forsberg_us wrote:

artie_fufkin wrote:

tkihshbt wrote:

Sounds like the Cardinals are looking seriously at Scutaro and will definitely trade Schumaker.

I would prefer Yunel Escobar to Scutaro, even though he's a colossal dick, but if they can come away with one of those, Sean Burnett and Scott Hairston and stop bunting with fucking Jon Jay they probably win 93 games.

Was Escobar the guy who wrote "Fags suck" in Spanish on his eyeblack pads last season?

Yeah. He was traded to Tampa last night.

So he's gone from Toronto to Miami to Tampa in about six weeks?

artie_fufkin wrote:

forsberg_us wrote:

artie_fufkin wrote:

Was Escobar the guy who wrote "Fags suck" in Spanish on his eyeblack pads last season?

Yeah. He was traded to Tampa last night.

So he's gone from Toronto to Miami to Tampa in about six weeks?

Has it even been 6 weeks?  I was thinking it was more like 2.

The Cardinals are apparently close to a deal with Randy Choate to be their other LOOGY.

ETA: deal reportedly 3/$7.5M.  Burnett signed with Angels, 2/$8M.

Last edited by forsberg_us (12/05/2012 6:48 pm)

forsberg_us wrote:

I just thought ironic that a guy with Skip Schumaker-like numbers got indignant because the Yankees weren't falling over themselves to offer him a contract.

Your description of Skip as a "defensive plus in the outfield, and his work ethic is unassailable.  But his offense is so weak for an outfielder that he just doesn't find a place easily" sort of funny because it's equally applicable to Ichiro.

First off, I'm not standing up for Ichiro, and I agree that his batting skills make it hard to start him on a contending team.  That said, while Ichiro is nowhere near the guy he was even a couple of years ago, someone mentioned that he can still run, something Schu, alas, never could. Honestly I haven't watched Ichiro in a while.  Last I saw, he still had a cannon in RF and was a bona fide threat on the base path.  The Yankees are funny though.  They have enough money to hire a GM named Cashman and not be concerned at the apparent bad taste of their humor.

APIAD wrote:

Max wrote:

Well, I think we're all agreed that Ichiro doesn't have a lot of value, other than his name and watching him break some records.  Could the Yankees sign Ichiro and then trade him?

Look, I could be way off base.  I am just wondering if Schu has any trade value at all, or in La Russaian terminology, could a trade for Schu bring "legitimate help"?  Is the answer is, "yes", then "WOO HOO!"

Trading Skip would be a salary dump and free up a roster space move.  I wouldnt look to get much in return.  Maybe a midlevel prospect but yeah, that is what we thought when Freese arrived.

I was thinking the same thing, but feel that an aging Jim Edmonds trumps Schu at any time.  And realistically we got lucky with Freese.  I think we're looking at getting an Evan Rust-type player if we "trade" Schu, and even then is there a team that wants to pay him his salary.  And don't get me wrong, I have appreciated his presence.  Just trying to be realistic here. 

Come to think of it, weren't they able to trade Joe McEwing all those years ago?

artie_fufkin wrote:

forsberg_us wrote:

artie_fufkin wrote:

"Another name that was floating around in rumorland was Dee Gordon from the Dodgers."

Would the Dodgers really move him?

Supposedly Hanley is headed back to SS. The rumor was they were looking for young pitching. The Cardinals have pitching and a need for a SS. I'm not sure there were ever real discussions as opposed to someone at MLB Network deciding it could make sense.

OK. What I've seen of Gordon, he has one tool. Speed is nice, but as the saying goes, you can't steal first base.

That's technically true, but not accurate.  A good speedster gets on with a drag bunt.

Max wrote:

artie_fufkin wrote:

"Could the Yankees sign Ichiro and then trade him?"

Good question. He obviously doesn't have 10/5 anymore because he was traded from the M's. I'm pretty certain if you sign a FA from another team, you can't trade him until around July, but I'm not sure what happens if a FA signs with his most recent team. I assume he could be traded right away, but that's just a guess.

My question had a slightly different focus: supposing it was allowed, could they find someone wanting to trade for him?  This is all a long way of circling around my earlier question, does Schu have any real trade value?

Define real value.  They could probably get a low-mid level prospect. There's talk the Dodgers might take Schu. McGwire is their new hitting coach and they get along well. I could see Mattingly valuing someone like Schu on the bench. But it would be more of a salary dump than a trade to help the major league roster.

And I wasn't seriously comparing Schu to Ichiro. Yes, Ichiro still runs a little (he may have had 20 steals last year). But their batting stats are strikingly similar which is pretty bad since Ichiro earned about 15x as much.

windwalker wrote:

tkihshbt wrote:

My prediction is that the rotation opens up as Wainwright-Carpenter-Lynn-Westbrook-Garcia. Since they're into giving second and third chances, all of Kelly, Miller and Rosenthal open up in the Memphis rotation.

Somebody ought to have his f-ing head examined if either Kelly or Rosenthal opens the season in Memphis. Those two guys are filthy and they need as many innings as we can get them.

Getting them innings is the issue Windy.  The bullpen will be similar to last year--Mujica pitches the 7th, Boggs the 8th and Motte the 9th.  Scrabble and Choate handle the lefties.  Salas handles long relief. 

My guess, Kelly makes the team as the 5th right hander and Rosenthal is a starter in Memphis.  They still project him as a starting pitcher and it doesn't help his development if he's sitting in the bullpen pitching an inning every 4-5 days.

Of course, if one of the projected starters isn't healthy to start the year the picture changes.

"does Schu have any real trade value?"

Probably as close to none as a major leaguer can have.

windwalker wrote:

tkihshbt wrote:

My prediction is that the rotation opens up as Wainwright-Carpenter-Lynn-Westbrook-Garcia. Since they're into giving second and third chances, all of Kelly, Miller and Rosenthal open up in the Memphis rotation.

Somebody ought to have his f-ing head examined if either Kelly or Rosenthal opens the season in Memphis. Those two guys are filthy and they need as many innings as we can get them.

Kelly would be in my rotation, but I'm just a crummy fan. Rosenthal's tools scream future closer, but I'd let him be the 7th-8th inning guy this season. A Boggs/Rosenthal/Motte combination with Choate as the loogy would be formidable in the last three innings.

"• The LA Dodgers remain interested in trading for infielder/outfielder Skip Schumaker. The Dodgers see Schumaker as a backup at center field and at second base, where veteran Mark Ellis is the starter. LA has talked with the Cardinals, but the Dodgers' focus now is on Zack Greinke and acquiring a pitcher.

The Cardinals would like to get a major-league player in return for Schumaker, especially if it's one who could satisfy their need for a righthanded bat on the bench. Recognizing that might not be possible in a deal for Schumaker, the Cardinals are open to getting a prospect in return. They have been selling Schumaker high because of his favorable contract -- especially when you consider the mushrooming free-agent market -- and the demand for center fielder-types this winter."

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/cardinal-beat/winter-meetings-cards-leave-with-lefty-future-business/article_22ce27f3-b194-5f95-b3f1-c780450811b9.html

Switching Skip to second might payoff alittle in this trade.  i doubt the interest would be as high if he was at least an option there.