The Official MERB Baseball Offseason Thread (trades, signings, NO fucktard comments!)

[rumpleforeskiin]

The Yankees spend more than other teams, and not just on payroll but also on scouting and player development and facilities, because Steinbrenner has ALWAYS been committed to putting his profits back into his team.

This is bullshit of the first order, Beav. Since the turn of the century, the Yankees have developed exactly Cano, Wang, Hughes. That's one player every three years. If the Yankees didn't spend like drunken sailors, they'd finish 4th every year. (In the same period of time, the Sox have developed Bard, Buchholz, Lester, Papelbon, Pedroia, Youkilis, and Ellsbury. They also have a whole lot more in the pipeline than the Yankees do.)

And even spending like drunken sailors, they have exactly one title to show for $2 BILLION dollars. Pay for 5, get 1. Good job, Brian.

 

[Special K]

then rename the thread, "etc" means .. ummmmmmm maybe, ETC????

If I could have fit "Iggy" at the end of the new title I most certainly would have. Happy now?

 

[lgna69xxx]

you must still be sore for the Yanks winning ANOTHER championship, either that or you still are "sore" from RIO

my guess is Rio still has you hurting the most ...... wish i could say i feel sorry for you my friend but i cant, not after the pics, and the reviews i read..... bastard all is good K

If I could have fit "Iggy" at the end of the new title I most certainly would have. Happy now?

 

[Special K]

No doubt I'm suffering from post Rio depression, post Montreal depression, and this killer cold still. Gonna be a long wait until that return trip.

 

[EagerBeaver]

This is bullshit of the first order, Beav. Since the turn of the century, the Yankees have developed exactly Cano, Wang, Hughes.

You did not read what I wrote. I am talking about money spent on player development, not results of player development. It is fact, not bullshit. Are you telling us that the Red Sox have spent more money on player development, scouting and related facilities than the Yankees?

Did it occur to you that the Yankees were not exactly getting high draft picks as a result of years and years of winning? So what they did was focused their money on scouting to find free agent gems in Latin America and Asia and they did in Cano and Wang. It's really surprising you don't know or mention any of this. Hughes was a 1st round draft pick, although lower in the 1st round as the Yankees drafted him out of high school and he signed. Joba Chamberlain was drafted lower, and David Robertson, who led the AL in strikeout ratio per 9 innings, was drafted even lower. They are not mentioned on your list. Also, the Yankees currently have perhaps the top hittting prospect in the minor leagues in Jesus Montero. He was rated the best international signee when he was signed out of Venezuela in 2006.

The Rays/Devil Rays sucked for 10 years, repeatedly got high draft picks and last year it finally panned out for them. The same thing happened to the Penguins in hockey. It's called becoming winners through years and years of being pathetic losers and stockpiling draft picks. It's never been the Yankees mantra. The Yankees have not had high draft draft picks to begin with, and they have lost draft picks in trades and free agent signings so the focus of their player development changing as a result would be totally understandable.

By the ways you also forgot to mention Alfonso Soriano who came up through the Yankees system after starting his professional career in Japan. I could also mention Juan Rivera of the Angels, now a very good player, who was developed by the Yankees. So you are full of shit.

I would also mention that the New York Mets had more good young players in their system in the mid 1980s than the Red Sox do now, and outside of 1986, they never won anything. You keep talking about all of the talent the Red Sox have developed, but that talent was not good enough to win a single game in the playoffs this year. How good it will be remains to be seen.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

So what they did was focused their money on scouting to find free agent gems in Latin America and Asia and they did in Cano and Wang. It's really surprising you don't know or mention any of this. Hughes was a 1st round draft pick, although lower in the 1st round as the Yankees drafted him out of high school and he signed. Joba Chamberlain was drafted lower, and David Robertson, who led the AL in strikeout ratio per 9 innings, was drafted even lower.

I didn't mention Chamberlain, because he has yet to prove himself a solid major leaguer; I'd also like to see Robertson show more than half a season, considering he wasn't even considered a prospect last year. Note that I also left out several Red Sox (Delcarmen, Bowden) for the same reason.

And I left out all prospects, as they are just prospects. Yes, the Yankees have 2, Jackson and Montero. The Sox have about 8, as do most other teams. Montero, by the way, will probably make it to the major leagues as a DH.

