MLB Offseason/Hot Stove Thread

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Here's where you can keep up to date on every teams offseason moves, or at least the important ones. Some columns to give you the low down on team needs:

Grantland's Jonah Keri:
AL Preview: http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7297568/american-league
NL Preview: http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7303082/national-league

ESPN's Sweetspot Blog:
http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot

SI's MLB Page:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/?eref=sinav&sct=hp_nv_a##?sct=mlb_bf2_a1

While I do think you could manage to find this yourself, their preview for every team is near the bottom of the page on the left hand side.

MLB Trade Rumors:
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/

The best spot for up to date news and notes. Not as much analysis although it does give its share and is quicker with the news, I believe.

Foxsports.com:
Ken Rosenthal: http://msn.foxsports.com/writer/Ken_Rosenthal
John Paul Morosi: http://msn.foxsports.com/writer/Jon_Paul_Morosi

Both hand out interesting columns and give their fair share of news updates.

Free Agent Tracker:
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2012-mlb-free-agents

It does include guys who've had team options as well (such as Robinson Cano) but that's beside the point.

Those are some nice places to get you started. Should I find other interesting sites I'll post them here, although those are the main few I check for news/columns. Winter meetings start in a little over 3 days, which is normally where the big trades occur. I'll offer some insight on what I think the Tigers should do and where certain players (such as Pujols, Fielder, Reyes, and Wilson) I think would best fit later on.

 

[Megatron]

There haven't been many big deals happening so far, but there have been a few notable deals. Here's my take on a handful of them:

"Phillies have agreed to terms with RHP Jonathan Papelbon on a four-year contract."

In his 6 full seasons Paps has been a top closer in 5 of them, with only 2010 being an aberration. He obviously knows how to handle the pressure in a big market like Philly so that shouldn't be a problem and will be inserted into that role right away since Ryan Madson likely isn't returning. However, he is already 30 and 50 million for any closer seems a bit too much when you arguably can find guys almost as effective for a much cheaper price. Plus, the Phillies could've spent some of that money instead on trying to extend Cole Hamels, who will be a FA after next year. I know they're in 'win now' mode, but Cole is gonna be their guy once Doc and Lee are gone. Now their chances of keeping him aren't that great. I don't mind them going after a top closer, but I think for the amount of money they offered and for what else they had available this deal probably wasn't their biggest need.

"Rangers have agreed to terms with RHP Joe Nathan on a two-year contract"

Another deal, another closer. I actually like this deal. The Rangers have always wanted to move Feliz into the rotation and, after seeing the successes of CJ Wilson and Alexi Ogando from bullpen to starter, I trust Mike Maddux into making this guy a capable starter. Nathan is returning to his home state and, while already 37, a two year deal isn't crippling at all. He was coming back from an arm injury last year which explains why it was his worst season since 2000 with the Giants. This is the kind of safe gamble the Rangers can make since they have won the AL the past 2 seasons. Should he bounce back to his 2002-09 form with the Twins, they got a steal and will have a great back end of the pen with Nathan and Adams as their 8-9 guys. The Rangers don't have many holes to fill, but adding Nathan will help them move another guy back into the rotation, which is always more valuable then a bullpen guy.

"Royals have traded OF Melky Cabrera to San Francisco for LHP Jonathan Sanchez and LHP Ryan Verdugo"

Heres a trade that I think makes sense for both sides. The Royals rotation was pretty weak behind Bruce Chen (who they brought back on a 2 year deal) and Cabrera was expendable with his trade value at his highest after a 200 hit season. He missed some time last year but the guy can be very hit or miss, both literally and figuratively. He has averaged over 9 K/9 since 2009, but he will walk a few as well. While the NL West has some pitchers parks (AT&T, Dodger Stadium, Petco) if he plays to his potential like he did in the Giants WS run last year they'll have a formidable 1-2 punch.

As for the Giants, they needed another bat. When your pitching is #2 in the league behind teh Phillies and you don't make the playoffs you know what your problem is. Cabrera doesn't have great speed by any means but had a career year in KC. He's only 27 as well and could help move either Andres Torres or Nate Schierholz to a 4th OF spot. Does he increase their offense a ton? no, however, he does get them a bit younger and is a pretty decent singles/doubles hitter.

A fair trade for both sides, with the Royals getting a more risk/reward player and the Giants getting a guy who has been a little more consistent and is still very young.

"Royals have agreed to terms with RHP Jonathan Broxton on a one-year contract."

Another risk/reward take here. Broxton pitched only 12 2/3 innings last year after being done with an arm injury and really fell off a cliff in the 2nd half in 2010, but before that he had 4 really good to great years in the pen for the Dodgers. He won't be taking over as the closer but should be another arm to use in the bullpen. If he bombs, it's only a 1 year deal and they can cut their ties. If he pitches like he did pre-2010 2nd half form, they got a bargain and could try to renegotiate a deal with him. The best thing to see is that the Royals aren't sitting on their hands and are making moves to try to add nice pieces around the young and upcoming prospects they have already like Hosmer, Moustakas, etc.

"Angels have acquired C Chris Iannetta from Colorado for RHP Tyler Chatwood."

Jeff Mathis was absolute garbage offensively for the Angels so them getting Iannetta on the surface appears to be a smart move due to the fact that he puts up decent numbers and walks well for a catcher, but we have to remember that he did play at Coors Field, which will boost up the numbers a tad. Here's his Home/Road splits from last year:

Home: 56 Games, .301/.419/.557
Away: 54 Games, .172/.321/.266

Hmm, shocking, isn't it. His BA is down by almost .130, his OBP is almost down by .100, and his slugging is down by almost .300. Jeff Mathis was worse then this, amazingly, and there should be more production out of the catcher position, but I don't think it'll be a great improvement.

Chatwood is a young arm and the Rockies need pitching, but what he did in his first year in LA wasn't very impressive. He didn't K a lot of guys (although that should go up, theoretically, since he will be getting pitchers to AB instead of DH's and the NL West has some shitty hitting teams except Arizona) and walked nearly as much. He's only 21 so there's some hope he can pull it up, but his ceiling may be a back end guy, which isn't neccessarily bad for the Rockies since they have Jhoulys Chacin, Jorge De La Rosa, and the 2 prospects (Alex White and Drew Pomeranz) from the Indians who they hope can produce in the near future.

A wash of the trade that I don't expect to effect either teams much, although I may slightly give the nod to the Rockies since Iannetta produced mostly at Coors and Chatwood is still a young arm that should pitch better in the NL simply by being in the NL.

"Cubs have agreed to terms with OF David DeJesus on a two-year contract."

