Time for our off-season challenge. I thought I should not prolong this as we may see some of these sign very soon. MLBTR produced a list of the top 50 FA and I have narrowed that list down to 20 players. (Hard to leave some names off) For the TRDM Pick 10 Lotto Challenge you choose 10 of the following 20 names and give your best guess as to who they will be signed by. You can use any resource you want, however, if a player signs before you get the list in that player will not count. Have fun. You can put your list below or email them to me at trs86@nleastchatter.com . The winner of this contest will win another random worthless prize from TRDM but I promise it will not be the toaster so Metsfan4decades you can now play again.Â
For the list click below:
Matt Holliday
John Lackey
Jason Bay
Chone Figgins
Randy Wolf
Jose Valverde
Marco Scutaro
Adrian Beltre
Rich Harden
Mike Cameron
Johnny Damon
Orlando Hudson
Miguel Tejada
Joel Pineiro
Vladimir Guerrero
Felipe Lopez
Adam LaRoche
Marlon Byrd
John Garland
Bengie Molina
Tie Breaker. Pick either Lackey, Holliday or Bay’s contract details.
40 comments
metsfan4decades
11/12/2009-10:17am at 10:17 am (UTC -4)
LOL – I really suck at playing GM, but I might take a stab at it.
Been reading all the posts from the past couple of weeks from you all. Many times I find myself thinking ‘wow, that’s a great idea’ after I read a suggestion/proposal one of you have.
It’s all going to boil down to creativity, isn’t it? I don’t know if I have much confidence in Omar doing that. He’s relatively good getting that big name, but the supporting cast, not so much.
Here’s hoping his scouting experts are burning up his phone lines with proposals for him to try and get done.
prismo
11/12/2009-10:31am at 10:31 am (UTC -4)
I know I can at least get…a couple! ;(
wannybackstra
11/12/2009-10:37am at 10:37 am (UTC -4)
Contest Guesses:
Matt Holliday — Cards
John Lackey — Yanks
Jason Bay — R. Sox
Chone Figgins — Halos
Randy Wolf — Mets
Jose Valverde — Rays
Adrian Beltre — Phils
Johnny Damon — Yanks
Miguel Tejada — Stros
Joel Pineiro — Cards
Guesses on the Rest:
Vladimir Guerrero — W. Sox or Rangers
Felipe Lopez — Dodgers
Adam LaRoche — Bravos, As or Giants
Marlon Byrd — Giants
John Garland — Nats
Bengie Molina — Mets (UGH!!!)
Marco Scutaro — Red Sox
Orlando Hudson — Twins
Rich Harden — Mariners or As
Mike Cameron — Yanks
prismo
11/12/2009-10:43am at 10:43 am (UTC -4)
Rules: Choose 10 of the 20 names below
wannybackstra
11/12/2009-10:47am at 10:47 am (UTC -4)
Separated 10 entries for contest and 10 guesses on the rest…
prismo
11/12/2009-10:48am at 10:48 am (UTC -4)
Looks like I’m the one who needs to work on reading comprehension!
D’oh!
wannybackstra
11/12/2009-10:54am at 10:54 am (UTC -4)
Take that!
wannybackstra
11/12/2009-12:24pm at 12:24 pm (UTC -4)
Tie breaker: Lackey 5 yrs. 82.5m.
DNDJohan aka kistics
11/12/2009-11:02am at 11:02 am (UTC -4)
Here’s my entry…
Holliday — Mets
Halladay — Mets
AGonz — Mets
.
.
Oops wrong list..that was my wish list..
Here I go again.
