The Baseball Thread: 6 Days...
 

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...s_mlb&c_id=mlb

Pujols and CJ Wilson to the Angels


http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...s_mlb&c_id=mlb

Marlins add Buehrle to Bell and Reyes for off-season acquisitions.

Thats a lotta $$$ Being tossed around.

TPegs should have bought a baseball agency.

That other one was what, 2 or 3 years old? Best to let it die.

Yea pretty sure it was like 5 or 6 Chipper Jones injuries ago.

Don't believe it was that old, but just so many bad memories. I'm glad it's gone. As a Red Sox and Braves fan, I want a trace of nothing to remind me of last season. :cry:

Now that Wilson and Buehrle are off the market do we see JJ get traded? Asking price was pretty high at last count.

He and Gio Gonzalez talks have to heat up now along with Darvish talks. I would still need to be overwhelmed to move JJ unless the doctors think his knees are doomed long term considering Hudson's back surgery and Hanson's shoulder.

Glad to see that Pujols will no longer be in the NL. This has gotta sting for Cards fans.

Yeah, I think he'll be gone. Hudson and Hanson will be back and then you've got Beachy and Medlen rounding out the #3 & #4 spots. It would make sense to shop JJ and have Teheran or Delgado be the 5th starter.

Prado will probably be gone by the end of the week as well.

DOB says he thinks JJ goes and Prado stays. Honestly I really have no idea. And Minor would definitely be in the rotation before Medlen imo because Medlen can easily go in the pen. The question is if they feel comfortable with Teheran or Delgado. I'm just worried that I am going to be upset with the return for either of those guys.

D'oh! I forgot about Minor. :facepalm:

I did read though that they are going to stretch out Medlen as a starter, but they'll put him in the pen if necessary.

My understanding is that there's a solid market for both Prado and Jurrjens. I think Frank will get fair value for them.

Yeah I saw that too, I just think that with such a logjam he'll be relegated to the pen. I certainly hope so, I think for Prado the value will be fair, I'm worried that we will get ripped off on Jurrjens. His value will probably be lower because of his knees. Then again, it only takes one GM to make the right offer. Only time will tell I guess.

I love me some baseball. Life long, dedicated, and realistic Buccos fan.

So if I'm quiet here, forgive me.

I did like the Bedard signing though :)

Dan Connolly (Orioles beat writer for The Sun) said a few weeks ago that his sources told him that Baltimore was interested in Jurrjens, but wouldn't put Adam Jones on the table. And that was the end of the negotiation from ATL's point of view.

DOB from the Atlanta Journal Constitution said the same thing, didn't know it came out in Baltimore too. I would even add to JJ to get Jones, no question about that. It was either Morosi or Rosenthal that tweeted yesterday that Jones is completely off the market which is unfortunate. Probably going to take some time for Wren to decide what he wants to do.

Bedard was a very good signing. Got him for cheap, if he stays healthy he'll be very productive and if the team isn't doing well, they can get a good return of prospects for Bedard. If not, then it's only one year, oh well.

Yeah, as much as the O's need pitching, I think they'd be dumb to trade Jones. I think he's the closest thing they have to a future star, and the most likely to reach his ceiling. I think he's part of the long-term solution.

Agreed, the only thing holding him back is his OBP. A career .319 OBP is not good by any means but there is a lot to like with Jones.

I think that should go up. In the few years I've been here, his batting eye has improved exponentially. He no longer chases outside breaking pitches that are 18 inches off the plate. Atlanta would also be able to better protect him in their lineup. He gives 100% in every game--even if he looks nonchalant when catching balls in center--and he's a great teammate. Put in a winning environment, I think he'd excel.

Since I know there are a lot of Braves fans around here, just a tad bit more about the Braves/Orioles talks about Adam Jones that have gone on this winter (in Dan Connolly's Baltimore Sun blog on 12/20/11):

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/o...,5404920.story

Jurrjens + Prado + pitching prospect would be a decent haul, depending on who the pitching prospect is. I wonder if the Braves will continue kicking the tires and ultimately meet Baltimore's asking price (I'd have to imagine they'd want Minor in any deal), or if Baltimore simply isn't trading Jonesey.

Man...that's a hefty price to give up for him, but I'd pull that trigger depending on who the prospect was.

As a life long O's fan (not easy) I hope they don't trade Jones. The O's seem to develop some good talent and then they get rid of them because they're so cheap. They need to build around Jones, Wieters, Matusz, Britton, Dylan Bundy, Machado, Bridwell, and Schoop.

Unless the Braves are that worried about Jurrjens' knees (and I'm not a doctor and don't want to speculate), I don't pull the trigger on this deal unless we're getting back something with Jones. There's no definitely no chance if the prospect was one of the Four Horsemen of the Pitchocalypse or even Gilmartin. While he is developing into a power hitting right handed bat that we need, his on base percentage is far below average for that price and actually decreased the last 2 years to .319. Now he can certainly improve, he's only 26 and theoretically a player's prime is at 27 years old, but Jurrjens+Prado+ is a ton to give up for Jones. His defense would be very good in LF for this year although when he plays center he's average in the field (yes, I know he won a gold glove but that doesn't mean anything, in 2008 he was much better than his GG winning year). Would I like to get him? Yes. JJ+ or Prado+, sure, but not both+.

Spring Training is HERE!!!! :vhappy:

So what are the chances "my" Mets do anything?

< 1% to make the playoffs. And no, I'm not kidding. They're clearly the worst team in their division. In fact, Joe Sheehan of Baseball Prospectus asked a serious question today on Twitter that made me laugh for a long time because I'm a Braves fan:

Joe Sheehan @joe_sheehan
Toss-up: For 2012 only, would you rather have the Braves' #6-#10 starters, or Mets' #1-#5?