World Baseball Classic: Who Cares?

On Friday, it was reported that Brad Lidge, Ryan Howard, and Cole Hamels all will not compete in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. The sad part is that I can't blame these three for skipping the tournament.

I want to care about the WBC. I want to throw my support behind the US team like I do with the Olympics. I want to see this tournament succeed because the idea of the WBC is fantastic and as a baseball fanatic, the idea of watching different countries play against one another should excite me.

However, this tournament fails to excite me in any way.

For one thing, it's impossible to become engulfed in a tournament that employs different standards than the MLB. Since the tournament takes place in March, pitchers are not properly stretched out to go longer than a few innings at a time. It's no fun watching a battle of the bullpens, especially when the games are supposed to be competitive. Besides the players on the field, there is little difference between WBC games and spring training games.

Who would you rather watch pitch, Dan Wheeler or Jake Peavy?

Also, as a Mets fan, I cringe watching the guys on my team play in this tournament. Instead of cheering for the United States, I find myself cheering for my guys not to get hurt. Because in the end, this tournament is still an exhibition, a precursor of sorts for the upcoming baseball season. If David Wright hurts himself playing for the US team, I would be beside myself.

A tournament like this has so much potential to succeed, but timing is everything. I'm sure playing in March will excite some fans because hey, baseball is baseball, but this tournament will never interest me as long as it is played in March.

(Photo: SI)

It's Teixeira Time, Nationals!

The push to bring Mark Teixeira to Washington DC continues!

Last week, I wrote about why Teixeira should sign with the Washington Nationals instead of the Angels and Red Sox. I'm happy to report that it looks as though the Nationals are one of the last two teams in the running for Teixeira!

Not surprisingly, the Orioles appear to be out of the running because they will not increase their offer.

Surprisingly, the Red Sox appear to be out of the running because their offer has been topped, according to owner John Henry.

With the Red Sox seemingly out of the picture, the Nationals will be competing against the Angels for Teixeira. And no offense to the Nationals or Washington DC, but the Angels have plenty to offer Teixeira: great chance to win, winning culture, lots of talent around him, sunny beaches, etc. If his decision was specifically based around location, the Nationals would have next to no chance to land Teixeira.

However, lucky for the Nationals that Teixeira is a Scott Boras client. Boras clients are notorious for specifically going where the money takes them. If that is the case, then the Nationals only have one option.

Go big.

And when I mean big, I mean really big. With the Angels reported to go as high as 8 years/$160 million to land Teixeira, the Nationals need to take a play from the 2005 Mets playbook and go higher. The Mets never would have landed Carlos Beltran in 2005 if they had not offered him $20 million more than any other team.

If the Nationals go as high as let's say, 8 years/$184 mil or 9 years/$189 mil, will that be enough to seal the deal? Only time will tell, but the Nationals will be putting themselves in a fantastic position to land the cornerstone player they desperately need.

Yes they will need to overpay to bring Teixeira to DC, but this move will change the franchise and give the Nationals the credibility that they do not have. The Nationals must do all they can to outbid the Angels and convince Teixeira and Boras that the Nationals are the best spot.

The only way to do that is to go big. And at this point, what do the Nats have to lose?

At Least AJ Burnett is Honest

At yesterday's Yankee press conference, new pitchers CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett were introduced to the NY media. Normally these types of events are rather lame and merely meant to rile up the baseball crazed fan base, but this press conference was different.

We got the money quote. Literally.

"I'm not going to say money wasn't an issue," Burnett said. "I'm not going to lie; of course money had something to do with it. But I have a chance to win five years in a row. Whether you admit you love them or hate them, everybody wants to be a Yankee." ESPN.com

It's odd finally hearing a player refer to money as one of the main reasons why he joined a team, but I must say that I enjoyed it. Considering that the Yankees probably overpaid Burnett by $10-$20 million, there is no doubt that money played a major factor in his decision.

Kudos to you AJ Burnett, for finally delivering the honest response that fans long for: "yes, the money was an important factor."

Honest guy+New York media=great interview

This quote does bring up an interesting point: if the Yankees do not blow Burnett away with 5 years and $80 mil, does he wind up in pinstripes or with the Braves? I still say Yankees simply because they are the Yankees. New York or Atlanta...I think the choice is rather clear.

Oh yeah, AJ Burnett wants to win as well.

Hammerin' Cameron

For all the slack that Yankees GM Brian Cashman will receive around the league by spending so much money on CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett, it is good to see Cashman show some financial restraint with Mike Cameron.

Sure the Yankees could have used Cameron, 36, in 2009. He would be an immediate upgrade over the Melky Cabrera/Brett Gardner combination that is currently staring Yankee fans in the face.

