DODGERS: News/Rumors

fwiw...

Poll: Will Cliff Lee Be Claimed On Waivers?​

By Ben Nicholson-Smith [August 3 at 8:05am CST]​

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Cliff Lee is on waivers, so MLB teams must now decide whether to place a claim on the left-hander. For the majority of teams, the decision will be simple. Lee earns far too much for most general managers to make a claim and risk taking on his contract ($21.5MM in 2012, $25MM per season through 2015, and a $27.5MM vesting option for 2016 with a $12.5MM buyout). It’s complex enough for GMs to boost payroll by a few million with a summer acquisition, so a player with $95MM on his contract will be out of the question in most cases.​

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But Lee could tempt a team or two. He continues to pitch effectively -- seven innings per start, five times as many strikeouts as walks and a 3.73 ERA in a so-called down year -- and there’s no better staring pitcher available. Maybe $95MM for three-plus seasons would be acceptable for a team with aggressive ownership, such as the Dodgers.​

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If Lee does get claimed, the Phillies could pull him back off of waivers, work out a trade, or assign his contract to the team that wins the claim (the left-hander can block trades to 21 teams). If he goes unclaimed, the Phillies will be able to trade Lee with the same restrictions they’d encounter in July or in the offseason. How will it all unfold?​

 

• Before the trade deadline, the Phillies made it clear that they would not pick up any of Cliff Lee’s salary in a trade and would also want prospects in return for the left-hander. ESPN.com’s Buster Olney suggests it’s highly unlikely Lee will be moved in a waiver deal this month.

 

last year, while still under the Mcmcdouche reign...

Beware of the Ballpark Beer Scam
April 4, 2011



Last Thursday, stadiums across the country opened their doors and baseball season started. With it comes the arrival of America's favorite pastime, game-day eats, and the ballpark beer scam.

What is the beer scam? It's the stadium's way to make a quick buck on beer-guzzling fans. Many places offer three sizes of draft beer: small ($6), regular ($8), and large ($10). However, the ounces are not listed, and the average concession stand worker doesn't know how much beer they hold.

After watching a video that clearly shows the small and regular sizes are almost identical — with the only difference being the shape of the glass — I decided to investigate and figure out what exactly is the distinction between these beer sizes. To find out, read more.



I purchased each of the beers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles and sipped the regular, which comes in a tall glass, first. Then, I poured the small beer into the regular beer and discovered that it's almost the exact same size! Finally, I poured the large beer into the regular and found that it was bigger than the regular, but not by much. I took the glasses home and filled them with water to determine how much beer each holds.

Ballpark Beer Chart
Size_____Price___Cups___Ounces
Small______$6____2.25_____18
Regular____$8____2.50_____20
Large_____$10____3.25_____26​

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Although there is an eight-ounce difference between the small and the large, the best bang for your buck is the small. It's 18 ounces for $6, which is three ounces per dollar. Following this rate, for $8, you should get six more ounces of beer (to be 24 ounces) and for $10, you should get 12 more ounces of beer (to be 30 ounces). But that's not the case! Moral of the story: if you don't mind waiting in line, buy small beers.

 

Prospects in return? That's fucking stupid on their part. I'll give them James Loney and a pitcher of beer.

 

good read...

• Dodgers Nation wonders if the Dodgers should claim Cliff Lee off waivers.

 

The worst that happens is he says no. Supposedly we are on his veto list.

 

this afternoon apparently...

• MLB executives say they don’t expect Cliff Lee to be claimed by this afternoon, the deadline for clubs to submit a waiver claim on the left-hander. However, one AL exec said someone might claim him since many teams are short on pitching. The Dodgers seem like the most likely candidate to claim Lee, according to the executives Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com surveyed.

 

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Survey suggests chances for a Cliff Lee claim by today are slim but possible​

By Jon Heyman | Baseball Insider​

August 3, 2012 12:32 pm ET​

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All but one of a half-dozen baseball executives surveyed Thursday and Friday suggested they believe the chances are slim that Cliff Lee is claimed by the Friday afternoon deadline -- though once A.L. exec, knowing how desperate teams are for a star starting pitcher, said, "I think (someone) might'' claim him.​

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If he should be claimed -- and yet another A.L. exec estmiated the chances at 25 percent -- the next question would be whether the Phillies would consider letting Lee and the $95 million or so that remains on his contract through 2015 go for no compensation.​

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"I think they should (let him go),'' said another A.L. exec. "But I think that might be a tough sell in that market, so I don't know.''​

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Several of the excutives speculated that if anyone does claim Lee -- who is 2-6 with a 3.73 ERA -- it could be the Dodgers. The Dodgers were looking for one more pitcher at the deadline (they came up short on Ryan Dempster), and everyone knows they aren't poor.​

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"They're the only team that could,'' a third A.L. exec said.​

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The new Dodgers owners approved taking the full of $38 million left on Hanley Ramirez's contract and the signing of the rarely-scouted Cuban outfielder Yasiel Puig for $42 million. But this is a much bigger risk.​

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Lee is to make $25 million a year from 2013 to 2015 and has a buyout of a whopping $12.5 million on the club's 2016 option.​

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Lee was put on waivers Wednesday, so his period expires today. If he is claimed, the Phillies can decide to let him (and his contract) go or try to negotiate a trade. they also could pull him back and keep him even if he is claimed.​

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Lee has some control, too, as he has a 21-team no-trade list. So he could veto a trade or claim by any of those 21 teams.​