The 2011 MLB Thread

[shayd]

Alright kids, as the MLB offseason hits its final stretch, I think it's time to start up the yearly thread. Here are some of the biggest stories of the offseason so far:

Cliff Lee shocked just about everybody when he spurned the Yankees and Rangers and returned to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Dan Uggla was traded to the Braves for peanuts.

Adrian Beltre, for the second straight year, spurned the A's and instead got his wish of a $90+ million 6 year contract.

There's a bunch of stuff I'm omitting, but have at it kids!

 

[pool_hustler]

Adrian Beltre, for the second straight year, spurned the A's and instead got his wish of a $90+ million 6 year contract.

This is good news for the A's/Angels, imo.
Adrian Steroid's body is going to break down long before those 6 years are up.

 

[Supafly]

Oh Baseball? Hm I don't know so much about this sport, regarding news

 

[Red001]

Also Adrian stops putting up good numbers once he has security. look what happened when he left LA for Seattle for some proof.

Kansas City is barley trying to compete this year.

how did Carlos Gonzalez convince Scott Boras to let him sign away free agent years?

red001

 

[StanScratch]

Save the recent signing of Edgar Renteria and Jeremy Hermida, the Reds haven't done a whole lot this off-season. Frankly, I am pretty OK with that. They locked up potential offensive and defensive horse Jay Bruce for a few more years, and gave innings eater Bronson Arroyo a couple of more years. Now, all they have to do is lock up Joey Votto for a few more years. I'm pretty glad to see did not overspend on someone like Lee (or much worse, Werth), or trade the farm away for Grenke.

 

[shayd]

This is good news for the A's/Angels, imo.
Adrian Steroid's body is going to break down long before those 6 years are up.

That could be, but he sure hasn't slowed up in what he does best: play defense.

Also Adrian stops putting up good numbers once he has security. look what happened when he left LA for Seattle for some proof.

Beltre being "bad" in Seattle is a myth. He outperformed his contract significantly, in fact. He had exactly one year out of that contract in which he was less than 11 runs above average defensively, and two in which he was below average offensively. What people expected was for him to continue hitting like he did for the Dodgers in '04, completely negating the fact that it was obviously a career year. Last year tends to indicate much of the same.

Kansas City is barley trying to compete this year.

They're finishing off what they starting when the decided to rebuild. They may not be great this year, but the Royals are STACKED in the minors right now, and in the next 3 years, you're going to see some premiere prospects coming out of that system. Moustakas and Hosmer are going to be elite, there's no real doubt about that.

how did Carlos Gonzalez convince Scott Boras to let him sign away free agent years?

Easy - he's getting overpaid now before he regresses. He had a BABIP of .384 last year, that's unbelievably high, and if you take that down to what his career prior to last season was, you're looking at a 2.5-3.5 WAR player, not a 6 WAR player. Those numbers don't normally command 7 years and $80 million. Boras made a smart move in allowing the Rockies to overpay. Gonzalez is good, and I wish everyday the A's still had him, but he's no where near the player he was last year.

 

[Red001]

Kansas City might be good if all those prospects actually perform and that's not a given. also how will some of them react to losing a lot initially. we know that baseball is as much mental as psychical.

well the Cubs just got Matt Garza to help their rotation but i'm not sure they will finish better than 3rd.

red001

 

[shayd]

Kansas City might be good if all those prospects actually perform and that's not a given. also how will some of them react to losing a lot initially. we know that baseball is as much mental as psychical.

well the Cubs just got Matt Garza to help their rotation but i'm not sure they will finish better than 3rd.

red001

I'd be surprised to see both of Moustakas and Hosmer up this year, but stranger things have happened. Of course it's not a given that they'll pan out, but what is the best way to make sure you get quality players coming out of your farm system? Stock it with as many talented people as you can, and let them develop. Dayton Moore gets a much worse rep than he should. He's made some dumb moves, but building that farm system the way he did is definitely not one of them.

Although considering what the Rays got for Garza, it's a shock Moore didn't deal Greinke to the Cubs. Holy cow did they get a lot.

 

[YumiYumi_1988]

Dan Uggla was traded to the Braves for peanuts.

