2012 MLB Season Discussion: Off-Season

David Price narrowly beats out Justin Verlander for the AL Cy Young Award. I think they said it was a 4-vote difference.

Next up, the NL Cy Young Award. C'mon Robert Allen Dickey!

EDIT:

IMAGE(http://gothamist.com/attachments/byakas/5811correction.jpg)

Well, glad that's cleared up. Maybe the internet outrage over this travesty can be laid to rest now.

R.A.!

Me & the gal going to see him win his 20th was one of the best Mets experiences in YEARS.

B Dog wrote:

David Price narrowly beats out Justin Verlander for the AL Cy Young Award. I think they said it was a 4-vote difference.

Next up, the NL Cy Young Award. C'mon Robert Allen Dickey!

EDIT: :)

Finally, some well deserved recognition for Price!

IMAGE(http://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/17/a17479ff-f1d5-542d-b448-fb74939de48b/50a5a02aee9b1.preview-620.jpg)

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseb...

For the first time in 80 years, the Cardinals will have a jersey that features the name of the city and not the ballclub. At a news conference this morning at Busch Stadium, the club will unveil a series of incremental changes to the home and road uniforms, and ownership will introduce a third jersey, to be worn for Saturday home games. The Cardinals are the 27th team in baseball to use an alternate jersey, leaving only the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Detroit Tigers as the classic two-jersey teams.

“Yes, it’s traditional. And if you ask me should we stay in that elite company of having home whites and road grays, I would say we should, but … ” President Bill DeWitt III said. “Look at this (third) jersey. I see it and think, ‘We’ve got to wear that thing.’ ”

That is a sharp lookin' jersey.

I didn't know they had 2 cardinals on the jersey. Has it always been that way?

Pretty much.

IMAGE(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xHjP1chJYqM/TGl8buAZmYI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/T3MAxhpwpdY/s1600/St.+Louis+Cardinals+1200.jpg)

One of the great uniforms of all time, in all sports, in my biased opinion.

I love the old old school ones. (1903, 1920)

But that is pretty much across the board for the teams.

Not content to sign the entire Marlins roster, the Blue Jays just apparently inked Melky Cabrera to a 2 year deal. I guess we don't have a hole in left field any more.....

I like that '26 uni a lot. Never seen it before.

The Rays and Evan Longoria have agreed to a $100 million extension that will keep him in a Tampa Bay uniform until at least 2022.

The deal maintains the terms of his existing contract through 2016, then tacks on 6 more years with a team option for a 7th.

You have to admire the way the Rays and Longoria have handled his deals. They have never let him get anywhere near free agency, and he has sacrificed a bit of cash for long-term security and being the centerpiece of the franchise.

Are you listening FRED WILPON!

Now if Longoria could just stay healthy the whole season we could make another World Series run.

So close to the playoffs and were without him for over half the season.

Happy for the news!

Royals acquire Shields, Davis from Rays for Myers

The Royals sent top prospects Wil Myers and Jake Odorizzi along with two other minor leaguers to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday night for former All-Star James Shields and fellow right-hander Wade Davis, making an aggressive move to bolster a rotation that was one of the worst in the major leagues last season.

I love Shields BUT he is 31 and most outlets say the Rays got the much better end of the deal.

Rob Neyer had an interesting piece on the trade this morning.

Basically, he points out that Wil Myers was Baseball America's Minor League Player of the Year:

Here are the last 10 non-pitchers who won that award: Mike Trout, Jason Heyward, Matt Wieters, Jay Bruce, Alex Gordon, Delmon Young, Joe Mauer, Rocco Baldelli, Eric Chavez, Paul Konerko. Oh, and the previous five awards? Andruw Jones twice, Derek Jeter, Manny Ramirez, and Tim Salmon.

So, while nothing (and nobody) is a sure thing, it does look like the Royals traded away as near a sure-thing as you can get. It's no fun being a Royals fan on most days. I can't imagine what it's like today.

Yeah seems like a decent move for the Rays. They kept Rodney a month or so back. Don't remember much work out of Wade this year. Seems like they'll be solid still.

Angels are the new Yankees?

Blind_Evil wrote:

Angels are the new Yankees?

They're trying to keep pace with the Dodgers it appears.

Apparently, the Rangers are upset that they didn't get a chance to match the Angels' offer to Hamilton. It appears that Josh may have had it in his mind that he was going to leave Texas.

B Dog wrote:
Blind_Evil wrote:

Angels are the new Yankees?

They're trying to keep pace with the Dodgers it appears.

Apparently, the Rangers are upset that they didn't get a chance to match the Angels' offer to Hamilton. It appears that Josh may have had it in his mind that he was going to leave Texas.

East Coast/West Coast beef!

B Dog wrote:
Blind_Evil wrote:

Angels are the new Yankees?

They're trying to keep pace with the Dodgers it appears.

Apparently, the Rangers are upset that they didn't get a chance to match the Angels' offer to Hamilton. It appears that Josh may have had it in his mind that he was going to leave Texas.

From what I read, Hamilton told the Rangers he will give them a chance to match an offer. Them losing out on Greinke and Hamilton must sting.

I wonder if this means Nick Swisher will become a Texas Ranger?

I read another article last night that quoted Rangers GM Jon Daniels as saying that Hamilton communicated to the team last week that it might be time to move on. If Hamilton had decided to leave Texas and had told the team that, I'm not sure he owes them an opportunity to match the offer. But, heck, I'd be ticked off if I were Jon Daniels, as well. Hasn't been the best offseason for him so far.

As long as he did not go to the Yankees or Red Sox I'm happy. Also, I'm a Rays fan so I have a dislike for the guy anyway.

Blind_Evil wrote:

Angels are the new Yankees?

Yankees prefer to use homegrown talent as the core to win their championships. Jeter, Pettitte, Rivera, Posada, Cano, Bernie Williams...

FSeven wrote:
Blind_Evil wrote:

Angels are the new Yankees?

Yankees prefer to use homegrown talent as the core to win their championships. Jeter, Pettitte, Rivera, Posada, Cano, Bernie Williams...

pfth please let's not have this discussion again...

Through the mid-2000s I frequently used Ryan Freel as a utility guy in my baseball video game franchises, a quick runner who could play many positions in a pinch. Last night he was found dead, having apparently took his own life.

That makes me feel very strange, having controlled someone in a video game that committed suicide in real life. I'm not sure how to process it.

Rest in peace, Mr. Freel.

I forget, does anyone run a GWJ Fantasy Baseball league? If not, I'd be interested in running one. I didn't want to start a new thread in the off chance there was one run last year.

I think I will open a Spring Training thread sometime in mid-February or so.

*EDIT*
Here it is!

I'm more than likely in this year.

Maybe this is worth starting the 2013 season thread for... No One Elected to 2013 Hall of Fame Class.

Stele wrote:

Maybe this is worth starting the 2013 season thread for... No One Elected to 2013 Hall of Fame Class.

I was four hours ahead of you..............but I forgot to post the link

2013 MLB Thread