Major League Baseball 2012

[supercrapper]

ryan braun's positive test might force brewers to go after fielder

[CaptainCharisma]

could they give the NL MVP to Matt Kemp in light of this?

[crazy legs]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...guez-steroids/

They didn't do it when A-Rod tested positive in 2003.

[CaptainCharisma]

Aramis Ramirez joins the Brewers, 3-year deal, but Brewers are still screwed, probably still losing Fielder and Braun's probably will stick 50 game suspension

[im_on_hd]

Some new details on the MLB deal expected to start by 2013.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/73...all-star-break

[Aquaman]

Matt Latos was traded by the Padres to the Reds. Good news for the NL West.

[CaptainCharisma]

Rangers won the posting process for Yu Darvish

[CaptainCharisma]

Jorge Posada has retired. respect

Hip Hip Jorge!!!

[im_on_hd]

Thank you for the memories Sado.

Hip, Hip, Jorge!!!!

And so, the Core Four is down to two...

[k_hole6]

wait for yu darvish!

[CaptainCharisma]

does Posada belong to the Hall of Fame?? it would be a close call

Yanks make moves

Hiroki Kuroda 1 yr $10M deal

Jesus Montero to Seattle (after all) for (not Cliff Lee) Michael Pineda

[ceedee]

The Evil Empire strikes back...

adding Hiroki Kuruda and getting Michael Pineda from Seattle in a trade.

Hope these additions will not be another wishful thinking for the Yanks.

[karlo_12]

The Evil Empire strikes back...

adding Hiroki Kuruda and getting Michael Pineda from Seattle in a trade.

Hope these additions will not be another wishful thinking for the Yanks.

who is this michael pineda?? is he the real deal?? i mean, i understand that maybe montero is a little small and thin, but he was being groomed to replace posada..

and yeah, i wish tex and a-rod will have a bounce back season and more importantly the playoffs.

[CaptainCharisma]

yeah the roster itself is always good enough to make the playoffs, its there where the big guns need to click

me thinks what could have been if they decided to let go of Montero for Cliff Lee back then, what could have been...

[ceedee]

who is this michael pineda?? is he the real deal?? i mean, i understand that maybe montero is a little small and thin, but he was being groomed to replace posada..

with the way he delivered in his rookie season last year, he could be a real deal. he possessed one of the best fastball in the major league and there is a possibility that he will be slotted as number 2 starter behind CC. major concern is to how he can handle the pressure of pitching in front of a rowdy Yankee crowd and moving into a homerun-happy stadium will certainly increased his ERA this season. Hope he will not end up like AJ Burnett, Javier Vazquez or Carl Pavano.

I was shocked that the Yankees traded Montero after repeatedly announcing that he is being groomed as Posada's heir apparent but Russell Martin performance last season convinced them that they have to move Montero.

[_Phoenix7_]

For simplicity's sake, let's say that both Montero and Pineda are still prospects. No sure things. (Though Pineda already has 1 whole season under his belt, as compared to 1 month of Montero.)

This is not to say that Pineda is perfect, or is a sure-fire prospect, but, just how good was Pineda's season last year?

Borrowing from ESPN.com (http://espn.go.com/mlb/hotstove11/st...ing-rotation):

How good might Michael Pineda be? Here are just a few tidbits to chew on:

• This guy whiffed 173 hitters in 171 innings last year. And you know how many starters in the history of the Yankees have averaged better than a strikeout an inning over a full season? How about TWO: Roger Clemens in 2002 and David Cone twice (1997 and 1998).

• Those 173 strikeouts and that 9.1 strikeouts-per-nine-innings ratio came in a season in which Pineda pitched at 22 years old. Want to guess how many right-handed pitchers in the history of the American League ever had that many punchouts and that good a strikeout ratio at age 22 or younger? Exactly one: Dave Boswell (barely), for the 1966 Twins.

• Pineda's average fastball whooshed along at 94.7 miles per hour last year, according to FanGraphs. The only starting pitchers in the big leagues who topped that were Alexi Ogando (95.1), Justin Verlander (95.0) and David Price (94.8).

• And Pineda generated a fabulous 24.2 swing-and-miss percentage last year, according to FanGraphs. The only pitchers in either league who did better than that were Tim Lincecum (24.9), Brandon Morrow (24.6), Cole Hamels (24.6) and Mat Latos (24.5).

The other parts of the equation, Hector Noesi and Jose Campos, is, for me, a good move for the Yankees. Noesi, while having a nice ceiling, can easily be replaced by the other arms in AAA like Warren and Phelps, not to mention that he might just not have any more space in the rotation (with the Yankees seemingly wanting to give Hughes one more chance, and with ManBan and Dellin waiting on the wings.)

Campos, on the other hand, while being young (19y.o.) has a very nice ceiling. He could take the spot of Banuelos and/or Betances in a year or two as the top pitching prospect in the Yankees system.

So all in all, while it is sad to see Montero go (specially since I was following him since the Yankees signed him as a 16 year old almost half a decade ago), I think this are the kind of calculated risks that the Yankees needs to make. Can they lose in this deal? Absolutely. But they can also win, and win big they would.

[_Phoenix7_]

me thinks what could have been if they decided to let go of Montero for Cliff Lee back then, what could have been...

If I remember correctly, the Yankees DID decide to let go of Montero for Lee back then. It was Seattle that backed down the last minute, and accepted the offer from Texas. Not the Yanks fault.

[im_on_hd]

Both the M's and Yanks took risks for this trade. There is just no way Jesus Montero can be in the daily lineup, with A-Rod or Jeter projected to be DH's in the next years.

Knowing Brian Cashman, you can never have enough pitching.

[CaptainCharisma]

Prince Fielder to Detroit? reports say 9-years, $214 million, like Father, like Son

Tim Lincecum and the San Francisco Giants have a verbal agreement on a two-year contract

[Aquaman]

Tim Lincecum has a back problem. He just needs some medical marijuana Brian Wilson is also at this point recovering from his beard injury from last season.