Roy Oswalt rejects 35 million from Phillies; opts for retirement

[Retroram52]

Number 1, it is amazing how fast a thread can turn on a dime.

 

[jvett77]

And the team will still be lucky to make it to .500

I'm glad it is a one year deal, but that is a hell of a way to waste $16 million.

You have no sense about how good this team will be if injuries can be kept to a minimum.

 

[Cedrique]

Money always matters. They now have a payroll of $175 million and will be lucky to be above .500

They have spent $62 million this offseason. They should have passed on Burnett. Burnett was not the difference between making and not making the playoffs.

The only thing this off season has done was extend how long the Phillies will struggle.

The reason it was a good signing is the 16 million. If it was 3 years, 27 Million it would be a bad move long term. Given the moves that were already made the Burnett signing in and of itself does nothing to hurt the future of the Phillies (unless you're worried about possibly not getting Tyler Cloyd a bunch of big league starts). I wouldn't count this team out of contention before the season even starts and if they do turn out to be a huge disappointment by the trade deadline they will have another opportunity to maybe trade a couple veterans, including Burnett if he does well.

 

[Caligula]

You have no sense about how good this team will be if injuries can be kept to a minimum.

Yeah, lol...

 

[Caligula]

I wouldn't count this team out of contention before the season even starts and if they do turn out to be a huge disappointment by the trade deadline they will have another opportunity to maybe trade a couple veterans, including Burnett if he does well.

History has shown us that isn't the case. Because that should have happened last trade deadline.

 

[Caligula]

The reason it was a good signing is the 16 million. If it was 3 years, 27 Million it would be a bad move long term.

I never said it was a bad signing. I said it was a waste of $16 million. If this team was set up to contend, this would be an awesome deal.

 

[Omar 382]

History has shown us that isn't the case. Because that should have happened last trade deadline.

Well, I'd say we're hitting .500 when it comes to the trade deadline in a bad Phillies season with Amaro and the rest of the front office running things. Even with how stupid he is, if Burnett is putting up comparable numbers to last year and the Phillies are 15 out at the deadline, Amaro would have absolutely no choice but to trade Burnett. If it was a 2 year deal, I'd agree, but it isn't, and he can be traded.

 

[Cedrique]

Well, I'd say we're hitting .500 when it comes to the trade deadline in a bad Phillies season with Amaro and the rest of the front office running things. Even with how stupid he is, if Burnett is putting up comparable numbers to last year and the Phillies are 15 out at the deadline, Amaro would have absolutely no choice but to trade Burnett. If it was a 2 year deal, I'd agree, but it isn't, and he can be traded.

Exactly. I'd say they'd have a much easier time trading Burnett than they did trying to trade Michael Young last season after he had spent the first half of the year proving to every NL team that he couldn't play defense.

 

[Omar 382]

The reason it was a good signing is the 16 million. If it was 3 years, 27 Million it would be a bad move long term. Given the moves that were already made the Burnett signing in and of itself does nothing to hurt the future of the Phillies (unless you're worried about possibly not getting Tyler Cloyd a bunch of big league starts). I wouldn't count this team out of contention before the season even starts and if they do turn out to be a huge disappointment by the trade deadline they will have another opportunity to maybe trade a couple veterans, including Burnett if he does well.

By the way, I hate to break it you but Cloyd is in the Indians' system now.

 

[Cedrique]

Here's how the season is going to play out for the clownish fanbase:
They are going to get pissy when Hamels is out and/or returns and struggles a bit.
They are going to complain about Howard's production.
They are going to want Rollins benched.
They are going to suggest Sandberg should be fired and bring in a "real" manager.
Something, something, Amaro.
They will complain when Utley misses a month or more of games.
They will be upset when Byrd does not come anywhere close to last years production.
They will come up with ridiculous trade scenarios.
They will announce repeatedly they are "done with this team."

That is what this season will be.

Yeah, win or lose the clownish fan base of this and every other team are going to make lots of ridiculous statements throughout the year. And you're probably right about a lot of the ones listed above. I just don't like the fact that you seem 100% certain that the Phillies will be bad this year and it is still February. History tells us that about once a decade or so the Phillies will go through the winter making either inexplicable or only minor moves, then somehow pull a winning season out of their collective ass. I know it is hard to believe but I was there, so trust me-John Denny, Tommy Greene, Danny Jackson....those people really exist and that really did happen.

