Post-Darvish/Pre-Cespedes thoughts
by atlantatiger on Dec 20, 2011 10:15 AM EST
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ok, i wrote a longer version of this post awhile ago and managed to delete it, and it was really disappointing. i felt it might have been a sign from the gods to just forget it, but i have an irrational love of all things hot stove, so i'm still motivated for some reason. here are 3 things i think as we all recover from the excitement of not being involved in the darvish stuff at all:
1. i have joked a little on other threads about my fascination with david pauley, but seriously if the tigers spend more money on bullpen help before getting a 3rd baseman or 5th starter i'm going to be annoyed. even with a.a.'s injury, pauley can be at least the 12th man on a good staff. valverde, benoit, dotel, coke, other random lefty, balester, and pauley, and done. leave it alone dd. get some help elsewhere.
2. the price for mat latos mean gio gonzalez and others like him won't be a tiger, but that doesn't mean they won't get a starter. my vote is for paul maholm, not joe saunders, but if the cost is reasonable, i won't be steamed either way. but if they get another decent arm, it gives them so much more flexibilty now and in the future. you never know, a trade of someone like scherzer may end up being more likely than one for turner in a couple of months or next off-season.
3. the tigers are not going to disappoint me. they'll do something, and i think soon. my hope all along is a 3rd baseman first and foremost. chase headley, please. i dont know who, whether it's possibilities we've heard like him or prado or izturis, etc., or someone totally off the radar, but i think they do something. i even think it could be this week still. i just know they seem far from done. just a gut feeling, by the way. my imaginary sources haven't told me anything.
ok, i feel better now. please feel free to disagree or tell me the things you think as we approach the new year. also- just wanted to say happy holidays. i'm on this site a ton and everyone does a great job. thanks to kurt and all those who run everything, this is just fun.
p.s.- bonus unsolicited opinion- as much as i want it to happen, i say cespedes goes elsewhere.
This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Bless You Boys writing staff.
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Darvish definitely, and probably Cespedes . . .
. . . are way overpriced considering that they are relatively unproven talent. Darvish was definitely too big a risk for us. Cespedes, maybe not so much, because we don’t have all that much position player talent in our system, and he ain’t going to be as expensive as Darvish—but make no mistake, shelling out big bucks for Cespedes is definitely a huge gamble.
The Yankees have been quiet, and are said to be very interested in Cespedes
If true, that most likely means DD will have a tough time landing him.
Justin can now let the fungus grow back on his shower shoes.
by Singledigit on Dec 20, 2011 12:37 PM EST up reply actions
the yankees are a threat
but the marlins i think are much moreso.
by atlantatiger on Dec 20, 2011 2:54 PM EST up reply actions
Agreed
Both have the money. Miami has the location to draw him.
The other sports are just sports. Baseball is a love. ~Bryant Gumbel, 1981
Absolutely
I don’t see how he won’t gravitate to:
A) the warm climate – you have to believe he will avoid cold temps at all costs
B) the latin culture/population of Miami
Although, as the Wu Tang Clan once said.. Cash rules everything.. though it’ll take more of it for him to pack his bags and head north versus staying in a Carribean climate/culture
Chicks dig me, because I rarely wear underwear and when I do it's usually something unusual
Listening to DD on WDFN this morning....
He didn’t want to talk about Cespedes so as to not “tip his hand” about any plans. To me that sounds like he’s all over it. The bidding will be very interesting.
Additionally, reading into his answers some, 2B sounds locked down with the platoon-O-death while he wants to upgrade 3B badly. 5th starter from within. Nothing too interesting.
i suppose DD knows his own plans better than i do
but i’ll believe 5th starter from within when i see it, at least to start the season. i guess i do believe the 2nd base platoon though. better than a 3rd base platoon.
by atlantatiger on Dec 20, 2011 11:58 AM EST up reply actions
I wouldn't be surprised either way. Given the available 5th starter types
he might just figure he can get the same production for a few million less.
MLB and US Gov't weighed in earlier...
Apparently because Cespedes is not yet a Domincan citizen (or whatever his status will be) MLB teams were told not to comment on any plans for him by the US Government.
Given that he is still a Cuban, we (Americans in general) are not supposed to talk about all the American dollars we want to give him to work for our baseball teams. I realize this sounds like a 6th graders interpretation of the State Department’s rules, but Peter Gammons was not much clearer when he talked about it during the Winter Meetings.
he's been approved by the dominican
but he’s not expected to be declared a free agent until possibly mid January
by Kurt Mensching on Dec 20, 2011 1:29 PM EST up reply actions
I'm confused about this process...
to me it sounds like he’s free to negotiate and meet with teams when MLB declares him eligible, shortly after Dominican gives him his paperwork this week. However, he can’t officially sign a contract until OFAC gives permission.
If this is the case, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him reach “an agreement in principle” before January only to have to it completed officially when all the red tape is torn down.
I don't think he's a Dominican resident yet
but his camp and other teams seem to be saying a lot more about their expectations, so whatever gag order there was, I don’t know that it’s the source of DD’s reticence on this issue.
So that gives Toronto an edge..
