Hot Stove Thread

At least they're trying, as opposed to giving four-year extensions to Bobby Higginson.

And as Oz points out, with ownership suddenly realizing it's not in a small market, the Tigers will go way above slot to get hard signs.

And I may be completely whacked, but I could see Willis doing well in Detroit. It seems like he'll always be prone to inconsistency but he's got an electric arm.

 

Don't know about this deal right now. Sure it's nice to add that strong of a player to an already fairly strong lineup.

The bigger concern is the bullpen and I'm not sure that Crucetta and Denny Bautista (who the Tigers just traded for today) are enough of an answer.

 

The only team that could challenge the Tigers is the Indians. The Twins could but that's only if they keep Santana and if Liriano comes back healthy and pitches like he did in 2006. The White Sox might be a bit better but they won't win 90 games and the Royals stink.

Brandon Inge put up a line of .236/.312/.376/.688 last year at the age of 30.
Miguel Cabrera put up a line of .320/.401/.565/.966 at the age of 24.

It's conceivable that Cabrera is going to put up an OPS over 1.000 next year in moving to the AL and a better lineup. The Tigers scored the second most runs in the AL last year and added one of the best young hitters in the game. If Sabathia or Carmona regress at all - which wouldn't surprise me in the least - the Indians aren't going to be as good as they were last year.

 

Regardless of how Willis does, their lineup is certainly stacked:

C Pudge
1B Guillen
2B Polanco
SS Renteria
3B Cabrera
LF Thames
CF Granderson
RF Ordonez
DH Sheffield

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/stats/parkfactor

 

I said that with the large gaps and the spacious outfield. The ball doesn't fly out of there like many other parks, even though it was 9th last season in HR. A lot of runs are scored there because teams can play the gaps.

 

All of the talent, it seems, is going to the AL Central.

Yet the most talented one out there might be leaving the AL Central.

That's deep.

 

If anyone should despise a MLB team, forget the Yankees or Red Sox. The Marlins are deplorable. From Loria's refusal to use some of his own millions to pay for a new stadium to an apparently inept marketing & PR department to being unable to hold on to their top players for longer than four years. And the sad thing is that Marlins "fans" would treat this like below-the-fold news.

 

Have you ever seen Dolphin Stadium? The high walls, the mammoth left-center and centerfields? Yep, hell of a hitters park.

 

This statement makes absolutely no sense.

 

Damn.
Would be something to see them up against Beckett, Santana and Matsuzaka in the ALCS next year.

 

Which way are you arguing now, 'fly? I'm confused. The stats prove the parks are essentially a wash. And facing deeper lineups in the AL will not be fun for Dontrelle.

That said, I think what he needs is a consistent pitching coach and consistent focus. Maybe being in a pennant race with other vets in a legit MLB organization will help him figure it out. Because as BYH said, yes, he does have a live arm. He just makes dumb pitches.

Also, Florida should no longer be allowed to have a team. Ever.