08-09 Offseason: Minor Moves

[TheKilo]

I thought Lowrie hit a slider.

 

NVM - Gameday says sinker...http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2008_08_24_bosmlb_tormlb_1&mode=gameday

 

Didn't think Lowrie could catch up to that kind of heat.

[26 to 6]

According to Adam Ruben of the Daily News Freddy garcia has decided on the Mets, agreeing to a Minor League deal worth potentially $8-9 million in incentives.

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/mets/2009/01/garcia-lands-with-mets.html

 

I guess the Yankees weren't willing to go that high in incentives since he didn't get the guaranteed Major League contract he was looking for. I think if he meets all of those incentives and reaches the maximum vaue it would be a reasonably fair deal. Freddy Garcia in top form, especially when he was in Seattle, was a real good pitcher.

[Keeper]

He's not worth $8-9 million at this stage in his career. His arm is shot. I would be surprised if he gives them 20 starts.

[italstallianion]

He doesn't even seem to be that good even when he's not on the DL.

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

He's not worth $8-9 million at this stage in his career. His arm is shot. I would be surprised if he gives them 20 starts.

Which is why its incentive money, not guaranteed money.

[jacksonianmarch]

its a good deal for the mets although anything with Garcia is a risk. They can use him as depth, but they cannot count on him. This makes for a bit of a dicey situation with where he fits. Is he a AAA player until a hole opens up? Do they dedicate a spot in the rotation to him? This is the kind of thing that turned me off to the yankees signing him. We spent all this money this offseason, might as well get someone who you know will throw 180-200IP and Garcia isnt that guy anymore,

[riverside sluggers]

Royals agreed to terms with RHP Zack Greinke on a four-year contract.

Finally something positive in what's been a disastrous offseason for the Royals franchise. Most thought Greinke would test free agency when eligible in two years. He would have been just 27, and with the way he's improving, he could have been in line for one of the biggest contracts ever given out to a pitcher. Terms of this deal weren't revealed, but $35 million would seem to be appropriate.

 

Good move by KC

[riverside sluggers]

The Pirates are close to signing free agent Eric Hinske to a deal worth $1 million-$2 million.

 

It's not the right-handed bat the Pirates would prefer, but it's clearly better than settling for Luis Gonzalez. Hinske is no longer more than an emergency third baseman, but he holds his own defensively at the outfield corners and he was able to hit 20 homers in just 381 at-bats last season. He'll be the Pirates' best option to start in left, though he'll probably be penciled into a reserve role initially.

 

http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/NickPiecoro/44762

D-Backs signed Jon Garland, pending a physical. 1 year deal with an option

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=Aq7vAHQJ9PnaKGEksmgn6o8RvLYF?slug=ap-rockies-jimenez&prov=ap&type=lgns

Ubaldo Jimenez signed an extension with the Rockies... 4 years/$10 million, 2 option years that could raise the total value to $22 million. Hometown discounts are good and all, but he really caved in here. Kudos to the Rockies front office

[Papelbon58]

This is out on a limb just a bit, but I think Jon Garland could have a significant impact with the D-Backs. Garland is as good a back end starter as there is in that division unless Barry Zito rises from the dead. Not to mention he will get the AL to NL bump that pitchers seem to experience.

[Cocos Disciples]

Welcome back P58.

[riverside sluggers]

Breaking News, good move for the Cubs

 

FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal says the Mariners are close to trading Aaron Heilman to the Cubs for Ronny Cedeno and a pitching prospect.

 

The Mariners would be better off keeping Heilman and seeing if he could build his value in the closer's role. Cedeno would be an adequate stopgap at shortstop or second, but he's not worth pushing Jose Lopez to first base and the Mariners aren't at all likely to use him over Yuniesky Betancourt.

[Cocos Disciples]

I agree, Cedeno is pretty terrible. Heilman was bad last year too, but if he can get close to his previous status, it's a good pickup. Might make up for trading Ceda for Gregg.

[Keeper]

Yay, no more Ronny Cedeno. That alone makes this trade worthwhile.

[Cocos Disciples]

Garrett Olson is also going to Seattle in that trade. He'll be a candidate for the rotation, which says more about the Mariners than him.

[Cocos Disciples]

Arizona has reached an agreement with Jon Garland for 1 year, 6-8 mil.

