I'm so sick of hearing about Cliff Lee, that I'm going to make this post short just so I don't add to the incessant conversations about his destination for next season. The thing is, his decision regarding that destination is so noteworthy that I would be remiss in leaving it out of this blog.
Lee to Philadelphia is a huge story because it's a head-turner. We as fans and consumers of baseball were blindsided by this move, and our reaction to it would be much different if Cliff Lee had been boring and signed with the Yankees. But Cliff Lee is not boring. In fact, nothing about him is. He's been arguably the best postseason pitcher over the last two seasons, has been constantly coveted by numerous teams, and helped take a franchise who had never won a playoff series prior to this year to a World Series. We've grown accustomed to seeing players like Lee don the pinstripes as soon as they put up accomplishments like Lee's. But Cliff Lee is not boring. And now he's a Phillie.
Lee makes the Philadelphia Phillies' starting rotation the best in baseball, period. Anyone who disputes that ought to make their way to a sauna and sweat those thoughts out of their head. And all because Cliff Lee is not boring. Something interesting to note here - we would have been saying the same thing about the Yankees' rotation had they gotten Lee, but not the Texas Rangers....and Lee went with the familiar territory in Philly over New York.
So now the three elite teams in baseball are housed in the northeast. Philadelphia may be all that's relevant in the National League. And Cliff Lee is set to be part of a team that will be very good for a very long time - not too bad for someone who settled for less money, eh? Certainly, that's not boring either.
December 14, 2010
December 11, 2010
Winter Meetings End in Usual Fashion for Dodgers
Now that the winter meetings have reached their conclusion, it would be silly of me not to review my favorite team's moves to this point in the offseason.
As usual, the Dodgers have neglected to spend big money on the top free agents available this winter. Maybe this has to do with the McCourt situation. Maybe this has to do with the economy. Maybe this has to do with the fact that when the Dodgers do spend big money, the results are Andruw Jones, Jason Schmidt, and Manny Ramirez (post 2008). Whatever you choose to believe, the Dodgers have turned themselves into a small market team in a big market city. Their MO is bargain-hunting and living in subsistence. The leaves on Ned Colletti's tree are constantly being swayed by the winds of caution. The result: Hiroki Kuroda, John Garland, Tony Gwynn, Jr., Rod Barajas, and Vicente Padilla, all signed for one year. Ted Lilly, signed for three years, presumably and perhaps foolishly based on what he did for LA in August. A starting rotation that is deep but not entirely strong overall. A bullpen that is still searching for answers. A lineup that remains incomplete. A new second baseman that was signed based on one good year, and who will not produce again like he did in 2010. You know, the usual.
Still, to the Dodgers' credit, they have been aggressive. This was not the case last offseason, if you remember, and look where it got the team. This year, the Dodgers have been much more active, which is probably the biggest positive I can take away from their 2010 offseason so far. And I don't mean this just in regards to who the Dodgers have brought in - but more so, who they have said goodbye to:
Goodbye, George Sherrill. You really stunk last season. There are just no ifs ands or buts about it. An ERA over 6 in limited appearances? Good luck in Atlanta. Maybe the new skipper over there will kick some sense into you.
Goodbye, Scott Podsednik. You don't really belong in this lineup anyway, especially when Rafael Furcal is healthy and perfectly capable of handling leadoff duties. After we let Juan Pierre go last year, did you really think we were gonna keep YOU around?
Goodbye, Reed Johnson. You were great against left-handers last year, but then again, you always are. Too bad you couldn't stay healthy long enough to make a bigger impact. I'm not sure you'll ever be more than a spot starter at this point in your career, and I'm happy to let you pursue that elsewhere.
Now, on a more somber note:
Goodbye, Jeff Weaver. I really liked you out of the bullpen the past couple of seasons. You gave us innings that we desperately needed when Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley couldn't keep their pitch counts down. And that happened a lot. I can't imagine you were entirely happy with your role on this team, but as far as I'm concerned, you fulfilled it well. Best of luck to you moving forward.
Goodbye, Ryan Theriot. You beat Juan Uribe every day of the week and twice on Sunday. I don't care that you only hit two home runs this season. St. Louis is very lucky to have you. Enjoy your NL Central division championship in 2011.
