Tigers sign Prince - 9/214 - Heyman

[Little Slide Rooter]

No member of the Cubs front office, nor the manager, have publicly stated that the Cubs are pursuing Fielder. If there is any kind of "smokescreen", it is the Cubs feigning disinterest. If the Cubs conceal their intent to obtain Fielder, Boras cannot use their public statements as leverage against other suitors of Fielder, thus raising the price.

 

Yeah but its not hard to use back channels to get work out that they are interested in someone. Teams do it all the time. As we've seen, the new Cubs regime, starting with Tom Ricketts is very tight lipped and do not let much leak unless there's a reason to. We might have to get used to not having 3 month mega threads about Brian Roberts and Jake Peavy.

 

Lets just say that if Hendry were still the manager, I would be pretty convinced that we werent going after Fielder, but with Theo in charge, I almost think the less we hear the better the odds are.

 

Actually, if Hendry were in charge I'd be pretty convinced that we'd be giving Fielder a 8-10 year deal in a last ditch effort to save his ass move.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Brewers Win Rights To Norichika Aoki

By Mike Axisa [December 19 at 9:29am CST]

MONDAY: MLB officially announced the Brewers won the bid for Aoki. They now have 30 days to negotiate a contract with him. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the Brewers plan to work him out in Arizona before deciding whether to sign him.

 

SATURDAY: The Yakult Swallows have announced that the Brewers won the negotiating rights to Japanese outfielder Norichika Aoki, reports Yasuko Yanagita of Hochi Shimbun (on Twitter). We heard that Yakult accepted the $2.5MM bid yesterday.

 

Aoki, 30 in January, is a three-time Central League batting champion and posted a career line of .336/.411/.472 in his first seven seasons in Japan. His numbers fell to 292/.358/.360 in 2011, which explains the modest size of the posting fee. NPB Tracker's Patrick Newman (writing for Fangraphs) said in August 2010 that Aoki was "the best pure hitter Japan has produced since Ichiro" and has good defensive range, though a weak throwing arm will probably limit Aoki to left field in the majors.

 

The Brewers seem to have plenty of outfield depth with Ryan Braun, Corey Hart, Nyjer Morgan, and Carlos Gomez, but there's a chance they could lose Braun for the first 50 games of the season after his failed drug test. GM Doug Melvin recently said he is proceeding with his offseason under the assumption that Braun will be in the lineup all season, however. As a left-handed hitter, Aoki could serve as a bat off the bench or give the team depth to make a trade.

 

 

But this is the Prince Fielder thread :x :x :x

 

I know, but heres why it's here. The Brewers have a pretty crowded outfield, and this Aoki guy could be a decent Tad Iguchi type. Probably doesn't project to be a corner outfield but but still. Obvioualy, they have the Ryan Braun situation to deal with. However, if Braun does get off scott free and doesn't have to serve a suspecnsion, which could happen would this give the Brewers to freedom to trade Hart and his remaining 19 mil (9 mil '12, 10 mil '13) and if so, would it free up enough salary for them to be able to re-sign Fielder?

[Guest]

No and no.

[inari]

Prince Fielder is not going to be a Brewer.

[Magnetic Curses]

you have to be a brewer fan to buy that load of crap

[jersey cubs fan]

Phil Rogers doing what Phil Rogers does best.

 

Don’t overlook the role that Bryan LaHair is playing in this process. Unless Epstein/Hoyer find a way to unload Alfonso Soriano on the Orioles, Mariners or Indians, Fielder would do what Epstein/Hoyer have said they won’t do: block an organizational player who is ready for a chance.

[Sammy Sofa]

Oh my [expletive] God. HE'S PAID TO WRITE THAT.

[ctcf]

Oh my [expletive] God. HE'S PAID TO WRITE THAT.

 

Hahahahaha

[Guest]

Phil Rogers doing what Phil Rogers does best.

 

Don’t overlook the role that Bryan LaHair is playing in this process. Unless Epstein/Hoyer find a way to unload Alfonso Soriano on the Orioles, Mariners or Indians, Fielder would do what Epstein/Hoyer have said they won’t do: block an organizational player who is ready for a chance.

 

 

lol even if LaHair were actually worth a damn...he's saying that a sunk cost in Soriano is what's keeping them from getting Fielder and still giving said organizational player a chance. In that scenario, Soriano and the organization's stubbornness on insisting on playing him would be what would be blocking LaHair.

 

But LaHair is fairly worthless anyway, so yea.

[NonProfitCow]

That's awesome. Wouldn't want to let Prince fielder block a career minor leaguer that's a year and a half older than him.

[abuck1220]

Oh my [expletive] God. HE'S PAID TO WRITE THAT.

 

in legitimate american currency.

[davell]

If we miss on Prince, I fully expect to add a 1B through trade. Whether it's Rizzo, Moreland, Morales, Smoak, whoever.....That said, if we're punting on 2012(and if we miss on both Yu AND Prince, I think that's safe to say) we may as well give LaHair a solid amount of at bats. It's a win-win at that point really. Either he sucks and lends us a hand in getting a better draft pick or he shows SOMETHING and becomes a guy with a little bit of value. I guess I'd throw him out in LF some and give him some 1B at bats, if it comes to this.

