MLB chatter 2009-10: The Offseason

[Skywalker]

Loving the Lackey acquisition. That's a scary top three the Red Sox have going for them next season. Now if they could just sign Beckett to another extension...

Beckett, Lester, Lackey, Dice-K, Buchholz.

Provided we get the "good" Dice-K and Buch, that's a very nice rotation. However, I'd like to see the Sox shore up the hitting with another big bat (especially if Bay goes as is almost certainly the case).

I really think the Gonzalez for Buchholz swap talks are gonna start heating up over the next week.

It's going to take a lot more than just Buchholz to pry Gonzalez away from the Padres. A straight swap isn't going to happen.

 

[Tim]

^ And I'd like to see Buch stay with the Sox. He was showing hints of greatness last season.

 

[Tom Servo]

Loving the Lackey acquisition. That's a scary top three the Red Sox have going for them next season. Now if they could just sign Beckett to another extension...

Provided we get the "good" Dice-K and Buch, that's a very nice rotation. However, I'd like to see the Sox shore up the hitting with another big bat (especially if Bay goes as is almost certainly the case).

I really think the Gonzalez for Buchholz swap talks are gonna start heating up over the next week.

It's going to take a lot more than just Buchholz to pry Gonzalez away from the Padres. A straight swap isn't going to happen.

Oh I realize that, its gonna take more then him.

Mike Cameron is now the Red Sox LF. Good move by Theo. Cost effective.

 

[Skywalker]

There has been speculation that the Lackey deal is part of a potential prelude to a deal for Gonzalez. The Red Sox are likely trying to lock Beckett up long-term, and once that's done, Buccholz will pretty much be expendable and could be part of a package to send to San Diego. The Mike Lowell deal would need to go through so that the Sox could send their acquisition from the Rangers over to San Diego along with Buccholz and whoever else.

As for the Cameron signing, it looks like Boston is very likely now out of the Bay/Holliday sweepstakes (though it never really seemed like they were after Holliday anyway). Thanks for the season and a half, Jason, but I'd rather have both Cameron and Gonzalez over Bay alone.

 

[Tim]

^ I can see the logic there, but would be a bit concerned at pitching depth if Buchholz goes and Dice-K has another bad year (at which point I'd want him dealt). So I guess we'd have something like:

Beckett, Lester, Lackey, Dice-K, Buchholz/Wakefield.

Not too bad. Now if they can lock up the outfield, I'm happy.

 

[Scout101]

Honestly, though, how much pitching depth can you really plan for? In your scenario, you've already got 2 of the starting 5 going down with serious injury/suckitude.

Nice to have backup plans, but only so many injuries you can plan for, anyway. Always Bowden, Tazawa, etc you can call on if stuck.

Don't get me wrong, Beckett, Lester, Lackey, Buchholz, Dice-K is a pretty stacked, video game-like rotation, but if you have to get by with only 3 aces, and Dice-k (who has the ability to get there, or at least be solid mid-rotation), and then scrape together a 5th spot out of Wakefield and spare (or sign another back of rotation guy), you'll probably be fine. Especially if the result of losing Buchholz (and yeah, a few big chips in the minors) is an absolute STUD 1B with solid defense, and whose swing translates into destroying the ball in Fenway, then you can suck it up with 3.5 Aces out of 5

Not sure that's the route they're going to go, as momentum looks like it could go towards Beltre, but it's a possibility. Downside to beltre (aside from injury and questionable hitting) would be that it would lock up 1st and 3rd for a while, and a bunch of big masher 1B guys are coming up on free agency. With the Yankees locked in at the corner infield positions for the next decade, that would be the Red Sox chance to get one of those big guys without the Yankees rumored to be in the mix, and they'd avoid paying the Yankee tax on free agents. If Beltre means you can't take a crack at Prince Fielder, or try and trade for Gonzalez when he becomes available, then no thanks...

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Lackey to the Red Sox, Halladay to the Phillies, Lee to the Mariners.

HUGE day for baseball.

I was a bit perplexed that the Phillies would give up Lee for Halladay, but it's obvious both are great pitchers, so I'll be optimistic for the season. I think it depends more on Cole Hamels than anything else for how well we do overall, though.

It's nice to have a righty either way (no if only we could get a right-handed bat).

 

[Aragorn]

^ It's strictly about who the Phillies can lock up to some sort of contract.

 

[Skywalker]

Honestly, though, how much pitching depth can you really plan for? In your scenario, you've already got 2 of the starting 5 going down with serious injury/suckitude.

Nice to have backup plans, but only so many injuries you can plan for, anyway. Always Bowden, Tazawa, etc you can call on if stuck.

