Official 2008 MLB thread

[NewYorkSpider]

why did OC get traded

It was a pointless trade. They will probably move Juan Uribe to second if they don't trade him.

 

[omid17]

It was a pointless trade. They will probably move Juan Uribe to second if they don't trade him.

like i said earlier, angels pitching is great, they need better batters, they need guys who can hit a lot of home runs

 

[NewYorkSpider]

That's why they need to get Miguel Cabrera. The Marlins are asking for a lot in return though. If that doesn't work they may have to trade Ervin Santana and another player/prospect.

 

[omid17]

That's why they need to get Miguel Cabrera. The Marlins are asking for a lot in return though. If that doesn't work they may have to trade Ervin Santana and another player/prospect.

im cool with that

 

[Spidey-Bat]

No one talked about it but Mike Lowell actually took fewer years (and probably less $$$) to stay with the Red Sox. It's nice to see someone show loyalty in what has become a business. That's a real class act. Not like Tom Glavine. I could go into a rant on him but I'll save it unless someone really cares.

 

[DarthRekal]

Dodger fans, I thought of a wild trade a few days ago: Juan Pierre and Russell Martin for Carlos Beltran. What do you think? It'd never happen but I want to know how crazy it seems to you guys.

ABSOLUTLEY NUTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


NO WAY MARTIN !!!!.. not even for PAY-ROD!!!!!!!!!



Martin IS the Dodgers... period end of story

 

[Dark Donnie]

Torri Hunter talking contract with the White Sox

 

[Dodger]

Dodger fans, I thought of a wild trade a few days ago: Juan Pierre and Russell Martin for Carlos Beltran. What do you think? It'd never happen but I want to know how crazy it seems to you guys.

LoL, no. your going to have to offer Nolan Ryan, Tom Seaver and Mike Piazza in his prime to get that deal done and pay for pierre and beltran's contract.

why did OC get traded

Rumor is that the Halo's want too offer a package with Weaver, Santana for the other Cabrera in Florida. I swear man, it's like the freaking halos heard about the dodger rumor and jumped on it!

 

[omid17]

LoL, no. your going to have to offer Nolan Ryan, Tom Seaver and Mike Piazza in his prime to get that deal done and pay for pierre and beltran's contract.


Rumor is that the Halo's want too offer a package with Weaver, Santana for the other Cabrera in Florida. I swear man, it's like the freaking halos heard about the dodger rumor and jumped on it!

we'll see what happens

 

[Dark Donnie]

Just read the Phillies were close to signing Lowell sunday night...4 yrs $50 mil.....Im happy he didn't take that.

 

[Dark Donnie]

Report: Astros, Matsui close to deal

According to Tracy Ringolsby of the Rocky Mountain News, the Astros and Kaz Matsui are close to a deal.

It's been a bad month for Lance Berkman owners. The Astros are going to have Michael Bourn leading off and Matsui likely batting second most of the time. Matsui's career OBP away from Coors Field is .308. Chris Burke is easily the better bet offensively, though Matsui is clearly superior defensively. A platoon, with Matsui sitting against lefties, could be rather productive. Still, the Astros again will disappoint when it comes to getting guys on base for Berkman. Nov. 19 - 10:36 pm et

Angels | Team could be pursuing Tejada
Mon, 19 Nov 2007 19:41:26 -0800

Jeff Zrebiec, of The Baltimore Sun, reports the Los Angeles Angels may be pursuing Baltimore Orioles SS Miguel Tejada to play shortstop or third base for the team.

Bengie Molina-C-Giants Nov. 20 - 9:13 am et

According to the Rocky Mountain News, the Giants are "looking to move Bengie Molina."

Molina could be another options for teams like the Mets, Rockies and Marlins that are looking for catching help. Molina will make $6 million in each of the next two seasons.

 

[Dark Donnie]

More...

Ramon Hernandez-C-Orioles Nov. 20 - 9:05 am et

According to New York Newsday, "the Mets would like to trade for either Baltimore's Ramon Hernandez or Texas' Gerald Laird."

With Vorvit Torrealba no longer an option and Paul Lo Duca apparently out of the picture, the Mets reportedly will look to a trade rather than fill their catching need with a free agent like Michael Barrett or Jason Kendall. Another option is acquiring a backup while making Ramon Castro the starter, but the team reportedly wants to avoid that if possible.

Heilman no longer untouchable in trade talks
Tuesday, Nov 20, 2007 8:31 am EST

Getty Images
Aaron Heilman, long considered untouchable when it came to trade talks, appears to be the centerpiece of any deal the New York Mets will make to improve their starting rotation Newsday reported Tuesday. There is the belief around baseball that GM Omar Minaya wants to pull off a major deal.

They're going to be active," one official from an American League club predicted of the Mets. "They're going to use those guys as trade chips and try to get some pitchers back."

