MLB 2005-2006 Offseason Thread

[The Miz]

Orioles sign Kevin Millar ( ), and then DFA Walter Young who is 8 years younger and 8 times better. This guy will be a steal for someone in a few days.

[The Miz]

Dodgers get:
RP Danys Baez
RP Lance Carter

Devil Rays get:
SP Edwin Jackson
SP Chuck Tiffany (A)

Wow, after every Minaya trade, this might be the worst trade of the offseason (for LA). They give up 2 great prospects for a decent closer who will be unhappy in his new setup role, and a guy who will only be on a major-league roster if the 12th pitcher goes down.

[YOUR Hero]

Gagne trade perhaps?

[The Miz]

Not a chance

[YOUR Hero]

Well they've got Brazoban as well. Reports say he's been lights out in winter ball.

[The Miz]

Lights out in winter ball? How about lights out in 85 straight major-league 9th innings?

You don't need me to tell you that Gagne > Brazoban and Baez combined, but the idea of trading Gagne is still ludicrous. Eric Gagne > Mariano Rivera, when healthy. There really isn't any reason to trade this guy, and there is nothing you could get in return to match him. Gagne has been a closer for 3 years, and has been the best closer in the world for all 3 of those years. Baez has had 3 above average seasons as a closer, and Brazoban has been awful in his only full major league year. LA will be playing 8-inning games for the next two years with Gagne, why trade that away and be stuck with two huge question marks?

With Colletti I guess you never know, but I can't see anything being worth Gagne unless the Cardinals decide to put Albert Pujols on the market.

[YOUR Hero]

Well I'm not disagreeing with you on your assessment of Gagne, but when you see the moves the Dodgers are making, you have to start wondering.

[The Miz]

I think what they are doing is trying to have a great offense and a great bullpen, and sacrificing their defense and starting pitching. Their bullpen is now among the best in the NL (certainly the best in their division) with Gagne/Baez/Brazoban/Broxton/Wunsch/Kuo/Osoria. Take Gagne out of that list of names, its not so impressive.

There is no way Gagne gets traded this offseason, and I think a year from now most teams will be reluctant to give up anything when Gagne only has one year on his contract. I think he stays in LA for his contract and, as much as I hate the the thought of it, succeeds Mariano Rivera in NY.

[YOUR Hero]

Well that's a big speculation on your part. One I'm going to disagree with. Here's why. There's a trend in baseball to draft closers. Closers aren't just failed starters anymore. Your A's are a prime example of that with the likes of Huston Street. Chad Cordero for the Expos and that Papelbon dude in Boston. The Yankees have a successor of that type of their own. They'll groom him slower than the A's have in Street, but I won't be surprised to see J.B. Cox make an appearance next year with the Yankees. He is the heir apparent to Mariano.

[The Miz]

Steinbrenner will always choose big name FA over an up and coming talent in the minors. If someone of Gagne's stature is a FA when Rivera retires you can bet George will overpay for him. He doesn't care about trading a Cox-type, he's done it before and will do it again.

I agree with your assessment of the closer-drafting trend, but I don't think it applies to the Yankees. The Yankees will always look externally to fill up their most important positions through FA or trade, and if no one is available they will give Cox a shot.

[BCWWF]

Hero, I think you misunderstood what I meant. Somebody was saying "Maybe move Koskie to the outfield" and I was saying how rediculous that would be, because I would say he is one of the top five defensive third basemen in all of the MLB.

[YOUR Hero]

Miz, this will make you super happy.

Chone Figgins, your most favouritist player, ever. Has signed a new 3 year deal with Seattle. No, I'm kidding. The Angels and he did a 3 year deal worth 10.5 mil.

[YOUR Hero]

Craig Wilson signed a 1 year 3.3 mil. deal with the Pirates. Not sure what that will mean in terms of his tenure there.

[The Miz]

I'm not looking forward to any Angel games this year. With Erstad/McPherson/Kotchman switching around alot, Figgins should play alot of positions and I'll have to hear the commentators talk about how versatile he is. I hope he plays 3rd alot though, that's where he is the most embarassing.

[The Miz]

Frank Thomas expected to sign with A's in the next day or two. High risk, high reward. If he can hit well for 90+ games, the Angels really dont have a chance IMO

[YOUR Hero]

I was browsing around and came upon T Bay's site. I decided to have a look around at their stories since they traded Baez. I see they signed a Japanese reliever to a 2 year contract. This guy won the award as Japan's top set up man last. Interesting I thought.

