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Thursday, July 31, 2008

FOX Sports on MSN - Ken Rosenthal - Latest news and rumors from around MLB

A catch-all thread for last minute trade news. Please post any rumors that haven’t already hit the MSM.

UPDATE:

Updated 4:28 p.m.: Manny traded to Dodgers

Manny Ramirez has been traded to the Dodgers in a three-team blockbuster, pending the approval of the commissioner’s office, according to a source with knowledge of the deal.

Pirates outfielder Jason Bay is headed to the Red Sox. The Pirates will receive Andy LaRoche and right-hander Bryan Morris from the Dodgers and outfielder Brandon Moss and releiver Craig Hansen from the Red Sox.

The Red Sox will pay all of the approximately $7 million remaining on Ramirez’s contract.

Jim Furtado Posted: July 31, 2008 at 06:20 PM | 377 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
  Tags: general

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   301. Dr Love Posted: July 31, 2008 at 08:52 PM (#2885205)
You'd need to give up LaRoche and Morris, too.


I'm well aware of that. I'm saying, you couldn't, with your farm system, find an equivalent for those two?

But it doesn't matter. It's pretty clear Parking Lot McCourt's money has run dry.
   302. Francoeur Sans Gages (AlouGoodbye) Posted: July 31, 2008 at 08:53 PM (#2885207)
As a quasi-Dodgers fan, I gotta say, WTF, you couldn't give up an equivalent of Moss and Hansen and get Bay? ####### Coletti.

You'd need to give up LaRoche and Morris, too.
Exactly. The equivalent of Moss and Hansen would not have got Bay. How on earth is this a bad deal for the Dodgers? They just got a Hall of Famer having yet another great season, and all they had to give up was a pitcher coming off TJ surgery and a guy they weren't going to play anyway who is having a sever power outage.

EDIT:
I'm well aware of that. I'm saying, you couldn't, with your farm system, find an equivalent for those two?
Why do you want to give up more prospects to get Bay, who is only going to block one of your young players next year. Instead you get a significantly better hitter who you don't have to make a long term commitment to, you get him for free money-wise, and you get 2 draft picks.
   303. Pops Freshenmeyer Posted: July 31, 2008 at 08:53 PM (#2885209)
After thinking about it for a few minutes, I would like to rescind my comment that the rumored Tampa deal was a better package.
   304. Cowboy Popup Posted: July 31, 2008 at 08:54 PM (#2885217)
What's the problem?

Well, the GM is wasting 30 million dollars this year on CFers who can't hit, and if he wasn't, or if MLB hadn't allowed a group with cash issues to buy one of the most prestigious franchises in the league, he could have probably afforded to trade for Bay. I'm ticked, congratulations Sox fans.
   305. AJM Posted: July 31, 2008 at 08:54 PM (#2885218)
The Marlins almost screwed up this deal too. They asked the Dodgers to send them $3 mil.
   306. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: July 31, 2008 at 08:55 PM (#2885222)
"RF Bautista?"

Pearce. Bautista to the bench, where he belongs. That, or McLouth to RF, and McCutchen in CF.
   307. Pops Freshenmeyer Posted: July 31, 2008 at 08:55 PM (#2885223)
The Marlins almost screwed up this deal too. They asked the Dodgers to send them $3 mil.

Pretty audacious for a team not involved in the trade :)
   308. Dr Love Posted: July 31, 2008 at 08:55 PM (#2885224)
I cannot believe that Will Ohman is apparently still a Brave. I hate Frank Wren.


And as a quasi-Braves fan, WTF Wren. Your Baltimore team sucked and this team sucks. Common component? You. They must think the team will contend next year so why give up a good pitcher.
   309. Crispix Attacks Posted: July 31, 2008 at 08:55 PM (#2885225)
C Doumit
1B Adam
2B Sanchez
3B Andy
SS Wilson (they have a reasonable option on his contract, right?)
LF Moss
CF McClouth
RF Bautista?

That's not a bad lineup assuming Sanchez hits like he did in 2006 or 2007. They're only three starting pitchers away from contention.


Moss is already ready to be part of a "good lineup"?

RF is Steve Pearce.

Bautista and Mientkiewicz are great bench players. Bautista's an underrated player.
   310. Crispix Attacks Posted: July 31, 2008 at 08:57 PM (#2885231)
Why do you want to give up more prospects to get Bay, who is only going to block one of your young players next year.

