NEWS/RUMORS/INJURIES/"CHRIS's CRAZY THOUGHTS" Thread

If we're trying to shed payroll, why would we trade for Cole Hamels? He's getting 22.5 million a year

 

I'd do a trade centered around Joc and throw in 2-3 more B level prospects, but don't know if I'd do Urias.

Great, great post.

 

I'd be more inclined to trade pitching for pitching, but ideal scenario if it's between trading anything for Cole Hamels or signing Lester/Scherzer, I'd do sign Lester/Scherzer.

 

I'll take 2014 Jon Lester.

 

i think we said the same thing there or close enough anyway.

but disagree with you here for multiple reasons. as we know..the market changes from year to year. Martinez had no player comparison-barometer..he just led things off here and got 4yrs because his personal market and team interest was booming. so if i'm a team talking to Cruz's agent, i'm explaining away Martinez's contract that easy and then asking Cruz's agent to show me an offer that Cruz received that was for more than the 3yrs that Baltimore just offered to him. i play it from there..his personal offers. now sure, the player comparison-barometer is a tactic and it exists, but it has a smaller impact than team interest and certainly a smaller impact for those that don't stack up. for example: Nelson Cruz himself..he got shit on last year in free agency because he tested positive. the Mariners reportedly took Cruz off their board completely last off-season because of that, so his personal market wasn't great because of himself. point being, circumstances are different for everybody..Cruz's agent can ask for whatever he likes or compare Cruz to whomever, but ultimately teams wanna know what your other offers look like more than anything. Martinez had a big offer from Seattle..that helped him..not another player.

and then 35yrs old or not, Martinez is a better hitter than Nelson Cruz and VMart's a switch hitter to boot -- which of course is added value. Cruz, whether people realize this or not because it doesn't seem like he's been around that long, but he'll be turning 35yrs old mid-way through this next season, so Cruz is no spring chicken either. and then Martinez is already proven and thriving in his DH role..who knows if Cruz will have that level of focus or success in that kind of role down the line? DH gets shit on a lot here, but it takes a good amount of focus to be a great one. and again, Martinez is a part of continuity in Detroit..there's a chemistry/leadership role there for him and that's added value as well. it also adds to your value if your countryman and arguably the best hitter in baseball's happiness is tied to your return. Cruz doesn't have any of that going for him..the most he could hope for is making an argument on behalf of where teams should begin with their offers, but if they don't agree or aren't willing then that's that..he'll get no 4th year.

Martin needs a bidding war between 2 or 3 catcher-less teams to get what he wants more than he needs to use Martinez as a barometer. Martin will likely catch 110 regular season games on average over the next few years + playoff games if the signing team is lucky, but after that his value is shot. come the 4th yr, he's likely splitting time with a backup. point being, teams will be willing to grant that 4th or even 5th year to Martin -- not because of Victor Martinez's contract -- but because it could help them win a bidding war and get him signed this off-season in a thin market for catchers. Cruz is going to rely on the thin hitter's market more than a Martinez-comparison..and even then there are several hitters on the trade block that are younger than Cruz is and don't have the PED stain attached.

 

Cubs and Dodgers will probably be deadlocked at 5th year offers. Cubs will either fold or Martin walks away from them..both know that ultimately the Cubs won't be making the playoffs the next couple years and that Martin will probably be on his way down when they are finally ready to compete. only a contender should spend that kind of doe on Martin.

 

Martin, no question. i'd imagine he gets 5yrs.

Cruz, he's already turned down a 3yr offer, so we know somebody's at least willing to give him 3yrs.

 

The Hawaiians are like..eh bruddah..Gime musubi no spam light. Shoots brah..Spam light no ono... put da real spam in da grinds ..

 

300M is exactly what it should take for Stanton to give them a chance given their track record. he can always ask for a trade later.

 

Not saying we should try for Russell Martin, but that .290 number is suspect. I don't think he will sniff that in Dodger stadium. But if we're getting him for his ability to throw out runners and frame pitches, then fine. I don't expect that much out of the catcher position with anyone we have or can have at this point.

Other thought...Kershaw is coming off of his third Cy Young with AJ as his primary catcher......should we risk getting rid of AJ?

 

i'll tell you what's not suspect -- a .190 average with 3HRs. no..we fully recognize that that's garbage.

talking strictly offense..if Martin gives the Dodgers a .250 average with a .323 OBP ( same as Ellis last year), 10-15HRs ( what he gave Pittsburgh), scores from 2B consistently, and goes 1B to 3B on the basepaths when we need it he will have an incredible impact in the lower half of the lineup.

i, for one, believe Kershaw can pitch without Ellis, and if he does struggle he'll just have to adjust and learn how to do so. but this idea that he can't do without Ellis..i'm not buying it until i see it. he's comfortable with Ellis, but Kershaw's tougher than that and it's gonna happen one day anyway. Ellis won't be around forever.

and Kershaw would likely have to pitch to Martin in the playoffs..while Mattingly is an idiot..i don't think Mattingly's quite dumb enough to sacrifice the offense/speed on the basepaths that Martin brings..especially when Martin's better than Ellis behind the plate as well. so i'd assume that Kershaw would be pitching to Martin a good amount of times in the regular season too just so they have their chemistry together come playoff time. Ellis doesn't handle balls in the dirt nearly as well as Martin, so Kershaw could throw the kitchen sink @ Martin. Ellis would probably get 40 or so starts if they signed Russ, obviously with the whole rotation, just so Martin could stay fresh.