"Those guys" could include Heilman, pitchers Phil Humber, Kevin Mulvey, Mike Pelfrey and Joe Smith, and outfielders Carlos Gomez, Fernando Martinez and Lastings Milledge. The official called Mulvey, who recorded his first full professional season in 2007, "probably the sexiest guy" among the pitchers according to Newsday.

Source: Newsday

 

[cyborg ninja 14]

Or there's the completely ludicrous idea that the Mets look within to solve the problem instead of signing someone to a long term deal.

There has to be some prospects out there right? No? I guess not.

Schmidt is always an option but thats a huge IF. Loaiza can, but eh. he's a gas can. We have kids in the minors who can come up.

Schmidt's best days are probably behind him now, what are the pitching prospects like?

No one talked about it but Mike Lowell actually took fewer years (and probably less $$$) to stay with the Red Sox. It's nice to see someone show loyalty in what has become a business. That's a real class act. Not like Tom Glavine. I could go into a rant on him but I'll save it unless someone really cares.

I figured you wouldn't care if Glavine didn't come back? I thought he would retire, but he'll be fortunant to get through next season with an ERA under 5.

 

[cyborg ninja 14]

The NL MVP goes out today gentlemen, who will it be?

Rollins or Holliday? Perhaps Prince or Wright?

 

[Dark Donnie]

Between Rollins and Holliday....im saying Rollins because im a homer

 

[NewYorkSpider]

Rollins will win it. I think it should be Holliday.

 

[Dark Donnie]

Report: Indians, Kobayashi close to deal

The Indians are having Masahide Kobayashi in for a physical Tuesday and could complete a deal later this week.

With Hitoki Iwase off the board, Kobayashi was the best Japanese reliever available in free agency. The long-term closer would probably help set up Joe Borowski for the Indians initially, but like Rafael Betancourt, he could prove to be superior to Borowski in time. That won't necessarily make him a candidate for saves, but he will be a sleeper. Nov. 20 - 1:08 pm et

 

[cyborg ninja 14]

Kobayashi? The guy who eats 10 times his own weight in hot dogs?

 

[Dark Donnie]

Rollins won the MVP

Rollins nabs NL MVP Award
Shortstop backed up talk this season with big performance
By Ken Mandel / MLB.com

Jimmy Rollins boldly predicted in January that the Phillies were the team to beat in the NL East. (Getty)
MLB Headlines

• Walking the walk: Rollins named NL MVP
• Tribe lands Japanese reliever Kobayashi
• Cubs' McDonough steps down as president
• Yankees name Girardi's coaching staff
• Astros sign free-agent infielder Blum
• No-brainer: A-Rod wins AL MVP Award
• White Sox swap Garland for Halos' Cabrera
• Reports: Lowell, Sox agree to three-year deal
• More MLB Headlines

ADVERTISEMENT
print this page | e-mail this page
• Rollins' career statistics
• Buy an authentic Rollins jersey
• All-time MVP Award winners
• 2007 MLB Awards coverage


PHILADELPHIA -- Considering the amazing streaks for the teams whose uniforms they wore, the National League MVP race had to be this close.
There could be no other finish.

But Philadelphia shortstop Jimmy Rollins, all 5-foot-8 of him, stood taller than Colorado's Matt Holliday and Milwaukee's Prince Fielder, as the Baseball Writers' Association of America announced the results of its final individual award given out this season.

Rollins gives the Phillies their seventh MVP award, joining Chuck Klein (1932), Jim Konstanty (1950), Mike Schmidt (1980, 1981, 1986) and Ryan Howard (2006). With Howard, the Phillies become the first club with back-to-back MVPs since San Francisco's Jeff Kent and Barry Bonds in 2000 and 2001.

Tuesday's announcement should spark debate about which player meant more to his team.

Everything Philadelphia accomplished in 2007 focused on Rollins, starting with his January boast that the Phillies were the "team to beat" in the NL East. That disregarded the Mets, who captured the division the previous season and the Braves, who won it seemingly every year before that.

Despite taking flack after Philadelphia's 4-11 season-opening stumble, Rollins remained at the center of the Phillies' resurgence. He batted .346 (28-for-81) with six homers, 15 RBIs and 15 runs in 18 games against those Mets and started all 162 games at shortstop, playing all but 17 innings. Batting in the leadoff spot for most of the season, he kept the offense churning.

He committed just 11 errors, enough for his first Gold Glove, though his fielding percentage was second to Colorado's Troy Tulowitzki.

When closer Brett Myers hurled his glove in the air following a called strike three against Washington's Wily Mo Pena -- securing a 13-4 finish that earned the Phillies their first postseason appearance since 1993 -- Rollins' MVP credentials were cemented.

