One week later
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Jan 24, 2011 
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I quite literally lost myself in the back bowls of Vail last week, but when I came back to New York, I found myself right at home with the unavoidable Yankees topic of the offseason. I guess it’s hard for the Yankees to escape Andy Pettitte these days. I tend to agree with Jesse’s morning post — I’m not sure Pettitte’s a Hall of Famer — but right now the Yankees don’t need a Hall of Fame addition to their rotation.
They’ve built a remarkably deep bullpen, their lineup is still arguably the best in the league and they have some new power on the bench. What they don’t have (still) is depth in the rotation. It’s an issue that’s going to linger, and until Pettitte gives a definitive answer about his future, his name will never fall out of offseason speculation.
As for recent events, I actually missed a fairly active week. A few highlights:
Rafael Soriano became official
Press conferences for new free agents are fairly predictable. The team is happy to have the player. The player is happy to be with the team. Those situations are interesting only because it’s a new face in a new uniform, not because there will be any sort of interesting news or realization. This week, though, the Yankees signing of Rafael Soriano became official, and the team had to address the obvious: That the general manager wasn’t in favor of the signing and ownership ran the show in signing the team’s biggest winter addition. This topic has been discussed over and over again, and there’s no sense rehashing it here, but I will say that this was one of the few press conferences that I actually thought might be legitimately interesting. I was on an airplane at the time.
Rumor became fact, Andruw Jones became a Yankee
At some point around the first of the month, the Yankees and Andruw Jones became a constant rumor. They were talking. They were interested. They were sorting the details. Last week, it was done, with Jones taking a one-year deal worth $2 million plus incentives. It fits into the going rate for similar players, and I like the signing. As I’ve written before, I think Jones made the most sense for the Yankees. Of the outfielders in this market, only Matt Diaz might have been a better fit, and he got a regular gig with the Pirates. Jones isn’t what he used to be, but the Yankees don’t need him to be what he used to be. They need him to hit for power and play the outfield corners. He can still do those things, and he can do them without costing much this season or putting the Yankees on the hook for any long-term risk.
The Yankees avoided arbitration with everyone
No arbitration hearings this year, which is probably better for everyone involved. Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain and Boone Logan all settled on 2011 contracts last week, locking up the only arbitration eligible players still on the Yankees roster (Sergio Mitre had already re-signed, Chad Guadin had already been released, and Dustin Moseley had been non-tendered). I actually thought all three might get more money than they did, but my ability to judge arbitration value is suspect at best. Those three are still a year or two away from becoming truly expensive for the Yankees.
Johnny and Manny together again
While the Yankees settled on their fourth outfielder, the Rays also completed their outfield picture by signing Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez to one-year deals. Damon seems likely to get most of his playing time in left field, Ramirez at designated hitter. To me it’s a nice signing for the Rays, but not a big loss for the Yankees. Neither Damon nor Ramirez exactly fit the Yankees needs – defense plays a role here, so does Damon’s left-handed bat – but the Rays had a wide-open DH situation and an outfield in flux, stuck somewhere between Carl Crawford and Desmond Jennings. To an extent, Jones, Damon and Ramirez each made sense for both the Yankees and Rays, but it seems to me that the Yankees got the guy who best fit their needs and the Rays got the guys who best fit their needs.
The Angels showed what desperation really looks like
Whether true or not, there was something about the Yankees Soriano signing that seemed desperate: It wasn’t a perfect fit or a good contract, but at least it gave them a significant addition. However, when it comes to perceived desperation, the Angels took the prize this week when they traded for Vernon Wells. I like Wells and wouldn’t be shocked to see a repeat of 2010, but his contract is an absolute mess that the Blue Jays have clearly wanted to dump for a while. Not only did they dump it, they dumped that contract – all of it! — for two solid young players, and to a team that didn’t necessarily need an overpaid center fielder. It’s like the Soriano level, only on a whole other level: Wells might make the Angels better, but does that mean he’s worth this sort of cost and risk?
Marcus Thames remembered his glove
Last winter, Marcus Thames was – pretty much without question – Brian Cashman’s best offseason signing. He came to camp on a minor league deal and settled into a significant and productive role as a semi-regular. Thames has some very real power, and he can really hit against lefties, so it’s easy to see why the Dodgers signed him last week. Of course, you might have noticed that the Dodgers are a National League team without a designated hitter. Thames is best left out of the defensive game plan, but to be honest, if he hits like he did last season, his bat will be more than enough to make up for shaky left-field defense. That’s my guess, anyway.
Welcome back Chad
Has a roster move made to add Jones to the 40 man?
Hi Chad – welcome back.
Randy
I heard the scooter store blog is looking for new posters. Ill send you the link. Might be a better environment for you at this point buddy.
I miss the skiing in Colorado from having lived there, I’m jealous. Welcome back Chad.
Welcome back Chad!!
Welcome back Chad, great recap.
Still missing:
- Andy Pettitte
- One more (proven) starter, preferably LH but a RH is acceptable.
Chip,
The Vernon Wells – Rivera/Napoli trade was abysmal.
Wells did comport himself better last season, and that’s a good sign, but not for the dollars remaining. But the Angels did it due to the ‘short term’ status of the contract v the ‘long term’ status they would have owned Crawford. Problem is Wells is no longer in his prime, while Crawford is just entering his.
Napoli gives Toronto a very good catching squad of Araciba, Napoli & Molina I belive, with Napoli able to play 1B and DH, and may even make Molina expendable. Maybe.
I’m wondering though if Angels would like to spin off Kazmir now that they’ve added all this salary…
Chad -
I half agree and half disagree with your take on the Vernon Wells trade.
Yes the contract is a mess and Toronto’s GM should be given a standing ovation for moving it. With that albatross off the team I am terrified of how good Toronto may get and how quickly they can get there.
On the other hand – I don’t think it was that terrible a deal from the LA side of things.
They moved two expensive players who weren’t going to play in Napoli ($6.1 mil) and Rivera ($5.25 mil).
The contract has fewer years on it at similar money to what Boston is paying Carl Crawford and Wells is a more complete player than Crawford and fewer years than what Texas is paying Adrian Beltre.
It fills a need in that they got the hitter they wanted for the middle of the lineup and improves their defense in the OF.
Was I a little surprised that the Angels didn’t get either a little money in the deal or a young player with great upside? Sure. But I don’t think it was quite as much of a bomb as everyone seems to believe.
The Angels can still go out and sign Scotty Pods to be their leadoff hitter and play LF with Wells in CF, Hunter in RF and Abreu at DH. Or they can sign Vlad to DH and play Wells, Hunter and Abreu in the OF (which would have been an AllStar team a few years ago) and they’re not in any way blocking the eventual ascention of Mike Trout.
Overall – I think this is a trade that’s going to work out for both teams very well.
Off topic, a terrible terrorist bombing in Moscow’s busiest airport.
DaSaint007 January 24th, 2011 at 12:06 pm
Chip,
The Vernon Wells – Rivera/Napoli trade was abysmal.
Wells did comport himself better last season, and that’s a good sign, but not for the dollars remaining. But the Angels did it due to the ‘short term’ status of the contract v the ‘long term’ status they would have owned Crawford. Problem is Wells is no longer in his prime, while Crawford is just entering his.
Napoli gives Toronto a very good catching squad of Araciba, Napoli & Molina I belive, with Napoli able to play 1B and DH, and may even make Molina expendable. Maybe.
I’m wondering though if Angels would like to spin off Kazmir now that they’ve added all this salary…
——————
I like Napoli but in listening to some of the fallout over this deal on the weekend out of LA there were a lot of reports that said the Angels were concerned about his regression. That he was becoming an all or nothing type of hitter who didn’t take walks, didn’t hit in the clutch and didn’t make productive outs. He wasn’t going to get much playing time this year and that’s a lot of money to spend on a backup.
For what it’s worth – I think Toronto will be an abysmal defensive club.
Just looking at their roster I would guess is that Napoli will be Toronto’s primary 1b to open the season and Bautista is going to end up at 3b with their OF being:
Snider, Davis, Rivera
As for Kazmir – I think even before this trade went down that the Angels would have been willing to move him for pennies on the dollar.
“The contract has fewer years on it at similar money to what Boston is paying Carl Crawford and Wells is a more complete player than Crawford”
More complete player than Crawford? You gotta be sh*tting me?