The first real signing of the Epstein Era kinda gives you the 'meh' kind of reaction. While Dejesus is a fine player that can field well and will start immediately, he's more then likely not going to be apart of the next Cubs playoff team. In fact, neither will Marlon Bryd or Alfonso Soriano, who likely will be the other two OFs for a few years. In fact when you look at it, the only guys on the 2011 Cubs that appear like they'll be in the franchises deep look plans are Starlin Castro and Darwin Barney on offense and possibly Matt Garza for pitching, although he's available for arbitration after next season. The Cubs could be best off trading away any guys worth a damn with expiring contracts (Bryd, Dempster, Zambrano, maybe even Garza) and try to get a few young minor league guys who either have potential or are almost major league ready. You may not get much for the first 3, but Garza should be capable of gaining a position player or two ready within the next year.

I'll come back later for some more deals, although it could be a bit since the winter meetings (which as I said are where the big trades are made) is to begin midnight on Monday. Don't be shy, though. Come in and talk about what your team should do or where Pujols/Fielder/Reyes/Wilson/etc. seem to be likely heading.

 

[Harthan]

I'll address other teams' moves later, but I wanted to get my two cents in on the Indians' offseason so far, and what I think still needs to be addressed.

Acquisition of Derek Lowe - The Indians traded a no-biggie reliever prospect for Lowe, and it's a move I like. A seasoned starter is a necessity. Huff or Gomez might have picked up the back end of the rotation, but they were inconsistent last year and not somebody I want to put all my faith into from the get-go. I like them as replacement options when someone in the rotation inevitably gets hurt, especially Huff, who showed a lot of promise to me as a great starter. Lowe had a rough season last year, high ERA, negative WAR, a career number of losses, so on, so forth. I haven't got the time to analyze the better statistics out there but my understanding is that they paint a more positive picture of Lowe. I think Lowe has it in him to rebound, big-time, and pitch more like he did in the 2005-2010 range. Not an All-Star, but a positive influence at the back of the rotation who eats up innings. One of the things that happened last year was the bullpen getting overtaxed because of poor starts. A guy like Lowe takes some of that pressure off. So I have hopes for this move, and it continues the theme of hoping that the Indians rotation can pretty much rebound across the board. Jiminez, Carmona, and Lowe all need to come back big time, as does Tomlin a little, who struggled in the second half. Masterson is the only sure thing in the rotation.

Retention of Grady Sizemore: I was against this happening for a while but I am pretty okay with it happening - on one condition. We need insurance. Grady might perform like a monster again, he might play 140 games, he might have an All-Star season and be one of the best in the world...might. He might also get hurt 20 games in and fall flat on his face like has in the last few years, and that's what worries me. This is why I think we need another outfielder. Ezequiel Carrera isn't an awful replacement, but I am not really encouraged by a Brantley/Carrera duo, and if Choo goes down again at the same time as Sizemore, they are beyond screwed. Acquiring and starting Jason Kubel or BJ Upton (or another outfielder that I am unaware of) is a necessity to me. Bench Brantley, and if someone goes down, then we have a strong replacement. Overall I think it's a good move, but it needs the insurance to back it up.

Here's what we still need:

Depth at Second Base: Jason Kipnis is a monster. He has potential to have an All-Star season next year, and maybe more. But he also got hurt last year, and what is backing him up at second? Luis Valbuena is gone, and Cord Phelps and Jason Donald are the only back ups. Phelps is lackluster, and Donald is also the back up at third and SS. I want to acquire Mark deRosa, to pretty much cover the infield if anyone goes down.

First Base: A point of contention here, and I'm probably going to take an unconventional stance and say - start LaPorta, and don't acquire anyone else. I can't find a first basemen in our price range that's really any better than LaPorta for what I want him to do - play half time. I want to rotate DH, C, and 1B based on the starting pitched. If RHP, I want Santana catching, Hafner DH, and LaPorta 1B. I shift for left handed for a few reasons. Hafner can't hit a lefty to save his life. Shelley Duncan isn't much better, but he's a good option for DH in 2013, so give him some experience there. If he sucks then Hafner can play full time. Santana is poor against LHP, but Lou Marson is great, and he's also one of the best defensive catchers in baseball. Let Marson catch and stick Santana at 1B, where he is an all around better hitter than LaPorta. This move requires no outside acquisition and keeps the payroll down. It should be able to sustain injury well, I think.

That's about what I've got for the Indians this year. Get insurance in the outfield and in the infield, and from there, it's all about hard work in spring training and trying to catch whatever they had going on in the first half of last year again and sustaining it for the year.

 

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Regarding the two Indians deals you mentioned, Harthan, I agree that they were safe but smart ideas. Sure, Sizemore's been injury prone pretty much since 07, but the contract is a one year deal and it only has a base salary of 5 million with an additional 4 mil in incentives, so he's gonna actually have to produce to fill out that contract. And if he does return to form and the Indians are out of contention by mid July they can always deal him to a contender that needs an OF with a decent bat for a prospect or two since it's an expiring deal.

As for Lowe, his saber stats are better then the broad numbers project. His FIP (which basically says how good a pitchers ERA would be with league average defense and such) was about the 4th best in his career. He strikes out guys at a decent rate (6ish %) and walks guys about half that time. He should be the veteran arm behind Jimenez, Masterson, and Carmona and be the back end guy that can eat innings and be more good then bad. I'd look at him as what Brad Penny was like last year for the Tigers rotation, but better overall.

Now with the Winter Meetings beginning tommorow, here's some moves I think will happen...

CJ Wilson will sign with the Nationals. They have a pretty promising rotation at the top with Jordan Zimmerman and Stephen Strasburg and Wilson would be another huge pitcher. The Nats have been thought to be spending big this year, with Prince Fielder being mentioned as a possible signing as well, but I think Wilson would be a good fit because a) that division has crazy pitching and if the Nats wanna be contenders in a year or two when Bryce Harper is called up they'll need more then just a #1 and #2 and b) Wilson was an effective pitcher at Texas, so moving to the NL and a much more pitcher friendly park should help him.

Jose Reyes will sign with the Marlins the Marlins made it known they were actually serious about spending some money this offseason and adding another big name like Reyes would draw more interest towards the franchise. Hanley Ramirez has agreed to move to 3rd if they bring Reyes over so he'll add to a pretty dangerous lineup of theirs with Stanton, Logan Morrison, and Ramirez (should he bounce back). The Marlins will need a little more pitching help behind Josh Johnson and Ricky Nolasco, but they could go slightly cheaper with an Eric Bedard or Bartolo Colon types on 1 year deals.

