Thread: 2008-09 MLB Hot Stove

Originally Posted by HD MM

This isn't fair! Wahhhh

Don't worry, their free agent choices this decade haven't gotten them too far, have they??

Yanks To Make Early Offer To Sabathia

By Tim Dierkes [November 14 at 10:27am CST]
FRIDAY:
ESPN's Buster Olney

says this initial Yankees offer will be in the $140-142MM range. By the way,
the Giants have already touched base

with Sabathia's agents.
THURSDAY:
According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post


, the Yankees will "aggressively extend a proposal" to C.C. Sabathia tomorrow. He believes the Yankees will go to "a financial region that no other franchise would even consider" to lure the ace. Sherman's guess is an initial bid in the six-year, $150MM range (and that may not be the final offer).

File this under 'Dog Bites Man.'

Marlins get a steal for Gregg

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Getting Jose Ceda for one year of Kevin Gregg is a heist for Florida, and could really end up as a disaster for the Cubs, given how they intend to realign their pen.

The Cubs say they're going to move Carlos Marmol into the closer role, removing him from the seventh-eighth inning role where Lou Piniella was willing to stretch him out to get more than three outs in a single appearance. It also increases the chance that Marmol will be wasted in save situations where the Cubs have a three-run lead (that is, a relatively low-leverage save situation).

They may use Gregg in the setup role, even though there's not much reason to anticipate he'll be more than a middle reliever in performance. Gregg has an average arsenal, sinker-slider-split, and other than occasionally running the fastball up to 94 doesn't have a plus pitch. His control is below-average, with 72 unintentional walks over the last two years in 152 innings, and only a fluky-low home run rate in 2008 kept his ERA under 4. He's not quite Antonio Alfonseca redux, but he's no replacement for Kerry Wood, either.

The Marlins, meanwhile, have picked up another free arm for a player they simply didn't want or need for 2009, and this arm is very good. Ceda sits in the mid-90s with a sharp slider with hard diving action, and he has a good track record of missing bats in the minors, including 42 strikeouts in 30 AA innings this year. His stuff would play in the majors right now, and the Marlins aren't afraid to promote guys with big velocity quickly.

You don't give arms like Ceda away for one year of a middle reliever's time. Nothing is guaranteed with pitchers and especially not with pitching prospects, but I could see Gregg posting a 4.50 ERA and leaving as a free agent while Ceda becomes a star reliever in Florida for the next six years.

Originally Posted by BillD1984

Yanks To Make Early Offer To Sabathia

By Tim Dierkes [November 14 at 10:27am CST]
FRIDAY:
ESPN's Buster Olney

says this initial Yankees offer will be in the $140-142MM range. By the way,
the Giants have already touched base

with Sabathia's agents.
THURSDAY:
According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post


, the Yankees will "aggressively extend a proposal" to C.C. Sabathia tomorrow. He believes the Yankees will go to "a financial region that no other franchise would even consider" to lure the ace. Sherman's guess is an initial bid in the six-year, $150MM range (and that may not be the final offer).
If the Yankees are successful in signing Sabathia, they hope to add A.J. Burnett or Derek Lowe next.

Originally Posted by HD MM

This isn't fair! Wahhhh

Well that would put the Yankees payroll OVER 300 M, will it ever end?
I thought thaty said last year they were going to bring up homegrown players and not get into the big FA push.

Jimbo

Tigers looking at Hoffman, Sherrill and Putz !
I'm leaning toward the Sherrill or Putz idea, I would prefer Putz myself.

Jimbo

Originally Posted by Jimbo

Tigers looking at Hoffman, Sherrill and Putz !
I'm leaning toward the Sherrill or Putz idea, I would prefer Putz myself.

Jimbo

You stay away from Hoff. He's ours.

Originally Posted by HD MM

You stay away from Hoff. He's ours.

I prefer a younger guy myself for the closer role, we don't need a end of career closer, we just went thru that ....
Both are 10 years younger than Hoffman

Jimbo

You stay away from Hoff. He's ours.

You heard him- don't Hassel the Hoff!

Originally Posted by SabresRule

You heard him- don't Hassel the Hoff!

You just set comedy back 30 years. 2 minute penalty for bad punning.