Hot Stove - 2009 Edition (1 Viewer)

[guru_007]

Baltimore's been very active, adding Atkins and Mike Gonzalez....and Millwood Team has also been linked to chasing some high dollar boppers like Holliday.

O's have a decent young team, with some high quality young arms. They would be a decent sleeper in a different division, but I can't see them any better than 4th in the AL East.

 

[fasteddie_21]

Latest is that the Mets are coveting Arroyo + 2 other un-named Reds. But they have to move a contract (read: Castillo) first.Many of us assume that it includes Brandon Phillips, but if that's the case the ONLY thing that makes even remote sense, from the Reds end, is if they get Reyes. The Mets wouldn't include him for Halladay, so you'd think they wouldn't here, but the Mets farm system is more barren than a 90-yo woman's womb. So this doesn't make sense...Any Mets homers wanna chime in?

Anyone?

 

[Koya]

Latest is that the Mets are coveting Arroyo + 2 other un-named Reds. But they have to move a contract (read: Castillo) first.Many of us assume that it includes Brandon Phillips, but if that's the case the ONLY thing that makes even remote sense, from the Reds end, is if they get Reyes. The Mets wouldn't include him for Halladay, so you'd think they wouldn't here, but the Mets farm system is more barren than a 90-yo woman's womb. So this doesn't make sense...Any Mets homers wanna chime in?

Anyone?

Sure. Chances of getting Reyes imo are very very very slim. Don't see the Mets parting with him. Between baseball and non baseball reasons - plus a relatively reasonable price tag? Don't count on Reyes.ETA: Um, how does this even get close to warranting Reyes btw?

 

[fasteddie_21]

Latest is that the Mets are coveting Arroyo + 2 other un-named Reds. But they have to move a contract (read: Castillo) first.Many of us assume that it includes Brandon Phillips, but if that's the case the ONLY thing that makes even remote sense, from the Reds end, is if they get Reyes. The Mets wouldn't include him for Halladay, so you'd think they wouldn't here, but the Mets farm system is more barren than a 90-yo woman's womb. So this doesn't make sense...Any Mets homers wanna chime in?

Anyone?

Sure. Chances of getting Reyes imo are very very very slim. Don't see the Mets parting with him. Between baseball and non baseball reasons - plus a relatively reasonable price tag? Don't count on Reyes.ETA: Um, how does this even get close to warranting Reyes btw?

If they want BP and Arroyo...The fact is, the Mets want/need pitching and Arroyo is ideal for them and his contract comes off the books after next year. He's guaranteed to get 200+ IP's and in that ballpark, a sub-4.00 ERA.

 

[proninja]

Thoughts as a Mariners fan:

Jack Z could announce he's developed a cure for cancer and I wouldn't be shocked at this point in time.

Anyway, regarding Bradley:

First, the mere fact that we don't have Carlos Silva anymore is amazingly awesome. That's about the last fetid odor of Bavasi left. Silva has been anything but a clubhouse angel for us - he threw a couple barbs at Ichiro two years ago, and I was frankly hoping the team would just waive him so none of us would have to ever see him again. As Cubs fans feel about Bradley, M's fans feel about Silva. He was the sign of just how awful previous management was, got into it with one of the only guys on the roster worth a crap, and actually hurt the team with his play. He was worse than replacement level here.

Carlos Silva is worthless and due a crapload of money.

Milton Bradley, on the other hand, is also due a crapload of money, but he can hit the friggin' ball. The last time he was in the AL West, it worked out pretty well. He's young enough to where I'm not concerned about age at all, and it's unlikely he doesn't produce if he's on the field. The concerns with him are going nuclear and injury.

The net cost to the Mariners for two years of Milton Bradley is two years, $6m. $25m obligations going out, $22m in obligations coming in. That's a savings of $3m in player contracts, and we're also shipping out $9m to the Cubs, leaving us stuck with $6m, or $3m per. Last year, playing like crap for 124 games, he was worth $4.7m according to fangraphs. The year before that? Over $20m. He's projected to produce 3WAR, or be worth roughly $13.6m this upcoming year. If he sticks around and produces at even a $10m level over the next two years (equal to his career average including the injuries), we get a value $13mil in surplus production. If he plays half the games over the next two years at the exact level he did last year, he'll be roughly worth what we're paying him. Suffice it to say that, if he doesn't go nuclear, we stole him.

