Backtobanks

Why not debate .03 differences in Win Shares? There hasn't been much to get excited about this offseason. :D My ultimate problem with the move is that I tie it closely to the DeRo trade that I thought (and still think) was so bad. Miles' spot on the bench used to be DeRo's (and Fontenot) and that downgrade bugs me. It's not a killer though, so hopefully something good will come of it. Instead of saying Miles' spot on the bench used to be DeRosa's, try saying that Miles' spot on the bench used to be Cedeno's. DeRosa was a starter, not a sub. Fontenot took DeRosa's job and the cash saved helped pay for Bradley. Finally, I still think the DeRosa trade will end up landing us Peavy. Fontenot is the starter, but any injuries to Bradley and Aramis (and perhaps even Soriano) would have been filled with DeRosa. Now they'll be filled with Miles on the infield and Gathright/Hoff in the outfield. I'm ok with Hoff filling some of that OF time, but I'm not with Miles filling the IF time. Fontenot was going to get a bunch of ABs with or without DeRo. And I really don't think the Peavy deal is happening, but I'll have a different outlook on the offseason if it does. Again, though, it appears very unlikely. Right now the deal is dead, but the Padres will probably be the worst team in baseball for the foreseeable future, still have payroll problems, and their prize trading chip has a NTC that he will only waive for the Cubs. I suppose a lot depends on how Shark/Marshall/Heilman look in the 5th spot and if any other pressing needs get exposed by the trading deadline, but I do think Hendry hasn't given up on obtaining Peavy. You knock about $5 million off his 2009 contract after the first half with Harden coming off the books in 2009 and suddenly money isn't quite the issue it was.

If that's how you want to spend your time, go for it.

Man, the hate for Miles is ridiculous. Grudz is a one-position player who is past his prime. Comparing DeRosa to Grudz and/or Miles is absurd since DeRosa is a starter and the other two are reserve infielders.

Why not debate .03 differences in Win Shares? There hasn't been much to get excited about this offseason. :D My ultimate problem with the move is that I tie it closely to the DeRo trade that I thought (and still think) was so bad. Miles' spot on the bench used to be DeRo's (and Fontenot) and that downgrade bugs me. It's not a killer though, so hopefully something good will come of it. Instead of saying Miles' spot on the bench used to be DeRosa's, try saying that Miles' spot on the bench used to be Cedeno's. DeRosa was a starter, not a sub. Fontenot took DeRosa's job and the cash saved helped pay for Bradley. Finally, I still think the DeRosa trade will end up landing us Peavy.

I've asked you this before and you haven't responded to me, but what is it about Aaron Miles that made him a necessity to sign when we did? There are numerous other options who were on the market at the time getting very little interest at the time we signed Miles and are still on the market (getting minor league deals and cheaper contracts than Miles) who have similar or better stats than Miles. So what is it about Aaron Miles specifically that made it important we sign a backup middle infielder quickly when there were numerous other options out there? Sorry I didn't get back to you, but I agree with the other poster. Obviously Hendry wanted Miles (for whatever reason) and paid him the going rate at the time. You may not agree with Hendry on Miles, his ability, his contract, or the timing, but apparently Hendry decided he was the best option to fill the role at that price and at that time. As West Side Roter pointed out, Hendry is an impulse buyer. Sometimes he makes good decisions and sometimes bad, so I guess we'll have to see how this turns out. As for my defense of Hendry, it's more a case of being the devil's advocate because there are so many people that criticize every move he makes or doesn't make.

Come on. It's OK, you don't have to like the Miles signing. You also don't have to reach for assumptions to display your distaste of it. How is it an automatic that "it would have been worth it?" The Dodgers invested alot of money in that middle infield and they have more questions than certainties with them for the money paid. Back injuries tend not to help players and a little guy with marginal power doesn't help himself with a wrist injury (at least in the first year after injury). Sure, there's a chance that both have big years, but there are enough questions about them to at least not fawn over their signings as if it was something masterful. $8 mil and a first round pick for one year of Hudson is not great. I dont hate the Miles signing. It just is what it is. A backup/platoon middle infielder. Im just saying that if we could have gotten something better for a reasonable price, we should have. Every year people have to jump all over 1 player as being an overpaid contract (i.e. Marquis, J. Jones, etc.). It looks like Miles is this year's pick. I agree with you that we have more important issues to discuss than the contract of a backup/platoon middle infielder. Also, I have posted before that you have to take into account when the contracts were signed. Someone like Abreu would have been signed in December if he would have accepted $5 million then.

