Hot Stove 2012-13

[MOtorboat]

Some big deals in the last two days...

Sunday, the Rays traded James Shields, Wade Davis and PTBNL to the Royals for Wil Myers, Jake Odirizzi, Mike Montgomery and a third basemen whose name I can't remember.

Then on Tuesday, Cleveland ships Shin-Soo Choo to Cincinnati for Trevor Bauer from the Diamondbacks, and the Diamondbacks get Didi Gregorius (main pieces, there are other minor pieces).

Plus, Greinke signs a major deal with the Dodgers. The Rockies fans around here aren't going to like that much.

Seems like a crazy offseason.

Two months to the day that most teams report.

[MHCBill]

Some big deals in the last two days...

Sunday, the Rays traded James Shields, Wade Davis and PTBNL to the Royals for Wil Myers, Jake Odirizzi, Mike Montgomery and a third basemen whose name I can't remember.

Then on Tuesday, Cleveland ships Shin-Soo Choo to Cincinnati for Trevor Bauer from the Diamondbacks, and the Diamondbacks get Didi Gregorius (main pieces, there are other minor pieces).

Plus, Greinke signs a major deal with the Dodgers. The Rockies fans around here aren't going to like that much.

Seems like a crazy offseason.

Two months to the day that most teams report.

IMHO --- the Rays raped the Royals... another example of why good teams typically stay good and why bad teams typically stay bad. Shields is a nice #2 or #3 starter, but if I'm the Royals I don't trade the top minor league hitter in baseball and a potential #2 or #3 starter in Odirizzi for him. Great move by the Rays FO. Trade from a position of strength (starting pitching) to shore up an area of weakness (capable OF bat - middle of the order hitter).

Rays = Good

Royals = Bad

[WTE]

IMHO --- the Rays raped the Royals... another example of why good teams typically stay good and why bad teams typically stay bad. Shields is a nice #2 or #3 starter, but if I'm the Royals I don't trade the top minor league hitter in baseball and a potential #2 or #3 starter in Odirizzi for him. Great move by the Rays FO. Trade from a position of strength (starting pitching) to shore up an area of weakness (capable OF bat - middle of the order hitter).

Rays = Good

Royals = Bad

It's a great trade for the Rays if Myers does turn out to be the real deal. He's had one avg. year in the minors and one very good year. But he's a prospect. You never know how he will react then he's in the big leagues facing big league pitching.

[MOtorboat]

It's a great trade for the Rays if Myers does turn out to be the real deal. He's had one avg. year in the minors and one very good year. But he's a prospect. You never know how he will react then he's in the big leagues facing big league pitching.

Exactly. We'll see. His strikeout ratio was a little alarming. I am leery of this trade, but for the first time in years, the Royals have a legit, major league rotation.

Just look at Opening Day starters in this team's history. It's pathetic. Now it's James Shields, a bonafide ace.

[WTE]

Exactly. We'll see. His strikeout ratio was a little alarming. I am leery of this trade, but for the first time in years, the Royals have a legit, major league rotation.

Just look at Opening Day starters in this team's history. It's pathetic. Now it's James Shields, a bonafide ace.

The Royals had to do this b/c they have failed miserably developing their own big league starters. They realized they had to go outside their system for top of the rotation starters.

[Thnikkaman]

Some big deals in the last two days...

Sunday, the Rays traded James Shields, Wade Davis and PTBNL to the Royals for Wil Myers, Jake Odirizzi, Mike Montgomery and a third basemen whose name I can't remember.

Then on Tuesday, Cleveland ships Shin-Soo Choo to Cincinnati for Trevor Bauer from the Diamondbacks, and the Diamondbacks get Didi Gregorius (main pieces, there are other minor pieces).

Plus, Greinke signs a major deal with the Dodgers. The Rockies fans around here aren't going to like that much.

Seems like a crazy offseason.

Two months to the day that most teams report.

Honestly, I think the Greinke deal is bad for baseball as a whole, not to mention that Greinke is going to have issues with his anxiety in LA.

[WTE]

Honestly, I think the Greinke deal is bad for baseball as a whole, not to mention that Greinke is going to have issues with his anxiety in LA.

He seemed very nervous in his introductory press conference.

Speaking of which the Red Sox have delayed their press conference announcing the Napoli signing. I bet there were issues w/ his physical and now they want protection.

