2009 MLB Regular Season Thread

[MrIllini]

ESPN and Ken Rosenthal reporting that Matt Holliday to Cardinals for Brett Wallace, Clayton Mortensen, and Shane Peterson is imminent.

Ugh.

[ISiddiqui]

Huh... that'd be interesting. I don't know anything about who the Cards are sending over, though.

[MikeVic]

None of their stats look great in the minors, but there's two former 1st rounders and a former 2nd rounder in there, so I guess they're bigger prospects.

[Ronnie Dobbs2]

Brett Wallace is a great bat prospect, iffy at 3rd. Could be a DH going forward but the guy can hit. 21 on BP's midseason Top 25. Mortensen was 6 in the St. Louis system in February.

[MrIllini]

Wallace is the key - he's a big league hitter. Unfortunately, he's not likely to stick at 3B, and therefore didn't really have a position with the Cards.

Wallace for Holliday straight up I could've gotten behind a bit more, adding Mortensen confounds me.

Apparently a done deal, Holliday in the lineup for STL tonight.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Huh... that'd be interesting. I don't know anything about who the Cards are sending over, though.

Baseball America rated Wallace (.293/5/16/.769 OPS in 62g at AAA Memphis this year) in as the #2 prospect in the Cards organization going into the season as the heir apparent to Scott Rolen. Mortensen (7-6, 4.37 at AAA Memphis this year) was their #5 prospect and a 2007 1st round pick and was projected as their #3 starter by 2012.

[ISiddiqui]

Interesting. I was reading that Wallace will probably end up being a DH, as his defense at 3B isn't that great, and 1B is already full for the foreseeable future.

Adding others seems interesting on the Cards part.

[Crapshoot]

Beane robbing the Cardinals again IMO; this is the LaRussa effect. No way the Giants should have beaten this offer.

[MrDNA]

Gotta like Holliday + Pujols, though. Maybe make it so Albert actually gets some pitches to hit. Certainly improves the Card's chances for the post-season.

[ISiddiqui]

And if they can sign him long term, it's not bad for the Cards.

[Ronnie Dobbs2]

Holliday + Boras = hitting the market

[Bad-example]

Originally Posted by Crapshoot

Beane robbing the Cardinals again IMO; this is the LaRussa effect. No way the Giants should have beaten this offer.

Glad the Giants didn't pony up.

[Atocep]

The cardinals apparently decided to go all in this season. Wallace really looks like a nice player, but he'll end up at 1B from everything I've ever read on him (BP has him listed at 245 and he doesn't have any range at 3rd). Peterson has great on base skills, but needs to develop power or he'll be a handy 4th OFer. Mortensen is a sinkerballer that had some problems before putting things together a bit this year.

Not a bad haul for the A's. All 3 are close to the majors and Mortensen was already there earlier this season. Definitely more value than 2 draft picks. The Cardinals got a solid, but not great corner OFer that should help their lineup quite a bit. I like the deal on both sides, although I'm actually a bit surprised the A's got this much for Holliday.

[Bad-example]

Originally Posted by Atocep

Not a bad haul for the A's. All 3 are close to the majors and Mortensen was already there earlier this season. Definitely more value than 2 draft picks.

Yeah, the two draft picks wasn't much of an option anyway IMO. I just doubt the A's would offer arbitration. Too much risk he would accept.

Beane had to move Holliday. He got a pretty nice haul.

[Ronnie Dobbs2]

MLB Network saying that Phillies and Toronto are close on a deal for Halladay.

[MikeVic]

I don't want to see Halladay leave. About one of the only things I like about the Jays right now.

[MikeVic]

Anyone have a list of top Phillies' prospects? I'm curious what could possibly come back.

[Travis]

Originally Posted by Ronnie Dobbs2

MLB Network saying that Phillies and Toronto are close on a deal for Halladay.

no, No, NO!

Screw you JP.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by MikeVic

Anyone have a list of top Phillies' prospects? I'm curious what could possibly come back.

Sounds like Kyle Drabek is the key. No Drabek, no deal. As to the rest of it...dunno. MLB Trade Rumors was talking about J.A. Happ earlier. Those are the only names I've seen.

