heres 14 of the biggest free agents this year. let all take stabs at who they are going to be playing for next year. lets see what you guys have to say about them. barry bonds mike cameron bartolo colon fransico codero tom glavine torri hunter andruw jones paul la duca mike lowell jorge posada mariano rivera alex rodriguez aaron rowand curt schilling
we can keep track of all the free agency signings in this thread as well.
A-Rod will go to the Giants. Lowell will go to the Yankees. Torri Hunter will probably wind up on the White Sox or Nationals. Rowand will sign with Houston. The Padres won't re-sign Cameron especially after his doping bust that will cost him the first 25 games of next season and the fact that he wants a ridiculous guaranteed long term deal. Posada will probably stay a Yankee. The only one on there my Padres might try to grab is Glavine. Maddux just re-signed and those two would be ultra-happy to be together again for a year. That's all I got.
Bonds - Hopefully hell Cameron - I think he'll re-sign Colon - Re-sign Cordero - Re-sign Glavine - Hopefully retire, if not he'll re-sign Hunter - Yankees, White Sox, or Dodgers would be badass even though they couldn't pull him and A-Rod Jones - Rangers, Brewers, or Astros La Duca - Mets Lowell - Yankees or Tigers Posada - Hopefully Braves, haha (Doubtful) I don't think he'll come back to the Yankmes though Rivera - Braves (Once again doubtful), but Phillies for real A-Rod - Dodgers or Tigers Rowand - Philly Schilling - Yankees, Phillies, or D-Backs
You forgot some big names though, Yanks. There's: Miggy Cabrera - Marlins, but I wish Braves Andy Pettite - Dodgers Your Boy Rodger Clemens - Retire Joe Crede - Maybe Indians Luis Gonzalez - Who knows
i knew i forgot some, i actually just got those 14 off MLB.com....they had some game you play where you pick who is gonna go where....i didnt feel like adding in everyone lol
"Bonds - Hopefully hell " LOL that cracked me up good
miguel cabrera - Yankees new 3rd baseman schilling - Yanks?!? god i hope not. hate schilling with a passion. arod - im thinking in LA somewhere, either one hunter - good fit for Yanks Lowell - i think boston will resign him jorge - hopefully yanks glavine - i would like to see him in SD with maddux like you said brad. rowand - will be resigned rivera - wont be a yankee i dont think. clemens - retires this is as far as i wanna go right now lol
i just hope the cubs don't get kurt schilling, CAUSE HES A PEN!S LOVING FAKE BL00DY SOCK WEARING OVERRATED GONNA MAKE THE HALL OF FAME BUT DOESNT DESERVE IT MOTHER FU<KER!!!!
I was joking about schilling being a yank... wouldn't really surprise me though... he'll go to the phillies and i didn't mention carlos suilva cuz hes garbage and like you said overpaid. and cabrera wont go to the yankees... ya boys need to go out and get good pitching
Personally I don't care who goes where...as long as Lowell and Schilling (both, IMO, are true warriors) stay with the Sox.. and Arod doesn't stay in the AL...
Pit...get over that "fake" sock routine...thats ridiculous...U are smarter than that..do U know how stupid that sounds?...
Sox fans don't want Arod now....we love Mike Lowell....and pissed at Arod and Boras for their very poor timing of the "opt out of contract" announcement during the Worls Series....trying to take away some of the Sox thunder at a very crucial time in the Series...very unprofessional media play by Arod and his agent Boras!...I myself had always admired Arod, until his latest publicity stunt!
and about the warrior Schilling...he staying!...YES!
Red Sox, Schilling reportedly agree to a deal..
The Sox and Curt Schilling have agreed to a one-year, $8 million deal, plus $2 million in incentives, according to a report. Schilling blogged that he's very confident a deal will be finalized.
The yanks weren't even a factor this year...barely got in playoffs, then bounced in first round...and now lost their coaches, and best players...they'll be lucky to come in 3rd in the division next year!...
Schilling may have helped himself with another stellar postseason, winning three times without a loss and improving his career postseason mark to 11-2.
He posted the second lowest ERA among Red Sox starters and finished fourth on the staff in wins, starts, innings (151), and strikeouts (101).
