MLB '08 Season Discussion

[archibaldcrane]

The Brewers essentially traded their best prospect for their first postseason appearance since 1982. Seems like a good trade to me.

Fixed.

[Headspace]

Willy Taveras bitch. Going to be fun watching Taveras and Philips steal 8 bases a game.

[Kyo]

Willy Taveras bitch. Going to be fun watching Taveras and Philips steal 8 bases a game and still not make the post-season.

Fixed for accuracy.

[Headspace]

Fixed for accuracy.

How's Dallas doing in the post season?

Bitch.

[Akiyama]

Rofl. But come on.. admit it. Cincy's sports town really sucks. D: Heck, you guys better be glad that Washington is as bad of a sports state right now as it is, or you guys would be right there.

[Headspace]

Actually, UC's going to the Orange Bowl, Xavier is top 25 team, Reds have a pretty good farm system and have been focusing a lot on bringing up minor leaguers under the new management and it's showing in Bruce and Votto.

Also, if you're going to use a whole state, then Ohio is certainly worse than Washington (not as bad as Michigan though). Ohio State has 2 consec national championship losses, Browns and Bengals, Cavaliers never making finals, Ben Roflsburger coming from Miami (OH). I can keep going.

[Melena]

I'm sorry, washington is worse. College football team going 0-12, Having the first 100 million dollar payroll in baseball to lose 100 games, the professional injury ward called the seahawks, AND have the only professional team in your state to win a league championship title move to oklahoma. there was a good article on why washington fans are suffering, and yea, I have to agree. they have it worse.

[Kyo]

Cavaliers never making finals.

Two years ago they did, last year were robbed and at least my team has a chance at the playoff's, bitch.

[Akiyama]

I'm sorry, washington is worse. College football team going 0-12, Having the first 100 million dollar payroll in baseball to lose 100 games, the professional injury ward called the seahawks, AND have the only professional team in your state to win a league championship title move to oklahoma. there was a good article on why washington fans are suffering, and yea, I have to agree. they have it worse.

Uh.. I wasn't arguing that Washington wasn't worse. Read my post:

Rofl. But come on.. admit it. Cincy's sports town really sucks. D: Heck, you guys better be glad that Washington is as bad of a sports state right now as it is, or you guys would be right there.

I just said that Cincy better be glad that Washington is so bad.

[Rhinox]

Actually, UC's going to the Orange Bowl, Xavier is top 25 team, Reds have a pretty good farm system and have been focusing a lot on bringing up minor leaguers under the new management and it's showing in Bruce and Votto.

Also, if you're going to use a whole state, then Ohio is certainly worse than Washington (not as bad as Michigan though). Ohio State has 2 consec national championship losses, Browns and Bengals, Cavaliers never making finals, Ben Roflsburger coming from Miami (OH). I can keep going.

two words for you.

Dusty Baker.

I hope Voloquez and Cueto have College degrees to fall back on.

[Melena]

Uh.. I wasn't arguing that Washington wasn't worse. Read my post:



I just said that Cincy better be glad that Washington is so bad.

that was mroe then headspace then you who said ohio is worse then washington.

[Penthesilea]

I'm pretty upset. It looks like John Smoltz is going to the Red Sox.

[Andarvi]

Smoltz doesnt have much left in the tank. Not a major factor anymore.

[Akiyama]

I'm pretty upset. It looks like John Smoltz is going to the Red Sox.

I guess the Braves are satisfied with being trash I guess.

[Viq]

Red Sox waded for awhile before hopping into the off-season pool. John Smoltz, Rocco Baldelli, and Brad Penny all at once? Are they trying to set the record for most players on the DL at the same time this year?

[Penthesilea]

Just start playing smoltz in august and keep him for the post season

[Cephius]

Red Sox waded for awhile before hopping into the off-season pool. John Smoltz, Rocco Baldelli, and Brad Penny all at once? Are they trying to set the record for most players on the DL at the same time this year?

lol, a few friends of mine who are red sox fans are all happy about these signings. I'm like please, please please throw your eggs into the Smoltz/Penny basket. Please have a backend rotation consisting of Penny Smoltz Buchholz and Wakefield. I cannot wait to see the Yankees face that part of the Boston rotation.

To be fair though, these are all low-risk, possible-high-gain incentive-based contracts. Though paying Smoltz a possible 10 million seems a bit high, you can't argue with budget spending. The Sox offense doesn't scare you as much without Manny, but they're still solid at practically every position (assuming Jed Lowrie doesn't have a disappointing season and Tacoby Bellsbury doesn't stink again)

[Akiyama]

It's a sad day to see him go. It's amazing that as a fan of the Auburn Tigers and Atlanta Braves...I have to be fans of two teams with two of the worst front offices I have ever seen. I know Smoltz has been around for a while, but can't you offer more of a guarantee to a guy like that? I feel bad for Chipper. Lord knows what happens with him.

Uh.. the fact that the Sox have Beckett (if he returns to how he was two years ago), Matsuzaka, Lester, and now Smoltz/Penny/Wakefield as a backend 4-5 type guy? Hell, they could trade Clay Buchholtz(sp)

[Viq]

Like Akiyama said, a rotation of Beckett, Lester, Matsuzaka, Fill-in-the-blanks is still going to be alright. If Smoltz, Penny, and Wakefield can somehow all stay healthy then picking two of those guys to fill out the rotation is a good problem to have. They have some depth in the minors with Buccholz, Bard, and Bowden (probably spelled wrong.) I think the thing that I like the most about the recent moves is that it solidifies Masterson's spot in the bullpen instead of having a "Maybe he'll start, maybe not" spring training situation. I'm glad that they picked up Smoltz and Penny on the cheap, but I'm just not terribly optomistic that they'll get much out of either of them. It certainly worked out well when they grabbed Bartolo Colon for $1mil last season, even if he fled to the Dominican at the end of the season.

As for the offense, they need to figure out what's happening with Lugo. They still don't have a catcher (no thanks on Josh Bard and George Kottaras splitting time). I worry about Baldelli being a secure 4th outfielder while JD Drew is standing in RF. Ortiz and Lowell are still going to be medical question marks until Spring Training starts. All that said, the Sox offense scored more runs/game after the Manny trade than before it, and I certainly wouldn't have predicted that on August 1st last year. Either way, I'm really excited for this year's AL East race. It's shaping up to be a tight race for the full 162 games.

[Cephius]

All that said, the Sox offense scored more runs/game after the Manny trade than before it, and I certainly wouldn't have predicted that on August 1st last year.

I think this was really skewed by those games against Texas where they scored like 50 runs in 3 games, but whatever.