Carl crawford is a better player than Wells by a fair margin and Beltre’s deal is actually cheaper than the balance on Well’s despite it being a year shorter….the Angels are paying more money for 4 years of Wells than they would have for 5 of Beltre. All they can hope is that Wells is more like the 1st half of 2010 player than he was the 2nd half player.
-
you gotta get with it. my ipad has no keyboard that i can pack up.
you have to get rid of that old terminology.
there’s some some fifteen year old who’s going to just blow you away.
******
Lol!
You are more high tech than me randy.
I think the Wells trade shows how much pay has increased this year. To the Angels, Wells 4 years at $86M seemed better than Crawford at 7 and 142 and Werth at 7 and 126.
Pettitte is the obvious answer to filling a rotation spot, but I do hope that at this point late in the off-season, the Yankees are not still holding off making a move based on hopes of his return. While still possible, I suppose, every day that passes makes the likelihood less.
I have not read anywhere Pettitte would consider a mid-season return. I sure don’t want the Yankees to hold off waiting for that too.
If their are no deals they can make or no free agent pitchers they think would help, so be it. Just don’t hold off because of continued hope of a return.
Ken Rosenthal: The Angels will pay a combined $52.4 million to three center fielders next season — Wells, Torii Hunter and Gary Matthews Jr
“Ken Rosenthal: The Angels will pay a combined $52.4 million to three center fielders next season — Wells, Torii Hunter and Gary Matthews Jr”
None of whom are likely to be the Angels center fielder this year.
Chip,
Spin it however you’d like, this Wells trade is one of the most lopsided we’ve seen in years.
As a Yank fan I’m very unhappy about the Wells trade. The Jays have now got rid of both Wells and Rios and are going to have plenty of $$ to spend in the next few years, plus pitching, a farm system and draft picks.
WYH,
Agreed
Wave,
Yea I agree. AA has done a great job
Wave Your Hat January 24th, 2011 at 12:25 pm
As a Yank fan I’m very unhappy about the Wells trade. The Jays have now got rid of both Wells and Rios and are going to have plenty of $$ to spend in the next few years, plus pitching, a farm system and draft picks.
—————-
Agree completely – Toronto’s going to get very good very fast.
Patrick January 24th, 2011 at 12:24 pm
Chip,
Spin it however you’d like, this Wells trade is one of the most lopsided we’ve seen in years.
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Depends on how you want to define lopsided.
In terms of pure on the field talent Toronto got the fuzzy end of the lollipop on that one.
“You are more high tech than me randy.”
lgy-
that’s what i’m trying to tell you.
they have to put flash on the ipad though . way too limiting without it.
i’m thinking of becoming fluent in statistical analysis this winter just to annoy you.
i figure it helps to speak the enemies language if you’re going to beat them
there’s a statistical analysis work shop in minneapolis i’m thinking of taking.
what do you think?
Does Jorge show up for ST when pitchers and catchers report or when position players do?
Pat:
I think the answer is A. Though Cashman told Posada he’d be the primary DH, he was also told to come prepared to catch.
If I was Toronto, I would trade Jose Bautista immediately. He’ll never be worth more than he is right now if his power numbers dip this season and he’s of no use to that club which has basically gutted the team and is rebuilding.
Taking on Wells’ contract was stupid. But the Angels didn’t give anything of value up other than money.
Napoli is not good behind the plate and he strikes out like Dave Kingman used to. Juan Rivera is a not as good overpaid version of Andruw Jones/Marcus Thames.
The fact that Wells his 31 HR’s last year shouldn’t be ignored. Not many players are hitting that many anymore. That said, his contract is ludicrous to take on without any subsidizing.
I think the Blue Jays have a few starting pitchers in the rotation and a couple of hitters in the lineup. That means they will probably finish last next year.
I’d trade Bautista now if I were them. I wouldn’t take the chance to let him start the season and see if his power drops. He’s not part of the future there. He’s 30.
The Angels should have pushed Toronto to give them Bautista if they took on the Wells deal.
Mell January 24th, 2011 at 12:23 pm
“Ken Rosenthal: The Angels will pay a combined $52.4 million to three center fielders next season — Wells, Torii Hunter and Gary Matthews Jr”
None of whom are likely to be the Angels center fielder this year.
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I think they’ll sign Pods and play Wells in CF and him Hunter in RF.
“I think they’ll sign Pods and play Wells in CF and him Hunter in RF.”
Doesn’t sound that way. Wells has been one of the worst CF’s in the game the past three seasons.
Chip,
Over past two years, Juan Rivera has .771 OPS, 105 OPS+. Vernon Wells: .777, 105 OPS+.
And the Blue Jays upgraded their catcher position AND they shed a crapload of payroll which they can use towards more good players.
From every point of view, the Blue Jays demolished the Angels in this trade.
Mell,
Hey lets be fair here! Wells went from being abysmal in 2008 and 2009 to merely “bad” in 2010.
Welcome back Chad. I lived in the mountains in Colorado for five years and miss it greatly. I was never even close to Vail back-bowl material, you must be a heck of a skier.
G.love,
I agree…id at least see what teams.would offer for Baustista.
As a Yank fan I’m very unhappy about the Wells trade. The Jays have now got rid of both Wells and Rios and are going to have plenty of $$ to spend in the next few years, plus pitching, a farm system and draft picks.
___
Yes, but they still have to convince Free Agents to come to Toronto. I haven’t seen that people will be breaking down the borders to go play for the Jays.
G. Love January 24th, 2011 at 12:34 pm
If I was Toronto, I would trade Jose Bautista immediately. He’ll never be worth more than he is right now if his power numbers dip this season and he’s of no use to that club which has basically gutted the team and is rebuilding.
Taking on Wells’ contract was stupid. But the Angels didn’t give anything of value up other than money.
Napoli is not good behind the plate and he strikes out like Dave Kingman used to. Juan Rivera is a not as good overpaid version of Andruw Jones/Marcus Thames.
The fact that Wells his 31 HR’s last year shouldn’t be ignored. Not many players are hitting that many anymore. That said, his contract is ludicrous to take on without any subsidizing.
I think the Blue Jays have a few starting pitchers in the rotation and a couple of hitters in the lineup. That means they will probably finish last next year.
I’d trade Bautista now if I were them. I wouldn’t take the chance to let him start the season and see if his power drops. He’s not part of the future there. He’s 30.
The Angels should have pushed Toronto to give them Bautista if they took on the Wells deal
———————-
The Angels financially will be fine – they cleared over 11 mil off their payroll so Wells comes in this year at $12 mil.
After this year Matthews, Piniero and Kazmir are all off the books and the year after that Hunter and Abreu are gone.
I think the answer is A. Though Cashman told Posada he’d be the primary DH, he was also told to come prepared to catch.
__
This should be the same idea for Joba starting. Come prepared. But nooooooo.
WCYF,
There are some easy bowls at Vail WCYF, I’m sure you could have handled it.
Chad,
I hope you got a discounted lift ticket, last time I was at Vail it was nearly $100 for one day
I hate when people think they can judge a players level of injury and their heart and guts because of it.
Happening all over the place with Jay Cutler today.
“Does Jorge show up for ST when pitchers and catchers report or when position players do?”
once a catcher, always a catcher.
he’ll be there for pitchers and catchers.
Chip,
It’s not about the Angels financial flexibility. It’s that they took on one of the worst contracts in baseball 100%. There should have been some incentive throw into that deal besides acquiring Wells and his talent.
Dropping Napoli and Rivera isn’t enough of a savings to make the deal good. If they got the Jays to take on Gary Matthews money somehow, that would have made it somewhat more equitable.
What the Angels are saying is that Vernon Wells is a premiere OF’er in this league and worth every penny by taking on that deal.
He’s not. Everyone knows he’s not.
With the holes in their offense and their need for a 3b they should have pushed Toronto to give them Bautista in the deal with Wells.
Patrick:
My bad. Wells did achieve “merely bad” status in center for 2010. Guess my mind was still numbed by the “Wells is a more complete player than Crawford” assertion.
# ac1 January 24th, 2011 at 12:41 pm
I think the answer is A. Though Cashman told Posada he’d be the primary DH, he was also told to come prepared to catch.
__
This should be the same idea for Joba starting. Come prepared. But nooooooo.
