I usually don’t run these things…but seeing things are about as slow as me completing my Wojciech Kilar B-side collection.
You know what we need? More blockbusters! They’re fun, they stir up heated debate and they show that general managers deep down aren’t really any different from fantasy baseball owners. It humanizes them and turns them into something other than cold, calculating machines studying spreadsheets and financial budgets.
Philadelphia Phillies trade LHP Cliff Lee, OF Nate Schierholtz and LHP Antonio Bastardo to the Texas Rangers for 3B Mike Olt, LHP Martin Perez, OF Leonys Martin and RHP Cody Buckel.
Forget Zack Greinke. The Rangers need an ace they know can deliver in the postseason. Plus, isn’t it about time for Lee to be on the move again? He’s actually spent two full seasons with the same team. We can’t have that. The Phillies get the third baseman they need in Olt, the promising Perez and a potential center fielder in Martin. They also dump Lee’s massive contract, which means they could spend the extra money to buy a free-agent outfielder or starting pitcher. (Or both!)
For the Rangers, Schierholtz is a solid platoon outfielder and gives them flexibility to move Nelson Cruz to DH. Bastardo is a nice lefty arm for a bullpen that had only one southpaw (Robbie Ross) most of the season.
And, who knows, even with Lee, the Rangers may have the cash to go after Greinke. How about this for a 2013 rotation:
Cliff Lee
Zack Greinke
Yu Darvish
Matt Harrison
Derek Holland
Repoz
Posted: November 24, 2012 at 06:59 AM |
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1. Cooper Nielson Posted: November 24, 2012 at 10:28 AM (#4308612)I don't get this one at all. The shortstop swap is little more than a push, so the Tigers would give up their two top prospects (and Crosby) for two freakin' relief pitchers? I don't get it. David Schoenfield is smarter than this.
Jim Johnson had a really good year, but does anyone think he's truly an "elite" closer, striking out 5-6 guys per 9 innings?
If anything, the Tigers/Orioles proposal makes perfect sense compared to some of the other deals. As noted, the Mariners are making out like bandits while the DBacks are trading Bauer and Upton and getting Cabrera. The Rays are getting Stanton without giving up Moore or Hellickson or Price? The Reds trade might be fair on paper, but I can't imagine they'd do that.
That article is by Christina Kahrl.
Wait? So the Red Sox would trade their best pitching prospect to receive Soriano? I would argue that the cost of getting the Cubs out from under two years of Soriano is Garza. If the Cubs are providing salary relief as part of the deal, then you can talk about giving young talent to the Cubs. This is where the Red Sox payroll flexibility actually could be useful.
$36 million. Age 37 and 38 seasons. Thanks, anyway.
I think he may have missed one aspect of Billy Hamilton's talent.
Hey, according to fangraphs WAR he earned that $18 million last year!
No, #3, that would be an awful move for the Tigers. Giving up your two best prospects for a slight upgrade at SS and two relievers, when you already have a reasonable SS and a decent bullpen but real questions in the OF going forward is ludicrous. Especially considering they can sign Stephen Drew and one of any number of relievers without parting with any prospects.
2. How does the Reds-Twins qualify as a blockbuster?
Seriously, you know Babe Ruth is fine and all, but he's just a left handed starter....
I don't care how fast Hamilton is; he can't steal first base. If pitchers figure that they can get him out by just throwing strikes without having to work the corners, that's what they will do. Hamilton's still got to show that he can sting the ball consistently against better pitchers. Guys whose offensive arsenal consists mostly of singles and walks tend not to have long major league careers.
-- MWE
Wouldn't you agree, though, that Hamilton appears to have that rare talent who could make this work? I mean, there are indeed a few speedy, patient slap hitters who have successful careers. Doesn't he seem like a good bet to be one of those? (If your point is just that he still has some work to do in the minors, then I agree.)
as for lee, even with him, the phillies aren't going anywhere without a healthy and productive halladay. and if they have a healthy and productive halladay, lee is kind of superfluous.
Don't you need a starting pitcher for every game?
Some, maybe most, of them should/could. But "riskiest" is not the same as "highest chance of getting caught" because some SBs are worth more than others (leverage). If Rickey Henderson reaches first in the 9th inning when the game is +/- one run, everybody knows he's going to try to steal and he most likely should try to steal because he probably only needs to be successful something like 60% of the time for that to be break even. So if they're stealing at, say, 90% success early and 60% late that might be better than 90% early and never running late.
If they're essentially just running anytime they get on then they should be more selective.
Hamilton could make it work, to be sure, especially if he can play a passable center field; he had good in-play power numbers, even if we account for the likelihood that some of his in-play extra bases were a result of his speed, and he cut his strikeouts this year. The question really is whether he can expand his hitting zone enough to make good contact around the edges so that pitchers have to pitch him honestly. That's what we will begin to find out this season.
-- MWE
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