2025 Major League Baseball Thread

[Hi-Def Steve]

Originally Posted by fatediesel

I don't think this is a bad deal for the Padres. Gonzalez is a free agent after next season and there was no way they could afford to keep him, and by trading him now they were able to get some great prospects. Casey Kelly is the Red Sox top prospect and though he struggled last season in Double-A he is still thought to have a very high ceiling. They are also getting high prospects in 21-year old first basemen Anthony Rizzo, Boston's third-ranked prospect, and 19-year old outfielder Reymond Fuentes, Boston's tenth-ranked prospect.

I know the deal fell through. But I still wanted to comment. As great as the prospects are for the Padres in 5 years time they will be flipped back to the likes of the Yankees, Redsox, etc. The Royals, Padres, Rays, etc are nothing more than developmental teams for the rich teams.

[Belloche]

Originally Posted by Duffy12

From steve839 over on the Nationals board-

"Look, I know the contract is awful, but the Nats need to overpay for major FA's to play here. It's simple economics."




Right, and as long as there is no salary cap and teams like the Yankee$*** and Red Sox get first dibs on free agents, it is either this way, or wait about ten more years for the draft picks to work out.

I'm not knocking them for trying. I just don't think Werth is the kind of game changer that should get that kind of money. Werth is a great player who does a lot of things right, but if his career declines the Nats are going to be stuck with him and that kind of bad contract can cripple your payroll. I consider myself an expert on bad contracts because I'm a lifelong Mets fan. The Mets have turned being stuck with bad contracts into an art form.

[Duffy12]

Originally Posted by Belloche

I'm not knocking them for trying. I just don't think Werth is the kind of game changer that should get that kind of money. Werth is a great player who does a lot of things right, but if his career declines the Nats are going to be stuck with him and that kind of bad contract can cripple your payroll. I consider myself an expert on bad contracts because I'm a lifelong Mets fan. The Mets have turned being stuck with bad contracts into an art form.

I absolutely agree with you.

But they have been going nowhere for the last six straight years. They might be grasping at straws now, who knows, we will have to wait and see what comes out of the winter meetings.

At least the team's owner happens to be the richest in MLB.

[supersix4]

Originally Posted by Duffy12

From steve839 over on the Nationals board-

"Look, I know the contract is awful, but the Nats need to overpay for major FA's to play here. It's simple economics."




Right, and as long as there is no salary cap and teams like the Yankee$*** and Red Sox get first dibs on free agents, it is either this way, or wait about ten more years for the draft picks to work out.

Yeah but if Harper and Stras pan out those two right there will be even bigger contracts and if those homegrown guys don't get big deals here thats when I have a problem with it. This should be as big a market as them if we win and/or get a rich owner *see Snyder he could give the yankees a run for their money spending wise if he owned a baseball team.

[Hi-Def Steve]

I just don't get that Werth contract. Are they expecting to be serious contenders right now? Why not save that money for a real impact player when their young guys are developed enough?

[Duffy12]

Originally Posted by Hi-Def Steve

I just don't get that Werth contract. Are they expecting to be serious contenders right now? Why not save that money for a real impact player when their young guys are developed enough?

My guess is that they are tired of waiting(six years straight so far) and their owner who happens to be 85 years old as we speak, wants to see a playoff game before he passes on. Right now Rizzo is commenting that they are not finished in big signings this off season, and will continue to aggressively go after more players either through free agency or a trade with another club. After all, Brice Harper can't do it all.

We will see what happens here shortly.

Fingers crossed.



- EDIT -


from rotoworld-

"The Nationals' offer for Werth was so far beyond what everyone else was offering that agent Scott Boras didn't bother to ask other teams if they wanted to match, tweets Jayson Stark of ESPN."



.

