disarcina

I am trying to figure out how Griffey Jr. didn't get 100 % How could you leave him off the ballot? Jeetz with all the NY hype will get 100% (and should this happen, expect some of those same NY / East Coast HOF voters make sure that in the future some of the guys mentioned below are LEFT OFF a ballot or two, just to maintain Jeetz' status as the ONLY player with unanimous vote -- is Jeetz deserving of being the only guy in the HOF with a unanimous vote? NO. -- Aaron, Mays, Ruth, Griffey Jr., Walter Johnson, Bob Feller perhaps) -- we almost are getting to the point where we need a two tiered HOF -- the very few very elite players -- and then all the rest. I don't think Mariano Rivera will -- some HOF voters (well, at least the ones before this year's 'purge') just won't vote for a relief pitcher first time on the ballot. Pujols has a chance but if some folks left Griffey Jr. off, some of those folks will leave Pujols off. Griffey Jr. -- Great defensive player, has power, has speed, has all the milestone numbers (hits, HR and even SBs) for HOF - plus - Griffey Jr. was undisputably 'the face of the game./ MLB' for a good 8 to 10 year period when he was with Seattle. If Junior doesn't get 100 percent, no one should in my book. But then these are the same folks (well, there was the purge) who somehow didn't make Craig Biggio a first ballot guy when he clearly should have been. If Clayton Kershaw can maintain the numbers he's been putting up -- he could be not only a first ballot guy but top Griffey's numbers. But Kershaw has a long way to go. His 300 strike outs stat for 2015 season was incredible.

hey, look at the positive side of things -- if you're going to have a hole in your line-up, then LF might be the best place for it. Halos can sign a lower tier F/A to a one year deal to play LF (platoon with the guys we already have) and do reasonably OK. I think the current folks out there that folks seem think need to be signed NOW -- Cespedes, Upton and Gordon are going to see their contact asking price not being met and the market falling rather drastically. I think this is particularly true of Gordon who has been steady but not steller (well, perhaps on Defense) for KC over the years........I think teams are saying, 'we're simply not going to pay the guy's asking price for a LF who plays good D but lack punch and bats .275 on a good day......) Cespedes is a guy I'd spend money on -- but there's something going on there that's unsaid........not sure what it is -- Cespedes, has in recent years, proven that he can be a real spark plug for a team -- see what he did for the A's (before being traded in that terrible, very un-Billy Beane like trade to Boston) and then last year for the Mets -- is there any doubt his presence on the Mets helped lead their resurgence? When he was with the A's he led the team to an 8 to 10 game, great record before the trading deadline -- he gets dealt and the A's promptly go into a massive dive/ slump and go from leading the division to out of the race in near record time. Upton? I think he has some teammate compatibility issues as well............expect the market for these guys to soften -- although I think Cespedes couls still see a big contract/ pay day. Halos? They'll find a LF'er -- may not be the high dollar, high profile guy the fans want but $4 million a year versus $15 to 20 million a year means you end up paying a fortune for some very good D upgrade in LF and a boost of maybe 15-25 point increase in BA, 10 more (maybe) HRs. 100 ribi instead of 75.....at the end of the day -- the Halos can get by with a one year fill in LF -- we're already spending a ton of money on LF -- now if we could only FORCE Texas to play him every day -- not that could help the Halos!!!

there's a reason he's been cut loose by the M's and the Angels -- for some reason I thought he had caught on with the White Sox. not sure why I think that -- read it somewhere.

St. Louis hasn't made many moves this off-season -- they've lost guys, Heyward, etc. Of course, they'll have Wainwright back for the full season next year.

SF Giants bolster their weak spot -- starting pitching -- they're going to have a fairly good rotation now. strong infield, decent starting pitching, pretty good pen -- and one slight weak spot in LF now for them........not bad. Dodgers need to make a move to catch up Speaking of that -- what's the word on Kendrick? He hasn't signed anywhere yet has he? Any bites yet? He was having a good first half and a good 2015 season until he got hurt.......

actually, after reviewing the arms we have available for the rotation (LA Times did an article this past week) -- I'm feeling pretty good about the rotation. Richards is counted upon as the ace -- and we've got some depth behind that -- and, unlike the LA Times comment in the article, I still am optimistic about Weaver -- he's got some pretty good outings left in him. we've got about 6 to 7 rotation guys in camp. I wouldn't give up on Heaney -- I think he'll do fine and Shoemaker can make sort of a comeback to pitch somewhere between his stellar (but cut short) 2014 season and 2015 somewhat OK, not terrible, not above average year.

our LF'er may be Gentry -- yes, I agree, that would be a statement. not one many of us would like to hear, but a statement nonetheless.

I take it Cespedes is still out there on the F/A market , unsigned. I'd spend some money for him.

WOW -- Cubs are really going after it.

