Aah, it's that loveliest time of year: the anticipation of spring training once February hits. It's that brief time where you fantasize about how great your team will do, before they actually start in their respective spring training league.
As a Giants fan I have mixed feelings this season. Call me a pessimist, but I'm not convinced that Buster Posey will have the best year. People get so caught up in his quick rehabilitation and enthusiasm in returning to catching, but they fail to realize just how much that poor guy has been through. Not only that, but he's returning to the single most strenuous fielding position in the game. Of course I hope he does well; all Giants fans do. But combine that with Freddy Sanchez's long-awaited return and I'm cautious about my expectations. I guess like with any other team, there's a lot of questions that should (hopefully) be answered by Opening Day: Is Barry Zito worthy of being a fifth starter? Will Brian Wilson have recovered from his injury enough to be as great as last season? How good will Brandon Crawford be offensively? Who will get the most starts at first base? Will the new players acquired in the off-season really lift the team's hitting?
This off-season also provided somewhat of a shake-up for the NL West; Trevor Cahill went to the Diamondbacks and Michael Cuddyer went to the Rockies. As much as I like Trevor Cahill, I can't say I'm thrilled about him pitching against the Giants. And Cuddyer is a player I've always really liked, so I'm curious to see how he does in the NL, especially at his older age.
Regardless of all the looming questions, this is still my favorite time of year. Winter is almost over. Days are counted down on calendars until pitchers and catchers report (well, for some of us). For me, Opening Day is like Christmas morning, minus the effort of having to buy presents. Part of my anticipation stems from the fact that the first day of Spring (March 21) is usually within a week of opening day. Also, opening day happens to coincide with a break I have between quarters in school. And, possibly best of all, instead of watching MLB Network shows about nothing but off-season trades and acquisitions, it's back to Baseball Tonight and Quick Pitch.
Of course it's not only my team that I'm curious about come April, because there has been a lot of activity this off-season, most recently that Raul Ibanez is officially a Yankee, and AJ Burnett is officially no longer a Yankee. And while it is only to a minor league deal (that includes a 50 game suspension), Manny Ramirez is officially out of retirement and with the A's. I would think that my dad and I were not the only Northern California fans who had the reaction of, "I'd go to an A's game to see Manny!" So in addition to going to at least a handful of Giants games this year (instead of the mere one game I went to last year - though it was excellent), sometime in the Summer, at least one A's game is in order. And it is only at A's games that I realize how spoiled I am by Giants games.
One final note - I call shananigans on Ryan Braun's 50-game suspension reversal. Something is up with that. More later.
Showing posts with label Giants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Giants. Show all posts
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Those damn Niners...
As much as I can't believe I'm saying this, I've been a bit consumed with San Francisco 49er football as of late. This is quite strange for me, yes, but it was only after witnessing their amazing win over the Saints at Candlestick on Saturday that I noticed some parallels between the 2011/2012 49ers and the SF Giants in 2010. (New York seriously needs to re-name their football team, because this is confusing!)
It's not that I don't like the 49ers; I do. I can't say that it's a major passion (nor has it ever been) at this point, but I've gone to a few 49er games over the years, and like with Cal Bear football games, I try to watch 49er games when I can. However, this season is different. Or, at least, the 49er coach is very different. I admit, one of the main reasons I've taken interest in the 49ers this year is Jim Harbaugh. And seeing him in person (though not terribly well) at Saturday's game was one of the more fun aspects of having been there. He's got just the right amount of crazy for me. Anyhow.
It isn't easy to compare a football team and a baseball team, and for a myriad of reasons; the incredibly short versus the incredibly long seasons is a big one. However, when I saw Alex Smith run for a touchdown (I'm still digesting that I witnessed that!) in the 49er game, all I could think of was Cody Ross in the 2010 NLDS. While I hope that Alex Smith doesn't go the way that Ross has, the similarities, at least to me, were striking. The Giants claimed Cody Ross when pretty much no one else wanted him and the expectations for him to do well weren't very high. But when the Giants needed him in the playoffs, he delivered. Big time. When the 49ers signed Alex Smith, it was the opposite; he was expected to really excel. Well, anyone who watches any football knows that that just didn't happen with him, and at some point, most people just gave up on him. It was a "live and learn" situation. But here we are, some six years later, and Alex Smith is a big reason why the 49ers are playing in their first NFC Championship game since 1998. I think a lot of it has to do with Harbaugh, and most people would agree; but the coach can only do so much. Smith didn't have to come through, mostly because so few people were expecting him to, even with a 13-3 season. He picked a rather large stage to rebound on, and, from what I can tell, most opinions seem to be more positive about him.
