Killeverything's (New)NeverEndingBaseballThread

[killeverything]

He's signed through 2017 with 114m left on his contract. I don't feel like looking it up right now, but I believe it's incentive laden making it more expensive and longer.

We all said the last couple years on that deal is going to be an albatross. Looks like it's happening sooner than later. He's one expensive DH.

[Machado]

The San Francisco Giants and free agent center fielder Angel Pagan have reached agreement Pagan will receive $40 million in the four-year contact.

[Facedown]

Red Sox have been in talks with the Mets about trading for R.A. Dickey.

[Facedown]

Nationals sign Dan Haren 1yr/13mil.

[Machado]

from ESPN.COM:
If this is true, not a bad deal for the Yankees and the insurance offers a very friendly exit strategy for the team and ARod.

If Alex Rodriguez is unable to play in 2013, or in a worst-case scenario is forced to retire because of the hip injury that will require surgery next month, it would not be a total loss for the Yankees.

At least not financially. According to a baseball source with knowledge of the contract, the Yankees are insured for a good portion of the $114 million they owe Rodriguez over the next five seasons.


According to the source, who has worked on similar contracts, it is likely that New York could recoup at least 75 percent, and perhaps as much as 100 percent, of the money it would still have to pay Rodriguez.

[Facedown]

Red Sox have offered Shane Victorino 3yrs/37.5mil.
Yankees are interested in Youk.
Red Sox and Angels are front runners for Kyle Lohse.

[Machado]

Red Sox have offered Shane Victorino 3yrs/37.5mil.
Yankees are interested in Youk.
Red Sox and Angels are front runners for Kyle Lohse.

The talk is Yankees would be interested in Youk for
a 1 year deal and a fair price.
Not sure if Youk would be interested in the same terms.

Happy Victorino has gone to the Sox. Rather have them spend that $$ and
not the Yankees.

[killeverything]

SF keeps Scutaro on the roster for 3/20.

There's reports that Nick Swisher has the Giants atop his wish list. Sabean reportably gives players a long look who wish to come there ( their payroll tops out at about 140m ).
Who wouldn't want to go there ? Sabean has done a great job building a team since they got rid of the Barry Balco show.

He's not going to request Miami, who just traded Yunel Escobar to Tampa Bay for Derek Dietrich....another prospect ( who mlb.com ranks #14 out of 20 for the Rays ). So it's Stanton and a bunch of kids who maybe someday could grow up to be great ballplayers. Jesus, Tawny remain calm.....

[Machado]

SF keeps Scutaro on the roster for 3/20.

There's reports that Nick Swisher has the Giants atop his wish list. Sabean reportably gives players a long look who wish to come there ( their payroll tops out at about 140m ).
Who wouldn't want to go there ? Sabean has done a great job building a team since they got rid of the Barry Balco show.

He's not going to request Miami, who just traded Yunel Escobar to Tampa Bay for Derek Dietrich....another prospect ( who mlb.com ranks #14 out of 20 for the Rays ). So it's Stanton and a bunch of kids who maybe someday could grow up to be great ballplayers. Jesus, Tawny remain calm.....

Swisher is going to hate that ballpark in SF after several of hit fly balls are routine outs in RF.
Compared to Yankee Stadium, the Giants park is very vast and not friendly to lefties.(Unless you're on PED's like Bonds)

[Machado]

Jeff Keppinger has signed a three-year deal with the White Sox

Eric Chavez reported to have signed with DBacks

[Facedown]

Report:
Mariners and Jason Bay agree to 1yr deal.
New rumor:
Jacoby Ellsbury for Cliff Lee.

[killeverything]

Report:
Mariners and Jason Bay agree to 1yr deal.
New rumor:
Jacoby Ellsbury for Cliff Lee.

I've been screaming "trade Ellsbury!!!" since '07. Let this happen.

[killeverything]

Report:
Mariners and Jason Bay agree to 1yr deal.
New rumor:
Jacoby Ellsbury for Cliff Lee.

