The official around the MLB thread!

[DaRev]

Heyward is 25 years old and improves each year. He has 2 Golden Gloves and is a really consistent hitter with an OBP of above .320 for all of his MLB season. He would be such an asset to the top of our order. I'd say we should target him

 

[CSF77]

Heyward is 25 years old and improves each year. He has 2 Golden Gloves and is a really consistent hitter with an OBP of above .320 for all of his MLB season. He would be such an asset to the top of our order. I'd say we should target him

He plays RF. I wouldn't be against it but Soler is pretty good out there.

 

[TL1961]

Heyward is 25 years old and improves each year. He has 2 Golden Gloves and is a really consistent hitter with an OBP of above .320 for all of his MLB season. He would be such an asset to the top of our order. I'd say we should target him

He will cost a lot, and he has not improved every year, nor has he been consistent.

His 2014 was way down from 2013, and he stunk it up for April and May this year. Add to that the fact he is a corner OF, not a CF, and we will be paying huge $ for a guy who will then block Soler or Schwarber or a 3rd baseman coming up and moving Bryant to LF - such as Baez.

Am I saying Baez is as good as Heyward right now? Of course not. Just saying he'd cost a ton.

If we move Baez in a deal, maybe that changes things. But Heyward will get a big contract.

 

[DaRev]

He plays RF. I wouldn't be against it but Soler is pretty good out there.

Could we not get Solar to move over? He is really fast and young so I think he could learn

 

[TL1961]

No. You don't improve your team by getting a better defensive RF, and moving the lesser one to CF.

Why do people understand defense in football, but completely dismiss it in baseball?

Bad D kills!!!

 

[TC in Mississippi]

No. You don't improve your team by getting a better defensive RF, and moving the lesser one to CF.

Why do people understand defense in football, but completely dismiss it in baseball?

Bad D kills!!!

I think you are on one end of the spectrum on defense while some are on the other. I'm in the middle in that I think a power lineup and great pitching can overcome some deficiencies in defense. I will say this though, the two most important defensive positions are SS and C and you can't have deficiencies in both and preferably you wouldn't live with in either.

 

[Boobaby1]

No. You don't improve your team by getting a better defensive RF, and moving the lesser one to CF.

Why do people understand defense in football, but completely dismiss it in baseball?

Bad D kills!!!

I will just throw this out there for shits and giggles.

Is it out of the realm of possibility, that the Cubs pick up a guy like Heyward to play RF, and possibly use Soler in a package to net the pitching they are looking for?

If I can trade Soler, Vogelbach, Torres, and a pitching prospect and could get someone like Sonny Gray, I might have to really think about that one.

If memory serves me right, weren't the Cubs in pursuit of Heyward in a trade for Samardzija last year?

I could be mistaken.

 

[TL1961]

I think you are on one end of the spectrum on defense while some are on the other. I'm in the middle in that I think a power lineup and great pitching can overcome some deficiencies in defense. I will say this though, the two most important defensive positions are SS and C and you can't have deficiencies in both and preferably you wouldn't live with in either.

Some GM's have felt that way for years.

But I can think of very few examples of teams with shitty D winning it all.

I have watched the Cubs for 40 years, and they have fielded plenty of softball teams with sluggers who are slow and poor on D. It hasn't paid off.

The best teams the Cubs have had in my lifetime have had good D. Plenty of their bad ones had offense.

 

[TL1961]

I will just throw this out there for shits and giggles.

Is it out of the realm of possibility, that the Cubs pick up a guy like Heyward to play RF, and possibly use Soler in a package to net the pitching they are looking for?

If I can trade Soler, Vogelbach, Torres, and a pitching prospect and could get someone like Sonny Gray, I might have to really think about that one.

If memory serves me right, weren't the Cubs in pursuit of Heyward in a trade for Samardzija last year?

I could be mistaken.

No, that is not at all out of the realm of possibility. But they'd have to sign Heyward before they could make the trade.

Personally, I think he stays in St. Louis. But maybe not.

 

[TC in Mississippi]

Some GM's have felt that way for years.

But I can think of very few examples of teams with shitty D winning it all.

I have watched the Cubs for 40 years, and they have fielded plenty of softball teams with sluggers who are slow and poor on D. It hasn't paid off.

The best teams the Cubs have had in my lifetime have had good D. Plenty of their bad ones had offense.

Shitty D? No, but average defense absolutely. It's a trade off and it depends on your pitching. It's no surprise that of all the teams in real contention only Minnesota falls above the league average in runs allowed. Pitching affects defense and defense affects pitching. You can achieve a balance between those two things. If you've a got a crappy LF that hit's 40 HR it can cover up a lot of sins but only if your pitching makes up for that. If you have a RF with a ton of range and a great arm he might make up for a CF that throws well but is lousy to his left. You can name a ton of examples where you can make trade offs. In the modern game it's almost impossible to have a plus defender at every position because with that mix you probably won't be able to score enough runs. Maybe I've misinterpreted your thoughts but you seem unwilling to ever sacrifice defense for a bat at any position and I don't think that approach works. Of course the White Sox have been the polar opposite of that over the years where they try to win games with 3 run HR's and crappy defense and that doesn't work either. It's all in the balance.

 

[TL1961]

A crappy defensive LF hitting 40 HRs is ok.

Crappy D up the middle from C to CF, will kill you.

 

[Boobaby1]

No, that is not at all out of the realm of possibility. But they'd have to sign Heyward before they could make the trade.

Personally, I think he stays in St. Louis. But maybe not.

If St Louis wants to fork out the dough.

His OBP is very intriguing.

 

[TL1961]

Kazmir to the Astros

 

[TC in Mississippi]

It has begun. Astros acquire Scott Kazmir for RHP Daniel Mengden and C Jacob Nottingham.

 

[CSF77]

Gave up their #19 and 22 prospects. So that is the starting point in value. Shark holds the same trade weight.

Though some were crack smoking talking Baez, Vogelbach, McKenny and Edwards for Price.

 

[CSF77]

The Dodgers currently have David Price of the Tigers as their number one target, Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets. But the expectation is that Detroit will hold their decision until next week.

Another player on the Dodgers radar is Rangers righty Yovani Gallardo, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. Though nothing is close, the two clubs have had discussions.


The Blue Jays sought to land Kazmir before he went to Houston, Buster Olney of ESPN.com reports on Twitter. With the market beginning to move, the team appears to be ramping up is efforts to add a starter, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports tweets.
Both the Blue Jays and the Royals are “all-in” on Reds starter Johnny Cueto, ESPN.com’s Jim Bowden reports (Twitter links). Kansas City is also considering Mike Leake from Cincinnati as well as Jeff Samardzija, Dan Haren, and Mat Latos. But the club is not interested in Cole Hamels, James Shields, or Yovani Gallardo, per the report.


Meanwhile, the Padres are officially open for business, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (via Twitter). In addition to Justin Upton, the team could move relievers Craig Kimbrel and Joaquin Benoit, outfielder Will Venable, and any number of starters. Rosenthal says that Tyson Ross is perhaps the least likely rotation piece to change hands.

 

[brett05]

Gave up their #19 and 22 prospects. So that is the starting point in value. Shark holds the same trade weight.

Though some were crack smoking talking Baez, Vogelbach, McKenny and Edwards for Price.

Oakland is probably not a good place to use if looking at value of other teams players.

 

[brett05]

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/1...s-acquire-3b-aramis-ramirez-milwaukee-brewers

The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired the veteran third baseman on Thursday, 12 years to the day after they sent Ramirez to the Chicago Cubs. The Pirates received the 37-year-old three-time All-Star in exchange for minor league pitcher Yhonathan Barrios.

 

[TC in Mississippi]

Oakland is probably not a good place to use if looking at value of other teams players.

That's true. Beane marches to the beat of his own drummer. Still he got two pretty good players that have been rising up prospect lists this year. Samardzija is probably worth a couple higher level prospects (AA maybe?) with lower ceilings and likely not pitchers and/or catchers.

 

[SilenceS]

That's true. Beane marches to the beat of his own drummer. Still he got two pretty good players that have been rising up prospect lists this year. Samardzija is probably worth a couple higher level prospects (AA maybe?) with lower ceilings and likely not pitchers and/or catchers.

Eh, the catching prospect isn't bad. The other guy is 22 in high A and getting hit pretty hard. They are both projects. The catching prospect has shown a good bat but read is not very good behind the plate. Has a strong arm but needs a ton of work to stay at catcher.