Backtobanks

As others have pointed out, it's crazy to trade your young, cheap superstar SS for a reasonably young, affordable (for now) superstar 1B when you have 2 other superstar 1B that will cost you only money.

Everything I've read has said that the Reds aren't trying to trade Votto, but would listen to any offers that are made. What Jocketty said is exactly what you would expect him to say at this point, but if a team calls offering someone like Shields or Cain, he would be a fool not to think about it when he has Alonzo ready to play 1B.

Because there's very little precident of a team offering compensation for another one's GM. And if the Cubs plan on offering Theo the President of Baseball Opps title, isn't it almost unprofessional to block a promotion for Theo by demanding compensation from the Cubs (assuming the Red Sox aren't also offering a similar title if he stays)? Assuming that Epstein wants the Cubs' job, do the Red Sox really want a GM that doesn't want to be there and that they just screwed out of his new job because they couldn't settle on compensation? They've got nothing to lose for asking about compensation, but I would think you have to let him go if he wants to go.

Not going to argue with any of you about a fair offer for Davis and Upton, but it would save a lot of money for the Rays since Upton is way too expensive for his production (nice way of saying he has had 3 consecutive bad years with the exception of SB) and Barney would look like an All Star next to their other shortstops. LaHair could be a cheap option as a DH or bat off the bench and Davis is replaceable in their rotation.

How about Wade Davis + Upton for Barney (to play SS) + Colvin + LaHair (1B/DH) to open the negotiations.

From MLBTR: •Some people think that C.J. Wilson has keen interest as free agent in New York, tweets Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated. He adds that the Yankees are probably the early favorite to sign him.

Zambrano + Colvin + decent prospect + $16 million ($9 million in 2012 and $7 million in 2013) for Nolasco + Morrison. (The $16 million is the difference between the contracts of Nolasco and Zambrano). It would take a good 5 mil more. Zambrano is virtually immovable without Ozzie being interested, and LoMo is a potential star where as Colvin is a potential decent 4th outfielder. I'm not disagreeing with you, just reminding you that Morrison is and has been in the dog house in Florida.

At this point, anybody who doesn't think Epstein is the first choice is either naive or stupid. 1. Ricketts basically said that the Red Sox are his model as to what he wants to do. 2. The media in both towns and nationally are jumping all over the story. 3. He has asked permission to talk to Epstein. 4. The delay can be explained by the Jewish holiday and/or the discussion of compensation. Now tell me that Ricketts won't look like an idiot if he has a press conference next week to introduce his new GM - Rick Hahn (who he claims was his first choice all along). Please explain what you're actually complaining about here and what Ricketts has done wrong. He's said NOTHING about Theo Epstein. So you're criticizing him because Epstein is his first choice? Or are you criticizing him because the media is speculating like they do on everything sports related? Or are you just criticizing for having a "first choice" in his GM search? I'm criticizing people who think Epstein isn't the first choice and the fact that Ricketts seems to have gone "all in" for Epstein. Any other choice would have been hired by now.

At this point, anybody who doesn't think Epstein is the first choice is either naive or stupid. 1. Ricketts basically said that the Red Sox are his model as to what he wants to do. 2. The media in both towns and nationally are jumping all over the story. 3. He has asked permission to talk to Epstein. 4. The delay can be explained by the Jewish holiday and/or the discussion of compensation. Now tell me that Ricketts won't look like an idiot if he has a press conference next week to introduce his new GM - Rick Hahn (who he claims was his first choice all along).

Zambrano + Colvin + decent prospect + $16 million ($9 million in 2012 and $7 million in 2013) for Nolasco + Morrison. (The $16 million is the difference between the contracts of Nolasco and Zambrano).

All of this speculation/rumors/talk had better happen because Ricketts and his second choice are going to look pretty stupid if it doesn't happen.

It depends on whether his Achilles tendon is torn or not.

If we don't get Wilson (or Sabathia), we need to look at some pitchers like Baker, Gavin Floyd, etc. who can provide depth to the starting rotation so we don't have the situation of Davis/Coleman/Lopez/Russell starting once or twice a week. That was one reason I hated to see Gorzelanny go.

In both cases they might go after Wilson to use their other pitchers (Guthrie, Santana, etc.) as trade bait to pick up a position player.

