The Officially Official Off Season Thread (2016)

[Bmurph]

Diamondbacks agree to six-year contract with Zack Greinke
By Mike Axisa | Baseball Writer

December 4, 2015 8:10 pm ET

The Diamondbacks have agreed to a six-year contract with free agent right-hander Zack Greinke, CBS Sports MLB Insider Jon Heyman has confirmed. Financial terms of the deal are unknown at this time. The contract is pending a physical.

Greinke, 32, was arguably the best free agent starter on the market this offseason and inarguably the best once David Price agreed to a seven-year contract with the Red Sox. Heyman recently reported Greinke could exceed Price's $31 million average annual salary.

In recent days the NL West rival Dodgers and Giants were bidding for Greinke. It wasn't until Friday afternoon that we learned the D-Backs were pursuing the right-hander, and even then it was unclear if they were willing to make a competitive offer, or just trying to drive up the price.

Arizona made a run at Johnny Cueto earlier this offseason, offering a six-year deal worth $120 million. That showed the team was willing to spend big this offseason. The D-Backs signed a new and very lucrative television contract not too long ago, which surely helped land Greinke.

In 2015, the D-Backs went 79-83 and finished 13 games back of the Dodgers in the NL West. Those 79 wins represented a 15-win improvement from 2014. Greinke is joining a strong core that includes Paul Goldschmidt, A.J. Pollock, Patrick Corbin, Ender Inciarte and Robbie Ray.

Because the Dodgers made Greinke a qualifying offer, the D-Backs will forfeit their first round pick (13th overall) to sign the right-hander. Los Angeles will receive a supplemental first round pick as compensation. That usually slots in somewhere around No. 30-35 overall.

Greinke is coming off a season in which he pitched to an MLB-leading 1.66 ERA in 222 2/3 innings for the Dodgers. For his career, Greinke owns an ERA of 3.35 (123 ERA+) and 3.71 K/BB ratio across parts of 12 big-league seasons.

Back in 2009, Greinke won the Cy Young as a member of the Royals. He finished runner-up to Jake Arrieta in the 2015 NL balloting. He'll enter the 2016 season needing eight victories for career win No. 150. Greinke also enter 2016 with more than $110 million in career salary to date.










Zack Greinke is a free agent no more. (USATSI)

 

[DT LUNA]

I think he wanted out of that fiasco

I suppose when you are that rich already that satisfaction at the job becomes a higher priority. Seems it would anyway.

 

[Bmurph]

Maybe.....but what makes AZ so much better? After all, he's a guy who has always said he'll go to the highest bidder no matter what.

According to Cueto.....nothing

 

[Bmurph]

Cubs' John Lackey: Signs with Cubs

by RotoWire Staff | Special to CBSSports.com
Lackey agreed to a two-year deal with the Cubs on Friday, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reports.

The deal is reportedly worth somewhere between $32-$34 million for the two years for Lackey, who is coming off of one of the best seasons of his career with a 2.77 ERA and 7.2 K/9. The Cubs already have Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester occupying the top two spots of the rotation, but Lackey figures to fill in as a strong No. 3 option.

So it says between 32-34 here for Lackey

 

[Bmurph]

MORE HERE:

Diamondbacks To Sign Zack Greinke

By Charlie Wilmoth | December 4, 2015 at 7:06pm CST

In a shocker, the Diamondbacks have agreed to terms with Zack Greinke, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal tweets. The contract is for six years, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman tweets. The deal is pending a physical. Greinke will receive an amazing $206.5MM over six years, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic tweets. While that will include some deferred money (via Rosenthal), the total comes just short of David Price‘s $217MM deal with the Tigers, which was the largest ever for a pitcher. And Greinke’s contract is for only six years, compared to Price’s seven (although Price’s contains an opt-out, and there’s no indication yet that Greinke’s does). Greinke’s $34.41MM AAV will be baseball’s largest ever, blowing away both Price and Miguel Cabrera, who got $31MM. Greinke is represented by Excel Sports Management.

Rosenthal had reported earlier Friday evening that the Diamondbacks were pursuing Greinke, and the Diamondbacks had previously been connected to a number of high-profile arms, including Johnny Cueto, Kenta Maeda and others. Still, the fact that they’re set to sign an ultra-high-end star like Greinke comes as a surprise, particularly since the top two bidders seemed to be two of Arizona’s division rivals, the Dodgers and Giants.

