1. YAY
I am told that the #Athletics already have informed Daric Barton that he will be tendered a contract
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) December 2, 2013
With Barton getting tendered, that means the #Athletics are likely to tender all of their arbitration eligible players.
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) December 2, 2013
2. yay. Not Huddy or Haren, but yay.
Sources: #Athletics close to signing free-agent LHP Scott Kazmir.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 2, 2013
Heyman says it’s a 2 year deal.
Kazmir deal with a's will be 2 years. good for him.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) December 2, 2013
However, this probably means Bartolo is not being retained.
The Orioles are also trying to move Jim Johnson, who apparently makes $10M this year and had 0.9 WAR. Then I found out he is a reliever. Huh.
Baseball stuff is happening. Oh also Cyber Monday so the A’s are selling Opening Day tickets, and charging extra for the CONVENIENCE of purchasing them at home and printing them out yourself. Thanks, A’s!
And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.Thanks, and go As.
I like Kazmir if he can maintain the velocity he had this year. Would allow us to trade a back end starter like Millone which has a ton of value in a world where jason vargas gets 4/32
Does anyone have a summary of the A’s 2014 payroll (including arby estimates, I guess)? I would like to see them still try to sign Colon, but maybe it’s not in the budget.
According to b-r:
$39 M guaranteed salaries
$21 M arbitration (estimated)
$5 M pre-arb players
$11 M for Kazmir.
That would put them at $76 M. Last year was $60 M. Even with the new TV money, I doubt they’re going about $80 M, so probably no room for Colon without shedding salary somewhere else.
Trading Anderson, Smith, and Callaspo could clear another 15-16 million or so. Of course, if that goes to Nelson Cruz…
If we cant get someone better than nelson cruz why shouldn’t we just keep them.
I’d trade them for something better that picks up that cost instead.
I for one hope Anderson is not traded. There’s a lot of upside there for $8 million.
I agree, and I would be pretty happy to go into the season with 7 reasonable Major League starters (Anderson, Kazmir, Gray, Parker, Straily, Griffon, Milone).
I hope he’s not traded because we’ll need his 120 innings to supplement Kazmir’s 150.
If you put them together, Steamer projects 260 IP and 3.6 WAR. At $19M, that’s $5.28M per win which is fine but not great.
With Kazmir signed, are there any options that provide a projected superior cost:benefit ratio?
Kazmir + Anderson 2014 = Sheets + Duchscherer 2010. Throw Brett Anderson’s initial breakdown into the mix in 2010, and that’s how Geren wound up pushing Vin Mazzaro out there for 18 starts.
That sucks. Shut up!
Sheets was coming directly off his injury when we signed him. Kazmir has already proven to be effective again. He could get hurt again, of course. I’m definitely in favor of having 7 (or more) passable starters around, because (not just A’s) pitchers always get hurt.
I agree with both points. Anderson can be the Sheets.
Updated, now that we have a Kazmir number
Updated again for Johnson
Added Nakajima. Made the pre-arb numbers a bit more realistic.
Updated for Gentry trade
Here is my attempt (using Cot’s):
[Under contract]
1. Cespedes — $10.5
2. Anderson — $8
3. Crisp — $7.5
4. Callaspo — $4.875
5. Punto — $2.75
6. Kazmir — $11
[ ] Nakajima — $3 (not on the 40-man roster)
TOTAL = $47.625
[Arbitration eligible]
7. Smith (5.119 years, $3.675 in 2013) — $4.5?
8. Lowrie (5.111 years, $2.4 in 2013) — $5?
9. Jaso (4.032 years, $1.8 in 2013) — $3?
10. Moss (3.160 years, $1.6 in 2013) — $3?
11. Barton (4.030 years, $1 in 2013) — $1.5?
12. Blevins (4.081 years, $1.1 in 2013) — $1.5?
13. Reddick (3.050 years, $0.51 in 2013) — $3?
14. Chavez (3.108 years, ?? in 2013) — $1.3?
15. Johnson (5.165 years, $6.5 in 2013) — $10?
16. Gentry (3.084 years, $0.5 in 2013) — $3?
TOTAL = $35.8???
[Pre-arb]
17. Cook
18. Milone
19. Parker
20. Scribner
21. Sogard
22. Donaldson
23. Abad
24. Doolittle
25. Griffin
26. Norris
27. Straily
28. Rodriguez
29. Freiman
30. Figueroa
31. Gray
32. Leon
33. Otero
34. Parrino
35. Peterson
36. Taylor
37. Vogt
38. Werner
39. Ynoa
40. Lindblom
TOTAL (10 * $0.6 to fill out the 25 man, then 14 * $0.15) = $8.1 (maybe still too generous)
2014 payroll estimate = $91.525 (!!)
Hm, I think this is missing Nakajima’s ~3 million.
ew
Oh yeah, him. The SS market is really weak, but I still don’t think the A’s could get anything for Nakajima in a trade.
Well, time to add another ~10 million to the total.
A’s are getting around $17M in TV money this year right? That’s pretty much Kazmir and Johnson with a few million thrown in on top, I’m more than fine w/ that.
I’d even still go for Colon, see what you can get for Milone and Seth Smith.
Wait, there should be 41 players + Nakajima. Who am I missing?
That’s a drop in the bucket in this free agent SP market. This is so much better than committing more money and years to mediocrities like Hughes and Vargas.
Updated to 2/$22M. Still seems totally reasonable.
I was in the shower and heard my phone making Twitter notification tones….came out and discovered that 19 people I followed had followed @scottkazmir19 in the last hour. Oh.
Your phone alerts you when people you follow follow other people? That way lies madness.
it just started recently for me. I lost my phone two weeks ago. when the new one comes that will be the first thing I turn off
It takes 2 weeks to get a new phone? Geez, that’s insane.
That’s what I thought. They said 2 business days to process and mail, but I have been to busy to follow up
Maybe you’d be less busy if you could call people instead of having to go see them.
Too busy watching cricket?
I am watching windies vNZ right now
As long as we’re discussing sports most Americans have never seen, I hear Fiji beat NZ in rugby 7’s.
I suddenly feel a lot cooler about the fact that I watch golf.
Golf: The one sport that makes cricket seem fast-moving and non-aristocratic.
hey, they are about to break for lunch
This explains why when I play golf I have a stiff upper lip and feel the need to oppress others.
Dude, you’re too cool. I can’t compete, I gave up years ago.
I’m as cool as someone who says they’re as cool as the other side of the pillow.
I’m as cool as a cup of coffee you forgot about for 2 hours. About as desirable, too.
I don’t drink coffee…I’m a Republican.
LOL at the Seahawks firing up the crowd by having Fred Couples raise their “12th Man Flag” tonight.
like, how in the world do you go from a conventional 2.4 V8 to a 1.6 V6 turbo from one year to the next and say it’s the same sport???
Remember when Ford thought it was a good idea to offer a turbo 4 in a Mustang? That’s just wrong.
A) The SVO was awesome
B) They’re bringing back a Turbo 4, apparently
Thanks, and go As.
A Mustang should have the rumble and roar of a V8. Nothing wrong with turbo 4’s, but the Mustang is not the place for them. Same way you wouldn’t stuff an OHV V8 in a Porsche, even a great one like the LS6.
I can make phone calls to other people with phones with my phone.
Humanity will rue the day that rotary phones died.
All I know is I pay a bunch of money each month for phone quality worse than I had in 1982. God damn kids and your god damn cell phones…GET OFF MY PHONE!