Schilling, who filed for free agency on Oct. 30, returns for a fifth season in Boston after originally being acquired in a trade with Arizona in November 2003. In 2007, the right-hander, who turns 41 on Nov. 14, was 9-8 with a 3.87 ERA in 24 regular-season starts.
"Anytime you can have Curt Schilling as part of your pitching staff, you get a reliable performer, you get one of the most prepared pitchers in baseball, an accomplished big-game pitcher who has a lot to offer to other pitchers on the staff," Theo Epstein said
"It says a lot about Curt that he was willing to take less to come back here," Epstein said. "It's easy for a player to say, 'It's not about the money,' but it's hard to actually prove it. In Curt's case, he put his money where his mouth was and really made a statement about what's important to him right now and he deserves a lot of credit for that and we benefit from that as an organization and our fans will benefit, as well."
The New York Daily News reported Monday on its Web site that Posada will accept a four-year, $52 million contract from the club, an increased offer delivered to the catcher's camp just hours before he could have discussed financial terms with other clubs.
"as long as Lowell and Schilling (both, IMO, are true warriors) stay with the Sox"
ORLANDO, Fla. - Mike Lowell's return to the Red Sox appears inevitable, and Yankees general manager Brian Cashman is resigned to the fact that Alex Rodriguez's replacement will have to come via the trade market.
Lowell, the 2007 World Series Most Valuable Player, could re-sign with the Red Sox before Tuesday, when free agents can begin negotiating with other clubs.
Hey I'm happy with Lowell and Schilling staying with the Sox...team stays together and no major losses...I don't care what the other teams do now, or who they sign....I kinda see Arod maybe playing with his bud Pudge in Detroit..if not then, the Dodgers, but he's not really a west coast type a guy...but who knows, money talks with him..
Red Sox lose exclusive rights to talk to World Series MVP By Ian Browne / MLB.com
Ever since the end of the World Series, the Red Sox have stated that retaining third baseman Mike Lowell is a top priority.
BOSTON -- As the clock struck midnight ET, and Monday turned to Tuesday, the Boston Red Sox lost their exclusive negotiating rights to free-agent third baseman Mike Lowell. The Most Valuable Player of the World Series is now eligible to negotiate with not just the Red Sox, but the other 29 teams in Major League Baseball.
Over the last several days, the Red Sox have been in negotiations with Lowell's representatives -- Sam and Seth Levinson -- in an effort to get something done.
The Red Sox reportedly made a three-year offer to Lowell last week worth somewhere between $35 and $45 million.
The sticking point is the length of the contract, as the Levinson brothers feel they can get four guaranteed years for Lowell on the open market.
Lowell will be 34 when next season starts, and the Red Sox, at least at this stage of the negotiations, have been unwilling to offer four years.
But ever since the end of the World Series, the Red Sox have stated that retaining Lowell is a top priority.
That remains the case, even with the field now open to the rest of Major League Baseball.
The Boston Globe reported on its Web site late Monday night that "both sides agreed there's still room for an agreement to be reached and they'll continue to stay in touch."
Lowell is coming off a terrific season for the Red Sox in which he hit .324 with 21 homers and 120 RBIs. He was equally productive during the postseason, hitting .353 with two homers and 15 RBIs, fueling Boston's run to the World Series championship.
In the World Series sweep of the Rockies, Lowell hit .400 (6-for-15) with a homer and four RBIs.
The Red Sox acquired Lowell along with Josh Beckett in a blockbuster deal with the Marlins made on Thanksgiving 2005. In his two years with the Red Sox, Lowell has been a rock at the plate and in the field.
In short order, he has turned into one of the most respected figures in the clubhouse. American League Rookie of the Year Dustin Pedroia went out of his way to praise Lowell for having an impact on his success.
The Yankees, Dodgers, Phillies and Angels have been mentioned as possible suitors for Lowell.
The Red Sox will try to see to it that Lowell doesn't need a change of address form.
If Lowell does depart, will the Red Sox turn their attention to superstar Alex Rodriguez, who is also a free agent? Last week at the General Managers Meetings in Orlando, Fla., Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein did meet with agent Scott Boras, who represents A-Rod.