Still, Greinke to the Diamondbacks makes a fair amount of sense, and not just because of their ten-figure new TV deal. The $206.5MM total for Greinke is three times larger than the Snakes’ biggest-ever free agent contract (last year’s $68.5MM deal for Yasmany Tomas), but Greinke, in addition to being an elite talent, should fit well with what they already have built.

As FanGraphs’ August Fagerstrom pointed out earlier this week, Arizona already qualified as a sleeper team for next season. The Diamondbacks already had a solid offense headed by two top talents in Paul Goldschmidt and A.J. Pollock, and an excellent defense headed by Pollock, Nick Ahmed and Ender Inciarte. The chief reason they only won 79 games last season was their pitching staff, which rated 27th in MLB in fWAR. Their rotation already looked likely to improve somewhat next season with a full season of Patrick Corbin, but adding Greinke provides a much bigger shot in the arm. With Greinke in the fold, the Diamondbacks obviously have a much better chance of contending — and not only because of the direct impact Greinke will have on their roster, but also because they’ll be keeping Greinke from pitching for one of their rivals.

Greinke would, clearly, be an impact addition for any team. While he isn’t likely to repeat his 1.66 ERA next season, even with an outstanding defense behind him, he’s an elite pitcher on his worst days — he pitched 222 2/3 innings in 2015 and struck out 200 batters, reaching that threshold for the fifth time in his career. His 1.6 BB/9 was good for fifth in the Majors, and he also did a terrific job limiting home runs. Via FanGraphs linear weights, his changeup ranked as the best in baseball, and both his fastball and slider were among the ten best. He also hit a relatively robust .224/.232/.343 and won his second consecutive Gold Glove award.

The Dodgers were uncomfortable giving Greinke a sixth year, the Los Angeles Times’ Bill Shaikin tweets. The Dodgers offered Greinke about $31MM per year over five years, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman reports (again via Twitter), but they were uncomfortable guaranteeing a sixth year to a pitcher who’s already 32. With Greinke off the board, the Dodgers are expected to bid for Cueto, as USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets. Meanwhile, the Giants could turn to other starting pitchers, perhaps Jeff Samardzija.

Greinke’s decision to opt out of his contract with the Dodgers was, as it turned out, a very lucrative one. He effectively declined three years and $71MM more from Los Angeles, and now will receive three times as much over only twice as many years. Also, as the Bay Area News Group’s Andrew Baggarly tweets, Greinke will be taxed at a significantly lower rate in Arizona than in California.

Once the deal is complete, the Diamondbacks will forfeit the 13th overall pick in next year’s draft, since Greinke rejected the Dodgers’ qualifying offer. The Dodgers will receive a pick at the end of the first round.

 

[Bmurph]

Cubs To Sign John Lackey

By Charlie Wilmoth | December 4, 2015 at 4:19pm CST

The Cubs have reached agreement with righty John Lackey on a two-year deal worth $32MM, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports (Twitter links). Lackey will receive $16MM in each of the next two seasons, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times tweets. Yahoo! Sports’ Tim Brown had reported earlier today that the Cubs were intensely interested in Lackey and that the two sides were discussing possibilities for two- and three-year deals. Lackey is represented by Steve Hilliard of Hilliard Sports Management.

Lackey will be a mid-rotation starter in Chicago, pitching behind Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester (a friend from his days with the Red Sox). He had a terrific season with the Cubs’ division rivals in St. Louis in 2015, throwing 218 innings and posting a 2.77 ERA, 7.2 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9. He pitched for the league minimum last season due to a clause in the contract he initially signed with the Red Sox; it appears his new deal will pay him closer to the $15MM-plus he received in the other years of that contract.

The 37-year-old Lackey is no spring chicken, so it’s no surprise that the Cubs aren’t making a lengthy commitment. After having Tommy John surgery and missing the 2012 season, though, Lackey has been very durable, making a total of 93 starts and pitching over 600 innings in the three years since. His velocity and peripheral numbers have also remained fairly constant in that time frame. That’s not to say, however, that he’s likely to post another 2.77 ERA in Chicago next season — like many Cardinals pitchers last season, his numbers with runners in scoring position were outstanding (opposing batters hit .200/.296/.273 against him). Lackey seems unlikely to sustain those numbers, although he would still be very productive even if he gained half a run or so in ERA.

The Cubs had previously been connected to starting pitchers like Jeff Samardzija (via free agency) and Shelby Miller (via the trade market). They also met with David Price before Price agreed to terms with the Red Sox. Obviously, Lackey costs significantly less than Price did or Samardzija seems likely to, and will not cost the Cubs any prospects other than a draft pick. (Lackey rejected a qualifying offer from the Cardinals, so the Cubs will lose their first-round pick in the 2016, 28th overall. The Cardinals will gain a pick at the end of the first round.) With Lackey in the fold, the Cubs’ rotation lines up as Arrieta, Lester, Lackey, Kyle Hendricks and Jason Hammel.

