The 2010 MLB Season Thread

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

I just can't believe what a royal fuck-up Ruben Amaro is. There was really no need to trade Lee, and even if it was necessary, he got pennies on the dollar for a full year of Lee compared to what the Mariners are going to get for 3 months of Lee.

I hadn't checked up on those three the M's traded to get Lee until just now. I knew that Phillippe Aumont was a bit of a risk given medical issues - he supposedly has a degenerative hip condition. That said, his performance leading up to this season was quite good, with a 9.2 K rate, 3.6 BB rate and I believe a pretty good ground ball percentage. That he's been awful this year is a surprise to me.

J.C. Ramirez was less interesting as a prospect, but given that pitchers are more unpredictable than hitters, he had/has some interest as a guy that could yet blossom.

Tyson Gillies I never figured as anything more promising than a 5th OF with some speed, but I'm a little surprised how much he's struggled this season.

[Bigsmooth]

Nice haul for the M's potentially. Montero, 2B David Adams, and SP Zach McAllister are on the way it sounds like.

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by dawgfan

His flyball percentage is trending upward over the last couple of years, but he's also walking fewer guys. His HR/FB percentage is the highest it's been in his career, but that's considered something that pitchers have very little control over.

All in all, Haren doesn't strike me as a guy that is trending downward precipitously, but there are a few signals that are worth keeping an eye on - his increasing flyball rate and his fastball velocity starting to dip slightly.

He's probably not quite the ace we thought he was in his first couple of seasons with Arizona, but he still looks like a very good pitcher.

What are his RBI numbers?

[Scoobz0202]

And now it's being reported on twitter that Lee to the Yankee's is not happening.....

hxxp://twitter.com/Joelsherman1

[Scoobz0202]

dola

To repeat the #Yankees aren't getting Cliff Lee, #Mariners concerned about David Adams ankle plus apparently another team has jumped in hard
5 minutes ago via web

[Lathum]

God I hope it's the Mets.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by Lathum

God I hope it's the Mets.

I'm not ok with giving up Flores for a 3 month rental. There had better be a contract with it if the Mets make the move.

[Ronnie Dobbs2]

Or might it be the famed Scott Boras "other team"?

[JS19]

Originally Posted by Atocep

I'm not ok with giving up Flores for a 3 month rental. There had better be a contract with it if the Mets make the move.

I've thought the same, but I think I've reached that point of "efff it", do what's gotta be done, lets get in the playoffs.

I still think the Yanks are gonna get him, though. I'm sure the Yankees will come up with some package to the M's liking.

[stevew]

Smoak for Lee?

[Bigsmooth]

This is gettin good. A better offer than Montero, etc? Bring it.

Apparently Rangers making major push! Smoak, Holland please.

[JS19]

Appears to be the Rangers in the lead now

EDIT: Day late and a dollar short.

[Scoobz0202]

C'MON REDLEGS!

[Bigsmooth]

Smoak is NOT in the Rangers lineup tonight! Oh snaps.

edit: Could be because he is hitting a buck fiddy?

[dawgfan]

This is why I hate it when people start talking about potential deals as "done" before they are officially announced as such. Seeing so many people already analyzing the Cliff Lee to Yankees deal before there was any official confirmation just seemed really dumb. Have none of these people been paying attention to trade speculation for, I dunno, the past forever?

[Bigsmooth]

Joel Sherman reporting deal done: Lee + Lowe to Rangers for Smoak + 3 others.
Confirmed by Ken Rosenthal. I love Smoak! Can't wait to see who the other 3 prospects are.

[Crapshoot]

Done deal in Texas. I'm surprised they gave up Smoak (6 years of him) for Lee. We'll see if the other 3 have any relevance. If Montero's moves off C he's probably as good a hitter as Smoak, but the later is probably better for Safeco. Either way, Ruben Amaro looks like more and more of an idiot every day.

[Ksyrup]

Good for them. Glad it wasn't the Mets or Yanks.

[cartman]

That's a pretty big deal between division rivals. The M's will dodge having to face Lee a lot more than the Rangers will have to face Smoak.

[Bigsmooth]

...and the M's throw in a few million to cover Lee's contract in return for a better package of prospects. This is good news considering the amazing depth of the Rangers farm system. What's taking so long to release the names dammit.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by cartman

That's a pretty big deal between division rivals. The M's will dodge having to face Lee a lot more than the Rangers will have to face Smoak.

I don't think that matters. The M's know Lee is probably not going to sign in Texas after this year and if they can get the best prospects from a division rival may as well do it.

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by cartman

That's a pretty big deal between division rivals. The M's will dodge having to face Lee a lot more than the Rangers will have to face Smoak.

It's like the Bagwell trade if the Sox traded with the Orioles.

[Ksyrup]

I think Lee's going to have a greater impact than Larry Anderson.

[stevew]

Larry Anderson was like 13-1 I think. My bad, i was thinking of doyle alexander.

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

I think Lee's going to have a greater impact than Larry Anderson.

Sure, but he'll be gone next year and Smoak will be in the lineup for years.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by stevew

Larry Anderson was like 13-1 I think. My bad, i was thinking of doyle alexander.

You're thinking of Doyle Alexander, who the Tigers got from Atlanta for John Smoltz.

Larry Anderson was a seldom-used reliever the Astros traded for Bagwell.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Pretty excited about the Royals/White Sox series this weekend. Two of the hottest teams in baseball right now. Royals have won 10 of their last 13 and have an opportunity to pull themselves back into the AL Central race this weekend. They have won four straight series (Royals haven't won five straight series since the 1993 season). Sox are 22-5 over their last 27 games, but 2 of those 5 losses were to the Royals.

