Thread: MLB 2012 Off Season News, Notes & Transactions

Originally Posted by AntAltMike

Bedard will be a nice signing to a performance contract. He is worth a lot of money if he holds up physically.

There will be no one bidding against the Red Sox for Wakefield's services. He is the consummate insurance policy. If you get to the point in a season where it is better to have a below average pitcher than no pitcher, then Wakefield is your man, and with the fragility of major league pitching, that happens often. The year before last, at the start of the season, people were saying "What are the Red Sox going to do with eight starting pitchrrs?" but three months later, they had to call up someone named Tazawa or Tawaza to pitch in the fifth spot.

I've been a big Wakefield booster for a long time, but there are a lot of costs associated with keeping him on your roster. For one thing, he dictates who your back-up catcher is. For another, when he is in the rotation, he dictates what off-day your starting catcher has, and quite often, that is inconvenient because the manager likes to be free to use the back-up in a day game following a night game, for example, but if Wakefield is scheduled for the game after that, then the backup catches two games in a row. Also, the Red Sox often have to incur the cost of having one or two knuckleballers pitching in the minors just so they can have a minor league backup knuckleball catcher available.

Why can't they find a Starting catcher that can catch a knuckleball ?

Originally Posted by Jimbo

Didn't they SIGN Lowe around then ?

The Mariners traded Lowe and Jason Varitek to the Red Sox in exchange for the immortal Heathcliff Slocumb (talk about a lopsided trade).

Lowe left the Red Sox after the 2004 World Series when he signed with the Dodgers.

Not sure if this has been discussed, but for my money Terry Francona would be a perfect fit in St Louis. Fantastic baseball town...fantastic manager. It all fits.


Sandra

Originally Posted by SandraC

Not sure if this has been discussed, but for my money Terry Francona would be a perfect fit in St Louis. Fantastic baseball town...fantastic manager. It all fits.


Sandra

You are so right, Sandra! Didn't think it before now, but St. Louis and Tito would be the perfect marriage.

Originally Posted by SandraC

Not sure if this has been discussed, but for my money Terry Francona would be a perfect fit in St Louis. Fantastic baseball town...fantastic manager. It all fits.


Sandra

It's funny what a couple WS wins will do for a reputation. Philly fans still boo Tito, but then again they booed Santa Claus too....

Originally Posted by SandraC

Not sure if this has been discussed, but for my money Terry Francona would be a perfect fit in St Louis. Fantastic baseball town...fantastic manager. It all fits.

Sandra

And if there is anyone that can develope a relationship between a manager and possible free agent superstar thay could be on the way out....it is Terry.

Originally Posted by DodgerKing

HD MM,

Since this is your thread do you want season award announcement posted here or should I create a separate thread about awards?

Feel free to post here about season awards. It's off season MLB news after all.

Originally Posted by SandraC

Not sure if this has been discussed, but for my money Terry Francona would be a perfect fit in St Louis. Fantastic baseball town...fantastic manager. It all fits.


Sandra

Plus the Anheuser-Busch brewery is right in town! After Bullpen-Beer-Gate in Boston, you're absolutely right! Terry Francona WOULD be a perfect fit in St. Louis!!!

2011 Gold Glove winners were announced yesterday:

American League
P -- Mark Buehrle, CHW
C -- Matt Wieters, BAL
1B -- Adrian Gonzalez, BOS
2B -- Dustin Pedroia, BOS
SS -- Erick Aybar, LAA
3B -- Adrian Beltre, TEX
LF -- Alex Gordon, KC
CF -- Jacoby Ellsbury, BOS
RF -- Nick Markakis, BAL

National League
P -- Clayton Kershaw, LAD
C -- Yadier Molina, STL
1B -- Joey Votto, CIN
2B -- Brandon Phillips, CIN
SS -- Troy Tulowitzki, COL
3B -- Placido Polanco, PHI
LF -- Gerardo Parra, ARI
CF -- Matt Kemp, LAD
RF -- Andre Ethier, LAD