MLB '09
 

Yeah, it's January. But following off season moves is half the fun!

I'm sad to see Jeff Kent retiring. Finest mustache in baseball.

I'm happy with to Dodgers' off season restraint. A couple low-key but pivotal pickups, some smart passes (Randy Johnson and Trevor Hoffman? Ugh, no). Still have the best pool of young talent around in tact. And still seem to be in excellent position to wait out Ramirez.

And good by Andruw Jones.

If this Randy Wolf deal goes through, they can probably get by on pitching until a mid-season opportunity presents itself. It'd be great to grab Sheets, or Pettite, but not at the expense of a shot at Ramirez.

The Giants picked up Randy Johnson for what's expected to be his final year. He thinks he's got one more good year in him and who is anyone else to say he doesn't? So SF will have three Cy Young award winners in their rotation (also Lincecum and Zito).

That combined with the general weakness in the NL West means SF might have a decent chance at the division. Of course they'd be quickly eliminated in the first round, but a winning record and a division title is miles better than they've done recently.

I'm predicting the Giants will be lucky to get 100 innings out of Johnson this season. Nothing particular to back that up, just a gut feeling.

If the Dodgers do indeed sign Ramirez, you're going to have to rethink that "general weakness" statement.

Two out of the three Cy Young winners in the Giants' rotation are - how to be kind here? - a bit removed from their heyday (but I hear that Zito is, as ever, thisclose to regaining his form).

I'm nobody to say that Randy Johnson doesn't have one more good year in him, but I'll say it anyway.

I remember being at Candlestick mid-season in 1986 when the Giants announced that they had just acquired Steve Carlton. The place went nuts.

Carlton went before the end of the year.

Unless the Unit has been working the flax seed balm, I'm not optimistic.

Ching ching.
I wish I was Mrs. Mark Teixeira, I tells ya what...

I bet GC was saying that before Teixeira got his new contract.

In all honesty... yes.

You know, I wish McCourt would just have the balls to say, "We're not going to sign Manny, so forget about it."

They could sign Manny today. Offer him a 3 year deal and he's yours. 3 years is not a long time to commit to a player of that caliber. He ain't that old. And you'd get a good price on him for those three years. He wants 4, he's not getting even nibbles, he'd accept a year less.

Anything else isn't a serious offer. 1 year deal? Really? Even at the high price, that's an offer that was never meant to be accepted. That was a, "See, fans, we're trying! Manny's just not playing ball with us!" PR move because they think the fans can't handle, "We have no real desire to bring him back." I'd rather they did that and seriously went after a free agent they actually want than play this game.

Orlando Hudson. Nice!