The Hot Stove League

[Sir Stewart]

Wow, I saw a future Rookie of the Year play in the minors the year before he came to the bigs. Way to go, Hanley.

[bobbob1313]

Wow...

 

 

According to Rotoworld.com

Agent Jeff Borris said there is interest in Barry Bonds from unexpected sources.

 

Now starting in left field for your Florida Marlins... 'There's interest outside of San Francisco,' he said. 'There are teams that don't characteristically sign free-agent players such as Barry that called and said they were interested. I was a little surprised. But how could you blame them? Barry has a chance to break the home run record in their ballpark'.

[MrRain422]

Not gonna happen.

[cryptique]

I should preface this by saying that I wish Barry Bonds would just go away, but assuming he doesn't, he's going to be in the American League next year as somebody's DH.

[bobbob1313]

He's said repeatedly he doesn't want to be a DH, although that would be the smartest thing.

 

I know the Marlins have a very small chance to get him, but that would be pretty awesome. Cabrera would probably put up 140 rbi batting behind Bonds.

[caliber66]

Wow...

According to Rotoworld.com

 

Agent Jeff Borris said there is interest in Barry Bonds

 

No, really? The agent who is trying to sell his client is saying there's a lot of interest? Give me an unbiased source, and I'll put a little more credence in the claim...

[bobbob1313]

I'm just reporting what I heard and thought was an interesting quote. The part you left out (unexpected sources) was the interesting part, not the "interest" part.

[cryptique]

He's said repeatedly he doesn't want to be a DH

His knees beg to differ.

[bobbob1313]

I haven't seen any interviews with his knees, so I'm going to go with what he's actually said.

[MattZ]

If I were the GM of a small market team with a reasonably small budget with no chance of landing top free agents, I would be sure to have my minions leak to the press that we are going after talent like Bonds and/or Zito. This way, when we dont get those players to sign with us we can tell our fans:

 

1. Wow, we just can't compete with the Yanks/Sox when it comes to money;

2. But dammit, we tried.

3. See how hard we are working to keep you happy as fans?

4. Please buy more tickets.

 

I am not saying that this is what the Marlins are doing with the Bonds thing, but its what I would do. And I think a lot of teams do this.

[caliber66]

I'm just reporting what I heard and thought was an interesting quote. The part you left out (unexpected sources) was the interesting part, not the "interest" part.

 

If you hear from Dustin Diamond's agent that fifteen studios are courting him for lead roles in major summer blockbusters, do you believe him or wait for independent confirmation?

 

edit: of course there's interest - he's Barry (fucking) Bonds. I'm just going to take anything his agent says with one gigantic grain of salt. Or a pair of wrinkly hemorrhoids.

[Lammycat]

Bonds will be 43 this upcoming season. He had an injury-plaqued season in 2005. Nagging elbow problems and knee problems up through last season. Doesn't want to DH, yet has regularly griped about playing LF in the past. Wants a lot moremoney than he's worth. Tends to be a slight distraction with all the controversy surrounding his legitmacy at breaking the record with 22 or so more HRs, and is widely suspected as a man who is cheating/cheated his way through a major part of his career.

 

What club wouldn't welcome Bonds?

[bobbob1313]

Barry Bonds at this point in his career is basically Brian Giles in his prime. I'll take that.

[cryptique]

Barry Bonds at this point in his career is basically Brian Giles in his prime. I'll take that.

Maybe, but not for the money Bonds wants.

[bobbob1313]

Webb takes home NL Cy Young

 

Right-hander beats out Hoffman, Carpenter for honor

By Lindsey Frazier / MLB.com

 

PHOENIX -- Arizona right-hander Brandon Webb made his first All-Star appearance in 2006 and ran off a 30-inning scoreless streak. Now he has capped the year off with his greatest achievement. On Tuesday, Webb was named the National League Cy Young Award winner by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

 

Webb, 27, finished the season with a 16-8 record and 3.10 ERA in 33 starts. His 16 wins tied five other pitchers -- the Reds' Aaron Harang, the Dodgers' Derek Lowe and Brad Penny, the Braves' John Smoltz and the Cubs' Carlos Zambrano -- for the most victories in the National League, though it is the lowest win total by a Cy Young winner in any year not shortened by labor issues.

 

 

Congrats to Brandon. He had a great year. It would have been an absolute travesty if Trevor Hoffmn had actually won.

[Oil Can Boyd]

Wow, I saw a future Rookie of the Year play in the minors the year before he came to the bigs. Way to go, Hanley.

 

You and me both.

I saw him play for the Single A Lowell Spinners. The game I saw he didn't do anything spectacular but he looked like a major league player surrounded by college players.

[MrRain422]

I saw both Verlander and Ramirez in the All Star Futures Game last year. It was not exciting.

[bobbob1313]

I saw Hanley at least 20 times this year in person and another 100 or so on the TV Box, and he did some pretty spectacular things.

 

NEW YORK

[bobbob1313]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2662193

 

 

Sox place winning bid of 51.1 million dollars for Matzazuka.

 

I absolutely love how the Sox were whining about how they can't compete with the way the Yankees throw out money after the Abreu trade, and then spend more than 4 teams do on their entire payrolls just for the right to talk to this guy. Most people think his contract will be around 3 years 36 million, which means they'll be paying 88 million dollars for 3 years of service.

 

God, it's so tough fighting against the "evil empire" when you can only spend 30 million dollars a year on an unproven pitcher... Looks like the players aren't the only ones who are idiots.

[rareair]

mark derosa. i am so glad cubs.com felt the need to email me the news as it happened.

 

the cubs better hurry or jd drew and keith foulke will be gone.

[MrRain422]

I hear they have their eye on Troy Percival.

 

Not really, but man, that would be funny.

[rareair]

I hear they have their eye on Troy Percival.

 

Not really, but man, that would be funny.

 

maybe like mel rojas funny.

[Nobody Girl]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2661928

 

"We're not moving to Timbuktu, we're going down the road in our mind," A's owner Lew Wolff said. "We're doing the best we can."

 

And all Wolff will say now regarding his team's new name is that there will be something in front of the phrase "Athletics of Fremont."

 

Ugh. I have so little; now I can't even continue to make fun of the Angels for their ridiculous name because my team will have one, too.

[Lammycat]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2662193

Sox place winning bid of 51.1 million dollars for Matzazuka.

 

I absolutely love how the Sox were whining about how they can't compete with the way the Yankees throw out money after the Abreu trade, and then spend more than 4 teams do on their entire payrolls just for the right to talk to this guy. Most people think his contract will be around 3 years 36 million, which means they'll be paying 88 million dollars for 3 years of service.

 

God, it's so tough fighting against the "evil empire" when you can only spend 30 million dollars a year on an unproven pitcher... Looks like the players aren't the only ones who are idiots.

I'll address this post in more detail when I have more time, but the Sox have been very conservative the last several years for reasons such as this (Matsazaka) and will still be pretty far below the Yankees payroll when this contract irons out. No doubt they have money to spend, though. And I couldn't be more pleased that they do.

[Spawn's dad]

 

i'll take the bets now. this guy never ends up on the redsox. it's totally a move to block him from going to other teams. paying that fee to talk to the guy and then tack on 15 million for three years, since Boris is his agent. that's like 90 million for three years. There isn't a pitcher alive worth that kind of coin.