[Official] 2009 MLB Season Thread

[Thriller Ant]

PYT, you bring up the NL East, and I expect that division to be the most active. All of those teams are underachieving right now and each one needs something to take them to the top of the division. I will be shocked if fewer than 2 teams in that division make a major move.

 

[Stormtrooper]

Roy Halladay will be traded, but I wouldn't be suprised if it doesn't happen until after the season.

That being said, the Yankees (my team) will NOT be getting him. It would cost us Robinson Cano, Joba Chamberlain, and 2 or 3 prospects, because Toronto would never trade him in-division. Also, if the Yankees would not trade for Johan Santana (who is younger, left handed, and better), so why would they trade MORE to get LESS? If you think Toronto would bail on Halladay and get Joba and 2 or 3 minor leaguers, you are wrong. Plus, the Yankees do not need an Ace starting pitcher, they have 1 (CC Sabathia), a SOLID 2 (A.J. Burnett), a potential Ace (Joba), a solid former ace for the bottom of the rotation (Andy Pettite), and another Ace who is terribly bit by injuries in the last 12 months (Wang).

The Blue Jays (if they will trade him) will look to trade him out of the American League (especially the AL East), and the Phillies have to be the front-runners, because they have enough in the minor league camp to get him, and they DESPERATELY need starting pitching. The Giants would be World Series bound if they could land him (imagine Lincecum, Cain, and Halladay in the same rotation). The White Sox are probably the best bet for any American League team to get him, because they seem to be buyers, and they have the talent to get him also.

 

[CH David]

Edit: Roy Halladay is commanding over 14 million this year, and over 15 next year, the final year of his contract. That's a lot of money to add to your team, especially in this time. Only a real elite team is going to do this. The Twins won't do it, Angels won't do it. The Yankees and Red Sox aren't afraid to spend money, and they have the prospects.

But do you really expect the Blue Jays to trade one of if not their best player to a team in their own division? I think not. The Jays are listening to offers, but aren't really going to do too much with them, unless one really strikes them. Since they are in the same division, I would think that the Yankees or Red Sox may have to give up 1 or 2 extra players for him.

Also back to my previous post, the White Sox traded for RHP Tony Pena, so they did get an extra arm for the pen. I will say, that the team looks very good right now on paper. 4 of the 5 starters will give you a solid game, the lineup will be stacked up after the All Star Game when Quentin comes back. This is an if that goes for any team, but if the Sox play the same way they have been playing the past 2 or 3 weeks, I see no reason that they can't pass Detroit and hold off Minnesota for the division. But that is easier said than done, because Minnesota is usually always in the race, and Detroit is having a good year, so it will be a fun rest of summer.

 

[Mr. TM]

Well I think it has now probably been answered. The Blue Jays are NOT trading Halladay. Today they just released BJ Ryan from his contract. With an extra $20 million in a years time, they will easily sign back Halladay. Probably even with money to spare. Ryan was expendable, Halladay is irreplaceable.

 

[NSL]

Giants and the Rockies are in the thick of their races.

I have a friend that is a huge Giants fan, and we've discussed how to fix their need in depth. They have an extra infielder they can move in Uribe, and some pitching to spare. They need a power hitter, but with their line-up the way it is, it would have to come from a corner player (1B, 3B, LF, RF for those who don't know). Here's the guys I think could fit in, and they all come from non-contenders, who will be big sellers come July 31st.

Mark Teahen - He can play any of those 4 positions well, and would add some pop, and a bunch of RBIs into the middle of their order. He's also not that old, and would keep the team young, and ready to contend for a few years.

Edwin Encarnacion - He's got a bit of an attitude problem, but could slide in at 3B, and would becheap to get. He's shown some power in Cincy's bandbox, and it would be the same in San Fran. Like Teahen, he's not that old, and can contribute for a long time.

Nick Johnson - This one is fairly tricky. He's a health risk, and would require they move Sandoval over to 3B, which is his natural position anyway. He'd instantly add power, and would improve the guys around him. His defense is a bit of a concern following all the injuries, but he their middle infield is good enough at hitting their targets, that he won't need to be perfect.