[MOtorboat]

The Royals had to do this b/c they have failed miserably developing their own big league starters. They realized they had to go outside their system for top of the rotation starters.

I agree and disagree with this sentiment some. In the scope of the last 20 years, yes. But they did develop Greinke, who is also a legit No. 1, but the kid is a flake and was a malcontent and asked to be traded.

Duffy, Montgomery and Lamb were the next generation. Duffy seems to be rounding into a decent MLB pitcher, Montgomery was erratic and Lamb had Tommy John surgery.

The hope, is that one of those guys can replace Shields in three years and Wade can carry over his success in the pen last year to the rotation.

I'm comfortable with a rotation of:
Shields
Santana
Chen
Wade
Guthrie

With Duffy right there as long relief, spot starter.

In fact, I hope that's the rotation, maybe sans Chen for Duffy, or Wade in the pen with Duffy in the rotation.

The back end of the pen is pretty solid. This is probably the most confident I've ever been in the Royals' pitching staff.

[MOtorboat]

Greinke seemed to handle the Anaheim media just fine last year. He's getting better at handling it.

Besides, there are a lot of other pitchers in that rotation that will get a lot of attention, despite the contract.

Kershaw and Beckett being two of them, but Ryu is going to get a ton of attention to.

That's a hell of a rotation if it works. If Billingsley is your five, you're doing something right.

[WTE]

What's up with Theo and the Cubs. He was supposed to be the Genius to turn the franchise around but what has he done except lose all his legitimate big league talent?

[slim]

I can't wait to see what the Rockies do

:fart:

[MOtorboat]

What's up with Theo and the Cubs. He was supposed to be the Genius to turn the franchise around but what has he done except lose all his legitimate big league talent?

That farm system was bare. And the major league talent wasn't very good and it was massively overpaid. I'm surprised he took on that challenge.

[MOtorboat]

Josh Hamilton is an Angel.

Trout, Hamilton and Pujols all in the same lineup. That's insane.

Also some sour grapes coming out of Texas tonight.

[Thnikkaman]

Josh Hamilton is an Angel.

Trout, Hamilton and Pujols all in the same lineup. That's insane.

Also some sour grapes coming out of Texas tonight.

Yes, let's see how a recovering addict does in LA.

[Buff]

I can't wait to see what the Rockies do

:fart:

Rumor has it they are sniffing around some journeyman middle relief pitchers. You know, the same thing they do every off season. Nevermind the fact that we had the worst starting rotation in the history of the world.

[MOtorboat]

Rumor has it they are sniffing around some journeyman middle relief pitchers. You know, the same thing they do every off season. Nevermind the fact that we had the worst starting rotation in the history of the world.

For probably the first time I feel more confident in KC's rotation than Colorado's.

[Buff]

For probably the first time I feel more confident in KC's rotation than Colorado's.

I feel more confident in my ability to get laid by a supermodel this weekend than I do the Rockies starting rotation. I hate the Rockies management with a deep and burning passion.

[MOtorboat]

I feel more confident in my ability to get laid by a supermodel this weekend than I do the Rockies starting rotation. I hate the Rockies management with a deep and burning passion.

They've done diddly squat this offseason and its frustrating. They never even traded Fowler when they probably could have gotten the highest return possible for him. Now, they're essentially stuck with him. Hopefully he can lead off.

CarGo and Tulowitski are bonifide stars in my eyes, and it's something to build around, but they have crap at nearly every other position and the rotation is terrible.

[Thnikkaman]

They've done diddly squat this offseason and its frustrating. They never even traded Fowler when they probably could have gotten the highest return possible for him. Now, they're essentially stuck with him. Hopefully he can lead off.

CarGo and Tulowitski are bonifide stars in my eyes, and it's something to build around, but they have crap at nearly every other position and the rotation is terrible.

The Braves are still looking at Fowler right now, but I think he's not moving this year.

[WTE]

Napoli failed his physical w/ Red Sox. I say they walk away and go for Adam LaRoche instead who I wanted more at the beginning of FA.

[MOtorboat]

Napoli failed his physical w/ Red Sox. I say they walk away and go for Adam LaRoche instead who I wanted more at the beginning of FA.

This is ironic after they let Youkilis go.

[Buff]

They've done diddly squat this offseason and its frustrating. They never even traded Fowler when they probably could have gotten the highest return possible for him. Now, they're essentially stuck with him. Hopefully he can lead off.

