Spring Training 2009

Hot Stove season is over - time for a new thread (besides - the Hot Stove thread was over 88 pages).

My three quick predictions to kick off the thread.

1. Manny signs a 2-year $45 million deal with the Dodgers
2. The Red Sox trade Clay Buchholz to the Rangers for Jarrod Saltalamaccia if Brad Penny appears ready to start the season as the number 4 or 5 starter.
3. Kevin Millar does something stupid at the Blue Jays camp

(OK that last one is sort of a gimme)

 

If he signs the deal, I wonder just how content Manny will be. Without having any inside information, it seems as if he had his head and heart set on the rumored $100 million deal over four years. If he "settles" for less, does he express his displeasure by dogging it on the basepaths and in the field?

 

Doesn't he always?

 

Just a thought but if Bobby Abreu was signed for $5 million - what teams would be willing to trade for often injured Nick Johnson who will be paid $5.5 million this year? To trade Johnson the Nationals will probably have to kick in some money and what are the chances of that?

San Fran and Seattle are two places that could use Johnson but will they be willing to take the payroll from Johnson? Maybe a three way trade with the Nats sending Johnson to the Giants and the Giants sending Dave Roberts to a team that needs either a CF or someone who could back-up all three OF positions? The Nats could get some prospects in return from the two other teams. The Mariners could replace the Giants in that scenario with Jarrod Washburn as bait as the fifth starter for the third team in the triangle.

 

No shocker but MLB.com is reporting that Griffey signing with M's is almost a done deal.

 

Moddy ... didn't know Wily Mo had left the building.

But can you imagine the defensive prowess of an outfield with him and Dunn?

 

Buchholz for Salty?

Get. This. Deal. Done. Yesterday.

 

This has been rumored for months now. I don't know if it's going to happen now that the Sox have resigned Varitek and Bard. While Tek' is only around for a year (maybe two), I would love the Sox to pick up Salty, but they are already stocked at the positions and Salty would likely end up being sent down to AAA.

 

I wouldn't say they are stocked at the position. Varitek was abysmal last season, Bard's contract isn't guaranteed, and the two top catchers in the minors, Dusty Brown and George Kottaras, are fringe major leaguers. It's a weak spot for sure, but I'm not sure that the Red Sox are sold on Saltalamacchia quite yet either.

Personally, I really like Buchholz and think he deserves another shot this year. He threw a bullpen session in Fort Myers today and looked in "midseason form" according to catching prospect Mark Wagner. He has also worked with Red Sox sports psychology coach Bob Tewksbury because he thinks much of his 2008 struggles were mental. I think he could be a potential surprise for the team.

 

Just to add to this - Wily Mo exercised his $2 million player option which means if Dunn plays 1st - then Wily Mo is the second highest paid Nationals outfielder (Austin Kearns is first at $8 mil for 2009). The Nats can't just eat Kearns' contract and if Abreu was going for $5 mil on the open market - then the Nats aren't going to get $.50 on the dollar for Kearns. Skill wise Kearns is probably the 4th outfielder for the Nats. Look for the Nats to be pushing both Pena and Kearns to any team with a corner outfielder need.

Dunn doesn't want to play first and Johnson doesn't want to be a back-up. That means that Dunn will play first and Johnson will end up on the trading block. Way to build a roster there Jim Bowden! Here's to you mister can't handle a 40-man roster guy!

My prediction is that Johnson gets traded and he puts up a career year (which maybe finally gets Jim Bowden fired). Kearns, Johnson and Wily Mo are all basically free agents after this year - so the Nats won't get much in return for them this year (unless they luck into a Larry Andersen for Jeff Bagwell deal). This also means that the next (hopefully) GM of the Nats will have some salary budget to work with.

 

I agree with you about the catching depth being thin. However, my gut tells me that the Red Sox will move Buchholz because of his mental make-up. His Penthouse Pet fetish seems to go against the grain for what the Red Sox are looking for and may be the last straw.

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