2014 MLB Thread

[passenger57]

Well, looks like the Cardinals got their shortstop.

The Cardinals and free agent infielder Jhonny Peralta have agreed to four-year contract worth $53 million, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. The two sides were said to be "closing in" on a deal Saturday night and the contract is pending a physical.

Peralta, 31, hit .303/.358/.457 with 30 doubles, 11 homers and 55 RBI in just 107 games last year, as he served a 50-game suspension due to his ties to the Biogenesis clinic in Florida. He will help replace some of the power the Cardinals lost when they traded David Freese for Peter Bourjos.

Assuming the plan remains to move Matt Carpenter to third base and start youngster Kolten Wong at second base, that leaves shortstop for Peralta, replacing Pete Kozma. St. Louis could use Peralta at third and keep either Carpenter or Wong at second while trading the other for a shortstop, but that seems unlikely.

Peralta would serve as a significant upgrade offensively over Kozma, who hit .217/.275/.273 last season, good for a 54 OPS+, or a whopping 46 percent worse than league average. The defense at shortstop will decline, though, as Peralta lacks range (he is very good positionally) while Kozma is a very good defender.

Because the Tigers did not tender him a qualifying offer, the Cardinals will not surrender a first round draft pick to sign Peralta.

 

[Jagger69]

Well, looks like the Cardinals got their shortstop.

The Cardinals and free agent infielder Jhonny Peralta have agreed to four-year contract worth $53 million, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. The two sides were said to be "closing in" on a deal Saturday night and the contract is pending a physical.

Peralta, 31, hit .303/.358/.457 with 30 doubles, 11 homers and 55 RBI in just 107 games last year, as he served a 50-game suspension due to his ties to the Biogenesis clinic in Florida. He will help replace some of the power the Cardinals lost when they traded David Freese for Peter Bourjos.

Assuming the plan remains to move Matt Carpenter to third base and start youngster Kolten Wong at second base, that leaves shortstop for Peralta, replacing Pete Kozma. St. Louis could use Peralta at third and keep either Carpenter or Wong at second while trading the other for a shortstop, but that seems unlikely.

Peralta would serve as a significant upgrade offensively over Kozma, who hit .217/.275/.273 last season, good for a 54 OPS+, or a whopping 46 percent worse than league average. The defense at shortstop will decline, though, as Peralta lacks range (he is very good positionally) while Kozma is a very good defender.

Because the Tigers did not tender him a qualifying offer, the Cardinals will not surrender a first round draft pick to sign Peralta.

Mixed emotions about this. I'm reluctant to bring in a proven PED user (allegedly it was amphetamines and not roids or HGH if that matters to anyone) but I love the idea of getting a quality hitter and not having to give up anything other than Mr. DeWitt's money. Plus, it gives us lots of flexibility if Carpenter moves to 3B and Wong doesn't work out at 2nd. We can always move Carp back to 2nd and Peralta to 3rd. I don't think Mo is done yet either but things are beginning to become a bit more clear as we head in to December.

 

[Rex Hermaykup]

I was hoping Mets would get Peralta, but they are not serious about spending for what they need which is a lot.
Regardless of what we think about PED users the fact is they are getting huge contracts even right after suspension.
If Peralta got this huge contract what will Nelson Cruz get?

 

[passenger57]

I was hoping Mets would get Peralta, but they are not serious about spending for what they need which is a lot.
Regardless of what we think about PED users the fact is they are getting huge contracts even right after suspension.
If Peralta got this huge contract what will Nelson Cruz get?

Hopefully an offer from the Indians. We need a bat ! We already got one Ranger in Murphy but............

 

[Red001]

The Cardinals have done a real good job of upgrading their roster and they haven't had to trade any of those amazing young pitchers. i expect the Cardinals to contend every year for awhile

red001

 

[Jagger69]

I would agree, Red. I am fairly certain that we aren't done quite yet either. I would expect Lance Lynn and Jon Jay to both be on the market in return for a 1B/OF who can provide some righthanded power off the bench and platoon with Matt Adams when facing lefthanded pitching. Not quite sure who might be available to fill that bill at this point but I'm pretty sure Mozeliak is. Also, since Rosenthal has established himself as a dominating closer, Motte might be on the market as well and would likely draw some serious interest if that's the way they want to go.