[fatediesel]

So the Red Sox trade for Adrian Gonzalez has gone through, with no contract extension in place. Gonzalez was looking for a deal similar to Mark Tiexiera's 8-year, $180 million deal, and the Red Sox were offering around a 6-year, $120 million deal. The Red Sox offer also included some protection if Gonzalez had problems with his surgically-repaired shoulder. The story says a compromise of a 7-year deal at around $22 million per year might get the deal done. The Red Sox have given up their 1st, 3rd, and 10th ranked prospects so they are going to want to get a deal done before Gonzalez becomes a free agent after the upcoming season.

http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/mlb...ory?id=5887824

[supersix4]

Originally Posted by fatediesel

So the Red Sox trade for Adrian Gonzalez has gone through, with no contract extension in place. Gonzalez was looking for a deal similar to Mark Tiexiera's 8-year, $180 million deal, and the Red Sox were offering around a 6-year, $120 million deal. The Red Sox offer also included some protection if Gonzalez had problems with his surgically-repaired shoulder. The story says a compromise of a 7-year deal at around $22 million per year might get the deal done. The Red Sox have given up their 1st, 3rd, and 10th ranked prospects so they are going to want to get a deal done before Gonzalez becomes a free agent after the upcoming season.

http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/mlb...ory?id=5887824

WHAT is theo doing!

[kpkelley]

Originally Posted by supersix4

WHAT is theo doing!

Rumor is that a deal has been agreed to, and will be signed the day after the start of spring training.(in order to avoid luxury tax implications for the upcoming season)

Finally Youkilis will be paired with a legitimate no.4 hitter.

I'm glad the Sox were able to get this deal done without including Bucholz, Bard, or Iglesias.

[supersix4]

Originally Posted by kpkelley

I'm glad the Sox were able to get this deal done without including Bucholz, Bard, or Iglesias.

Just every other prospect thats worth something. Like I said an NL guy who will now have to play in the best division in baseball, until he wins a gold glove with the sox and actually hits, its a fail on that trade.

Just look at Matt Holliday epic playoff performance, hit .321 on the season in 2008...Then just over halfway into his stint with an AL team he was only hitting .286

On another note I don't know how I feel about the O's getting Mark Reynolds and giving up Hernandez and Kam.

[kpkelley]

Originally Posted by supersix4

Just every other prospect thats worth something. Like I said an NL guy who will now have to play in the best division in baseball, until he wins a gold glove with the sox and actually hits, its a fail on that trade.

An NL guy who had an OPS well north of .900 when he wasn't playing in that hitter's graveyard of a home ballpark. Moving to an AL team with a nice big wall for him to bounce balls off of, and a right field fence they are moving in.

All of the prospects are still years away from helping a Major League club, and the Sox have depth in their system to cover the losses. (NTM additional picks this upcoming draft with the leaving of free agents Martinez and Beltre).

Casey Kelly was their no.1 prospect and top pitching prospect in the organization, but they still have Bucholz who was arguably the best pitcher on the sox last season, and prospects Ranaudo, Workman, and Pimentel.

Rizzo had an excellent season at hi-A and double A Portland, but at just 20 years old he still had some maturing to do before he could help the big club. Furthermore, he would now have a fairly significant block in front of his progression seeing as he plays the same position as Gonzalez.

Rey Fuentes, better known as the 19-year old cousin of Carlos Beltran, spent 2010 in low-A Greenville. The Sox are fairly well stacked in center with Cameron and Ellsbury at the major league level, with a little bit of Kalish thrown in, Josh Reddick in triple A, Che-Hsuan Lin in Double-A, and Jeremy Hazelbaker in low-A.

[kpkelley]

Originally Posted by supersix4

Just look at Matt Holliday epic playoff performance, hit .321 on the season in 2008...Then just over halfway into his stint with an AL team he was only hitting .286

Yeah, but Holliday went from a hitter-friendly ballpark in the NL where he was a much better performer at home than on the road to Oakland, one of the most pitcher-friendly parks in the AL. Remember this is the park that made us all think that Barry Zito was a good pitcher.