[jbergey22]

LOL@Royals getting back in the AL Central race

IMO the Rangers just got banged hard by the Mariners. A future all star 1st baseman for a 2 month rental that plays in a park that I cant remember when they last had a good pitcher be successful there.

BOOO Rangers.

[Lathum]

So RA Dickey gets a hit between first and second in his first at bat and the announcer descries it as "Dickey finds the hole!"

[rowech]

Originally Posted by jbergey22

LOL@Royals getting back in the AL Central race

IMO the Rangers just got banged hard by the Mariners. A future all star 1st baseman for a 2 month rental that plays in a park that I cant remember when they last had a good pitcher be successful there.

BOOO Rangers.

When you get the chance, you gotta go for it...especially when you've never really had the chance before.

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by rowech

When you get the chance, you gotta go for it...especially when you've never really had the chance before.

Yep. Legit chances at getting to a World Series don't come around often for most franchises. Maybe Smoak turns into a 10-time All-Star slugger, but there's no guarantee the Rangers would have a good enough lineup around him to be in the playoffs all the time. With Lee, they have a real shot at getting into the World Series and winning it.

I'm surprised the Yankees were so intent on getting Lee now and giving up a top prospect in the process when they are the front-runners to get him as a free agent this winter, but it just goes to show you how valuable he is perceived by playoff contending teams - right now, he is arguably the best pitcher in the game and a guy that can make a real impact in the playoffs.

[sterlingice]

I hope this trade works out well for both teams. I'd love to see Texas make the playoffs and do well and then Smoak blow up and do well for the M's.

After the Lee trade was looking kindof bad for Jack Z, he roars back with this.

SI

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

After the Lee trade was looking kindof bad for Jack Z, he roars back with this.

SI

There are some things that look bad for Z, but the Lee trade was never one of them.

[rowech]

Damn it that loss pisses me off. That's the kind of game the Reds have lost the past several years and have avoided almost all year.

[cougarfreak]

Originally Posted by rowech

Dusty strikes big time tonight. Let Leake get his complete game...fine...once one guy got on he should have been out. Instead he keeps making Leak throw pitch after pitch to then give up a three run homer...bring on Cordero...two run homer...bring on Rhodes in the 10th...two run homer...Reds blow a 7-1 lead. Fucking stupid.

+1. Makes no sense to let that game get anywhere near a loss.

[Scoobz0202]

When did the Phillies become the fucking Rockies.

************!

[JPhillips]

Tonight showed the two biggest problems with Dusty in-game. First, he'll let a guy continue in the game so he can ring up stats, often meaningless. Given that they're considering shutting down Leake before the end of the season, you have to pull him in a game where they're up by six runs. I don't care if Leake wants to continue to get his first complete game, the manager has to think further down the road.

Second, Dusty can only see players in their pre-defined roles. Coco is the closer, so he has to go in even if he hasn't pitched well lately. Rhodes can't finish the game because he isn't the closer even though he's an All-Star and easily the best guy in the pen this year. (And no it doesn't matter that Rhodes gave up a homer, the manager doesn't know that going in.) It's the same stupid thinking that gives us Cabrera in the 1 or 2 spot all season or Cairo as the fill-in at thirdbase. Dusty can't see guys outside of the way he defined them in the Spring.

It's impossible to gauge how many wins Dusty is responsible for due to the team playing at near max ability, but I'm sure he's going to be a few in the negative for in-game decisions. I'd argue he's cost the team two or three this season already.

[MizzouRah]

It's nice to be out of Colorado and in Houston.

[stevew]

Just so I'm not mistaken, the Royals are 8 games under .500, and 9 games back in their division?

So.....what we're saying is that as long as they roll off a 20 or so game winning streak, they'll be right in this thing next month.

[RedKingGold]

Nice to see the Phillies remember they have some stones and should not go quietly into the night.

They've been playing a lot harder/better since the injuries and I hope it continues when everyone gets back.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by stevew

Just so I'm not mistaken, the Royals are 8 games under .500, and 9 games back in their division?

So.....what we're saying is that as long as they roll off a 20 or so game winning streak, they'll be right in this thing next month.

No, that wasn't the point at all. The Royals are playing the White sox this weekend. A sweep would have put them 5-6 games back in the division with a chance to make a run. Obviously, a loss last night got rid of that opportunity.

I'm sure everyone else's team is fantastic, but some of us have teams that haven't won a championship in 25 years and get excited when they're currently one of the hottest teams in baseball.

Thanks Captain Killjoy.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by Scoobz0202

When did the Phillies become the fucking Rockies.

************!

My thought was, what the fuck is wrong with the NL Central that the Cardinals and the Reds have the same 9th inning disease here.

[sterlingice]

I'd love to be in 1st with a 9th inning disease instead of 1st-9th inning disease

SI

[SackAttack]

Well, see, that's the difference.

The NL Central apparently has a raging case of halitosis.

The Royals have got something terminal. Nobody's quite sure exactly WHAT it is, but we know it's terminal.

[Big Fo]

Originally Posted by HiFiRevival

Who the hell is announcing the Mets/Braves game? Kenny Albert is bad enough but this other schmuck is so bad I've muted 2/3s of the game so far.

EDIT: Kevin Millar. What a freaking moron and a horrible voice to go with it. He's like a retarded Lou Pinella.

I was about to ask the same thing.

(paraphrasing) "Troy Glaus gets the RBI and that's what those RBI guys do. They smell them steaks, like steaks grilling in the backyard."

wtf

[Big Fo]

We're finally getting some runs after all those wasted baserunners earlier.

[larrymcg421]

Braves now 5 games up. It's really fun watching this team now.

We/They/The Atlanta Braves are 36-17 since moving Martin Prado to leadoff.