2010 / 2011 MLB Off Season Thread.

[fundmark19]

Originally Posted by nik-

Your fans don't even show up when you have a great team, why would ownership waste the money?

Because thats what sports owners do. They waste their money in order to boost their egos with championships! Why keep a baseball team if you are just going to pay league min salarys just to collect on profit sharing. Sure you may make some money every year but you ruin the sport.

[Cheerio]

I think the MLB should contract a few teams that don't have fans showing up and never will.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by fundmark19

Because thats what sports owners do. They waste their money in order to boost their egos with championships! Why keep a baseball team if you are just going to pay league min salarys just to collect on profit sharing. Sure you may make some money every year but you ruin the sport.

The fans in Tampa had their chance to prove to the owners of that team that it was worth reinvesting in it. They blew it.

[socalwingfan]

Yankees have signed Soriano - 3 years 35 million deal with player opt outs after 1st and 2nd year. With a shaky rotation, looks like they are going for the lockdown bullen like Rivera/Wetteland in the late 90s

[dustyanddaflames]

Nice signing by the Yankees, that's a darn good 8/9 inning set-up. I suppose if you can't upgrade the starting rotation without taking away from your line-up, then relief is the next best thing to load up on. Lord knows that line up should be able to out slug their way to 7-6 games into the late innings - not a bad signing by Cashman.

[socalwingfan]

Tampa now has 3 picks in the first round and 9 before the start of the second. WOW

[dustyanddaflames]

The Rays already have pieces too that will fill the void of Garza and Crawford leaving. Hellickson and Jennings are going to be very good every day players, as we have seen from Hellickson's brief stint in the MLB last year.

That is a very well run franchise which appears to be set for another run in a year or two's time. Everyone is calling for the Rays to slip behind the Jays this year, but I just can't see it. Still a very deep team, outside of a shaky bullpen.

[Flickered Flame]

Originally Posted by dustyanddaflames

The Rays already have pieces too that will fill the void of Garza and Crawford leaving. Hellickson and Jennings are going to be very good every day players, as we have seen from Hellickson's brief stint in the MLB last year.

That is a very well run franchise which appears to be set for another run in a year or two's time. Everyone is calling for the Rays to slip behind the Jays this year, but I just can't see it. Still a very deep team, outside of a shaky bullpen.

I just don't know who is going to hit for the Rays. My guess is they sign one of those DH's left on the market but will it be enough?

[dustyanddaflames]

Agreed, you can't enter the season with Matt Joyce as your DH. There are still a few good "middle of the order" bats that are available, that would be nice complementary pieces. Vlad would be a good bat in that lineup, just pure power inside of a dome. At a one year deal, very low risk type signing.

If Brignac and Rodriguez offer any value at the plate, and Dan Johnson can shore up the hole left behind by Carlos Pena, it can be a dangerous line up built on speed and timely hitting. With a staff that has Price, Shields, Hellickson and Davis - 4 or 5 runs can win you quite a few games.

[Flickered Flame]

The A's have added another quality arm for the bullpen signing Grant Balfour to a deal today.

[dustyanddaflames]

Like the Balfour signing, played an very integral part in their run to the World Series. Guy throws straight cheddar. Them A's are sure starting to look like a very competitive club, and if Willingham can hit in the middle of that order, they sure have a good chance at the West.

Jim Thome re-upped with the Minnesota Twins today. That leaves Vlad Guerrero and Manny Ramirez as the two "big name" DH's left.

[Flickered Flame]

Jeff Francis signed with the Royals today as well.

[flames_1987]

Originally Posted by dustyanddaflames

Like the Balfour signing, played an very integral part in their run to the World Series. Guy throws straight cheddar. Them A's are sure starting to look like a very competitive club, and if Willingham can hit in the middle of that order, they sure have a good chance at the West.

Jim Thome re-upped with the Minnesota Twins today. That leaves Vlad Guerrero and Manny Ramirez as the two "big name" DH's left.

TSN.ca article talked about the Jays being one of 5 teams interested in Manny.

[Flickered Flame]

Originally Posted by Flickered Flame

I just don't know who is going to hit for the Rays. My guess is they sign one of those DH's left on the market but will it be enough?

I guess I got my answer. Looks like the Rays have signed both Johnny Damon and Manny.

[Cheerio]

Originally Posted by Flickered Flame

I guess I got my answer. Looks like the Rays have signed both Johnny Damon and Manny.

Woo! Probably for cheap too knowing the Rays. Hopefully they can compete with the Yankees and Red Sox again this year.

[OILFAN #81]

Originally Posted by Cheerio

Woo! Probably for cheap too knowing the Rays. Hopefully they can compete with the Yankees and Red Sox again this year.

Damon is 5.25 M. Ramirez was for $2M.

[fundmark19]

I like the manny signing not sure how I feel about damon though. Hopefully he still has some speed left in his old man legs

[dustyanddaflames]

Flick - just was reading Jason Duchscherer's side session, he had invited 29 teams to come and watch him toss, but the A's weren't invited. Was it simply because he was aware the A's weren't going to bring him back, or was there a bit of a fallout over last season?

[Flickered Flame]

Originally Posted by dustyanddaflames

Flick - just was reading Jason Duchscherer's side session, he had invited 29 teams to come and watch him toss, but the A's weren't invited. Was it simply because he was aware the A's weren't going to bring him back, or was there a bit of a fallout over last season?

Probably both. The A's had no interest and quite frankly it was time to move on. He just never seemed the same pitcher after going through his battle with depression. My guess is that Duch wasn't very happy with the A's for just letting him walk, I think he really valued his time with the A's organization.

[Flickered Flame]

Duchscherer has signed with the O's, who I also believe will sign Vlad at some point.