I also don't understand Z and the Seattle FO's thinking on this. He got a 7 figure deal? Unfucking real for a reclamation project. He's basically Miguel Olivo 2.0, and we've seen how much Wedge loves vets...even if THEY COMPLETELY SUCK.

Here's the problem. Seattle has some incredibley good young talent in the ranks that Bay could steal playing time from. He's not a better option than even Casper Wells at this point.

Eric Wedge has down syndrome and I could see this signing lighting that retard's face up. This is colossal stupidity on the level of Minyana, Wade or Epstein.

*ETA*

I also don't care that he's put up a .809OPS against LHP. Wedge isn't smart enough to use him only in those situations.

You can't put doo-doo on the floor and not expect a water head to play with it.

[tin00can]

Angels get Joe Blanton for two years, $15 million, with an option for the third year.

No, I am not making this up. What in the blue fuck?

[Funnelhead]

So far, I think the Rays have been pretty good with their acquistions this winter. Escobar was a nice, realtively cheap pickup with the potential for a good upside, and we all know Maddon won't put up with any crap. The same could be said for the Loney pickup. I really would hate to see them ship Shields out of town, but they have been pretty sharp in the past with dumping guys at the right time, and he would bring a lot in return. I am not so sure about that rumored 4 way megatrade...

[Facedown]

Report:
Yankees have offered Youk a 1yr deal.
Phillies in serious talks about acquiring Michael Young from Rangers.

[Facedown]

Report:
Mariners making strong push for Josh Hamilton.

[Facedown]

Twins trade Ben Revere to Phillies for Vance Worley and prospect Trevor May.

[Facedown]

Red Sox sign reliever Koji Uehara.

[Machado]

Report:
Yankees have offered Youk a 1yr deal.
Phillies in serious talks about acquiring Michael Young from Rangers.

I heard that M. Young has 10/5 rights, so he can decline any trade. That's a lot of power.
Rangers are pushing hard to trade Young and the Phillies need a 3rd baseman.
Yankees also need the same position filled, but I'm sure the Rangers don't want to trade with NY and NY probably doesn't have the prospects to give up in return.

Youk on the Yankees. That feels so odd to type.
I guess if Clemens can play in NY, any ex-Red Sox can as well.

[Machado]

Sources close to the Yankees are stating the team is
"kicking the tires" of Hamilton right about now.
Imagine that swing in The Bronx over the next 3-4 years?

[Facedown]

From the Wall Street Journal:

In a situation that highlights how much has changed for the big-budget Yankees, Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman came to the winter meetings in Nashville with his hands so fully tied that he lacked the authority to make offers to free agents.

The situation was first brought to light by agent Scott Boras, who quietly suggested Wednesday that Cashman lacked the power to make offers.

“He had indicated that right now, he’s working with ownership on getting advance authority. He really is not involved in a lot of dealing right now, but is doing due diligence to go back and meet with them about that,” Boras said Wednesday.

On Thursday, people within the Yankees organization confirmed that this was in fact true: Cashman arrived in Nashville unable to make offers to players, and without that power, targets like Jeff Keppinger and Eric Chavez took deals elsewhere.

The Yankee general manager went back to ownership and made his case, and Cashman was allowed to move forward with offers – the Yankees made a one-year, $12 million offer to third baseman Kevin Youkilis Thursday morning.

Another Yankee official downplayed the seriousness of the situation, saying that most general managers would have to go back to ownership to vet potential deals.

“What does Scott Boras know? Are you kidding me?” the official said, arguing that Boras is trying to stir things up because he lacks good markets for his players. “The only reason that Cash didn’t have the authority at that point, if you want to use the word authority, is that he wasn’t making any offers, there was nobody out there that he thought, at these prices, that he should make offers on.”

But another official confirmed that this represents a departure for the Yankees, who have given Cashman more authority in the past.

The Yankees are working to get under a $189 million payroll ceiling by 2014, but it was not clear until recently how much that frugality would affect the 2013 payroll as well. Combined with the significant money other teams are spending in free agency, the Yankees have been on the outside looking in so far this winter.

