Off Season Moves/News/Rumors/Discussion Thread

[calsnowskier]

Let's make a distinction here: The AAAA's CAN afford to keep the talent around. They choose not to. The current line of "thinking" with Wolff and Beane is that if they plead poverty enough in the next few years, Selig will have no choice but to open up the San Jose market, which is exactly what Wolff wants.

Meanwhile, the team is sending out a $40 million payroll and profiting about the same amount every year. Wolff is having his cake AND getting to eat it too.

So please don't continue to spread the rumor that the AAAA's cannot afford to field a competitive team. Let everyone know that they no longer WANT to compete until they get what they want. I think they should never get it just for that reason.

This is the flip side if the coin for my post earlier.

I think that both MLB and the MLBPA should like the Giants over the I's here. The G's are building the product image (good for MLB) and paying players to do it (good for MLBPA). What good are the I's doing?

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

Let's make a distinction here: The AAAA's CAN afford to keep the talent around. They choose not to. The current line of "thinking" with Wolff and Beane is that if they plead poverty enough in the next few years, Selig will have no choice but to open up the San Jose market, which is exactly what Wolff wants.

Meanwhile, the team is sending out a $40 million payroll and profiting about the same amount every year. Wolff is having his cake AND getting to eat it too.

So please don't continue to spread the rumor that the AAAA's cannot afford to field a competitive team. Let everyone know that they no longer WANT to compete until they get what they want. I think they should never get it just for that reason.

The A's have drawn 1.4 million fans for the past couple of seasons. When that number drops under 1 million what do you think Selig will do?

 

[calsnowskier]

The A's have drawn 1.4 million fans for the past couple of seasons. When that number drops under 1 million what do you think Selig will do?

Wolfe is essentially laying face down on the ground and pounding with his arms and legs. NO WAY will MLB reward that with giving them something that LEGALLY belongs to another franchise. That would NOT be in the best interests of the league.

I CAN, however, see Uncle Buddy stepping in and forcing a sale/move.

 

[mistgl]

Wolfe is essentially laying face down on the ground and pounding with his arms and legs. NO WAY will MLB reward that with giving them something that LEGALLY belongs to another franchise. That would NOT be in the best interests of the league.

I CAN, however, see Uncle Buddy stepping in and forcing a sale/move.

That, and unless we were paid a fortune, our ownership group would just take it to court. They're Rich men with great lawyers, not like they're going to just hand away valuable territory, that took time to cultivate into an asset for our franchise, without a fight.

 

[Mays-Fan]

This is the flip side if the coin for my post earlier.

I think that both MLB and the MLBPA should like the Giants over the I's here. The G's are building the product image (good for MLB) and paying players to do it (good for MLBPA). What good are the I's doing?

It has been discussed that the A's should pay the Giants a fee of some size in exchange for the right to relocate to SJ.

It would follow that if the A's would pay a fee to move to SJ, the Giants should be willing to pay a fee to entice the A's to move out of the Bay Area altogether.

Just to throw some numbers out there, would it be worth it for the G's to pay, say, $5 million a year for 10 years to the A's to move out of Northern California. And for no MLB franchise to move to the Bay Area (rigidly and contractually defined) for say, 99 years.

 

[calsnowskier]

It has been discussed that the A's should pay the Giants a fee of some size in exchange for the right to relocate to SJ.

It would follow that if the A's would pay a fee to move to SJ, the Giants should be willing to pay a fee to entice the A's to move out of the Bay Area altogether.

Just to throw some numbers out there, would it be worth it for the G's to pay, say, $5 million a year for 10 years to the A's to move out of Northern California. And for no MLB franchise to move to the Bay Area (rigidly and contractually defined) for say, 99 years.

The Giants would JUMP at the prospect of owning the entire BA for a min of 99 years for a measly 50M. However, that will never happen.

 

[mistgl]

It has been discussed that the A's should pay the Giants a fee of some size in exchange for the right to relocate to SJ.

It would follow that if the A's would pay a fee to move to SJ, the Giants should be willing to pay a fee to entice the A's to move out of the Bay Area altogether.

Just to throw some numbers out there, would it be worth it for the G's to pay, say, $5 million a year for 10 years to the A's to move out of Northern California. And for no MLB franchise to move to the Bay Area (rigidly and contractually defined) for say, 99 years.

To put it in perspective, the Nats had to Pony up 70mil for the Orioles, and the O's didn't even legally have rights to the DC area. If it was as simple as paying a team to move, the Yanks would have done it to the Mets ages ago.

That being said. I wouldn't be surprised to see the A's move. Trying to reclaim territory that they rightful see as theirs won't go down smooth. The owners can vote all they want.... And we can sue!

Why they don't just move to Portland or Vegas is beyond me.

 

[CameronFrye]

To put it in perspective, the Nats had to Pony up 70mil for the Orioles, and the O's didn't even legally have rights to the DC area. If it was as simple as paying a team to move, the Yanks would have done it to the Mets ages ago.

That being said. I wouldn't be surprised to see the A's move. Trying to reclaim territory that they rightful see as theirs won't go down smooth. The owners can vote all they want.... And we can sue!

Why they don't just move to Portland or Vegas is beyond me.

Because Lew Wolff owns the team and he is invested in the Bay Area. dude owns 3 luxury hotels in the Bay Area, owns the San Jose Earthquakes, has many properties in the Bay Area, and wants to be in the Silicon Valley.

This has NOTHING to do with baseball. If the decision were baseball-related, it would have been done the second the Raidahs moved back into the Mausoleum. My guess is that the on-field performance is the very last thing that Wolff cares about.

 

[SFGRTB]

Mariners and Yankees swapped Pineda and Montero.

Mariners, Yankees Swap Pineda For Montero: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

Don't like this deal for the Mariners, unless they get another pitching prospect in return.

