Why Mark Teixeira Needs To Sign With the Washington Nationals

The Washington Nationals are terrible. The team has finished in the NL East cellar in three of the last four seasons and the Nats lost 102 games this season. Also, they never seemed to have to much of a direction. Ownership seemed reluctant to spend money on big time free agents as GM Jim Bowden stuck with signing aging veterans and AAAA players. It is no surprise that the Nationals have struggled.

So why in the hell would a big time free agent want to come to Washington? Good question.

For most, the answer would be, "there is no reason, go elsewhere," but Mark Teixeira is a different kind of free agent. Teixeira, only 28, is a franchise player entering the prime of his career. He has hit at least 30 homers with at least 100 RBI in each of the past five seasons. Also, Teixeira is a fantastic defensive player, who has won two gold gloves already in his short career. The accolades for Teixeira are endless; this guy is a stud.

Given his stature, age, and potential, Teixiera should be in line for a huge contract. Somewhere in the 8-10 year/$160-$200 million dollars has been discussed. Big market teams like the Angels, Yankees, and Red Sox have been chomping at the bit to get their hands on Teixiera, who is about as clean cut and marketable as they come. He could go to either place and probably win multiple division titles and perhaps even a few world championships or MVPs. Winning is the ultimate goal and if you want to win consistently, Anaheim (Los Angeles!), Boston, and New York are the places most should go.

But as I said before, Mark Teixeira is different. He has a unique opportunity to develop something big with the Washington Nationals. As a franchise player, Teixeira has the power to change everything about baseball in DC. Think about it: there is no buzz in DC about the Nationals right now, signing Teixeira would change all of that. It would signal to the rest of the league that Washington is going to be a competitive ball club and that the rest of the NL East better watch out for the Nats in the years to come.

For Teixeira, a Maryland native, he has the opportunity to be the man. He has the unique opportunity to revive baseball in Washington area and change the entire culture for this struggling franchise. He would be the guy that the fans come to see, the players look up too, and that free agents want to talk with. All of a sudden, DC doesn't look so bad because the lowly Nationals would have a big player to build around for the next decade. That's something Washington(ians) can get excited about.

And people want good baseball in DC. I know it because I go to school here (American University). If the Nationals were any good, they would have no problem selling out Nationals Park. The fans want good baseball and they want a winner. Teixeira could be the beginning of all that and the fans would fully embrace him for that, more than they ever could in Boston or Anaheim. Winning is embedded in the culture there while there is no history of winning for the Nationals. This place would explode for a winner.

Sure it would take some time for the Nationals to turn things fully around because hey, Rome wasn't built in a day. But if Mark Teixiera wants to become a legend and be remembered forever, he will sign with the Washington Nationals. This is the only opportunity for Teixeira to be truely remembered as the man instead of just another high priced all-star with the Yankees, Angels, or Red Sox. Those teams are littered with expensive players and established stars, while Washington is led by Ryan Zimmerman and Lastings Milledge. Not exactly comparable.

Washington D.C is the untapped goldmine of professional baseball right now. The place is ready to explode for a winner and throw itself at a major star. Signing with the Nationals is undoubtedly a risk and highly unconventional, but the opportunity is oozing with potential. This is your chance to start something big.

So sign on the dotted line Mark Teixeira, your once in a lifetime chance to be the man awaits you.

What the Putz!

Talk about overhauling your bullpen! For specifics on this mega-massive deal, check here or here.

Obviously, Putz is the important piece in this deal. What an impressive move by Omar Minaya. He essentially gave up one quality reliever, one very unsteady pitcher, a fourth outfielder, and a minor leaguer to get Putz, who was one of the better closers in baseball.

Tremendous deal.

The upside for the Mets is obvious here: our bullpen was absolutely terrible last year and under no circumstances will that happen again. If Putz and K-Rod perform as expected, the Mets have the ability to shorten the games to only seven innings. The culture of the Mets and their bullpen needed to change. Mission accomplished. The message to the fans: we got K-Rod and Putz, you all can keep your sanity.

For the Mariners, this deal boils down to the potential of Aaron Heilman. I would still love to see Heilman get a chance to start for the Mariners because of his fantastic stuff. Plus, I don't think he is cut out for the bullpen and while he accepted that role, Heilman always wanted to start. It would not surprise me at all to watch Heilman succeed as a starter, a potentially great one.

Sadly the Mets gave up Endy Chavez in this deal as well. Chavez has been nothing short of a God at Shea Stadium since his INCREDIBLE catch in the 2006 NLCS. But there is no denying it: Chavez is not a starter and never will be. He is a fourth outfielder at best, who succeeds because of his defense and speed. I would love to see Endy play center field at Safeco Park for the Mariners, just to watch him cover ground and cut off balls in the gap.

