Bleacher Bums Forum

Easy tiebreak for the player, really?  In our present situation?  I can make a case for it - I advocated Teixeria over Prior as an example - but I'm not sure Theo will be feeling the same way.

Other than the fact that it would make the most sense, and that it is the approach they have taken in the past, and that they have said that is the approach they would take, I suppose we don't have too much to rely on indicating Theo will feel that way.

Easy tiebreak for the player, really?  In our present situation?  I can make a case for it - I advocated Teixeria over Prior as an example - but I'm not sure Theo will be feeling the same way.

Let's say, for sake of discussion, that Appel goes into the draft kind of similar to when Prior entered the draft.  I think you probably should go with a college pitcher who projects as a #1 starter, unless its maybe like the situation when ARod or Strawberry were up for the draft after HS and had unlimited upsides.  Teixiera was a can't miss very good player projection entering the draft, but not like the ARod/Strawberry upsides at the time of the draft.

But, if Appel looks like Prior and Frazier looks like ARod or Strawberry (or Mike Trout today), got to think that Astros are not going to pass on both Appel and Frazier, no?  So, Cubs just take whoever is still on the board.  I guess this is why it wasn't so terrible to lose games the last couple weeks of last season.

Well, Minnesota ignored what everybody assumed were the two best players on the board (I think you're selling Texeria's perceived upside at the time short) and took a ton of heat for it.  So it's certainly possible the same could happen now.

The irony, of course, is that Minnesota ended up getting probably the best player in the top 3 picks that year.

The favorite for #1 overall in 2014, Carlos Rodon, fanned 16 in 7 innings over the weekend.

He's allowed 7 hits and K'd 38 in 20 innings so far.

Rafael Furcal has been shut down and it doesn't sound like the Cardinals expect him to contribute much this year.  The door is now open for Ronny Cedeno to play and have a huge season.

It would be nice to see someone like Trout holdout to force a true negotiation of a meaningful contract.

He has established his ability to perform, and even if he sat out for a few months, it is not as if anyone would think he had lost the ability to perform on the field.

Marmol trade speculation is sure to start:

Tigers Looking To Trade For Closer
By Zach Links [March 5 at 11:43am CST]
The Tigers raised eyebrows across baseball this offseason with their decision to install rookie Bruce Rondon as their closer.  Now, they are having second thoughts about that plan and pushing hard to find a closer via trade, major league sources tell Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com.

The Nationals could afford to part with a reliever, after the signing of Rafael Soriano bumped back Drew Storen and Tyler Clippard, but so far they are telling teams that they have no interest in moving anyone in the pen.  The Red Sox have an extra closer in Andrew Bailey but the Tigers have yet to contact Boston about him.

Detroit could use Rick Porcello to land a ninth-inning option, but they'll want a strong closer in return given his strong play in spring training.  There are also two unsigned closers in Jose Valverde and Francisco Rodriguez, but they don't seem terribly interested in either one.

i cannot believe lohse still have no team....hes not a pitching savior but there are many teams he could help

Lohse might have done well to accept the cardinals deal.