Blue Jays sign Prince Fielder The Jays GM Alex Anthropulos is one of the best in the game, and a bold move like signing Fielder would put them over the hump and into playoff contention for the first time since the early 1990s. Fielder would give Bautista some much needed protection, much like what he was to Braun last year and, if you remember, Braun won the MVP. Bautista/Fielder would provide the most dangerous 3/4 combo in all of baseball, and that would help them free up Adam Lind, who they could deal for some additional pitching, which is another need since Ricky Romero seems to be the only pitcher on that rotation that gives you a chance of winning a 3-2 ballgame. Who that pitcher is depends, since Lind does provide good power but little on-base ability and fits probably a bottom of the order type guy.

 

[Harthan]

Now with the Winter Meetings beginning tommorow, here's some moves I think will happen...

CJ Wilson will sign with the Nationals. They have a pretty promising rotation at the top with Jordan Zimmerman and Stephen Strasburg and Wilson would be another huge pitcher. The Nats have been thought to be spending big this year, with Prince Fielder being mentioned as a possible signing as well, but I think Wilson would be a good fit because a) that division has crazy pitching and if the Nats wanna be contenders in a year or two when Bryce Harper is called up they'll need more then just a #1 and #2 and b) Wilson was an effective pitcher at Texas, so moving to the NL and a much more pitcher friendly park should help him.

While I agree that this would be a good move, the new word on the street is that the Nationals aren't interested. Maybe the sources are misleading people intentionally, because I think the Nationals are the best mutual fit for Wilson. His offers on the table at the moment are from the Angels, the Marlins, and two other teams. I think it'll be one of the "other teams" that he heads to, personally, and not the Rangers, who appear perfectly alright with going within to build the rotation. Can the Marlins afford Wilson and Fielder/Pujols? That seems unlikely and I think the latter target is priority for the Marlins, but hey, they did make an offer. Not sure what happens with Wilson, at the end of the day. Might be a dark horse that grabs him.

Jose Reyes will sign with the Marlins the Marlins made it known they were actually serious about spending some money this offseason and adding another big name like Reyes would draw more interest towards the franchise. Hanley Ramirez has agreed to move to 3rd if they bring Reyes over so he'll add to a pretty dangerous lineup of theirs with Stanton, Logan Morrison, and Ramirez (should he bounce back). The Marlins will need a little more pitching help behind Josh Johnson and Ricky Nolasco, but they could go slightly cheaper with an Eric Bedard or Bartolo Colon types on 1 year deals.

The news just broke that this happened, at a bigger price than expected, probably because of the Brewers' reported interested. 6 years at 106 million, which the Mets had no hope of competing with. Marlins are beyond serious this year. I think if they stick with their current pitching and add Pujols or Fielder, they're the team to beat, though they'll probably get a solid free agent starter as well.

Blue Jays sign Prince Fielder The Jays GM Alex Anthropulos is one of the best in the game, and a bold move like signing Fielder would put them over the hump and into playoff contention for the first time since the early 1990s. Fielder would give Bautista some much needed protection, much like what he was to Braun last year and, if you remember, Braun won the MVP. Bautista/Fielder would provide the most dangerous 3/4 combo in all of baseball, and that would help them free up Adam Lind, who they could deal for some additional pitching, which is another need since Ricky Romero seems to be the only pitcher on that rotation that gives you a chance of winning a 3-2 ballgame. Who that pitcher is depends, since Lind does provide good power but little on-base ability and fits probably a bottom of the order type guy.

I'm really hoping this doesn't happen, for one purely selfish reason - the Indians have the Blue Jays on opening day, which I hope to attend, and I do not want to face the prospect of this team. That said, I hear it's among the likely destination for Prince, but his future seems really up in the air right now and it's hard to say just where he'll land. AL for a (near) certainty in my mind, but beyond that, I'm not certain.

The other big news today is Manny Ramirez filing for reinstatement. He'll serve a 50 game suspension as long as someone signs him. A list of teams that are speculated not to have interested: the Red Sox, Yankees, Royals, Tigers, White Sox, Indians, Twins, Rangers, Angels, and A's , the Mariners, and the Rays. I can't imagine someone out there not signing him. It'll have to be in the AL, I expect, as a DH, and one year only. I am perhaps the only Manny Ramirez fan on the planet, so I'm pretty excited about this news. I wish the Indians had interest. I talked about changing out the DH for RHP/LHP in my last post. Manny might be amenable to playing half-time DH to slowly rebuild his value, though he might not have enough time to do it slowly, I suppose. But it seems unlikely, overall. If you're keeping track, there's only two teams left that, as it stands, would sign Manny - Toronto and Baltimore. Both teams had pretty decent DHs in 2011. I can't help but get the feeling someone out there will try their luck on Manny, even with all the baggage he brings. The most attractive thing about him is that he'd make league minimum for one year. With the potential that he might return to HoF form, league minimum makes him attractive. Right now, maybe most teams are saying, no way, we want nothing to do with him...but let a few weeks pass, let some big free agents sign, and maybe Manny finds a home somewhere. Personally, if I was Chris Antonetti, I'd sign Manny in a heartbeat. I think he'd boost ticket sales, and so much potential...if he doesn't pan out, what did you really lose? You lost a rookie's salary for a year. If he does pan out, you might turn it into a championship.

 

[Megatron]

While I agree that this would be a good move, the new word on the street is that the Nationals aren't interested. Maybe the sources are misleading people intentionally, because I think the Nationals are the best mutual fit for Wilson. His offers on the table at the moment are from the Angels, the Marlins, and two other teams. I think it'll be one of the "other teams" that he heads to, personally, and not the Rangers, who appear perfectly alright with going within to build the rotation. Can the Marlins afford Wilson and Fielder/Pujols? That seems unlikely and I think the latter target is priority for the Marlins, but hey, they did make an offer. Not sure what happens with Wilson, at the end of the day. Might be a dark horse that grabs him.

I'd be surprised if the Marlins went after Pujols or Fielder, realistically. They got a pretty good 1B there at Sanchez and while they are gonna be expanding their payroll, already adding Bell and Reyes I think takes them out as major players for either one of those. They were reportedly gonna have their payroll top out at around 70 million, which is high for the Marlins but I wouldn't expect them to be able to jump much higher. Wilson would be slightly cheaper, but I think it'd be tough for him to get there as well.

And the Rangers, as far as I know, aren't in the Wilson offering unless he's willing to take a significant cut (like 60 millionish, even though he wants 100+).