I'll be honest, I never saw Joe Smith being traded. Smith was one of the Mets best relief pitchers last season (not saying much) and he was great against right handed hitters. But like Chavez, he is what he is: a right handed specialist who does not do well against left handed hitters. Great pitcher, great guy, and I'm sure he will thrive with the Indians. Good pickup, Mark Shapiro.

The Mariners picked a terrible time to want to trade their closer. Coming off an injury plagued season in a market littered with closers, now was a tough time to get maximum return on Putz. From the looks of it, they did alright, but this deal will come down to Aaron Heilman. The ceiling on Heilman is high and if he achieves his potential as a starter, this will a huge success for the Mariners.

Gotta love three team trades, especially when it involves a guy named Putz (who by the way is a very cool looking dude...right)! There is nothing better than a dude named Putz pitching in Queens, NY. Now all we need is a Mench...Kevin Mench!

The Sabathia Opt-Out

CC Sabathia's agent Greg Genske had a very good day today. On top of the large commission he is about to receive from the $160 million dollar contract, Genske orchestrated a fantastic contract for his most high profile client.

The best part of this contract for Sabathia is the opt out clause after year three. There is nothing but upside here for Sabathia. Think about it: if he has three great seasons with the Yankees, then he can opt out of his contract and perhaps go after an even bigger contract in 2011. Keep in mind that Sabathia received the largest contract ever for a pitcher in probably the worst economic climate in years.

That's impressive.

In addition, if Sabathia decides that NY is not right for him or his family, then he can just leave after year three. Sure cash is important, but comfort is mighty important as well. The Yankees better do everything in their power to make Sabathia happy in NY.

And let's just say for argument's sake that Sabathia goes Zito on the Yankees and stinks up the joint for the next few seasons. He can simply refuse to opt out and remain the highest paid pitcher in baseball.

Who knows? Maybe Sabathia will lead the Yankees to a title or two in the next few years and all this talk about an opt out will be for naught. I'm sure Yankee fans would love to have Sabathia for the next seven years, as long as he pitches at an optimal level.

I look forward to a potential "A-Rod" situation during the 2011 season where Sabathia will be asked every day whether he plans to opt out or not. I can already see the eight million "no comment" or another three million "I'll deal with this after the season" coming from Sabathia. He will be pestered more You can bank on it.

For the Yankees, including the opt out was probably the only way this deal was going to get done. They needed Sabathia...badly. They would have done anything short of killing a guy to get this deal done. And thanks to Brian Cashman and deep, deep, deep, very deep pockets of the Steinbrenners, Sabathia is theirs for at least the next three years. Celebrate now, worry later.

By including an option in this contract, Genske has given Sabathia all the power in the future. Well done sir. Unless Sabathia completely falls apart as Yankee, like Jaret Wright and Carl Pavano before him, I see no reason why Sabathia should not opt out after 2011.

C.C. You in NY, LeBron

For all the hoopla surrounding the huge $160 million dollar contract given to CC Sabathia, the real story that benefits both Mets and Yankees fans from this deal is obvious, especially considering the friendship between Sabathia and the King....

LeBron in 2010!

If CC Sabathia has anything to do with LeBron coming to the Knicks in 2010, the $160 million the Yankees spent on him today will have been well worth it. And this is coming from a Met fan.

(Note: You know what's funny, LeBron is the best player in basketball today, but there is NO chance that he will ever sign a contract as big as Sabathia's. Gotta love the NBA salary cap and max contracts!)

(photo: Bleacher Report)

How The Yankees Single-Handedly Cured the Recession

By infusing large amounts of capital into the economy, or so it appears that way. Somewhere Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and President Bush are smiling. At least someone has money to spend during the holiday season!

SI.com is reporting that the Yankees are close to signing free agent pitcher Derek Lowe to a 4 year/$66 million dollar contract.

Once again, WOW.

I'm not big on reporting rumors, that's what the good folks over at mlbtraderumors.com are for, but this is absurd. For all of you counting at home, if this deal goes down, the Yankees will have spent $226 million dollars today on two pitchers.

Let's take that in for a moment, Two Hundred and Twenty Six Million dollars.

By the year, the combination of these two deals is roughly $40 million per season, which is more than the entire 2008 payroll of the Florida Marlins and almost the entire 2008 payroll of the division winning Rays. Anyone else think the economics of baseball are borderline ridiculous?

What's amazing is that the Yankees can still make another big move. With $80 million coming off the books after 2008, the Yankees are only half way through devouring through their new found cash. Mark Teixeira, your next.

While most of the baseball world struggles to regain their financial footing in this rough economy, leave it to the Yankees to blow every other offer out of the water. At whatever the price, the Yankees needed starting pitching, and they appear to have gotten a lot of it today.

More on this deal once/if it becomes official.

I Guess the Yankees Really Wanted That Sabathia Guy

7 years/$160 million.

WOW

That's a lot of loot to give to anybody, let alone a starting pitcher. Seven years is unheard of for a starting pitcher (unless your name is Kevin Brown) and is a very risky move. However, there is no doubt that the Yankees needed to get this deal done, at whatever cost.

Sabathia is a different kind of pitcher and certainly a different kind of free agent: he is just entering his prime (28 years old). The Yankees finally have the ace they have been lacking, but the pressure is now on Sabathia to deliver in New York. It certainly looks like the Yankees are back to buying the best free agents on the market; difference is that Sabathia is not in the backend of his prime yet like Carl Pavano, Jaret Wright, or Jason Giambi.

It's funny, because all we kept hearing about yesterday was about how Sabathia wanted to go West and at one point, had actually turned down the Yankees' offer. That all changed within eight hours. How you ask? The Yankees added another year onto this already massive contract and even included an extra $20 million. That's impossible to turn down.

Good luck CC, hopefully you fare better than Barry Zito.

Francisco Rodriguez Should Have Taken a One Year Deal

If I am Paul Kinzer, the agent of Francisco Rodriguez, I am kicking myself today. It should have been a jovial day, given the fact that your prized client Francisco Rodriguez signed with my beloved New York Mets today.

However, the terms of the deal were rather unimpressive. I understand that the current economic climate seriously hindered your chances to land the huge contract for K-Rod, but settling on a three year deal was stupid in my eyes.

This market had no advantages for Rodriguez. Not only was there a dearth of closers available, but only one team (the Mets!) was in dire need of a top flight closer. Kinzer had no chance to build up a market because there was no competition for Rodriguez's services. Because of this, Kinzer was never fully able to play up the fact that Rodriguez is one of the best closers in the game and he is only 26. The best years of his career and conceivably still ahead of him.

With a one year deal in hand, Rodriguez could have come back onto the market after the 2009 season, hopefully a successful one, and prayed that the economic conditions improved. At worst, he would sign a contract similar to the one the Mets gave him, while the best case scenario is that some team handsomely rewards Rodriguez with the lavish contract he and Kinzer hoped he would get this year (5 year/$75 mil).

There is always the concern that guys will get hurt and miss out on potential dollars by taking short term deals, but this market was horrible. Rodriguez had no chance to receive the lucrative long term deal he coveted. Hell, even Francisco Cordero got a bigger contract than K-Rod! Kinzer should have bailed out on free agency, taken the one year deal, and rebooted for free agency in 2009.

Ramon Hernandez Traded to the Reds

I have been pushing for Orioles to get aggressive and trade away veterans like Ramon Hernandez and it is good to see them finally make some noise. Good for you, Andy McPhail.

It appears as though Orioles have traded starting catcher Ramon Hernandez to the Cincinnati Reds for Ryan Freel and two prospects. This move makes all the sense in the world for both sides, which seems to be rarity on the trading market these days.

For the Orioles, Hernandez became expendable because of the assent of C Matt Wieters, who will likely start next season for the Orioles. Wieters is one of the best prospects in baseball and the Orioles should be committed to letting him play and develop. This is a sound move for the Orioles' future and fans should flock to Camden Yards to see young Wieters behind the dish.

We'll see where Ryan Freel fits in with the Orioles plans. There is no doubt that the guy is a gamer, who can flat out fly, but you have to winder whether Freel can stay healthy or not. At worst, Freel is a quality utility man, who can pinch run late in games. But, if it was up to me, I would trade Melvin Mora and have Freel play third. I have written before that the Orioles need to maximize the potential return for Mora to aid their rebuilding process, and now is a great time to move Mora.

As for the Reds, this move was an absolute necessity. The Reds have no capable catchers on their 40 man roster and Hernandez provides them stability for the upcoming season (and beyond if they pick up his option). Hernandez is much better than anyone the Reds could have gotten via free agency and should benefit from playing in the hitter friendly environment of Great American Ballpark. Freel was a good player for the Reds, but I guess they viewed him as expendable because of his inability to stay healthy. It's hard to judge a guy's performance, when he cannot consistently get on the field.

I still don't think this move makes the Reds competitive in 2009 because they still have yet to address their central need: pitching.

Adios, Luis Ayala

As much as it pains me to say this, Luis Ayala will not be the Mets closer in 2009. Tear, tear.

Anyone upset? Anyone at all? (Crickets chirping) Ok well....