But in 1982, you couldn’t hold up your phone and have it identify the song on the radio.
Fair point…it’s all good…who needs a good signal anyway?
Most of what other people say is irrelevant. As long as they can hear you, that’s all that matters.
I actually hate talking on my cell phone so much I usually turn it off. With my new job I have an office phone I use instead. What I’m saying here is I’m old damn it.
So am I.
Cameron is bullish
I just don’t understand how you don’t spend $2m on a better and more durable pitcher who happens to be a fan favorite instead of the guy that even when healthy hasn’t been as good.
Also this
I agree that it looks a bit questionable when you put it side by side with the Hudson deal. The A’s really don’t seem to give a FK about ground balls, and I’m starting to think that there is some reasoning behind it.
Saying your starting shortstop is Jed Lowrie is exactly like saying “I don’t give a fuck about groundballs.”
Hee
tagline?
They allegedly offered Huddy the same deal first, and then he took $1M more to play for the 76 win team instead.
Thanks, and go As.
Right, so why not offer him 24m instead of 22 and get a pitcher much much less likely to be a total blackhole and that your fans like?
Who knows? Maybe Huddy was talking to both teams and went to the Gnats and said “beat 22M and I’ll sign because I want to stay in the NL so I can hit” and there was never an option for us to go to 24?
Thanks, and go As.
That is possible, but if Beane cant get a “I took Charles fucking Thomas so I could get you close to home, let me match those shitbags at ATT’s offer before you accept it” from him, maybe he shouldn’t have written that book about himself.
lol
-It’s not at all clear to me that 38 year old Tim Hudson coming off a brutal ankle injury is less of a risk than 30 year old Kazmir with no recent injury history.
-It’s also not just two million. The Giants gave Hudson a no trade clause. The A’s didn’t have to with Kazmir.
-It’s also not at all clear to me that Hudson is the better pitcher as you claim. Steamer projects Hudson as a number 3/4 while Kazmir is more of a number 2. The A’s have plenty of #3/4 types. They are in the market to find someone who can replace or at least come close to Bartolo’s production last year. In terms of who is most likely to do that out of Kazmir, Bartolo, or Hudson, Kazmir is probably the best bet going forward.
-Kazmir is a flyball/strikeout guy who fits better with our current outfield defense/park than Hudson who pretty much exclusively relies on groundballs.
In a perfect world, they sign both, but even though I was a huge advocate of signing Huddy, I see no reason at all to nitpick this move.
Is it possible to have an injury history when youre not playing baseball?
How many comparables does Scott Kazmir have for Steamer to base it off of?
How much are you going to bet that Kamir retains the hardest fastball hes thrown since he was 21 9 years ago?
How much of Fangraphs thinking Kazmir is better is due to regressing his HR rate to league average levels when he has been a homer machine.
Steamer also projects him to throw a full 1 BB/9 below his career next year. How confident are you on that?
Im fine with this signing because we needed more starting pitching, but Id still rather have hudson with the bad injury.
Why are we so in love with Steamer now?
Thanks, and go As.
unlike everything else it is publically available now
Because we’re all still waiting for ZiPS!
1. Sure, it’s assumed he’s injured.
2. Few, but I don’t know how much this matters because we’re not talking about PECOTA.
3. As long as he’s healthy, I’m reasonably confident he’ll be around the same velocity. Which is basically what you can say about any pitcher.
4. It’s nonsense to categorize Kazmir as a home run machine when he has a career HR/FB of 9.4%, which is below league average.
5. Pretty confident, as that projection is worse than what he actually did this year.
Im confused when you say that when you say this above it.
Are you arguing that he does or doesn’t have an injury history
He hasn’t been healthy for most of his career and has experienced velocity loss in the past. Qualifying it as as long as he’s healthy is a cop out, you should have to predict it with health. Thats like saying if I get 21 at the black jack table I am confident that I will win the hand, when you are sitting there after getting dealt a 16; getting to 21 is the hard part.
He hasn’t had a HR/FB rate below 11.6% for four years.
It predicts him to have a half run better era an 3/10ths of a run better FIP.
One counter-arguement…
The A’s didn’t need to sign a FA SP to try and replace Colon’s 2013 production; in fact, Steamer is projecting 2.2 fWAR from Kazmir in 2014. The A’s best chance at replacing Colon’s 4 Win pitching was pitching against Detroit a couple months ago : Sonny Gray or Jarrod Parker.
I don’t think you could count Parker as *replacing* Colon, since Parker was already part of the 2013 pitching staff.
My opinion though is that the A’s should be looking to improve their starting pitching for 2014, not just tread water. They always look good by ERA because Oakland is a pitchers park, but 2014 Oakland starters were 10 out of 15 in the AL by WAR (8/15 by SIERA, which is park corrected). On the other hand, the A’s position player WAR was 3/15 and relievers were 6/15 by WAR (for whatever that’s worth) or 3/15 by SIERA. All that implies that starting pitchers might be the low hanging fruit if we are looking to improve the A’s roster.
If Parker or Gray is replacing Colon’s production, then Kazmir is replacing Straily/Griffin/Milone’s production, which is a worthwhile thing to invest money in.
In fairness, I don’t think an extra $2 million would’ve landed Huddy.
An extra $2 million + a NTC was needed to land Huddy… and Beane doesn’t like to give out NTC’s.
all will be reveeeeeeealllllllled
If there’s one thing we lack around here, it’s a sufficient supply of Led Zeppelin.
Who else had a conversation with their family this weekend that included mentions of DFA and EM?
I try to avoid conversation with my family as much as possible.
Which is why they like talking to me more than to you.
The problem with talking to them is that they don’t just shut up and listen to me. They say things back.
I didn’t read what you wrote…I was too busy talking to the screen.
Good man. It’s better that way. The next time I write something meaningful or funny will be the first time.
Me.
I mentioned Bed in a family conversation. Something along the lines of “my foolish internet friend who thinks Reggie McKenzie is a bad GM.”
i wasn’t the one who mentioned them
Now that I helped unionize the stations in LA and San Diego, I am renowned!
Well, I like to think I’m foolish for a variety of reasons.
So Kazmir goes from off the scrap heap to a good year that leads to 22 million clams…not bad for him. I hope it works out.
I took a couple good photos this year. I wonder if that’ll get me a fat contract.
I thought paparazzi were mostly freelancers.
You misspelled “stalkers.”
I’m not sure…I know how you can get fat though.
I manage that quite well on my own, thanks.
My advice would be to stop eating your weight in Cool Whip each morning for breakfast.
I find your comment vile and reprehensible, sir. I never touch Cool Whip! I make my own REAL whipped cream, thank you very much!
Darren Sammy just grazed the bails but they didn’t fall. Hashim Rutherford got really lucky.
Its a sticket wicket
Ed…did you have a stroke?
That’s another coded message to Jennifer, isn’t it?
Sticky
typo, feel free to correct
as enlightening as you would think
Daniel Bard was nontendered.
Reclamation project please PLEASE PLEASE.
As a reminder, he is the guy that once threw this pitch:
Yes. That does say 99mph.
Thanks, and go As.
Playing in the Puerto Rican winter league this year, he has faced 14 batters, walked nine of them, thrown four wild pitches, and only recorded one out. In the 2013 regular season, he played in the Red Sox minor league system, but no higher than AA, and allowed 27 walks with 11 wild pitches in 15.1 innings.
Totally broken.
He seems worthy of a minor league deal, but the Cubs will probably offer that.
Wtf, that doesn’t seem like a good deal for Detroit.
That makes no sense at all.
Completely nuts.
I can’t come up with a single justification from the Tigers perspective. It’s just inexplicable.
They have 5 Starters, they desprately need bullpen help and they forgot that they just traded a very fat man for a overpaid secondbaseman?
Who’s the bullpen help? Krol?
wasn’t he bad this year?
Yes and not just this year, which is why it makes no sense at all.
Hes been good in the minors after they made him a reliever. His fastball mph jumped into the mid 90s
I guess he really cooled off after that hot start. He did have a K/BB of almost 5 when he was in AA
Well, um, it could be a good minor leaguer?
Also this means the Nats are going with Rodon at 2b?
Rendon? I guess so.
i don’t get that at all.
I wouldn’t mind having him, but not as the closer, and not for anything of value, and probably not at what he’ll get in arb this year.
He’s a decent relief pitcher, but probably way too expensive because of all those saves? I though someone said that he was signed for $10M in 2014, but I don’t see anything about that on Cots.
here
I guess he probably would close for the A’s, but Doolittle would be just as good. But one of the things I like most about Oakland is that they would never ever pay $10M to a relief pitcher.
Callaspo and Anderson for Johnson and a couple prospects?
Fuck, I dunno. This seems weird.
Thanks, and go As.
Can’t BB just pluck a closer out of the Eastmont Mall like always? I thought there were closers panhandling all up and down Hegenberger looking for work the way he invents them time after time.
Rather deal Bert for a bat if at all… VERY hard to give up on Bert despite how tempting it is at the surface to do so. He’s only 25 and I really think he has a chance to still be an upper-end starter.
You probably all think I’m an idiot but I want Beltran, to share RF with Reddick’s wrist and take DH ABs away from Seth Smith… that guy is so money in the postseason, I bet he could even win games for US is October, Team Playoff Hopeless, Inc. LOL
*in October
Beltran would be nice but he wants one more serious payday. He’s going to NYY.
Thanks, and go As.
I think I would rather pay Anderson $8M, even with his injury history, than pay Johnson $10M.
Yes.
More innings for fewer dollars.
Well, more innings is questionable. Even as a reliever, Johnson has thrown significantly more innings than Anderson over the past three years combined.
Well they paid more than $1.00 to Arthur Rhodes which is even worse.
good point
Christ, this makes even less sense than Nelson Cruz.
Andrew Bailey non-tendered.
he was injured at the end of the year?
Yep. Shoulder. Not good.
I was going to make a snarky comment about how bad that trade was for the Red Sox, and then I remembered that they won the World Series, and I had a massive sad.
since the trade the A’s have a better record by a lot and have been to the post season twice.
Plus remember how sad reddick was to be on the A’s and how happy bailey and sweeney were to be with the red sox?
I don’t remember Reddick being sad, but I do remember the other two being happy. I also remember hanging 20 runs on those fuckers last season.
ptbnl and i were at that game.
Reddick wasn’t sad, but he wasn’t pumped. He said the “Happy to get an opportunity to play” stuff
My seats were a birthday present for the Red Sox fan who introduced me to baseball.
The Windies don’t have their masher, but they have nice quotes:
I guess a minute in India is like a day in New Zealand
so have you seen the movie? i keep almost watching it until i realize it’s not about jamaican music.
No. In my week and a half being a cricket fan, I have not seen that
its on netflix streaming. cool
FK it. I’m watching cricket with Ed.
I’m one minute in and already full of questions.
The Windies uniform crest is cool:
That didn’t work, but it’s a tiny island with a tree and a wicket on it.
it is cool.
Are you seeing the Windies/NZ test match?
I guess? I don’t know what a test match means though.
are they both wearing home whites?
I think test is only for qualified national teams (the west indies is all one “country”) the matches last 3 days.
Seriously the matches in india have about 50K in attendance and they are pretty into it.
Yep, both in white. There doesn’t seem to be much of a crowd. Lots of players seem to just stand around doing nothing.
that’s it. the batting team has a striker and a non striker on the field.
they both run when the ball is hit. if they advance only to the opposite side (called a crease) they switch strikers. if the striker gets a 2, 4, or 6 (meaning how many times they run back and forth), the same striker is at bat. they never run 4s and 6s. you get 4 runs if the ball bounces past the boundry. 6 on the fly.
Can one of them get thrown out trying to stretch a 2 into a 4 or whatever?
yes. if they do not have their foot or stick on the ground past the crease and the bails are knowckd off the wicket (usually by a throw) then they are out.
let’s see if my understanding is correct:
they’d be stretching it into a 3. (it doesn’t have to be even numbers of runs. just that the automatic, non-running ones are even.)
and yes they could be thrown out, at either wicket.
and the other striker — though i thought it was batsman — would be up while they bring in a new one to replace the one thrown out.
yes, batsman
is that all i got right??
no, the rest is correct as far as I know.
tino best just said a bad word. oh my
A test match is 5 consecutive days, without make-up days for rain-outs.
You have to have more runs than the other team and get them all-out twice. Even if you are a million runs ahead, if you don’t get the last wicket of the second inning within 5 days, it’s a draw.
So if you are a long way ahead and batting, you might need to surrender your remaining wickets (by “declaring”) in order to have enough time left to get the other team all out. Of course if their bats then suddenly go crazy and manage to overtake your declared score, you lose.
Thanks, that makes sense. (Your explanation, not the sport)
is it over? i can’t find it.
for the day yes.
starts up at 1 or 2 tomorrow
after 90 overs, NZ is 367/3 and the Windies have yet to bat.
My understanding is that in a test match each team has two innings. so WI needs to get 7 more wickets to have their first innings and they have only gotten 3 in a day.
test = 4 innings (?)
Yes, two for each side
ah.
Yes but NZ could Declare.
hmmmm, I have not come across “declare” in my week as a cricket fancier.
I will investigate
they may have to, huh?
All this cricket talk is going to make us the most popular A’s related baseball blog on all of the internet.
freechutney.net
hee
would people object if i taglined this?
its back on
While I was at Sydney, I went to the practice of a local cricket team. It is funny how much similarity there is in basic corporal movements to baseball.
Also, they use baseball gloves when they practice (the guys who hit infield or outfield drills for return throws) and they suck at it :)
the defense seems to be the inefficiency.
Is there a reason there is not a motion defense of something?
I’m told that New Zealand’s “session” at bat was “staggering.” I will take their word for it, as it seemed kind of unimpressive to me.
two dudes got centuries with a partnerhip of 182 and tehy are still not out. That is pretty impressive.
I recognize most of those words.
I don’t type well, I know
If any of the Niner fans here were hoping for help from the Aints tonight, looks like you’re going to be disappointed.
I’m so over the PEDhawks and their fake field and their awful ass cheap shot taking defense.
Thanks, and go As.
I prefer the phrase “Seadderall.”
lol
Also, It took me several tries to understand the ref’s explanation about not calling a delay penalty against NO. At first, it sounded like he said they were “stretching our balls” – it was actually “switching out balls”.
Has there been a rule change regarding players touching a pass? I thought if an offensive player touches but doesn’t catch a ball in the air, another offensive player cannot touch it until a defensive player has also touched it.
That rule was changed a long time ago, some time after the Immaculate
ReceptionIncompletion.Really? Wow. I feel like I saw that rule come into play during my football-watching lifetime, but I guess not. Sometimes it’s hard to tell reality from fantasy.