I remember so distinctly chanting "Cody! Cody! Cody!" during the 2010 playoffs and I found myself doing the same thing on Saturday, except this time it was "Alex! Alex! Alex!" There's something so great about the fact that one bay area team got their championship title in 2010 and another seems well on its way to winning one in 2011/2012. Maybe I'm jinxing things, but that doesn't seem far-fetched right now. If nothing else, the 49ers are helping make the sting of baseball's off season a bit easier to take. I'm hoping that my Niner-themed fingernail/toenail combo works its magic the same way my Giants-themed manicure did during the 2010 World Series. Fingers crossed!
Next time I will dive head-first into some interesting acquisitions/trades I've neglected recently, because I honestly have been keeping up with it all. For true!
It's not that I don't like the 49ers; I do. I can't say that it's a major passion (nor has it ever been) at this point, but I've gone to a few 49er games over the years, and like with Cal Bear football games, I try to watch 49er games when I can. However, this season is different. Or, at least, the 49er coach is very different. I admit, one of the main reasons I've taken interest in the 49ers this year is Jim Harbaugh. And seeing him in person (though not terribly well) at Saturday's game was one of the more fun aspects of having been there. He's got just the right amount of crazy for me. Anyhow.
It isn't easy to compare a football team and a baseball team, and for a myriad of reasons; the incredibly short versus the incredibly long seasons is a big one. However, when I saw Alex Smith run for a touchdown (I'm still digesting that I witnessed that!) in the 49er game, all I could think of was Cody Ross in the 2010 NLDS. While I hope that Alex Smith doesn't go the way that Ross has, the similarities, at least to me, were striking. The Giants claimed Cody Ross when pretty much no one else wanted him and the expectations for him to do well weren't very high. But when the Giants needed him in the playoffs, he delivered. Big time. When the 49ers signed Alex Smith, it was the opposite; he was expected to really excel. Well, anyone who watches any football knows that that just didn't happen with him, and at some point, most people just gave up on him. It was a "live and learn" situation. But here we are, some six years later, and Alex Smith is a big reason why the 49ers are playing in their first NFC Championship game since 1998. I think a lot of it has to do with Harbaugh, and most people would agree; but the coach can only do so much. Smith didn't have to come through, mostly because so few people were expecting him to, even with a 13-3 season. He picked a rather large stage to rebound on, and, from what I can tell, most opinions seem to be more positive about him.
I remember so distinctly chanting "Cody! Cody! Cody!" during the 2010 playoffs and I found myself doing the same thing on Saturday, except this time it was "Alex! Alex! Alex!" There's something so great about the fact that one bay area team got their championship title in 2010 and another seems well on its way to winning one in 2011/2012. Maybe I'm jinxing things, but that doesn't seem far-fetched right now. If nothing else, the 49ers are helping make the sting of baseball's off season a bit easier to take. I'm hoping that my Niner-themed fingernail/toenail combo works its magic the same way my Giants-themed manicure did during the 2010 World Series. Fingers crossed!
Next time I will dive head-first into some interesting acquisitions/trades I've neglected recently, because I honestly have been keeping up with it all. For true!
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
the Rockies, Rangers, and a predictable fate for Aaron Rowand.
It appears the Rangers and Rockies have been quite busy lately with their signing developments. With the Rockies, it seems like signing Michael Cuddyer got the ball rolling and now there's talk of them acquiring Brad Lidge, and having recently signed Casey Blake.
I don't really have a feeling one way or the other about Casey Blake, other than the fact that he is now an ex-Dodger. I imagine that going from Los Angeles to Denver would be a hell of an upgrade!
