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.

Five Free Agent Signings That Make Sense (at least in my head)

1. Jason Giambi to the Giants
-I know, I know, he cannot play defense. The obvious downside of this deal is that the Giants would be stuck playing the Giambino at first base 120-130 times a season, which is ugly at best. But think about it this way: the Giants just went out and spent roughly $30 million dollars on three players, SS Edgar Renteria, RP Bobby Howry, and RP Jeremy Affeldt. The Giants obviously think that they can compete in 2009, especially with their starting pitching and revamped bullpen. But the one thing that the Giants are sorely lacking is an impact, power hitter. Giambi fits the mold perfectly: walks alot, gets on base, lots of power, and is left handed. Last season, the Giants anemic offense ranked last in home runs, 14th in OBP, and 15th in runs scored. Yikes...those are terrible numbers. Furthermore, Giambi would probably only command a one year contract in this market, which makes him all the more appealing to Sabean and the Giants.

2. Adam Dunn to the Athletics
-Dunn is exactly the kind of player that GM Billy Beane craves: walks alot, hits tons of home runs, and has a high OBP. In most years, Dunn would have been one of the most coveted free agents out there, but because of the economy, teams are shying away from Dunn and refusing to hand him the long term contract he seeks. This would be a great time for the Athletics to dive in and sign Dunn. First of all, after trading for Matt Holliday, the Athletics are clearly going for it this season and a lineup with both Adam Dunn and Matt Holliday would be potent and powerful. Second, it is likely that the Atheltics would not have to give Dunn the long term contract that he was seeking. He would actually be better off signing with a team like Oakland for a season and then testing the free agent market again in 2009. Once again, this is the perfect scenario for the normally frugal Atheltics to make a big splash.

And selfishly I want to see this deal happen because having Adam Dunn and Jack Cust on the same team would be amazing. Think about it, they are both slow, power hitting, walk machines, who strikeout alot and cannot hit for average. There is no doubt that the Athletics would lead the league in walks, strikeouts, and maybe even OBP and HR. How cool would that be?

3. Jon Garland to the Cardinals
-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?

4. Ben Sheets to the Rangers
There is no team in baseball that needs starting pitching more than the Rangers do. It's not like they have not tried before to bring in quality arms (cough...Chan Ho Park, Kevin Millwood, Vincente Padilla), but with each big contract comes another big failure. Sheets is a whole different animal though. He has absolutely filthy stuff and has the potential to be a bonafide ace, but his health has always been up in the air. When healthy, he is one of the best pitchers in baseball...and for the pitching impaired Rangers, that kind of talent isn't available every day.

So here's a little tip for GM Jon Daniels: go after Sheets hard, but do NOT under any circumstances give Sheets a 4-5 year contract. Stick to a 1-2 year deal that would protect the Rangers if Sheets were to get hurt. That would mitigate the risk out of this contract and give the Rangers the ace that they have not had in roughly a decade. Plus, I think Sheets would prefer a shorter contract right now so that he can prove that he can stay healthy and be in line for a huge pay day down the road.

5. Trevor Hoffman to the Indians
-I know that Hoffman might not like the idea of going to Cleveland too much, but if he wants a shot to win, the Indians might be his best bet. The Indians are only a year removed from the ALCS and still have a solid core group of guys. Their 2008 season was ravished by injuries and dominated by the CC Sabathia trade talks, but I look for the Indians to rebound in a big way in 2009.

And that's where Hoffman comes in. It's true that Hoffman is no longer a dominant closer and will probably only play for another season or two. But what Hoffman offers the Indians (experience, stability) is much better than anything else they have currently in their bullpen. Sure Jensen Lewis is a good pitcher and could wind up one day as a great closer, but for right now, he would be better suited as a set up man. The Indians currently lack depth in the bullpen and they need to find a way to build a bridge to the ninth inning. Signing Hoffman would enable them to begin building an effective bridge that could lead the Indians back to the playoffs.

And look on the bright side, Hoffman is much better than Joe Borowski!

Greene Pasture

It has been reported that the Cardinals have traded for Padres SS Khalil Greene. The cost cutting Padres will receive two prospects in return.

NYPOST:

"In a continuing attempt to reduce payroll, the Padres were closing in on trading their starting shortstop, Khalil Greene to the Cardinals. Greene is due $6.5 million next year in the final season of his contract.
The expectation is that Greene will be moved even before the Winter Meetings start in Las Vegas on Monday. The Cardinals are said to be giving up two relief prospects to obtain Greene, sources tell The Post."

(Note: Who the hell are these sources???)

