Jordan4life_2007

QUOTE (iamshack @ Jan 14, 2011 -> 11:44 AM) Jeesh. Part of the reason I am not super in love with Dunn is because I know we could still have Thome for not just a fraction of the price, but a freaking sliver of the price. Obviously at this age, the odds of Thome staying healthy decrease with every PA, but still, it frightens me a bit that everyone is so excited about the Dunn signing, but many of those same people were so unsatisfied by Thome's last few years here. Imagining what we could be doing with this payroll had we not traded for Peavy and just kept Thome on board two years ago makes me slightly queasy. What the hell? You said the other day I was going 'overkill' or whatever because of me criticizing the Crain/Ohman signings yet you don't love the Dunn signing? The guy has averaged 40 HR/101 RBI the last 7 years with a slash line of .253/.381/.533/.914 over that same period. He's only 30 and you'd rather have Thome?

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jan 14, 2011 -> 11:35 AM) Eh, its really hard to believe he'd have another year like last year. Possible, but unlikely at his age. Nobody saw it last year. If used correctly, I can definitely see it. Some guys are just born to hit. Julio Franco was sporting .800ish OPS's at age 44/45. If they can keep Jim's PAs around 350-375, I can see him having a fine year.

QUOTE (scotty22hotty @ Jan 14, 2011 -> 11:17 AM) Hmmm He signed for cheaper than Jesse Crain This also makes the Ohman signing just look silly Wonder if KW went after him at all... seeing as how the 1st round pick was already gone. If you saw Ohman at all when he was a Cub the signing pretty much looked silly already. There were simply better arms out there to be had at similar years/money than Crain and Ohman. Which is why I'm one of the few that thinks we've had a solid-to-good offseason. Hardly a great one.

QUOTE (chw42 @ Jan 14, 2011 -> 11:19 AM) There was some concern by some front office people around baseball about Balfour's loss of velocity last season. He did lose velocity, but it was around 1 MPH. All I know is that he had a hell of a season last year. I would much rather have Balfour. Yet he had a considerably better year than he did in 2009. So who knows what to make of the minimal loss in FB velocity. All I know is the guy has been pretty damn consistent three years running now. Something very rare among relievers.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Jan 14, 2011 -> 11:08 AM) Grant Balfour to Oakland. 2 years, $8.1 million Reasonable deal. Oakland has had a very underrated offseason. Other than not landing Beltre I don't see what's not to like about what they did.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Jan 14, 2011 -> 09:02 AM) The injury history is a great concern. They have gotten hurt in the past with big pitcher contracts and injuries. I guess its just something they are willing to risk with the situation they are in. I don't think draft picks really concern the Yankees too much. They need to win now, not worry about getting a young player who may or may not even make the majors in 3-4 years. By that time, they will just buy the next hotshot FA anyway. I completely realize how awful their rotation is. But there is no else out there that is really any good to help them, other than Pettitte, who they are waiting on. I am sure they will sign a guy or two thats left off the scrap heap, but this signing doesn't affect their ability to do that. Like I said, if your rotation sucks and there's not much you can do about it, you might as well make sure your bullpen is lock down and doesn't blow the leads you do have. And if they do make the playoffs, playing them suddenly turns into a 6 inning game. I'm just saying if this draft is as good as we're hearing, and I realize it could be all hype, then the Yankees could obviously get a pretty nice player, especially with their ability to go overslot anytime they feel like it. I get your point of view. I think Soriano would mean a lot more to a team not the Yankees as a closer than to the Yankees as a set-up man. Either way I still consider this a panic move and a complete contradiction from what Cashman said earlier in the week or last week.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 14, 2011 -> 08:54 AM) No, Soriano was offered arbitration, you're still not understanding the system. The 2nd pick is magically created out of thin air. Wait, s***. Damn. So it's the second pick that confuses my ass. Now I got you. I got you Balta. I'm tired as f*** and didn't get much sleep. I really did know that. Just got confused for a second.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 14, 2011 -> 08:41 AM) The Yankees only lose 1 draft pick in the upcoming draft. The Rays get 2 picks; the other pick they get is a "sandwich" pick, a compensatory pick created between the first and second rounds. Those picks only are created when an arb-offered player is signed by someone other than his team; they do not exist otherwise. Ahh, I missed that. I'm forgetting Soriano was not offered arbitration. Still not worth the pick to me.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Jan 14, 2011 -> 08:20 AM) I may be in the minority, but I like the signing. Did they overpay? f*** yeah. But you know what, it's the Yankees, if anyone can do that it's them. Their rotation sucks, and there is not much out there to help it get better. If that's the case, you might as well get a shut down bullpen if you can. They have no excuses to not win the WS every year, so they had to make a move like this. Plus, if Soriano likes it there, he could also be the closer after Mo Rivera retires. It makes them 'slightly' better. But I mean, c'mon. One, you've got the injury history. And Soriano has never produced three good seasons in a row. Two, you lose two draft picks in which the upcoming draft is believed to be loaded for a guy you might get 150-175 innings out of over the life of the deal. And you can have a bullpen with multiple Mariano's. Starting pitching will always take precedent over relief pitchers. It's not even really close. And other than Sabathia, they're going to have troubles getting to the 'pen with leads consistently with that rotation. I don't think people realize how bad Burnett was last year and how Hughes really fell off a cliff the second half.