As for Brad Lidge, I have rather fond memories of his time with the Astros (with teammate and favorite Lance Berkman) and when he was part of the team's great run in the playoffs in 2005. I can even forgive his unattractive choice in facial hair, because otherwise he's pretty cute. Aesthetics, as usual with me, is a big factor here.
Speaking of former teammates from the 2005 NLCS Astros, Roy Oswalt is also seeking a short-term deal for 2012. It seems that both Lidge and Oswalt (NLCS MVP in 2005) have declined in recent years, though with the latter it seemed that injuries were mostly to blame. As sad as this is to say, I was pretty happy when the Giants beat Oswalt earlier this year, but that's only because he's currently a Phillie. Not necessarily his fault. If he signs with another team next year (barring a few exceptions), I'll probably like him again. Although, as previously stated, I'm not proud of that. Anyhow.
Now we move on to the Rangers and their developments with two players I'm not too fond of. As previously mentioned, I'm not a Mike Napoli fan. But still, the Rangers have been in talks with him about a possible contract extension starting in 2012. It's been predicted that he will make over $9 million next season. Wait, what? The catcher whose defensive abilities have been called into question will make that much? I see things with Napoli going the way they went for Cody Ross. Napoli, to me, seems like nothing more than a flash in the pan. Who knows, maybe he'll vastly improve next year and be worth $9 million. But I doubt it.
His teammate Derek Holland is also up for a possible contract extension next year. Perhaps I was too quick to say I don't like Derek Holland (or "Dutch Oven" as he is referred to). I'm not going to lie and say I like him for the right reasons - because I don't. Holland was part of the trio of pitchers that collapsed during that infamous game in the 2010 World Series (one of my better baseball memories, perhaps ever). Because of that, he will always have a place in my heart. And it's not as if he didn't have a good season this year. Hopes were high for him with the Rangers in the playoffs (along with how many others?). Any way I look at it, however, he's still with the Rangers. I also have to say the quasi-mustache disturbs me a little.
Now it's on to the main event, in which I get to gloat just a bit. I don't get that chance too often, so I'm going to take full advantage of it. Aaron Rowand was really the only sore spot from the 2010 Giants team. I never understood why they acquired him or why they paid him so much. Okay, so he won a World Series with the White Sox. As per usual with the Giants though, that was not recently.
My complaints about Rowand have rarely ever been about his defensive skills. And regardless of how I feel about him, that one killer throw he made from the outfield in the 2010 World Series is one I will likely never forget. However, that does not make up for his offensive skills, which leave much to be desired. When he came to the Giants, he was not cheap and it took awhile for other people to realize that maybe he wasn't worth his high salary. In addition to that, again, it's not his fault, but he has the strangest build of any player I've ever seen. For me, something about that guy isn't right.
Anyway, earlier this week he signed a minor league deal with the Marlins. Now that just sounds bad. A minor league deal with the Marlins? Oh, how the once-barely-mighty have fallen. So many people I know defended Rowand when he was with the Giants. It was downright annoying. But now? I feel pretty justified in my doubts about him, especially when I think about all of the other outfielders the Giants could have signed instead. It's almost painful. Meh.
A final little tidbit I've chewing on for awhile: why did the Giants re-sign Eli Whiteside? If someone could explain that to me, I would appreciate it. Because I'm rather confused over here.
I don't really have a feeling one way or the other about Casey Blake, other than the fact that he is now an ex-Dodger. I imagine that going from Los Angeles to Denver would be a hell of an upgrade!
As for Brad Lidge, I have rather fond memories of his time with the Astros (with teammate and favorite Lance Berkman) and when he was part of the team's great run in the playoffs in 2005. I can even forgive his unattractive choice in facial hair, because otherwise he's pretty cute. Aesthetics, as usual with me, is a big factor here.
Speaking of former teammates from the 2005 NLCS Astros, Roy Oswalt is also seeking a short-term deal for 2012. It seems that both Lidge and Oswalt (NLCS MVP in 2005) have declined in recent years, though with the latter it seemed that injuries were mostly to blame. As sad as this is to say, I was pretty happy when the Giants beat Oswalt earlier this year, but that's only because he's currently a Phillie. Not necessarily his fault. If he signs with another team next year (barring a few exceptions), I'll probably like him again. Although, as previously stated, I'm not proud of that. Anyhow.
