Links for Monday, as Roy Halladay attempts to lead the Phillies to another division title…
- Good news for Jack Zduriencik: Mariners president Chuck Armstrong told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that team executives are "not thinking about changing the general manager at all."
- Jim Donaldson of the Providence Herald asks a question the Red Sox are likely wondering about, too: does Jonathan Papelbon deserve a raise in 2011?
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman told Alex Speier of WEEI.com that the trio of Brett Gardner, Nick Swisher and Curtis Granderson provides the team with a well-rounded outfield going forward. The Yankees could always bid on Jayson Werth or Carl Crawford, but those outfielders appear to be luxuries, not necessities.
- Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch notes (on Twitter) that Albert Pujols would approve trades to the Astros, Marlins, Dodgers and Angels. The first baseman isn't going anywhere, but Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun Sentinel has a little fun and wonders what it would take for the Marlins to acquire him.
- Brandon Webb, who hasn't pitched in the majors since making his 2009 season debut, won't pitch for the Diamondbacks this year, according to MLB.com's Steve Gilbert. Webb is about to hit free agency and will be looking for a significant base salary. He'll have to prove he's healthy first, so he'll pitch in the instructional league this week. Webb reiterated his desire to return to the D'Backs, and new GM Kevin Towers is open to the idea as well.
Papelbon definitely doesn’t deserve a raise after his disappointing campaign. Whether the Sox will give him one not is up for debate.
Too bad to hear about Webb, I hope he can come back and be at least a decent pitcher next year and for the years after, but the odds are certainly against him.
The only way that Boston doesn’t give him a raise is if he is non-tendered. It is almost impossible to not get some kind of raise through arbitration.
Yeah, I know if they tender him a contract he will be getting big bucks, but after this season and with Bard around, I’d say that there is a chance he is non-tendered.
Webb really needs to pitch in order to get teams to buy into him. After an offseason where Erik Bedard, Ben Sheets, and Chien-Min Wang signed incentive-laden deals and still provided next to nothing, Webb will not find a very inviting market.
That’s certainly true. Yeah Sheets was the only one who even pitched an inning, and even still he wasn’t effective and he went down with another injury.
Given his track record though I think he’ll find a decent deal considering his injury, but maybe playing a little winter ball could help his value. I’m not sure if he would or could, but it’s a thought.
What kind of a contract do you think he’ll get? I’m thinking 1 year for 5 million base with up to another 5 million for 162 innings.
Sounds good to me. I say the Royals sign him.
I say the Reds sign him
…because the Reds are hurting for rotation candidates?
Because the Reds lack a true #1 and he has potential to fill that void for a reasonable price
Okay the Reds doesnt havent true number one which what Webb is when he’s healthy. He’s said many many times that he wants to play close to home and as a matte of fact Cinnci is the closest to his home, He’ll be playing with a great defense and his former pitching coach.Reds have money coming off the books and if they where going hard after Haren and Lee which there not going to get why not Webb onthe cheap?
That’s probably what he’ll get.
theres not reason for the redsox to give papelbon raise, he is absoultley horrible against the yankees and rays! i dont feel cofortable with him coming in with a 5 run lead let alone a 3 run lead! bard is the future
Uh Brian, do you know what his ERA against the Rays is this year? Zero.
it would be awesome if houston signed albert pujols… at least for me anyways 🙂
I would do Hanley straight up for pujols in a heartbeat as the article mentioned. Then they add in gaby “clothesline” Sanchez+prospects? Drool…
Of course you would say that!
I wonder what Pujols is thinking right now after the way things have gone this season. I mean, would he have said that if things were going well?
I don’t think any of those teams have the talent that St. Louis would demand in return, and it boggles my mind as to why Albert Pujols would want to play with any of those teams. The Marlins and Dodgers aren’t going to pay him, the Astros won’t compete for a couple of years… I could sort of see him playing with the Angels, but like I said, they don’t have the vast amount of prospects he’d require. Doesn’t make sense to me.
dont necessarily need prospects. Morales + Aybar + prospect? not really sure its kind of hard to imagine what the cards would actually want
Right now, assuming nothing but getting rid of Pujols they need 2-3 starters, 2-3 relievers, a 2B and SS and an acceptable replacement 1B. Probably one of those relievers needs to be a lockdown closer, but the starters don’t have to be amazing, just solid #3-5 options. I’d say at least 2 players in any deal would have to be immediate starting potential and the rest long-term prospects.
eta: Not suggesting a 7+ player deal, just saying those are the team needs ATM, I’d suspect Pujols would require the top 2-3 prospects in any system at least though.