Gary Sheffield - As a Mets fan, I'd hate to say we won't contend, but if we're no, he'd be an option for the Giants. He won't play every day, but he'd be a nice injection of "pop" for them, and would make pitchers pitch to everyone around him. He can play either corner OF spot, and might fill in at 1B if the team is in contention, and it'd be worth it.

 

[TwistofRKO]

They would all make sense.

Another guy I would add would be Adam Dunn. He's in a 1 year deal, he has 22 HRs at the moment, can play 1B, LF, and RF, and would benefit from the porch in RF. He hasn't necessarily done that well as a visitor there, but that can certainly be skewed, and I would imagine he'd be able to adjust well enough to produce for the final 2 months of the season.

The price to trade for him couldn't be that steep.

 

[NSL]

They would all make sense.

Another guy I would add would be Adam Dunn. He's in a 1 year deal, he has 22 HRs at the moment, can play 1B, LF, and RF, and would benefit from the porch in RF. He hasn't necessarily done that well as a visitor there, but that can certainly be skewed, and I would imagine he'd be able to adjust well enough to produce for the final 2 months of the season.

The price to trade for him couldn't be that steep.

While all that is true, I think he may be too intimidating of a force in the line-up. They'd merely walk him every time he came up, and make the other guys beat them. He would love that porch though. The downside to adding him, is his glove. He'll kill that OF.

Sorry to kill your Pirates, but what about Adam LaRoche? He's not that bad on defense, and has a decent set of power numbers. He could be a 30-35 HR guy, while driving in between 100 and 115 runs.

 

[TwistofRKO]

While all that is true, I think he may be too intimidating of a force in the line-up. They'd merely walk him every time he came up, and make the other guys beat them. He would love that porch though. The downside to adding him, is his glove. He'll kill that OF.

Sorry to kill your Pirates, but what about Adam LaRoche? He's not that bad on defense, and has a decent set of power numbers. He could be a 30-35 HR guy, while driving in between 100 and 115 runs.

Oh, I'm not a Pirates fan, but as a Braves fan who seen LaRoche a lot I'd say he'd be a great platoon guy down the stretch for anyone in need of a good lefty bat. He's terrible against left handed pitching, so before he ever sniffs those numbers he'll have to learn to hit south paws. But like I said, his value is as a platoon 1B, which would be a possibility for the Giants.

Back to Dunn, even if he was given free passes that's putting guys on base (I know, duhhh) and he's still providing protection for the rest of the line up.

Not to keep harping on him, but I think he has the most value to add to a potential buyer, and the Nationals are trying to scrape the barrel for all value by saying he's "not going to be traded". We know what that means.

Moving on, I see the majority of moves coming in the form of bullpen help to contenders including the Yankees, Rays, and Angels (oh how they need it).

This has been a great baseball season, and hopefully it stays this close down the stretch.

 

[Cowboyfromhell]

I'm a Phillies fan and I may be the only one who doesn't want Doc Hallady. I'm not saying the Phillies don't need him, he'd immediately be their number 1, I just think the'd have to give up too much to get him. I don't want to see the Phillies trade away six of their best prospects to get him, that's quite a gamble on your future. They's be right back to having a barren farm system.
I would rather have them give up a prospect and get George Sherril from Baltimore, saw that rumor the other day. It would give them depth in their injury ravaged and inconsistent bull pen.
I wouldn't mind them getting a rh bat off the bench too. Don't know who though.

 

[NSL]

So today, we traded Ryan Church to the Braves for Jeff Francoeur. This befuddles me a bit. Church is a great defensive player, and hustles like very few in the game. He's also been one of our more consistent players lately.

So, we trade him for a guy that gives up mid-game, and strikes out way too much? Granted, he has a great arm, and is a better power hitter than Church, but not by so much that this was a mandatory move. He's got to cost more too. Wish I knew the financial details of this trade...

