MLB 2014-2015 Offseason Thread

EdRomero · Post by **EdRomero** » Mon Nov 24, 2014 12:17 pm

sancarlos wrote:I did forget about Ortiz. So, why were people complaining about Cespedes? I didn't just imagine that, did I?

There was a story leaked that coaches didn't like him because he ignored instructions. He also refused to play in RF. And he wasn't that good.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Mon Nov 24, 2014 12:19 pm

Ryan wrote:No idea where the too-Latin thing is coming from.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Mon Nov 24, 2014 12:29 pm

Aside from the whole white thing, Markakis would seem to be a pretty great fit in Boston, especially given the non-major contract he's likely to sign.

Brontoburglar · Post by **Brontoburglar** » Mon Nov 24, 2014 12:48 pm

Just want to point out again that at the trade deadline, the blowhard on KC talk radio wanted to trade Shields/Gordon for Cespedes/Milone.

I wish I was kidding.

howard · Post by **howard** » Mon Nov 24, 2014 12:56 pm

I love Panda. Obvs he will always live in my memories of these wonderful Octobers. But I am relieved to see him collect that money from another club (particularly not the Pads.) Too many question marks (weight, age 29 season coming up, inconsistency and long slumps, slightly declining contact last couple of years.) His much improved fielding of the last two years almost swayed me; but I bet Buster's glove will be just fine at 3B (and his move from behind the plate has to happen--see Joe Torre's career.)

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Mon Nov 24, 2014 1:03 pm

Not to mention ... 82nd out of 146 qualified hitters last year in oWAR. This is a playoff contract if there's ever been a playoff contract.

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » Mon Nov 24, 2014 1:08 pm

Rex wrote:5/90 seems to factor in that he might not play SS, no?

While 4/88 implies that he might manage and fly the team charter.

Post by **brian** » Mon Nov 24, 2014 1:24 pm

4/68 for Martinez doesn't look quite so bad all of the sudden. I'll bet Martinez's age 39 season is better than Sandoval's age 33 season.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Mon Nov 24, 2014 2:02 pm

This would be an amazing time for one of those alternate universe machines where we could get the Boston and mass reaction if the Yankees had signed Sandoval and Hanley.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Mon Nov 24, 2014 4:16 pm

Making certain assumptions, Forbes posits that, on contracts with essentially the same gross pay, Sandoval saves $7.6 million in taxes over the course of the contract, by playing for the Red Sox instead of the Giants.

Post by **brian** » Mon Nov 24, 2014 4:19 pm

sancarlos wrote:Making certain assumptions, Forbes posits that, on contracts with essentially the same gross pay, Sandoval saves $7.6 million in taxes over the course of the contract, by playing for the Red Sox instead of the Giants.

Guess he really should have signed with the Marlins or Astros then.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Fri Nov 28, 2014 9:54 pm

Pretty sure Beane has lost his mind.

EdRomero · Post by **EdRomero** » Fri Nov 28, 2014 10:00 pm

I like taking a chance on Lawrie, but why would you give up on Donaldson?

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Fri Nov 28, 2014 10:13 pm

Bigger question is what the fuck are you doing tearing up a team you thought was close enough to make the Russell for Samardzija trade to finish off?

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Fri Nov 28, 2014 10:19 pm

Lawrie's a nutcase, great trade for the Jays.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Fri Nov 28, 2014 10:31 pm

Lawrie could bring lunch every day and you can doubt the defensive stats completely and this is still a great trade. Beane has gone from a guy where every trade ranged from "love" to "I can see how this could end up a steal" to a guy making dopey, contradictory trades that would make Kenny Williams jealous.

Johnny Hotcakes · Post by **Johnny Hotcakes** » Fri Nov 28, 2014 10:38 pm

degenerasian wrote:Lawrie's a nutcase, great trade for the Jays.

