Paul DePodesta is joining the Mets new super staff and Joe Morgan will not be back for Sunday Night baseball. This offseason is way better than the actual season. What is everyone elses’ teams up to? Anyone want to try their hand at “if I was the gm” for their team?
The Blue Jays have solidified their coaching staff under new manager John Farrell. In addition to previously mentioned holdovers Bruce Walton (pitching coach) and Brian Butterfield (third base), Dwayne Murphy will return as hitting coach. Newcomers to the team include bench coach and former M’s manager Don Wakamatsu, first base coach Torey Lovullo, and bullpen coach Pat Hentgen.
Nick Leyva, Omar Malave, and Rick Langford have been offered other, unspecified positions in the organization.
The Yankees have basically stated that they will overpay for 2 of these 3 players: Cliff Lee, Derek Jeter and Mo. You can’t possibly overpay the 3rd on this list.
No more Joe Morgan!
Was it a bad season? I had fun.
No more Joe Morgan? [choirs sing]
My first team’s manager retired. Some old dude.
The Royals could field present-day Amos Otis and Freddy Patek, and I’ll be happy now that I don’t have to live with Joe Morgan ever again.
Mission accomplished. (They better post an update.)
Morgan’s down, now it’s McCarver’s turn. If there’s any justice.
I can’t believe Morgan is gone. This is such great news. I think it deserves its own thread. Please let ESPN find a good replacement team.
Also I completely agree with **ElvisL1ves **, it is time for McCarver to go too of course.
ESPN did not give a reason. Did they finally listen to their fans or did Morgan do something stupid behind the scenes instead of just on the air?
Finally, I can watch a few games on Sunday Night Baseball.
Dodgers locked in Ted Lilly to a multiyear contract. Now if we can just find a left fielder…
Carl Crawford? The Dodgers should have cash.
I almost started this thread just to bait RickJay into making fun of the Mets for hiring J.P. Riccardi. Well, the jokes on you, RJ, because J.P. is going to put on his old Little Falls Mets uniform and play second base! Sandy Alderson will also be luring Billy Beane into coming to New York and playing right field. And Bill James will be in the SNY booth on Keith Hernandez’ lap.
(An optimist might say that Toronto has at least developed some pretty good young players of late. I don’t follow the AL all that closely, but my guess is that the Jays would be competitive in any other division. I did read Moneyball when it came out, but I don’t really recall clearly what Alderson et al did in San Diego, or that anyone was really sure how Di Podesta finally was scored in Los Angeles. I guess the Mets will see in a few years.)
For 2011, anyway, the team on the field will be much the same, and I can’t say I have much confidence that Wally Backman or Bobby Valentine yelling at them will make much of a difference to a team that seems committed to underachiveing. I would take bets on the date that Frankie Rodriqguez finally punches either of them, though.
To continue my East Coast bias, aren’t the Pettite and Posada contracts also up? I wonder how the fan base would react to either Jeter or Mariano not being resigned? Jeter’s an interesting case, he’s surely on the decline to some degree, so how much is keeping the fan base happy and keeping Yankee lore tidy really worth? And do the Steinbrenners even care? I suppose most owners wouldn’t object to having the problem of what to do with the aging player who helped you win so much nice jewelry. As for Mariano, I wouldn’t bet against him pitching more innings in the next 10 years that Scott Strasburg.
Posada has one more year on his contract. He is expected to mostly be a DH next year.
Pettite will be back on a one year contract if he does not retire. The Yanks are trying to talk him back.
Rivera wants a one year contract and so this will be simple.
Jeter’s contract is the big one.
To whoever thinks the Yanks cannot resign these 3 and hire Lee, really? You really think that? The Yanks have enough money to keep their own and one really big Free Agent without raising the budget. To the best of my knowledge that is the plan.
Minor Reference for Yanks Payroll situation. 2010 New York Yankees Roster | Baseball-Reference.com Please note the Yanks seem to plan to be around the $206 million mark again and that would include pay raises, keeping the 3 Free Agents of their own and hiring Lee. It probably includes keeping Thames also.
**By The Way, We get Gold Gloves winners today and tomorrow. **
Tigers signed Peralta to a 2 year contract for shortstop. They also signed Inge .
I was under the impression that they are cash strapped because of the divorce trial.
Coletti says the Dodgers are looking to increase payroll this season.
Our basic needs are: left field, a catcher who doesn’t break, and another couple of starters. They are looking to get Kuo back, but after that who knows?
If I were the GM for my team (Orioles), I would seriously replace my entire roster with the US Little League World Series team. You still finish last place in the East but you save lots of money because you can pay the kids with pizza.
P Mark Buehrle (CHW-2nd)
C Joe Mauer (MIN-3rd)
1B Mark Teixeira (NYY-4th)
2B Robinson Cano (NYY-1st)
3B Evan Longoria (TBR-2nd)
SS Derek Jeter (NYY-5th) Even I can’t believe it.
OF Ichiro Suzuki (SEA-9th)
OF Fr. Gutierrez (SEA-1st)
OF Carl Crawford (TBR-1st)
While I’m glad Cano finally got one, Teixeira probably deserves all 3 that the Yankees got.
I’m a Yankee fan, I love Jeter, but that is a bad joke. These people still vote on fielding percentage?
Come to think of it, I like it. The Jeter haters are going to freak out.
I think this was the first year Cano actually did deserve it. He was getting close last year. His defense is really smooth now and he shows excellent range.
Clearly Jeter’s is a lifetime achievement award. Not as bad as Palmiero’s but on par with the ones Wade Boggs got late in his career. I’m never in favor of these as it devalues the award and makes it a joke.
Teixeira is great. Best 1B glove in baseball today and I think the best fielding 1B that can hit since Mattingly.