2005-2006 baseball offseason

[stevew]

Originally Posted by Terps

Blue Jays signed B.J. Ryan, 5 years/$47 million.

Hate to see him leave the O's, but they can have him for that much.

Holy cow.

[Maple Leafs]

Originally Posted by Terps

Blue Jays signed B.J. Ryan, 5 years/$47 million.

Hate to see him leave the O's, but they can have him for that much.

No kidding. I'm not sure how you justify that kind of deal for a good reliever who's had one great season.

This allow the Jays to do a lot of thing -- they can trade Batista, or move him back to the rotation. They still have money to go after Burnett or Giles, and maybe landing one big FA will make it easy to land some others. (Who knows, maybe this will help Burnett convince his damn wife to let him sign where he actually wants to.)

Still... that contract is ridiculous.

[sterlingice]

Wow- that's insane. The Royals have talked about having $22M in cash to play with this offseason but since none of the big name guys will give them the time of day, I'd love for them to just sit on most of that and keep with $35M this year and go up to $60 or $70 the following years.

SI

[vtbub]

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

No kidding. I'm not sure how you justify that kind of deal for a good reliever who's had one great season.

This allow the Jays to do a lot of thing -- they can trade Batista, or move him back to the rotation. They still have money to go after Burnett or Giles, and maybe landing one big FA will make it easy to land some others. (Who knows, maybe this will help Burnett convince his damn wife to let him sign where he actually wants to.)

Still... that contract is ridiculous.

You won't be saying that when you contend for the Wild Card next year. Toronto has the best rotation in that division and now you have the second best closer.

[Maple Leafs]

Originally Posted by vtbub

You won't be saying that when you contend for the Wild Card next year. Toronto has the best rotation in that division and now you have the second best closer.

Are you counting Batista as part of the rotation? Reports out of Toronto are that he'll probably be dealt. I don't see Halladay + the rest being a top rotation yet.

I think the Jays aren't done, one way or another. I actually have a lot more confidence in Riccardi when he's trading than when he's spending, so I'll give him some time to show what he can do when he was some payroll to play with.

[vtbub]

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

Are you counting Batista as part of the rotation? Reports out of Toronto are that he'll probably be dealt. I don't see Halladay + the rest being a top rotation yet.

I think the Jays aren't done, one way or another. I actually have a lot more confidence in Riccardi when he's trading than when he's spending, so I'll give him some time to show what he can do when he was some payroll to play with.

They have some options on what to do with Batista. I will say that Boston struggled more with Toronto than they did with the Yankees last year.

[korme]

The Reds got Mr. Burns. Uh... cool. Great move Cincy.

Mike Burns went 0-0 with a 4.94 ERA in 31 innings of work for the Astros in 2005. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

Well, if you want a counterpoint to Petit, see: Greinke, Zack, 2005. Again, the kid's young but he had insane numbers like those going through the minors and was hailed as one of the great pitching prospects. Also, not a power pitcher but can dial it up to 95 on rare occasions (more comfortable with 92ish). Had good K/BB ratios in the minors (13/78 in 87 in A in 2002, 5/34 in 53 in AA in 2002, 6/23 in 28 in AAA in 2003) and even started off looking really good in the majors last year.

The problem with the Grienke comp is that he's never struck out guys at the rate that Petit has. Grienke's best year in the minors was in A ball in 2003 at age 19. He pitched 87 innings, striking out 78 and walking 13. His K rate was 8.07 and his K:BB was 6.00:1.

Petit was also in A ball at age 19, and he pitched 127 1/3 innings, striking out 184 and walking 36. His K rate was 13.01 and his K:BB was 5.11:1.

So, Petit had nearly as good control as Grienke, and struck out a significantly larger percentage of batters. This pattern holds true for Grienke's other stops as well - outstanding control and a decent to good K rate, but well short of the K rates Petit has posted. Grienke was and still is a good prospect, but Petit's minor league numbers are better. The significantly higher K rate bodes well for his future success.

[Ksyrup]

Wagner to the Mets - 4 years, $43M. They can have him.