Not to mention that Cameron is a pretty good player himself. Last season, Cameron hit 23 homers in only 444 ABs. stole 17 bases, and continued to play gold glove defense in center field. He would have been a good fit on a veteran Yankee ball club that is looking to do big things in 2009.

With that said, Cashman made the right call by not acquiring Cameron.

-Mike Cameron is a good player, but he is not worth $10 million bucks in 2009. The Yankees could spend their money wiser by going after Manny Ramirez to play left field or Derek Lowe to fill out their starting rotation. Cashman could upgrade this team even further without acquiring Cameron.

-Mike Cameron is a flawed player. He strikes out way too much (142 K's in 444 ABs in 2008) and he does not hit for average (only .243 in 2008). The 2009 Yankees could probably live with Cameron's strikeouts and poor batting average if they have everyone healthy, but a healthy Yankee team in 2009 is a big question mark at this point.

It's easy to overpay a guy when you have an endless payroll, but at this point, the Yankees could do better than Cameron. The free agent market is playing well into their hands and if they wait out the current market, they could wind up with an even better team than the one they have on paper right now.

The Market for Derek Lowe

As one of the best pitchers available on the free agent market this winter, you'd figure that Derek Lowe would have a handful of suitors lined up to obtain his services. For awhile it seemed that way, but right now, where Lowe ends up seems rather murky.

All along we have heard that Lowe would prefer to pitch on the east coast, preferably with the Yankees or Red Sox.

The Yankees seemed to be interested in Lowe for awhile and it was even reported by SI.com's Jon Heyman that the Yankees were preparing a 4 year/$66 mil offer for Lowe. But ultimately, the Yanks decided to spend big bucks on AJ Burnett, which probably takes them out of the running for Lowe.

Burnett signing with the Yankees undercut the market for Lowe. Agent Scott Boras and Lowe could no longer depend on the free spending Yankees to come up with a huge offer for Lowe despite the lukewarm interest from the rest of the league. Don't get me wrong, there are many teams that would love to get their hands on Lowe, but his asking price right now is astronomical, especially for a 36 year old.

In addition, the Red Sox interest in Lowe never really materialized as the Sox already have a deep rotation and seem focus on signing 1b Mark Teixeira.

With those two clubs probably out of the picture, the market for Lowe seems rather puzzling at this point. The Phillies seemed to have interest in Lowe from the start of free agency, but they have since signed Raul Ibanez, which might have taken Lowe out of their price range. Also, the recent signings of Jaime Moyer and Chan Ho Park probably eliminate the Phillies from the Derek Lowe sweepstakes.

So whose left? The Mets, Braves, and Cubs all have holes in their rotation and would be a good fit for Lowe, but I doubt any of those teams would give Lowe the $15 mil a year he is looking for.

The market for Lowe has been slow developing thus far despite being one of the most sought after free agents on the market. Best case scenario for Lowe: the Yankees and Andy Pettitte cannot work out a deal, which leads the Yankees to panic a give Lowe the huge deal he seeks.

But panic in this market is very unlikely given how many teams are not spending and how many quality free agents there are. Lowe will still get a big contract, but $15 mil a year might be out of the picture at this point.

Izturis Offers Stability

Trivia time: Can anyone name the 2008 Orioles starting shortstop?

Give up? Well, the answer is a somewhat confusing one.

If you want to go by who opened the season as their starting short stop, the answer would then be Luis Hernandez, who hit a measly .241 in 79 ABs. Needless to say, he lost the starting job quickly.

If you want to go by who got the most ABs, the answer would then be Juan Castro, who only hit .205 in 151 ABs. The defensive specialist is nothing more than that, a defensive specialist, and should never again be used as a starter.

The shortstop position became a revolving door for the Orioles in 2008. Winning is very difficult to do when there is no consistency, especially at a premium position like shortstop.

The Orioles finally addressed their revolving door at shortstop by signing Cesar Izturis to a 2 year contract. Izturis is known for his tremendous defense, but like past Orioles shortstops, he cannot hit. Izturis struggles to get on base and has virtually no power (1 HR last year), which definitely makes him a liability at the plate.

Sure IztuirIs has speed and can steal bases, but he offers the Orioles little to nothing more with the bat.

But you know what, I still think that acquiring Izturis was a good move for this team. The Orioles will probably not compete for anything in 2009 or 2010, but their main focus should remain to develop their young pitchers. Having a phenomenal defensive shortstop like Izturis can only help these young pitchers get outs and gain confidence that plays will be made behind them.