Now, if he goes nuclear. Worst case scenario, we're out $6m over two years, we cut him, wash our hands, and move on. That's less than half what we stand to gain if he produces at his career averages, and a whole lot less than what we stand to gain if he produces as he did in his '08 season, his most recent full season. There's pretty minimal financial risk here, and it's dwarfed by the financial gain we stand to see.

A few things make me think Bradley has a whole lot better chance of staying sane this year in Seattle than in Chicago.

1. The M's have a very tight knit, agreeable clubhouse. I normally don't care very much about "clubhouse chemistry" - but since that's the downside we're looking at, talking about it as a strength of the team seems reasonable. Griffey is the clear leader, and Bradley won't be the strongest personality in the clubhouse. This is good.

2. Wakamatsu is about a photo negative of Lou Pinella in terms of personality. The odds of someone clashing with him are miniscule compared to Lou.

3. Fans in Seattle are waaaaaaaaaay more easygoing than fans in Chicago. He won't be getting cussed at or have beer thrown at him here - it just doesn't happen around here. Also, he's not a negative, or a mistake for us, he's a positive. HE'S THE REASON WE GOT RID OF SILVA!.

4. This team is going to win. Now. Probably a lot. The M's are a good 1B away from being legitimate contenders to win it all. They've got somewhere between $7m-$10m left to spend, and have prospects that can command a return. Given what Z's done thus far, I have little doubt that the M's are going to end up with a more than adequate first baseman. From all accounts, Bradley is super competitive, and losing grates on him, especially when it's on top of clashing with his manager and fans.

5. Jose Guillen was a model citizen here, on a much worse team. See here. Carl Everett was a model citizen here. A horrible baseball player, but a model citizen. Seattle has a history of dealing well with malcontents.

If I had to bet one way or the other, I'd bet we all see a changed man this season in Milton Bradley. And if he's happy, he'll hit.

And holy crap, this is an awesome time to be a Mariners fan.

 

[proninja]

Huh. I should have just linked this - found it on a Ms blog right after I spent ten minutes typing that out.

edit: This is very, very good.

 

[Eephus]

Everybody always thinks things will work out differently with Milton Bradley. It'll end badly in Seattle just as it has everywhere else. The only question is how long it will take. But until that happens, he's a lot better talent than Silva.

 

[RnR]

Everybody always thinks things will work out differently with Milton Bradley. It'll end badly in Seattle just as it has everywhere else. The only question is how long it will take. But until that happens, he's a lot better talent than Silva.

Maybe a Rangers homer can speak to this, but I thought things ended fine enough with Texas.

 

[the moops]

Garrett Atkins to Baltimore, 1 year $4M plus incentives with a $500K option buyout in 2011. Not a bad deal although Atkins just seems like the typical kind of guy who ends up in the Orioles' lineup.If he can still play 3B and can somehow manage a dead cat bounce offensively, he can outperform his contract by a fair amount. He's not the missing piece in Baltimore's puzzle but there are worse stopgaps out there.

Garret Atkins OPS+ the last 4 years.136, 113, 96, 66The guy is toast.

 

[proninja]

Everybody always thinks things will work out differently with Milton Bradley. It'll end badly in Seattle just as it has everywhere else. The only question is how long it will take. But until that happens, he's a lot better talent than Silva.

His last year with a given team:Chicago - 1.0 WARTexas - 4.5 WARA's/Padres - 2.4 WAR (64 games)LAD - 2.1 WAR (75 games)Cle - 4.8 WARIt seems like it ended unproductively once. What exact point are you trying to make here?

 

[RnR]

Everybody always thinks things will work out differently with Milton Bradley. It'll end badly in Seattle just as it has everywhere else. The only question is how long it will take. But until that happens, he's a lot better talent than Silva.