Daniel Hudson nontendered?
HE was pretty damn good a year ago wasn’t he?
Thanks, and go As.
That was 2 TJs ago
SuSlu on Kazmir, Anderson:
Uh…aren’t those the positions where we have the most players?
Catchers doesn’t make sense, unless they think Jaso isn’t coming back.
If they got a reasonable SS, then Lowrie might turn into a nice trade chip.
Isn’t Russell a “reasonable SS”? Why trade for one when Lowrie’s already your stopgap?
As excited as I am for him, I’d like to see him play in AA and AAA for at least till August.
Anderson and Callaspo for Johnson and Hardy?
I don’t get the appeal of Johnson at all. How is he any better than Dan Otero? If they want to waste $10M on a reliever why not Joe Nathan? Is he getting 4/$50M or something?
I’m not sure catchers makes sense even if Jaso is in trouble. I think Norris might be really good.
If I’m thinking about potential improvements on the roster, I would look at a Norris/Jaso platoon and think “that’s as good as we’re going to do without spending tons of money/prospects”. Improving on the left-handed hitting part of a Norris/Vogt platoon is much more plausible.
Quality lefty hitting catchers aren’t exactly easy to find though. That’s why I like Jaso so much, despite his defensive foibles.
I don’t get it either….unless we’re trading Norris and Lowrie for Jim Johnson
Man, a wisdom tooth extraction would have been more pleasant than the meetings I attended today. At least the extraction comes with anaesthesia.
Sounds like you picked the wrong day to quit sniffing glue
Well, okay then.
Thanks, and go As.
I have no opinion of this
I’m happy that the activists can go back to just putting Free Leonard signs in the trees.
Has Witchy imprisoned him?
Huh, when I hear “payroll dump” and “A’s,” I picture things going the opposite direction. If the A’s don’t have to follow this up with a dump trade of someone potentially useful, I guess I’m ok with it? Johnson is a good reliever at least.
The irony is that apparently the Dodgers weren’t willing to take on Johnson’s whole salary, but the A’s were.
I hardly think the Billy’s finished, JJ could very well be in a different uniform come spring.
The Billy is never finished. The Billy never sleeps. The Billy’s eyes are always on the next deal.
He’s like the Anti-Dude.
A Reverse Hanley.
Oof, that still hurts J!
This comment is NSFMikeV.
Ya this is quite a relief given the Anderson rumors
This could still indirectly lead to an Anderson trade. The A’s are pushing 85 million right now in total payroll. I think something’s gotta give.
Ya I don’t like the idea of just giving Anderson away to save money.
I could live with moving him for good prospects.
Sure but trading him now seems like selling low. Why didn’t they trade him for Wil Myers? Why?
FKing Tigers trading Fister for peanuts might’ve screwed us a little. I have serious doubts that Anderson would fetch “good” prospects. If Anderson becomes a salary dump just to fit Johnson on the team, I’d be pretty peeved.
Is it too late to non-tender Johnson? Then sign him at a hometown discount?
unless they did it by 5 minutes ago
Can we ask Superman or Cher to turn back time?
Cher wanted to turn back time to when she didn’t need autotune.
We don’t expect any big money moves, do we? there is no free agent fit left, right?
Why can’t the A’s stand at $85M?
I mean, we still do have to make room for Cano.
can we offer him $1 over what the yankees offer? price as right style
How about a winner-take-all game of Plinko.
They can, but I seriously doubt this is it for Billy. I think he’s looking for a DH/RH outfielder, whether that’s Cruz or someone else.
So he doesn’t believe in Choice eh?
I believe in choice
If you got it, you don’t want it.
Seems to be the rule of thumb
are you saying what I have is freedom of choice and what I want is freedom from choice?
I implore you not to be tricked by what you see. Please remember that you got two ways to go.
Nobody ever said life was free.
sink? swim? go down with the ship?
He went in circles, he dropped dead.
You gotta admit, this trade is a good one, just for the potential back page headlines:
“Johnson Huge for A’s in Win”
“Johnson Comes Up Big Again”
“A’s Ride Johnson to Victory”
“Rejuvenated Johnson Big Reason for Oakland Success”
ugh.
“Johnson, Reddick Come Up Big At Climax For A’s”
“Oakland’s Johnson Plowing Through Opposition”
Thanks, and go As.
Not to mention the Ragin’ Johnson dance we’re going to formulate in the bleachers.
We just have to avoid injuries with this one, people:
“Injured Johnson Has Deflated A’s Reeling”
“Athletics Await Return of Broken Johnson”
“A’s Johnson to Get MRI”
“Limp Johnson Can’t Perform”
As I said on the Lounge, wait until we get the new iteration of these in stock.
It’s a license to print money!
what’s up with that horrid visor?
“I <3 Johnson" shirts could pay for TWO stadiums.
MikeV has it right though, it has to be “I HELLA <3 JOHNSON".
agreed.
I think we should put it on a cap instead of a shirt, and call them “Jimmy Hats.”
Heh
When he blows a save: “Johnson’s Big Boner Embarrasses Oakland”
Wouldn’t it be more embarrassing to have a small boner?
like forgetting to back up third? and allowing some guy on the other team to go all the way?
Getting caught in a DP.
Depends on the timing. Sometimes, a boner is inconvenient and a small one would be easier to conceal.
LADIES OF FK: I AM ASSUMING THAT A SMALL BONER IS EASIER TO CONCEAL. I DO NOT SPEAK FROM EXPERIENCE. IGNORE WHAT OTHERS TELL YOU.
{makes notation on Ladies of FK super secret blog}
If that’s the case, I hope Wolff sucks it up for a year and keeps Anderson.
We just acquired two guys making 10+ million a year on the same day, so it’s obvious Wolff has told Beane that money is no object and he wants the trophy. So I’ll expect the Robinson Cano and Jacoby Ellsbury press conference in Oakland in the morning, then :P
Most of that big money is locked into short term contracts AND easily tradable if necessary. We’ve been well under the budget so to speak for a few years now. Add in the additional TV money + the Red Sox in the WS money + general Revenue Sharing money. The A’s can afford it. I could even see them adding on a little more. But nothing added on would include anything long term.
This is a surprising trade, and I don’t think we are going to like the next one.
Extra TV money this year.
Damn – what do I do with my Weeks shirt?
Hang onto it in case we pick up Rickie.
Mine turned into a ‘paint’ shirt 2 years ago, still comfy!
All we need is to trade them some prospects for JJ Hardy and we’ll have their two best JJs. Then, you bring back John Jaha as a coach and it’s World Series time :D
Eventually leading to Moneyball II, directed by JJ Abrams.
Starring J.J. from Good Times.
you’re not impressing NiB till you bring up jj cale. especially if it’s a video and jj jackson introduces it.
*NiP
or Johnny Jenkins, AV
yes that is Duane Allman on the sick slide dobro shit, holy fuck
i don’t have two jays to rub together, but i enjoyed that nonetheless.
What is everyone’s favorite Weeks memory? I do not have many, and am probably forgetting my true favorite, but I will go with the triple he hit against either Tampa or Toronto in the 15th inning in 2012.
i’m trying. but unfortunately all i’m seeing is the magnet calendar where he’s oversliding from april to october.
same.
when he got sent back to sac
Sadly, this.
I’ll likely forget who he is within the hour.
The first time his cap flew off. After a while it got old.
Bob Geren getting fired the day after Weeks debuted.