 

[FromTheSouth]

Considering the Pirates have already traded away McLouth, Morgan, Hinske, and Burnett there isn't much more for us to do. There have been talks of Freddy Sanchez being dealt. I think he'd be a great addition to a playoff contender. He'll give you a .300 average and 30 doubles a year.

There has also been talks of Adam LaRoche to the Giants. Hopefully we'll be able to deal him. He's been pretty much a complete flop over since he's come to the Pirates. He's having is best season this year, but he's still not on pace for 30 homers. I would be very happy with if we traded him and got anything close to a good player back.

The Pirates are sellers at the deadline, not buyers. To pick up someone like Halladay, you need to be a contender. The Pirates are the only team in that division that is more than five game outs. Any of the other five teams in the NL Central could make this move. I hope it's the Astros, obviously. This is the kind of trade we tend to make. We were four game under .500 when we gave up the farm for Carlos Beltran. We can send an established ML reliever in Wesley Wright, Troy Patton, Mark Sacomonno, and someone off the bench like Darrin Erstad. We actually have the pieces. The only untouchable in our farm system is the new Japanese pitcher. Everyone else is movable. Plus, with the bonus year left on the contract, we can use him next year to get prospects back if we aren't going to keep him. We are one pitcher away from contending. We are four games out as it is, second best record in June, Berkman and Oswalt have finally started to show their All Star form, Mike Hampton has been a surprise, Wandy Rodrgiuez has been dominant at time, and our entire outfield should have made the All Star Game.

I'm a Phillies fan and I may be the only one who doesn't want Doc Hallady. I'm not saying the Phillies don't need him, he'd immediately be their number 1, I just think the'd have to give up too much to get him. I don't want to see the Phillies trade away six of their best prospects to get him, that's quite a gamble on your future. They's be right back to having a barren farm system.
I would rather have them give up a prospect and get George Sherril from Baltimore, saw that rumor the other day. It would give them depth in their injury ravaged and inconsistent bull pen.
I wouldn't mind them getting a rh bat off the bench too. Don't know who though.

The Phillies need a pitcher, especially a ground ball pitcher like Roy. Your ball park is a launch pad, and you have a bunch of pitchers who pitch to contact, and with the exception of Moyer, they are fly ball pitchers. That is why your have a poor home record. Roy is exactly what you need. You don't need a right handed bat off the bench, you need Jimmy Rollins to produce so Eric Bruntlett can fit in his correct role instead of having to be Mr. Clutch all the time. Trust me, a pressure free Eric Bruntlett is a a great player. As an Astros fan, I have seen that guy come through so often, and good things happen when he comes in the game. You will see how well he fits on your bench once Rollins gets going and Bruntlett isn't picking up slack, but adding his contributions. I am so upset that we had to give him up.

 

[Cowboyfromhell]

The Phillies need a pitcher, especially a ground ball pitcher like Roy. Your ball park is a launch pad, and you have a bunch of pitchers who pitch to contact, and with the exception of Moyer, they are fly ball pitchers. That is why your have a poor home record. Roy is exactly what you need. You don't need a right handed bat off the bench, you need Jimmy Rollins to produce so Eric Bruntlett can fit in his correct role instead of having to be Mr. Clutch all the time. Trust me, a pressure free Eric Bruntlett is a a great player. As an Astros fan, I have seen that guy come through so often, and good things happen when he comes in the game. You will see how well he fits on your bench once Rollins gets going and Bruntlett isn't picking up slack, but adding his contributions. I am so upset that we had to give him up.

I do like Bruntlett, I honestly do, he can play middle IF or anywhere in the outfield. He was a big part of that WS winning team last year. I just also wanted a Right handed bat off the bench with some pop, it's why I wanted them to sign Sheffield in the off season. Kind of like a rh Matt Stairs if you will.
And I do like Halladay, the thoughts of him being the #1 and Hamels the #2 in a best of 5 series makes me very happy. I am just a little leary of betting the future on this deal. I live right outside of Reading, PA, and watch some of these guys they are throwing around in the trade talks, Kyle Drabek (Doug's kid) and Michael Taylor (who is setting records like Ryan Howard did a few years back) and I think they can be good for years in a Philllies uniform. So I am torn.
Oh, I do want to thank your GM, the former Phillies GM, Eddie Wade for that Lidge deal. Lidge and Bruntlett for Bourn and Geary. Wow. You guys should start the fire Ed Wade campaign now. He may be a nice man but I was thrilled when he got fird in Philly.

