2014 Offseason Plans Thread

[lainey12]

Saw the Desolation of Smaug. Great film. Go run and see it. DT is traveling a lot, so who knows. Where the heck is Terps? No telling when about Choo. Not sure which team Boris is expecting to jump into this.

Oh fantastic, we'll check it out
But Christian Bale's movies are first.

 

[lainey12]

I just say that because Harrison. Will look rusty for a year atleast

a year? I don't think so based on an article Rev posted, 27 of 27 pitchers came back with very similar back surgeries, and it didn't take a year to get back to form

maybe rusty a month, 6 weeks....a year I doubt

 

[darrylgann]

Oh fantastic, we'll check it out
But Christian Bale's movies are first.

American Hustle maybe. Big Amy Adams fan myself. Loved Enchanted.

 

[DT LUNA]

a year? I don't think so based on an article Rev posted, 27 of 27 pitchers came back with very similar back surgeries, and it didn't take a year to get back to form

maybe rusty a month, 6 weeks....a year I doubt

A year to me would mean he hasn't fully recovered. He will be ok. Think positive. You ain't never gonna find that fly speck in the pepper.

 

[lainey12]

I saw it in IMAX & 3D, the spider part almost killed me

What...Spiders? It almost killed you

ummmm, sorry darryl, may have to rent that one so I can leave during spider scenes.
not so big on the bugs
we'll stick with Christian Bale's movies.

 

[lainey12]

A year to me would mean he hasn't fully recovered. He will be ok. Think positive. You ain't never gonna find that fly speck in the pepper.

I think he's going to be fine...rusty for a month isn't a huge concern

 

[lainey12]

American Hustle maybe. Big Amy Adams fan myself. Loved Enchanted.

Have you seen the full cast in American Hustle? freaking crazy, I love Amy as well
Bale has never been bad in ANYTHING

including Empire of the Sun, when he was 12...great movie

 

[DT LUNA]

I think he's going to be fine...rusty for a month isn't a huge concern

May be a few guys rusty that long across the board.

 

[darrylgann]

Have you seen the full cast in American Hustle? freaking crazy, I love Amy as well
Bale has never been bad in ANYTHING

including Empire of the Sun, when he was 12...great movie

Yeah, he turned out pretty well. He was good in Little Women with Winona Ryder. and of course ... the Batman.


Yeah it's gonna get hard to get past the spider scenes. At least they are near the first of the movie. Just close your eyes.

 

[WastinSomeTime]

You know that after the 2014 season the new Fox contract kicks in for the Rangers and that 20 year deal is worth around $80 mill a year. Plus we evntually will get $30 mill for the Fielder trade. We have the resources if we really wanted to go after Choo and Tanaka.

 

[slugger82685]

Thats his job though and he is pretty good at it.

You know that after the 2014 season the new Fox contract kicks in for the Rangers and that 20 year deal is worth around $80 mill a year. Plus we evntually will get $30 mill for the Fielder trade. We have the resources if we really wanted to go after Choo and Tanaka.

Well just because we have the resources doesn't mean we should just go on a spending frenzy, look how well that has gone for the Angels....I think we all feel Choo is our biggest need, Tanaka would be more of a luxury unless JD has something preliminary with a team to get a bat for one of our pitchers if we do get Tanaka and now choo

 

[Hambombs]

Well just because we have the resources doesn't mean we should just go on a spending frenzy, look how well that has gone for the Angels....I think we all feel Choo is our biggest need, Tanaka would be more of a luxury unless JD has something preliminary with a team to get a bat for one of our pitchers if we do get Tanaka and now choo

Nope!! SPEND SPEND SPEND!!!! No matter the circumstance "angels"

 

[Hambombs]

Angels sign Raul ibanez

 

[scotsman1948]

