2011-2012 Offseason Thread

[mvp 78]

At some point one of the catchers will go down with an injury and Lavarnway will be nice depth from the minors and he'll get his chance to win the spot.

 

Or Salty is worse than last year and he's up around the ASB.

[a700hitter]

Cardinals Maintain Strong Interest In Beltran

By Mike Axisa [December 17 at 6:47pm CST]

 

The Cardinals won't be able to replace all the offense they lost when Albert Pujols left for the Angels, but there are ways to replace some of it. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the Cardinals did extensive background work on Carlos Beltran this week, and they continue to maintain strong interest in the outfielder.

 

Beltran, 34, hit .300/.385/.525 with 22 homers last season, the first time he's played in more than 100 games since 2008. He's mulling over a variety of two and three-year offers according to Rosenthal, with the Blue Jays, Red Sox, and Rays also having interest in the outfielder. Toronto is said to have "significant financial flexibility," but Boston is more focused on pitching and Tampa only figures to get seriously involved if Beltran's market crashes.

 

Rosenthal says the Cardinals have expressed interest in both Cody Ross and Coco Crisp as well. St. Louis can add an outfielder because Allen Craig figures to miss the start of the season after having knee surgery recently, and also because Lance Berkman will move back to first base, his best position.

I wonder how solid the rumor is about the Red Sox interest in Beltran? I would love for the Sox to get him.

[Spitball]

I wonder how solid the rumor is about the Red Sox interest in Beltran? I would love for the Sox to get him.

 

I was not in favor of acquiring him at the deadline but think he now may be a legitimate right field possibility now. Teams apparently are leery of his recent history of injuries, and he might be signed for a relative bargain considering his WAR.

[SoxSport]

The Cardinals have some Pujols money to spend. Let them spend it on Beltran, while the Sox spend on pitching. It was either Ortiz or Beltran. That's been settled.

[SoxSport]

I heard the Cubs owner is refusing to give the Sox compensation for Theo' date=' because he realizes that he made a mistake, but JH will not take Theo back. He said that if he wants to throw money away, he'd invest with Madoff. [/quote']

 

Did you see the Yahoo sports article today on the scandal in Miami? The $600 mil stadium was financed by public money without a referendum. The Marlins ownership pays no rent and gets all the parking and concessions. No wonder they spent all that dough on free agents.

 

It's nice to be an MLB owner these days. Fantasy sports.

[SoxSport]

Or Salty is worse than last year and he's up around the ASB.

 

Their .500 record with Salty catching last year is disturbing.

[User Name]

Their .500 record with Salty catching last year is disturbing.

 

You've mastered the non-sequitur. Train another type of logical fallacy now.

[jung]

Well if that stadium got built without a referendum, do ya' mind telling me why it took the voters till now to figure out that they never voted on the damn thing? Sad commentary.

 

We can't burp out a fire hydrant in my little town without folks waiting for the public notice for the referendum. Not that we are some model for democracy or civic involvement but for crying out loud....a multi-billion dollar sports stadium? Did they all get a case of sunstroke concurrently?

[SoxSport]

Well if that stadium got built without a referendum, do ya' mind telling me why it took the voters till now to figure out that they never voted on the damn thing? Sad commentary.

 

We can't burp out a fire hydrant in my little town without folks waiting for the public notice for the referendum. Not that we are some model for democracy or civic involvement but for crying out loud....a multi-billion dollar sports stadium? Did they all get a case of sunstroke concurrently?

 

Ha. Hey, it's Miami. Big City. Lots of intrigue and political payoffs, if you read the story.

 

I owned in Miami Beach, and I can tell you it's a depression down there. Foreclosures. Property values are down to nothing. City cutting expenses, etc.

 

What is happening with the Marlins, and also the NBA's Heat, doesn't make a lot of sense for such a depressed area. I guess there must still be money down there.

 

The other thing is the big TV revenues. That's what keeps these sports alive and thriving.

South Florida is one of the biggest TV markets--with NY and LA.

[SoxSport]

Lavrnway is way too slow to play RF at Fenway. There's a reason they switched Manny over to LF when he was signed. Lavarnway just needs more innings catching.

 

The kid came up with a splash last year--hitting 2 HRs and looking surprisingly good behind the plate. Then Tito foolishly batted him cleanup the next game. A sign of how badly the Sox needed a RHd power hitter--with Youks out.

 

Sometimes these kids surprise when they hit the majors--they raise their intensity level.

I'd like to see the Sox give their prospects more of a shot--sooner. Kalish, for example, should have been playing RF last year, but he was blocked by two over-the-hill guys, and you know what happened to him in Pawtucket.

 

You need a blend of the old and the new to be successful. Look at Motte and Freese on the Cardinals. They may have done well unloading Pujols. The Red Sox have lost some of that, focussing on older expensive players.

[mvp 78]

Their .500 record with Salty catching last year is disturbing.

 

Impressive for being Lackey and Wake's personal catcher actually...

[Palodios]

Fred' date=' you are probably right that it is a pretty weak division. The Brewers had a very strong team, but losing Fielder and the Braun suspension will gut that team. The Cards could still be a very strong team if the sign Beltran to play RF and move Berkman to 1B. The Reds picked up Latos today from the Padres. The Padres got a nice package of prospects plus Volquez.[/quote']

 

The market for Fielder just doesn't seem to be developing. No big players in the market have been involved. I wouldn't be surprised if he came back to Mil for a hometown discount.

[a700hitter]

The market for Fielder just doesn't seem to be developing. No big players in the market have been involved. I wouldn't be surprised if he came back to Mil for a hometown discount.

He might come back to Milwaukee, but it won't be for a discount. It will be because their isn't much of a market for him and milwaukee can afford to pay him market.

