Marginally Important News
In which the author tells the truth, but tells it slant.
Winter Meetings Acquisitions, Complete List
MLB Trade Rumors has an exhaustive list of all the moves teams have made since this past Sunday. I don’t know exactly how you’d do it, but I’m almost positive that some sort of drinking game could be made of this.
This edition of Offseason Notes is all multi-media-cated.
Marginally Important News
In which the author tells the truth, but tells it slant.
J. Rodriguez Is No. 1 Pick (in Rule 5 Draft)
With the first pick of Rule 5 Draft, the Pittsburgh Pirates selected Cleveland shortstop Josh Rodriguez. The video at the top of this post is of Rodriguez batting, and the link just above these words will take you to a couple more videos, courtesy of Rum Bunter. What’s the deal with Rodriguez? Well, he’s kinda like the Platonic Rule 5 Pick, having no standout tools, but offering some plate discipline, some power, and some defensive skills. With Cord Phelps and Jason Kipnis around, though — i.e. slightly better versions of Rodriguez — it probably became unrealistic to protect yet another middle infield-type. (Note: Vlad at Bucs Dugout had provided a brief analysis of Rodriguez about a week ago.)
Episode Fifty-Three
In which the segments are all multiple-like.
Headlines
Segment #1: Live from the Winter Meetings in Orlando
Segment #2: Live from the Banks of the River Charles
Featuring
Dave Cameron, Full-Time Employee
Joe Pawl, American Pole
Patrick Sullivan, Owner-Operator, Red Sox Beacon
Finally, you can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or other feeder things.
Audio on the flip-flop. (Approximately 40 min play time.)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
Episode Fifty-Two
In which the guest is a host.
Headlines
You Down with ISP?: Baseball, the Internet, and the 90s
Free Garko?: Eulogizing Baseball Well
Giants: Now, But More Then
… and other taste sensations!
Featuring
Jesse Thorn, Young American
Finally, you can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or other feeder things.
Audio on the flip-flop. (Approximately 40 min play time.)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
Episode Fifty-One
In which the panel discusses secrets and how they probably don’t hurt anyone.
Headlines
Notes on the Price per Win
Brian Sabean and the Immunity of Winning
Winter Meetings: Ready, Get Set
… and other rousing themes!
Featuring
Dave Cameron, Full-Time Employee
Joe Pawl, Resident, Biggest Apple
Finally, you can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or other feeder things.
Audio on the flip-flop. (Approximately 40 min play time.)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
This edition of Offseason Notes contains the exact perfect numbers of mustaches.
Marginally Important News
In which the author tells the truth, but tells it slant.
Top 25 Rule V Possibilities
The Rule V Draft occurs on December 9, and Baseball America has published — in subscriber-only format, unfortunately — a list of the top-25 available players. Luckily for the thrift-minded, contributor Vlad at Bucs Dugout has annotated the frig out of it. Among the names, you’ll find Marquez Smith, whose talents I’ve celebrated in these pages, and who might very well not be a Cub by mid-December.
S. Fasano Named Double-A Manager
Excellently mustachioed former catcher Sal Fasano has been named the manager of Toronto’s Double-A affiliate, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. The announcement comes just one year after Fasano began his coaching career, with Toronto Class A affiliate Lansing. Mostly, this is just a flimsy pretense for including a photo of everyone’s brother from another mother (Sal Fasano, that is).
Notes on Dodger Pitching Prospect C. Withrow
Chris Withrow’s star — and the relative brightness of it — was the subject of some contention in these pages early-early this year. Here, Call to the Pen’s Nathaniel Stoltz attempts to understand Withrow’s tough 2010. Mostly I bring it up because Withrow is one of the only baseball players with whom I’ve had a conversation — one which was rendered into print, no less. (You care deeply about this, I’m sure of it.)
This edition of Offseason Notes contains:
1. Equal parts insult and injury.
and
2. An illustrative graph.
Marginally Important News
In which the author examines some news that’s maybe less-than-fit to print.
Arbitration Deadline Tomorrow
A total of 21 teams have at least one decision to make in offering arbitration to eligible free agents tomorrow. MLB Trade Rumors has a complete list. Among the more interesing cases: Derek Jeter, Frank Francisco, Felipe Lopez (a Type B free agent), Paul Konerko, J.J. Putz.
Cubs Leave M. Smith Off 40-Man
Chicago third-base prospect Marquez Smith was noted in these pages late last month for his favorable ZiPS minor-league translation (zMLE). Now he’s being noted for another reason — namely, for being excluded from the Cubs 40-man roster (and thus eligible in December’s Rule 5 Draft). Though contact remains a (legitimate) issue for the 25-year-old Smith, TotalZone likes his defense to the tune of 1.0 to 1.5 wins per season.
Dan Moore Uses Word “Machinations” in Title of Post
Let’s just celebrate that, is all.
“Baseball becomes markedly less interesting at the conclusion of the regular season.”
I’m sure there are people who’ll disagree with this sentiment, but there are also people who go camping of their own volition. I should not be surprised to find significant overlap between these two populations.
In any case, I bring it up, on account of — as Alex Remington noted in these pages yesterday — the Major League Baseball playoffs are likely to be expanded soon to include 10 teams come the 2012 season.
While I’ll stop short of calling the move a “travesty” — I mean, it’s not like Community is being taken off the air or the collected works of P.G. Wodehouse are being summarily banned — I’m more than willing to state publicly that it’s 100% of a bummer.
This edition of Offseason Notes is funnier than about 60% of all episodes of The Jeffersons.
Marginally Important News
In which the author examines news that’s just barely fit to print.
Juan Carlos Linares Getting Attention
SCOUT-leaderboard-fixture Juan Carlos Linares is discussed glowingly by Sox GM Theo Epstein and a mysterious scouty-type person. “He rakes,” says — er, actually, texts — the latter, presumably not discussing Linares’s fondness for yardwork.
Amazin’ Avenue Starts Book Club
Clearly aware that sporting news can reach absurd heights at this particular juncture of the baseballing calendar, Amazin’ Avenue’s James Kannengieser has started a virtual book club, and the first assignment is Moneyball. Among the penetrating discussion questions, we find this, for example:
5. Was early 1980s Billy Beane [pictured above right] really as handsome as the scouts declared? How would he stack up vs. other 1986 Mets in that department? As a GM, would you rather sign a lothario or a mature, married player (like Ollie)?
It’s obvious, America: Metropolitan fans are willing to ask the tough questions..