 

[WastinSomeTime]

Cubs To Sign John Lackey

By Charlie Wilmoth | December 4, 2015 at 4:19pm CST

The Cubs have reached agreement with righty John Lackey on a two-year deal worth $32MM, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports (Twitter links). Lackey will receive $16MM in each of the next two seasons, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times tweets. Yahoo! Sports’ Tim Brown had reported earlier today that the Cubs were intensely interested in Lackey and that the two sides were discussing possibilities for two- and three-year deals. Lackey is represented by Steve Hilliard of Hilliard Sports Management.

View attachment 61703Lackey will be a mid-rotation starter in Chicago, pitching behind Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester (a friend from his days with the Red Sox). He had a terrific season with the Cubs’ division rivals in St. Louis in 2015, throwing 218 innings and posting a 2.77 ERA, 7.2 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9. He pitched for the league minimum last season due to a clause in the contract he initially signed with the Red Sox; it appears his new deal will pay him closer to the $15MM-plus he received in the other years of that contract.

The 37-year-old Lackey is no spring chicken, so it’s no surprise that the Cubs aren’t making a lengthy commitment. After having Tommy John surgery and missing the 2012 season, though, Lackey has been very durable, making a total of 93 starts and pitching over 600 innings in the three years since. His velocity and peripheral numbers have also remained fairly constant in that time frame. That’s not to say, however, that he’s likely to post another 2.77 ERA in Chicago next season — like many Cardinals pitchers last season, his numbers with runners in scoring position were outstanding (opposing batters hit .200/.296/.273 against him). Lackey seems unlikely to sustain those numbers, although he would still be very productive even if he gained half a run or so in ERA.

The Cubs had previously been connected to starting pitchers like Jeff Samardzija (via free agency) and Shelby Miller (via the trade market). They also met with David Price before Price agreed to terms with the Red Sox. Obviously, Lackey costs significantly less than Price did or Samardzija seems likely to, and will not cost the Cubs any prospects other than a draft pick. (Lackey rejected a qualifying offer from the Cardinals, so the Cubs will lose their first-round pick in the 2016, 28th overall. The Cardinals will gain a pick at the end of the first round.) With Lackey in the fold, the Cubs’ rotation lines up as Arrieta, Lester, Lackey, Kyle Hendricks and Jason Hammel.

I think 16 mill for Lackey is a good signing for the Cubs.

 

[Bmurph]

I think 16 mill for Lackey is a good signing for the Cubs.

I think he definitely pitched to that AAV last year right?

 

[saddles]

MORE HERE:

Diamondbacks To Sign Zack Greinke

By Charlie Wilmoth | December 4, 2015 at 7:06pm CST

In a shocker, the Diamondbacks have agreed to terms with Zack Greinke, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal tweets. The contract is for six years, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman tweets. The deal is pending a physical. Greinke will receive an amazing $206.5MM over six years, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic tweets. While that will include some deferred money (via Rosenthal), the total comes just short of David Price‘s $217MM deal with the Tigers, which was the largest ever for a pitcher. And Greinke’s contract is for only six years, compared to Price’s seven (although Price’s contains an opt-out, and there’s no indication yet that Greinke’s does). Greinke’s $34.41MM AAV will be baseball’s largest ever, blowing away both Price and Miguel Cabrera, who got $31MM. Greinke is represented by Excel Sports Management.

View attachment 61701Rosenthal had reported earlier Friday evening that the Diamondbacks were pursuing Greinke, and the Diamondbacks had previously been connected to a number of high-profile arms, including Johnny Cueto, Kenta Maeda and others. Still, the fact that they’re set to sign an ultra-high-end star like Greinke comes as a surprise, particularly since the top two bidders seemed to be two of Arizona’s division rivals, the Dodgers and Giants.

Still, Greinke to the Diamondbacks makes a fair amount of sense, and not just because of their ten-figure new TV deal. The $206.5MM total for Greinke is three times larger than the Snakes’ biggest-ever free agent contract (last year’s $68.5MM deal for Yasmany Tomas), but Greinke, in addition to being an elite talent, should fit well with what they already have built.