———————————–
That would make too much sense. Why do that? It’s not like the Yankees have two spots open in the rotation oh wait
Patrick January 24th, 2011 at 12:36 pm
Chip,
Over past two years, Juan Rivera has .771 OPS, 105 OPS+. Vernon Wells: .777, 105 OPS+.
And the Blue Jays upgraded their catcher position AND they shed a crapload of payroll which they can use towards more good players.
From every point of view, the Blue Jays demolished the Angels in this trade.
——————
Napoli is a terrible defensive catcher. My guess is that he’ll be the 1b where he’s also brutal but not quite as brutal as he is behind the plate.
Rivera is a terrible defensive OF who has had awful seasons two of the last three years with OPS+’s sub 100 whereas Wells in 2 of the last three years has been at or above 120 in the same category and is the superior defensive OF.
Essentially Toronto picked up 2 DHs for Wells
But then again this wasn’t about who they got for Wells so much as it was getting rid of Wells. I’m pretty sure Napoli and Rivera could show up for their physicals in wheelchairs and Toronto would still pass them to get this deal done.
I think this is a trade that makes both teams happy and fills both their needs.
pat January 24th, 2011 at 12:42 pm
I hate when people think they can judge a players level of injury and their heart and guts because of it.
Happening all over the place with Jay Cutler today.
********************************
pat-I work with a ton of Bears fans, so I know exactly what you mean.
It’s at the point where I never want to hear the name Jay Cutler again. lol
In response to the last subject matter, yeah Pettitte, at this time, Pettitte is not quite HOF material, but, he is still one of the 5 best pitchers that the Yankees has ever produced.
Until they can prove that any benefit of HGH exists, it means nothing…much like they need to show how much of a benefit steroids actually provided. All of the wailing for the admission of Jack Morris and Curt Schilling while disallowing Kaat, John and Tiant is beyond stupid.
The real crime is that while baseball and the writers buried their heads in the sands of the Sosa/McGwire/Bonds exploits to get their stories. The other part of their crime was waiting 15 years to put Blyleven in the HOF when he should have been there 10-12 years ago. To deny Ron Santo his place while he was alive was criminal. When he retired he was at least the 3rd best 3rd baseman in history.
“Happening all over the place with Jay Cutler today.”
What’s more surprising is the primary attackers are present and former NFL’ers. Kind of funny for a guy like Deion Sanders, who’d eat worms before he’d consider making a tackle, question someone else’s toughness. I don’t see Cutler as a very likable guy, but I feel bad for the guy today. Doesn’t seem to be getting a fair shake.
pat-I work with a ton of Bears fans, so I know exactly what you mean.
It’s at the point where I never want to hear the name Jay Cutler again. lol
__
To a point i agree, HOWEVER, he was walking on the sidelines and looked completely disinterested in the game. He was hurt, ok, but act hurt. The guys out there who are also hurt are playing and don’t want to see their leader moving around like nothing is wrong, or he has something better on his mind.
That’s the big issue, not that he was hurt. IMO.
G. Love January 24th, 2011 at 12:45 pm
Chip,
It’s not about the Angels financial flexibility. It’s that they took on one of the worst contracts in baseball 100%. There should have been some incentive throw into that deal besides acquiring Wells and his talent.
———————
I think the incentive was two fold:
The Angels got rid of two players with very little value in Napoli and Rivera – two guys who weren’t going to play much this year and were making a lot of money to sit on the bench and if they did play – it would have made for an awful defensive team:
Rivera in LF, Hunter in CF, Abreu in RF and Napoli at DH
Now they’re looking at Borgeous in LF, Wells in CF and Hunter in RF with Abreu at DH – a vast improvement.
It also got them the bat they wanted and at a commitment level they were comfortable with.
I agree it’s a tremendous deal from Toronto’s point of view to clear off that contract, but I can’t crucify Moreno for signing off on this because the cost of the contract won’t hurt him too much and the player fills a need.
Chip, have you seen Wells’ numbers in Anaheim? That should have been a red flag right there. That is half of their games.
“Now they’re looking at Borgeous in LF, Wells in CF and Hunter in RF with Abreu at DH”
Borgeous will be in center, not Wells. He hasn’t got the legs for the position anymore.
ac1 January 24th, 2011 at 12:55 pm
Chip, have you seen Wells’ numbers in Anaheim? That should have been a red flag right there. That is half of their games.
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ac1 -
Come on – you know that’s misleading. His numbers weren’t necessarily an indication of not being able to hit in that park – the Angels have always had tough pitching. I’m sure if you put their rotation on the Royals then his numbers in KC would look bad.
As a member of the Angels he will have the benefit of playing in that park without having to face the Angels’s pitchers.
Chip……The Angels as of now are looking at Wells ( left ), Borgeous ( center ) and Tori in right……There is some talk about getting Scotty P. for the leadoff spot which bumps the speedster Borgeous who may not have the stick yet to be a starter……Angels are going to be a tough club to deal with…..
Mell January 24th, 2011 at 12:59 pm
“Now they’re looking at Borgeous in LF, Wells in CF and Hunter in RF with Abreu at DH”
Borgeous will be in center, not Wells. He hasn’t got the legs for the position anymore.
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Frankly I think they’ll still shore up the top of their lineup by signing Pods – but however you want to slice it, that’s still a much better defensive unit than what they were looking at before the trade and we all know that Soscia is a pitching and defense guy first and foremost.
If Pettitte does not return, I think the Yanks need to take a gamble and take on most or all of Scott Kazmir’s contract. He’s a one year gamble and could/should at least return to his 2009 days. He’s expensive for one year. The price of his contract is worth a lower level player, whether a pitcher or middle infield type, such as Luis Nunez or a 2nd baseman or a pitcher along the lines of Craig Heyer or Ryan Pope.
Getting Kendry Morales back healthy is what the Angels need.
GreenBeret7 January 24th, 2011 at 1:04 pm
If Pettitte does not return, I think the Yanks need to take a gamble and take on most or all of Scott Kazmir’s contract. He’s a one year gamble and could/should at least return to his 2009 days. He’s expensive for one year. The price of his contract is worth a lower level player, whether a pitcher or middle infield type, such as Luis Nunez or a 2nd baseman or a pitcher along the lines of Craig Heyer or Ryan Pope.
———————
I hear what you’re saying about Kazmir but I’m not sure I would touch him.
So turns out Curler tore his MCL.
If Pettitte does not return, I think the Yanks need to take a gamble and take on most or all of Scott Kazmir’s contract. He’s a one year gamble and could/should at least return to his 2009 days. He’s expensive for one year. The price of his contract is worth a lower level player, whether a pitcher or middle infield type, such as Luis Nunez or a 2nd baseman or a pitcher along the lines of Craig Heyer or Ryan Pope.
___
Think Kaz would require us to give someone up and at best he usually throws a lot of pitches in a short amount of time. I wouldnt be 100% opposed, but if you are going to go for a non-sure thing, i still want Duchscherer.
blake January 24th, 2011 at 1:14 pm
So turns out Curler tore his MCL.
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Pretty sure even if the knee was sound he was going to go under the knife for the sake of public opinion.
Welcome back Chad. We missed you and hope you had a great vacation.
Sam, thanks a million for all your hard work with us and the Jets last week.
Caleb Haine though nearly authored the best sport’s story to come out of Chicago since Al Bundy rushed for four touchdowns in one game for Polk High.
Cutler’s MCL is “gutless”
Tweet thief!
Bronx Jeers January 24th, 2011 at 1:23 pm
Tweet thief!
——————
Darn right.
And proud of it.
Baby it’s cold outside! Damn! Brian and I were the only ones there, but we did it. The Freddy Kruger mask was definitely my salvation.
***************
My favorite part of the Vernon Wells trade is not having to face him nearly as much. The guys is an awesome player.
“So turns out Curler tore his MCL.”
One of his chief Twitter critics yesterday was one Maurice Jones-Drew. Jones-Drew’s Jacksonville Jaguars were life and death for a playoff spot the last 3 games of the season, two of which Jones-Drew sat out with a minicus injury. Same injury Sabathia gritted his way thru several starts with last Spetember/October. People in glass houses Maurice!
blake January 24th, 2011 at 1:14 pm
So turns out Curler tore his MCL.
****************************
The reaction to that around my office was mostly “yeah, whatever”. LOL
There are a lot of unhappy Bears fans today-it’s quite amusing.
