Major League Baseball 2010

[Jive]

Only three prospects, even with Kelly, is great. We'll have five first rounders in a deep draft this year after losing Beltre and Martinez.

If they don't sign any Type A's, that is.

[Ananas]

Casey Kelly and Anthony Rizzo screams overspending to me. We're talking about a 1st baseman who would have been a free agent after 2011 (and he would have, it's not like the Padres could have afforded him and I can't think of another natural fit for him on a team that could have put together a prospect package like this while affording to re-sign him). We know Theo hordes his draft picks, but I hope that's not a motivating factor. Anthony Rizzo may end up having more power than Gonzalez, and Casey Kelly is a bonafide stud. This is a great deal for the Padres; especially to maybe get a guy like Casey Kelly into your rotation at a pitcher friendly park like PETCO by 2012. A-Gon is gonna fucking tear it up once he gets away from PETCO on a regular basis, but I can't help but feel that this is a little bit of smartest man in the room syndrome rearing its ugly head in Boston.

EDIT: The other thing I think is worth pointing out is that this move is designed to make you more competitive in the short term, but I'm not sure that it'll quite work that way. The end result of this is that you push Kevin Youkilis to third and let Beltre walk. Letting Beltre walk is probably advisable given the kind of market he has, but if you take out the Beltre of 2010 it's going to be next to impossible for the Gonzalez of 2011 to even be equivalent to Beltre, much less better. Offensively A-Gon is capable of putting up those numbers, but defensively? Not a chance. Then when you consider the transition of Youkilis to third it's a downgrade in his performance at a position he's been statistically worse at. I get that they weren't bringing Beltre back so it's at least a move to try to salvage the situation, but it's a lot to give up to still find yourself a ways away from closing that 6 game gap between them and the post-season in 2010.

[gunnar hendershow]

I could see the Padres moving Rizzo for an offensive starter for 2011, this is a team that competed last year I must reiterate.

[Ananas]

New York Post reporting that the Derek Jeter and the Yankees have agreed to a 3 year deal worth between 15 and 17 million per season. There is an option on a 4th year, although there's no explanation yet on what shape it takes.

[Jive]

I agree that Kelly and Rizzo may lead to equal value or greater value for the Padres in the long run, but Theo was pigeon-holed into making this move. Ratings were down, people were frustrated, and we all knew the Padres knew our minor league system (obviously). I do think the Red Sox will bring in one more big piece. With Kelly out, maybe it'll be another SP.

[Ananas]

You mean for next year? Why? Kelly wouldn't have been on the Sox OD roster. They've got Beckett, Lester, Buchholz, Lackey, Dice-K, Bowdon, Wakefield... I'm thinking it's more likely they go full steam ahead on Jayson Werth.

[Meacon Keaton]

Who cares? Red Sox suck.

[gunnar hendershow]

You mean for next year? Why? Kelly wouldn't have been on the Sox OD roster. They've got Beckett, Lester, Buchholz, Lackey, Dice-K, Bowdon, Wakefield... I'm thinking it's more likely they go full steam ahead on Jayson Werth.

They could benefit from a 4th or 5th starter who can eat up innings. They're very deep at starter, but there's not guarantee all of those guys can stay healthy.

And yeah, I'm expecting them to be bombarding the Jayson Werth camp with a can't refuse contract offer now.

Yanks spending the majority of their offseason courting Cliff Lee and trying to keep Jeter & Rivera has kept them out of the running for one or both of the big name OFs on the market.

[Meacon Keaton]

Everything I've heard and read seems to say we don't want Werth. And Crawford is still on the market, so we're good.

[Jive]

Beckett and Lackey weren't exactly great last season. Dice-K is what he is and the same could be said for Wakefield. Lester is an ace, but is it too early to think maybe we need a #2 guy?

[sahyder1]

Being British, I'm not really obliged to be interested in Baseball so to speak...

HOWEVER, despite not understanding it all, I did just watch the San Francisco Giants at Texas Rangers is it?

Sort of drifting in and out of it - but it's actually such a good fucking sport, man!

Definitely got to get myself into this, just got to get a more in-depth idea of how the game works to be honest!! I guess these American sports aren't so bad after all!