[stevew]

Kyle Drabek, Dominic Brown, JA Happ, and others were rumored.

The Phillies have gotta make this trade. You have a real chance to win 2 in a row with Halladay, the time is now.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by Travis

no, No, NO!

Screw you JP.

If you can get Happ & Drabek, you'd be silly NOT to make the deal.

[stevew]

At least the Jays will still have the franchise outfield of Rios and Wells locked up long term. Those guys won't be getting away from the fans.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by MikeVic

Anyone have a list of top Phillies' prospects? I'm curious what could possibly come back.

Kyle Drabek is the big one the blue jays want. He's the guy that's been holding up the deal from what I've been reading.

I haven't seen any other names that the Jays are interested in, but OF Michael Taylor, C Travis D'Arnaud, and P Carlos Carrasco were the other's in BP's top 5 entering the season. Drabek was rated 3rd heading into the season, but has made as big of a jump as any prospect has this season.

The other names from their top 10 are Happ, OF Dominic Brown, OF Zach Collier, SS Jason Donald, and C Lou Marson. I've heard Happ involved in some versions of the deal, but I don't know if the Jays were interested in him or if the Phillies were trying to substitute him for Drabek.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by MikeVic

Anyone have a list of top Phillies' prospects? I'm curious what could possibly come back.

From January 09 FWIW
BaseballAmerica.com: Prospects: Rankings: Organization Top 10 Prospects: Philadelphia Phillies Top 10 Prospects

I'd think Drabek is a must, along with one of the young OF's, some bullpen depth and just for fun a throw-in of John Mayberry, Jr.

edit to add: As Atocep mentioned, I think Happ is possibility but I had trouble thinking if he was a component that the deal might have already been done. The Jays look to be heavy on lefty starters at the moment as is.

[MikeVic]

Originally Posted by stevew

Kyle Drabek, Dominic Brown, JA Happ, and others were rumored.

The Phillies have gotta make this trade. You have a real chance to win 2 in a row with Halladay, the time is now.

Pat Gillick was on a radio sports talk show that I watch (as stupid as that sounds) a couple days ago, and he wouldn't say what he recommended explicitly, but he made it clear his motto is the same as you have said... if you have the chance to win now, you do it.

The host (Bob McCown) said the Jays can't trade Halladay right now and expect anything but lost fans for the next while (about 20% is what he guessed), unless they get same crazy awesome package... and I agree with that.

[Ronnie Dobbs2]

FWIW the MLBTradeRumors twitter (where I got the report) has pulled that tweet and replaced it with something saying they're not close.

[Crapshoot]

If I were the Jays, I'd give on Drabek and get more:

A package such as Carrasco (who I think is a good underrated prospect), Jason Knapp, Dominic Brown, Jason Donald, and Travis Arnaud (who the Jays apparently loved, per Keith Law, and were beaten to by the Phillies).

[JetsIn06]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

If you can get Happ & Drabek, you'd be silly NOT to make the deal.

Plus Halladay has already told him he WILL enter free agency.

[Lathum]

Mike Hampton. Seriously Johan?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Lathum

Mike Hampton. Seriously Johan?

Well that is the 16th time he does that, so much as I hate to cut a Met any slack it's probably not quite so bad.

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by MrIllini

Wallace for Holliday straight up I could've gotten behind a bit more, adding Mortensen confounds me.

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Adding others seems interesting on the Cards part.

It's essentially Wallace for Holliday with some low upside, closer to the majors prospects to the A's for the higher-risk prospects the Cards will get with the draft picks. Wallace was a good hitter, but he's not sticking at 3B or moving Pujols away from 1B, and speaking of Pujols the Cards desperately need to make a push to convince him they're serious about competing for World Series so he doesn't test the market in 2? years.

[Schmidty]

Yay!!!

Tigers sweep the Sox in the Doubleheader!!!

[cartman]

So, Vicente Padilla of the Rangers tested positive for Swine Flu, but they said he still is going to start on Tuesday.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by cartman

So, Vicente Padilla of the Rangers tested positive for Swine Flu, but they said he still is going to start on Tuesday.