Goodbye, Russell Martin. I am truly sad to see you go. While your production has steadily declined over the past few seasons, and while your power at this point is incomparable even to that of Rod Barajas, you orchestrated one of the best pitching staffs in baseball during your time as catcher. Your defensive abilities will be sorely missed. I hope the Dodgers wake up tomorrow, smell the coffee, and resign you before another team realizes your true value.
Such is the Dodger offseason in 2010. There has to be more to it though, right? I mean, the Dodgers can't be content to go into April with Jay Gibbons as their left fielder, can they? Come on, Colletti. Convince me that I should renew my season tickets this year, even though you know I probably will anyway. Don't tell me LA is destined for another sub-.500 finish, and that we as fans have to suffer through another NL West title captured by the San Francisco Giants!
Oh yeah, I almost forgot. You, a conformist in a land of cheap traders, are going to convince me with bargains. Theo Epstein is convincing his fans with Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford. What do you got?
As usual, the Dodgers have neglected to spend big money on the top free agents available this winter. Maybe this has to do with the McCourt situation. Maybe this has to do with the economy. Maybe this has to do with the fact that when the Dodgers do spend big money, the results are Andruw Jones, Jason Schmidt, and Manny Ramirez (post 2008). Whatever you choose to believe, the Dodgers have turned themselves into a small market team in a big market city. Their MO is bargain-hunting and living in subsistence. The leaves on Ned Colletti's tree are constantly being swayed by the winds of caution. The result: Hiroki Kuroda, John Garland, Tony Gwynn, Jr., Rod Barajas, and Vicente Padilla, all signed for one year. Ted Lilly, signed for three years, presumably and perhaps foolishly based on what he did for LA in August. A starting rotation that is deep but not entirely strong overall. A bullpen that is still searching for answers. A lineup that remains incomplete. A new second baseman that was signed based on one good year, and who will not produce again like he did in 2010. You know, the usual.
Still, to the Dodgers' credit, they have been aggressive. This was not the case last offseason, if you remember, and look where it got the team. This year, the Dodgers have been much more active, which is probably the biggest positive I can take away from their 2010 offseason so far. And I don't mean this just in regards to who the Dodgers have brought in - but more so, who they have said goodbye to:
Goodbye, George Sherrill. You really stunk last season. There are just no ifs ands or buts about it. An ERA over 6 in limited appearances? Good luck in Atlanta. Maybe the new skipper over there will kick some sense into you.
Goodbye, Scott Podsednik. You don't really belong in this lineup anyway, especially when Rafael Furcal is healthy and perfectly capable of handling leadoff duties. After we let Juan Pierre go last year, did you really think we were gonna keep YOU around?
Goodbye, Reed Johnson. You were great against left-handers last year, but then again, you always are. Too bad you couldn't stay healthy long enough to make a bigger impact. I'm not sure you'll ever be more than a spot starter at this point in your career, and I'm happy to let you pursue that elsewhere.
Now, on a more somber note:
Goodbye, Jeff Weaver. I really liked you out of the bullpen the past couple of seasons. You gave us innings that we desperately needed when Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley couldn't keep their pitch counts down. And that happened a lot. I can't imagine you were entirely happy with your role on this team, but as far as I'm concerned, you fulfilled it well. Best of luck to you moving forward.
Goodbye, Ryan Theriot. You beat Juan Uribe every day of the week and twice on Sunday. I don't care that you only hit two home runs this season. St. Louis is very lucky to have you. Enjoy your NL Central division championship in 2011.
Goodbye, Russell Martin. I am truly sad to see you go. While your production has steadily declined over the past few seasons, and while your power at this point is incomparable even to that of Rod Barajas, you orchestrated one of the best pitching staffs in baseball during your time as catcher. Your defensive abilities will be sorely missed. I hope the Dodgers wake up tomorrow, smell the coffee, and resign you before another team realizes your true value.
Such is the Dodger offseason in 2010. There has to be more to it though, right? I mean, the Dodgers can't be content to go into April with Jay Gibbons as their left fielder, can they? Come on, Colletti. Convince me that I should renew my season tickets this year, even though you know I probably will anyway. Don't tell me LA is destined for another sub-.500 finish, and that we as fans have to suffer through another NL West title captured by the San Francisco Giants!