Gotta be the helmet falling off pretty much every time he failed to get on base.
The youtube with him playing the drums.
I don’t mind losing Weeks (doesn’t sound like anyone else does either), but I’m assuming that they will definitely want to cut payroll now, so we’ll see what happens there. Are there any rumors about the ptbnl? I don’t really see Johnson as providing much surplus value, given how much money he is expected to make, so my feelings on the trade really hinge on how much value we send to Baltimore.
there isn’t an efficient way to shed payroll.
One way to look at it, is Johnson is replacing Young’s payroll spot.
I don’t know anything about this guy. sounds like a typical reliever with ZMOG! SAVES!
He gets groundballs and doesn’t walk many people. Not a lot of strikeouts though. Doesn’t really have a platoon split, which is good for a closer and not what I would expect from a sinkerball guy. Career shutdowns/meltdowns is 177/56, which is almost identical to Balfour (182/56).
But mostly ZMOG! SAVES!
i thought we were ignoring groundballs
I thought so too.
i had come to depend on your thinking colin… step it up
Obviously Billy has discovered that other GMs are reading my comments on FK. By game theory that means he has to do the opposite.
No, No. WE are not ignoring groundballs, the A’s middle infielders are.
If they can ignore groundballs for 8 innings, that will let them buckle down and focus for 1 inning and make no mistakes.
After 8 innings of running after fly balls, their legs need a break.
doctorK family health update:
So I haven’t posted much about this, but about a week before the end of the season (in fact, the day Balfour served up a fat one to Hamilton), I had to take Kate to the ENT doctor because my wife had found a polyp in her left nostril. The doc ordered up a test for Cystic Fibrosis, because nasal polyps are typical for CF patients, even though she had no other symptoms. This test came positive, as did a follow-up test. Some follow up work showed that her lung function is completely normal, but her left sinus was chock full of polyps and stuff. Today she had out-patient surgery on that sinus, which went well. She’s had minimal post-op pain and no nausea, and her appetite had returned by late afternoon.
Neither of our families have any known history of CF. This was a total surprise for both of us. We also had no idea that there is a mild form of CF that leaves the lungs alone (she’s had this from birth, after all), but thankfully that is apparently what she has.
Very good news
Yikes. That sounds like a rough ordeal, and a pretty good outcome.
so that sounds like the best news of bad news. Yes?
Yes. A CF diagnosis used to be a death sentence for children. Nowadays, at least half of the people with CF are adults.
CF is awfully scary to hear, but they’re making huge strides in treating it in children.
Those K family folk, they’re a tough bunch.
i was all like
:(
to
:|
to
cautious but optimistic :)
Well put… same here.
exactly
Yup. me too
What AV said. Thank you for sharing, and glad she is trending better.
What that guy said.
Me too–hugs from here!
Wow, that is intense and scary. I’m glad that it has turned out as well as could be hoped for.
Good to hear. Best wishes.
Sounds scary. Hope it’s all smooth sailing from here out.
Ouch, man. Crossing fingers that things turn out for the best
Weeks went from hero to zero pretty quickly. If Johnson is an effective closer it seems like a solid trade. I’m still waiting for a hitter though.
dread naught.
Untouchable!
AV bait:
i see a [?]
hmmm. check your email
Yeah, that image link just isn’t going to work at all.
I’m making fun of my (Red Sox fan) wife because her team just signed Pierzynski.
She’s not taking it real well.
are you married to any ranger fans? cuz that shit is funny too
we have lots of catchers
Twins fans on Twitter are all sad too, apparently they actually wanted that FKer back.
Johnson? Kazmir? Hmmmmm
Anyway, now that I have a normal keyboard and a decent connection, let me put it a bit more eloquently. We are back home and the trip was a complete blast. Those of you on FB might have read an update or two, those who aren’t, everything was just as we hoped for or better. And that includes our time in SF and hanging out with many of you.
Not pictured: beers
So, instead here are some beers from Auckland :)”
how come I am the one that looks like he’s been travelling?
Because you came from the future to meet us. Much appreciated!
Btw. if I had a dime for every time we thought of Milo and his singing of Spanish alphabet, I could start the trip all over again. He is simply too cute for it to be legal…
Very, very sorry to have missed you in SF.
There will be a next time, for sure.
Likewise. That was a stupidly busy day for me.
Great to meet in person, and delighted to hear the trip was a success. Will you do a full write-up for us?
I’m surprised many seem down or ambivalent about Kazmir, it seems more likely to me that he will actually pitch next year, which is more than one can expect from Anderson.
When he did pitch last season, he looked mediocre to terrible, did I miss something, or are people just looking at his age?
SSS of course, I see a nice K%, but the BB% poops all over it, same w/ the sexy 62.9% GB%, add a 17.9 FB/HR and I’m pretty turned off.
Steamer projects Anderson to pitch better than Kazmir, when he does pitch. His BB/9 was almost 2 more than his career and his FB/HR was about 7% higher than his career. Plus he pitched out of a different role than he was use to. I think if he goes back to starting, hell be good again.
I agree. By xFIP (i.e. once you regress that HR/FB rate), he was better than Colon (albeit in a very small sample). Against my better judgement, I am hoping for a healthy season from Anderson, which could more than replace the lack of Bartolo.
I too am amped for a healthy season from Anderson. With Devine anchoring the back end of the bullpen, the A’s are a can’t miss!
I love how Duchscherer makes batters look stupid with that 89 mph fastball.
Heh
On a side note, I seem to recall rumors of a Braden audition/ bullpen?
Anyone have any info on if that actually happened?
Meanwhile Harden is a fking god.
If I had to pick an A’s pitcher to throw 1 pitch to win a game, he might be my choice.
Lol, exactly, I know he has upside, but counting on him to pitch?
Loved his 2012, but he broke down again right when we needed him the most…
Actually steamer is predicting a shade better FIP (-.09, which is pretty insignificant), but overall Kazmir’s K/BB ratio is far superior.
He’s also projected to double the amount of innings which in the end is what’s valuable anyhow, and why I’d rather have/ rely on Kazmir than Anderson.
The IP is based on Anderson being used as a reliever. Playing time is the most suspect of the projections.
They had him for 8 or 10 starts IIRC, but yes, agreed, most nebulous. I’d still take Kazmir by the numbers.
My skepticism about Kazmir has much to do with Billy’s record on pitching acquisitions. He’s been most successful when he traded something of value to acquire guys with little or no previous service time (Haren, Parker). Signing free agents out of the Discount Pitching Barn has gone well (McCarthy, Colon). There have been a few successes with draft choices (Gray, we hope). When he’s gone into the competitive free agent market, you find some success (Balfour) but a bunch of clunkers (Loaiza, Sheets, Fuentes).
If Gray can keep it up I’m not even worrying too much about Anderson, it’s Parker that I’m worried about.
Sheets really killed our season, that was a tough year.
Jim Bowden was on 95.7 this morning, and they asked him what A’s fans should expect from Jim Johnson, and he basically said he’s just like Balfour because they have similar ERAs. It’s amazing that MLB teams used to entrust their baseball operations to such idiots not that long ago.
!
Gentry?
Wait, what?
Really?
I’m mad…
Look at Gentry’s stats. He’s pretty damn good. And he always seems to kill us.
That was the silver lining, his no longer killing us.
I understand he’s better, I’ve just been waiting for Choice for so damned long I feel Desme’d!
Choice isn’t really much worth waiting for. I doubt he’ll ever be as good as Gentry is now.