[JeffH]

If we miss on Prince, I fully expect to add a 1B through trade. Whether it's Rizzo, Moreland, Morales, Smoak, whoever.....That said, if we're punting on 2012(and if we miss on both Yu AND Prince, I think that's safe to say) we may as well give LaHair a solid amount of at bats. It's a win-win at that point really. Either he sucks and lends us a hand in getting a better draft pick or he shows SOMETHING and becomes a guy with a little bit of value. I guess I'd throw him out in LF some and give him some 1B at bats, if it comes to this.

 

I'd rather have Keith Moreland than Mitch Moreland.

[davell]

If we miss on Prince, I fully expect to add a 1B through trade. Whether it's Rizzo, Moreland, Morales, Smoak, whoever.....That said, if we're punting on 2012(and if we miss on both Yu AND Prince, I think that's safe to say) we may as well give LaHair a solid amount of at bats. It's a win-win at that point really. Either he sucks and lends us a hand in getting a better draft pick or he shows SOMETHING and becomes a guy with a little bit of value. I guess I'd throw him out in LF some and give him some 1B at bats, if it comes to this.

 

I'd rather have Keith Moreland than Mitch Moreland.

 

 

I would as well, but whether we like it or not, he's a possibility to be trotting down 1B next year for us. Would be a stopgap and not the headline piece of any Garza trade, but a space filler.

[jersey cubs fan]

If we miss on Prince, I fully expect to add a 1B through trade. Whether it's Rizzo, Moreland, Morales, Smoak, whoever.....That said, if we're punting on 2012(and if we miss on both Yu AND Prince, I think that's safe to say) we may as well give LaHair a solid amount of at bats. It's a win-win at that point really. Either he sucks and lends us a hand in getting a better draft pick or he shows SOMETHING and becomes a guy with a little bit of value. I guess I'd throw him out in LF some and give him some 1B at bats, if it comes to this.

 

I'd rather have Keith Moreland than Mitch Moreland.

 

 

I would as well, but whether we like it or not, he's a possibility to be trotting down 1B next year for us. Would be a stopgap and not the headline piece of any Garza trade, but a space filler.

 

The Cubs better not be trading assets for space fillers.

[davell]

If we miss on Prince, I fully expect to add a 1B through trade. Whether it's Rizzo, Moreland, Morales, Smoak, whoever.....That said, if we're punting on 2012(and if we miss on both Yu AND Prince, I think that's safe to say) we may as well give LaHair a solid amount of at bats. It's a win-win at that point really. Either he sucks and lends us a hand in getting a better draft pick or he shows SOMETHING and becomes a guy with a little bit of value. I guess I'd throw him out in LF some and give him some 1B at bats, if it comes to this.

 

I'd rather have Keith Moreland than Mitch Moreland.

 

 

I would as well, but whether we like it or not, he's a possibility to be trotting down 1B next year for us. Would be a stopgap and not the headline piece of any Garza trade, but a space filler.

 

The Cubs better not be trading assets for space fillers.

 

They won't obviously. But, it's not like we're going to get 4-5 top 100 guys for Garza either. If we got Perez and Olt from them, I could see Moreland being a piece aftet those 2. Just an example, not even saying I think Perez/Olt would be our best option, in fact I hope it's not.

 

 

EDIT Jason Parks was just asked if Olt and Perez was fair for Gio and he said it was, for Oakland. Hell, I'd take it, but I wouldn't be thrilled, just OK with it and I figure Gio has more value than Garza does.

[hardcorecubfan]

That's awesome. Wouldn't want to let Prince fielder block a career minor leaguer that's a year and a half older than him.

 

He is not!!! He has a legit shot at a Japanese or Venezuelan pro-ball.

[RynoRules]

Any guesses as to why this is taking so long?

[jersey cubs fan]

Any guesses as to why this is taking so long?

 

negoatiations tend to do that

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Any guesses as to why this is taking so long?

 

He's a Boras client and the last worthwhile free agent.

 

They've set some ridiculous total value like 8/225 and are just (to borrow from the Epstein thread) faxing pictures of middle fingers to anyone who offers less.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Any guesses as to why this is taking so long?

 

Because he's by far the best thing left on the market and there's no urgency on his end to sign.

[RynoRules]

Any guesses as to why this is taking so long?

 

negoatiations tend to do that

 

Most of them don't, actually.

[Sammy Sofa]

Oh, OK.

[Guest]

Any guesses as to why this is taking so long?

 

negoatiations tend to do that

 

Most of them don't, actually.

Well, first off, this is still a sales process that involves 30 potential buyers. Given that the asking price is reported to be over $200M and that the current offer prices are far lower than that, it could take a while for the offers to converge.

 

Once it gets serious, I imagine the actual negotiations won't take nearly as long.

[RynoRules]

Any guesses as to why this is taking so long?

 

negoatiations tend to do that

 

Most of them don't, actually.

Well, first off, this is still a sales process that involves 30 potential buyers. Given that the asking price is reported to be over $200M and that the current offer prices are far lower than that, it could take a while for the offers to converge.

 

Once it gets serious, I imagine the actual negotiations won't take nearly as long.

 

I probably should have made my point a bit more clear.

 

The Pujols market was defined within a week or two and the details were hammered out with the Angels leading to the signing. Why is this one - involving a player with similar (not the same - he's younger) value taking so much longer?

 

I don't think its is because there are 30 serious, potential buyers. Probably more like 4 or 5 (Cubs, Mariners, Texas and maybe a team or two we haven't heard as much about). Even if Boras wishes there were more, he can wish in one hand and cr-p in the other and see which gets filled up first. At some point the market is what the market is and you make a deal.