[The Miz]

Yeah Shinji Mori. I dunno, he has been injured and ineffective the last few years in Japan. He wanted to leave at his peak of success (2002/3) but Seibu didn't let him, if they did he likely would've been one of the top 5 relievers available. He'll probably set-up, and that's where he's best suited. His fastball doesn't hit 90 so the DRays should stick with Orvella for saves

[YOUR Hero]

Trying to find some info on Walter Young. All I'm finding is his 33 game MLB career from last year. Anyone got anything else on him?

[YOUR Hero]

... I see he's a huge fucker. 322 lbs. (typo???) 6'5"

[The Miz]

Not a typo, I believe he's the biggest in the MLB. Here's his past few minor league seasons if you're interested.

2005 Ottawa (AAA): .288/.334/.438 (.772); 13 HR 81 RBI
2004 Bowie (AA): .274/.343/.539 (.882); 33 HR 98 RBI
2003 Lynchburg (A): .278/.348/.462 (.810); 20 HR 87 RBI

His only AAA season was poor, and his OBP numbers have always been low. But he can flat out rake and an AL team should pick him up and put him in AAA in 2006 and try him at DH sometime down the road. I can't imagine a guy that huge would be a very good first baseman.

[The Miz]

From Wikipedia:

During one batting practice in the 2005 season, Young hit a homerun that reached the Camden Yards warehouse. The distance to the warehouse from homeplate is 432 ft (132 m) along the right field line, and the only other known player to hit the warehouse is Ken Griffey, Jr..

Since 2005 was the last year that he could be optioned to the minors without having to pass through waivers, the Orioles said upon promoting him that they would use him in September to see if he fits into their plans for 2006. He played 15 games for the Orioles in 2005, finishing with a .303 (10-for-33) batting average, one home run, and 3 RBI. In the offseason, Young is playing for LaGuaria in the Venezuelan Winter League. Since the Orioles' regular first baseman during the 2005 season, Rafael Palmeiro, left the Orioles as a free agent after the season, Young is expected to be among those competing for the Orioles' starting first-base job in 2006.

(Obviously the last paragraph was written before he was DFA'd)

[The Miz]

Aaand here's an article about him with a pic http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/NAS...=.jsp&c_id=bal

[YOUR Hero]

DFA'd.. what exactly is the terminology to that?

[The Miz]

designated for assignment

[Evil Vito]

Mets sign some pitcher named Yusaku Iriki to a major league deal

His numbers don't look too bad, but like 95% of the Asian players the Mets bring in, I'm going to assume he'll end up sucking

[The Miz]

Since the Mets will likely go with 11 pitchers I don't like his chances of making them. Don't see him challenging Perisho or Padilla for the last couple spots

[Adder]

Originally Posted by The Miz designated for assignment

So they still hold his rights?

[The Miz]

For 10 days. They can either trade him, demote him, or release him. If they take no action, he is released and is a free agent

[The Miz]

Walter Young signs with San Diego, odd choice considering Padres are deep at 1B and Petco is about the worst possible place for a one-dimensional HR hitter to make a name for him self

[The Miz]

SI's offseason grades http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slu...nnsi&type=lgns

Awful.

[Adder]

Originally Posted by The Miz SI's offseason grades http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slu...nnsi&type=lgns Awful.

I read that yesterday. Seemed like it was an ok rating. It doesn't mean an A rating is going to be given to a team that is a contender, per say. It's all about moves that the team made that were positive or negative, and then graded upon that.

What I find was the ratings was generally too 'nice', like they were afraid to offend the fans of a particular team. Because some were too nice, it meant the whole system gets bumped up to compensate for that.

[The Miz]

I understand how the ratings were given. More than half of them are not even close.

Kansas City, adds alot of league-average players that cost a ton of money and will still lose 85+ games, B?

Minnesota, already had the best pitching in the AL, added two offensive players that makes them miles aheaf of the Indians and almost even with the White Sox, D?

Seattle, adds every useless expensive free agent and will still lose 85+ games, C?

Baltimore, came in 4th last year because of zero pitching, spent 60 million dollars on offense, C?