 

[Red001]

well if Motte and Lynn are made available both should command excellent return
i bet at the winter meetings dec8-12 we will see even more movement

 

[Jagger69]

Insane. Mariners pony up for 10 years/$240 million for 31-year-old Robinson Cano. Does the name "Albert Pujols" ring a bell? Man, some of these MLB owners have WAY more money than they do sense.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/b...n-cano-mariners-bid-sources-article-1.1539636

 

[barebeaverlover]

Insane. Mariners pony up for 10 years/$240 million for 31-year-old Robinson Cano. Does the name "Albert Pujols" ring a bell? Man, some of these MLB owners have WAY more money than they do sense.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/b...n-cano-mariners-bid-sources-article-1.1539636

I agree Jagger!!! When will they learn that these 10 year contracts only work for the players & can handcuff a franchise for years. (A-Rod)

Granderson signed with the Mets for 4 years-$60M.

The Yanks signed McCann & Ellsbury, but they still need pitching.

 

[bobjustbob]

Cano only got 3/4 of what he was asking for. Still ridiculous money but we are talking about Nintendo money which runs deep. Only 3 players last year making over 1 million. Felix Hernandez 20.5, Hisashi Iwakuma 6.5, Dustin Ackley 2.7. Total payroll 73.5. Add Cano's contract and they still get a cut of the payroll tax money from the other clubs. They will be getting $2 billion over the next 17 years from TV money. They can also do what Texas did to the Yankees with A-Rod's contract. Sell him off short.

 

[passenger57]

After losing Robinson Cano, Yankees come to terms with Carlos Beltran.

Outbid for Robinson Cano only hours earlier, the New York Yankees on Friday night agreed to terms with veteran outfielder Carlos Beltran on a three-year, $45 million contract, according to baseball sources.

In the same week, that coming approximately two months after missing the playoffs for the second time in 20 years, the Yankees introduced catcher Brian McCann at a news conference in the Bronx, then came to terms with outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, starting pitcher Hiroki Kuroda and then Beltran.

They also came up well short on their All-Star second baseman, Cano, who is expected to sign with the Seattle Mariners for $240 million over 10 years. Instead, the Yankees have spent $299 million to rework their lineup with McCann, Ellsbury and the switch-hitting Beltran, who figures to play right field, along with returning Kuroda to their rotation. They could still add a second baseman, though they signed Kelly Johnson for $3 million this week, as well.

Beltran, 36, hit .296 with 24 home runs and 84 RBI in 2013 for the St. Louis Cardinals, his second season in St. Louis. He then furthered his reputation for being a great postseason player, reaching the World Series for the first time in his career. He is represented by Dan Lozano of MVP Sports Group.

Beltran had considered other teams – the Kansas City Royals and Arizona Diamondbacks were particularly interested – but the Yankees moved fast after losing Cano. Their retooled batting order could start something like: Ellsbury in center field, Derek Jeter at shortstop, Beltran in right, McCann at catcher, Alfonso Soriano at DH and Mark Teixeira at first.

That could be very productive, and necessarily so. Even with the signing of Kuroda, the Yankees appear to be short a starter or two. They have the time and, as usual, the resources to address the pitching deficit.

 

[Rex Hermaykup]

Yankees are never complacent. I thought Beltran would have the re signed with Cards.
Not thrilled that he went to Yanks. I am huge Beltran fan. he was greatly under appreciated by Mets fans.
There are still many who somehow still blame him for 2006 NLCS loss to Cards.
Yanks do have a lot of spare outfielders now, Vernon Wells, Ichiro, Gardner.
They "only" had to pay $13.9 million for Wells out of $42 million remaining on his Angels contract. He has been mostly a dud for them.
I would guess that someone has to go.

 

[Jagger69]

Yankees are never complacent. I thought Beltran would have the re signed with Cards.
Not thrilled that he went to Yanks. I am huge Beltran fan. he was greatly under appreciated by Mets fans.
There are still many who somehow still blame him for 2006 NLCS loss to Cards.
Yanks do have a lot of spare outfielders now, Vernon Wells, Ichiro, Gardner.
They "only" had to pay $13.9 million for Wells out of $42 million remaining on his Angels contract. He has been mostly a dud for them.
I would guess that someone has to go.