THE METS GOT K-ROD!!!!!! (it looks very very good right now)

According to ESPN.com, the Mets and K-Rod are closing in on a 3 year/$37 million dollar pact. And I could not be happier. Sure, sure this move will great for the team and all that jazz, but I'm thinking long term, about my health. I honestly cannot take another year of a shameful, pathetic, and feeble bullpen blowing every lead in sight. My fragile heart can only take so much pain and anguish.

If K-Rod can bring some stability and much needed dominance to the ninth inning, he will be more popular in Queens than Vincent Chase.

So welcome aboard K-Rod, hope you got a lot of saves left in that arm. Oh yeah, bring the enthusiasm too, lots of it.

What If the Yankees Don't Sign CC Sabathia?

It's the question that nobody wants to ask. With Yankee Land seemingly revolving around the gigantic left handed planet known as CC, we should take into thought what would happen should Sabathia spurn the Yankees $140 million dollar offer and sign elsewhere. I shutter to think.

Would the world end?

I suppose not. But I think some sort of mass hysteria would ensue in Yankee-ville. Fans, who thought this deal was a slam dunk from the start, would have their hearts ripped out as Sabathia "selfishly" chooses comfort over cash. Since when has a big free agent rejected the Yankees? Uh, never. That'd be enough hysteria to make Hank Steinbrenner's blood boil.

Where and who would GM Brian Cashman turn to next? Now with $140+ million bucks to spend, Cashman can have a grand ole' party on the free agent market.

Target #1: Mark Teixeira
-This is the scenario that Scott Boras falls asleep to every night. Boston and New York fighting over the most coveted free agent on the free agent market...and did I mention that he's only 28! Forget 8 years/$160 million dollars, the bidding on this one could go into the next galaxy as the Yankees try to use their financial might to try and persuade Teixeira to stay away from Bean town and sign with the pinstripes. Just like CC, will he go with the heart or with the cash?

Target #2: AJ Burnett
All of a sudden five years don't seem so bad, huh? After losing out on Sabathia, the Yankees will heavily pursue Burnett, the next best pitcher on the free agent market and throw him an offer he cannot refuse. Fourth year mutual option...pssh! We're going five years guaranteed on this one!
(Note to AJ's Agent: you might want to wait a little while to see what happens with CC before you do anything. Just some food for thought)

Target #3: Derek Lowe
Up until this point, Lowe has been unable to find a team willing to offer him the 5 years/$15 mil per season that he is looking for. And I don't care what happens with Sabathia, there ain't a chance in hell the Yankees give him that deal. With that said, if they don't sign CC, all bets are off. I say three years for sure, with four years not being too far out of the picture probably somewhere in the $10-$13 million dollar range. Lowe would love to pitch in NY again and the Yankees would love to have him. If CC and Burnett are off the board and the Yankees are pitcher-less, Lowe picks up a major bargaining chip.

AND IF ALL ELSE FAILS!

Target #4: Manny Ramirez
Yes, I said it. The Manny Ramirez show would be natural fit in the middle of the Yankees order and would give them a lineup that should only be believable in fantasy leagues. But hey, if they ain't got no pitching, then how are they going to win? Lots of 12-10, 9-8 type of ballgames. Furthermore, without the Sabathia hype rockin' the new stadium, the Yankees will need some sort of buzz to enter the new yard. Enter: Manny Ramirez.

I cannot wait for Sabathia to make up his mind. It seems as though every time Sabathia speaks or merely walks to the left, someone has to report it as a rumor (thanks Ned Colletti). It takes a mountain of a man to reject $140 million bucks, but maybe Sabathia is just that kind of dude. Or maybe he's not a NY kind of guy.

Furthermore, I would love to see the kind of reaction that Sabathia gets the first time he steps into Yankee Stadium wearing another team's colors. The boos will be intolerable, bigger and brasher than Mike Hampton boos at Shea Stadium, circa 2001. Yankee fans will be relentless, and rightfully so ("He was supposed to be ours!"). What a sight that'll be.

Tigers on the Prowl

After last night's Gerald Laird extravaganza, the Tigers have followed that up today by signing Adam Everett to be their starting shortstop. This is only a one year pact, which means that Everett is likely a stop gap for the tigers until they find a better option in the future.

I think this is a fantastic move.

As I said last night, the Tigers do not need any more offense and every move they make this off season should focus on the other aspects of their ball club that need improvements: namely pitching and defense.

Sure enough, Everett is a fantastic defensive shortstop who will offer up stability to the middle of the Tigers infield (stability...that word sounds familiar). Everett cannot hit at all, but this should not concern the Tigers, who are loaded hitting wise.