I'm not fond of the two year commitment to Izturis, but anything is better at this point than the Hernandez-Cintron-Bynum-Fahey-Castro merry-go-round that the Oriole experienced last year, right?

What Omar is Looking For

Right now, the Mets only have three starters that are penciled into the 2009 rotation-Santana, Pelfrey, and Maine. By all accounts, it seems as though the Mets would like to give Jonathan Niese a chance to win the final rotation spot, but even with Niese the Mets are still one starter short. So who are they looking at?

-Tim Redding?

-Randy Wolf?

-Re-Sign Oliver Perez?

What do they all three of these pitchers have in common?

Each guy is a fly ball pitcher, which have historically been the type of pitchers that GM Omar Minaya likes to sign.

Since Minaya has come to the Mets, one of his main staples has been using fly ball pitchers.
Many of these pitchers were unsuccessful elsewhere, but thrived once they got to the Mets. Fly ball pitchers like Oliver Perez, John Maine,and Steve Trachsel are all Minaya success stories from previous seasons.

Why did fly ball pitchers thrive with the Mets? Because of Shea Stadium, which was undoubtedly a pitcher's park. With it's pitcher friendly dimensions and swirling winds, Shea Stadium was a fly ball pitcher's best friend because balls that seemed to be long gone all of a sudden stayed in the yard.

However, this season will be different for the Mets. No longer will fly ball pitchers be able to come into Shea Stadium and rely on the spacious dimensions to get them through the game.

Instead, they will be pitching at the new Citi Field. The new ball park will look very different from Shea Stadium with all it's glitz, glamor, and bricks; but the dimensions are expected to be similar to Shea Stadium. That should signal that Citi Field will be a pitcher's park like Shea right?

Maybe. No one really knows for sure until they begin to play there, which makes these signings so interesting. I'm guessing that Minaya believes that Citi will play out similarly to Shea Stadium or else he would not be going after fly ball pitchers.

However, if Citi is not like Shea, the 2009 season could be a rough one for the Mets. Let's hope not.

(Photo: Queens Gazette)

Furcal Should Run to the Athletics

I'm not sure what is more surprising, that Rafael Furcal has not jumped at the Athletics rumored offer of 4 years/$40 million or that the normally cheap Athletics are offering Furcal the big money.

This will be the best offer that Furcal, 31, receives on the open market. Think about it: it has been reported that Furcal had four strong suitors-A's, Blue Jays, Royals, and the Dodgers. But where exactly are the big bucks going to come from if it is not the Athletics.

It won't be the Blue Jays, who are not currently looking to add to their payroll

It won't be the Royals, who would need to cut payroll (i.e trade Jose Guillen) before they could add to their payroll and make a serious run at Furcal.

It won't be the Dodgers, who are currently waiting out the Manny Ramirez sweepstakes, hoping that he will take their $20+ million a year offer. They could jump in later, but I doubt they will come close to what the Athletics are offering, especially if they sign Manny.

This deal makes so much sense for both sides. Furcal would get the big time contract that he has been craving even after missing most of 2008 with a lower back injury. For the Athletics, they would have a spark plug at the top of their order to set the table for Matt Holliday and Jack Cust.

Interestingly enough, this deal would be change from the moneyball philosophy that the Athletics have built their teams around in the past. While Furcal will draw some walks, hit with some power, and produce a good OBP, Furcal is known for his speed and his ability to steal bases. Speed is something that the Athletics normally do not pay big money for, but there is no doubt that Furcal would be a major upgrade to the Athletics lineup.

If Rafael Furcal thinks that he can do better than 4 years/$40 mil on the open market, then he's crazy. The market is just not there right now for Furcal, but he should feel fortunate to have a $40 million dollar offer on the table. Not accepting it would be foolish.

Really Amaro? Chan Ho!

Get ready for some moon balls Phillies fans!

According to ESPN.com, the Phillies have signed Chan Ho Park to a 1 year/$2.5 million dollar contract to compete for a spot in the starting rotation.

This move has warning signs written all over it. Where to begin?

-Park has not been an effective starting pitcher since 2001
-Park was one of the worst starting pitchers in baseball from 2002-2005 (never had an ERA below 5.50)
-Park still gives up the long ball (12 HR in 95 IP this season)
-Park has been a pretty bad pitcher everywhere he has gone besides Los Angeles

So why in the world would the Phillies sign Park with the understanding that he would be a starter? Sure he had a great year last yea, but that was in the bullpen. There is a huge difference between pitching out of the pen and starting. Park has shown nothing over the past decade to prove that he will be an effective starter in 2009.

Furthermore, Park is a horrible fit for the Citizens Bank Park, which is one of the most hitter friendly in baseball. As a fly ball pitcher, this ball park will eat Park up alive as ordinary fly balls will all of a sudden become extra base hits and home runs. I see a 5 or 6 ERA in Park's future.

