Sunday Morning Open Thread: Five Questions
1. Out of all the contracts that have been signed up through this past week's winter meetings, which two do you consider to be the single best/worst deals in terms of bang for the buck?
2. If the Rangers happen to fall short in the Cliff Lee sweepstakes, and the reason for that being the case mostly stems from New York offering seven years when the Rangers were unable to make the same commitment, which emotion is the most overpowering: frustration that Texas didn't guarantee the one extra year necessary to re-sign him, or relief that Texas didn't hand out a potentially downright foolish contract?
3. Assuming that the Angels land Adrian Beltre (whom the Rangers are said to be all but 'out' on, perhaps in part because the Michael Young trade talk has virtually died), how concerned are you that Anaheim will overtake Texas in 2011?
4. If the Rangers actually do win the Cliff Lee sweepstakes (assume a six- to seven-year contract worth no less than $23 million per season), would you support the idea of pushing the Rangers' pile of chips to the center of the table and acquiring Zach Greinke or Matt Garza -- despite the possibly prohibitive price tags -- in addition to Lee? Or is the sense of urgency to add another arm mostly eliminated by just Cliff Lee alone?
5. What's your final, best guess on the exact date/time when news of Cliff Lee's decision hits the internet?
Hot Stove Season, Open Thread, The Off-Season
Reader Comments (42)
1. The worst deal has to be Werth's.. Crazy money.. But the owner is going to pass soon and he wants to make a splash now. Best: Gonzalez. He is a stud and is finally surrounded by an offense. He should be top 5 in MVP voting. Hopefully Boston won't sign him to an extension, I mean Evil Empire II
2. Relief that Texas didn't hand out a potentially downright foolish contract.
3. Not concerned as long as Texas can acquire some pitching. (Grienke, Garza, etc.. but only Top of the rotation upgrades.)
4. If they acquire Lee. I would want to bolster my pitching even more. To almost guarantee a playoff spot. (remember OAK and ANA are still really good teams.) I would get grienke or garza. Lewis/Wilson might be really affected by the high innings from last year. If you had a rotation of Lee-Grienke/Garza-Wilson-Lewis-whoever. That is one heck of a pitching rotation. Remember, pitching is key..
5. Dec 15 for 7 years and 150 million
1 - Good: Torrealba (Texas) - potentially stabilizes the Rangers catching situation for the next 2 years; Bad: Werth (Nationals) 7 yrs,, $127M ... from the Nationals ... Really Jason?? Are you serious?? YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS !!
2 - Relief
3- always concerned ... each season is new ... stuff happens that you don't foresee
4- I see if I can entice the Royals on Greinke one more time ... but if not, I roll with what I have until its evident I need more ...
5- Monday, 3 pm EST
1. Jeter. If his play over the next three years is worth even half that money I'll eat my hat. Of course, the Yankees can better afford it, so the stupidest signing right now is probably Werth, who will start to get enormously expensive just as the Nationals watch Zimmerman walk out the door.
2. Probably a mix. I would hate to see the Yankees get Lee at any price, but I don't want the Rangers to hamstring themselves in terms of payroll. This front office is a lot smarter than the regime that failed to surround Arod with complementary talent, though, so I don't think Lee's contract would completely prevent the Rangers from being competitive.
3. If the Rangers don't get Lee or Greinke, they are a bit more vulnerable. The Angels have a world class top 3 in their rotation, and Beltre would improve both their lineup and defense. The Rangers need stability atop their rotation to counter the high variability of some of their positional talent.
4. It always depends on the cost but to go along with Prasanth's article about dollars and marginal win value, the cost in prospects is a tad more justified in times like these.
5. Some time Monday.
1) Best---Adrian Gonzalez: In Fenway this guy should be a monster!! I believe that the BoSox will get their monies worth over the years!
Worst---Jason Werth (Nationals); Carl Crawford (Red Sox).
2) Relief........everything is getting out of control on Lee, we are all making him seem like a demi-God! He has a history of back issues, he lost two WS games this year and he is 32 years old......the last few years of a 6 or 7 year deal probably will be in a Zito fashion. I honestly believe that the Rangers would have gone to the WS without him.....we have a good team that played to win. i would rather see the Rangers use the money to tie up Hamilton, Andrus, Cruz, Wilson and then go after other improvements. It takes more than one guy to win it all!!
3) I would love to see the Rangers go for Matt Garza and Zack Grienke.....in some type of reasonable deals. The LAA have a good rotation and we need to depend more on than just having Cliff Lee. If you had a rotation of:
Grienke
Wilson
Garza
Lewis
Holland or Hunter
Not a bad rotation!
4) If you tie up the bucks it is going to take to get Lee and for at least 6 years you hurt our chances of taking care of the core of our team....Hamilton, Wilson, Andrus, Cruz, and others. Plus it also hurts in possibly going after Grienke and/or Garza. The big TV money from FSSW does not kick in until 2015........and we don't want to deplete our minor league system either in possible trades.
5) 12/14 Yankees 7 years for $161M per!
1. Depends on whose buck. Some teams seem to have no real budget. The owner will personally finance some unexpectedly high contract to sign somebody they think they need. I don't know which clubs those are. But judging solely on the bang I expect, among the worst I would list Jhonny Peralta, Lance Berkman, Juan Uribe, Ty Wiggington, and Javier Vazquez. The best? Crawford, Rivera, and Konerko.
2. If the Yankees get him, I expect to spend the next two years growsing about NY money buying whatever they want, but gleefully watching their team lose as the rest of them age gracelessly. Then, I expect relief that Texas doesn't have all that money tied up in a guy who starts to lose it at 20+ million a year for the next few.
3. I'm concerned. A lot went wrong for the Angels last year. I think the smartest FA pickup for the Rangers would be Beltre. I like the MY to 1B/DH scenario. Not sure Mike would, though. He has been the ultimate team player for years. Perhaps this would be the ultimate test.
4. No. Lee would give us the starting pitching we need for the immediate future. We need to develop the kids for the years of his decline.
5. 11:45 am, February 6, 2011, 17 years for 354 million. Yankees.
1. Best -- Gonzales for Boston Worst -- Werth for Washington
2. Relief -- too much money tied up for too long for a guy that doesn't pitch all that well in RBIA
3. Concerned -- Angels are a consistent winner coming off a down year. They will be much more competitive this season
4. No -- Lee, Lewis, Wilson and two of the younger players will be fine for a rotation
5. No idea -- whenever the Lees make up their mind and decide to tell everybody.
(1) By far the WORST "bang for the buck signing" was Derek Jeter.
Second WORST was Joaquin Benoit. Nice player but just way too much for what he is.
BEST "bang for the buck" is Carlos Pena. Stud at $10,000,000
Second BEST so far may be Yorvit Torrealba....controlled expectations.
(2) I think we just need to sign him period. If you get 3-4 "ACE" years out of him, 2-3 middle of rotation years and 1-2 rotation years, then the money will be worth it because in 7 years the contracts will have caught up and surpassed his. Plus, the continuance of "beating the Yankees" emotion can continue to drive this franchise and it's fan base.
(3) Beltre is a nice player but does not make up 10+ games in the standings.
(4) With the right package that makes sense for our future, I would support a trade for another top notch pitcher. Nagging injuries happen throughout the season. The least amount of Nippert types you have to spot start during the season, the better. Plus, having this nucleus of pitchers day in and day out solidifies we dont intend to be one year wonders.
(5) December 13 rumor breaks at 9:45am and press conference held at 2pm.
.................oh, the thunder you hear at 2:01pm is from Yankee fans throwing themselves on the floor and stomping their feet that they did not get their way..............
1. The worst in my opinion has to be either Werth or Jeter.
2. My main emotion would be really angry that Yankees got him.
3. Not at all concerned
4. I'd go on and add someone else as well but only if the price is right.
5. Monday 12/13 4:00 PM CDT
1. Werth's contract is Crazy. Not sure what the ChiSox are doing with BOTH Konerko and Dunn for huge money.....
2. Relief IF we use the money to lock up Hamilton, Wilson, Guerrero, and add another quality pitching piece.
3. All three teams should be better in the AL West.
4. Yes. Pursue Garza then Greinke. Why not ask Seattle what it would take for KING FELIX?
5. Monday afternoon, 3pm central.
1. Worst contracts are those for 6-7 years. Why are the biggest dollar amounts also for the longest
number of years? Seems like the club is really putting itself at risk. Does the club take out
insurance on these long-term contracts?