You could, for example, give up one of the young players whom Bay is going to be blocking.
   311. Francoeur Sans Gages (AlouGoodbye) Posted: July 31, 2008 at 08:57 PM (#2885232)
Well, the GM is wasting 30 million dollars this year on CFers who can't hit, and if he wasn't, or if MLB hadn't allowed a group with cash issues to buy one of the most prestigious franchises in the league, he could have probably afforded to trade for Bay. I'm ticked, congratulations Sox fans.
Sunk cost fallacy. And to repeat 304, Manny >> Bay from LA's perspective.
You could, for example, give up one of the young players whom Bay is going to be blocking.
And how does that help the Dodgers? They gave up less to get more. You are saying that if Ned was a better GM, he would have given up more to get less. It makes no sense.
   312. Jeff Frances the Mute Posted: July 31, 2008 at 08:57 PM (#2885233)
But it doesn't matter. It's pretty clear Parking Lot McCourt's money has run dry.


It may be that he has simply cut of Colletti's allowance. Think about it, would you give any more money to the guy who blew over $100 million on Jason Schmidt, Juan Pierre, Esteban Loaiza, Andruw Jones, etc?
   313. IronChef Chris Wok Posted: July 31, 2008 at 08:57 PM (#2885240)
They're reporting Sox still paying for Manny. Which makes this deal meh to ugh.
   314. JMPH Posted: July 31, 2008 at 08:58 PM (#2885245)
Any chance Jones/Pierre get cut outright now?

I thought of that too. I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised if Jones was released at the end of the season, or even right now. It's a sunk cost, and they can exceed his production at almost no cost. They no longer need him to start this year, and if they go into next year relying on him in any way, they're dumber than any of us thought.
   315. Dan Posted: July 31, 2008 at 08:58 PM (#2885246)
I wouldn't give him any more money, but I also wouldn't continue to employ him as my GM...
   316. flournoy Posted: July 31, 2008 at 08:59 PM (#2885249)
They must think the team will contend next year so why give up a good pitcher.


Ohman's a free agent this offseason. So whether they think the team will contend next year (I think not; their public position is that it will), Ohman has no business on the 2008 Braves, who the organization has conceded will not contend.
   317. Cowboy Popup Posted: July 31, 2008 at 08:59 PM (#2885252)
Sunk cost fallacy.

Sunk costs matter when the franchise isn't willing to spend any more money.
   318. Dr Love Posted: July 31, 2008 at 08:59 PM (#2885254)
Why do you want to give up more prospects to get Bay, who is only going to block one of your young players next year.


Because he's better than any of them? Not acquiring a player because he blocks an inferior player is not a good strategy.
   319. Gamingboy Posted: July 31, 2008 at 08:59 PM (#2885255)
I demand that they remake the Joe Torre state farm commercials now, featuring Manny's California life!
   320. JMPH Posted: July 31, 2008 at 09:00 PM (#2885259)
From Rotoworld:
No word yet on whether agent Scott Boras was also able to add a clause forcing the Dodgers not to offer Ramirez arbitration.

Why would that matter to Manny? He could just decline it. Do they care that much about Manny's next team losing a first-round pick?
   321. Dan Posted: July 31, 2008 at 09:01 PM (#2885262)
It would make him more attractive as a FA.
   322. JMPH Posted: July 31, 2008 at 09:02 PM (#2885276)
It would make him more attractive as a FA.

Ah, of course. I was on the right track, didn't put it all together though. Thanks.
   323. Pops Freshenmeyer Posted: July 31, 2008 at 09:02 PM (#2885279)
Why would that matter to Manny? He could just decline it.

Lost draft picks are part of any team's cost/benefit in signing a marquee free agent. I think the idea is that suitors will offer more money to Manny if he isn't going to cost them picks.
   324. 6 - 4 - 3 Posted: July 31, 2008 at 09:03 PM (#2885284)
Any chance Jones/Pierre get cut outright now?

I believe that if the Dodgers terminate either contract, any guaranteed money remaining would be payable in full. Given McCourt's apparent cash problems, that doesn't seem likely.


Post-waiver deal (seriously, is anyone going to claim them?)

I'm sure that the Dodgers will place them on waivers and would allow any claim that was made without requesting any type of compensation. But I highly doubt any team would make the claim in the first place.

Jones has a no trade clause. I'm not sure if that would prevent him being lost to a waiver claim.
   325. Russlan will never be fond of Jason Bay Posted: July 31, 2008 at 09:04 PM (#2885294)
Ohman's a free agent this offseason. So whether they think the team will contend next year (I think not; their public position is that it will), Ohman has no business on the 2008 Braves, who the organization has conceded will not contend.