Oh yeah, I almost forgot. You, a conformist in a land of cheap traders, are going to convince me with bargains. Theo Epstein is convincing his fans with Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford. What do you got?
December 9, 2010
I Am Back, and So Are the Red Sox
It has been two months since my last post, but in the spirit of the winter meetings, and the holiday season, where generosity seems to flow much more freely than normal, I feel its time to offer some new contributions to you fine readers.
The monetary generosity of major players in the free agent market is certainly abundant. Carl Crawford's new deal may be the best indicator of this. At $20 million a year for seven years, the Red Sox have locked up the most dynamic hitter in this year's free agent pool. This after acquiring slugger Adrian Gonzalez (who, by the way, will absolutely have more of an impact than Crawford will this year) just two days earlier while managing to keep their 25-man roster intact. The Red Sox, with these moves, now have the targets on their backs. Never mind that they didn't make the playoffs last year. You can't put a better lineup on the field than what Boston has right now.
And if you're the Yankees, how much pressure must you be feeling right now? Yeah, maybe you extend your own generosity to Cliff Lee and give him $160-165 million over 7 years, but to me, that's not going to be enough to temper the Red Sox. When healthy, the Red Sox still have better pitching than the Yankees do as a whole. While the Yankees' frontline starters may be better, especially if they sign Lee, the Red Sox can round out their rotation with John Lackey and Clay Buchholz. I shudder to think about how good the Red Sox are going to be this year. They might win 120 games, if they weren't playing in the best division in baseball.
Which brings me to another point. Why is the AL East the best division in baseball? Their overwhelming generosity is the answer. No other division spends money like the AL East, because no other division features the Yankees and Red Sox. These two teams always land the top free agents, year in and year out, and free agents want to play for them because they pay. They pay big. They try and outbid the other, and drive the price up on the Carl Crawfords and Cliff Lees in the process, not only to put the other at a disadvantage, but to put the rest of Major League Baseball at a disadvantage. Any other teams interested in these high-profile players simply aren't willing to shell out the dough, which grants the Yankees and Red Sox a monopoly on them. The result: star-studded lineups like the one the Red Sox have put together this offseason. A complete, well-rounded club that would easily dominate any other division in baseball. This year, the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry might be the most exciting its been since the ALCS in 2004.
Because the Red Sox are back.
The monetary generosity of major players in the free agent market is certainly abundant. Carl Crawford's new deal may be the best indicator of this. At $20 million a year for seven years, the Red Sox have locked up the most dynamic hitter in this year's free agent pool. This after acquiring slugger Adrian Gonzalez (who, by the way, will absolutely have more of an impact than Crawford will this year) just two days earlier while managing to keep their 25-man roster intact. The Red Sox, with these moves, now have the targets on their backs. Never mind that they didn't make the playoffs last year. You can't put a better lineup on the field than what Boston has right now.
And if you're the Yankees, how much pressure must you be feeling right now? Yeah, maybe you extend your own generosity to Cliff Lee and give him $160-165 million over 7 years, but to me, that's not going to be enough to temper the Red Sox. When healthy, the Red Sox still have better pitching than the Yankees do as a whole. While the Yankees' frontline starters may be better, especially if they sign Lee, the Red Sox can round out their rotation with John Lackey and Clay Buchholz. I shudder to think about how good the Red Sox are going to be this year. They might win 120 games, if they weren't playing in the best division in baseball.
Which brings me to another point. Why is the AL East the best division in baseball? Their overwhelming generosity is the answer. No other division spends money like the AL East, because no other division features the Yankees and Red Sox. These two teams always land the top free agents, year in and year out, and free agents want to play for them because they pay. They pay big. They try and outbid the other, and drive the price up on the Carl Crawfords and Cliff Lees in the process, not only to put the other at a disadvantage, but to put the rest of Major League Baseball at a disadvantage. Any other teams interested in these high-profile players simply aren't willing to shell out the dough, which grants the Yankees and Red Sox a monopoly on them. The result: star-studded lineups like the one the Red Sox have put together this offseason. A complete, well-rounded club that would easily dominate any other division in baseball. This year, the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry might be the most exciting its been since the ALCS in 2004.
Because the Red Sox are back.
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