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Re: The MLB Thread
A lot of "experts" are calling that deal a steal for the Padres, citing they believe Latos is a 2 or 3 at best and the Reds gave up 3 of their 5 best prospects. Half the time prospects don't turn out though, so I'd reserve judgement. I think Latos is clearly better than Volquez right now. How the rest plays out remains to be seen.
However, in related news. The 1B they got in the deal makes Anthony Rizzo expendable, who they just acquired last year in the Adrian Gonzalez deal with the Red Sox. And since he was a product of the Sox under Theo and Hoyer, speculation is that the Cubs may be interested. And furthermore, Jon Heyman is reporting that they may be willing to trade Matt Garza for him. I know Garza isn't an ace, but he's a solid pitcher. Not sure I would do that deal. Then again, if Theo and Jed really love Rizzo, maybe they see something others don't.
For the Padres though, that'd be a pretty sweet deal in the end. They replace Latos with Garza AND get 3 highly touted prospects for the future. Not to mention, if Volquez can straighten himself out, watch out.
Re: The MLB Thread
A lot of "experts" are calling that deal a steal for the Padres, citing they believe Latos is a 2 or 3 at best and the Reds gave up 3 of their 5 best prospects. Half the time prospects don't turn out though, so I'd reserve judgement. I think Latos is clearly better than Volquez right now. How the rest plays out remains to be seen.
However, in related news. The 1B they got in the deal makes Anthony Rizzo expendable, who they just acquired last year in the Adrian Gonzalez deal with the Red Sox. And since he was a product of the Sox under Theo and Hoyer, speculation is that the Cubs may be interested. And furthermore, Jon Heyman is reporting that they may be willing to trade Matt Garza for him. I know Garza isn't an ace, but he's a solid pitcher. Not sure I would do that deal. Then again, if Theo and Jed really love Rizzo, maybe they see something others don't.
For the Padres though, that'd be a pretty sweet deal in the end. They replace Latos with Garza AND get 3 highly touted prospects for the future. Not to mention, if Volquez can straighten himself out, watch out.
I feel pretty much the same way. I hate that they're giving up a guy with #1 or #2 pitcher potential. Those guys don't grow on trees. The killer is that Latos still has 4 years before he hits UFA. He has great stuff too. The Pads did pick up a pretty good C prospect in the deal though. But man, giving up all those cheap years just bugs me. This is a really interesting trade though. Earlier in the week the A's also traded a young pitcher, Trevor Cahill to the Diamondbacks for P prospect Jarod Parker. Cahill's nowhere near as good as Latos though.
I don't think Volquez will ever be the same. He'll be another victim of Dusty Baker arm abuse.
If I'm the Pads, I consider keeping Rizzo, he's younger than Alonso who they picked up and has more power. Garza only has 2 years (I think) before he hits UFA.
Re: The MLB Thread
A lot of "experts" are calling that deal a steal for the Padres, citing they believe Latos is a 2 or 3 at best and the Reds gave up 3 of their 5 best prospects. Half the time prospects don't turn out though, so I'd reserve judgement. I think Latos is clearly better than Volquez right now. How the rest plays out remains to be seen.
However, in related news. The 1B they got in the deal makes Anthony Rizzo expendable, who they just acquired last year in the Adrian Gonzalez deal with the Red Sox. And since he was a product of the Sox under Theo and Hoyer, speculation is that the Cubs may be interested. And furthermore, Jon Heyman is reporting that they may be willing to trade Matt Garza for him. I know Garza isn't an ace, but he's a solid pitcher. Not sure I would do that deal. Then again, if Theo and Jed really love Rizzo, maybe they see something others don't.
For the Padres though, that'd be a pretty sweet deal in the end. They replace Latos with Garza AND get 3 highly touted prospects for the future. Not to mention, if Volquez can straighten himself out, watch out.
Latos is basically Kerry Wood during his starter days. He's a guy who has a great ability to strike guys out, and has great stuff, but he's just not really a staff ace. Probably a #2. Latos is only a #3 on the Phillies or Yankees. And with Volquez stuggles, Latos will be the Reds ace at the start of next season imo.
As for the Cubs being interested in Alonso, that's bullshit, or Epstein is gonna use Alonso for a trade chip.
Why in the living hell would the Cubs trade for Alonso, who's like 24 and might have the ability to hit 25HR a year, when they've got Brian LaHair sitting at AAA, at 28 years old, who hits 40HR a year down their consistently. The only reason LaHair wasn't called up earlier, was because of Jim Hendry and his "win now with free agents, don't grow talent other than Starlin Castro & Carlos Marmol" regime.
That to me doesn't make alot of sense.
I still swear up and down the Cubs NEED Fielder if they plan on winning in 2-3 years. NEED, not want, NEED him. These prospects are overrated, and when you have a chance to get a Prince, you don't BANK on prospects who might not be able to hit at the MLB level.
