Off-season FA news (non-NYM edition)

[Frayed Knot]

Muffy's actual brother

The announcers would mention every once in a while how David would always insist that his brother was going to be a way better player than him.
But, while you wouldn't eliminate him as a future major leaguer based on his career to date, an average-ish season in the Midwest Lg at age 23 doesn't exactly put him on the fast-track.

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

Frayed Knot wrote: How the mighty have fallen. Couple of years ago the guy was on his way to either having the best pitcher in baseball tag hung on him was at least going to be in the class picture.

Reading that he took less money for a one-year deal in San Diego to play a year in an extreme pitcher's park and boost his value. Hey, we have a pitcher's park!

[Edgy MD]

Hot, greasy Marlins stars and what became of them upon arriving in Toronto:

Josh Johnson:
Went from throwing 191 innings with a 3.81 ERA to throwing 81 innigns with a 6.20 ERA. Strikeout rate actually went up, but hit rate increased dramatically, as did HR rate. Saw DL time for triceps soreness, forearm tightness, and ultimately bone spur surgery.

Emilio Bonifacio:
Played everywhere on the diamond, but lost 71 points from his OPS, before being dumped for cash to the Royals, where he instantly rebounded.

John Buck:
Flipped to the Mets in the Dickey deal, another muscling-up trade that went pear-shaped.

Mark Buehrle:
Added .39 runs to his ERA.

Jos� Reyes:
Had pretty much the same season as last year, if certainly not the same season he had two years ago with the Mets that got him his big salary. The main problem is that it only lasted 93 games, following an ankle injury. That's an injury that certainly dampened his value as a baserunner/stealer and likely will continue to do so going forward. In addition, he suffered the indignity of hitting the disabled list to make way for Aaron Laffey, newly claimed from the Mets. The horror!

Moreover, his salary is about to start getting silly.

[Frayed Knot]

Brian McCann to the Yanx for five years, vesting option for sixth.

Still not yet 30 y/o (will be in February) - he was essentially a full-timer at age 21 so it seems like he's been around longer.
Hasn't played as many as 130 games since 2009 although the DH spot will help there. Of course he'll have to compete for time with the others seven DHs on that team.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

That dovetails perfectly with my past-- and continuing-- feelings about Brian McCann.

[Frayed Knot]

He can take over now as the AL representative in charge of enforcing player codes. In the NL the rest of the Braves and the Cardinals will continue in their self-appointed roles as keeper of the 'right way to play the game' flame.


Yanx, btw, forfeit their 1st round pick for next June. McCann was one of those receiving the qualifying offer from his team.

[MFS62]

He's going to hit a zillion homers in that bandbox.
At least he's out of the National League.

Later

[metirish]

the $$$

five-year, $85M contract with a $15M vesting option for a sixth ...

seems a lot for five?

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Well, he's, what, the third most-valuable catcher in the league, or thereabouts, right? (Not counting Mauer, anymore.)

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

He sucks and so do the MFYs. I hate all their big-eared, fist-pumping, plane-crashing, juice-shooting, citizen-copping catchers.

[Lefty Specialist]

Did the Yankees even have a catcher last year? I can't remember.

[Benjamin Grimm]

No, but they did have a lot of passed balls.

[ashie62]

Interweb has Peralta going to St. Louis....

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Bazooka Joe Smith gets a 3-year/$15 million deal from the Angels.

Dan Haren gets a 1 year, $10 million deal from the Dodgers. Dan Haren sucks, doesn't he?

[metirish]

Joe Smith - wow ..I would have been hard pressed to even say who he was playing for....but with some thought it was the Indians...I think. How long since he was a Mets player?, six seasons?

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Not as much as you'd think-- following a DL stint in July for shoulder inflammation, he put up the following half-season:

15 GS
87 2/3 IP
3.28 ERA
1.04 WHIP
84 K/18 BB

Maybe homes just needed a rest and a good massage?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Yes, I was at the game where Dan Haren "Turned" -- day after the famous DH sweep-blowing, beginning of the ending of the 2013 Metenders. FK and EDC were there too.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Did it feel like History In The MakingTM?

I mean, everyone has a good month every now and again. But his was three-and-a-half months long, and looked a lot like/compared favorably to his prime time, y'know? And 1/$10M is like a slightly-splashy Show-Me contract these days.

[Frayed Knot]

Haren was definitely a tale of two halves in 2013

Nats signed him to a one-year/$13mil FA deal which, while sounding high, had the whiff of a good deal in that if Dan Haren is your 5th starter then you've got a really good staff.
And he promptly sucked early on, throwing up a line of: .299/.337/.516 BAA; a 5.61 ERA & 1.42 WHiP, plus 19 HRs
before turning it all around starting in July to the tune of: .226/.265/.371; 3.52 & 1.02 and 9 HRs

So he takes another one-year deal, this time with a bit of a pay cut, and takes on the whiff of someone destined to finish out his career via a series of short-term deals even though he just turned 33 and he was 'Ace' (or near Ace) material there for a short while. Maybe his biggest selling point is the durability: 9 years in a row of 30 starts or more.

[Frayed Knot]

Apparently DBacks reliever Brad Ziegler went all Twitter crazy over the Peralta signing, saying stuff like 'Way to reward PED use owners' and similar missives that probably aren't going to go over well with either camp Jhonny when they meet next season or with the Players Union it would seem.
To Ziegler's credit he's not claiming his account was hacked or backing off his statements.

[Edgy MD]

David Aardsma has also made some comments to that effect.

I understand your feelings, guys, but take it to the union.

[Edgy MD]

Frayed Knot wrote: Brian McCann to the Yanx for five years, vesting option for sixth. Still not yet 30 y/o (will be in February) - he was essentially a full-timer at age 21 so it seems like he's been around longer. Hasn't played as many as 130 games since 2009 although the DH spot will help there. Of course he'll have to compete for time with the others seven DHs on that team.

Name that John Sterling homerun call.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

"It is high, It is far ..... It is..... GONE!

And Brian does the McCann-Can as the Yankees now trail 9-2. OOOOOoh, Suzyn. That one must have traveled 297 feet to right!"

[Lefty Specialist]

"It is high, It is far ..... It is..... GONE!

It's another McCannon shot! Oh Brian, you've got them cryin!!!!"

[Edgy MD]

"It is high, It is far ..... OH, YES..... HE..... McCANN!

I'm sorry... I'm sorry. The ballgirl down the leftfield line picked it up. She's flipping it to a fan."

[Ceetar]

Edgy MD wrote: "It is high, It is far ..... OH, YES..... HE..... McCANN! I'm sorry... I'm sorry. The ballgirl down the leftfield line picked it up. She's flipping it to a fan."

"And now McCann is screaming at the fan, because he's fist-pumping and waving the ball around."

"That's pathetic Jon. That fan really should act like he's been there before. It's a good thing dear ole Brian is here to set him right."

[Ceetar]

Lefty Specialist wrote: "It is high, It is far ..... It is..... GONE! It's another McCannon shot! Oh Brian, you've got them cryin!!!!"

I think this is closest.

It's only a matter of time before the McCannon is a marketing tie-in with McDonalds.

[ashie62]

The MFY's did well on this one..

[Frayed Knot]

Ricky Nolasco - Twins, 4 years.

[Lefty Specialist]

Frayed Knot wrote: Ricky Nolasco - Twins, 4 years.

And 49 million reasons for Nicky to be thankful.

Suddenly, I find myself wondering if the Mets will ever become free-spenders like the Twins.