You are assuming someone offered something more than the draft picks.
   326. Shredder Posted: July 31, 2008 at 09:06 PM (#2885311)
Wouldn't the Dodgers just have been better off with Bay for the same package? Hell, as an Angels fan, I'd rather have had Bay than Teixeira (assuming they could have kept Kotchman, dealt Wood, Marek, and another prospect, and cut Matthews). I don't know much about Bay's defense, but I've gotta think Manny will be a butcher in left for the Dodgers.

Just at first glance, it seems like the Dodgers lose this deal if they could have just gotten Bay instead of Manny.
   327. Dr Love Posted: July 31, 2008 at 09:07 PM (#2885315)
I believe that if the Dodgers terminate either contract, any guaranteed money remaining would be payable in full. Given McCourt's apparent cash problems, that doesn't seem likely.


Am I wrong in believing that if a team signs one of them for (to pick a number) $1M, then the Dodgers would be off the hook for $1M? If that were the case and Jones cleared waivers/they can't get a deal for him where they don't eat a lot of money, then it might make sense for them to cut him outright and hope some team saves them $400K. When you're broke any help is help.
   328. Francoeur Sans Gages (AlouGoodbye) Posted: July 31, 2008 at 09:10 PM (#2885329)
Because he's better than any of them? Not acquiring a player because he blocks an inferior player is not a good strategy.
But taking into account contracts, both Kemp (certainly) and Ethier (most likely) are more valuable commodities than Bay. No way I'd trade Ethier + Laroche for Bay. And the Dodgers are trying to win this year, and Manny is a better player than Bay, and they got him for free! And you're saying they would have done better to trade Laroche + Ethier + interesting pitcher + random reliever for Bay, while taking on Bay's salary too? And Bay is a bad fielder too, by the way.

One of us is crazy.
   329. bunyon Posted: July 31, 2008 at 09:10 PM (#2885331)
No one would sign him for more than the minimum for exactly that reason.

Not taht anyone would probably sign him anyway.

I wonder if he'll still make the Hall? Damn that was a steep decline.

EDIT: in reference to 329
   330. Crispix Attacks Posted: July 31, 2008 at 09:11 PM (#2885337)
Wouldn't the Dodgers just have been better off with Bay for the same package?

Probably. People are saying that the owners aren't allowing Coletti to add salary though, and I'm sure the Pirates were not going to send along $2 million or whatever the rest of Bay's salary is this year. Also Bay is under control for next year, and maybe Coletti isn't allowed to add salary for next year either.
   331. JMPH Posted: July 31, 2008 at 09:12 PM (#2885338)
I wonder if he'll still make the Hall? Damn that was a steep decline.

I think he's got a long way to go before this discussion takes place.
   332. lincarnate Posted: July 31, 2008 at 09:12 PM (#2885340)
Moss is already ready to be part of a "good lineup"?

His career minor league line in roughly 2800 PAs is .287/.357/.461, he hit .282/.363/.471 in Pawtucket last year and .290/.356/.548 this year and has hit .291/.348/.456 in the majors. I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say he could be a league average corner outfielder right now.
   333. Shredder Posted: July 31, 2008 at 09:16 PM (#2885354)
I also wonder how much of this was a reaction to the Teixeira deal. The Dodgers were getting killed in the local press for sitting on their hands while the Angels went out and made themselves better (at least in the short term). As good as Bay is, if some part of the deal was due to media pressure, I'm not sure if Bay would have been a big enough name. Certainly not as big as Manny.

The Dodgers are still Southern California's main team by far, but the Angels are cutting into that, and another season out of the playoffs while the Angels look ready to compete for a World Series would have looked really bad for the Dodgers.
   334. ?Donde esta Dagoberto Campaneris? Posted: July 31, 2008 at 09:16 PM (#2885356)
Hell, as an Angels fan, I'd rather have had Bay than Teixeira

I'd probably agree with you except that the Angels needed power from the left-side of the plate. From the other side, as long as Rivera plays, they are pretty solid.

This is a nice deal for the Sox in that they get a good player for cheap. However, losing Manny is a big, big deal. It will be an interesting next two months.
   335. flournoy Posted: July 31, 2008 at 09:16 PM (#2885358)
You are assuming someone offered something more than the draft picks [for Ohman].