Now we move on to the Rangers and their developments with two players I'm not too fond of. As previously mentioned, I'm not a Mike Napoli fan. But still, the Rangers have been in talks with him about a possible contract extension starting in 2012. It's been predicted that he will make over $9 million next season. Wait, what? The catcher whose defensive abilities have been called into question will make that much? I see things with Napoli going the way they went for Cody Ross. Napoli, to me, seems like nothing more than a flash in the pan. Who knows, maybe he'll vastly improve next year and be worth $9 million. But I doubt it.
His teammate Derek Holland is also up for a possible contract extension next year. Perhaps I was too quick to say I don't like Derek Holland (or "Dutch Oven" as he is referred to). I'm not going to lie and say I like him for the right reasons - because I don't. Holland was part of the trio of pitchers that collapsed during that infamous game in the 2010 World Series (one of my better baseball memories, perhaps ever). Because of that, he will always have a place in my heart. And it's not as if he didn't have a good season this year. Hopes were high for him with the Rangers in the playoffs (along with how many others?). Any way I look at it, however, he's still with the Rangers. I also have to say the quasi-mustache disturbs me a little.
Now it's on to the main event, in which I get to gloat just a bit. I don't get that chance too often, so I'm going to take full advantage of it. Aaron Rowand was really the only sore spot from the 2010 Giants team. I never understood why they acquired him or why they paid him so much. Okay, so he won a World Series with the White Sox. As per usual with the Giants though, that was not recently.
My complaints about Rowand have rarely ever been about his defensive skills. And regardless of how I feel about him, that one killer throw he made from the outfield in the 2010 World Series is one I will likely never forget. However, that does not make up for his offensive skills, which leave much to be desired. When he came to the Giants, he was not cheap and it took awhile for other people to realize that maybe he wasn't worth his high salary. In addition to that, again, it's not his fault, but he has the strangest build of any player I've ever seen. For me, something about that guy isn't right.
Anyway, earlier this week he signed a minor league deal with the Marlins. Now that just sounds bad. A minor league deal with the Marlins? Oh, how the once-barely-mighty have fallen. So many people I know defended Rowand when he was with the Giants. It was downright annoying. But now? I feel pretty justified in my doubts about him, especially when I think about all of the other outfielders the Giants could have signed instead. It's almost painful. Meh.
A final little tidbit I've chewing on for awhile: why did the Giants re-sign Eli Whiteside? If someone could explain that to me, I would appreciate it. Because I'm rather confused over here.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
An embarrassment of riches...
So, first things first. Albert Pujols is officially with the Angels now. Who saw that coming? Apparently no one. Even though the Angels were not in the running at all, I have to say that I'm glad he will be in the AL next season. According to reports, the Marlins lost out on Pujols because they would not give him a no-trade clause in his contract. Wait, WHAT? Just because that wasn't needed for Reyes, Bell or Buerhle does not mean that Pujols shouldn't get one if he so chooses. Hello, he's ALBERT PUJOLS. I didn't expect myself to be as annoyed by that as I am, but I guess I am. If the Angels are looking for a boost in attendance (though I think theirs is pretty solid), they certainly will have it for 2012.
Although there must be a lot of sad Cardinals fans today. A lot of people are probably asking, "Where the loyalty?" After ten years, I would think that Pujols' love for St. Louis was pretty solid. How many other teams can say they'd had a future hall of fame slugger on their team for ten years? And he certainly went out with a bang.
Not long after that, it was announced that CJ Wilson signed with the Angels, getting a nice 5 year/$75 million contract. I guess compared to Pujols' 10 year/$254 million contract, that's small pickings. I happened to catch an interview with Wilson on MLB Network today (where else!) and he said that despite liking Miami, he wanted to be closer to his home in LA. The thing I found most interesting about Wilson's interview was the topic of how his former teammates feel about his departure, especially to a division rival team. He said that he got text messages (that's all baseball players do, it seems, is text each other) from a lot of his former teammates wishing him well and giving congrats. Wilson also said that he got a text from David Murphy asking if they were enemies now that they were on rival teams. I appreciated Wilson's honesty in saying that he didn't know yet. If nothing else, this move will make the race for the AL West division a lot more interesting!
