I guess I'd be okay with a Melky signing as long as it isn't insane. As stated above, the Cruz signing was sane within this market for serious power. In that, signing Melky would mean no trading of the stockpile of pitching for either Kemp or Upton would require.

Winter meetings start on Monday. So some stuff is going to get done. At least on the pitching front! It is a bit of weird market because Scherzer is in a class of his own, so once Lester goes, the dominoes will fall. It seems like to me that Scherzer does end up with the Yankees over the Dodgers. It just seems like the kind of move NYY would make.

My opinion is probably in the minority here but I think I like the idea of Seattle signing Melky and trading for & extending a big bat more than signing Melky & Cruz and no trade.

this morning the rockies GM called sandy alderson and said they needed tp talk about tulo. apparently tulo is about to be traded to the mets.

Mets would be crazy not be trying for Tulo, IMO.

I can't imagine what he would cost. Rockies shouldn't be asking for anything less than Zack Wheeler as the starting point of a package.

White Sox sign David Robertson for four years, $40MM. They're supposedly finalizing a deal with Oakland for Samardzija as well. They're going for it, but it seems like they still have a heck of a lot of holes to fill...

Joel Sherman of The New York Post has been saying on MLB Network that the Mets will need to shed some salaries before they sign or bring anybody in notable...

I guess the Robertson deal was for $46MM, which is crazy, considering Miller got $36MM.

I saw Robertson pitch in the bullpen in Seattle one time (there is a bar right next to both of the pens) and I know that guy is listed at 5'11", but that guy is tiny. I'd say 5'9" would be pushing it for him. I'm never a fan of signing small guys to longer term pitching contracts. It just seems like there are so many more things that can go wrong (see Tim Lincecum) than signing a hurler who is built like a horse.

Now the Samardzija deal to the White Sox is supposedly final.

The A's really didn't get much back in return, but Samardzija is entering a contract year so I think getting top talent back in return would have been tough to ask for.

I suppose, but there's a difference between signing a short starter and a short closer. I always worry about his pivot leg breaking. Whenever I see replays from the side of him pitching I cringe.

I thought Robertson was looking for Papelbon money at least. Still a lot for a guy that only pitches one inning, but I was a little surprised the amount wasn't higher.

True. I just think the length and money is too much for a guy like that. He's got a great track record, but he isn't Mo Rivera, so he's due for a down year as he ages, and probably pretty soon.

Cubs end up trading for Miguel Montero and signing Jon Lester for six years, $155MM. Big day for the Cubbies. They feel like a team that can compete/win 84-ish games to me and they aren't done yet.

Boston was apparently $20MM less than Chicago. They completely bungled that deal, starting with the $70MM they offered him last Spring, although $155MM seems pretty high. Apparently the state taxes in California (SF and LA) were so much more than Illinois, that it knocked them out of the running in spite of having similar deals.

Ruben Amaro was on MLB Network tonight, finally waving the white flag, about two years too late if you ask me. The Phils should be able to pick a pretty good prospect package out of Boston for Hamels, "if" they play their cards right.

Red Sox completely botched the Lester negotiations. That initial 4 year, $70 million offer that they presented last year really but them in the ass. Ha.

Dodgers get busy today trading for Jimmy Rollins and then trading Dee Gorden and Dan Haren to Miami for their 2012 1st round pick, Andrew Heaney, and 2 other prospects. Interesting move by LAD here opening up payroll, rolling the dice that Dee Gordon's success isn't repeatable, and that Heaney will materialize into something. Hate to admit it but I like this deal more for the Dodgers than Marlins, though Miami could easily walk the winners of this when all is said and done.

Texas and Colorado are discussing a Wilin Rosario deal. I think Texas would be an amazing landing spot for Rosario. I'd root for him but it would sting a little to watch him become the 30 home run guy I thought he could for another team. I could see throwing him at DH and allowing him to not stress over his catching really helping his game out.

Rockies also in talks for Dillon Gee from the Mets, who are said to be interested in Rex Brothers. Not too often a SP for RP deal would make sense, but the cost of BP arms is at an alltime high and I think Brothers can bounce back. 2014 was a disaster for Brothers but so will Gee's 2015 if he makes it to Colorado. Good move for the Mets, bad move for the Rockies.

That could be an interesting match.

I'd imagine Walker or Paxton would also be involved. Washington would then have the SP depth to beable to deal a Zimmerman or Foster without losing that SP for nothing in free agency next season (or only get a draft pick when he signs elsewhere) while opening some future payroll to extend the other. And they'd get their Desmond replacement out the deal too.

And just like that, the Dodgers apparently flip Heanley to the Angels for Howie Kendrick. Pretty busy day for the Dodgers today. I wonder if Kemp gets moved Thursday?

I'm really not too geared up on Ian Desmond. I guess he has the numbers, but for whatever reason he's always seemed like a jerk or has an inflated value of himself. I thought it was mindboggling he turned down $107MM over seven with DC. I guess I should really look at his stats. He just hasn't really felt like a top ten SS to me, so I don't get him turning down that kind of money. I mostly think that if the M's can land a better-than-average RF they're mostly good. Even platooning Miller/Taylor, who should both improve at the plate and play better than MLB-average defense.

Damn, it's just been revealed on MLB Network that the Dodgers are paying Haren's $10MM salary regardless of whether he pitches in Miami or retires. It certainly doesn't suck to be Dan Haren today. With really no motivation to produce (outside of pride), it would be interesting to see what he would bring to Miami.

