MLB 2012 Off Season News, Notes & Transactions

[Jimbo]

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 ?

 

[BillD1984]

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.

 

[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

 

[BillD1984]

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.

 

[cosmo_kramer]

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....

 

[salsadancer7]

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.

 

[HD MM]

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.

 

[HD MM]

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!!!

 

[cosmo_kramer]

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

 

[DodgerKing]

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

Three Dodgers

ETA. I just noticed that this is the first year I noticed they actually handed the OF GG by position instead of just OF. It used to mostly be all Center fielders

 

[DodgerKing]

And with even better news, McCourt is going to sell the Dodgers.

Happy Dance time

Expected to exceed $1 billion

Remember the Dodgers are the only team in baseball to own the team, their stadium, and the property surround the stadium (including the entire parking lot). Property values in that area are starting to boom again.

Heck, even in my area there were house that went from $1 million down to $400k and are now back to $1 million again (of course my house is only worth about $300k)

 

[DodgerKing]

The three Dodgers that won the GG were the same three representing them in the All Star game last year. Two of them should be winning the two most important individual awards

 

[satjay]

I think tigers will play it low key this off season. If they can upgrade at second and third at low cost I think this will be the way they will go. In the paper today, it was brought up that with contracts coming off the books they still are playing deferred money to guys still. One player that they owe deferred money to, Gary Sheffield

I would like them to shore up the pen a bit

 

[cosmo_kramer]

2011 Silver Slugger award winners were announced:

American League
First base: Adrian Gonzalez, Red Sox
Second base: Robinson Cano, Yankees
Third base: Adrian Beltre, Rangers
Shortstop: Asdrubal Cabrera, Indians
Catcher: Alex Avila, Tigers
Outfield: Curtis Granderson, Yankees
Outfield: Jose Bautista, Blue Jays
Outfield: Jacoby Ellsbury, Red Sox
Designated Hitter: David Ortiz, Red Sox

National League
First base: Prince Fielder, Brewers
Second base: Brandon Phillips, Reds
Third base: Aramis Ramirez, Cubs
Shortstop: Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies
Catcher: Brian McCann, Braves
Outfield: Matt Kemp, Dodgers
Outfield: Justin Upton, Diamondbacks
Outfield: Ryan Braun, Brewers
Pitcher: Daniel Hudson, Diamondbacks

 

[DodgerKing]

Kemp gets SS and GG, he should be getting the MVP as well

Sent from my iPhone using SatelliteGuys

 

[DodgerKing]

Rumor has it that O'Malley is interested in purchasing the Dodgers again with a team of investors that may include Hershiser and Garvey. That would be sweet if it happens; owners with a Dodgers connection that are truly invested in the team.

The rumor includes that possibility that they may sell the property to the City of LA, but the stadium would remain property of the Dodgers. LA could then collect all of the parking revenue and use the stadium parking lot for other events

 

[SandraC]

And with even better news, McCourt is going to sell the Dodgers.

Happy Dance time

Expected to exceed $1 billion

Remember the Dodgers are the only team in baseball to own the team, their stadium, and the property surround the stadium (including the entire parking lot). Property values in that area are starting to boom again.

Heck, even in my area there were house that went from $1 million down to $400k and are now back to $1 million again (of course my house is only worth about $300k)

Getting the Dodgers out of the hands of McCourt is a HUGE victory for Selig.


Sandra

 

[DodgerKing]

Getting the Dodgers out of the hands of McCourt is a HUGE victory for Selig.


Sandra

And Dodgers fans as well as LA

 

[cosmo_kramer]

Wow, here's a move that was pretty much unexpected:

According to the Associated Press, the Baltimore Orioles have signed Dan Duquette to a three-year deal to become the GM.

Duquette, 53, has been out of baseball since being fired by the Red Sox in 2002. The Massachusetts native, whose Red Sox tenure was marked with both success and rancor, is expected to be introduced today.

Duquette agrees to three-year deal with O's - Extra Bases - Red Sox blog

 

[DetFan]

Jackson Robbed from the GG and Miggly CLearly robbed for the SS. Gonzo had a great season but Cabrera's was better across the board. I hate Red Sox and their nation. Markakis? Gordon? Come on?