His last year with a given team:Chicago - 1.0 WARTexas - 4.5 WARA's/Padres - 2.4 WAR (64 games)LAD - 2.1 WAR (75 games)Cle - 4.8 WARIt seems like it ended unproductively once. What exact point are you trying to make here?

I think he's referring to Bradley melting down and ultimately causing chaos on all of those teams.

 

[proninja]

Everybody always thinks things will work out differently with Milton Bradley. It'll end badly in Seattle just as it has everywhere else. The only question is how long it will take. But until that happens, he's a lot better talent than Silva.

His last year with a given team:Chicago - 1.0 WARTexas - 4.5 WARA's/Padres - 2.4 WAR (64 games)LAD - 2.1 WAR (75 games)Cle - 4.8 WARIt seems like it ended unproductively once. What exact point are you trying to make here?

I think he's referring to Bradley melting down and ultimately causing chaos on all of those teams.

After watching really nice guys who suck, I'm ready for some #######s who can hit the tar out of the ball.

 

[Koya]

Latest is that the Mets are coveting Arroyo + 2 other un-named Reds. But they have to move a contract (read: Castillo) first.Many of us assume that it includes Brandon Phillips, but if that's the case the ONLY thing that makes even remote sense, from the Reds end, is if they get Reyes. The Mets wouldn't include him for Halladay, so you'd think they wouldn't here, but the Mets farm system is more barren than a 90-yo woman's womb. So this doesn't make sense...Any Mets homers wanna chime in?

Anyone?

Sure. Chances of getting Reyes imo are very very very slim. Don't see the Mets parting with him. Between baseball and non baseball reasons - plus a relatively reasonable price tag? Don't count on Reyes.ETA: Um, how does this even get close to warranting Reyes btw?

If they want BP and Arroyo...The fact is, the Mets want/need pitching and Arroyo is ideal for them and his contract comes off the books after next year. He's guaranteed to get 200+ IP's and in that ballpark, a sub-4.00 ERA.

Why would the mets do it? Again, how does it come close?Arroyo has gone 109, 93 and 112 ERA+ the past three years. So you get 200 decent, good innings - if he doesnt have another of those off years, which was pretty poor I might add. Phillips? Please. 105, 94 and 102 OPS+ I mean, talk about average. He is 28, not trending up for sure. He's an ok player... not even good, just passable/average. What am I missing that would have the mets part with Reyes for these guys?

 

[Your Mom]

Everybody always thinks things will work out differently with Milton Bradley. It'll end badly in Seattle just as it has everywhere else. The only question is how long it will take. But until that happens, he's a lot better talent than Silva.

His last year with a given team:Chicago - 1.0 WARTexas - 4.5 WARA's/Padres - 2.4 WAR (64 games)LAD - 2.1 WAR (75 games)Cle - 4.8 WARIt seems like it ended unproductively once. What exact point are you trying to make here?

I think he's referring to Bradley melting down and ultimately causing chaos on all of those teams.

After watching really nice guys who suck, I'm ready for some #######s who can hit the tar out of the ball.

I was all for him to because I thought he could hit the tar out of the ball. I am just going by what I saw last year. The guy has something wrong with him. He really does. He couldn't drive the ball at all last year and couldn't hit left handed. We are glad we got rid of Bradley and you are glad silva's is gone. Better for both teams. Hope he does well for the M's but I don't think he will.

 

[Smack Tripper]

Man Seattle should bring the wreckin ball.

But I'd rather not put my post season in Morrow's hands. I wonder if they can't get a relief upgrade to really solidify them.

Do they have anyone left they could flip for Soria?

 

[Eephus]

Everybody always thinks things will work out differently with Milton Bradley. It'll end badly in Seattle just as it has everywhere else. The only question is how long it will take. But until that happens, he's a lot better talent than Silva.

His last year with a given team:Chicago - 1.0 WARTexas - 4.5 WARA's/Padres - 2.4 WAR (64 games)LAD - 2.1 WAR (75 games)Cle - 4.8 WARIt seems like it ended unproductively once. What exact point are you trying to make here?

I think he's referring to Bradley melting down and ultimately causing chaos on all of those teams.

After watching really nice guys who suck, I'm ready for some #######s who can hit the tar out of the ball.

From Yahoo Sports:

Bradley’s stay with the Cubs was marked by the same tantrums, bizarre comments and irrational behavior he’s exhibited since spitting gum at an umpire as an Expos minor leaguer in the late 1990s and getting the heave-ho from the Cleveland Indians for arguing with manager Eric Wedge after failing to run out a ground ball in 2003.Following his first at-bat at Wrigley Field last April, Bradley was suspended for a game after arguing a strike-three call. He was sent home by manager Lou Piniella after attacking a water cooler in a fit of anger in June, and was banished for good in September after telling reporters the clubhouse was a negative environment and that he understood why the Cubs hadn’t won a World Series in 100 years.Bradley has acknowledged his problem. “Getting upset has caused me to hurt family, hurt friends, hurt my team, hurt fans. I need to talk to somebody about anger, get treated, find a way to correct that situation. It’s not even about baseball. This is about what I need to do for my life. I let anger get the best of me.”Problem is, he said that while with the Dodgers in 2004, after he was suspended for the last few days of the season for throwing an empty water bottle at the feet of a fan, stripping his jersey off and storming from the field. Before the end of the year he was arrested in Ohio for screaming at a police officer who had pulled over a female friend of Bradley’s. He was undergoing anger management therapy at the time.Police responded to three domestic violence reports at Bradley’s home in the summer 2005, including an incident where he was accused of choking his pregnant wife. That season he also made public an argument he had with teammate Jeff Kent who accused him of not hustling – after manager Jim Tracy had emphasized that the dispute not be discussed with the media.In June 2007, the A’s released Bradley when he made it clear he wouldn’t be happy unless he played every day. The Padres signed him and he suffered a season-ending knee injury when manager Bud Black tried to restrain him during an argument with umpire Mike Winters. Bradley was an All-Star in 2008 with the Texas Rangers, but let’s not forget the night he tried to confront Royals announcer Ryan Lefebvre, whom Bradley felt had made derogatory remarks about him during a broadcast. And keep in mind that the Rangers said no thanks to Cubs trade overtures this month.

The Ms will be Bradley's eighth team since 2001. Bradley is a talented player but he's a Hall of Fame caliber head case. There's a reason why he gets packaged for the baseball equivalent of Raef Lafrentz' expiring contract.

 

[Eephus]

Garrett Atkins to Baltimore, 1 year $4M plus incentives with a $500K option buyout in 2011. Not a bad deal although Atkins just seems like the typical kind of guy who ends up in the Orioles' lineup.If he can still play 3B and can somehow manage a dead cat bounce offensively, he can outperform his contract by a fair amount. He's not the missing piece in Baltimore's puzzle but there are worse stopgaps out there.

Garret Atkins OPS+ the last 4 years.136, 113, 96, 66The guy is toast.

Where's Mr. Pickles? He's been ragging me for years for poo-pooing Halliday and Atkins as prospects when they first came up from Colorado Springs. At least I hit on one out of two.

 

[Knobs]

Bradley was fine in Oakland (at least for awhile...). It seems he's either okay or he REALLY goes off the deep end. If Milton stays cool in Seattle and plays up to talent, Seattle has not only managed to rob Chicago but they are that much closer to building a MONSTER team.

 

[proninja]

From Yahoo Sports:

