They just signed that deal with FSN, they are in a big market that’s still growing, and they have an aggressive owner.

Rangers have been in the post season the last two years. Better plan on them being there and contending year after year going forward.

Their own CJ Wilson is going to get probably more interest than CC even. I just don’t buy this theory.

Maybe the source was really talking about the NY Rangers?

What is allowed is basing bonuses on things like Plate Appearances, pitching appearances and the like. I remember way back in the early 90′s, Hal Morris had an incentive in his contract for number of plate appearances and he needed just one more to get it but the Reds made the last out of the season with Morris in the on deck circle.

Just once, I’d love to see a GM put together a contract with a ‘reasonable’ base salary, and then the bulk of the money being tied to incentives, especially incentives relative to past performance. Okay, CC, last year you had a 3.00 ERA. If you match it this year, that’s an extra $2 million. Lower it to 2.90, $3 million more. Lower it to 2.80, $5 million. If it goes up, but stays below 3.50, that’s an extra million. Maintain a 1-to-1 strikeout to innings ratio, extra $3 million. Improve on it, $4 million. Hit at least 0.75 strikeouts per inning pitched, $1.5 million.

Oh yeah, TEAM wins the East/Central/whatever division, you get an extra $1 million.

Past performance is no guarantee of future success. Any businessman in America can tell you that.

ARod can still be productive if healthy, but that contract will be an albatross in a few years. Jeter wasn’t that bad this year overall, and has only two years left (plus a player option at 8 Mil). His contract doesn’t affect the market at all – this was a deal you do for the face of the franchise, to keep the fan base happy and keep the captain a Yankee. I don’t think anyone realistically expected his on field performance to match the dollar value. If he uses the option, NY can do a one year 8 mil deal without blinking.

1) Hamels is the Phillies most valuable asset. He is a great starting pitcher in his prime years. There is really no reason to trade a player like that when your team is in win now mode.

2) Kinsler is too fragile to be a return for Hamels. Yes, Kinsler is awesome, but to reach his full awesomeness he needs to stay on the field. Young isn’t nearly good enough at baseball to be traded straight up for Hamels. Young is an awful defender, and he’s not an elite hitter. He’s a good hitter, but the value his bat provides doesn’t match the value that Hamels does.

3) The Phillies were the best team in baseball this year. There is no reason to make a panic move. Anything can happen in a 5 game series.

Ultimately, I think the Rangers are blowing smoke right now. Cashman admitted to bidding up Crawford last offseason. If he didn’t know that other teams would do the same, then he’s an idiot.

Boston man minus youk (who’s prolly always gonna be hurt alot from now on) they cant get this unlucky injury wise again can they? Between Drew,papi cameron, varitek they’ll have money to play with or even if they add noone but filler they’ll be atleast a few games better next year. If i was them id offer Papi Arbitrition and a good 2 maybe 3year deal tops, he takes it great if not hes a great player but hes a DH not worth the risk of him falling off a cliff with age. Also do alot of dumpster diving for starters, look what the yanks got out of 2 min cost FA’s pitching is weird <.<.

The playoffs are a crapshoot especially the first round no real way to predict anything typically. Get in hope your hot/lucky and collect WS. This year i think the cards are that team so far got another 1.5 rounds of games tho.

“i wonder if it was a seppuku…”

“Too soon? It’s a new thumbs down record! ”
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/07/28/hideki-irabu-found-dead-suicide-suspected/

The class act frankvzappa being called out by myself, Cur, and drmonkeyarmy, in surprise, another terrible comment laughing at a fellow human beings death: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/01/man-who-fell-to-death-at-coors-field-in-may-had-alcohol-and-marijuana-in-system/

stay classy frank

Dan Shannessey is fed up with the stat freaks running the Red Sox. Had this in the Boston Globe today.

Quoting CHB to give your argument any legitimacy should automatically disqualify anything you have to say.

The only issue that faces Sabathia is; will his weight start becoming an issue. There is nobody that can say to a certainty whether it will or not. But, if I had to wager I’d bet that Sabathia will remain a front of the rotation starter for the next three to four years. And, I could see him getting smarter as he gets older and becoming a very effective pitcher into his late 30s as was Pettitte.Sabathia has proved his worth not only with his production but also by being a consummate pro and great teammate. I follow the Yankees to a fault and have yet to read or see one negative thing about the guy in three years.

There are no sure things in life but Sabathia is about as sure as it gets. He is worth the gamble for a 6-7 year contract at about 25 mil per, … and he’ll likely get it. I hope it’s from the Yankees.

Oh you meant the SF Giants. I always thought that their offense was good enough, and if they were to upgrade, they better upgrade their pitching.

On second thought, you must have meant Eli’s blindside.

Dumb luck. Realistically, that is my best answer.

Papelbon blew his first save in the final game. The Rays overcame 7 runs in 5 outs. The Rays had a rookie with 1 career start throw a shutout, then had both of their aces lose. Shields struckout a guy, but a wild pitch allowed a guy to score from third, and the strikeout victim to reach, and later come around to score. Those 2 runs were the difference in victory and defeat. If Adrian Beltre doesn’t homer 3 times in game 4, and Kelly Shoppach blocks that ball, the Rangers are out.

If Cabrera doesn’t hit a ball off the bag, if Avila and Delmon Young hit their balls 2 feet shorter, they are outs. Inches made up the difference of the could have been eliminated Rangers going to the World Series or not.

Maybe you just don’t understand how come post season, a bad pitch, or a bad hop determines a success from a failure.

Dumb Luck determined The Rays, the Sox, The Rangers, The Yanks, the Braves, the Cards, the Phils seasons. A better bounce, a key hit, a different pitch, and some of these teams are still playing.