I was having the same problem. I find it hard to imagine that teams are going to completely dismantle their rosters for Pujols, despite him being, well, Pujols. That’s what doesn’t make sense to me. If you read the article that started this all, Capozzi suggests that Hanley Ramirez, Gaby Sanchez and two very good prospects would be required to get the deal done.
So the Marlins are dealing one of the best shortstops in the game (a position where it’s really, really hard to find someone of Ramirez’s skill set), a first baseman who had a breakout year, and two very good prospects, for a mega star in Albert Pujols. I’m not buying. That’s another reason I find it hard to see the Angels getting a deal done. They don’t have that premium player like Hanley Ramirez. If I were the Cardinals, no such deal would even begin until the Angels put Jered Weaver on the table.
Injecting a little reverse racism into the conversation, the common thread of all of those cities is a high level of Spanish speakers that already are fans of their local baseball teams. He wouldn’t want to go to Detroit or Minnesota because basically all their fans are crackers and he’s already in crackertown in St. Louis so why risk going anywhere that isn’t a step up culturally from where he’s at? And yeah yeah, everyone can claim “but we’ve got tons of them mexicans sitting at the home depot” when they want, but lets face it those are pretty much 4 of the top destinations for people who aren’t interested in learning English. I’m surprised San Diego and San Francisco aren’t in the list honestly.
I hope that some deal goes down. I hope the Cardinals let LaRussa go off somewhere else, get rid of Carpenter and Pujols and take that 50 million/year and spend it on Wainright, 2 decent pitchers and an actual offense that doesn’t suck, instead of chucking it all at two players that aren’t getting younger. Signing Pujols to a long-term 30m/year deal is nothing short of franchise suicide for the Cardinals and I really hope the majority of the Cardinals fans out there see that. Management will take SO much heat for not signing Pujols, but won’t they take MORE heat and lose more money by having 4-5 years of consecutive Pujols Bitching About Not Winning seasons after they’re forced to get scrap heap pitchers and AAAA stopgaps in half the infield?
Not exactly trying to look back here, but the Red Birds committed suicide with that ill advised Holliday signing, not trying to keep the best player in the game bar none in Pujols.
I’m guessing it’s the Latino populations of the cities. Miami, Houston, L.A. That’s the only link between the four teams that I see.
BTW, as an Astros fan, I agree with Alberto that it would be awesome if Houston acquired Pujols(and signed him). Very unlikely though.
whoever said that ALBERT would approve a trade is full of bullcrap. ALBERT is a CARDINAL for LIFE.
Although I am a Cards fan, I am no longer of the mind set that he will be back after his contract expires. If he does with an A-Rod type contract (which he deserves), this team will go no where.
2-3 excellent position players + a bunch of scrubs = issues
“ALBERT is a CARDINAL for LIFE”…. or until he doesn’t get the contract he wants, whichever comes first.
Pujols to the Mets for Perez, Castillo, Sean Green’s arm, and a crusty jock strap Gary Matthews Junior left in the clubhouse.
But the Cardinals have to take on the rest of Bobby Bonilla’s salary.
-wtk
Papelbon for Pujols…
Burnett for Halladay
Sal Fasano for Corky Miller.
Corky Miller for Corey Patterson
Corey Patterson for Bernard Gilkey
Bernard Gilkey for A.J. Burnett and Francisco Cervelli
A.J. Burnett and Crevelli for…for…for…for…umm, nothing?
Nothing+50 Million Dollars, the Rays, Rangers, and Royals Farm System for Pujols, Aaron Rodgers, Sidney Crosby, and Famous musician Mr. Conway Twitty
You can release A.J. and Cervelli
.J. Burnett and Crevelli for Pujols
Pujols for Felipe Lopez
Felipe Lopez for a bag of nickles
A bag of nickles for 200 pennies.
200 pennies for 2$ ohhhhhhhhhh
2 dollas for 5 dollars…wait.
No, no, i’ll take it. Worth more than Lopez anyway
Watch him be Girardi’s utility man next season!