Bradley's stay with the Cubs was marked by the same tantrums, bizarre comments and irrational behavior he's exhibited since spitting gum at an umpire as an Expos minor leaguer in the late 1990s and getting the heave-ho from the Cleveland Indians for arguing with manager Eric Wedge after failing to run out a ground ball in 2003.Following his first at-bat at Wrigley Field last April, Bradley was suspended for a game after arguing a strike-three call. He was sent home by manager Lou Piniella after attacking a water cooler in a fit of anger in June, and was banished for good in September after telling reporters the clubhouse was a negative environment and that he understood why the Cubs hadn't won a World Series in 100 years.Bradley has acknowledged his problem. "Getting upset has caused me to hurt family, hurt friends, hurt my team, hurt fans. I need to talk to somebody about anger, get treated, find a way to correct that situation. It's not even about baseball. This is about what I need to do for my life. I let anger get the best of me."Problem is, he said that while with the Dodgers in 2004, after he was suspended for the last few days of the season for throwing an empty water bottle at the feet of a fan, stripping his jersey off and storming from the field. Before the end of the year he was arrested in Ohio for screaming at a police officer who had pulled over a female friend of Bradley's. He was undergoing anger management therapy at the time.Police responded to three domestic violence reports at Bradley's home in the summer 2005, including an incident where he was accused of choking his pregnant wife. That season he also made public an argument he had with teammate Jeff Kent who accused him of not hustling – after manager Jim Tracy had emphasized that the dispute not be discussed with the media.In June 2007, the A's released Bradley when he made it clear he wouldn't be happy unless he played every day. The Padres signed him and he suffered a season-ending knee injury when manager Bud Black tried to restrain him during an argument with umpire Mike Winters. Bradley was an All-Star in 2008 with the Texas Rangers, but let's not forget the night he tried to confront Royals announcer Ryan Lefebvre, whom Bradley felt had made derogatory remarks about him during a broadcast. And keep in mind that the Rangers said no thanks to Cubs trade overtures this month.

The Ms will be Bradley's eighth team since 2001. Bradley is a talented player but he's a Hall of Fame caliber head case. There's a reason why he gets packaged for the baseball equivalent of Raef Lafrentz' expiring contract.

Oh, I full well realize the baggage that MB brings. I'd be ######ed to say there's no chance he goes nuclear and gets waived. I'm simply saying that, due to the list of four or five items I posted earlier, I think he's got a better shot of staying sane here than just about anywhere else. This isn't a matter of "oh, he's a great hitter, and he's going to be fine with us." He's been a fruitcake. There's no way I'd want to sign him to a 5 year FA contract, but if we just have to keep him sane for two years, and the price is close to free, I'm stoked about the addition. It could work out, it could completely flop. Hopefully (for me, anyway) it's the former.

 

[proninja]

Huh. Not everyone in his past hates Milton Bradley.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/larr...70_stone20.html

 

[the moops]

Huh. Not everyone in his past hates Milton Bradley.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/larr...70_stone20.html

Spin

 

[proninja]

Huh. Not everyone in his past hates Milton Bradley.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/larr...70_stone20.html

Spin

It looks to have ended well in SD and Texas, doesn't it? Heck, Towers is quoted in that article as having been disappointed when Bradley signed with Texas instead of re-signing with them. There's certainly a ton of risk with Bradley, but calling it a sure thing that it'll end poorly seems a bit, well, wrong.

 

[Bogart]

Lowell to Texas is dead. Bad thumb needs surgery.

 

[Eephus]

Huh. Not everyone in his past hates Milton Bradley.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/larr...70_stone20.html

Spin

It looks to have ended well in SD and Texas, doesn't it? Heck, Towers is quoted in that article as having been disappointed when Bradley signed with Texas instead of re-signing with them. There's certainly a ton of risk with Bradley, but calling it a sure thing that it'll end poorly seems a bit, well, wrong.

Only with Bradley can a season ending injury suffered during an argument with an umpire be viewed as a amicable parting

 

[proninja]

Huh. Not everyone in his past hates Milton Bradley.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/larr...70_stone20.html

Spin

It looks to have ended well in SD and Texas, doesn't it? Heck, Towers is quoted in that article as having been disappointed when Bradley signed with Texas instead of re-signing with them. There's certainly a ton of risk with Bradley, but calling it a sure thing that it'll end poorly seems a bit, well, wrong.

Only with Bradley can a season ending injury suffered during an argument with an umpire be viewed as a amicable parting

Hey, they wanted him back. Though, that incident does summary Bradley's career nicely. In an argument, booted out of a game, gets hurt, leaves for a new team.