Gentry is pretty similar to healthy Peter Bourjos.
Our lack of depth in CF going forward was kind of scary. Gentry should be good and cheap for three more years.
What do you mean? You could throw Crisp, Cespedes, Reddick or even Choice there in a pinch.
I’m talking post-Crisp. I didn’t see a full-time solution for the position in the pipeline, though I guess playing Reddick there might work.
Playing Reddick there and Cespedes in RF would maximize both’s value.
I’m thinking we’re trading an outfielder.
Gentry has 3.084 years of service time per Cots. That makes him arby-eligible, right?
I think so but he won’t be paid much.
Gentry gets on base, runs well, plays excellent defense, and is cheap. I can see the appeal, as Coco insurance if nothing else.. I like Choice, but this is decent value coming back for an unproven guy.
They can have anyone they want from Sacramento. Hell, take the whole roster.
But we gave up Chris Bostick who is actually good.
And we’re getting back Josh Lindblom, who the A’s see as more starter insurance I suppose.
I can see the appeal, as Coco insurance or as Reddick platoon-mate. But I also see a 30-year old right-handed platoon player who’s never played full time, which seems to be another type of player that the A’s have targeted before, mostly unsuccessfully.
I hope they are going to platoon Reddick
Really hope his wrist isn’t toast.
He’s planning to start hitting Jan 1st according to Slusser.
Fire Kubota now!
And yet we still have James Simmons.
I wonder what Brad Sullivan found to do with his life…
He’s a minor-league free agent now.
Sad face
Pretty wild that we moved two of them to our primary division rivals. That’s confidence.
Confidence in our own shit drafting.
We suck and you don’t know it!
So we traded #2 Choice and #8 Bostick for Gentry and Lindblom.
Darn, I’ve always liked Bostick.
I was sad to hear he was in the deal because you were high on him and I trust your judgment.
Me too, I wonder if Robertson or Nunez gets moved around now.
yeah. that part stings.
Does Lindblom suck? I feel like he might suck.
He has a slider, but yes, his change is only 6-7 miles of his blazing 90mph fastball, has a 69mph curveball, but only the slider rates as plus, meh.
He appears to suck. But the Dodgers switched him to relief in 2011 and the Rangers moved him back to being a starter last year. If he could settle in as a back of the rotation starter, that would have some value.
Wait, Craig Gentry?!
Yes, THE Craig Gentry.
Damn, if Billy could bring us Bautista or Encarnacion…
Let’s trade Brett Wallace and Brandon Allen for Encarnacion!
I now understand all the hate that KLaw gets, because this is terrible:
Arsehole…
Saaaaad trombone.
Good god.
Final piece of the puzzle.
He’d be almost 40 right? Yeesh…
I want to say 38.
It would definitely be an AL team, but yikes.
Daric Barton DFA!
I know he’s no longer on our roster, but can we DFA Rosales again?
I thought for sure he was part of the deal today!
I thought we were lower than 39.
i want to say 38.
http://freekraut.net/?p=13643#comment-384060
Added Abad, Johnson, Gentry, Lindblom, subtracted Weeks, Choice.
40, not counting Kazmir.
It’s Abad idea to go back that far for your count.
38.
kalamazoo.
titicaca.
and phooey.
(you can’t stop me from saying what i want to say.)
actually.
i think i’m having a crisis of giving a fuck.
frantically keeping names and numbers in my head that come june will all be moot.
nah, it’s not the WC coming.
it’s last year, through and through. maybe the problem with the baseball season lasting so long is that next season comes too quickly.
and bandwagon’s not the metaphor exactly. maybe, going on a bender after getting jilted…
i’m still hungover. still looking at virginal home whites all askance ‘n shit. nope, not ready. at least, not to invest time, effort, and money to woo a cute-enough, LTR-minded barmaid i know nothing about who wants me to buy advance drink tickets with convenience fees and start planning a wedding with her. not saying i’m going to be rude to her if she wants to hang out once in a while. but we’re going dutch. and i’ll listen most of the time, but i won’t remember all the names of her childhood friends. and secretly, let’s just say i’m wondering if i’m poly and if she knows any cute NL teams to keep things fun but casual with.
#coughnationals
yeah… she’s cute. but i don’t want to date anyone who gets sudden outbreaks of genital harpers.
asvd!
I waited last year. then I caved at the last minute.
Had a great time building up to the main event. then it turned out the drink she sold me was non alcoholic and so far under the overhang I couldn’t see half the game and people yelled at my wing children to get out of the aisles.
alimony scam.
I’m just the opposite. Today is making me realize that I had been starved for baseball news.
blueballed.
I’m assuming that baseball news will return to boring soon, because if it keeps up at this rate Billy will cycle through the entire 40-man roster three or four times by spring training.
Boring hot stove news? Impossible.
Bunts with Benefits.
I count 38
I count 40 with Gentry and Lindblom replacing Choice.
Right, I forgot to add them.
Taylor, Callaspo, Milone and Werner have to expect to be the next move in some shape
And possibly Anderson, from the sound of things.
Man, just let Taylor go.
Sure. In a deal for someone better.
39 – Choice. Add Lindblom and Gentry. No Kazmir.
My guess is one of Werner/Parrino gets designated.
Christ this is craaaaaaazy town…. what did BB do, trade Weeks for Johnson, hang up with Duquette, go to sleep, wake up and then call Daniels before the coffee was even warm? This is giving me visions of the Ricardo Rincon scene in Moneyball right now.
Let the Gentrification begin! My goodness, what’s next? I cannot help but get a strong vibe that Wolff — who’s getting old and knows it — may have told BB he has $100M this time and bring me that trophy to wave in Selig’s face before I die. Everyone who thinks he’s gonna turn around and deal Bert #49 for prospects might be surprised in the next few days here… fuck, the next few HOURS. Or minutes. Personally I don’t trade Anderson unless I get another BB in return, from KC.
Have we arrived at “(Here’s a Little More) Moneyball” territory? Whatever happens this Gentry move adds more quality depth and weakens our principal rival some, so I am into it like a train (Psych Furs reference, can’t start off a Tuesday right without one of those) right now.
My estimate above has the 2014 payroll at 91M, including Nakajima. I bet that it comes down closer to 80 though. My preference would be to move Smith and Callaspo in a salary dump for some lottery tickets.
This sure sounds like a Smith or Callaspo dump is upcoming.
Given Lowrie’s injury history it’s gotta be Theth.
Maketh thenth to keep Callathpo for that very reathon.
I don’t see them keeping Punto & Callapso.
Punto actually makes a lot of sense to me, because he can play legit SS. I don’t think you can say that about anyone else on the 40-man roster.
I keep forgetting Punto…
And, done!
Still gonna need to make room on the roster, so who’s next?
Really addressing the bullpen. Gregerson is arb-eligible and made $3.2M last year. Although, Firefox does want to correct his name to Regression.
Where are they getting all this money?
Theth for Gregerson is a salary wash, more or less. If we assume Anderson is gone for prospects, that saves $8M, but yeah, I dunno. I guess the A’s are going full win-now mode, and ownership is willing to support it? The thing about the majority of the money the A’s are taking on is that the contracts are short-term.
Playoff revenue from last year + new TV money?
I think it might be “Lew Wolff knows he’s getting old and wants a trophy to wave in Selig’s face before he croaks” money at this point LOLOL.
