Insulting Offer

post from Baseball Musings on 06 November 2008 10:39:00 PM. © Baseball Musings

I can't believe the Dodgers offered Manny Ramirez just $45 million for two years. I could see offering that average salary for five years, but for that short a term, I would have thought the Dodgers would bring the average...

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DePodesta Tidbit

post from Baseball Musings on 06 November 2008 10:13:00 PM. © Baseball Musings

Paul DePodesta writes a short post about the GM meetings, including this teaser: We had many discussions over the course of the past four days at the GM's meetings, some of which have been productive and even unexpected. At this...

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The Astros ink deal with Hawkins; Sign Lo

post from The Crawfish Boxes on 06 November 2008 09:51:38 PM. © The Crawfish Boxes

The Astros have officially signed Chia-Jen Lo, a 22 year old closer out of Taiwan.

**UPDATE** It's official, the Astros inked Hawkins for $3.5 million plus incentives.

Not earth shattering news, but JJO had this insider information from the GM Meetings:

The Chronicle has learned the one-year deal is essentially done for close to the $3.75 million Hawkins earned last season. A press release announcing the deal will be sent out sometime Friday morning or early afternoon.

If Hawkins can repeat his second half performance of:

W-LGGSCGSHOSVBSIPHRERHRBBKERAWHIP 2008 -LaTroy Hawkins2-0240001021.0113105250.43.76

This will be a great signing, but that would be unrealistic expectations. Hopefully whatever adjustment the Astros scouts saw Hawkins make in July will keep him as effective this year as he was for two months last year. If so, the Astros have a clear set-up guy for Valverde. Now we just have to hope that Geary and Sampson can be as effective as they were pre injury.

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The Astros Near Deal with Hawkins

post from The Crawfish Boxes on 06 November 2008 09:51:38 PM. © The Crawfish Boxes

Not earth shattering news, but JJO had this insider information from the GM Meetings:

The Chronicle has learned the one-year deal is essentially done for close to the $3.75 million Hawkins earned last season. A press release announcing the deal will be sent out sometime Friday morning or early afternoon.

If Hawkins can repeat his second half performance of:

W-LGGSCGSHOSVBSIPHRERHRBBKERAWHIP 2008 -LaTroy Hawkins2-0240001021.0113105250.43.76

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62: Uh - Did Somebody Break Wind, part III

post from Braves And Stuff on 06 November 2008 09:50:52 PM. © Braves And Stuff

Comments and articles herein are the intellectual property and opinions of the writers and may not be copied without permission of the writers.Gil in MechanicsvilleOkay, continuing on with the theme of ?Pitching, Pitching, Pitching,? I thought I would toss in my two cents on the 2009 Braves prospects for the bullpen.Once upon-a-time, the bullpen was [...]

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Yanks Look To Give Marte Multiyear Deal

post from Sliding Into Home: A Yankees Blog on 06 November 2008 08:41:00 PM. © Sliding Into Home: A Yankees Blog

From Mark Feinsand:

The Yankees declined the $6 million option on Damaso Marte Thursday, but the lefthanded reliever may not be turning in his pinstripes so fast.
The Yankees are in the process of negotiating a multiyear deal - likely for three years - with Marte, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.
Marte, 33, was acquired by the Yankees in the Xavier Nady trade in July. Because lefthanded relief pitching is scarce, the Yankees would love to keep Marte in the Bronx, although apparently not for $6 million in 2009. Marte went 5-3 with a 4.02 ERA in 72 combined appearances with the Pirates and Yankees in 2008, the final year of his two-year, $4.7 million deal.

I'm very, very surprised the Yankees want to give him a three-year deal, but I also understand how hard it is to find good lefties for your bullpen so I'm not against it, he's a valuable arm to have in the pen.

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Probabilistic Model of Range, 2008, Second
Basemen

post from Baseball Musings on 06 November 2008 08:21:00 PM. © Baseball Musings

The following table shows how team second basemen ranked according to the Probabilistic Model of Range: Team Second Basemen PMR, 2008, Visit Smooth Distance Model, 2008 data only Team In Play Actual Outs Predicted Outs DER Predicted DER Ratio Marlins...

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Tax Changes Might Accelerate Offseason Signings

post from 6-4-2 ? an Angels/Dodgers double play blog on 06 November 2008 07:10:00 PM. © 6-4-2 ? an Angels/Dodgers double play blog

A tad late: Scott Boras might not like it, but with tax hikes all but certain in the new year, player agents are thinking about the implications for their clients.

Obama's proposal would increase federal income tax on families earning more than $250,000 annually, money that would help finance a decrease for workers and families earning less than $200,000 annually.
Next year's major league minimum is $400,000. Agent Scott Boras, negotiating eight- and possibly nine-figure deals for free agents Manny Ramirez and Mark Teixeira, already has thought about the possibility of asking for larger signing bonuses payable this year in some of his contracts.
"There's some consideration to be had with the impact of the election," he said.

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The End Of Coin Tosses

post from 6-4-2 ? an Angels/Dodgers double play blog on 06 November 2008 07:02:00 PM. © 6-4-2 ? an Angels/Dodgers double play blog

MLB is considering eliminating coin tosses as the basis for potential end-of-season tiebreakers.

"The team that performed better against the other team I think is the one that deserves to have home-field advantage, not an arbitrary coin flip," San Diego Padres general manager Kevin Towers said Thursday as the annual GMs meeting ended.
MLB staff is drafting a proposal for the GMs to consider next month when they gather at the winter meetings in Las Vegas, according to Jimmie Lee Solomon, executive vice president of baseball operations in the commissioner's office. Head-to-head record between the tied clubs appears likely to be the first tiebreaker.

With such a system, the site of tiebreakers might not be known until the last day of the season.

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The Golden Boy, Plus Another Rumor

The American League Gold Glove Award winners were announced yesterday, and among the names on the list was Twins catcher Joe Mauer. It was Mauer's first time receiving the honor, but he's got the name recognition and skills to be one of those guys who is a yearly fixture on the list, perhaps taking over the reigns for Ivan Rodriguez, who has won the AL Gold Glove Award at catcher in 13 of the past 16 seasons.
Mauer was among just four backstops to catch 1,200-plus innings this season, and he did so while working with a young and inexperienced staff that achieved surprisingly successful results. He also did a good job of controlling opponents' running games, gunning down 29 of 80 potential base-stealers (36 percent).
Moving back to the rumor mill, Rockies beat writer Tracy Ringolsby reported yesterday that Colorado may be interested in Michael Cuddyer as a trade piece for Garrett Atkins. Says Ringolsby:

The Rockies are looking to add a quality starter in the offseason, and the Twins could offer the likes of Nick Blackburn or Kevin Slowey. But the Rockies would also like to add a right-handed, run-producing hitter in a multiple-player package, which is where Cuddyer, a strong clubhouse presence, would fit.

Something's not right here.
Atkins, career (162 gm avg): .298/.360/.474, 22 HR, 108 RBICuddyer, career (162 gm avg): .268/.344/.441, 18 HR, 79 RBI
The Rockies are in the market for a "right-handed, run-producing hitter," yet they're interested in swapping the good one they already have for an inferior one who makes more money and is coming off a disastrous, injury-riddled campaign?
If the Twins decide to move an outfielder to clear up their current glut, I certainly think Cuddyer should be the guy, but I always assumed his value would be pretty low right now. If it's true that the Rockies covet him and would be willing to trade Atkins for a package composed of, say, Cuddyer, Kevin Mulvey and an arm in the low minors, I'd be all for it. I don't think that's likely. My guess is that the Rockies would be asking for Cuddyer plus Nick Blackburn, whose ground ball tendencies would play well in their park.
Atkins has some attributes that make him an attractive fit for the Twins. He's a right-handed slugger who has averaged 22 home runs and 105 RBI in his four full seasons as a major-leaguer. He remains arbitration-eligible for two more years, so he fits the bill as a relatively inexpensive short-term fix. However, questions abound about how Atkins will hit when he's removed from Coors Field (his career OPS at home is 170 points higher than his career road OPS) and he's coming off arguably the worst season of his career. He's also a marginal defender at third base.
Atkins is an intriguing player who has had his name connected to the Twins on multiple occasions in the past, and the emergence of Cuddyer's name as a potential trade piece is interesting. Unfortunately, I don't see how that trade makes sense for the Rockies, and if they're looking to chip into The Fab 5, Bill Smith does not face an easy decision.

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