The US Government can’t really tell Canadians what they can or cannot say ( or smoke ), so the Blue Jays can talk and offer quality cigars, n’est-ce pas?
by manic in Detroit on Dec 20, 2011 9:07 PM EST up reply actions
I was thinking about this too
But, even though the Jays are owned by a Canadian company, they still play half their games in the US — so I’d imagine the US government would have something to say about that. I didn’t think the Jays were in the hunt for Cespedes, though.
Also: don’t forget their rum and their cheap all-inclusive resorts. Magnifique!
by frisbeepilot on Dec 20, 2011 10:18 PM EST up reply actions
The Jays were not in the hunt because
They were supposed to get Darvish. So there must be $50 million or so available for upgrades. It must be nice to not be paying V. Wells and Rios.
by manic in Detroit on Dec 21, 2011 7:10 PM EST up reply actions
How on Earth did they find two teams stupid enough to take those contracts?
Amazing.
The other sports are just sports. Baseball is a love. ~Bryant Gumbel, 1981
I don't know which is stupider
Giving out those contracts (TOR), taking on those contracts (LAA/CHW), or trading Mike Napoli (TOR/LAA). That’s a lot of stupid to go around.
Makes DD look shrewd
Guillen, Maggs and Bonderman were excellent contracts by comparison, Dontrelle not so much..
by manic in Detroit on Dec 22, 2011 7:42 PM EST up reply actions
Limited budget for Cespedes
If this offseason ends in a boring fashion, I’m going to go medieval.
"You, on the other hand, make Eeyore look like Rainbow Brite." -johnmoz
"I think of you more as the blue book style essay of sports journalism."-Kurt Mensching
Contributor, Bless You Boys
You took the words right out off of my keyboard....
I will be extremely disappointed.
I think they need to improve the roster for expected wins in 2012 to approach last year’s outcome given the fact that most of our roster overachieved in 2011.
i also saw something about the white sox
if they get cespedes I might have to quit liking baseball. Anyone but them.
by atlantatiger on Dec 20, 2011 4:55 PM EST up reply actions
It sounds like the Tigers are just being smart
and have set a limit on how much they’ll spend.
DKnobler also tweets “because nobody knows how high it will go. I don’t know their limit. If limit is $40 mill, maybe they have a chance”
if this is anything like the rangers and angels limited budgets
get ready to buy your cespedes jersey
http://mlb.sbnation.com/2011/12/20/2648432/yu-darvish-texas-rangers-los-angeles-angels
by Kurt Mensching on Dec 20, 2011 7:02 PM EST up reply actions
I hope to God it is
"You, on the other hand, make Eeyore look like Rainbow Brite." -johnmoz
"I think of you more as the blue book style essay of sports journalism."-Kurt Mensching
Contributor, Bless You Boys
by David Tokarz on Dec 20, 2011 8:02 PM EST up reply actions
How many times
Have we heard that the Tigers have a limited budget, only to have a fairly significant move be made?
I don't see the Sox being serious about him
especially when they seem to be in the rebuilding mode. when you’re listening on guys like Quentin, Danks, Floyd and maybe even Beckham, landing a top free agent doesn’t seem to be in the cards.
so regardless of how the offseason goes for us, just be happy you’re not a Sox fan. “rebuilding” is never something a fan base wants to hear. that, and well, you’d like the Sox…
No longer the Founder, President and CEO of the Ryan Raburn Fan Club
That's what scares me...
what if they decide to rebuild around him? I have to stop thinking about it….
by atlantatiger on Dec 20, 2011 5:13 PM EST up reply actions
as an unproven talent
I don’t think he’s quite the guy you build a franchise around. just my opinion… but I guess ya never know with Kenny Williams
No longer the Founder, President and CEO of the Ryan Raburn Fan Club
Ichiro
was a foreign unproven talent…just sayin
The problem with winter sports is that - follow me closely here - they generally take place in winter.
So was every other Japanesse star that came over
How many of them have lived up to that hype? Matsui, Ichiro, and?
for 4 out of 12 season (not counting the two seasons he didn't play)
He was above average, other than that sub-par to really bad. I don’t know if I would call that “living up to the hype” but he wasn’t horrible for his entire career you are correct.
The Sox already have Skeletor
so why shouldn’t they try to get He-Man too?
by manic in Detroit on Dec 20, 2011 8:51 PM EST up reply actions
I'd rather be rebuilding than the 2011 ChiSox
At least a rebuilding team doesn’t cost a lot to stink and doesn’t stink with high expectations.
That being said, I don’t miss the “rebuilding” 15 years the Tigers went through in the 90’s+.
The other sports are just sports. Baseball is a love. ~Bryant Gumbel, 1981
adds
I would like to get Jurrjens and Prado for which I would offer Young, Rayburn and Oliver plus anyone else other than Tuner and Castellanos.
No chance. The Braves don't even stop laughing before they hang up the phone.
The other sports are just sports. Baseball is a love. ~Bryant Gumbel, 1981
So basically you want the Braves just to go after a fictional guy (HINT: his name is Raburn) and dregs?
I think even MLB: The Show would say no.
I have a grand idea: let's win a game.
Chi Sox may pursue Cespedes...
After trading starting OF/big salary in Carlos Quentin the Chi Sox may try to build around Cespedes…
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