Still, if the Cubs "go young", I would see them just staying in-house and giving LaHair the job, before I would see them acquiring Alonso.
NEITHER of these guys have showed Prince Fielder-type power/ability at the major league level. I don't get the Cubs being such pussies about this, unless Epstein is trying to throw Boris off, and make him think the Cubs "don't need him" to get a better deal. Everyone in baseball is talking about "8 teams" in the mix for Fielder.
Bullshit, there's only 3 teams in play for Fielder. Cubs, Rangers & Marlins. Fielder lives in Florida and Miami is throwing money around to put butts in the seats. Fielder might get "an offer he can't refuse" from the fish. As for actual 'need' the Cubs & Rangers are it, and frankly the Rangers are less likely because they have Mitch Moreland, even though the AL is a better fit for the pudgy Fielder.
Ultimately it's the Cubs. Sure the Nats or O's could bring him to the D.C./Maryland area with a ton of money, but the reality is... I just don't see Fielder in a Nats/Orioles uniform. I just don't.
Re: The MLB Thread
Rangers win Yu Darvish rights with record $51.7 million bid
by Jeff Passan / Yahoo! Sports
The Texas Rangers won the rights to negotiate with star Japanese right-hander Yu Darvish by placing a record $51.7 million bid in a posting auction, sources told Yahoo! Sports.
Darvish’s team in Japan, the Nippon Ham Fighters, will accept the bid, which means the Rangers have 30 days to negotiate a contract with Darvish. If they cannot work out a deal, Darvish would return to Japan for the 2012 season and the Rangers would be refunded the posting fee.
The 25-year-old Darvish, considered the best pitcher from Japan to try to play in MLB, has posted five consecutive seasons of a sub-2.00 ERA. His best season came last year, when he went 18-6 with a 1.44 ERA and struck out 276 in 232 innings.
Just how much the Rangers are willing to spend on Darvish is the question that will consume them well into the new year. Their American League West rivals, the Los Angeles Angels, dropped $254 million for Albert Pujols and stole Texas’ top starter, C.J. Wilson, for $77.5 million.
Darvish is expected to command a bigger contract than Daisuke Matsuzaka, who signed with the Boston Red Sox for six years and $52 million after they paid the previous high posting fee, $51.1 million.
With a fastball around 92-95 mph, a top-shelf slider and an array of other off-speed pitches, the 6-foot-5, 225-pound Darvish cuts the figure of a No. 1 starter. While the success of Japanese pitchers in the major leagues has varied, Darvish is viewed by scouts and executives alike as a potential frontline pitcher.
The Rangers, back-to-back AL champions, will slot him in their rotation alongside Colby Lewis, Derek Holland, Alexi Ogando, Matt Harrison and Neftali Feliz, whom they have said they intend to move from closer to starter.
WOW... just WOW. Over $50 million just to TALK to the guy.
Re: The MLB Thread
Carlos Beltran, Cardinals agree to 2-year / $26 million deal
by R.B. Fallstrom / AP
ST. LOUIS (AP)—Carlos Beltran and the World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals agreed to a two-year contract pending results of a physical, a move that would fortify the team’s lineup following the departure of Albert Pujols.
The team disclosed the agreement Thursday night and said it expects to make a formal announcement shortly after the holidays.
KMOX, the Cardinals’ flagship radio station, reported the deal is for $26 million over two years—the same figure cited by a person familiar with the negotiations who spoke to The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because financial details of the agreement were not announced by the team.
The 34-year-old Beltran batted .300 with 22 home runs, 84 RBIs and a .385 on-base percentage for the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants this year. He likely will be the opening-day right fielder for the Cardinals next season. Lance Berkman is expected to move to first base, taking Pujols’ spot.
Beltran and Berkman are switch-hitters, giving new manager Mike Matheny lineup flexibility.
Earlier this month, St. Louis re-signed shortstop Rafael Furcal to a two-year, $14 million contract and added left-handed reliever J.C. Romero with a one-year, $750,000 deal. The Cardinals appear to need only a few spare parts to finalize the roster.
After Pujols signed a $254 million, 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels, Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said he expected his team’s payroll to perhaps exceed this year’s total of $110 million.
Allen Craig, coming off an impressive postseason, gives the Cardinals another strong option in the outfield but will miss at least the first month of the season while recovering from knee surgery.
A six-time All-Star, Beltran began his career with the cross-state Royals in 1998, three years after Kansas City drafted him in the second round. The switch-hitter has a .283 career batting average with 302 home runs and 1,146 RBIs.
“Beltran is a proven outfielder who obviously has been a tough opponent against the Cardinals for many years,” St. Louis general manager John Mozeliak said in a statement. “It is going to be nice to have his bat and competitive nature working for us instead of on the other side of the field for the next couple of years.”
Beltran faced the Cardinals in a pair of NL championship series, in 2004 with Houston and 2006 with the Mets. St. Louis won both series despite several big hits by Beltran.