Shouldn't someone have offered more than that? Is he likely to net the Braves any draft picks anyway?
   336. Mattbert Posted: July 31, 2008 at 09:16 PM (#2885359)
SI.com reported that the Red Sox got the OK from Ramirez, who would have had the rights to veto any deal. From SI.com: "He signed off on the paperwork, contingent upon the two $20-million team options for 2009 and '10 being dropped. The move will set the stage for Ramirez to become a free agent this winter."
   337. Dr Love Posted: July 31, 2008 at 09:17 PM (#2885360)
But taking into account contracts, both Kemp (certainly) and Ethier (most likely) are more valuable commodities than Bay.


At some point it comes down to winning ball games. Not wanting to give up Kemp I can understand, but Either's only 3 years younger than Bay.
   338. Crispix Attacks Posted: July 31, 2008 at 09:20 PM (#2885372)
SI.com reported that the Red Sox got the OK from Ramirez, who would have had the rights to veto any deal. From SI.com: "He signed off on the paperwork, contingent upon the two $20-million team options for 2009 and '10 being dropped.

Not contingent on anything arbitration-related? Just dropping the options?
   339. Biff isn't really an apt handle anymore Posted: July 31, 2008 at 09:23 PM (#2885376)
What's the reason for Bay's weird splits this season, if there is one other than small sample size?

(Bay vs. RHP: .307/.386/.566, Bay vs. LHP: .190/.333/.345)

EDIT: Hm, Manny also has a weird reverse split this year. I'm sure it's probably just SSS, but still weird.
   340. Mattbert Posted: July 31, 2008 at 09:23 PM (#2885377)
Not contingent on anything arbitration-related? Just dropping the options?

As far as I can tell, yes, just dropping the options. I would imagine the arb-related picks are a non-trivial part of the attraction to this deal from LA's perspective.
   341. Francoeur Sans Gages (AlouGoodbye) Posted: July 31, 2008 at 09:25 PM (#2885380)
At some point it comes down to winning ball games.
Right, and Manny wins you more ballgames than Bay does.
   342. Chase Utley, Shooty's Favorite Robot (Joey Belle) Posted: July 31, 2008 at 09:26 PM (#2885385)
So Will Carroll was wrong?
   343. Crispix Attacks Posted: July 31, 2008 at 09:26 PM (#2885386)
And furthermore toward winnning ballgames, Bay wins you more ballgames next year than Ethier does.

I don't get your point, AlouGoodbye.
   344. Biff isn't really an apt handle anymore Posted: July 31, 2008 at 09:29 PM (#2885395)
So Will Carroll was wrong?

And he's been so reliable in the past...
   345. Francoeur Sans Gages (AlouGoodbye) Posted: July 31, 2008 at 09:32 PM (#2885399)
My point, Crispix, is you can't have it both ways. Either you care about winning now, or you care about the future.

Manny helps the Dodgers more than Bay to win right now.
Giving up extra value to acquire Bay instead of Manny hurts the future.

So both from the perspective of winning now, AND from the perspective of winning in the future, the deal the Dodgers did is better than giving the Pirates Laroche + Ethier + Morris + mediocre MLB reliever for Jason Bay. AND it saves them money.

So any way you look at it, Colletti did it better this way.
   346. Crispix Attacks Posted: July 31, 2008 at 09:34 PM (#2885403)
Okay, I see. But if they had given up Ethier instead of LaRoche, it seems like it would have been better for winning now. LaRoche and Manny could have been in the lineup together everyday, instead of Ethier still being blocked.
   347. Chase Utley, Shooty's Favorite Robot (Joey Belle) Posted: July 31, 2008 at 09:36 PM (#2885407)
LaRoche and Manny could have been in the lineup together everyday, instead of Ethier still being blocked.


That's a good point. The only problem is what do you do with Blake DeWitt?
   348. PASTE is not impressed by Albert Pujols (Zeth) Posted: July 31, 2008 at 09:38 PM (#2885410)
Put him in AA where he belongs?
   349. Gamingboy Posted: July 31, 2008 at 09:42 PM (#2885413)
As I said in the other thread, Boston has done something that may doom us all:

Manny is now in Hollywood.

Fools, you have no idea what you have unleashed on America and the world.
   350. Jeff Frances the Mute Posted: July 31, 2008 at 09:47 PM (#2885423)
LaRoche and Manny could have been in the lineup together everyday, instead of Ethier still being blocked.


Unless the Dodgers relegate Jones and Pierre to the bench.
   351. JMPH Posted: July 31, 2008 at 09:48 PM (#2885425)
Manny is now in Hollywood.