As FanGraphs’ August Fagerstrom pointed out earlier this week, Arizona already qualified as a sleeper team for next season. The Diamondbacks already had a solid offense headed by two top talents in Paul Goldschmidt and A.J. Pollock, and an excellent defense headed by Pollock, Nick Ahmed and Ender Inciarte. The chief reason they only won 79 games last season was their pitching staff, which rated 27th in MLB in fWAR. Their rotation already looked likely to improve somewhat next season with a full season of Patrick Corbin, but adding Greinke provides a much bigger shot in the arm. With Greinke in the fold, the Diamondbacks obviously have a much better chance of contending — and not only because of the direct impact Greinke will have on their roster, but also because they’ll be keeping Greinke from pitching for one of their rivals.

Greinke would, clearly, be an impact addition for any team. While he isn’t likely to repeat his 1.66 ERA next season, even with an outstanding defense behind him, he’s an elite pitcher on his worst days — he pitched 222 2/3 innings in 2015 and struck out 200 batters, reaching that threshold for the fifth time in his career. His 1.6 BB/9 was good for fifth in the Majors, and he also did a terrific job limiting home runs. Via FanGraphs linear weights, his changeup ranked as the best in baseball, and both his fastball and slider were among the ten best. He also hit a relatively robust .224/.232/.343 and won his second consecutive Gold Glove award.

The Dodgers were uncomfortable giving Greinke a sixth year, the Los Angeles Times’ Bill Shaikin tweets. The Dodgers offered Greinke about $31MM per year over five years, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman reports (again via Twitter), but they were uncomfortable guaranteeing a sixth year to a pitcher who’s already 32. With Greinke off the board, the Dodgers are expected to bid for Cueto, as USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets. Meanwhile, the Giants could turn to other starting pitchers, perhaps Jeff Samardzija.

Greinke’s decision to opt out of his contract with the Dodgers was, as it turned out, a very lucrative one. He effectively declined three years and $71MM more from Los Angeles, and now will receive three times as much over only twice as many years. Also, as the Bay Area News Group’s Andrew Baggarly tweets, Greinke will be taxed at a significantly lower rate in Arizona than in California.

Once the deal is complete, the Diamondbacks will forfeit the 13th overall pick in next year’s draft, since Greinke rejected the Dodgers’ qualifying offer. The Dodgers will receive a pick at the end of the first round.

HaHa. Good luck with all of that DBacks.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

You cattle fuckers are some serious baseball fans. This thread is always rolling. if you handful of fags are any indication of what it would be like if the Rangers started winning, ifin I was the Rangers' FO, I'd bust my ass for you.

As an Indians fan, I'm jealous, and I tip my cap.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

I think 16 mill for Lackey is a good signing for the Cubs.

RIDICULOUSLY good. That is a NO risk deal.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

I think he definitely pitched to that AAV last year right?

If you could guarantee he'd match last year's performance, the big money teams would line up to give him $30MM for one year.

 

[Bmurph]

If you could guarantee he'd match last year's performance, the big money teams would line up to give him $30MM for one year.

Ive never liked the fucker myself since his Angels days, but he earned very bit of that contract last year IMO.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

Ive never liked the fucker myself since his Angels days, but he earned very bit of that contract last year IMO.

I think he's a complete fuck stain, but historically, he's be underrated and quite a pitcher. He's not sexy, but he's been one of the best pitchers over the last couple decades.

I'm surprised he doesn't get more respect from this crowd, being that he's from Abilene.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

he's from Abilene.

I learned that on my first trip to Coleman.

 

[Bmurph]

I think he's a complete fuck stain, but historically, he's be underrated and quite a pitcher. He's not sexy, but he's been one of the best pitchers over the last couple decades.

I'm surprised he doesn't get more respect from this crowd, being that he's from Abilene.

He had a some bad blood w Kinsler some years back that I believe soured most here on his antics, he just acts like a total dick to me all the time.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

He had a some bad blood w Kinsler some years back that I believe soured most here on his antics, he just acts like a total dick to me all the time.

Not sure it's acting like a "total dick." Have you ever met anyone from Texas?

 

[Bmurph]

Not sure it's acting like a "total dick." Have you ever met anyone from Texas?

Uh...... we believe in Texas friendly here, you know move over to the shoulder and let someone pass, hold the door for folks, ladies first, that sort of shit. Lackey doesnt fit, more like an Ohio guy I think.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

Uh...... we believe in Texas friendly here, you know move over to the shoulder and let someone pass, hold the door for folks, ladies first, that sort of shit. Lackey doesnt fit, more like an Ohio guy I think.

Beckett's from Texas, right?

 

[Bmurph]

Beckett's from Texas, right?

gotta be a transplant from Yankee parents