Holliday — Mets
Bay — BoSox
Lackey — Rangers
Wolf — Mets
Beltre — Phillie Phucs
Piniero — Cards
Damon — Yanks
Valverde — Phillie Phucs
LaRoche — Bravos
Molina — Giants
metsfan4decades
11/12/2009-11:30am at 11:30 am (UTC -4)
LOL – I like that wish list.
prismo
11/12/2009-11:21am at 11:21 am (UTC -4)
Holliday – Mets
Lackey – Angels
Bay – Red Sox
Figgins – Angels
Wolf – Mets
Valverde – Phillies
Cameron – Yankees
Damon – Yankees
LaRoche – Braves
Molina – Giants
prismo
11/12/2009-12:10pm at 12:10 pm (UTC -4)
Tie Breaker: Holliday – 6 years – $102M
metsfan4decades
11/12/2009-11:41am at 11:41 am (UTC -4)
Mine:
Matt Holliday – Mets
John Lackey – Yankees
Jason Bay – BoSox
Chone Figgins – Angels
Randy Wolf – Mets
Adrian Beltre – Phils
Mike Cameron – Yankees
Johnny Damon – Yankees
Felipe Lopez – Mets
Adam LaRoche – Braves
metsfan4decades
11/12/2009-12:05pm at 12:05 pm (UTC -4)
Opps….
Tie breaker: Bay 4 years, 14.5M per – total of $58M
GravediggerHebner
11/12/2009-11:42am at 11:42 am (UTC -4)
Some of these picks duplicate what others have guessed, so to separate myself from the pack I’m going off the range a bit with other picks:
1). Holliday – St. Louis
2). Lackey – Los Angeles Dodgers
3). Bay – Boston
4). Figgins – Los Angeles Angels
5). Scutaro – Boston
6). Harden – Texas
7). Tejada – Philadelphia
8). Lopez – Minnesota
9). LaRoche – San Francisco
10). Byrd – Seattle
Tiebreaker – Holliday 6 years, $129 million
wannybackstra
11/12/2009-12:21pm at 12:21 pm (UTC -4)
I had considered Harden for Texas too. Perfect high reward guy for them.
Tejada to Philly is an interesting thought…
GravediggerHebner
11/12/2009-12:30pm at 12:30 pm (UTC -4)
I won’t try and fool anyone, for the most part I took a “monkey throwing darts” approach.
Part of my motivation in doing so is that I read a very thoughtful, interesting (to me anyway) article yesterday on the Yankee blog River Ave. Blues about how all fan (and reporter) speculation on off season moves, while fun, is ultimately ridiculous because we simply don’t and can’t know as much about the teams involved as the GMs do.
In the article they referred to an instance from a while back in which a reporter was challenged by a major league front office employee to come up with a few reasonable move suggestions.
The reporter spent a lot of time doing a lot of thoughtful research and submitted his list. The front office guy looked it over, complimented the reporter on his thoughtful approach, then quickly (and secretly, because we don’t get to hear the specific reasons why) dismissed them all for reasons logical to a front office employee with their overall knowledge of the club and it’s entire system, budget and thought process.
So is it fun? Absolutely. But if any of us ever hit on anything, I hope we understand we were way more lucky than good.
wannybackstra
11/12/2009-12:47pm at 12:47 pm (UTC -4)
No doubt. This is complete guess work.
There are a lot of variables we likely have no insight to: things personal to the players that may influence the choice of the city in which they want to reside; grudges between current and former players and coaches and front office people, etc.
GravediggerHebner
11/12/2009-12:57pm at 12:57 pm (UTC -4)
I certainly don’t mean to be a killjoy and I will continue to joyfully take part in the speculation.
trs86
11/12/2009-11:51am at 11:51 am (UTC -4)
This is hard.
Holliday: Mets
Bay: RSox
Wolf: Mets
Valverde: Astros
Beltre: Phillies
Damon: Yankees
ODawg: Nats
Tejada: Astros
LaRoche: Braves
Molina: Mets
Other guesses because Wanny did it, it’s all his fault.
Harden: Yankees
Pineiro: Dodgers
Vlad: A’s
Byrd: Rangers
Those others I really just don’t know. If the Mets get Holliday and Yankees get Harden who will even be on the market for Lackey?
prismo
11/12/2009-11:58am at 11:58 am (UTC -4)
Angels still would like him back, if the price tag isn’t ridiculous.
trs86
11/12/2009-12:18pm at 12:18 pm (UTC -4)
They said the same thing about Krod. I think they have already moved on but who knows.