As long as this move goes down, I think this was a major coup for the Cardinals. Greene is a good baseball player with lots of skills, but his performance tailed off dramatically in large part because of PETCO Park. Take a look at the home/away splits over the past three seasons:

Home Away

2006: .210 .280

2007: .216 .288

2008: .215 .212

It’s obvious that Greene statistics took a major hit from playing at PETCO Park. The wide dimensions and spacious field eroded away Greene’s power and extra base ability. I expect Greene to thrive in St. Louis, where he will actually be playing in a normal sized stadium surrounded by good hitters including some guy named Pujols. Furthermore, 2009 is the final year of Greene’s contract, which means that he will have extra motivation heading into this season.

Greene has always been an asset defensively, but his offense will determine the direction of Greene’s career. He needs to take more walks, improve his OBP, and most importantly, show the promising power and consistency that made him such a fun player to watch back in 2004.

This is a classic “buy low” move for the Cardinals. Greene is coming off a bad year and needs a good season to turn his career around. I love the potential this move brings for the Cardinals and I think the Padres needed to cut ties with Greene, especially after the contract dispute with the Padres.

Javier Vazquez to the Braves

In trading for Javier Vazquez, the Atlanta Braves got exactly what they needed. After losing Mike Hampton to the Astros, Tim Hudson to Tommy John surgery, and potentially John Smoltz to free agency; the Braves needed a solid starter who the Braves could rely on to take the ball every fifth day. They needed someone to offer some stability for young pitchers Jair Jurrjens, Charlie Morton, and Jorge Campillo.

Javier Vazquez fits the description perfectly.

Since 2000, Vazquez has pitched at least 200 innings in every season except for one. Vazquez has always possessed fantastic stuff and consistently strikes out lots of hitters with a very impressive strikeout rate (200 K in 208 IP in 2008). Vazquez has all the makings of a dominant pitcher if he ever could put it all together.

And that's where the problem lies: Vazquez has never put it all together.

Since his days with the now defunct Montreal Expos, Vazquez has consistently underperformed despite his fantastic stuff. The Yankees traded for Vazquez thinking that he was their future ace, but by the end of the season, they were convinced that he could not pitch in New York. The White Sox traded for Vazquez in 2006 in one of Kenny Williams classic "buy low" attempts, but in three seasons with the Sox, Vazquez has produced two sub-.500 seasons. By the end of 2008, Manager Ozzie Guillen even dared Vazquez to pitch well in a big game. Needless to say, Vazquez floundered.

Furthermore, in four of the last five seasons, Vazquez's ERA has been above 4.40, which is awfully average for any pitcher. Just to put that into perspective, Paul Byrd and Edwin Jackson had better ERAs than Vazquez in 2008. I know ERA is not the best statistic to judge pitchers, but Vazquez should be much better than both of those pitchers based on his stuff.

If the Braves are depending on Vazquez to be an ace, they will be gravely disappointed. Vazquez has disappointed every team he has pitched on since the Expos because of his maddeningly inconsistent performance. Sure he'll take the ball every fifth day, but which Javier Vazquez are you going to get? Will it be the potential ace that every team craved back in 2003 or will it be the underachieving Vazquez that baseball people have come to expect?

At some point, teams are going to begin to shy away from Vazquez. Because underneath the phenomenal stuff and untapped potential is a guy who has been simply average throughout his career. And at 32 years old, what are the chances Javier Vazquez suddenly becomes the pitcher we all thought he'd be and is no longer just average? I say slim to none.
Because if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.

Once this deal becomes official, Mets fans should be thrilled. Vazquez is a good pitcher, but he is no Jake Peavy. This trade almost certainly eliminates the possibility of Peavy, a former CY Yonng award winner, landing in the NL East. I would much rather face Javier Vazquez than Jake Peavy; especially in crunch time.

(Note: Since the deal is not yeat finalized, I am going to hold off addressing the White Sox end of the deal until I know for sure whose involved.)

The Vazquez Trade: Can Anyone Get This Right?

Well, at this point in the night I have no idea who the White Sox acquired from the Braves for Javier Vazquez and Boone Logan. Amazingly, I am still unsure about who the White Sox got in return. The three following scenarios have been reported:

White Sox get (ESPN.com)
-Brent Lillibridge
-JoJo Reyes
-top prospect

White Sox get (Foxsports.com)
-Brent Lillibridge
-Tyler Flowers
-2 minor leaguers

White Sox get (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
-Brent Lillibridge
-Tyler Flowers
-Jon Gilmore
-Sergio Rodriguez

Geez, how different scenarios can we get? How can three news agencies have such different proposals? I know the hot stove is non existent, but c'mon, this is ridiculous. All I know is that Brent Lillibridge better pack his bags.

More analysis of this deal tomorrow, but here's a few teasers:
-As a Met fan, I love this deal.
-And the Kenny Williams genius watch MIGHT be officially back on

Brilliant!