2. Won't feel bad if Lee does not sign with Texas over the seven-year provision. Too big of a risk for
club. I think that Lee and his wife have wanted to sign with Texas all along, but his agent has just
been using the Yankees for leverage.
3. Beltre and other Angel upgrades will definitely make the division more competititive, and bring the
Angels closer in the standings. But Rangers will repeat as division champs if Lee or Grienke sign
with Texas.
4. As long as Texas gets Lee back, I don't recommend including Perez or Scheppers in a deal for
Grienke. The Rangers at some point have to stop trading away young pitching prospects.
They did enough of that last year in getting mediocre rent-a-players.
5. Rangers will have a PC announcing Lee's signing at 10 a.m., Monday, at the Ballpark.
1. Joaquin Benoit. How can a middle reliever be worth that much? And with his past arm problems, there is no assurance he'll last three years.
2. I won't be unhappy if Lee takes the Yankees' offer. It's a lot of money. The team's 6-9 record in Lee's Ranger starts wasn't a significant factor in winning the division. Daniels has worked for years to stock the farm system with good arms. It may be time for Ranger management to show some trust & confidence in the job they've done and let the kids pitch. The winningest pitcher in each of the past two seasons was a home grown product with far lesser expectations on opening day. On the other hand, Grienke or Garza would be a nice addition if the price tag is right.
3. The Angels are going to be a problem with or without Beltre.
5. 3:00 tomorrow afternoon
1. Best: Crawford to Boston.....Worst: Jeter. Makes sense if you're a Yankee but if you're not, stupid move. Best Bang for the Buck move: Berkman, if he stays healthy.
2. Relief. You have to stay fiscally responsible.
3. Eh...more concerned about the A's pitching staff. The thrill is gone Anaheim, swagger has been lost.
4. I feel that the Rangers will NOT "win" the Lee Sweepstakes. I believe they go out and get Garza.
5. Cliff gets out of the deer stand this morning around 9:45am this morning, calls his agent and it's reported around 11:26am this morning.
1) $ 18 million per for a 40 year old Mo Rivera = the worst. Victor Martinez 4/50 = the best.
2) Our Window is open now. We need Cliff Lee now. I'm not worried about 2015-2017,
3) The Angels are old and have done nothing to improve their team. I'm more concerned with Oakland.
4) If you get Lee, you're all in so I'd go get Greinke as well. Think globally...you're gonna need great pitching to beat the Red Sox in the playoffs.
5) Monday, December 13.
Garza should be the target. Get Lee and Garza. Greinke should come in to play only if you fail to get Garza. Scheppers, Beltre, Davis and Kirkman for Garza.
1. Best: Gonzalez Worst: Jeter.
2. Relief. Again...... Hamilton, WIlson, and Lewis are more valuable to the Rangers, long-term, than Lee.
3. No concern.
4. I would trade for Greinke or Garza by offering Holland and Scheppers. That decision is independent of the Cliff Lee fallout.
5. Don't care.
It would be more interesting to read BBTiA comments about the Rangers' level of commitment to Hamilton, Lewis, and Wilson than to regurgitate the Cliff Lee speculation.
1) Torrealba is best value, especially compared to Buck's contract. Werth and Jeter are definitely the worst, value-wise. Hate to say it, but Lee contract may be in "worst" discussion even if he signs with the Rangers.
2) I still think 7 years is do-able as long as the last two are vesting years based on innings pitched. Don't know if that's on the table or not. If we fall short on Lee, it reminds me of something Francis Ford Coppola once said when he couldn't re-sign the actor that played Clemenza for Godfather Part II - he likened it to ending a relationship with a girlfriend. You remember the good times but move on. So, it's neither frustration nor relief. You just move on.
