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2010-2011 Hot Stove Thread


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News regarding the imminent demise of the New York Yankees has apparently been greatly exaggerated. I just learned today that my boys have signed Eric Chavez and Raphael Belliard to minor league contracts. And here I thought the offseason was a complete and unmitigated disaster. I guess that'll teach me not to fire before I aim. I take back everything bad I ever said or thought about Brian Cashman. :blush:

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News regarding the imminent demise of the New York Yankees has apparently been greatly exaggerated. I just learned today that my boys have signed Eric Chavez and Raphael Belliard to minor league contracts. And here I thought the offseason was a complete and unmitigated disaster. I guess that'll teach me not to fire before I aim. I take back everything bad I ever said or thought about Brian Cashman. :blush:

The Yanks have signed so many guys to minor league contracts that they must figure that one or two of them has to have something left. ??????

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Yet they wouldn't take a flier on Alfredo Aceves, who was one of their best relievers for two years but lost most of 2010 to a back injury. Now the Sox have signed him - and he has two options left which means if he is healthy and effective again, they potentially control him for two seasons, if I'm not mistaken.

In 126 major league innings, he's gotten righties (.221/.275/.359) and lefties (.223/.276/.337) out pretty effectively.

He'll only cost $600,000 if he makes the team, $200,000 if they stash him in Pawtucket. I definitely like this low-risk/high reward signing.

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Yet they wouldn't take a flier on Alfredo Aceves, who was one of their best relievers for two years but lost most of 2010 to a back injury. Now the Sox have signed him - and he has two options left which means if he is healthy and effective again, they potentially control him for two seasons, if I'm not mistaken.

In 126 major league innings, he's gotten righties (.221/.275/.359) and lefties (.223/.276/.337) out pretty effectively.

He'll only cost $600,000 if he makes the team, $200,000 if they stash him in Pawtucket. I definitely like this low-risk/high reward signing.

Interestingly enough, the Sox are looking at Aceves as a potential starter.

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Where have you found that tidbit? H

e's coming off back surgery and would rank no higher than the eighth starter on the depth chart, after Wakefield and Doubront. I'm sure they want to see if he can slide into the sixth-seventh inning role that Wheeler will have, or as the guy who comes into an extra-inning game if Wakefield isn't available.

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Where have you found that tidbit? H

e's coming off back surgery and would rank no higher than the eighth starter on the depth chart, after Wakefield and Doubront. I'm sure they want to see if he can slide into the sixth-seventh inning role that Wheeler will have, or as the guy who comes into an extra-inning game if Wakefield isn't available.

http://fullcount.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/2011/02/08/reports-red-sox-sign-alfredo-aceves/

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They'd have to be very happy with the bullpen to add him as starter depth and not change that plan. OTOH, its true that the bullpen is lined up right now with every spot filled except "lefty specialist" so they may have signed him purely for depth and as a low-risk move.

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And while the Browns had a disappointing 5-11 season, and the post-LeBron Cavaliers are going through a 1-35 stretch right now, the Indians are tied for first place!

They impressively signed Austin Kearns (again) to a one year deal, and are seriously considering Kevin Millwood (again) or Jeremy Bonderman!

Carlos Santana has been cleared to practice. Grady Sizemore is still a bit away. According to Chris Antonetti, "Grady is doing ground-based running activities and hitting in the cages." Which leads one to ask, what running activities are not ground-based???

Edited by Patrick
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Pablo Sandoval, looking semi-in-shape for the upcoming year, the bad news is that he seems to be falling under Barry Bonds tutelage. Bonds trainer, Greg Oliver, is now working on Panda, and this is a guy that is forbidden to come to the Giant clubhouse. Not sure how good of an influence Bonds is at this point, be we'll see. Don't know about the Giants for this season, the offense might be a problem again, they will have a full year with Madison Boumgartner, and that pitching staff will keep the in every game, they'll be hanging around the top for the year, I don't see any team in the NL West getting any better.

sp-giants05_PH_s_0502930529.jpg

A dubious choice of trainers to be sure, but if it helps the Panda get his groove on in the batter's box I'm OK with it.

Pitching and defense will be the key again this season. But you never know, the Gigantes bats are long over due for some pop.

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Don't know about the Giants for this season, the offense might be a problem again, they will have a full year with Madison Boumgartner, and that pitching staff will keep the in every game, they'll be hanging around the top for the year, I don't see any team in the NL West getting any better.

