A Boy Named Seo

Apparently we did. Mets.com release: ]The New York Mets announced today that they have acquired catcher Johnny Estrada from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for righthanded pitcher Guillermo Mota. "Johnny adds depth to our catching situation," said Mets General Manager Omar Minaya. "He's a former All-Star who switch-hits and has hit over .300 three times in his career." Estrada, 31, hit .278 (123-for-442) with 40 runs scored, 25 doubles, 10 home runs and 54 RBI in 120 games with the Brewers last year. The 5-11, 209-pounder batted .313 (42-for-134) vs. lefthanded pitchers and hit .297 (60-202) with runners in scoring position last season. Johnny also constructed .313 (31-for-99) mark with four home runs and eight RBI against National League East opponents in 2007. He underwent arthroscopic surgery on October 4th to repair the torn medial meniscus in his left knee and also had a bone spur removed from his right elbow. The surgeries were performed by Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, AL. Estrada has batted .280 (567-for-2,026) with 198 runs scored, 129 doubles, 42 home runs, 281 RBI in 589 major league games with Philadelphia, Atlanta, Arizona and Milwaukee. Johnny was named to the 2004 National League All-Star team. In addition, he has hit .333 (7-for-21) with two home runs and five RBI in six postseason games in 2004-2005 while with Atlanta. Estrada has compiled a .297 (272-for-915) batting average during his career with runners on base and has hit .353 (18-51) with the bases loaded. Mota, 34, went 2-2 with a 5.76 ERA in 52 games with New York last season. In 59.1 innings, he allowed 63 hits, 39 runs, 38 earned, with 18 walks and 47 strikeouts.

Steve, if you're going to post the trade talk, give us the source, too, and we'll make up our own minds about it.

Yes.

I thought his press conference would bug me, but it didn't. Only watched the first 15 minutes or so, but he didn't say anything cheesy at all, nothing overly gushy about his homecoming, or anything remotely negative about his time with the Mets. Strictly professional. Interestingly enough, around 9:30 he says he told the Mets straight away at the end of the season that he was not going to pick up his option because 1) he didn't know if he wanted to retire and that 5 days wasn't enough time for him to decide, and 2) he felt he wasn't worth the $13 mils his contract would've called for. He went on to say he didn't feel like he was a "#1 guy anymore".

I'd hate to yank Lunchbucket's GM of the Year trophy before he even had a place for it on the mantle, but I'd vote no on his Maine for Hudson, Montero deal. Nice to have those guys, but Martinez, El Duque, Perez, and Pelfrey, Sosa, Humber, whoever doesn't look so hot. And Milledge seems to be offered alot, but with no Green, half an Alou, and the lefty Endy, I think we'll really need Lastings this year.

JD (Dbags): Hudson, Montero, Craig Pfautz // Maine, Andy Handy ACCEPTED MFS (Indians): Shoppach ©, Barfield (2B) // Heilman or Pelfrey Irish (A's, link isn't working): ??? Edgy (Twins): ??? Monk (Brewers): Sheets (SP), Turnbow (RP) // Milledge, Heilman Valadius (Orioles): Bedard (SP) // Fernando Martinez, Carlos Gomez, Humber Seo (Indians again): Shoppach ©, Cliff Lee (SP) // Milledge, Pelfrey smg (Mariners): Jojima © for ??? (that board has a strange, hard-to-read layout and devolved into Larry Craig jokes, WATP's involving David Wright, and beer and pizza talk). --- The best one on the table, I think, is Monk's. Sheets would replace John Maine from Dickshot's deal and Turnbow replaces Heilman. I think we're short an outfielder still and we kind of have two second baseman now.

I've got one dude into Kelly Shoppach/Cliff Lee for Milledge/Humber, but I think Milledge has been traded like 11 times in this thread alone and we might need him in right/left field. Maybe Shin-Soo Choo can be had.

I kinda grew fond of Castillo. He looked like he absolutely hated losing and that's sadly not based on a small sample size. I kept waiting for his broken body to just go poof and for him to implode into a pile of dust, but writhing in pain, or just kinda hurting, he always busted down the line and hung in on DP's and made some nice plays in the field. His legs scare me, because if they go for good, there's not much left. 4 years is a long time. Woulda been neat to see Hudson, Weeks, Barfield, or some other younger, less decrepit second baseman be imported. But if it's Luis, then rest your legs, man. Please.

Two things. First, you got just one response and it was luke-warm at best. This trade needs life breathed into it NOW!!! And second, I forgot you already did it.

I took Vic's Shoppach/Barfield deal to an Indians site and peddled it. There was already some Cliff Lee and Kelly Shoppach to the Mets talk there, so I foresee some hot and fast action.