Yankees GM Brian Cashman made another very solid move yesterday by NOT offering Bobby Abreu salary arbitration. I'm sure there are some Yankee fans who look at Abreu's production (20 HR, 100 RBI, .296 BA) and think that signing Abreu for another season would be a good thing. Offering Abreu salary arbitration would have ensured that. Also, I'm sure some Yankee fans are upset that they will not receive the two compensatory draft picks that Abreu would have netted (he is a Type A free agent). Well Yankee fans, don't fret, this was a fantastic move for several different reasons.

1. Flexibility
-The Yankees have roughly $80 million bucks coming off the books this offseason, which already gave Cashman tons of maneuverability to go after Sabathia, Burnett, Teixeira, etc. By not offering Abreu arbitration, Cashman does not have the potential $16 million dollar Abreu option to think about and he can proceed to go after whatever free agents he chooses. The chances that the Yankees make a big splash increase because of this move. The door is wide open CC!

2. $$$
-Even if Abreu's numbers are very good, he is not a $16 million dollar a year player anymore. His OBP, HR, and walks have all dipped since joining the Yankees and it does not look like Abreu is a star player anymore. Sure he can get on base and still hit for some power, but the signs of decline are evident in the fading numbers.

3. Is he a winning player?
-Let's call this the Jamal Crawford syndrome. Crawford, who was recently traded from the Knicks to the Warriors, is a very good basketball player with tons of talent. However, every team Crawford has played on has never reached the playoffs. I think Abreu is the same kind of player. Even though he reached the playoffs with the Yankees in 2006 and 2007, Abreu never struck me as a winning ball player. He always seems rather careless on the field and often surprisingly looks lost on the field. Remember, the Phillies remained in neutral until they traded Abreu away in 2006. After the trade, the Phillies thrived.

Looks good on paper...but can he deliver the goods?

4. Defense
-At one point in his career, Abreu was one of the best RF in the game. However, at this point in his career, Abreu is a terrible right fielder who consistently refuses to run into (or near) walls. Yankee fans know what I'm talking about when I note that watching Abreu in the outfield is painful and frustrating...

Plus, with Johnny Damon and Xavier Nady already entrenched in the 2009 Yankee outfield, Cashman needs to find a quality defensive center fielder so that Damon and Nady can stick to the corner spots...where they belong. Putting the emphasis back on defense and speed will ultimately help the Yankees win some ballgames.

5. Negotiation
-Just because the Yankees did not offer Abreu arbitration, they still can re-sign him. Who knows? Maybe Abreu will find that there is just no market out there for himself and come crawling back to the Yankees at a reduced rate. Or maybe the Yankees will strike out on several big name free agents and come looking to sign Abreu later in the offseason? A deal is still possible, but the Yankees put themselves in a much better position to negotiate.

Yankee fans can mourn the loss of two potential draft picks all they want, but this move reeks of sensibility and logic. Not too mention that the Yankees already have a stacked farm system, which makes a decision like this all the easier to swallow. Good to see the Yankees curtail spending....for now.

Long Live the Head

Sad news today as OF Kevin Mench signed with the Hanshin Tigers of Japan. Mench had several very good seasons with the Texas Rangers, but really struggled over the past few seasons with the Brewers and Blue Jays respectively. Despite Mench's recent struggles, he will still make $2 million bucks next season. That's alot of yen.

What legacy has Mench left in America? His gigantic head and strange resemblance to an ogre.

Seriously, biggest head in baseball! Take a look!

.......................
.................
...........
.....

Oh wait...that's Shrek! How'd that happen?


Ladies and Gentleman, that is a size 8 head. That's alot of brain. Hopefully he knows some Japanese.

Konichiwa.

Take Your Time CC...but Please, Hurry Up

As any baseball junkie can tell you, the 2008 offseason has started very slowly. While the trade market has been somewhat active, the free agent market is very quiet as only two free agents have signed contracts thus far. So what will it take for us to get some moves?

CC Sabathia must sign a contract. Once CC sets the market, the dominos will begin to fall into place. Or so they say....

But is it really possible for Sabathia, the best free agent on the market, to sign a contract so quickly? Much to my chagrin, I say no.

Think of it like this: Sabathia is the very attractive girl in high school with all the guys trying to go out with her.

In one corner, Sabathia has the Angels, who have alot to offer Sabathia. The Angels are the cool, rich guy who everyone else in school envies. Armed with vast resources, a trendy owner, and lots of sunshine, the Angels seem to be the perfect fit for Sabathia. They can offer Sabathia a large contract (probably Zito-esque) and offer him the comfort of living in California for the next 5-7 years. they are a very attractive option for Sabathia. And on top of everything, the Angels have a very good chance to enchance Sabathia's social standing (i.e win a championship) because their resources are so deep and their team is loaded. Sounds pretty good , huh?