# Bronx Jeers January 24th, 2011 at 1:22 pm
Cutler’s MCL is “gutless”
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over/under on how many ppl apologize
Congratulations to every judgmental AH who questioned Cutler without giving the guy the benefit of the doubt. What total tools.
I don’t know if Cutler could’ve played or not and given that there was an actual tear, its doubtful he could have well…..but I found it very interesting all the talk questioning his toughness before even seeing the medical report…..pretty irresponsible behavior.
blake January 24th, 2011 at 1:34 pm
I don’t know if Cutler could’ve played or not and given that there was an actual tear, its doubtful he could have well…..but I found it very interesting all the talk questioning his toughness before even seeing the medical report…..pretty irresponsible behavior.
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wait, irresponsible behavior from members of the media? I’m shocked to learn of such a thing.
Wells was definitely a Yankee slayer. He hit 7 HR’s off them last season. Lifetime .889 OPS vs Yankee pitching
Remember that night that AJ gave up like 6 bombs to the Jays? That was really the beginning of the end of AJ’s season.
Isn’t Rex saying he cant understand why they played that poorly in the 1st 1/2 an indictment on himself and coaching staff?
blake, all of that talk was disgusting. And pathetic. And the bores who did the talking were disgusting and pathetic.
There was absolutely no basis in fact to question Cutler. Because he couldn’t remember when it happened? Really? Today one of the guys on EEI (to his credit) was tearing into people who were dissing Cutler, and that was even before any information came out about his injury. He aptly pointed out the fact that Brady went down in a game and was replaced by Bledsoe and nobody uttered a word about it. And he said that Cutler had 56 sacks this season, 10 in one game, and suffered a concussion in that game.
Troy Brown, his guest, was skeptical about the whole thing and even called the concussion “questionable.” Old has been.
“wait, irresponsible behavior from members of the media? I’m shocked to learn of such a thing.”
Chip, it wasn’t just the media. It was also some football players from other teams.
blake, all of that talk was disgusting. And pathetic. And the bores who did the talking were disgusting and pathetic.
=================
people just love to complain….their lives are so wretched that this is their chance to feel important and weigh in on something bigger than themselves
Man, was Bart Scott on the field yesterday?
Side topic –
Bill Madden wrote a column yesterday in which he opined that Brian Cashman might leave the Yankees at the end of this season to find a job with a small market team.
That Cashman is privately very bitter about the notion in some circles that he’s a checkbook GM and his success is simply a function of the Steinbrenner fortune. That now that he has the championships he wants the challenge of proving to people around the game that he’s just as good, if not better than Billy Beane.
I find that interesting because it’s a rather sound theory. What more is there for Brian to do with the Yankees? Maybe he truly is ready for a new challenge.
If so, and I’ll fully admit I’m getting way ahead of myself by speculating about pure speculation, who would you like to replace him? Would you stay within the organization or would you go outside of it – bring in a new GM with new scouts, new personell guys, new everything?
My opinion would be to go outside. This organization has been remarkably consistant, not undergoing a major change in nearly 30 years from the mid-90s when Stick built it. People have ascended to their positions generally from within. It would be nice to get some fresh eyes in here to evaluate the talent in the system objectively and see what really is the wheat and what’s the chaff. I think that gets harder to do when you’re around the org for so long and you have a lot of history with the players in it.
# mick January 24th, 2011 at 1:43 pm
Man, was Bart Scott on the field yesterday?
————————————————–
Was he even in Pittsburgh
“Isn’t Rex saying he cant understand why they played that poorly in the 1st 1/2 an indictment on himself and coaching staff?”
Sure. Give him credit for the team bouncing back some in the 2nd half, but in the end he didn’t have them ready to go a 6:30 PM Eastern, and that cost ‘em.
“people just love to complain….their lives are so wretched that this is their chance to feel important and weigh in on something bigger than themselves”
And they seem to delight in choosing condemnation rather than giving the benefit of the doubt. Always.
Trisha, nameless, faceless jackasses love to throw around words like gutless, as they have with players like Chamberlain and Burnett for two reasons. The first is because they don;t have a clue as the the meaning of the word and secondly, because they wouldn’t dare say it to their faces. There is a word for that person. Any guess as to what it is? Then, the so-called writers that have the gall to complain when their targets freeze them out on interviews.
Man, was Bart Scott on the field yesterday?
—
He still can’t wait to get there
“I don?t know if Cutler could?ve played or not ”
That should be everyones take because they aren’t in Cutler’s body but sadly it’s not.
Players in a sport used to view each other as a fraternity and lately that seems to be a thing of the past.
And they seem to delight in choosing condemnation rather than giving the benefit of the doubt. Always.
====================
Man, I hate haters.
trisha – true pinstriped blue January 24th, 2011 at 1:42 pm
“wait, irresponsible behavior from members of the media? I’m shocked to learn of such a thing.”
Chip, it wasn’t just the media. It was also some football players from other teams.
———————-
I know.
The Twitter Generation….
Napoli did not have little value, both the Rays and Red Sox were trying to trade for him. He is as good a defensive catcher as Mathis and has incredible power and plate discipline. He is more of a platoon hitter but the Angels had no idea what to do with him so instead of properly platooning him they just played him irregularly, which impacted his performance last year.
I don’t understand how Chip can say he doesn’t take a walk when his OBP was over .300 last year while his AVG was near .200. All he did last year was walk and hit HRs. 26 HRs from a catcher who can throw out 20% of runners. And now he is moving to a park where its easier to hit HRs.
Wells hit 20 of his 31 HRs last year at home, and was a complete mess on the road. He has a career OPS under .700 at Anaheim, and is just as likely to put up a down year as any year matching 2010. He is also terrible defensively range wise right now and has been hampered by leg injuries the past 4 years.
Its a huge gamble. Sure the contract is shorter than Crawford’s, but they could have had Beltre for the same price who is more likely to give you plus defense over the life of the deal.
The Angels are no longer a dangerous team with fundamental hitters up and down the lineup. Kendrick and Izturis are declining to below average. Figgins is no longer there with a near .400 on base. Their catching is abysmal. Wood is a disaster. It would have made more sense to sign Vlad and Beltre, filling DH and replacing Wood and keeping Abreu in RF than it is to fill LF or RF with Wells and leave Wood starting.
Morales is a great hitter, I was intrigued by his ability to hit breaking pitches for power as it seemed like he did it better than most, but he has significant platoon splits and broke his leg. No idea how he comes back from that, and even if he does come back he is not good vs left handed pitching.
While imagining the Yanks without Cashman is difficult given how long he has been the GM, it wouldn’t surprise me if he were not with the Yanks next year.
If he isn’t the GM, I’d guess he is replaced from within the organization.
I would hate to see him go.
And they seem to delight in choosing condemnation rather than giving the benefit of the doubt. Always.
=================
There’s no story or controversy in kumbaya.
“Man, was Bart Scott on the field yesterday?”
Sure he was. Just who do think led the Jets in missed tackles?
“There is a word for that person. Any guess as to what it is?”
Coward?
“Man, I hate haters.”
Me too. They seem to energized by negativity and almost resentful of potential postive outcomes.
trisha – true pinstriped blue January 24th, 2011 at 1:52 pm
“There is a word for that person. Any guess as to what it is?”
Coward?
“Man, I hate haters.”
Me too. They seem to energized by negativity and almost resentful of potential postive outcomes.
———————————————————————————————————————-
Coward or “gutless’ works well.
GreenBeret7 January 24th, 2011 at 1:04 pm
If Pettitte does not return, I think the Yanks need to take a gamble and take on most or all of Scott Kazmir’s contract. He’s a one year gamble and could/should at least return to his 2009 days. He’s expensive for one year. The price of his contract is worth a lower level player, whether a pitcher or middle infield type, such as Luis Nunez or a 2nd baseman or a pitcher along the lines of Craig Heyer or Ryan Pope.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I mentioned a similar thing a couple of days ago. He’s LH which is helpful for pitching in the Stadium and he’s familiar with the AL East and the AL overall. If he gives 6 good innings, the bullpen can finish it off. Slot him as a No. 4 or 5.
If so, and I’ll fully admit I’m getting way ahead of myself by speculating about pure speculation, who would you like to replace him? Would you stay within the organization or would you go outside of it – bring in a new GM with new scouts, new personell guys, new everything?