It's good to see that Park was concerned as well though! From ESPN.com

"I was a little worried about the Citizens Bank Park, the home of the Phillies, which is hitter-friendly," Park was quoted as saying in The Times. "But as they considered me a starter, I signed with Philadelphia."

At least Chan Ho still has some common sense. This is a great opportunity for him to start and make money, but in reality, this contract is simply setting him up for failure.

So nice work here Ruben Amaro, you signed a pitcher who has not been an effective starting pitcher in almost a decade to be a starter. If Park was pitching out of the bullpen, this move would be a lot more positive because he was very successful in that role last season. However, this move makes no sense, especially if it means that the Phillies are no longer interested in signing Jamie Moyer.

There is no upside on this deal for Philadelphia if Park is a starter. At best, Park is a fifth starter, but more than likely, he will be a disaster.

Why Sign Andy Pettitte?

I'm sure there are many Yankee fans who really want Andy Pettitte back with the Yankees in 2009.

Maybe it's about nostalgia: the sight of seeing Pettitte pitching in the new Yankee Stadium excites many Yankee fans who remember Pettitte as the pitcher who always came up big when the Yankees needed him.

Or maybe it's about the rotation: fans salivate at the sight of seeing Pettitte, the Yankees former ace, as their fifth starter. There is no doubt that Pettitte no longer has the stuff he once did, but he is still a very serviceable pitcher, who can give the Yankees quality innings and get big league hitters out, right?

Of course he can. Last season was one Pettitte's worst seasons statistically as he finished with an ERA of 4.54, a 1.421 WHIP, and a pedestrian 14-14 record. Even though this was far from Pettitte's best season, it is still a lot better than many pitchers out there. And the Yankees know that they can rely on Pettitte to pitch well in a big game despite his declining numbers in the regular season.

So it makes sense for the Yankees to re-sign him as their fifth starter right?

No, it doesn't. While Pettitte should still be able to give the Yankees quality innings, giving Pettitte $10-$15 million dollars in 2009 coming off an average season would be crazy. Pettitte's numbers have been on the decline since 2006 and there is no sign that Pettitte will be able to bounce back with a quality season in 2009.

The best move for the Yankees would be to keep the money they would have given to Pettitte and let Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy, Alfredo Aceves, and whatever other youngsters they have compete for the spot. There is no doubt that these guys have talent (especially Hughes) and with the rotation the Yankees have in place already, they could afford to have a fifth starter develop on the fly.

The upside of an open fifth spot is tremendous. Instead of over paying for mediocre performance, the Yankees should let the young guys compete for the job because in the end, it could make the team stronger in long term and short term. These guys have potential to improve and develop into better pitchers, which is more than I can say about Andy Pettitte right now.

And I know there will be Yankee fans who will clamor towards Pettitte no matter what the financial implications are. I understand that; the Yankees have more money than God and there is no doubt that they can pay Pettitte $15 million bucks and not lose any sleep about it. But make no mistake about it: Pettitte does not deserve $10-$15 mil in 2009. Why should the Yanks pay for millions for a guy on the decline when they already have younger and cheaper pitchers who should be able to perform at the same level or better? That's the important point here.

The Yankees have enough stability in their rotation to move on without Andy Pettitte. Between Wang and Sabathia, they have two pitchers who should be able to give the Yankees tons of quality innings and many quality starts. And with AJ Burnett and Joba Chamberlain, the Yankees have two guys who should be dominate pitchers even with their much talked about injury history. And if you think that past injury history should force the Yanks to sign a declining pitcher to a $10 million dollar contract, then your crazy. If the Yankees wanted to sign a security blanket fifth starter, they could certainly do a lot better than Andy Pettitte especially given their current financial situation.

This is a fantastic rotation that can afford to give guys a guy like Hughes or Kennedy a chance to take control of a rotation spot. No matter who the Yankees decide should have the fifth spot, it should not be Andy Pettitte.

Four Non-Tender Signings That Make Sense (at least in my head)

Instead of offering players arbitration, teams have the option to "non-tender" their arbitration eligible players, which would make them free agents. More free agents, yay! Given the rough economic climate we are in, it is no surprise to see teams refuse to offer contracts to productive players. As they say, one man's trash is another man's treasure. Without further ado, here are four suggestions of where some of these non-tender free agents should land.

1. Tim Redding to the Orioles
-As of this moment, the Orioles currently have one consistent, reliable starting pitcher: Jeremy Guthrie. They have lots of young pitchers who might be good, but they still need another reliable presence at the top of the rotation.

