Non Mets Off Season News

[Lefty Specialist]

Gerardo Parra to Rockies 3 years, $26 million.

Well, SOMEBODY's getting traded from that outfield now.

[Edgy MD]

Dee Gordon gets five years and $50 million from the Marlins, which is a pretty handsome price even if he regresses, which he likely will. It's a bloody bargain if he doesn't.

The Marlins were looked at as a dark horse last season and proved to be a bottom dweller before launching into third place with a strong September. A revitalized José Fernandez might make that prediction still valid for 2016.

[nymr83]

if Gordon regresses to his 2014 form this is a so-so deal. if he regresses to his 2011-2013 form, this is a horrible deal. if 2015 was the "real" Gordon its a good deal. overall, i'd say this is the right amount of risk/reward for the marlins

[TransMonk]

Jonathan Lucroy wants to win, hopes Brewers trade him

ESPN.com news services wrote: "I'm not going to sit here and say we're going to compete for the playoffs this year," Lucroy told the [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] in a telephone interview. "If I did that, you'd call me a liar. I'd lose credibility and respect. I want to win, and I don't see us winning in the foreseeable future. I want to go to a World Series. That's what all players want. Rebuilding is not a lot of fun for any veteran guy."

This next season could be a rough one in Milwaukee.

[Frayed Knot]

Doug Fister signs a one year deal with the Astros.



Rox trade OF Corey Dickerson to Tampa for pitcher Jake McGee, plus a minor leaguer going each way.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Seems like a good, old-fashioned strength-for-strength trade to fill pressing need areas for both sides.

Fister seems like he could be a great value-- consider that his contract cost is lower than Big Bad Bart's, and just a bit higher than Rich Hill's-- IF he somehow regains some fastball giddy-up (it's dropped something like 3 mph over the last two seasons, with the drop from 2014 to 2015 being more severe) and/or regains his command (which suffered a bit early last year, presumably due to the foreamrm issues he was having). He was very good for four seasons before last year (3.17 ERA/3.33 FIP/3.44 FIP+), and he wasn't even THAT bad last year.

[Lefty Specialist]

Jonathan Lucroy wants to win, hopes Brewers trade him "I'm not going to sit here and say we're going to compete for the playoffs this year," Lucroy told the [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] in a telephone interview. "If I did that, you'd call me a liar. I'd lose credibility and respect. I want to win, and I don't see us winning in the foreseeable future. I want to go to a World Series. That's what all players want. Rebuilding is not a lot of fun for any veteran guy." This next season could be a rough one in Milwaukee.

The new fashion in baseball is trading everyone away and really sucking while you wait for the kids to develop. The Astros did it, and the Braves are doing it right now. Teams that are kind of caught in the middle can suck a little less thoroughly but do it for a longer time (see: Mets 2009-14, Phillies 2012-?).

Brew Crew needs to own the remake and start from scratch.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Seems like a good, old-fashioned strength-for-strength trade to fill pressing need areas for both sides.

For some reason, I conflated McGee the reliever with Odorizzi/Matt Moore the starters, and thought the Rockies were getting more. I just looked a little closer at this one:

2 years of McGee the reliever at ~5M/yr and a nice pitching prospect (Marquez)

for

4 years of Dickerson the imperfect starting OF at league minimum (arb eligible next year) and an even better infield prospect (Padlo)

It's weird, Rockie-wise. Keeping in mind that this is the team that traded Tulo for "salary relief," it's even weirder. And then when you take into account that they just added Parra to take Dickerson's spot, for ~9M... it REALLY looks weird.

It is nice that a few teams are trying to rebuild in, um, creative ways, though. Helps keep things bright and fresh-tasting. Congratulations, Rockies-- you're the weird-as lemon zest!

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Jonathan Lucroy's dream comes true -- for Jean Segura!

--Brews trade Segura to Dbags for P Chase Anderson, 2B Aaron Hill and a prospect.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

They traded Segura for an older, more expensive version, and Wagner for the same... and got one decent prospect in the offing.

Again... it definitely has the waft of half-measure about it.

[Frayed Knot]

Yovani Gallardo to the Orioles for 3 years.

Certainly a good pitcher, but hasn't looked like the stud he was a couple of years ago, plus was one of the guys with the 'Qualifying Offer' tag on him which means this will cost the O's the 14th overall pick in June.
Is Ian Desmond the last of the 'QO' guys [u:3cnwqo3m]STILL[/u:3cnwqo3m] unsigned?

[Edgy MD]

He's turned down a lot of money on the road to where he is now.

[Frayed Knot]

Jimmy Rollins, 37, signs a minor league deal with the ChiSox.
Reportedly he rejected two other offers which came with a roster spot guaranteed but this one apparently nets him more money if he makes the roster.