With shortstop and catcher now filled, the Tigers can focus on the area of the ball club that needs the most assistance: pitching. Kudos to GM Dave Dombrowski for getting these two deals done quickly, putting his limited resources to good use. Now go get some pitching and a quality closer (JJ Putz?), and call it a day.

Why the Brewers and Jake Peavy are the Perfect Match

Even though the winter meetings have began, I have heard almost nothing regarding the Jake Peavy talks except for a potential trade to the Chicago Cubs. To me, that trade is nothing more than a pipe dream because the Cubs do not have much to offer the Padres for Peavy. The inclusion of a possible third team keeps this potential deal on life support, but I don't see it happening.

The Padres are struggling to find a suitor for their former CY Young award winner. There is no doubt that they are in quite the pickle. Owner John Moores impending divorce means that the Padres need to cut more payroll beginning with Peavy. And as we have discussed before, Peavy's no trade clause complicates matters greatly. GM Kevin Towers is in a bind, and everyone is baseball knows it.

But I still think there is a team that makes a whole lot of sense for Peavy and the Padres.

The Brewers.

Yes the Brew Crew, who are coming off an improbable playoff birth over my beloved New York Mets would be a perfect fit. Let's go down the list:

1. Peavy wants to be traded to an NL team:
-the Brewers obviously fit the bill

2. The Brewers will probably need two pitchers to replace Ben Sheets and CC Sabathia, both of whom will probably leave via free agency. Most importantly, they will need to find an ace:
-Peavy obviously fills this potentially glaring hole for the Brewers.

3. The Brewers have salary constraints:
-Have no fear! Peavy is signed to a very reasonable contract that runs through 2012 with a club option for 2013. If the Brewers are going to get an ace at an affordable rate, Peavy's their guy.

4. The Padres want young players are prospects in return:
-A potential deal with the Braves hit a major snag when the Braves refused to part with some of their better prospects, but I don't think the Padres would encounter the same problem here.

For starters, the Brewers have a pretty good farm system led by Mat Gamel, Alcides Escobar, Jeremy Jeffress, Cole Gillespie, Taylor Greene, Lorenzo Cain, and Angel Salome. The Padres could definitely get one, probably even two of those guys in any deal for Peavy (NOT Gamel though).

Also, the Padres would have a pretty good selection of young players to look at from the Brewers major league club: OF Tony Gwynn Jr, SS JJ Hardy, P Manny Parra, and P Carlos Villanueva. These guys are young, talented and cheap; which is exactly what the Padres are looking for. There are countless scenarios in which the Brewers could come up with a package that would satisfy the Padres asking price.

And finally, I think the Brewers would be more willing to trade their prospects because Sabathia and Sheets are type A free agents, meaning that since the Brewers offered each guy arbitration, the team will receive two high draft picks as compensation. Their farm system will be quickly replenished with talent and their major league club would have an ace.

So let Sabathia and Sheets go Doug Melvin...and bring Peavy to town. This move works in both the short term and long term. Make it happen.

And as for you Mr. Peavy, I can understand not wanting to go to Milwaukee, but it's going to be mighty awkward returning to San Diego...don't cha think? Waiving your no trade clause to pitch for Brewers offers you stability and most importantly, a place where your wanted. Can't put a price on that, can ya?
(Photo: CNN)

Jerry Crasnick Agrees With Me

Nice to see ESPN's Jerry Crasnick steal my thunder! Garland would be a good fit for the Cardinals...where have we heard that before? Hey wait, I said that!

Jorge Says No! (last week):

-The Cardinals struck gold last season when they signed SP Kyle Lohse during spring training to a modest 1 year/$4 million deal. The move shored up the Cardinals rotation and allowed the Cardinals to compete for a playoff spot into September. I think that signing Jon Garland would be a shrewd move for the Cardinals, alot like signing Lohse was a year ago. You what your going to get with Garland: very few K, lots of innings, lots of hits, very few walks, and lots of ground balls. He will never be confused for an ace, but then again, he will cost alot less than Javier Vazquez. His style would fit very well with the Cardinals, who shored up their already stellar defense by acquiring Khalil Greene yesterday. In addition, Garland would offer more stability to a rotation that has many questions: Will Chris Carpenter be healthy? Will Todd Wellemeyer repeat his break though 2008 season? What will they get out of Joel Pineiro in 2009?