 

[Thriller Ant]

Biggest move of this year's trade deadline so far happened today, as my St. Louis Cardinals acquired Matt Holliday and some cash from the Oakland Athletics for three prospects, including Brett Wallace, the third baseman who we drafted in the first round last year.

This trade is absolutely huge for the Cards. The get a legitimate threat to hit behind Albert Pujols, and a more solidified outfield situation. He will probably be nothing more than a rent-a-player since he is a free agent at the end of the season, but I would bet that this move guarantees a NL Central title for St. Louis this year. The biggest hole this team had was someone to protect Albert. He is near the top of MLB in walks, since pitchers weren't really afraid of anyone batting behind him. Now with Holliday, Pujols can continue his chase of the Triple Crown, while Holliday should easily be able to hit around .280 with 15-25 home runs and plenty of RBI's.

 

[BooCocky]

While this is a good deal for the Cards, I believe it will also hurt them in the long run. They gave up one of there best position players in the minors for a 3 month rental in Matt Holliday. He isn't going to resign with the Cards, especially when teams have more money. It is a good move right now, but by next year it might not look as good. Unless they win the WS, but I do not think that is happening.

 

[Thriller Ant]

I'm not really sold on Wallace though. He struggled to start the year, and a lot of commentators around here aren't sold on him. I don't know how much longer DeRosa's contract goes for, Joe Thurston has done a decent job, and Troy Glaus is still in the minors rehabbing. I wish the best for Wallace, but I don't know if he is the surefire future Hall-of-Famer that some have already tabbed him to be.

 

[X]

Yeah unless the Cards win the WS this year, I'm not sure if I see this deal being worth it in the long run. I'm a very cautious guy though, I'm not big into trading away blue-chip prospects for 3-4 month rentals. Not sure if a Top 50 prospect is worth it if you ask me. But I suppose the Cards are in a win-now frame of mind, so you can't blame 'em for taking a risk. It'll obviously look like a great move if they win the WS and Holliday rakes. I'm not a very big fan of Holliday though quite honestly.

Minor move for my Red Sox the other day in picking up Adam LaRoche from the Pirates for a few very minor prospects. Good deal, we gave up two C-List prospects for a left hander who's been known to heat up during the second half of the year. Acquiring LaRoche means one of two things: Lowell is going to be out longer than we initially expected, or that there is another trade on the horizon.

The other trade being one for Adrian Gonzalez of the Padres. Right now it's nothing but rumors, but the reports are that the Sox are going strong to get him. Padres most likely have no intentions of letting A-Gon go and I doubt the Sox will be willing to part with one of our better prospects like Michael Bowden or Clay Buchholz. Word is though that the Sox may be looking for a long-term big impact bat right now. We don't necessarily need a big bat, but it sure as hell wouldn't hurt obviously.

We'll see what happens. We love to make deals on the day of the Deadline, so I wouldn't put it past the Sox to make a huge deal.

 

[Thriller Ant]

I forgot you were a Red Sox fan, X. What are people saying about Chris Duncan? He had one good year and he's been struggling ever since. He actually got booed by the home fans a week or two ago, and that is a big deal in St. Louis. I hope he gets it figured out. But anyway, any word on what they are going to do with him?

 

[48.7 is Approximately 49 Times Better Than You]

I figured that I should sticky this since there is about a week left before the deadline and we might just see some big moves made. Halliday to the Phillies is looking very probable, and this makes them sure favorite to at the very least make it to the NLCS. They've been playing great ball already, and Halliday is essentially a guaranteed victory every 4-5 games. The Cards got a great bat to go along Albert, one that I wanted to see on my Yankees. It looks as though I won't be named 'Yao Ming's Penis Cast' because the Astros chances of making it to October just got very slim.

