# Baseball Offseason Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [November 9, 2010, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985 "2010-11-09T01:42:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 18
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/341 "2010-12-14T18:57:36Z")
I wonder if the Astros are shopping Wandy Rodriguez. ---
**Author:** ![Hawkeyeop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/958977/32.png) [@Hawkeyeop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hawkeyeop)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/342 "2010-12-14T19:25:13Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > I would guess signing Martin is a signal the Yanks are willing to trade one of those hot catcher prospects they have for a Mike Garza type. Greinke everyone seems to agree, including Greinke won’t be comfortable pitching in NYC or Boston. Greinke had some anxiety issues a few years ago. Everybody is making gigantic assumptions based on that. Just like everyone assumed Lee would base his decision purely on money. Picking a place for a family to live is a complex decision and, as outsiders, we have no way of knowing what the most important factors are for a particular person. We really should stop assuming we do. Signing Martin is an acknowledgment that the yankees need someone on the roster who can actually catch. Montero can’t and none of their other catchers are close to being ready. I wouldn’t really read anything into it beyond that. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/343 "2010-12-15T14:43:25Z")
It’s interesting how people overstate the impact of individuals when these free agent signings get made. Just in the last ten minutes, while looking stuff up about the Cliff Lee signing, I’ve read article after article essentially conceding the 2011 season to the Phillies. Lee’s a terrific pitcher and all but he’s not Walter Johnson, and this is a team where every player in the starting lineup is 30 or older with the possible exception of whomever will replace Jayson Werth, who now plays for Washington and was, by the way, their best hitter in 2010. I’m not saying it isn’t a good team with a shot at winning, but I wouldn’t bet anything on them I really didn’t want to lose. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/344 "2010-12-15T14:47:21Z")
I think the Yankees are going to take their time to address their pitching needs, especially if Pettitte comes back for one more year. They need some more arms, but there seems to be a feeling they’re going to hurry up and make a huge trade. They don’t need to scramble and give up the store. I still don’t think anything is going to happen with Greinke, who on top of everything else has not pitched well in New York. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/345 "2010-12-15T15:45:24Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > It does indeed. And they won the division, what, 14 straight times with those guys. > [@Tom\_Scud](#): > > Some of those Braves teams had pretty damn good offenses as well, probably peaking between when Chipper Jones joined the team and Fred McGriff got old (95-97 or so?). And they won all of one World Series. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/346 "2010-12-15T15:48:11Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > And they won all of one World Series. You know, I’m pretty sure no one has ever pointed that out before. Food for thought. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/347 "2010-12-15T16:12:36Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > That’s quite a twist. Lucky Phils: they get to have Halladay and Lee after all. Halladay, Lee, Oswalt, and Happ. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/348 "2010-12-15T16:15:39Z")
> [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](#): > > Halladay, Lee, Oswalt, and Happ. Happ is a Houston Astro unless something’s just happened to change that. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/349 "2010-12-15T16:16:27Z")
Oswalt has been floundering since 2008. You have to worry about him. Happ is young and has not shown any real domination yet. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/350 "2010-12-15T16:26:19Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > Oswalt has been floundering since 2008. You have to worry about him. Oswalt was pretty bad (well, bad for him, league-average) in 2009, but was good with a terrible offense behind him with the Astros and then awesome with the Phillies in 2010. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/351 "2010-12-15T17:24:07Z")
Marley23: > [@](#): > > I still don’t think anything is going to happen with Greinke, who on top of everything else has not pitched well in New York. There is an ever-so-slight difference between pitching in New York _against_ the Yankees and pitching in New York _for_ the Yankees. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/352 "2010-12-15T17:28:18Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > There is an ever-so-slight difference between pitching in New York _against_ the Yankees and pitching in New York _for_ the Yankees. Not to mention the fact that Greinke has pitched a whole four games (yes, 4) in Yankee Stadium. The idea that you can draw any long-term conclusion from that is preposterous. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/353 "2010-12-15T17:34:50Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > Oswalt has been floundering since 2008. You have to worry about him. > Happ is young and has not shown any real domination yet. Oswalt has never “floundered” at any point in his career and Happ doesn’t pitch for the Philadelphia Phillies because he’s one of the guys they traded to get Oswalt. At least make an effort, dude. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/354 "2010-12-15T17:43:17Z")
Responding to post 347. get a grip. Oswalt has been a .500 pitcher for the last couple years. If that is domination, I don’t see it. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/355 "2010-12-15T17:47:11Z")
7-1 with a 1.40 ERA looks pretty dominant to me, but I understand you have high standards, gonzo. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/356 "2010-12-15T18:17:15Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > There is an ever-so-slight difference between pitching in New York _against_ the Yankees and pitching in New York _for_ the Yankees. > [@mhendo](#): > > Not to mention the fact that Greinke has pitched a whole four games (yes, 4) in Yankee Stadium. The idea that you can draw any long-term conclusion from that is preposterous. Alright, I’ll plead guilty to not realizing it was so few outings. I’m still hesitant about it (not that I think it’s going to happen). On the other hand, Bill Madden in the Daily News says they’ll kick the tires on Carlos Zambrano. I see he caught fire last season after getting his head together, but I’m wary of that one as well. ---
**Author:** ![DxZero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DxZero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DxZero)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/357 "2010-12-15T19:03:30Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > Responding to post 347. get a grip. Oswalt has been a .500 pitcher for the last couple years. If that is domination, I don’t see it. 6th in Cy Young voting. 1st in WHIP. 2.76 ERA. When you pitch for a crummy team for a few years, it tends to skew your winning percentage a little south. And its Hamels, not Happ, who pitches for the Phillies. He of the 2008 World Series MVP and the 3.06 ERA/211 SO last year. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/358 "2010-12-15T20:19:07Z")
> [@Tom\_Scud](#): > > Happ is a Houston Astro unless something’s just happened to change that. My bad. That’s what I get for going from memory. I knew it was a last name that started with “H”. ---
**Author:** ![Ol\_Gaffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Ol\_Gaffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ol_Gaffer)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/359 "2010-12-15T20:50:18Z")
WARNING: The following announcement has nothing to do with the Yankees, BoSox, or Cliff Lee. In other baseball news, the A’s signed Hideki “Godzilla” Matsui to a one-year deal and are, reportedly, looking at bring back Rich Harden to work out of the bullpen. Unfortunately, despite the front office’s unwavering belief that perennially injured ex-superstars will regain their mojo once they are introduced to the travesty called Oakland-Alameda Coliseum, this particular strategy has actually only worked once. But, maybe they’ll catch lightening in a bottle again and Matsui’s knees will hold up all season and Harden’s arm won’t fall off (and he’ll reintroduce himself to the strike zone). We’ll see. At least they aren’t standing pat. I’m cautiously optimistic…just like every year. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/360 "2010-12-15T21:58:34Z")
Man, it looks as though Philadelphia is trying to buy a championship. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985.md?page=17) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985.md?page=19)