Thank god Betancourt didn’t have the number of baserunners Borowski did or they already would have!
So, no surprises so far in the awards. Sabathia won the AL Cy Young. Pedroia the AL ROY. Maybe Ryan Braun winning the NL ROY is a slight surprise over Tulowitzki.
Posada signed with the Yanks. Torre said ARod has a chance to go to the Dodgers.
The Tigers kept a Jones (Todd) and traded for a Jones (Jacque). Actually, the Cubs seem to be sending OFs everywhere since they also traded Craig Monroe to the Twins (for a PTBNL).
Still no peep from Mitchell. Hmm.
The Awards seem good to me, I picked two out of three.
Posada’s deal makes sense for the Yanks, after next year Giambi is gone, I figure Jorge has at least two more years of catching and then he will start getting time at 1st and DH.
Here’s a question, what is the latest speculation on Bonds? Where will he end up? I assume an AL team at this point, I could see the Angels or even Oakland.
Jim
Did you guys vote in the This Year in Baseball awards?
Some amusing video clips. Nice presentation, I think. I’ve always been a fan of the money and time MLB puts in to their Web sites.
The Tigers traded for Juan Pierre and resigned Todd Jones. Keny Rogers for another year is almost a gimme and there are talks about dealing for Dontrelle Willis. If we’re getting a Marlin, I’d rather have the pudgy third baseman.
Nothing up on the Dodger site yet. What did we get for Pierre? Some speed, I hope.
I would be really surprised if Oakland signed him. In fact, I would be really surprised if he went anywhere other than Seattle or The The Angels Angels.
I suggested Oakland for two reasons, the only fans that like him live nearby and Oakland is still enamored with high OBAs. Bonds is perpetually near the top for OBA.
He will probably take a one year deal and might fall into Beane’s budget.
Jim
Someone on some site (ESPN?) suggested Japan for Bonds. I know zilch about Japanese baseball.
Speculation is hot and heavy here in Chicago that Kenny Williams is going hard after Torii Hunter. I will believe it when I see it.
Purely speculative, (although I live there), but I don’t see Giants fans clamoring to see him across the bay, nor do I see the fact that he’s be near SF’s fans factoring into his decision, nor do I know any A’s fans that like him. And I don’t see him taking Big Hurt money for a one-year deal.
Japan is interesting, but I still see Seattle or LA. Mariners love their DHs (Martinez) and they could use a big name, especially after the Sonics vacate. As for LA, that’d be a great place for him to get the attention he craves.
There is much less overlap in fan bases here in the Bay Area than is generally believed. Bonds is not particularly well liked in the East Bay. And the A’s have the DH position filled already with Jack Cust–about half the production, but for about a tenth the price.
My guess: nobody signs Bonds. Just too much baggage, and any team that can take on the baggage is already close enough to the title not to need him.
The one team that has impressed me so far this off-season is Detroit. They still have a good club, just need some tweaks. And I think the Renteria pick-up could be a great transaction. If he can come back to the AL and produce (not like in Boston a few years ago), then the Tigers have him at short and move Carlos Guillen to first. Inge, Renteria, Polanco, and Guillen is a sold infield–productive, veteran but still relatively young. If it works out, I put them back up with the top clubs in the league.
Everybody else so far: meh.
Latest story over the AP and other sources is that A-Rod might go back to the Yanks, hat in hand and with Agent Bore-Ass to negotiate for the deal the Yanks had offered him and he realizes that he will have to eat the $21 million that Texas no longer owes the Yanks.
If he does this I will welcome him back. It would be the ultimate comeuppance for Bore-Ass too. I wonder if A-Rod could sue for the lost $21 million and win?
This would be good in several ways.
Jim
A San Diego radio station reported today that the Dodgers have made A-Rod a $150 million, 5 year offer. No backup to that yet from any other source.
Do you think the parking attendants will take checks next year? 
Right now, I have to hope that What Exit?'s report is true.
This report says that Boras is not part of the current “discussions involving the Yanks and A-Rod”; Boras made some monumentally stupid moves and I hope A-Rod has realized Boras might be wrongheadedly screwing him over.
I imagine they’re going ballistic in Red Sox Land that Beckett didn’t win, but Sabathia was the correct choice.
Can’t argue with Braun and Pedroia, either.
As to the A-Rod issue, he’s a fool to jump at any offers yet, or go back hat in hand to the Yankees… yet. Let the teams with the money and the holes at shortstop stew on this for awhile. The closer spring training comes, the looser they’ll get with the money.
**What Exit?, ** I know you were half kidding, but if A-Rod actually sued Boras he’d be the hugest punk in human history. He’s a grownup, and if he’s letting someone else make decisions for him he gets what’s coming to him. I still suspect he’s going to end up back with the Yankees at SOME price - it’s simply the most logical place for him to play, and he’s the most logical person for them to hire to play third base.
While I was joking, as he has no real grounds to win, there is some reason to believe at this point that Boras interfered with Alex & Cynthia speaking to the Yanks before the “Opt Out” and it does not appear that Boras let A-Rod in on the stupidity of the opt out time. If this is true, A-Rod would not be a punk, Bore-Ass would be an even bigger asshole than most of us believed.
I truly hope that no matter where A-Rod ends up, he publicly fired Boras over his blatant stupidity in this case.
Jim
richly deserves the unhappiness it will bring them.
Yes. He is an awsome player. No. He is not worth 30 million a year. Or 20 million. It’s a stretch at 15 million.
Anybody remeber a time when a team paid an unbelievable sum to a player in a long term deal and was happy with the result? The Dodgers are thinking about it? Do they not remember Kevin Brown? Or Darren Dreiffort?
By today’s standards and including what he will mean for fannies in the seat and TV Revenue, Alex is worth 15 million a year easily. Even the 20m is pretty easy.
As far as long term deals that worked, the Yanks have been pretty happy with Jeter so far. They were very happy with Bernie Williams. Those are two that come to mind very quick. I suspect there are others on other teams that have worked out.
Mussina is another long term contract that worked pretty well.
Jim