Whenever the Fan 590 (sports radio station here in Toronto) has taken a breather from Leaf Talk recently, the subject has often been how much of a clubhouse cancer that noted dick Brett Lawrie apparently is. This trade should make prolific callers Mario from Etobicoke, Angelo from Mississauga, and Sal from Milton very happy. Can't wait to hear their takes on the drive in on Monday.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Fri Nov 28, 2014 10:46 pm

I feel like this was so close to being the right trade: Lawrie out, Beane the buyer ... but the return was supposed to be an overbuy like Josh Reddick or something.

Rex · Post by **Rex** » Fri Nov 28, 2014 10:50 pm

Canada's so white, white guys ruin the clubhouse

howard · Post by **howard** » Sat Nov 29, 2014 12:08 am

mister d wrote:Beane has gone from a guy where every trade ranged from "love" to "I can see how this could end up a steal" to a guy making dopey, contradictory trades that would make Kenny Williams jealous.

Beane - Sabean = Brady - Elway

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Sat Nov 29, 2014 2:45 am

Johnny Hotcakes wrote:
degenerasian wrote:Lawrie's a nutcase, great trade for the Jays.

Whenever the Fan 590 (sports radio station here in Toronto) has taken a breather from Leaf Talk recently, the subject has often been how much of a clubhouse cancer that noted dick Brett Lawrie apparently is. This trade should make prolific callers Mario from Etobicoke, Angelo from Mississauga, and Sal from Milton very happy. Can't wait to hear their takes on the drive in on Monday.

Really? They still talk about the Leafs?

Apparently the manager wanted more "mature adults" in the room.. Rasmus, Lawrie, Gose, Lind all gone.

EdRomero · Post by **EdRomero** » Tue Dec 02, 2014 11:16 pm

One industry source says he "knew" the Athletics would trade Josh Donaldson this winter, no matter how little baseball sense it made, because the All-Star and Beane were "at war" by season's end.

Multiple sources cite a verbal altercation between the two after Donaldson told manager Bob Melvin he needed a couple of days off after Oakland had played several days in a row. The story goes, Beane told Donaldson if he needed a couple of days off, the club should put him on the disabled list, and that made Donaldson unhappy.

While both Donaldson and Beane downplayed the incident in a couple of texts to the San Francisco Chronicle's terrific baseball writer, John Shea, the industry source described a different scenario to Bleacher Report.

"Donaldson told the manager he needed a blow, and [Bob] Melvin said, 'You got it,' " the source said. "Then that night's lineup came out and Billy asked, 'Where's Donaldson?' "

When told what happened, the source says, an angry Beane demanded that Melvin put Donaldson back into the lineup.

"They got into it in the coach's office," the source says, describing a scene in which Beane lit into Donaldson, with the third baseman reiterating his need for a day off and petulantly calling Beane "Billy Boy."

"Nobody talks to Billy that way," the source said. "It did not surprise me in the least that he got rid of Donaldson."

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2286 ... -and-later" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Post by **brian** » Fri Dec 05, 2014 10:15 am

Reports that the Yankees, Tigers and D-Backs are working on a three-deal deal involving Didi Gregorious going to NY. The last time those three teams did a big deal, the Tigers absolutely dominated the deal.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Fri Dec 05, 2014 10:26 am

The unnamed 4th player has to be the big deal in this one unless Dombrowski has a Fister-trade boner for Shane Greene.

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » Fri Dec 05, 2014 10:34 am

MmmmmmmmmDIDI CONN-ects!

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Fri Dec 05, 2014 10:39 am

Fister trade looks better and better for Dombrowski.

Post by **brian** » Fri Dec 05, 2014 10:51 am

mister d wrote:The unnamed 4th player has to be the big deal in this one unless Dombrowski has a Fister-trade boner for Shane Greene.

Yeah that doesn't make a whole lot of sense. You have to be right. I saw Robbie Ray was included. That's essentially Ray for Greene from the Tigers perspective, which I'm having trouble understanding. There's probably other players involved.