But then in the other corner, we have the Yankees. The Yankees were the rich, big man on campus a few years back, but after graduation, they slowly plunged their way into oblivion. They are looking to do everything in power to rule the high school once again and signing Sabathia will go a long way in restoring their glory. The Yankees will offer Sabathia whatever he wants short of the stadium to bring him to the Big Apple. The problem is that Sabathia is hesitant to date someone who already graduated high school (i.e move to New York) and may have to turn down whatever riches the Yankees throw his way. As we all know, money cannot buy happiness.

Furthermore, all of CC's friends (the good folks at MLBPA) want Sabathia to be in NY because it would set a good precedent for the rest of the starting pitching market. If Sabathia takes $30-$40 million dollars less than he should, then it is possible that the other free agent pitchers will not achieve their full earning potential. That's alot of pressure to put on CC. Oh the drama!

And the finally, we have the Brewers. The Brewers are the really nice, but sorta awkward guy who thinks that he has a shot at Sabathia because of his great personality Sabathia loves the Brewers, but as a boyfriend or just a friend? Even though Sabathia enjoyed his time with the Brewers, he probably will not commit to them because of their low profile and limited resources. Economically, the Brewers are not in the same league as the Yankees or Angels. Even though the Brewers are willing to spend more money on Sabathia than their budget allows, their offer will probably be $30-$40 million less than the Yankees and maybe the Angels as well! The Brewers and their fans have an intense love for Sabathia, but look for him to spurn the small market club for the bright lights of New York or California.

No matter who Sabthia picks, he will be handsomely compensated. This decision really comes down to money vs. comfort. With so much on the line (a new relationship!), you can see why CC would want to take his time in making this decision.

But as a baseball fan, for the love of God CC, can you sign already? This offseason has been brutally slow so far...and I need baseball! Only you can make that happen big guy!

King James and the MLB

As some of you probably know, on Tuesday night, the New York Knicks played LeBron James and the Cleveland Caviliers at Madison Square Garden. The game was a blowout by the second quarter, but most of the fans in the stands did not come to watch the Knicks win. They came to see LeBron, who is far and away the best player in the game. LeBron can do anything he wishes on the court and will have hundreds of millions of dollars thrown at him when he becomes a free agent in 2010. James is that good, a once in a lifetime basketball talent. He is unquestionably the face of the NBA.

So what the hell does this have to do with baseball? Well, it's simple. Even though baseball has boomed since the lockout and continues to swim in massive revenues and profit, I don't think that there is a LeBron in baseball. There is not one player who completely takes over the game with his ridiculous skills and has crossover appeal into pop culture. There is no mid nineties Ken Griffey Jr., a guy who could completely captivate an audience and transcend the minds of young children. Griffey was by far the most popular player in the majors and easily had the most hype attached to his name.

You can certainly make the case that Alex Rodriguez is the "face" of the MLB. Here is a guy who can do it all, looks like a million bucks, will probably hit over 800 homers, and plays for the Yankees! And did I mention that he is probably dating Madonna! What more could a marketer want?

Well, here's the problem with A-Rod. Even if he is the best player in baseball, he is far from being the most popular guy on his own team. Ask any Yankee fan who the leader of the Yankees is and the answer will be Derek Jeter. Jeter was in NY long before A-Rod and there is no chance that A-Rod will ever surpass Jeter in popularity no matter how many MVPs A-Rod wins. Furthermore, A-Rod's struggles in clutch situations have prevented Yankee fans from fully accepting Rodriguez as a "Yankee." And c'mon, he's dating Madonna...doesn't that make him sorta weird?

So then why isn't Jeter the LeBron James of baseball? He's good looking, talented, plays for the New York Yankees, and has won four world championships. Strangely enough, this probably hurts Jeter more than it helps. His best days are well behind him and he has not won a championship with the Yankees in eight seasons. There will always be a lure around Derek Jeter, but the luster is clearly fading away.

So how about some non-Yankees. There is no doubt that MVP Albert Pujols is a fantastic hitter and a remarkable person, but for some reason, I don't think of Pujols as the face of baseball. Pujols has won a championship, two MVPs, and even had his "Oh my goodness" moment when he hit a monstrous home run off Brad Lidge during the 2005 NLCS...so why isn't he the LeBron of baseball? Pujols plays in a somewhat constrictive market. It's difficult for people in New York and California to fully embrace a guy who plays all the way in Missouri.

And I'm sure many of you will think, "wait, Lebron James plays basketball in Ohio and he's the face of the NBA! What gives!" Well, even though LeBron James is only entering his sixth season in the NBA, most of America already knew who he was well before he entered the NBA. Anyone remember ESPN broadcasting LeBron's high school basetball games? Or how about the LeBron beign featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated during High School? Hype has sold and will continue to sell LeBron James no matter where he goes or where he plays.