[Ksyrup]

Athletics agreed to terms with RHP Esteban Loaiza on a three-year contract with a club option for the 2009 season.
Terms haven't been revealed, but the earlier report of $21 million is believed to be accurate. While it needs to be remembered that Loaiza had a 4.71 ERA and a 1.52 WHIP outside of RFK Stadium last season, his 173/55 K/BB ratio in 217 IP was very good. He doesn't give up a lot of homers and he's durable. We're not thrilled with the signing, which will cost the A's their first-round pick, but it is reasonable. Nov. 28 - 4:39 pm et

[VPI97]

Originally Posted by Shorty3281

The Reds got Mr. Burns. Uh... cool. Great move Cincy.

Mike Burns went 0-0 with a 4.94 ERA in 31 innings of work for the Astros in 2005. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Is he the new ace of the staff?

[Ksyrup]

The Phillies have emerged as the most aggressive suitor for Tom Gordon, says FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal.
The team could sign Gordon with the idea of having him close if Billy Wagner leaves or take on a setup role if he stays. However, Gordon might not be OK with that arrangement. After all, he can remain a setup man on the Yankees. The Indians and Red Sox are also among the teams with interest in him. Nov. 28 - 3:36 am et

[stevew]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Wagner to the Mets - 4 years, $43M. They can have him.

Since we didnt want to overpay, will we at least get some picks for losing him?

[pennywisesb]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Athletics agreed to terms with RHP Esteban Loaiza on a three-year contract with a club option for the 2009 season.
Terms haven't been revealed, but the earlier report of $21 million is believed to be accurate. While it needs to be remembered that Loaiza had a 4.71 ERA and a 1.52 WHIP outside of RFK Stadium last season, his 173/55 K/BB ratio in 217 IP was very good. He doesn't give up a lot of homers and he's durable. We're not thrilled with the signing, which will cost the A's their first-round pick, but it is reasonable. Nov. 28 - 4:39 pm et

Wow, most of the rumors I heard circulating for the A's were them trying to sign a big bat short term. $7 million a year seems like quite a bit for the A's to pay, especially for someone of Loaiza's caliber.....

[CraigSca]

Originally Posted by stevew

Since we didnt want to overpay, will we at least get some picks for losing him?

I would assume he's a type A...

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by stevew

Since we didnt want to overpay, will we at least get some picks for losing him?

Yes. Wagner will be considered a Type A free agent, so the Phillies will get a 1st rounder. Since the Mets don't have a top-15 pick, the Phillies will get the Mets' first-rounder. They may also get the Mets' 2nd rounder as well, I'm a little fuzzy on that part. If the Mets had a top-15 pick, they'd have been able to keep it and the Phillies would've gotten a sandwich pick between the 1st and 2nd rounds instead of the Mets' 1st rounder (top-15 picks are protected from free agent compensation).

That's assuming the Phillies offered Wagner arbitration - only when a club offers a free agent arbitration do they receive compensatory draft picks.

[JonInMiddleGA]

And a little off-the-field news from the off-season
from http://www.radioandrecords.com/Newsr...oblawrence.asp

Bob Lawrence To Join Reds' Investment Group?

The Cincinnati Business Courier is reporting that the former Clear Channel Radio executive — who recently spearheaded a deal that helped baseball's St. Louis Cardinals purchase a 50% stake in KTRS/St. Louis — is pursuing a similar deal for the Cincinnati Reds on behalf of the team's soon-to-be controlling owner, Robert Castellini.

Castellini recently announced plans to purchase a controlling interest in the baseball franchise with Thomas and W. Joseph Williams — the son and nephew, respectively, of former Reds owner William J. Williams — and other unidentified investors. The Business Courier speculates that Lawrence will be one of those investors and will be charged with revamping the Reds' media and marketing plan.

Reds' games currently air on Clear Channel News/Talker WLW/Cincinnati, but that deal is reportedly set to expire in 2007.

While neither Lawrence nor Castellini would comment on the reports, Lawrence did tell the newspaper, "It's every kids dream to be part of a major league baseball team."

