10/11 offseason

[UMDNats]

Which is why the potential options of Greinke/Shields/Garza are helpful this offseason.  They should keep teams from that big overpay for a SP that happens often.

Lee is phenomenal.  Greinke is a notch below.  Shields/Garza/Pavano/Kuroda/De La Rosa are all good options.

I agree. I'd rather give up some prospects for legitimate good pitchers like Grienke or go after De La Rosa than really panic. Go after realistic options while everyone else is trying for Lee...

[Potomac Cannons]

this

in a team loaded with number 4s and 5s De la Rosa is front of the rotation

I really wish we had found a way to land Hudson from the ChiSox last year.

[Potomac Cannons]

no wonder you seem to think every prospect in our organization is a number 2

When have I ever said anything close to that?  Is that you Ben?

[HalfSmokes]

When have I ever said anything close to that?  Is that you Ben?

I'm not going to bother going looking for a quite, just call it my mind fact (just like you claiming no one in the front office wants pena)

[KnorrForYourMoney]

Which is why the potential options of Greinke/Shields/Garza are helpful this offseason.  They should keep teams from that big overpay for a SP that happens often.

Lee is phenomenal.  Greinke is a notch below.  Shields/Garza/Pavano/Kuroda/De La Rosa are all good options.

Except it's likely only one of Shields/Garza is available.  Maybe even Greinke won't get traded yet.  You're relying on trade options to bring down the market when each option is only a possibility, not a certainty to find a new home.

[Potomac Cannons]

I'm not going to bother going looking for a quite, just call it my mind fact (just like you claiming no one in the front office wants pena)

I've never claimed no one in the front office wants Pena.  I've said that there's absolutely no way to know due to the complete inaccuracy of the local media hacks on what the front office would do since Rizzo took over.

You really are Ben.

[HalfSmokes]

I've never claimed no one in the front office wants Pena.  I've said that there's absolutely no way to know due to the complete inaccuracy of the local media hacks on what the front office would do since Rizzo took over.

For the 10 billionth time, NO ONE IN THE ORGANIZATION HAS EVER BEEN LINKED TO PENA OR EVEN MENTIONED HIM.  Pena's name comes from the same idiots who were wrong about everything near the trading deadline.

[Potomac Cannons]

Except it's likely only one of Shields/Garza is available.  Maybe even Greinke won't get traded yet.  You're relying on trade options to bring down the market when each option is only a possibility, not a certainty to find a new home.

TB is a certainty.  The owner has publicly stated they have to drop the payroll.  With Hellickson there either Shields or Garza are the obvious ones to move.

I'm banking on Greinke moving as well.  It seemed that DeJesus was staying in KC, at least until July, once they picked up his option.   Didn't quite work out that way.  I have faith that Dayton Moore will undo all the good he's done drafting with yet another horrible trade.

[Potomac Cannons]

And nothing in that quote says they don't want him.  It says, correctly, that they haven't been linked to him except for the same idiots who were sure of the Dunn/Jackson trade and other nonsense that never happened.

Reading comprehension 101 really should be required here.

[HalfSmokes]

Greinke has some no trade protection, people seem to think certain al east teams will be on his list, but I wonder if he will find space for a few bottom feeders there too. Shields and Garza may be on the block, but the rays may be the only team not actively seeking starting pitching, so who knows where they end up

[KnorrForYourMoney]

TB is a certainty.  The owner has publicly stated they have to drop the payroll.  With Hellickson there either Shields or Garza are the obvious ones to move.

I'm banking on Greinke moving as well.  It seemed that DeJesus was staying in KC, at least until July, once they picked up his option.   Didn't quite work out that way.  I have faith that Dayton Moore will undo all the good he's done drafting with yet another horrible trade.

I acknowledge that one of Shields/Garza is very likely to move, but that's only one of them.

Greinke is still speculation at this point.

My point is that rather than 3 pitchers on the market driving down prices, it's really only 1 and a half for the time being, and probably 2 at the most, which isn't that many.

[Lintyfresh85]

I still think Shields is the best fit for Nats in terms of asking price.

Off year, contract Rays wouldn't mind moving = less prospects than Garza or Greinke.

Having said that, sell Rays on B Level prospects for Shields and A Level prospects for Greinke and pick up both!

