# 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:** 5
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/81 "2010-11-11T21:03:14Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Wait… > > You’re saying Dustin Pedroia has a better OBP because he has better hitters coming up behind him. So, opposing pitchers pitch Pedroia in a way that puts him on base MORE, in order to pitch to better hitters? > > That doesn’t make any sense at all. Sorry, I meant BA. Meaning he’d have a lower BA if he hit 5th in the line-up since he wouldn’t see as many pitches. His OBP would be about the same. But I think its funny how no one on this message board who happen to be living in AL East cities mentioned the most obviously telling comparison between the 2 hitters: Home vs. road stats. Hitting-wise, Pedroia is simply a product of where he plays. Move him outside of Boston and he’s a very average hitter. I will concede that his defensive number would be better, since Boston’s infield is more difficult in handling ground balls. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/82 "2010-11-11T21:10:44Z")
> [@KennerTheGreat](#): > > On a more sombre note, Dave Niehaus, long-time Mariners play-by-play broadcaster, [has passed away](http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5789958) at the age of 75. This is terrible, and terribly sad. Dave Niehaus was the best. I’m having a difficult time imagining listening to a Mariners broadcast without his voice. He made awful games played by some awful Mariners teams sound exciting, and his love for the game and for his team always shined through. He’s going to be hugely missed. Here’s hoping the Mariners “keep it in the family” when they decide who takes his place. No doubt Rick Rizzs is the heir apparent. Perhaps a larger role for Mike Blowers as well. I just don’t want to hear some “outsider” brought in. ---
**Author:** ![KennerTheGreat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a8b319/32.png) [@KennerTheGreat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KennerTheGreat)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/83 "2010-11-12T21:43:32Z")
Couple moves for the Blue Jays today. DeWayne Wise and Brian Tallet were outrighted to Vegas, but elected to become free agents instead. Edwin Encarnacion was claimed off waivers by Oakland. ---
**Author:** ![Tanbarkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a698b9/32.png) [@Tanbarkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tanbarkie)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/84 "2010-11-12T23:04:40Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > Sorry, I meant BA. Meaning he’d have a lower BA if he hit 5th in the line-up since he wouldn’t see as many pitches. His OBP would be about the same. Again, this doesn’t really make sense. Why wouldn’t he see as many good pitches batting 2nd rather than 5th? Because he’d be pitched around? But that’s exactly the same ass-backwards “protection” argument you were making before, and it still makes no sense. Why would a pitcher would risk walking Pedroia just to face Martinez, Ortiz, or Youkilis? > [@](#): > > But I think its funny how no one on this message board who happen to be living in AL East cities mentioned the most obviously telling comparison between the 2 hitters: Home vs. road stats. Hitting-wise, Pedroia is simply a product of where he plays. Move him outside of Boston and he’s a very average hitter. I will concede that his defensive number would be better, since Boston’s infield is more difficult in handling ground balls. Cite, please, that home vs road stats are indicative of batting skill. Derek Jeter shows similar home/away splits. Does that mean that he’s a “very average” hitter as well? Also, Pedroia actually showed a reverse split this past year, hitting much better on the road than at Fenway. Does that mean he suddenly became an awesome hitter in 2010? ---
**Author:** ![Ichbin\_Dubist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ichbin\_Dubist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichbin_Dubist)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2010, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/85 "2010-11-14T14:16:30Z")
[Baseball-reference.com](http://Baseball-reference.com) has some interesting payroll data on their front page. I think because their lists are all based on 2010 opening rosters, it’s not perfectly up to date (Cody Ross is still on the Marlins list, for example). Something that I find really interesting is that a few teams – the Padres and Marlins, for example – have almost nobody currently signed for 2011. If these numbers are right, the Padres actually have just Adrian Gonzalez signed in 2011, a passel of arbitration-eligible players, and a whole boatload of free agents. I don’t know whether this is typical (being a New Yorker, in the Land of Big Endless Contracts, I’ve never seen this situation locally in my memory). I suppose there’s a fair change that these teams and a few others will look pretty different in the spring. I find the Marlins really interesting to follow, even though as Mets fan I’m supposed to hate them and their whole stadium/fan base thing is a mess, I kind of sub-root for them to keep having success with their weird scrappy mix of players. Or we could crack open a Ballantine and just continue watching the Robinson Cano Yankeeography if y’all prefer. (PS: I love the photo on the front page of the blog Metstradamus: the [Saber Friends](http://metstradamusblog.com/)!) ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2010, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/86 "2010-11-14T21:10:02Z")
> [@Ichbin\_Dubist](#): > > [Baseball-reference.com](http://Baseball-reference.com) has some interesting payroll data on their front page. I think because their lists are all based on 2010 opening rosters, it’s not perfectly up to date (Cody Ross is still on the Marlins list, for example). Something that I find really interesting is that a few teams – the Padres and Marlins, for example – have almost nobody currently signed for 2011. I think what’s happening is that the 2011 projections don’t count any player who is eligible for arbitration and so technically isn’t signed yet, but almost always will be. The Padres can keep those players at will, after all, and nobody on the list is due for a money explosion in arbitration. They have eight actual free agents: Chris Young, Miguel Tejada, Jon Garland, Kevin Correia, Jerry Hairston, David Eckstein, Yorvit Torrealba, and Matt Stairs. Most of those guys didn’t help much in 2010 or are washed up; Garland would be the big loss and Torrealba’s a pretty good catcher. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2010, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/87 "2010-11-15T19:05:33Z")
A baseball email I get every day says Maglio Ordonez will wind up in Cleveland. I hope not. He is getting older but he still can hit. But the Tigers have paid him a lot and has not been able to play for a big part of the last few seasons due to injuries. ---
**Author:** ![Ichbin\_Dubist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ichbin\_Dubist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichbin_Dubist)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2010, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/88 "2010-11-15T22:08:37Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I think what’s happening is that the 2011 projections don’t count any player who is eligible for arbitration and so technically isn’t signed yet, but almost always will be. The Padres can keep those players at will, after all, and nobody on the list is due for a money explosion in arbitration. The list of unsigned free agents looks like half their 2010 starters, though. It just strikes me as odd that at the moment they have one contract carrying over from this year (I realize any worthwhile arbitration-eligible players will be resigned). Again, with my New York bias, I have no idea how common this is in smaller markets. Kansas City, for example, has 5 guys signed in 2011 and a few trailing into 2012. ---
**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:** [November 16, 2010, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/89 "2010-11-16T08:09:27Z")
Buster Posey takes NL RoY honors, with 108 games, 18 homers, and an OPS of .862, and some good work behind the plate. At the start of the season, plenty of people thought that Jason Heyward was almost a certainty for the award, and Heyward did have a very good year, with 18 homers and an .849 OPS in 142 games. He came second in the voting, totaling 107 points to Posey’s 129. Neftali Feliz took the award for the American League, meaning that both Rookies of the Year came from the LCS-winning teams. Apparently, the Giants and the Rangers are also the teams in each league that had gone the longest without a winner—35 years for the Giants, and 36 for the Rangers. ---
**Author:** ![KennerTheGreat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a8b319/32.png) [@KennerTheGreat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KennerTheGreat)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/90 "2010-11-18T15:34:20Z")
The Blue Jays have [acquired Rajai Davis](http://www.thescore.com/mlb/articles/85140-blue-jays-acquire-davis-from-oakland) from Oakland for pitching prospects Trystan Magnuson and Daniel Farquhar. ---
**Author:** ![Wargamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/df705f/32.png) [@Wargamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wargamer)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/91 "2010-11-18T16:38:06Z")
Braves trade Omar Infante and Mike Dunn to the Marlins for Dan Uggla. In related news, braves GM Frank Wren has arrest warrant issued in Miami for Highway Robbery. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/92 "2010-11-18T16:59:06Z")
