Major League Baseball Discussion: Offseason

[Sava]

hmmm interesting about the A-Rod deal. If Garciaparra stay with Boston, I suspect there will be some bitterness.

[Imran Siddiqui]

The O's have no pitching Imran

They have some great young talent. Helling and Lopez are average. Daal takes some innings. Moss is a very good young pitcher. Ainsworth will be a solid #1 pitcher in the future. Moss and Ainsworth can make the team have a decent rotation. If not this year, then next, definetly.

Yankees? please.... Brown is like 40... you think he's going to put up the number he used to? Not likely. Vazquez probably won't adjust to the DH. Pitchers moving from NL to AL usually don't have big years. And how good was Sheffield in the playoffs for the Braves?

Yankees? don't make me laugh...

As a Yankee hater, I can say that that type of talk only leads to disappointment. The Yanks ARE the evil empire, they'll find a way. Brown had a damned good year last year. Vazquez will at least have 14-15 wins, especially with better run support. Sheff is generally a good player and may do better with a smaller ballpark.

And remember, the weakness last year for the Yanks was the crappy bullpen. They've spent to address that.

Right now, I'll put the list Yankees, Red Sox, then Cubs (and maybe Philly after that). If the Sox can somehow make the deal for A-Rod, they rocket up to the top of the list. If the Cubs can get I-Rod, they go to the top. Right now the Yanks are looking pretty.

we'll have to see how these pitching additions by the Cards help. That was a good move to dump Drew if these pitchers can be effective starters

Very true. Suppan will win at least 12. Marquis could be a very nice young starter. Wainwright is going to be good in the future. Maybe not now, but in a few years. Remember, the Cards were only 3 games back of the Cubs (the 'Stros were 1 game back).

[Imran Siddiqui]

And face it... both Boston and Chicago are cursed (as we saw in the playoffs last year), which makes it so neither can be favored.

[monolith94]

How did we ever possibly agree to give manny ramirez THAT much money???

[Vlad Antlerkov]

The combination of Dan Duquette ( ), and an inflated market.

[JohnT]

Originally posted by The Emperor Fabulous
I ****ing hate player unions. They make things so difficult. If both the teams are satisfied and the players are satisfied then what is the ****ing problem?

Does the Player's Association really believe he NEEDS the extra 30 Million? He's not being given his just rewards earning only 197 Million?!?!?!

****ing players unions...

Actually, they're worried about the trickle down effect it will cause. If the ceiling (A-Rods contract) gets lowered 30%, the union believes that, in time, all players contracts will show a corresponding drop in value.

[Berzerker]

If the ceiling (A-Rods contract) gets lowered 30%, the union believes that, in time, all players contracts will show a corresponding drop in value.

Not to threadjack, but that's why unions like increases in the minimum wage even though union workers don't get the minimum... It creates and upward pressure on union wages...

[Rex Little]

Joe Sheehan of Baseball Prospectus has an excellent article explaining why the restructuring of A-Rod's contract does and should matter to the union.

http://premium.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=2490

And don't forget, Rodriguez himself said he didn't want to do the deal if the union didn't approve.

[Imran Siddiqui]

If the ceiling (A-Rods contract) gets lowered 30%, the union believes that, in time, all players contracts will show a corresponding drop in value.

Which is silly, IMO. Because the market has gone South since that time. FA aren't getting the $20 a year deals anymore (see.. Vlad Guerrero). Owners are clamping down. A-Rod will have the largest deal for quite a while.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Joe Sheehan of Baseball Prospectus has an excellent article explaining why the restructuring of A-Rod's contract does and should matter to the union.

Personally I think most of the article is stupid. Especially when he says A-Rod would be stupid to take a cut of $30 million in order to a better work environment. Sheehan says people giving him that advice are idiots, because the owners would laugh if someone said they would get $30 million less for a better work environment.

WHAT? Does Sheehan understand sports at all?!! Some players may wish to win a World Series. I mean, really... wouldn't you rather be Derek Jeter than Ernie Banks? I think PLENTY of players would take less money to win a championship and they do it ALL THE TIME!

Hello?!

And while I can see why the union would get mad... I think the MLBPA needs to be broken in the worst way.

[The Emperor Fabulous]

Especially if its winning a World Series with Boston or Chicago

[Imran Siddiqui]

True... you'd be a hero for like... forever. 300 years from now, some homo superior from Boston would be talking about how A-Rod showed those Yankees and started the Red Sox dynasty .

[Berzerker]

Did you say the Cards got Suppan, Imran?

[Imran Siddiqui]

Yep... they got him a week back or so.

[Arrian]

Originally posted by monolith94
How did we ever possibly agree to give manny ramirez THAT much money???

Because you had already mustered that much money to throw at Mussina, but the E.E. beat you to it, so Duquette just HAD to get somebody else. Manny was the best remaining, and the market, as has been said, was inflated (I mean, come on! Look at what we paid for Jeter. I'm a fan, don't get me wrong, but Derek Jeter is most assuredly overpaid).

-Arrian