Here's to hoping a big move or two is made.

 

[X]

I forgot you were a Red Sox fan, X. What are people saying about Chris Duncan? He had one good year and he's been struggling ever since. He actually got booed by the home fans a week or two ago, and that is a big deal in St. Louis. I hope he gets it figured out. But anyway, any word on what they are going to do with him?

I'm sure you've got a better perspective on the guy than I do, but he's still pretty young. I know he's struggled quite a bit thus far in his career, but he's still got some raw talent behind the bat in terms of power if he could only just figure out what's blocking him from doing so.

Really though I LOVE this trade. I would have traded Julio Lugo for a bag of balls and a cream soda at this point, but the fact that we actually got a decent major-league player in return makes it well worth it. Good luck with Lugo Dolph, and be prepared to witness probably the worst defensive shortstop in the entire MLB. Seriously, this guy has more errors than he does hits (probably not really, but he's constantly fucking up in the field). Plus the fact that we got a player to be named later and cash as well, seems like a big win for us. We get rid of Lugo's awful bat/arm/contract and get a bit of cash and a few players in return? Damn good job by Theo as usual.

As for how Duncan is going to be used, quite frankly I doubt he'll even be on our major league roster at any point this year. We've already got a shit load of depth and we've already got 3-4 guys in AAA who can hit better than Duncan and are closer in line for promotions. The only way I see Duncan playing for our major league team is when the rosters expand for the postseason, and even that's iffy. Really, all this trade was was just a turd-for-turd swap. We're all just glad to be rid of the soul-sucking cancer that is Julio Lugo. Good luck with him, you guys will need it. Are the Cards thinking of using him regularly?

 

[BooCocky]

X, you're little thing on Julio Lugo is practically how I felt about Adam Laroche. Yes, he has shown signs of being a productive ball player, yet he wasn't producing for the type of cash we were paying him. I was glad to see him go, and I think we got decent talent in return. That SS reminds me of a miniature Jack Wilson, he can field real well and his offense is sporadic. We have no problem using defensive players to sure up our middle infield as long as our other batters hit.

I do not see Sanchez or Wilson going anywhere. Wilson because of his hammy and Sanchez because he's a doubles hitter, who more than likely will get an 8 million dollar in the up coming months.

Also I do not see Doc going anywhere. I don't think that trade is worth it, especially if they can't resign him. I am not a fan of renting players and destroying your farm system at the same time. I can see little moves, I can see the Dodgers suring up there bull pen and possibly there rotation with a back end pitcher. I don't think they Yankees are gonna make a move because there farm is shit. So to be honest, in the next six days I do not see a big move happening.

 

[Thriller Ant]

I'm sure you've got a better perspective on the guy than I do, but he's still pretty young. I know he's struggled quite a bit thus far in his career, but he's still got some raw talent behind the bat in terms of power if he could only just figure out what's blocking him from doing so.

Really though I LOVE this trade. I would have traded Julio Lugo for a bag of balls and a cream soda at this point, but the fact that we actually got a decent major-league player in return makes it well worth it. Good luck with Lugo Dolph, and be prepared to witness probably the worst defensive shortstop in the entire MLB. Seriously, this guy has more errors than he does hits (probably not really, but he's constantly fucking up in the field). Plus the fact that we got a player to be named later and cash as well, seems like a big win for us. We get rid of Lugo's awful bat/arm/contract and get a bit of cash and a few players in return? Damn good job by Theo as usual.

As for how Duncan is going to be used, quite frankly I doubt he'll even be on our major league roster at any point this year. We've already got a shit load of depth and we've already got 3-4 guys in AAA who can hit better than Duncan and are closer in line for promotions. The only way I see Duncan playing for our major league team is when the rosters expand for the postseason, and even that's iffy. Really, all this trade was was just a turd-for-turd swap. We're all just glad to be rid of the soul-sucking cancer that is Julio Lugo. Good luck with him, you guys will need it. Are the Cards thinking of using him regularly?