But Epstein wanted to make it clear that the meeting was not designed for the Red Sox to make a full-court press on Rodriguez.
"We always talk to Scott," Epstein told the Boston Herald at the time. "We're not scheduling a meeting with Scott to talk about Alex. I'm just checking in with Scott."
The Marlins also might put slugging third baseman Miguel Cabrera on the trade market, which could be another enticing alternative for the Red Sox if they lose Lowell. The Marlins would be all but certain to demand top prospects in exchange for Cabrera, who hit 34 homers and had 119 RBIs in 2007.
Yeah...nobody else really wanted Arod when he tested the waters...after the stunt he pulled during the world series....many fans and players lost alot of respect for him... Arod lowered his demands and had to crawl back to Uncle Georgie...
arod didnt do the stunt, it was his douchebag agent....but anyway, im glad to have arod back....its hard to be mad at the best player in baseball for too long lol
best player in baseball? yeah sure the playoffs don't mean anything. I don't know about you but i don't define the best player in baseball as a proven playoff choker!
I agree with Yanks fan. It's his agent who is the doucebag. So it was good that Boras was not part of the negotiations that brought about this contract outline.
Arod is NOT wanted nor welcome in New England..he does choke every playoff time, and U can't win with people like that...yeah he's good April- Sept, then he sucks....and Arod was part of that publicity stunt, along with Boras...U honestly believe a $250 million dollar overpaid man, has NO say in announcing opting out of his own contract!...and his agent Boras was part of the crawling back to Georgie via Goldman middlemen..
Nobody is mad at Arod, just Nobody respects him anymore...except yankee fans and money grabbing low life wife....
NEW YORK (AP) - The wife of Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez wore a white tank top with foul language on the back when she attended a game against the Oakland Athletics.
A common two-word obscenity ending with "you" was clearly visible when Cynthia Rodriguez, her 2-year-old daughter and an unidentified older woman took their seats Sunday in the players' family section at Yankee Stadium. A front-page photograph Monday in the New York Post shows the back of the tank top with the obscenity printed in Old English lettering between the shoulder blades. The first letter of the first word is visible; the three other letters are intentionally blurred. The second word is 'You.' The paper's headline read: "F-Rod."
The Yankees had no immediate comment, team spokesman Jason Zillo said Monday.
According to the Post, the team's policy prohibits banners or signs that are not in "good taste" and also warns that security guards will eject any guests "using foul language" or "making obscene gestures." Zillo would not address whether the message on the shirt violated the policy.
In late May, A-Rod's marriage was front-page news when the Post published a photograph of him and a woman - later reported to be a Las Vegas stripper - at a Toronto hotel. The Post said the pair entered an elevator in the hotel and later went to a strip club.
There is a clothing company called French Connection based in the UK. Almost every shirt they make says F C U K (no spaces) on it. The media is retarded and decided they wanted to make a BS story about her shirt. In all honesty it was simply misread, and blown out of proportion.
uhhh...i dont think thats what we were talking about....you said and i quote "best player in baseball? yeah sure the playoffs don't mean anything. I don't know about you but i don't define the best player in baseball as a proven playoff choker!"....personally, i define the best player in the MLB to be the best player in the MLB, which simply put, is Arod hands down. sure hes struggled in the playoffs but you cant sit there and say hes a bad player because he hasnt performed in the playoffs....hands down, Arod is the best player in the MLB....prove me wrong please, without the argument of the playoffs....arod has a .280 career playoff BA with a .485 slugging percentage....btw, micky mantle ended his career with a .257 playoff BA and joe dimaggio ended his career with a .271 BA in the playoffs but they werent good players tho right? i mean they only won a combined 16 world series
LOL...come on now!! This is sooo funny!! Red Sox fans should know that all kinds of slumps, like WS championships, aren't forever! But in the Sux case, it almost was! When Arod breaks out of that slump, everyone will need some other reason to argue why they think he's not the greatest ball player of all time. Being on a team that's in the playoffs a lot, 13 years straight so far, will give him lots of chances to improve his post season play. And now, all the records that Arod breaks, everything that he does from now on, will be while wearing pinstripes!! Yes, God loves the Yankees!
