall Barton’s errors last year generally didn’t have to do with getting to balls other first basemen wouldn’t have but simply were a result of poor fielding. Barton is probably a good, but certainly not great, fielder right now and will likely improve but his fielding won’t keep him a starter if his OPS still ranks last among all AL first basemen.
by SA on Dec 8, 2008 10:34 PM PST up reply actions
Sure, but do you really think Barton won't get any better offensively?
Next season, Barton projects to be 1 win better than Giambi on defense. That’s huge for 1B.
Last year, Barton’s WARP3 was 2.5. Giambi’s WARP3 was 5.3, so Giambi was 2.8 wins better on offense. I’m not sure how to project that for next year, but since 2005 Giambis WARP3 has gone from 7.5 to 6.6 to 1.9 (injury) to 5.5 last year. He’s trending downward every season, so what’s next year? Mid 4s?
If, for giggles, he drops off another win offensively and is at 4.5, and Barton improves at all, Giambi is going to be worth about 1 win over Barton… maybe.
That’s not worth a 10M deal.
Plus, Barton was too "throwy" for a 1B
A little more experience, and he’ll learn to eat the ball instead of flinging it into the third-base dugout, thereby cutting down on the throwing E’s.
I'll send you a postcard from Space Mountain. @('.')@
Colletti needs to go back to other dumbass signings
and leave Furcal to the intelligent bidders.
Dude. This.
The Dodgers re-opened talks with Rafael Furcal’s agent tonight, but Colletti said he remained firm in his refusal to offer the shortstop a four-year deal.
A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05
Is this optimism?
On the free-agent front, Beane remains interested in adding Randy Johnson to his young rotation, and on the day Rafael Furcal and the Dodgers resumed formal talks, Beane wouldn’t say his pursuit of Furcal is over even though the free-agent shortstop reportedly declined a four-year offer from Oakland for $35 million to $40 million.
Emphasis mine
Sorry for posting a lot of links and stuff and being unoriginal. Just found interesting stuff. And probably should go sleep.
Dude. This.
Jays the mystery team?
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081208&content_id=3707306&vkey=hotstove2008&fext=.jsp
Looks like the Blue Jays have been mulling over skipping on AJ Burnett and putting money towards the Torpedo. However, they’re strapped for cash and would need a salary dump. After all, they have been affected by a weakened Canadian dollar. Tough times in the north.
Sadly it’s a vote of no confidence in our old friend Marco Scutaro, who did a helluva job defensively this year while splitting equal time between 3B, 2B, and SS.
can't use 1-year D stats to say anyone "turned around"
I'll send you a postcard from Space Mountain. @('.')@
rosenthal
The New York Mets have made a three-year offer to free-agent closer Francisco Rodriguez, a club official said, but are not optimistic about him taking it immediately.
"All of these agents think there is more out there," the official said. "They’re going to be in for a shock."
if the freaking no-bullpen mets are offering k-fraud a three year deal, no way furcal is getting four years.
i think the a’s are still the favorites for furcal.
A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05
Same agent, right?
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
I don't understand why the Mets aren't throwing buckets of cash at K-Rod?
I don’t like the guy but he had 62 saves for crying out loud!
You have to include smiley faces - Poppy
;- ) :- ) :-O : -> : -] : -}
IMO there are at least 10 closers out there better than him
He’s lucky if he ever has a 1-2-3 inning. 62 saves means shit in my book. At least 10 of them were joke saves.
Saves are an overated stat as far as I’m concerned.
He’s lucky to get 37 million. That’s way more than he’s worth.
I don't disagree with your opinion regarding his ability
but he is the best FA closer available and the Mets seem to be desperate. The Mets brass can say to the New York fans/media “look we signed the single season saves leader and best available closer, it is not our fault we choked again”
You have to include smiley faces - Poppy
;- ) :- ) :-O : -> : -] : -}
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