[hammondsnats]

Washington is also in the Cliff Lee sweepstakes, but a baseball source said the club would not get into a bidding war

LOL ... no big surprise.

[Sharp]

LOL ... no big surprise.

I still maintain that we should make a surprise bid on at least one of the Yankees' big-time free agents just to freak with them.  Rivera, Jeter, Pettite, Lee... I don't care which one, but it should be one of them.  Actually make it Pettitte, we know from experience that he might actually do it.

[DPMOmaha]

I still maintain that we should make a surprise bid on at least one of the Yankees' big-time free agents just to freak with them.  Rivera, Jeter, Pettite, Lee... I don't care which one, but it should be one of them.  Actually make it Pettitte, we know from experience that he might actually do it.

That would be hilarious, actually.  But it should be Rivera, not Pettitte.

[KnorrForYourMoney]

I still think Shields is the best fit for Nats in terms of asking price.

Off year, contract Rays wouldn't mind moving = less prospects than Garza or Greinke.

Having said that, sell Rays on B Level prospects for Shields and A Level prospects for Greinke and pick up both!

Realistically, they can only afford one.  I'd rather not have to give up the whole farm to get both.

Anyway, Greinke is better and younger.  I don't care that he's more expensive.  Prospects are prospects.  Greinke is really good NOW.

[HalfSmokes]

Realistically, they can only afford one.  I'd rather not have to give up the whole farm to get both.

Anyway, Greinke is better and younger.  I don't care that he's more expensive.  Prospects are prospects.  Greinke is really good NOW.

greinke may be younger, but he's only under contract through 2012, that and he can block trades to 15 teams in 2011

[Potomac Cannons]

I acknowledge that one of Shields/Garza is very likely to move, but that's only one of them.

Greinke is still speculation at this point.

My point is that rather than 3 pitchers on the market driving down prices, it's really only 1 and a half for the time being, and probably 2 at the most, which isn't that many.

With them being better than the FA options, I think they'll drive things down more than usual.  Who knows what Moore will sell Greinke for.  Pretty sure he'll do it though and run with a rotation featuring guys like Hochevar and Mazzaro until the AA guys show up.

It also seems like there's rarely 2-3 guys who fit a #2 SP role in FA like Pavano/Kuroda/De La Rosa.  Just a hunch that between trades and FA options that the price for everyone other than Lee stays down this year.

[Potomac Cannons]

I still think Shields is the best fit for Nats in terms of asking price.

Off year, contract Rays wouldn't mind moving = less prospects than Garza or Greinke.

Having said that, sell Rays on B Level prospects for Shields and A Level prospects for Greinke and pick up both!

I'm thinking the Rays wouldn't want MI or SP prospects as they seem to breed those. 

Agree Shields is the better option.  I doubt that .354 BABIP happens to him again.  FIP/xFIP weren't nearly as far out of whack as ERA.  K/9 actually jumped a bit.  Still only 29.

[Potomac Cannons]

That would be hilarious, actually.  But it should be Rivera, not Pettitte.

Either pitcher would be a good one to go after.  No need to downgrade SS.

[DPMOmaha]

Put a bit in on Rivera, maybe he says, F it, and he comes and is a nice little mentor for Storen.  It's, of course, not going to happen, but it'd be fun to see the collective baseball world do a big 'ole simultaneous, .

[Sharp]

Put a bit in on Rivera, maybe he says, F it, and he comes and is a nice little mentor for Storen.  It's, of course, not going to happen, but it'd be fun to see the collective baseball world do a big 'ole simultaneous, .

I would love to see Storen throw a cutter, he definitely has the velocity and movement on his fastball for it to be very effective if he harnessed it that way.  Though the control would still be a big issue.  That said, I think Rivera's cutter isn't something he can really teach or explain consciously, judging by (a) the fact that the Yankees' other relief pitchers (Joba, anyone?) haven't seemed to be able to learn much from him, and (b) the fact that he himself said he just accidentally started throwing it one day and couldn't explain how or why.

[Lintyfresh85]

They've said the reason no one can throw it like Rivera is due to his freakishly long fingers that grip the ball differently than any other pitcher learning the Cutter.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

no wonder you seem to think every prospect in our organization is a number 2

Who is Number 2s boss?

[cmdterps44]

Yay, we're looking at Jorge De La Rosa.