Post by **brian** » Fri Dec 05, 2014 10:53 am

Maybe he figured since he traded a dollar for two quarters in the Fister deal, he's going to take those two quarters and trade them for two nickels.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Fri Dec 05, 2014 10:58 am

The chatter says its actually Ray plus a minor leaguer for Greene.

On a certain level, I get it. There are plenty of people who believe Greene is real and put it together late, and if he's real and those peripherals stay anywhere in line, he's a #3 at worst. That's more valuable than Ray's upside, so I get the appeal, but there's also a decent chance he's a guy who pitches less than 100 games in the majors and you forget about him in a few years. Seemed more like someone we'd deal as the major league piece in a major trade versus a guy you'd flip in a one for one for one.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Fri Dec 05, 2014 10:59 am

(I think I dislike this more from the Detroit side just because of the continuation. If we traded Greene for Ray I don't think I'd really care for it.)

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Fri Dec 05, 2014 11:17 am

Domingo Leyba, SS prospect, from Detroit as well. MLBTR says BA listed him as their 5th overall in the system but BA tends to be a lot more stat-centric than most scouting orgs.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Fri Dec 05, 2014 11:20 am

By the by, I think its fair to pencil in one of the top FA starters for NY now.

Post by **brian** » Fri Dec 05, 2014 11:56 am

mister d wrote:By the by, I think its fair to pencil in one of the top FA starters for NY now.

And to continue that, Scherzer is definitely gone and I wouldn't be shocked if Price or Porcello (likely the latter) is dealt by Detroit. The rumored Porcello for Cespedes deal makes a lot of sense for both sides really. But I wouldn't be surprised to see him go to a team with a surplus of outfielders.

Gunpowder · Post by **Gunpowder** » Fri Dec 05, 2014 11:56 am

Detroit's had an outfield hole for awhile now, right? Cespedes does make a ton of sense.

Post by **brian** » Fri Dec 05, 2014 12:01 pm

Gunpowder wrote:Detroit's had an outfield hole for awhile now, right? Cespedes does make a ton of sense.

Yeah, they need somehow to get an above-average corner outfielder this offseason. If they deal Porcello for Cespedes, they've got a rotation of Price/Sanchez/Verlander/Greene/random rookie prospect, which is not bad at all really. And the offense would easily be top 5 in baseball assuming not too much of a dropoff from some of the aging guys like Cabrera, Kinsler and Martinez.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Fri Dec 05, 2014 12:02 pm

I would looooooove that deal for Boston.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Fri Dec 05, 2014 12:05 pm

Over his last 1,200+ PA, Cespedes has a sub .300 OBP and sub .200 isoP and yet he's treated like this middle of the lineup hammer teams should be lining up for.

Brontoburglar · Post by **Brontoburglar** » Fri Dec 05, 2014 12:52 pm

mister d wrote:Over his last 1,200+ PA, Cespedes has a sub .300 OBP and sub .200 isoP and yet he's treated like this middle of the lineup hammer teams should be lining up for.

Porcello for Cespedes makes me optimistic about the Central.

I have no idea what the Royals are going to do about RF though.

Gunpowder · Post by **Gunpowder** » Fri Dec 05, 2014 1:24 pm

mister d wrote:Over his last 1,200+ PA, Cespedes has a sub .300 OBP and sub .200 isoP and yet he's treated like this middle of the lineup hammer teams should be lining up for.

Sounds like a hitter version of pre-2013 Porcello.

Post by **brian** » Fri Dec 05, 2014 2:17 pm

Porcello will thrive if he ever gets to play somewhere with an even average IF defense. But the Tigers aren't re-signing him or Price most likely so if they can sell somewhat high on Porcello then great. I know Cespedes is overrated but he's in a contract year and is an upgrade over any options the Tigers have at OF right now. It's a relatively fair deal for both teams even if I agree Boston would be getting the better of it.