3) Beltre to Angels would get them out of "disastrous" territory this off-season. Still have some question marks about the rest of their squad, like Haren as an elite starter for them. Crawford would have plugged multiple holes for them.
4) Here's the deal. The Rangers have to figure out who they're willing to part with for another top-notch starter. My thinking is along these lines - Perez or Scheppers but not both; Holland or Hunter but not both; Profar or Sardinas but not both. This should be enough for Greinke. I would reduce the price tag for Garza and see if TB bites.
5) I thought it would have been Friday. My guess is his agent told him to wait through the weekend until Monday afternoon when they can dominate the sports news cycle. I'm not a fan of how his agent is playing this, and that falls on Lee as the player. I'm hoping this delay portends well for the Rangers, but I'm not entirely convinced.
1. Best: Paul Konerko for 3yr/37mm. An absolute steal
Worst: Jayson Werth for 7yr/126mm (until Cliff gets his contract, no matter who he signs with)
2. Relief....definitely relief
3. Beltre is over-rated...not worried about the Angels at all at this point
4. Absolutely go get Garza...and Greinke....with Lee's huge contract, we need to win NOW...and pitching wins championships. And accept the fact that 2014-2017 will not be fun for Ranger fans.
5. Monday at High Noon
1. I might tab Juan Uribe as the worst, myself... maybe Jack Cust as the best in terms of potential value/price.
2. If he signs with the Yanks for 7/160 or something along those lines, I won't really feel to bad about it at all. Not really a fan of the idea of guaranteeing him a 7th year.
3. I doubt Beltre is a single piece that would put the Angels over the top, but both Oakland and Anaheim should be much better next year than they where this. No more 9 game leads in 2011.
4. For me, a large part of the justification for signing Cliff to a large contract is the ability to hold onto our young talent, so I don't see why we'd turn around and deal for Grienke or Garza, unless we could get Garza at fair value (and supposedly the Rays are asking for a very unreasonable return).
5. Whenever Ranger fans finally tire of hanging on every rumor and tweet and look away for a moment, that's when it'll happen.
1. Worst deal - Werth, no question about it. Best deal - Konerko, a reasonable amount per annum and they didn't have to go 4-5+ years.
2. Good riddance.
3. Beltre got fat and lazy the last time he had a big contract year...why should it be any different this time. Hopefully he will be just as big a millstone to the Angels as he was to the Mariners.
4. Lee is gonna cripple the team come years 5 and beyond so might as well go all in for the next couple
5. Monday Afternoon
Someone tell me what all the Garza hype is about, he isn't that great of a player. 1.8 WAR last year with a 4.51 xFIP and 1.23 HR/9 puts him in the Paul Maholm, Jonathan Niese, Dallas Braden area of pitchers. What the Rangers will have to give up for Garza isn't worth it despite being 27 and under team control for 3 years. I'd much rather target guys like Fausto Carmona (who I have been begging to trade for the last 2 years so I may not be objective) or Annibal Sanchez who the metrics say are slightly better pitchers, but will cost the Rangers less in prospects.
Adding Beltre definitely scares me because the LAAoA are essentially adding two big bats with the return of Morales.
And I know it riles people up when you only answer a few questions, but screw you guys.
1. Worst deal is no doubt Werth (he's really not Werth that much). Best seems clear to me. Troy Tulowitski was resigned by the Rox, for essentially the rest of his career for around $12M per year. That's value.
2. Probably somewhere in between. There is a small band of pitchers that have pitched effectively into their mid-40s. I guess my real emotion would be lack of surprise, since the Yankees seem to get whatever they want. But, it would be tempered with a little pride and joy knowing the Rangers made a serious run at a top FA pitcher for a change.
3. Though Beltre would be a nice pickup, assuming he can continue his form from last year, that wouldn't be enough to swing the division in favor of the Halos.
4. I wouldn't mind upgrading another pitcher, in case Lewis was a fluke last season, but not at the expense of raping our future rotation. I would wait until the deadline on Grienke, when maybe the Royals will be more realistic with what they expect in return.
5. Monday, High Noon.
1. Best: Konerko Worst: Werth
2. As much as I hate to admit it, frustration. I just want the Rangers to be legitimate for an extended period of time, finally.
3. Beltre does not put the Angels "over the top" in terms of talent, I would be concerned about them winning the division even if he doesn't sign. They are still a solid team with a good coach.
4. Yes. Go get Garza. I am more fond of him than Grienke at this point. Plus I think TB might be itching to deal for less.
5. Tuesday, 3pm Rangers press conference announcing 6/140M per yr deal with a performance laden 7th year option worth up to 20M. Then i'm jolted awake from my dreamy nap to see the NYY presser with Lee in pinstripes.
1) Worst = Werth / Best = Adrian Gonzalez
2) I have mixed emotions about Lee to Texas; I would be happy if they re-signed him but at the same time if he signed with NYY I wouldn't be that upset... and I certainly won't be upset with the Rangers not going to a 7th year.
3) beltre to the Angels wouldn't be that big of deal. I still think he's a "contract year" player that puts up mediocre numbers when money ISN'T on the line. Like Lee, I wouldn't be ready to jump off the bridge if the Rangers brass passed on him.
4) All of you guys out there that think Garza is better than Greinke... and/or those that don't think Greinke is worth the haul the Royals are asking for are completely NUTS and WRONG. Greinke is a stud... and Garza, while pretty good, is not. The opportunity to trade for a guy like Greinke does not happen often. I think that regardless of what happens with Lee, the Rangers MUST make this trade happen.
5) Wednesday 12/15... and he signs with Texas for 7yrs / $150M with a player option for an 8th year.
I've said this several times now but when you have the opportunity to add two number 1 guys to your pitching staff, you have to jump on it, even if it means you give up top prospects or limit future $$ flexibility (which I don't think will happen regardless of the amount given to Lee and/or Greinke).
You guys have to remember that CJ and Colby could be out of the picture soon and then you're left with what, Derek Holland or Tommy Hunter as your TORP... or banking on Martin Perez being the next Johan Sanata? I don't think so!
Think about it... let's assume for a moment Lee signs with NYY, Greinke is traded elsewhere, CJ get's $15M per, which proves ridiculous, and Lewis either breaks down or, like CJ, signs a big $$$ contract that the Rangers deem foolish. Then what? You're suddenly at the bottom of the AL West and having to completely rebuild your pitching staff.
The downside is too great here to be dicking around with an extra year for Lee or an extra top prospect for Greinke. JD needs to get it done and then celebrate his 2011 Executive of the Year award.
1. Jayson Werth's is the worst, especially when you look at his career stats. He's only qualified for the abtting title twice. He only has 684 career hits. It's amazing how little he's accomplished to get that contract. Plus he's 31 years old, and there is no guarantee he'll age gracefully. The contract is naturally backloaded, so the Nationals payroll will be even more tied up by Werth when his skills are declining. I understand the Nationals had to overpay to make a free agency splash and start the train toward legitimacy, but I think that train is better moved by drafting and promoting players. If you're going to go the free agency route, pick someone with better credentials like Crawford. Werth is just not worth that.
2. One extra year doesn't seem like much to add, but at the same time you have to draw the line somewhere. Six years is already pretty ridiculous. Essentially you are paying him for 6-7 years to pitch like an ace for 3-4. If the Yankees get Lee for seven years and over 155 million, I won't be angry I will be relieved we didn't match that.
3. I'd be worried about the Angels regardless of if they get Beltre because of their rotation. Oakland was in the race longer than LA last year with a terrible offense because they had four good starting pitchers. If LA gets Beltre, and the Rangers don't updgrade their pitching staff any, I think LA has to be the favorite going into 2011.
4. Yes. If you can get one of them for something less than exorbitant prices. By that, I don't mean try to "win" the trade. If you have to give up Perez, Profar, and Hunter seriously consider it. I would even add Beltre to that package if they add Soria.
5. Monday, 9/13, sometime while I'm studying for my final.
1. Best bang - pat burrell - $1 million .... Worst - werth
2. Relief in the sense that the $ & years really worry me. But also regret b/c how long have we all talked about needing an ace in the past twenty years? And how many of those free agent aces have we realistically had a chance at. Lee represents the first that I can remember.