Crasnick (via ESPN.com):

The Cardinals could ultimately emerge as a fit for free agent Jon Garland, given St. Louis pitching coach Dave Duncan's track record for getting the most out of pitchers ranging from Jeff Weaver to Kyle Lohse. Garland went 14-8 for the Angels this season, but his ERA (4.90), strikeout-to-walk ratio (1.53) and other underlying numbers weren't pretty. The consensus in baseball circles is that he could benefit greatly from a shift to the National League. It's doubtful that the Cardinals would want to go beyond a two- or three-year deal, however, given the money the team is obligated to pay Adam Wainwright, Chris Carpenter and Lohse in the coming years. Garland could also be a possible fallback for the Brewers, Dodgers and other clubs with starting pitching plans that are currently in a state of flux.

Hey, great minds think alike...or so I hope.

And yes, it's finals week for me, so I might have gone a bit crazy by now.

Have Fun Building a Market for Jason Varitek Now, Scott Boras (Laird to Tigers)

Well folks, it looks like a deal finally went down tonight. Let's hope this one sticks.

If this report is true, the Tigers acquired Gerald Laird from the Texas Rangers for AA pitcher Guillermo Moscoso and another prospect. Laird is signed for another two seasons at the reasonable rate of $3 million per season.

On the surface, this looks like a good deal for the Tigers. They finally got the starting catcher they coveted and hey, it looks as though it did not cost them an arm and a leg. Also, Laird is/should be a pretty good player. Even though Laird has not caught more than 120 games in a season, he does have some pop, can hit for average, and is regarded as a strong defensive catcher. Exactly what the Tigers needed!

Plus, this year's catching market is pretty weak. I would much rather have Laird over Jason Varitek, Gregg Zaun, or Ivan Rodriguez. Laird is younger, cheaper, and has considerably more upside than any of these declining players.

Furthermore, Laird offers the Tigers something that they lost last season when they traded Pudge Rodriguez to the Yankees: stability. There is no doubt that Laird will be the starting catcher on the Tigers next season, which means they can do as they please with Brandon Inge now and align their defense accordingly. Having stability behind the plate is the key to pitchers establishing a comfort level with the catcher.

The real grading point of this deal is going to be how Tigers pitchers react to Laird and whether their numbers improve from an anemic 2008 season. The Tigers have more than enough offense to win ball games, but what they should be looking for is defense and intangibles to balance their roster. Laird appears to bring both to the table, which is why I like this deal for the Tigers.

Should be fun to watch Scott Boras try to muster up a market for Jason Varitek now that the Tigers are set behind the plate. Four years, $52 million dollars? Yeah right. Varitek will be lucky to get a two year deal from anyone other than the Red Sox now.

Detroit seemed to be Varitek's best match from the start, so with them out of the picture, I would assume that Boston is the most likely destination for the declining catcher in 2009. The move just makes too much sense. Oh yeah, any guess who Gerald Laird's agent is?

Scott Boras. (Big surprise, I know)

Classic Kenny Williams (Edit: No Deal!!!!!)

If this report is true, then this deal is classic Kenny Williams. By acquiring Homer Bailey, Williams would be acquiring yet another potential stud player, who is coming off a tough season. Williams did the exact same thing in 2007 by acquiring SP Gavin Floyd and 2008 by picking up MVP candidate OF Carlos Quentin. Each guy was at one point a highly touted prospect, but because of struggles (Floyd) and injuries (Quentin), neither was able to reach their vast potential. However, these deals have paid large dividends for the White Sox who now have quality, young players at cheap prices. Consider this another "buy low" attempt by Williams.

I assume that Kenny Williams sees the same kind of potential in Homer Bailey. Entering the 2007 season, Bailey was regarded as the Reds best pitching prospect and one of the best prospects in baseball. However, two sub par seasons and questions about his passion for the game have lowered Bailey's standings amongst baseball people.

This could be a fantastic move for the White Sox in the long term, but could hurt their chances to succeed in 2009. However, at the same time, I don' think that the White Sox were going to have a legitimate chance to compete for a title in 2009. By identifying this now, Williams has a real opportunity to build a team that can be a winner for a long time to come. Not too mention that this move clears out even more salary for the White Sox to spend in the future.

There is no doubt that this move is a risk. No one knows what Bailey is capable of accomplishing in the majors, which should be a scary notion for White Sox fans. However, if Bailey pans out, this move will be a major boon for the White Sox.

As for the Reds, this move has me quite perplexed. Gm Walt Jocketty must think that the Reds can compete with the Cubs, Brewers, and Cardinals next season or else there would be no point in acquiring Jermaine Dye for one season. Dye is only signed through 2009 for $11 million, which is a good price, but the Reds really should be focusing on pitching right now. Even with Dye, I don't think that the Reds have enough pitching depth to compete for a playoff spot next season. That's a major problem.

