Frayed Knot

Maybe Heart can do MAGIC MAN and dedicate it to Cuddyer [youtube:ga64n7bz]XnsaTrM-SvQ[/youtube:ga64n7bz]

Both the Mo Vaughn (12/27/01) and Mike Hampton (12/23/00) acquisitions occurred during Christmas week.

I assumed it was going to be Upton but apparently they're planning on trying Myers in CF. For all the 'Flash' of those name acquisitions and the offensive upgrade they're getting, that is NOT going to be a good defensive outfield and that's not a park where you want to stock up on a trio of below average range guys.

Yeah, to the theoretical question as to whether I'd deal Syndergaard straight up for Tulowitski I'd say 'Yes' (would that be the most letters ever traded for each other?) - but it doesn't appear as if that offer is ever going to be on the table.

Ceetar wrote: GMs never close for business. They're too big to fail? Oh wait, you said GMs ... never mind.

Davidoff preaches patience in any Tulo talks. In the Mets� most recent conversations with the Rockies, during last week�s Winter Meetings, the Rockies wanted three or four top players � some current major leaguers, some prospects still in the minors � and also wanted the Mets to assume the entire $118 million that Tulowitzki has guaranteed through 2020. That�s a tough ask for a guy coming off the Alex Rodriguez hip surgery [and who] has averaged 111.6 games played over the last seven seasons.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: MFYs get Nathan Evoldi & Garrett Jones from the Fish for David Phelps and Martin Prado. Yanks also get a prospect and give away $$. And the Martin (the devil wears) Prado/Eovaldi trade sets the dominos tumbling as incumbent 3B Marlin Casey McGeheeheehee gets dealt to the Giants to fill the Sandoval hole (he's not quite the right size for it, but close). Fish get two minor leaguers in return. So there got he Murphy to Giants idea.

Not sure where the "5%" started, though at least some of this story began with Heyman. The Mets and Rockies have been quietly discussing a potential Troy Tulowitzki blockbuster for weeks, though it isn't known yet whether New York will have a decent chance to complete such a deal. Prized Mets pitching prospect Noah Syndergaard is said to be the centerpiece of discussions revolving around a potential package of young players in a possible deal for Tulo, though it seems like there is still quite a ways to go to have a chance to complete such a monster trade. New York and Colorado have been stealthily talking names for weeks, and while there's said to be some progress, it still feels like they are almost in the early stages with several hurdles to go ... He goes on to add that GM Jeff Bridich has consistently said he is listening on both Tulowitzki & Carlos Gonzalez, though it is known that [co-owner] Dick Monfort has rebuffed earlier talks w/other teams involving Tulowitzki. Tulo does NOT have a no-trade clause although he's close to the Montfort brother owners to the point where it's possible he could kill a deal he doesn't like by appealing to them. One person characterized the chances for a deal as still �slim� while allowing that discussions are still ongoing.

TheOldMole wrote: Didn't the Padres kill the Kemp deal? No. They questioned it after seeing the results of his physical (arthritis in both hips) but finally made it official last night.

Edgy MD wrote: I assume the name Mallex Smith has the ability to render women absolutely powerless. If I just heard that name without context I would have assumed he was one of the Superhero guys currently in the polling battle in the other forum. Padres certainly upgraded their OF in the last few weeks with Kemp, Myers, and now Upton They were pretty much a mess out there last season, using 15 different starters with only Seth Smith starting even half the games at any one position (81 starts exactly in LF) or getting more than 81 total starts out there (118 overall)

San Diego stays surprisingly active by dealing a couple of highly touted prospects to Oakland for catcher Derek Norris plus some spare parts.

Ceetar wrote: The Mets did that 'shh, PTBNL' bit with recently draftees last year. If teams are gonna be all hush hush about it but do it anyway, why bother with the rule? A (somewhat) brief history behind the one-year trade ban rule.

Showing evidence of arthritis in both hips has the Padres mulling over whether to nullify the Kemp deal. That, folks, is why you always hear the phrase: 'Pending results of a physical'

I believe SF would take either a 2B or 3B as they believe their half-year wonder Joe Panik can be Edgardo-like and play either position.

Ceetar wrote: The Mets did that 'shh, PTBNL' bit with recently draftees last year. If teams are gonna be all hush hush about it but do it anyway, why bother with the rule? Because the teams don't actually announce the player, it just leaks out via various means. The reports I saw framed the Nats bit as turning a good prospect that was blocked into two that are just further away. Two that are further away but are potentially MUCH better. Turner in particular is a recent top half of the 1st round pick out of college who plays SS, can hit (at least so far), and has top of the chart speed.

So if I'm reading this trade correctly... - the Nationals give up a soon to be 26 y/o corner OF with some power projections but also only 23 ML ABs to date, plus a pitcher out of HS they got in the 25th round just two years back who is, at best, four or more years away from the majors - and in return got two 1st round draft picks: Joe Ross - 25th overall in 2011, pitched in AA in 2014; Trea Turner, SS who was last year's #13 overall (3 picks after Conforto) and was a college player who should move up quickly Turner is not officially part of the trade since he was drafted less than one year ago, but his name is all over the reports here. Not sure I get it.