I don't think it's a great deal but certainly not terrible. I like Escobar better at 3B over Freese and seems like an upgrade there even if Escobar might be a one year stop gap (although has a one year option for 2017). one area of concern for Escobar is that he's a guy who has played for something like five teams over the past 6 to 8 years. been traded a lot -- sometimes that can be a real red flag. but his numbers seem good, has to be an improvement on D -- we now have a qualified MIF (SS) playing 3B which usually means better D than most regular 3Bs. Hits for a decent average, has to have better speed than the slow footed Freese and has some power (not a lot). I think it's an upgrade. Gott was good for us but someone we can use to get what we need and 3B is certainly on the list of needs. some posters here who follow our (now even further) weakened farm system will likely note how good this Michael Brady (P) is - I don't know anything about that guy.

Samardjzia (spelling ? always - I agree - I'm not looking it up -- just guessing) an OK signing for SF Giants -- he will certainly help them and pitching at AT&T will help his stats. I think the SF Giants over-paid for him but I probably think that of virtually every off-season F/A deal I see. As for the Dodgers and Giants get 'trumped' by the D-Backs for that $270 million (or whatever it is, the numbers get too large, I lose track) long term deal for Grienke -- don't think so -- I think both teams -- and especially the Dodgers --- sort of dodged a bullet..........I think Grienke is going to send at least half, if not more, of his new contract time on the DL. He had a very good season in 2015 in a pitcher's park -- I think he's a fragile commodity and the D-Backs better insure his contract now --- if they can -- his record of lost time is not good. from that standpoint, Giants won by signing Samardjzia instead of the incredibly more expensive Grienke. Today's LA TIMES has a 'sky is falling' article because the Dodgers let the D-Backs vastly over-pay/ spend for Grienke. Interestingly the article lists other somewhat good quality F/A options including -- Scott Kazmir !!! Been there, done -- why do I get this feeling that Grienke is going to pull a Kazmir (the kind he did with the Halos -- not his 'comeback' with the A's) on the D-Backs.?

that deal was a fairly good deal for both teams. Obviously not exactly a 'blockbuster' trade or even a significant one. I always liked Bourjos and still do but understood that he was never going to get much playing time with the Halos. I thought with his hustle and style of sparkling defense play and speed he would become a St. Louis fan favorite. It didn't happen - in fact -- instead he got off to a really poor start with the Cardinals and something went terribly wrong because the usually forgiving Cardinals fans sort of turned on Bourjos -- don't know what happened other than the slow start -- but Cards fans starting booing him and getting on him a bit which, again, is not what usually happens in St. Louis, a fan base that really appreciates the Cards' players. The Grichuck got a hot bad and other folks were inserted into the line up and Bourjos was never able to get much playing time back.......he was limited to a very limited late inning defensive and sometimes PR role and seemed to have gotten totally forgotten at one point -- it was hard to tell when he was on the DL or off it because his playing time was so scarce. Not he's in Philadelphia -- a town where you can go two for four with 5 rbi but if you struck out the last two AB's they on you in a hurry and booing you. I wish the good natured Bourjos well with the Phillies -but something tells me it's a not a good fit for him there ----he may in AAA either to start the season or, if not, by June.

SI has story this week on KEENAN REYNOLDS. If the Heisman Trophy Foundation Board actually read the Heisman criteria (character, integrity and I'd add 'honor'), in addition to excellence on the football field..........well, there's really only ONE fully QUALIFIED candidate this year -- KEENAN REYNOLDS.

I would take Cespedes over Heyward and might even be willing to pay close to top dollar -- but again, LF is not a position where I am going to have one of my most expensive (payroll) players........CF -- guy like Trout?? ABSOLUTELY. Starting Pitching? YES. SS -- I'm OK there, too. LF or RF -- probably not unless the RF is a guy who hits 45 HRs 100 RBIs a season.

OK -- he hit .293 last year -- I think I mixed it up with his career average which is about .268. yeah, Heyward - not Heywood as in Spencer......... I still think about $27 to $28 million a year to achieve a 15 to 20 increase in Batting Average and a minimal increase in the other catagories for a LF is too much (The $27-28 million per year calculated by taking what it would take to sign Heyward minus $9 million a year to sign some other LF who could put up numbers similar but perhaps less than Heyward's career average numbers). As for the Buzzie Bavasi comment (which was mentioned in today's LA TImes -- I wrote the prior post before reading it in today's LA Times) -- yeah, that did not turn out too well -- but with the Halos needs and then signing Simmons to that contract for an SS position --which was not the Halos' greatest need for 2016 -- I would save the bulk of the payroll budget for pitching -- starting and set up/ quality middle inning guy.......so I'd go with the $7 to 9 million per year LF who I am sure is out there on the market.

seems too rich for an OF position to me........ Heywood batted .268 last year -- about 13 HRs , 70 RBI and 19 SBs -- stellar defense. I know this may sound a bit like Buzzie Bavasi's never -lived down comment that he could get two 8-7 pitchers instead of re-signing a Halos pitcher named NOLAN RYAN back in the day -- however -- you can probably get a LF to hit .275, with 15 HR and 75 RBI, 15 SBs for about about $7 to $8 million for one year -- and if you had to spend $24 million for 3 years -- that's still a lot less than the numbers being tossed around above in these posts and other media. if you factor it out you need to ask how much is maybe 10 points in the BA, 5 more HRs, maybe 10 more RBI's and 10 more SBs worth?? (and to be fair, also stellar D in LF). Is slight possible increase in stats for the LF position worth $36 million per year minus $9 million = $27 million a year?