[The Miz]

It's not as much the grades as some of the things he said;

"With Johan Santana, Brad Radke and Carlos Silva at the top of the rotation, the Twins won't get blown out of the division. But they need to be stronger in the infield. When the White Sox and Indians sport much deeper rotations, it will be tough. Real tough."

"if the O's keep Javy Lopez as a designated hitter, and if Chris Ray or newly acquired LaTroy Hawkins can close, the Orioles haven't lost any ground."

[The Miz]

The NL one might be worse http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slu...nnsi&type=lgns

New York Mets: GRADE: Money and good trades pay off -- A.

[CNM]

John Donovan is pretty stupid, so no suprise there

[Jesus Shuttlesworth]

Why is a 6'5" 332 pound guy playing in the National league?

[The Miz]

Red Sox sign Willie Harris, likely as a backup CF (though if the season started today he's start over Adam Stern) and 2B

[Jesus Shuttlesworth]

Not sure if anyone posted it, Arroyo signed for 3 years 12 million today with the Red Sox. I heard his agent and the MLBPA was upset because they felt he could make more money in arbitration.

[Boondock Saint]

Theo is back with the Sox.

[RoXer]

Epstein rejoining Red Sox full-time
Posted: 2 minutes ago



BOSTON (AP) - The door was ajar, and Theo Epstein finally walked through it and back into the front office of the Boston Red Sox.

The most successful general manager in franchise history will rejoin the Red Sox baseball operations department in a full-time - but otherwise unspecified - position. His long-rumored return comes 2 1/2 months after he fled Fenway Park in a gorilla suit.
"As you know, we have spoken frequently during the last 10 weeks," the team and Epstein said in a joint statement on Thursday night. "We have engaged in healthy, spirited debates about what it will take over the long-term for the Red Sox to remain a great organization and, in fact, become a more effective organization in philosophy, approaches and ideals.

"Ironically, Theo's departure has brought us closer together in many respects, and, thanks to these conversations, we now enjoy the bonds of a shared vision for the organization's future that did not exist on Oct. 31. With this vision in place, Theo will return to the Red Sox in a full-time baseball operations capacity, details of which will be announced next week."


Epstein declined to elaborate on the statement, which also came from principal owner John Henry, chairman Tom Werner and president Larry Lucchino. The team would not comment on how Epstein will fit into the organization's hierarchy, but Henry denied that Lucchino's role was diminished to lure Epstein back.

"Larry's role does not change," Henry said. "Details next week."

Lucchino did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment.

The Red Sox have been operating with co-GMs, former Epstein lieutenants Jed Hoyer and Ben Cherington. But their Dec. 12 promotions were overshadowed by persistent rumors that they would soon be working for Epstein again.

"Certainly Theo is a good friend of all of us, and he's worked very closely with these guys in the past," Lucchino said then. "The door has been really ajar for some time, and until Theo goes to work for another baseball organization we'll keep the light on in the window with the possibility of him coming back and helping us."

Epstein's return concludes an almost Shakespearean saga that led him to walk away from the team, reportedly because of a falling out with Lucchino, his longtime mentor. The Red Sox president and chief executive officer first hired Epstein, then a Yale student, to work as an intern with the Baltimore Orioles; Epstein followed Lucchino to the San Diego Padres and rose to assistant GM there.

The Red Sox made Epstein the youngest GM in baseball history in 2003, and his first team came within a Pedro Martinez pitch count of reaching the World Series. The next year, Boston won it all for the first time since 1918.

The Red Sox also reached the postseason in '05 - a three-year run that was a first in franchise history. But what should have been easy negotiations over a contract extension turned fierce and Freudian.

On Oct. 31, the day his old deal was set to expire, Epstein belied a newspaper report that he had agreed to stay and walked away from the team's three-year, $4.5 million offer. To avoid the encamped media, he borrowed a gorilla costume left over from the teams' Halloween party.

Explaining his move two days later, Epstein said, "You have to be all-in. You have to believe in every aspect of the job and the organization and your ability to stay and do the job the right way, with your whole heart and your whole soul. And in the end, it just wasn't the right fit. It wasn't right."

Both sides denied — or at least downplayed — a rift between Epstein and Lucchino.

"We've had a very successful working relationship," Epstein said in November. "I think Larry and I like each other. As with any long relationship, there are complexities. ... But in the end, I want what's best for Larry. He's done a lot for me. I owe him quite a bit, and I take that to heart."