2013 MLB Season Thread

[VerbalPuke]

Fielder was fucking awful in the post season, had a bad attitude, and isn't very good defensively. He should still put up some good numbers and help the Rangers, but it just wasn't working here. As damshow mentioned, it gives much more flexibility for the Tigers financially. We can re-sign Scherzer, and it also ensures Miggy will retire as a Tiger.

A lot of folks here were calling for him to be traded, a lot of folks soured on him for his lack of clutch hitting in the playoffs.

And yeah, it's looking like we move Cabrera to 1st again, and we have a guy in the minors named Nick Castellanos that could be the third baseman.

[The Buscher]

Active couple of days for the New York teams. Yesterday the Mets agreed to sign OF Chris Young, 1 year $7.25 million. Today the Yankees agreed to sign Brian McCann, 5 years $85 million with a 6th year option.

[Your Mom]

McCann gets to be an obnoxious dick for a new team!

[Meacon Keaton]

I love Cervelli, but he's always hurt. And my grandmother could put up the same offensive production as Chris Stewart, so I'm ok with McCann hopping on.

[The Buscher]

Another free agent off the boards. Jhonny Peralta to the Cardinals for 4 years, $52 million.

The Mets were thinking they could get Peralta for a 2 year deal and that his PED ban would have lessened his value. I have to figure Stephen Drew will be shooting for a similar deal as well now, so it would appear unless they can work out a trade the Mets will not be upgrading at shortstop like they planned. Ugh.

[Meacon Keaton]

If it's any consolation, you'd probably still finish fourth anyway.

[The Buscher]

It doesn't matter. This regime has dangled the 2013-14 offseason in front of fans ever since Alderson was brought in. They openly admitted that the first three years of his tenure would be spent assessing the future and allowing themselves to get out from the big money contracts inked during the Minaya era. They asked fans to be patient. We were, even though it killed us to enter seasons knowing there was really no chance they were going to be contenders. There was nothing to look forward to other than this offseason and finally taking steps in the right direction.

There's still a lot of time left in the offseason, but I'm reading between the lines on the comments Alderson and the Wilpons have made in recent weeks as them saying they aren't going to be active. They've openly stated that they have "sticker shock" at the asking price of free agents. A big deal was made that the Mets now have a protected first round pick, but all indications are that they'll still avoid anybody who received a qualifying offer as they don't want to lose a second round pick, either. So because of money and draft implications you can cross most of the big name free agents left off the list. You can forget about a trade too since they are unwilling to deal from their young pitching stockpile with Matt Harvey now out. Maybe they'll flip Ike Davis or Lucas Duda since there's little reason to keep both, but they won't get much for either guy.

I'm not saying they need to go out there and make the playoffs in 2014. But I want them to at least put themselves in a position to contend and be relevant past June. They've made basically zero effort the last three years in trying to look like being competitive is important. The Wilpons just simply don't appear to have the ability to finance a big market team anymore. Yankees signed McCann, Cardinals signed Peralta, the Mets are talking to JAFF DECKER! Whoopee! Nothing against Chris Young but if he winds up being the Mets' biggest acquisition this offseason, I'll be inclined to punt away the 2014 season just like the Wilpons have.

[DYSI]

McCann gets to be an obnoxious dick for a new team!

I can't wait to see him wrestle Big Papi to the ground after he watches one of his HRs next season.

McCann is shaping up to have a big year if he stays healthy though, that short porch is going to be his new best friend.

[Toe]

Still waiting for the Jays to make a move. They need to add to the rotation, plus need help at second and left field.

[Meacon Keaton]

They're probably scared to make a move after all the money they spent last year with little results.

[gunnar hendershow]

Yeah they went all in last year, they won't go all in again this year.

[The Buscher]

The Baseball HOF ballot is out. Listed are the number of years on the ballot as well as last year's vote total. You need 75% to get in:

Moises Alou, 1st year on ballot
Jeff Bagwell, 4th, 59.6%
Armando Benitez, 1st
Craig Biggio, 2nd, 68.2%
Barry Bonds, 2nd, 36.2%
Sean Casey, 1st
Roger Clemens, 2nd, 37.6%
Ray Durham, 1st
Eric Gagne, 1st
Tom Glavine, 1st
Luis Gonzalez, 1st
Jacque Jones, 1st
Todd Jones, 1st
Jeff Kent, 1st
Paul Lo Duca, 1st
Greg Maddux, 1st
Edgar Martinez, 5th, 35.9%
Don Mattingly, 14th, 13.2%
Fred McGriff, 5th, 20.7%
Mark McGwire, 8th, 16.9%
Jack Morris, 15th, 67.7%
Mike Mussina, 1st
Hideo Nomo, 1st
Rafael Palmeiro, 4th, 8.8%
Mike Piazza, 2nd, 57.8%
Tim Raines, 7th, 52.2%
Kenny Rogers, 1st
Curt Schilling, 2nd, 38.8%
Richie Sexson, 1st
Lee Smith, 12th, 47.8%
J.T. Snow, 1st
Sammy Sosa, 2nd, 12.5%
Frank Thomas, 1st
Mike Timlin, 1st
Alan Trammell, 13th, 33.6%
Larry Walker, 4th, 21.6%

Glavine and Maddux are locks. Thomas SHOULD get in but who knows if the voters will lump him in with Bagwell and Piazza as power hitters with no proof of roiding but voters unfairly assume that any power hitter in the 90's was cheating. Biggio was kept out last year because the voters wanted to take a stand, but I figure he'll get in this year with 3,000 hits. I imagine at least one of Bagwell or Piazza gets shafted again since some voters just don't want to vote in more than like 3 or 4 guys to a class.

[EddieG]

The Mets have signed Chris Young to a 1 year deal.

[The Buscher]

Ricky Nolasco to the Twins. 4 years, $49 million. Free agency is expensive this year.

[Toe]

Nolasco is immediately the best pitcher they have though. Pitching has been a huge hole for the Twins for awhile.

[Mx. Canadian Destroyer]

So the Jays sign Navarro for 2 years, $8M. He should, by all accounts, be better than JP (which isn't hard to do). I like the pick-up, although to say I was hoping for someone a little more higher profile would be an understatement.

It'll be interesting to see what happens to Arencibia by the end of today. Hopefully we can find a trade partner, but I'm not getting my hopes up. Rumours say that AA is going to non-tender JP if he can't find someone who'll take him by the end of today, which makes me think he'll get traded even less. If JPA was going to be cheaper (he's looking at +$2M through arbitration), I'd take him as a back-up. Of course, that means that we wouldn't really have someone who could catch Dickey.

Once the Jays figure out their catching situation, hopefully AA can move on to acquiring a starter.

[Toe]

Arencibia was non- tendered, so he is gone.

[Meacon Keaton]

Yanks have signed Jacoby Ellsbury for 7-years, $142 million.

[DYSI]

Wow, that's a hefty price there. I'm not expecting to re-sign Cano now, although I really didn't think we had a chance unless he wanted a huge paycut from his asking price.

I picture him signing in Seattle and turning into Richie Sexson eventually.

[Meacon Keaton]

If we coughed up that friggin' much for Ellsbury and let Cano walk, I'll be writing a sternly worded letter, that I can promise you.