[Johnny93g]

"And now Ricciardi is looking for another high-ranking officer/free-agent, making a five-year, $55-million offer to outfielder Brian Giles. The 34-year-old left-handed hitter batted .301 this season with 15 homers and 83 RBIs in 158 games for the San Diego Padres. "

From the Toronto Sun

I can't say i like giving long term, huge money deals to players over 30, but i like it better then not getting anyone. We have the money this year, im glad JP is trying to use it

[stevew]

Originally Posted by dawgfan

Yes. Wagner will be considered a Type A free agent, so the Phillies will get a 1st rounder. Since the Mets don't have a top-15 pick, the Phillies will get the Mets' first-rounder. They may also get the Mets' 2nd rounder as well, I'm a little fuzzy on that part. If the Mets had a top-15 pick, they'd have been able to keep it and the Phillies would've gotten a sandwich pick between the 1st and 2nd rounds instead of the Mets' 1st rounder (top-15 picks are protected from free agent compensation).

That's assuming the Phillies offered Wagner arbitration - only when a club offers a free agent arbitration do they receive compensatory draft picks.

I think we'd get a first rounder(since it isnt in the top 15) and a "Sandwhich pick" between the first and second round. Although it may just be a first rounder. Crapshoot or someone would know about this better. I'm gonna fairly assume we offered him Arb.

[Ksyrup]

Interesting take on the Loaiza deal from a SF paper:


A's sign Loaiza as free agent -- possible prelude to Zito trade

Susan Slusser, Chronicle Staff Writer

Monday, November 28, 2005

In a move that could signal the end to Barry Zito's career in Oakland, the A's signed starter Esteban Loaiza to a three-year deal worth roughly $20 million, with a club option for a fourth year, on Monday. The official announcement is expected early this afternoon, with a press conference later in the day.

Loaiza, who will be 34 at the end of December, was 12-10 with a 3.77 ERA with Washington in 2005. In his 11-year career, he is 112-99 with a 4.60 ERA, and the A's will be his seventh team. His best season was in 2003, when he was 21-9 with a 2.90 ERA with the White Sox, started the All-Star Game at Chicago and finished second in the Cy Young voting.

With the addition of Loazia, the A's have six major-league caliber starters, and Zito will be a free agent at the end of the 2006 season, the same position Tim Hudson was in last winter when he was dealt to Atlanta. And when baseball's winter meetings get under way in Dallas next week, many high-profile teams will be looking for a top-flight starter such as Zito, while Oakland has a very specific need: a right-handed hitter with power.

The A's preference is generally to acquire younger players they can lock up for several years, and some teams that need starting pitching have some strong young hitters, most notably Mets prospect Lastings Milledge, Arizona's Conor Jackson and Carlos Quentin and Tampa Bay's Jonny Gomes.

[Ksyrup]

According to the Toronto Star, the Jays could include extensions for Roy Halladay and GM J.P. Ricciardi in their current shopping spree.
Halladay is owed $25.5 million over the next two years. Ricciardi is also signed through 2007. An extension with the GM should be easier to get done. Nov. 29 - 2:01 pm et

[pennywisesb]

I hope the A's keep Zito. Maybe its just wishful thinking, but I love that guy.

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by stevew

I think we'd get a first rounder(since it isnt in the top 15) and a "Sandwhich pick" between the first and second round. Although it may just be a first rounder. Crapshoot or someone would know about this better. I'm gonna fairly assume we offered him Arb.

I'm pretty sure the way it works is a type-A free agent nets a 1st rounder and 2nd rounder. The sandwich pick only comes into play if the 1st rounder is a top-15 pick and thus "protected".

[Ksyrup]

The Bergen Record's Bob Klapisch believes the Mets would give up Cliff Floyd, Lastings Milledge and Aaron Heilman for Manny Ramirez if the Red Sox would absorb a portion of Ramirez's salary.
If the Red Sox could really get all three, they should be willing to eat some salary. Floyd is only signed through next season at $6.6 million, so he's rather attractive. Discussions between the two teams are expected to continue at the winter meetings. Nov. 29 - 2:27 pm et

[korme]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

The Bergen Record's Bob Klapisch believes the Mets would give up Cliff Floyd, Lastings Milledge and Aaron Heilman for Manny Ramirez if the Red Sox would absorb a portion of Ramirez's salary.
If the Red Sox could really get all three, they should be willing to eat some salary. Floyd is only signed through next season at $6.6 million, so he's rather attractive. Discussions between the two teams are expected to continue at the winter meetings. Nov. 29 - 2:27 pm et

I think that would be a good deal for both teams.

