MLB Chatter Thread
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Carp
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Jung-Ho Kang Expected To Be Posted Next Week
By Steve Adams [December 8, 2014 at 7:20am CST]
DECEMBER 8: Kang is drawing interest from the Athletics, Giants, Mets and several other clubs, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman reports. The A’s and Mets would presumably be interested in Kang at shortstop, while the Giants could use Kang at either third or second (if the latter, Joe Panik would shift to the hot corner).
DECEMBER 7: Rosenthal tweets Kang is expected to be posted next week.
NOVEMBER 10: Korean shortstop Jung-ho Kang is not expected to be posted until after the Winter Meetings, which run next month from Dec. 7-11 in San Diego, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Agent Alan Nero tells the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo that his client will be posted in mid-December (Twitter link).
The 27-year-old Kang is coming off a monster season in the Korea Baseball Organization in which he hit .354/.457/.733 with 39 home runs. However, there are some differing opinions on how well Kang’s game will translate to Major League Baseball. Firstly, KBO is known to be an extremely hitter-friendly environment, so perhaps we shouldn’t read too much into those numbers. And, as Joel Sherman noted earlier today, some scouts have expressed skepticism that his power will translate to the Majors and aren’t sure he can play a Major League caliber shortstop — sentiments that were shared by an international scouting director that spoke with MLBTR regarding Kang.
However, ESPN’s Keith Law recently ranked Kang 15th among free agents (Insider subscription required and recommended), believing that some of his power can translate to the Majors, likely at the cost of his batting average. He noted that Kang lacks the range teams would like to see out of a shortstop but has a 60 arm (on the 20-80 scouting scale) to make up for some of the range. Law noted that he’d give Kang every chance he could to stick at shortstop while acknowledging that he, too, has heard scouts who see Kang as more of an “unathletic corner guy” whose power won’t play in the Majors.
By Steve Adams [December 8, 2014 at 7:20am CST]
DECEMBER 8: Kang is drawing interest from the Athletics, Giants, Mets and several other clubs, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman reports. The A’s and Mets would presumably be interested in Kang at shortstop, while the Giants could use Kang at either third or second (if the latter, Joe Panik would shift to the hot corner).
DECEMBER 7: Rosenthal tweets Kang is expected to be posted next week.
NOVEMBER 10: Korean shortstop Jung-ho Kang is not expected to be posted until after the Winter Meetings, which run next month from Dec. 7-11 in San Diego, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Agent Alan Nero tells the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo that his client will be posted in mid-December (Twitter link).
The 27-year-old Kang is coming off a monster season in the Korea Baseball Organization in which he hit .354/.457/.733 with 39 home runs. However, there are some differing opinions on how well Kang’s game will translate to Major League Baseball. Firstly, KBO is known to be an extremely hitter-friendly environment, so perhaps we shouldn’t read too much into those numbers. And, as Joel Sherman noted earlier today, some scouts have expressed skepticism that his power will translate to the Majors and aren’t sure he can play a Major League caliber shortstop — sentiments that were shared by an international scouting director that spoke with MLBTR regarding Kang.
However, ESPN’s Keith Law recently ranked Kang 15th among free agents (Insider subscription required and recommended), believing that some of his power can translate to the Majors, likely at the cost of his batting average. He noted that Kang lacks the range teams would like to see out of a shortstop but has a 60 arm (on the 20-80 scouting scale) to make up for some of the range. Law noted that he’d give Kang every chance he could to stick at shortstop while acknowledging that he, too, has heard scouts who see Kang as more of an “unathletic corner guy” whose power won’t play in the Majors.
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Jason Hammel To Sign With Cubs
By Charlie Wilmoth [December 8, 2014 at 10:12am CST]
TODAY, 10:18am: The deal is expected to be for something around two years and $18MM with an option year attached, tweets Chris Cotillo of SB Nation. That would look to be quite an attractive price tag for Chicago.
10:12am: Hammel “is returning” to the Cubs, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
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Solid signing if it is in that 2/$18M range. He was really good for them last season before they dealt him. Decent middle of the rotation guy.