Yeah, if Crede is reasonably healthy, he could really come back to haunt the WS.

I finally got in and ordered two tickets, but the system wouldn't acknowledge my credit card. After 3 tries with that card and two more with another card, the time expired. Ridiculous - I'll watch them on TV.

Jake Fox can't play C. I didn't mean Fox as the 2nd C, I meant only as an emergency catcher.

While I myself am not quite ready to give up on Kosuke, the thought of trading him for Bedard is quite intriguing. The guy had one bad, injury plagued year, and Id be all about him. Even if Johjima would have been involved as a backup catcher, and they then could have gotten Cedeno in the same deal. As for Washburn, Id just assume take back Traschle or Lieber, but Kosuke, Cedeno, and Olson(asuming the Pie/Olson trade happenes) for Bedard, Johjima, and Heilman doesnt sound half bad. Then, we could have re signed Edmonds for cheap and platooned him with Johnson. That article doesn't say they they would have offered Bedard. It says the Mariners were one of the teams interested in Kosuke, and then listed Bedard as one of the players they have been shopping this offseason. Also, bedard didn't have "one bad injur plagues year". He's injured just about every year and 2007 was the only time he's come even close to being that good. Yeah, I took the article as examples of the kind of bad contracts Hendry might have to accept in a trade.

Has Jake Fox ever tried 3B? He could be pretty valuable as a utilty player if he could play corner OF/C/3B/ and probably 1B.

Why would he take a NL team when he can play OF and DH in the AL. The only disadvantage to Seattle is their lack of coverage by national media.

He would either be a very expensive 4th OF or would be traded for another bad contract. Today's Tribune mentioned that teams approached Hendry about Fukudome, but Hendry isn't ready to give up on him yet. Seattle was mentioned as shopping Jarrod Washburn, Erik Bedard, and Kenji Johjima as examples of the kind of bad contracts Hendry might have to take on.

I was hoping he'd be a fallback option in the offseason (as a FA) in case the second base situation sucks. Now, we've got a whole heck of a lot riding on Fontenot playing well. Of course, I wouldn't have been thrilled with paying Roberts $10 million a year over 4 years, either. Maybe that's a bad value in this market, but I don't think that's overpaid. He is a very very good player. In DeRosa's career year last year, Roberts outplayed him in several areas. The last two years, DeRosa and Roberts would be a tossup depending on what you're looking for (speed-leadoff or power-RBI). Obviously over his total career, Roberts has been far superior, but DeRosa has been very good since he became a regular. Another obvious difference was a few million in salary.

http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/sp/v/mlb/players_l/20080402/6154.jpg?x=65&y=85&xc=1&yc=1&wc=164&hc=215&q=100&sig=LCwAE1TFB2scz.nmPVAI3w-- You think Soriano is worth 18 million a year? I don't think you'll find many people here who believe Soriano is worth $18 million a year, especially as he gets older. IMHO, nobody is worth $18 million. obviously, nobody should be. but if someone will pay it its "worth" it. that's the point. So Soriano is worth $18 million, Miles is worth $5 million over 2 years, and Marquis is worth $10 million.

People complain about paying Bradley because of health concerns, but let's sign Hudson (who has health concerns). :-k Comparing the health issues of Bradley to the health "issues" of Hudson is silly My point was more about people complaining about any move Hendry makes i.e. signing one guy with health concerns is stupid, but we ought to sign another guy who has health concerns. Some of the same people who complain about Harden wanted to add Johnson or Sheets to the rotation.

The bottom line is that you have no way of knowing which former players were "clean" (whatever that meant at that time) and which players weren't, so you just have to acknowledge this as the "Steroid Era" and move on. To clean up the game, you now have to put in random mandatory drug testing and make sure the players understand that the penalty is a lifetime ban from now on. You can't go back into the past and rewrite history.

http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/sp/v/mlb/players_l/20080402/6154.jpg?x=65&y=85&xc=1&yc=1&wc=164&hc=215&q=100&sig=LCwAE1TFB2scz.nmPVAI3w-- You think Soriano is worth 18 million a year? I don't think you'll find many people here who believe Soriano is worth $18 million a year, especially as he gets older. IMHO, nobody is worth $18 million.

