Jump to content

Hot Stove League '07-'08

cryptique

By cryptique,
in Tongue-Tied Lightning

 Share Followers 0

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 1k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

bjorn_skurj

bjorn_skurj

Posted
Posted
and with no prior knowledge as to what would be discussed or what Mitchel knew there was absolutely no impetus to go against the wishes of the union.

A question: What do you think would happen if baseball adopted a drug-testing program as strict as cycling's?

Link to post
Share on other sites
Spawn's dad

Spawn's dad

Posted
Posted

penalty-wise? a piss load of guys would be sitting out for a long time. In a sport like baseball where there is more skill involved it could serve as a real deterrent, though a guy on the bubble would likely still take the risk to make a team. Nothing is likely to put the Genie back in the bottle.

 

I'm pretty sure if they did steroids, and a guy doing an investigation on steroid use in baseball, they probably had an idea what he wanted to talk to them about.

 

maybe, though they were looking into everything from what I heard and interviewing players about other players and checks given to clubhouse guys. a lot of tangled webs and the opportunity to prepare what they wanted to say even if it was about steroids probably should have been afforded.

Link to post
Share on other sites
Sir Stewart

Sir Stewart

Posted
Posted

Maybe the A-Rod deal got posted already, but I don't see it here. This happened yesterday too.

 

 

A-Rod calls opt-out 'inappropriate'

 

BY MARK FEINSAND

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

 

Friday, December 14th 2007, 4:00 AM

 

 

Calling his opt-out saga "a mistake" and using words such as "distasteful" and "inappropriate" to describe its timing during the final game of the World Series, Alex Rodriguez officially returned to the Yankees on Thursday with a 10-year, $275 million contract.

 

Just hours before the Mitchell Report was released, A-Rod spoke publicly for the first time about his return to the Bronx, one which looked very unlikely until Rodriguez took control of the situation from his agent, Scott Boras.

 

The opt-out became public in the late innings of Game 4 of the World Series, sparking a barrage of criticism toward both Rodriguez and Boras. Rodriguez made it very clear yesterday that he regretted the timing of the announcement.

 

"That was handled extremely poorly," Rodriguez said. "It was my understanding that the letter wouldn't go public until a day or two after the World Series concluded. The whole thing was done (distastefully) and it was very inappropriate.

 

"It was a mistake."

 

Boras had told Rodriguez that the Yankees were not interested in retaining him, prompting him to opt out of the final three years of his $252 million contract. Still, the information "didn't feel right" to A-Rod, who had spoken during the season with Brian Cashman, Randy Levine and other Yankees execs, leading him to believe he would be in the Bronx for the duration of his career.

 

"I always thought the negotiation was going to be simple and it wouldn't take a lot of time," Rodriguez said. "When I was getting the information, it was very surprising, upsetting and hurtful.

 

"Once the season was over, I knew two things: I wanted to remain a Yankee and I wanted to exclusively negotiate with the Yankees. I thought it would be a very clean, easy and rapid negotiation. Somewhere along the way, we took two or three left turns."

 

As the criticism grew louder in the days after the opt-out, Rodriguez reached out to Hank and Hal Steinbrenner through an intermediary, a Goldman Sachs executive named John Mallory who had ties to both sides. Rodriguez expressed how important it was for him to stay with the Yankees, leading to further conversations.

 

"I felt New York was the place for me," he said. "I have a lot to prove here."

 

According to A-Rod, it took just two conversations with the Steinbrenners for the sides to reach a deal, one that will keep the three-time MVP in pinstripes through the age of 42.

 

"It sounded like these things were very important for (Hank Steinbrenner) to hear," Rodriguez said. "I'm glad I made that phone call or I wouldn't be here today."

 

Whether Boras was trying to steer A-Rod away from the Yankees in search of a $300 million deal is unclear, but once Rodriguez decided he had to speak with the Yankees himself, Boras was no longer involved in the talks.

 

Rodriguez said he and Boras have spoken just once since A-Rod agreed to return to the Yankees, a conversation in which Rodriguez expressed his anger about the way the situation was handled. Still, Rodriguez said Boras - who didn't return a call seeking comment yesterday - remains his agent.

 

"When I realized that our goals were not aligned, that's when I had to step in and get my voice heard, call Hank and Hal and tell them how I felt," Rodriguez said. "At the end of the day, Scott and I have a 16-year history and I've known him half my life. He's built up enough equity with me that I respect and appreciate a lot of things he's done for me.

 

"Scott works for me. When it comes to the World Series, to opting out, to all the big mistakes, I've got to look in the mirror and take that bullet. If I had to do it again, I would have called Hank from day one and negotiated the contract myself."

