How will the rest of the division look next year?

[ofahn]

There is no way the Orioles go after Soriano and his contract.

Who suggested they would?

[birdwatcher55]

Someone mentioned it earlier. He was rumored during the season and up to the deadline. Do you read the newspapers??

[ofahn]

Someone mentioned it earlier.

Are you referring to when I suggested that TAMPA might be interested in him?

[birdwatcher55]

Are you referring to when I suggested that TAMPA might be interested in him?

Think about what you just said.. No way in hell does Tampa pick up the final two years of his contract

[ofahn]

Think about what you just said.. No way in hell does Tampa pick up the final two years of his contract

Can someone else answer this one. I've hit my limit.

Cafardo On Johnson, Soriano, Hernandez, Hamilton
By Zach Links [October 7, 2012 at 9:01am CST]

In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes that there are some General Managers who have a few regrets regarding last winter. Red Sox GM Ben Cherington wishes he had done more for the rotation. Angels GM Jerry Dipoto probably would have liked to boost the bullpen more during the team's spending frenzy which netted Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson. Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd was asked to assess his own mistakes and said, “How long is this article? Just kidding. We all have regrets. When you make the amount of decisions we do, you make mistakes. So this year [Jeremy] Guthrie was acquired to give us innings, but Coors [Field] got him and that hurt us. We had such a lack of experience everywhere else. There was no margin for error, and I screwed up.” Here's more from today's column.

Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano would make a lot of sense for the Rays as a DH, especially since the Cubs would pick up the bulk of his final two years under contract. Soriano could also help the Blue Jays, Orioles, or Indians.

Read more at http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2012/10/c ... GbGTsLE.99

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2012/10/c ... ilton.html

[Matt P]

Look deeper.

This kinda reminds me of the Hardy to Nationals "idea".

[birdwatcher55]

God Bless the Cubs if they eat most of Soriano's $45 million dollar contract. Has anyone asked themselves: if the Cubs are essentially eating the money, what do you have to give up for compensation. Theo is not stupid. He would want a top end prospect. Ready to give that up???

[ofahn]

God Bless the Cubs if they eat most of Soriano's $45 million dollar contract. Has anyone asked themselves: if the Cubs are essentially eating the money, what do you have to give up for compensation. Theo is not stupid. He would want a top end prospect. Ready to give that up???

Wouldn't that be TAMPA'S problem?

[birdwatcher55]

Wouldn't that be TAMPA'S problem?

Tampa is not in the business of giving up top prospects

[ofahn]

Tampa is not in the business of giving up top prospects

They wouldn't. A trade like that would be about how much of his salary Tampa was willing to eat, not what the Cubs got in return.

[Matt P]

They wouldn't. A trade like that would be about how much of his salary Tampa was willing to eat, not what the Cubs got in return.

Tampa isn't going to eat much of that contract which would require them paying a higher prospect is what he was getting at (I think).

[Old Sneakers]

All I know is that the NY Yankees are getting "OLD" This team is courting disaster.


***Please note I am not even looking at free agent status this off-season. So please do not blow a fuse at me if someone signs a deal elsewhere. Just take the ages listed and come to your own conclusions***

Name and age 2013 in parenthesis
The positional players
Alex Rodriguez (37)
Derek Jeter (38)
Mark Teixeira (33)
Curtis Granderson (32)
Nick Swisher (32)
Eric Chávez (35)
Ichiro Suzuki (39)
Chris Stewart (31)
Dewayne Wise (35)

Pitchers
Hiroki Kuroda (38)
CC Sabathia (32)
Freddy García (36)

Yes I know a ton of these guys are free agents and unlikely to be resigned. However, I saw the same free agent list you did and last I looked the NYY did not have a world series caliber AAA affiliate. This team is flat out OLD past Phil Hughes and Ivan Nova for it's rotation is not much better. Also they've only two arms in the minors that look like something to note at present.

It's been mentioned what the Rays have going for it at present and the Yankees are the polar opposite!

[Jordan Tuwiner]

Michael Pineda and Brett Gardner are the only two good, young players on the team I can think of. Nice point. Rep to you.

[mikezpen]

Rays I think will be really tough...Pitching will be dominant again, and I expect them to trade Shields.
Yanks will slide a little bit; notch above .500 team.
Sox and Jays are a mess.

If they are in bent on trading Shields, you mite see him go to the Royals for Billy Butler.They need hitting, KC needs pitching, and that deal w/b great for both.In any event, the Rays w/b tough to beat just as they were this season.

Agree that Boston w/b improved and harder to beat but not yet a contender.Don't know about Toronto.

Expect NY to come back tough. They're the favorite in the AL East.

[osforlife]

If they are in bent on trading Shields, you mite see him go to the Royals for Billy Butler.They need hitting, KC needs pitching, and that deal w/b great for both.In any event, the Rays w/b tough to beat just as they were this season.

Agree that Boston w/b improved and harder to beat but not yet a contender.Don't know about Toronto.

Expect NY to come back tough. They're the favorite in the AL East.

I see the Rays:
1.) Transitioning Jeff Niemann to the bullpen as they did with Wade Davis.
2.) Trading James Shields for bullpen depth like the Jason Bartlett trade with an addition of a couple future impact bats.
3.) Letting Hak-Ju Lee play shortstop everyday in the majors.
4.) Trading for Chris Marrero to play 1st base everyday.
5.) Letting Chris Archer replace James Shields in the rotation.
6.) Letting Jose Lobaton/Chris Gimenez play most of the time behind the plate.
7.) Signing Ichiro Suzuki.
I think I may be in love with imagining that I'm the Rays GM.