Jacoby Ellsbury

[soapy]

Doesn't matter much, but Phil Rogers was on MLBTV last night claiming he expects the Cubs to go after Ellsbury and mentioning that the Cubs brass is high on him. He said something along the lines of (paraphrasing), "They think they have the prospects to get it done." Not sure I want to know what that means.

 

He also mentioned Melky again as an option despite his trade to Atlanta. No thanks to that.

[jersey cubs fan]

Why is it that so many people are enamored with the idea of signing a corner outfielder after 2010 that will be turning 29 and to this point has a career OBP of .335 and OPS of .772?

 

Because the last 4 years he's averaged an .800 OPS to go with 50 steals at 80+% and elite defense.

 

 

Again, this is a corner outfielder we're talking about. Sure, he's better than Fukudome, but not nearly as great as he's been made out to be. We should expect more than an .800 OPS from a corner outfielder.

 

The stolen bases and the defense make him extremely valuable. He was a 5 win player last year, that's about top 5 for all outfielders.

 

Are people talking about Carl Crawford? He's already 28, and you are talking about signing him as a free agent after 2010? That will take something like a 6-8 year contract for a guy whose value is based on his legs and will spend that contract in his 30's. That's not very smart resource management.

[Little Slide Rooter]

I was following the MLBTR live chat yesterday, and they basically stomped all over any kind of rumor involving Ellsbury being traded anywhere.

[Sever82]

I was following the MLBTR live chat yesterday, and they basically stomped all over any kind of rumor involving Ellsbury being traded anywhere.

 

Yeah but all they do on that site is reiterate rumors or post stories. They dont break any news. I dont think there is any truth to the rumor but you may never know. The only reporter i've seen comment on it has been Bruce Levine. So you can have as many fans as you want bashing rumors and even Tim Dierkes is just a blogger. When you get people like Levine, Miles, etc commenting on it, than you would listen since they get inside info. Its kind of annoying hearing SD fans because they think that for Agon, they should get four - five top prospects.

 

Adrian Gonzalez is a great player but by no means is he the best 1st Baseman in the majors. The way some people are talking about him, they're acting as if the padres should get a better package than what was sent for Texeira. Texeira to me is a better player than Agon. I think a fair package for Agon would be two top prospects and then maybe two Lower level prospects but nothing special.

[Guest]

I was following the MLBTR live chat yesterday, and they basically stomped all over any kind of rumor involving Ellsbury being traded anywhere.

 

Yeah but all they do on that site is reiterate rumors or post stories. They dont break any news. I dont think there is any truth to the rumor but you may never know. The only reporter i've seen comment on it has been Bruce Levine. So you can have as many fans as you want bashing rumors and even Tim Dierkes is just a blogger. When you get people like Levine, Miles, etc commenting on it, than you would listen since they get inside info. Its kind of annoying hearing SD fans because they think that for Agon, they should get four - five top prospects.

 

Adrian Gonzalez is a great player but by no means is he the best 1st Baseman in the majors. The way some people are talking about him, they're acting as if the padres should get a better package than what was sent for Texeira. Texeira to me is a better player than Agon. I think a fair package for Agon would be two top prospects and then maybe two Lower level prospects but nothing special.

 

If I remember correctly, Adrian Gonzalez has a contract over the next two years that won't pay more than 10m total. You aren't just paying to get Adrian Gonzalez. You are paying for one of the cheapest contracts in baseball in terms of production, and for 2 years, not just 1.

 

SD fans should expect 4 or 5 prospects for Gonzalez. The numbers he put up last year was in the worst hitter's park in all of baseball.

 

ETA: It's actually a 3 year contract that will pay 15m total. The team has a club option on him for 2011 for 5.5m. Of course, that will be picked up.

 

How much will Tex make this year? More than Gonzalez will make for the next 3 years?

 

How much should San Diego be asking for an all star caliber 1b making Mark DeRosa type money?

[Sever82]

I was following the MLBTR live chat yesterday, and they basically stomped all over any kind of rumor involving Ellsbury being traded anywhere.

 

Yeah but all they do on that site is reiterate rumors or post stories. They dont break any news. I dont think there is any truth to the rumor but you may never know. The only reporter i've seen comment on it has been Bruce Levine. So you can have as many fans as you want bashing rumors and even Tim Dierkes is just a blogger. When you get people like Levine, Miles, etc commenting on it, than you would listen since they get inside info. Its kind of annoying hearing SD fans because they think that for Agon, they should get four - five top prospects.

 

Adrian Gonzalez is a great player but by no means is he the best 1st Baseman in the majors. The way some people are talking about him, they're acting as if the padres should get a better package than what was sent for Texeira. Texeira to me is a better player than Agon. I think a fair package for Agon would be two top prospects and then maybe two Lower level prospects but nothing special.