I would imagine that Mike Scioscia is pretty happy with the potential starting rotation for the Angels next year: CJ Wilson, Jared Weaver and Ervin Santana. Not too shabby!
While that was the biggest news from this week's winter meetings, the news that Huston Street went to the Padres is, I think, something worth noting. It's also a nice move for the Padres, who may have had to part with Heath Bell, but picking up Huston Street is pretty damn nice. I just wish he weren't a closer so I would know which games he would be pitching in advance. Alas.
Despite no actual moves having been made yet, it seems many teams are interested in the top three pitchers on the A's rotation: Andrew Bailey, Gio Gonzalez and now possibly Trevor Cahill. I would be happy for any of them to make more money elsewhere, because they all deserve it. I have nothing against the A's, mind you, I just worry about their payroll. And that no one goes to actually see them pitch at home. So sad. As long as they don't go the way of Barry Zito, it's all good. However, since none of them will be going to the Giants, chances are, they will do fine wherever they end up.
Speaking of the Giants, I heard possibly the greatest news (to me) all week. Alex Gonzalez signed with the Brewers and not the Giants. What does this mean, though? Do the Giants suddenly have more confidence in Brandon Crawford? Or were they too broke to snatch him up? It's hard to say. I'm hoping it's the former.
Quite a lot seemed to happen during the winter meetings this week. Some interesting things, some not so much. As much as I've enjoyed keeping up with all of the news, I'm relieved that it's over. I think the fact that I watched pretty much every single playoff game this season (except three, I think) is catching up with me. I won't make that mistake again. Oh wait...yes I will. It's a sickness and I don't foresee a cure. Bring it on!
Although there must be a lot of sad Cardinals fans today. A lot of people are probably asking, "Where the loyalty?" After ten years, I would think that Pujols' love for St. Louis was pretty solid. How many other teams can say they'd had a future hall of fame slugger on their team for ten years? And he certainly went out with a bang.
Not long after that, it was announced that CJ Wilson signed with the Angels, getting a nice 5 year/$75 million contract. I guess compared to Pujols' 10 year/$254 million contract, that's small pickings. I happened to catch an interview with Wilson on MLB Network today (where else!) and he said that despite liking Miami, he wanted to be closer to his home in LA. The thing I found most interesting about Wilson's interview was the topic of how his former teammates feel about his departure, especially to a division rival team. He said that he got text messages (that's all baseball players do, it seems, is text each other) from a lot of his former teammates wishing him well and giving congrats. Wilson also said that he got a text from David Murphy asking if they were enemies now that they were on rival teams. I appreciated Wilson's honesty in saying that he didn't know yet. If nothing else, this move will make the race for the AL West division a lot more interesting!
I would imagine that Mike Scioscia is pretty happy with the potential starting rotation for the Angels next year: CJ Wilson, Jared Weaver and Ervin Santana. Not too shabby!
While that was the biggest news from this week's winter meetings, the news that Huston Street went to the Padres is, I think, something worth noting. It's also a nice move for the Padres, who may have had to part with Heath Bell, but picking up Huston Street is pretty damn nice. I just wish he weren't a closer so I would know which games he would be pitching in advance. Alas.
Despite no actual moves having been made yet, it seems many teams are interested in the top three pitchers on the A's rotation: Andrew Bailey, Gio Gonzalez and now possibly Trevor Cahill. I would be happy for any of them to make more money elsewhere, because they all deserve it. I have nothing against the A's, mind you, I just worry about their payroll. And that no one goes to actually see them pitch at home. So sad. As long as they don't go the way of Barry Zito, it's all good. However, since none of them will be going to the Giants, chances are, they will do fine wherever they end up.
Speaking of the Giants, I heard possibly the greatest news (to me) all week. Alex Gonzalez signed with the Brewers and not the Giants. What does this mean, though? Do the Giants suddenly have more confidence in Brandon Crawford? Or were they too broke to snatch him up? It's hard to say. I'm hoping it's the former.