–
I would go with Damon Oppenheimer as a first choice. Its from within, but he is already highly coveted by other organizations and one of the best in the biz at what he does. They could go outside the box and get Kim Ng and the first woman GM.
They’d have to see who is available. I really like Towers and was hoping he’d stick around through this season. He would have made a good option and he rightfully focuses on pitching. Though I’m not sure how he’d do without petco to boost numbers. Everyone says he is a good scout pitching wise.
The one thing I would be disappointed with is if a new GM wanted to bring in a new manager and coaches. And I would always be worried about hiring someone who is more of a puppet than a GM, or a terrible re-tread from another team like Bavasi.
Bart Scott just missed another tackle, Mick. He’s still looking for Sal Palantonio to yell at.
MCL tears heel on their own usually. But the tear does weaken the joint and make it “loose”. Surprised the medical people didn’t try a different kind of brace to see if he could plant on it.
Still, the critics are uninformed idiots and none more so than the hypocrite Maurice Jones-Drew.
GB, it is truly staggering to hear the word gutless thrown around to describe a player’s inability to get the job done on any given day. Gutless because they just didn’t have it? Do these people even know what the word means? Gutless is sitting behind a computer screen criticizing a player who is out there giving his best but just doesn’t manage to succeed. That’s gutless.
Is Rex as clueless as he seems?
Throwing his team under the bus.
“Can’t understand where the intensity went?”
How about you, Rex?
Where was your intensity that got them this far.
He went into a shell this week and gave the 1st 1/2 and the game away.
Jerkface January 24th, 2011 at 1:49 pm
Napoli did not have little value, both the Rays and Red Sox were trying to trade for him. He is as good a defensive catcher as Mathis and has incredible power and plate discipline. He is more of a platoon hitter but the Angels had no idea what to do with him so instead of properly platooning him they just played him irregularly, which impacted his performance last year.
I don’t understand how Chip can say he doesn’t take a walk when his OBP was over .300 last year while his AVG was near .200. All he did last year was walk and hit HRs. 26 HRs from a catcher who can throw out 20% of runners. And now he is moving to a park where its easier to hit HRs.
Wells hit 20 of his 31 HRs last year at home, and was a complete mess on the road. He has a career OPS under .700 at Anaheim, and is just as likely to put up a down year as any year matching 2010. He is also terrible defensively range wise right now and has been hampered by leg injuries the past 4 years.
Its a huge gamble. Sure the contract is shorter than Crawford’s, but they could have had Beltre for the same price who is more likely to give you plus defense over the life of the deal.
The Angels are no longer a dangerous team with fundamental hitters up and down the lineup. Kendrick and Izturis are declining to below average. Figgins is no longer there with a near .400 on base. Their catching is abysmal. Wood is a disaster. It would have made more sense to sign Vlad and Beltre, filling DH and replacing Wood and keeping Abreu in RF than it is to fill LF or RF with Wells and leave Wood starting.
Morales is a great hitter, I was intrigued by his ability to hit breaking pitches for power as it seemed like he did it better than most, but he has significant platoon splits and broke his leg. No idea how he comes back from that, and even if he does come back he is not good vs left handed pitching.
—————————-
His OBP was .318 – that’s abysmal. The fact that his BA was in the .230s is also abysmal but doesn’t take away from the abysmal-ness (not sure that’s a word) of a .318 OBP. Also I don’t expect Napoli to see significant time behind the plate for Toronto unless JP is a complete mess. He’ll likely play at 1b until the Jays deal him in July.
Wood is not a member of the regular lineup anymore – Alberto Callaspo is – not saying he’s much better than Wood but just pointing out that he’s the likely starter at 3b.
You gave Chone Figgins an extra .50 on his career OBP
This is a big season for Howie to determine if he’s going to be a top player or not.
Izturis isn’t (or shouldn’t) be a regular – their MI should be Kendrick at 2b and Aybar at SS
They should get better catching with a healthy Brian Wilson and Jeff Mathis
Career OPS at LAA is irrelevant because he was facing LAA pitching which he won’t be facing as a member of the Angels
I would take Wells over Beltre simply because Beltre’s best seasons have come in walk years.
mlbtraderumors.com
Wandy Rodriguez, Astros – Rodriguez’s $10.25MM asking price seems high until you realize how few arbitration eligible pitchers have comparable big league experience (the Astros offered $8MM). Rodriguez is just 15 innings shy of 1,000 for his career and his ERA hasn’t surpassed 3.60 in any of the past three seasons. The lefty’s 985 innings are 246 more than Erik Bedard had after 2008, the season that set Bedard up for a $7.75MM payday. Few arbitration eligible pitchers earn eight-figure deals, but few have as much big league experience and success as Rodriguez.
Me too. They seem to energized by negativity and almost resentful of potential postive outcomes.
===============================
It’s because their lives suck and they have lost control.
I don’t think we want Kazmir returning to his 2009 form, 5.9 ERA in the AL east? He had a lucky run with the Angels that ended, 7 ERA in the playoffs and then a 5.9 ERA last year. He is done. 5.9 ERAs 2 years in a row seems he has lost it. Strike outs plummeting, walk rate skyrocketing.
I don’t think we want Kazmir returning to his 2009 form, 5.9 ERA in the AL east? He had a lucky run with the Angels that ended, 7 ERA in the playoffs and then a 5.9 ERA last year. He is done. 5.9 ERAs 2 years in a row seems he has lost it. Strike outs plummeting, walk rate skyrocketing.
—
Pizza man
I’ve always thought Kazmir should become the next Billy Wagner. Fastballs and sliders and nothing else. His command is not very good, thus his pitch count is waaaaay too high.
I’m for a little pressure for Pettite and a flier on Freddie Garcia
Face…….Napoli whiffs 1 in just about every 4 ab’s and is horrific behind the plate……..Angels are a 90 + win team in 2011…….Let’s wait until the Vegas lines come out for the wins this season…….I understand that you have painted yourself in a corner on this and I will not bang you on this come September when the A’s start to fade and the Angels are pushing to their return as AL West Division Champs……Texas you ask, they may very well not be a factor by then……Naps has been slowly sliding downward in his overall game…….Rivera is a hack and both players are DH types and will be moved come July…….They’re a saying us Yankee fans fondly say,,,,,it’s only money ( Vernon Wells )…..
Wave Your Hat January 24th, 2011 at 1:51 pm
While imagining the Yanks without Cashman is difficult given how long he has been the GM, it wouldn’t surprise me if he were not with the Yanks next year.
If he isn’t the GM, I’d guess he is replaced from within the organization.
I would hate to see him go.
————–
But would that be the way you would want them to go? Or would you look at Cash’s departure as an opportunity to get some fresh eyes and opinions into the organization?
Same Old Jets…
Theres still Wandy !
86w183 January 24th, 2011 at 2:02 pm
I’ve always thought Kazmir should become the next Billy Wagner. Fastballs and sliders and nothing else. His command is not very good, thus his pitch count is waaaaay too high.
I’m for a little pressure for Pettite and a flier on Freddie Garcia
————————
I think the lack of command that you bring up is why he would be awful as a closer. You need your relievers to come in and be able to throw strikes.
How have the Angels improved over last year?
Pat M. January 24th, 2011 at 2:03 pm
Face…….Napoli whiffs 1 in just about every 4 ab’s and is horrific behind the plate……..Angels are a 90 + win team in 2011…….Let’s wait until the Vegas lines come out for the wins this season…….I understand that you have painted yourself in a corner on this and I will not bang you on this come September when the A’s start to fade and the Angels are pushing to their return as AL West Division Champs……Texas you ask, they may very well not be a factor by then……Naps has been slowly sliding downward in his overall game…….Rivera is a hack and both players are DH types and will be moved come July…….They’re a saying us Yankee fans fondly say,,,,,it’s only money ( Vernon Wells )…..
—————-
Agree completely.
If you take the money out of this and just look at the talent that went back and forth the Angels are clearly a better team today than they were a week ago.
mick January 24th, 2011 at 2:05 pm
How have the Angels improved over last year?
