The Mariners are all in for Victor Martinez - 4 years @ $18m per.. they like him more than Cruz and he's less $. They are also gonna try to lock up Kyle Seager but he wants Freddie Freeman $.
and mentions JUp and Heyward as kinda sorta maybe being available. Dude knows how to puts the word out without putting the word out (or something).
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"We are coming in with the idea that we don't have to trade anybody," Hart said. "We have not made a call (to see if a team is interested in any player). We have received calls on people; we haven't had any conversations yet. That (Gattis rumor) is absolutely inaccurate. And quite frankly, I think anybody that says that - if you look, I've got two corner outfielders who've got one year left (before free agency), and I've got one potential corner outfielder (Gattis) that's got four years left (under contractual control)."
Sweeny Murti @YankeesWFAN 1m1 minute ago
Yankees signed LHP Jose De Paula. Career minor leaguer. 4-3, 4.21 ERA in 16 appearances (10 starts) for Triple-A Fresno (SFG) in 2014.
Jon Heyman @JonHeymanCBS 3m3 minutes ago Mesa, AZ
alexei ramirez said to be more likely ss alternative than elvis andrus for yankees, tho nothing's close w/either at moment
long term 2 years ago. now they would have to pay double to keep him. however, if no team wants to give him that kind of contract maybe the market comes down and the yankees can get him closer to their terms.
I think Robertson's agent is not doing well for him
Seriously- most big market teams have their closers- the Red Sox, the Dodgers- and the Yanks have Betances as a Plan B.
The Mets COULD get involved, as they already lost their first rounder, and would only lose a second- but it hasn't been their MO to spend big in recent years.
The Cubs are not contenders yet, and need SP, not closers. The White Sox are not contenders yet- and have bigger needs in the OF.
Outside of those teams, who is seriously going to pony up $12-13M per, plus the draft pick, for Robertson?
The Nats have their own FA to worry about over the next 2 years, the Tigers might- but have issues with their OF that need prioritization, the Giants are good at closer, so are the Phils, the Braves, the Pirates, the Reds, the Angels, the Os and the Ms. Have I missed any contenders or near contenders? I know I left the A's out- but it is HIGHLY unlikely the A's go big in the FA market for Robertson.
In short, unless the Tigers get desperate or the White Sox decide they are ready to make a playoff run, there really is not a clear landing spot at the $$$ he wants.
RE: I think Robertson's agent is not doing well for him
Seriously- most big market teams have their closers- the Red Sox, the Dodgers- and the Yanks have Betances as a Plan B.
The Mets COULD get involved, as they already lost their first rounder, and would only lose a second- but it hasn't been their MO to spend big in recent years.
The Cubs are not contenders yet, and need SP, not closers. The White Sox are not contenders yet- and have bigger needs in the OF.
Outside of those teams, who is seriously going to pony up $12-13M per, plus the draft pick, for Robertson?
The Nats have their own FA to worry about over the next 2 years, the Tigers might- but have issues with their OF that need prioritization, the Giants are good at closer, so are the Phils, the Braves, the Pirates, the Reds, the Angels, the Os and the Ms. Have I missed any contenders or near contenders? I know I left the A's out- but it is HIGHLY unlikely the A's go big in the FA market for Robertson.
In short, unless the Tigers get desperate or the White Sox decide they are ready to make a playoff run, there really is not a clear landing spot at the $$$ he wants.
Teams are nothing if not copycats. The Royals "proved" that you can win if the only above average piece your team has is a shutdown pen, while the Tigers proved that even if your only glaring flaw is the pen you can still come up short. I'd be surprised if Robertson settled for less than 3/30 and even that strikes me as unlikely.
Red Sox reportedly willing to go $100 mil+ on Sandoval...
especially if he wants more than 4 years... only position player in recent memory that regularly gets fatter as the season goes on, you don't pay that guy 100+ into his mid 30s.
they sign Sandoval, that has disaster written all over it
Agreed. It boggles my mind that anyone is going to give Tubbo that kind of money. Been a meh hitter for three seasons now, is a mediocre third baseman, and guys that fat tend not to age well. 29 was Prince Fielder's age when he started to hit the skids two seasons ago.