 

http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/NickPiecoro/44762

[italstallianion]

Although that makes me wonder if the Peavy trade is going to go down, since the Padres had wanted Olson in part of the trade. Now that Olson is no longer with the Cubs, are they going to be able to put together a package for Peavy?

[Dipre]

Olson was traded to the M's for Aaron Heilman......

 

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/01/cubs-close-to-a.html

[Cocos Disciples]

Got it covered chief.

[26 to 6]

Mike Sweeney signed a Minor League deal with the Mariners. Worth a shot. What a downward spiral his career has become though, sad story. It has to raise the question of PED's if you ask me.

[a700hitter]

Mike Sweeney signed a Minor League deal with the Mariners. Worth a shot. What a downward spiral his career has become though' date=' sad story. It has to raise the question of PED's if you ask me.[/quote']I only get suspicious of PED usage if a player markedly improves his performance in his mid-30's. Players with bad backs at an early age, don't set off any suspicion for me.

[Papelbon58]

If he has to enhance his performance to sign a minor league deal with the Mariners, I don't think he's really going to matter that much.

[26 to 6]

If he has to enhance his performance to sign a minor league deal with the Mariners' date=' I don't think he's really going to matter that much.[/quote']

I think you missed the point, I'm saying that when he was with the Royals he was an offensive force, the captain of their team, and All-Star caliber player. In his last year and KC and since then he's knocked around, put up very marginal numbers, and has been barely a shell of his former self. To me that raises the possibility that during his prime years in KC he could have been juicing, and then as testing was implimented he went into a strong decline. But like 700 said, his back could be a major factor in his performance decline over recent years.

[CrespoBlows]

Although that makes me wonder if the Peavy trade is going to go down' date=' since the Padres had wanted Olson in part of the trade. Now that Olson is no longer with the Cubs, are they going to be able to put together a package for Peavy?[/quote']

 

No, he'll probably get moved in the middle of the season.

[Dipre]

No' date=' he'll probably get moved in the middle of the season.[/quote']

 

That is, if he gets moved at all.

 

Because with the money he's owed and the return the Pads want, moving him is not that easy as trade talks with the Cubs have demonstrated.

[italstallianion]

Agreed...I blame the Padres for that more than anyone else...they can't expect great prospects and to have the other team pay for Peavy as well...that's just not how trades work...

[BSN07]

Barry M. Bloom of MLB.com is reporting that the New York Yankees cannot sign any more Type A or Type B free agents this offseason.

 

According to the Basic Agreement, and confirmed by a top Major League Baseball official, once the Yankees signed CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira, they had signed their quota of Type A or Type B free agents under the collectively bargained rules established by management and the Players Association, Bloom wrote.

 

All three were Type A free agents who played for other teams last season aside from the Yankees. The Yankees could re-sign their own Type A or Type B free agents without it affecting the quota.

 

Under the rules, "if there are from 39 to 62 [Type A and B] players [during a given offseason], no team can sign more than three."

 

Thought it was interesting. Wasn't really sure where to put it, didn't think it was worth it's own thread.

 

 

I actually thought that they could sign unlimited type A FA this offseason.

[BSN07]

BTW, am I the only one seeing the "gaybeardating" ad at the bottom of this page?

 

 

 

http://www.gaybeardating.com/?aff_id=google&aff_pg=3&aff_tr=1&s=free_db_search&aff_cp=IMG

 

 

That what you get when you click it. Looks like I might be the only one seeing it, since it looks like one of the stupid European spam,

 

Do we get different ad based on location? If so, I believe I am getting the short end of the stick here...

[Cocos Disciples]

I'm getting Rotmans Furniture-Carpet. That's where I go for all of my furniture-carpet needs!

[italstallianion]

Thought it was interesting. Wasn't really sure where to put it, didn't think it was worth it's own thread.

 

 

I actually thought that they could sign unlimited type A FA this offseason.

 

 

I knew it. I had been arguing that for a while on the ESPN boards and nobody ever brought that point up. Nobody ever corrected me, and I guess that's because I was right. People were still insisting that the Yankees were going to get Sheets or Ramirez etc and I said that I didn't think it could happen.

[riverside sluggers]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3875013&campaign=rss&source=MLBHeadlines

 

The Rays have signed 40 year old Brian Shouse to a 2 year deal