MLB offseason thread

[mack 44]

The A's have completed a trade to send Dan Haren to the Diamondbacks along with pitcher Connor Robertson, The Chronicle has learned.

In exchange, Oakland will receive a total of six prospects, including outfielder Carlos Gonzalez and left-handers Brett Anderson and Greg Smith. Arizona's first-round pick in 2006, pitcher Max Scherzer, is not a part of the deal.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?...P.DTL&tsp=1

Fuck.

[mik3 1]

I don't like Haren at all. His BABIP was pretty much off the charts low last year for 3/4 the year, then it normalized and his ERA went up around .75.

He's a good pitcher, but he's not an ace.

The DBacks also traded Valverde for Chris Burke, Chad Qualls, and Juan Gutierrez. And Alberto Collaspo for Billy Buckner.

[mik3 1]

Edmonds to the Padres for an ok 3b prospect. Edmonds will be terrible in that park but he's from CA so that's probably why he waived his NTC.

[mik3 1]

Wow, Josh Hamilton for Edison Volquez.

[mack 44]

WTF is up with Yankees and transportation? Christ.

[mik3 1]

I wondered how Mark Wohlers feels. And an actual beat reporter for the team, not just some nut, wrote, "The driver of the other car must have been a lefty, Leyritz could never hit righties."

[Jason Harris 31]

If it was just a fender bender, that line is cute. Given the circumstances, it's in poor taste.

[mik3 1]

Well it's the same writer that still constantly makes fun of Carl Pavano when he's not involved in the story at all. He tries real hard to make his columns/blogs interesting, and fails.

[mack 44]

Mark Wohlers was probably out drinking with him, still wearing a mullet.

[mik3 1]

Billy Beane has now stolen from two farm systems this season.

Five of the top 7 prospects out of the very highly rated DBacks farm for Haren.

Now the top three prospects out of the White Sox system for.....Nick Swisher.

[pwrfwd26 0]

Billy Beane has now stolen from two farm systems this season.

Five of the top 7 prospects out of the very highly rated DBacks farm for Haren.

Now the top three prospects out of the White Sox system for.....Nick Swisher.

as a fan of the A's i think all the trades that Billy boy pulled are a joke! i don't care how many TOP prospects he got, because when all is said and done they are just that prospects. A's have given up their ace and posibley their best hitter! this makes me sick!

[mik3 1]

You have to understand the A's aren't the Yankees though.

Would you rather have a few third place mediocre years with Haren and Swisher or a few bad years where all these great players mature and become the next Tejada/Giambi/Mulder/Hudson/Haren?

Add them to the fact that the A's system was pretty good to begin with andyou have a genius GM. No other GM has the coconuts to pull off these two deals. Most GMs will be dumb like the Astros and keep trading young players away while spending too much on marginal talent.

[Chadd 916]

Billy Beane has now stolen from two farm systems this season.

Five of the top 7 prospects out of the very highly rated DBacks farm for Haren.

Now the top three prospects out of the White Sox system for.....Nick Swisher.

Ok, so now he has 8 prospects. If half of them turn out to be above average ballplayers, how many prospects will he get when he trades them? 10 maybe 12? And then what, trade for more prospects? It just goes to show that the MLB luxury tax is utterly useless as it is currently set up.

You have to understand the A's aren't the Yankees though.

Would you rather have a few third place mediocre years with Haren and Swisher or a few bad years where all these great players mature and become the next Tejada/Giambi/Mulder/Hudson/Haren?

And you get one or two shots, at best, with all that talent before they walk away or you have to trade them. Five to six years of bad teams for one or two shots at the playoffs is still a bad trade off.

[mik3 1]

I'd take the two good and two bad over the four mediocre.

[Jason Harris 31]

As a wistful dreamer, I'd rather see a salary cap. Put the onus on running a good organization, not on luck of geography.

[mik3 1]

Never work though, because of what you eluded to, geography. Baseball's too regional to ever work with a cap.

The problem with baseball is the owners that have the most money spend the least.

[pwrfwd26 0]

Billy Beane has now stolen from two farm systems this season.

Five of the top 7 prospects out of the very highly rated DBacks farm for Haren.

Now the top three prospects out of the White Sox system for.....Nick Swisher.

Ok, so now he has 8 prospects. If half of them turn out to be above average ballplayers, how many prospects will he get when he trades them? 10 maybe 12? And then what, trade for more prospects? It just goes to show that the MLB luxury tax is utterly useless as it is currently set up.

You have to understand the A's aren't the Yankees though.

Would you rather have a few third place mediocre years with Haren and Swisher or a few bad years where all these great players mature and become the next Tejada/Giambi/Mulder/Hudson/Haren?

And you get one or two shots, at best, with all that talent before they walk away or you have to trade them. Five to six years of bad teams for one or two shots at the playoffs is still a bad trade off.

chadd i think you hit the nail on the head. with the A's this cycle will never end. :(

[mack 44]

I've liked the A's long enough to realise this is just standard operating procedure for them. Beane's not spending a dime until they start the new stadium, not that he spends much anyway, but this is how they survive. If this team ever got money behind them they could turn into something better than possible Cinderellas.

[mik3 1]

Kenny Williams, after getting completely fleeced by Beaner, returned the favor on the NL West

Angels get

Konerko(owed 36mil over three years)

Crede(owed 19mil over three years)

for

Howie Kendrick(minimum)

Ervin Santana(first arbitration year)

Nick Adenhart(Angels' #1 prospect)

Sean Rodriguez(#5 prospect, great fielding SS)

[Jason Harris 31]

You know what I was a bit shocked to see? Baseball America ranked the Red Sox' farm system as second best.

[mik3 1]

I was pretty surprised also. There's guys with huge upside, but there's systems with guys who are ready to guy with as much depth through the organization. Red Sox are towards the top thanks to the last few drafts, but they're probably behind Tampa/Cincy/Texas/now Oakland

[mack 44]

Isn't this Angels/ChiSox deal still just a rumour?

[mik3 1]

Isn't this Angels/ChiSox deal still just a rumour?

ESPNradio is saying there's money going to the Angels so nothing will come of it till monday at the earliest.

[mack 44]

Damn, that is a rough deal headed the Angels way.

[Dean_ 0]

Does anybody know when the schedule is going to be made up for this season ?