The Yankees: Minors to Majors (Free subscription) | 11/17/2009
Frankly, the Yankees are in pretty solid shape for the upcoming season. Cashman does not have to do a lot. Here is what I believe should be the Master Plan for Brian Cashman in the 2009-10 offseason. 1. Get Andy Pettitte re-signed. Andy is not likely to sign elsewhere. He stated that he would either go to the Yankees or retire, but I feel that going to the Astros or Rangers may still be an option for...
The Crawfish Boxes (Free subscription) | 11/13/2009
More photos » by Eric Risberg - AP Justin Duchscherer would look much better with a star on his hat. Browse more photos » Hat tip to OremLK for breaking this in the fan posts section, but Brian McTaggart has a blog post up in which Ed Wade confirms what we've all been led to believe, the Astros payroll will decrease in 2010 . Wade had a pow wow with Drayton McLane and a number was tossed...
Sliding Into Home (Free subscription) | 11/09/2009
Here are the rankings via AOL Fanhouse : Players with * have 2010 options in current contract Type A free agents (with former team): Jason Bay, OF, Boston Rafael Betancourt, RP, Colorado* Orlando Cabrera, IF, Minnesota Johnny Damon, OF, Yankees Octavio Dotel, RP, White Sox Jermaine Dye, OF, White Sox* Chone Figgins, IF, Angels Mike Gonzalez, RP, Atlanta John Grabow, RP, Cubs Kevin Gregg, RP, Cubs LaTroy...
Halos Heaven (Free subscription) | 11/09/2009
More photos » by Charles Rex Arbogast - AP "If you sign with the Yankees, I'll come hunt you down and kill you" Browse more photos » Let's see how good we are at predicting where this season's free agents will land. Predict who will sign where, for how much and for how long. I'll start.... John Lackey : Yankees , $18M, 4 years Vladimir Guerrero : Angels , $7M, 2 years Chone Figgins...
The Crawfish Boxes (Free subscription) | 11/05/2009
Today, Dying Quail posted his shoestring-budget plan for the Astros offseason, and it included signing a top-tier reclamation project so that new pitching coach Brad Arnsberg could work his magic. I like the idea of going for upside this offseason with our pitching signings...I'm not really up for repeating the Hampton/Ortiz experience next season. Inspired, I've cobbled together quick profiles on...
The Crawfish Boxes (Free subscription) | 11/05/2009
More photos » by Nick Wass - AP Rich Hill is definitely my pick for sexy-under-the-radar reclamation project. He still has a few prime years in his tank and is a major head case, it seems. From we know of Arnsberg, that's right in his wheelhouse. Browse more photos » The title is somewhat facetious. The Astros are guaranteed to spend around $80 million, as is, heading into 2010, but there...
MLB Trade Rumors (Free subscription) | 10/24/2009
A few more links to peruse as MLB officials sift through rainy forecasts in NYC... According to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, Oakland GM Billy Beane has touched base with free agent right-hander Justin Duchscherer. It's not yet clear, however, whether the A's will try to retain him. MLBTR profiled the "Duke of Hurl" about a month ago. Diamond Leung passes along a nice anecdote...
MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com (Free subscription) | 10/23/2009
Ben Sheets plans to return to the majors in 2010, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. One of Sheets' representatives says the righty is throwing of flat ground now and expects to be "more than ready to go" in Spring Training. Sheets had a fantastic 2008 campaign, but a torn flexor tendon sidelined him this past season. Like fellow-free agents Rich Harden, Erik Bedard and Justin Duchscherer,...
Viva El Birdos (Free subscription) | 10/23/2009
I think we, as a community of worriers, are relatively pat about the offense—if anything bad were to happen, be it Pujols missing a chunk of time; Rasmus continuing to be Ramos; or the Cardinals seriously going into the 2010 season with Skip Schumaker and Allen Craig dueling for the chance to be the team's fourth best hitter, it would come as a terrible shock. But the pitchers... well, they were...
MLB Trade Rumors (Free subscription) | 10/17/2009
A fresh batch of links for Saturday afternoon... Perry Hill left his post as Pirates first base coach Saturday and, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, expressed unhappiness with the team's aggressive trading this season on his way out. The Pirates got rid of three-fourths of their infield during the year. According to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, the A's have not touched base...
Royals Review (Free subscription) | 10/15/2009
So this is what I am left with: doomed to follow a baseball team that uses pre-modern techniques for assessing players I am forced to come up with my own alternate reality that I hope will happen. I will list some groups of players that I would look to acquire at each position we need. I admit the plan is not "sexy" but it better positions us for 2011/12 and should improve the club next season....
AZ Snakepit (Free subscription) | 10/15/2009
Re-Evaluating The Free Agent Class "Let's accept this free agent class for what it is - full of interesting players with a real chance to outplay the contracts they receive... Rich Harden can be one of the best pitchers in baseball when he's on the mound and throwing strikes, but his long injury history is going to limit him to a short term deal. He's far from the only talented starting pitcher...
Bless You Boys (Free subscription) | 10/14/2009
More photos » by Charlie Riedel - AP Could Scott Podsednik solve two needs for the Detroit Tigers with one ballplayer? Browse more photos » With the offseason not officially beginning until the end of the World Series (and that could be four weeks from now, if both the league championships and World Series go to a full seven games), there's some time to just bounce trade and free agent...
It's Just Sports (Free subscription) | 10/09/2009
The Tigers have no financial flexibility and big raises due to Justin Verlander and Edwin Jackson, but a few minor moves can keep them competitive next season.
MLB Trade Rumors (Free subscription) | 10/07/2009
All the data is in for Eddie Bajek's Elias Ranking projections. There may be a few errors to clean up but we'll take a look at the tentative rankings anyway. The projected Type B free agents (asterisk denotes an option): Garret Anderson Rod Barajas Erik Bedard Joe Beimel Ron Belliard Adrian Beltre Doug Brocail* Marlon Byrd Kiko Calero Mike Cameron Carl Crawford* Doug Davis Carlos Delgado Justin Duchscherer...
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