Fools, you have no idea what you have unleashed on America and the world.


There is no possible way that this will be worse than the Manny drama the country endured during his time in Boston. It's likely to be much more entertaining, under the assumption that Manny cheers up for the rest of the season.
   352. Francoeur Sans Gages (AlouGoodbye) Posted: July 31, 2008 at 09:48 PM (#2885426)
Well yes Crispix this is true in a way, but for whatever reason the Dodgers absolutely don't believe in Laroche - whether that's right or wrong is another thread - so what you're talking about is not a realistic scenario. And besides who is to say the Pirates would have accepted Ethier instead of Laroche in the deal? What do they want Ethier and Moss for?

Yes, if I was Dodgers GM I would have tried to switch Laroche out of the deal and switch in Ethier + another pitcher instead, and told Torre to play Laroche. But if that couldn't be worked out, and the current trade was staring me in the face, I would absolutely have pulled the trigger on it. There are very legitimate concerns about Laroche, he is far from the sure thing he is made out to be on this board. Well, now he will get to play every day so we'll all get to find out.
   353. Jimmy P Posted: July 31, 2008 at 10:12 PM (#2885449)
There are very legitimate concerns about Laroche, he is far from the sure thing he is made out to be on this board. Well, now he will get to play every day so we'll all get to find out.

That's true, but you never know unless you play him. They found out that Blake DeWitt isn't an MLB player as of yet, and that Casey Blake is still Casey Blake. They never found out about LaRoche, we'll see if it bites them in the ass.
   354. 6 - 4 - 3 Posted: July 31, 2008 at 10:33 PM (#2885468)
Yes, if I was Dodgers GM I would have tried to switch Laroche out of the deal and switch in Ethier + another pitcher instead, and told Torre to play Laroche.

If I'm PIT, there's no way that I'd do that trade.

I like the trade that got done for PIT. LaRoche will be an above-average 3B, Moss is a good bet to provide some cheap and solid production, while Morris and Hansen have an outside chance of turning into something useful. Apparently they couldn't get the one mega-prospect, but they got a fair return.

Of the three teams, the Dodgers did the worst. They traded a very useful player for a two-month rental that they don't really need. Unless they can offer Ramirez arbitration and get draft picks for him, I think that they overpaid.

Boston basically treads water. Bay=Ramirez when defense and baserunning are considered. Moss and Hansen were spare parts, but they were MLB-ready spare parts. If Drew goes down, they're going to miss having Moss to step in (although I guess they could try Ellsbury there).

EDIT: I see that Ellsbury has started a dozen games in RF for Boston. Does he really have the arm to play right in Fenway?
   355. Russ Posted: August 01, 2008 at 12:42 AM (#2885607)
I wish I had a long call on Jason Bay's BBREF page sponsorship.
   356. Russ Posted: August 01, 2008 at 12:55 AM (#2885619)
I hadn't realized that Moss was a LH. That makes a big difference, as a R/L platoon of Moss/Pearce in RF with Moss getting some time against LHP when they want to give Big LaRoche a rest would probably be pretty decent.

Most of the value of this deal from the Pirates' perspective obviously depends on whether Little LaRoche can get his power back. Morris is interesting, but definitely a reach. I'm suspicious of the Pirates actually helping a player to get better, rather than worse, but stranger things have happened and a couple of hitters are having *really* good years under the new regime (McLouth and Doumit in particular).
   357. ellsbury my heart at wounded knee Posted: August 01, 2008 at 12:59 AM (#2885626)
I see that Ellsbury has started a dozen games in RF for Boston. Does he really have the arm to play right in Fenway?

Not really. If Drew goes down, they probably play Ellsbury there and hope for the best, or move Youkilis to RF and Casey to 1B. They don't have a good replacement, unless Bay is better than I thought.

Can Bay play RF? I have no idea.
   358. Gainsay Posted: August 01, 2008 at 01:21 AM (#2885649)
I don't really see why people think Ramirez helps the Dodgers more than Bay would. Bay is only a shade worse than the 36 year old version of Manny at the plate. He's better in the field, and isn't going to cause any clubhouse drama. I think it's a tossup which one has a better rest of the season.