Well just because we have the resources doesn't mean we should just go on a spending frenzy, look how well that has gone for the Angels....I think we all feel Choo is our biggest need, Tanaka would be more of a luxury unless JD has something preliminary with a team to get a bat for one of our pitchers if we do get Tanaka and now choo

doubt anyone here is looking to go on an Angels type spending spree, but bringing in need players that help the team is worth spending the money. Signing Choo, a need at COF and a top lead-off hitter, makes sense and if signing Tanaka results in a trade that brings in another need player then these deals make sense. and we don't even approach the Angels spending spree

 

[gregrey972]

Does anyone have the insider subscription on ESPN and can post what today's article "10 moves that need to happen" says? I know someone has posted that stuff here before and I love to read stuff like that.

 

[ESPN Refugee]

You know that after the 2014 season the new Fox contract kicks in for the Rangers and that 20 year deal is worth around $80 mill a year. Plus we evntually will get $30 mill for the Fielder trade. We have the resources if we really wanted to go after Choo and Tanaka.

Sadly even with the new contract kicking in we're actually much lower than other teams including the Angels. I thought I read somewhere that their deal will pay them 2 or 3 times more. When they signed the contract with Fox it was clear Fox came out as the winner because if the contract had to be redone again their annual payout would probably be doubled.

 

[jta4437]

Does anyone have the insider subscription on ESPN and can post what today's article "10 moves that need to happen" says? I know someone has posted that stuff here before and I love to read stuff like that.

1. Los Angeles Angels | Move: Sign free-agent RHP Matt Garza

The Angels have worked hard this offseason to rebuild their pitching staff in hopes of becoming a legitimate contender again. General manager Jerry Dipoto started his offseason by signing highly underrated reliever Joe Smith, then traded Mark Trumbo and prospects to Arizona for pitchers Tyler Skaggs and Hector Santiago. Skaggs, 22, has the highest ceiling but probably is a couple years away from reaching his potential. Santiago is best suited to being the Angels' sixth starter, in case of injury.

To compete the Angels need another top-of-the-rotation starter, and the closest fit is Garza. A rotation of Jered Weaver, C.J. Wilson, Garza, Skaggs and Garrett Richards would give Los Angeles two left-handers and offer the type of repertoire diversity you look for in a rotation.

2. Toronto Blue Jays | Move: Trade for RHP Jeff Samardzija

Like the Angels, the Blue Jays need another quality starter in between R.A. Dickey and Mark Buehrle. They’d like Brandon Morrow to be healthy or Aaron Sanchez to develop quickly or Drew Hutchinson or Kyle Drabek to return from injuries and perform to their potential. But there's an element of wishful thinking in each case.

The Cubs want Sanchez in an Samardzija deal, but they won’t get him. However, a package of Marcus Stroman, Daniel Norris and Anthony Gose probably gets it done. The Cubs need to keep building with prospects, and if they haven’t been able to sign Samardzija to an extension by now they should consider dealing him while the return is still high.

3. Texas Rangers | Move: Sign free-agent OF Shin-Soo Choo

The Rangers’ effort to rebuild their offense got off to a tremendous start when GM Jon Daniels dealt second baseman Ian Kinsler to the Detroit Tigers for Prince Fielder and $30 million. However, to finish the job he needs one more legitimate bat, and the best fit is Choo.

The Rangers would plant him in right field, move Alex Rios to left field and keep Leonys Martin in center. Choo would then become the leadoff hitter with Elvis Andrus hitting second and Jurickson Profar hitting ninth, where he can develop. The market continues to shift upward and this deal could end up around six years and $120 million.

4. New York Yankees | Move: Sign free-agent RHP Masahiro Tanaka

The Yankees have done very well this offseason considering they lost their best player in Robinson Cano. The free-agent signings of Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCann and Carlos Beltran should not only cushion the blow but upgrade their position players overall.

However, the Yankees must improve the top of the rotation. If Tanaka gets posted, there is no doubt the Yankees will bid the maximum $20 million and then outbid the market.