Tie breaker
Bay 4/60
prismo
11/12/2009-12:32pm at 12:32 pm (UTC -4)
They have a good amount of money to spend though. They can get one big name (even if it’s retaining Figgins).
trs86
11/12/2009-12:33pm at 12:33 pm (UTC -4)
True, could they be sleepers for Bay?
prismo
11/12/2009-12:49pm at 12:49 pm (UTC -4)
Could be. If the Sox don’t resign him, I have no idea who the big players would be.
wannybackstra
11/12/2009-12:27pm at 12:27 pm (UTC -4)
Hudson to the Nats is a good one that hadn’t occurred to me. His stock is down, despite his ridiculous gold glove (CHASE UTLEY anyone???). I also thought about Vlad to the A’s. They have shown in the past a willingness to spend an inordinate number of sheckels on a DH.
If Mets and Yanks are out on Lackey, I think either of the LA teams could swoop in, the Rangers if they free money elsewhere, or even the Bosox.
trs86
11/12/2009-12:32pm at 12:32 pm (UTC -4)
I like the Rangers idea, I forgot that. I thought about Dodgers but I have Pineiro going there. Perhaps if St. Louis misses Holliday?
I think Vlad could take an incentive type 1+1 deal to stay in that area for his mom so to me it makes sense. If not I think he stays with the Angels.
prismo
11/12/2009-12:32pm at 12:32 pm (UTC -4)
Nats could surely use his infield defense.
trs86
11/12/2009-12:34pm at 12:34 pm (UTC -4)
In my opinion the Nats IF defense was so bad they could use Castillo’d defense.
prismo
11/12/2009-12:34pm at 12:34 pm (UTC -4)
The Nats should go after pitching though. Signing Garland and another decent starter would go a long way for that team.
wannybackstra
11/12/2009-1:00pm at 1:00 pm (UTC -4)
A link on MLBTR reports that the Brewers will meet with Lackey’s agent. I guess we shouldn’t forget that they did try to re-sign Sabathia last year until the Yankees decided to trump their own already top offer.
And baseball wise he makes a lot of sense for them. The division is winnable, they have good young talent still (Gallardo, Lloyd Braun, Weeks, Escobar, etc.) and the clock is ticking on their ability to compete with Fielder still in town.
trs86
11/12/2009-12:36pm at 12:36 pm (UTC -4)
By the way, wrong thread but I still like the idea of Pagan and a prospect for DeJesus if we are not getting Holliday or Bay.
GravediggerHebner
11/12/2009-12:40pm at 12:40 pm (UTC -4)
The author of this article agrees with you:
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/dejesus-and-daytons-destiny
wannybackstra
11/12/2009-12:51pm at 12:51 pm (UTC -4)
He doesn’t think very highly of Omar Minaya. Yikes.
GravediggerHebner
11/12/2009-12:53pm at 12:53 pm (UTC -4)
OK I’m glad you see that too.
After my first read I took it as “Omar Minaya will wind up acquiring David DeJesus.” But then I re-read it and thought, “uh oh.”
GravediggerHebner
11/12/2009-12:52pm at 12:52 pm (UTC -4)
To elaborate, when I say I think the author agrees with you I mean in the context that DeJesus is a valuable player.
His last sentence seems to suggest, however, that if the Royals GM starts making smart moves for his team that Omar Minaya will then take sole possession of the “worst GM in the league” title. If I’m interpreting the remark correctly.
trs86
11/12/2009-12:57pm at 12:57 pm (UTC -4)
Easy target.
wannybackstra
11/12/2009-12:57pm at 12:57 pm (UTC -4)
I read it that Minaya takes the cake in seeking instant gratification. Whether that makes him the worst or not, I don’t know. Afterall, my wife still thinks I’m a great husband.
GravediggerHebner
11/12/2009-12:59pm at 12:59 pm (UTC -4)
Snare drum, tom tom, cymbal!
wannybackstra
11/12/2009-1:00pm at 1:00 pm (UTC -4)
Hiooooo!