In the old days players in his situation would often retire. It would give them the chance to use connections to get a good 'regular' job before their name faded from people's memories which was better than toiling on the bench at minimum wage levels. But now, not only don't ballplayers with a lengthy resume need a post-career job but, even if they wanted to work elsewhere, what else is going to net them a million-plus per?

[ashie62]

Nobody wants a gamble on Tim Lincecum?

[Lefty Specialist]

Ashie62 wrote: Nobody wants a gamble on Tim Lincecum?

Wow, had no idea he was still out there. It all fell apart so fast for him.

[ashie62]

Al Jazeera America outs Ryan Zimmerman and Ryan Howard for PEDS.

Bad day for Ryans

[Edgy MD]

That's actually a story from December. The only news here is the players showing up to camp and facing the media.

As the rules of PED suspensions absurdly relieve the team from their salary obligation toward the player, a PED suspension for Howard but be just about the best news the Phillies could hope for.

[ashie62]

It is the same story that dogged Peyton Manning where the pharamicist source recanted.

Part of me believes it is true for all three named.

[Lefty Specialist]

Well, considering the career arcs of Howard and Zimmerman, I'd say those were pretty crappy PED's.

[Frayed Knot]

Frayed Knot wrote: Yovani Gallardo to the Orioles for 3 years.

The O's are apparently contemplating the findings in Gallardo's physical before OK'ing the whole thing.
So with the free time they had while waiting around for the final decision there, they signed Dexter Fowler to a 3-year deal.

[Edgy MD]

It's pretty 'fusing how somebody has to wait until just about everybody else is in camp to sign a contract, but still gets three years.

[MFS62]

Respected?
C'mon, be real.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/la-sp-dodgers-20160224-story.html

Later

[ashie62]

MFS62 wrote: Respected? C'mon, be real. http://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/la-sp-dodgers-20160224-story.html Later

Consider the source, LA Times.

[Fman99]

Face Buttley Article Writer wrote: "You have two guys [utley, Tejada] desperately trying to make a championship play," [catcher A.J.] Ellis said. "Those two forces collided. And no one felt worse about it than Chase."

Sure, right. I'm pretty sure I felt worse about it. And Ruben.

[Lefty Specialist]

Dexter Fowler goes BACK to the Cubs, leaving the Orioles flummoxed.

Mets may have the best pitching in the league, but the Cubbies are going to have the best offense. This means Heyward can play right instead of center. Not sure what they do with Soler and Schwarber now. That's a crowded outfield.

[Zvon]

Lefty Specialist wrote: Dexter Fowler goes BACK to the Cubs, leaving the Orioles flummoxed. Mets may have the best pitching in the league, but the Cubbies are going to have the best offense. This means Heyward can play right instead of center. Not sure what they do with Soler and Schwarber now. That's a crowded outfield.

Schwarber's will spend more time behind the plate. IIRC he started as a catcher. They want to get Schwarber's bat in there somehow. Montero and Ross are both ahead of him on the depth chart as far as catcher goes, so no idea how that's going to play out.

[Frayed Knot]

Lefty Specialist wrote: Dexter Fowler goes BACK to the Cubs, leaving the Orioles flummoxed.

WOW!! Not only did he spurn the O's, but he did so by giving up a 3/$33 contract for 1 year @ $8 plus a mutual option for 2017 at 9 mil. And the kicker is that Fowler loses nearly $8 million because he turned down the Cubs QO to begin with.
Now I suppose one could argue that he's betting on himself by keeping the possibility to be a FA next season (and perhaps w/o the QO restrictions) but that's a helluva bet.
The Cubs, meanwhile, made room for Fowler (both in the OF and much of it on the payroll) by dealing Chris Coghlan and his $4.8 mil salary to Oakland for spare 25 y/o pitcher Aaron Brooks.


P.S. - Fowler's agent is blasting the media and the Orioles for publicizing the Baltimore deal before it was ever done. Heyman was the original reporter of the news.

Edited February 26, 2016 by Guest

[Lefty Specialist]

Schwarber's a terrible defensive catcher, and we know from the NLCS that he's a terrible defensive outfielder. But boy, can he hit. Bit of a dilemma for Maddon. Bet he wishes he still had the DH.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Frayed Knot wrote: P.S. - Fowler's agent is blasting the media and the Orioles for publicizing the Baltimore deal before it was ever done. Heyman was the original reporter of the news.

Because Casey Close has NEVER used or benefitted from early press leaks, I'm sure. "EMPTY SELF-RIGHTEOUS YELLING TO COVER THE FACT THAT I LOST MY CLIENT $25M GUARANTEED OVER AN OPT-OUT!!"

[Lefty Specialist]

Yeah, if I'm Dexter, I'm firing my agent forthwith.