Might as well I guess, half a dozen or so teammates already have the flu anyway. I'm just glad the spitball isn't legal.

[BishopMVP]

In Red Sox news, who would have thought the Varitek would have been decent with the bat and a black hole defensively this season? .231/.339/.457 but 73 of 86 runners have stolen on him.

Brad Penny looked good again Milwaukee....

[tarcone]

I hope the Cardinal fans can convince Holiday to sign long term with the Cards. A long term OF of Holiday, Rasmus and Ludwick would be outstanding.

This also ends the experiment of Troy Glaus playing LF.....whew.

[mckerney]

It's depressing to read what the Blue Jays can expect to get for Halladay and then look at what Bill Smith got when he gave away Santana.

[stevew]

Garrett f'n Jones with a 2 run shot!

This is getting to be Roy Hobbs like.

[samifan24]

Originally Posted by stevew

Garrett f'n Jones with a 2 run shot!

This is getting to be Roy Hobbs like.

The guy is unbelievable. If he played in a major market the whole country would be talking about him.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by samifan24

If he played in a major market the whole country would be wondering when he has to pee in a cup.

Fixed that for you.

[samifan24]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Fixed that for you.

I'm not sure why you'd assume he's on steroids.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by samifan24

I'm not sure why you'd assume he's on steroids.

I think it's more like he's saying if a player with his performance was lighting it up in a major market, that's the drumbeat that would start up.

I mean, if Pujols gets that scrutiny, somebody most of the country has never heard of would have no chance of avoiding it.

[samifan24]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

I think it's more like he's saying if a player with his performance was lighting it up in a major market, that's the drumbeat that would start up.

I mean, if Pujols gets that scrutiny, somebody most of the country has never heard of would have no chance of avoiding it.

That's true but if everyone is being tested than we know the system works; Manny is proof of that.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

I think it's more like he's saying if a player with his performance was lighting it up in a major market, that's the drumbeat that would start up.

Ding ding ding.

You've got the seeming oddity of a guy who has been stuck in the minors for a decade, his power numbers trailing off from a peak of 31 homers in 563 PA in 2004 down to 13 in 446 by 2007. Suddenly he's playing like Roy Hobbs in the majors? Pretty damned fishy to the naked eye, somebody might want to look into that.

If he was in the spotlight in a big way, it wouldn't be without a great deal of questions about those things.

[samifan24]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

If he was in the spotlight in a big way, it wouldn't be without a great deal of questions about those things.

Sure the questions will be there but is there any point at which fans can simply enjoy something without worrying about steroids? I hate that the era took place but now, with all the testing in place, I generally assume players are clean unless testing proves otherwise. I'm not suggesting you don't also do this but at what point can the fans just enjoy something like a hot streak like this for what it is? Do you think we'll ever reach that point?

[sovereignstar]

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by samifan24

Do you think we'll ever reach that point?

No, I really don't. I think that genie is out of the bottle & it won't be going away any time soon, at least not in my lifetime.

[TheNorm]

Eat 'em up Tigers, eat 'em up!! Detroit took two out of the first four from the white sox, hope they can keep this up.

[MizzouRah]

Love the Holliday trade!!!

[Alan T]

Originally Posted by samifan24

I generally assume players are clean unless testing proves otherwise

I am betting you are in the minority here at least in today's time. I would guess that most baseball fans assume the opposite with the possible exception of when it comes to home town players.

When David Ortiz had a bad start, people commonly said it was coming off of steroid. Ibanez's performance earlier this season was all around steroid discussion, etc.

I think now that we have players just now being mentioned that they tested positive years ago combined with many others never having been named that were on the list, it leads to everyone speculating about almost everyone.

Now any major superstar that does exceptionally well it seems causes the majority of people to have in the back of their mind, "I wonder if they are using". Perhaps the only "superstar" that is around where I honestly haven't heard that talk about is Griffey Jr.

I think it is just the end result of the last 10+ seasons of events coming back and biting the MLB in the butt. The only way that ever goes away is to have a system in place that is open enough and foolproof enough that the majority of fans actually believe that it is 99.9% effective. Since that does not even happen for the Olympics today, I don't see in the near future steroids leaving the back of minds of conversations such as this.