 

[proninja]

Ha. Just noticed this on one of the local blogs

 

[cheese]

Latest is that the Mets are coveting Arroyo + 2 other un-named Reds. But they have to move a contract (read: Castillo) first.Many of us assume that it includes Brandon Phillips, but if that's the case the ONLY thing that makes even remote sense, from the Reds end, is if they get Reyes. The Mets wouldn't include him for Halladay, so you'd think they wouldn't here, but the Mets farm system is more barren than a 90-yo woman's womb. So this doesn't make sense...Any Mets homers wanna chime in?

Anyone?

Sure. Chances of getting Reyes imo are very very very slim. Don't see the Mets parting with him. Between baseball and non baseball reasons - plus a relatively reasonable price tag? Don't count on Reyes.ETA: Um, how does this even get close to warranting Reyes btw?

If they want BP and Arroyo...The fact is, the Mets want/need pitching and Arroyo is ideal for them and his contract comes off the books after next year. He's guaranteed to get 200+ IP's and in that ballpark, a sub-4.00 ERA.

Why would the mets do it? Again, how does it come close?Arroyo has gone 109, 93 and 112 ERA+ the past three years. So you get 200 decent, good innings - if he doesnt have another of those off years, which was pretty poor I might add. Phillips? Please. 105, 94 and 102 OPS+ I mean, talk about average. He is 28, not trending up for sure. He's an ok player... not even good, just passable/average. What am I missing that would have the mets part with Reyes for these guys?

Not that I think Reyes is fair, but Phillips is worth quite a bit IMO. You recite a stat that doesn't factor in his 2 biggest assets... gold glove defense and baserunning. He is probably the Reds most productive player. Add to that he is in his prime in terms of age, and I can't see the Reds parting with him unless they are getting a lot back.

 

[Encyclopedia Brown]

Jason Marquis to Washington.

2 year/15 million.

Interesting stat in the link: Marquis has been in the majors for ten years, and he has made the playoffs in every season.

I think that streak might end in 2010.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/22/sports/b...all/22base.html

 

[boubucarow]

Thoughts as a Mariners fan:

Jack Z could announce he's developed a cure for cancer and I wouldn't be shocked at this point in time.

Anyway, regarding Bradley:

First, the mere fact that we don't have Carlos Silva anymore is amazingly awesome. That's about the last fetid odor of Bavasi left. Silva has been anything but a clubhouse angel for us - he threw a couple barbs at Ichiro two years ago, and I was frankly hoping the team would just waive him so none of us would have to ever see him again. As Cubs fans feel about Bradley, M's fans feel about Silva. He was the sign of just how awful previous management was, got into it with one of the only guys on the roster worth a crap, and actually hurt the team with his play. He was worse than replacement level here.

Carlos Silva is worthless and due a crapload of money.

Milton Bradley, on the other hand, is also due a crapload of money, but he can hit the friggin' ball. The last time he was in the AL West, it worked out pretty well. He's young enough to where I'm not concerned about age at all, and it's unlikely he doesn't produce if he's on the field. The concerns with him are going nuclear and injury.

The net cost to the Mariners for two years of Milton Bradley is two years, $6m. $25m obligations going out, $22m in obligations coming in. That's a savings of $3m in player contracts, and we're also shipping out $9m to the Cubs, leaving us stuck with $6m, or $3m per. Last year, playing like crap for 124 games, he was worth $4.7m according to fangraphs. The year before that? Over $20m. He's projected to produce 3WAR, or be worth roughly $13.6m this upcoming year. If he sticks around and produces at even a $10m level over the next two years (equal to his career average including the injuries), we get a value $13mil in surplus production. If he plays half the games over the next two years at the exact level he did last year, he'll be roughly worth what we're paying him. Suffice it to say that, if he doesn't go nuclear, we stole him.

Now, if he goes nuclear. Worst case scenario, we're out $6m over two years, we cut him, wash our hands, and move on. That's less than half what we stand to gain if he produces at his career averages, and a whole lot less than what we stand to gain if he produces as he did in his '08 season, his most recent full season. There's pretty minimal financial risk here, and it's dwarfed by the financial gain we stand to see.

A few things make me think Bradley has a whole lot better chance of staying sane this year in Seattle than in Chicago.