The Angels are an interesting team, since they do have 3 quality pitchers at the front end (Weaver/Haren/Santana) but their #4/5 aren't very reliable. Going after Wilson would actually be a very bold move, since I think they could also go and trade say, Trumbo, who while an impressive rookie season, is very old for a rookie (25), strikes out almost 5 times as much as he walks and didn't even get on base .300 average. Teams, though, will be attracted to his counting stats (29 HR 87 RBI) and I think a team that needs some O could bite on him and the Angels could turn that into a mid-line starter. A quick look a deal like Trumbo to the O's for Jeremy Guthrie I think makes some decent sense. Derek Lee filled in as their 1B for a majority of the year (before being traded) and Trumbo posted similar numbers but with more power. Guthrie isn't a #1 like he's been with the Orioles, but he'd be one of the best #5's in baseball (or #4 should they not get Wilson). The Angels could trade Trumbo while his value is quite high, especially if they think Kendry Morales comes back to his pre-leg injury form.

The news just broke that this happened, at a bigger price than expected, probably because of the Brewers' reported interested. 6 years at 106 million, which the Mets had no hope of competing with. Marlins are beyond serious this year. I think if they stick with their current pitching and add Pujols or Fielder, they're the team to beat, though they'll probably get a solid free agent starter as well.

Again, I think the money is too steep for them to shop for Fielder/Pujols especially when Sanchez did well at 1B last year. Not that they couldn't move him, but those two are looking for contracts that you don't ever expect the Marlins to dish out. While I don't wanna count them out completely due to the 2 big deals they've already made, I'd give them very low odds, like 5% chance.

I'm really hoping this doesn't happen, for one purely selfish reason - the Indians have the Blue Jays on opening day, which I hope to attend, and I do not want to face the prospect of this team. That said, I hear it's among the likely destination for Prince, but his future seems really up in the air right now and it's hard to say just where he'll land. AL for a ns(near) certainty in my mind, but beyond that, I'm not certain.

Yeah, the Jays are 1 big bat from having one of the 3 or 4 best O's in baseball with Bautista, Brett Lawrie (who's gonna be a consistent All Star in about a year). Still they'll need more pitching. Not much, but a few decent back-line starters behind Romero. While I wouldn't like Prince in the AL, better it be in Toronto instead of the AL Central.

Time for two more predictions I believe will happen (not necessarily at the meetings, though)

Albert Pujols stays in STL It just makes too much sense for him to stay. He's had a great first decade there, and if he retires in anything but a Cardinals uniform I just don't know what I'd think. I know the Cubbies might make a run at him, but they're in full rebuild mode and, while Albert does have 2 rings, you'd think he wouldn't wanna spend his last few prime years on a team that just isn't a playoff contender for at least 2 more years, if everything goes right. With no NY or Boston, the Cards don't have to worry about being crazy outbidded.

Edwin Jackson to the Blue Jays This prediction doesn't have any reasoning at all, but I think a 4 year offer to him would be a solid investment. He's been on 5 teams in 4 seasons, I think he'd be happy, at age 27, to have a little bit of stability, even if it's in Canada. He struggled the last time he was in the AL East, but he's 4 years older, can rack up 200 innings, and strikes out guys at a decent rate. He's probably more of a 3 then 2 like he'll be paid, but he's also better options then what the Jays have for back end guys. He's already won a WS now, so I'd expect him to try and get a decent contract in terms of years and money. Plus, I liked the guy the one year he was in Detroit and hopes he goes to one team and stays there for a few years past the trade deadline. No reasoning, I don't even know if the Jays have interest, but I think it would fit well for both sides.

 

[Harthan]

I'd be surprised if the Marlins went after Pujols or Fielder, realistically. They got a pretty good 1B there at Sanchez and while they are gonna be expanding their payroll, already adding Bell and Reyes I think takes them out as major players for either one of those. They were reportedly gonna have their payroll top out at around 70 million, which is high for the Marlins but I wouldn't expect them to be able to jump much higher. Wilson would be slightly cheaper, but I think it'd be tough for him to get there as well.

And the Rangers, as far as I know, aren't in the Wilson offering unless he's willing to take a significant cut (like 60 millionish, even though he wants 100+).

The Angels are an interesting team, since they do have 3 quality pitchers at the front end (Weaver/Haren/Santana) but their #4/5 aren't very reliable. Going after Wilson would actually be a very bold move, since I think they could also go and trade say, Trumbo, who while an impressive rookie season, is very old for a rookie (25), strikes out almost 5 times as much as he walks and didn't even get on base .300 average. Teams, though, will be attracted to his counting stats (29 HR 87 RBI) and I think a team that needs some O could bite on him and the Angels could turn that into a mid-line starter. A quick look a deal like Trumbo to the O's for Jeremy Guthrie I think makes some decent sense. Derek Lee filled in as their 1B for a majority of the year (before being traded) and Trumbo posted similar numbers but with more power. Guthrie isn't a #1 like he's been with the Orioles, but he'd be one of the best #5's in baseball (or #4 should they not get Wilson). The Angels could trade Trumbo while his value is quite high, especially if they think Kendry Morales comes back to his pre-leg injury form.



Again, I think the money is too steep for them to shop for Fielder/Pujols especially when Sanchez did well at 1B last year. Not that they couldn't move him, but those two are looking for contracts that you don't ever expect the Marlins to dish out. While I don't wanna count them out completely due to the 2 big deals they've already made, I'd give them very low odds, like 5% chance.



Yeah, the Jays are 1 big bat from having one of the 3 or 4 best O's in baseball with Bautista, Brett Lawrie (who's gonna be a consistent All Star in about a year). Still they'll need more pitching. Not much, but a few decent back-line starters behind Romero. While I wouldn't like Prince in the AL, better it be in Toronto instead of the AL Central.

Time for two more predictions I believe will happen (not necessarily at the meetings, though)

Albert Pujols stays in STL It just makes too much sense for him to stay. He's had a great first decade there, and if he retires in anything but a Cardinals uniform I just don't know what I'd think. I know the Cubbies might make a run at him, but they're in full rebuild mode and, while Albert does have 2 rings, you'd think he wouldn't wanna spend his last few prime years on a team that just isn't a playoff contender for at least 2 more years, if everything goes right. With no NY or Boston, the Cards don't have to worry about being crazy outbidded.

Edwin Jackson to the Blue Jays This prediction doesn't have any reasoning at all, but I think a 4 year offer to him would be a solid investment. He's been on 5 teams in 4 seasons, I think he'd be happy, at age 27, to have a little bit of stability, even if it's in Canada. He struggled the last time he was in the AL East, but he's 4 years older, can rack up 200 innings, and strikes out guys at a decent rate. He's probably more of a 3 then 2 like he'll be paid, but he's also better options then what the Jays have for back end guys. He's already won a WS now, so I'd expect him to try and get a decent contract in terms of years and money. Plus, I liked the guy the one year he was in Detroit and hopes he goes to one team and stays there for a few years past the trade deadline. No reasoning, I don't even know if the Jays have interest, but I think it would fit well for both sides.