——————–
1. Full season of Dan Haren in the rotation
2. They get back a healthy Kendry Morales
3. OF of Borgeous(or Pods), Wells, Hunter > Rivera, Hunter, Abreu defensively
4. Callaspo – while not a stud – should be an improvement over Brandon Wood at 3b
5. Downs is an improvement over Shields
6. Mathis/Wilson > Napoli/Mathis behind the plate
His OBP was .318 – that’s abysmal. The fact that his BA was in the .230s is also abysmal but doesn’t take away from the abysmal-ness (not sure that’s a word) of a .318 OBP. Also I don’t expect Napoli to see significant time behind the plate for Toronto unless JP is a complete mess. He’ll likely play at 1b until the Jays deal him in July.
Wood is not a member of the regular lineup anymore – Alberto Callaspo is – not saying he’s much better than Wood but just pointing out that he’s the likely starter at 3b.
You gave Chone Figgins an extra .50 on his career OBP
This is a big season for Howie to determine if he’s going to be a top player or not.
Izturis isn’t (or shouldn’t) be a regular – their MI should be Kendrick at 2b and Aybar at SS
They should get better catching with a healthy Brian Wilson and Jeff Mathis
–
You said he doesn’t walk, but he obviously does. If his batting average rebounds at all he is going to have a better on base percentage than Wells. Wells is the player that doesn’t walk.
My comment about figgins was regarding 2 out of his last 3 years at anaheim, he posted .390+ on base percentages. It was in relation to the angels being a dangerous team in that time.
I forgot all about Callaspo and Aybar, but both were not good last year. OPS under .700 the two of them. Both are bad players.
Jeff Mathis is not an upgrade to anything. By stats he was just as bad at catching as Napoli. He actually has a lower caught stealing% in his career. His OBP was .219 last year. Napoli hit more than Mathis got on base. Isn’t that more abysmaler? (Also not a word probably)
Wilson and Conger are both worse than Napoli in the minors and are going to be hard pressed to provide offensive production in the majors. Conger needs more time in the minors as it stands.
Look at these on bases last year: .219, .313, .306, .291, .237, .174, .320, .288, .294
Mathis, Kendrick, Aybar, Callaspo, Bourjos, Wood, Izturis, Wilson, Conger
They are going to be so bad next year.
Wells on base the last 4 years: .331, .311, .343, .304
Last two years hit .260 and .200 with RISP!
Oakland or the Rangers are going to make it hard on them all season.
chip
why haven’t you mentioned the SP?
I think you guys are overrating Vernon Wells. His OBP is not much better than Napoli’s and his power is similar as well. Now that he’s a below average fielder in CF I wouldn’t even say that the Angels got more talent than the Jays did.
As I already posted, Wells and Rivera have almost identical offensive numbers over the last two years, they are both corner outfielders, both hit right-handed. Looking at this trade, the Jays got better and shed an enormous contract.
mick January 24th, 2011 at 2:10 pm
chip
why haven’t you mentioned the SP?
——————
Of the Angels? I did. I said they get a full season of Dan Haren.
Labels tend to give nameless people courage and excusses. Amazing how many people can’t accept a failure without some outragous label. Whether it’s coward, gutless or great, they still are overused, useless and most often misused. Most often, it’s by narrow-minded people that have neither the talent nor the ambition to do what these people do. As long as they don’t dog it on the field and give it their best every time out, whether they succeed or fail, I can accept anything. The real shame in those that waste their talents and then make excuses for their failure. Sports are full of both types. The Yanks have some players that have only a little talent…Pena, Colin Curtis, Mitre, Russo….but, they give it every thing they’ve got and that’s all I can hope for.
Of the Angels? I did. I said they get a full season of Dan Haren.
========================================
OK. How’s the Entire staff look?
Patrick January 24th, 2011 at 2:10 pm
I think you guys are overrating Vernon Wells. His OBP is not much better than Napoli’s and his power is similar as well. Now that he’s a below average fielder in CF I wouldn’t even say that the Angels got more talent than the Jays did.
As I already posted, Wells and Rivera have almost identical offensive numbers over the last two years, they are both corner outfielders, both hit right-handed. Looking at this trade, the Jays got better and shed an enormous contract.
—————
It’s not just about offense for offense though. By moving out Napoli and Rivera the Angels are a vastly better defensive team than they were.
By unloading two DHs Abreu moves to that spot. Hunter moves over to RF and either Borgeous or Wells plays CF.
Chip — Kazmir is a mediocre 4-pitch guy.. he would be a 2-pitch guy as a closer which should improve his command. That’s the point.
I think the Angels made an awful deal unless they have $ 30 Million coming to them from Canada… or at least a couple thousand kegs of Moosehead
First, I would like to concede that “taking a knee” is indeed a valid, legitimate play . While I still believe you shouldn’t use that play with over a minute and a half remaining, I do see the logic of it in most instances.
Second, because Kazmir is a lefty, and because it’s all too easy to remember what he was able to do when he was pitching well, it is tempting to consider him, especially if Pettitte retires. However, I am skeptical. Very skeptical.
Third, Jerkface, I asked that same question about who should replace Cashman if for whatever reason he does not come back as GM. In a way, I wonder what type of GM as opposed to who specifically. What are the skills and/or personality type that one would prefer? Should it be a younger guy? An older guy? A gal? (Ng is intriguing.) Should it come from inside or outside the organization?
I think though that if Cashman doesn’t return, the replacement GM will be under a great deal of scrutiny.
I would hope that such a person would continue to value the strength of the farm system. And I would hope that person is well respected with good contacts in the industry. I would hope that such a person can utilize all forms of scouting data – sabermetric as well as traditional means of scouting. He/She must be good with the media, but not like Omar.
Girardi just signed a new contract, right? Was it for two or three years? A new GM wouldn’t necessarily be able to get rid of Girardi (and I doubt he/she would), but could re-examine the coaching staff.
Weaver and Haren is a top notch top 2, and Santana is capable of being good depending on how he feels that season. I think Pineiro is overrated and Kazmir is obviously awful.
Overall I’d rather have the Angels rotation than the Yankees rotation though. Still mad that the ownership of the Dbacks pushed the Haren trade and grabbed Saunders and some low level crap. Had it been a more fluid process I think Cashman could have come to an agreement on it.
Pat M, don’t sleep on Oakland, their offense is going to be improved and they have good pitching in a pitching friendly park and a great bullpen. And Texas has a dangerous lineup still.
Who took a knee?
The Angels will finish 3rd this year, who cares what they do..
Face….Your buddy Napoli hits in the neighborhood somewhere around. 175 RISP……..I get to see the Angels pl;ay more than I care for as I detest them and their anti-Yankee fanbase….However I can assure yoy that Mathis is a far better catcher than Napoli…He’s better than Cervelli if that helps you out even though that’s certainly not a ringing endorsement………There’a good chance that once again that the Wild Card team from the East ( Boston or even The Bombers ) will be squaring off vs. The Angels come October in The ALDS……
mick January 24th, 2011 at 2:14 pm
Of the Angels? I did. I said they get a full season of Dan Haren.
========================================
OK. How’s the Entire staff look?
——————
Haren
Weaver
Santana
Piniero
Kazmir
I wouldn’t turn my nose up at it.
I don’t particularly like Kazmir but there are a lot of worse #5 pitchers around.
It’s not just about offense for offense though. By moving out Napoli and Rivera the Angels are a vastly better defensive team than they were.
By unloading two DHs Abreu moves to that spot. Hunter moves over to RF and either Borgeous or Wells plays CF.
—
Except Napoli isn’t a bad defensive player. And Wells is no better than Rivera in the field. You are really stretching here Chip. It’s a terrible trade for the Angels which will have enormous consequences for years to come.
The Angels will finish 3rd this year, who cares what they do..
====================
Pat M. does….he’s looking for a sucker for his over/under “investment”
SAS, are you still here? Would you know if it is still possible to get tickets to see any cubs spring training games? I heard the tickets are difficult or impossible to get. My wife and I might fly down there for a weekend in March. Thanks for any info you can provide.
Haren
Weaver
Santana
Piniero
Kazmir
I wouldn’t turn my nose up at it.
======================
Wha happnd last year?
Haren is iffy.
While a very long time Yankee fan, I am also a cub fan by marriage. Wife is a long-suffering, but very loyal fan of the cubbies.
“It’s because their lives suck and they have lost control.”
I would have to say you’re right.
“As long as they don’t dog it on the field and give it their best every time out, whether they succeed or fail, I can accept anything.”
ABSOLUTELY AND UNEQUIVOCALLY.