So how can major league baseball recreate the hype that brought us Junior and developed LeBron James into an icon? For MLB, the ingredients are simple: he must be a minor leaguer with an absurd amount of talent sprinkled with some good looks and charm. Oh yeah, playing in a big market helps alot! Take for example, Joba Chamberlain. During 2007, there was a hype about Joba before he even entered the big leagues because of his amazing stats in the minors and 100 MPH fastball. Once Joba reached the majors, every time he pitched became a showcase, an event of some sort, as every fan wanted to take a glance at the amazing Joba. Even into 2008, as Joba began to pitch out of the rotation, his starts became a spectacle in New York, oozing with hype and enthusiasm.

Chamberlain might have been the Griffey of this generation. However, there is no comparison between the two because Griffey played every day while fans have to wait and anticipate when Joba will pitch. Furthermore, Joba is way to unknown to even be in the conversation for face of the MLB even with the enormous hype he entered the league with. He may be the best thing since sliced bread...who knows? Too early to tell.

Maybe finding a LeBron James type is more difficult for the MLB than the NBA. Even if basketball is a team sport, one player can certainly dominate a team and more importantly, take over a game at any given point. That's impossible for baseball players, who either have to wait their turn to hit or can only pitch when the manager gives them the ball. That's a huge difference between the two sports.

I'm sure that the next Ken Griffey Jr. will come. Maybe this year, maybe in ten years...or maybe we already missed him. Just make sure to appreciate greatness while it's there, because as Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa proved, legends don't last forever.

One Less Headache for Mike Maddux (Part II)

Looks like the Rangers are beginning to purge their roster of fringe pitchers. Two day after granting Kameron Loe his unconditional release, the Rangers today traded away RP Wes Littleton to the Boston Red Sox for the always entertaining, future considerations. Seriously, what the hell are future considerations anyway?

After impressing Rangers brass during his first stint with the Rangers, Littleton has failed to impress largely because of his low strikeout rate and inability to pitch in Arlington (surprise, surprise!). Littleton is known for his drop down motion, which induces his fair share of ground balls. This could potentially make him useful to the Red Sox, but Littleton needs to prove that he can strike people out.

As for the Rangers, chalk this one up to "needs a change of scenery." I think that Rangers need to be aggressive in changing the mindset of the entire pitching staff and cleaning house is actually a good thing for the entire organization. Sorta like riding the Wonka Factory of all those bad eggs. Next up, CJ Wilson, Scott Feldman, Luis Mendoza, Kevin Millwood, Vincente Padilla, and the list goes on and on....That's alot of bad eggs.

Once again, have fun with this group, Mike Maddux.

Happy Thanksgiving, Mike Maddux

One less struggling career to miraculously revive!

The Rangers released Kameron Loe, who intends to play in Japan in 2009. Loe always had good stuff, but was never able to put it all together on the big league level (like many Rangers pitchers).

Is there any way the Rangers can get rid of Scott Feldman and Luis Mendoza while they're at it? I'm just not sure if the Japanese League will want either one of them....

Once again, good luck Mr. Maddux!

(Note: I am strangely obsessed with the Rangers pitching staff. I love watching the Rangers offense, but just watching the Rangers pitch gives me a sinking feeling. It's kinda like watching the 2008 Mets bullpen pitch all the time. I don't know how Rangers fans put up with watching horrible pitchers year after year without getting severe ulcers. It's sad...the Rangers have a competitive/winning offense, but their pitching staff crushes any chance they have to compete...year after year. If they could ever get some quality arms, the Rangers would be a fun team to watch)

Jorge Says...Happy Thanksgiving! (with an awesome coupon!)

First off, lemme just thank everyone here who has read or visited the blog over the past four months. The site is relatively new and it is still a huge thrill to me every time someone comments on an article or reads the site.I love to hear any and all feedback about anything related to the site or baseball so please, feel free to leave a comment or email me.

My goal for the website is clear: to provide the best baseball content and insight that I possibly can. I am thankful to have a platform that gives me the opportunity to express my views, whether you agree with me or not. And I really believe that the best is yet to come.

So thanks again everybody!

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Have a great Thanksgiving!

-Jorgesaysno!

Smart Cubbies

I think that Jake Peavy is one of the best pitchers in baseball. The numbers speak for them self. In three of the last four seasons, Peavy has produced an ERA under three while striking out over 200 hitters. That's flat out domination. Almost any team in baseball craves to get their hands on a pitcher like Peavy.

With that said, I think that the Cubs are smartly staying away from Peavy. As Manager Lou Piniella stated,

"Starting we don't need. We're set. We've got six good starters, and they're all experienced. Getting [Ryan] Dempster back was the key. We're in good shape with our starting pitching."