I agree with all your points about the Marlins, I don't really think they should go after Pujols/Fielder any longer, but they are apparently still keeping up the appearance that they want Pujols bad. They had a long meeting with him today. I think it makes more sense to get Wilson or Buehrle and call it a day, but who knows what those crazy cat are going to do. I'd love to Pujols stay put, myself. I like the idea of guys sticking it out with one team for a career, unlikely as it is, and hopefully Pujols does that. Incidentally, I can't get over how good Pujols is sometimes. He's never played a season where he didn't finish in the top 10 for MVP. Mindblowing.

Getting Wilson on the Angels would be a good move for them. It would build one of the best pitching rotations around, assuming Wilson holds up in his performance. I still have a feeling it'll be a dark horse that lands him (Cliff Lee style).

My reasoning for getting Prince in the AL is that I just don't think he can hold up as a defensive player for the entirety of a six year contract, and I think he'll want that. I see him going to DH in 3-4 seasons.

 

[CDR]

I don't think the Rangers will get CJ back. He wants way more than he's worth, or what the Rangers will give him. And that's fine. Somebody else can overpay. However, with the addition of Nathan in the bullpen and Feliz to the rotation, I think we'll be fine. Really fine if we get Buehrle. In fact, Buehrle would make us World Series contenders again. Hopefully we can bring him in. He's only 1 year away from CJ in an age sense. As for the Pujols/Fielder stakes. The media has been saying that the Rangers are in on both, but could actually sign Fielder. And I don't get that. I don't think we need him, but he'd obviously help.

 

[CH David]

I don't think the Rangers will get CJ back. He wants way more than he's worth, or what the Rangers will give him. And that's fine. Somebody else can overpay. However, with the addition of Nathan in the bullpen and Feliz to the rotation, I think we'll be fine. Really fine if we get Buehrle. In fact, Buehrle would make us World Series contenders again. Hopefully we can bring him in. He's only 1 year away from CJ in an age sense. As for the Pujols/Fielder stakes. The media has been saying that the Rangers are in on both, but could actually sign Fielder. And I don't get that. I don't think we need him, but he'd obviously help.

Don't make me start crying. I don't want to lose Buehrle. I'm coming to the realization that it is a huge possibility, but I don't want it to! The Marlins were pushing hard for Buehrle, and he wouldn't mind going to Miami to enjoy the area with Ozzie. The big thing that Buehrle wants other than proper money, is a no-trade clause. Would the Marlins want to throw that in there? They never have before. What about the Rangers? The White Sox most likely would have no problem with that, but the money, no idea. Winter meetings, gonna be a long week.

 

[Megatron]

Getting Wilson on the Angels would be a good move for them. It would build one of the best pitching rotations around, assuming Wilson holds up in his performance. I still have a feeling it'll be a dark horse that lands him (Cliff Lee style).

My reasoning for getting Prince in the AL is that I just don't think he can hold up as a defensive player for the entirety of a six year contract, and I think he'll want that. I see him going to DH in 3-4 seasons.

I agree. Prince is probably gonna go be a almost full time DH while playing first when the 1B is taking the day off. If he gets more then 50-60 games there I'd be surprised.

I don't think the Rangers will get CJ back. He wants way more than he's worth, or what the Rangers will give him. And that's fine. Somebody else can overpay. However, with the addition of Nathan in the bullpen and Feliz to the rotation, I think we'll be fine. Really fine if we get Buehrle. In fact, Buehrle would make us World Series contenders again. Hopefully we can bring him in. He's only 1 year away from CJ in an age sense. As for the Pujols/Fielder stakes. The media has been saying that the Rangers are in on both, but could actually sign Fielder. And I don't get that. I don't think we need him, but he'd obviously help.

Yeah Buehrle and Wilson may be close in age, but Wilsons been a full time starter for only the past 2 years. Buehrles been one since 2001. Wilson's got a lot more track on the tires, so to speak. However, Buehrle really hasn't had any significant injury problems since becoming a starter, so he is probably the next best option. The one potential downfall for Buehrle in Texas is that he doesn't strike out many guys and pitches to contact. He's averaged just over 5 K/9 in his career and has allowed an average of about 9 H/9 as well (not terrible, but Wilson's been much better). That could hurt him since Texas is the most hitter friendly ballpark in the majors and Chicago was about right in the middle (in terms of park factors). Marks a smart veteran so I think he should be able to figure out the park but I would have slightly lower expectations for him first coming in (should he sign). He'd be a solid #3 but probably not more anymore.

I agree with all your points about the Marlins, I don't really think they should go after Pujols/Fielder any longer, but they are apparently still keeping up the appearance that they want Pujols bad. They had a long meeting with him today. I think it makes more sense to get Wilson or Buehrle and call it a day, but who knows what those crazy cat are going to do. I'd love to Pujols stay put, myself. I like the idea of guys sticking it out with one team for a career, unlikely as it is, and hopefully Pujols does that. Incidentally, I can't get over how good Pujols is sometimes. He's never played a season where he didn't finish in the top 10 for MVP. Mindblowing.

Well sounds like the Marlins are trying to follow their NBA brotherin with the Heat and forming a superteam (all courtesy of MLBtraderumors.com)...

* Talking to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, Cards chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. declined to offer odds on the team re-signing Pujols: "I'm hopeful, but I don't like to use the word 'optimistic.' We're realistic about the fact that it may not happen." (all Twitter links).
* Marlins president David Samson countered Spencer, saying the team will not sign a free agent to a deal including a no-trade clause.
* In a break with team policy, the Marlins are willing to give Pujols a no-trade clause, tweets Clark Spencer. This could be a major development. The Cardinals are still alive for now, tweets Joe Strauss.
* Marlins' brass concluded the 75-minute Lozano meeting without public comment.
* The Marlins are heading up to meet with Lozano and expect a Pujols decision soon, tweets Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald.
* As you might expect, the Marlins' ten-year offer exceeds $200MM, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today. The Cardinals are expected to counter today.
* There is optimism that the Marlins and Lozano will work through the no-trade clause hurdle, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney, though Ken Rosenthal says the Marlins will not relent completely on the clause.
* The Cardinals do not expect to get an opportunity to match or beat an offer from another team before Pujols accepts, hears Derrick Goold of the Post-Dispatch. The Cardinals have not ruled out a ten-year offer for Pujols, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Morosi's club source says it depends on the average annual value.
* The Cubs submitted a bid for Pujols, reports Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. However, MLB.com's Carrie Muskat says a Cubs official denied the report.
* The Marlins' reported ten-year bid includes an average annual value that tests or exceeds $20MM, writes Strauss, but it does not include full no-trade protection. The Marlins will meet with Lozano again today. One club executive who spoke to Strauss pegged the team's chances of signing Pujols at 50-50.
* ESPN's Buster Olney tweets a reminder that the disconnect in last offseason's negotiations between Pujols and the Cardinals wasn't the length, but the proposed annual value of $22MM.
* Not surprisingly, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution hears that the Marlins would trade Gaby Sanchez if Pujols lands in Miami (Twitter link). Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune thinks the Cubs would try for Sanchez in that scenario.