CarGo and Tulowitski are bonifide stars in my eyes, and it's something to build around, but they have crap at nearly every other position and the rotation is terrible.

It's beyond frustrating. We had one of the worst starting rotations in the history of baseball, and we're not doing anything meaningful to address it. It's absurd. I'm starting to hate MLB to be honest.

Every league should follow the NFL business model.

[WTE]

This is ironic after they let Youkilis go.

Youk ain't worth 12 mil. He's very beaten and battered. Plays very hard and it has cost him his body.

Same thing I worry about w/ Gronk.

[MOtorboat]

Youk ain't worth 12 mil. He's very beaten and battered. Plays very hard and it has cost him his body.

Same thing I worry about w/ Gronk.

If the deal had gone through you would have been replacing a 34-year-old first baseman with a .283/.384/.482 slash line for a 31-year-old first baseman with a .259/.356/.507 slash line.

Sometimes the grass isn't greener. Especially when you trade Adrian Gonazalez. :tsk:

[WTE]

If the deal had gone through you would have been replacing a 34-year-old first baseman with a .283/.384/.482 slash line for a 31-year-old first baseman with a .259/.356/.507 slash line.

Sometimes the grass isn't greener. Especially when you trade Adrian Gonazalez. :tsk:

Not really. Youk was a 3B his final days in Boston. Rookie Middlebrooks replaced him. Youk no longer had a role. The Red Sox mistake was not their signing of A-Gon, it was their inability to re-sign Adrian Beltre at third and keep Youk at 1st.

[MOtorboat]

Not really. Youk was a 3B his final days in Boston. Rookie Middlebrooks replaced him. Youk no longer had a role. The Red Sox mistake was not their signing of A-Gon, it was their inability to re-sign Adrian Beltre at third and keep Youk at 1st.

Youk was a third basemen because Gonzalez was at first. And I just laugh at the Beltre thing. He's a year older and has a worse slash line than Youk: .280/.331/.476.

Bottomline is the Red Sox completely botched the timing and signings of all three.

[WTE]

Youk was a third basemen because Gonzalez was at first. And I just laugh at the Beltre thing. He's a year older and has a worse slash line than Youk: .280/.331/.476.

Bottomline is the Red Sox completely botched the timing and signings of all three.

I agree. They should have kept Beltre at 3B. Move Youk permanently to 1st to protect his body. But Theo was enamored with A-Gon.

Theo did severe damage to my team on an enormous amt. of transactions. I hate him.

[Buff]

I agree. They should have kept Beltre at 3B. Move Youk permanently to 1st to protect his body. But Theo was enamored with A-Gon.

Theo did severe damage to my team on an enormous amt. of transactions. I hate him.

I liked how they let him leave for the Cubs without negotiation the exact terms of the separation. Basically you took an IOU from the Cubs, but didn't even bother to determine the amount. That is the type of move that's normally reserved for the Colorado Rockies front office.

[WTE]

I liked how they let him leave for the Cubs without negotiation the exact terms of the separation. Basically you took an IOU from the Cubs, but didn't even bother to determine the amount. That is the type of move that's normally reserved for the Colorado Rockies front office.

Theo heard about the Cubs interest over the summer and then completely checked out on the Red Sox. Believe me, Theo Epstein is a fraud. The 2004 WS Champs was built by Dan Duquette. The 2007 WS Championship still had a lot of Duquette signings along w/ some of Theo's work as well. Duquette deserves more credit for the Red Sox' recent success than he gets. Theo deserves less.

Again, I hate him.

[CoachChaz]

Hamilton's numbers compared to Hunter's numbers are almost a wash if you take the WAR into consideration. So, the Angels basically have the same line-up, except they added a little balance by getting a lefty. Only problem is Haren and Greinke are gone and replaced by always injured Hanson and Joe Blanton...and they still have no bullpen. I dont know that they improved all that much.

Royals got fleeced in their deal. I'll be the owner of the crystal ball today and say that Myers will be a stud. Shields has always been much better pitching in Tampa and with all apologies...Santana, Chen, Davis and Guthrie scare no one.

[MOtorboat]

Great story about Phillip Humber:

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/8865822/chicago-white-sox-philip-humber-knows-curse-perfection-espn-magazine