I remember him once saying he's excited to be one of the guys who's gonna be part of the Marlins revolution with their new stadium opening.

So much for that.

 

[crazylegs77]

so with werth getting 126 million . pujols has 2 be exstatic because hes probably gonna get atleast 225 million...

 

[shayd]

I remember him once saying he's excited to be one of the guys who's gonna be part of the Marlins revolution with their new stadium opening.

So much for that.

I'm still shocked that the Marlins didn't hold out for more for him.

 

[LukeEl]

How about the Sox getting Adrain Gonzalez and Crawford, eat that Yankees!

 

[rizwano]

Yankess FTW

 

[YumiYumi_1988]

How about the Sox getting Adrain Gonzalez and Crawford, eat that Yankees!

I'd like to see Gonzalez' power numbers now that he's switching from Petco to Fenway.

 

[pluggs999]

Save the recent signing of Edgar Renteria and Jeremy Hermida, the Reds haven't done a whole lot this off-season. Frankly, I am pretty OK with that. They locked up potential offensive and defensive horse Jay Bruce for a few more years, and gave innings eater Bronson Arroyo a couple of more years. Now, all they have to do is lock up Joey Votto for a few more years. I'm pretty glad to see did not overspend on someone like Lee (or much worse, Werth), or trade the farm away for Grenke.

I feel the same way. I hate that we lost Arthur Rhodes from the bullpen, but later in the season he was losing his stuff. I know Votto says he would love to play for his hometown Blue Jays, but i am confident that he will be with the Reds for awhile

 

[shayd]

I'd like to see Gonzalez' power numbers now that he's switching from Petco to Fenway.

It's going to be pretty scary. You don't build a career OPS+ of 137 without being pretty elite. He's in for a monster year.

 

[Red001]

i actually think the whole Boston team will thrive offensively,if healthy, with Adrian. also the infield defense will improve as he will save some errors from happening

red001

 

[shayd]

i actually think the whole Boston team will thrive offensively,if healthy, with Adrian. also the infield defense will improve as he will save some errors from happening

red001

The infield defense actually got a bit worse. Youkilis was average last year at first, but for the most part is around a +5 UZR at first. Gonzalez is average to above average defensively at 1st, his average UZR has been around +4. The real issue defensively is the loss of Beltre, who put up a UZR of roughly +12. Youkilis was at best average defensively at 3rd, (UZR of roughly +1) thus overall you're looking at a marginal decrease at 1st, and a significant drop-off at 3rd. But the offense may balance that out.

 

[sp00ner77]

365 by Jack Buck

When someone asks you your favorite sport
And you answer Baseball in a blink
There are certain qualities you must possess
And you're more attached than you think.
In the frozen grip of winter
I'm sure you'll agree with me
Not a day goes by without someone
Talking baseball to some degree.
The calendar flips on New Year's Day
The Super Bowl comes and it goes
Get the other sports out of the way
The green grass and the fever grows.
It's time to pack a bag and take a trip
To Arizona or the Sunshine State
Perhaps you can't go, but there's the radio
So you listen-you root-you wait.
They start the campaign, pomp and pageantry reign
You claim the pennant on Opening Day


From April till fall
You follow the bouncing white ball
Your team is set to go all the way.
They fall short of the series
You have a case of the "wearies"
And need as break from the game
But when Christmas bells jingle
You feel that old tingle
And you're ready for more of the same.
It will be hot dogs for dinner
Six months of heaven, a winner
Yes, Baseball has always been it.
You would amaze all your friends
If they knew to what ends
You'd go for a little old hit.
The best times you're had
Have been with your Mom and your Dad
And a bat and a ball and a glove.

From the first time you played
Till the last time you prayed
It's been a simple matter of love.




BASEBALL!!!!! :nanner:

 

[Bloodshot Scott]

How 'bout them Twins, eh? As always, our biggest concern is the staff.

And finally, we got that pussy Morneau back for a change. One of the few teams in the American that have two MVP players. Now, if only we can take out the dreded Yanks' for a change before we unload everything in a couple years.

Liriano will be a Yankee after possibly this year, they say.