You're kidding, right? The Giants are the team to beat. They have the best pitching staff in baseball. Their much maligned offense plays in one the toughest hitter's parks in MLB. Additionally they will have a full season of Buster Posey at the plate not a 1/2.

It's just that all the stars seemed to align right for the Giants last year, plus, I'm always leery of the year after for a team with "great chemistry," and don't forget the only reason they got in the playoffs in the first place was the collapse of the Padres. They really don't have a great batter that they can count on to carry a team through dry spells. Also, the players seem to be in party-mode right now, and I wonder how they will handle success. I know I'm in the minority, but I see a lot of question marks for the upcoming season.

Now hold on there a minute, Matthew. The Padres took the Giants down to the wire last season and got beat. That is long on talent, short on collapse. Both teams were a tough out.

And don't forget, the Padres just owned the Giants all season so the "collapse" hardly makes this the only reason the Giants made the playoffs.

That Giants team had the heart of a lion...and proved it, on the road, three times en route to the WS Championship, my friend.

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More reason to suspect it was a once-in-a-lifetime magic carpet ride not likely to be repeated. The pitching should keep them competitive though especially in a division with two main competitors going backward.

True dat.

But I would argue a repeat by any team is a tall order. The Pads and Giants will both be tough again this season to be sure. Dodgers need a divorce settlement before they go anywhere. The Rocks and D'Backs may surprise some folks, too.

The NL West is and has been a very competitive division these past ten years or so.

Edited by GoodSpeak
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More reason to suspect it was a once-in-a-lifetime magic carpet ride not likely to be repeated. The pitching should keep them competitive though especially in a division with two main competitors going backward.

True dat.

But I would argue a repeat by any team is a tall order. The Pads and Giants will both be tough again this season to be sure. Dodgers need a divorce settlement before they go anywhere. The Rocks and D'Backs may surprise some folks, too.

The NL West is and has been a very competitive division these past ten years or so.

Padres without Gonzalez are even more punchless than the Giants. The Dodgers still have an impressive group of young stars but seem to underachieve, and with the divorce still being litigated seem frozen as far as making any positive changes (as opposed to shedding payroll). So I do think the Giants should have the pitching and enough offense to make it back to the playoffs but my impression of the NL West for the past few years is that its competitive due to having a bunch of good but flawed teams fight it out. Has an NL West team won 95 games recently?

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More reason to suspect it was a once-in-a-lifetime magic carpet ride not likely to be repeated. The pitching should keep them competitive though especially in a division with two main competitors going backward.

True dat.

But I would argue a repeat by any team is a tall order. The Pads and Giants will both be tough again this season to be sure. Dodgers need a divorce settlement before they go anywhere. The Rocks and D'Backs may surprise some folks, too.

The NL West is and has been a very competitive division these past ten years or so.

Padres without Gonzalez are even more punchless than the Giants. The Dodgers still have an impressive group of young stars but seem to underachieve, and with the divorce still being litigated seem frozen as far as making any positive changes (as opposed to shedding payroll). So I do think the Giants should have the pitching and enough offense to make it back to the playoffs but my impression of the NL West for the past few years is that its competitive due to having a bunch of good but flawed teams fight it out. Has an NL West team won 95 games recently?

Well, there was the 2002 D'Backs [98], 2002 Giants [95], the 2003 Giants [100] and the 2009 Dodgers [95]....I would say that is fairly recent. The WS Champ Giants won 92 games. But the the NL west teams have to play each other, too. The records simply do not reflect the quality ballclubs they really are. Like I said, this is a very competitive division; not a slouch among them.

But let's take a look at the number of times the NL West has either been in or won the WS, been the Wild Card and/or made the playoffs:

Since 1995, a NL West team has:

Been in the NLDS- 21 times

Been in the NLCS- 8 times

Been in the WS- 5 times [sD in 1999; AZ in 2001; SF in 2002; COL in 2007; SF in 2010]

Won the WS- 2 times [AZ in 2001 and SF in 2010]

Been the WC [which would place TWO NL West teams in the playoffs]- 6 times [COL in 1995; LA in 1996; SF in 2002; LA in 2006; COL in 2007; COL in 2009]

From where I stand, that is a pretty impressive record for a division people love to call weak for some strange reason.

Edited by GoodSpeak
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