Oakland can expect up to (maybe) $20 million in new TV money. I thought they could get to $80 million without having to break into ownership’s wallet… maybe this is a 1-year ’07 like spending frenzy. Johnson and Gregerson are FAs at the end of the year and with Gentry in the fold its possible Crisp is gone after 2014 as well. Callaspo’s a FA, Punto will be a club option and Jaso can simply be non-tendered if necessary.
Yeah, nothing is long term right now.
Everyone’s just dust in the wind.
new TV money + money they had all along and just weren’t spending
We’ve been under budget for a while and we keep getting more and more from revenue sharing. Plus Wolff has never actually said he wouldn’t raise payroll, just that in general MLB likes to keep payrolls at around 50% of revenue.
Where do you find info on team (specifically Oakland) revenues?
I don’t have a clue. I’ve just seen numerous quotes from him saying those things. I’m mostly assuming since we’ve been higher that the revenues would continue to support it even if we haven’t hit it. That along with quotes from Beane et al suggesting that have room in the budget, etc.
I think that Lew thinks he’ll get a San Jose green light within a year, and now (finally) it might be time to invest money for more than a year at a time.
He’s not really doing that though. Once Anderson’s traded only Yoenis and Kazmir will be under contract for 2015.
I think all of this is more knowing that the well is about to run dry very soon than it has to do with their stadium situation.
Or he knows SJ isn’t going to happen and he wants a ring and some goodwill in the community to help his bargaining position in talks with Oakland about a new stadium.
Or he’s thinking of selling the team, and he has built the perfect roster for that: top-tier contender this now, able to be easily blown up at a moment’s notice.
This would be my number one conspiracy theory right here.
so far we have an outfield/DH rotation of Cespedes, Crisp, Reddick, Gentry, Smith, Jaso?
an infield rotation of Lowrie, sogard/punto/callaspo?
Catcher rotation of Norris and Jaso?
LOL:
i hate people
Do you want to be a prostitute, or are you just about the sex?
Sullivan on Johnson
Cameron on Gentry
Thanks for the links
Double B named MLB Exec of the Year, 2nd year in a row.
Clearly he will celebrate by dealing Brett Anderson for Jose Bautista in the next 7 minutes 37 seconds.
boston folks are going to be mad
Aren’t they always?
I don’t like this deal, and not just because I didn’t really want Freedom From Choice. Two potential (although improbable) starting players for a good platoon player and a garbage time reliever doesn’t sound good to me.
it does seem odd
“flags fly forever”
Sure but it’s massively unlikely that Gentry or Lindblom is going to get you flags.
I would posit that it is at least as likely that Gentry is the difference between flag/no flag in 2014 or 2015 as it is that Choice or Bostick ever make a meaningful dent in the majors. The A’s have opted for a marginal, but potentially decisive upgrade right now over the good, but not elite, potential for future production in the future from the prospects. If Choice turns out to be a 3 win player in 2014, then the move was a mistake. Otherwise its a reasonable now-for-then move.
That’s the thing about future production, isn’t it. It happens in the future.
I don’t agree at all. The A’s got the best player in the deal and while he isn’t someone that’s going to “get you flags”, that seems like an odd standard for success when you’re trading away two players who aren’t going to come close to getting you that type of player or become those themselves.
You don’t think Bostick could become a first division starter?
Hard to make any prediction on a guy in A ball but probably not.
I agree that Bostick like most B-/C+ prospects are “probably not” going to have much of an impact in the majors. The paradox is that if you traded all your “probably not” prospects for platoon players with 1-3 productive years left, you’d probably suck. I think there’s almost no way that (Craig Gentry minus Michael Choice)is the difference between a division champ and an also-ran. I’m all for trading prospects for starters if you’re trying to win now, like Jed Lowrie or Hanley Ramirez, but for a 1-2 WAR backup? It doesn’t make sense to me.
Bostick had sleeper scouting reports last year and a make good year this year. Coupled with a fairly good ARL its enough to overlook strike outs and go with a B- IMO
Gentry was 3.4 WAR last year and 2.8 WAR in 2012.
That’s a pretty fucking good backup.
Thanks, and go As.
Then it’s a good thing the A’s aren’t trading *all* of their “probably not” prospects for platoon guys.
Calling Gentry a 1-2 WAR backup seems to be on the pretty low end of his bell curve.
I think it’s tough to get more WAR than that in only 350 PA
Over the past three years, Gentry has 7.8 WAR in 709 PA. So that’s 3.85 WAR per 350 PA. Even if you include his cups of coffee from 2009 and 2010, then he is averaging 3.4 WAR per 350 PA over his entire major league career.
I was just responding to your logic that the deal made sense because Gentry is more likely to be a positive contributor (albeit a small one) than Bostick or Choice. You could justify all prospect for bench player or relief pitcher deals that way, and I’m just saying it’s not a good practice.
I keep seeing Bostick and thinking Bostock — it’s the mid-70’s Twins fan flashbacks.
bostitch for me. i’m a big fan of staplers.
Bisquick for me. I kinda feel like pancakes.
Bismarck for me. I’ve been thinking of Prussia.
Bostwick for me. Ass-hole!
tell me tell me tell me
This subthread has led to me watching Biz Markie videos on YouTube.
[wishes it was spring again] brrrr.
please. obvious swingline.
don’t trade him to the white sox
OK, but that doesn’t add much to the analysis of this particular trade, in this particular context. I also think it’s probably incorrect to categorize Gentry as a “bench player” on this roster. He probably won’t start opening night, but he’s going to play a lot given the fragility of the other outfielders’ bodies and Reddick’s iffy bat.
I would imagine a lot of entering games late and starts against lefties.
Clearly we differ in our perception of Gentry. I don’t think he can be dismissed as a typical “bench player” given his track record of producing a large amount of value in a small amount of PAs. YMMV
OK, then if he’s really going to produce 2-3 WAR in 350 PA, should he play full time? Make Cespedes the DH/backup OF?
Ugh, Rangers fans.
heh. Idiots
So racist that when they wake up in the morning White Sheet and Hood stock goes up 50%.
I guess they didn’t learn anything from the NL getting Mays, Aaron, Robinson, Clemente, Marichal, McCovey, Gibson, et. al. while the AL was playing people no one ever heard of again. The stupidity of racism is that it leads to being a loser.
In fact I now want to trade Craig Gentry and Brett Anderson to them for Adrian Beltre and Yu Darvish. Both sides would be happy.
meanwhile, sophisticates clustered around harvard have trouble spelling tradee.
A minuses for all.
The profs for the class I am TA’ing sent that article around yesterday and we were feeling kind of smug until we actually looked at the homework grades we have handed out so far. Gotta get tough on the final project, I guess!
The worst grade (by far) I got in college was (IIRC) a C- in a particle physics course that a physics major friend talked me into taking with him. I had the listed prerequisites, but I was just totally lost.
In math, lower division courses that I took or TA’d typically had a pretty normal curve (usually centered around B-/C+), but I took some upper division courses where everyone got an A, and I don’t really think there is anything wrong with that.
I suspect that “A” is the most common grade at just about every school (and I agree that there’s nothing inherently wrong with that if everyone meets/exceeds the objectives of the class); having an A- as the median grade is more disturbing.
Aw crap now there are rumors the Mariners are in on Cano, really don’t want that guy in the west.
And now we traded Theth for Gregerson…
Well that doesn’t change the 40-man situation, nor does it get much salary relief. Gregerson’s pretty good though.
