Divisional foes make moves

by buckeye22fox on Dec 12, 2007 1:15 PM EST Comment 29 comments

Kosuke Fukudome and the Chicago Cubs agreed on a 4-year $48 million contract pending a physical. That's quite a sum of money for an untested Major League player. I know the Japanese league has thrown over some quality players, but that is also the league that Cecil Fielder, Kevin Mitchell, and others went to further their careers. The quality of the league is debatable, but I figure it to be a little better than AAA. The guy is already 30 years old and may be on his downside of his career.

Also, the Astros traded for the 31-year old Miguel Tejada from the Orioles for 5 players. The Orioles will get outfielder Luke Scott, pitchers Matt Albers, Troy Patton and Dennis Sarfate, and third baseman Michael Costanzo. The Orioles really look to start the rebuilding immediately with prospects and maybe get more prospects with a deal for Bedard.

It appears that the Cubs are not risking as much with Fukudome that the Astros are with Tejada. The Cubs have the money but will Fukudome be any good here? The Astros really look like they are trying to play for 2008 and they are unloading the farm system to prove it. Maybe the Astros could be very good this year, but it is quite doubtful with their lack of talent. I really hope this means that the Astros will be bad for years to come with deals like this.

The Mitchell Report comes out tomorrow at 2:00 et and I hope his name is on it. I wouldn't be surprised to see Bagwell's name on it either if it targets former players. These moves seem to be way worse than the amount of money the Reds spent on Cordero.

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Savvy move on Tejada's part

The US government has had a tough time extraditing criminals from the Independent Nation of Texas Built Ford Tough.

by Man Mountain on Dec 12, 2007 1:21 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Ain't no justice like Texas justice

Fried up, extra crispy.

by Brendanukkah on Dec 12, 2007 1:31 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

thoughts

Tejada makes the Astros better next year (I assume he'll move to third), but not enough to compete.

I think this makes it more likely that the Orioles move Bedard and go into full rebuild mode.

by Red Menace on Dec 12, 2007 1:33 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Aging Astros

Houston is going to be very bad at some point in the near future.

C - Ausmus 39 (are they still running him out there?)
1B - Berkman 32
2B - Matsui 32
SS - Everett 31
3B - Tejada 32
LF - Lee 32
CF - Pence 25 (yay!)
RF - Lane? 31
Burke? 28

I had Burke in at second until I remembered they signed Matsui. At some point the entire team is going to make like they drank from the wrong Holy Grail.

by Red Menace on Dec 12, 2007 1:46 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Pence

I think he mans RF and Bourn starts in CF. I recall reading something about how excited they were to have speed at the top of the lineup with Bourn and Matsui.

by ken on Dec 12, 2007 1:49 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I forgot about Bourn

We had an agent tracking him from Cairo, but he lost him in a footrace across the rooftops of Vienna.

What's that? He's in our office?!

by Red Menace on Dec 12, 2007 2:03 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

You are not allowed to reference TLC

until you admit its superiority.

I'm not superstitious...but I am a little stitious.

by Slyde on Dec 12, 2007 1:52 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Sniff...

No more Some Dude...

C'than and I will have to find Some Other Dude now...

At least it wasn't Grady Little.

by Paul Householder on Dec 12, 2007 1:54 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Either that...

Or go invade the Yankees blog when they play the O's...

Put in a quarter...Turn out the lights...Magic Fingers makes ya feel alright!

by chandrathan on Dec 12, 2007 2:19 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

see Giants, San Francisco

of 2007

by bobestes on Dec 12, 2007 11:50 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Everett

got non-tendered and has since signed with the Twins. Therefore I beleive they are dumb enough to put the juicer at short. I am not saying that is a smart move. I think there is no doubt reds should finish ahead of them, not much pitching, 2 speed guys,aging power hitters, and a very good youg guy in Hunter Pence.

by Tbone redleg on Dec 14, 2007 10:49 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Wow, drank from the wrong holy grail

fantastic

by The Crushinator on Dec 16, 2007 11:41 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

The Japanese league

is a far cry from the days of Fielder and Mitchell. They won the World Baseball Classic, which featured an All Star team of Major Leaguers, both on the USA team and the Dominican team. And the Puerto Rican team...