Piniella hit the nail on the head. Even though Peavy would certainly upgrade the Cubs pitching, the price the Cubs would have to pay for Peavy is certain to be astronomical. The Padres appear to be looking for at least one or two prime talents. Unfortunately for the Cubs, their minor league system is not stacked like the Braves and they would probably have to include Ryan Theriot, Mike Fontenot, Sean Marshall, Josh Vitters or Felix Pie. The inclusion of any of these players would mitigate the Cubs little organizational depth.

If the Cubs are going to win this season, their depth is going to play a big role. Rich Harden is perennially injured while Carlos Zambrano struggled with shoulder injuries throughout the second half of 2008. Furthermore, Derrek Lee and Alfonso Soriano have each dealt with their fair share of injuries during their Cub tenures. I have a feeling that the Cubs will need all the quality talent they need if they are to succeed in 2009.

Trading for Peavy would have been a classic panic move after the Cubs got swept by the Dodgers. The Cubs are a great baseball team that only needs some minor tweaking to be a serious contender in 2009. The only way the Cubs should make move on Peavy is if they can acquire him at a heavily discounted rate.

(Note: I would love to see the Reds made a strong play for Peavy. Between Daryl Thompson, Homer Bailey, Brandon Phillips, the Reds might have enough to make this thing interesting. They should have no problem generating offense in that ballpark and Peavy would give them a dynamic 1-2 with Edinson Volquez. Would Reds ownership would raise payroll? That's another story)

The Orioles Need Some Noise

Last offseason, the Baltimore Orioles traded away SP Erik Bedard and SS Miguel Tejada in a attempt to rebuild the once proud franchise back into respectability. After years of aging players and foolish contracts, it appeared as though the Orioles turned a corner last offseason towards youth and rebuilding.

In order to compete in the AL East, this is exactly what the Orioles needed to do. Even though the Orioles did not play very well in 2008, I thought that the rebuilding process was actually right on track. Aside from the continued growth of OF Nick Markakis and OF Adam Jones, the Orioles lucked out by getting great seasons out of veterans Melvin Mora, Aubrey Huff, and Ramon Hernandez. Three players who have no future with the Orioles because of their age and expiring contracts (after 2009)....prime trade pieces!!!!

Or so I thought. As of today, I have heard next to nothing on the trade front from the Orioles, which concerns me. The value for all three of these guys will never be higher and this is the Orioles last chance to get some return on their investment. The odds are high that these aging veterans will not be able to repeat their 2008 performance, which makes holding onto them even more foolish. Even if Aubrey Huff and Melvin Mora hit 30+ HRs each next season, the Orioles will probably still remain in the AL East cellar.

Maybe the Orioles are holding off on the rebuilding process until later on in the season because they want to sign local favorite 1b Mark Teixeira. Tex is exactly the kind of player the Orioles need-a young, marketable, power hitter. But, with or without Tex, the Orioles are still years away from competing in the AL East and they need to cut ties with these three veterans now. Getting younger should be the Orioles top priority right now, even if they struggle in 2009 and 2010.

Last offseason was a great start for the Orioles rebuilding project. But that was just the start. They need to finish the job by moving (or trying to move) Huff, Mora, and Hernandez. Activity is the only way for the Orioles to dramatically improve, while doing nothing would leave the Orioles in the gutter.

All That for Roger Clemens?

Ok, scenario time.

Your neighbor's house is burning down, the firefighters are on the scene already, and everyone is safe. So why in the world would you run back into the burning house?

For a Roger Clemens signed baseball.

Seriously folks, I can't make this up. That's exactly the scenario the Pete Ringo of Montgomery, Texas found himself in. Upon realizing that the ball signed by their beloved Clemens was still inside the Carnahan's burning home, Ringo sprinted in to save the ball from the fire, smoke, and water damage.

“He even ran inside because he knew we had a baseball signed by Roger Clemens,” Tracy Carnahan said. “I never would’ve thought of that.”

As an autograph enthusiast myself, I can certainly understand having a valuable keepsake, in both monetary and sentimental value. But risking your own life to save a signed baseball is a bit much, don't ya think? And it's so ironic that the ball in question was signed by none other than "Mr. Steroid" Roger Clemens. I'm sure Roger would be thrilled to hear that even after the steroid allegations, people are willing to risk their lives for his signature. Now that's loyalty.

(Side Note: Whose more popular in Texas, Clemens or Nolan Ryan? And why do Texans love flame throwing right handers? There has to be a reason!)

Also, Clemens signature on a ball is currently raking in $20-$40 on eBay. I know the economy is terrible, but I'm going to have to go with sentimental value on this story. Who woulda thought that a Roger Clemens signed ball would be worth the same as a Steve Yeager signed ball. Talk about depreciation!

