2011-2012 MLB Off-Season Thread

[THE_REAL_MIBS]

@SI_JonHeyman: #reds gm walt jocketty said he will NOT trade joey votto this winter. Said instead will try to sign within the next year

/Twitter

There goes the Shields trade rumor.

[Miamarlin21]

They have the prospects to get Shields anyway. (Yonder Alonso, Yasmani Grandal, ect)

[Party]

London, Ontario's newest MiLB team:



It's drawing criticism.

[DColts]

Type-B free agents gone?

Nope:

Joelsherman1 Joel Sherman
Made a mistake yesterday that I want to clarify. There WILL be Type-B free agents this offseason. Sorry for mistake.

[Beef]

I heard mention on MLBNetwork radio on Monday that Type A stuff would be likely to change - teams aren't enamored with losing first round picks.
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London, Ontario's newest MiLB team:



It's drawing criticism.

“The London Rippers and a mascot named Jack? Unbelievably poor taste. I’d be firing the marketing team that came up with that one,” tweets Megan Walker, director of the London Abused Women’s Centre.

But stop right there, Martin tells the London Free Press any link to Jack the Ripper is completely coincidental. Their mascot is a different Jack. Yes.

“That (Jack The Ripper) is not our story,” he tells the newspaper.

“Ripping a ball is used in baseball all the time.”

http://sports.nationalpost.com/2011/...ot-named-jack/

When I first saw what Festa posted, I thought, oh, that's clever - like Jack and also like ripping a baseball. Then I saw that funny denial and thought oops.

[Mainge]

Too soon?

[DColts]

It only happened 130 years ago!

[Miamarlin21]

Our old friend Ryan Tucker has signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

[Ramp]

Dave Sveum offered job by Cubs to be their manager

[Beef]

Dale?

Or is this a different one of the Sveums?

[Ramp]

I dunno what his first name is

I think he just goes by Sveum
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sources tell me his name is Dale.

[Metes]

The Chicago Cubs have hired Dale Sveum as their new manager, hoping the Milwaukee Brewers hitting coach can help turn around the long-suffering franchise.

The Cubs said Sveum would be introduced at a news conference Friday at Wrigley Field.

Sveum replaces Mike Quade, who was fired by Theo Epstein, the team’s new president of baseball operations. The Cubs finished 71-91 after a disappointing season that extended their infamous championship drought to 103 seasons.

Sveum, who turns 48 next Wednesday, has little experience as a manager, other than an interim stint for the Brewers late in 2008 after Ned Yost was fired.

Sveum had competition for the Cubs job. Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux, Phillies bench coach Pete Mackanin and Indians bench coach Sandy Alomar Jr. all interviewed face-to-face for the spot. Red Sox bench coach DeMarlo Hale was interviewed over the phone and former Boston manager Terry Francona pulled himself out of contention.

Sveum also interviewed for the Red Sox manager’s vacancy and met a second time this week with officials from both the Cubs and Boston.

Sveum—the name is pronounced swaym—will take over a team that finished fifth in the NL Central and is saddled with big contracts belonging to Carlos Zambrano(notes) and Alfonso Soriano(notes). The Cubs also boast a talented young player in All-Star shortstop Starlin Castro(notes), but have a host of personnel questions to sort through.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_yl...=ap-cubs-sveum
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Oh I forgot to mention Isuck.Isuck.Isuck.Isuck

[MiamiHomer]

Ken_Rosenthal Ken Rosenthal
Sources: Baseball labor deal is done. Announcement Monday. #MLB

twitter

[Ramp]

Free agent catcher Ryan Doumit has reached agreement on a one-year, $3 million contract with the Minnesota Twins, a baseball source said.

Doumit, 30, is a career .271 hitter in parts of seven seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He hit .303 in 77 games last season.

Doumit missed two months after suffering a fractured left ankle in a home-plate collision with Carlos Pena of the Chicago Cubs in late May.

Doumit is expected to back up Joe Mauer at catcher in Minnesota. He's also expected to spend time at DH and in the corner outfield positions.

His deal, which includes undisclosed performance bonuses, is set pending completion of a physical exam next week, the source said.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/72...on-source-says

[emkayseven]

everyone else is signing free agents and we aren't!1!!!1!one!!@