I also don't understand Manny/Boras' strategy of making sure nobody picks up his options. Are teams really going to be lining up to give him a multi-year deal at $20m per? I have hard time seeing anybody want to give him more than something like 4 years $60m
   359. RobertMachemer Posted: August 01, 2008 at 01:24 AM (#2885650)
Bay is apparently not much of a fielder, from what I hear. Likely better than Ramirez (though Ramirez might be better right now if both were to play 50% of their games in Fenway Park). Likely not better than too many other players.
   360. Darren Posted: August 01, 2008 at 01:29 AM (#2885657)
Robert, the numbers generally say Bay is above average. Where are you getting your info on him being anywhere near Manny as a defender?
   361. 6 - 4 - 3 Posted: August 01, 2008 at 02:05 AM (#2885703)
I also don't understand Manny/Boras' strategy of making sure nobody picks up his options. Are teams really going to be lining up to give him a multi-year deal at $20m per? I have hard time seeing anybody want to give him more than something like 4 years $60m

I agree. Boras and Ramirez have greatly overestimated his market value. Who wants to sign a player who all but quit on his team in the middle of a pennant race, right before a series against their archrival?

His defense is shoddier than ever, he's no longer an elite hitter, and his attitude stinks. My guess is that Ramirez will get something pretty close to what Sheffield got a few years ago: $28M/2yr. Maybe he'll get a guaranteed third year or a few extra million per year, but the total contract value is not going to be for very much more than $45M.
   362. Milford Blatti Posted: August 01, 2008 at 02:14 AM (#2885716)
I also don't understand Manny/Boras' strategy of making sure nobody picks up his options. Are teams really going to be lining up to give him a multi-year deal at $20m per? I have hard time seeing anybody want to give him more than something like 4 years $60m

From Boras' perspective, this makes all the sense in the world since he only makes a percentage on the deals he negotiates. Right? So if he can get Manny any kind of deal worth more than the $20m he's due, he's made Manny a little money and picked himself up a commission.

Or am I wrong?
   363. depletion Posted: August 01, 2008 at 02:18 AM (#2885724)
Is Ramirez's value lower in Dodger Stadium than it would be in a smaller park? Aren't balls going to be rattling around in the power alleys interminably as Manny jogs over to fire them back to, approximately, the infield?
   364. Shock Posted: August 01, 2008 at 02:34 AM (#2885742)
How on earth is this a bad deal for the Dodgers?


Because Manny can't DH for the Dodgers.
   365. ellsbury my heart at wounded knee Posted: August 01, 2008 at 02:58 AM (#2885766)
Manny will get a ton of money this off-season. Someone out there will give him 3/$55M with an option. Or maybe even a guaranteed 4th year. Manny's still a good bet to put up a 120-140 OPS+ the next few years, and teams are crazy. It'll happen. Andruw Jones pretty much got that after a bad year! Look at the contract Barry Zito got! Crazy!
   366. Gainsay Posted: August 01, 2008 at 03:45 AM (#2885805)
I guess 3/$55m is possible, but it doesn't really seem to be any better than having his option picked up and then signing another deal for years 2 and 3. He's going to be 37 next year, he's got a bad enough defensive rep that many teams may see him as a DH, and he's already alienated one potential suitor in the Red Sox. Teams aren't (or at least shouldn't) go nuts with 4 or 5 year deals.
   367. Der Komminsk-sar Posted: August 01, 2008 at 03:53 AM (#2885812)
Rotoworld/DC Post sez Nats to release Lopez and Lo Duca - start Bonifacio and Dukes.
   368. ColonelTom Posted: August 01, 2008 at 04:02 AM (#2885822)
There have been so many different threads on Manny, I'm not sure where to post this. I've seen a few people ask "why didn't the Red Sox just decline the options and keep him? They probably wouldn't have renewed him anyway." Flipping through the Red Sox page on Cot's Baseball Contracts, the answer hit me like a ton of bricks:

Tim Wakefield.

Remember that weird contract Wakefield signed a few years back? The one with the perpetual one-year team options at $4M per year? They've renewed those on Wakefield the last two seasons, and I'm sure they'll be doing it again this year.

Imagine if the Sox agreed to shut Manny up and stop his "ow, my knee hurts" antics by declining his options in the middle of this season? Imagine if you're Theo Epstein and you have to look Wakefield in the eye and say, "yeah, sorry pal, we know you're a good soldier so we can't help you. Manny won't play unless Manny gets his way, so he doesn't have to honor his commitment to us. But you do."

The team also holds options on David Ortiz ($12.5M in 2011), Josh Beckett ($12M in 2010), Coco Crisp ($8M in 2010), and Hideki Okajima ($1.75M in 2009). They might not pick up all or any of those options, depending on what the future holds. But how could they hold any of those players to those options against their wishes if they declined Manny's just to shut him up?