The Dodgers also sign Brandon McCarthy to four years $48MM. I guess $12MM/year is the going rate for journeyman starters now? Somehow I still had that rate slotted at $10MM/year.

So the Dodgers are still in need of another starter; Kershaw, Greinke, Ryu, McCarthy and ???

Kemp to the Padres for Grandal, 2 other players and $31 million.


Cespedes to Red Sox for Porcello.

the angels are loading up on young top prospect pitching. last year they got skaggs and now they got heaney. im sure skaggs will come back from injury ok. the angels won that trade without a doubt because they already have kendrick replaced at 2nd and they have a future #1 starter out of it.

i think the cubs are still 2 years Away from competing in that division. lets be real here. javy baez can only hit homeruns. he strikes out like 200 times a year. those guys dont last. i dont think that soler has been healthy for a full season since he was signed. bryant will probably be really good as will russell. they still need alot of work. i mean its hard to win with a 1 man pitching staff. but they are on the right track.

fuck the dodgers...

the marlins are going to win their division.

another stupid trade. the red sox could have pried wheeler away from aldersons stupid ass for cespedes.

Maybe my memory is playing tricks on me but this seems like its been the craziest Winter Meetings in a while. So much craziness.

What was the point of San Diego trading for Kemp? They have no shot with or without him. And not being a prospect guru I don't know the difference between the prospects the Marlins gave up for Latos and ones Detrot gave up for Simon, so I question why Detroit went for Simon and passed on Latos.

Yeah, everyone on all sports networks is saying this was the craziest day/year anyone can remember. It really seems like the adversity of holding onto a player in the last year of their contract has reached epidemic proportions. I guess Boston and the Dodgers having a glut of OFs contributed to a lot of it.

Boston builds 3/5 of a serviceable rotation in a single day. Miley, Porcello and Masterson.

If Boston doesn't trade for Hamels all their moves will be for nothing, IMO. A rotation full of mid to back end starters is no threat in October. Especially when their lineup is only good.

Again, they really really really blew the Lester negotiations.

Porcello is very nice. One thing to remember about him is he is very young, going into his 26 year season. The Tigers started playing him as a 20 year old. Boston should really try to lock him up before he gets anywhere his peak form.

I actually thought the Porcello/Cespedes trade was really even-steven. Equal talents filling needs for both teams.

I agree about Kemp in SD. Do they think he's going to make any kind of dent in what they're trying to do in that division? Seattle or Baltimore would have been more ideal places for him to land, but hey, SD gave up the assets. And for Kemp, he has a home down there, so he just plug along as the face of the franchise for the rest of his days with ultimately zero expectations. The MLB Network pundits say that SD wanted to make a splash since they were the host of the Winter Meetings and they took big stabs at and were ultimately beaten to Sandoval and Tomas. Kind of a desperate way to run a franchise in my opinion. They really need to be focusing on the Tomas type of players that you can build around. A 30 year old Kemp, who has already two lost seasons due to injuries, doesn't fit that bill at all.

Kendrys Morales went into the Winter Meetings asking for $40MM and ended up settling for $17MM. LOL.

Miami has seemingly made a lot of good moves; good for building a competitive team in the pre-opt-out (cheap) portion of the monster Stanton contract.

A few things I picked up watching MLB Network tonight. Not saying it's the gospel, just some things thrown out there:

All of the pitchers Boston acquired have groundball rates of 55-60%, so they think that an infield of Sandoval (they do think he'll play a good defensive 3B), Boegarts, Pedroia and Napoli will work in the favor of these guys.

Apparently the 2B prospect Miami gave up in the Gordon trade projects to be better than Gordon next year/immediately and it's amazing Miami gave him up along with Heaney for Gordon.

Kemp's defensive metrics are laughable after his microfracture surgery (I didn't realize he had this) and he definitely needed to be moved to an AL team.

I like Porcello and agree is he is a good pitcher, definitely the best of the trio they picked up and probably the best SP they now have. That all said, I think he should be a #3 for a contending team, definitely not a #1. He probably can be a fit as a #2. And even if he can serve as a solid #2 or great #3, that is made irrelevant if you have to use him as a poor #1. And then when you consider the rest of their rotation, who do you place as your #2? Buckholz? Kelly? Come October, they just won't match up to the true contenders, IMO.

And I have read a few columns on the LAD/Miami trade and they all said the same thing about the deal, how LAD brought in a 2B with equal if not more value to Gordon. Makes you scratch your head for a moment.

id never heard of enrique hernandez until now.was he a throw in on the marisnick/cosart trade earlier this year or something? i checked out his stats and take it he has played ob some pretty loaded minor league teams and he has put up pedestrian numbers. and this is in the minors. he hit over 300 this year only. 270 is his best year before this. gordon hit 290 in the big leagues last season and had nerly 70 steals. i dont know ho much more upside hernandez has than that but it must be with his glove because his bat it avergae minor league.

Yeah, I'm really not even thinking about getting him from a 2015 perspective, just that most pitchers don't hit their peaks until their early 30's and he's still five years away from his year 30 season. Boston should lock this guy up ASAP. I guess he's slated to make $12MM in arbitration, so I guess it's not a secret that he's a valuable commodity.

White Sox apparently sign Melky Cabrera. Kind of surprising. The ChiSox have certainly made an unexpected splash this offseason. Hawk Harrellson must be over the moon. I guess this means we end up with Viciedo before it's all said and done. I kind of like the idea of trying to pry one of Colorado's OFs away more than that actually. Or maybe Victorino from Boston.