With a chance to put the Mets in the World Series, however, he struck out looking to end Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS against Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright.
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AP Sports Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report.
Re: The MLB Thread
Done deal: Nationals get LHP Gio Gonzalez from A's
by Howard Fendrich / AP Sports
WASHINGTON (AP)—Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo has kept his eye on Gio Gonzalez for the last decade or so. Now, the left-hander is a member of Rizzo’s starting rotation.
Capping trade talks that began about a month ago, the Athletics and Nationals completed a six-player swap Friday that sends Gonzalez from Oakland to Washington, where he joins a promising pitching staff that already included right-handers Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmermann.
“I’ve known him since he was in high school in the Miami area. This is a guy I followed for years. I really like the way he competes,” Rizzo said on a conference call. “I call him, in a good way, a sore loser.”
Oakland gets four players in the deal: catcher Derek Norris, right-handers A.J. Cole and Brad Peacock, and left-hander Tommy Milone. The Nationals also received minor league right-hander Robert Gilliam, who went 12-7 with a 5.04 ERA and 156 strikeouts for Class-A Vancouver this year.
A’s general manager Billy Beane said he nearly took another offer but in the end preferred the prospects Washington sent.
“I told everyone I spoke to, we’d leverage one team against the other,” Beane said. “We were giving up a pitcher, and the ability to acquire three very good major league prospects who were pitchers swung it for us.”
The 26-year-old Gonzalez went 16-12 last season—a career high for wins— with a 3.12 ERA in 32 starts and was selected to his first All-Star game. He has reached 200 innings the past two seasons.
“He brings a presence in our rotation. He’s had success. He’s been a workhorse. He’s very, very young,” Rizzo said. “Gives us a young core of starting pitchers at the major league level that really is in the realm of something we’ve never had here before.”
ESPN.com first reported the agreement Thursday and Gonzalez confirmed to The Associated Press that the deal was in place, pending a physical.
Gonzalez will be slotted between Strasburg and Zimmermann, two hard throwers who have come back from reconstructive elbow surgery and are considered cornerstones of the Nationals’ attempt to finally become contenders. After finishing last in the NL East in three consecutive seasons, Washington went 80-81 and wound up in third place in 2011.
“We think that we’re vastly improved over last year,” Rizzo said.
At season’s end, the GM made clear his top priorities this offseason were adding a top-line starting pitcher and an outfielder. The Nationals are still in the market for a “long-term, permanent fit” in center field, Rizzo said.
After failing to land free-agent pitcher Mark Buehrle, who signed with the Miami Marlins, the Nationals “stepped up our efforts” to improve their rotation, Rizzo said, which led to trade talks with the A’s.
Beane is in rebuilding mode, having previously dealt starter Trevor Cahill to Arizona to stockpile more talent in the farm system. The A’s went 74-88 last season and haven’t posted a winning record or earned a playoff berth since 2006.
Beane said he is making moves in hopes of being able to move into a new stadium in San Jose in a few years. He said he expects to hear soon from Commissioner Bud Selig whether the team can build a new ballpark some 40 miles south in San Jose despite the San Francisco Giants owning the territorial rights to technology-rich Santa Clara County.
“For us to compete, we’re going to have to have a new stadium,” Beane said. “I don’t think there was a move we could have made that would have put us in position to compete with Anaheim and Texas and what they have.”
Gonzalez has been the subject of trade talks all offseason, with many teams interested in adding a proven starter.
“He’s won a lot of games on a mediocre club,” Rizzo said about Gonzalez. “Sixteen wins on the Oakland A’s last year was quite a feat.”
Peacock and Milone made their major league debuts in September, Norris hit 20 homers at Double-A Harrisburg, and the 19-year-old Cole went 4-7 with a 4.04 ERA at Class-A Hagerstown.
“To acquire a player like (Gonzalez), you need to give up some painful players in return, and we’ve done just that, four players that are near and dear to our hearts because we drafted them,” Rizzo said.
NOTES: In other moves, the A’s designated C Landon Powell and OF Jai Miller for assignment.
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AP Baseball Writer Janie McCauley and AP Sports Writer Josh Dubow in Oakland, Calif., and AP Sports Writer Mike Fitzpatrick in New York contributed to this report.
Re: The MLB Thread
The Nats are slowly but surely becoming a fast riser in the NL East, just like the Marlins in the void left by "waste of time" Mets in an obvious power shift in the NL East.
Nobody in the NL East is ready to take down the Phillies quite yet, but the Nats could find themselves a good #2 very soon, and possible Wild Card contender.
Re: The MLB Thread
It's a good trade for both teams. If OAK got prospects that were closer to the big leagues I would say the trade would have favored them.
Off topic (a little): Why doesn't Bud do anything about the Mets ownership situation? It's getting embarrassing reading about their money problems. I guess the Wilpons are friends of Bud so they get a longer rope to figure out their problems.
