MLB 2007-2008 Offseason Thread
 

Red Sox win...Congrats to them

Big news right away....A-rod has opted out of his contract with the Yankees.


Discuss it all as we make our way to the start of 2008

What are the chances A-Rod winds up in Boston? Hmm?

Here's how I break it down


Chicago Cubs- 40%
Boston- 30%
Every other team but the Yankees- 30%

A-rod was their savior last season. :/

Is the offseason thread seriously going to be a Splaya thread

everything I have read and heard states that Boston is NOT where ARod will end up.

Joe Torre is gonna be managing the Los Angeles Dodgers :love:

omg Grady Little just resigned.

Good we don't need him anyway, he'll just bring too much negative attention to the team. I am worried about Manny's health a little, but if he rehabs this offseason I think he has a good year left in him.

In all honesty, they were talking on ESPN yesterday that the team that has the best chance to get him besides the Bosox, would actually be the Tigers because Mike Illitch does not care what kind of money he has to spend to get him.

I started drooling when I found out about that :drool:

Manny's health? you mean Ortiz right? Papi is mostlikely having knee surgery this offseason, the out comes or concern of that will dictate this sox going after A-rod.

Fuck A-Rod

I am going on my gut feeling that Ortiz's surgery will be successful and he'll be 100% by spring training. Manny is who worries me since he's getting older, his power numbers have declined, and he had that strained oblique this season.

Manny just doesn't play with passion and now he's a little more indifferent. I think that's why his #'s are declining above anything else. Manny plays for Manny. If he has a goal to achieve, look out.

Wow. If ARod goes to Detroit. Although Detroit needs some pitching help.

lol @ Frazor

Apparently Bowa might be going with Torre too. He won't be on the Yankees accoring to reports. They have a new bench coach, third base coach, pitching coach and bullpen coach.

Pettitte says he will be back with the Yankees or retire next year so finally some good news.

Wooo! Bring A-rod too!

<font color=goldenrod>Mets picked up Alou's 2008 option and re-signed Damion Easley.

Both no-brainer moves. Alou will get injured at some point but as long as Endy can actually stay healthy it'll be better off.</font>

I heard a little while back that he was a lock to go to Seattle. But a personal matter on his end was making the deal official.

But probably the big story of today. Mike Cameron suspened 25 games beginning next season for testing positive for an banned stimulant.

<font color=goldenrod>Guess the 'roids effect your vision and make you K a ton.</font>

Alou is a good move. The guy can flat out rake, he just misses too many games, but I would rather have 80 games of Alou than 162 of endy.

<font color=goldenrod>Hmm, reading that the Yanks are discussing 3 years, $40 million for Posada...but he might want more.

Wonder if wanting more means more money or more years...if its more years then the discussion clearly favors the Yanks as they can just throw him at DH when the breakdown happens</font>

I've heard a possible deal for Crede that would fill up our hole at 3rd. Honestly, I would love to see him in a Yankee uniform. He'd fit in perfectly.

Blue Jays are looking to trade up Troy Glaus. But he only wants to go any West Coast team.

They were looking to move him last winter too. Jays need another big bat if they move him though. I like Troy, just had an injury filled year last year.

Anyone see what Boras said? Something along the lines of how he can't understand why Rivera and Posada can be free agents and the Yankees will still talk to them but the Yankees won't talk to A-Rod when he wants to be one. Dudes gotta be the best agent in baseball

he is. you got to be the biggest asshole to be the best agent. Usually the biggest dicks make the most money. so yea, be a dick when you have a real job.

I can't really blame the players for being greedy as fuck though, they are the ones bringing in all the money so they should go after as much of it as possible.

At the same time though, what the hell is the difference between 25 million a year and 30 million a year? I really don't know what these guys do with all this money.

Also, the Red Sox designated Royce Clayton for assignment, gonna be a huge loss for Fox's dugout microphone segments

lol

LOL. He has asked that a million times before and the answer is pretty simple. He didn't even think about meeting with the Yankees first (while Rivera already has) and he cost the Yankees 30 million dollars from the Rangers. 30 million dollars is a lot of money to lose even for the Yankees.

According to MLB.com and Detroit Tigers.com, Joel Zumaya is out for the first half of the season after having surgery on his throwing shoulder to repair an ac joint reconstruction. The team is HOPEFUL that he will return mid season.