Quite a lot seemed to happen during the winter meetings this week. Some interesting things, some not so much. As much as I've enjoyed keeping up with all of the news, I'm relieved that it's over. I think the fact that I watched pretty much every single playoff game this season (except three, I think) is catching up with me. I won't make that mistake again. Oh wait...yes I will. It's a sickness and I don't foresee a cure. Bring it on!
Friday, December 2, 2011
Barely scraping the surface...
So another fruitful, busy week in baseball has gone by. There seems to be a lot to catch up on, but I'm just going to hit what I feel like were the most important things.
I suppose the subject of managers has to come up, given all that has happened for the Red Sox and the Cubs this week. Honestly, I don't have much of a view on managers (other than Mike Matheny taking the role of the cutest one), but I will say I feel a bit bad for Bobby Valentine and his role as the new manager of the Red Sox. He's got a hell of a lot of clean up to do. The Red Sox have a starting (and now a closing) pitching problem, in addition to re-signing David Ortiz. I guess that locking up the liquor cabinets in the clubhouse would be the first step! As far as Dale Sveum goes, I don't have much of a feeling one way or the other about him. If the team can re-sign Kerry Wood and try to court Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder, that would be a great start. Recently having signed David DeJesus will help too, I would imagine. Also, I wish Greg Maddux had stayed in Chicago instead of going to the Rangers to help with pitcher development, but that's clearly my own issue. Enough said. Moving on...
It seems that as far as recent signings go, everyone is talking about the Marlins. First, they signed closer Heath Bell to a (I think) healthy $27 million/3 year contract. Basically, they won't need to worry about a closer because they will have one of the best. I could pull a Nelson from The Simpsons and point at the Rangers saying, "Haha!" that they got Mike Adams instead of Bell, but I won't. Plus Adams was the least of the Rangers rotation problems this postseason. I have to say that Bell provided the best moment in this year's All-Star Game when, on his way out to the mound, literally slid into place and flashed a great smile afterward. I'm not sure what it is about closers, but many of them seem to have unique personalities.
Beyond clinching a solid closer, the Marlins seem to be courting C.J. Wilson pretty hard. I've said my words about Wilson and they don't need repeating. Either way, it seems like the Marlins have plenty of vacancies to fill in their line-up. Personally, I would be trying much harder to lure starter Mark Buerhle to my team than Wilson. But that's just me and I don't make those decisions. Obviously.
There's just something about Buerhle that I've always liked and respected, beyond him being an excellent starting pitcher. I hope he finds a place that suits him, wherever that is. I will be curious to see just who the Marlins can sign, given that they've cast their nets out pretty widely so far. It seems safe enough to say that if they can nab Jose Reyes, others are likely to follow.
Quite a few teams seem to be interested in another favorite pitcher of mine, closer Andrew Bailey.
Perhaps because of the A's recent history of adorable pitchers (Haren, Zito, Street, etc.), I've enjoyed watching Bailey pitch. However, if the A's were to lose both Bailey and starting pitcher Gio Gonzalez (which they might), they would have no cuteness left! And where's the fun in that?
In addition to all of the other baseball news of the week, there was a bit of Giants news (sort of). No one seems to want to say for sure whether Brandon Crawford will be the starting shortstop next season, despite a fairly successful run in the Arizona winter league. I can mostly respect that. Or at least I did, until I discovered that the Giants were considering Braves shortstop Alex Gonzalez to be in his place. If the Giants are going to spend money on a decent shortstop, shouldn't he have much better numbers than the player you are putting on the bench? Not in this case, it seems. I don't have any feelings about Alex Gonzalez, really. It's just his numbers (or lack thereof) that bother me. Again, some of this comes down to benching one of the cutest Giants players in a long time and (potentially) replacing him with a player like Gonzalez. Of course, if Gonzalez had the looks of teammate Brian McCann, that would be another story. But most guys aren't Brian McCann. Therein lies the problem. I still think that Crawford's defensive strengths at shortstop make up for his lacking offensive strengths.
I mean, who in their right mind would want to replace that beautiful man? Not this fan! And I know I'm not alone in this. But I digress.
Despite having caught up on quite a lot here, there's still a few things I didn't even mention - Jonathan Braxton signing with the Royals, which makes their starting rotation look even stronger. Or the Cardinals being interested in Jimmy Rollins if Pujols doesn't re-sign. And so it goes.