> [@Wargamer](#): > > Braves trade Omar Infante and Mike Dunn to the Marlins for Dan Uggla. > > In related news, braves GM Frank Wren has arrest warrant issued in Miami for Highway Robbery. Yeah, I heard this one on the radio and wondered what the Marlins are thinking. Uggla is an All Star 2nd baseman and Infante is a utility guy. And that’s within the division. Ouch. Don’t the Braves also still have Martin Prado? A quick google search tells me Prado will move to the OF…but I bet he’s better defensively than Uggla. ETA: ESPN headline: Braves get better, Marlins don’t‎ ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/93 "2010-11-18T17:44:45Z")
> [@Hawkeyeop](#): > > I would elect someone into the hall of fame for that surgery, but it wouldn’t be Tommy John. Dr. James Andrews? ---
**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:** [November 18, 2010, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/94 "2010-11-18T18:30:53Z")
> [@KennerTheGreat](#): > > The Blue Jays have [acquired Rajai Davis](http://www.thescore.com/mlb/articles/85140-blue-jays-acquire-davis-from-oakland) from Oakland for pitching prospects Trystan Magnuson and Daniel Farquhar. Yeah, saw that this morning when I got to work. Would have like to have kept Rajai but the outfield was getting a bit crowded after they traded for DeJesus. The current logjam is at 3rd with the incumbent Kouzmanoff and the newly acquired Encarnacion waived by the aforementioned Jays. Nice role players but still no action on the decent bat we need for the middle of the lineup. Pitching is stellar, possibly the strongest 1-5 (depending on who #5 is) in the majors. Defense and speed will be solid again. Now hitting… no coincidence that the last time the A’s made the playoffs was the last year they had a legit HR threat (Frank Thomas). ---
**Author:** ![Tanbarkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a698b9/32.png) [@Tanbarkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tanbarkie)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/95 "2010-11-18T20:39:12Z")
Congrats to King Felix on his well-earned [Cy Young award.](http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20101118&content_id=16142048&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb) ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/96 "2010-11-18T22:05:14Z")
> [@Tanbarkie](#): > > Congrats to King Felix on his well-earned [Cy Young award.](http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20101118&content_id=16142048&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb) Hot damn, there _is_ justice in this world! w00t! ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/97 "2010-11-18T22:48:12Z")
Guess Herm Edwards is wrong! :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Hawkeyeop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/958977/32.png) [@Hawkeyeop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hawkeyeop)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/98 "2010-11-19T02:24:31Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > Guess Herm Edwards is wrong! :rolleyes: I missed Edwarrds expressing an opinion on how best to evaluate pitching performance. > [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > Dr. James Andrews? Well, Frank Jobe for developing it, but I’d support a plaque for Andrews too. Just imagine how many players we would missed out on without these guys. I don’t really see Tommy John would get much extra credit for having an operation performed upon him. > [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > Yeah, I heard this one on the radio and wondered what the Marlins are thinking. Uggla is an All Star 2nd baseman and Infante is a utility guy. And that’s within the division. Ouch. > > ETA: ESPN headline: Braves get better, Marlins don’t‎ Hey, Infante is an all star too, but yeah I have no idea what the Marlins are doing this offseason. They seem to be trying to build a team that wins 75 wins and has no upside beyond that. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/99 "2010-11-19T02:32:20Z")
My Edwards reference: “YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME!” i.e. Hernandez’s lousy record. ---
**Author:** ![Hawkeyeop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/958977/32.png) [@Hawkeyeop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hawkeyeop)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/100 "2010-11-19T02:38:58Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > My Edwards reference: “YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME!” i.e. Hernandez’s lousy record. Well I suppose we shouldn’t hand him a world series ring then. Fortunately the Cy young goes to the leagues best pitcher, something King Felix eminently qualified for. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985.md?page=6)