MLB 2009-2010: Off Season

[URL="http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/mlb/news/story?id=4741437"]John Lackey agrees to 5-year deal with Boston Red Sox[/URL]. In other positive news: [URL="http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/mlb/news/story?id=4741805"]Boston Red Sox offered Aroldis Chapman $15.5 million.[/URL] And even more good news, [URL="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4742072"]Halladay is leaving the division[/URL] and not going to the Yankees. Will be a banner day if everything holds up. :D

[QUOTE=RMD1;144679]Even better news!! [/QUOTE] Ya, but you lose Cliff Lee. I'd say you break even on that one - but it is up for debate and Halladay's numbers are amazing.

[QUOTE=RMD1;144686]Eh Im not sure I really think He is a tad better than Lee. More consistant over the years.[/QUOTE] True. Still, you guys are giving up a number 1 for a number 1. At least with the Red Sox deal today, we are taking someone else's number 1 and making him [I]our[/I] number 3. That's a DEFINITE upgrade (not to mention we might get Cuba's number 1 too, lol.) Hey, but congrats! Great to see Halladay out of the AL and especially the AL East! :D

[QUOTE=mr.unamazing;144710] Now the blue Jays just have to get rid of Vernon Wells. I wonder what team would take his inflated salary though?[/QUOTE] In 2011 Vernon Wells will get paid $23 million! That for a guy who batted .260 with 15 HR and 66 RBIs last year? Haha, they are stuck with that anchor for all 7 years of his contract. He is the most untradable player in sports history, lol. I mean the Angles just picked up Matsui batting .274 with 28 home runs and 90 RBIs for $6 million. :wink2:

[URL="http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2009/12/15/cameron_oks_2_year_deal/"]Boston Red Sox - Cameron OK’s 2-year deal[/URL] That means Bay is gone for sure. Cameron is a career .250 BA hitter at the plate, but he does bring a little power and is all about the defense. While this move is nothing to be ecstatic about, it does signal (along with Lackey) that the Sox are really serious about good pitching, low scoring games and defense. [I]Now only if we can get Adrian. A boy can dream...[/I] [URL="http://vevmo.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=4883"][IMG]http://vevmo.com/imagehosting/14b278f9f25631.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [QUOTE][B]Dec 13th[/B] - For the moment, discussions between the Red Sox and Padres concerning first baseman [B]Adrian Gonzalez [/B]are going nowhere, according to a major league source. And it’s for the obvious reason - compensation. Padres GM [B]Jed Hoyer[/B], certainly familiar with Boston’s inventory, is asking for [B]Clay Buchholz [/B]and righthanded pitching prospect [B]Casey Kelly [/B]or outfielder [B]Ryan [/B][B]Westmoreland[/B]. [[URL="http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/articles/2009/12/13/tough_players_leave_yankees_with_a_tough_call/?page=3"]via Boston Globe[/URL]][/QUOTE]Hmm, looks like Buchholz is expendable now. :D

[QUOTE=SteveSparxx;144834]Buchholz and Ellsbury are rumored to have been mentioned now considering the Sox think of ellsbury as "expendable" now that they have Cameron.[/QUOTE] While Ellsbury's name might be mentioned in the rumor blogs, I highly doubt they will trade him. Cameron is a career .250 hitter playing in what is probably his last contract. Ellsbury is 3 years from his prime and batted .301 with 70 stolen bases last year. This kid will be a superstar.

from ESPN's [URL="http://twitter.com/jorgearangure/status/6736480095"]Jorge Arangure Jr.[/URL]: [QUOTE] Source close to A Gonzalez believes he'll be traded to Red Sox within next 10 days. Does this mean deal will happen? No. But momentum is there.[/QUOTE]

Final 2009 Payroll. The Boston Red Sox. The 4th richest team in all of baseball and only $80,000,000 poorer than the Yankees (or the equivalent of being able to buy the entire Texas Ranger roster as a farm team with money to spare...) :( [QUOTE]Yankees; $220,024,917 Mets: $142,229,759 Cubs: $141,632,703 Red Sox: $140,454,683 Tigers: $139,429,408 Phillies: $138,286,499 Dodgers: $131,507,197 Angels: $121,947,524 Astros: $108,059,086 White Sox: $105,287,384 Cardinals: $102,678,475 Mariners: $102,343,617 Braves: $100,078,591 Giants: $95,202,185 Brewers: $90,006,172 Rockies: $84,450,797 Blue Jays: $84,130,513 Royals: $81,917,563 Orioles: $79,308,066 Rangers: $77,208,810 Indians: $77,192,253 Diamondbacks: $73,800,852 Twins: $73,068,407 Reds: $72,693,206 Rays: $71,222,532 Nationals: $69,321,137 Athletics: $61,688,124 Pirates: $47,991,132 Padres: $43,210,258 Marlins: $37,532,482 The Yankees were the only team over the $162 million luxury tax threshold and have to pay a penalty of $22.69 million.[/QUOTE]I'm still a fan of a 1 to 1 tax over the threshold...

[QUOTE=molds13;152924]Good news for the Tigs, maybe?[/QUOTE] Johnny "Benedict Arnold" Damon. I was kind of hoping he'd stay in the AL East, just because there would be more home games to boo him loudly at...

[URL="http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2010/02/mauer-extension-talks-going-well.html"]Mauer Reaches Preliminary Extension Agreement?[/URL] [URL="http://darthno.ytmnd.com/"]Nooooooooooooooo![/URL] I was really hoping he would become a free agent. Really, really hoping. Oh well, that just means we need to sign Martinez to a long term extension ASAP.

[QUOTE=mr.unamazing;153694]That is good to know that Mauer will play for the Twins, he wouldn't look right wearing another uniform.[/QUOTE] Although on the other side of the coin, as a GM I would not be comfortable signing ANY player for 10 years and if that is what he was looking for, the Red Sox would never have been a factor... Anything over 5 years and you are looking to get seriously burned on the back end, especially being he has had back problems and will be 37 in the final year of his contract. I could see 6 years, but that would be the maximum I would want Red Sox management risking on any player.

Ok, looks like there are now people saying 10 years is not correct. [QUOTE][B]3:27pm: [/B][URL="http://twitter.com/Buster_ESPN/statuses/8514382779"]ESPN's Buster Olney[/URL] tweets that he heard from multiple sources that Rosen's report of a preliminary 10-year agreement is not accurate.[/QUOTE]

I was browsing The Sporting News and just realized that Pittsburgh won [B]Best Sports City for 2009.[/B] Obviously MLB was not highly weighted, or the NBA for that matter, lol. Past "winners."[B] 2009: [/B]Pittsburgh[B] 2008:[/B] Boston [B]2007:[/B] Detroit [B]2006:[/B] Chicago [B]2005:[/B] Boston [B]2004:[/B] Boston [B]2003:[/B] Anaheim + Los Angeles [B]2002:[/B] Boston