I give the Red Sox management all the credit in the world for sticking to their guns here. They'll face a lot of criticism if Jason Bay wilts in the heat of the pennant race or the playoffs. But they did the right thing today.

Oh, and I'll be amused if Manny tweaks a knee down the stretch and needs assistance on the field. The $64,000 question: would the Dodgers send out a trainer or Ned Colletti to negotiate a multi-year extension?
   369. Fancy Pants is braggadocious about his Handle Posted: August 01, 2008 at 04:37 AM (#2885865)
So if he can get Manny any kind of deal worth more than the $20m he's due, he's made Manny a little money and picked himself up a commission.

Or am I wrong?


From what I understand, you are. Boras doesn't get an extra cent if the option is picked up. This is allready a guaranteed win for him.
   370. shoewizard Posted: August 01, 2008 at 06:40 AM (#2885914)
Gammons reports it's off, ESPN. No Manny move
.

He is SO in the loop.
   371. ValueArb Posted: August 01, 2008 at 06:59 AM (#2885915)
I'm confused. Please help.

Player 2008 EQA
Manny .306
Bay .319

Bay's career EQA is .305 but that includes his injury plagued 07 (.262), his EQA was .313 in 06. Manny's career EQA is .315, but was .289 last year and he's 7 years older. Bay is universally viewed as a substantial defensive upgrade over Manny.

Why shouldn't the Sox have the reasonable expectation that Bay provides significantly more offense than Manny over the next year and half?

Why isn't Bay viewed as a significant upgrade for this years Sox team?
   372. scareduck Posted: August 01, 2008 at 07:02 AM (#2885916)
Any chance Jones/Pierre get cut outright now? Post-waiver deal (seriously, is anyone going to claim them?)

Time for a Brian Wilson moment: Wouldn't it be nice, etc.
   373. scareduck Posted: August 01, 2008 at 07:09 AM (#2885918)
#356:

Of the three teams, the Dodgers did the worst. They traded a very useful player for a two-month rental that they don't really need. Unless they can offer Ramirez arbitration and get draft picks for him, I think that they overpaid.

There is talk on Dodger Thoughts (comment 199) that is somewhat interesting:

I had the pleasure of attending the Dodger Adult Baseball Camp in January and one of the great things it afforded me was one on one access with a number of the Dodger minor league managers and instructors. These guys are great to hang out with and love to talk anything and everything baseball. Late one afternoon, I was soaking in a tub of ice sucking down my 2nd or 3rd postgame beer when one prominent minor league instructors (who shall otherwise remain nameless) crawls into the whirlpool next to me and pops open a cold one for himself and starts complimenting me on my last at bat against the team he was coaching. GREAT STUFF, YOU CANT IMAGINE, sorry I digress. Anyway we started talking about this and that and the conversation turned to third base for the Dodgers 2008. This the spot I was waiting for and I jump in hard, talking him up and down how the future is now and the now is Andy LaRoche. He told me that he thought that Andy was going to get his chance this spring, but there were many in the organization, including himself, who didn't think that Andy's body would hold up enough to reach his potential as a player. Fast forward to spring training and Andy gets hurt on that %$#@%ing freak play. I knew in my gut that Andy would likely never get the shot he deserved again...

For the record, back in January this ML Coach was most worried about 3rd base on the 2008 team. He didn't buy that Nomar could play a whole season either and he didn't think that there was anyone else ready in the org to play 3rd base for the big club (sorry Blake DeWitt – and he really spoke like that "big club" ha!). He raved to me about how good Chad Billingsley was going to be this year and how Kershaw was a great kid, who did everything right, and just happened to be the best pitching prospect he has ever seen. He also loved the core of Loney, Kemp, Ethier, and especially Martin, he hoped the front office would keep this nucleus together and that they would each be Dodgers for a long time.

It was pretty apparent that the Org was hell bent on anyone but LaRoche at 3rd. If we had to give him up for 2 months of a player, while I know there will be a few tears on this board about it, I am glad we did it for one of the best pure hitters I have ever seen and a player that could make this year's team great.
   374. RobertMachemer Posted: August 01, 2008 at 07:19 AM (#2885922)
Robert, the numbers generally say Bay is above average. Where are you getting your info on him being anywhere near Manny as a defender?
www.replacementlevel.com/index.php/RLYW/comments/replacing_manny_ramirez_with_jason_bay
   375. Dan Posted: August 01, 2008 at 07:34 AM (#2885925)
Those numbers fly in the face of what UZR and Plus/Minus say about Bay's defense. Both have him as pretty much dead average.
   376. Fancy Pants is braggadocious about his Handle Posted: August 01, 2008 at 08:33 AM (#2885934)
Those numbers fly in the face of what UZR and Plus/Minus say about Bay's defense. Both have him as pretty much dead average.