i really hope arod has a great post season next year to shut everyone up....he is the greatest player in the game and nearly single-handedly took the yankees to the playoffs last year....without him, their wouldnt have been any playoffs for him to choke in!!! besides, its not like the rest of the yankees didnt choke in the playoffs either....if i recall correctly, only 2 people had more than 4 hits all series and arod had 3 hits....and please, all of you, cut the crap of im glad arod isnt playing for my team, thats crap and you know it. theres not a manager in the game who wouldnt want arod in their starting lineup.....
"prove me wrong please, without the argument of the playoffs"
Why would i try to prove you wrong w/out bringing up the playoffs? We were talking about who is the best player in baseball...the playoffs are undeniably the most important part of the season and the primary measurement of success.
"sure hes struggled in the playoffs...he hasnt performed in the playoffs"
Obviously i don't have to convince you that he has sucked in the playoffs thus far because you acknowledged that. And those batting averages/slugging %'s you listed only tell a very small fraction of the whole story. you know as well as i do b4 his HR against the indians this year he had gone 50 or 60 somethin consecutive playoff ABs without a RBI.
"you cant sit there and say hes a bad player"
nor would i want to...he's a really good player.
"cut the crap of im glad arod isnt playing for my team"
again not sure if that's aimed at me, but i definitely didn't say that. I'm a cubs fan dude....as if i can afford to pick and choose like that LOL
Look the point is you're trying to say A-Rod is "the best player in the MLB hands down" as if it's not even close or debatable, which is obviously false. If i was starting a team today i'd probly take an ace like Johan Santana or Josh Beckett. For the sake of this argument if we're talking non-pitchers, I would seriously consider Big Papi (someone who has proven he plays EVEN BETTER than normal when it matters most), or Albert Poo-Holes over A-Rod.
If i were a Yankee fan i'd be extatic about the A-Rod signing. And IMO it was even more vital that they made the right decision on the manager position, it woulda been a huge mistake to keep Joe Torre OR to hire Don Mattingly, they really hit the nail on the head with Girardi. A-Rod will probably have a breakout playoff performance next time he's there. What was this last year, his 3rd as a yankee? I thought he really started to settle in and maybe deal with the pressure better, then just didn't get much chance to prove he had changed cause they got knocked out first round, and the whole team played poorly.
"again not sure if that's aimed at me, but i definitely didn't say that. I'm a cubs fan dude....as if i can afford to pick and choose like that LOL "
lol wasnt pointed at you....wont say any names tho
i have to ask you, why would it have been a mistake if we had kept Joe?
"For the sake of this argument if we're talking non-pitchers, I would seriously consider Big Papi" wow, so you would take a DH who doesnt play field and puts up worse regular season numbers over Arod? thats interesting
...and is absolute MONEY in the bottom of the 9th and in the playoffs when it matters most, yes i would CONSIDER it. Although it would depend on what my other options were at DH, 3B, & SS.
Yeah i think Joe needed to go. They need to stir things up and bring back the fire. No more getting by on just talent, you really have to want it. Joe to this point in his career is like a Phil Jackson. He's only won titles in situations where the circumstances were absolutely ideal and STRONGLY in the yankees favor. Can Joe really fire guys up, develop them and get them to championship caliber when it's not just laid out for him? We'll see with the Dodgers, but i don't think it was worth waiting around to find out for the yanks.
Mike Lowell isn't leaving the Red Sox for the Yankees, Dodgers or any other club.
The Red Sox are close to signing Lowell to a three-year, $37.5 million contract, according to a source with knowledge of the negotiations, ensuring that they will keep the 2007 World Series Most Valuable Player, FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal reports. Team spokesman John Blake declined comment.
In the three weeks since winning their second championship in four seasons, the Red Sox have re-signed their two biggest free agents, Lowell and pitcher Curt Schilling, and picked up options on Tim Wakefield and Julian Tavarez.
Lowell, a 33-year-old third baseman who made $9 million this season, was seeking four guaranteed years and might have gotten it elsewhere.
"How cool is that? Leaving years and dollars on the table to come back here for three more years, good stuff," Schilling wrote on his blog, 38pitches.com. "Congrats to Mike and I've already spoken with a few guys on the team and suffice to say we're all" ecstatic.
Boston's remaining free agents are backups, middle relievers and injured starting pitcher Matt Clement.
The move will take the Red Sox out of the running for Marlins third baseman Miguel Cabrera, leaving three teams -- the Angels, Dodgers and White Sox -- in the best position to make a trade. The Dodgers were among the teams that had been interested in Lowell.
The Angels sent shortstop Orlando Cabrera to the White Sox for right-hander Jon Garland on Monday, subtracting offense at a time when they are seeking more production. The White Sox, lacking as deep a farm system as the Angels' and Dodgers', are the underdog for Miguel Cabrera, whom they would play in left field.
A high-priced castoff of the Florida Marlins who was dumped on the Red Sox in the Josh Beckett trade, Lowell moved into the fifth spot in Boston's powerful lineup behind David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez. Lowell hit 21 homers this season while reaching career highs with a .324 average and 120 RBIs.
Lowell batted .400 (6-for-15) during Boston's four-game Series sweep of the Colorado Rockies, with four RBIs, three walks and a team-high six runs to earn MVP honors. Red Sox fans were still celebrating at Coors Field when they began chanting for management to re-sign Lowell and ignore the temptations offered by AL MVP Alex Rodriguez, alternating chants of "Re-sign Lowell!" with chants of "Don't sign A-Rod!"
During the team's victory parade, Ramirez also cast a vote for the incumbent: "Forget about A-Rod," he yelled, "we've got Mike Lowell in the house!"
A four-time All-Star, Lowell was the honorary grand marshal at a Disney World parade last week.
"Mike is a heck of a teammate. I just saw him down in Disney World," teammate David Ortiz told redsox.com on Sunday at an event to raise money for victims of Hurricane Noel. "Mike helped us out so much, and hopefully they can get everything done with him and have him back for years."
Miguel Cabrera AND Dontrelle Willis to Detroit for some, as espn put it, "Blue Chip Prospects who were thought to be untouchable" and I think a draft pick or 2 and cash.
Haha...Yanks. I have espn insider and I just read that the Yanks ARE going after Dan Haren now.
Unable to broker a deal with Minnesota for Johan Santana, the Yankees now plan to focus on acquiring Dan Haren from the Oakland, the New York Daily News reports.
A's GM Billy Beane is believed to be asking for a package of four players in exchange for the 27-year-old right-hander.
Haren, who is owed $16.25 million over the next three seasons, is paying close attention to the rumors.
"The first thing is, I don't want to be traded," Haren told The San Francisco Chronicle. "My wife [Jessica] and I have a baby coming in a couple of weeks, and we have a home in the East Bay. But, obviously, we'll deal with it if it happens. And everyone that's been mentioned is a good team, which is nice."
WTF are my Giants waiting for? Do they have no money to spend? I was really hoping they would try to get Andruw Jones but he just got sent to the hated Dodgers.
jones sucked last year anyhow and he either hits a bomb or strikes out... im a braves fan... the only good move we've made in years is getting tex and because of that we let andruw go... our gm and owner suck... spend some cash damnit!
The Yankees treat the luxury tax in the same brazen way that certain celebrities treat rehabilitation centers -- as part of the price for maintaining a gaudy lifestyle.
They check in, check out and proceed just as before. The Yankees' signings of Alex Rodriguez, Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada for a combined $372.4 million weren't outrageous simply because each of those players will be 33 or older in the first years of their contracts.
No, they were outrageous because the actual costs will be far greater if the Yankees remain over the luxury-tax threshold for the durations of the three players' contracts -- and if the tax remains in effect after the current labor agreement expires in 2011 and throughout Rodriguez's entire 10-year deal.
The tax is applied only on dollars spent above the threshold. The Yankees and Red Sox, after each exceeding the threshold three or more times, pay the maximum rate of 40 percent.
