The Dolphins Make Me Cry.com - Forums

Winter Meetings this Weekend ...Woohoo!

I read This morning..

David wright got a new deal from the Mets...

Mariano Rivera signed a 1 yr deal with the Yankees

Tommy Hanson of the Braves got Traded to the angels,for  Jordan Walden...

Things I knew but haven't mentioned My Cubs...
Signed
P -Scott Feldman
P- Scott Baker
OF- Brian Bogusevic
1 year deals

Designated for Assignment,Casey Coleman,and Bryan Lahair.Lahiar then Signed on in Japan.

They still suck and haven't done a damn thing to improve their club.

Wait, they did sign David Ross.  He handles a pitching staff very well, I actually AM anxious to see what he brings to the table.

So instead of 30 games out of first, it might be 29.  Yay.

If the Red Sox knew Russel Martin could be had for just 2 years/$17 Million, do you think they go for him? I am shocked the Yankees didn't, but I guess they are in coupon mode until 2015.

Davis Ross is very underrated, he could be a top catcher this year in the AL.

In a bit of a coup...
Being reported Ken Rosenthal,and John Heyman on twitter Cubs sign Japanese Pitcher Kyuji Fujikawa,2 year 9.5 million w/vesting option for a 3rd (https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/274991214372200448)

Awful teams don't need closers, but I guess it's easier to attract future free agents to a 70 win team than it is a 61 win team.

Marlins traded yuenal escobar to the rays for a AA 2B with potential

It's Yunel's fault for making over $7 per hour. He was just asking to be traded.

The Dodgers are reportedly finalizing a 6 year/$145 Million contract with Zack Greinke.

Before this, their payroll was projected to be $193 Million. This would push it to about $217 Million, a full $8 Million higher than the Yankees ever were. We will now open up the floor to "The Dodgers are Ruining Baseball" posts  >:D

Rays deal James Shields to Kansas City, but get arguably the best hitting prospect in the minor leagues (Wil Myers). I love James Shields...and consider him one of the most underrated pitchers in the game.

Still...to get a player like Myers at his age (22), I guess I can understand TB's position.

The Yankees are noticeably quiet this off season.  Reportedly Hank doesn't want to spend like his old man did, and wants to get the salaries down to the salary cap limit by 2014.  Bad news for all MLB players that depend on the Yanks to overpay and drive up salaries.

Don't worry players, the Dodgers and Angels are still around to give out stupid contracts.

The Yankees are doing everything in their power to get under a $189 Million payroll for 2014. If they do, their luxury tax penalties are reset to 0% from the 40% they are at now. Also, they will get refunds on some revenue sharing and old payments. I have read different numbers, but between not paying the tax and refunds, they are looking to get about $40 Million back.

So, either the team is tired of funding the Rays and doesn't want to cut those checks anymore, or they are beyond cheap and want to take the title of "Worst Owner in Sports" from Loria.

I don't expect the team to make the playoffs the next 2 years. They are already looking to trade Granderson this offseason and no way are they giving Cano a 10 year deal(nor should they). They learned their lesson from A-Rod and how giving people high priced deals into their 40's kills your team. Only 5 more years for Alex!

Greinke got an opt-out after 3 years. If this is the new trend in baseball, teams are in trouble because it means Greinke's 6 year deal is really a "Give me 6-7 more years after the 3rd or I walk" deal.

If it was an opt-out for both sides, it would be different but no player would ever sign a contract like that.

Yoooouk signed with yanks

My friend the Red Sox fan is pissed as hell.  He lumps in Youkilis with Johnny Damon.

Terrible signing by the Yankees. Chavez was better in every way this past season (offense, defense, clubhouse) and he signed for $3 Million. Yanks sign an inferior player for 4 times that amount. Terrible offseason for NY.

yeah i'm pissed we let chavez go too.  really liked him as a part timer.

