Comments on: Saying goodbye to the Winter Meetings

By: Tyree Studio

Tyree Studio — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 22:08:56 +0000

Maybe DM should have signed Avery afterall…

By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 22:56:55 +0000

I guess you could say they would make perfect sense if you could think like a confused and conflicted cheapskate.

By: PanchoHerreraFanClub

PanchoHerreraFanClub — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 21:28:23 +0000

Gator, I would have thought by down you would know that all the Feesh deal make no sense at all.

Craig, a great job. I’m guessing that it was legal training that allowed you to keep at it inspite alcoholic haze surrounding you.

By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 20:58:13 +0000

Well, the Feesh made some deals but the longer and harder I look at them they make no sense whatsoever to me. They practically give Uggla away when they had control of him for another year, and could have dined out before the July 30 trading deadline on what the Borg, the Beanbags or any other team clawing towards the playoffs would have given them at that point, at the very least. Of course the answer is that Scrooge McLoria was going to get raped in arbitration but if he had been really willing to pay Uggla what he offered (though we both know he knew Uggla would never accept that offer in the first place) the arbitration loss would have paid for itself once he finally did trade Uggla. At that point, he could have traded him well outside the division, too. The deal for Buck looks as crazy as the deal for Werth, if not worse, since Buck has had one decent year in his entire career and is a catcher. Vazquez? Most problematic of the three. If he pans out he's a steal. But if his arm continues to be eaten by The Blob, another waste of money. Still, Vazquez - unless one of his rotator cuffs or ulnar collateral ligament goes sproiyyyyinnnnggggg next season - will at least still be tradeable. If Buck falls flat, they are well and truly stuck with him. Think Oliver Perez in stupid looking battle gear. At this point, to be honest, I see the Feesh finishing either just barely ahead of the Gnats or dead last, but I am going to wait to see what the Mutts do by the time camp breaks to make a definitive prediction.

By: NickT

NickT — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 19:31:19 +0000

Good job this week, Craig. Entertaining stuff.

By: apbaguy

apbaguy — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 18:27:30 +0000

OG-harsh words for the Rays. Losing Crawford, Pena, and Bartlett, plus bullpen, while the Sox gain Crawford and Adrian! Gonzalez, the Rays real problem will be can their young pitchers step up, or will they be as ineffective as they were towards the end of last season, particularly Niemann.

But what about your Feesh? There was no news about them this past week. At least the A’s were newsworthy for their futile efforts to sign anyone. It’s easy to say free agents won’t play for Oakland because of the stadium. That’s a factor. But a bigger factor is that Oakland has become identified as a place where management has little appetite to do what is necessary to win. The league is all too aware of them pulling the plug in 2006 while leading the division, inexplicably trading away their veteran starting pitchers in mid-season. Who wants to play for a team that would do that? How can you believe what they say when they even bother to mention winning, if they bother at all to do so?

But you look at the Rays, and while they had to shed a great deal of talent due to cost, at least they are committed to winning, even if it’s done within a budget. Somehow you have more faith that they will find a way to be competitive. The A’s will play in a weak division and this year have what should be strong pitching. But zero offense. It’s hard to imagine them finishing better than second, and more likely 3rd.

By: sportsdrenched

sportsdrenched — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 18:22:55 +0000

Does Steve Avery want to play under the “2010 Best Minor League System” Banner flying at the K?

…and none of us are really worried about the Yankees.

By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 18:09:20 +0000

I hope this will be the last time we have to see that repulsive hotel facade in one of your blogs, CC. You could have used the Epcot globe instead, if you weren’t so worried your wife would have accused you of hanging out at an open air disco when you had claimed you would be…uh…working from dusk till dawn all week. The Dolphin Hotel is so grotesque it could almost give the Tropicana Dump a run for its money. It seems almost unfair to have grouped two of the ugliest buildings on earth within just a few dozen miles of each other, even if about five or six of those miles is a bridge span that everyone to the east of which is apparently terrified to cross – and now, after the gutting of the team at the other end of it, has even less reason to dare.

Speaking of which, no postmortems on the Rays?

By: Panda Claus

Panda Claus — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 17:50:55 +0000

Will Bobby Cox leave retirement now because the draw to manage in KC is becoming too strong to resist? Don’t answer your phone Ned Yost.

By: Mr. Jason "El Bravo" Heyward

Mr. Jason "El Bravo" Heyward — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 17:48:26 +0000

P.S. Is Craig a pinko commie? You betcha

By: Mr. Jason "El Bravo" Heyward

Mr. Jason "El Bravo" Heyward — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 17:46:21 +0000

My fantasy team will be made up of only Royals next season. Can’t possibly lose.

By: bloodysock

bloodysock — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 17:44:45 +0000

Craig,

Thanks for all the insight, blogging, updates and opinions this week.

By: BC

BC — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 17:37:24 +0000

This just in. Biff Pocoroba just announced he’s coming back and signing with Kansas City.