Hell of a signing? Too many years, too much money

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

The M's had the most money come off the books this off season so they have plenty to spend. Besides, it will be more than worth it if they're able to wrestle the division away from the Angels in the next couple years.

The Brewers agree with Randy Wolf on a three-year deal worth $27M.

The Brewers obviously need starting pitching but this is quite a commitment for an average 33 year old starter. He's better now than the crap they've been running out there the last couple of seasons but this could be Jeff Suppan-bad in year two and three.

Randy Wolf is a lefty, and had very solid numbers last year. He flew well under the radar. He lacked in Wins because he had very little run support. Not a bad signing at all by the BrewCrew.

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The Rangers traded Kevin Millwood and $3M to Baltimore for Chris Ray.

The Rangers have agreed to a one-year, $7.5 million with a $11.5M option contract with right-hander Rich Harden.

The AL west teams smell blood in the water. Bold moves by the Rangers. I guess Rich Harden, Chris Ray and $1.5M is better than Kevin Millwood. Not sure why Baltimore wants Millwood. He's 36 and they owe him $9M for 1 yr. Maybe if they were a pitcher away from winning the division but they are 2-3 years away from that.

I like those moves for the Rangers.

_________________
"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Boston Red Sox have reached a preliminary agreement to trade third baseman Mike Lowell to the Texas Rangers for catcher Max Ramirez, according to a report on FoxSports.com. The deal is contingent, according to the report, on the players passing physicals and approval by Red Sox owners of absorbing a considerable chunk of Lowell's $12 million salary


INDIANAPOLIS -- The Houston Astros got hard-throwing reliever Matt Lindstrom from Florida on Wednesday, hoping he can help fill a late-inning hole in their bullpen.

Houston sent two low-level minor leaguers and a player to be named to the Marlins

_________________
“Be Who You Are and Say What You Feel Because Those Who Mind Don't Matter and Those Who Matter Don't Mind.” ~ Dr. Suess


Nice Guys Finish Last

Thank you,and have a nice day !

6:01am: Mark Feinsand of The NY Daily News spoke to a source who said "Don't rule out them including Cole Hamels" in a potential Halladay deal. I'm not sure it's wise for Philly to sell low on Hamels for only one year of Halladay, but that would be something.

4:47am: Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com says that the Angels and Phillies have emerged as the frontrunners in the Roy Halladay sweepstakes. Philadelphia is prepared to offer a package that will likely include J.A. Happ, plus either Michael Taylor or Domonic Brown. Echoing a report from yesterday, Rosenthal says the Angels offered Joe Saunders, Erick Aybar, and Peter Bourjos to the Blue Jays.

Halladay will likely require a contract extension in exchange for waiving his no-trade clause according to Rosenthal, and the Phillies would almost certainly have to make another move to fit Halladay into the payroll. Joe Blanton is a prime candidate to be that sacrificial lamb. Meanwhile, the Angels are trying to re-sign John Lackey, and could withdraw from the Halladay pursuit if he returns.


Two of the better free agent starters came off the board during Day 3 of the Winter Meetings. Randy Wolf finalized his three year, $29.75MM deal with Milwaukee, and even managed to secure an option for a fourth year.

Andy Pettitte re-upped with the Yankees for another year, and will earn $11.75MM in 2010.

The Rays acquired relief ace Rafael Soriano from the Braves for Jesse Chavez, pending medical review. Tampa will take on all of Soriano's salary, whatever that ends up being. The Yankees, Angels, Orioles, and Astros were all considered suitors for the righthander throughout the day.

_________________
“Be Who You Are and Say What You Feel Because Those Who Mind Don't Matter and Those Who Matter Don't Mind.” ~ Dr. Suess


Nice Guys Finish Last

Thank you,and have a nice day !

Looks like the Brew Crew also signed LaTroy Hawkins!!!! Love keeping him in the NL Central!

http://www.sbnation.com/2009/12/9/1193728/randy-wolf-latroy-hawkins-brewers

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The Red Sox and Lackey are in agreement in a five-year, $85MM deal.

More money than Burnett signed for last season. This is a very good signing for the Red Sox. Beckett, Lackey, Lester, Rice-K and Buchholz. Yikes!

Phils, Ms, Blue Jays Agree On Halladay-Cliff Lee trade.

Wow. So far the only prospects reported going to Toronto are RP Phillippe Aumont (Sea) and OF Michael Taylor (Phi). Aumont is a hard throwing righty and Taylor has the speed/power to be a big time player. It sounds like the Phils and Doc have agreed on an extension. If Seattle has done the same with Lee this looks like a good trade for all three.