Angels sign Josh Hamilton to a 5 year/$125 Million contract. Their payroll can be higher than the Yankees as well. Damn these LA teams killing baseball  >:D

Lost in this is the terrible offseason the Rangers are having. They lost Hamilton and Napoli and lost out on Greinke. Anaheim's 3-4-5 of Trout/Pujols/Hamilton may be the best in history, but their pitching is sorely lacking with the departures of Greinke and Haren. It's going to be a lot of 12-10 games in the AL West this year. 38-0 games when they face the Astros.

Red Sox sign Ryan Dempster 2 yr 26.5 mil,they are also rumored to close to be signing Mike Napoli

Getting Reports the Cubs signed,near a deal for Anibel Sanchez 5 yr 75 million.... :-\ Ken Rosenthal tweeted it was serious,Bob Nightengale of USA today said it was agreed to.

Modified to add....More people seem to be refuting Nightengale's report that it's agreed too...Detroit still in play

Detroit has a chance to match the Cubs offer and it is believe if they do, he will stay in Detroit.

The Sox and Napoli is almost a done deal, but I read somewhere they saw something on his medical reports they didn't like.

The Dempster deal is a very good one.

I don't understand why my Indians traded for all those pitchers when supposedly their lack of run production last season was a problem.  It's all good though because Terry Francona is back with the Tribe.

I have to say,I thought the Cubs were probably done in free agency,and all signs pointed to maybe a 1 year deal with a flyer Low risk High reward type guy if we signed anyone...

When I woke up this morning it was about Hey,Maybe the Cubs will go after David Price after the 2013 season...And The Cubs are willing to eat 26 million dollars of Soriano's deal to get someone in return...So to suddenly hear that we were trying to sign Sanchez,he was one of the better free agents on the market,and spend 75 million... :o

I thinks he's going back to Detroit,but there is still that 5% chance he signs with the Cubs...was alot more hope than I had this morning!

Anibel Sanchez reportly going back to Detroit of 5yr 80 million...

Wow, guess it pays to be the 2nd best pitcher in a terrible free agent market.

In other news, the Mets only want to give a 2 year extension to Dickey for $20 Million and he wants $26 Million. He just won the Cy Young. They play in New York. So, naturally they are going to trade him to Toronto to save $6 Million. Because they hate their fans.

That's funny as hell, but I tend to be easily amused by any combination of "New York sports fans" and "Misery."

In reality, it may not be a bad move as long as you don't mind pissing off the fans and having crappy attendance. The extension would make Dickey a Met for 3 more years. They aren't going to compete in 3 years, and if they do, it's in the last year where Dickey may not have it anymore.

So, this can help reload the farm system which is shockingly terrible and help the team in the long run. In the short run, it looks like they didn't want to spend $3 Million a year extra for a Cy Young award winner.

Or they secretly love the Braves....

I'm torn over the possible R.A dickey trade, from what i hear it could be R.A Dickey for Travis D'arnaud (top catching prospect), maybe more. It just seems like too much to get a 38 year old that will only be around for maybe 3 years.

But would be nice to have a rotation of

1. Josh Johnson
2. R.A Dickey
3. Brandon Morrow
4. Mark Buehrle
5. Ricky Romero

Its 3 years of promise they wouldn't have without him. With the Red Sox reeling. The Yankees aging. The O's being promising now. The Rays being who they are. If you don't make a move now, when?

Agree completely...and not just a move to chase a title, but a move to aggressively plunder as many "non-diehard" Yankees fans and "formative young" NY sports fans as possible, in order to strengthen the long-term appeal of the Mets brand within the NY market.

Exactly. This year and the next the Yankees are in the 85-90 win range. The Red Sox in the 75-90 range, depending on if things bounce right for them. In 2-3 years, both will be back atop the division, so now is the time to strike.

In a vacuum, it is WAY too much to give up as he is the best or 2nd best catching prospect in the game and they are giving up their top 3 prospects for a guy who will MAYBE sign an extension. Even if they have a verbal guarantee he will beforehand, he is 38.