Kiley McDaniel @kileymcd 3m3 minutes ago
Another crazy note via a scout from the Moncada workout in Guatemala: Scott Boras had two reps there, both were escorted out by armed guard.
Marc Carig @MarcCarig 14m14 minutes ago
"Boras has been shopping near the meat section. That's where he gets his bullshit." - Sandy Alderson
Jeff Passan @JeffPassan 3m3 minutes ago
Sources: Orioles and Nick Markakis have made significant progress on a four-year deal. Been talking about $10-12M a year. Should get done.
RE: Also Hamels is apparently asking to be dealt...
want Hamels and may try to sign Hanley Ramirez to play 3rd. They would like to resign Lester, but Boston writers are pessimistic.
Red Sox are unwilling to give up Betts/Bogaerts. If thats the case, they better be ready to give up Swihart, Owens, Holt, and Kelly.
It'll be straight up for JBJ, that's how Amaro rolls.
If I had to guess I'd say they probably sign Sandoval to play 3B and one of the top pitchers to add to their rotation. They have the trade chips, I'm not sure they are going to part with them for a guy like Hamels who at 31 (Opening Day) is probably more of a finishing touch than a building block.
dominant last year. His year really flew under the radar.
Hamels had a superb year. My point was simply that Boston is likely building with a 2-3 horizon in mind, and in 2-3 years Hamels will have a fair amount of tread on his tires. Scherzer, for instance, is not actually much younger but has about three years less (550 IP) major league tread on his tires. Lester isn't as far behind as Scherzer is. But if Boston was going to put a bunch of money into an arm this offseason Scherzer would be a safer bet, and you hang onto your prospects.
dominant last year. His year really flew under the radar.
Hamels had a superb year. My point was simply that Boston is likely building with a 2-3 horizon in mind, and in 2-3 years Hamels will have a fair amount of tread on his tires. Scherzer, for instance, is not actually much younger but has about three years less (550 IP) major league tread on his tires. Lester isn't as far behind as Scherzer is. But if Boston was going to put a bunch of money into an arm this offseason Scherzer would be a safer bet, and you hang onto your prospects.
Hamels contract will be much more friendly though.
I do admit, I would rather see the Cubs trade for Hamels. The idea of getting Russell/Soler as the building blocks is quite exciting. I wouldnt be shocked if Theo goes for both Hamels and Lester. With Castro, Rizzo, Bryant, Baez, Alacantra among other young talent... it wont be long before they are competing if they get some SP.
In comment 11977156 dep026 said:
[quote] In comment 11977152 Dunedin81 said:
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In comment 11977133 dep026 said:
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dominant last year. His year really flew under the radar.
Hamels had a superb year. My point was simply that Boston is likely building with a 2-3 horizon in mind, and in 2-3 years Hamels will have a fair amount of tread on his tires. Scherzer, for instance, is not actually much younger but has about three years less (550 IP) major league tread on his tires. Lester isn't as far behind as Scherzer is. But if Boston was going to put a bunch of money into an arm this offseason Scherzer would be a safer bet, and you hang onto your prospects.
Hamels contract will be much more friendly though.
I do admit, I would rather see the Cubs trade for Hamels. The idea of getting Russell/Soler as the building blocks is quite exciting. I wouldnt be shocked if Theo goes for both Hamels and Lester. With Castro, Rizzo, Bryant, Baez, Alacantra among other young talent... it wont be long before they are competing if they get some SP. [/quote
You are severely overrating Hamels trade value. The Cubs wouldn't give you Russell or Soler straight up for Hamels, never mind both of them. Hamels trade value is not that.
Hamels has 4 years left at 90 million.... both Schrezer and Lester will command more years at possibly a higher rate. He is one of the 10 best pitchers in baseball. He is proven, a playoff performer, and at 31 is still in the prime of his career.
If the Cubs want him, they are going to have to give up at least a mixture of Russell, Soler, McKinney, Edwards, or Alacantra. Bryant is untouchable. ANd if they dont, they have no shot of getting him.
