2K13: Off-Season Transaction Thread

[joncarlos]

So when do the Pirates start signing backup catchers, washed up pitchers, injury-risk, etc....?

They declined their option on Rod Barajas, so hopefully soon....

[Sour Masher]

F*cking idiots. You have to be kidding me.

Well put. I mean, seriously, this has to be a joke right? I thought the memo was out on overvaluing marginal closers. Wow. It looks like Soriano opting out makes sense after all in light of a deal like this. Crazy.

BTW, I agree with everything in your follow up post. I know most would say don't pay this to any closer, ever, but I think there is big value in truly elite reliever and this wouldn't be such a bad if League were an elite reliever. But he's not. Overpaying for mediocre middle relievers is probably the stupidest thing still commonly done by baseball GMs, with a very close second being giving 8 fiugre deals to hitters on the wrong side of 30.

[joncarlos]

The Royals have acquired Ervin Santana from the Royals, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). It's not yet clear what the Angels are obtaining in return for Santana.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2012/10/royals-acquire-ervin-santana.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

[dannahann]

The Royals have acquired Ervin Santana from the Royals, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). It's not yet clear what the Angels are obtaining in return for Santana.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2012/1...medium=twitter

Local radio reports are AAA LHP Brandon Sisk going to LAA.

[TS Garp]

Good breakdown of the Santana signing here:

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/royals-bet-on-ervin-santana-inflation/

[dslaw]

The Royals have acquired Ervin Santana from the Royals,

What a crappy trade. I hope the Royals didn't give up much.

[Hornsby]

Ned Colletti is THE worst. Stupid mustachioed assclown.

Terrible.

Stupid Mustachioed Assclown may be the greatest phrase ever uttered here...also a hell of a name for a band.

[joncarlos]

Good breakdown of the Santana signing here:

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index...ana-inflation/

I still don't understand this deal from the Angels' perspective. They get a 27-year old minor league reliever. They probably pay at least the $1mil they would have had to pay to buy out Santana's option. Why didn't they just cut the cord? Does it somehow benefit them to foist Santana on the Royals? Were they just being nice to Ervin by guaranteeing him a payday?

[Controller Jacobs]

Looks terrific for the Royals, unless I'm missing something.

Santana's last 10 starts:
62 IP, 45 H (15 HR), 16 BB, 55 K

The Royals' starters had an ERA of 5.01 last year, he doesn't need much improvement to be their #1.

[Erik]

Jays DFA David Herndon shortly after claiming him off waivers from Phillies.

[TranaGreg]

I still don't understand this deal from the Angels' perspective. They get a 27-year old minor league reliever. They probably pay at least the $1mil they would have had to pay to buy out Santana's option. Why didn't they just cut the cord? Does it somehow benefit them to foist Santana on the Royals? Were they just being nice to Ervin by guaranteeing him a payday?

taking a flier on the 27-year-old MR? organizational depth? maybe somebody has seen something they like in him?

[Kevin Seitzer]

I still don't understand this deal from the Angels' perspective. They get a 27-year old minor league reliever. They probably pay at least the $1mil they would have had to pay to buy out Santana's option. Why didn't they just cut the cord? Does it somehow benefit them to foist Santana on the Royals? Were they just being nice to Ervin by guaranteeing him a payday?

My uninformed take on this is that they could have spent $1 million to buyout Santana's option, or they could spend $1 million (to the Royals) to pick up his option and get a lefty org reliever in exchange. This way they come out one lefty org reliever ahead of the other way. No biggie, but sometimes every little bit helps.

[revo]

Braves claim Jordan Schafer off waivers from Houston

[Don Quixote]

Pirates pick up $700,000 option on Pedro Alvarez. Definitely a no-duh move.

Giants decline $10 million option on Aubrey Huff. Even more no-duh.

Giants also plan to not make qualifying offers to any of their free agents, including Melky Cabrera, Angel Pagan, and Jeremy Affeldt. Only the Pagan move surprises me.

[Don Quixote]

Mariners signed RHP Hisashi Iwakuma to a two-year contract extension with a club option for 2015.

Very good move for Seattle IMO. Iwakuma put up some good numbers last year. I saw him pitch only a couple of times on TV, but he seemed to have a very good idea about how to pitch, with above average stuff.