It's a now or never move that I totally understand making considering where they are in time.

The problem with Dickey is this:  He is a knuckleballer.

The Jays got taken for a ride a little bit on this one, I'm afraid. 

Dickey is coming off a good season, yes.  He is a lifetime .500 pitcher (okay, slightly over at 61-56) and his ERA is almost at 4.00.  Prior to these past two seasons, where he posted 200 IP, he never came close to those marks.  The highest IP ever for him was 174.  The highest mark to that?  116! 

This isn't a kid with a ton of potential who finally "figured it out."  This is a 38 year old junk ball pitcher who dazzled for one season with smoke and mirrors and hood winkled himself into a big contract over it. 

The season before he was 8-13 with a 3.28 ERA (not bad at all), but a 1.277 WHIP and 8.7 hits per 9. 

I'm not saying Dickey is a bad pitcher.  Not at all.  A knuckleballer with a lifetime ERA under 4?  That's pretty darm great.  I think he a fantastic piece to the overall puzzle in Toronto.  He's the 4 there, not the 2, and they gave up too much to get him.

Even if Dickey isn't legit and he used smoke and mirrors, MLB is the one sport where it's athletes can't pick up on things through tape, they need to experience it first hand. So, he has at least one year of "I've never seen THAT before, I guess I will strike out now" before they figure him out, if that's not the case.

I don't think that's the case, I think he is legit. He only started throwing the knuckleball in 2008 as a last resort and after two rocky seasons with Seattle and Minnesota, he went to the Mets and did well for 3 consecutive seasons. ERA's of 2.84, 3.28 and 2.73 in 3 straight seasons, with each season better than the last.

I fear he will just keep going and the Blue Jays are winning the division this year, almost by default. Not like the Yankees are trying and the Sox are rebuilding and the Orioles had a fluky season.

Red Sox Aquired Joel Hanrahan from the Pirates
According to John Heyman tweet,Ken rosenthal,and Gorden edes tweets
#pirates will get 4 players in trade that is being finalized. They include sands and pimental. #hanrahan (https://twitter.com/JonHeymanCBS/status/282604888104513536)

Hanrahan trade is 6-player deal as constituted. 4 to pitts, 2 to bos. (https://twitter.com/JonHeymanCBS/status/282606605227409409)

Ken Rosenthal..
#RedSox indeed close to acquiring Hanrahan from #Pirates. FIrst reported by @gordonedes. (https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/282563252058193920)

Cubs signed two more pitchers,Carlos Villanueva,and Edwin Jackson... officially signed Nate Schierholtz yesterday...

Hope Boston didn't give up too much for a 1 year rental. Wait, I'm a Yankee fan. Of course I hope they gave up a lot. Closers are very overrated, unless you don't have one who can go 3 opportunities without blowing a save, so I understand what the Red Sox are doing.

Great, Boston got a closer.  You know, for those 13 games where they are leading in the 9th.  He'll look great with the other over priced closer they already have (Bailey).  Good thing they aren't stock piling weird positions like closer (2) or catcher (4), or first basemen (3).  Speaking of, why are they going into ST with seven OF?

The Yankees don't have one catcher. I doubt a trade will occur between the two sides.

I didn't see the prospects, did they give up a lot to get him?

Nope.  Actually it was a good deal for both sides.

"Boston completed the trade Wednesday, also receiving infielder Brock Holt. The Red Sox gave up right-handers Mark Melancon and Stolmy Pimentel, infielder Ivan DeJesus Jr. and first baseman-outfielder Jerry Sands."

From:

http://aol.sportingnews.com/mlb/story/2012-12-26/joel-hanrahan-trade-red-sox-acquire-pirates-closer-in-six-player-deal

Mark Melancon! Still waiting for him to dominate like he was supposed to. I don't think it's going to happen.