[supersix4]

Originally Posted by kpkelley

An NL guy who had an OPS well north of .900 when he wasn't playing in that hitter's graveyard of a home ballpark. Moving to an AL team with a nice big wall for him to bounce balls off of, and a right field fence they are moving in.

Thats true he would have a much better ballpark to hit in... I guess I just don't like selling the farm especially for a batter, when we saw the yankees do that for years and come up short.

[kpkelley]

Holliday away stats 2008(66 Games)

.308/.405/.486/.892 10HR, 29 RBI


Gonzalez away stats 2010(81 Games)

.314/.402/.578/.980 20HR, 59 RBI

[kpkelley]

Originally Posted by supersix4

Thats true he would have a much better ballpark to hit in... I guess I just don't like selling the farm especially for a batter, when we saw the yankees do that for years and come up short.

Understandable, but I don't see it as selling the farm if the prospects are no where near ML ready.

If the Sox can find a market for Dice-K or Papelbon, they may replace some of those prospects or add a LF to the major league squad.

[supersix4]

Originally Posted by kpkelley

Holliday away stats 2008(66 Games)

.308/.405/.486/.892 10HR, 29 RBI


Gonzalez away stats 2010(81 Games)

.314/.402/.578/.980 20HR, 59 RBI

I wish I was as confident as you lol, we'll we've got 82 more days till were deep in spring training I hope I'm wrong.

Originally Posted by kpkelley

If the Sox can find a market for Dice-K or Papelbon, they may replace some of those prospects or add a LF to the major league squad.

I love Papelbon on the team but he's been going down hill since the last WS. All I can say about him is I'm glad they got a Championship out of that deal... If he can start off like 5-0 or 10-2 I'd dump him real quick at the first good deal that came up.

[fatediesel]

Originally Posted by kpkelley

If the Sox can find a market for Dice-K or Papelbon, they may replace some of those prospects or add a LF to the major league squad.

The only way they can trade Dice-K is if they pick up nearly all of his salary or take back another horrible contract. I can't see a market for Papelbon either after the season he's coming off of and since he's a year away and will make around $11 million this year.

[supersix4]

Originally Posted by fatediesel

I can't see a market for Papelbon either after the season he's coming off of and since he's a year away and will make around $11 million this year.

I hope he turns it around and gets his stuff back

Had they not won a championship with Dice-K I think that trade would come up as contending for one of the worst, but they did so that won't happen


http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/s...e=MLBHeadlines

Orioles get Mark Reynolds... Trading away the very few average pitchers we have Oh well at least I'll get to see home runs (and a ton of strikeouts)

[kpkelley]

Originally Posted by supersix4

I wish I was as confident as you lol, we'll we've got 82 more days till were deep in spring training I hope I'm wrong.



I love Papelbon on the team but he's been going down hill since the last WS. All I can say about him is I'm glad they got a Championship out of that deal... If he can start off like 5-0 or 10-2 I'd dump him real quick at the first good deal that came up.

Projected Lineup:

1.Ellsbury
2.Pedroia
3.Youkilis
4.Gonzalez
5.Drew
6.Ortiz
7.Kalish/Cameron
8.Saltalamachia/Varitek
9.Scutaro

The only issue I have with that lineup is the 5-hole. I would prefer a right-handed hitter with some power to help protect Gonzalez. Justin Upton would be perfect, but that doesn't seem likely. Rumors are that the sox may offer a contract to an established veteran like Magglio Ordonez.

I much prefer trading young prospects while their value is still high, rather than guys who are on Major League team or on the cusp of contributing.

I wasn't a fan of Victor "double play" Martinez' bat, but the Sox will miss Beltre's presence in the lineup if they can't get another corner outfielder.

[kpkelley]

Originally Posted by fatediesel

The only way they can trade Dice-K is if they pick up nearly all of his salary or take back another horrible contract. I can't see a market for Papelbon either after the season he's coming off of and since he's a year away and will make around $11 million this year.

I think Dice-K would be a good fit for the no pitch count Texas Rangers.