"If Jimmy doesn't win the MVP, there's something wrong with the system," left fielder Pat Burrell said on the final day of the season. "This guy, he took us on his shoulders from Day 1, and did things in this game that never happened."

The 32 voters on the NL Most Valuable Player Award committee, two from each NL city, filed ballots after the regular season, and most took the option of waiting until Rockies' one-game playoff win over the Padres. Each writer could list a top 10 in order. Players were awarded 10 points for a first-place vote, nine points for a second-place vote, etc.

Rollins became the first player in history to collect at least 200 hits, 25 homers, 15 triples and 25 steals in a season. Overall, the switch-hitter batted .296, with 38 doubles, 20 triples, 30 homers, 94 RBIs, 41 stolen bases, 212 hits and 139 runs scored.

The 139 runs scored and 88 extra-base hits were league records for a shortstop. He also set a Major League record with 716 at-bats, and became the third shortstop in history to have at least 30 homers and 30 stolen bases in a season, after Barry Larkin in 1996 and Alex Rodriguez in 1998.

Holliday, meanwhile, captured the league's batting and RBI titles, and led the Rockies into the postseason for the first time since 1995. The left fielder was the focal point of the team's 15-1 run to get there, batting .442 with five homers and 17 RBIs.

Overall, he batted .340, with 50 doubles, 36 homers, 137 RBIs, 216 hits and 120 runs scored. He also led the league in hits, total bases, doubles and extra-base hits.

The statistics only told part of the story. The voters went with the player who backed up a bold prediction. On a team with Howard and Chase Utley, who himself had an MVP campaign despite missing five weeks with a broken hand, Rollins simply was the team's most valuable.

Now, he has the hardware.

"He's the MVP of the National League," manager Charlie Manuel said often in September. "He sets the tone on offense and defense. He plays every day. I've never seen so many hard-hit balls in my life, and he turns them into double plays. He's the guy that got us going ... all year."

 

[sinewave]

I figured you wouldn't care if Glavine didn't come back? I thought he would retire, but he'll be fortunant to get through next season with an ERA under 5.

hi, my name is sinewave and i approve of this message.

Rollins won the MVP

i figured it'd be him or wright. congrats phillies fans!

 

[Spidey-Bat]

Congratulations to Jimmy Rollins for getting away with robbery for a 3rd time and becoming the most overrated player in baseball.

 

[cyborg ninja 14]

hi, my name is sinewave and i approve of this message.

Hell yes

i figured it'd be him or wright. congrats phillies fans!

Congratulations to Jimmy Rollins for getting away with robbery for a 3rd time and becoming the most overrated player in baseball.

Exactly what were the first two times?

 

[sinewave]

Congratulations to Jimmy Rollins for getting away with robbery for a 3rd time and becoming the most overrated player in baseball.

overly dramatic and biased much? he might be overrated, but he's nowhere near being the most overrated player. utley would have won it if he had played the full season.


the gold glove must have been the first one, what's the second?

 

[Spidey-Bat]

There has to be some prospects out there right? No? I guess not.

The Mets? They have a kid Ruben Gotay. His fielding is poor but he can hit well (left-handed at least). I would use a platoon of him and Damion Easley and then bank on Hudson walking.

I figured you wouldn't care if Glavine didn't come back? I thought he would retire, but he'll be fortunant to get through next season with an ERA under 5.

I'd care if he came back but not in a good way. He needed to go and the Mets needed to cut their ties with him. It's hard to want him back after he said he was only disappointed in his horrible starts the last 3 weeks of the season, he wanted to win his 300th game in a Braves uniform, and he wanted to call Bobby Cox after winning his 300th game. He did nothing for them his tenure here, no one will miss him.

I wonder if he'll pull a Roger Clemens and never pitch against the Mets in NY.

overly dramatic and biased much? he might be overrated, but he's nowhere near being the most overrated player. utley would have won it if he had played the full season.

He's the most overrated after this off-season. He's not the best defensive SS in the league (Troy Tulowitzki and Omar Vizquel were better). He's not even the best offensive SS in his division (Hanley Ramirez). Neither award should be given to him because he's only slightly above average. He's not the MVP of the league (Wright had a much better season and more win shares). He's not even the MVP of his team. Even when Utley was out, his production was replaced by guys like Greg Dobbs, Jayson Werth, and Pat Burrell.

the gold glove must have been the first one, what's the second?

Silver Slugger

Here are some interesting facts:
His 118 OPS+ is the lowest for an MVP in either league since 1965.
His OBP is the lowest for an MVP since Andrew Dawson in 1987.
He ranked 9th in VORP in the NL.

 

[Dark Donnie]

Congratulations to Jimmy Rollins for getting away with robbery for a 3rd time and becoming the most overrated player in baseball.

: come on he deserved it as much as Holliday...it could have gone either way