I'd be very surprised if it was within the division. Well they would be looking for a #1 starter for him, so obviously we couldn't get him and probably nobody else in our division could pay that price. Something like Shields might be the beginnings of a trade. If only we knew somebody who could work out a 3-way deal. :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo:

Thing is, a lot of the big market teams have some other issues to work out. Not saying he won't get a huge deal, just saying I'm not sure he's going to get a "blow everybody else out of the water" deal. I mean, which team? Yankees have the Sabathia issue, and Cashman, provided he isn't overruled by the ownership, is wary of such big contract efforts, by most accounts. Of course, he may view it as their best shot to give the aging core one last run or two. Boston has to work out their contractual issues. If they can clear some dough off, perhaps, but it's going to be awfully hard. St. Louis has to figure out Pujols first and foremoest, and I think they probably prefer Carpenter back for a short term deal. Texas? Perhaps, but do they have blow everybody away money that they can spend? White Sox are rebuilding. The one team that, to the best of my knowledge, has a fair amount of money clearing up and could use a strong 2nd starter as they wait on the kids might be Detroit, but with Verlander, Scherzer, Porcello, Jacob Turner, Doug Fister, they have enough arms already. Actually, from a monetary and future competitiveness standpoint, I really wonder about the Nationals. They have money to spend, and adding CJ Wilson to go with Strasburg and Zimmerman would give them a nasty 1-3, and there's a young offensive core developing. If I had to toss a team in there that I wonder about, the Blue Jays come to mind, but is this an Anthoupoulos move? May be one year too early in his plan to make this move. I wonder how real is all the chatter on the Marlins spending more this winter. Taking a gigantic pivot for a second, in a thread that doesn't really apply, but I wonder if the Twins might shop Scott Baker this offseason? It's a weak market and they have 1 year and 1 option year left. His peripherals have been fairly consistent 3 years in a row. He is coming off an injury, but didn't sound that serious. He's 30, so he's not going to be around to build around. They have to figure out a way to add some pieces. They have some contracts coming off (Nathan if they decline the option would be a big clearing), but I wonder. For the right price, he'd be a guy that I'd have some interest in as a 2/3 type starter in the rotation. I'd bring up James Shields name, but that's a price that is likely to be way too heavy for the Cubs to afford in terms of talent that it would cost. Orioles, Angels?

I wouldn't be surprised if Votto gets traded this year in a blockbuster deal.

I still think some team is going to make a ridiculous offer to Wilson and blow everybody else out of the water.

As much as I want Epstein, I will repeat what I have posted before - there isn't any GM out there that's worth giving up much of anything for. With 3 or 4 very capable "B list" candidates for free, they can keep Epstein (or whomever) if they expect any of our top prospects.

Well, this is true. Then what are all of these rumors about hiring 3 guys to replace him.

Obviously the rumors of the WS sitting out 2012 (playing the kids, riding out the bad contracts, etc.) are true. Why pay an experienced manager when you can go cheap.

Is he really a high reward type of guy? He's had 3 seasons out of 12 where he's posted an ERA below 4.00 and has a career K/9 of 4.86. His best WAR season was 3.9 (1.9 career average) and his xFIP has been between 4.10 and 4.86 his entire career. He's a really good bet to be mediocre. That said, I'd consider him if the Cubs give away Z. He's a really good bet to provide stability (stable mediocrity, but that's better than we had this year) to the back end of the rotation should we miss out on both Wilson and CC. I don't see any way that he's a high reward guy though. Compared to Coleman and Lopez, a #5 starter who can give you a WAR of 1.9 and 180+ innings looks like a godsend to me.

I would assume the Red Sox would keep Cherington to take over at GM. As I've posted before, Epstein (or Beane, Friedman, Cashman) aren't worth giving up much or anything as long as Cherington, Hahn, or the guy from the Braves are available for free.

From MLBTR: Dodgers Decline Options On Garland, Blake By Tim Dierkes [October 4 at 2:03pm CST] The Dodgers announced on Twitter today that they've declined club options on starter Jon Garland and third baseman Casey Blake, and also outrighted Eugenio Velez to Triple-A. Typically option decisions are announced after the World Series, but Garland and Blake were obvious choices. For Garland, the Dodgers chose a $500K buyout over an $8MM club option. Garland had signed for a below-market guarantee of $5MM in November, but a vesting option in the contract became moot when the righty when down for an oblique injury in March and shoulder surgery in July. Garland, now 32, had previously been a lock for around 200 innings per season. If Garland is healthy, his agents at LSW Baseball should have no problem finding a one-year deal worth a few million plus incentives, along with a back-end rotation job. Depending on our other offseason moves and Garland's health, he might be a low risk/high reward pickup on the deal mentioned.

Any GM that we have to pay compensation for has warts. The list of "Plan B" candidates are fine if the other team is expecting compensation for the "short list/plan A candidates".