SB Nation - Miguel Cabrera

Choose Your Own Adventure: Red Sox Edition

ltrain2 — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 10:22:05 -0000

You are Boston Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein.

You have recently completed a trade, pending approval from commissioner Bud Selig, that sends veteran third baseman Mike Lowell to the Texas Rangers in return for catching prospect Max Ramirez. You now find yourself with yet another void to fill, this time at the "hot corner." Your arch-rivals, the New York Yankees, have just acquired the multi-talented center fielder Curtis Granderson and are linked in discussions for one of the most talented pitchers in all of baseball, Roy Halladay. Fans are growing impatient with every deal made at the winter meetings that doesn't involve you, and opportunities to patch your teams weaknesses are growing slim. What do you do?

Sign Adrian Beltre as Mike Lowell's successor (go to bullet point A)
Package some of your prospects and pry Adrian Gonzalez away from San Diego (go to bullet point B)
Package a few prospects and steal Miguel Cabrera away from Detroit (go to bullet point C)
Sit idly by and hope that everything works out on its own (go to bullet point D)

A. Ah, you have chosen to sign former Seattle Mariner Adrian Beltre. You have replaced one former Gold Glove Award recipient with another at the third base position. Last season, despite being sidelined for approximately six weeks, your new addition put up respectable numbers. The 30 year old still has some seasons left in him, and assuming you signed him to a Scutaro-type contract, you're only going to need him for a brief bridging period. You likely paid a rather high price for the free agent that has been linked to several other suitors, but you got your corner infield spots addressed. Aside from Beltre's suspicious 2004 season (not even going to go there), your new 3B seems like a safe bet to produce Lowell-like offensive numbers and provide a slight upgrade on the defensive side of the ball from the often-injured Lowell. You decided to steer clear of that blockbuster move, but you've made a wise and safe choice nonetheless, Theo.

B. Congratulations! You have just acquired one of the most prominent left-handed bats in all of baseball, Adrian Gonzalez. Your new 27 year old first baseman forces you to move Kevin Youkilis over to third base, but you now have Gold Glovers literally littering your infield. Fielding prowess aside, Gonzalez gives you a powerful left-handed bat that you can build your lineup around for years to come. Coming off of a career year at the plate, your new trade acquisition fills your need for both a corner infielder as well as a power hitter. The guy's defense makes your pitching staff better and his bat positively influences all of those around him in the lineup. You didn't just upgrade your first base position, you made your whole team better. Bold, smart, and you've made a strong statement to your fans and team that 2010 isn't going to be a conservative effort.

C. Great move. You have taken advantage of a few recent occurrences and snagged Miguel Cabrera away from the Detroit Tigers. After the Tigers dumped both Edwin Jackson and Curtis Granderson, you knew Cabrera was available. Everyone has their price, and after Detroit acquired a slew of highly touted prospects in the deal with New York and Arizona, Cabrera's asking price went down a bit as Detroit became relatively content with their farm system. Sure, you had to take Dontrelle Willis off their hands as part of the deal, but you find joy in taking players and attempting to re-mold them, especially pitchers. In Miguel, you received a player who reminds most of Manny Ramirez in his prime, both on and off the field. However, you decided to take the good with the bad, and ride this guy in the middle of your order for many years. Nobody doubts Cabrera's talent or work ethic, they're both Hall-of-Fame caliber, if you can only avoid any off the field transgressions. Succeed in that, and you have made potentially the biggest splash of the off-season. You're team is again feared, and your fans are more than content. Your job is done here.

D. You have decided to do nothing. 2010 is going to be a bumpy ride, one that will be filled with many unhappy, I told you so fans. You had better hope that 2011 free agent class that you've been day-dreaming about treats you better than the one that preceded it.

Poll

Which adventure did you choose?

