Hot Stove: MLB Offseason Thread

[RedSox44]

He would likely the the fourth/fifth starter.

1. Lester

2. Beckett

3. Buchholz

4 + 5. Bard/Oswalt

But still, the Red Sox rotation is filled with question marks. And so is their bullpen. And now without Scutaro, they have a hole at both RF and SS.

Red Sox are going to need some MAJOR contributions from the farm system to reach the playoffs in 2012, even with the potential second wild card.

And they STILL have to move salary in order to sign Cody Ross, who they want to fill the hole in right, and Oswalt, who is STILL asking for $8 mil.

This was just...stupid for Cherington to do without those deals already in place, waiting to be signed by Ross and Oswalt. Just stupid.

[CS85]

Prince Fielder to the Nationals, 8-year contract.

[Jigga]

Where did you see/hear that?

[CS85]

Where did you see/hear that?

[NJTank]

Can the Mets and Nationals swap rosters. I mean after all the Mets will the NL east's Washington Generals until Fred and Jeff Wilpon get indicted or sells the team.

[pmoehrin]

I'm not seeing anything outside of Twitter that says Prince Fielder to Washington is a done deal, so I'm going under the assumption he's still a free agent until I see otherwise.

[BrySmalls]

I would rather watch Michael Morse at first base over the next two years than see Prince Fielder there at all.

[BBTV]

I'm not seeing anything outside of Twitter that says Prince Fielder to Washington is a done deal, so I'm going under the assumption he's still a free agent until I see otherwise.

Right. It sucks we're in a world now where anything posted on Twitter is taken as fact. No legit news outlet is reporting this supposedly "done" deal.

I do fully expect him to sign with Washington, but it's premature to consider a Twitter feed from a non-reputable news source as a confirmation.

[mania]

Well, "twitter" is a vague thing.. it's one thing if it's like Jeff Passan or Jon Heyman saying something, it's another altogether if it's some fool who throws at the wall hoping to get a buzz going.

[BBTV]

Well, "twitter" is a vague thing.. it's one thing if it's like Jeff Passan or Jon Heyman saying something, it's another altogether if it's some fool who throws at the wall hoping to get a buzz going.

I don't know who they are, but you're right - if the person is known to have connections then you can go with it - of course, that generally means that they're affiliated with a legit news outlet.

The Washington Post has nothing on this. You'd think that someone from the paper would be all over this trying to confirm it so that they can publish it themselves - which IMO means that they can't confirm it because it's not (yet) true.

[dfwabel]

A little more on "@MLBinsideNews" aka Scott Swaim

His reporting on Twitter has already been discredited by at least one major news outlet. Marc Topkin, the Tampa Bay Rays reporter for the St. Petersburg Times, asked Rays star Evan Longoria about a report that originated from Swaim's Twitter account suggesting that Longoria would welcome a trade from the Rays. Here's Longoria's response to said inquiry: "I don't have any idea where that rumor came from! It's completely false,'' Longoria told the Times via text. "I've said from the start I love Tampa, I love the direction we are heading as a franchise and there is no better place for me to continue to grow as a player and person.''

Swaim has no apparent affiliation with a major news outlet or even so much as a blog. He's got a Twitter account with a bio claiming he's got "multiple connections within MLB." That's it. As Joe so eloquently stated earlier, anyone with an internet connection and a computer can claim to be an "insider." That doesn't mean it's true.

Swaim also has a bit of a track record of being wrong, as illuminated by the brilliant Rany Jazayerli. In addition to the Longoria thing, MLBInsideNews also reported that a Matt Garza deal to the Tigers was imminent two weeks ago. Matt Garza, for the record, remains a member of the Cubs.

[pmoehrin]

A little more on "@MLBinsideNews" aka Scott Swaim

His reporting on Twitter has already been discredited by at least one major news outlet. Marc Topkin, the Tampa Bay Rays reporter for the St. Petersburg Times, asked Rays star Evan Longoria about a report that originated from Swaim's Twitter account suggesting that Longoria would welcome a trade from the Rays. Here's Longoria's response to said inquiry: "I don't have any idea where that rumor came from! It's completely false,'' Longoria told the Times via text. "I've said from the start I love Tampa, I love the direction we are heading as a franchise and there is no better place for me to continue to grow as a player and person.''

Swaim has no apparent affiliation with a major news outlet or even so much as a blog. He's got a Twitter account with a bio claiming he's got "multiple connections within MLB." That's it. As Joe so eloquently stated earlier, anyone with an internet connection and a computer can claim to be an "insider." That doesn't mean it's true.

Swaim also has a bit of a track record of being wrong, as illuminated by the brilliant Rany Jazayerli. In addition to the Longoria thing, MLBInsideNews also reported that a Matt Garza deal to the Tigers was imminent two weeks ago. Matt Garza, for the record, remains a member of the Cubs.

So basically he's just some tool that signed up for Twitter with a very official sounding name.

Did google search on the guy and came up with absolutely nothing other then other writers bashing him for being inaccurate. There's no evidence to suggest that he's even remotely associated with Major League Baseball or even a writer for that matter.

[RedSox44]

Apparently, the Red Sox have signed or are about to sign a Cody Ross.

Now, if this was any old offseason, I'd like this move.

But this the 2011-12 offseason. And I'm wondering why our new GM isn't signing pitchers.

That's the way I've thought of most of Cherington's moves. They'd be really good in any other offseason, but in this one it just seems like he's ignoring the obvious.

[DEAD!]

The Blue Jays have sign Omar Vizquel. It would have been a great signing... in 1992.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/baseball/mlb/01/23/vizquel.blue.jays.ap/index.html?sct=mlb_t2_a7

[pmoehrin]

The Blue Jays have sign Omar Vizquel. It would have been a great signing... in 1992.

http://sportsillustr...l?sct=mlb_t2_a7

Thoughts on the signing summed up by Monty Python in this video starting at the one minute mark.

[Don]

I would rather watch Michael Morse at first base over the next two years than see Prince Fielder there at all.

Put Morse in LF, Werth CF, Harper RF, Prince 1B. Done, and one helluva lineup.

[BigBubba]

The Blue Jays have sign Omar Vizquel. It would have been a great signing... in 1992.

http://sportsillustr...l?sct=mlb_t2_a7

They also locked Morrow up at 3Y/20M, with a 10M option.

[FiddySicks]

Apparently, the Red Sox have signed or are about to sign a Cody Ross.

Now, if this was any old offseason, I'd like this move.

But this the 2011-12 offseason. And I'm wondering why our new GM isn't signing pitchers.

That's the way I've thought of most of Cherington's moves. They'd be really good in any other offseason, but in this one it just seems like he's ignoring the obvious.

As much as I love Cody Ross for his contributions to the 2010 Giants team in helping them win the World Series, there's a reason he was straight up cut by the Marlins that year. He's not very good.

[pmoehrin]

,

As much as I love Cody Ross for his contributions to the 2010 Giants team in helping them win the World Series, there's a reason he was straight up cut by the Marlins that year. He's not very good.

Wouldn't make him the first guy to ever make a career out of a brief moment of playoff success. He can join a club that includes guys like Pat Borders, Larry Sherry, Eddie Perez and Craig Counsell.

[patsox]

lolz