Anderson rumors are pretty crazy, right now with Yankees, Jays, Twins, Mariners, and Indians being thrown around. I don’t put full stock in such things, but even if BB can start a bidding war among two or three teams to get some good minor leaguers, that makes me more comfortable in giving up Choice.
Finally got Mccullum out. Windies need to pick up the pace. (pun intended)
So, can Moss be the Smith and Barton be the frieman?
It does seem like a boost for Barton. Alternately, Reddick could be the Smith, platooned with Gentry.
Gentry will probably platoon some with Reddick, but I’m also expecting him to play a lot when Cespedes and Crisp are given DH days.
You misspelled L
asvd
OK, so right this very second:
C1 – Jaso
1B – Barton
2B – Sogard
3B – Donaldson
SS – Lowrie
LF – Sexyfeet
CF – Coco
RF – Reddick
DH – Moss
BN – Gentry, Punto, Callaspo, Vogt(?)
That’s 14 position players leaving an 11 man staff
SP – Gray, Parker, Kazmir, Straily, Griffin
RP – Johnson, Doolittle, Cook, Gregerson, Lindblom, Blevins, Milone?
Why does it feel like I’m forgetting a name?
Thanks, and go As.
Wait, Norris instead of Vogt and Otero instead of Milone?
Anderson has gotta be trade bait at this point
Thanks, and go As.
Doo, Cook, JJ, Gregerson, Otero, Blevs, Chavez for the pen?
It’s hopelessly optimistic, but I don’t want to sell low on Anderson. If he is ever healthy, he is a better pitcher than Parker, Straily, Griffin, Milone, and perhaps Kazmir.
I’m still assuming Callaspo is a goner. I would expect him to be replaced by a righty DH type to platoon with Moss — either Freiman or somebody picked up off the scrap heap.
Norris.
You have Abad memory.
He can be Agood in Sacramento.
Does he have options left? He’s spent a lot of time in the minors over the last four years.
No, he doesn’t. That’s why Washington had to DFA him.
Thanks, and go As.
lol. Plenty of time to work it out, I guess.
Shit thats right.
There is no way Beane is done dealing. Too many guys for the bullpen
Thanks, and go As.
Norris
Norris? Otero?
Come on Billy Beane, MAKE SOME DEALS ALREADY!!!!
Jesus… Gentry has been a 3 WAR bench player each of the last 2 seasons??
Thanks, and go As.
From Cameron’s summary of the trade:
Especially impressive since as a platoon player a lot of those chances are with lefties on the mound.
26/32 vs RHP, 30/34 vs LHP for his career.
For comparison, Ellsbury is 180/208 (87%) vs. RHP, 61/79 (77%) vs. LHP.
Crisp is similar, 210/252 (83%) vs. RHP, 68/95 (72%) vs. RHP.
I’ll miss Theth. He was an overlooked, underappreciated player who got the job done and had some big hits for us. Well, until this year, when he started not getting the job done.
Theth thort of thucked this seathon, yeth.
What the thunderfucking christ, you guys.
So now we know what it takes to get you to show up.
Heh. It’s that simple!
Seriously, though, it’s been a while. How are you guys?
Just wait… for the CNN announcement later tonight that Beane has kidnapped Selig and is holding him in an undisclosed location until a shovel is in the ground somewhere. And next week, when the price for Anderson is driven so sky high that the Marlins trade us Stanton, Morrison, Roberto Clemente (who is dead 41 years but can still hit the breaking ball better than Cespedes) and all the bagels in Dade County for him :P
Do we even want dade county’s bagles?
No.
I dunno, there’s a LOTTA Jews in Dade County and the bagels are awfully yummy….
Yerp. Every time I visited my grandparents in beautiful Margate, stuffing my mouth with doughy goodness was my number one way of not addressing the Yentas who tried to set me up with their granddaughters.
It’s a bit on the long side, but I think “stuffing my mouth with doughy goodness was my number one way of not addressing the Yentas who tried to set me up with their granddaughters” is tagline material.
yup
I third this motion :P
Done.
Astros get Fowler for Lyles and Barnes…. Interesting
Dan usually only shows up for Justified recaps.
Damn right.
Damn, that’s a lot.
So much for those theories that the Yankees would try to get under the luxury tax threshold.
he went full damon!
Whoa. A lot of money but they’re getting a great player…..who is only sometimes healthy.
It seems totally reasonable in this market. Sign FA hitters and just draft a million pitchers.
He’ll be great for those 4 years out of 7 that he actually plays.
Huh, I wonder if that means no Cano, or if the Yankees are just going to drop all fiscal responsibility pretenses.
Headline says it all
Gawd that’s terrifying…
i woulda thought it was “i love you.”
Seth Smith’s new congressman probably thinks that’s just practical. What’s the point of nukes if you aren’t going to detonate them, right?
Meh…my congressman was Todd Akin. I think I voted for him once just because he shook my hand. I’m not a good voter.
Yet my Sky Box (cable TV) want let me use a 4-digit code with the single digit repeated four times.
A good rule of thumb is that if you could pass out on the keyboard and accidentally enter the code, it’s a bad code.
Anyone else see this regarding a potential Anderson trade:
I don’t know if this guy has real sources, and couldn’t find anything else that specific on the web, so who knows if that’s true. Seems plausible though.
Beane should have offered to pay for the screw
“If” there are notable questions that arise in regards to his durability? IF???
If only Steve Phillips were still a GM.
i have the flu an billy isn’t trading anyone today :(
Rosenthal reports that AZ and Oakland discussed Cespedes for Skaggs+Pollock and more. Doesn’t say which side backed off first.
He made it sound like neither team was comfortable with it, meaning that the team that proposed it also nixed it.
There needs to be an All-Uncoachable Asshole team in the MLB. Base them in Erie, PA and call ’em the Erie Egos:
Starlin Castro, SS
Hanley Ramirez, 3B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Yoenis Cespedes, LF
Matt Kemp, CF
BJ Upton, DH
A.J. Pierzynski, C
Jemile Weeks, 2B
Daric Barton, 1B
Carlos Zambrano, P
What is sad is that is a pretty decent team, dammit.
I only see two real assholes on that list. Jury’s still out on Puig I guess.
AJ & Zambrano?
Yep
Those would be my picks.
the keyword wasn’t asshole, it was uncoachable
Jeter needs to be in there just because.
Ed Crosby wants to know why you’re waging a vendetta against his son.
In the end…we all have to answer to Ed Crosby.
Bing!
Well the Pharisees all are frightful
the Fox talking points all are spiteful
there’s only one way to go (you know)
overthrow, overthrow, overthrow!
Consumer slaves all out shopping
and their credit card debt is popping
We’re putting a stop to the show
overthrow, overthrow, overthrow!
Commodity makes rage and blight
a system always true to form
add delusion, Religious Right
get those pitchfork torches warm
The Empire is slowly dying
and the workers are sad and crying
too large the corporate profits grow
overthrow, overthrow, overthrow!
Yes the bankers will loot the planet
while the people just say “Goddammit!”
what must happen, you know you know
overthrow, overthrow, overthrow!
Starving folks with budgets tight
media sounds no alarm
propaganda taking flight
grandpa, he just bought the farm
Yes the slavery tastes like freedom
and you’ll join ’em if you can’t beat ’em
Who’s the pimp and who’s the ho?
overthrow
overthrow
overthrow!
Nice. On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me, an Ode Revolutionary.
I would kill for a toaster that toasts an English Muffin properly…I’ve killed for less.