1. The M's have a very tight knit, agreeable clubhouse. I normally don't care very much about "clubhouse chemistry" - but since that's the downside we're looking at, talking about it as a strength of the team seems reasonable. Griffey is the clear leader, and Bradley won't be the strongest personality in the clubhouse. This is good.

2. Wakamatsu is about a photo negative of Lou Pinella in terms of personality. The odds of someone clashing with him are miniscule compared to Lou.

3. Fans in Seattle are waaaaaaaaaay more easygoing than fans in Chicago. He won't be getting cussed at or have beer thrown at him here - it just doesn't happen around here. Also, he's not a negative, or a mistake for us, he's a positive. HE'S THE REASON WE GOT RID OF SILVA!.

4. This team is going to win. Now. Probably a lot. The M's are a good 1B away from being legitimate contenders to win it all. They've got somewhere between $7m-$10m left to spend, and have prospects that can command a return. Given what Z's done thus far, I have little doubt that the M's are going to end up with a more than adequate first baseman. From all accounts, Bradley is super competitive, and losing grates on him, especially when it's on top of clashing with his manager and fans.

5. Jose Guillen was a model citizen here, on a much worse team. See here. Carl Everett was a model citizen here. A horrible baseball player, but a model citizen. Seattle has a history of dealing well with malcontents.

If I had to bet one way or the other, I'd bet we all see a changed man this season in Milton Bradley. And if he's happy, he'll hit.

And holy crap, this is an awesome time to be a Mariners fan.

Speaking as a Cubs fan, you might have stolen a very good hitter for the next two years. However, Milton Bradley started off horribly and caused all his problems on his own. He couldn't hit the ball at all, he self-destructed, and them blamed everyone else for it. Along with the pressure of ending the championship drought which is a huge presence in the minds of Cubs fans and players now, the Cubs did not need the added distraction of waiting for Bradley to explode again.Bradley tends to do much better in such environments without as much pressure and Seattle fits the profile. The question is whether he lost it last year due to the pressure and all you are getting is a slow on base guy with little power whose defense is an adventure. If that is all he gives and he doesn't explode, it actually is a decent trade for Seattle just to get rid of Silva. I would suspect though that if he is the same hitter as 2009, another Bradley caused event will end his stay in Seattle sooner rather than later. If he is anywhere near 2008, it would be a huge steal.

 

[Northern Voice]

Brandon Morrow from Seattle to Toronto for Brandon League.

http://www.thestar.com/sports/article/7418...tle-sources-say

 

[Sammy3469]

Yanks going after Javier Vazquez...that worked out well the first time.

 

[whoknew]

Yanks going after Javier Vazquez...that worked out well the first time.

Man if they get him - I mean can anyone stop them next year? Doesn't look likely.

 

[boubucarow]

Yanks going after Javier Vazquez...that worked out well the first time.

Man if they get him - I mean can anyone stop them next year? Doesn't look likely.

ESPN Radio reporting they got him and Melky is the headliner with other players involved.

 

[Yankee23Fan]

Melky for Vazquez.............. WTF?

 

[TLEF316]

ugh. If at first you dont succeed......

Looks like any thought of re-signing Wang once he gets healthy goes out the door with this move.

 

[proninja]

Brandon Morrow from Seattle to Toronto for Brandon League.

http://www.thestar.com/sports/article/7418...tle-sources-say

Not sure how I feel about this. I'm quite curious as to who the prospect is in the deal. Relievers aren't that expensive, and while Morrow may end up in the pen, I think that, in a vacuum, Morrow is more valuable. However, if Z has his eye on a starter (Sheets?), Morrow might be best used in the pen this year on our team - and I don't know much about League, but he projects as a slightly better reliever than Morrow.

I'm not wild about this right now, but I'm curious to see what the plan is.

 

[shadyridr]

what a ####in steal for the Yanks!

 

[TLEF316]

what a ####in steal for the Yanks!

Looking at in a vaccum, i'd agree. But we've already had Vazquez and he was pretty mediocre. I haven't followed him since and i had no idea he had a sub-3 ERA last year, but i'm not that excited about this.IMO, the best part about this deal is that it moves Joba to the bullpen full time.