Curtis Granderson To The Yankees Might Mean A Lot For The Red Sox

Randy Booth — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 20:50:08 -0000

More photos » by Charles Rex Arbogast - AP

2 days ago: FILE - In this June 11, 2009 photo, Detroit Tigers' Curtis Granderson watches his two-run home run off Chicago White Sox closer Bobby Jenks during the ninth inning of a baseball game in Chicago. A person familiar with the negotiations says the Yankees, Detroit Tigers and Arizona Diamondbacks are nearing agreement on a three-team trade that would send Granderson from Detroit to New York. The Yankees would trade right-hander Ian Kennedy to Arizona, and lefty reliever Phil Coke and outfield prospect Austin Jackson to Detroit, the person said on condition of anonymity because the trade was not yet final. Detroit would deal pitcher Edwin Jackson to the Diamondbacks, and Arizona would send pitchers Max Scherzer and Daniel Schlereth to the Tigers. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Browse more photos »

I used to like you, Curtis Granderson. Now I don't know how I feel. You're a Yankee, dude. A Yankee:

Curtis Granderson is the Yankees’ new center fielder, coming over from the Detroit Tigers in a three-way deal that also included the Arizona Diamondbacks. The deal, which is pending approval of medical records, will send outfielder Austin Jackson and reliever Phil Coke to Detroit and starter Ian Kennedy to Arizona.

The Diamondbacks will also receive starter Edwin Jackson from the Tigers, who will also get starter Max Scherzer and reliever Daniel Schlereth from Arizona.

The acquisition of Granderson, who turns 29 in March, gives the Yankees a younger alternative to Johnny Damon, 36, who is a free agent. The Yankees have no interest in giving Damon a three-year deal, but they were comfortable with a three-year commitment to Granderson, who is owed $25.75 million through 2012.

No doubt, Granderson is a really good player. He's going to give the Yankees another good bat and a pretty good outfield glove, too.

But the bigger question is: what do the Red Sox do now? In my opinion, nothing has to happen.

Will Carrol, aka The Injury Freaking King, tweets the following question:

Do red sox have to answer the granderson deal? Some are saying yes and quick and big.

Theo Epstein doesn't play the game of "let's make a move because the Yankees made a move." He's over that. He's past that. Theo Epstein builds the Boston Red Sox team to how he sees is the best fit. He builds them for 95 wins or more to get into the playoffs. He's not going to spend a lot of money or give up a lot of talented prospects just because the Yankees have made a move. Essentially, he's bigger than the rivalry.

With that said, WEEI has a few ideas for what the Sox could do to counter the Yanks' move (WEEI also mentions the Sox contacted the Tigers about Granderson, but soon found out they didn't have a solid match):

The effort to deal Granderson (and Edwin Jackson) offers fairly compelling evidence that the Tigers are indeed in a cost-cutting phase. That being the case, it is natural to wonder whether the team might make Miguel Cabrera available.

To date, according to a major-league source, there is no evidence that the Tigers are dangling the hitter extraordinaire (Cabrera hit .324 with a .396 OPS and .942 OPS, all among the best marks in the American League last year). Moreover, given Detroit’s interest in receiving major-league ready pieces — and, especially, position players — the possibility of a deal that might send Cabrera to the Red Sox seems far-fetched at this point (and that is without considering the concerns about the first baseman’s weight and off-field indiscretions).

Of course, there remains the possibility that economic realities at some point might force the Tigers to deal a player who has six years and $126 million remaining on his contract. But for now, there hasn’t been evidence that Detroit is looking to move the four-time All-Star.

I used to be a big fan of the Cabrera to Boston idea. Then all that "off-field indescretions" stuff popped up and he became tainted. No doubt he is an amazing baseball player. He's naturally gifted and has potential to go down as one of the best ever. But what kind of baggage does he bring to the team? Maybe Theo & Co. think they could whip him into shape -- mentally and physically -- ala Bill Belichick. I'm all for it if that's their gameplan.

Cabrera's bat in the middle of the Sox's lineup would be amazing. Part of me thinks it would be reminiscent of Manny Ramirez's days in Boston. Unfortunately, that means both the good and bad of having Manny in Boston.

As nice as it sounds, just because Granderson is in New York doesn't mean Cabrera has to be in Boston.

But I'm not 100 percent against it, either.

Poll

With the Yankees' acquisition of Curtis Granderson, do the Red Sox need to counter with a big signing or trade?

New Poll: The Tigers' Biggest Need at the Winter Meetings?

Ian Casselberry — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 11:00:28 -0000

Which needs will the Detroit Tigers' braintrust try hardest to fill at this week's Winter Meetings in Indianapolis?

View full size photo »

For the past month, we've heard several rumors about trades the Detroit Tigers might make this offseason. Maybe Edwin Jackson could go, in an attempt to get lower-cost starting pitching. Curtis Granderson might yield a shortstop and starting pitching. Miguel Cabrera could take a big salary off the team payroll, while also bringing back some valuable prospects.

Are the Tigers looking to cut payroll? Or trying to move what players they can, working within that current budget?

We should finally get some answers this week, with baseball's annual trade show taking place at the Winter Meetings in Indianapolis. Last year, Dave Dombrowski got a starting catcher, shortstop, and starting pitcher (after almost getting a closer) at these meetings. This year, shortstop and closer are among the team's primary concerns.

But what need do the Tigers need to fill the most this week? That brings us to our new poll question:

Which position do the Tigers need to address most at the Winter Meetings?

You can find the poll on the right sidebar below the FanShots block. Or you can vote here. Please add your thoughts in the comments. And if you have suggestions for future poll questions, send them over via e-mail.

Interview with Derek Carty from The Hardball Times-Part 4

raygu — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:00:19 -0000

Here is the last part of the 4 part interview with Derek Carty from The Hardball Times. Derek provides some insight into his top 5 rankings and some early sleepers for 2010:

Fake Teams: Are there any statistics that you use to evaluate hitters or pitchers that aren't mainstream yet?

Derek Carty: Absolutely. As I've talked about a little bit already, there are some that aren't even super well-known in the sabermetric community because, well, I invented them myself and they aren't really readily available yet. I absolutely love CAPS, David Gassko's LIPS ERA is great, and True Home Runs for hitters is a favorite of mine as well. Chris Dutton and Peter Bendix's xBABIP is great too. And of course, things like BABIP and HR/FB and LOB% aren't really mainstream, but they are pretty well-known in the sabermetric community and are certainly important to look at.

More after the jump:

Fake Teams: Do you prefer auction leagues or straight draft leagues? Mixed or NL/AL-only leagues?

Derek Carty: Auction, without a doubt. It gives everyone a chance at every player and, I feel, allows you to be more creative with how you construct your team and with how you plan your strategy. I used to be a 100% in favor of mixed leagues over AL/NL-only (in theory), although LABR has swayed my opinion a bit (it was the first AL/NL-only league I ever played in). Still, I would have to lean towards something like a 14 or 15-team mixed league, given my druthers. I just feel that one or two big injuries to an AL or NL-only team can derail any hope of a championship, in some instances, and we really are in the infantile stages of trying to predict injuries, so it's not as if some of us can even gain much of a competitive advantage in the area. I was actually quite lucky in LABR this year when it came to the health of my players, which has surely colored my opinion of this league setup a bit. Aside from losing Ramon Hernandez for most of the year and Raul Ibanez, Rich Harden, and Carlos Ruiz for a few weeks, my team stayed pretty healthy. In other leagues, I wasn't as lucky. In the FSIC, for instance, Jose Reyes killed us (although we did manage to finish in second despite a Reyes/Garrett Atkins combo for our first two picks). I think a 15-team mixed league is a pretty good depth and minimizes the amount of luck involved.

Fake Teams: An early look at 2010-who is your top 5 players in NL-only leagues? AL-only leagues? Mixed?

Derek Carty: This'll have to be very early since I haven't completed my projections yet or really tried to make any 2010 predictions, but here's how I'm currently feeling (completely subjectively and without seeing some of the more in-depth numbers I like to look at).
NL: 1) Albert Pujols, 2) Hanley Ramirez, 3) Chase Utley, 4) Ryan Braun, 5) Matt Kemp
AL: 1) A-Rod, 2) Mark Teixeira, 3) Miguel Cabrera, 4)Evan Longoria, 5) Joe Mauer
Mixed: 1) Albert Pujols, 2) Hanley Ramirez, 3) Chase Utley, 4) A-Rod, 5) Ryan Braun

Fake Teams: If you have done this analysis, who are a few sleepers for 2010?

Derek Carty: I haven't really done this analysis yet, so I'll probably have some very different names when asked in a month or two. For now, let's go with Ian Stewart, Julio Borbon, Eric Young Jr., Dallas McPherson (consider him the next Russell Branyan if he finds playing time), Koji Uehara (potential Baltimore closer, though he could succeed as a SP as well), Brett Andersen, and Jorge de la Rosa. And, of course, whether someone is truly a sleeper or a value pick is entirely dependent on context. He'll only derive value if you take him in a round later than where you believe he truly belongs.