5. Baltimore Orioles | Move: Sign free-agent closer Grant Balfour

The Orioles need a starting pitcher, a corner outfielder and a closer. Balfour is the perfect fit for the last role and they might be able to get him on a two-year deal with a vesting option for less than what Jim Johnson -- whom they traded to Oakland -- would have received in arbitration.

The Orioles have a core good enough to get all the way to the World Series, and it would be a shame if they don’t fill their three biggest needs when they’re this close to winning.

6. Pittsburgh Pirates | Move: Trade for 1B Justin Smoak

The Pirates need a first baseman, although manager Clint Hurdle told me he’s comfortable with Gaby Sanchez. So if they don’t want to spend any money, they should at least bring in another option to compete with Sanchez. With the Seattle Mariners trading for Logan Morrison and signing free-agent Corey Hart, it’s time to give Smoak a change of scenery, and Pittsburgh would be a perfect landing spot.

Smoak is an above-average defensive first baseman with power potential from both sides of the plate. How much he hits remains to be seen, but he had a good second half in 2013 and Hurdle and the Pirates might be able to get him to another level.

7. Arizona Diamondbacks | Move: Sign free-agent RHP Ervin Santana

It appears that both GM Kevin Towers and manager Kirk Gibson are feeling the pressure to win in 2014, and the trades of youngsters Adam Eaton and Tyler Skaggs made that perfectly clear. Towers got the right-handed power he was looking for in Trumbo and now must shift his attention to the rotation.

Santana was very impressive last season for the Kansas City Royals, and looks as though he’s back at the top of his game. His velocity on fastballs and sliders was up, and his command in the zone also was improved. With the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies all improving their rotations, the Diamondbacks must, too.

8. Boston Red Sox | Move: Re-sign SS Stephen Drew

Not many teams will surrender a draft pick for signing Drew, let alone give him the four-year deal he deserves. The best fit for him is the Red Sox, and it’s also what’s best for the team.

Drew at shortstop and Xander Bogaerts at third base is a much better defensive team than Bogaerts at short and Will Middlebrooks at third. The Red Sox would love to give Drew another "pillow" deal -- a one-year deal that allows him to build on his market value -- as they wait for Devin Marrero to develop, and might even give him a two-year deal, but don’t look for more than that.

9. Seattle Mariners | Move: Sign OF Nelson Cruz

You don’t spend $240 million on Robinson Cano and then not protect him in the lineup. Morrison and Hart will help, but Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik can’t stop there. If Choo ends up signing with Texas, there is a good chance that Cruz will sign with Seattle. The Mariners have been a brutal offensive team for years, and Cano alone can't right the ship.

10. Cincinnati Reds | Move: Re-sign RHP Bronson Arroyo

There were several teams that were "in" on Arroyo, including the Minnesota Twins, Philadelphia Phillies and Angels, but the market never developed into the three-year contract or dollar amount Arroyo wants. Therefore, he might just fall back into the lap of the Reds, who would be smart to ink him to a two-year deal.

His veteran leadership, quality innings and ability to pitch at Great American Ball Park would put the Reds at ease. Signing Arroyo might mean that lefty Tony Cingrani can start the year out of the bullpen, continuing his development, and be the next starter when there is an injury.

 

[gregrey972]

thanks JTA!

 

[Xx srs bsns xX]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/10-deg...iddle-of-the-free-agent-market-165809610.html

 

[WastinSomeTime]

doubt anyone here is looking to go on an Angels type spending spree, but bringing in need players that help the team is worth spending the money. Signing Choo, a need at COF and a top lead-off hitter, makes sense and if signing Tanaka results in a trade that brings in another need player then these deals make sense. and we don't even approach the Angels spending spree

Thanks scotsman. I knew someone would take it that way. Any previous posts of mine have never stated that we should be fiscally irresponsible. It was you saw it as a statement that we could go after both of those players and we would be in good shape not for just this year but years to come with just minor tweaking needed here and there.