3. Always worried. That is why they play the games though.
4. I say no. none of those guys are sure things. But they represent cheap controllable talent to understudy/possibly take over for lee in the fifth year of his contract.
5. Hopefully wednesday-sunday when I will be on vacation in new york.
1. best -- Victor Martinez. worst -- Benoit
Oddly, Detroit has both.
2. Neither. My hatred for the Yankees grows and overwhelms both.
3. More concerned about the A's than the Angels.
4. Greinke -- yes. Garza -- no. Two different levels of pitcher there. I would call Greinke an all-in move, but Garza an unnecessary move because I don't see how he outranks CJ and Colby.
5. Tomorrow mid-day, say 1p Central.
1. Worst (in this order): Jeter, J. Buck, Werth, V. Martinez, Benoit, and whatever the Angels have done so far.
Best: Uh, Gonzalez? Truth be told, no one has blown me away with any of their big moves, which is probably a symptom of a poor FA class. I guess Boston has done a good job of anchoring their offense, but it was injuries that killed them last year.
2. I will be disappointed that we didn't land him, but relieved in knowing that the Yankees will still be old and overpaid. Not having Lee had nothing to do with NY falling short of the WS. Regardless of what Lee does, we will always have the memories.
3. Not worried about Anaheim so much as that A's pitching staff. Kendry Morales and Weaver are all they've got going for them right now and Beltre isn't going to make up that 10 game difference. It's the Rangers' division to lose, not the Angels' to win.
4. Greinke is so incredibly overrated. He was completely lights-out in '09, but didn't follow it up with much of anything. I've heard people use the 'KC is terrible' excuse, but the difference in ERA from '09 to '10 is all I need to see to pass on him.
Garza is a proven, tough-minded pitcher (see: ALDS Game 3 in Arlington). Go get him so we can slot Tommy Hunter as #5 at best. Or include Tommy in a trade for Garza and keep Holland as #5.
5. Cliff Lee announces it tomorrow at 1 o'clock EST. His agent will want the news to completely dominate ESPN and early Monday afternoon is the perfect time for that. Unless, of course, he could set up some kind of hour long special on a Thursday night or something.
Either way, this is the calm before the storm. An entire weekend of silence tells me we will know something very soon.
1. Besides the obvious choice of Werth, I have a feeling that the BoSox could end up regretting Carl Crawford. Call me crazy, but that guy is one leg injury away from being a bust. I really like the Torrealba signing for the Rangers, but perhaps the best big name signing was Gonzalez.
2. Relief. A six-year contract is one year too much but doable, while a seven-year deal is a bit ridiculous.
3. I'll still be quite worried about the Angels. They have a nice rotation now and the return of Kendry Morales will hurt as well. The A's are a bit scary, too.
4. I don't like spending young talent on Greinke either way, since he hasn't proven to be a consistent number one (statistically speaking, he would have been our 4th-best starter last year). Either way, I'd like to get in on either Brandon Webb or Chien Ming-Wang to give us the possibility of a truly scary four-man playoff rotation.
5. Tomorrow by 3 PM. For some reason, I think we may end up getting him.
1) I like the Pierzynski signing. Quality player for little money (almost $3 mil less then last year).
I don't like the Werth deal.
2) Relief, because of my faith in Jon Daniels and his team.
3) Very concerned about the Rangers losing the AL West next year. A's and Angels are both getting better.
4) Yes, I support the idea of going after Greinke or Garza. The Rangers only had 76 Quality Starts last year (25th in the league) and Greinke (21 QS) and Garza (18 QS) were both top 25 in the League in QS. Our starters going deeper into the game is in line with the Nolan Ryan philosophy of pitching. (note: Lee also had 18 QS last year while battling injuries) With the exception of ERA, we were middle of the road in most pitching categories. Lewis and Wilson performed well in the rotation, but I don't think they are pitchers we can count on yet (reference the 2009 to 2010 splits of Feldman who had 10 fewer wins and bumped his ERA up 1.5 runs higher in one year.) I don't think we should forget that Wilson is a year removed from being in the 'pen and Lewis is three years removed from having to find work in Japan because he was not cutting it in the majors. It's not prudent to hand over the keys to the car just yet. With that being said, all signs point to them being able to perform next year. Jon Daniels though seems to understand taking risks (V. Guerrero, R. Harden signings in the offseason) and having contingency plans in place. I hope they get more quality pitching. Remember, it was quality pitching that beat us in the WS.
