Off-Season Signings

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

I think so. The Cubs site lists DeRosa at second base. If the deal becomes official, then I think the Cubs line up pans out something like this:

1B - Derrek Lee
2B - Mark DeRosa
SS- Cesar Izturis/Ronnie Cedno
3B- Aramis Ramirez
LF- Alfonso Soriano
CF- Jaun Peirre
RF- Jacque Jones
C - Michael Barrett

Not a bad offensive line up. They should score some runs, particularly playing in Wrigley half the time. The question is whether they can stop their opponents from scoring. After Carlos Zambrano, their is no one that scares you in their rotation other than the seemingly always injured Mark Prior.

[Guest cleonjones11]

Soriano should love his stay in Chicago lol...136 Million...I guess the Tribune is doing better or about to be sold... Man...Sorryanus is going to be tortured by the fans if they suck as usual...

[nymr83]

maybe theres someone high up in the Cubs franchise that thinks Soriano can play SS?

[A Boy Named Seo]

Stocks are up. Nomar stays in LA for 2 years, $18.

[metirish]

Alex Gonzalez to the Reds....3 years/$15M

[Guest attgig]

Rockin' Doc wrote: I think so. The Cubs site lists DeRosa at second base. If the deal becomes official, then I think the Cubs line up pans out something like this: 1B - Derrek Lee 2B - Mark DeRosa SS- Cesar Izturis/Ronnie Cedno 3B- Aramis Ramirez LF- Alfonso Soriano CF- Jaun Peirre RF- Jacque Jones C - Michael Barrett Not a bad offensive line up. They should score some runs, particularly playing in Wrigley half the time. The question is whether they can stop their opponents from scoring. After Carlos Zambrano, their is no one that scares you in their rotation other than the seemingly always injured Mark Prior.

they're saying soriano could play center field.

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

I've heard rumors that the Cubs covet Cliff Floyd to play left field. Should they land Cliff, the plan is to move Soriano to centerfield. Even without Floyd, the Cubs may shift Soriano to center since Juan Pierre is a free agent (which I unfortunately forgot in my earlier post).

The Cubs had best invest in some ground ball pitchers. Their outfield defense could be pretty ugly.

[Frayed Knot]

Stanton to the Reds for 2 years!

Pierre to the Dodgers for FIVE?!?!?


Two sayings come to mind when I hear this kind of stuff:
- one from Bill James about how too many teams overpay for talent because they fail to recognize that it isn't as scarce as they think it is
- and the other from 'Moneyball' quoting Beane as saying that it's always easier to recover from the player you don't sign than it is to recover from the one you sign at the wrong price (or, I'll add, for the wrong length).

[A Boy Named Seo]

Pierre's probably not a free agent anymore, nor was he free (looks like 5 years/$45 mils to the Dodgers). Damn, that's a lot of money for feckin' Juan Pierre. Furcal gets on base more, but I guess he'll probably drop to second. Nice illusion, but they still haven't replaced Drew's punch.

[Guest Edgy DC]

The Orioles, who never cease to leave me scratching my head, sign leftahanded relief specialist Jamie Walker from Tigers for three years.

Dude picked the right season to be a freebie.

[Frayed Knot]

Talkin' 'bout your well-timed breakout seasons:
Gary Matthews Jr. to the Angels for 5x$10mil

And realize also that this seemingly "young" player is already 32 y/o and is headed for his 8th team.

[DocTee]

edgy-- see last post on page one of this thread

[Vic Sage]

stop the insanity!

[metirish]

This is the big bat Morano has promised fans to protect Vlad?.....I remember his very brieh time as a Met...

[nymr83]

another deal that wasn't well thought out at all. this is looking more and more like a good time to "lay low" if you are a smart GM, the contracts so far this offseason have been out of control for questionable players.

[Guest patona314]

stupid is as stupid does



if i'm correct, this guy has been waived by at least 3 teams.

[MFS62]

I think this tells us its time to start testing GMs for drugs, too.

Later

[nymr83]

MFS62 wrote: I think this tells us its time to start testing GMs for drugs, too. Later

those brownies that Boras sent out must have been funny brownies

[Guest cleonjones11]

Ya know in the last 4 years Juan Pierre has had over 200 hits 3 times...220 stolen bases and has a lifetime avergage of .303...I had no idea..And ex-Met Matthews got more?

[metirish]

ESPN is reporting that Carlos Lee to sign with Astros, six years for $100M..........glad the Phillies didn't get him...

[DocTee]

I think Philadelphia must be getting antsy--they want a legitimate corner OFbat but have lost out on the top three (Soriano, Lee and Alou)..Drew is a non-entity given the bitterness there...where do they go from here? If they use their $$ on a starter insted (say Zito) that gives them so serious LHP--

[MFS62]

metirish wrote: ESPN is reporting that Carlos Lee to sign with Astros, six years for $100M..........glad the Phillies didn't get him...

He should just LOVE hitting in that ballpark.
Good signing by them.

Later

[TransMonk]

metirish wrote: ESPN is reporting that Carlos Lee to sign with Astros, six years for $100M..........glad the Phillies didn't get him...

I'm glad we didn't get him. The Alou deal seems better and better to me with each FA signed.

[metirish]

This also exposes the folly of trading for a guy that's going to be a FA after the season...so when you look at it Texas got Nelson Cruz,9 home runs with 35 RBI in trading for Lee,giving up four players.

[Gwreck]

metirish wrote: This also exposes the folly of trading for a guy that's going to be a FA after the season...so when you look at it Texas got Nelson Cruz,9 home runs with 35 RBI in trading for Lee,giving up four players.

You have a point, but I think you need to qualify the "folly." It might've been for Texas, as they probably weren't good enough to use Lee to take them to the playoffs.

There are plenty of examples of these sort of trades working just great (ie. the team makes the playoffs).

[smg58]

The Astros also land Woody Williams for 2 years and $12.5M. A great deal if they can get 30+ starts out of him, but that's a huge if. Still looks like a decent deal, giving some hope that pitchers' contracts won't be as obscene as hitters' contracts.

Like Soriano, Lee should be fine for the frst half of the deal. It's the rest of it that should have Astros fans worried.

[Guest patona314]

DocTee wrote: I think Philadelphia must be getting antsy--they want a legitimate corner OFbat but have lost out on the top three (Soriano, Lee and Alou)..Drew is a non-entity given the bitterness there...where do they go from here? If they use their $$ on a starter insted (say Zito) that gives them so serious LHP--

screw the phillies and the phanatic. I hear von hayes is available...... oh yeah, and screw the yankees and their army of steinbrenner loving drones

[HahnSolo]

That's not a bad deal for the Astros (the Williams one). 12.5 over 2 is pretty low for a guy who could, stress could, be a solid guy in the rotation.

[Guest patona314]

HahnSolo wrote: That's not a bad deal for the Astros (the Williams one). 12.5 over 2 is pretty low for a guy who could, stress could, be a solid guy in the rotation.

i like the deal because the mets smack him around and he stays in our league

[metirish]

In 14 starts against the Mets Williams is W5 - L3.....4.63 ERA,10 homers given up and all three loses at Shea where his ERA is over 6....