I understand that Jocketty wants a right handed power hitter in between lefties Jay Bruce and Joey Votto, but in Great American Ballpark, offense will not be too difficult to come by. Pitching has been noticeably absent in the organization for along time and they need to smartly invest in young arms, not give them away.

Update: So Hal McCoy was wrong. Should have seen that coming. This deal is not official and does not look close to being completed.

(Side note: Maybe it's because of blogs, but more and more rumors are begin mistaken for facts as reporters rush to get the latest scoop. Just last week we saw three different versions of the Javier Vazquez trade from three different websites, all of which claimed to be true. Hopefully this is just a trend, but I won't hold my breath.)

Why I Would Stay Away From AJ Burnett

As the rumors begin to heat up during the Winter Meetings, one name that I guarantee will be talked about incessantly is AJ Burnett. Teams view Burnett as one of the best free agent pitchers this off season and there have been a long list of suitors so far. The Braves, Yankees, and Blue Jays appear to be the most willing to open up their checkbooks for Burnett, who is looking for a five year deal in the range of $12-$15 million dollars per season. That's an ace contract for a guy who has ace stuff. Burnett can throw in the upper nineties with absolutely filthy breaking stuff and when he is on, he's dominant. What's there not to like...right?

With that said, I would NOT go after AJ Burnett.

First off, a four or five year pact with Burnett reeks of trouble. Burnett has always been hurt throughout his entire career and is very likely to spend lots of time on the disabled list in the coming years. Throughout his ten year career, Burnett has only pitched 200 innings three times and has been on the disabled list roughly fifteen times (by my estimate). Odds are very good that Burnett will miss time (potentially lots) during the four or five year contract. That's not a chance I'd want to take.

Teams seem to be in love with the potential that AJ Burnett brings to the table, but GMs need to be reminded of a few things:

1. Burnett has not been a winner
-Whether this is his fault or not, Burnett's inability to get the W needs to be stated. He has only won 15+ games once in his career and has historically been nothing more than a .500 pitcher. Does that sound like an ace to you?

2. Inconsistency
-Sure the numbers look nice on the surface, but they do not tell the whole story. In 2008, probably Burnett's best season as a pro, he only ranked 75th in quality start percentage (56%), which means that Burnett is inconsistent. When he is good, he is very good; but he is not consistently good. You cannot honestly think that AJ Burnett is going to give you 25 quality outings every season...he has never been that good of a pitcher. I would not want to pay $15 million bucks for inconsistency.

And in closing, should it surprise anyone that Burnett delivered the best season of his career in a year where he could opt out of his contract? The whole "best performance in contract year" thing brings up too many bad memories of Gary Matthews Jr and Knicks C Jerome James for me....stay away.

It's not that Burnett is not a good pitcher, but for $15 million, I'd rather spend that money elsewhere.

Don't Let the Door Hit You On the Way Out, Greg Maddux

Greg Maddux will likely go down as the greatest pitcher of this generation. Maddux was an absolute master at his craft, compiling an amazing 355 wins and 18 gold gloves through guts, guile, smarts, athleticism, and control. Maddux never could throw very hard, but he did not have too. Maddux dominated hitters with his fantastic control and made countless hitters look absolutely foolish. Seriously, I have never seen a pitcher make so many hitters look bad. Maddux could do things to a baseball that most of us can only dream about doing. What an impressive sight to watch.

Think about this, Maddux dominated in an era where many ball parks got smaller, many players got bigger (juiced!), and the number of home runs increased dramatically. The idea that Maddux was this dominant without any kind of enhancement still boggles my mind. But he never needed steroids, Maddux's smarts coupled with his amazing athletic ability were enough to dominate many chemically enhanced freaks. His dominance was special, the kind of dominance that we will likely never see again.

With that said, I am happy to see Maddux retire. I respect and admire Maddux for his dominance and how he pitched, but Maddux was a Met killer. Maddux won 35 games against the Mets throughout his career and always seemed to always come up big when the Braves needed him. I cannot tell you the amount of times Mets hitters would flail at a Maddux offering or blankly stare as a backdoor slider slowly crept back over the outside corner. Too many times, the Mets had no chance against Maddux. And we all knew it.

Even though Maddux has not been with the Atlanta Braves since 2003, I always thought that Maddux would somehow continue to haunt the Mets. And how could I not, the guy had done it so many times before! But now that he has decided to hang up his spikes, I can rest easy knowing that Maddux will no longer be around to dominate the Mets.

You Know the Media Is Bored When...

So there is nothing happening on the free agent front. Who is the media to write about to fill their columns? Super agent Scott Boras, of course!

Proof:
here.

here.

here.

here.

Wow. Need anymore proof that the off season has been slow? It's amazing, the most interesting guy this off season is not name Sabathia, Teixeira, or any other player for that matter; instead, it's Boras. How amazing is that?