QUOTE (Felix @ Jan 14, 2011 -> 08:22 AM) Right now, Kevin Love is a better basketball player than Blake Griffin. And considering Love is less than a year older than him... I wouldn't argue that. I think both should be there. But Blake is putting on an aerial show not seen since the likes of a young Vince Carter. I bet even the coaches that vote would go with Blake just because of that. Either way I see a guy like Duncan, who these games obviously mean nothing to anymore, coming down with a mysterious injury that would keep him out of the game regardless. So both Blake and Love should both make it.

QUOTE (Felix @ Jan 13, 2011 -> 11:00 PM) Kevin. Love. How outraged will you be if he's left off the all-star team? You know Durant and Dirk are locks. As is Carmelo. Then you've got Duncan, who will probably get in through reputation if anything [doesn't hurt that his team has the best record in the league]. Then you've got Blake griffin. That's 5 forwards right there. I also have a feeling one of Westbrook/Ellis will miss out. Which would be a tragedy. Of course, there's always guys missing the game just for the hell of it so who knows.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 14, 2011 -> 07:57 AM) Apparently both years 2 and 3 are player-option years, so Soriano can opt-out after year 1 if he thinks there's better money out there for him. Which would be doubtful unless another foolish team desperately, and I mean desperately, needed a closer either year. I mean, who's going to offer him more than the nearly 12 million he's going to get over the next 3 years? Anyway, the Yankees appear to be in good shape when they have the lead after 6. Problem is that rotation is extremely suspect after Sabathia.

QUOTE (maggsmaggs @ Jan 13, 2011 -> 09:32 PM) Yeah, but they will probably take a handful of easy signs because there is no way they can afford $30 million in the draft. That's simply ridiculous though. True. They're not going overslot for 11 guys, obviously. But they've been preparing for this for a while. They didn't sign Farnworth over Balfour because they liked Farnsworth. Scouting and the draft is how they have to do it. I say they go all-out for 4 or 5 guys, maybe 6, then the rest will be relative easy signs.

lol. Now it's being reported that Soriano has an opt out clause for the first two years. Horrible deal, and clearly a panic move, by Cashman.

QUOTE (SoxFan562004 @ Jan 13, 2011 -> 09:15 PM) I know it's just a reliever, but NYY really needed this, even if Pettite comes back their rotation will still be a weak point, they need to mash and get it to their pen ASAP and hope CC goes deep basically everyouting to give them a day off They didn't really need this. No team really needs a 12 million dollar a year set-up man. And the Yankees lose their first round pick as well. Even Yankee fans hate the signing. http://forums.nyyfans.com/showthread.php/1...-Rafael-Soriano And if I'm correct, the Rays now have 9 picks between the first, compensation and second rounds. And once Balfour and Qualls sign that will make it 11. And this is supposed to be the strongest draft in years. The Rays will indeed be feasting come June.

QUOTE (Whitewashed in '05 @ Jan 13, 2011 -> 09:05 PM) Wow, you really have a big man crush on that guy don't you? It was love at first sight. He and Clayton Kershaw. Though I'm obviously a bigger Cargo fan.

QUOTE (maggsmaggs @ Jan 13, 2011 -> 08:48 PM) Bidding against themselves much? Say what you want about Boras. But the dude is the Carlos Gonzalez of agents.

QUOTE (chisoxfan09 @ Jan 13, 2011 -> 08:02 PM) Heyman reporting Yanks will sign Soriano and indeed surrender their pick. Likely to be 3/35. No way we were ever that close to his price. Oh well the speculation was fun. Link: http://twitter.com/SI_JonHeyman/status/25731057428992000 And they can have him. I wanted nothing to do with Soriano. Unbelievable. Two relievers, although two very fine relievers, making damn near 30 million dollars. Definitely a 'Well, we have to do something move' on the part of the Yankees.

QUOTE (knightni @ Jan 13, 2011 -> 04:56 PM) Honestly, if sample size means much... Ramirez should be hitting 9th until mid-May. He's been a notoriously slow starter. It's no longer a sample size with him anymore. Ramirez just flat sucks in April.

I'm probably in the minority, but a top defensive play is a top defensive play. I don't buy all the 'extra credit' certain plays should get because of when they happened [World Series, saving perfect games, ect]. They're obviously going to be more memorable. But I for one wouldn't look at Buehrle's freak of nature play any differently then if it had come in a playoff game. It was just an amazing f***ing play.

QUOTE (nitetrain8601 @ Jan 13, 2011 -> 03:41 PM) Btw, didn't Oz already say Dunn is batting 3rd? Thought I read that as well. Really is the ideal spot. But this is Ozzie we're talking about.

Found this piece on Andruw Jones. I'd love to re-sign him. Our OF depth/power looks pretty s***ty.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Jan 13, 2011 -> 02:54 PM) I said decent, and that goes for the arm, too Cool. Just making sure.

Rose has jumped ahead of Rondo for All-star game starting PG at the moment. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=6018863 I think Rondo is fantastic [i know we're supposed to hate him. But talent is talent]. But take Rose off the Bulls and you're looking at a slightly better version of the Cavs. Not that, that should mean much when discussing who should start in an all-star game.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Jan 13, 2011 -> 02:52 PM) What were the top 5? Oh, come on! Neither one of those plays was anything special. The only reason the Griffey throw even is remembered (besides it being the Black Out Game) is that it was the only thing Griffey contributed to the Sox that year. He was pretty damn shallow in the OF and any decent defender should have been able to throw the runner out. Anderson's catch was pretty good, but not incredible. They're talking about the best plays in the history of the sport. Those two probably don't even crack the top 1,000. Juan Pierre.