 

[shadyridr]

Yanks going after Javier Vazquez...that worked out well the first time.

He actually made the all-star team the yr they had him. His second half was horrible

 

[shadyridr]

what a ####in steal for the Yanks!

Looking at in a vaccum, i'd agree. But we've already had Vazquez and he was pretty mediocre. I haven't followed him since and i had no idea he had a sub-3 ERA last year, but i'm not that excited about this.IMO, the best part about this deal is that it moves Joba to the bullpen full time.

Vazquez was one of the best pitchers in the NL last yr. That being said I agree it was in the NL and not the AL. But Cabrera is not a good player and Vazquez is a pretty damn good #4 starter and durable as hell. And this might move Hughes to the bullpen. Remember out of the two Joba was the one who was stretched out last yr.

 

[shadyridr]

Yanks going after Javier Vazquez...that worked out well the first time.

Man if they get him - I mean can anyone stop them next year? Doesn't look likely.

Sox still have a better rotation and if they get Adrian Gonzalez look out

 

[TLEF316]

hughes has to be stretched out eventually. Might as well do it now.

Joba is better in the pen.

 

[shut it down]

Yanks going after Javier Vazquez...that worked out well the first time.

He actually made the all-star team the yr they had him. His second half was horrible

I think you have him confused for someone else:http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/5947/s...V_373QYxt2FCLcF

 

[shadyridr]

Yanks going after Javier Vazquez...that worked out well the first time.

He actually made the all-star team the yr they had him. His second half was horrible

I think you have him confused for someone else:http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/5947/s...V_373QYxt2FCLcF

I dont have him confused with anybody. He made the All-Star team in 2004 http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/v/vazquja01.shtmlWTF are you talking about?

2004 splits: http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/5947/s...p;type=Pitching

 

[Michael Brown]

Yanks going after Javier Vazquez...that worked out well the first time.

He actually made the all-star team the yr they had him. His second half was horrible

I think you have him confused for someone else:http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/5947/s...V_373QYxt2FCLcF

Pretty sure he doesn't

 

[TLEF316]

Jeff Weaver is probably glued to his cell phone right now.

 

[Eephus]

Vazquez has always been vulnerable to the long ball -- 28 HR allowed per 162 G over his career. New Yankee stadium will do him no favors in this area, but it's still looks like an excellent deal for the Yankees. $11.5M isn't an issue for them and they are less dependent on their farm system than any other team. At worst, Vazquez is an effective innings eater and at best, he's the second best pitcher in the NL (at least if you believe Keith Law).

 

[Northern Voice]

From the MLB.com article on Vazquez:

Yankees GM Brian Cashman has been looking for an experienced arm to add to the rotation, and Vazquez fits the bill in terms of being affordable as the club looks to come in under $200 million in payroll for 2010. Vazquez is owed $11.5 million for 2010 in the final year of his contract.

Must be ####### nice to add an "affordable" 11.5 million dollar guy to the back of the rotation.

 

[Koya]

what a ####in steal for the Yanks!

Looking at in a vaccum, i'd agree. But we've already had Vazquez and he was pretty mediocre. I haven't followed him since and i had no idea he had a sub-3 ERA last year, but i'm not that excited about this.IMO, the best part about this deal is that it moves Joba to the bullpen full time.

It's the yanks. This deal has a good chance to pay dividends. If not, no big deal, go sign or trade for someone else with a price tag. No downside for them, unlike with most teams at this salary level.

 

[shut it down]

Yanks going after Javier Vazquez...that worked out well the first time.

He actually made the all-star team the yr they had him. His second half was horrible

I think you have him confused for someone else:http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/5947/s...V_373QYxt2FCLcF

I dont have him confused with anybody. He made the All-Star team in 2004 http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/v/vazquja01.shtmlWTF are you talking about?

2004 splits: http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/5947/s...p;type=Pitching

My apologies, I read that as 2009, not the year NYY had him.Although, he wasn't horrible. He was average and suffered from some atrocious luck.