MLB FA thread...

[ABQCOWBOY]

Papelbon isn't the same player he used to be.

You know, I don't really think Papelbon is not as good. I actually think he is still pretty good. I just think the situation in Boston is affecting him or giving the impression that he is not as good.

Last year, his ERA was almost a full point lower then the year before, 2.94. His WHIP was .93, also a huge improvement over last year. He had 31 saves, 4 wins and 1 lose. He was not too bad last year. He just didn't get a lot of support from his middle relief and starting pitching.

 

[Risen Star]

Kemp, Dodgers Sign Eight-Year Extension

By Tim Dierkes [November 18 at 1:27pm CST]

Dodgers fans are looking forward to new ownership next season, and now they have certainty about their cornerstone center fielder. The Dodgers and Matt Kemp signed an eight-year, $160MM extension today, which ties for the seventh-richest contract in MLB history.

Kemp obtains a $2MM signing bonus and earns a $10MM salary in 2012, according to Dylan Hernandez and Mike Hiserman of the LA Times. $2MM of Kemp's '12 salary is deferred without interest, so the Dodgers only take an $8MM payroll hit next year. The deal does not include a full no-trade clause, according to Jim Peltz of the LA Times.

 

[Risen Star]

Rangers To Sign Joe Nathan


By Ben Nicholson-Smith [November 21 at 7:01pm CST]

The Rangers' 2012 pitching staff just took shape and so did the rest of their offseason. The two-time defending American League champions agreed to terms with Joe Nathan on a two-year deal that includes a team option for 2014. Dave Pepe of Pro Agents, Inc. negotiated a $14.5MM guarantee for the four-time All-Star, including the buyout.



The Rangers announced that Neftali Feliz is finally headed to Texas' rotation. After successfully converting C.J. Wilson and Alexi Ogando into starters, the Rangers will attempt to bolster their rotation with a converted reliever for a third consecutive spring. However, the Rangers aren't out on starters, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. There's less pressure for the Rangers to over-spend on Wilson or another free agent arm now that they have an established arm at the back of their bullpen and five starters in Feliz, Ogando, Colby Lewis, Derek Holland and Matt Harrison.

Nathan, who turns 37 tomorrow, missed the entire 2010 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. The Houston native posted a 4.84 ERA with 8.7 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 and a 34.9% ground ball rate in 44 2/3 innings this past season, saving 14 games. His average fastball velocity dropped to 92.3 mph in 2011 after sitting in the 93-95 mph range from 2002-09.

Nathan, an unranked free agent, won't cost the Rangers a draft pick and his former team, the Twins, won't obtain a compensatory pick. The Twins declined a $12.5MM option for Nathan after the regular season, but maintained interest in their longtime closer.

 

[tko112204]

Neftali to the rotation?

Not sure his one-pitch act is ready to play over 180 innings yet.

 

[YosemiteSam]

I just think the situation in Boston is affecting him

What situation in Boston? The beer and fried chicken in the clubhouse? :laugh2:

I kid! :

Interesting signing in Joe Nathan to the Rangers. Rangers have done pretty good in their risk evaluations of late on players coming back from injury. Hopefully this one will turn out in our favor too.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Neftali to the rotation?

Not sure his one-pitch act is ready to play over 180 innings yet.

He has three pitches, (Fastball, Slider, changeup) but mainly only uses two of them.

His changeup isn't that good.

When he has his slider working well, he is extremely dominating. His problem is, if he isn't feeling his slider (even if it's effective), he will stop using it and go all fastballs. When he is only throwing fastballs, he is quite ordinary.

Someone needs to get that across to him. He cannot stop throwing sliders just because he doesn't trust it, because nobody trusts him to only throw the heater.

Anyhow, he won't be as good a starter as Ogando was with really only two pitches. Ogando's fastball was very very live. (not just fast) Feliz only has heat. I don't see this going well for Feliz until he matures more as a pitcher. As of yet, he has not and I question his work ethic. I just don't think he is completely serious about his craft yet.

 

[Mike_45]

He has three pitches, (Fastball, Slider, changeup) but mainly only uses two of them.

His changeup isn't that good.

When he has his slider working well, he is extremely dominating. His problem is, if he isn't feeling his slider (even if it's effective), he will stop using it and go all fastballs. When he is only throwing fastballs, he is quite ordinary.

Someone needs to get that across to him. He cannot stop throwing sliders just because he doesn't trust it, because nobody trusts him to only throw the heater.

Anyhow, he won't be as good a starter as Ogando was with really only two pitches. Ogando's fastball was very very live. (not just fast) Feliz only has heat. I don't see this going well for Feliz until he matures more as a pitcher. As of yet, he has not and I question his work ethic. I just don't think he is completely serious about his craft yet.

I am hoping that maybe his failure in the world series will be a big wake up call and he will put in the effort this offseason and in spring training to develop his pitches more.

What do you guys think is next for the Rangers? We have 5 starters now, I hope more bullpen help is on the way. Quality help though.

 

[tko112204]

He has three pitches, (Fastball, Slider, changeup) but mainly only uses two of them.

His changeup isn't that good.

When he has his slider working well, he is extremely dominating. His problem is, if he isn't feeling his slider (even if it's effective), he will stop using it and go all fastballs. When he is only throwing fastballs, he is quite ordinary.

Someone needs to get that across to him. He cannot stop throwing sliders just because he doesn't trust it, because nobody trusts him to only throw the heater.

Anyhow, he won't be as good a starter as Ogando was with really only two pitches. Ogando's fastball was very very live. (not just fast) Feliz only has heat. I don't see this going well for Feliz until he matures more as a pitcher. As of yet, he has not and I question his work ethic. I just don't think he is completely serious about his craft yet.

