The Major League Baseball Offseason Post

[osh kosh bosh]

Brett Wallace legs are GIGANTIC, him and Travis Snider ol thunder thighs.

AA did the best he could and he quite a lot for only one year of Roy Halladay.

 

[japanair21]

So I'm admittedly not a huge baseball guy.

Is it a foregone conclusion, barring career threatening injuries, that both Pujols and A-Rod will surpass Barry?

If so, who do you think will end up with more career homers?

 

[finnns2003]

Originally Posted by Nowitness41Dirk

Hicks selected Chuck Greenburg and Nolan Ryan's bid... They'll open the exclusive negotiations window in the near future and hopefully wrap this thing up soon...

Hicks would maintain a minority interest in the team, but Nolan has said Hicks will have no say in baseball decisions...

I haven't asked my favorite Rangers fan what he thinks of his team having to face the best 1-2 punch in baseball multiple times...

 

[N41D]

Had the best pitching in baseball last year, too... And the Rangers historically OWN Cliff Lee... And Chone Figgins doesn't change the fact that lineupstill sucks, so...

It's a very nice move for this year, especially if they come back and try to keep Bedard (

), but they still sold off more young pieces for anotherrental ace with a team that probably isn't a World Series contender and still not clearly the best team in their own division... It won't be as bad asthe Bedard deal, but there's a good chance it's close if they can't sign him to an extension or make a WS run this year...

 

[proshares]

Originally Posted by JapanAir21

So I'm admittedly not a huge baseball guy.

Is it a foregone conclusion, barring career threatening injuries, that both Pujols and A-Rod will surpass Barry?

If so, who do you think will end up with more career homers?

I think it's safe to say both will and I think Pujols ends up w/more HR's.

@ Thunder thighs.

The M's HAVE to get some offensive power for this team to succeed next season. Figgins will help get that OBP and BA out of the basement a bit but youneed someone to drive these guys in.

The New York Mets remain in serious negotiations on outfielder Jason Bay, and as of Wednesday morning, their offer stood at four years, according to sources.

Holliday

Bay

It's possible that there will be movement in the Mets offer -- which was between $60 million and $65 million over four years -- but as of Wednesday morning, that had not happened.

At a news conference to introduce outfielder Mike Cameron on Wednesday, Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein wouldn't officially close the door on Bay's stay in Boston, but made it sound like Bay's return was unlikely.

"[The media] has done a great job of speculating, putting the pieces together this winter, so I'll let you continue to speculate. I don't want to say that the door is officially closed on one player out there that's a free agent. But Jason, obviously, in a year and a half here, did an outstanding job for us," Epstein said.

"That's a trade we would make again any day of the week. Whichever team does sign him, they're getting a quality person and a quality player."

The Mets had hoped to sign Bengie Molina, but to this point, the catcher -- who turned down an offer from the Mets when he was a free agent a few years ago -- is sticking to his demand for a three-year deal.

The Mets are monitoring the Matt Holliday negotiations, but are not actively involved, and it could be that talks for the outfielder are out of their price range.

The St. Louis Cardinals have an offer on the table to Holliday, widely believed within the industry to be for something in the range of five years and $80 million.

Internally, the Cardinals have expressed doubt about whether any team is going to be willing to make an offer at that level to Holliday, and it's unclear whether there will be major movement to St. Louis' offer.

Senior writer Buster Olney covers Major League Baseball for ESPN The Magazine. ESPNBoston.com's Chris Forsberg contributed to this report.

 

[DownByLaw]

I don't think Holliday will be a in a Cardinals uni this season. Some team is gonna come out of nowhere and make him an offer he won't pass on.

 

[scott frost]

Sox sing Cameron, Ellsbury now trade bait?

 

[finnns2003]

Originally Posted by Nowitness41Dirk

Had the best pitching in baseball last year, too... And the Rangers historically OWN Cliff Lee... And Chone Figgins doesn't change the fact that lineup still sucks, so...

It's a very nice move for this year, especially if they come back and try to keep Bedard (

), but they still sold off more young pieces for another rental ace with a team that probably isn't a World Series contender and still not clearly the best team in their own division... It won't be as bad as the Bedard deal, but there's a good chance it's close if they can't sign him to an extension or make a WS run this year...

About what I expected from you. Offense still needs work but the pitching will be a lot better with Lee over some of the guys that had to replace Bedard.

Team is definitely going to contend for the AL West, no doubt. Rangers pitching is still Rangers pitching and the Angels have lost a chance to grab any topflight aces. I'll take it.

 

[auright]

nope cameron will play out in left field. no reason to get rid of ellsbury.

 

[johnnyredstorm]

Originally Posted by auright

nope cameron will play out in left field. no reason to get rid of ellsbury.

Padres want Ellsbury...

