Links for Tuesday night, as the Cubs decide on the back of their rotation…
- Zack Greinke told Dave Sheinin of the Washington Post that he chose to join the Brewers over the Nationals because he felt that Milwaukee was going to win sooner than Washington. The Nationals offered Greinke a $100MM extension at one point and Greinke didn’t accept it, though he says he expects the Nationals to be a good team within a few years since owner Ted Lerner wants to win badly. Greinke didn’t rule out the possibility of playing for the Nationals once he becomes a free agent, after the 2012 season.
- The Brewers are likely to start the season with four starters and eight relievers, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.
- MLB.com's Mark Sheldon examines the Reds' bullpen and explains that Dontrelle Willis appears to have a good chance of making the team.
- In a mailbag for MLB.com, Matthew Leach suggests it’s a make or break year of sorts for Cardinals Kyle Lohse, Ryan Theriot and Skip Schumaker. They’re not the only ones with lots riding on 2011, as the MLBTR team has outlined.
Dave_Gershman
If Greinke did accept the trade to the Nationals, he would have been involved (if he was at all) in a different basketball game thus being able to avoid injury since it’s a whole different game than the one in AZ, most likely.
Just saying
Lunchbox45
Perhaps Span,
but perhaps walking away from the peaceful, clean basketball game he trips on someones bag falls awkwardly and separates his shoulder.
Dave_Gershman
Yeah, I really like him as a Washington National. But whatever.
Lunchbox45
it would have been cool no doubt. but the nats time will come. soon too
Dave_Gershman
Yeah, there’s always the risk of that as well.
jwsox
who turns down 100 mill? i bet he did it because the brew crew is a much smaller market then the nats. but could you imagine greinke and strasburg in the same rotation
John Thomas
Ever been to a nats game? They aren’t exactly a huge deal in DC.
vonhayesdays
phillies games always sell out there though and they both were red hats
hoagiebuchanan
Good observation! I award you no points.
jwsox
This is true but dc is a much bigger market with a super rich owner who clearly wants to win. The nats are on the rise. More if a win soon and keep winning mode. Think if werth is like he was in Philly, strasburg comes back healthy and does what he did last season over a full year, Harper comes to be legit, and ramos is legit along with Zimmerman that’s a winning core for years to come. Throw in zack that’s really good.
The nats are building to win in the next 2 years and to keep winning where as the brew crew are in a win this season or it’s all over mode.
Lunchbox45
He’ll easily make more than that if he reaches free agency…
its a risk, but its a calculated move.
CarterSemple
I would play for the Nats for 100 mill
ellisburks
I would play for the Nats for $100.oo
vonhayesdays
If the nats wanna win why did they only offer greinke a measly 100 million
chaifetz10
Depends on the length of the deal. Over 7 years, you would be correct that would be a measly extension. If it was 100 mil over 4 or 5 years though…could have been great.
vonhayesdays
yeah but he’s young like five years younger than cliff lee and he got 125 mil , so then at the end of his career he wouldnt get much but since he would already have a 100 mil i guess it would matter to much cant be too gready but then again he is a baseball player
JohnS
Considering he has had one good season, I wouldn’t offer Greinke $100 million.
Lunchbox45
1 good season?
vonhayesdays
that is a valid point and maybe the medication stops working
woadude
I just want everyone to understand that the Nats have 100 million dollars to offer AFTER signing Jason Werth, understand Royals,Marlins,Orioles,Rays,Mariners,Padres???? 100 million for ONE pitcher.
vtadave
Point being? You don’t think the Orioles or Mariners would offer $100 million to a player?
woadude
No I do not.
jwsox
The mariners did his name is Felix Hernandez and before that there was this guy named ichiro, dont know if you have heard if them. As for the o’s they offered texeria 130+ mill before he signed with the Yankees. So yea
woadude
Felix didn’t get 100 million and neither did Ichiro so YEAH, and uhhh the Oriloes never seriously considered they were under bidding for Texiera so YEAH, research and you will see Ichiro was given just under 100 million and Felix is at 78, so yeah, wanna trade me 100 dollars for my 78?
woadude
And I am a Mariners fan, they couldn’t even offer King Felix 100 million, add another 2 years or one of them a player option and give Felix 100 million.
woadude
Also nice how you didn’t argue about the other teams, because they are never seriously into any big name FA, its frustrating to hear such players going into FA and none of these teams pop up into discussion and the reason is they don’t have the money, and now here is the lowly Nats blowing Jayson Werth away will big money and suddenly here is 100 million dollars for Greinke, well, are the Orioles or the Mariners in the discussion as a possible landing spot for Prince Fielder or Albert Pujols?
JohnS
Although, I also wouldn’t have given Werth over $100 million.
Randall
Mentioning Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols in same sentence is like spreading manure on a prostitute. Just doesn’t compute.
invader3k
No one really compares to Pujols, but that doesn’t mean Fielder still isn’t an All-Star caliber player. He’s going to have a monster season this year before hitting free agency.
woadude
Both are FA after this season, Not everyone can have Albert unfortunately so one of those teams will have to look at another FA, where Prince Fielder will come into play, hence why they were in the same sentence.
EvanMK
Why would you ever pass up $100 million as a pitcher? Two years is a long time to wait until free agency when your job is as unnatural and conducive to spontaneous injuries as his is. See: Adam Wainwright.
Daniel
How could any rational person or team decide to carry Dontrelle Willis on the active roster? You have got to be insane to do that. Wow.