MLB Chatter Thread

[Cowboysrock55]

Still haven't found confirmation of this signing.

The Chicago White Sox are finalizing an agreement with Cuban defector Jose Abreu on a six-year, $68 million contract, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports.

The deal for Abreu would be the largest first-time contract for an international player in major-league history, Rosenthal reports.

The Astros, Red Sox and White Sox recently had emerged as frontrunners to sign the 26-year-old first baseman, who hit .360 (9-for-25) with three home runs and nine RBI in this year's World Baseball Classic.

Abreu would join the Dodgers' Yasiel Puig and Oakland's Yoenis Cespedes as recent Cuban stars to defect and join the major leagues. Considered a prized international prospect, Abreu was named the Cuban MVP in 2010-11 when he hit .453 with 33 home runs and 93 RBI in just 66 games.

According to MLB.com, Abreu defected from Cuba in August and established residency in Haiti last month, and soon after was declared an MLB free agent.

 

[Cotton]

I've seen it now, jackwagon.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

jackwagon.

Excellent nickname for Abreu with the White Sox!

 

[Rev]

Excellent nickname for Abreu with the White Sox!

Are you a Sox fan or cubs? Or am I just making things up?

 

[Cowboysrock55]

Are you a Sox fan or cubs? Or am I just making things up?

I'm a White Sox fan. I grew up in Iowa where it was basically the closest baseball team.

 

[E_D_Guapo]

Absolutely agree 100%.

I understand Rev's reservations. Kemp hasn't been healthy the past couple of seasons and has had shoulder surgery during that time. That almost always saps a hitter's power a bit, sometimes for good. He also isn't going to steal 40 bases in a season ever again, IMO. He's a big dude that has had good but not blazing speed and he'll be 30 next season.

That said, I think the Rangers should definitely make that deal if they have the opportunity. I'm not sure why Rangers' fans are so enamored with Andrus. Excellent glove, good base stealer, very little pop in his bat. Those kinds of SS are not that hard to find. He's certainly one of the better ones in that mold, but come on...Jurickson f'ing Profar needs a spot to play and he's a SS by trade.

Kemp, assuming he gets fully healthy this offseason (have to assume he will and prior to 2012 he had 4 seasons in a row of 600+ ABs) could still easily have 3–4 25-30 HR/20 SB seasons in him where he hits > .280. Those HR numbers are fairly conservative given the boost he'd get moving from Dodgers stadium to Arlington as a home park.

It's kind of a no-brainer to me.

 

[E_D_Guapo]

I'm a White Sox fan. I grew up in Iowa where it was basically the closest baseball team.

Most people from Iowa choose the Cubs over the White Sox. I think it's largely because the Cubs AAA team is in Des Moines and also because the majority of the White Sox fandom is composed of jamokes from the south side of the city/south suburbs.

 

[Tony D]

I agree which begs the question...why would the Dodgers ever entertain this thought? Unless his injuries are worse than reported (which Texas wouldn't take him if they were), they won't give him up for just a small time player. This is just bad rumor mill stuff.

I agree, but Kemp's name has always been out there in trade rumors. Used to be for Cano a few years back.

 

[Tony D]

The Dodgers have plenty of OF...they need a SS and to move Ramirez to 3B.

Then Ethier should be the guy they trade. That trade seems more even than Kemp.

 

[E_D_Guapo]

Then Ethier should be the guy they trade. That trade seems more even than Kemp.

Who wants to pay Andre Ethier $18M/year for the next 4 years?

{looks around room, sees no one raising hand}

 

[Cowboysrock55]

Most people from Iowa choose the Cubs over the White Sox. I think it's largely because the Cubs AAA team is in Des Moines and also because the majority of the White Sox fandom is composed of jamokes from the south side of the city/south suburbs.

Plus the female Cubs fans are way hotter.

But I grew up during the Frank Thomas era. May have been the most bad ass baseball player to ever live.

 

[E_D_Guapo]

Plus the female Cubs fans are way hotter.

Fact.

But I grew up during the Frank Thomas era. May have been the most bad ass baseball player to ever live.

Can't fault you for that. The Big Hurt was one of the most consistently productive hitters of all time. I love any player that hits .300 with 30+ HRs, 100+ RBI, and 100+ BBs. He was great.

 

[Rev]

Look. I get it. Andrus doesn't hit for power but he did quadruple his home run total from the previous year ( my memory may fail me on that). My issue isn't with keeping Andrus. My issues are with the future of the Rangers. Health and contract are issues with Kemp. If it was just one or the other I would be inclined to say hell yes. Possibly even if its just salary relief. Texas is getting to the edge of their payroll already and that's before the owners decreased it. We just afford a fuckup.

 

[Deuce]

Who wants to pay Andre Ethier $18M/year for the next 4 years?

{looks around room, sees no one raising hand}

I wouldn't, but I think he was going for a better comparison of player who would be worth trading for Andrus.

 

[NoDak]

I'm a White Sox fan.

Dead to me.

I hate everything about that franchise. Starting with their uber-annoying TV announcers.

 

[E_D_Guapo]

I wouldn't, but I think he was going for a better comparison of player who would be worth trading for Andrus.

Maybe so. I wouldn't think of moving Andrus for Ethier if I were the Rangers though. Ethier isn't much more than a highly overpaid platoon player at his point.

I know the Rangers have tried to trade for Giancarlo Stanton with Profar as the centerpiece. I'd keep trying to pry Stanton away from Miami if I were them.

 

[Cotton]

Look. I get it. Andrus doesn't hit for power but he did quadruple his home run total from the previous year ( my memory may fail me on that). My issue isn't with keeping Andrus. My issues are with the future of the Rangers. Health and contract are issues with Kemp. If it was just one or the other I would be inclined to say hell yes. Possibly even if its just salary relief. Texas is getting to the edge of their payroll already and that's before the owners decreased it. We just afford a fuckup.

Absolutely agree 100%.

 

[E_D_Guapo]

Absolutely agree 100%.

Rangers fans are risk-averse bunch. I get the concern with Kemp in particular but I'd do it. MVP caliber player when healthy and moving from an extreme pitcher's park in the NL West to an extreme hitter's park in the AL West would be a huge deal.

The Rangers simply have to improve their team somehow and they're going to have to give up something to get impact players. The FA market isn't going to be very strong this year so they can be conservative and do very little like they have the past couple years or they can go for it and hope their prospects all pan out over the next few years.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

Dead to me.

I hate everything about that franchise. Starting with their uber-annoying TV announcers.

Well now you're just being hateful. Can't say I really hate any franchises in baseball the way I do in football.

 

[NoDak]

Well now you're just being hateful. Can't say I really hate any franchises in baseball the way I do in football.

I can't help it. It's an unhealthy hatred, I know.

But every time I hear Ken Harrelson yelling out "Put it on the boaaaaard, YES!!" I want to f'n murder him and anyone that even has a slight possibility of passing on his genes.