Hot Stove Roundup: the Feeling Out Stage
First, forgive me if I’m not around quite as much as normal for the next couple of days. I’m going to be up-and-back from PA for some family stuff. I’ll still be here, but if news breaks I might miss it.
Not a lot of Hot Stove action to discuss so far, which is normal enough. Things don’t figure to really get rolling for at least a couple of weeks. Of the news that has trickled out, here’s that portion of it which is germane to our conversation.
According to Danny Knobler at CBS, the Orioles will be making moves on both Teixeira and Burnett, and will look to solve the shortstop problem via trade. Interesting…I wonder who he spoke to.
The Yankees are, it seems, preparing an insane offer for Burnett. Howard Megdal at the New York Observer thinks that’s a bad idea, and I hope Burnett agrees.
The O’s made a couple of organizational depth moves, prompting fitful cries of “outrage!”
Right? No? See item #4, first hot stove post.
The Giants appear to be in play on both Teixeira and Furcal. I mention them because for some reason it feels like they’re a team with similar needs as the O’s, and that they could play spoiler once or twice.
With that, we wait.
I think a Roberts trade happens first and sets the table for their free agent spending. Depending on who they get for him. He’s definintely not going to extend unless we pull off somthing along the line of a Tex AND Burnett, and some other guys.
No way we get Tex OR Burnett, so trade Roberts, evaluate the return, and go shopping.
Oh, and hey everyone: Happy Thanksgiving. Travel safe, those of you who are traveling. Go see Quantum of Solace (for some reason a holiday rite for my dad and I…every applicable holiday we go to Hunt Valley and see a Bond movie) and enjoy all forms of hot stoves you can find (food metaphors!). I disagree with every single one of you daily for various reasons (Drew is too hard on the team, Dan is too easy on the team, BBM hates baseball, some facts is too hard on Drew, Neal doesn’t write enough op-eds, Joe likes the Red Sox, etc. etc.) but I love it here. Happy holidays.
We’re just a regular old happy, dysfunctional family here, aren’t we?
During the season you use too many stats!
Haha, Happy Thanksgiving.
Is it thanksgiving already?
evidently rochester’s time zone is nine days ahead of us haha
I’m out for the day today, back in the evening and hopefully a football post tonight. Play nice…
Does anyone else think Huff will be extended by the Orioles?
If he performs well next year, what are the chances that the Orioles just let him walk, or try to trade him?
If he can do even somewhat close to what he did last season, I say there’s a good chance. Not only is he a fine DH, but he can play multiple positions in the field without being a complete liability like some other DHs. With what he did last year he’s a steal. Check this out:
A-Rod in 08: .302/.392/.573, 35 HR, 33 2B, 103 RBI
Huff in 08: .304/.360/.552, 32 HR, 48 2B, 108 RBI
Not to mention he had a better K/BB ratio than A-Rod. Aubrey fucking Huff had a better year than Alex Rodriguez.
Unfortunately, with Huff, there’s always a chance he has a shitty year. That never happens with A-Rod.
I take back EVERYTHING I’ve said about the Orioles, management, MacPhail, etc.
This acquisition of Jose Reyes is a MAJOR friggin’ coup.
MAJOR.
Hard to believe the Mets would part company with him, but you know what they say: “there’s a sucker born every minute…”
DtM, not to punch holes in your love-fest for Huffy, but you probably should note that while “fucking Huff had a better year than Alex Rodriguez” that he also played in more games and had 88 more at bats than #13.
“Horseshit” had 598 AB’s in 154 games.
A-Rod had 510 AB’s in 138 games.
But Huffy was a much better value at $8 mil than A-Rod at 25 mil or whatever he’s pilfering from New York these days.
True, I neglected to catch that. Yeah that’s all I was saying is that he was a steal last year. Will he repeat it? Probably not.
Will A-Rod repeat last year? Absolutely. And there’s one of your reasons for the difference in salary.
I don’t think Huff will have a “horseshit” year (sorry, couldn’t resist) in 2009.
I suspect he’ll come back with something decent again. Will he repeat 2008? Probably not. But I don’t think he’s going to drop a giant steamer out there either.
As for A-Rod…he has as many rings as Huff.
But a lot more money.
A LOT more.
A-Rod has taught us that money can’t buy you these things:
1. A World Series ring.
2. Friends.
3. Teammates who respect you.
4. A good haircut.
6. Clutch-ness.
7. Being considered one of the best players ever anything better than grudgingly by anyone.
5. Madonna.
Unspecified team offered Furcal 3/39. Don’t think that would get anything done with him… I think he could command a 4/50 contract easily, what with the run on available shortstops.
wait a second
this Jose Reyes isn’t Jose Reyes at all
might as well be Al Reyes
damnit
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Charlatan Fisk is amazing.
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“Lies, damned lies…and Statistics.” That’s all I’m saying about A-Rod and Huff comparisons.
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I’ve changed my mind again about Burnett. 80 mil? 5 solid years? Sirens and red flags should be going off.
There’s a thread on OH about winshares, and how the best bang for our buck in this offseason would be to target Greene/Furcal, Dunn, and Garland. For what we would get compared to what we would be paying for Tex/Burnett… apparently both would have to have career years to match the output that the aforementioned three would.
That Burnett offer of 80/5 has since been shot down as untrue by Rosenthal. I dig those three dudes you mentioned Greg, although why couldnt we just get Greene, Garland, and Tex?
mussina retires short of 300 wins.
back when i liked baseball i loved that guy. also, controversial opinion or not, i fully sided with him when he left the team.
wish it wasn’t the yankees of course.
I’m surprised there hasn’t been any word about Petitte resigning with the Yankees. Without Moose, and without Andy… they have….
Joba? Hughes… Kennedy…. and I can’t really name 2 more yankee pitchers worth a damn. I guess they might need Burnett and Sabathia.
I’m thinking that our shortstop is ever closer to becoming Cesar Itzuris, and neither Burnett or Teixeira are coming here. Not that it wouldn’t be awesome if they came here, but for the pricetag, both would incredible wastes of money and payroll flexibility. I could see us taking Uehara or Garland, and Pavano wouldn’t be horrible either.