Grade Our Off-season

[m26555]

C-

Haven't added anyone. I'm not getting uber excited over doing something all other teams would do. It's embarrassing.

Even though it was something we would never normally do with the exception of Hanley?

[nny]

NNY is into the $55 million payroll.

I don't think payroll should come into grading a team's off-season.

If this was "how did the FO do", sure, they're hands are tied so they can only do what they can do. But this is about the team. So now Loria and co are involved.

[lou]

I don't think payroll should come into grading a team's off-season.

If this was "how did the FO do", sure, they're hands are tied so they can only do what they can do. But this is about the team. So now Loria and co are involved.

I'll just go with the first part of that. I can't get mad at Larry for not signing Branyan/Delgado when he has the lowest payroll in baseball.

Although a veteran 1B, send Gaby to play 3B in AAA (Logan 1B), Jimenez as your 25th man, and then finding anything that can throw some innings would make this team look really god damn good.

[Beef]

Even though it was something we would never normally do with the exception of Hanley?

Ramp is excited bout the deal, he gave it a HUZZAH, but he is not as excited about the overall everything surrounding the team heading into the next season.

[Ramp]

Ramp is excited bout the deal, he gave it a HUZZAH, but he is not as excited about the overall everything surrounding the team heading into the next season.

you get me

[m26555]

Sure.

Well first let me start off by saying that to me an A is a perfect offseason, and we havent had that. I've posted in other threads these questions I still have

Who are we signing to replace Calero and Donnely?
Will we improve at closer? (doesnt look like it)
Who is our 1st baseman? Im not too excited about either Sanchez or Morrison to be honest.
Will we keep Cantu and/or Uggla? If not who starts there?

Im also dissapointed we didnt even go after a veteran starter, something I believe we desperately need. Which begs the question? Who are our 3-5 starters and are they reliable enough? (West, Miller, Vandenhurk?)

Fair enough, but I disagree with a few points here.

First of all, relievers are easily replaceable. The FO has managed to scrap together solid bullpens year in and year out, so I don't see why that should be such a concern.

We also knew going into the off-season that our first baseman at the start of 2010 would be either Sanchez or Cantu, with Morrison having an outside shot. I'm fine with that. I think Sanchez is certainly capable of putting up a nice slash line. It also appears that Uggla is likely staying, so I don't really think there is anything to worry about in that sense.

As far as you saying we "desperately" need a veteran starter, I disagree. What veteran starter out there within our price range can you really say would come in and definitely do a better job than the guys we have competing for the three, four, and five spots? I understand Anibal's hardiness is a huge question mark, but the dude has shown he can pitch when healthy. Miller will get every chance in the world due to the fact that he was a major piece in the Cabrera deal, even it means stashing him in long relief. This is how I see the rotation stacking up:

Johnson - Nolasco - Sanchez - Volstad - West

That is better than plenty of other pitching staffs in the league.

[Swifty]

B+ / A-

Almost nearly best case scenario, but I'd need a guarantee that Bonifuckface is not guaranteed a starting job, and like Nny said, getting a legit starter or going with a 1 year deal for Delgado push this into the full on A category.

[m26555]

Ramp is excited bout the deal, he gave it a HUZZAH, but he is not as excited about the overall everything surrounding the team heading into the next season.

That wasn't my point.

I was saying that, based on how this team has operated in the past, we should be pretty happy about locking up Johnson.

[wanks1212]

You can be happy with locking up JJ and still semi-dissatisfied with the offseason.

Anyway, I have no problem with the team not bringing in a veteran starter and trying out Gaby or Logan at 1B. But until/unless they sign a legit bench bat (Jimenez isn't enough) and address the bullpen, they can receive no higher than a B from me. And if Bonifacio is handed a starting spot, then it's a C.

[Swifty]

Yeah, I'm kind of with Wanks and Ramp.

Doing something you're meant to do is not an 'A'.

No matter how train-wreckish our offseason looked a few weeks ago (JJ 1 and done) merely pulling inevitability from the jaws of defeat does not make it perfect.

[Beef]

That wasn't my point.

I was saying that, based on how this team has operated in the past, we should be pretty happy about locking up Johnson.

The question didn't include a qualifier like, "based on how the team has operated in the past and given that you probably expected to give the team an F before today, what would give them now?"

To give them an A would be to almost say there was no room for improvement.

Perhaps if there was a qualifier like, given the payroll constraints, what do you grade the work of Beinfest and Hill?" then maybe there wouldn't be much room for improvement.

As of now, we (basically) are what we thought we were (last year)

[Metes]

THATS WHY WE TOOK THE DAMN FIELD
--------------------
C for me. In school that was what we called average...

[THE_REAL_MIBS]

A pending us actually keeping Uggla. It will go down if we trade him.

The loss of Calero does hurt the bullpen but, like has already been said, we tend to find good bullpen guys for cheap every year. Besides, I'm anxious to see what VandenHurk can do in the 'pen (since that's where I see him pitching).

The lineup really hasn't changed at all from what we started the year with last year (except that we swapped out Hermida for Coghlan which is a definite improvement) and I think Cantu will be at third base with either Gaby or Morrison manning first. No Bonifacio in the starting order is also a definite improvement.

I think the rotation will be fine. I don't expect Nolasco or Volstad to be as bad a they were last year and improvement from them would give us a strong starting 3 like we planned on starting the year last year. I really expect the rest of the rotation to be the same as last year's starting staff with Sanchez and Miller filling out the rotation. Both Miller and West could use more time in AAA as both were rushed to the majors but the FO will definitely want a lefty in the rotation and Miller gets the nod because of the fact that he's going to make 3 times what West will and we all know our FO doesn't like to pay big money for a guy to sit in a minor league dugout.

[Ramp]

Have we done anything to improve from 2009?

[Namaste]

I will grade our off season at the conclusion of our off season.