Hot Stove Thread

[FreddiePatek]

I'm told Milledge wasn't respected in the clubhouse or the manager's office, so from the Mets standpoint, the trade wasn't bad. Schneider gives them someone who can throw and Church could finish '08 with better numbers than Milledge. That will be something to watch.

Estrada will not be on the Mets roster.

Still, to trade Milledge for beads and trinkets instead of as a little chip in a much larger (Santana and friends) deal? Is he in the Mitchell report or something?

Goofy trade. I fully understand the "doesn't fit our team" concept, but still, there had to be people out there with a little more to offer

 

[Ben_Hecht]

Tigers are courting LaTroy Hawkins with a multi year deal.

Why do I get the feeling this will be Jose Mesa II?

You don't want TheTroy.

Cubs fans will back me up on this.

To know, know, know him,
Is to hate, hate, hate him . . .
And I do.
And I do.
And I do.

 

[LiveStrong]

http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=3135406&name=law_keith

Keith Law doesn't like the deal for the Mets:

Lastings Milledge is still one of the better young outfield prospects in the game. By dealing him for an awful player in Brian Schneider, the Mets sold low on a former first-round pick with a lot of upside and committed two years and too much money to a catcher who can't hit.

The Mets get ... nothing, or close to it. Schneider will earn $10.3 million over the next two years to sit behind the plate when the rules call for it, and to make 300-odd outs at the plate while hitting .230/.320/.330 or thereabouts. He is the definition of replacement level -- his offensive production was roughly as valuable as what Guillermo Quiroz did in eleven plate appearances for Texas last year -- and paying him $10 million is bad enough. Giving up something of value to acquire that contract is horrible. It would be better to pay Johnny Estrada $3-4 million to be bad for one year than Schneider over $10 million to be worse for two years.

 

[LiveStrong]

I'm constantly amazed at how young Scott Kazmir is:

Garza was born 11/11/83
Kazmir was born 1/24/84

 

[Moderator1]

Schneider is not an awful player. Very good defensively, good handler of pitchers, scares no one at the plate.

 

[casty33]

One thing about Milledge that should give you hope, Moddy, is that he gets along well with Manny Acta. He's still a pain but he does have some potential, not enough apparently to bring a top flight pitcher but some potential.

 

[Moderator1]

Well, they weren't going to get a top-flight pitcher out of the Nats because, well, there aren't any at the major league level. Shawn Hill is the closest but he's about as fragile as Patterson.

 

[Simon_Cowbell]

I'm told Milledge wasn't respected in the clubhouse or the manager's office, so from the Mets standpoint, the trade wasn't bad. Schneider gives them someone who can throw and Church could finish '08 with better numbers than Milledge. That will be something to watch.

Estrada will not be on the Mets roster.

Extremely high-ceiling-potential move for the Nats, while not giving up anything.

 

[Java]

Breaking news. Maybe.

Fed up with what he termed "insultingly inadequate" offers for their standout lefthander, Minnesota Twins' GM Bill Smith has traded ace Johann Santana to the Portland Sea Dogs, the Red Sox' AA affiliate, in exchange for "two Sea Dogs to be named later, and a lot of lobster," according to a Twins source. "We like the Sea Dogs we're getting, plus the Maine economy needed a little boost," the source said.

 

[outofplace]

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7512772

Padres and Randy Wolf agree on a one-year deal, pending a physical. He'll probably tear his rotator cuff during the exam.

 

[Guy_Incognito]

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7512772

Padres and Randy Wolf agree on a one-year deal, pending a physical. He'll probably tear his rotator cuff during the exam.

Didn't he win the Cy Young last year? I could have sworn I saw that somewhere around here.

 

[outofplace]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07336/838486-63.stm

Once again, proof of the perfect storm of stupidity, cheap-ass ownership and the flawed finances of baseball that has made the Pirates a complete joke.

Unless they can trade Jason Bay or Xavier Nady, they are probably going to non-tender Nady rather than risk paying him over $3 million after arbitration. Of course, they are also dumb enough to let that get out, making it unlikely they will get more than a warm six-pack for Nady if they get anything in trade.