[vtbub]

I just wet myself.

[DaddyTorgo]

i agree with bub. there is a strange wetness on the couch. as great as manny's production is, i am sick of everything else that goes along with it. give me something reasonable in return in terms of a player who is ML-ready right now, and a top-flight prospect and I'll eat 1/3 of his salary or so.

[Maple Leafs]

http://www.tsn.ca/columnists/mlb_bet....asp?id=144983

The Yankees might be out of the Brian Giles sweepstakes as New York Newsday reports that the team feels that Giles doesn't have any intention of signing in the Bronx. According to the Newark Star Ledger, Giles, who wants to stay on the West Coast, is leaning towards the Blue Jays, unless he gets an attractive offer from the Angels or Dodgers.

Finally, Americans' ignorance of Canadian geography comes in handy.

[Ksyrup]

I don't think that is ignorance of geography as much as it is bad sentence structure.

[Neuqua]

Bruce Levine of ESPN 1000 just reported that the White Sox are expected to announce in the next hour that Paul Konerko has resigned with the 2005 World Champion Chicago White Sox.

[Ksyrup]

Awesome. I'm not a fan of the White Sox per se, but I favor continuity, especially with WS champs.

[Ksyrup]

Doublespeak 101

"Paul really did some soul-searching over the last couple of days," Landis went on. "And he started to realize that, if all else was equal, he wanted to be a member of the Chicago White Sox. He really likes it there. And just as important, he feels people like him there. He knows he has a lot of fans, and he respects that. He even talked about the fact that some kids there would be disappointed if he wasn't back there. Don't get me wrong. If it had to be that way for business, he would have gone another way. But basically, his heart was with the White Sox. And that's why he's going back. It isn't for the money."


Translation: He didn't return because of the money, but if they had offered less, he would have gone to the Angels.

[Cuckoo]

Rumors are Furcal is close to signing with the Cubs. Supposedly, the Cubs offer is higher than Atlanta's, and the Braves have already started to look at other options. The Dodgers entered the discussions late, but a few stories have indicated he's leaning heavily toward Chicago.

Good news for Cubs fans indeed, even though they'll probably overpay a bit.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Cuckoo

Good news for Cubs fans indeed, even though they'll probably overpay a bit.

As a Dodger fan & someone who lives in Braves territory, I'll be happiest if that's exactly what happens -- better that the Cubs overpay for him (and his bouts with homerun fever) than either of the other teams.

[sterlingice]

It scares me that someone is going to cough up 8 figures a year for a SS who hit .284/.348/.429 and .279/.345/.414 the last two years. Even in 2004, his best season, his OPS was below .800.

SI

[Ksyrup]

Garciaparra on a 1 or 2 year contract wouldn't be a bad replacement for Furcal. He'll come relatively cheap.

[Cuckoo]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

It scares me that someone is going to cough up 8 figures a year for a SS who hit .284/.348/.429 and .279/.345/.414 the last two years. Even in 2004, his best season, his OPS was below .800.

SI

Seems like I'm always arguing with you over the way the Cubs spend their money...

Although I don't disagree that the Cubs have overpaid (and likely will do so again with Furcal), I also can't really fault them for doing it. They're in a division with some quality teams and have to spend to get ahead. They have a ton of payroll room. And they have plenty of holes.

In Furcal's case, he's an excellent defensive shortstop with speed - two things the Cubs have really lacked in recent years. Combine that with their need at the top of the line-up, and I'm not surprised a bit if they overpay, even grossly so.

With Sosa's contract off the books, the Cubs don't really have any really "bad" contracts right now. Maddox is old but in the last year of his deal, and Kerry Wood has had massive injury problems but still a great deal of talent. Their biggest contracts for position players will be to Ramirez and Lee, two players in the prime of their careers who have put up fantastic numbers.

Tough to blame them for throwing some money around and taking risks to win when they have plenty to spend.

[Vince]

Konerko stays with the White Sox. Does that mean Thome is their DH? What is the point of the Thome signing?

[Ksyrup]

He replaces Frank Thomas as the DH and "most likely to be injured for most of the year while collecting 8 figures" roster spot.

