Killeverything's (New)NeverEndingBaseballThread

[JakeYonkel]

I dunno how much Boston has coming off the books (I could look it up but I'm lazy) - I'm assuming money from Lowell, Martinez, and Beltre - but shit it seems like they're spending a ton this offseason. I wonder where their payroll ends up.

Schilling actually had a good write-up on ESPN.com comparing the Yankees and Red Sox position by position, which I agreed with, except for him calling Pedroia/Cano a tie... please. At any rate his point was that Boston is improving of course, but moreover they are closing the gap on the Yankees.

I couldn't care less about Baltimore or Toronto but I feel bad for Tampa. Their window closed awfully fast.

[Tenacious_Dio]

Cliff Lee and Jayson Werth have a conversation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foKhrNPxJPE

[Facedown]

Cliff Lee and Jayson Werth have a conversation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foKhrNPxJPE

Holy shit.

[SkyDog112046]

Cliff Lee and Jayson Werth have a conversation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foKhrNPxJPE

Holy shit.

"I heard what Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez do in the showers and I didn't want to be a part of it."

[Facedown]

Greinke traded to Brewers.

Royals get
Lorenzo Cain
Alcides Escobar
Jake Odorizzi
Jeremy Jeffress

Brewers get
Greinke
Yuniesky Betancourt

[Machado]

How much of a role did the treatment of Cliff Lee's wife by Yankee fans in the ALCS affect his signing with Philly instead of NY? Certainly if NY had made Lee a ridiculous offer it probably wouldn't have been an issue, but as long as all the offers were reasonably close as it appears they were, how much of a factor do you think it played?

ZERO!
when cliff lee had his press conference last week, he went out of his way to mention that nothing actually happened to his wife at Yankee Stadium.
lee stated that the reports were wrong, untrue and blown way out of proportion.
there was nothing to the story.

[Machado]

NEW YORK -- Having finished second, or maybe third, in the Cliff Lee sweepstakes, the Yankees are prepared to go into the 2011 season with a pitching rotation of CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Phil Hughes , with the remaining spots filled out by youngsters, many of whom have never pitched above the Triple-A level.

"I'm not saying I want to do it," general manager Brian Cashman said in a telephone conversation Monday morning, "but I may have to do it."

Cashman is operating under the assumption that Andy Pettitte, back home in Deer, Park, Texas, following a an excellent season cut short by a groin injury, will not be returning for a 17th major league season.

"If we get Pettitte back, so much the better," Cashman said. "But I'm not waiting for him. He told me not to."


With Lee having signed with the Phillies, Pettitte mulling retirement and Zack Greinke being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers, the pickings are slim among available starting pitchers -- with the exception of Carl Pavano, a free agent whose disastrous first Yankees tenure rules out the possibility of a second.


"Could I go out and get a starter? Yes, I could. But there's just not much out there," Cashman said. "I have March, April, May, June and July, really, to come up with someone."

Cashman also ruled out, although not absolutely, the possibility the Yankees might include catching prospect Jesus Montero in a trade for a front-line starter now that the Yankees have signed Russell Martin to assume every-day catching duties. "There's just nobody out there I would consider trading Montero for," Cashman said.

Asked if that included Seattle Mariners ace Felix Hernandez, Cashman said, "That ain't happening."

So heading into spring training, Cashman said the Yankees would try to cull two starters from a young crop that includes Ivan Nova, who is virtually assured a spot in the 2011 rotation, as well as right-handers Andrew Brackman, Dellin Betances, Adam Warren, Hector Noesi and left-hander Manny Banuelos.

Of the six, only Nova has pitched at the major league level, appearing in 10 games the second half of last season (seven starts), and compiling a 1-2 record and 4.50 ERA but displaying enough stuff and poise that the Yankees are counting on him to fill one of the starting spots.

None of the others has pitched at a higher level than Double-A, and Banuelos and Betances, who had ligament reinforcement surgery in 2009, spent last season in Class A ball.

"We have 10 prospects starting from Double-A on up that our organization can choose from," Cashman said.

The GM ruled out a return to the rotation for Joba Chamberlain, who along with David Robertson will compete for the job as eighth-inning set-up man vacated when Kerry Wood became a free agent. Over the weekend, Wood signed a contract to return to the Chicago Cubs.

Cashman declined to say whether he was interested in free agent right-hander Freddy Garcia. According to a report, the Yankees asked for the medicals on the 35-year-old Garcia, who was 12-6 with a 4.64 ERA for the White Sox in 2010. "We ask for the medical records on every free agent," Cashman said.

So for now, the Yankees are standing pat.