By Charlie Wilmoth [December 8, 2014 at 10:12am CST]
TODAY, 10:18am: The deal is expected to be for something around two years and $18MM with an option year attached, tweets Chris Cotillo of SB Nation. That would look to be quite an attractive price tag for Chicago.
10:12am: Hammel “is returning” to the Cubs, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
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Solid signing if it is in that 2/$18M range. He was really good for them last season before they dealt him. Decent middle of the rotation guy.
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Carp
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Indians Acquire Brandon Moss
By Jeff Todd [December 8, 2014 at 11:44am CST]
In a widely anticipated swap, the Athletics have officially agreed to ship outfielder/first baseman/DH Brandon Moss to the Indians in exchange for minor league second baseman Joe Wendle.
Moss, 31, is projected by MLBTR/Matt Swartz to earn $7.1MM this year, his second-to-last of arbitration eligibility. He is an accomplished power bat, with a 135 OPS+ and 76 home runs over the last three years.
But those figures have trended downward in each successive campaign. Then there is the fact that Moss’s value is limited by his poor defense in the outfield. Most worryingly of all, he has dealt with a significant hip issue that required offseason surgery.
The Indians will gladly roll the dice on a recovery, especially since the club will have a chance to decide whether to tender Moss after the season. Moss’s manageable salary offered the chance for Cleveland to add the big bat that many felt they needed, while his health questions lowered the ask. As Jordan Bastian of MLB.com rightly notes on Twitter, Cleveland may well need to do something to clear its logjam of first base/corner outfield type players.
For the A’s, this deal represents the latest sign that GM Billy Beane is firmly committed to cashing in assets that no longer have much potential to accumulate value and/or improve production. Moss joins Josh Donaldson and Yoenis Cespedes as former core players who have been moved by Oakland in recent months.
Wendle, a 24-year-old prospect, did not rate among the Indians’ top ten prospects in the recent estimation of Baseball America but did land at ninth on MLB.com‘s most recent list. Wendle’s calling card is his hit tool, with which he combines decent power and solid defense. A broken hamate bone cut the 24-year-old’s season short, but he had put up a .253/.311/.414 line over 370 Double-A plate appearances and owned even an even more robust slash the prior year at High-A.
ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reported on Twitter that the teams’ prior talks were nearing completion. Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reported (Twitter links) that the deal was done, with Wendle making up the return. John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group first reported the connection between the clubs on Twitter, while Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle first reported that Oakland was interested in Wendle.
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WTF are the A's doing?
By Jeff Todd [December 8, 2014 at 11:44am CST]
In a widely anticipated swap, the Athletics have officially agreed to ship outfielder/first baseman/DH Brandon Moss to the Indians in exchange for minor league second baseman Joe Wendle.
Moss, 31, is projected by MLBTR/Matt Swartz to earn $7.1MM this year, his second-to-last of arbitration eligibility. He is an accomplished power bat, with a 135 OPS+ and 76 home runs over the last three years.
But those figures have trended downward in each successive campaign. Then there is the fact that Moss’s value is limited by his poor defense in the outfield. Most worryingly of all, he has dealt with a significant hip issue that required offseason surgery.
The Indians will gladly roll the dice on a recovery, especially since the club will have a chance to decide whether to tender Moss after the season. Moss’s manageable salary offered the chance for Cleveland to add the big bat that many felt they needed, while his health questions lowered the ask. As Jordan Bastian of MLB.com rightly notes on Twitter, Cleveland may well need to do something to clear its logjam of first base/corner outfield type players.
For the A’s, this deal represents the latest sign that GM Billy Beane is firmly committed to cashing in assets that no longer have much potential to accumulate value and/or improve production. Moss joins Josh Donaldson and Yoenis Cespedes as former core players who have been moved by Oakland in recent months.
Wendle, a 24-year-old prospect, did not rate among the Indians’ top ten prospects in the recent estimation of Baseball America but did land at ninth on MLB.com‘s most recent list. Wendle’s calling card is his hit tool, with which he combines decent power and solid defense. A broken hamate bone cut the 24-year-old’s season short, but he had put up a .253/.311/.414 line over 370 Double-A plate appearances and owned even an even more robust slash the prior year at High-A.
ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reported on Twitter that the teams’ prior talks were nearing completion. Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reported (Twitter links) that the deal was done, with Wendle making up the return. John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group first reported the connection between the clubs on Twitter, while Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle first reported that Oakland was interested in Wendle.
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WTF are the A's doing?
E_D_Guapo
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Cubs, Giants Are Finalists For Jon Lester
By Jeff Todd [December 8, 2014 at 3:39pm CST]
3:45pm: Lester’s agent Seth Levinson denies that the Red Sox are out of the bidding, tweets Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. The team has also said it has not been informed of any decision on its bid, per Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald (via Twitter).
3:39pm: Free agent starter Jon Lester is choosing between the Cubs and Giants, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports on Twitter. Rosenthal does caution that a late change in the bidding could shake things up.
The other teams said to be amongst the last suitors for Lester are the Red Sox and Dodgers. Boston, of course, was the only team that the 30-year-old had played before until he was dealt to the Athletics at the 2014 trade deadline.
Lester’s choice could have wide-reaching ramifications for the broader market, to say nothing of the teams involved.
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I'd really like to see the Cubs land Lester of course, but certainly not at all costs. Rumor is that the sort of standing offer is 6/$140M. I think that's reasonable. I would think the Cubs would be willing to increase the offer to 6/$150M or so but if SF pushes it to 7/$160M or something I think the Cubs will likely just let him go.
By Jeff Todd [December 8, 2014 at 3:39pm CST]
3:45pm: Lester’s agent Seth Levinson denies that the Red Sox are out of the bidding, tweets Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. The team has also said it has not been informed of any decision on its bid, per Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald (via Twitter).
3:39pm: Free agent starter Jon Lester is choosing between the Cubs and Giants, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports on Twitter. Rosenthal does caution that a late change in the bidding could shake things up.
The other teams said to be amongst the last suitors for Lester are the Red Sox and Dodgers. Boston, of course, was the only team that the 30-year-old had played before until he was dealt to the Athletics at the 2014 trade deadline.
Lester’s choice could have wide-reaching ramifications for the broader market, to say nothing of the teams involved.
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I'd really like to see the Cubs land Lester of course, but certainly not at all costs. Rumor is that the sort of standing offer is 6/$140M. I think that's reasonable. I would think the Cubs would be willing to increase the offer to 6/$150M or so but if SF pushes it to 7/$160M or something I think the Cubs will likely just let him go.
E_D_Guapo
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Moving every player that is going to cost them signifiant salary in arbitration/will hit free agency in the next year. I guess when they went all in and came up way short last season Beane decided to totally retool. Expect Samardzija to be dealt sometime this week as well, at least that's what the rumor mill says.
Carp
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I get retooling, but god damn...both Donaldson and Moss carried more value than what they got in return. You look around now and teams are hungry for bats...and the best they could do is a failed prospect in Lawrie and a minor league 2B, who is not even in the Indians top 10 prospects. Beane has earned the benefit of the doubt, but he sold low on both players IMO.
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I agree. I'd be pretty pissed and/or dejected if I was an A's fan right now.
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That 2B they got today is 24 and still in AA. Seems like a weak haul.
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@jonmorosi: #Cubs, #DBacks discussing trade that would send Miguel Montero to Chicago, sources tell @Ken_Rosenthal and me. @FOXSports
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Interesting. Are they saying both or one of them?
E_D_Guapo
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There has been speculation about that since they lost out on the Russell Martin bidding. I think it would be a nice move as longhorn as they don't give up too much in prospects. Montero is solid but not worth top prospects.
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You have been in Austin too long.
Carp
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Giants called about Daniel Murphy...if the Mets truly want to take a step forward they need to find a home for Granderson, packaged with young pitching to get a big corner OF bat. Tulo was mentioned again too...maybe we could send Syndergaard, Montero, Plawecki, and Granderson for Tulo and Cargo. Rockies get out from some salary and get 3 good prospects.
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I think the Mets would do something with them if they could get out from Granderson. Right now they are saying they are not interested in Andrus, but I think that would change with the right deal. I don't think his deal is that bad honestly. Good glove, can steal bases, although his caught stealing rate was terrible this year.