[Vince]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

He replaces Frank Thomas as the DH and "most likely to be injured for most of the year while collecting 8 figures" roster spot.

I guess the Sox panicked that Konerko might be going elsewhere, and didn't want to be left without a chair when the music stopped. I wonder if they'd consider moving Thome again now that they have Konerko locked up.

[Ksyrup]

Why? They need a DH. If Thome comes back, he'll be huge.

[Vince]

Because the Giants need a bat, and Thome's one of the only ones we could conceivably get because of his huge contract

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Cuckoo

In Furcal's case, he's an excellent defensive shortstop with speed -

I'll give you the speed part, but calling him "excellent" defensively seems like a stretch IMO unless you only consider the '05 season. He's got great range ... but what does he do with the ball once he gets there?

2005-
Fielding Pct .981 = 8th MLB SS
Range Factor 5.23 = 1st MLB SS

2004-
Fielding Pct. .962 = 21st MLB SS (of 22 qualified at the position)
Range Factor 4.79 = 6th MLB SS

2003-
Fielding Pct . 959 = 22nd MLB SS (dead last among qualified)
Range Factor 4.79 = 3rd MLB SS

I think it comes down to a question of "which do you believe is the "real" Furcal?".

[Cuckoo]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I'll give you the speed part, but calling him "excellent" defensively seems like a stretch IMO unless you only consider the '05 season. He's got great range ... but what does he do with the ball once he gets there?

2005-
Fielding Pct .981 = 8th MLB SS
Range Factor 5.23 = 1st MLB SS

2004-
Fielding Pct. .962 = 21st MLB SS (of 22 qualified at the position)
Range Factor 4.79 = 6th MLB SS

2003-
Fielding Pct . 959 = 22nd MLB SS (dead last among qualified)
Range Factor 4.79 = 3rd MLB SS

I think it comes down to a question of "which do you believe is the "real" Furcal?".

Well, I was in fact referring primarily to the range issue when comparing him to previous Cubs shortstops. Chicago has had some guys (Gonzalez comes to mind) who had fantastic defensive seasons as far as a low number of errors but never had great range and let a lot of balls through.

Most scouts also agree Furcal has a strong arm, I think. He has been prone to the error on occasion, but most would probably rank him as one of the better shortstops defensively (total package) in the NL.

[Buccaneer]

Right fielder Brian Giles reached a preliminary agreement Wednesday night to re-sign with his hometown San Diego Padres for $30 million over three years.

This is a surprise! It must be the San Diego Discount I keep hearing about. Now if we can get Hoffy back for $5-6m/yr, all will be good - except for the catcher spot. There have been no word on Ramon and don't know what's the market like for available catchers.

[Ksyrup]

Glad to see that about Giles.

[Coffee Warlord]

Originally Posted by Cuckoo

Most scouts also agree Furcal has a strong arm, I think. He has been prone to the error on occasion, but most would probably rank him as one of the better shortstops defensively (total package) in the NL.

He'll be helped greatly with Lee at first, regardless of his defensive ability. See Aramis Ramirez.

[Cuckoo]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

This is a surprise! It must be the San Diego Discount I keep hearing about. Now if we can get Hoffy back for $5-6m/yr, all will be good - except for the catcher spot. There have been no word on Ramon and don't know what's the market like for available catchers.

Woohoo! Keep him out of St. Louis...

[Ksyrup]

Now that Farnsworth is going to the Yankees, I can only hope his wildly inconsistent streak continues and he self-destructs next year (at least). Given his past numbers, the Yankees have bought themselves 2 even years (2006 and 2008) and 1 odd year (2007), which doesn't bode well. His eras over his career, since becoming a reliever:

2000 - 6.43
2001 - 2.74
2002 - 7.33
2003 - 3.30
2004 - 4.73
2005 - 2.19

Let's hope he keeps that up...and gets lost on a safari in 2007.

[stevew]

Whattya think Ksyrup?

December 1, 2005 -- The Mets wounded the Phillies by acquiring Billy Wagner, Philadelphia's former closer. But the Phillies have set their sights on a player the Mets have coveted: Manny Ramirez.
Philadelphia and Boston have engaged in serious talks about swapping Ramirez for Bobby Abreu, The Post has learned.