5) I think the news will break in the morning. Lee will sleep on a decision, wake up, and it'll feel right to him. Dec 13th at 8:25 am.
"I would even add Beltre to that package if they add Soria."
@Joel, you are proposing Engel Beltre for Joakim Soria. Do you realize how stupid that sounds? And the Royals would do that why? Because they're our bunkies in Surprise and they want to help us out?
Don't make me laugh.
Let's be smart, people.
@rbt My phrasing probably did indicate I expect the Royals to value Beltre as a swap for Soria, but that's not what I intented. I meant that if the Rangers are going to put 3-4 of their best prospects in the deal, they should try to get something else besides Greinke, similar to Atlanta getting Tex and Mahay from us in 2007. I realize Mahay is not Soria, but then again, Greinke isn't Tex.
Also, shut up if you're only going to try to degrade people on a blog where everyone is faceless. You can argue wihout being spiteful.
1 Werth. Not worth it. Crawford. What do you tell Pedroia. Youklis, Buckholz and Lester when they come looking for money in a few years ?
2 Relief. I appreciate that Chuck and Nolan are in there trying. But, theres a point where you just have to say .... ENUFF!!
3 I am more concerned that they just signed Downs. Beltre doesn;t have me convinced that he can repeat what he did last year.
4 I think the Rangers need to get Greinke either way. Prospects don't do you any good if they just sit in the minors. If you have no need for them, trade them for something you do need.
5 Monday 10 am.
Ooops. Missed the best part of question 1:
Konerko. .312 39 homeruns. $ million ? He shoulda been in touch with the Nationals....
1. Best - Seattle - Jack Cust 1yr/$2.5 million
Best on teams that actually matter - Dodgers - Kuroda, 1yr/$12 million
Worst - The Jeter contract
2. Mixed feelings
3. They are closer, but still behind - particularly considering that they will not be able to add anybody else the rest of this offseason or the next
4. Not at any price, but certainly interested.
5. Wednesday afternoon
1. Jeter's contract is the worst simply because it reveals how thin the Yankees are and because he wanted twice that money. I think that the Yankees are in real trouble next year in that they needed to sign Lee, Crawford, a catcher, a short stop, a DH and one other starting pitcher. The best they've done is Jeter. If they go 7 years for Cliff lee then even they are going to be limited in signing other players. They need to say "It is time to rebuild" rather than "One more year" I'm glad they are not rebuilding
2. I'd not go beyond 5 years for Cliff Lee.
3. Not unless the Rangers completely fall apart.
4. No. I wait for him to become a free agent. The Royals want too much for him. They should not compare him to Texeria who was THE best 1st basman in baseball when the Braves traded for him. Greinke is an above average pitcher. Indeed, I believe that C.J. Wilson and Colby Lewis may be better than Greinke at this point.
5. It will hit the Internet about 5 minutes after he makes it.
1) Worst- John Buck getting 18MM.. Best - Yorvit Torrealba or Adrian Gonzales. Gonzo is just good and Yorvit's pitchers, when he catches, has the best ERA in the league.
2) I'd be extremely frustrated, but I'd get over it quickly. The Rangers would've made the playoffs without Cliff, but let's be honest, they don't get past Tampa without him. 7yrs is quite long, not sure if its too long because no one knows how long he'll pitch. He could pitch until he's 37 or until he's 47 so only time will tell. His mechanics and style of pitching favor a longer career, and the fact that he's a late bloomer will also help the extent of his career.
3) I would be concerned. He's going to be a definite upgrade at 3rd for them and since they were 10 games back of us this year it seems that he'll be able to tighten up the race for AL West.
4) Ideally, I'd like to have Greinke, but Garza is cheaper. I'd much rather keep both Scheppers and Perez and obtain Garza then lose out on one of those two to get Greinke. If it requires one of those two to get Garza, might as well get Greinke. If we could trade Hunter, Beltre, Erlin, Profar to get Greinke I'd be all for it.