Samardzija brought back Russell and he's a. not as good and b. only a 16-month rental. The deal for Hamels is probably slightly under-market at this point and you'll probably get at least 2-3 years of elite pitching out of him, barring injury. As I said I think he's more attractive to a team that believes itself close, but he has a ton of trade value.
BA had an interesting wrinkle in the Moncada sweepstakes...
this is the time when all the best 2015 talent starts getting handshake agreements in advance of 7/2. If a team wants to sign Moncada and he is eligible before 6/15/15 they'll go into the penalty for this signing period (if they're not already there) and lose the ability to sign players for the next two years to contracts over $300K. So it's a strange dynamic.
He is signed for 4 more years at essentially 24MM per year. You are getting all the negative year values of his contract by WAR/year, and giving up a top prospect for it. On top of that, the market is there if you want to spend 24MM per year for a top starter, you have 3 guys who will give you roughly the same value, some with a lot less wear on their arms and without the injury history Hamels has. Never mind the fact that Hamels has a vesting option for a 5th year, the contract is not some kind of bargain. It simply makes no sense to give up a guy like Russell, a top 5 prospect in all of baseball at its most premium position, for Hamels.
Additionally, Samardzija might be a worse pitcher then Hamels, but there is plenty of evidence that you will get more in season in a trade to a contender, as well as even more evidence that top starters aren't worth all that much in trade value. You should be looking at the A's deal as an outlier of a GM going all in because he can't financially do it otherwise, rather then the true value of a starter. The Cubs are flush with cash, and if they really valued that arm more then the SS, why wouldn't they have just kept Samardzija who has 1100 less innings on his arm and will cost a lot less?
Look at what Price got or Fister got in the trade market. Lester was traded for almost nothing. Again, the contract for Hamels isn't really a positive here, he's getting market value for the next couple of years then will be overpaid, its the same as signing any free agent.
The one caveat to this is if the Phillies kick in a bunch of money to the contract, but so far all signs point to they haven't been willing to do that.
Don't get me wrong- I love Hamels, he's a great pitcher, definitely a top 15 starter in baseball if not a good amount higher, I just don't see the precedent for the trade market in giving up a Russell for Hamels.
RE: BA had an interesting wrinkle in the Moncada sweepstakes...
this is the time when all the best 2015 talent starts getting handshake agreements in advance of 7/2. If a team wants to sign Moncada and he is eligible before 6/15/15 they'll go into the penalty for this signing period (if they're not already there) and lose the ability to sign players for the next two years to contracts over $300K. So it's a strange dynamic.
Yanks and Red Sox are already past that penalty though, so expect some bids from those 2 at least.
If you were getting the age 35-39 years of his contract I'd agree...
but he'll be 34 or 35 when he's a free agent. As I said above he does have some tread on his tires but because of his age when he signed this contract you're not really getting the over the hill years.
RE: RE: BA had an interesting wrinkle in the Moncada sweepstakes...
this is the time when all the best 2015 talent starts getting handshake agreements in advance of 7/2. If a team wants to sign Moncada and he is eligible before 6/15/15 they'll go into the penalty for this signing period (if they're not already there) and lose the ability to sign players for the next two years to contracts over $300K. So it's a strange dynamic.
Yanks and Red Sox are already past that penalty though, so expect some bids from those 2 at least.
I flipping hope so, there isn't a good reason not to be in on the kid if, as Hal apparently said this week, they could break even with twice the payroll they've got now.
I wasn't even talking about the Stanton contract as absurd, really
I'm talking about fairly average players like Chase Headley possibly getting 4/$50 mill contracts. It's ludicrous, and it's even more ludicrous with the dipshit luxury tax.
SOURCES: #Cubs in talks to acquire RHP Jordan Zimmermann from #Nationals, @GDubCub reports: http://sun-tim.es/1u8Qefa
SOURCES: #Cubs in talks to acquire RHP Jordan Zimmermann from #Nationals, @GDubCub reports: http://sun-tim.es/1u8Qefa
That makes no sense for Washington, he's their best pitcher
Link - ( New Window )
With no #Braves extension expected before free agency, Heyward trade possible (for pitching?).
