MLB Offseason Thread

[fundmark19]

Originally Posted by TitovFTW

Any mention of a trade with the Royals and one should just start jumping for joy if it's with their team.

Rays cycle now complete and then 4 or 5 years from now we can do it all again and they'll just keep having all the young talent in the world.

Not quite complete. We need to find a washed up closer who will miraculously turn their career around for a year or 2 after this year when Rodney cashes in on free agency at end of the year

[TitovFTW]

I'll actually agree with Girly on this, now that I've had time to settle. The Royals now have a legit chance at winning in 2013. The Tigers will still be the Tigers and as much as I don't think Shields is an ace, he is a strong #2. At the end of the day, are any free agents going to think of coming to KC in the first place? Especially with the mess of an ownership they have.

I would have had no problem with a 1 for 1 trade here. The only reason I really hate it for the Royals is those extra pieces they didn't need to give up to get a bullpen arm. The Royals are a better team for 2013 though. They better hope they do something because 2014-2015 and onwards could make this look like one of the most lopsided trades in MLB history.

[GirlySports]

There is a PTBNL going to the Royals, wonder who that will be!

[fundmark19]

His name is Cash. I heard he can be quite clutch around the trade deadline

[evman150]

Originally Posted by fundmark19

His name is Cash. I heard he can be quite clutch around the trade deadline

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Cash

[Gozer]

I disagree with "worst trade ever" analysis.

For the Royals, two members of a starting rotation is worth more than a stud hitting prospect.

It's a sensible step in their organization's plan: draft heavily for a certain strength (hitting), develop some prospects into major league contributors (Moustakas/Hosmer), and once the hitting is good enough to compete then move high value non-contributors for obvious holes (starting pitching).

Having the aforementioned line-up with a starting pitching staff with a negative WAR doesn't amount to much when the games start to really matter. The Royals need an "ace" so they are competitive in game 1 of a playoff series - otherwise what are you building towards?
In 2011, three pitchers were MVP nominees: Verlander, Sabathia, and Shields.

[RedHot25]

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/87...a-diamondbacks
Reds acquire Choo in 3-team deal

[TitovFTW]

Originally Posted by Gozer

I disagree with "worst trade ever" analysis.

For the Royals, two members of a starting rotation is worth more than a stud hitting prospect.

It's a sensible step in their organization's plan: draft heavily for a certain strength (hitting), develop some prospects into major league contributors (Moustakas/Hosmer), and once the hitting is good enough to compete then move high value non-contributors for obvious holes (starting pitching).

Having the aforementioned line-up with a starting pitching staff with a negative WAR doesn't amount to much when the games start to really matter. The Royals need an "ace" so they are competitive in game 1 of a playoff series - otherwise what are you building towards?
In 2011, three pitchers were MVP nominees: Verlander, Sabathia, and Shields.

I don't believe Shields is an ace. While his 2011 was strong, he's still a #2, a quality one at that. It was a great season but he's more likely to produce around a 2-3 WAR per season pace. But the big thing is, you only have 2 years of Shields control!! When we look at other pitchers traded over the last 2 years, almost every team got less value back, even though they were getting more years of control. It's also not fair to access this trad as just being Will Meyers, as I would've had no problem with Will Meyers for James Shielders straight up. The Rays got some really nice extra pieces and all for a bullpen arm.

I think I totally overreacted with some of the hyperbole I used. The Royals are a better team in 2012, and GirlySports seemed to be the only one talking about them at least going for it.

One trend I really am starting to dislike in sports, is the why didn't so and so team offer a free agent the same money he signed for. People criticized the Royals for not just spending money on Sanchez and not trade anyone. We're lead to believe that thee would be some desire to play in Kansas City, over other teams. I also hate the lazy statement of "well he's just a prospect, he could be a bust" that people seem to throw out liberally now to every single player. There has to be some intelligent thinking re: the player himself, and not just one size fits all about every prospect ever being a bust perhaps.