 

[Retroram52]

 

[Caligula]

Yeah, win or lose the clownish fan base of this and every other team are going to make lots of ridiculous statements throughout the year. And you're probably right about a lot of the ones listed above. I just don't like the fact that you seem 100% certain that the Phillies will be bad this year and it is still February. History tells us that about once a decade or so the Phillies will go through the winter making either inexplicable or only minor moves, then somehow pull a winning season out of their collective ass. I know it is hard to believe but I was there, so trust me-John Denny, Tommy Greene, Danny Jackson....those people really exist and that really did happen.

I hope it happens. A winning season is sure as shit more enjoyable than a losing season. But, there are a lot of ifs and trend reversals that need to take place for this team to turn around this year.

I still feel that the only thing this off season has done is extend the need to rebuild. If this team succeeds, fantastic, but not very probable. If this team ends up being a sub-.500 team, like I have been saying since last May, then the only thing the front office has done is extend the rebuilding process by another two to three years.

The fan base is split up between two groups: The "we can't just trade away the whole team and become the Astros" group, and the "We need to trade for/sign big name players!/Rollins, Howard, and Ruiz will rebound!"

Both groups are wrong.

 

[Caligula]

Well, I'd say we're hitting .500 when it comes to the trade deadline in a bad Phillies season with Amaro and the rest of the front office running things. Even with how stupid he is, if Burnett is putting up comparable numbers to last year and the Phillies are 15 out at the deadline, Amaro would have absolutely no choice but to trade Burnett. If it was a 2 year deal, I'd agree, but it isn't, and he can be traded.

He can be traded, but it will not be for much, at all.

 

[Retroram52]

Yep right again Caligula! I am of the opinion that puts me in neither group though.

 

[Omar 382]

He can be traded, but it will not be for much, at all.

We could get a decent payback if he is putting up numbers comparable to 2013, no doubt about it.

 

[Caligula]

We could get a decent payback if he is putting up numbers comparable to 2013, no doubt about it.

I disagree. No one is going to give up much for three months of service from a 37 year old pitcher who will probably retire after the season. He does not have a lot of value even if he duplicates 2013 numbers.

 

[Omar 382]

I disagree. No one is going to give up much for three months of service from a 37 year old pitcher who will probably retire after the season. He does not have a lot of value even if he duplicates 2013 numbers.

Teams get extremely desperate around the trade deadline, especially if they are 2 games out of first place and have subpar starting pitching. Look at how much the Rangers gave for Garza last year. Not a perfect example, as Garza was a better pitcher at the time and was/is a lot younger, but then again I don't expect to get as much back as Chicago did.

 

[Cedrique]

I disagree. No one is going to give up much for three months of service from a 37 year old pitcher who will probably retire after the season. He does not have a lot of value even if he duplicates 2013 numbers.

I've stopped giving credence to your opinion after you woefully underestimated the Tanaka signing. Moreover, I now have proof that it was you that turfed my parents lawn after my party last summer. I got this chick to analyze pictures of the tire tracks and she concluded that those marks could only be made by a mid 80's model IROC.

 

[Cedrique]

Here's how the season is going to play out for the clownish fanbase:
They are going to get pissy when Hamels is out and/or returns and struggles a bit.
They are going to complain about Howard's production.
They are going to want Rollins benched.
They are going to suggest Sandberg should be fired and bring in a "real" manager.
Something, something, Amaro.
They will complain when Utley misses a month or more of games.
They will be upset when Byrd does not come anywhere close to last years production.
They will come up with ridiculous trade scenarios.
They will announce repeatedly they are "done with this team."

That is what this season will be.

I'm going to go ahead and check off line 5 of the Prophecy "Something, something Amaro". I know the season hasn't started but I'm going to say that questioning Amaro's tears when talking about a former manager that just died would qualify as "clownish".

 

[Caligula]

Phillies signed RHP A.J. Burnett to a one-year, $15 million contract.
The deal also includes performance bonuses, a $15 million mutual/player option (with a $1 million buyout) for 2015 and a limited no-trade clause. Most figured that Burnett would wind up back with the Pirates if he decided to continue playing, but the Phillies offered him a lot more money and he jumped at it. The veteran righty will settle in as a fine No. 3 starter behind Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee.