Official Offseason Thread

[Jitpal]

Post all of your stay or go/offseason plans in this thread. 2008 is over. -Jitpal

[cmaff051]

1st baseman for next season - Xavier Nady?

[Jitpal]

1st baseman for next season - Xavier Nady?

No, he has to play RF. I don't want more Abreu. I think we could possibly work out a deal for Garko. They have LaPorta now. Garko is having an off year this year but check his RISP and other situational numbers, they are solid. He grinds at 4.20 pitchers per plate appearance. I believe that might qualify as our highest or top 3 at worst. About average defensively though. -Jitpal

[rappa]

I would like to sign Texiera and CC.....

CC-WANG-JOBA is a very good rotation. Other then a freak injury, cc and wang will be very good workhorses for our rotation.

We have a new stadium opening and with all the new revenue and this down year, this off-season I'm willing to bet we add some big things.

[Pharmcat]

im not so sure bout CC....it seems like the Brewers are just grinding him down this year...

[Jitpal]

im not so sure bout CC....it seems like the Brewers are just grinding him down this year...

We need a top flight pitcher and I don't see any other on the market. Sheets, Burnett, Dempster, Perez, Lowe and Garland are probably the most notable on the list of FA. Sabbathia, Sheets and Burnett are the top 3 but Sheets and Burnett are injury prone. Dempster and Perez are both NL guys. Lowe and Garland are old and average. I think you have to go after Sabbathia.

CC/Wang/Joba/Moose/Pettitte(Hughes) or Wang/Joba/Moose/Pettitte/Hughes. That's the way I look at it. Sheets and Burnett should be backup plans. Rumor has it Burnett really wants to pitch here, maybe you offer him something like 3/30 and see if he takes it. I doubt it, but if he really wants to pitch here, maybe. -Jitpal

[TKF]

if you look at the AL east. Toronto and Baltimore along with the rays of course are getting better. Just watch over the next few weeks how toronto and baltimore beat up on the rays and red sox... our core guys are getting older and our young kids are not quite ready yet.. with the exception of Joba... we need to add a 1b, and an athletic outfielder and of course, another big time pitcher to help take some pressure off of the veteran pitchers and the young guys... So we are going to have to spend some money..... I don't really want texeira, but I want a young vet in the OF and 1B , we need that.. we are no longer the super team that used to put fear into teams, we are going to have to get that back. I don't know how, but that element is just missing..

[PR07]

Lowe and Garland are old and average. I think you have to go after Sabbathia.

Garland is only 28 years old. I don't disagree that he's pretty average. Definitely better than anything we have in the back of our rotation though.

There's pretty much no debate that we have to go after Sabathia. I think you have to. Heck, I'd consider going after both Sheets and him.

This might just be, but I'd also go after Manny Ramirez. I'd rather pay him 4 years 75 million, than give Teixeira 8 years 150+ million. Say what you want about Manny, but he's clutch. He'd also be motivated to crush the BoSox. ARod needs someone to take some of the heat off of him in the order. Let Abreu and Pudge walk. Trade Matsui for prospects.



For 1B, I'd consider three options. Adam Dunn if the price is right. Giambi for a 2 year deal. Raul Ibanez for a 2 year deal.

[Da Schwab]

If the Yanks sign Manny, I will personally go light Brian Cashman's house on fire.

[Jitpal]

Lowe and Garland are old and average. I think you have to go after Sabbathia.

Garland is only 28 years old. I don't disagree that he's pretty average. Definitely better than anything we have in the back of our rotation though.

There's pretty much no debate that we have to go after Sabathia. I think you have to. Heck, I'd consider going after both Sheets and him.

This might just be, but I'd also go after Manny Ramirez. I'd rather pay him 4 years 75 million, than give Teixeira 8 years 150+ million. Say what you want about Manny, but he's clutch. He'd also be motivated to crush the BoSox. ARod needs someone to take some of the heat off of him in the order. Let Abreu and Pudge walk. Trade Matsui for prospects.



For 1B, I'd consider three options. Adam Dunn if the price is right. Giambi for a 2 year deal. Raul Ibanez for a 2 year deal.

Sorry I meant, old and average respectively. I don't think he is better than anything we have in the back of our rotation. Joba would have to be our 5th starter because of innings, he is not better than Joba. If Pettitte comes back, I'll take Pettitte in the back of the rotation over him. I'd rather give it to Hughes over him too. I'd rather go after Burnett and Sabathia than Sheets and Sabathia. While both are injury prone, I feel like Burnett wouldn't command as many dollars are Sheets plus Burnett has pitched in the AL East and the playoffs where Sheets has not. Not yet anyway.

I am so going to get killed for saying this but a this time, I would rather have Matsui over Manny. In terms of RISP and other situations Matsui isn't too far away from Manny. Matsui was hitting for a better average before he got hurt than Manny is. Obviously Matsui doesn't hit 40 home runs a year but home runs aren't everything. I'd trade away those 15-20 extra home runs that Manny provides for the professional attitude that Matsui brings and the slightly higher average. Matsui has protected Arod well, last year both Posada and Matsui protected him and he had a great year. This year when Arod was hot, Matsui was protecting him. Plus, we have Matsui and he wants to be here.

I agree with letting Pudge and Abreu walk. I really don't like those options for 1B. None of them are even average defensively. Dunn would command huge dollars and he is a walk, strikeout or home run guy. We have been discussing this year about situational hitting and doing the small things, but Dunn isn't that guy. He is all or nothing. Ibanez and Giambi are done. We need an average or better defender, .300+ hitter with 20+ home run power and he should be under 30. I think the guy that fits that mold is Ryan Garko. The Indians have LaPorta coming up and if he isn't ready to start the year directly out of spring training he would be by June. Garko should be on the market and he should be our primary target for 1B. -Jitpal

[PR07]

I'm not sold on Burnett. He pitches awesome against us, but is mediocre against the rest of the MLB. I'd rather have Sheets because you know what you're going to get from him every start.

As for Pettitte, I'd rather have Moose back at this point. There's no questioning that Pettitte epitomizes the pinstripes more than Moose ever will, but Moose is the better pitcher at this point in their careers. Andy has been way too inconsistent for my liking this season.

Sabathia
Wang
Sheets/Burnett
Moose
Joba

outside looking in: Hughes

I really like the idea of Ibanez at 1B on a 2 year deal. He's hitting .300 right now with 21 homers and 89 RBI's in one of the league's top pitcher's ballparks. A Manhattan native, he has played a considerable amount of time at 1B in his career. I wouldn't be disappointed if we made a push for Teixeira either.

[jeff1624]

If we were to sign a big time pitcher it would be Sabathia. I don't want any part of burnett because for a guy who has great stuff he gets hit a lot and sheets is never healthy.

Sabathia
Wang
Joba
Moose
Hughes/Pettitte

I think that would be fine.

[VinnyTheMick]

I hope CC's arm doesn't burn out in the first year of the 6 year deal we'll probably give him. The Brewers just don't give a f_ck since he isn't coming back to Mil-town. Not to mention the fact that he was a friggin' hungry hungry hippo when it came to innings in Cleveland. I want him on our staff, not question about it I'm just crossing my fingers.

[Jitpal]

I got a name for CF. Skip Schumaker. He's on the right side of 30 and he should be available. The Cards already have Ankiel, Duncan, Ludwick and their top pick Rasmus in AAA. They need power bullpen arms, we have power bullpen arms. Obviously keep Coke and Melancon but put everyone else available, let them pick one or two. I think he would work in CF and be able to slot in to replace Damon next year leading off and/or in LF if Gardner doesn't develop into that guy. Very good glove, good arm and versatility to play all the OF positions. He really fits the mold of the late-90s Yankees. Take a look at his situational numbers.

RISP: .318/.848
Man on 3rd with less than 2 outs: .455/1.116
Late & Close: .318/.838
Tie Game: .328/.812
Within 1 Run: .379/.874
High Leverage: .357/.926
ABs in the 9th: .359/.896
Extra Innings: .444/1.222

Those are very good situational numbers. Very good defense, good OBP and solid base running ability is exactly the type of player we need. Thoughts? -Jitpal

[PR07]

The Cardinals tend to get more out of their players than any other organization. This is an organization that made Tony Womack look good enough for us to give him a pretty large contract when he was essentially worthless. I'd be very weary of trading for anyone not named Pujols, Y. Molina, Ankiel, or Wainwright.

[Pharmcat]

burneet is a good option, hes proven in the AL unlike sheets

[Jitpal]

burneet is a good option, hes proven in the AL unlike sheets

Agreed. Burnett is probably the best plan B there is. If we don't get CC, we need to get Burnett. If both Moose and Pettitte retire, then we need to get Burnett. Right now the only starter set in stone is Wang. Joba also, if health isn't an issue. I'll go with the assumption that both are starting like Cashman wants to. So Wang, Joba and 3 more spots. If we get CC and bring back one of the two, we can have Hughes, Aceves, Kenndy(maybe) and a few other guys compete for that 5 spot. Plan C should probably be Lowe. After that there is often injured Ben Sheets, Scott Boras client Oliver Perez and this year's Carlos Silva Jon Garland. Unless we trade for a starter, CC and Burnett are the only two legitimate options. -Jitpal

[j4remi]

I'd rather sign Burnett and Lowe then CC. He's logged WAY too many innings and there's no way he'll last. I have my doubts about next season let alone a long term contract. Wang, Joba, and Burnett are a very dangerous three and Lowe on the back end makes Hughes your fifth starter. Perfect spot for him to develop and hopefully become the ace we were expecting.

[Pharmcat]

i have my doubts on CC, the innings he has logges scare me

[PR07]

It's understandable, but if anyone has a rubber arm in the MLB, it's CC. I'm aim for CC and Burnett. I still really want to get Tex in pinstripes though. I'm convinced that Manny will be a Met or Dodger.