Not really. There is no way I have the ability to cover every single minute of Major League Baseball's Winter Meetings.
I feel like the Winter Meetings could be a giant hand job, to get media attention for Major League Baseball a few months after the season ends for no good reason. You know, something sort of similar to the way they release awards once a day, every other day for about three weeks. Honestly, they can release the Rookie of the Year for the AL and NL on the same day, same with Cy Young and MVP...
As much as I'd have thought these Winter Meetings are just masturbatorial self-promotion, judging from last year and what's happened so far this year, I think I'm nothing but wrong.
Last year's meetings were the beginning of the end for Mark Teixeira being on the Free Agent market, and this year we've have some action already. Here's the rundown, and my (probably too verbose) feelings on one particular deal.
Brad Penny to Cardinals - Read More
$7.5M for one year, Brad Penny, how do you do it?! You aren't good, and yet you manage to get paid. Bastard.
Braves Release Church; Room for Soriano - Read More
Closer/Reliever RHP Rafael Soriano accepted arbitration from the Atlanta Braves, so Ryan Church (who the Braves traded for) is going to be available for a team near you.
Mariners Sign Figgins - Read More
It's official, the Angels suck yet again. Not sure if this will be another move by Seattle that makes them perennially irrelevant (Bedard, Beltre Part 1), only time will tell.
Granderson to Yanks in 3-Team Deal - Read More
Maybe you've been under a sports rock in the past 12 hours, I don't know, but supposedly this is a done deal. Yankees trade Kennedy - Coke - Austin Jackson, acquire Curtis Granderson; Tigers trade Granderson - Edwin Jackson, acquire Max Scherzer - Coke - Austin Jackson - Schlereth; D'Backs trade Scherzer - Schlereth, acquire Edwin Jackson - Kennedy. I'm sure I'm missing a piece to the puzzle, but I'm not sure this deal works well for the Yankees.
First things first, I'm a hater. You know it, I know it. But just from a Yankees perspective, for the Yankees to trade two pitchers and their best OF prospect for the 28 year old Granderson doesn't seem to make perfect sense to me. This is what the Yankees potential outfield could be: Granderson, Melky Cabrera, Johnny Damon (FA), Hideki Matsui (FA), Xavier Nady (FA), and Nick Swisher. X-Man just made $6.5M for sitting on the bench this year and collecting a ring (through injury), so who knows what happens there, but I think the Yankees are likely to resign Johnny Damon for a few years. Melky Cabrera is still the weak link of the chain, and Nick Swisher was more of a fill-in, because in the beginning of 2009 he wasn't penciled in to start in RF the way he did all year. Can you count on those two guys, and can you count on Damon if he's signed?
In a deal that moves Max Scherzer, and Edwin Jackson, I wish the Yankees got in on that action. Edwin Jackson pitched very well in 2008 with the Rays, and continued his high level of play in 2009 with the Tigers. Jackson is 26 and Scherzer is 25. Jackson has been a proven winner, AND he's young, while Scherzer just has the ultra-sexy potential factor (seriously, never underestimate the allure of the potential factor).
Personally, I think the Tigers make out like bandits. As well as Granderson played and E.Jackson pitched last year, the Tiger's still missed the playoffs. I don't know if I agree with their thinking of trading a 28 year old Granderson and 26 year old Jackson. I mean, when you rebuild, you generally want to rebuild AROUND someone, and they have that person in Miguel Cabrera. When you rebuild you generally want to keep younger guys, acquire draft picks and prospects, and dump older overpayed (fading) talent (i.e.-Carlos Guillen & Magglio Ordonez). In the end they end up with a top prospect in Austin Jackson, high ceiling pitcher in Max Scherzer, 23 y/o RP Schlereth, and Phil Coke. They get a lot of depth.
I have to say, I love the fact that the Yankees are trading away Ian Kennedy. An aneurysm in his throwing arm, and he's turning 25 this month. No thanks. This deal isn't official yet, and according to ESPN.com, the Yankees have been "on the verge of acquiring Granderson" or "near Granderson" since about 1:30pm this afternoon. We'll see if this goes down or falls through.
Finally, let me leave you with a quote from Brian Cashman from the article referenced above. I think it's and interesting thought at the very least...
"You always want to get younger, especially when you have an older team," Cashman said before adding: "Just because somebody is younger doesn't mean they're actually better."
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