The Yankees have ignored scouting and development for years. Throughout the entire of this decade, they've ranked by BA in the high 20s among MLB systems, improving and eking into the top 10 briefly a couple of years ago.

The simple, undeniable fact is that they buy their success and not particularly efficiently. $2,000,000,000 should get you a lot more than one championship and an old team that's going to need to get a lot younger very soon.

 

[Jman47]

I didn't mention Chamberlain, because he has yet to prove himself a solid major leaguer; I'd also like to see Robertson show more than half a season, considering he wasn't even considered a prospect last year. Note that I also left out several Red Sox (Delcarmen, Bowden) for the same reason.

And I left out all prospects, as they are just prospects. Yes, the Yankees have 2, Jackson and Montero. The Sox have about 8, as do most other teams. Montero, by the way, will probably make it to the major leagues as a DH.

The Yankees have ignored scouting and development for years. Throughout the entire of this decade, they've ranked by BA in the high 20s among MLB systems, improving and eking into the top 10 briefly a couple of years ago.

The simple, undeniable fact is that they buy their success and not particularly efficiently. $2,000,000,000 should get you a lot more than one championship and an old team that's going to need to get a lot younger very soon.

There are also quite a few other players that came up through the Red Sox system that were not mentioned here. Some that come to mind ... David Murphy, Kelly Shoppach, Manny Delcarmen, Hanley Ramirez and on and on ... fact is the Sox have a better system...and a better long range plan. They have also managed to integrate that system with some key free agent signings when needed while showing restraint and not spending absurdly. And by doing this they have managed to WIN 2 rings in the new century...

And leave the Dice-K thing out of it because we all know that was about marketing as much as it was about BB.

Because of the unrelenting pressure to win at all costs that is perpetuated by the Yankees and their rabid fan base they are forced to live in the now. The Yankees appear to have no plausible long range plan for player development, hence the perpetual raids and spending frenzies in the free agent market every year.
The result is rich agents, richer players and fans expected to pay $2,500 for a seat...

Rumples is absolutely correct - $2,000,000,000+ netted one ring...

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

Some that come to mind ... David Murphy, Kelly Shoppach, Manny Delcarmen, Hanley Ramirez and on and on

I purposely left out Manny Delcarmen because of his spotty record. If you want to include guys who came through their system, you'd need to include Freddie Sanchez and Justin Masterson. The Sox are a player development machine.

 

[EagerBeaver]

Nationals Buy out Austin Kearns

Will Austin Kearns be on a major league roster next year?

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4631212

I remember after this guy's rookie season in which he hit .315 he was one of the most coveted players in my fantasy baseball league. Now I wonder whether he will even be offered a contract after not being able to stay healthy and posting extremely meager stats for 2 straight years while still in his 20s. Japan could be an option, but I will be curious to see whether he gets any offers in MLB.

 

[Doc Holliday]

The Jays will probably show some considerable interest in Bay. Maybe that's what they had in mind last year when they let go Alex Rios for nothing.

 

[Joe.t]

The Jays will probably show some considerable interest in Bay. Maybe that's what they had in mind last year when they let go Alex Rios for nothing.

Don't think so, he want's to play for Seattle which is were he lives and were his wife is from or some other west coast team, also I don't expect the Jays to be a major player in free agency until after next year, remember, they are still trying to dump Halliday and are still on the hook for BJ Ryan's salary, also their budget for next year has not been announced, I think Bay will end up in Seattle.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

The Jays will probably show some considerable interest in Bay. Maybe that's what they had in mind last year when they let go Alex Rios for nothing.

They didn't really get rid of Rios for nothing. Their objective was to be free of his contract, which, while small change for the spendthrifts in the Bronx, was too much for the Jays to bear.

Bay, the British Columbian, of course makes sense for the Jays. Do they have the loonies to sign him.

Meanwhile, a strong thumbs up from Christina Kahrl of BP to the Sox for the Hermida acquisition. Hermida, a three year veteran at 25, has a road EqA of .284, better than average for a right fielder. Removing the left-handed hitting Hermida from Dolphins Stadium, a strong pitcher's park, and dropping him in the left-handed hitter's paradise that is Fenway, the young man should blossom.

