SB Nation User Blog: DerekSTheRed

Rumor: Braves going after Cain instead of Peavy

DerekSTheRed — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 23:37:22 -0000

Despite the Giant's insistence that Cain was untouchable, Dave O'Brien for the Atlanta Journal Constitution (in the comment section) says the Braves are losing patience with the Padres on Peavy and are going to use their prospects to acquire Cain instead. I'm of the opinion that this is just a bluff by the Braves.

Don’t forget a name often mentioned here, Matt Cain, as another potential Braves target. At GM meetings, the S.F. folks didn’t seem to know either way if the Giants would trade him this winter. If they do, and if something happens with the Braves’ Peavy offer, the Braves could always use some of the pieces they offered S.D. to try to get Cain from S.F.

Even if Cain were available, the Rangers could top any offer the Braves were willing to make. Cain, unlike Peavy doesn't have a no-trade clause. That no-trade clause artificially lowered the demand so that the Braves can get Peavy without having to give up a guy like Hansen. That's not going to be the case with Cain and the Giants. If the Padres are smart, they'll call the Braves' bluff and say they are going to hold on to Peavy. It's not like they are just dying to move him anyway despite what O'Brien says. The Braves will come crawling back eventually.

Mavs in Simmons NBA Podcast

DerekSTheRed — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 17:09:02 -0000

I'm listening to ESPN's Bill Simmons NBA podcast. In it, Bill and his buddy House try to pick the over/under of each NBA team. Unfortunately, the audio craps out right when they start to talk about the Mavs. Later on, Bill suggests a Lamar Odom for Josh Howard swap. House says Odom isn't all that in the playoffs. I'm still a Howard fan, so I would be against the trade unless we could somehow get rid of a big contract. Maybe include Dampier in the trade and you might have something. What do you guys think?

Heyman: Peavy rejects Rangers

DerekSTheRed — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 19:47:55 -0000

SI's John Heyman has a new article where he says the Rangers will be in on Brian Fuentes. He also had this to say about Peavy.

Padres ace Jake Peavy is seen as accepting a trade to at least any of his top five choices -- the Braves, Cubs, Cardinals, Dodgers or Astros -- and perhaps a few others, though his no-trade provision allows him to reject any deal. Peavy's agent, Barry Axelrod, who told SI.com that his client is "reeling'' from the Padres' sudden interest in trading him (and possibly also from their new plan to rebuild), said his client would prefer the National League and has turned down one American League team already.
While Axelrod declined to say which team Peavy rejected, one person familiar with the situation said he believed that Peavy has told the Padres he would veto a few AL teams, including the Rangers. After years at pitcher-friendly Petco Park, it's understandable that Peavy would not want to try out that bandbox in Texas.

I'm sure AJM is devastated by this news. As I'm sure most of us expected, Peavy will not be coming to pitch for the Rangers. Once again, the Rangers are cock blocked by a no-trade clause. Can the other MLB teams do themselves a favor and stop giving those out to their ace pitchers? Thanks.

Cuban's Blog

DerekSTheRed — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 23:00:54 -0000

Cuban's Blog

Has anyone been able to get to Mark Cuban's blog? All I get is a "Site Not Found" message.

Rangers interested in Freddy Garcia

DerekSTheRed — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 21:38:39 -0000

Freddy Garcia pitched a bullpen session in front of scouts for 15 teams or so yesterday. MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez says the Rangers are among the teams most interested.

Of all the teams at least taking a look at Garcia, the Mets, Tigers -- with a lot of Venezuelan players on the roster and Carlos Guillen being a good friend of Garcia's -- Rays -- who, as Greenberg said, "have really stayed in touch" -- and Rangers appear to be among the most interested.

If I'm reading that right, and I'd like to think I am, the Mets, Tigers, Rays, and Rangers are the most interested. It doesn't sound like he impressed the scouts all that much.

"He's still at 80 percent," one scout said. "He's still easing his way into his rehab.

"He doesn't seem to me to be a this-year guy."

I asked if anyone is interested in the comments of a post yesterday and no one was interested. The article doesn't exactly make me want to start a campaign for the guy. I wonder if he would consider pitching some games for the Fort Worth Cats (a la Hochevar) just to prove he can still do it.

Tony Clark traded. Sets market for Cat?

DerekSTheRed — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:05:17 -0000

Per ESPN's Buster Olney, Tony Clark was traded from the Padres to the DBacks. According to AZCentral.com, the Padres will receive a minor league pitcher most likely a AA pitcher. I can't imagine it's a top prospect but it still is nice return for a guy that is very similar to the Ranger's Catalanotto.

[Update] The pitcher is actually from A ball, Evan Scribner

AZCentral descibes Clark thusly,

If the deal goes through, Clark could give the Diamondbacks an option at first base against left-handed pitchers.

Sounds an awful lot like Cat's skill set. The major difference between the two is salary. Cat is halfway through $4M owed this year and another $4M for next year. In addition, the 2010 year has a $5M option with a $2M buyout. Compare this to Clark who is a free agent after this year and is halfway through his $900K contract plus incentives.

It will be interesting to see who the pitcher is as that could determine Catalanotto's trade value going forward. In any case, is seems likely that any trade of Cat will have to include cash going to the other team, if Texas wants a decent prospect in return.

Hat Tip to rooster for the name pitcher.

The Ichiro Pre-ALL Star Game Speech

DerekSTheRed — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:46:22 -0000

Apparently Ichiro does a speech at the All-Star Game to the players right after the manager's speech. It's secret has now been revealed thanks to Jeff Passan.

“It’s why we win,” David Ortiz said.

He pointed to Ichiro Suzuki, the Seattle Mariners’ wisp of an outfielder, a man who still uses a translator to do interviews with English-speaking reporters – and happens to be baseball’s amalgam of Anthony Robbins and George Carlin. Every year, after the AL manager addresses his team, Ichiro bursts from his locker, a bundle of kinetic energy, and proceeds, in English, to disparage the National League with an H-bomb of F-bombs, stunning first-timers who had no idea Ichiro speaks the queen’s language fluently and making returnees happy that they had played well enough to see the pep talk again.

The tradition began in 2001, Ichiro’s first All-Star appearance, and the AL hasn’t lost a game since. Coincidence?

Um. No.

I have to admit, just imagining the little guy doing this is hilarious to me.

OT: Dilbert Author Baseball Testimony

DerekSTheRed — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:28:28 -0000

Scott Adams, the author of the popular Dilbert comic, recounts a day at the ballpark in his own unique perspective.

Yesterday I went to a Giants baseball game. It was Little League
Day, so there were about ten thousand young boys running wild in the
stands. It was also free bat day, courtesy Bank of America.

I will pause while you digest this concept.

Do you know what happens when you hand an 8-year old boy a new bat,
sit him behind the exposed heads of several adults, and ask him to sit
patiently for four hours while nothing much happens on the big field in
front of him? Do you think he fiddles with that bat? 

Apparently Bank of America figured there was some theoretical amount of
head injuries that would make the public forget that they lent a
trillion of your dollars to hobos.

Thought it was pretty funny and thought I'd share.

Derek

This was Hansen's "final thought" on the Pacman trade. Suffice it to say, he's not a fan.

DerekSTheRed — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 19:24:10 -0000

This was Hansen's "final thought" on the Pacman trade. Suffice it to say, he's not a fan.

Gasol Traded to Lakers

DerekSTheRed — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 22:12:19 -0000

The Lakers just traded for Pau Gasol for and shipped Kwame, Crittenton and 2 number one draft picks in 2008 and 2010 to Memphis.

Does anyone feel this increases the need for the Maverick's to make a trade (not necessarily for Kidd just in general) or do you think the current roster is still good enough? The Lakers are 3.5 games back of the Suns, does anyone think they can catch them before the playoffs?

Derek