I love Weeks, but he was kicking all kinds off ass at the end of the year when he came back from the minors. He's too young and too talented for them to let go of, I'd bet. What about Bill Hall? Reasons why we might: -He's played some second base (though not particularly well) and can play the OF/SS/3B in a pinch. -He's in the second year of 4-year/$24M deal, with the expensive years coming up (08:$4.8M, 09:$6.8M, 10:$8.4M, 11:$9.25M club option/$0.5M buyout). -He'll be 28 this year. Reasons why they might: -Sub-par year in '07 offensively, might not be worth the money remaining. -Struggled defensively in CF and they're good at 3B, 2B, and SS, with Braun, Weeks, and Hardy.

w00t.

]Baseball cash tree is ripe for picking As free agents chase money, the sport has plenty available, with $6 billion in revenue this year. By Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer November 13, 2007 It was Gil Meche last winter. It could be Kyle Lohse this winter, or Carlos Silva, or Francisco Cordero. It certainly could be Alex Rodriguez. Today is the first day free agents can sign with a new team. In the days and weeks to come, some player will sign a contract that appears so outrageous fans will shake their heads in amazement. Meche was a relatively unknown and definitely undistinguished pitcher last winter, with a career record just above .500 and a career earned-run average just below 5.00. Then the Kansas City Royals lavished $55 million upon him, and all of a sudden fans wondered not only what the Royals were thinking but when this geyser of money erupted. Baseball is awash in revenue, and you don't have to take Scott Boras' word for it. The commissioner, Bud Selig, would be more than happy to put a number on it for you: Baseball is a $6-billion industry. Since owners and players last shut down the game, baseball's annual gross revenue has increased fivefold, from $1.2 billion in 1994 to an estimated $6 billion this year. "That number is the most dramatic manifestation of how popular the sport is," Selig said. "That number is stunning." The players have shared in the spoils. Rodriguez, the game's highest-paid player, made $27 million in base salary this year, and opted out of his contract in hopes of making more in free agency. The game's highest-paid player in 1994 was Bobby Bonilla of the New York Mets, at $6.3 million. The cancellation of the 1994 World Series did not, as fashionably predicted at the time, herald the death of baseball as a major American sport. Now, flush with bucks from online and international ventures unimaginable a decade ago, and from new ballparks that double as cash machines, baseball is within striking distance of the estimated $6.3 billion generated by the NFL this year. "Baseball was not the national pastime, but past its time: That's what everybody said," Selig said. "I happen to believe the sport is as popular today as it's ever been and as popular as any sport now." For the fourth consecutive season, baseball set an attendance record, in the major leagues and in the minor leagues. Interleague play has juiced attendance, with the surefire series -- Angels vs. Dodgers, New York Yankees vs. New York Mets, and so on -- booked into prime weekend spots. The wild card has been wildly successful, not only in diversifying the playoff field and keeping fans interested once football season starts, but by accenting the power of the biggest draws in the game, the Yankees and Boston Red Sox. The Yankees and Red Sox have made the playoffs together three times in the last five years; the Yankees have qualified every year since the 1994 strike. But no team repeated as a division champion this year, and no team has repeated as a World Series champion in seven years, a span in which parades have been held in honor of the Angels, Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago White Sox, Florida Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals. "There's a general parity of belief -- not necessarily more parity," said Boras, perhaps the most powerful agent in the game. "The Yankees and Red Sox are always winning, which I think is a good thing for the sport. "You have your Goliaths. But you have a lot of Davids winning the World Series. That brings a ray of hope to a lot of people in the game." Whether fans followed games at the ballpark, on television, on radio or online, they spent billions of dollars. And corporations spent billions more to reach those fans. "I think the game, overall, has taken good advantage of expanding economic opportunities," said Donald Fehr, executive director of the players' union. In 2006, for instance, baseball generated $1.2 billion from luxury suites, advertising and sponsorships -- equivalent to total revenues in 1994. Clubs hauled in corporate dollars in naming rights, to a ballpark or to a particular section of it. In renovations at Angel Stadium and in Dodger Stadium, and in new ballparks across the country, clubs converted their best seats to luxury boxes and suites, with fine dining and fax service and $400 tickets. "There's been a strong demand for corporate and premium seating, which has created a great deal of revenue," Boras said. "Owners learned how to operate their ballparks -- 70% of the revenue comes from 30% of the seating." Revenues from traditional tickets and local broadcast rights have more than tripled since 1994. And, with the value of sports programming rising to national advertisers struggling to reach mass audiences amid the proliferation of cable and satellite channels, national broadcast rights have soared from $52 million to $935 million. But the biggest eruptions from that geyser of money may be yet to come, as baseball expands its presence abroad and online. The jump in merchandising and licensing revenue from 1994 to 2006 was almost three times greater internationally than in the United States, and countries from Israel to Colombia are clamoring for entry into the second World Baseball Classic, scheduled for 2009. "Ten years from now, you won't recognize the sport worldwide," Selig said. "It will be that quick. The World Baseball Classic was the first real foray into that, and it was so good. "We've opened an office in Beijing. Israel is talking baseball now. We want to open up in Europe. We're going to be very aggressive. It opens up horizons that don't exist. It's huge." The same is true for MLB Advanced Media (MLBAM), the hugely successful online arm of baseball. MLBAM generates hundreds of millions no one could envision a decade ago, running online operations in baseball and beyond, venturing into such areas as volleyball and music. In baseball, team websites offer one-stop access to news, game updates, video and audio coverage, promotions and ticket and merchandise sales. Diamondbacks President Derrick Hall said his team sells eight out of 10 tickets online. "I think we've only scratched the surface in terms of what MLBAM ultimately will become," said Jeff Moorad, Diamondbacks chief executive. The revenue revolution could be fueled by the marriage of international outreach and innovative technology, said Billy Beane, Oakland Athletics general manager. "I can get it on my computer. People are going to be able to get it on their phones," Beane said. "There are millions -- possibly billions -- of people on the other side of the world that have yet to pick their favorite team. They're going to be able to pull up their cellphone some day and watch the Oakland A's from Hong Kong." In addition to the money split evenly among 30 teams -- in jersey sales and online operations, for instance -- the teams that make the least money get welfare from the teams that make the most. This year's revenue-sharing pool is a record $342 million, Selig said. Fehr, the union chief, notes baseball has taken advantage of a strong economy over the last decade. But he also notes better management leads to more money. "Do you remember when Seattle was a tiny-market club, and San Francisco, and Texas, and all those teams that could never draw and were terrible?" Fehr said. "It shows that, in most of those cases, there wasn't anything intrinsic about the location. It had more to do with the way teams were being managed." The factor most fundamental in selling baseball is, of course, playing baseball. Since the 1994 strike, owners and players have twice negotiated a new collective bargaining agreement without either side threatening to shut down the game. "A generation of fans was always holding their breath," Beane said, "waiting for the next interruption." Selig cannot guarantee something as delicate as labor peace. Or can he? "In the '70s and '80s and early '90s, clubs were fighting with each other," he said. "Clubs were fighting with commissioners. The union and clubs were fighting. Players were fighting, owners fighting with owners. "Just think how different it is. Those things don't exist any more. And they won't, as far as I'm concerned."