People complain about paying Bradley because of health concerns, but let's sign Hudson (who has health concerns). :-k

Bonds, ARod, Clemens, and McGwire won't make the HOF. That is certainly something to be gained. Obviously, the HOF is going to somehow acknowledge the players during the "Steroid Era". If the top 2 HR hitters (assuming ARod passes Bonds) and one of the greatest RH pitchers of all time aren't acknowledged in the HOF, it certainly lessens the point of a HOF. Already excluded is the all-time hits leader. What if names like Pujols, Ramirez, Howard, etc. eventually get leaked? I would think the HOF is going to have to emphasize the differences between the eras in baseball (dead ball era, pre-integration era, post-integration era, steroid era, etc.) and deal with the changes in society.

Maybe as of right now, but longevity is key. He needs to stay injury-free. How do we know that Pujols is clean? The real tragedy about all of this is you can't believe any player's stats.

From Foxsports: Yanks need to dump A-Rod? Now that A-Rod's pursuit looks as counterfeit as Bonds', they should do what's best for the organization: Cut him loose - no matter the cost. As difficult as it is to imagine eating $270 million, the Bombers will be making a statement, not just for the Yankee brand but for baseball as a whole. They will be applauded for it. The Yankees operate under two basic tenets: The relentless pursuit of championships and the fierce protection of their brand. If they are going to remain true to both, then they have no choice but to sever ties with Rodriguez. -- NY Daily News Yeah, I can see the Yankees cutting their best player and owing him $270 million. What happens when the other 103 players' names get leaked?

My main point is, had we waited instead of rushing to sign Miles, we might have been able to wait out a Hudson or a Durham and gotten significantly better production for the price. Hudson at $5 million for one season is incredibly more valuable than Miles at $4.5 for two seasons. It's most definitely a risk, but Miles' production isn't that difficult to find off the trash heap. All of this coulda, shoulda, woulda talk is based on hindsight. If all of the GMs knew that the asking prices would drop this much, no one would have been signed. I saw on one site that Abreu might have to settle for $3 million/1 year deal. If Hendry had waited until now to sign Dempster, Bradley, and Miles to lesser contracts he probably would be short a SP, RF, and utility IF going into spring training. I can just imagine all of the bashing Hendry would have been getting for being cheap and waiting too long. As I've posted before, people just need to complain about any transaction he makes or doesn't make. I've never said he should have waited on Dempster and Bradley. He got pretty good deals there and I'm mostly happy with them. The problem I have with the timing of the Miles signing is that he's not particularly special. What does he do that is extremely difficult to find? He hits singles 28% of the time and gets on base at a very barely decent pace. There was no reason to hurry into signing him - especially with better options still out there. What would we have lost that we couldn't replace if Miles had signed elsewhere? Maybe you are talking about the Miles signing and not Dempster and Bradley, but I've seen other posters who said we should have waited on Dempster and signed him at a lower price (we actually would have probably lost him). They posted that we overpaid on Bradley and could have signed someone else (Abreu, Dunn, etc.) at a bargain price. Obviously, Hendry (and Lou) think Miles is what they need and the paid the going rate at the time for him.

My main point is, had we waited instead of rushing to sign Miles, we might have been able to wait out a Hudson or a Durham and gotten significantly better production for the price. Hudson at $5 million for one season is incredibly more valuable than Miles at $4.5 for two seasons. It's most definitely a risk, but Miles' production isn't that difficult to find off the trash heap. All of this coulda, shoulda, woulda talk is based on hindsight. If all of the GMs knew that the asking prices would drop this much, no one would have been signed. I saw on one site that Abreu might have to settle for $3 million/1 year deal. If Hendry had waited until now to sign Dempster, Bradley, and Miles to lesser contracts he probably would be short a SP, RF, and utility IF going into spring training. I can just imagine all of the bashing Hendry would have been getting for being cheap and waiting too long. As I've posted before, people just need to complain about any transaction he makes or doesn't make.

Murton always struck me as a decent LF if given the opportunity. He will not produce "typical" corner OF power, but in the right situation he could play everyday. I think he's capable of .285-.295/.345-.360/.400-.450/.750-.810 with 15-20 HRs with regular playing time. The key would be to find a low-budget, low-expectation (Pirates, Royals, etc.) team or a team that had power in other places to compensate. He's not Manny Ramirez, but he could have a decent career.