However there's one cog in that plan (another one from MLBtraderumors.com)...

Hanley Ramirez isn't on board with the idea of moving to third base and would rather be traded than switch positions, a "credible source" told Enrique Rojas at ESPNDeportesLosAngeles.com (link in Spanish).

"Hanley doesn't want to play third base and the Marlins were informed of that," the source told Rojas. "Rather than ask for a trade, what he has done is to inform (the team) that he does not want to play another position other than shortstop." Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post has also verified with a Marlins official that Ramirez did not ask to be traded (Twitter link).

Ramirez's agent Andy Mota told Rojas he had no comment about the situation, but the player himself posted a resigned-sounding Tweet this morning, saying, "What I am gonna do is work hard and get ready for next season because that is the only thing I can control I love y'all!!!!"

Rojas also spoke with Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen yesterday in Dallas, and the skipper said he had spoken with Ramirez before Reyes was signed and plans to revisit the discussion soon. "He has to understand what is best for the club, and he'll be a better player with those two guys [Reyes and Emilio Bonifacio] in front of him in the lineup," Guillen said. "The last thing we would do is smack the kid and tell him, 'You've got to move.' That's not the way... I think the boy will have the opportunity to be an All-Star third baseman. We have the opportunity to have two all stars in those positions."

Both owner Jeffrey Loria and president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest suggested recently that Ramirez would ultimately defer to Reyes, and that a trade wasn't on the table. A week ago, before Reyes had signed, Ramirez expressed deference toward the possibility in an appearance on Dominican TV, saying "the front office has the last word." Ramirez played just three games worth of third base while in the Red Sox system, most recently in 2005. His -4.8 UZR in 2011 was firmly in the bottom half of NL shortstops, directly behind Reyes and in front of Bonifacio, who took over the six-hole when Ramirez underwent shoulder surgery in August.

Well, if push comes to shove they could get a decent deal out of HanRam. His market might not be as high since his down year, but I'd expect a bounceback season from him. I don't understand why Reyes couldn't move to 2B though, he played a bit there when Kaz Matsui was brought over years ago. While Reyes has better range then HanRam, you could throw him on the other side and he'd still make a decent amount of plays.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

Just curious where Marlins are getting all this money from considering their payroll was amongst the lowest in the league. Now I'm reading an offer they offered Pujols which I feel is just a wau for Pujols to get the money he wants from the Cards.

payroll doesn't reflect revenue. It SHOULD. However, we can't see the balance sheets (which would probably be doctored anyways) despite publicly funding their stadiums. a lot of estimates are that the Marlins' owner has been running a cheap team and pocketing most of the revenue.

the new money is supposedly from the new stadium. True, a new stadium means more attendance, at least for the first 2-3 years. If your team sucks, it doesn't sustain and drops down to whatever attendance your level of winning generates.

My guess is that most of this is just for show. They want the fans to think they give a shit. However, in 5 years there will either have been a fire sale or the Marlins will have 2 very expensive guys in the declining stage of their career and back on a small payroll and in an empty park.

 

[J.J.]

Just curious where Marlins are getting all this money from considering their payroll was amongst the lowest in the league. Now I'm reading an offer they offered Pujols which I feel is just a wau for Pujols to get the money he wants from the Cards.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

Just curious where Marlins are getting all this money from considering their payroll was amongst the lowest in the league. Now I'm reading an offer they offered Pujols which I feel is just a wau for Pujols to get the money he wants from the Cards.

Payroll doesn't reflect revenu. It SHOULD. Most people think the Marlins owner has been pocketing money and running a low cost team.

Supposedly, the money is from the new stadium. Typically, a new stadium sells out capacity all year the first year, then slowly drops off and by year 5 is back at whatever attendance level that level of winning generates. So the theory is that if you capitalize on the extra revenue and build a winning team while you have the spike in revenue, you can sustain it.

I'm calling bullshit though. If he really cared about winning, we would have seen it already. My guess is that at some point, there will be a fire sale (trading all the expensive players). However, both Pujols and Reyes will be in the decline stage of their career and expensive. So maybe the marlins will just have 2 albatross contracts and nowhere to move them while having a small payroll and an empty stadium.

 

[J.J.]

You're absolutely right. Marlins have signed big names in the past that have resulted to fire sales. Pudge Rodriguez, Al Leiter, Derrek Lee, Paul La Duca, Louis Castilla and Carlos Delgado to name a few. Or they have had great farm league material and had to give them up because of inability to sign them long term; AJ Burnett, Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis. Miami just isn't a baseball city and has only found fickle fan success when they have reached World Series. Which subsequently everytime they win World Series they have a fire sale.

 

[CH David]

Pujols to the Angels. Cub fans rejoice, Cardinal fans want to kill someone, if not themselves, except Sly, he seems controlled for situations like this. 10 years and according to the Espin (ESPN) $250 million at least, and a full no trade clause.

Firstly, that is an insane amount of money. 25 million for 6-7 months of work is unfathomable to a simpleton like me. Let me get this out of the way, I don't fault Pujols for taking the deal. What guy, especially one considered the greatest hitter of our generation/on of the greatest of all time, would turn down a 250 million dollar deal? If you do turn it down to stay with the team you've been with your whole career, more power to you, and I gain even more respect for that. Guys that stay with one team their whole career via free agency is high on my respect list.

Secondly, Davi323 was talking about it in the Sports Bar. 10 year deals are insane, regardless of who or how old the player is. Pujols is currently 31, will be 32 next month. By the time this deal ends he will be 42. I'll say he has five great years left in him, maybe six. But what happens as he gets into his late 30s and into his early 40s? What if his production drops off considerably? Unlikely to be a dramatic drop but you never know. But it just seems excessive for a team to commit to a guy for that long with one contract, regardless of it being Albert Pujols.

 

[Mustang Sally]

Jose Reyes will sign with the Marlins the Marlins made it known they were actually serious about spending some money this offseason and adding another big name like Reyes would draw more interest towards the franchise. .

If folks think this guy spent a lot of time on the disabled list before, wait till they see what happens now that he's got his contract. The Marlins will pay him in excess of $17 million/year to watch his replacement play shortstop.

 

[J.J.]

Not sure why they acquired him and have Hanley Ramirez. But it's fine because Reyes will be hurt first week in.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

Not sure why they acquired him and have Hanley Ramirez. But it's fine because Reyes will be hurt first week in.