I liked Grant Green and thought he should have gotten more of a shot with the Halos. I would have kept him on the 25 man roster coming out of ST last year over Featherston -- who as a Rule 9 guy we kept all year but Featherston sure didn't play much. I do realize that at one stretch when Grant Green received some playing time for us over a two week period of so -- he didn't hit a lick.-- but the guy was versatile -- could play 3B, 2B even some SS (not necessarily good at D at any of these positions) as well as 1B and even some LF. If he can snag a MIF/3B utility depth guy for the Giants, I think Bochy will find a way to use Green in a way that Green will be able to contribute. I wish Grant Green well, hope he has a good ST and makes the opening day roster for the SF Giants.

I think Simmons is going to surprise some folks with his bat in the AL and hit better than his career average. meanwhile, you've got a stellar glove at SS -- not necessarily the trade the Angels NEEDED to make -- and they have other more pressing needs -- but I like having Simmons at SS up the middle D for the next 4 or 5 years and so will the Halos pitching staff.

That Navy loss to Houston was a tough one. Navy defense simply could not stop Houston. One aspect of the game that was really great and showed the character of the Navy team and Keenan Reynolds is at the end of the game -- Navy is down by more than 20 points. 30 seconds or less left. Navy has the ball. Do they take a knee or do a running play that runs out the clock and ends the game? Do they simply stand there and let the clock run down?? NO -- NOT NAVY. They continue to play to the last second with short pass plays, getting out of bounds and trying to get that one more play/ shot for the end zone. The Houston fans actually started booing when this was occurring. NAVY -- never quit, never. Down 20 plus points they were seeking that end zone pass play with one second left on the clock. Class acts all the way. The Navy loss pretty much puts an end to any already highly unlikely strong finish Heisman Trophy win by Keenan Reynolds -- but I still think he should get it. As pointed out -- he did have a good day and one of his best passing stat games of his career (tells you Navy was behind early and often).... Had Navy won, Keenan Reynolds would have had two more fairly highly watched games to shine and snatch the Heisman -- the conference playoff game vs. Temple (Houston will now be in that game -- and Houston deserves a look if they win that game for a major top six Bowl game -- the same look Navy would have gotten). And then Navy plays Army in the Army-Navy game Dec. 12. Navy is going to a Bowl game -- I believe they accepted an invitation to a Bowl Game in San Diego when they first became Bowl eligible with Six wins and only if they won the conference championship and advanced to a top six Bowl Game would those plans change.

essentially it plays out as a major payroll exchange -- Sherzer (spelled wrong) with Zimmerman being the player to be named later (a year later) in exchange of F/A signings between the two teams with the Nationals taking on much more salary with Sherzer........I'll check the spelling -- I'm sure it's spelled correctly on his Nat checks.

they'll find Trumbo in the bargain bin............ having posted that -- gotta say I always liked Trumbo -- S. Cal guy...played well for us......and then when he got traded from the Halos to AZ some here may recall he was scheduled to do a Halos community outreach appearance and went ahead and made it despite having just been dealt away. sort of on the decline in Seattle - and YES -- as pointed out earlier in this thread -- Trumbo needs to be a full time DH who seldom, if ever, puts a glove on in LF or 1B.

maybe they'll make a movie about the guy and call it 'Trumbo'

Please read the Heisman Trophy mission statement -- when one does that -- it becomes clear that Integrity & Character is a key factor along with good stats. If that's truly the case, there can only be one obvious choice for the 2015 Heisman Trophy : KEENAN REYNOLDS of U.S. Navy -- NCAA record breaking performance (most career rushing TDs in NCAA history and about to break the record for most TDs (rushing plus receiving) of all time. Plus impeccable character. Big game Friday morning -- Houston vs. Navy (9-1) with Navy having a chance to break into a major New Year's Day Bowl game. KEENAN REYNOLDS for 2015 Heisman --- on the day of the ceremony - Dec. 12 - Reynolds will be on the field in Philadelphia playing Army as Navy goes for another Commander in Chief trophy -- if Reynolds gets invited to NY as a Heisman finalist, US Naval Academy officials say they will get him to NY for the ceremony.

surprised to read that his 'framing' stats say he improved behind the plate last year.........the games I watched, he seemed to regress -- passed balls, runners stealing second on him.......towards the end of the season the Angels pretty much stopped playing him altogether. Perez looked good behind the plate -- he can catch 115 to 120 games this year and Soto can catch up to 50.

I think this makes the Halos stronger behind the plate than they have been in a number of years. Perez is solid, Soto is a good back up and was once really good D behind the plate. better combo than what we started with last year. Meanwhile Iannetta goes to Seattle -- Iannetta played well for us his first two years -- and to me was a pretty pleasant surprise on D during that time -- better defensive catcher that I was led to believe from his Colorado playing days --- and then the past two seasons, Iannetta seemed to decline at the plate and on D. No ill will towards him, but M's can have him.