I suppose the subject of managers has to come up, given all that has happened for the Red Sox and the Cubs this week. Honestly, I don't have much of a view on managers (other than Mike Matheny taking the role of the cutest one), but I will say I feel a bit bad for Bobby Valentine and his role as the new manager of the Red Sox. He's got a hell of a lot of clean up to do. The Red Sox have a starting (and now a closing) pitching problem, in addition to re-signing David Ortiz. I guess that locking up the liquor cabinets in the clubhouse would be the first step! As far as Dale Sveum goes, I don't have much of a feeling one way or the other about him. If the team can re-sign Kerry Wood and try to court Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder, that would be a great start. Recently having signed David DeJesus will help too, I would imagine. Also, I wish Greg Maddux had stayed in Chicago instead of going to the Rangers to help with pitcher development, but that's clearly my own issue. Enough said. Moving on...
It seems that as far as recent signings go, everyone is talking about the Marlins. First, they signed closer Heath Bell to a (I think) healthy $27 million/3 year contract. Basically, they won't need to worry about a closer because they will have one of the best. I could pull a Nelson from The Simpsons and point at the Rangers saying, "Haha!" that they got Mike Adams instead of Bell, but I won't. Plus Adams was the least of the Rangers rotation problems this postseason. I have to say that Bell provided the best moment in this year's All-Star Game when, on his way out to the mound, literally slid into place and flashed a great smile afterward. I'm not sure what it is about closers, but many of them seem to have unique personalities.
Beyond clinching a solid closer, the Marlins seem to be courting C.J. Wilson pretty hard. I've said my words about Wilson and they don't need repeating. Either way, it seems like the Marlins have plenty of vacancies to fill in their line-up. Personally, I would be trying much harder to lure starter Mark Buerhle to my team than Wilson. But that's just me and I don't make those decisions. Obviously.
There's just something about Buerhle that I've always liked and respected, beyond him being an excellent starting pitcher. I hope he finds a place that suits him, wherever that is. I will be curious to see just who the Marlins can sign, given that they've cast their nets out pretty widely so far. It seems safe enough to say that if they can nab Jose Reyes, others are likely to follow.
Quite a few teams seem to be interested in another favorite pitcher of mine, closer Andrew Bailey.
Perhaps because of the A's recent history of adorable pitchers (Haren, Zito, Street, etc.), I've enjoyed watching Bailey pitch. However, if the A's were to lose both Bailey and starting pitcher Gio Gonzalez (which they might), they would have no cuteness left! And where's the fun in that?
In addition to all of the other baseball news of the week, there was a bit of Giants news (sort of). No one seems to want to say for sure whether Brandon Crawford will be the starting shortstop next season, despite a fairly successful run in the Arizona winter league. I can mostly respect that. Or at least I did, until I discovered that the Giants were considering Braves shortstop Alex Gonzalez to be in his place. If the Giants are going to spend money on a decent shortstop, shouldn't he have much better numbers than the player you are putting on the bench? Not in this case, it seems. I don't have any feelings about Alex Gonzalez, really. It's just his numbers (or lack thereof) that bother me. Again, some of this comes down to benching one of the cutest Giants players in a long time and (potentially) replacing him with a player like Gonzalez. Of course, if Gonzalez had the looks of teammate Brian McCann, that would be another story. But most guys aren't Brian McCann. Therein lies the problem. I still think that Crawford's defensive strengths at shortstop make up for his lacking offensive strengths.
I mean, who in their right mind would want to replace that beautiful man? Not this fan! And I know I'm not alone in this. But I digress.
Despite having caught up on quite a lot here, there's still a few things I didn't even mention - Jonathan Braxton signing with the Royals, which makes their starting rotation look even stronger. Or the Cardinals being interested in Jimmy Rollins if Pujols doesn't re-sign. And so it goes.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Various snippets, courtesy of MLB Trade Rumors
A few odds and ends:
- While I already don't like the Phillies, at this point, they're just getting greedy. By the end of the year, they could acquire Michael Cuddyer, in addition to already signing Jim Thome and Jonathan Papelbon. What did the Twins do to Philly? Papelbon is the only one that makes sense to me, since the Phillies really do need a decent closer, but the other two? Yes, Thome is technically coming back to his old team, but he's not getting any younger and it's not a team where he could be the DH. Does not compute!