[Palodios]

He might come back to Milwaukee' date=' but it won't be for a discount. It will be because their isn't much of a market for him and milwaukee can afford to pay him market.[/quote']

 

The Brewers will give him years that no other team will because he's their franchise player. The money probably won't be there, but there are other advantages for Fielder to stay in Milwaukee.

[a700hitter]

The Brewers will give him years that no other team will because he's their franchise player. The money probably won't be there' date=' but there are other advantages for Fielder to stay in Milwaukee.[/quote']The Bratwurst?

[Palodios]

The Bratwurst?

 

He's a vegetarian, remember.

[a700hitter]

He's a vegetarian' date=' remember. [/quote']That's why I put a question mark. What other advantages would Milwaukee hold for him? You didn't explain.

[Palodios]

That's why I put a question mark. What other advantages would Milwaukee hold for him? You didn't explain.

 

He's not a vegan, he can eat the cheese:lol:

 

It seems like many of the teams who want him either

1) Will spend so much on him they can't afford other players

2) Play in a pitcher's park

3) Play on a losing AL/NL East team

4) Won't likely make the playoffs

 

The Brewers made it clear last year that they were willing to put the money out there to put a team together that could win. The formula works there, he knows he can produce there, and he is their best player, and probably gets his due respect, and I'm certain he must get the fanfare. Its not like the Red Sox or Yankees are willing to dish out massive money for him, he might not find that monster contract.

[Emmz]

Wait, Prince Fielder is a vegetarian? HOOOOWWWW???

[a700hitter]

Wait' date=' Prince Fielder is a vegetarian? HOOOOWWWW???[/quote']Emmz, where were you when we had this discussion? Fielder thinks he is a vegetarian because he only eats animals that eat grain and corn. He will not eat a meat eating animal.

[seabeachfred]

You know guys, I would love to start seeing teams stop dealing with Boras' humongous demands for contracts. GM Ken Williams of the White Sox will not deal with him and lets his players know that if they sign with him they will be dealt out of Chicago. I think there is another GM who recently went on record saying he wouldn't deal with Boras any more. With him it is always which team gives the most money, which I guess means "it's always about the money"---right? Yet there are advantages to taking a little less to play in a better venue as Jared Weaver did with the Angels. Prince Fielder knows he can go back to Milwaukee and get a good contract and play in a city he said he enjoys playing in and for fans who have treated him like a hero. Is a couple of million more a year for five or six really that important than playing in a place where you have a comfort zone? I wonder what Werth is thinking right now, or Crawford for that matter?

[mvp 78]

Great, then you won't be mad if the Sox don't extend Ellsbury?

[iortiz]

Other GMs say Ben Cherington has been active in discussing potential moves. The Red Sox have looked into a number of pitchers on the trade market, including Gio Gonzalez, Jair Jurrjens, Gavin Floyd, and John Danks. According to Cafardo, the Sox probably don't have the caliber of prospects the Athletics want for Gonzalez.

 

Really? mmm..

[User Name]

Thank God. No to Gio please.

[iortiz]

From ESPNBoston Poll

 

What should the Red Sox do in right field?

 

*41% Let Reddick and Kalish fight for the job

*16% Sign a right-handed hitter to platoon with Reddick/Kalish

*29% Sign Carlos Beltran

*11% Trade for a right fielder

*4% Bring back J.D. Drew

(Total votes: 5,528)

[seabeachfred]

Great' date=' then you won't be mad if the Sox don't extend Ellsbury?[/quote']

 

Yes I will because it will my ox that is being gored and a key player on my (our) team will be leaving and being replaced most likely by an inferior player.

[User Name]

Ellsbury's agent is Scott Boras Fred. If you want them to stop dealing with Boras, you can kiss Ellsbury goodbye, is what MVP is trying to say here.

[SoxFanForsyth]

So the D-Backs just picked up Kubel.

 

Wonder if that makes Chris Young available? His average is pretty terrible, but he still gets on base at a .330-.340 clip and crush LHP (.939 OPS vs LHP last year). He plays good defense (14.1 UZR last season), and Fenway would suit him well (see picture below of his hits at Chase Field placed over a graph of Fenway Park. Doubles in blue, fly outs in red).

 

From what I can tell, I see 5-6 balls that were fly outs that would easily turn into at least doubles at Fenway. Plus some of those doubles may turn into HR (depending on where they actually landed vs where they were picked up).

 

Regardless, tack on 5-6 hits to his numbers, and his numbers go up from .236/.331 Avg/OBP to around .247/.340. Not incredible, but with 20-25 HR, I'll take that from a guy who will be in the bottom 3 of our order.

[a700hitter]

So the D-Backs just picked up Kubel.

 

Wonder if that makes Chris Young available? His average is pretty terrible, but he still gets on base at a .330-.340 clip and crush LHP (.939 OPS vs LHP last year). He plays good defense (14.1 UZR last season), and Fenway would suit him well (see picture below of his hits at Chase Field placed over a graph of Fenway Park. Doubles in blue, fly outs in red).

 

From what I can tell, I see 5-6 balls that were fly outs that would easily turn into at least doubles at Fenway. Plus some of those doubles may turn into HR (depending on where they actually landed vs where they were picked up).

 

Regardless, tack on 5-6 hits to his numbers, and his numbers go up from .236/.331 Avg/OBP to around .247/.340. Not incredible, but with 20-25 HR, I'll take that from a guy who will be in the bottom 3 of our order.

I also read that Kubel's signing could make Parra available in a trade.

[SoxFanForsyth]

FWIW, here is the link to the site that lets you display a spray chart from one field on another (i.e. from Chase onto Fenway)

 

http://katron.org/projects/baseball/hit-location/

 

You can see the image better if you go there and do it yourself (Chris Young from Chase to Fenway)