"In the past, we might have gone out and traded away prospects just to get someone in here," Cashman said. "But realistically, I have until July to get this solved."

[Machado]

Greinke is now a Brewer and he's happy about it

Zack Greinke loves the attitude of the Milwaukee Brewers and their willingness to try to reach the postseason immediately.

"The main reason I wanted to get out, I mean, preferred to get out of Kansas City is I wanted to be on a team that was trying to win this year because as a pitcher you don't really know how long your career is going to be," Greinke said Monday, a day after he was acquired from the Royals in a six-player trade.

After winning the AL Cy Young Award with a 16-8 record and 2.16 ERA in 2009, the 27-year-old right-hander slumped to 10-14 with a 4.17 ERA last season.

"Just really wanted to be in a place where they were playing to win games right away," he said.

[SkyDog112046]

Greinke is now a Brewer and he's happy about it

Zack Greinke loves the attitude of the Milwaukee Brewers and their willingness to try to reach the postseason immediately.

"The main reason I wanted to get out, I mean, preferred to get out of Kansas City is I wanted to be on a team that was trying to win this year because as a pitcher you don't really know how long your career is going to be," Greinke said Monday, a day after he was acquired from the Royals in a six-player trade.


"Just really wanted to be in a place where they were playing to win games right away," he said.

There is nothing wrong with a player wanting to get out of a place that has no plans on being competitive for several years. It's not like he had a contract in place and tried to get more money. He just wants to go somewhere were they can get a shot at the playoffs. It's admirable and refreshing to see someone who doesn't only care about money.

[Machado]

Greinke is now a Brewer and he's happy about it

Zack Greinke loves the attitude of the Milwaukee Brewers and their willingness to try to reach the postseason immediately.

"The main reason I wanted to get out, I mean, preferred to get out of Kansas City is I wanted to be on a team that was trying to win this year because as a pitcher you don't really know how long your career is going to be," Greinke said Monday, a day after he was acquired from the Royals in a six-player trade.


"Just really wanted to be in a place where they were playing to win games right away," he said.

There is nothing wrong with a player wanting to get out of a place that has no plans on being competitive for several years. It's not like he had a contract in place and tried to get more money. He just wants to go somewhere were they can get a shot at the playoffs. It's admirable and refreshing to see someone who doesn't only care about money.

The kid is soft.
That's all I am saying!

I agree with your post-there is nothing wrong with wanting to leave a team that has no chance of winning.
What made me laugh so hard was his statement that Milwaukee is the team to be with if a player wants a shot at winning this year,

[dtmfs]

He ain't soft, He has a problem that nearly half of the population suffers from , same problem earl campbell has and that dude is anything but soft, Jonathan Sanchez is fucking soft.

[WhiteHouseSubsAC]

Hey Manchowder, go look up Butch Wynegar and see what mental illness can do to a guy's career. Greinke knows his limitations and went to the team he felt comfortable with.

[killeverything]

Hey Manchowder, go look up Butch Wynegar and see what mental illness can do to a guy's career. Greinke knows his limitations and went to the team he felt comfortable with.

Yup. That's why he had 5 teams he couldn't be traded to. NY and Boston topping the list.

This'll make Tawny happy.

Ricky Nolasco agrees to a 3/26.5 deal with Florida.

http://www.freep.com/article/20101221/S ... th-Marlins

[Machado]

Hey Manchowder, go look up Butch Wynegar and see what mental illness can do to a guy's career. Greinke knows his limitations and went to the team he felt comfortable with.

Yup. That's why he had 5 teams he couldn't be traded to. NY and Boston topping the list.

How is it that Boston and the Yankees continue to be talked about in the same story

[Machado]

The Yankees have been hit with an $18 million luxury tax on their major league-leading payroll. It was New York's lowest tax since 2003.

The financial information was sent to teams Tuesday and obtained by The Associated Press.

While the Yankees failed to repeat as World Series champions this year, they lowered their tax from nearly $26 million when they won the title last year.

The Boston Red Sox are the only other team that will have to pay despite having failed to make the playoffs. Boston exceeded the payroll threshold for the first time since 2007 and owes almost $1.5 million.

[killeverything]

The Yankees have been hit with an $18 million luxury tax on their major league-leading payroll. It was New York's lowest tax since 2003.

The financial information was sent to teams Tuesday and obtained by The Associated Press.

While the Yankees failed to repeat as World Series champions this year, they lowered their tax from nearly $26 million when they won the title last year.

The Boston Red Sox are the only other team that will have to pay despite having failed to make the playoffs. Boston exceeded the payroll threshold for the first time since 2007 and owes almost $1.5 million.