Fake Teams thanks Derek for taking the time to answer these questions for our readers.

Raygu's MDC Mock Draft Results

raygu — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:30:11 -0000

I participated in a mock draft over at Mock Draft Central today and here is how the first two rounds went:

Round 1

5. Matt Kemp

6. Ryan Braun

7. Chase Utley

8. Miguel Cabrera

9. Prince Fielder

10. Ryan Howard

11. Evan Longoria

12. David Wright

Round 2 after the jump:

Round 2

1. Joe Mauer

5. Ian Kinsler

10, Jason Bay

11. Victor Martinez

12. Zack Greinke

This draft definitely didn't go as I expected, and I don't think there were alot of "autopicks", but I could be wrong.

Poll

Which pick was more surprising?

Morning Prowl: Arbitration Decisions, Connecting Trade Dots, and Hall of Fame Chances

Ian Casselberry — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:05:35 -0000

More photos » by Jerry S. Mendoza - AP

Placido Polanco is one of three players that could be offered arbitration by the Detroit Tigers.

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Tomorrow is the deadline for teams to offer arbitration to their free agents. (Players have until December 7 to decide whether or not to accept.) And with that, several Tigers blogs have weighed in on what Detroit should do with Placido Polanco, Fernando Rodney, and Brandon Lyon. The Detroit Tigers Weblog believes Lyon might be the only one to receive an offer. Mack Avenue Tigers and Tiger Tales each think Polanco won't get arbitration. (Lynn Henning, however, thinks all three will get an offer.)

Just agreeing with everyone is kind of boring, but I'm swimming with the current here. I don't think Polanco will receive an arbitration offer. (Lyon and Rodney will.) Detroit has Scott Sizemore ready to take over at second base, and the smart baseball move is to let that happen. (I'm guessing the Tigers have felt this way going back to last season, too. It was just a matter of which second base prospect - Sizemore, Rhymes, Hollimon, Worth - was ready first.)

Hoping for a first-round draft pick - a pick teams likely won't be willing to give up to sign Polanco - isn't reason enough to make an offer. Unless the Tigers don't think Sizemore's ready (or are concerned about his broken leg), it's not the right decision.

Jon Paul Morosi continues torturing Detroit Tigers fans by coming up with a handy, dandy chart to illustrate which teams might be a good fit in trades for Edwin Jackson, Curtis Granderson, or Miguel Cabrera. Four of the team teams he lists are matches for all three. This dot-connecting exercise is based on Morosi's opinion, not necessarily conversations he's had with any baseball executives.

Morosi also spoke with a National League executive who believes the Tigers could receive "an enticing prospect package" for Cabrera if they were willing to cover approximately $5 million of his annual salary.

Henning's popularity among BYB readers hasn't exactly soared in recent months. His latest blog post probably won't help with that. Henning puts a percentage on the likelihood of Jackson, Granderson, or Cabrera getting traded.

Is this the year either Jack Morris or Alan Trammell is finally voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame? Jason Beck presents the case for each player with career retrospectives. Morris might be gaining some momentum as his vote totals have increased the last two years. Trammell, unfortunately, slipped last year.

Here are the other candidates for the 2009 Hall of Fame class. It'll be interesting to see what kind of support Edgar Martinez gets, as he was primarily a designated hitter throughout his career. (The tour guide who showed us around Safeco Field back in May was very hopeful of his chances, as you might imagine.) Second baseman Roberto Alomar and shortstop Barry Larkin look like favorites to win induction.

11/28 - If We Must Discuss This Again...

bs.uf15bosox9bears23 — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 10:00:11 -0000

First, we're going to get the stuff that hasn't been covered before out of the way. THEN we can come back to the same old topics.

Cost and Value: Economic Realities (Part 1 of 3) - Pinstripe Alley

Cost and Value: Salaries and Future Value (Part 2 of 3) - Pinstripe Alley

Evaluating the financial efficiency of the Yankees' lineup.

Yeah, I know, MFY fans, eww. But that's no excuse not to read these.

Black Friday Baseball Bargains - Fenway West

Nothing shocking or crazy, just a reminder of what's out there.

Rivals bicker over Red Sox relic - Boston Herald

A coveted piece of Red Sox lore sits deep in Yankee country with an uncertain future as a pair of rival collectors bitterly feud over who will profit from a potential sale of the Olde Town Team’s 1912 World Series trophy.