He started last night at second. Tony LaRussa likes moving guys around, so he won't just play short. He got a triple and a homer last night, while Holliday went 4-5, including a double after they walked Albert, which was huge. I really don't know how much Lugo will get used though. We have Brendan Ryan, who is a young middle infielder and could be a Gold Glove shortstop, Mark DeRosa, who can play any infield spot, Skip Schumaker, a converted outfielder at 2nd, Joe Thurston, who plays 2nd and 3rd, and Troy Glaus and Khalil Greene rehabbing in the minors. He will be in the mix, but Schumaker is the only one who will be a consistent starter, I think. I'm happy with him so far, and there are plenty of guys we can sub in for defense late in a game if need be.

As for Duncan, he just needs to get his shit figured out. He has a decent swing, and he can play 1st or outfield, but should DH since his defense is bad.

 

[simpsons_fanatic742]

The Blue Jays apparently made a formal trade offer to the Phillies for Roy Halladay. They wanted Drabek, Happ, and another player. The Phillies declined, but they are still talking names and a deal could be close to being done. We've had JP Riccardi and Halladay state that they don't think a deal will be done, but I don't think so. I believe the Phillies will put together a package and land Doc. After today's game where Toronto blew a 9-1 lead and lost to Tampa Bay, I hope they do trade Halladay, as hard as it is to say. He deserves to be on a team that has a shot a winning and it hurts to see him stuck on this team with this management. If he does get traded, it will be a dark day in Blue Jays history.

 

[NSL]

I hate to see my team (Mets) as sellers, but it may be happening this year. Injuries are the last thing anyone wants to blame for a bad season, but we have no other reason for playing the way we are. We lost our leadoff hitter, as well as our 3 and 4 hitters, out main set-up man, and our #2 starter. No one can compete after losing all that.

With that being said, I think we may end up trading away some big contracts, and utility guys, in an effort to make sure this doesn't happen next year. Sheffield is the first name I can think of, because he's fairly productive in a full time role, and would be great for a contender in a platoon. He'd also get us some cash, and/or a young player or two, to help us on the farm.

I can also see some bullpen guys getting dealt. Pedro Feliciano could go to a contender that needs a left handed arm, and he'd get us someone to work in the field, possibly replacing someone like Sheffield, or Alex Cora, who could also be traded away.

 

[CH David]

Well shit. 2 days after Mark Buehrle pulls the White Sox into a tie for first on Thursday with his perfect game, now there is a chance they get swept by the fucking Tigers this weekend, and fall to 4 games out. They are not playing bad baseball, but they aren't playing good ball either. Decent ball is probably how you would classify it. I thought that Tony Pena would have been another good arm for the bullpen. Shit I was wrong, and Bad Bobby Jenks has fallen apart lately. The bullpen needs another good arm, because they aren't holding leads late in the game anymore. It is a rough spell they are going through right now, but fuck man. The offense isn't getting timely hitting during their current 3 game "slump". They need to pull a win out tomorrow night to show some life, or it will be deflating. But another arm is definitely the key for the White Sox to have a shot at winning the division in September.

By the way, I am throwing this out there. Gordon Beckham for AL Rookie of the Year. Who has your support?

 

[48.7 is Approximately 49 Times Better Than You]

A source tells ESPN that both the Angels and the Dodgers have made trade offers to the Blue Jays for Roy Halladay, and that the Phillies refuse to trade Drabek, Happ, and the others required to get a deal done. If the Phils don't snag Doc, I see them pursuing Jarrod Washburn of the Mariners. Last I saw, he was fifth in the American League for ERA. If any of these three teams get Halladay, I see them as immediate World Series favorite. The Dodgers would get even better, if improving the best team in baseball is almost unfair. The Angels have forgotten how to lose, and Halladay would fit right in. The Phillies are a lethal team. Adding Halladay to a team with three former MVPs would make them better than everyone else. Maybe the Yankees will just send a hundred million to Toronto. I'd like that.