Stay, Go, or Call it Quits: 2007-2008 Offseason

[Valadius]

I figured we could use a thread to post about random player movement. A couple of items:

The Braves will not re-sign Andruw Jones. Boras, if you can believe it, is looking for $20 million a year. He's insane.

Bob Wickman is likely to retire.

Craig Biggio retired.

[soupcan]

I'd like to be as insane as Scott Boras.

[Guest Grote15]

Boras could try his hand at Luis Castillo...remember he was an all-star and has a ring, great range and speed..once upon a time....

Is Mark Teixeira up? That should be interesting....

[seawolf17]

Teixeira's signed through '08.

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

The Braves have Teixeira signed for one more year. Assuming the Braves don't sign him to an extension, he becomes a free agent after the 2008 season.

[Zvon]

The way the Braves handled the A. Jones situation:
I have to admit I really respect this organization.
Hat the team, but respect that organization.

And ya gotta love the GM there.
He usually meets with agents for such discussions, but in this case he didn't want to have anything to do with the agent, and called Andruw in for a one on one.

He said Jones deserved that, which is true, but it also is indicative of his feelings for Boras.

Well played by Mr. Schuerholz.

[Guest Edgy DC]

The Braves are kind of run like an NFL team.

[TransMonk]

Pudge's '08 option was picked up in Detroit.

http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071009&content_id=2258480&vkey=news_det&fext=.jsp&c_id=det

[smg58]

Not surprising, given how thin the catcher market is.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I think the market is fine relative to most years.

[Farmer Ted]

That Atlanta shit don't work in B-More, yo.

Leo Mazzone, who came to the Orioles with a reputation as one of the best pitching coaches in the modern era, was fired Friday after only two seasons in that role.

"I spoke with Leo today and told him I appreciated his efforts here," Orioles manager Dave Trembley said in a statement. "Moving forward, I felt that we would be better served with someone else working with our young staff and that it was in his best interests and our best interests to give him an opportunity to look elsewhere now."

[Benjamin Grimm]

That rocking back and forth was probably driving them insane.

I don't know how Bobby Cox tolerated it all those years. I would have been tempted to strangle the guy.

[smg58]

Overseeing a pitching staff that allowed thirty runs to a last place team who had traded away its best hitters can make even somebody with Mazzone's rep look rather bad.

That being said, Bedard was pitching really well before the injury, and it's not clear that Mazzone had much else to work with.

[Frayed Knot]

The other problem was that he was hired because he was Sam Perlozzo's buddy from way back when. Once Perlozzo was kicked out plus there was a partial font office change things probably didn't look good for an expensive pitching coach.

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

Mazzone found out it's a lot harder to be a genius when your staff is Bedard, Cabrerra, Guthrie, and Trachsel rather than Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz. Hell, being the pithing coach to a staff that includes Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz during their primes could make even me look like a pitching guru.

[MFS62]

I doubt that Mazzone will stay unemployed for very long, unless he wants to retire.
Impressive resume.
His stint in Bal'mer just showed that even the best chef can't make an edible chicken salad out of chicken feathers.

Later

[Guest OlerudOwned]

Rockin' Doc wrote: Mazzone found out it's a lot harder to be a genius when your staff is Bedard, Cabrerra, Guthrie, and Trachsel rather than Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz. Hell, being the pithing coach to a staff that includes Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz during their primes could make even me look like a pitching guru.

He still brought out improvement from Cabrera, Guthrie, and Trachsel while Bedard became a bonafide Cy Young candidate under him.

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

I'm just saying that Mazzone had 3 solid aces to build his reputation with for most of his career.

Bedard had a fine season this year. Hopefully, he'll have a good career going forward. However, the number put up by Cabrerra, Guthrie, and Trachsel weren't very good.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I don't know. Trashie returned to league ERA at 36 after a bad year with the Mets. He gave the Cubs nothing but Mazzone can wash his hands of that.

[Guest sharpie]

Annoying late-season shutout-hurler Joel Piniero re-ups with the Cards.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I was hoping the Mets would get a shot at him.

[metirish]

Yancy Street Gang wrote: I was hoping the Mets would get a shot at him.

You're becoming a professional piss taker.

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

And Yancy doesn't even drink beer.

[Valadius]

Brad Ausmus re-upped with the 'Stros with a one-year deal. Cross off another name from the list of available catchers.

[Valadius]

Looks like we may be going after Torrealba:

]Mets, Marlins to pursue Torrealba Wednesday, Oct 31, 2007 10:09 am EDT The New York Mets and Florida Marlins have interest in free agent catcher Yorvit Torrealba. The Colorado Rockies would like to have Torrealba back, depending on his price tag. Colorado, though, will pursue Paul LoDuca and possibly Michael Barrett when they become free agents. Source: Denver Post

[Benjamin Grimm]

Of course, the Mets aren't yet permitted to express interest in Torrealba, or any free agent other than those who ended 2007 as a Met.

I suspect that this is speculation that has moved through the grapevine and is now being reported as fact.

I bet they ARE probably interested, but I doubt that the Denver Post knows that.

[Guest sharpie]

Mike Cameron suspended for 25 games for stimulant usage:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3088062


Curt Schilling put Mets on list of teams he would play for next year:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3087824

[Benjamin Grimm]

I guess he could be helpful on a one-year deal, but I'd much prefer someone closer to 30 than to 40.

Schilling, if he did sign with the Mets, would be the second Alaska-born Met. (Dave Williams recently became the first. Both pitchers were born in Anchorage.)

[nymr83]

i read in the Post today that Schilling WANTS only a 1-year deal, if thats true i'd love to have him aboard

[smg58]

My one hang-up with Schilling is that he would be the third pitcher in the rotation who is likely to miss several starts during the season. However, only he and Andy Pettite among this free-agent group would constitute a clear upgrade over what we've got.