Baseball: Still dead.

The Cubs send another outfielder to the AL Midwest, this time Craig Monroe to the Twins for a PTBNL. That deal kinda surprised me because I didn't know Craig Monroe was a member of the Cubs.

Weird. Thought Fausto might win that one and he didn't even finish in the top 3.

Damn.

Frayed Knot wrote: NAME1st (5 pts)2nd (3 pts)3rd (1 pt)TOTALBraun17141128Tulowitski15170126Pence001515Young (Ariz)001010Kendrick0147Escobar0011Loney0011 NAME1st (5 pts)2nd (3 pts)3rd (1 pt)TOTALPedroia2440132Young (TB)312556Bannister18736Matsuzaka02612Okajima0033Fields (Chi)0011Soria (KC)0011 The dude who voted Kendrick 2nd (gotta be from Philly) is probably the same dude that voted Braun 3rd. These ballots are anonymous aren't they?

Frayed Knot wrote: You wonder if any of the voters even considered defense when casting their ballots. Not only does Tulowitski play the tougher position, but the difference between the skill level of the two isn't just a gap, it's a fuckin chasm. Braun can hit like hell but is a BRUTAL glove man. For sure, but how much more awesome does Tulowitski have to be to offset the offensive difference? PlayerBAOBPSLGOPSOPS+ABBBRuns2bHRRBISBCSHome OPSRoad OPSHome OPS+Road OPS+Toolowitski.291.359.479.8381086095710433249976.960.71914694Brawnie Man.327.370.6341.00415345129912634971551.045.966166155

Braun totally deserved it. Glad they got it right.

I can't think of an example where the Mets under Omar passed on a guy perceived to be tougher to sign. Pelfrey was a Scott Boras guy that other teams passed on and Omar jumped on. In '06 their first pick wasn't until #62 (Mulvey) and in '07, #42 (Kunz). Probably not a lot of slam dunk guys teams can go cheap on still hanging around in the sandwich and second rounds. And the Mets caught plenty of crap for giving Fernando Martinez his deal in '05.

I don't know. Seems a good deal for the Phils. Costanza looks like maybe the best player they're giving up on. Bourne and Geary are not significant losses. Gordon and Myers both had inconsistent spells last year, so the back of their pen is no less reliable with Lidge. And their rotation certainly improves with Myers back in it.

]Hey, that's my face you're standing on. -Cranepool Forum

Lincecum is completely bad-ass. His minor league numbers are eye-popping. Made me think of a right-handed Cole Hamels. No way they watch him ascend through the minors, reach the majors with success, and then trade him for a "quality bat" unless he's already broken and they know it, or they're stoopid. If they do, though, I want some of that.

The ump explains what he saw in this AZ Republic article. Also noteworthy are Justin Upton's angelic responses to the slide and getting hit with a pitch by Francis, and Troy Tulowitski's fiery fire. I like that guy. Also watch the video to see a couple of D-bag fan responses to the bottle throwing.