All Entries in the "Hot Stove Baseball" Category
Phillies 2009 Year in Review And a Sneak Peak at 2010
The Philadelphia Phillies accomplished quite a bit in 2009, despite falling just short of the coveted World Series Championship repeat. In fact, just getting back to the Fall Classic showed quite a bit of determination, and, to make it more impressive, they did it with a team that was inferior to their 2009 Championship squad. [...]
Playing Good Idea/Bad Idea with the Cubs Offseason
It’s really hard for me in the midst of a brutal Chicago Bears season to take a step back and relive a brutal Cubs season. What a disappointment 2009 was for the Chicago Cubs. So much anticipation, so few results.
I posted my thoughts on Derek Lee and his contributions to the Cubs season in [...]
Top 10 Free Agent Outfielders
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Outfielders, as in many years, offer the most diverse market. The reason outfielders tend to end up as free agents more often, is that typically it is hard to find a combination of average to above-average offense and good defense, and vice versa. For example, Jason Bay is an above [...]
2009/2010 Free Agents at SS
It’s been quite some time since the the first wave of Cal Ripken deciples made up a trio of the league’s elite shortstops. Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter now play together, with Rodriguez moving to third base (though a swap would probably improve the Yankees left side). Nomar Garciaparra has battled wrist injuries and become [...]
Tigers Considering Major Changes
They are not calling it a fire sale. Let’s get that out of the way first. Dave Dombrowski has conducted fire sales before, most notably following the 1997 championship season with the Florida Marlins. This, he says, is not a fire sale.
The GM meetings don’t usually bring much noise, and there were no major [...]
The Unceremonious End of the J.J Hardy Era
Friday was an interesting day for Brewers fans as they traded J.J Hardy to the Twins for Carlos Gomez.
As a Brewer fan, a J.J Hardy trade was something that I saw coming from a couple time zones away. Still, it isn’t something I’m too thrilled about. On a personal note, J.J Hardy was one of [...]
Hot Stove Baseball Free Agent Tracker: 3B
Third basemen make up another fruitful class of free agents, perhaps the most fruitful of the entire 2009 class. The trade market for third baseman is also pretty bare, which should add intrigue, as most of the trade candidates have at least one serious flaw: Mike Lowell (injury-prone), Kevin Kouzmanoff (has gotten worse at the [...]
Hot Stove Baseball Free Agent Tracker: 1B
There aren’t many top first basemen available this year. Last year’s free agent class was led by Mark Teixeira, who was the top free agent according to the Elias rankings that determine pick compensation allocation for teams which sign multiple Type A free agents. Teixeira’s new team, the Yankees, signed three: Teixeira, CC Sabathia and [...]
Free Agent Tracker: 2B
The market for second baseman in the offseason is one of the few that have significantly more supply than demand. Last season, players like Orlando Hudson entered the offseason expecting a major pay raise, and didn’t get it because the economy caused several free agents to remain unsigned for most of the offseason.
Hudson is back [...]
For the Reds, the Off Season Will Flow Out of LF
The biggest decision facing the Reds to begin the offseason is the choice of a left fielder. It is unlikely the Reds will spend money to go after a free agent like Matt Holliday or Jason Bay: instead, the choice is between which incumbent will get a commitment. The candidates: Jonny Gomes, Wladimir Balentien, Chris [...]
2009/2010 Free Agent Tracker: Catchers
Like last year, this year’s most fruitful market for catchers is the trade market, rather than the free agent market. The Texas Rangers, who traded Gerald Laird to the Tigers last season still have two worthy trade candidates in Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Taylor Teagarden, while Ronny Paulino could be on the move again.
Especially in a [...]
Ahhh, the Astros
Coming off a year in which almost the entire team was overhauled and still were one big hurricane away from carrying a playoff chase into the final days of the season, the Astros were the first team this off-season to plead economic downturn, and it showed. GM Ed Wade, under orders from legendarily hands-on owner [...]
Reflections on the Rockies Past, Present & Future
Looking at the 2009 Rockies is a lot like looking at the 2008 Rockies. Only with a bit more urgency attached.
Urgency in that if these Rockies don’t get off to a solid start, Clint Hurdle may not be in charge for long.
This is Hurdle’s eighth season, and for the first time, he is managing in [...]
NY Mets: A Look Back at 2008 & What to Expect in 2009
Coming off yet another regular season collapse in 2008 the New York Mets are looking to bounce back in 2009. Trying to shake the monkey that is Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard off their backs and finally live up to their potential and hype. Following their most recent regular season collapse the Mets took action [...]
Who Will Be The Tigers’ 5th Starter?
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Is Rick Porcello ready to be in a major league rotation? That is the big question right now at the Tigers’ spring headquarters in Lakeland, Fla., bigger than worries about the health of Jeremy Bonderman and Joel Zumaya, bigger than the hole in the lineup left when four of the Tigers’ top five [...]
Tribe Signs Graffanino to Minor League Deal
With a busy, yet slow off season still yet to end, even though pitchers and catchers have already reported to spring training, the Indians decided that they didn’t have enough veteran talent with minor league contracts and major league invites to spring training, so they signed Tony Graffanino to one.
Graffanino was originally drafted in the [...]
Review of the New York Yankees Off Season
To start, I want to thank Peter Schiller, Baseball Reflections, and you, the readers for allowing me to provide you with the breaking news, rumors, and information regarding the New York Yankees. This is my first post here at Baseball Reflections, and I hope you like what you read. I would like to [...]
Reflections on the Blue Jays’ Off Season
Hi everyone, and greetings from the great white north (metaphorically speaking, in my case– I actually live in Washington DC). I’m Hugo, and Rincewind and I (more on that later) run Bluebird Banter, a blog dedicated to discussions and ruminations on our favourite azure-tinged corvids. It’s a great site [...]
It’s Just Boras Being Boras
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Although this shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone in the world of baseball, but if this report is true, super agent Scott Boras hasn’t been returning the Red Sox phone calls concerning free agent catcher Jason Varitek per this article from Boston.com over the weekend.
It was recently thought that the [...]
Indians Sign Saarloos and Aquino to Minor League Contracts
Mark Shapiro continued his barrage of off season moves on Wednesday when he signed pitchers Kirk Saarloos and Greg Aquino to minor league contracts. The Indians have been busier this off season than most in their recent history as they have already made a few trades and signed various players to many different contracts.
Both Saarloos [...]
Tribe Signs Catcher Shoppach to One Year Deal
The Indians recently signed their current back-up catcher Kelly Shoppach to a one year deal. Shoppach has been with the Tribe since the 2006 season when he was traded from the Boston Red Sox in an off season deal involving outfielder Coco Crisp and third baseman Andy Marte.
Shoppach’s role has grown since 2006 and last [...]
Red Sox Reflections
January has been the busiest month of the off season for Boston thus far. Right after the New Year’s day came the announcement of the signing of C Josh Bard to a one-year contract with a club option for 2010. Since then, they have officially signed OF Rocco Baldelli, SP Brad Penny and 1B/OF Mark [...]
This Just In…Rice is IN!
I just got the e-mail from Boston.com, Jim Rice (my favorite player growing up), in his last year of eligibility, was finally elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame by the BWAA!
Here’s the story on the election of Rice and Rickey Henderson (in his first year of eligibility) from ESPN. The date of the ceremony, [...]
San Francisco Giants Off Season Report
Season Wrap Up
2008 saw the Bond-less Giants tied for the 6th worst record in baseball at 72-90, but I actually thought they had a chance of reaching 100 losses so they did better than I thought they would. They went into the year without a solid closer, which effects the rest of the bullpen, and [...]
San Diego Padres Off Season Report
Season Wrap Up
Like most of the NL West, the Padres had a disappointing 2008 season going 63-99, the third worst record in baseball last season! Who would have thought that the Giants would finish higher than San Diego at Spring Training last year? I for one did not even think it possible. Granted, 2008 saw [...]
Tribe Signs Free Agent Pitcher Pavano
Carl Pavano was not the first name most Tribe fans were thinking when considering who to add to their team’s rotation in the off season. Nonetheless, general manager Mark Shapiro apparently thought the 33-year-old veteran was worth a look as he signed the former Yankee to a one year deal on Tuesday to come to [...]
Colorado Rockies Off Season Report
Season Wrap Up
Like most of the NL West, the Rockies had a disappointing 2008 season going 74 and 88 after being in the World Series the previous October. On top of that, they lost second year SS Troy Tulowitzki to injury for a big part of the year, missing 61 games and 1B Todd Helton [...]
Tribe Trades with Cubs; Acquire DeRosa
Cleveland Indians general manager Mark Shapiro made yet another move to bolster his infield this off season as he pulled the trigger on a trade with the Chicago Cubs to bring right handed hitter Mark DeRosa to Cleveland.
In exchange for the infielder, the Indians gave up three of their highly regarded minor league pitchers. The [...]
Arizona Diamondbacks Off Season Report
Season Wrap Up
After a red hot start to the 2008 season, the team in the desert cooled off come June and never really struck fear into anyone in the NL West from that point forward, but theacquisition of LF Adam Dunn must have turned a few heads though. April did show a look into the [...]
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas!
No political correctness on this blog, after all, this is a baseball site and seeing that Charlie Brown and the rest of the peanuts gang (written and created by Charles M. Schultz) were also fans of the great sport of baseball I thought I’d add this clip from the classic, “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, [...]