If you want a history of the game I would recommend checking out the Ken Burns documentary: Baseball

Cheers, man!

Luckily, I just found this in Amazon! Fifty Six fucking quid that just cost me... That's nearly ninety dollars to you lot!!

I pray that this is worth it... Or I'm going to be most upset

Although, on a serious note - thanks for showing me this, read the wikipedia page about it seem to get the gist of things. I'll check out this DVD once it's arrived then

I don't know if your order already went through but I see it on sale for $51 on Amazon. Don't know how much international shipping would be but I'd highly recommend it to all baseball stuff. I haven't watched entire series yet but the bits and pieces I have watched are brilliant.

[Lowerdeck]

You mean for next year? Why? Kelly wouldn't have been on the Sox OD roster. They've got Beckett, Lester, Buchholz, Lackey, Dice-K, Bowdon, Wakefield... I'm thinking it's more likely they go full steam ahead on Jayson Werth.

Bowden and Wakefield will be in the bullpen starting off. When Dice-K starts his shit, one of them will be in the rotation filling in. It's pretty nice having depth like this.

I wonder if it would be worth it to sign Crawford over Werth, unless Werth is going to be significantly cheaper.

[Ananas]

The Cards have signed Lance Berkman to a 1 year deal worth $8 million. He'll play LF, with Matt Holliday moving to RF. With Holliday's arm in RF and Berkman in LF, that's gonna be a big time downgrade defensively from last opening day when they had Ryan Ludwick's glove in right. Given the defensive hit, I'm not sure that a marginal offensive upgrade over a Jay/Craig platoon is worth the defensive hit. Especially given how much of an off-year Berkman had at the plate in 2010.

[Meacon Keaton]

Jayson Werth signed a seven year contract with...the NATINALS.

[Maxx]

I guess he got tired of all that winning he was doing in Philly.

Also, Gonzalez might not be going to the Sox, they couldn't get a deal done with him. Bang up job, Boston.

[Ananas]

If they don't get Carl Crawford now the only way they get into the playoffs next year is if the Rays fall off dramatically. Which, of course, is totally possible and perhaps to be expected if they move Garza too after losing Crawford, Pena and Soriano.

[Panni]

I like Jason Werth alot, but I feel like this huge deal will go down as one that many people will point out how awful it is. Werth will be about 38 and making 18M if I saw it correctly.

As far as the previous Jeter vs. A-Rod discussion. In a big spot I'd take Alex Rodriguez at the plate any day. The only person on the Yankees I'd consider putting up in a big spot before A-Rod is Robbie Cano. In just the past three years Alex has as many big hits as anybody in baseball, and far more than anyone on the Yankees. He must have about ten walk-offs or huge game-tying homers, including two HRs in the playoffs. Plus, he's been a Red Sox killer.

[Toe]

Adrian Gonzalez to the Red Sox is a huge deal. If Kevin Youkillis can make the switch to third, then the Red Sox are set for the next 3 or 4 years at almost every position plus they have 4 picks in the top 50 with Martinez and Beltre leaving.

...and now I see on ESPN.com that the deal may not go through since the Red Soxs and Gonzalez could not work out a contract extension.

Edited December 5, 2010 by Toe

[Lowerdeck]

The Nats had to do something, but this might have been a bit too much. The back end of that contract might not be pretty either, but I can also see him getting dealt off in a couple years anyway.

I expect the Red Sox to eventually get Gonzalez, as they'd eventually give him a Teixeira contract or something close to it. They can afford it - especially with a couple guys coming off the books now and soon. They want him bad enough, and San Diego knows Boston is the best place for him to go.

EDIT:

Adrian Gonzalez to the Red Sox is a huge deal. If Kevin Youkillis can make the switch to third, then the Red Sox are set for the next 3 or 4 years at almost every position plus they have 4 picks in the top 50 with Martinez and Beltre leaving.

Youks' natural position is 3B, and played significant amounts of time over there in the last couple seasons.

Edited December 5, 2010 by Lowerdeck

[sahyder1]

From Jon Heyman:

Deal is done. A gon headed to #redsox. Press conf expected tomorrow