Thus, Rodriguez's true price if the Yankees continue to get penalized will be $38.5 million per season, not $27.5 million. Rivera will cost $21 million per season instead of $15 million; Posada $18.34 million instead of $13 million.
The luxury-tax proceeds go toward player benefits, the promotion of baseball internationally and the industry growth fund. The Yankees also contribute mightily to revenue sharing, which is one reason they reportedly lost $50 million in 2005.
If they truly were in dire financial straits, they perhaps would modify their behavior. But if the Yankees fulfill their quest to acquire left-hander Johan Santana from the Twins and sign him to a contract extension, their 2008 payroll almost certainly will rise above $200 million, as it did in '05.
At this moment, they've got $127.6 million committed to 10 players in '08. The average annual values of the Rodriguez and Rivera deals would bring the number to $170.1 million, though it's possible those contracts are back-loaded. The return of Andy Pettitte would raise the number to $186.1 million.
That's more than $30 million over the luxury-tax threshold of $155 million next season. The addition of Santana would push the number beyond $50 million.
Commissioner Bud Selig professes to be unconcerned, and I can't say I blame him. Complaining about the Yankees' spending is as grand a baseball tradition as munching on hot dogs. The system can't be working too badly -- baseball revenues topped $6 billion for the first time last season, and the Yankees haven't won the World Series since 2000. Selig can make a reasonable case that in many ways, competitive balance has been restored.
But to quote my friend Steve Walters, an economics professor at Loyola (Md.) College:
"Bud must feel like the parent of a rebellious, hell-raising teenager. Short of kicking the kid out of the house (i.e., going to war with the union over a hard salary cap), he's tried everything else. He's grounded him (revenue sharing), taken away the car keys (draft pick compensation for free agents) and threatened military school (luxury tax), but the kid just keeps on doing things his way."
Now the kid really is a kid -- George Steinbrenner's son, Hank. Initially, Hank spoke of the need for patience, of not being "stupid enough" to think the Yankees could win the World Series every year. But lately, he sure seems to be enjoying his new toy.
After the Yankees shed several expensive contracts over the next two years and open their new ballpark in '09, oh boy, the fun will really begin.
After next season, the Yankees can reduce their payroll by $64.5 million if they part with Jason Giambi, Bobby Abreu, Mike Mussina, Carl Pavano and Kyle Farnsworth.
After 2009, they can create an additional $26 million of flexibility if they part with Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui.
Granted, the Yankees will need to replace most of those players, pay Robinson Cano at a higher rate during his arbitration years and re-sign Derek Jeter after 2010.
But once they combine their new ballpark with the YES television network and a suddenly productive farm system, they perhaps will be a greater monster than ever before.
The Yankees are now mimicking the Red Sox -- Evil Empire II -- by developing young talent with frightening efficiency. Their vast resources also give them an edge in the amateur draft and especially the international market. The young talent balances the Yankees' payroll, increases their trade possibilities and potentially creates further distance from their opponents.
It has gotten to the point where rival executives no longer carp about the Yankees' inherent advantages.
"I'm past wasting energy on that," one American League GM says. "They're in a different galaxy. I can't even imagine thinking the way they do. It's a different way of doing business."
To say the least.
The Yankees aren't bad for baseball -- quite the contrary. They fill opposing ballparks, contribute more than any team to revenue sharing, give fans a Goliath to either love or hate. Their efforts to operate more coherently, as evidenced by reductions in their Opening Day payrolls the past two seasons, should be applauded.
Still, let no one mistake what is going on here.
The luxury tax was designed to curb the spending of one team.
This is why MLB needs SALARY CAP like NFL!!! I'm tired of seeing Yanks and Bosox fighting for world series EVERY SINGLE Year. I'd be nice if other teams in the East got a chance. Make the cap $70 and let everyone compete on an even playing field. See just how smart the Yanks and Bosox really are when they can't spend $$$$ to fix problems. I'm sure someone will say they both have great farm system. Well yea, but so did other teams. They only lost their star players cause of money to Yanks and Bosox.
Most Sox players were brought up thru the minors, very few trades at all in past few years..and there is a team salary cap in place...just pay the fine when U exceed it...