[killeverything]

Sources close to the Yankees are stating the team is
"kicking the tires" of Hamilton right about now.
Imagine that swing in The Bronx over the next 3-4 years?

3 to 4 years? He's seeking a 7 year deal and considering he hasn't played in 150 games since 2008, he'd just sit on the DL with Arod most of his contract.

That would be fucking funny.

[dtmfs]

as bad as I thought lazy effort he gave on that infamous pop fly last season I was really hoping the Phils would get Hamilto, their out field sucks and I'm not exactly doing cartwheels over them landing ben revere.

[killeverything]

as bad as I thought lazy effort he gave on that infamous pop fly last season I was really hoping the Phils would get Hamilto, their out field sucks and I'm not exactly doing cartwheels over them landing ben revere.

While it's argueable that Hamilton is the best player in MLB, he's such a risky signing because of his issues. I also don't feel he's going to be an elite player for very much longer. His contract could cripple a team for a long time, especially if his body breaks down.

I'm not surprised he's still a FA.

[killeverything]

Micheal Young traded to Philadelphia for RH reliever Josh Lindbolm and minor league pitcher Lialveto Bonita. Guess that makes them the favorites to land Greinke now.

*edit*

Rangers out of the running for Greinke. LAD close to completing a multi-year deal according to sources. Guess that means Texas resigns Hamilton now.

[SkyDog112046]

I don't like the moves the Red Sox are making. I didn't like it when they went out and brought in Lackey, Gonzales, or Crawford a few years ago. I liked it when they started cleaning house at the trade deadline this year. And now they are just loading up the roster with more guys that they are overpaying for that don't have the upside that some of the previous signings did. I would much prefer that they continue to clean house, give the kids that are ready a chance to play, and wait until some better options come along in 2014 or 2015. But I guess they have to do this kind of shit to satisfy all the pink hats. Couldn't see the pink hats waiting a year or two for them to retool. Fairweather fans have no patience.

I sincerely hope they don't go after Hamilton. Putting that guy in a major market is just asking for trouble. One move I wouldn't mind is going after King Felix. Do whatever it takes, within reason.

[killeverything]

I don't like the moves the Red Sox are making. I didn't like it when they went out and brought in Lackey, Gonzales, or Crawford a few years ago. I liked it when they started cleaning house at the trade deadline this year. And now they are just loading up the roster with more guys that they are overpaying for that don't have the upside that some of the previous signings did. I would much prefer that they continue to clean house, give the kids that are ready a chance to play, and wait until some better options come along in 2014 or 2015. But I guess they have to do this kind of shit to satisfy all the pink hats. Couldn't see the pink hats waiting a year or two for them to retool. Fairweather fans have no patience.

I sincerely hope they don't go after Hamilton. Putting that guy in a major market is just asking for trouble. One move I wouldn't mind is going after King Felix. Do whatever it takes, within reason.

They have been trying since he was in Tacoma. It's not going to happen. Ever. King has stated ( and resigned twice now, it's also reported he's seeking an extension ) he wants to stay with Seattle and will resign there before hitting FA. So NY and Boston won't be able to just buy this one.

That stokes me out. The small market team that brought him up keeps their superstar. Awesome. He's also spoken about their farm system and how loaded it is. Stating he want's to be there for when these kids ( Paxton, Hultzen, Zunino, Franklin, Walker ) make the team elite.

Jack Z's a fucking genius ( think the Brewers are good? He built that team. Fielder, Braun, etc. ), he's smart enough to not trade the farm for someone like...I don't know, Andrew fucking Bailey. Of course he also isn't at the mercy of a soccer team, who's Man U's bitch.

[Facedown]

Dodgers sign Greinke 6yrs/147mil.

[killeverything]

Dodgers sign Greinke 6yrs/147mil.

Hamilton's next.

It's funny he went from the Los Angeles Angels Of Anaheim, to the actual LA baseball team.