5) Hopefully Monday no later than 4, but at the rate we're at now, I'd say we'll definitely know something by Spring Training
1. Worst… Jeter. He’s at an age where his #s and health will probably decline fast. Plus he plays at a position where “losing a step” is the most damaging to the team. And let’s be honest, the #s weren’t that great this year. Best… Gonzalez. He put up great #s in a pitcher’s park with no protection. He’ll be a monster now… Considering how desperate we were and how few there were, Torrealba is a pretty good cheap signing. Imagine, a catcher who’s batting average is higher than his weight. It was a pretty cheap upgrade at a position that saw woeful production last year.
2. I’d be ticked. It’s risky, but I REALLY want Lee even more than I don’t want New York to get him. If he can give us 4 or 5 great years, than OK years afterwards, it’s a win for us. If we don’t get him, we can go after Greinke/Garza now, or during the season. During the season option maight be best in case we’re out of it early.
3. Angels have VERY GOOD starters but an iffy bullpen. They’re thin at hitting. Just one injury to a key player for them, and they drop a lot. Beltre’s #s inflated by the wall in Boston. Plus “Remember Seattle”… Sigh him to a multiyear contract and you’ll be sorry… Oakland far more scary to me if they get another hitter.
4. If we get Lee, I’d wait till mid-season, and go after a #1 on a losing team. There’s always one to be had.
5. Press conference in Arlington, 3:00 PM.
1. Werth's contract is the "werst", because he doesn't put them over the top to make the playoffs. They would be much better off putting that money into a couple of starters and some lock-down relievers. They'd still have money left over to lock up Zimm.
2. If NY signs him for a nearly identical contract as Sabathia's, I think the Rangers probably eliminate a huge amount of risk. But will they ever have quite as good a shot of winning a WS ring without a Cliffly at the top of their rotation?
3. I'll always be concerned about the Angels, since they've consistently put 90-97 wins on the board over the past 10 yrs. Scoscia makes them very formidable, yr-in, yr-out.
4. Garza or Grienke on top of Lee is overkill, unless you are planning to let CJ walk next yr. To have Lee, Garza, CJ, and Colby all in the rotation would constitute too large of a percentage of your likely payroll that is tied up in your starting staff. You certainly need a better #4 than Hunter come playoff time, but they can probably fill that internally or on a smarter acquisition. Keep the prospects you'd give up in one of those big trades to keep the flow of cheap, young talent coming up.
5. I have a feeling the press conference will be Monday at Noon, Central Time, and the internet will nearly-simultaneously put out several erroneous versions of the results at 9AM, three hrs early.
4. Yes on Greinke, absolutely no on Garza. I'd go as far as saying that, if the Rangers get Lee, I'd be even more inclined to make a huge deal for Greinke. The possibility of Lee, Greinke, Wilson, Lewis, and Holland in the same rotation is really exciting. Of course, trading for Greinke would almost certainly mean that Texas has to let Wilson walk via free agency after 2011. But I would alright with that possibility. If the Rangers get Lee, I'd be willing to offer something like Hunter, Perez, Profar, Beltre and a low-level player to get Greinke.
5. Thursday, 3 PM. I think we are in for an even longer wait than anyone anticipates. And unfortunately, I still think he ends up going to the Yankees. I think it ends up that the Rangers only offer a 6 year contract with a vesting option for a 7th year. New York's offer will win in the end.
1. Actually, Zimmerman *IS* locked up already -- maybe Willingham could get a couple of yrs. If they had that kind of unused payroll, I'd think they could have spread it around a lot better than this. Pavano, Thome or Vlad or Matsui, a late-inning reliever or two, Orlando Hudson, Bill Hall. They could have probably improved their team WAR by about 8 to 12 wins and been much less risky than going for the 6 extra wins Werth will probably give them on average.
1. Lee - both.
2. Yes.
3. Not very, but it's a competition. Relish it.
4. Yes. It's time.
5. Sometime in the future, but prior to the commencement of spring training.