Enter Tim Redding. For the past two seasons, Redding, 30, has pitched for the Washington Nationals and for the most part, he has pitched well (aside from a 6.82 ERA in the second half of 2008). He will never be confused for an ace, but Redding is a dependable and reliable starter who can offer some stability to the young Oriole pitchers. Plus, he should be able to eat a good amount of innings that would instead be given to Brian Burress or Hayden Penn.

Having Redding pitch in the AL East might be a scary thought to many Orioles fans given his propensity for the long ball (27 last year). But considering the alternatives, Redding the best low cost, stable option for Andy McPhail. No one expects the Orioles to compete for a playoff spot next year, but this move could help ensure that the Orioles remain competitive in 2009.

2. Ty Wigginton to the Twins
-This move is obvious. The Twins need a third baseman with some power and Wigginton fits the bill exactly. Wigginton would provide the right handed power bat that the Twins were missing last season. He hit 23 homers last season to go along with his impressive .285 batting average and .350 OBP. This lineup could be scary next season with Wigginton, a healthy Michael Cuddyer, and if Delmon Young finally displays the big time power. You can count on a .280 batting average with at least 20 homers from Wigginton next season.

The real question will be what kind of contract Wigginton will warrant. Will he receive a 3 year/$17 million dollar deal like Casey Blake? I see no reason why Wigginton should not command a contract similar to that of Casey Blake. He is younger (only 30) and put up better stats this season than Blake did in 2008, but who knows if the money is out there for him at this point. Minnesota might turn out to be the only serious player for Wigginton (maybe the Giants as well...).

P.S. I know this is a pipe dream, but I would love to see Wiggy back with the Mets as a super utility type of guy. He'd be perfect, but I'm sure he can do better elsewhere.

3. Takashi Saito to the Mariners
-The Mariners are currently closer-less after trading away JJ Putz, which is the main reason why Saito makes sense here. But there is another big reason why Saito is needed in Seattle: Brandon Morrow. The Mariners should have NO thoughts about moving Morrow, who could be a future ace, back to the bullpen. This guy has a major future as a starter and he cannot be jerked around from the rotation to the bullpen simply to fit a need.

Also, signing Saito would probably confirm that Aaron Heilman will be a starter, which should be a no brainer anyway. There has been no confirmation of this yet, but trust me Mariners fans, for Heilman's mental health, he needs to be a starter.

The risk on Saito is high. He has no business being non-tendered, but the Dodgers had concerns about his arm. But if Saito is healthy, he has the potential to be one of the best closers in baseball and could stabilize the Seattle bullpen.

4. Aaron Miles to the Mets
-Does anyone outside Missouri realize that Miles hit .317 last season? Or how about this little nugget: in 379 ABs, Miles only struck out 37 times. That's a pretty damn good season, don't cha' think? Well, because of Adam Kennedy and a host of younger players, the Cardinals did not tender a contract to Miles, despite his good numbers.

Miles would be a perfect fit with the Mets as a utility man. Miles is very versatile as he can play both 2B, SS, and 3B if needed. This is especially important to the Mets because Luis Castillo is sure to get hurt and miss boatloads of time. It's an inevitable injury that the Mets need to prepare for. Should Castillo get hurt, the Mets should feel confident having Miles waiting in the wings because he can hit both lefties (.315 in '08) and righties (.317 in '08). He would be the perfect utility man for the Mets, who need to have versatile players to compliment their impressive core group.

The Market For Oliver Perez

In the aftermath of AJ Burnett's 5 year/$82 million dollar contract sits LHP Oliver Perez. Aside from Derek Lowe, Perez is the best free agent pitcher left on the free agent market. Perez has developed from a maddeningly inconsistent pitcher with great stuff and bad control to a somewhat inconsistent pitcher with great stuff and very good control. Sure he will have his bad moments, but Perez has come along way since 2006.

When I look at Perez's body of work and potential body of work, I can't help but think about AJ Burnett. Both Perez and Burnett are good pitchers right now, but both guys reek of potential and future ace. Because of their dominant stuff, Burnett and Perez can be frustrating to watch because each guy should be much better than he already is. When Burnett and Perez are on, each guy is nearly un-hittable.

And as we saw this week, teams will pay for potential. Even though Burnett is 32, the Yankees are banking on Burnett continuing his development to be a front line pitcher. For all his injury history, Burnett still got $82 million dollars because of his potential. It would not surprise me to see a team (over) pay Perez in the hopes that he furthers his development to ace status.

Furthermore, Perez is a durable pitcher with no history of major arm injuries. That's a major plus for Perez, especially given his age (26).

So Perez should have no problem getting the money he craves, right?