Hanley is a pretty bad fielder at SS though. Plus he's a big guy, he profiles as a future 3B so moving him over now while he's still athletic might give the surplus value defensively at third since he pretty much has a 3B bat anyways. Like you said though, Reyes won't play many games at SS as it is.

 

[J.J.]

I understand the logic there, just ridiculous Jeffrey Loria could've got an average bat and a stud Pitcher for the money they're wasting on Reyes. He is just damaged goods.

 

[Megatron]

I understand the logic there, just ridiculous Jeffrey Loria could've got an average bat and a stud Pitcher for the money they're wasting on Reyes. He is just damaged goods.

Buehrle was the #1 or #2 (depending on who you asked) FA Pitcher on the market. He shelled out the money for CJ but CJ wanted to go play for his home state team, which really hurt their chances. And Reyes has played 120+ games in all but 1 season since 05. 130 or 140 games out of Reyes is gonna be a lot better then a full 162 games out of 3/4s of the SS's in the league. Marlins fans complaining that Loria went after the wrong guy are laughable. At least they're going after some FA's instead of sitting on their hands playing cheapball like the A's, Mariners, etc. Reyes is a legit gamechanger and if you get 130 games you'll be liking him more then you would with almost any other SS in the game. He's not damaged goods. He had some nagging injuries lately, but is entering his prime and he's not missing full seasons. Him playing 80% of games > almost everyone else playing 100%.

Now some news from Tigerland:

DETROIT -- Detroit reliever Al Alburquerque has had surgery on his pitching elbow and is likely to be sidelined for the first half of the season.

The Tigers say the right-hander had a screw inserted during an operation Thursday by Dr. James Andrews. Alburquerque is expected to start a throwing progression toward the end of spring training and potentially return to game action by the All-Star break.

Alburquerque was one of Detroit's most pleasant surprises in 2011, going 6-1 as a rookie with a 1.87 ERA. He struck out 67 in 43 1-3 innings, holding hitters to a .142 average. The Tigers bolstered their bullpen recently by adding right-hander Octavio Dotel.

The Tigers say Alburquerque's operation was to stabilize a non-displaced stre

You figured there was something wrong with him with the way he fell apart in the postseason (and not just being the jitters of a postseason experience, although I'm certain that was apart as well) and now getting Dotel is even bigger because AA was the 7th inning guy last year and not having him till the middle of the season could hurt. Hopefully Coke/Balester/Dotel/Benoit/Valverde can man the back of the pen.

Also, interesting question posed on ESPN: who'll have more wins next season? The Pujols-lead Angels or Pujols-less Cards? I'll wait for a response or two before I give away.

 

[Davi323]

Do you think that the Tigers would consider bumping up Jacob Turner into a bullpen role, rather than send him back to the minors? I know he is going to be a starting pitcher eventually, but would a year in the bullpen, getting acclimated to major league hitters do him some good?

 

[Megatron]

Do you think that the Tigers would consider bumping up Jacob Turner into a bullpen role, rather than send him back to the minors? I know he is going to be a starting pitcher eventually, but would a year in the bullpen, getting acclimated to major league hitters do him some good?

I don't think so. If Turners gonna be on the big leagues it's gonna be as a starter right away. They did it with Verlander, Miller, and Porcello, the three real big Tigers prospects since Dombrowskis been there. And I gotta be honest, I wouldn't wanna tinker with his psyche and move him back and forth from bullpen to starter. He's only 20, they wanna stretch his arm out and get him used to working longer stretches in games. There's been too many pitching prospects that have been moved into the bullpen lately (Joba, Phil Hughes for the most part, Phil Coke, etc.) and have been more then unsuccessful when making the change back. Sure, guys like CJ Wilson and Alexi Ogando have done well for themselves in the transition, but that doesn't take away the fact that some don't adapt to it well.

I'd say give Turner another year to fine tune his stuff in the minors, go get someone on a one year deal to be the #5 guy (rumors suggest the Tigers like Joe Saunders) like Brad Penny was last year. While I realize many weren't fans of Penny (and the guy annoyed me at times as well), as a #5 you couldn't ask for much more out of him. He ate innings, kept his team in the game more often then not, and wasn't gonna be the ace. The Tigers are set in their front 4 with Verlander/Fister/Scherzer/Porcello. Go get a cheap 1 year guy and if he fails, you'll have some guys like Turner, Below, etc. fill the void. Turner shouldn't be messed with by going into the pen. You can get those guys dirt cheap. Just look at AA. The Tigers shouldn't rush Turner and get him up whenever he's fully ready.

 

[Megatron]

A few interesting moves have been made lately yet not discussed, so I'll bring up the two that have gotten the most headlines so far.

Texas wins the bidding rights for Japanese RHP Yu Darvish I'm not gonna lie, I don't know a whole lot about the guy. He is only 25 and has said to be more likely to succeed in the long term then some recent Japanese Pitchers, but you just never know with them. Dice-K had 1 servicable year, one Cy-worthy year, and has been a bust ever since. The most formidable of the Japanese pitchers has been Hiroki Kuroda, but he was 33 when he made his way over.

I get why Texas took the risk, though. They lost their ace, and if he does pan out according to scouts projections, he can be their guy for a good amount of time. Plus they're one of the best at developing pitchers, and were Darvish to need a day off of rest (since most Japanese pitchers are in a 6 man rotation instead of 5) they'd have a guy or 2 back there that could make a spot start. This signing could cause a guy like Alexi Ogando to move back into the pen, which would be scary to see for those late innings especially after how his postseason went (especially the ALCS which I vividly remember him dominating most of the Tigers bats). For Texas, though, I'd put my chips into the Prince Fielder basket. He'd have a fun time hitting in that ballpark, and Mitch Moreland just shouldn't be your cornerstone first baseman.

Also, Cincinnati traded Edinson Volquez, Yonder Alonso, Yasmani Grandal, and another pitching prospect to San Diego for Mat Latos. At first glance, the Padres got everything but the kitchen sink from the Reds for their 24 year old ace. Volquez did serve a suspension for PED's and had a rough season, but he'd be a good bounceback candidate due to the fact that Petco can, and will, definitely lower your ERA. Alonso didn't really have a spot at 1st right now, due to Joey Votto, and was an absolute mess in his time in the OF. He's more of a contact hitter, which will be good in Petco's large dimensions. They'll likely have their 1B of the future. Grandal is another that has All-Star potential and can handle the stick, and the other prospect projects out to a back end starter or possible bullpen arm. For Mat Latos, the Padres essentially got their 1B, Catcher, a 2nd or 3rd man pitcher, and a possible back end/bullpen addition.

Why did the Reds give up so much? Well, Latos is only 24 and has much control, contract wise, for these next few years. The Reds needed to shore up their pitching after having the best offense in the NL last year and only finishing in the middle of the pack. It's a gamble that, if it pays off, will give them a #2 behind Johnny Cueto. The problem with Mat was that, again, Petco's dimensions are very much favorable while Cincinnati is a hitters park. He's also had an injury concern, since the Padres have had to shut him down late in the season the past two seasons. You hope that the Reds don't get screwed out due to his injury problems, because they gave up a good amount of their future for him. Right now the Padres look like big winners, but as we know, prospects a lot of the time don't pan out and Latos is still young and could help Cincy make it back into the playoffs.

Also, interesting question posed on ESPN: who'll have more wins next season? The Pujols-lead Angels or Pujols-less Cards? I'll wait for a response or two before I give away.

Well, nobody's bitten on my question, so I'll say I think the Cards will still win more games. The Angels don't have much talent hitting around Pujols, so that's gonna make teams dare the Angels to have someone else step up. Their rotation looks superb, although Santana could be dealt before everythings wrapped up due to his large contract. Stl obviously doesn't have that big bat or Tony La Russa anymore, but they won the World Series without their first or second best pitcher in Adam Wainwright. Shelby Miller is a highly touted prospect, Berkman, Holliday, Craig, and others should still be able to help the Cards get points. The Angels need some more on base candidates to help Pujols, otherwise they might be scrapping for a Wild card berth. I'd still peg Texas as the favorites.

 

[CDR]

A few interesting moves have been made lately yet not discussed, so I'll bring up the two that have gotten the most headlines so far.

Texas wins the bidding rights for Japanese RHP Yu Darvish I'm not gonna lie, I don't know a whole lot about the guy. He is only 25 and has said to be more likely to succeed in the long term then some recent Japanese Pitchers, but you just never know with them. Dice-K had 1 servicable year, one Cy-worthy year, and has been a bust ever since. The most formidable of the Japanese pitchers has been Hiroki Kuroda, but he was 33 when he made his way over.

I get why Texas took the risk, though. They lost their ace, and if he does pan out according to scouts projections, he can be their guy for a good amount of time. Plus they're one of the best at developing pitchers, and were Darvish to need a day off of rest (since most Japanese pitchers are in a 6 man rotation instead of 5) they'd have a guy or 2 back there that could make a spot start. This signing could cause a guy like Alexi Ogando to move back into the pen, which would be scary to see for those late innings especially after how his postseason went (especially the ALCS which I vividly remember him dominating most of the Tigers bats). For Texas, though, I'd put my chips into the Prince Fielder basket. He'd have a fun time hitting in that ballpark, and Mitch Moreland just shouldn't be your cornerstone first baseman.

Let me tell you what, we like this in Texas. Everybody thought Toronto was going to get the rights to Darvish, so once it was announced that we got him, people got excited. Since it's assumed that we won't get Fielder (he wants too many years. Nolan doesn't like to give more than 5.), this was the best thing we could do. Hopefully, he doesn't completely bust like Dice-K did. I think though that Texas and Boston are two totally different environments. The pressure to do well in Boston is probably higher. Hopefully we'll get him signed and he'll be our CJ (over-rated) Wilson replacement.

Does Boras represent Fielder? He wants a ridiculous amount of money and years. At most, he would get 6 years from us. Look at the guy. He's quite.. hefty. The fear that he could become out of shape or acquire an injury is too much to offer a 10 year deal. (I say 10 years because I read he wants a Pujols-like contract) If Fielder were to get hurt, chances are he'd recover slower, being not as lean and fit as the average major-leaguer. We won't take him unless he lowers his demands. But there's always a team that will bite on those crazy contracts.

 

[Megatron]

Let me tell you what, we like this in Texas. Everybody thought Toronto was going to get the rights to Darvish, so once it was announced that we got him, people got excited. Since it's assumed that we won't get Fielder (he wants too many years. Nolan doesn't like to give more than 5.), this was the best thing we could do. Hopefully, he doesn't completely bust like Dice-K did. I think though that Texas and Boston are two totally different environments. The pressure to do well in Boston is probably higher. Hopefully we'll get him signed and he'll be our CJ (over-rated) Wilson replacement.

I agree the pressure in Boston is much higher then in Texas, partially due to the success they've had and their popularity, and partially due to the fact that baseball will always be the 2nd horse in a football driven state. Not that it's a bad thing, because the Rangers obviously have their fair share of fans, but they don't have the media attention of the Rangers. Although Hiroki Kuroda did just fine in Los Angeles, so it will come down to the makeup of Darvish.

Does Boras represent Fielder? He wants a ridiculous amount of money and years. At most, he would get 6 years from us. Look at the guy. He's quite.. hefty. The fear that he could become out of shape or acquire an injury is too much to offer a 10 year deal. (I say 10 years because I read he wants a Pujols-like contract) If Fielder were to get hurt, chances are he'd recover slower, being not as lean and fit as the average major-leaguer. We won't take him unless he lowers his demands. But there's always a team that will bite on those crazy contracts.

Yes, Boras does represent Prince. And why would there be a concern over injury with prince? Since making his debut he's missed only 5 games once in a season and has played in all but 1 game total in the past 3 years with Milwaukee. Pujols has missed much more time then Prince has since Prince was called up. An injury concern because he's 275 lbs? That's a lean 275. The guy has turned vegetarian since 2008 so he's not putting a lot of fatty foods in his diet. There's no injury history that should scare teams away. If he gets hurt, it'll be a freak injury like how Pujols hurt his wrist this season.

And if someone was to dish out big money on a 1B, I'd hope it was an AL team for Fielder. Say he gets an 8 or 9 year deal (I don't think many teams are biting for 10 year deals since the guy is still a notch below the 2 players that received those deals - Pujols and A-Rod). He'll be 28 in mid season, so you're just getting him in his prime. You could, barring major injuries, use him as your permanent first basemen for the first 6 or 7 years of the deal. He'll be 34 or 35 after that time and for the final years of the deal you could use him as a DH since most players don't lose their bat speed completely until the late 30s. The guy may not be the slickest with the glove, but the guy can rake. Someone like Toronto could do wonders with Prince. He can elevate a team in the 82-88 win mark to a 90-95 win team. He hits for power, walked over 100 times the past 3 years, and really is a top 10 bat. Someone with some money and just on the cusp should go at him hard, because his best weapons are his power, eye, and durability. I still like the Jays to get him, but nobody has really stepped up and gone at him yet. He's the last real big domino to fall, since Pujols, Reyes, Wilson, Darvish, Buehrle, etc. are all wrapped up. 9 years for 180-200 million would be a considerable, and I think fair, deal.