NL East winter moves 2011-12

[Frayed Knot]

Rollins re-ups with the Phils
3 years plus a vest

[Benjamin Grimm]

They should have also thrown in a pair of pants.

[Frayed Knot]

Except that this vest could be worth $11mil so I'd live with the embarrassment of going pants-less at the press conference.
Contract is for 11x3 plus the same 11 for the vest which is described as "easily attainable".

JR just turned 33.
His last three OPS+ were 87, 85 & 101

[Fman99]

Edgy DC wrote: Willis is kind of a certain breed o' pitcher --- I count Oil Can Boyd and Jos� Lima among them --- that experience a period of success early in their careers, and develop a public persona as a successful pitcher who brings a level of panache to his game. When continuing that success proves elusive, these guys enter these long, slow, pretty declines, with brief puffs of the old goods --- but they have the dignity to fail with no less panache than they succeeded with.

I'm still a big fan of Mrs. Lima and her oil cans.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Frayed Knot wrote: Except that this vest could be worth $11mil so I'd live with the embarrassment of going pants-less at the press conference. Contract is for 11x3 plus the same 11 for the vest which is described as "easily attainable". JR just turned 33. His last three OPS+ were 87, 85 & 101

Hamels still hasn't signed yet, no?

Chip in arb raises for Pence (6.9M last year) and Kendrick (2.45M last year), and they're around $150-155M before inking Hamels-- also due a raise (from 7.1M), and in his last arb year-- and signing the rest of the bench/pen (7 spots).

[ashie62]

There are some decent ballplayers (Willingham) going for reasonable money yet not much doin in Metland.

Are we a AAA team in Ottawa?

[Edgy MD]

why is it always Ottawa when that crack is made?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Kablammeron signs with the Gnats.

[Frayed Knot]

He turns 39 in a few weeks, the Natinals will be Cammy's 9th ML team (assuming he makes the cut - no guarantee).

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Gnats get Gio Gonzalez for Peacock, Cole, Norris, Milone /tossing off names as though I know them

Twitter says Nats got ripped

[Edgy MD]

Peacock good. This I know.

(Checking the numbers... well, he was damn good last year anyhow.)

[DocTee]

Nats also inked Mark DeRosa to strengthen their bench.

[Frayed Knot]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Gnats get Gio Gonzalez for Peacock, Cole, Norris, Milone /tossing off names as though I know them Twitter says Nats got ripped

They certainly didn't get a #2-ish pitcher cheaply from what I can tell.
Assuming this is the correct Cole (and I don't see another one in their system) he's as highly rated as Peacock even if not quite as ready.
On the other hand, the Nats look to have a very decent rotation next season plus a good pen.
Oakland, I guess, is reloading for 2013 and beyond.


From John Sickels (who just did his Washington evaluation the other day)

#3 (ranking among Wash prospects) A.J. Cole, RHP, Grade B+.
I really believe in his upside. Needs to build stamina and refine his changeup, but if it comes together he could be a Top 20 pitching prospect next year, perhaps more.

#4 Brad Peacock, RHP, Grade B: Borderline B+.
Still has some command issues, but his ERAs finally caught up with his components and his overall potential in 2011. Will be ready before Cole but his upside is not quite as high. Future 2/3 starter if all works out.

#6 Derek Norris, C, Grade B:
Loads of power, walks, and scouting reports on his defense are getting more positive each year. Ranking may seem high for such a low batting average, but I see him as a Mike Napoli/Mickey Tettleton type who can be productive even with a low average.

#9 Tom Milone, LHP, Grade B-:
At some point, the radar guns stop mattering. The guy can simply pitch. He has little margin for error, but he will probably have a better career than hundreds of guys who throw 10 MPH harder.

[smg58]

Milone is the key to this deal. Scouts don't like his velocity, but he's done nothing but produce in the minors and was decent in five starts for Washington. If he's a legit starter for Oakland this year, then they will have already recouped most of the loss. Otherwise, Norris has a K rate that's awful and getting worse; he's the kind of prospect I'd happily sell. Peacock and Cole have live arms, but a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

[ashie62]

The Nationals got the best player in the deal.

[G-Fafif]

I'm saddened, from an Fman perspective, that a pitcher named Peacock will no longer be in the Mets' division.

[Frayed Knot]

smg58 wrote: Milone is the key to this deal. Scouts don't like his velocity, but he's done nothing but produce in the minors and was decent in five starts for Washington. If he's a legit starter for Oakland this year, then they will have already recouped most of the loss. Otherwise, Norris has a K rate that's awful and getting worse; he's the kind of prospect I'd happily sell. Peacock and Cole have live arms, but a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

Given Peacock & Cole's higher perceived ceilings and lower ages I'd think those two are more key for Oakland, especially so since this deal isn't about this year for them and, even if it were, Milone's 26 big league innings pitched aren't much more than Peacock's 12 so one is probably about as ready as the other. Also catchers with decent OBA + power don't come along every day; I'd live with the high Ks if I could get those.

Of course any or all of those guys could still flat-line, but getting a set of four like that builds in some nice insurance for the A's.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Peacock strutted against us for 5 shutout innings last September, and some fun movement on his offspeed stuff, IIRC.

[OE: Said offspeed stuff was a knuckle-curve, according to this John Sickels scouting report here.]

[Fman99]

G-Fafif wrote: I'm saddened, from an Fman perspective, that a pitcher named Peacock will no longer be in the Mets' division.

Well then, thank goodness for R.A. Dickey.

[Edgy MD]

I'm not sure I agree that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

[smg58]

Edgy DC wrote: I'm not sure I agree that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

Oh come on, that GEICO commercial didn't convince you?

[Fman99]

Edgy DC wrote: I'm not sure I agree that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

You know what's better than two in the bush?

(One in the bush and one in the shitpipe.)

[Ceetar]

smg58 wrote: Edgy DC wrote: I'm not sure I agree that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Oh come on, that GEICO commercial didn't convince you?

Never believe anything James Bond says.

[Vic Sage]

fman, you fkill me.

[metirish]

Marlins get Zambrano for Volstad various tweets are saying.

[TransMonk]

Are the Marlins really getting better?

[Fman99]

TransMonk wrote: Are the Marlins really getting better?

Well, they're getting angrier, anyway. The last Latino man to be as mad as him was yelling at Lucy for showing up at the nightclub.

[smg58]

It's close to being payroll-neutral with the cash the Cubs are throwing in, which would be a huge win for the Marlins if Z can actually behave himself.

[Frayed Knot]

The deal is at least being discussed:

FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reported the Cubs and Marlins were close to completing a trade which would send Zambrano to Miami. Rosenthal's sources said the Cubs would pay between $15-$16 million of the $18 million that Zambrano is owed next year.

CBS Sports' Jon Heyman also reported the Marlins were close to acquiring Zambrano and that Chris Volstad could go to the Cubs in exchange.




Between Zambrano and Volstad it's hard to tell which pitcher is more erratic (at least while on the mound) so it's tough to know who (if anyone) gets better here.
Volstad was a 1st round pick (16th overall) 6 years ago but has only rarely harnassed his talent and his best ML season to date remains his first partial one as a 21 y/o back in 2008.

Tell you what though - I'd pay to see a Zambrano/Ozzie argument even if I wouldn't understand a word of it.

[metsmarathon]

Fman99 wrote: Well, they're getting angrier, anyway. The last Latino man to be as mad as him was yelling at Lucy for showing up at the nightclub.

fman owns the early 2012 BOC competition.