Cab it to the game in a 1950s era Chevy

Monster three-team/eleven player trade involving the Pads, Rays & Nats, mostly centering around former top prospect & 2013 RoY Will Myers (just 24 y/o but already headed for his 3rd org) who will join Matt Kemp in a suddenly revamp San Diego OF Padres get: Wil Myers, OF (from TB) Ryan Hanigan, C (TB) Gerardo Reyes, RHP (TB) Jose Castillo, LHP (TB) Rays get: Steven Souza, OF (WSH) Rene Rivera, C (SD) Jake Bauers, 1B (SD) Burch Smith, RHP (SD) Travis Ott, LHP (WSH) Nationals get: Joe Ross, RHP (SD) Player to be named (Trea Turner, SS) (SD) Will take a while to sort all that out Meanwhile, I have no idea what Tampa is up to this winter.

Edgy MD wrote: I see Dilson Herrera as a starting second baseman on a good team. I'm struggling over whether or not to infer the words "this season" in this statement. The question seemed to be talking about the present status. Yeah, fans tend to think more short term whereas the BA staff is geared towards taking the longer view especially since whether or not he's in the starting lineup depends on so many other factors. My guess for Dilson is that they'll keep in in Las Vegas until May (the usual ploy to delay arbitration and free agency) especially since, with Murphy likely to at least start the season as a Met, they won't need to rush him. Keep in mind that he already has 31 days of ML service time under his belt so, strictly from a FA/arb clock POV, the math changes on him vs someone like say Syndergaard who has yet to play. I think he can use some AAA time myself - on account of the lack of upper-minors ABs (<300 above A-ball), the low BA, and the nearly 30% K-rate during his short stint. And mainly there's the incumbent(s). I suspect that come April we'll either have Muffy still on the team OR we'll a new SS which allows Flores to play 2B. Either way the path is, at least temporarily, blocked.

Some answers from that Q&A involving IF prospects: ** Gavin Cecchini doesn�t have a carrying tool, but the 20-year-old shortstop also has no glaring weakness. He put in the work last offseason to add strength and it paid off with more power production in 2014. Plus as the Mets note, Cecchini improved his offensive production at both Low-A Savnnah and High-A St. Lucie after an initial adjustment period, e.g. he logged a .355 OBP and 25/22 BB/SO ratio over 47 games from mid-July to the end of the FSL season. He doesn�t switch-hit or show plus speed, so he profiles better as a starter at shortstop or second base rather than a utility infielder. ** L.J. Mazzilli, a fourth-rounder in 2013, has improved his defense from poor to passable as he climbed from college ball in 2013 to High-A St. Lucie in 2014. He has hit at every stop, including the Arizona Fall League, so the Mets view him as an offensive second baseman in the making. He just missed this year�s [team] top 30, but he�s a prospect. ** I see Dilson Herrera as a starting second baseman on a good team. Maybe he�s just shy of all-star level, but I would expect a high AVG and plenty of gap power. He ranks ahead of C Kevin Plawecki on our list because he fits his positional profile a bit better. In other words, Herrera�s strengths (hit, field, power) are exactly what big league teams seek from regular second basemen. also, projects "five to seven" from the NYM list to crack the overall Top-100 and sees the system over "definitely in the top-10" and "could make a case for" them being top five.

Q & A session on that list here

So does this thaw mean that Castro finally admits his culpability in the JFK assassination?

Cashman has already chimed in with saying that ARod wasn't the same player offensively or defensively even prior to the suspension. He also wasn't hitting RHPs very well either. btw, last time he played as many as 140 games? ... [u:uo3z9rsy]2007[/u:uo3z9rsy] No, Ichiro is no longer on their roster. NYY DHs in 2014: Beltran 76, Soriano 25, Jeter 15, McCann 13, Ellsbury 5, Teixeira 4, Pirela 2 (I have NO idea who this is), Johnson 2 (that would be Kelly), Young 2 (Chris who they also re-signed), Romine 1

Except for the acne.

The comments section got an extra thumbnail sketch for Matt Reynolds who was left off of a top-20 although (another reason I like Sickels) he warns folks not to pay too much attention to the exact order as the similar grades guy in the 10-20 guys are pretty much indistinguishable from each other. And that there are more C+ or better grades (he rates C+ as an above average prospect) than could fit into the top 20 is in itself a good sign. Anyway, on Reynolds: he is not really a .343 hitter (his 2014 avg) but he�s not really a .226 hitter, either (2013). In college he was projected to be a solid utility player who could hit .260-.270 with enough gap power and OBP to be helpful. Although he�s yo-yoed from season to season so far, the overall career line is exactly within those expectations. Defensively, he�s reliable in terms of avoiding errors and is no butcher at shortstop, but his range fits best at second base. Grade C+.