STORY TIME!!!! And don't give me some excuse about having to hear about Pilgrims and Indians all week - we all know that no one talks about that after the kindergarten plays with construction paper outifts.

The Brain: Humanity's Other Basic Instinct: Math - DISCOVER Magazine

Thanks to Tommy at BtB for this link.

Discussion: The Trade Of The Decade - MLBTradeRumors.com

Torey Lovullo to be named manager of Pawtucket - SoxProspects.com

After the jump, a whole bunch of stuff about assorted Blue Jay players (and a Detroit Tiger as well).

Latest buzz from the MLB offseason - FOX Sports on MSN

Will the Red Sox go after Cabrera? — 1:23 p.m.

There is no evidence to suggest that the Red Sox have approached the Tigers about a trade for first baseman Miguel Cabrera. But besides the Red Sox's obvious need for a slugger such as Cabrera, there is another reason to believe that a conversation between the clubs almost certainly will take place.

Red Sox owner John Henry.

As the Marlins' owner in July 1999, Henry authorized the signing of the 16-year-old Cabrera out of Venezuela for $1.8 million. Less than two months later, the Marlins signed their top draft pick, right-hander Josh Beckett, the No. 2 pick overall, to a four-year, $7 million deal.

Cabrera and Beckett were Henry's two most important player acquisitions for the Marlins. Henry, after taking over the Red Sox in Jan. 2002, reunited with Beckett through a trade in Nov. 2005.

Acquiring Cabrera from his former Marlins GM, Dave Dombrowski, would complete a circle of sorts — and perhaps put Henry in position to win his third World Series with the Red Sox.

Red Sox left with little choice in SS race — 1:12 p.m

Barring a major surprise, the Blue Jays' signing of free-agent shortstop Alex Gonzalez leaves the Red Sox with virtually no choice but to sign Marco Scutaro.

No quality shortstops are known to be available in trade, and the free-agent market is thin on quality defenders at the position.

The shortage, in part, is what motivated the Jays to move quickly on Gonzalez, signing him to a one-year, $2.75 million contract Thursday with a $2.5 million club option for 2011.

The Jays did not want to be caught short at the position, the way the Orioles were in 2008. Pitching is difficult enough in the AL East, especially with a young staff.

Among the available free agents, Orlando Cabrera's defense has declined, and many clubs believe that Miguel Tejada needs to move off short. Adam Everett is a terrific defender, but an even weaker hitter than Gonzalez.

The Jays still will offer arbitration to Scutaro, a Type A free agent; they would play him in left field and bat him leadoff if he accepted a one-year, non-guaranteed deal. Scutaro, though, likely will get a better offer than that from the Red Sox or another club.

His departure would net the Jays two high draft picks as compensation. The Jays also could flip Gonzalez for additional young talent at some point — the free-agent market at short next winter also will be thin, and he is under control for �11 — but they still lack a long-term solution at the position.

It looks like Red Sox will have yet another new shortstop 2010 - The Providence Journal

Try not to gag on the dance metaphor.

How signing Alex Gonzalez could net Toronto a 1st round pick - THT

Alex Gonzalez to Toronto; What Will Red Sox Do Next? - Bleacher Report

If only they would ever give reasoning for WHY they don't want a list of players.

Boston Red Sox Wants Marco Scutaro? The Question Is...WHY?! - Bleacher Report

Oh, SOOOOO close to being good - the end is lacking.

Arbitration deadline could decide a lot - Extra Bases

More hot air on Halladay front - National Post

The Jays want a major league-ready arm and bat, both young and affordable enough to stay in Toronto a while, plus prospects for Halladay.

@SI_JonHeyman

ive heard halladay-shopping jays like jesus montero of #yanks (plus hughes/joba?) and casey kelly of #redsox (plus buchholz?)

Links, comments, plans for vengence if the FO does anything really stupid today, etc. Oh, and Go Gators!

Fantasy Baseball: Early Mock Draft- Round 2, Pick 3.

Ian, yo — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 23:00:18 -0000

by Carlos Osorio - AP

2 months ago: In this Sunday, Oct. 4, 2009, photo, Detroit Tigers' Miguel Cabrera is seen in the dugout before a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Detroit. Cabrera was taken to a police station over the weekend after getting into a fight with his wife at their suburban Detroit home when he came home drunk, authorities said Monday. Birmingham Police Chief Richard Patterson said Rosangel Cabrera called 911 at 6 a.m. Saturday, requesting police assistance. An alcohol test found that Miguel Cabrera was at three times the legal limit for driving, police said. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

View full size photo »

Hopefully you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. After the annual Turkey Bowl No Pad Tackle Football Game, I'm having a hard time moving around this morning, so I will sit here, eat my leftovers and talk a little fantasy baseball.

Miguel Cabrera. 1B, DET.

Usually, I like to wait on my first basemen until the later rounds where I can draft guys like Joey Votto, Kevin Youkilis and Adrian Gonzalez but when Miguel Cabrera falls to the second rounds, you almost have to bite. I really don't think Cabrera falls to the second round in drafts next year.

When drafting in the first round, I like to concentrate on consistency picks as opposed to upside picks. Over the last six years, Cabrera has failed to hit over 30 home runs just once. He's also had over 100 RBI in every season he's played a full season (discounting his rookie year where he had 314 ABs.)

With the mention of Cabrera being brought up in trade talks and the Tigers looking to shed some salary, one must consider the ramifications of a trade. If you're in AL-only leagues, you may want to keep in mind that Cabrera could me moved back to the NL. He could also be traded somewhere like Boston, where he'd be hitting in the heart of a much better lineup.

There isn't much to say that most of you don't already know when it comes to Cabrera, so I'll just leave it at that.

Morning Prowl: Miguel Cabrera's Non-Tradability, Giving Away Edwin Jackson, and Casper Wells Interviewed

Ian Casselberry — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:00:21 -0000

by Paul Battaglia - AP

Miguel Cabrera tries to bounce a baseball on his knee the same number of times his name has popped up in trade rumors this week.

View full size photo »

We've heard from Lynn Henning, who believes the Tigers could trade Miguel Cabrera to the Red Sox. We've heard from John Lowe, who thinks Cabrera's contract makes a deal difficult to pull off. (Buster Olney concurs, as does Matt Klaassen at Fangraphs.) But have we read anything from the Red Sox point of view?

The Boston Globe's Peter Abraham says the Sawx should steer clear of Cabrera, citing his weight, his contract, and The Events of October 3 as major concerns. Abraham doesn't buy into the Tigers being in financial trouble, either, so if Cabrera's being shopped around, potential suitors should ponder why that is.

One more Cabrera note: At Twinkie Town, Jesse Lund wrote a note for Keizo Konishi, the one guy who didn't give his first-place MVP vote to Joe Mauer.

Lighten up, Jesse. The Twins might be pursuing Rich Harden this winter.

Yahoo! Sports' Jeff Passan talked to a baseball executive who doesn't understand why the Tigers are acting "like they want to give" Edwin Jackson away. Passan goes on to criticize Dave Dombrowski for the poor decision-making (and contracts) that have put him in the position of trying to trade a pitcher like Jackson.

Yesterday, Kevin Goldstein ranked outfielder Casper Wells #11 on his list of the Tigers' top prospects at Baseball Prospectus. (Didn't these lists used to come out closer to Spring Training?)

Wells was also interviewed by BP's David Laurila, discussing topics such as overcoming his wrist injury, his surprising power this season, working with different hitting coaches, and majoring in TV and film at Towson University.

In case you missed it (or bumped up against BP's pay wall), Fangraphs also posted their list of the top 10 Tigers prospects. One key difference is that Marc Hulet didn't include 2009 draft picks in his rankings.

Reliever Robbie Weinhardt opened some eyes with his performance in the Arizona Fall League championship (two hitless innings, four strikeouts). At Fire Jim Leyland, Mike Rogers takes a look at Weinhardt through Pitch F/X, which shows that Weinhardt throws strikes pretty consistently and has three pitches to work with.

Simon on Sports has been asking baseball bloggers to answer 10 offseason questions about the specific teams they cover. I was asked about the Tigers, which you can read here. We discussed the current trade rumors, the fate of Placido Polanco, and who Detroit would sign if money wasn't an obstacle, among several subjects.

11/25 - Spreading Ideas

bs.uf15bosox9bears23 — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:00:12 -0000

Funny to see how similar opinions are starting to form on separate sites. Of course, some sites form the opinions more in the posts, rather than the comments. Could be a function of how the sites are set up though. Anyways, here's two quick, random links:

Rising star, prospect win Boston honors - redsox.com

Buch and Lavarnway are the best. Anyone have issues with these awards?

Projected WAR and Contract Values for Free Agent Position Players - BtB

Interesting - Beltre is projected almost equal with Figgins. Oh, and Holliday is far ahead of Bay (yes, UZR issues, but still).

Now I can show you how other sites are coming to the same conclusion as we have.

Will the Sox Acquire Adrian Beltre to Replace Lowell? - Fire Brand of the American League

Wow, that's a lot of writing. Pretty much consolidates all the stuff we've been saying.

Working out the Beltre Theory - Yawkey Way Academy

So it appears everyone agrees: this isn't an easy decision - especially when there's this option:

Report: Tigers' Miguel Cabrera Available Via Trade, Red Sox Listed as Prime Candidate - NESN.com

We discussed this shortly in the Mauer MVP thread, but here's the official story.

Miguel Cabrera? No thanks - Extra Bases

The Tigers are owned by pizza magnate Mike Ilitch and have a pile of money. If Cabrera is being shopped, it's not for budgetary reasons. It's because they decided they would be better off without him. That should give teams plenty of pause.

Oh snap.

Comparison shopping sluggers: Miguel Cabrera and Mark Teixeira - Boston Herald

Okay... and your point is?

Some sites don't really come up with new stuff, and then some sites find random ideas that actually might work:

Have Homicidal Tendencies, Will Travel - Surviving Grady

Hmm... interesting. Not sure where'd he fit, but it's definitely worth looking into if we somehow manage to need MORE players.

After the jump, some coaching staff items, a bit of alarming news, and trying to get everyone caught up.

For Red Sox, a Ray(s) of Inspiration - Full Count

Interesting to see how coaching staffs evolve.

Tim Bogar braces for the hot seat - Full Count

Catcher Luis Exposito Leads Five Red Sox Prospects in Arizona Fall League - NESN.com

The Blue Ribbon panel, 9 years later - Inside the Book

I've actually never heard of this. Sounds like it'd be a fun read for traveling, which is what I'll be doing today.

Source: Red Sox in on FA’s Scutaro, Escobar, R. Soriano - Boston Herald

NOOOOOO!!! The last two, sure, but NOT Scoots.

Cornering Some Offense in Boston - Sox Tea Party

At this point, it’s the general consensus that the Red Sox need a left-fielder, a shortstop and another power-hitting corner infielder. The hope is that the Red Sox will find a away to bring back Jason Bay and then move on to finding a legitimate bat at either first or third base. As for shortstop? Most fans I talk with are content with bringing back Alex Gonzalez, although I read a lot of other posts online that are against it, due to his low OBP.

Hahaha - good to see the opinion has presence.

Sox announce spring schedule, prices - Extra Bases

Tek Won't Catch Wake - Fenway West

Odd. I wonder why.

Falling to the Bottom of the Filter

Are the Smart Guys Hinting at Something? - YFSF

People are catching on!

Sox will think deeply about adding starters - The Boston Globe

No surprise.

Why Jason Bay Should've Accepted the Boston Red Sox' $60 Million Offer - Bleacher Report

He has been a crowd-pleaser and one of the best players on the Red Sox. His salary for 2009 was reported as $7.8 million, according to ESPN.com. It would be hard to support a claim that he be paid twice what he made when he batted .267 with 36 homers and 119 RBI, being among the league leaders in the latter two categories.

I don't support resigning Bay, but that's some faulty logic right there.

Feet of Clay: Boston Red Sox Should Part with Clay Buchholz - Bleacher Report

If that stops Eckstein [sic] from pulling the trigger, Red Sox Nation should initiate a coup d’etat.

Buchholz is a very talented pitcher, yes, and I would love to see him dominating opposing hitters in a Boston uniform. But why would the Red Sox choose an unproven prospect over an established slugger?

Oh, please, don't...

Comments, links, etc. Also, special request: If you want to say something about a specific link, rather than a general idea, don't be afraid to go to the source to voice your opinion. If you do, it'd be awesome if you could drop OTM's name, especially if you are expressing a view that you may have picked up by participating in OTM; it would keep the offseason fresh if we had a stream of new ideas coming in from other sites.