Patrick January 24th, 2011 at 2:17 pm
The Angels will finish 3rd this year, who cares what they do..
—————–
I think you’re overestimating the ability of the Texas Rangers.
We have to see how CJ Wilson’s arm responds after going from 70 IP in 2009 to over 200 IP last year.
Colby Lewis could well start pitching like Colby Lewis again
No idea if Brandon Webb can pitch
Their other three starting options (Hunter, Feldman, Holland) are a poop shoot.
As for the A’s – they’ll pitch, that’s for sure. But they still won’t hit.
DeJesus is nice
Matsui is cooked
“As long as they don’t dog it on the field and give it their best every time out, whether they succeed or fail, I can accept anything.”
==========================
Which is why the Jets lost yesterday.
Take the 1st 1/2 off and the coach wonders why they didn’t tackle?
Why not take the blame?
Afraid of losing your job?
mick January 24th, 2011 at 2:20 pm
Haren
Weaver
Santana
Piniero
Kazmir
I wouldn’t turn my nose up at it.
======================
Wha happnd last year?
Haren is iffy.
—————
Disagree with you on Haren and last year pitching was not their problem. Weaver, Santana and Piniero all put up sub 4.00 ERAs
DadinIowa,
I found this for you. Looks like you can still get some tickets. Good luck! I think it’s sweet to have other teams that you like to follow, for whatever reason. I really like the Nats (long story)
http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/sp.....p?c_id=chc
Chip,
I will bet money that the Angels finish third this year, put your money where your mouth is!
However I can assure yoy that Mathis is a far better catcher than Napoli
–
He isn’t. He throws out less base stealers and allows just as many wild pitches/passed balls. Even if you give him a defensive edge its a net LOSS because he is so bad on offense. Napoli hit .270 just 1 season ago!
He has a career OPS of .900 vs LHP, the Angels should have kept him and platooned him with Morales. Or shoot just let him sit behind the plate in place of Mathis.
Napoli’s .790 OPS vs RHP is better than anything MAthis has ever done.
Driveline mechanics had a catcher defense break down, its viewable on their facebook: http://www.facebook.com/note.p.....7652560376
Mathis was barely ranked ahead of Napoli.
mick,
Come on man, Rex Ryan has had ENORMOUS success with the Jets thus far, he is in no danger of being fired
Mick….You are certainly one of the sharper tools in the shed my man…..
mick, could the Jets have been suffering a little bit of a letdown in that first half? Could the Steelers have put together a good-enough game plan that it threw the Jets off theirs? The Packers didn’t look like titans in their game either, but they are felt to be the frontrunner to win the Super Bowl.
I don’t understand why you are pillorying the Jets coaching staff for the Jets having a sluggish first half! It happens. They aren’t out there executing the plays.
Matsui is cooked but he was the best hitter on the angels after Morales went down. And yet the Angels are going to be good?
.289 .394 .474 .868 vs RHP , if Matsui is platooned with someone who can hit LHP he will be just fine. Even with his deficiency vs Lhp that creeped in last year (remembering that as a yankee and in 09 he was just fine vs Lhp and hit the most HRs vs Lhp in the league in 09) he is still valuable.
Patrick January 24th, 2011 at 2:18 pm
It’s not just about offense for offense though. By moving out Napoli and Rivera the Angels are a vastly better defensive team than they were.
By unloading two DHs Abreu moves to that spot. Hunter moves over to RF and either Borgeous or Wells plays CF.
—
Except Napoli isn’t a bad defensive player. And Wells is no better than Rivera in the field. You are really stretching here Chip. It’s a terrible trade for the Angels which will have enormous consequences for years to come.
————————
You’re vastly overrating Napoli and Rivera defensively and grossly underrating Wells – but that’s okay we’re allowed to disagree.
Do I think the Angels made the greatest trade in the history of the sport? No, but I do think they’re a better team today than they were a week ago and I don’t think the money is going to cripple Moreno going forward.
# Pat M. January 24th, 2011 at 2:28 pm
Mick….You are certainly one of the sharper tools in the shed my man…..
==============================
Thanks Pat M, appreciate your sarcasm.
They could have traded Napoli, signed buck, and signed Beltre and been better positioned next year and into the future than they are now.
Trisha, thanks!!! I will check it out. I admire my wife for her loyalty. I thought the yankees drought after ’65 was long…. geesch. We both have a good feeling about the Cubbies this year since they hired the right guy to manage. They might even challenge for 3rd in the Central!!
Pat M -
Speaking of Over/Unders, how’d you end up doing on your MLB team wins pool for this past season?
….er…. ’64
Jerkface January 24th, 2011 at 2:30 pm
.289 .394 .474 .868 vs RHP , if Matsui is platooned with someone who can hit LHP he will be just fine. Even with his deficiency vs Lhp that creeped in last year (remembering that as a yankee and in 09 he was just fine vs Lhp and hit the most HRs vs Lhp in the league in 09) he is still valuable.
———————–
Put Matsui in the A’s park 81 games a year and he’s going to see his offense take a steep decline.
# trisha – true pinstriped blue January 24th, 2011 at 2:28 pm
mick, could the Jets have been suffering a little bit of a letdown in that first half? Could the Steelers have put together a good-enough game plan that it threw the Jets off theirs? The Packers didn’t look like titans in their game either, but they are felt to be the frontrunner to win the Super Bowl.
I don’t understand why you are pillorying the Jets coaching staff for the Jets having a sluggish first half! It happens. They aren’t out there executing the plays.
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trish , i know you are all compassionate but yes, rex threw his team under the bus. he incited them all season, esp the pats game, to overachieve and will them to win, but letdown this week for some reason in deference to the Steelers. So, yes, it was his fault that he could not get them up for the big game. they all peaked too soon. jmo
Put anyone in the A’s park and their offense declines, doesn’t mean the player is done. Matsui is a line drive doubles hitter more than a HR hitter anyways.
I am underrating Wells’ defense, aka – the worst defensive CF of the last 3 years? Ok.
Jerkface January 24th, 2011 at 2:31 pm
They could have traded Napoli, signed buck, and signed Beltre and been better positioned next year and into the future than they are now.
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They’re still well positioned going forward.
They cleared $11 mil off their payroll in this trade meaning Wells comes in at just about 12 mil for this season.
Next year they clear Matthews, Piniero, Kazmir
The year after that they clear Abreu and Hunter
They’re only committed to Wells until he’s 35/36 whereas with Beltre they would have been locked into him for ages 37/38
They didn’t feel that they needed more catchers so why would they spend money on John Buck – they have plenty to work with in Mathis, Wilson and Conger.
Jerkface January 24th, 2011 at 2:31 pm
They could have traded Napoli, signed buck, and signed Beltre and been better positioned next year and into the future than they are now.
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And they still have the best prospect in the game who will probably be up if not this year than the year after at latest.
Patrick January 24th, 2011 at 2:35 pm
I am underrating Wells’ defense, aka – the worst defensive CF of the last 3 years? Ok.
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Shouldn’t have said “underrating” but barring another signing Wells may move to LF – who would you rather have in LF Wells or Rivera? Angels seem to think Wells.
A lot of what was coming out of LA this weekend was about how the Angels were really down on Rivera because he wasn’t just bad in the OF he was indifferent out there and didn’t really put in any effort.
Ok now they are saying it was a sprained MCL not a tear…..still nobody knows the level of discomfort but him.
I think the Angels are in the mix for the west but don’t see them actually winning it right now. I think the As and Rangers are both better than them but we’ll see.
Plenty as in bodies, not talent. Angels will rate near the bottom in all facets of catching offense and defense next year. Thats a black hole of stench for catcher.
Mathis!
The Angels need more than money going forward. They need to be able to sign someone. Look at their team. The only players they’ve been able to sign are aging outfielders that no one wants to pay anymore. Gary Matthews, Torii Hunter, Abreu, and trading for Wells. Their negotiating strategy doesn’t work with premeire free agents, everyone in the media is discussing how bad they are at acquiring free agents, their management is getting panned.
DadinIowa -
Another lohud blog reader from Iowa? Sweet! I’m in Marshalltown, where are you at?
How about the thought that the Jets lost because they were outplayed and the Steelers were just a little better. The same is true with the Bears, whether Cutler was out of the game or not. Really too bad the Bears lost because hanie could have become this eras version of Earl Morrell or Clint Longley.