Don't get me wrong, Beckett, Lester, Lackey, Buchholz, Dice-K is a pretty stacked, video game-like rotation, but if you have to get by with only 3 aces, and Dice-k (who has the ability to get there, or at least be solid mid-rotation), and then scrape together a 5th spot out of Wakefield and spare (or sign another back of rotation guy), you'll probably be fine. Especially if the result of losing Buchholz (and yeah, a few big chips in the minors) is an absolute STUD 1B with solid defense, and whose swing translates into destroying the ball in Fenway, then you can suck it up with 3.5 Aces out of 5

Absolutely. A team cannot win on pitching alone. And I've got a really good feeling about Matsuzaka this coming season. Earlier I didn't think there was any serious chance that the Red Sox were even going to go after Gonzalez; now I think it's a very real possibility, and I'd love to see it happen.

As for Beltre...no. Please, no. If we can't get Gonzalez, I'd rather move Youkilis to third and go with short-term first basemen until those aforementioned big boppers start becoming available. Beltre isn't worth the money he'll be looking for.

 

[Tim]

^ Yeah, I'd like someone young and injury-free to fill the slugger role, not some stop-gap.

As for Dice-K, it is indeed a role of the dice to see which pitcher we get this season. It would also help if they simply not allow him to pitch in the WBC, which seemed to set up a terrible season for him last year.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

As for Dice-K, it is indeed a role of the dice

I see what you did there.

 

[Tim]

As for Dice-K, it is indeed a role of the dice

I see what you did there.

I is wily, mon.

 

[Timby]

As if the world needed more proof that Jim Hendry rides the short bus, he just swapped a hitter who runs his mouth, is a "clubhouse cancer," butts heads with the team and fans, and basically is an all-around douche with a pitcher who also runs his mouth, is also a "clubhouse cancer," who also butts heads with the team and fans, and is also an all-around douche.

Milton Bradley for Carlos Silva. You have to be fucking joking.

Wonderful, Jim. Bravo. When the Cubs suck again, Silva will just sit in the corner and bitch about how everyone is a lazy sack of shit, while he puts up a 5+ ERA.

Hendry, go stick your head in an oven, you fat piece of shit.

 

[Mallory]

I'm so not looking forward to having to read all about Bradley on the front page of my sports section all next season. It was bad enough when "The Wacky Adventures of Milton Bradley" was limited to a paragraph on page 8 or 9 last season.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Looks like Mike Lowell will not end up in Texas after all, because of surgery he will need. Linky

 

[bbailey861]

Lackey to the Red Sox, Halladay to the Phillies, Lee to the Mariners.

HUGE day for baseball.

And the Yankees are not involved. That's great news, even though Lackey to the Red Sox is a bit scary. At least Halladay didn't go to New York, like what I heard as speculation.

Yeah, I'm just glad we didn't lose him to New York or Boston. That would have been ugly.

And hopefully we get a nice corps of new youngsters out of the deal, but it sucks to be "rebuilding" yet again...

Very happy he went NL. The continual building does suck, though.

You got to love the people on the Toronto Star website, some of which are saying they'll never go to a Jays game again, some wishing for the team to be moved to America, and the whole lot putting down people calling this a good trade.

http://www.thestar.com/sports/baseb...alladay-to-phillies-reports-say?bn=1#comments

The Jays aren't even close to contending. If we were a player or two away, maybe this trade can be criticized, but that is not the case.

I hear ya. I listened to some of the same thing here at work. Oh, I'll never go to another game again, blah, blah, blah. When i asked how many games they went to last year - or the year before, over half of them said none. When I asked them "what the f___", why are you even commenting on the trade - I wasn't surprised to find a bunch of people shut up fast.

As for the trade itself - well, clearly something had to be done. Unlike many of the 'fans' of the Expos, I won't be jumping ship. I still like going to the Skydome (I don't/won't call it the RC).

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I hear ya. I listened to some of the same thing here at work. Oh, I'll never go to another game again, blah, blah, blah. When i asked how many games they went to last year - or the year before, over half of them said none. When I asked them "what the f___", why are you even commenting on the trade - I wasn't surprised to find a bunch of people shut up fast.

I hate it when people act like that. Players get traded - it's a fact. People who bolt from their teams just because their favorite player, or any player, gets traded, are worse than fair-weather fans.

I mean, I'll be sad to see Hit-deki in an Angels uniform (just like with Abreu) but it's not like I'll stop being a Yanks fan because of it. Or if Johnny Damon ends up with another team.

Speaking of Damon, looks like he's found a new thing... linky

EDIT: Melky to the Braves and Javier Vazquez to the Yanks? Interesting.

 

[Starbreaker]

I'm sad to see Vazquez go. He is a phenomenal strike-out machine who is actually pretty decent with a bat. This all boiled down to not being able to get rid of Derek Lowe and the desperate need for an outfielder who can hit better than .200

 

[SmoothieX]

That 15 win season will drop to 11 or 12 in the much stronger AL East. Still a reliable arm at the back of the rotation is a nice thing to have.

 

[bbailey861]

Speaking of Damon, looks like he's found a new thing... linky

I saw that today while having one at the pub. Loved it - Damon looked like he was having fun.