2008 NL Central Champs!

by Daedalus on Dec 12, 2007 2:23 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

The move by the Astros

seems like a whole lotta spare parts and marginal players for Tejada. Did the Orioles want to dump him because of this salary, or the expected shower of bleep following the Mitchell report?

I mean, Luke Scott killed the Reds on occasion, but overall he was nothing to write home about. And Sarfate is the only pitcher that looks to be worth much, really.

Question: Do RR denizens think this changes the asking price for Bedard??

Yogi Berra said: "predictions are tough, especially when they are about the future".

by Lonesome George on Dec 12, 2007 2:29 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

My initial, off-the-cuff thought was,

"maybe this means the Orioles will take less for Bedard now." Followed by, "A trade of Bedard should follow soon." Followed by, "decent haul by the Orioles" and "man, the Astros have almost nothing left in their system."

I've never liked the Astros. In the 1980s and 1990s I detested their way of winning games -- get hit by a pitch, steal second, sac to third, score on a sac fly, win 1-0. Of course, usually the Reds had stranded 12 runners and wasted a rare excellent pitching performance.

We Are ... Marshall!

by Thundering Turtle on Dec 12, 2007 2:35 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I think , T-Turtle

that's called "scrappy!"

Or "small ball". Or something like that. With the end of the Craig Biggio era, maybe the Astros will be substantially less scrappy (and annoying). :)

And maybe the Astros are better at marketing their minor league talent to make trades for real major leaguers than the Reds are. Maybe the Reds need an Assistant GM whose only purpose is to go to Major League meetings and talk up the Reds' Minor League talent, to make it easier for Krivsky to make trades for players that the Reds want. Like some kind of pyramid scam.

Yogi Berra said: "predictions are tough, especially when they are about the future".

by Lonesome George on Dec 12, 2007 4:34 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Padres

We should trade with the Padres. If they are looking for an outfielder and we have a surplus, then we should be able to unload an outfielder + combo of Freel and insert prospect here for some pitching. I don't think we can get Peavy, but they do have some solid hurlers.

Looks like the Pirates are trying to deal Bay to them. I think we have more to offer to get some pitching. Just a thought.

by buckeye22fox on Dec 12, 2007 3:18 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

The Giants signed Aaron Rowand

For 5 years, terms not disclosed as of yet.

I wonder if this means the Rios for Lincecum deal is dead.

I'm not superstitious...but I am a little stitious.

by Slyde on Dec 12, 2007 4:27 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

With a team lacking depth like the Giants

Why wouldn't they consider a Hamilton, Freel, and Bailey package for Lincecum? I know everybody can throw out names like I just did and discuss hypothetical trades abound. The Giants and Padres would be logical trade partners. They both need what the Reds have.

by buckeye22fox on Dec 12, 2007 4:37 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Who do the Padres have to deal?

Peavy and Young both signed extensions within the last year (Peavy within the last couple of weeks). I wouldn't trade any of the guys you mentioned for relievers, so who would the Reds get from the Padres?

I'm not superstitious...but I am a little stitious.

by Slyde on Dec 12, 2007 4:46 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Hamilton, Bailey, and Freel?

Sounds like a good 3 to trade for some middle relievers. Maybe we can get the next Bill Bray!

Put in a quarter...Turn out the lights...Magic Fingers makes ya feel alright!

by chandrathan on Dec 12, 2007 5:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I was thinking Chris Young and Cla Meredith

but I didn't see that Young signed an extension.

by buckeye22fox on Dec 12, 2007 5:18 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

That's WAY too much

Hamilton and Lincecum are in similar contract situations, and have had similar Major League success. Both are seen as injury risks. The offer should be Hamilton for Lincecum straight up. If they'd take Freel off our hands, let them. I'd probably throw in a low-level prospect to get the job done, but under no circumstances would I add Bailey to that offer.

"Karma - there it was. The meaning of life, straight from Carson Daly's lips to my morphine-laced ears." -Earl Hickey

by BLee2525 on Dec 12, 2007 6:36 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs