Penny to Red Sox?

Supposedly he's close to going for a one year, $5 million with 3 in incentives.

I wish we had enough money where we could take fliers like that.

6 months ago afh4 Comment 33 comments 0 recs |

Comments

Hard not to like this move by the Red Sox. Its exactly the type of signing Shapiro is probably looking for in a starter.

Like I said in another post, I think this has to be considered a blow to our attempts to acquire another starter.

I suggested Penny as a more viable alternative to Lowe, who is out of our price range. Except I figured Penny could get a multiyear deal for somewhere between 3/$30 and 3/$24.

Does anyone know of any other possible bargain bin free agent starters out there?

by world dictator on Dec 28, 2008 9:04 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

What about Pedro Martinez? I don’t know if that’s been discussed in this space anywhere…

by Peter Bendix on Dec 29, 2008 1:06 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Would Pedro be an effective option? I don’t but I’m curious if he has anything left.

by world dictator on Dec 29, 2008 2:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I agree – I’m not sure he has anything left either. Although his K/BB ratio of 87/44 and K rate of 7.18 per nine really weren’t too bad last year. He also got more swinging strikes than league average, and suffered from a high BABIP (.329) and exceptionally high home run rate (17.4% of his fly balls became homers; league average is around 10-11%).

I’d be willing to sign him to an incentive-laden deal with a $6 million-or-so base salary. I don’t know whether he’d accept that, though…

by Peter Bendix on Dec 29, 2008 2:22 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I’ll pass on Pedro. After he came off the DL in August last year he got knocked around pretty hard (.850 OPS against). Switching to the AL wouldn’t likely make that any better.

by APV on Dec 29, 2008 3:35 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

You’re right about the OPS against (and he had a 5.18 ERA in that time too). But my original point remains: even after coming off of the DL, Pedro had a 53/26 K/BB ratio in 64 innings – a 2:1 K/BB ratio and 7.45 strikeouts per nine innings is pretty good. He allowed 72 fly balls, 11 of which became homers – that’s 15.3%, an extremely high number that is likely to regress in the future.

I think there may be some upside there.

by Peter Bendix on Dec 29, 2008 3:57 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

those 11 HRs are probably inflated, but that number still frightens me

by APV on Dec 29, 2008 4:44 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

What about 7?

If 7 of Pedro’s 72 fly balls had become homers, that’d be 9.7%, or just below league average. If you assume that 6 runs scored on those 4 “missing” homers, Pedro’s 5.18 ERA during that stretch would’ve been 4.34…

by Peter Bendix on Dec 29, 2008 4:50 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

well those K:BB were in the NL, A 2:1 ratio in the AL is a must to be even in consideration, and the price he’ll ask for (which is more than what any of our current guys on viaing for the spot are going to make) isn’t worth it.

by hans on Dec 29, 2008 5:55 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Pedro is kind of a preening ass, too.

by Jay on Dec 30, 2008 9:16 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

yeah, and theres nothing more annoying than a preening ass who’s past his prime in regards to the limelight…

by hans on Dec 30, 2008 10:41 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

The fact that Pedro is a preening ass, to opponents, is exactly why I want him! Well if I did want him, but that certainly doesn’t hurt

by world dictator on Dec 30, 2008 11:00 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

If we sign Pedro, can we throw at his head a few times, to make up for those Red Sox years he threw at all of out guys ….

Pretty Please????

by talonk on Dec 30, 2008 6:30 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

There seem to be a lot of decent starters signing not unreasonable contracts. I really hope we sign one before they’re all gone.

by APV on Dec 28, 2008 9:21 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Word. This is a nice looking contract, as far as I can tell.

Ben Sheets? Please?

by NickFantana on Dec 28, 2008 9:45 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I think Sheets is definately going to be more expensive than this. How much more expensive, I don’t know. And I wouldn’t go more than 3 years with Sheets and that probably won’t be enough. But, in this market, who knows.

The best thing probably is to hit [Grady] 2nd -- Jay

by Buckeye Brad on Dec 28, 2008 11:03 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

No one is going to give Sheets more than three years. From what I read he hasn’t even been offered any two year contracts offers at this point.

But I agree Sheets will certainly cost more than this. He’ll probably still get 3yrs/$12 million per, maybe a vesting option for a fourth year, unless he decides to sign a one year deal to rebuild his value and wait for better economic times.

by world dictator on Dec 29, 2008 2:05 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

So so cheap.

Travis Hafner is overrated. Clarity is underrated. David Dellucci is David Dellucci.

by westbrook on Dec 29, 2008 12:00 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, compare this to the Matt Morris signing from not long ago.

I’m heavily in favor of signing Sheets. I think we’ve still got a shot.

Helium Watch: Chuck Lofgren, OF

by jhon on Dec 29, 2008 12:06 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

durr, the Pirates’ assumption of Matt Morris salary, which to me isn’t much different from a signing.

Helium Watch: Chuck Lofgren, OF

by jhon on Dec 29, 2008 12:08 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Posted by lmcook1957 on 12/29/08 at 9:08AM
PLEASE SIGN OMAR FOR A YEAR WHILE ARE MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS GET READY. IT WILL HELP BRING THE FANS BACK AND SAVE MONEY TO SIGHN MANNY, HIS BAT WILL MAKE UP FOR HIS MISTAKES. READ THIS SHAPIRO!

by Brick. on Dec 29, 2008 2:10 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

what the…

Travis Hafner is overrated. Clarity is underrated. David Dellucci is David Dellucci.

by westbrook on Dec 29, 2008 2:42 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Again, I’m just saying, Al Rosen is available …

by Jay on Dec 29, 2008 2:56 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Wait, did you post that yourself? Have you started posting all-caps nonsense to cleveland.com as some kind of dadaist art project?

by Jay on Dec 29, 2008 2:57 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

this is totally something i would do, but i’m way too affraid of getting regularly agreed with. while that should be the funniest part of doing it, it would drive me insane. i love the no caps here and all caps there idea though…

by Brick. on Dec 29, 2008 3:18 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

WHY THE F DID WE LET WILY TAVERAS SIGN WITH THE REDS

by Roger Dorn on Dec 29, 2008 2:59 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

because we’re saving the spot for K-Love

by APV on Dec 29, 2008 3:36 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

I didn’t realize how bad he really was until I went and looked. Brilliant move, Cincinnati.

by fwembt on Dec 29, 2008 4:27 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

.308 OBP = awesome leadoff hitter.

Signature to be named later.

by emd2k3 on Dec 29, 2008 4:33 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

He won’t clog up the bases.

by SuddenSam on Dec 30, 2008 8:39 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I hate this person with every fiber of my being.

by world dictator on Dec 29, 2008 4:17 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

The best part of that post is the “READ THIS SHAPIRO!” at the end. Why would you put that at the end — by the time a person read that sentence, he had already read the whole post, so why was it necessary. Wouldn’t you put that at the beginning? That way, when Shapiro checks out cleveland.com every morning for suggested trades and signings like he always does, he would see that statement and make sure to read the comment. Now he might miss this brilliant idea!

The best thing probably is to hit [Grady] 2nd -- Jay

by Buckeye Brad on Dec 29, 2008 4:50 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs