2025 Major League Baseball Thread

[Jellybeans]

Originally Posted by supersix4

Yeah, I had a ton of time to watch him here in DC and even with little help, he was quite a good hitter. NOW with that being said it never translates perfect to the American League, but if you got him don't be shocked if he's quite good.

Wasn't Johnson with the Yanks before and got traded to Expos?

[toef]

Originally Posted by Jellybeans

Wasn't Johnson with the Yanks before and got traded to Expos?

Yes and yes.

He was part of the trade for Javier Vasquez. Crazy that that was 6 years ago already. Time flies.

[Jellybeans]

Originally Posted by toefer

Yes and yes.

He was part of the trade for Javier Vasquez. Crazy that that was 6 years ago already. Time flies.

And they want him back ?

[toef]

Originally Posted by Jellybeans

And they want him back ?

Sure, why not? He was once considered a top Yankee prospect (Peter Gammons even predicted he'd be the 1st baseman of the decade) but they had to trade him to get Vasquez, because I guess they figured they were fine with Giambi at first, and needed some help with the rotation.

I'd gladly take Nick Johnson over re-signing Damon. Both are decent hitters, but Johnson is an excellent defensive player at first-base, so whether he's giving Teix the day off at 1st, or just hitting as the DH, Johnson helps the team. His career on-base-percentage is over .400, so if Girardi bats Johnson 2nd in the lineup, that will certainly help Teix and A-Rod with RBIs.

This guy was the Nats clean-up hitter. He's not just a bum off the free agent market.

[supersix4]

Originally Posted by toefer

Sure, why not? He was once considered a top Yankee prospect (Peter Gammons even predicted he'd be the 1st baseman of the decade) but they had to trade him to get Vasquez, because I guess they figured they were fine with Giambi at first, and needed some help with the rotation.

I'd gladly take Nick Johnson over re-signing Damon. Both are decent hitters, but Johnson is an excellent defensive player at first-base, so whether he's giving Teix the day off at 1st, or just hitting as the DH, Johnson helps the team. His career on-base-percentage is over .400, so if Girardi bats Johnson 2nd in the lineup, that will certainly help Teix and A-Rod with RBIs.

This guy was the Nats clean-up hitter. He's not just a bum off the free agent market.

Yeah, I personally from watching him play think it would be a great sign, but like I said before I don't know what he'd do having to go against great pitching ALL the time, but if anyone can hit for OBP its him + with good protection in that line-up he should be MORE then fine.

[sfmarine]

Bye..Johnny..

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/yanke...ALlRHvP2xjR5YN

Matsui..now Damon..wtf What is with Johnny and leaving a team after he gets a ring lol. I don't like the moves that the Yanks have been making. I'm all for fresh players. Johnny is getting up there in age as well as Matsui but the Yanks need to keep that chemistry up to win another WS. Look @ what happened to the Marlins in '97 after they sold off the entire team. If the Yanks got Halladay, I may have been a little more optimistic but right now they are just dropping great players.

Instead..Halladay goes to the Phillies for Lee who goes to Seattle. The Yanks should have gone after both lol.

[Jellybeans]

Originally Posted by sfmarine

Bye..Johnny..

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/yanke...ALlRHvP2xjR5YN

Matsui..now Damon..wtf What is with Johnny and leaving a team after he gets a ring lol. I don't like the moves that the Yanks have been making. I'm all for fresh players. Johnny is getting up there in age as well as Matsui but the Yanks need to keep that chemistry up to win another WS. Look @ what happened to the Marlins in '97 after they sold off the entire team. If the Yanks got Halladay, I may have been a little more optimistic but right now they are just dropping great players.

Instead..Halladay goes to the Phillies for Lee who goes to Seattle. The Yanks should have gone after both lol.

I couldn't agree more!

Are the Yanks done shopping ? Where will Chapman end up ?

[supersix4]

Originally Posted by Jellybeans

I couldn't agree more!

Are the Yanks done shopping ? Where will Chapman end up ?

With the O's

[toef]

I like what the Yankees have done.

Nick Johnson is a good pick-up in my book. He's not significantly worse than Damon offensively, and is much better defensively. And he's 1/3rd of the price, and signed only for 1 year (with an option for a 2nd year, at the same $5.5 million price tag).

Granderson was a great pick-up in my book. They lost Austin Jackson, but at best they were hoping he'd develop into a Granderson-type player. Why not just get Granderson now, in case the Jackson thing doesn't pan out?

Damon was a nice guy, but he played his cards horribly wrong. Matsui was a great asset to the team this season, but who knows if he can repeat that next season.

A majority of the team is still intact, so I don't imagine there'll be any real chemistry shake-up.

Damon isn't completely gone yet. Ken Rosenthal (from FOX Sports) argues the Yankees should trade Swisher to make room for Damon to come back (both roster-wise and budget-wise). I'd rather they keep Swisher, and his clubhouse DJ'ing skills, not to mention he's 7 years younger.

If Damon wanted to stay with the Yankees, he should've been more realistic with his contract demands. No team wants to commit $13 million per season to a 38/39 year old, which is essentially what Damon was expecting, by asking for at least a 3-year/$39million deal.

Apparently the Braves are interested, but if Damon goes to Atlanta, he'll have to lower his asking price a bit, since a big part of his asking price to the Yankees was his value as a DH.

[Jellybeans]

Originally Posted by toefer

I like what the Yankees have done.

Nick Johnson is a good pick-up in my book. He's not significantly worse than Damon offensively, and is much better defensively. And he's 1/3rd of the price, and signed only for 1 year (with an option for a 2nd year, at the same $5.5 million price tag).

Granderson was a great pick-up in my book. They lost Austin Jackson, but at best they were hoping he'd develop into a Granderson-type player. Why not just get Granderson now, in case the Jackson thing doesn't pan out?

Damon was a nice guy, but he played his cards horribly wrong. Matsui was a great asset to the team this season, but who knows if he can repeat that next season.

A majority of the team is still intact, so I don't imagine there'll be any real chemistry shake-up.

Damon isn't completely gone yet. Ken Rosenthal (from FOX Sports) argues the Yankees should trade Swisher to make room for Damon to come back (both roster-wise and budget-wise). I'd rather they keep Swisher, and his clubhouse DJ'ing skills, not to mention he's 7 years younger.

If Damon wanted to stay with the Yankees, he should've been more realistic with his contract demands. No team wants to commit $13 million per season to a 38/39 year old, which is essentially what Damon was expecting, by asking for at least a 3-year/$39million deal.

Apparently the Braves are interested, but if Damon goes to Atlanta, he'll have to lower his asking price a bit, since a big part of his asking price to the Yankees was his value as a DH.

I guess, we have a more defensive team now!

Maybe, they will bring someone up from the farm team!

Which batters are left ?

[Jellybeans]

Selecting the All-Decade team

Source :http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/column...tim&id=4753935

[sfmarine]

Damon or Swisher....now that is a hard one! The Yankees had fun this year...the walk-offs and Burnett throwing shaving creme pies all over the place. Everyone says that was due in part with Girardi giving the team a rest and taking them to the pool hall. I miss baseball already. I'm still not sure if I'll make it down to Tampa for spring training. That's a really good time.

[Jellybeans]

I hope the Yanks aren't doing shopping!

I know they still can improve their team!

They can be invicible!

[Dexter Morgan]

Originally Posted by Jellybeans

And they want him back ?

Apparently they want Javier Vazquez back as well.

The New York Yankees have acquired right-hander Javier Vazquez from the Atlanta Braves for outfielder Melky Cabrera and left-hander Mike Dunn, sources told ESPN The Magazine senior writer Buster Olney.

The Braves also are sending right-hander Boone Logan to the Yankees, sources said, and the Yankees are sending the Braves $500,000 in the transaction.

Vazquez, with a 15-10 record, ranked second in the National League last season with 238 strikeouts and sixth in ERA at 2.87 as the No. 2 starter in the rotation. This is his second time around with the Yankees, having pitched in New York in 2004, when he went 14-10 with a 4.91 ERA.

This move opens the door for outfield moves for both teams. The Yankees now are expected to explore both the free-agent and trade markets for a left fielder. But they've continued to portray themselves as uninterested in anyone in the price range of Matt Holliday, Jason Bay or Johnny Damon.

One name that has been on their radar screen is Mark DeRosa, whose $6 million asking price is in the dollar area they appear willing to allocate.

The Braves free up somewhere in the neighborhood of $9 million in this trade -- shedding Vazquez's $11.5 million salary, minus the $3 million or so Cabrera figures to earn via arbitration, and getting the $500,000 in cash from the Yankees.

They're expected to use that money to add an outfield bat. Among the rumored possibilities: Bay and Damon, although both have been looking for more than the Braves would prefer to spend.

[toef]

Originally Posted by Blu Atlas

Apparently they want Javier Vazquez back as well.

That's kind of a bummer.

There was news last night that they were close to a deal on a new starting pitcher, but nobody knew who. If it ended up being Vasquez, that's kind of a let down.

Plus they lose Melky, and even though he wasn't the most amazing player, he did well enough. A couple years ago they sent him down to the minors for slacking off, and ever since returning to the majors, he's seemed to play well.

[Dexter Morgan]

Originally Posted by toefer

That's kind of a bummer.

There was news last night that they were close to a deal on a new starting pitcher, but nobody knew who. If it ended up being Vasquez, that's kind of a let down.

Plus they lose Melky, and even though he wasn't the most amazing player, he did well enough. A couple years ago they sent him down to the minors for slacking off, and ever since returning to the majors, he's seemed to play well.

Yeah, I was thinking that they'd go after Sheets. Javy was never that great in pinstripes, although not terrible either. Looks like just a short-term counter to the Lackey move, as he's in the final year of his contract.

[toef]

Originally Posted by Blu Atlas

Yeah, I was thinking that they'd go after Sheets. Javy was never that great in pinstripes, although not terrible either. Looks like just a short-term counter to the Lackey move, as he's in the final year of his contract.

Yeah, that sounds like a fair assessment of Vasquez. I think he's most remembered/blamed for the 2004 ALCS against Boston. The Yankees were already losing in the game, but when Vasquez gave up the grand slam to Damon, I think we all knew the game was over.

For Yankee fans who miss baseball, here's a video recap of the post-season:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htZOpGjU4sQ

[Dexter Morgan]

Originally Posted by toefer

Yeah, that sounds like a fair assessment of Vasquez. I think he's most remembered/blamed for the 2004 ALCS against Boston. The Yankees were already losing in the game, but when Vasquez gave up the grand slam to Damon, I think we all knew the game was over.

For Yankee fans who miss baseball, here's a video recap of the post-season:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htZOpGjU4sQ

That is still such a painful memory for me, just the way everything played out. Glad to see things back on track now though.

Although 15-10 2.87 is promising, it was against the N.L., and specifically the N.L. East. I know the Phils are great, but there aren't any other real great lineups in that division.

[Jellybeans]

Will Sheets be a Yankee and/or will Damon return ?

Would Mark De Rosa be a good acquisition ?

[Dexter Morgan]

Originally Posted by Jellybeans

Will Sheets be a Yankee or will Damon return ?

I would think that the Vazquez deal closes the door on acquiring Sheets. Looks like the 2010 staff will be something that resembles this:

1. Sabathia
2. Burnett
3. Pettitte
4. Vazquez
5. Hughes (if they put Chamberlain back in the pen)