Deeg

Heyman concurs. Says if NYY chases one of the big dogs it'll be Max.

FWIW, Kaplan says his source tells him Yankees have not made offer to Lester. Usual pound of salt disclaimer.

Surely there must be well-connected grade schooler out there who's heard something.

If he can't or refuses to drive to the rim, he's a decent role player at best the rest of his career. I get the being smart thing but being smart is not jacking up 3s. Where is the midrange game? In Roses MVP season and the season before he was lethal at hitting midrange jumpers. He could create space and hit the open shot. He played like a player 4 inches taller than he is because he could create that space. But tonight he was absolutely not a shot creator. His shots came off screens and ball movement. The problem is he's not getting space for those midrange jumpers because no one is respecting the drive. And why should they?

Also, Noah had nothing left in those OTs and Mirotic was really, really good tonight. Pau also played 50 minutes which is just insane, but you can't really pull him when he was you entire offense in the 2nd OT. The issue there was using him needlessly for 40 minutes in regulation. At this rate, he and Butler will have nothing left by the postseason.

The biggest problem with Rose is that he's getting torched on defense - no lateral quickness at all. Against a team like Dallas, that's especially deadly. He also looks pretty disinterested, frankly. Hard to believe that's the lineup Thibs goes with needing a three, twice in a row. Rose bailed him out once, but how can you not get the likes of Mirotic or Brooks on the floor there? Even Kirk, who'd made two late?

POW

No way Rose makes that if his eyes are open.

Non-tendering Wright really surprises me.

Hunter continues to produce offensive numbers. For a part-time OF and DH with what he's done the past few seasons, that's about the going rate.

Hunter back to the Twinks for $10.5 million.

As I've said before, the second big ticket FA is going to be easier to sign than the first. No one wants to be a token - no one wants to have to take it on faith that this is the start of a new paradigm. Guys entering their 30's don't want to hear about how the kids will be hitting their peak in a few years and things will be great. They want to hear that a team is desperate to win right now, and has the pieces and wherewithal to do it. Whether it's Lester or not, I really think the first big fish is going to have to get blown out of the water. In Marlin Bystro's words, that contract is going to have to be really "uncomfortable". One that Theo hates and many in places like this too. It's going to feel like an overpay. But that's what it's going to take.

Yeah, agree that a vesting 7th year may not be very persuasive or add much value to Lester or his agent. It might, of course. With 7 years, that would take him through his age-37 season. That might seem like a lot of stability for a guy and his wife? But yeah, for exactly the reasons that we don't mind it at all, he probably wouldn't value it much. Still, sometimes a guy figures he's going to last, and getting an extra $25 secured might seem kind of appealing. Maybe the agent would like it, too? They like to report the richest version, so $138/6 might not seem as productive as $160/7? In either case, no harm in Hoyer offering it. Assuming he doesn't take it, no harm done; if he does sign, no harm done either. I don't think Hoyer has a whole lot to do with it, honestly.

Where is that being floated, out of curiosity? I've seen it on several twitters, plus Loxas and Arguello are both reporting it. That's why I said "supposedly".

Hi, deeg. I actually like that idea. Can't-lose value. 360 innings isn't easy, if the vesting threshold is really that high. If he's healthy enough and effective enough to still be racking up 180+ innings/year at the back-end of the 6-year deal, that means the 6-year deal has worked out really, really well. Terrific. And assuming the 7th year doesn't vest, you've lost nothing extra. So I'd very willingly support offering that. Yeah Craig, it's better than a straight-up 7th year, but the real question is whether or not it's enough to sway Lester for the same reasons you or I might find it acceptable. As to the notion of whether SF is a more attractive option than the Cubs, well... I think only the most myopic of Cub fans could argue otherwise. SF has three WS titles in six years, and an organization that's proved it's willing to spend like an upper-middle class team to try and win more. They have a beautiful ballpark in a gorgeous setting that's one of the three best pitcher's parks in baseball. They have a beloved player's manager with three WS titles on his resume, and one of America's most liveable cities with a great climate (and insiders will tell you, the most similar to Boston in many respects) and they have possibly Lester's best friend in the game in Tim Hudson. The Cubs have Theo. They have a bunch of minor leaguers who've accomplished nothing yet, a ballpark reconstruction that's just started and a well-respected manager who has to prove himself all over again in a big city. They have no track record of being willing to spend aggressively (even with Lester, they'd be comfortably in the lower half of payrolls because they've signed one contested FA in three years). They're all potential, and the Giants are concrete, established reality. You've got to go over the top on money to even be in the conversation against them, and even then whether simply being the high bidder is enough depends on how big a factor money is to Lester. Is he one of Theo's purported 99%, or is he weighing other factors highly enough that you have to blow the competition away to have a chance?

The idea supposedly being floated is a vesting option based on 360 IP over the 5th and 6th years. If it's close, I'd hate to be the manager going to get the ball on Lester's last start of the year. I'm on the edge with whether this is a good idea or not, but if in fact the Cubs are willing to go this route I'd be strongly inclined to attach a deadline. If you're the only club with a 7th year on the table, give Lester 24 hours to take it and force the other teams to match immediately if they're willing to pay up.

If you want to lock it up, you'd have to add a seventh year. I have a suspicion either Boston or SF will end up matching any dollars over six, and both are more attractive destinations for Lester, money aside.

Grandal is the better hitter and is a much better pitch framer. Although one of the reasons the Padres are shopping him is that their pitchers much prefer Rivera's receiving skills, apparently. There's ample room to be a lesser receiver than Rivera and a better one than Castillo. Those goal posts are pretty wide.

Yes, please. Maybe Valbuena and a B prospect gets it done.

Buster Olney ‏@Buster_ESPN 4m4 minutes ago The Giants are meeting with Jon Lester today.

That would certainly get the nobs in the local press murmuring about the Cubs quiet offseason so far, especially when they whiff on Lester. Who knows how "reliable" that source is - the Pantagraph is a real newspaper, albeit a college one, but I have my doubts.

When you're running a franchise on the limits Beane is, the idea of three cost-controlled major-league (and cheap cost at that) players has very real value. And after this season he desperately needed to restock the farm with potential impact talent. It's a good trade for both sides, IMO. Barreto is obviously a crapshoot, but that's how the game works.

Donaldson is obviously the best player in the deal - as of today - but I like this trade for both sides. Nolin and Graveman are not throw-ins - both figure to be useful major-league pitchers, if not difference-makers. If Beane can find a way to keep Lawrie on the field he's going to be a very good player, either at 3B or 2B. and Barreto has a chance to be special. It's obviously a huge variable because he's so young, but he's got legit star potential - I expect he's a Top 100 prospect at this stage.

Ken Rosenthal ‏@Ken_Rosenthal 16s17 seconds ago Deal is 4-for-1. Donaldson from #Athletics to #BlueJays for Lawrie, Graveman, Barreto, Nolin.

Ken Rosenthal ‏@Ken_Rosenthal 4m4 minutes ago Class A SS Franklin Barreto also in Donaldson deal, going from #BlueJays to #Athletics