Yankees signed LHP Jose De Paula. Career minor leaguer. 4-3, 4.21 ERA in 16 appearances (10 starts) for Triple-A Fresno (SFG) in 2014.
I've been told it is very doubtful on Yanks making a trade for Andrus.
alexei ramirez said to be more likely ss alternative than elvis andrus for yankees, tho nothing's close w/either at moment
The Mets COULD get involved, as they already lost their first rounder, and would only lose a second- but it hasn't been their MO to spend big in recent years.
The Cubs are not contenders yet, and need SP, not closers. The White Sox are not contenders yet- and have bigger needs in the OF.
Outside of those teams, who is seriously going to pony up $12-13M per, plus the draft pick, for Robertson?
The Nats have their own FA to worry about over the next 2 years, the Tigers might- but have issues with their OF that need prioritization, the Giants are good at closer, so are the Phils, the Braves, the Pirates, the Reds, the Angels, the Os and the Ms. Have I missed any contenders or near contenders? I know I left the A's out- but it is HIGHLY unlikely the A's go big in the FA market for Robertson.
In short, unless the Tigers get desperate or the White Sox decide they are ready to make a playoff run, there really is not a clear landing spot at the $$$ he wants.
The Mets COULD get involved, as they already lost their first rounder, and would only lose a second- but it hasn't been their MO to spend big in recent years.
The Cubs are not contenders yet, and need SP, not closers. The White Sox are not contenders yet- and have bigger needs in the OF.
Outside of those teams, who is seriously going to pony up $12-13M per, plus the draft pick, for Robertson?
The Nats have their own FA to worry about over the next 2 years, the Tigers might- but have issues with their OF that need prioritization, the Giants are good at closer, so are the Phils, the Braves, the Pirates, the Reds, the Angels, the Os and the Ms. Have I missed any contenders or near contenders? I know I left the A's out- but it is HIGHLY unlikely the A's go big in the FA market for Robertson.
In short, unless the Tigers get desperate or the White Sox decide they are ready to make a playoff run, there really is not a clear landing spot at the $$$ he wants.
Teams are nothing if not copycats. The Royals "proved" that you can win if the only above average piece your team has is a shutdown pen, while the Tigers proved that even if your only glaring flaw is the pen you can still come up short. I'd be surprised if Robertson settled for less than 3/30 and even that strikes me as unlikely.
It would make fried chicken and beer look like organic kale and kombucha tea.
I don't know, Ortiz's "doctor" plus the short wall would probably do wonders for Sandoval!
Agreed. It boggles my mind that anyone is going to give Tubbo that kind of money. Been a meh hitter for three seasons now, is a mediocre third baseman, and guys that fat tend not to age well. 29 was Prince Fielder's age when he started to hit the skids two seasons ago.
Taveras' BAC level was 5 times the legal limit at the time of his fatal car crash reports @JeffPassan. Not good at all.
Another crazy note via a scout from the Moncada workout in Guatemala: Scott Boras had two reps there, both were escorted out by armed guard.
Marc Carig @MarcCarig 14m14 minutes ago
"Boras has been shopping near the meat section. That's where he gets his bullshit." - Sandy Alderson
Sources: Orioles and Nick Markakis have made significant progress on a four-year deal. Been talking about $10-12M a year. Should get done.
Expect a bidding war between the Cubs/Red Sox.
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...
Expect a bidding war between the Cubs/Red Sox.
And expect Ruben to get fleeced anyway...
I need a nap.
Red Sox are unwilling to give up Betts/Bogaerts. If thats the case, they better be ready to give up Swihart, Owens, Holt, and Kelly.
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want Hamels and may try to sign Hanley Ramirez to play 3rd. They would like to resign Lester, but Boston writers are pessimistic.
Red Sox are unwilling to give up Betts/Bogaerts. If thats the case, they better be ready to give up Swihart, Owens, Holt, and Kelly.
It'll be straight up for JBJ, that's how Amaro rolls.
If I had to guess I'd say they probably sign Sandoval to play 3B and one of the top pitchers to add to their rotation. They have the trade chips, I'm not sure they are going to part with them for a guy like Hamels who at 31 (Opening Day) is probably more of a finishing touch than a building block.