Worth a Shot: Val Pascucci

It's amazing to me that this will be my second post about Pascucci. For the life of me, I cannot figure out why the Mets did not give him a shot this season. Even with Moises Alou and Ryan Church missing significant time during the season, the Mets never even bothered to give Pascucci a look. Instead, they gave at bats to stiffs like Endy Chavez (weak hitter), Trot Nixon, and Marlon Anderson. It's obvious that the Mets have no confidence in Pascucci, but there are plenty of reasons why other teams should be interested in the 30 year old.

For starters, Pascucci can flat out hit. Since returning from a stint in Japan, Pascucci statistics have been remarkably consistent.

2007: .284 BA 34 HR 98 RBI .389 OBP
2008: .290 BA 27 HR 81 RBI .410 OBP

Simply put, those numbers are fantastic. Not only can Pascucci hit for power, but he has a great eye at the plate and gets on base frequently. Furthermore, Pascucci absolutely crushes left handed pitching. He hit .373 against lefties this season with 10 HR and a .476 OBP, which is absolutely absurd. His talents are not easy to find and I think whoever gives Pascucci a shot will get a potential diamond in the rough.

I'm sure there will be many GMs who will shutter at the thought of giving a 30 year old retread a realistic shot at the 25 man roster. But Valentino Pascucci is not a AAAA player. His statistics are too good to ignore and his talents are too rare to simply shun. At worst, Pascucci is a pinch hitter with power against lefties and who knows, Pascucci could be a great fit in a platoon.
(Photo: minorleaguebaseball.com)

Free Heilman!

Over the past four seasons, Aaron Heilman has gone through more ups and downs than the Dow Jones. After failing to establish himself as a starting pitcher, the Mets moved Heilman to the bullpen during the 2005 season, even though Heilman wanted to be a starter. Since then, Heilman has been a stalwart in the Mets bullpen for the better and for worse. (and has maintained his desire to pitch in the starting rotation)

For better:
Heilman was fantastic from 2005-2007 during the regular season by establishing himself as a reliable set up man who could pitch multiple innings. His ability to get both lefties and righties out made him a favorite of ex-Mets Manager Willie Randolph.

For worse:
Yadier Molina. Just typing that name brings back bad images in my head. Molina crushed a hanging change-up from Heilman to give the Cardinals a 3-1 lead in game 7 of the NLCS. The Mets ultimately lost the game and propelled the Cardinals to the World Series.

2008. Heilman bounced back in 2007 after the Yadier Molina homer to have his best statistical season to date. But for some reason, Heilman struggled mightily in 2008. Heilman seemed to have established himself as a reliable set up man, but this season, he fell off the map. Lefties hit .308 against Heilman, which was shocking because Heilman performed well throughout his career against both lefties and righties. By the end of the season, Heilman was relegated to the back of the Mets bullpen, often the focal point of the many boo birds at Shea Stadium.

So it should come as no surprise that Heilman has asked once again to be moved to the rotation or to be traded. As much as Heilman frustrated Mets fans this season, moving Heilman to the rotation, or at least giving him a shot to start, makes all the sense in the world.

For starters, the Mets only have three guys penciled into the starting rotation right now, so perhaps Heilman could fill one of those spots (or at least compete with Jonathan Niese). If this happens, the Mets would have no need to bring in competition (i.e Pedro) to battle with Niese during Spring Training and they could focus their efforts on rebuilding the bullpen and adding depth to the roster.

The knack against Heilman over the years is that he could only throw two pitches. Heilman has a great change up and a pretty good (sometimes explosive) fastball, but has lacked consistency with his slider. To me, this is a prime example of knit picking. One of the Mets best starting pitchers is Mike Pelfrey, a guy who has one plus pitch (fastball) and a decent slider, but is successful because he continually pounds the strike zone and has excellent command. Obviously Heilman is a completely different pitcher than Pelfrey, but the Mets can impose the same philosophy with Heilman that they did with Pelfrey, then I think Heilman can be successful. Remember folks, Heilman has great stuff.

Also, the Mets love to bring up Heilman's previous struggles as a starting pitcher. To that, I say hogwash. Most of those numbers are from 2003 and 2004, a time in which Heilman was struggling to find himself on the major league stage. Since then, Heilman has experienced success as a pro and changed his arm slot. Heilman is a completely different pitcher now than he was five years ago.

Furthermore, if the Mets trade Heilman, Omar Minaya would be selling Heilman at his lowest point. At no point over the last four years has Heilman's value been lower. Since the Mets still control Heilman's rights for the next two seasons, it makes sense to see what he can do as a starter to see if his value will increase.