I'm just absolutely crushed right now :(

FunctionThe AC joint allows the ability to raise the arm above the head. This joint functions as a pivot point (although technically it is a gliding synovial joint), acting like a strut to help with movement of the scapula resulting in a greater degree of arm rotation.


That is the function of the AC Joint

<font color=goldenrod>Joe Torre is officially Dodgers manager. Mattingly, Bowa, and possibly Lee Mazzili will also join</font>

Yessssssssssssssssssss

A-Rod a Mud Hen? Triple-A Toledo makes a playful offer
November 1, 2007

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) -- Alex Rodriguez a Mud Hen?

Spurred by an offhand remark from George Steinbrenner's son, the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens want in on the A-Rod sweepstakes.

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The Mud Hens playfully offered the prize free agent a deal Thursday -- a contract proposal that includes a bonus for hitting 75 home runs next year and leading them to 10 straight International League titles.

Rodriguez recently opted out of his $252 million, 10-year contract with the New York Yankees. That prompted Hank Steinbrenner, son of the Yankees owner, to tell the New York Times: "Does he want to go into the Hall of Fame as a Yankee, or a Toledo Mud Hen?"

The Mud Hens conjured up an offer to find out, said Jason Griffin, a spokesman for the Detroit Tigers' top farm team.

Toledo created a Hall of Fame plaque of Rodriguez wearing a Mud Hens hat and sent a letter to his agent, Scott Boras.

The deal stipulates that Rodriguez will have to compete for a spot with Toledo third basemen Mike Hessman, the league's most valuable player last season.

"Would your client be willing to play a different position?" the letter asked.

Zumaya definitely just bought Guitar Hero 3.

Here's the real story on Zumaya.

DETROIT -- With the California wildfires closing in on his parents' house, Joel Zumaya went up to the attic and tried to salvage a few things for his father.

Moments later, his 2008 season was in jeopardy.

A heavy box fell on top of the Detroit Tigers reliever, injuring his pitching shoulder and forcing him to have major surgery Wednesday in San Diego. He is expected to be sidelined until midseason.

"You think he'll be back, but I can't 100 percent count on that," Tigers president and general manager Dave Dombrowski said Thursday. "We can't count on that contribution this year. We have to plan our staff without him being there."

The Tigers hoped to re-sign closer Todd Jones, with the understanding that he might lose his job later in the season to Zumaya. If they weren't able to bring back the free agent, Zumaya had a shot to be Detroit's closer.

"Now, we can't count on that," Dombrowski said. "If it's not Todd, we have to be aggressive to find somebody to pitch on the back end."

An e-mail seeking comment was sent to Jones.

Zumaya is being told to rest his shoulder for six weeks and refrain from a throwing program until March.

His 100 mph fastballs helped the Tigers reach the 2006 World Series, and the giant flame tattoos on both his arms helped make him a star in the Motor City.

He told the Tigers he was injured while moving personal items Sunday.

"He said a box fell on his shoulder," Dombrowski said. "The fires were approximately 2 miles from his home, where he lives with his parents, and his dad has a broken leg and wanted some items from the attic.

"He reached up to grab one box and a heavy one on top of it fell directly on his shoulder.

"At first, he didn't think it was that bad," Dombrowski added. "But the pain became more and more and that's when Mr. Zumaya said, 'We have to call the Tigers.'"

Zumaya was limited to 28 games this year because of surgery on a tendon in his middle finger. He was 2-3 with a 4.28 ERA and the Tigers went 88-74, finishing second in the AL Central.

As a rookie in 2006, Zumaya was a big reason the Tigers won the AL pennant for the first time in more than two decades. He was 6-3 with a 1.94 ERA and 92 strikeouts in 62 appearances.

Detroit acquired All-Star shortstop Edgar Renteria earlier this week, filling a pressing need -- only to find out soon after it had another void.

"My jubilation turned into a lot of concern," Dombrowski said.

The pitcher was downtrodden, too.

"He must've apologized, in a five-minute conversation, 25 times," Dombrowski said.

Damn.

No I know, but the way he was trying to spin it was pretty interesting

Dodgers/Yankees World Series