Mike Trout best prospect in the game, lets see him get some ABs above A ball before we crown him #1 prospect.
mick, got ya. He probably could have helped out more if he had kept the level of hype that he had with the Pats or at least kept some level of hype.
How about the thought that the Jets lost because they were outplayed and the Steelers were just a little better.
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While this could be true, I just can’t dismiss that 1st 1/2…even Ryan couldn’t believe it…
Around Ottumwa. I know some attorneys and others in Marshalltown. (its a small state, i guess)
Jerkface January 24th, 2011 at 2:41 pm
Plenty as in bodies, not talent. Angels will rate near the bottom in all facets of catching offense and defense next year. Thats a black hole of stench for catcher.
Mathis!
The Angels need more than money going forward. They need to be able to sign someone. Look at their team. The only players they’ve been able to sign are aging outfielders that no one wants to pay anymore. Gary Matthews, Torii Hunter, Abreu, and trading for Wells. Their negotiating strategy doesn’t work with premeire free agents, everyone in the media is discussing how bad they are at acquiring free agents, their management is getting panned.
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That’s a completely different conversation; one which I agree with you on.
Their FO needs to get over whatever issue it has with Scott Boras.
They also had the rug pulled out from under them with the Crawford thing – that came out of nowhere and happened before the Angels had time to blink.
GB, I suspect the best two teams won. Now, I am hoping that the Packers take it all, whether or not they are the best team.
# trisha – true pinstriped blue January 24th, 2011 at 2:43 pm
mick, got ya. He probably could have helped out more if he had kept the level of hype that he had with the Pats or at least kept some level of hype.
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he just didn’t go for the jugular….after all the Hard Knocks BS, just one more win…..he just wasn’t hungry enough, the Steelers were.
SI_JonHeyman @Rangers have re-opened door to talking to vladimir guerrero after losing out for thome, ramierez
-yanks could find him ad many ABs as Texas can now….maybe more
who would you rather have in LF Wells or Rivera? Angels seem to think Wells.
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Either one, doesn’t make much of a difference IMO.
And it’s funny you quote a prospect down in A-ball as a strength for the Angels going forward, especially after reading some of your other arguments about prospects being overrated.
Patrick January 24th, 2011 at 2:46 pm
who would you rather have in LF Wells or Rivera? Angels seem to think Wells.
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Either one, doesn’t make much of a difference IMO.
And it’s funny you quote a prospect down in A-ball as a strength for the Angels going forward, especially after reading some of your other arguments about prospects being overrated.
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I do think prospects are overrated – and yes, Trout may bust out completely – but as of right now I would have to consider him an asset wouldn’t you?
“lost myself in the back bowls of Vail”
Sounds like a blast.
I haven’t been able to ski in enough powder to get the hang of it. It’s a lot of work.
I can only imagine what it’s like to master it, especially on a snowboard.
I do think prospects are overrated – and yes, Trout may bust out completely – but as of right now I would have to consider him an asset wouldn’t you?
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Sure he is but you are pointing to him as one of hte main reasons the Angels will be successful going forward.
I happen to agree that Trout will be good for them but it’s kind of funny that you use this as an argument based on your long history on this blog.
DadinIowa January 24th, 2011 at 2:45 pm
GB, I suspect the best two teams won. Now, I am hoping that the Packers take it all, whether or not they are the best team.
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I’m not really sure who I want to see win. I pretty much gave up on football when Walter Payton was forced out of football by Mike Ditka. I would have preferred a Bears/Jets Super Bowl. With the Bears winning, of course.
And Patrick,
I don’t know how you can sit there and say that there’s no difference defensively between Juan Rivera and Vernon Wells with a straight face.
Patrick January 24th, 2011 at 2:51 pm
I do think prospects are overrated – and yes, Trout may bust out completely – but as of right now I would have to consider him an asset wouldn’t you?
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Sure he is but you are pointing to him as one of hte main reasons the Angels will be successful going forward.
I happen to agree that Trout will be good for them but it’s kind of funny that you use this as an argument based on your long history on this blog.
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Sorry that I wasn’t more clear on my opinion of Trout and that you were confused by my statement.
I doubt Trout will be as good for the Angels as Salmon.
GB, we can agree to disagree. Been a Packer fan about as long as a Yankee fan. Starr, Jim Taylor, etc. were not quite as important as the Mick or Yogi, but following the Pack made the off-season a bit more bearable (not Chicago bearable).
Chip,
You were very clear and I wasn’t confused a bit. But lets be fair, you are giving the Angels more credit for having Trout than you’ve given the Yankees for any of their prospects. You can’t say the Yankees should trade their prospects for big league players and at the same time say the Angels are well positioned because Trout will be up in the big leagues this year or next.
And I can say Juan Rivera and Vernon Wells are the same because they have been over the last two years.
To be clear –
I do not think that the Angels pulled off a great trade here.
All I’m saying is that it’s not as much of a debocle as some are making it out to be.
Can we get Trout for Fish and Tarpon?
blake January 24th, 2011 at 2:53 pm
I doubt Trout will be as good for the Angels as Salmon.
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Nice.
GB -
How you doing? Haven’t had the chance to ask in a while.
Been a Packer fan about as long as a Yankee fan. Starr, Jim Taylor,
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What no Hornung?
“They might even challenge for 3rd in the Central!!
”
Here’s hoping they do more than that!!! I am definitely superstitious and I still say they need to bring a token goat to their games. Interestingly enough, I was watching The 50 Most Bizarre Moments in Baseball on MLB with my brother just two days ago, and one of the plays was the Moises Alou attempted catch. I swear I felt like the game just happened, that’s how vivid the memory of that is to me. The Cubs had that game. The monkey was off their back. As soon as that happened, I absolutely knew it was going to unravel.
I wish the ownership would insist on goat day, even playing it off as a joke.
But that’s just me.
NEW ONE =====>>>>>>
DadinIowa January 24th, 2011 at 2:55 pm
GB, we can agree to disagree. Been a Packer fan about as long as a Yankee fan. Starr, Jim Taylor, etc. were not quite as important as the Mick or Yogi, but following the Pack made the off-season a bit more bearable (not Chicago bearable).
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What? no Elijah Pitts, Paul Horning, or Ray Nitsche? God, I hated those guys. But, what a division the old black and Blue was in those days.
Patrick January 24th, 2011 at 2:55 pm
Chip,
You were very clear and I wasn’t confused a bit. But lets be fair, you are giving the Angels more credit for having Trout than you’ve given the Yankees for any of their prospects. You can’t say the Yankees should trade their prospects for big league players and at the same time say the Angels are well positioned because Trout will be up in the big leagues this year or next.
And I can say Juan Rivera and Vernon Wells are the same because they have been over the last two years.
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Well first of all – you’re again making it sound like I’m saying that the Yankees should slash and burn their farm system and trade all their prospects. That’s not my opinion, has never been my opinion and is a silly statement to make. All I have ever said is that in the right deal there is no such thing as an untouchable prospect.
And in my estimation the same holds true for Trout. He is an asset for the Angels – whether that is as a result of him playing for the Angels or a result of what the Angels could get for him in trade.
Big market/revenue teams like the Yankees and Angels can be more flexible in moving their prospects because they have the financial flexibility to trade for or sign established major league talent.
rodg12 January 24th, 2011 at 2:57 pm
GB -
How you doing? Haven’t had the chance to ask in a while.
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Doing well, Rodg. Thanks for asking. Hope all is well with you and your family there in Kornfield Kounty. Just trying to teach Dad some Bear manners. LMAO.
I do think that overall the Jets are a better team than the Steelers. But as they say, on any given day, yada yada yada.
And don’t forget, but for an unfortunate series of downs at the goal line, that could have ended up being the Jets game. And then what would you be saying mick? They definitely picked it up in the second half. Lots of teams have had bad first halfs and better second halfs. It’s the game of football.
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I have a soft spot for the Bears because I had some of their players, plus their D/ST, on my fantasy football team. I do become attached to my fantasy players.
Face my eyes must be failing me…..
And don’t forget, but for an unfortunate series of downs at the goal line, that could have ended up being the Jets game. And then what would you be saying mick?
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If they had coached it right, they would have scored at the goal line. Those play calls were atrocius.
If they would have had the team prepared in the 1st 1/2 it wouldn’t have come to that.