 

[Jman47]

The Sox should sign Bay, but Holliday is an option and would feast off the wall at Fenway...could be interchangeable but Bay has proven he can perform in Boston. Rumor is he wants to go to Seattle to be closer to home in Vancouver.
Yankees will want one or both as they have no legitimate corner outfielders.
Question is there are dozens of guys up for options who could hit the market...should be an interesting winter.

Pitchers and catchers in 14 weeks boys...

Don't think so, he want's to play for Seattle which is were he lives and were his wife is from or some other west coast team, also I don't expect the Jays to be a major player in free agency until after next year, remember, they are still trying to dump Halliday and are still on the hook for BJ Ryan's salary, also their budget for next year has not been announced, I think Bay will end up in Seattle.

LOL...Joe.t and I agree on something in a thread, he was just a little late...

 

[EagerBeaver]

Twins Pick Up $10.5 Million Option On Cuddyer

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4632132

I will be surprised if the Twins do not win the AL Central next year. They would have won that division last year if Morneau had not gotten hurt. They have already upgraded their team by getting rid of Carlos Gomez and picking up Hardy. They finished strong last year even without Morneau, and their lineup looks pretty solid to me, especially at the 3-4 positions where they are as good as anyone with the M&M boys.

 

[Joe.t]

They didn't really get rid of Rios for nothing. Their objective was to be free of his contract, which, while small change for the spendthrifts in the Bronx, was too much for the Jays to bear.

Bay, the British Columbian, of course makes sense for the Jays. Do they have the loonies to sign him.

Meanwhile, a strong thumbs up from Christina Kahrl of BP to the Sox for the Hermida acquisition. Hermida, a three year veteran at 25, has a road EqA of .284, better than average for a right fielder. Removing the left-handed hitting Hermida from Dolphins Stadium, a strong pitcher's park, and dropping him in the left-handed hitter's paradise that is Fenway, the young man should blossom.

Who the fuck is Hermida, is he a baseball player?, wasn't he once a pitcher for the Expos.

 

[EagerBeaver]

Who the fuck is Hermida, is he a baseball player?, wasn't he once a pitcher for the Expos.

His main achievement to date was to lead all major league rightfielders in errors with 9 in 2007, and to also post the lowest fielding percentage among them that season at .966. Those totals were posted in only 123 games of action that season. That's the only occasion on which he has "distinguished" himself as a league leader.

He has posted batting averages under .260 in 3 of his last 4 seasons with modest power numbers.

It's one of those deals where a change of scenery may do him some good, but he looks like a platoon player to me.

 

[The Phantom]

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/baseball/other_mlb/view.bg?articleid=1210004&srvc=next_article

Interesting article in the Boston Herald.

 

[Special K]

It's one of those deals where a change of scenery may do him some good, but he looks like a platoon player to me.

Of course he does,unless he was going to Yankee Stadium.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/baseball/other_mlb/view.bg?articleid=1210004&srvc=next_article

Interesting article in the Boston Herald.

Buckley is full of shit.

"While the ’09 Red Sox were a very good baseball team, it’s safe to say they’d have been better had the likes of Julio Lugo [stats] and J.D. Drew [stats] put up better numbers."

Perhaps the Sox would have been better had they spent another $80 million. The New York Yankees are the picture of organizational failure. There's not another organization in baseball, save perhaps the Kansas City Royals, who could have spent $2 billion over the last 9 years and have only one title to show for it. Hell, I could have won three all by myself with that kind of dough. I'll bet even Joe.T could have won 2 and he's a fucking moron.®

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

His main achievement to date was to lead all major league rightfielders in errors with 9 in 2007, and to also post the lowest fielding percentage among them that season at .966. Those totals were posted in only 123 games of action that season. That's the only occasion on which he has "distinguished" himself as a league leader.

As we know, Beav, (or as some of us know), errors and fielding average are both meaningless stats, free of both nuance and context. In 2007, when Hermida made 9 errors, thanks to his range, he actually saved his team 2 runs over the course of a season when compared with an average defender, accounting for approximately 1/4 of a win. Over the course of his career, he's saved his team 7 runs. That's not much, but he, at least, is saving, rather than costing, his team runs with his glove. My numbers, btw, are RAA from BP.