Doesn't Seattle go over the tax bracket too?

[TawnyVonJagger]

This'll make Tawny happy.

Ricky Nolasco agrees to a 3/26.5 deal with Florida.

http://www.freep.com/article/20101221/S ... th-Marlins

Yup, I'm happy. Several players are now signed to multi-year deals. More to come!

We went to the Marlins' Season Tix Holder Holiday Party last week. Chatted with and got pix with Gaby Sanchez (Holy HELLO! swoooon), Samson, Larry Beinfest and Michael Hill, and Edwin Rodriguez. Found out that Leo Nunez is still our closer ( ) aaand...Dan Uggla was offered a 5 year deal and turned it down. Seems he didn't want to play for the Fish at all, and was just making all the right noises. See ya, Dan. Fucker.

[killeverything]

John Dewan's Stat Of The Week

Rafael Betancourt and Dennis Eckersley

December 22, 2010

What do Rafael Betancourt and Dennis Eckersley have in common? Uncommon control. Control that leads to the six best strikeout/walk ratios in the history of the game for relievers.

Last week, we highlighted Cliff Lee’s remarkable 2010 strikeout to walk ratio of 10.28, as he joined Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels to form a potentially dominant starting rotation in Philadelphia. After seeing that, Stat of the Week follower Tom Artz sent us an e-mail mentioning Dennis Eckersley’s many seasons of superlative strikeout/walk performances as a reliever. When we researched it, it turned out that Eck had the five best SO/BB relief seasons of all-time with Betancourt sixth entering the 2010 season. Betancourt’s 2010 season of 14.8 strikeouts per walk made it up to fourth place giving him another spot in the top ten. Here are the all-time leaders:

Best Single Season SO/BB Ratio Among Relievers

Pitcher Season Games Strikeouts
Unintentional WalWalks

Ratio
Dennis Eckersley 1990 63 73 3 24.3
Dennis Eckersley 1992 69 93 5 18.6
Dennis Eckersley 1989 51 55 3 18.3
Rafael Betancourt 2010 72 89 6 14.8
Dennis Eckersley 1991 67 87 6 14.5
Rafael Betancourt 2007 68 80 6 13.3
Mariano Rivera 2008 64 77 6 12.8
Wilton Lopez 2010 68 50 4 12.5
Dennis Eckersley 1996 63 49 4 12.3
Trevor Hoffman 2000 70 85 7 12.1
Note: since 1900, minimum 50 appearances in relief

Eckersley has half of the top ten seasons for relief pitchers and now Betancourt has two.

Here are the leaders for just the 2010 season:

MLB Relievers

SO/BB Ratio Leaderboard (2010)

Pitcher SO/BB
Rafael Betancourt 14.8
Wilton Lopez 12.5
Edward Mujica 12.0
Joe Thatcher 9.0
Matt Belisle 8.3

What’s in the water in the National League West? Four of the top five pitchers on this year’s list pitch in the NL West. Matt Belisle joins Betancourt from the Rockies while Edward Mujica and Joe Thatcher are from the Padres.

One of the stunning things about this list is that the players are relatively unknown by most average baseball fans. Even more stunning is the fact that, in addition to Rafael Betancourt’s 2010 season being fourth best of all time, the impressive 2010 SO/BB seasons of Wilton Lopez (Houston) and Edward Mujica rank 8th and 11th all-time, respectively.

[TawnyVonJagger]

We picked up Mujica from the Pads in the Maybin trade. Marlins got a fuckin' BULLPEN!!!!

[Facedown]

Reports are the Rangers have signed Brandon Webb and Arthur Rhodes.

[killeverything]

Reports are the Rangers have signed Brandon Webb and Arthur Rhodes.

They got Webb to replace Lee?

Ouch.

[SkyDog112046]

Reports are the Rangers have signed Brandon Webb and Arthur Rhodes.

They got Webb to replace Lee?

Ouch.

Yeah, that's almost as bad as signing Luis Vizcaíno and Pedro Feliciano just to say you did something because Lee shunned your offer.

[Machado]

Reports are the Rangers have signed Brandon Webb and Arthur Rhodes.

They got Webb to replace Lee?

Ouch.

Yeah, that's almost as bad as signing Luis Vizcaíno and Pedro Feliciano just to say you did something because Lee shunned your offer.

what most people fail to "report" is that other than Lee, there was no "high caliber" starting pitcher out there in free agency.
if was Lee or bust.
phillies won that race. everybody else lost.