I'm not too sure. What team out there actually has the funds to give Perez the 5 years/$70 million he is looking for?

-The Yankees are set
-The Mets won't pay that much for Perez
-Red Sox don't need him
-The Braves are not signing any major free agents
-The field...? Royals? Orioles? Texas? Dodgers?

Where is this money going to come from? The only team out there right now that should have a desire to sign Perez is the Mets, who will not give Perez the contract he desires. This market is just not a strong one for Perez.

I would love to see Ollie re-sign with the Mets for 1-3 years. He has always dominated the Phillies and would be a nice fit as the Mets 3rd starter. But at this point, I think that's a bit of a pipe dream. It seems as though Boras has his sights set on a big contract for Perez, which should be a major test for the super agent to achieve.

It's amazing that AJ Burnett has three teams throwing big offers his way, but Oliver Perez has too sit back and wait for his market to develop. Ironically, their statistics are not too different over the past two seasons, which makes the inactivity on the Perez front even more puzzling.

Hope You Stay Healthy, AJ Burnett

It must be a very confusing time to be a Yankee fan right now. Yankee fans gotta love the fact that they are spending so much money trying to make it back to the playoffs and win a 27th championship. Yankee fans should feel very good about signing CC Sabathia, even if his 7 year/ $161 million dollar contract is bigger than his body weight. Sabathia will be the true ace the Yankees were missing over the past few seasons, which is exactly what the Yankees needed.

But AJ Burnett? Five years/$82 million dollars? How ya' feelin' bout that, Yankee fans?

I'm guessing they are rather torn.

Burnett could be a front line starter for the Yankees because he has absolutely electric stuff. With his mid/high nineties fastball, quality curve ball and improved command; there is no reason why Burnett should not be one of the better starters in the AL. When Burnett is on, he is scary good. There is still a remarkable upside for Burnett, even at age 32.

However, the big question remains, can he stay healthy? Burnett has only pitched 200 innings three times in his ten year career and is seemingly always hurt. In his career, Burnett has been on the DL roughly 10 times (by my count) so he is no lock to give the Yankees 30 starts a year or even remain healthy throughout the length of the contract (or even a majority of it). Injury history is the unquestionable downside to Burnett.

So how about committing $82.5 million bucks to an injury prone pitcher like Burnett? To most teams, this would be crazy and out of the question. But for the Yankees, this is merely spare change. They can afford to take a chance that Burnett will continue/develop into the dominant pitcher that all the scouts and executives thought he'd become. The thought of Burnett dominating the Rays and Red Sox in the frigid cold of October baseball should be very tantalizing for the Yankees, especially with Burnett's amazing stuff.

Furthermore, if Burnett does get hurt, the Yankees can simply go out and sign someone else or replace Burnett with someone like Phil Hughes or Ian Kennedy (for this season). When you have unlimited resources, you can do things that most would not consider. The Yankees made themselves a better team by signing AJ Burnett, even if it was a ludicrous contract.

In his three seasons with Toronto, Burnett only had one season that was injury free (in 2008). Undoubtedly, 2008 was his best season with Toronto and probably one of the best in his career so far, but Burnett still had an ERA over 4. That doesn't sound like an ace to me.

But, the Yankees don't care. They are not only paying Burnett for his 2008 season, but they are paying him the huge bucks anticipating that Burnett will continue to develop and become another top flight starter for the Yankees.

Considering his upside, this contract makes a whole lot of sense for the Yankees, and the Yankees alone. We'll see if this deal burns the Yankees in the end, but for right now, Yankee fans should feel very good about picking up Burnett and his potential.

Your Someone Else's Problem Now, Scott Schoeneweis

Omar Minaya's purge of the 2008 Mets bullpen continues. The Mets dealt Scott Schoeneweis to the Diamondbacks for RP Connor Robertson. Also in the deal, the Mets agreed to pay $1.6 million dollars of the contract, which is important to note given Arizona's financial situation.

As a Mets fan, this deal needed to be completed. No doubt about it. Schoeneweis has not performed well during his stay with the Mets and towards the end of last season, Jerry Manuel grew hesitant to use Schoeneweis in a big spot (ruightfully so). Ironically, Schoeneweis gave up the go ahead home run in the Mets final game at Shea Stadium, which ultimately eliminated the Mets from playoff contention. This gave the boo birds at the now defunct Shea Stadium even more ammunition for booing Schoeneweis, which they did mercilessly throughout his Mets tenure.

Who knows if Schoeneweis could have rebounded with the Mets next season? They certainly could have used another lefty in the bullpen given the fact that the Phillies signed Raul Ibanez today. But Omar Minaya made the smart choice not to take a chance on Schoeneweis succeeding with the Mets in 2009. The time to cut ties was now and I'm glad this was taken care of.

