# 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:** 8
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/141 "2010-11-22T03:11:40Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > The mods are carrying clubs now? :eek: I’m sure it’s really just a Louisville Slugger. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/142 "2010-11-23T04:28:15Z")
NL MVP to Joey Votto, the third Canadian player to win an MVP Award. A good choice. ---
**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 23, 2010, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/143 "2010-11-23T04:52:41Z")
Yep, can’t really argue with that. He had an awesome season. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/144 "2010-11-23T17:16:06Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > NL MVP to Joey Votto, the third Canadian player to win an MVP Award. > > A good choice. I agree, I am also glad for an easy choice like Doc’s. ---
**Author:** ![KennerTheGreat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a8b319/32.png) [@KennerTheGreat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KennerTheGreat)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/145 "2010-11-23T18:39:04Z")
The Yankees will [not](http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20101123&content_id=16182580&vkey=news_nyy&c_id=nyy) offer Derek Jeter arbitration. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/146 "2010-11-23T18:45:44Z")
WRT arbitration, how does that work? They’re saying Jeter could have gotten a 1yr $25M deal through arbitration. How does a guy making $21M in 2010 go out and have a down year, far below his average, possibly the worst season of his career, and get through arbitration with a 20% raise? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/147 "2010-11-23T18:56:04Z")
Good question, that makes no sense to me at all. ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Chitwood)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/148 "2010-11-23T19:00:40Z")
Well, they’re saying he _could_ have. The way it works is that the team presents a salary figure to the arbitrator and the player’s representation does the same. The arbitrator then has to pick one of the numbers. So if for whatever reason the arbitrator thought the Yankees’ number was grossly unfair, and Jeter was asking for a raise, he could get it. ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/149 "2010-11-23T19:50:16Z")
And Josh Hamilton [wins the AL MVP](http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/baseball/mlb/11/23/al.mvp.ap/index.html?eref=sihp) to no one’s surprise. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/150 "2010-11-23T19:53:55Z")
Tigers signed Martinez and refused arbitration for Ordonez and 4 others. ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/151 "2010-11-23T20:03:21Z")
I thought the Tigers were trying to cut payroll. I like V-Mart, but this signing doesn’t make much sense. And if the Tigers are trying to become the Indians, could they please take Travis Hafner off their hands? ---
**Author:** ![Tanbarkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a698b9/32.png) [@Tanbarkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tanbarkie)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/152 "2010-11-23T21:45:35Z")
It’s a risky move by the Tigers, but one that could pay off. They’re gambling that Victor’s knees will hold up, allowing them to play him at catcher for the duration of the deal. Martinez is a helluva bat for that position. If Martinez can’t stick at catcher, though, he’ll have to be played at 1st (where he’s a mediocre defender, at best) or DH. In either of those scenarios, the Tigers would be overpaying significantly for a relatively poor bat for those positions. Still, Martinez shouldn’t be a weakness overall. At worst, he ends up being Detroit’s David Ortiz - overpaid given his production, but not horrendously so. No chance he ends up a Barry Zito unless he gets badly injured. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/153 "2010-11-23T23:37:00Z")
Won’t a lot of Victor’s power disappear in Detroit? His bat is good but he is not really a good catcher and Detroit seems like one of the worst parks for him. ---
**Author:** ![Tanbarkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a698b9/32.png) [@Tanbarkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tanbarkie)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/154 "2010-11-24T00:56:27Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Won’t a lot of Victor’s power disappear in Detroit? His bat is good but he is not really a good catcher and Detroit seems like one of the worst parks for him. He’s hit .225/.321/.349 at Comerica Park over his career. But to be fair, that’s based on a relatively small sample size (196 plate appearances) and includes all the variance of an eight year major league career. Victor’s spray charts suggest that he has reasonable power from both sides of the plate, and in fact has hit slightly more home runs to right field than left in Fenway - something that could bode well given Comerica Park’s shorter right field. His Cleveland spray charts look remarkably even as well. Ultimately, I think V-Mart will probably hit just fine in Detroit. That is, he’ll hit extremely well for a catcher and moderate-to-poorly for a first baseman or DH. How well Detroit’s investment will pan out depends which of those roles he fills over the life of his contract. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/155 "2010-11-24T01:10:43Z")
Cabrera plays first. He plays a solid defense too. I suppose both he and Martinez could share DH sometimes. Ordonez wants a big contract. He has good numbers but his age and games missed are going to hurt him. ---
**Author:** ![KennerTheGreat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a8b319/32.png) [@KennerTheGreat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KennerTheGreat)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2010, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/156 "2010-11-25T15:04:01Z")
The Jays have offered arbitration to Olivo, Downs, Frasor and Gregg, but not Overbay. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2010, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/157 "2010-11-25T17:31:05Z")
Hernandez’s Cy Young is a victory for the statisticians. Bill James has won. A few years ago ,he would have been summarily dismissed . Won 13 games and wants a Cy Young? No way. Now he wins. It is a new world . Do you know what his K to Walk ratio is? Yes, do you know how many games he won? Sure, but what about his WHIP? Do you know how many games he lost? Do you know how much closer to a winning team he made them? One game. What about his ERA?. Well having a good team defense does matter in that you know? It is a team game, how much did he help the team? One game? That is a stat too you know? Sorry, but there is an argument against his award. ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Chitwood)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2010, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/158 "2010-11-25T18:08:36Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > Do you know how many games he lost? Do you know how much closer to a winning team he made them? One game. Compared to what? ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2010, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/159 "2010-11-25T18:11:07Z")
> [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](#): > > Compared to what? His wins and losses of course. 13-12 ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Chitwood)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2010, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985/160 "2010-11-25T18:15:09Z")
No, you asked by how much did he make his team _better_. I’m asking, better than what? Better than .500? Because the Mariners were a far below .500 team, you know. So the answer to your question is “a fucking ton” if you meant how much did he make them better relative to .500. But maybe you meant something else. Without Felix: .350 winning percentage With Felix: .520 winning percentage How much close to a winning team he made them: .170 points [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-offseason-thread/559985.md?page=9)