Shilzzz

While I agree he is better than scales. The better comparison would be Andres Blanco. As the back up MI spot would likely be between those two. As Miles, unfortunately, has a spot on the 25-man as does Baker. So the questions becomes who is better between Blanco and Fontenot. Personally I like Blanco you get a guy who is superior defensively and can Play SS. With Fontenot you get more pop, but they were similar average and obp guys last year. Plus we save a couple hundred thousand with Blanco. I guess it's just a difference in what we think the team needs more. I'd prefer the option of Fontenot as a good platoon guy, and the runs he creates, and he really isn't bad defensively. Also, I like him for the seasonal Ramirez injury, though I guess Fox can fill that hole. Aaron Miles is really the stumbling block here, because with Blanco and Fontenot you have two valuable infielders under your thumb for a few years, and with Miles you have your thumb gauging your eyeballs out for another year.

Fontenot is worth more than Bobby Scales, flat out. He obviously isn't as good as the 2008 version, but isn't as bad as what we saw last year. If he can get his walk rate somewhere between the two, keep up the defense, and slug like he has against righties, he is a valuable part of any team. There is nothing to suggest that he won't bounce back, at least marginally, in 2010. Bobby Scales is not a full time member of a World Series contenders 25 man roster.

Yup.

And Castro taking BP before said Rising Stars game. oh wow I just got even more excited about Castro after watching this BP session I know it's BP, but watching how buttery smooth his swing looks makes me even more confident that we might have a LOT to look forward to with Starlin. He certainly looks like a hitter, albeit a very very young one physically. He sure gets those wrists around quick, huh? :cool:

Bill James' projection has Milwood's '10 season with a 4.13 FIP, a 1.40 WHIP, and low homerun numbers. Love the GB/FB rates, and Texas is as tough a hitters park as any... He's almost an inverted Marquis. I can't imagine us getting anything better than this, sans including prospects. With Milwood in our back pocket, we could explore what kind of returns Randy Wells could net.

? this rumor has nothing to do with Halladay, if that's what you are talking about.

Looks like this is about to be shot down anyway, along with and Bradley package for Halladay talk. Read somewhere that their new GM is being timid about trading for MB as his first move in charge.

Any particular reasons?

Hopefully this is the correct genre to post this in, and I think it's an interesting topic to discuss as projections are released. Fangraphs has all the Bill James 2010 player projections listed now, and Baseball Think Factory has been doing ZiPS for teams over the past week or two.

yeah, ouch. a -9.3 UZR in 08 and a -12 this year. nevermind. pass edit: his LD% this year looks like a big anomaly, too. that .338 BABIP is going to come back to earth next year. to add to that, his BABIP v LHP, which is where they'd platoon him i assume, was a whopping .366. ha.

4th outfielders that do decent to well against lefties aren't exactly hard to come by.

a castillo/baker platoon wouldn't kill anyone. pricey, yes, but it'd be about as productive as any other option at this point.

hudson i could live with. crisp is awful

hey, i'm all for hendry getting fired. let the party begin

http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/files/minor_key/discussion/quick_notes_from_the_winter_leagues/

"there is no multiple agenda" "think long term" "our shareholders are our fans" seems like he has real long term plans, he seems like he is very goal orientated. "improving restrooms" lol "real strat to save Wrigley" "a year to do all the planning" "4,5,6,7 years from now finish" man, why are all the questions about wrigley? i want to know about the dang team. wtf is the triangle parcel? "there is no magic bullet" "only way to do it is to draft and develop the right players and coach them through the system and give the general manager (a consistent edge)" GOOD! stop it with the facilities. more about the actual team "world class training facilities. they are for developing players and" we need to have the best facilities to develop players, looking at options with an open mind "slight increases on both payroll and ticket prices" "we believe (developing players) is the key. since looking into (buying the team) we have always budgeted extra money for that area, as any real fan knows" that's what's most important he seems legit about player development. he is on point, sounds like he has his ground covered, and is not balking, for even a second or an uhm, at any questions PSLs? "super excited to start the bigger decisions" going to add ads where it's not in the way to advert from fans experience kaplan is already brown-nosing. what a schmuck "i can't imagine anyone that comes to a lot of games won't see me" there, or my family "strongly believe (lou) is one of the best managers in baseball" "there are proposals that have required the team to leave wrigley for a couple years, but" they will not consider those. "team is understaffed. if we are going to have the best franchise in baseball... we may need to supplement that" "no discussions on naming rights, haven't really considered it" thinking about options for ways around naming rights to keep it wrigley but gain more revenue for the team ricketts is a funny dude. sound was messing up, his sister was talking and he said "you were saying something nice about me, here take this mic" "i think we have a team that can do it next year. not going to promise anything, but there is enough talent on this team to go all the way. key is to each season is to look at themselves and be sincere about it and be able to say that" "we intend to be owners of this team for generations" more concerned about how to win on the field than anything else (question about if the team is an investment, making money)

welp...

I have no idea how to spell cocoon.

He really doesn't go too badly across the body. The problem is, according to Giants fans, his velocity. They see him as Jesse Foppart part 2. Guy lauded for a mid 90's fastball who, when called up, is only throwing high 80's consistently while touching 91 a few times - which is as high as any of his fastballs registered. I really hope that he's just tired with a bit of dead arm nearing the end of his second pro season. Any rotation with guys like Lincecum, Cain, and who Bumgarner is supposed to be is very hard not to root for. Add in Buster Posey and Pablo Sandoval, and you have the base players to build around for a long time.

i went to northsidebaseball.com and the front page came up, if that's what you mean.

man. the site looks freaking outstanding. great work!

Aaron Miles is just misunderstood.

They are missing the point here. We need to get less ethnic. Don't you guys see? The problem is players like the fiery latin Zambrano, the lazy hispanic Soriano, angry black guy Bradley, passive unwilling clubhouse leader Lee, homerun watcher Ramirez, pot smoking fatso Soto... the list goes on and on. Look, the problem is you let the white guys go: Wood and DeRosa, and let's not forget about Marquis. All of a sudden you replace nice, friendly DeRosa with Bradley, who goes and upsets all the bleacher bums. No one is booing if DeRosa is still there. Remember Corey Patterson? I do. Get DeRosa back, sign Dunn, trade away Bradley, DFA Soriano, sign Podsednik for left field, let Fuld back up. Fukudome doesn't scare me. Asians are generally quiet and nice. Fontenot, Theriot. Let Hill catch. Call up Vitters, and if Fukudome doesn't play well get Brett Jackson up within the month of April. Now that's a team of grit, heart, and winning attitudes. Go Cubs Go!

current fantasy baseball strategy: pick up any starter going against the cubs.

Hudson is very streaky and we all know how Cubs fans get with streaky players. He's only OPSing .782 this year. Adam Kennedy has been decent this year for Oakland. I could probably stand a Kennedy Baker platoon.