For Mets fans, the obvious benefit here is that Heilman would be out of the rotation, now unable to blow anymore leads in the excruciating fashion that has become his trademark. Fewer sleepless nights and ulcers are definitely a good thing for the panicky fan base (I know this all too well).
(Photo: Daylife)

Stallin'

Surprisingly, I have not written too much about the Jake Peavy trade talks. I wrote earlier that the Padres should NOT trade Peavy, but apparently the divorce of Padres owner John Moores is more important that fielding a competitive baseball team. Go crazy Padres fans, go crazy. Boycott anyone?

But the real story here is why the Peavy deal has not been completed yet. The Padres have negotiated extensively with the Braves and Cubs, both of whom would love to add Peavy. It would have benefited both sides to have completed this deal by now, but because of the gird lock, Jake Peavy remains a Padre, for now. So what's the holdup?

1. The Contract
After the 2007 season, Peavy signed a team friendly extension (3 years/$52 mil) with the Padres through the 2012 season. Even though Peavy could have probably tripled that contract on the open market, he gave the Padres the "San Diego discount" thinking that this deal would keep him in the sunshine for the foreseeable future. Not if John Moores' divorce has anything to do with it! So now, as the Padres look to move Peavy, they are asking for a premium package in return because whoever acquires Peavy will get an ace pitcher at a bargain price.

So that conceivable should put the Padres in a power position to get a fantastic return on a Peavy trade. Right?

2. No Trade Clause
Ooops. When the Padres gave Peavy an extension last winter, they also included a full no trade clause for the ace right hander. My bad.The full trade clause has come back to bite the Padres in the butt because Peavy can eliminate any team that he does not want to be traded too.

And all indications are that Peavy wants to stay in the NL, which eliminates bidders like the Yankees and Angels. I suspect that if Peavy were to be traded to an AL team, he would want to be handsomely compensated ($$$) for going against his original wishes. In turn, AL teams would not offer the Padres as much for Peavy because they know that they probably would have to sign him to a huge contract.

Also, the no trade clause adds significant leverage to National League teams, who will be hesitant to offer a premium package to the Padres because they know that the number of Peavy suitors has been diluted. When less teams are involved in trade talks, it becomes more difficult to start a bidding war between two teams and in turn, receive the desired package of players. I suspect this is where the Braves are playing hardball. They know that the market for Peavy is small, so they are refusing to give up their top prospects (Schafer, Hanson, Heyward) and are refusing to part with more than one premium talent (Yunel Escobar).

By having a say in where he winds up, Jake Peavy is undercutting the trade market. The buyers in the Jake Peavy market need to be patient. If the Padres are really set on dealing Peavy, then their price will come down in time. Just look at what happened with Johan Santana last year. And if I'm a Padres fan, I pray that Peavy stays a Padre. If that cannot be done, pray that Peavy has a change of heart and will accept a trade to the AL. It is not a fun time to be Padres GM Kevin Towers.

Wak-amat-su!

It appears that the Mariners have settled on their man and his name is Don Wakamatsu, former bench coach of the Oakland Athletics.

First off, how amazing of a name is Wakamatsu...say it ten times fast...I dare you. I love this choice already!

But for all the talk of how great the Seattle job is, Wakamatsu has his work cut out for him. The Mariners are coming off a 100 loss season, but perhaps most importantly, they lack building blocks for the future. Sure they have Ichiro, Jeff Clement, Brandon Morrow, and Felix Hernandez; but outside of those three, it's pretty barren.

Wladimir Balentien is been a good prospect, but has never proven it on the major league level. Jose Lopez is coming off a career season, but can the guy take a walk? Is he even aware of on base percentage? I think not.

And wow is there alot of waste on this team. Carlos Silva, Kenji Johjima, Miguel Batista, and Jarrod Washburn are all being paid much more than they deserve and are simply taking up roster spaces at this point. Oh yeah, Silva and Johjima are each signed for another three years. Nice moves, Bill Bavasi.

And how about Erik Bedard? How will the new manager handle this diva if he is still around? Or will the Mariners non tender Bedard after he underwent shoulder surgery over the summer? Hmmm, so many questions and so few answers when it comes to the "Mariners ace." Nice trade, Bill Bavasi.

So I don't care how much money the Mariner's owners are willing to put into the team or how great the fan base is, because the reality of this situation is that Wakamatsu is inheriting a mess. This is a team with no direction that lacks the talent needed to compete. Unfortunately for Mariners fans, I think this will get worse before it gets better. The best thing the Mariners could do is to trade JJ Putz, Adrian Beltre, and Jose Lopez and start all over from scratch. At least the Mariners will then have a direction. Yay for rebuilding!

Hopefully Wakamatsu packed a lot of Peptobismol for those painful losses and extra Asprin for all those Erik Bedard related headaches in the near future.