 

If I remember correctly, Adrian Gonzalez has a contract over the next two years that won't pay more than 10m total. You aren't just paying to get Adrian Gonzalez. You are paying for one of the cheapest contracts in baseball in terms of production, and for 2 years, not just 1.

 

SD fans should expect 4 or 5 prospects for Gonzalez. The numbers he put up last year was in the worst hitter's park in all of baseball.

 

ETA: It's actually a 3 year contract that will pay 15m total. The team has a club option on him for 2011 for 5.5m. Of course, that will be picked up.

 

How much will Tex make this year? More than Gonzalez will make for the next 3 years?

 

How much should San Diego be asking for an all star caliber 1b making Mark DeRosa type money?

 

I understand the contract but it still doesn't warrant asking for 4-5 top prospects for him. Plus, look who's trying to bring him in, its not like the red Sox are hurting for money. Obviously acquiring a player like Agon helps payroll in a sense. But i bet if the Red Sox had a package that would get Gonzalez or Pujols, they would go for Pujols despite the salary. Even Miguel Cabrera is another option, they definitely wouldn't pick cabrera over Agon but if Cabrera costs them less in prospects, they would probably take Cabrera.

[jersey cubs fan]

They also probably don't have the option of getting Pujols.

 

 

Gonzalez is worth a lot to any team that gets him. There's no reason for San Diego not to ask for 4-5 top prospects, he's much more valuable in trade right now than Tex was when he was traded, and it can't hurt to ask. If they wait for a team's 5 best prospects, they probably aren't getting anything done, but you've got to start somewhere.

[Guest]

I understand the contract but it still doesn't warrant asking for 4-5 top prospects for him. Plus, look who's trying to bring him in, its not like the red Sox are hurting for money. Obviously acquiring a player like Agon helps payroll in a sense. But i bet if the Red Sox had a package that would get Gonzalez or Pujols, they would go for Pujols despite the salary. Even Miguel Cabrera is another option, they definitely wouldn't pick cabrera over Agon but if Cabrera costs them less in prospects, they would probably take Cabrera.

 

If you understand the contract and include the word "but", then you really don't understand the contract. Adrian Gonzalez doesn't need to be traded. San Diego isn't currently dangling him out there. Other teams are inquiring about him. Gonzalez has a contract that fits within THEIR budget for the next 3 years. To give that up would require an extremely impressive package of players.

 

Boston should inquire about a guy like Gonzalez. I'd be thrilled if the Cubs inquired about one of the best values in all of baseball. That's good business sense to inquire about a player of that caliber.

[Backtobanks]

I was following the MLBTR live chat yesterday, and they basically stomped all over any kind of rumor involving Ellsbury being traded anywhere.

 

Yeah but all they do on that site is reiterate rumors or post stories. They dont break any news. I dont think there is any truth to the rumor but you may never know. The only reporter i've seen comment on it has been Bruce Levine. So you can have as many fans as you want bashing rumors and even Tim Dierkes is just a blogger. When you get people like Levine, Miles, etc commenting on it, than you would listen since they get inside info. Its kind of annoying hearing SD fans because they think that for Agon, they should get four - five top prospects.

Adrian Gonzalez is a great player but by no means is he the best 1st Baseman in the majors. The way some people are talking about him, they're acting as if the padres should get a better package than what was sent for Texeira. Texeira to me is a better player than Agon. I think a fair package for Agon would be two top prospects and then maybe two Lower level prospects but nothing special.

 

The simple truth is that SD doesn't need (or necessarily want) to trade Gonzalez because he puts people in the seats and he's affordable. If anybody wants him they are going to overpay.

[Post Count Padder]

I'd be a bigger fan of Ellsbury if he wasn't an average-driven OBP guy. He's a good defender with great speed, but if he hits only .280, then his OBP is only gonna be .330, maybe. We could do better than a .330 OBP guy at the top of the order.

[Guest]

I'd be a bigger fan of Ellsbury if he wasn't an average-driven OBP guy. He's a good defender with great speed, but if he hits only .280, then his OBP is only gonna be .330, maybe. We could do better than a .330 OBP guy at the top of the order.

 

I'll have to look it up, but I believe his walk rate was very good in the minors, but he became way more aggressive when he made it to the bigs. I seem to recall a running joke about when he would draw his next walk at one point early last season, because he wasn't walking at all.

 

ETA: He had a .390 OBP over his minor league career. His walk rate will probably get better. I also remember Boston dropped him to the bottom of the batting order because he wasn't getting on base enough when he was batting 1st.