Not. Even. Trying.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

$3 million is too much? Mike Timlin makes more than that. Any Pirate fan who buys a ticket from those thieves should be institutionalized.

 

[ondeadline]

<a href="http://mvn.com/mlb-cubs/2007/12/01/fresh-from-the-rumor-mill/">
According to a Cubs blog, ESPN 1000 in Chicago reports that the Cubs will pursue the Orioles' Brian Roberts. It also says that the San Diego Tribune reports that the Padres are interested in Prior.</a>

 

[zeke12]

$3 million is too much? Mike Timlin makes more than that. Any Pirate fan who buys a ticket from those thieves should be institutionalized.

That's a double in the gap. Pirates fans need to STOP BUYING TICKETS.

 

[typewriterhill]

Why are the fans getting blamed for an ownership who are using the team's profits to invest in other business?

Why has Bud Selig stood silently in support of an ownership killing the region's future support as the youth are growing disenchanted and moving to soccer and hockey, rather than play baseball.

Why blame the fans, when the local media for 14 years (until Dejan Kovacevic got the gig at PG) refused to expose or question the team's ownership group under McClatchy?

Why blame the fans when Frank Fuhrer said McClatchy was so over-his-head and pulled out of the group. He said the personal and professional conduct of Kevin McClatchy was someone he did not want to be associated with..... think old Kevin's behind-the-door reputation is the reason why many businesses in the city/region refused to support the team.

Now Robert Nutting used his family's wealth and threw McClatchy under the bus to make himself seem like the shining knight in armor to save the fans and team. All he did was say a few nice words and backed it up with hiring many unknowns.

And finally, Nutting backs his word by non-tendering Xavier Nady because they fear he'll make $3 million, this ownership is the worst.

 

[hockeybeat]

<a href="http://mvn.com/mlb-cubs/2007/12/01/fresh-from-the-rumor-mill/">
According to a Cubs blog, ESPN 1000 in Chicago reports that the Cubs will pursue the Orioles' Brian Roberts. It also says that the San Diego Tribune reports that the Padres are interested in Prior.</a>

Roberts is the kind of leadoff hitter that the Cubs need. Pinella would be able to move Soriano down in the lineup (three hole?), making the Cubs that much more dangerous offensively. If they can get Roberts, they have to.

 

[zeke12]

Why are the fans getting blamed for an ownership who are using the team's profits to invest in other business?

Why has Bud Selig stood silently in support of an ownership killing the region's future support as the youth are growing disenchanted and moving to soccer and hockey, rather than play baseball.

Why blame the fans, when the local media for 14 years (until Dejan Kovacevic got the gig at PG) refused to expose or question the team's ownership group under McClatchy?

Why blame the fans when Frank Fuhrer said McClatchy was so over-his-head and pulled out of the group. He said the personal and professional conduct of Kevin McClatchy was someone he did not want to be associated with..... think old Kevin's behind-the-door reputation is the reason why many businesses in the city/region refused to support the team.

Now Robert Nutting used his family's wealth and threw McClatchy under the bus to make himself seem like the shining knight in armor to save the fans and team. All he did was say a few nice words and backed it up with hiring many unknowns.

And finally, Nutting backs his word by non-tendering Xavier Nady because they fear he'll make $3 million, this ownership is the worst.

I'm not blaming the fans, I'm blaming the cheap-ass owner. But, that said, as you so adroitly point out, MLB doesn't want to do anything about it.

If the fans in Pittsburgh want a watchable product any time in their forseeable future, they need to organize a boycott now. Quit paying to watch the games. And then, when a new ownership group gets put in, buy up all the tickets, and put 3 million asses in the seats in the first year. That might get MLB's attention.

 

[outofplace]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3139152

According to agent Randy Hendricks, Andy Pettitte will return to pitch for the Yankees in 2008.

 

[ondeadline]

Pettitte says he's going to pitch one more year for the Yankees next season.