Done Deals for the 2010 Season

GenericFan:

Justin Knoedlearm?

C'mon, it *had* to be said.

<rim shot>

bigblaster:

Should he make the team, Noodles should be the nick, then.

The only way he makes the team is if two of Martin, Ausmus, Ellis break large bones.

grabarkewitz:

Anyone else taking some singular joy in the near mutiny among Mets' fans over their terrible off-season. While our winter has been nothing to write home about, the Mets' winter is getting uglier by the moment. Aside from signing Jason Bay, and that was a clusterfrog of epic proportions, they have managed to shoot their own foot on a weekly basis. Couldn't move Castillo, couldn't sign Molina the Tree Sloth, failed to sign The Yorvit, have been told no by Jarrod Washburn and John Smoltz and both of their big ticket players are either injured or coming back from injury. At least we are healthy, relatively happy and aside from having an owner who couldn't finance the price of a cup of cold tea, we are not too bad off.

That shall be our battle cry this sprint: "At least we're not the Mets!!!"

Babe Herman:

That shall be our battle cry this sprint: "At least we're not the Mets!!!"

Damn skippy!

Babe Herman:

It'd be fun to change my signature to that for awhile, but it seems we don't have that option anymore. Some of our sigs are out of date.

Yep, I've been trying to change mine for almost 6 months with no luck

I think Christina Kahrl at BP has Johnson pegged the same way we do:

Johnson's making the right kind of money for what he's capable of contributing, and he should make a fine right-handed spare part to plant on the bench when he isn't picking up Andre Ethier as a semi-regular platoon partner, and as a pinch-hitter, he's a nice option to have, since he's good at getting the ball in play. But he's not a lefty-crushing monster as much as he's just a right-handed contact hitter; his career ISO against lefties is .150, and with a career walk rate below five percent, contact's his game. He's not really a good center fielder as much as he's a fourth outfielder who can play there when asked. He doesn't run especially well, having been bad news on the bases two of the last three years per EqBRR. When his BABIP's .360, he's a fine player, which you could say about just about everyone; he hasn't done that in two of the last three seasons, and it would be silly to expect it. Overrating him has been easy, but he's a useful spare part, and he should be that, nothing more, for the Dodgers.

arbfuldodger:

the Gnats clinch the division by signing Billy Mota to minor league contract

I predict, without Brad Ausmus to "coach" him, Billy Mota will regress back to the BP pitcher he was with the Mets and others. I am sure more than a few regulars on the Gint board are lambasted Sabean for doing us a favor. Hell, with the signings of DeRosa, Huff, Uribe and Slats Molina, Sabean has done more for us in 2010 than any signing or trade Ned could've made.

Ramon Ortiz: He has looked as dominant as ever here in the DR, his fastball was consistently 91-93 and mixers well with the breaking stuff. He is by far a better signing than last year's Claudio Vargas. He has not pitched in relief ever, don't know if he'll adjust well to that role.

Timo Perez: He is old and looks old, doubt that his real age is the one on the baseball card. He has become one of the best hitters in the Dominican League, he hits everybody, lefties, rigties, everybody. He has also developed amazing power (wonder is Vitamin S has something to do with it), he belted 6 HR in the 2008-2009 season, and this year he was the league's batting champion with a 364 avg.

No, i have never seen Ortiz in relief, at least here in the DR.

kennerbuggy:

The off-season is about wrapped up as there has been a Shawn Estes signing - NO, not by us - by the Nats.

Bedard has re-upped with the M's.

The off-season is not over until the music has stopped and Johnny Damon has found a chair.

Damon has to be kicking himself for playing hardball with the Yankees and turning down their reported two year, $14M offer. No way he even comes close to that in this market. It does me good to see a Bora$$ client lose out to greed. A lot of other teams are aware that Damon's "power" numbers are largely a by product of playing in Yankee Stadium with its short porch in right field. Otherwise, Damon is a Juan Pierre with diminishing speed.

SamAdams:

Damon has to be kicking himself for playing hardball with the Yankees and turning down their reported two year, $14M offer. No way he even comes close to that in this market. It does me good to see a Bora$$ client lose out to greed. A lot of other teams are aware that Damon's "power" numbers are largely a by product of playing in Yankee Stadium with its short porch in right field. Otherwise, Damon is a Juan Pierre with diminishing speed.

Someone should tell Ken Rosenthal so he doesn't . . . sound . . . . like . . . . . such . . . . . . an . . . .

Awww, forget it...

grabarkewitz:

I think Ned is just signing guys to make it look like Frank has more than bus fare in his pocket. Brian Giles was done two years ago. Of course, that shouldn't stop Ned. Giles is full of that creamy veteran goodness that all disciples of Sabean love.

And because of that it's probably between Giles and Eye Chart for the 25th man on the Opening Day roster.

grabarkewitz:

This will likely be the only time I pray that Eyechart still has some game. Can you imagine broken down Brian Giles trying to catch up to a Barry Zito, much less Heath Bell fastball? Geez, even Timo Perez sounds better than Giles.

I honestly see Brian Giles as a "what the hell" signing. I'm betting he'll be pounding the pavement by the time the team splits for Pittsburgh.

I like the Giles invite. He has become a liability in the OF, but he was the type of pesky hitter that could be an effective LH PH.

He was always very selective with VG strike zone judgement, and hit the ball where it was pitched. On the bases he is probably down to average to below average (slow), but even if he is now a base-clogger he could hopefully be pinch-run for if he got on-base. Manny Mota rarely played in the field and often got pinch-run for, so there is a lot of precedent for such a use.

Giles could probably play LF or RF in a pinch. TMIMITW can play RF in a pinch. Bison can play CF or RF, Ethier can play RF, LF and CF in a pinch. A reserve OF with true CF skills might be a big whther or not we carried a guy like Giles. Giles and Reed Johnson might be a solid OF reserve duo.

We seem to have committed to too many 2B types and may have to eat some $ if Carroll proves to be the weakest option. We need to carry an IF reserve that is at least decent at SS. Giles and Eyechart may be battling for the same positionally-challenged LH PH spot as we will have a hard time carrying 6 reserves with so many pitching question marks.