Off-season move rankings

[Andy]

I rate teams' off-seasons as how good they're going to be in 2006 personally. And the Marlins get an F. Maybe they'll be good in 2009, and maybe it's not totally their fault that they have to dump payroll, but the fact is they are going to be all kinds of terrible in 06, and they get an F.

 

I'll give the Cubs a B- for the moment. If they can get a decent RF I'll bump it to a B.

[CubinNY]

Look, they knew they couldn't contend next year so they went all out with their dump. Why would get rid of only some guys and maybe be a .500 club?

 

Why do you say they were going to suck. Before the fire sale they had one of the best pitching staffs in the majors. They also had a top 5 outfielder a very good 2nd baseman. They would have compteted, especially with what is going on in Atlanta.

 

I totally disagree with that.

[CardsFanInChiTown]

Look, they knew they couldn't contend next year so they went all out with their dump. Why would get rid of only some guys and maybe be a .500 club?

 

Why do you say they were going to suck. Before the fire sale they had one of the best pitching staffs in the majors. They also had a top 5 outfielder a very good 2nd baseman. They would have compteted, especially with what is going on in Atlanta.

 

I totally disagree with that.

 

They could not afford to keep delgado and their core together. Something had to give.

 

edit - when I said they couldn't contend it's because they couldn't afford to keep everybody.

Edited December 9, 2005 by CardsFanInChiTown

[nolanwood]

Look, they knew they couldn't contend next year so they went all out with their dump. Why would get rid of only some guys and maybe be a .500 club?

 

Why do you say they were going to suck. Before the fire sale they had one of the best pitching staffs in the majors. They also had a top 5 outfielder a very good 2nd baseman. They would have compteted, especially with what is going on in Atlanta.

 

I totally disagree with that.

 

2 of the key cogs in that pitching staff are now gone, so their staff in '05 is completely irrelevant.

[BigbadB]

The Padres did make an excellent trade. Nady for Cameron.

 

And they offset that trade with a trade of Mark Loretta for Doug Mirabelli.

 

Dave Roberts is penciled in to be their LFer. Worst LF ever.

 

The Brian Lawrence trade for Vinny Castilla leaves a lot to be desired as well.

[jjgman21]

my AL team is the RedSox, but I don't understand the infatuation many have with what the RedSox have done. of all their deals, I like the addition of Loretta the best. However, Beckett, like Burnett, is pretty much average away from Miami, and the blister thing may never go away. I like Mota, but he had a whopping 4.70 ERA last year.

 

on top of that, they seem to be stockpiling third basemen, but are without a shortstop or first baseman. their outfield consists of the chronically injured Nixon, the disgruntled Manny, the unsigned Damon, and nothing.

 

at this point, I have to give the RedSox a big Incomplete.

[Roast]

The Marlins destroyed any chance of success for at least 2 years. They made the most of a bad situation, but you cannot rate them as having a great offseason. No team that will suck next year because of the moves they made can be considered to have a great offseason.

 

 

The Mets only got a closer? They got a stud 1B (their biggest need), a stud closer (probably their 2nd biggest need) and a servicable catcher, something they did not have before. The Padres have not gotten better. THe offseason is about improvement. Resigning your own players isn't improvement. It's treading water. That would be like saying the Cubs had a great offseason if they simply signed Zambrano and Prior to extensions, but had no money left to make additions.

 

 

Eek!! Forgot about the LoDuca/delgado thing.. Ok, so i see your point with the mets.

 

But Why cant the Marlins have had a great offseason? They went into the offseason wanting to improve their team, and they did that. The team, as was, was going nowhere. So they did what they needed to do and got a heap of young talent in return. In a few years they are most likely going to be a very competitive team. Why cant that be considered sucess? They are doing what they need to to their team and doing it well.

 

The Padre's are certainly having a good offseason when you compare it to the rest of baseball. They got a stud OFer for fairly cheap when you look at the market. That was a sucess, so I beleive their offseason is sucessfull so far.

[MPrior]

I think the point is that anybody can have a successful firesale in a weak free agent market. The fact that they were in a position where they had to in the first place is a pretty hefty indictment of the organization.

 

Secondly, I don't think anybody who makes their team worse for at least the next two years deserves an "outstanding" and a gold star.

 

That said, the Marlins DID achieve what they set out to do. So if you ask me, they get a B-. And that grade will never go up. They achieved what they wanted, but what they wanted was both easy to accomplish and not entirely desireable.

 

The Mets, on the other hand, have done a hell of a job. Yes, they've paid big money for big names, but they've addressed their needs with proven producers at the highest level. They got a middle-of-the-order 1B in Delgado without giving up Heilman or Milledge, got LoDuca who isn't great but is certainly acceptable as a catcher, and better than what they had, and Wagner, while he is overpaid, WILL close games for them. And he will do it well. They got what they needed.

 

The reason people don't like the Cubs overpaying is because, usually, Hendry overpays for stuff he doesn't really need (Neifi, Rusch?) or players who aren't the best options out there, but still cost just as much (Eyre, Howry, Pierre).

[jmajew]

I think i judge teams a bit differently. I look at what the teams goals were and who they got to fill them and at what price. I think the Mets filled all of their holes except middle relief.

 

The Marlins did exactly what they set out to do. Trade away all of their high priced talent for young talent. I think they did a great job of that. The Pierre deal in my mind was a steal for them. They did this after the 97 season and won the World Series six years later. I think it is a pretty good model to follow.

 

The Blue Jays I do not believe overpayed for Burnett. If Loaiza got 3 years 21 mil Burnett deserves 5/55. BJ Ryan they overpayed for but when you take into consideration how much the Cubs paid for Howry and Eyre it isnt that horrible of a deal. Granted I would have lambasted the Cubs if they made that deal.

 

The Padres I think had a terrific offseason. Cameron is a perfect fit for that team. The Loretta trade was questionable but he is 34 years old and has been hurt a lot the past two years.

[ConstableRabbit]

What's your top 5, goony?

[Jehrico]

I think Dayn Perry gave the cubs a bad grade. Most people have been down on their moves so far.

 

He also praised the Dodgers for signing Furcal below market value...I think that in and of itself is enough to discredit any garbage that Dayn Perry writes.