Hamels had a superb year. My point was simply that Boston is likely building with a 2-3 horizon in mind, and in 2-3 years Hamels will have a fair amount of tread on his tires. Scherzer, for instance, is not actually much younger but has about three years less (550 IP) major league tread on his tires. Lester isn't as far behind as Scherzer is. But if Boston was going to put a bunch of money into an arm this offseason Scherzer would be a safer bet, and you hang onto your prospects.
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dominant last year. His year really flew under the radar.
Hamels had a superb year. My point was simply that Boston is likely building with a 2-3 horizon in mind, and in 2-3 years Hamels will have a fair amount of tread on his tires. Scherzer, for instance, is not actually much younger but has about three years less (550 IP) major league tread on his tires. Lester isn't as far behind as Scherzer is. But if Boston was going to put a bunch of money into an arm this offseason Scherzer would be a safer bet, and you hang onto your prospects.
Hamels contract will be much more friendly though.
I do admit, I would rather see the Cubs trade for Hamels. The idea of getting Russell/Soler as the building blocks is quite exciting. I wouldnt be shocked if Theo goes for both Hamels and Lester. With Castro, Rizzo, Bryant, Baez, Alacantra among other young talent... it wont be long before they are competing if they get some SP.
[quote] In comment 11977152 Dunedin81 said:
Quote:
In comment 11977133 dep026 said:
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dominant last year. His year really flew under the radar.
Hamels had a superb year. My point was simply that Boston is likely building with a 2-3 horizon in mind, and in 2-3 years Hamels will have a fair amount of tread on his tires. Scherzer, for instance, is not actually much younger but has about three years less (550 IP) major league tread on his tires. Lester isn't as far behind as Scherzer is. But if Boston was going to put a bunch of money into an arm this offseason Scherzer would be a safer bet, and you hang onto your prospects.
Hamels contract will be much more friendly though.
I do admit, I would rather see the Cubs trade for Hamels. The idea of getting Russell/Soler as the building blocks is quite exciting. I wouldnt be shocked if Theo goes for both Hamels and Lester. With Castro, Rizzo, Bryant, Baez, Alacantra among other young talent... it wont be long before they are competing if they get some SP. [/quote
You are severely overrating Hamels trade value. The Cubs wouldn't give you Russell or Soler straight up for Hamels, never mind both of them. Hamels trade value is not that.
If the Cubs want him, they are going to have to give up at least a mixture of Russell, Soler, McKinney, Edwards, or Alacantra. Bryant is untouchable. ANd if they dont, they have no shot of getting him.
Additionally, Samardzija might be a worse pitcher then Hamels, but there is plenty of evidence that you will get more in season in a trade to a contender, as well as even more evidence that top starters aren't worth all that much in trade value. You should be looking at the A's deal as an outlier of a GM going all in because he can't financially do it otherwise, rather then the true value of a starter. The Cubs are flush with cash, and if they really valued that arm more then the SS, why wouldn't they have just kept Samardzija who has 1100 less innings on his arm and will cost a lot less?
Look at what Price got or Fister got in the trade market. Lester was traded for almost nothing. Again, the contract for Hamels isn't really a positive here, he's getting market value for the next couple of years then will be overpaid, its the same as signing any free agent.
The one caveat to this is if the Phillies kick in a bunch of money to the contract, but so far all signs point to they haven't been willing to do that.
Don't get me wrong- I love Hamels, he's a great pitcher, definitely a top 15 starter in baseball if not a good amount higher, I just don't see the precedent for the trade market in giving up a Russell for Hamels.
Yanks and Red Sox are already past that penalty though, so expect some bids from those 2 at least.
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this is the time when all the best 2015 talent starts getting handshake agreements in advance of 7/2. If a team wants to sign Moncada and he is eligible before 6/15/15 they'll go into the penalty for this signing period (if they're not already there) and lose the ability to sign players for the next two years to contracts over $300K. So it's a strange dynamic.
Yanks and Red Sox are already past that penalty though, so expect some bids from those 2 at least.
I flipping hope so, there isn't a good reason not to be in on the kid if, as Hal apparently said this week, they could break even with twice the payroll they've got now.