They sure do, especially the M's. Seattle wasn't all that bad last year.

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Seattle is primed to take the AL West this year.

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"Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public." ~ H.L. Mencken

Did Seattle get new ownership or something? Suddenly they have money burning a hole in their pocket.

I love Halladay - he's been my number 1 pitcher on my fantasy team for 3 years. But trading Lee to get Halladay isn't that much of an upgrade honestly. If they could have gotten Halladay and kept Lee, that would have been a huge move.

_________________
Does your cat make too much noise? Try KITTEN MITTENS!


Charlie: Oh shit. Look at that door dude. See that door right there? That door marked 'Pirate'? You think a pirate lives in there?
Dennis: I see a door marked 'Private.'

Don't count out Texas either. They were pretty good last year and they are stacked with good talent.

_________________
"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Seattle had a bunch of money come off the books. Beltre ($12M), Batista, ($9M), Bedard ($7.75M), Washburn ($10.35M), Johjima (2yr/$16M opted out).

The Phils tried to sign Lee to an extension but couldn't reach an agreement. I LOVE this trade for them if they sign Doc to an extension. If Seattle can't sign Lee to an extension I like this deal a lot less for them. Seems a lot to give up for 1 yr.

The New York Times has confirmed that the Angels and DH Hideki Matsui have agreed to a one-year contract worth $6.5M.

A bad start to the off season for the Angels. They lost Figgins, Lackey and soon Vlad and signed Abreu and Matsui. They better sign Bay and find an ace somewhere or they may be a 3rd place team next season.

yep KW dragging his feet going to ruin your offseason.

_________________
"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Mike Cameron Agrees To Deal With Boston
By Zach Links [December 14 at 7:58pm CST]
7:58pm: The deal is in the range of $15.5MM for two years, tweets Ken Rosenthal.

7:53pm: Mike Cameron has agreed to sign a two-year deal with Boston, the AP reports.

6:38pm: It is "believed" that Cameron would play left field for the BoSox, with Jacoby Ellsbury in center and J.D. Drew in right, writes Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com. This would make recently-acquired Jeremy Hermida the team's fourth outfielder.

The Cubs and Mariners both had interest in Cameron, but shied away for different reasons. The Cubbies were waiting on a taker for Milton Bradley while the M's continue to focus on Jason Bay. The Braves also had interest, but it now it sounds as though Boston has the inside track.

Speaking of Bay, Crasnick wonders aloud (via Twitter) if this is the "final nail" in the free agent's chances of returning to Fenway.

5:40pm: Free agent outfielder Mike Cameron is in "serious talks" with the Red Sox, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The two sides are reportedly discussing a two-year pact.

Rosenthal adds that it is unclear whether the BoSox would place Cameron in left field or center field.

_________________
“Be Who You Are and Say What You Feel Because Those Who Mind Don't Matter and Those Who Matter Don't Mind.” ~ Dr. Suess


Nice Guys Finish Last

Thank you,and have a nice day !

Red Sox "Working Hard" For Adrian Gonzalez
By Tim Dierkes [December 16 at 9:13am CST]
The Red Sox are "working hard" to obtain Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, write Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The writers caution that a deal is "not close, and might not happen at all." Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune wrote late last night that the two teams are not talking, but wondered if they'd re-engage.

Rosenthal and Morosi suggest the signings of John Lackey and Mike Cameron give the Red Sox flexibility to trade Clay Buchholz and Jacoby Ellsbury, and the Padres would be tempted by the chance to acquire both for Gonzalez. The Sox are reluctant to make that deal. Still, getting Gonzalez at $10.25MM over two years would free up resources for other pursuits during that time.





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Full Story | Comments (47) | Categories: Adrian Gonzalez | Clay Buchholz | Jacoby Ellsbury | San Diego Padres



Mets Offer Five Years To Bay, Will Pursue Holliday
By Tim Dierkes [December 16 at 9:04am CST]
According to SI's Jon Heyman, the Mets "tweaked their offer to Jason Bay," offering five guaranteed years as an alternative. This five-year contract is at a "slightly lower" salary than the $16.25MM featured in their four-year, $65MM offer. Heyman says the Mets are willing to go to five years and $75MM for Bay, which would be a $15MM salary.

Heyman says the Mets focused on Bay in hopes of signing him more quickly than Matt Holliday. However, GM Omar Minaya will now jump in on Holliday and may talk to Scott Boras today. If the Mets have their sights set on one of the two big-name sluggers, competition could come from the Angels for Bay and the Cardinals for Holliday.