He had already declined the Cardinals' qualifying offer and they weren't going to pay more for a 37-year-old OF who is going to be able to play only on a limited basis. He's much better suited in the AL for a lot of DH duty and platooning in right. The Redbirds will move Craig to RF and put Adams at 1B so we'll be just fine.

Mets fans should consider giving the Cardinals credit for winning in 2006 instead of finding blame with Beltran for them losing.

 

[Jagger69]

Congrats to LaRussa, Torre and Cox for their HOF attainment. Anyone who questions any of the three as far as being eligible is simply wrong. Three of the greatest managers of all-time.

 

[passenger57]

Mark Trumbo heads to Arizona in three-team deal.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – At the completion of a three-way trade Tuesday afternoon, slugger Mark Trumbo was headed to the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Los Angeles Angels had acquired young left-handers Tyler Skaggs and Hector Santiago, and the Chicago White Sox had added center fielder Adam Eaton. The Diamondbacks also will receive two prospects, one each from the Angels and White Sox.
The trade is expected to be announced later Tuesday.

Limited by a payroll budget pushed by several large contracts, the Angels had sought a way around the rising cost of free-agent pitchers. They shopped Trumbo, who has hit at least 29 home runs in each of his three full seasons, and came away with two controllable pitchers scouts view as middle-of-the-rotation talents. Presumably, they will join Jered Weaver, C.J. Wilson and Garrett Richards in a rotation that was at best erratic
.
Hector Santiago is the only current major-league pitcher who throws a screwball.
This is the second time Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto has acquired Skaggs, who was 2-3 with a 5.12 ERA in seven starts for the Diamondbacks in 2013. In the summer of 2010, when Dipoto was GM of the Diamondbacks, he traded Dan Haren to the Angels for four players, including Skaggs. Because of a loss in velocity (along, of course, with the passage of three years), Skaggs is not the prospect he was then.

Santiago, 25, was 4-9 with a 3.56 ERA in 149 innings for the White Sox. He has the better stuff of the two pitchers the Angels acquired and is significant for being the only current major-league pitcher who throws a screwball. Twenty-three of his 34 appearances were starts.

The Angels used 11 different starters last season, including Tommy Hanson, whom Dipoto acquired from the Atlanta Braves for Jordan Walden. Hanson was non-tendered. Dipoto also signed Joe Blanton last winter. Blanton's ERA was 6.04 and it is unclear what his role would be in 2014. Jason Vargas, who came in a trade with the Seattle Mariners, signed with the Kansas City Royals.

Partly due to Dipoto's time in Arizona, the Diamondbacks had solid depth in starting pitchers. In Trumbo, they add a power bat to Paul Goldschmidt's. Goldschmidt hit 36 home runs last season to lead the club. Martin Prado, with 14, was second. Trumbo likely would play left field, with A.J. Pollock in center.

Eaton is a well-regarded outfield prospect for the Diamondbacks who lost most of last season to an elbow injury. The White Sox scored the fewest runs in the AL last season and sought an upgrade in center field and in the leadoff spot. Eaton will play between Dayan Viciedo in left and Avisail Garcia in right. The odd man out is Alejandro De Aza.

The Diamondbacks will receive 24-year-old right-hander A.J. Schugel from the Angels. He was 4-6 with a 7.05 ERA in 19 Triple-A starts last season, which was shortened by injuries.

 

[bobjustbob]

So now catchers can't block home plate even if they have the ball or fielding it. I know about the safety issues and all, but now the catcher doesn't have access to the line and base that is fair territory.

 

[TheAdmiral]

Russell Wilson was selected in today's Rule 5 draft

http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb/sto...-seahawks-update-results?eadid=SOC/Twi/SNMain

 

[Rex Hermaykup]

So now catchers can't block home plate even if they have the ball or fielding it. I know about the safety issues and all, but now the catcher doesn't have access to the line and base that is fair territory.

I don't like it. It changes the game.
It's unfortunate that collisions have become so brutal over the past few years, like Scott Cousins collision with Buster Posey that broke his leg.
On top of that the players are so much bigger than they used to be.
The object of collision is to knock the ball loose not to knock the catcher unconscious or cause injury.

 

[mb900]

I can't wait for the HOF inductees to be announced.

 

[panther]

glavine, maddox and "the big hurt" Frank Thomas

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glavine, maddox and "the big hurt" Frank Thomas