Oh god, no. Please. I’d rather have Ramiro Peña at that role
Burnett for Halladay
———-
I wouldn’t mind that at all but I also agree that the Yankees need to sign Cliff Lee. Hoopefully Pettitte does retire with Posada because a rotation of CC, Lee and Pettitte is pretty darn good. Hughes will only get better and AJ don’t even get me started. Trade him and just suck it up and eat most of his salary. Then have Nova be your 5th starter or maybe they could take a low risk high reward on Brandon Webb. Just a thought. I would like Carl Crawford but if Gardner can keep doing what he’s doing this year or maybe even improve a little I’ll be fine.
Nope, you’re stuck with AJ. Have fun… for another 3 years.
I hope the wheel falls off the bandwagon your riding.
I don’t think you’re a bandwagon fan for wanting A.J. to leave. Everyone wants A.J. to leave.
Nick The Stick
25+ HR
80+ RBI
.360+ OBP
.280+ BA
and solid defense
Curtis Granderson
20+ HR
20+ SB
70+ RBI
.280+ BA
and sterling defense
Brett Gardner
.280+ BA
.385+ OBP
40+ SB
75+ BB
and world-class defense
These are stats projected for each if them In a full, healthy season, along with any body work outs, or batting mechanics improvements. I don’t think the Yankees need CC or Werth.
That’s funny. A “full, healthy season” from Nick Johnson?
nick swisher?
If he said Nick the Sick then yeah it would be Nick Johnson, but yeah he means Swisher haha
Dude. Nick Swisher is Nick the Stick, Johnson Is Nick the injured player who warms the bench for a season. Johnson doesent even play the outfield either, IMO.
i dont see pujols doing a lebron sorry but i lost respect after what he did to the cavs.i would love seeing st louis one of the better cities for baseball expand there payroll they can be so good with a tweak or 2.to bad for you guys its not your team nor your not a general manager you just watch lee i would understand trying to get but there is no need for crawford or werth dunn ect for nyy i know most of you nyy fans the non biased ones would say that gardner earned his stay.crawford to me fits with a team like detroit more and more unless they plan to use raburn at lf it makes the most sense and they will have money to spend the red sox angels also can look at both werth and crawford.one last thing i say boston really needs to get rid of papelbon cuz he is pretty average at best not really an elite closer anymore low 4.00 era isnt elite the future of al east closers in a few years is gonna be different with paps gone soriano gone rivera retired gregg gone though now it wont matter come 2012 or 2013 it will
That made my head hurt.
If the Cards traded Albert the GM would need to go into the witness protection program…even they may not take him.
All joking aside… does anyone really think Albert is going anywhere? IMHO….no.
I personally wouldn’t mind a trade IF it led to this team to winning the way that we know they are capable of AS WELL AS filling some of the holes this team has (2B,3B,SS,RF,RP,CP)
I really think it’s time to look into it. The Cardinals need to make this public that Albert is/was open to a trade. Maybe that would ease some of the thrashing the front office would take if a trade were to happen.
Based on the teams he said he’d be willing to be traded to he’s not open to be traded. Houston?? Florida and their $45 mil payroll?? Divorce Court LAD?? The Angels are the only team of the group that colud afford him and they already have Kendry Morales…
I believe that even with the players on the 4 teams Albert says will not have the players to match Pujols ability and the gathering of fans every year. There are fans just to see Albert Pujols to take swings, in batting practice. If there fans so early, it is suicide for them to trade Albert. It is not only the players they get might not be as good, but all the revenue they will lose too.
Nah, if St. Louis is putting a good product on the field the fans will come. The “average” fans will lash out at first, the true fans that understand all parts of the game, will see that it could be for the best. I am not saying it would or wouldn’t, I really don’t know. What I do know, is that we can’t afford to let him walk away after next year for nothing. The front office has to figure out this offseason if they can get him signed to an extension or not. If not, then you have to trade him. You can’t let a guy like Albert walk away and only net you 2 extra draft picks.
As an Astros fan as much as we love the rivalry with St.L, I agree the Cards fans are a pretty sensible bunch and classy too. If you know the man will not resign then get something for him leaving. NYY don’t need him unless you DH him, Boston has to be in on him to actually play the field. Houston has the Carlos Lee contract keeping us down, along with a still pretty weak farm. I also, agree the Marlins are too thrifty to go get him, and LA has issues. The Angels? Maybe. If Nolan Ryan wanted him imagine Pujols and Hamilton back to back!
That’s would be great unlikely having p0ujols and hamilton back top back.