Feliciano is a lefty reliever filling a need. nothing terrible about his acquisition.
vizcaino-take a flyer on him. ya never know. could work out or not. very low risk.

[Facedown]

Brewers sign Takashi Saito.

[JakeYonkel]

Reports are the Rangers have signed Brandon Webb and Arthur Rhodes.

They got Webb to replace Lee?

Ouch.

Yeah, that's almost as bad as signing Luis Vizcaíno and Pedro Feliciano just to say you did something because Lee shunned your offer.

Well, better than being a 3rd place team forced to shell out $150M on Carl Crawford just to compete.

[SkyDog112046]

Well, better than being a 3rd place team forced to shell out $150M on Carl Crawford just to compete.

It's not my money. And I like that contract better than the ones given to Lackey and Beckett.

[Machado]

Well, better than being a 3rd place team forced to shell out $150M on Carl Crawford just to compete.

It's not my money. And I like that contract better than the ones given to Lackey and Beckett.

You do? I'm shocked.

sox paid a lot of money to a player that relies on speed. unless crawford turns out to be "ricky henderson-like", the sox overpaid for this guy.

[Machado]

NEW YORK -- New York Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira has been exchanging text messages with Andy Pettitte during the offseason as Pettitte sits at home in Deer Park, Texas deciding whether to pitch for the Yankees in 2011 or retire.

Teixeira said on Tuesday that, through his communication with Pettitte, he's gotten the sense that the veteran left-hander is "leaning toward retirement." But the Yankees first baseman is holding out hope that Pettitte will return to a Yankee rotation that sorely needs him next season.

"I think, like everyone else [thinks], if he's leaning one way, he's probably leaning towards retiring," Teixeira said on Tuesday at a press conference to kick off Thursday's Pinstripe Bowl game at Yankee Stadium. "I think that's what he's publicly said. It's no secret right now. That's probably where he's leaning. But in a month and a half, a lot can happen."

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman echoed similar sentiments about Pettitte earlier this month. Pettitte, 38, is coming off one of the best seasons of his 16-year career. He finished 2010 with an 11-3 record and a 3.28 ERA. He missed most of the second half with a groin injury but returned late in the regular season. He went 1-1 with a 2.57 ERA in two playoff starts for the Bombers, who were eliminated in the ALCS by the Texas Rangers.

For the past two seasons, Pettitte has used the offseason to decide whether to return to baseball or retire. He pitched last season on a one-year, $11.75 million contract. He indicated after the Yankees' Game 6 loss to the Rangers in Texas that he was leaning toward retirement.

But Teixeira hopes that Pettitte changes his mind in the next few weeks and shows up in Tampa on Feb. 14, when pitchers and catchers report to the Yankees' spring training complex.

"Selfishly of course, I love Andy Pettitte like a brother. He's such a great player. He's such a great teammate. I would hate to not play with him this year," said Teixeira, who reported no set-backs in his rehabilitation from the hamstring injury he suffered in the ALCS. "But his family is obviously No. 1 to him and if [returning to the Yankees] is not going to be in his plans then we're going to wish him the best of luck and when he comes back on Legends Day we'll give him a big hug and tell him we miss him."

Teixeira said he would not pressure Pettitte into coming back. He also believes the Yankees -- despite failing to sign free agent starter Cliff Lee -- have enough starting pitching to compete, with or without Pettitte.

"We basically have the same team that won the World Series two years ago," he said. "We're going to miss Andy of course but we have some young guys who are going to try to step in and do the job.

[killeverything]

Well, better than being a 3rd place team forced to shell out $150M on Carl Crawford just to compete.

It's not my money. And I like that contract better than the ones given to Lackey and Beckett.

You do? I'm shocked.

sox paid a lot of money to a player that relies on speed. unless crawford turns out to be "ricky henderson-like", the sox overpaid for this guy.

I may be a Crawford fan, but I do believe they over-paid. Unfortunately he was going to get that same amount somewhere.

As for how he turns out over the duration of the contract. Bill James did a study ( in I believe the 1983 Baseball Abstract ) in which speed oriented players tend to age better than power driven players. So it has me a little optimistic......

[SkyDog112046]

Well, better than being a 3rd place team forced to shell out $150M on Carl Crawford just to compete.

It's not my money. And I like that contract better than the ones given to Lackey and Beckett.

You do? I'm shocked.

sox paid a lot of money to a player that relies on speed. unless crawford turns out to be "ricky henderson-like", the sox overpaid for this guy.

I think Crawford got overpaid, but he is not as grossly overpaid as Lackey. In the AL East Lackey is a #4 starter and is really only worth about half what he got. I would have never signed him.