 

[kiddin like jason]

Updated deal:

Phillies get: Roy Halladay, Phillippe Aumont, Tyson Gillies, Juan Ramirez and $6 million

Mariners get: Cliff Lee

Blue Jays get: Kyle Drabek, Brett Wallace and Travis d'Arnaud

A's get: Michael Taylor

 

[scott frost]

Originally Posted by auright

nope cameron will play out in left field. no reason to get rid of ellsbury.

 

[N41D]

Originally Posted by finnns2003

About what I expected from you. Offense still needs work but the pitching will be a lot better with Lee over some of the guys that had to replace Bedard.

Common sense? That's all it is... He's an upgrade, there's no doubt... He's as good or better than a healthy Bedard, and you cancount on him taking the mound every five days, but the parameters of this deal are the same as the Bedard one... They've given up some of their best youngtalent, which they weren't exactly stockpiling to begin with, to rent an ace that it's very probably they'll be unable to re-sign...

Are they gonna re-sign Felix and Lee? Are they gonna keep Lee and trade Felix? Are they gonna have to pick one or the other? I believe it's the latter, andif that's the case they're not any better off than when they started...

It's a great move for this year, makes them much more competitive on paper. But they're still not definitively better than the Rangers or Angels andthere's no guarantee they're gonna keep Lee around beyond this year and pitching wasn't exactly an issue to begin with... That's all I'msaying... It's nice right now, but so was the Bedard trade... If you're gonna say there's not potential for this to blow up in their faces, I dunnowhat to tell you...

The M's HAVE to get some offensive power for this team to succeed next season. Figgins will help get that OBP and BA out of the basement a bit but you need someone to drive these guys in.
That's all there is to it... Figgins is maybe a marginal upgrade offensively, but he's not nearly the defender Beltre is...

One thing they'll have going for them offensively... God damn they'll be FAST...

Rangers pitching is still Rangers pitching
Yeah... Harden, Holland, Feliz, Feldman, and Hunter is the typical Rangers rotation...


And Cameron in Boston means either Ellsbury or Hermida is outta town... Ellsbury, Buchholz and another prospect for Gonzalez? Am I the only one thatdoesn't love Ellsbury? Typical fast centerfielder... Meh...

 

[al3xis]

The New York Mets remain in serious negotiations on outfielder Jason Bay,

. whats the definition of insanity? doing the same thingover and over and expecting a different result?

 

[proshares]

One thing they'll have going for them offensively... God damn they'll be FAST...

That's for sure. But if they're going to put the offense on Gutierrez, Griffey and Branyan's shoulders they're in for a longseason and Lee will be gone by July.

 

[CP1708]

I wonder if they gonna use Figgins in the leadoff spot and ask their hero to bat third and drive in runs.

I'd be impressed if Ichiro actually did it.

 

[johnnyredstorm]

Originally Posted by Al3xis

The New York Mets remain in serious negotiations on outfielder Jason Bay,

. whats the definition of insanity? doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result?

I don't understand what you're getting at.

 

[N41D]

Lupica tweeted they're close with Bay and are willing to go 6 years... I think that's what he's getting at...

S-T-U-P-I-D.

That's for sure. But if they're going to put the offense on Gutierrez, Griffey and Branyan's shoulders they're in for a long season and Lee will be gone by July.

I wonder if they gonna use Figgins in the leadoff spot and ask their hero to bat third and drive in runs.

That's what I don't get... Don't wanna bring Beltre back? Cool, I get it... But you're gonna replace him with another speed guythat doesn't hit for power? Anything Griffey gives you next year is gravy. You shouldn't expect anything from him...

And maybe it's just me, but expecting Russell Branyan to repeat or exceed his 2009 season is asking a hell of a lot from a 34 year old that was never thatproductive over a 100+ game stretch before last year...

 

[philballa09]

CSNPhilly

Roy Halladay presser on CSNPhilly.com at 5 p.m. - http://www.csnphilly.com/pages/video_player2

 

[johnnyredstorm]

6 years? If they're willing to go 6 years with a player, then make it Matt Holliday. I like Bay, but 6 years guaranteed? Ehhhhhhh.

And maybe it's just me, but expecting Russell Branyan to repeat or exceed his 2009 season is asking a hell of a lot from a 34 year old that was never that productive over a 100+ game stretch before last year...
Don't forget the atrocious second half he had.

 

[proshares]

And maybe it's just me, but expecting Russell Branyan to repeat or exceed his 2009 season is asking a hell of a lot from a 34 year old that was never that productive over a 100+ game stretch before last year...
I doubt anyone is thinking he'll repeat what he did last year besides any delusional Mariners fans. They need to get on this Bay train andtry to convince him to come to Seattle. Don't go after Holliday because the money he'll get will not equal the production he puts out in the AL.

 

[N41D]

Originally Posted by Proshares

They need to get on this Bay train and try to convince him to come to Seattle. Don't go after Holliday because the money he'll get will not equal the production he puts out in the AL.

If Bay is looking at 6 years from the Mets, even the Mariners are better off leaving him alone...

 

[addictedtofreshkicks]

Jose Reyes was just on WFAN and he said he'll definitely be ready for the spring. Also mentioned some other noteworthy things like how he tried to play thelast 3 games of the season but suffered a setback because of it.

Can't wait to have him back.

 

[proshares]

Originally Posted by Nowitness41Dirk

Originally Posted by Proshares

They need to get on this Bay train and try to convince him to come to Seattle. Don't go after Holliday because the money he'll get will not equal the production he puts out in the AL.

If Bay is looking at 6 years from the Mets, even the Mariners are better off leaving him alone...

Missed that. If the Mets are that crazy to give him 6 years then the M's are better off not going after him.

Looks like it's a done deal now:

[h2]Phillies complete Halladay deal[/h2]
Comment Email Print Share
ESPN.com news services

SEATTLE -- The Philadelphia Phillies now have Roy Halladay and the Seattle Mariners have Cliff Lee.

The Cy Young winners switched teams Wednesday when a complicated, four-team trade was completed. As part of the deal, Halladay agreed to a $60 million, three-year contract extension through 2013.

Toronto Blue Jays sent Halladay and $6 million to the Phillies for three minor leaguers: catcher Travis d'Arnaud, right-hander Kyle Drabek and outfielder Michael Taylor.

Philadelphia dealt Lee to Seattle for three prospects: right-hander Phillippe Aumont, outfielder Tyson Gillies and right-hander Juan Ramirez.

Toronto flipped Taylor to the Oakland Athletics for third baseman Brett Wallace, the corner infielder and former No. 1 pick whom the Athletics got in the Matt Holliday trade in July.

[h4]Trading Places[/h4]
Here are the pieces in the trades involving Philadelphia, Seattle, Toronto and Oakland:
[table][tr][th=""]PHILLIES GET …[/th] [/tr][tr][td]RHP Roy Halladay (from Toronto)
*RHP Phillippe Aumont (from Seattle)
*OF Tyson Gillies (from Seattle)
*RHP Juan Ramirez (from Seattle)
$6 million cash (from Toronto)[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]MARINERS GET …[/th] [/tr][tr][td]LHP Cliff Lee (from Philadelphia)[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]BLUE JAYS GET …[/th] [/tr][tr][td]*C Travis d'Arnaud (from Philadelphia)
*RHP Kyle Drabek (from Philadelphia)
*1B/3B Brett Wallace (from Oakland)[/td] [/tr][tr][th=""]A'S GET …[/th] [/tr][tr][td]*OF Michael Taylor (from Philadelphia via Toronto)[/td] [/tr][/table]
* -- minor leaguer

Lee was the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner when the Phillies got him from Cleveland last July 29. The 31-year-old lefty went 7-4 with a 3.39 ERA down the stretch, then excelled in the postseason by going 4-0 with a 1.56 ERA in five starts.

Lee earned both of the Phillies' wins in the World Series against the New York Yankees. He has one year and $9 million remaining on his contract, and talk of an extension with Seattle beyond 2010 was not part of the trade discussions.

The two-time NL champion Phillies hope Halladay, also a former Cy Young winner, can fill his spot in the rotation.

"It's never easy trading a player of Cliff's caliber, but we felt it was the right move to make at this time," general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said in a statement. "We've acquired three players that we think have big upsides and will strengthen our player development system."

Gillies, 21, hit .341 last season and led the California League with 44 stolen bases at Single-A High Desert. He scored 104 runs and had a .430 on-base percentage.

Aumont, 20, went a combined 2-6 with 16 saves and a 3.88 ERA for High Desert and Double-A West Tennessee last season. A first-round draft pick in 2007, he pitched for Canada in the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

Ramirez, 21, was 8-10 with a 5.12 ERA for High Desert.

The trade gives Seattle one of baseball's best pair of aces, teaming Lee with young star Felix Hernandez.

"I also want to congratulate Philadelphia and Toronto on how this whole deal was handled. We are very excited to have Cliff Lee on board in the Seattle organization," Seattle general manager Jack Zduriencik said. "It goes without saying what a quality pitcher and competitor he is and what he will mean to our ballclub and organization."

"We gave up three very nice prospects to Philadelphia. I think they will be a nice piece of the Phillies' future," he said. "It was not an easy decision for us, but we could not pass up the opportunity to add a pitcher a Lee's ability."

 

[Sinner]

Lets see what Jack Z has in mind for some bats... hmmm...