I wonder if the Astros are shopping Wandy Rodriguez.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Halladay, Lee, Oswalt, and Happ.
Happ is a Houston Astro unless something’s just happened to change that.
Oswalt has been floundering since 2008. You have to worry about him.
Happ is young and has not shown any real domination yet.
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.
Marley23:
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.
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.
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.
7-1 with a 1.40 ERA looks pretty dominant to me, but I understand you have high standards, gonzo.
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.
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.
My bad. That’s what I get for going from memory. I knew it was a last name that started with “H”.
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.
Man, it looks as though Philadelphia is trying to buy a championship. 