MLB Offseason Thread

[Imran Siddiqui]

VORP doesn't change into Wins easily and in trying to evaulate how many Wins a player is responsible for WS is by far the best metric.

[Arrian]

If that's what matters most to you, then in order to be consistent you must knock out great players on great teams as well - in favor of lesser players on more marginal playoff teams.

If the Yankees win the East by 10 games and Jeter has 9 WS, tough luck, Jetes 'ole man. They didn't need ya!

-Arrian

[Imran Siddiqui]

If that's what matters most to you, then in order to be consistent you must knock out great players on great teams as well - in favor of lesser players on more marginal playoff teams.

Not entirely. Home field advantage does matter. And the positioning for that gain is important.

But in terms of Jeter they obviously didn't need him as much as perhaps some other teams needed their own players, obviously. When you have a collection of all stars like the Yankees, how much, really, is one person worth compared to a team like, say, St. Louis with Albert Pujols?

It's a fact of life that the Cards would be in far more trouble if they lost Pujols than, say, if Pujols was playing for the Yankees in place of Giambi and got hurt.

However, Jeter did undeniably give the Yanks home field. What they did with it wasn't great, but he got them there. Without Jeter, the Yanks would have ranked 3rd (division winner with the least amount of wins).

Though, and one of the big problems with a "Most Valuable Player" Award is that value isn't always quantifiable in numbers. There are leadership (or divisive) qualities to be considered and how much a team took on the personality of the player and whatnot. I wouldn't mind a "Most Outstanding Player", but that's not the award we have.

[Stuie]

Having now seen the details of the Soriano contract, I can see why the Phillies didn't bother. The complete no-trade clause doesn't fly in Philly anymore now that Ed Wade is gone. Have fun watching Soriano break-down, Cubs fans.

Soriano's deal gives him a complete no-trade provision and guarantees a suite on Cubs road trips, according to contract information obtained by The Associated Press. In addition, Soriano is guaranteed six premium tickets for each home game during spring training, regular season and the postseason -- and for the All-Star game if he is selected.

Soriano receives an $8 million signing bonus and will get a $9 million salary next season. His salary increases to $13 million in 2008 and $16 million in 2009, then goes up to $18 million from 2010-2014. Soriano, who turns 31 in January, will be 38 in the final year of the deal.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AoUn0Kkq1DBltTBvTxzbe8oRvLYF?slug=ap-cubs-soriano&prov=ap&type=lgns

[Imran Siddiqui]

I wouldn't laugh too much... Adam Eaton for $24 mil over 3 years? WTF?

[Stuie]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
I wouldn't laugh too much... Adam Eaton for $24 mil over 3 years? WTF?

Damn! You weren't supposed to notice that!!

[Imran Siddiqui]

Yankees won't let Boston steal all the thunder, dammit

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2678036

NEW YORK -- The New York Yankees won the bidding for Japanese pitcher Kei Igawa when the Hanshin Tigers accepted their offer of about $26 million Tuesday

[Arrian]

It's a fact of life that the Cards would be in far more trouble if they lost Pujols than, say, if Pujols was playing for the Yankees in place of Giambi and got hurt.

That doesn't say anything about Jeter or Pujols, though. It says things about the Yankees and Cardinals.

...

As for the $26mil for the other Japenese pitcher, oy. $26 mil just to talk to the guy. This is insanity. I know absolutely zero about this guy, but obviously he doesn't have the hype of D-Mat, and there is likely a reason for that. I was actually hoping the Yanks would largely stay out of this market. Damn.

-Arrian

[Stuie]

What a whiney baby:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/baseball/mlb/11/29/cardinals.pujols.ap/index.html

Psst - Albert - the Phillies won 3 more games than your team in the regular season will playing in a slightly stronger division. As long as we're making up new requirements, maybe only the top four teams should go to the playoffs.

[Arrian]

Pujols was the real MVP of the NL. I'm so amused by the supposed logic about Howard. "The Phillies wouldn't have even been close without him." Yes, true. But the Cardinals - who actually made the playoffs (and ultimately won the WS) - wouldn't have made it without Pujols, and since Pujols is the better player, the difference would've been even greater. But people like Howard's HRs, his smile, and apparently didn't want a repeat MVP, so he won.

Albert shouldn't whine about it, though.

-Arrian

[Stuie]

Well, now he said he was misinterpreted and he's sorry and he loves Ryan etc. etc. So we're all one big happy family again. Well, except for weird uncle Roger.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2685770

[asleepathewheel]

Howard is from St. Louis, so I'm sure that played some role in this.

That said, Pujols was far and away the superior player minus the home runs.

risp anywone? far more valuable than homeruns

[asleepathewheel]

And the cards have tied Carpenter up through 2011, 2012 an option. Its a long time for a pitcher with injury history, but cllearly the market forced the cards hands.

[Stuie]

And the Red Sox have thrown away $70M.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AvI7c1bnATX8rZEsTKDCBvgRvLYF?slug=ap-redsox-drew&prov=ap&type=lgns

Did Epstein get a lobotomy during his "retirement"? I'd take Trot Nixon for realistic money over the injury-prone and over-paid J.D. Drew any day.

[Fistandantilus]

That's a very smart move on our part. We're paying Drew 14M a year when we refused to extend Damon's contract (12M IIRC) as early as one year ago. Great stuff!

Bah.