I know a lot of baseball fans despise Boras and his money hungry tactics, but I for one think the man is a genius. He knows how to exploit the market and get his clients the best deal possible. I have no doubt that he will be able to work in the market even with these tough economic times.

Lucky for us, the winter meetings begin on Sunday, which means we will be hearing a lot more from and about Boras. Whoopdie-doo!

Shrewd Kenny Williams

Genius? Not quite. But very smart? Yes indeed. By moving Javier Vazquez to the Braves, Williams accomplished a number of important tasks.

First off all, Williams rid the White Sox of the 20+ million dollars that is going to be owed to Vazquez over the next two seasons. That's a lot of money to spend on a pitch who has been nothing more than fourth starter for most of his career. While his 200 innings pitched leave a big hole in the starting rotation, his performance left much to be desired and should be filled by a cheaper alternative.

Next, you have to give Williams credit for the package he received for the over hyped Vazquez. Even though Vazquez has the stuff of an ace, he has woefully underperformed throughout his entire career. By getting back four minor leaguers, Williams strengthened the organization and replenishes a farm system that had been decimated by the Nick Swisher trade a year ago.

There is no denying that the guys that Williams got back actually have some talent. Catcher Tyler Flowers looks like the cream of the crop in this bunch because of his power potential and his ability to get on base. Finding a good, young, power hitting catcher is very difficult to do, so I think Williams did especially well with Flowers.

And I really like the acquistion of Brent Lillibridge. One think that Williams does especially well is "buy low" on guys after they have had bad seasons. After being ranked as the Braves #6th best prospect entering 2008, Lillibridge hit only .220 in AAA this season and looked over matched during his time in the majors. However, this is still a good pickup despite Lillibridge's horrific 2008 season. This guy still has tremendous ability to get on base, steal bases, hit for average, and play multiple positions. He should compete to be the White Sox second baseman in 2009 and at worst in a future utility man.

The odd thing about this deal to me was that Jo Jo Reyes was not included. The inclusion of Jo Jo Reyes would have been classic Kenny Williams, buying low on a pitcher after one bad season (Gavin Floyd). I'm surprised that he did not go that route, but I assume it is because he is confident in either Jeffrey Marquez or some other trick up his sleeve.

I'm sure that Manager Ozzie Guillen is thrilled by this move after Guillen challenged Vazquez to pitch well in a big game. As we all know, Vazquez floundered. It's hard to imagine that Guillen had much faith in Vazquez after that, which made this move inevitable. Considering the inevitability of this deal and Vazquez's contract, I am surprised that the Braves gave up as much as they did in this trade. I think Kenny Williams played the Braves desire for a consistent starting pitcher into a potential major boon for the White Sox.

Wahoo Sam Crawford!

I'll be the first to admit that I am a huge baseball history geek. There is something unusually fascinating to me about old school baseball. And by old school, I mean way old school...like baseball 90-100 years ago old school. Now that's old school.

And speaking of school, in one of my many moments of finals procrastination, I (with the much needed help of my roommate) discovered articles from Baseball Magazine, a publication that ran from the deadball era into the 1950s. What a find! After about five minutes of searching through the articles, I realized that I had just stumbled upon a baseball nerd's dream. Articles from the deadball era!

The most interesting piece that I read yesterday was written by hall of fame OF Sam Crawford aka Wahoo Sam. For those of you who do not know, Crawford was one of the most feared hitters of the deadball era and actually holds the record for most lifetime inside the park home runs. How about that!

So anyway, in the article (found here), Crawford discusses the aura surrounding 3,000 hits and his goal of getting 3,000 hits. At the time the article was written, there were only three men (LaJoie, Anson, and Wagner) who had 3,000 hits, which gave the record a fantastic aura around it. I imagine that 3,000 hits was similar to what the home run record (755) is/was-before Barry.

Crawford comes off to me as a very humble guy. He understands the baseball has given so much to him and at the same time, he believes that he can still hit and just needs the opportunity to play. Furthermore, Crawford understands the importance of 3,000 hits, which would permanently cement his place in history next to the greatest players in the game.

However, this tale has a sad ending. Crawford fell just 39 hits shy of 3,000 after being reduced to pinch hitting duties in 1917. Crawford's hatred of pinch hitting is evident throughout the article, so I guess it is no surprise that he was not a successful pinch hitter.

What a fascinating article, especially for those who love old time English!
(Note: my favorite line: Crawford writes, "Now there was a time when I could have made 39 hits in a single month of healthy swatting."

I hope everyone enjoyed the article. If I find any other gems, I'll be sure to post them.