A Yankee Blog trying to burn the Red Sox... unprecidented!

All the numbers I've ssen have Bay average to slightly-below-average. Certainly an upgrade over Manny defensively.

And I actually think Bay should be able to at least reproduce Manny's offensive numbers too. He'll be moving from a slight pitchers park to a heavy hitters park, and it going to be placed in a lineup that offers him much more protection than he has ever had before. On the downside, he should be expected to loose some production moving from the NL to the AL, but then again, he never did get to hit against the Pirate's pitching...
   377. bob gee Posted: August 01, 2008 at 01:10 PM (#2886002)
373 - because manny's hit 500 homers and hasn't fallen off a cliff yet, and because he plays in boston.

their neutralized stats (courtesy of baseball-ref) favor manny the past few years, but it's not too substantial.

combining: manny's 6 year older than bay, bay's a better defender, and is signed for one more year affordably - i'd rather have bay.

that's not even considering the other off the field factors..
   378. RobertMachemer Posted: August 01, 2008 at 04:16 PM (#2886278)
A Yankee Blog trying to burn the Red Sox... unprecidented!
That Yankee blog definitely tries to objective in its analysis. If you don't agree with their numbers, that's fine, but don't knock their analysis just for their being Yankee fans.
   379. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: August 01, 2008 at 04:19 PM (#2886281)
"If I'm PIT, there's no way that I'd do that trade."

Seconded. Ethier is exactly the kind of low-upside player the Pirates DON'T need to be pursuing right now. If you tried to shoehorn in a current OF instead of a prospect, I would've come back with a deal built around Kemp.
   380. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: August 01, 2008 at 04:23 PM (#2886284)
"All the numbers I've ssen have Bay average to slightly-below-average. Certainly an upgrade over Manny defensively."

Bay's numbers went in the tank last year, when he played through a hurt knee and couldn't run or pivot. In all other seasons, including this year, he's averageish or maybe slightly above.

He does have a pretty crap throwing arm, but since it's LF, you can probably deal with that.
   381. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: August 01, 2008 at 04:24 PM (#2886286)
"Manny is now in Hollywood.

Fools, you have no idea what you have unleashed on America and the world."


A remake of Kazaam?

I hope they don't compromise the artistic integrity of the original.
   382. Big Train Posted: August 01, 2008 at 04:33 PM (#2886299)
That Yankee blog definitely tries to objective in its analysis. If you don't agree with their numbers, that's fine, but don't knock their analysis just for their being Yankee fans.

The guy who runs those numbers, people know him.
   383. Mike Emeigh Posted: August 01, 2008 at 04:36 PM (#2886302)
LaRoche will be an above-average 3B, Moss is a good bet to provide some cheap and solid production, while Morris and Hansen have an outside chance of turning into something useful.


I have the dissenting opinion here.

LaRoche, IMO, will be a disappointment. He's not aggressive enough at the plate, and major league pitchers will be able to take advantage of that.

Moss isn't a good bet to do much of anything in the majors until he figures out how to make consistent contact more often.

-- MWE
   384. SG Posted: August 01, 2008 at 04:49 PM (#2886322)
A Yankee Blog trying to burn the Red Sox... unprecidented!


I'm not really sure how this:
The moral of the post? Don't celebrate too much if Boston swaps Manny for Bay. It may feel like it, because we all remember Manny from his prime, but it doesn't make Boston any worse of a team on paper, and it could be beneficial in the clubhouse, whether that's really of much significance or not. Basically, the Red Sox would be getting a younger, cheaper version of the 2008 Manny Ramirez.

qualifies as trying to burn the Red Sox, but hey, whatever.

As far as the defense, I use ZR just because it's readily available, not because I think it's better than the advanced metrics, although it usually correlates pretty well with UZR over multiple seasons. If UZR and +/- say Bay is average, I'd tend to think he's average. Manny's probably not a -40 defender, he's more likely a -15 to -20 defender once you factor in the Green Monster, so it looks to me like a 3 run upgrade on defense over the rest of the season, with similar offense and likely better durability in Bay. Seems to me like the Sox at the very least did not downgrade.
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