Kansas City has a truly awful ownership and the only way they were going to get a player like James Shields was trading for him. I just believe they got sucked into giving up pieces they didn't need to, and over valued Wade Davis.

They make the playoffs this year or next, the trade is a win. Their division sure does still suck, although I love the Indians trade from tonight. I want to get behind KC, I just dislike so much the other moves they've made this season.

[GirlySports]

only because I was crazy enough to think that the Royals would the division even before this trade

[OILFAN #81]

Phillies are offering Josh Hamilton a deal that could be done soon.

[TitovFTW]

I see Dempster is close to signing with the Red Sox. LOL is my reaction to that and the Green Monster

Josh Hamilton is good enough to be the best hitter in baseball by about a mile, but there's a lot of risk, for a team with a lot of bad contracts. The NL East could be fun to watch next season, outside of the Mets

Edit: I see the offer is 3 years for 85 million, which I actually don't mind at all. If ownership is willing to spend the money, you can really get value in giving more money upfront for shorter term. Lots of teams IMO would be much more wise to do that then these long term bloated contracts that save them money year to year, but they're also paying top dollar for the decline years of these players.

This has been a really exciting baseball offseason!

[bluejays]

I'm shocked that Hamilton didn't get a longer term offer from a sucker GM. There really has to be something us fans don't know about the guy behind the scenes. His personal situation, though he seems to be recovering and totally grounded, is probably far from it when the best hitter in baseball only gets a 3 year deal (albeit a large sum). These are the same GM's offering Prince "Baby Fat" Fielder an 8 year deal when in 5 his knees and hips won't be able to funtion as they do today. Hamilton at 3 years seems like much better value.

As a side note, apparently when A-Rod signed that crazy deal years back, it was written in his contract that he has to be paid the highest in baseball by $1. If anyone got more per year than he did, his team would have to bump his salary to beat that player by $1. If my math is correct with Hamilton getting $28M and change per season, does A-Rod get more? Crazy stuff.

[GirlySports]

Because baseball GMs are smart!

Also Hamilton plays the outfield unlike Fielder. Fielder will be fine, we'll only be 36 when that contract ends and for a really big guy he's pretty fit. He's never gets hurt and worst case scenario he can DH like Ortiz who's 37 now and still going.

[TitovFTW]

Money, Money, Money Money....MONNNEEYYYY!!
Hamilton about to sign with the Angels. My god that is a scary trio of batters to get through. Trout, Pujols, Hamilton.

[TitovFTW]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Because baseball GMs are smart!

Also Hamilton plays the outfield unlike Fielder. Fielder will be fine, we'll only be 36 when that contract ends and for a really big guy he's pretty fit. He's never gets hurt and worst case scenario he can DH like Ortiz who's 37 now and still going.

Ortiz is a little bit of an anomaly, his numbers are sooo good, he's actually gotten better as he's gotten older. Very rare to see a batter actually do that. I agree Fielder is not like a Mo Vaughn, just rotting away as a 300 lb frame. I think people often look over the skill of staying healthy, as you point out, which is huge. The Tigers do need to win a World Series in the next few seasons for it to be a good contract however. The A-Rod contract looks so bad now, but the Yankees don't care, they got so much value out of him early on. Fielder at that pay rate is soo much to be spending on your DH position down the line. That's why it's important the Tigers win now.

[TitovFTW]

Vernon Wells is owed 42 million over the next two seasons. The money is in LA baseball players

[jschick88]

If Hamilton deal gets done and Bourjos hits the market, source says Angels have shown interest in R.A. Dickey. Peter Bourjos good Mets fit.

https://twitter.com/JeffPassan

[jschick88]

Josh Hamilton deal is worth $125 million over 5 years, source confirms ESPN Dallas report.
https://twitter.com/jonmorosi

[fundmark19]

stupid angels! Let tori go and picked up Josh. Hopefully they choke again!

[TitovFTW]

Mother of god the Rangers have 50 million tied up next season in Pujols and Hamilton. 5 years sure is a lot.