Sunday Rockpile: Jason Giambi in the fold, is there room for one more?
by Rox Girl on Jan 24, 2010 8:00 AM MST
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PrintAs was rumored yesterday morning, Jason Giambi finalized his deal with the Rockies Saturday. Giambi does give Colorado an added boost in that Todd Helton can now rest with RHP's on the mound, but there still might be a team need for an even more versatile right handed bat or perhaps right leaning switch hitter to take the spot many of us currently had penciled in for Eric Young Jr.The team has some options here (literally in Young's case) so they can explore what bargains may still be available late in the winter or early Spring. Young's skillset makes for a pretty high floor, so the Rockies are in a pretty decent situation if they do decide to go that route, although I could understand EY2's frustration if he winds up in AAA again.
Huston Street's three year deal with the Rockies seems to reflect a further shift with how players view the team as they approach free agency, namely that the "commitment to winning" excuse that many players have used to avoid signing with the Rockies in the past no longer seems valid. It should be easier for the Rockies to sign those that are genuine about wanting to win and who really do like playing with the Rockies, like Street it seems. For those players that are a little less than genuine, watch for the agent rhetoric to be about the player wanting to play on a team willing to take it to the next level or to be dismissive of contracts signed pre-free agency, even if they extend (like Street's) into a player's free agency period.
Here's an interesting article at the AZ Snakepit as Jim talks with the Hardball Times' Chris Jaffe about the value and role of managers. It has some applications to the Rockies in the same general sense that it has application to the D-backs, obviously, as the two division rivals took divergent paths (well, actually it's more like Colorado found a helicopter with the keys ignition) last season after replacing their guy on the bench.
I've got to go to Chicago today, so I'll probably keep this short and in the auto-schedule queue. I'll be back later in the week with some lengthier treatises on the shape of the off season, I'm sure.
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I really think that our players do see the Rockies now as a team with serious helium...
and soon players on other teams will follow suit.
Eschew Obfuscation!
someone needs to
fix the link on the snakepit reference.
The oxen are slow, but the earth is patient.
by rockieprogress on Jan 24, 2010 11:24 AM MST reply actions
The Snakepit reference is at http://www.azsnakepit.com/2010/1/22/1201672/evaluating-baseball-managers-a#storyjump
It is a very good piece. Hope you enjoy it.
sorry about that
I should have tested that before I left this morning. I can’t fix stuff like that from my phone yet, so unless somebody else has, you’ll just have to click the above.
by Rox Girl on Jan 24, 2010 1:15 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
Helton
Does Helton need to rest vs. RHP? I thought he would need to be rested against LHP, thus why Giambi? Don’t the Rockies need a right-handed batter to spell Helton a few games?
It probably just depends on the schedule.
If we face a stretch where we don’t face any LHP, then yeah, he’d probably need to be rested against a RHP.
weird move
not a fan of a DH taking a spot on the roster, I would have much rather seen a right handed bat, when Spilly starts we will have virtually nothing from the right side off the bench.
Are there any Rowbots out there with decent photoshop skills?
If anyone is interested in making a quick and easy project for me, let me know!
Oo, pick me!
I do the wallpapers and some of them are kind of good :) .
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"Admirably obsessive." - Uni Watch, March 24th, 2009
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"Even our depth has depth." - Silverblood
if you still need
something. I’m game.
A hot dog at the ballgame beats roast beef at the Ritz. ~Humphrey Bogart
Sorry Maria, oo_nrb beat you to it.
But thanks for volunteering!
by Greg Stanwood on Jan 24, 2010 10:11 PM MST up reply actions
no problem.
If you ever need anything in the future feel free to ask!
A hot dog at the ballgame beats roast beef at the Ritz. ~Humphrey Bogart
yaaaaaay
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by Andrew Martin on Jan 24, 2010 9:01 PM MST up reply actions
Baseball players are smarter than football players. How often do you see a baseball team penalized for too many men on the field? ~Jim Bouton, 1988
Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good too. ~Greg, age 8
"I never threw an illegal pitch. The trouble is, once in a while I would toss one that ain’t never been seen by this generation."
Orioles signed Tejada.
Padres signed Stairs. I think we’ll end up with EY2 which is perfectly fine with me.
Remember old folks, I'm just 18 years old =]
and yet the guys we've really been looking for are still out there
Tatis and Mora
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by Andrew Martin on Jan 24, 2010 9:26 PM MST up reply actions
Yes but I'm unsure how much flexibility we have payroll-wise.
I doubt very very little, and I just think we’ll go the the most cost-friendly way, which is EY2.
Remember old folks, I'm just 18 years old =]
by CentralCaliRox on Jan 24, 2010 10:03 PM MST up reply actions
Now that I know that we don't have to pay every player on the roster their major league salary...
… I think it’d be feasible to squeeze Tatis into the budget.
by Greg Stanwood on Jan 24, 2010 10:12 PM MST up reply actions
I feel that as well
I think it would be better for the team as a whole to have Mora or Tatis on a 1 year deal, purely based on EY’s inexperience, defensive questions, etc.
My concern is that EY is still trying to figure out his game at the plate, and we’d probably see a sub-.700 OPS from him playing average-at-best defense at positions he’s not familiar with.
Not that Tatis would be a defensive IMPROVEMENT I don’t think, I’m pretty sure Mora would be quite decent at 3B spelling Stew.
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by Andrew Martin on Jan 24, 2010 10:13 PM MST up reply actions
O-Dog
I love EY2, but what would be the problem with signing Orlando Hudson? I understand that EY has an amazing skill set, but it would be so nice to have a true switch-hitting second baseman on our hands. This could allow us to trade Spilly somewhere and we could even keep EY2 for the outfield position. O-Dog is asking for quite a bit but we are pretty good at getting older free agents for quite a bit less. Just something to throw out there!
I think we're committed to Barmes as the second baseman.
O-Dawg would cost a good chunk of $, and it looks as if our payroll is already maxed out. I just don’t see us fetching (pun intended) the vet.
Remember old folks, I'm just 18 years old =]
by CentralCaliRox on Jan 24, 2010 9:56 PM MST up reply actions
If he lowers his $7 million expectation by about 75%...
… there’d be a slim chance.
by Greg Stanwood on Jan 24, 2010 10:13 PM MST up reply actions
Well, then if he lowers his $9 million expectation by about 85%...
… there’d be a slim chance.
by Greg Stanwood on Jan 24, 2010 10:15 PM MST up reply actions
which isn't really that far out of the realms of possibility still
but I’m sure some team will pay him
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by Andrew Martin on Jan 24, 2010 10:14 PM MST up reply actions
But the later it gets in the offseason
the better it looks for us. Last year he kept waiting for the big deal that never came and settled for (I think) 3 million for one year with LA.
President of the Don Draper fan club.
Giambi
Put me in the “don’t get it” pile. Giambi doesn’t fill any of the holes in the roster so Rox are not done yet. Tatis and Mora are still available for a reason. Maybe they just go into spring and watch the waiver wire for a rh backup at 3rd. Cannot start the season without one.
I agree
Giambi is largely a waste of a roster spot. Getting him for a month for a pennant drive is one thing; for a season is another. Seth Smith is the best LH pinch hitter in the game. The Rockies don’t need a second LH pinch hitter on the bench for the full season. Giambi’s defense is too weak to spell Helton very often. Not a fan of this move.
New decade, new result: time for a Rockies' division championship.
pssst Seth Smith is awesome as a full time LF
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by Andrew Martin on Jan 25, 2010 10:15 PM MST up reply actions
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