ESPN's Buster Olney feels differently - he says the Mets are currently at four years for Bay but could go to five eventually, and are monitoring the Holliday talks but not actively involved.

Heyman adds that the Mets' talks for Bengie Molina are at a standstill, due to Molina's demand for a three-year deal in the $20MM range. Hopefully the Mets are not that desperate. Heyman believes the Mets might do two years and $10MM for the 35-year-old. With all the lousy catchers getting two guaranteed years, Molina certainly has a case.

_________________
“Be Who You Are and Say What You Feel Because Those Who Mind Don't Matter and Those Who Matter Don't Mind.” ~ Dr. Suess


Nice Guys Finish Last

Thank you,and have a nice day !

Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that the Pirates are interested in free agent second baseman-outfielder Kelly Johnson.

Johnson, 28, became a free agent when he was non-tendered by the Braves on Saturday. According to Kovacevic, the Pirates are looking at Johnson for one of their corner outfield spots. Johnson last played the outfield in 2005, but transitioned to second base after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He batted .224/.303/.389 with eight home runs and 29 RBI in '09.

Poor kujoe.

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The Phillies get Roy Halladay, Phillippe Aumont, Tyson Gillies, Juan Ramirez, and $6MM. The Phillies will give Halladay a three-year extension plus vesting options.
The Mariners get Cliff Lee.
The Blue Jays get Kyle Drabek, Brett Wallace, and Travis d'Arnaud.
The A's get Michael Taylor.

It's finally done. A truely amazing deal for the Phillies. They get arguably the best pitcher in baseball for $9M this season and sign him to a 3 yr extension (he could demand 5-7 on the open market) and a potential monster for the back of the bullpen in Aumont.

Seattle gave up a lot for 1 year of Lee. They are going for it this season but it would be nice to see them try to sign Lee long term. He's going to LOVE pitching in Safeco.

The Blue Jays did well after Riccardi shit the bed a few months ago. Drabek is a potential ace and Wallace is a middle of the order hitter who will fit nicely with Lind and Snyder.

The A's get a corner outfielder to go along with the 5 other corner outfielders in their system.

Orioles sign Mike Gonzalez 2yr/$12M, with incentives that could make it worth as much as $16M.

I have no idea what McFail is doing. He's running this off season like Baltimore is a year away from winning. First he trades for 1 yr of Kevin Millwood then signs Mike Gonzalez for 2 yrs (and they lose a 2nd round draft pick) and they still don't have a starting first or third baseman. Baltimore has a very good nucleus with Wieters, Markakis, Roberts, Jones, Tillman and Matusz. They should be getting younger players who can help them in 2-3 years when they can actually contend for the division.

Keep in mind, Keyser, that Orioles' owner Peter Angelos literally LOVES second baseman Brian Roberts to a point where Cubs' G.M. Jim Hendry offered practically everybody to get him in a trade. Unfortunately, Angelos wouldn't budge on any offer & ended up re-signing #1 in Baltimore black & orange to an extension.

The Nationals signed Jason Marquis to a two-year, $15M contract.

Good move by the Nats. Marquis is a big upgrade over the crap they ran out there last season and if he's able to throw 200+ innings it will keep their awful bullpen out of the game too.

Seeing the words 'Marquis' and 'big upgrade' in the same sentence make me lol. Not that it isn't true in this case, but that speaks a hell of a lot more about the sorry state of their pitching staff than it does about Marquis.

Melky Cabrera, along with Mike Dunn and a minor leaguer to be named later, has reportedly been dealt to Atlanta in exchange for Javier Vazquez and Boone Logan, according to the NY Daily News.

My take: This must have been the basis of the Zambrano to the Yanks rumors. If that's the case, I am glad the Cubs didn't package up Zambrano for Cabrera.

Also according to Jon Heyman at SI, the Cubs ARE willing to deal Zambrano. Hadn't heard that stated so factually up until this point.

Capps is supposed to choose between the Nats and the Cubs by as early as tomorrow.

Angels are closing in on Fernando Rodney.

_________________
Does your cat make too much noise? Try KITTEN MITTENS!


Charlie: Oh shit. Look at that door dude. See that door right there? That door marked 'Pirate'? You think a pirate lives in there?
Dennis: I see a door marked 'Private.'

Well, Brian Anderson is now a Royal. He'll get a big hit against the Sox at some point this year for sure.

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hope he is right, and if they dont deal him in the offseason, zambrano comes out dealing once the season starts. he is one guy the cubs could cash in on if he is on top of his game.