- The speculation on whether or not Tim Lincecum will be with the Giants next year is not only silly, it's unnecessary. The World Series hasn't even been over for a month and the bay area is in a tizzy over this! And now they have moved on to whether or not Matt Cain will re-sign with the Giants next year. Considering how long both pitchers have been with the team, it seems unlikely that SF will lose either of them, let alone both. Enough already!
- With Mike Matheny having been made the new manager of the Cardinals, it looks like I have to be a full-fledged Cardinals fan now. I think he has a better shot at managing the team than some people do. Plus, he's obviously the cutest manager in baseball now!
- Why is everyone grabbing at a chance to get C.J. Wilson when he was winless in the entire postseason? Sure, postseason play isn't everything, but to lose each start from the ALDS to the World Series is something worth noting. The fact that insiders are projecting he will earn the same amount as Matt Kemp is short of insane!
- Can someone explain to me why Clayton Kershaw still only makes $500,000, but Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee got at least $50,000 extra each for coming in second and third in the NY Cy Young race? I'm baffled, to say the least.
- Even though SF don't need him in their rotation (assuming Brian Wilson stays healthy), having Joe Nathan back as closer would sure be awesome. I really miss him! Come back Joe, come back!
- Another inexplicable recently-made decision: why are the Astros moving to the AL in 2013? The reasoning seems to be that it adds one more team to the AL West, but really? I'd like a better reason than that. And having two Texas teams going against each other in the same league and the same division can come to no good. Does that mean that the Astros will suddenly be good again? I think it will take more than a move from one league to the other, especially since they no longer have Hunter Pence or Michael Bourn. Their recent glory days ended when Lance Berkman was no longer an Astro. Those were the days.
And I realized that I'm as addicted to mlbtraderumors.com as some people are to tabloids!
- While I already don't like the Phillies, at this point, they're just getting greedy. By the end of the year, they could acquire Michael Cuddyer, in addition to already signing Jim Thome and Jonathan Papelbon. What did the Twins do to Philly? Papelbon is the only one that makes sense to me, since the Phillies really do need a decent closer, but the other two? Yes, Thome is technically coming back to his old team, but he's not getting any younger and it's not a team where he could be the DH. Does not compute!
- The speculation on whether or not Tim Lincecum will be with the Giants next year is not only silly, it's unnecessary. The World Series hasn't even been over for a month and the bay area is in a tizzy over this! And now they have moved on to whether or not Matt Cain will re-sign with the Giants next year. Considering how long both pitchers have been with the team, it seems unlikely that SF will lose either of them, let alone both. Enough already!
- With Mike Matheny having been made the new manager of the Cardinals, it looks like I have to be a full-fledged Cardinals fan now. I think he has a better shot at managing the team than some people do. Plus, he's obviously the cutest manager in baseball now!
- Why is everyone grabbing at a chance to get C.J. Wilson when he was winless in the entire postseason? Sure, postseason play isn't everything, but to lose each start from the ALDS to the World Series is something worth noting. The fact that insiders are projecting he will earn the same amount as Matt Kemp is short of insane!
- Can someone explain to me why Clayton Kershaw still only makes $500,000, but Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee got at least $50,000 extra each for coming in second and third in the NY Cy Young race? I'm baffled, to say the least.
- Even though SF don't need him in their rotation (assuming Brian Wilson stays healthy), having Joe Nathan back as closer would sure be awesome. I really miss him! Come back Joe, come back!
- Another inexplicable recently-made decision: why are the Astros moving to the AL in 2013? The reasoning seems to be that it adds one more team to the AL West, but really? I'd like a better reason than that. And having two Texas teams going against each other in the same league and the same division can come to no good. Does that mean that the Astros will suddenly be good again? I think it will take more than a move from one league to the other, especially since they no longer have Hunter Pence or Michael Bourn. Their recent glory days ended when Lance Berkman was no longer an Astro. Those were the days.
And I realized that I'm as addicted to mlbtraderumors.com as some people are to tabloids!
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