Link to post
Share on other sites
P Dub

P Dub

Posted
Posted

Oakland trades Danny Haren and a prospect to the D-Backs for 6 prospects. I'm not sure why the A's would make this trade given that Haren was under contract for 3 more seasons at a really fair price. They must be getting some of the D-Backs best prospects. Still, why not wait another year?

Link to post
Share on other sites
Lammycat

Lammycat

Posted
Posted

"The agent for Johan Santana has told the Yankees, Red Sox and other teams interested in Twins star pitcher that the price to sign him is a minimum of seven years at $20 million per year, for a total of $140 million guaranteed.

 

The Twins definitely will not meet that price. The Twins did offer Santana his $13.25 million salary for 2008 and four more years for a total of $80 million. The question is, will other clubs pay Santana's price?"

 

http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/12493231.html

 

 

 

And, the Twins want Bucholtz and Ellsbury in any deal. Yeesh.

Link to post
Share on other sites
P Dub

P Dub

Posted
Posted
"The agent for Johan Santana has told the Yankees, Red Sox and other teams interested in Twins star pitcher that the price to sign him is a minimum of seven years at $20 million per year, for a total of $140 million guaranteed.

 

The Twins definitely will not meet that price. The Twins did offer Santana his $13.25 million salary for 2008 and four more years for a total of $80 million. The question is, will other clubs pay Santana's price?"

 

http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/12493231.html

 

 

 

And, the Twins want Bucholtz and Ellsbury in any deal. Yeesh.

 

If I were the GM of an interested team, I would take my chances and just wait until after the season. The price to acquire and then sign him is too high.

Link to post
Share on other sites
Lammycat

Lammycat

Posted
Posted
If I were the GM of an interested team, I would take my chances and just wait until after the season. The price to acquire and then sign him is too high.

I don't think the Twins want to wait. Trading deadline in the middle of the season? They won't get what the can now for him. End of next season? Probably won't get what they can now for him either.

 

The Twins have the advantage to push this thing into Spring Training and are smartly pushing hard. It's not the $ so much that concerns me with BOS as it is the push for the inclusion of at least two of their top prospects along with the dollar figures.

Link to post
Share on other sites
P Dub

P Dub

Posted
Posted
I don't think the Twins want to wait. Trading deadline in the middle of the season? They won't get what the can now for him. End of next season? Probably won't get what they can now for him either.

 

The Twins have the advantage to push this thing into Spring Training and are smartly pushing hard. It's not the $ so much that concerns me with BOS as it is the push for the inclusion of at least two of their top prospects along with the dollar figures.

 

That's true. I guess being here in StL where $1 mil or so can mean the difference of returning Eckstein at short or bringing in Izturis, or a few years ago with keeping Grudz or saving a few bucks with someone else at second. If I'm the GM of BOS I don't have those worries. I'm sure the Twins want to get as much as they can, as soon as they can. I just think if you wait a little bit, either the Yankees will overpay or their demands will drop a bit. To me, with the guys you already have, I think Haren would have been a better option. But down the road, your roster will change as contracts expire, so I don't really know. Acquiring an (another?) ace only comes along so often.

Link to post
Share on other sites
P Dub

P Dub

Posted
Posted
Actually I got a little confused. Was thinking of Rolen. Oops.

 

There was some tension between Edmonds and TLR, but not anywhere near Rolen's level. Jimmy has battled injury after injury since 2004. He was never healthy at any point last season. Tony put an awful amount of pressure on the MV3 to play at their career averages, often saying that they have to carry the team.

 

Edmonds really stepped up in 2006 as the vocal leader of the team, handing out game balls to that game's hero. I've been a baseball fan since the mid 70s and honestly he is the best centerfielder I've seen. While Jones was winning all those gold gloves, Jimmy was making plays that Jones wouldn't have attempted. His 12th inning walk off homer against the Astros in NLCS 06 was one of the greatest moments I've experienced at the stadium.

 

Earlier this week, owner DeWitt claimed that for the Cardinals to compete next season, we need a healthy Edmonds and Rolen to remain on the team. Unless they pump that money saved back into the payroll, it will go down as one of the worst trades in team history. I think most fans wanted to see Jimmy retire as a Cardinal.

Link to post
Share on other sites
bjorn_skurj

bjorn_skurj

Posted
Posted

An interesting proposal:

 

 

 

December 15, 2007

Op-Ed Contributor

Let Baseball Players Police Themselves

By J. C. BRADBURY

 

Kennesaw, Ga.

 

ON Thursday, Major League Baseball released the former Senator George Mitchell

Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share
Followers 0
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...