 

[filosofy29]

I believe that Ryan Madsen will be a Red as well. Though I haven't seen it confirmed.

 

[mistgl]

Mariners and Yankees swapped Pineda and Montero.

Mariners, Yankees Swap Pineda For Montero: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

Don't like this deal for the Mariners, unless they get another pitching prospect in return.

The Mariners are super deep at pitching, and have two arms that should be in the majors by 2013 (Hultzen, and some dude who's name escapes me). What they don't have are impact bats, and that's what this was all about. Outside of Ackley and Smoak, they got nada.

They're literally going to be all in come the 13-14 (Felix contract is up in 14) seasons, and this is them trying to get cheap offensive production for that. I wouldn't be surprised to see them become big spenders come next off season. Plus, they have yet another top 5 pick.

 

[filosofy29]

Yankees To Sign Hiroki Kuroda: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

Nice! Finally a division rival gets weaker. Kuroda to the Yanks.

 

[Heathbar012]

Yankees To Sign Hiroki Kuroda: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

Nice! Finally a division rival gets weaker. Kuroda to the Yanks.

I always thought Kuroda was vastly over-rated (aside from a great change-up). He is a decent enough ground ball pitcher, though, so I think he'll be successful inside the Bronx Band Box. If the Yanks don't at least go to the World Series in 2012, heads will roll. It's always funny when an ALCS appearance leads to a manager getting fired.

 

[filosofy29]

I always thought Kuroda was vastly over-rated (aside from a great change-up). He is a decent enough ground ball pitcher, though, so I think he'll be successful inside the Bronx Band Box. If the Yanks don't at least go to the World Series in 2012, heads will roll. It's always funny when an ALCS appearance leads to a manager getting fired.

I'm not saying he's great. He's just an above average pitcher who is now out of the division. He still had a sub 4 era (if memory serves me correctly) last season so he does something right. He may get blown up to high hell playing in NY and in that division.....but he still would have been a decent 3rd/4th starter for the Dodgers this year had he stayed.

Yeah, NY has some fanatical fans. The media is even worse over there though. Some Coaches/Players don't even get a chance to get in and get comfortable before they are blacklisted.

 

[Heathbar012]

I'm not saying he's great. He's just an above average pitcher who is now out of the division. He still had a sub 4 era (if memory serves me correctly) last season so he does something right. He may get blown up to high hell playing in NY and in that division.....but he still would have been a decent 3rd/4th starter for the Dodgers this year had he stayed.

Yeah, NY has some fanatical fans. The media is even worse over there though. Some Coaches/Players don't even get a chance to get in and get comfortable before they are blacklisted.

We're spoiled because I see decent 3rd/4th starter, agree, and then think, "He is not worth that money." Madison Bumgarner is worth more than that, and the Giants currently have him at a fraction of Kuroda's price tag.

I agree that his numbers have been good over the years, but much like Latos (though with completely different stuff), I watch them and wonder how they are successful. Those aren't the type of guys that I would go after as a GM, but it is certainly a good thing that they are no longer in the NL West.

 

[CameronFrye]

The AAAA's trade for Seth Smith

A's acquire Rockies outfielder Seth Smith in deal for Guillermo Moscoso, Josh Outman - San Jose Mercury News

According to the article, they are also trying to reach a contract agreement with Fatolo Colon. Awesome.

 

[Heathbar012]

The AAAA's trade for Seth Smith

A's acquire Rockies outfielder Seth Smith in deal for Guillermo Moscoso, Josh Outman - San Jose Mercury News

According to the article, they are also trying to reach a contract agreement with Fatolo Colon. Awesome.

I stopped reading that article after this:

"Smith, 29, who has hit .275 with 51 homers and 181 RBIs over parts of five seasons with Colorado, will be a strong candidate to start at one of the A's corner outfield spots given the lack of inexperience among the A's other options. "

Would you rather have Seth Smith or Melky Cabrera? Keep in mind Sanchez would go against the Giants a few times a year. I'll take Melky and his "interesting" routes to the ball and below average arm to keep Durtty in AL Central purgatory.

 

[CameronFrye]

I stopped reading that article after this:

"Smith, 29, who has hit .275 with 51 homers and 181 RBIs over parts of five seasons with Colorado, will be a strong candidate to start at one of the A's corner outfield spots given the lack of inexperience among the A's other options. "

Would you rather have Seth Smith or Melky Cabrera? Keep in mind Sanchez would go against the Giants a few times a year. I'll take Melky and his "interesting" routes to the ball and below average arm to keep Durtty in AL Central purgatory.

LOL. That was a pretty funny gaffe. The next time I talk about a veteran group, I am going to use the term "lack of inexperience" to describe them.

As for the question, I would honestly rather have neither, but if I had to pick one, I definitely pick Melky. I have never been a Seth Smith fan. I think he's a product of Coors. The guy has a career .750 OPS away from the Canaveral. Plus, he's strictly a platoon guy. If the AAAA's face a lefty, he's going to be a detriment at the plate.

It's another typical shitty trade for Billy Beane.

 

[Heathbar012]

LOL. That was a pretty funny gaffe. The next time I talk about a veteran group, I am going to use the term "lack of inexperience" to describe them.

As for the question, I would honestly rather have neither, but if I had to pick one, I definitely pick Melky. I have never been a Seth Smith fan. I think he's a product of Coors. The guy has a career .750 OPS away from the Canaveral. Plus, he's strictly a platoon guy. If the AAAA's face a lefty, he's going to be a detriment at the plate.

It's another typical shitty trade for Billy Beane.

But he is so dreamy and married to Angelina Jolie...

 

[CameronFrye]

But he is so dreamy and married to Angelina Jolie...

REP!

He is a shitty GM, but it really was a good movie.