This move helps separate the Mets further from the "culture of the collapse" and is a welcome signal that the 2009 bullpen will be fresh and exciting.

With that said, the Mets need to go after another lefty in the bullpen. In the previous two seasons, the Mets have had three lefties (Schoeneweis, Feliciano, and Wagner), but as of right now, they only have one. This division already has some very good left handed bats, especially in Philadelphia, so picking up another lefty option is a must at this point.

For the Diamondbacks, this deal could turn out to be very beneficial if he is used correctly. Schoeneweis was very good against left handed hitters last season (2.08 ERA against), but he struggled against right handed hitters, especially with his control (17/9 walk to strikeout ratio against righties). Even so, he is an upgrade over Doug Slaten and will undoubtedly play a big role in the Diamondbacks success in 2009.

How Raul Ibanez Will Change the Mets Plans

Just imagine this for a moment: your Mets GM Omar Minaya. Over the past two days, you have just completed two potentially franchise changing moves to shore up the bullpen by adding and Francisco Rodriguez and JJ Putz. However, upon waking up this morning, you hear that the arch rival Phillies have signed Raul Ibanez to form a potent middle of the order with Chase Utley and Ryan Howard.

This move should change the Mets entire off season plan from here on out. Knowing that the Phillies have three potent left handed hitters will change the how the Mets decide to shape their rotation and bullpen. Case in point:

-The Mets were considering dealing LHP Pedro Feliciano at one point in the off season, but now the Mets have to keep Feliciano to be their left handed specialist. Lefties have only hit .214 against Feliciano throughout his career and the Mets will need Feliciano to deliver in 2009 if they are going to compete with the Phillies.

-The Mets were talking about dealing LHP Scott Schoeneweis to the Cubs for Jason Marquis, who would be their 5th starter. However, with Ibanez on board, it would be ideal for the Mets to have two lefties on board to deal with the Phillies murder's row of lefties. If their going to trade Schoeneweis, they should make sure that they have a back up plan to bring another lefty on board (via trade or sign Joe Beimel/Will Ohman)

-And finally, the Mets are going to have to make a serious run at bringing back Oliver Perez. Omar Minaya recently determined that the Mets only had a "50/50" chance of bringing back Perez, but we'll see if that changes. I have never been fond of the idea of giving Perez the 5 years/$65 million bucks that he is after, but at this point, the Mets need him. Left handed hitters only hit .158 against Perez in 2008, which would make him an ideal pitcher to have against the left handed dominant Phillies. Again, a five year deal is too much for Perez, but they should be more aggressive with their negotiations. The Mets could also take a look at Odalis Perez or Randy Wolf as potential low cost options should Perez price the Mets out of contention.

It might seem foolish to change your off season plans because of one team, but the Mets have to be aware of what the Phillies are doing and organize their moves to best match up with their rival. Even though the Phillies hit left handed pitching pretty well (even the lefties), the Mets need to counter "Utley-Howard-Ibanez" with effective and competent left handed pitching because that is their best option for success. Having pitchers who are great at getting left handed hitters out is the best scenario available to the Mets right now.

Raul Ibanez is the Perfect Fit

Late last night, the Phillies apparently signed Raul Ibanez to a 3 year/$30 million dollar contract. On paper, this looks like a great deal.

Ibanez is a lock to hit 20-30 HRs with at least 100 RBI and roughly a .290 batting average. He can rake against both lefites and righties (.288 vs. RHP in 2008, .305 vs. LHP in 2008) so it will not be a problem having him hit fifth or sixth behind Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. Having a lefty dominant lineup is not a problem when all the lefties can flat out rake.

Make no mistake about it, this is a fantastic signing. The Phillies offense, which was pretty darn good in 2008, now has the potential to be a juggernaut, especially at Great American Ballpark. Furthermore, Ibanez is a certain upgrade over Pat Burrell. Even though he had some great spurts during his tenure with the Phils, Burrell was never able to provide the consistent production that Ibanez will give the Phillies. Utley and Howard will put up better numbers because of it.

In addition, the Phillies signed Ibanez to a very reasonable contract. Even though he is 36 years old, Ibanez has shown no signs of decline to date and has actually put up the best numbers of his career over the past three seasons. While he could start to decline as he gets closer to 40, this deal should definitely pay off over the first year or two of the deal.

I don't see the downside of this deal for the Phillies, who now look like strong competitors to win their third straight NL East title. Kudos to GM Ruben Amaro Jr for making this move; the Phillies are a much stronger team with Ibanez on board.

(Note: Take a look at my free agent projection for Ibanez a month back. You might find some additional insight there. And again, my projection was only $3 million dollars off! Damn you, economy!)

Open Forum: I Need Your Opinions!

As I attempt to further the progression of Jorge Says No!, I need to get some feedback from you, the readers. Feedback is obviously a crucial part of what this website and I'd like to hear some opinions about from you. Thanks for your time, I really appreciate it!

-What do you like about the website?

-Do you like the content?

-Is there anything you don't like about the website? What can I improved upon?

-Where did you hear about the website from?

-Any other sort of comments or feedback that you'd like to add would be great.

Please leave all feedback in the comments section.Thanks for your continued support of Jorge Says No! Hope you enjoy it!

Josh
-jorgesaysno

Omar Minaya Must Love Awesome Names

In a span of 24 hours, the Mets have picked up two guys with phenomenal names.

1. JJ Putz
-acquired via trade last night

2. Rocky Cherry
-acquired via rule V draft today

Seriously, dude's name is Rocky Cherry. Who came up with that name? Is it a nickname? Either way, it's an absolutely fantastic name. I'm amazed that a human being could have such an amazingly unique, yet puzzling name.

I can see it now, the NY Post headline after Cherry blows his first big game as a Met:

"Cherry Bombed"
or
"Cherry Rocked"

Too bad the Mets did not trade for Coco Crisp...you know how awesome the "J.J. Putz-Rocky Cherry-Coco Crisp" combination could have been!

Gonna be a fun season, Met fans.

Tony LaRussa Has A Crush On Brian Fuentes

Lots of love and good feelings coming from Tony LaRussa these days regarding Brain Fuentes. Wonder if Fuentes is feeling this man love as well?

LaRussa on Fuentes (STLtoday.com):

"From Day One, he's been the guy that fit us best," La Russa said Wednesday. "We have a strong righthanded core, whether it's a veteran like Ryan (Franklin) covering (Josh) Kinney or Brad Thompson or the two kids (Perez and Motte). A quality lefthanded reliever like Brian ... from Day One, he's the guy who was our first choice. And I'm excited that here we are, we're still in the hunt and he's still available."

Added La Russa: "I know he likes our situation; we like him. It seems like it's the perfect fit."

Ahhh, perfect fit you say. That's some high praise! But wait, there's more! LaRussa then went on to talk about a rumored fling with Trevor Hoffman, but apparently he doesn't fit the bill. LaRussa has his eyes fixated on another closer. I wonder who LaRussa is talking about....?

"I mean, I love and respect Trevor Hoffman," said manager Tony La Russa. "But I don't know that that's the guy we've talked about a lot."

I have to admit that it would be tough to turn down Tony LaRussa when he's this excited. Sign on the dotted line Mr. Fuentes, just watch out for the long and awkward hugs coming your way from the Manager. And by the way, who made Tony LaRussa the General Manager? Why is commenting on Fuentes?

Kansas City Signs Farnsworth(less)...Huh?

The Royals signed Kyle "Farnsworthless" Farnsworth to a 2 year/$9.25 million dollar deal last night.

Keep laughing Yankee fans, you know I am.

And yes folks, you did read right, Kyle Farnsworth got a two year deal. Somehow in this horrible economic climate, Farnsworth is the guy who gets the ridiculous contract. How the hell did that happen?

It's not like two years is a lot of time or that $9 million bucks is a ton of cash, but really Dayton Moore? Did you look at Farnsworth's stats over the past few seasons? This is a guy who has produced an ERA under 4 only once in the last five seasons and whose WHIP has increased in every season since 2005.

Oh, and did I mention that he cannot pitch on back to back days?

Where is the upside in this signing? I know, I know, Dayton Moore wants stability in his bullpen after trading away Ramon Ramirez and Leo Nunez, but there are better guys available, who do not require this kind of commitment (Jesus Colome, Guillermo Mota, Luis Ayala). Hell, I didn't even think Farnsworth required two years, but Dayton Moore made it happen.

I guess this proves the point that you have to overpay to get guys to play in Kansas City. But when you have to overpay Kyle Farnsworth to play in KC, that's just sad. I really doubt that Farnsworth offers up the stability that Dayton Moore craves. Farnsworth is a hard thrower who likes to nibble on the corners and is very hittable. Ask any Yankee fan, they'll tell you that Farnsworth has tremendous stuff, but he has never and will probably never put it all together. Very frustrating.

I tell you this though: I am going to enjoy watching the Kyle Farnsworth/Jose Guillen combination in Kansas City. There is something about these two guys that screams out "oil and water" to me. Have fun with this one Kansas City.