Well, if he doesn't use his changeup as a starter, LHB will kill him 2nd and 3rd time through the lineup. You saw what happened to Ogando after teams had started to see him more than once.

And you're right, Feliz' FB isn't as good as Ogando's and that's the reason Ogando was able to pitch as effectively as he did.

And at least for next year, you have to wonder how many innings the two of them will be able to pitch. Could be taxing on the bullpen.

 

[Stautner]

He has three pitches, (Fastball, Slider, changeup) but mainly only uses two of them.

His changeup isn't that good.

When he has his slider working well, he is extremely dominating. His problem is, if he isn't feeling his slider (even if it's effective), he will stop using it and go all fastballs. When he is only throwing fastballs, he is quite ordinary.

Someone needs to get that across to him. He cannot stop throwing sliders just because he doesn't trust it, because nobody trusts him to only throw the heater.

Anyhow, he won't be as good a starter as Ogando was with really only two pitches. Ogando's fastball was very very live. (not just fast) Feliz only has heat. I don't see this going well for Feliz until he matures more as a pitcher. As of yet, he has not and I question his work ethic. I just don't think he is completely serious about his craft yet.

I'm concerned, but I'm not going to get too worked up over this for now. Feliz and the team both know that he is going to have to use his breaking stuff more often and more effectively as a starter than as a 1 inning pitcher, and while that doesn't guarantee he will learn to do that as well as he needs to, it does guarantee he will be working his butt off toward that end. Besides, if he struggles he can go back to the pen and we can put Feldman in the rotation. Frankly I hope we sign CJ or Buehrle so we have plenty of starting pitchers to choose from.

 

[YosemiteSam]

You saw what happened to Ogando after teams had started to see him more than once.

No. Ogando was fine the second and third time hitters saw him. They (Detroit) didn't call him "OhGodNo", because they could handle him.

He went downhill at the end of the season because he was tiring. He had been a one inning pitcher since he started pitching. (only five years ago) Prior to that he was an outfielder!

He started to tire late in the season. That happens to most bullpen guys that switch to being a starter. He went from pitching 44 innings to 170. That is almost quadruple the innings in a single season.

I think Ogando will be better this coming season.

Feliz... I don't have a lot of faith in him doing what Ogando did.

 

[Risen Star]

Marlins Agree To Terms With Heath Bell


By Mark Polishuk [December 1 at 10:07pm CST]

The Marlins have agreed to terms with free agent closer Heath Bell, reports ESPN's Jayson Stark. The deal is worth $27MM over three years and it contains a vesting option for a fourth year worth $9MM. The contract is pending Bell passing a physical, which he will take tomorrow in Florida. Bell is represented by ACES.

Bell, 34, has been one of the top closers in baseball over the last three seasons, taking over from Trevor Hoffman as the Padres' stopper and recording a 2.36 ERA with 132 saves and 216 strikeouts in 202 1/3 innings. Bell did record a career-low 7.3 K/9 last season, however, so this deal (like any multiyear deal to a closer in his 30's) certainly carries some risk for Miami, especially since we don't know if their new stadium will be hitter- or pitcher-friendly.

 

[bbgun]

http://img215.*************/img215/9733/bobby5.jpg

Looks like Bobby's having second thoughts.

 

[Risen Star]

Marlins, Reyes Agree To Six-Year Deal


By Zach Links [December 4 at 8:54pm CST]

8:54pm: Reyes' deal does not include a no-trade clause, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets.

9:47pm: The Marlins and Reyes have agreed to a six-year, $106MM deal, pending a physical, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

 

[Rogah]

Looks like Bobby's having second thoughts.

I think this was a horrible move for Boston. Tito Francona did a great job protecting the clubhouse, preventing things from escalating out of control with the media. But now every little minor distraction is going to be a huge deal, and every huge deal is going to be earth-shattering.

 

[Risen Star]

Marlins Offer Pujols More Than $200MM


By Steve Adams [December 6 at 1:32pm CST]

After a pair of meetings between the Marlins and agent Dan Lozano on Monday, Albert Pujols reportedly has a whopping ten-year offer in hand to join Jose Reyes in Miami. The Cardinals and Cubs met with Lozano yesterday as well.

 

[Risen Star]

Marlins To Sign Mark Buehrle


By Tim Dierkes [December 7, 2011 at 3:51pm CST]

The Marlins' heavy offseason spending continued today, as they agreed to sign lefty Mark Buehrle to a four-year, $58MM deal, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The durable lefty will head to the National League for the first time in his career to bolster Miami's rotation. Buehrle, who spent his entire career with the White Sox after being drafted in the 38th round in 1998, follows former Sox manager Ozzie Guillen to Miami. This offseason, the Marlins have shocked baseball by committing $191MM to Buehrle, Jose Reyes, and Heath Bell in preparation of the opening of their new stadium next year.

 

[YosemiteSam]

The Marlins are going all in.

They got Reyes, ($106M) and Buehrle ($58M) and want Pujols, ($200+ M) and Wilson. (at six years, $120M) Those four could demand over $480M in contracts.

Loria is a Tom Hicks in the making.

 

[Risen Star]

The Marlins are going all in.

They got Reyes, ($106M) and Buehrle ($58M) and want Pujols, ($200+ M) and Wilson. (at six years, $120M) Those four could demand over $480M in contracts.

Loria is a Tom Hicks in the making.

They're reportedly out on Pujols. But they may be in on Fielder.

 

[gmoney112]

Angels got Pujols

 

[Risen Star]

Angels got Pujols

Yep. 10 years, 250 million, per ESPN.