NEWS/RUMORS Thread

James Shields Expected To Sign By End Of Week
By Jeff Todd [February 3, 2015 at 10:08pm CST]

Reports this evening suggest that the wheels are now turning for free agent righty James Shields. With multiple offers in hand, says Jon Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter), the veteran is expected to sign by the end of the week.

As I wrote yesterday, while Shields and agent Page Odle face a difficult task of maximizing value in the month of February, time remains for his market to re-develop. It appears that could now be taking place, with the list of suitors potentially growing this evening.

The Cardinals have now “shown interest” in Shields, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports on Twitter. While the St. Louis brass has insisted that the club feels good about its rotation depth, there are enough areas of concern that another arm could make good sense — particularly one of Shields’s quality.

Meanwhile, a rival general manager says that he believes the Yankees are “actively pursuing” Shields, Jon Morosi of FOX Sports reports on Twitter. New York certainly could justify buttressing its starting five: it probably has an even greater need to upgrade at the back end and protect against uncertainty in the projected rotation than do the Cards. On the other hand, Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets that he hears the team is not changing its decision not to pursue top-of-the-market starters.

It certainly appears that both clubs have the financial wherewithal to make such a move. St. Louis has been judicious with committing future assets and maintains good forward-looking payroll flexibility. And New York can never be counted out from dipping into its coffers when opportunity arises.

As for other possibilities, the Padres are also believed to have engaged in recent discussions with the Shields camp, Morosi tweets. Another busy club, the White Sox, are almost certainly set to enter the spring with their current array of talent, GM Rick Hahn tells Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago.com (via Twitter).

While both of these clubs have been mentioned as possible landing spots for Shields at various points in the past, it was never entirely clear whether that was based on analysis or real internal consideration. These latest reports appear to push the needle toward the latter. Obviously, the entry of either or both would be excellent news for Shields’s leverage

 

Yeah. I don't buy it either.

Also don't buy that anybody should expect Greinke, Ellis, or any other Dodger player to disparage/disrespect Kemp, Hanley or any other current/former Dodger in the media. That wouldn't serve anyone well or go over well in the clubhouse. Certainly would come off lookin like a snitch and some untrustworthy character and aside from that its just pro courtesy.

Also don't buy that Greinke would go on record and say that he's made his mind up that he's opting out this early. Are we really supposed to think that Greinke himself would come clean on that issue before or during the season? For him to come out and say " yeah, I'm gonna opt out and look around " at this point would be absurd. Selfish. Wouldn't go over well with anyone. I get that we expect Greinke to give honest answers, but not on those two topics. Pure baseball questions?..absolutely. Like pitch framing..Greinke would tell you all about that and why you should buy it.

 

No one has to say anything disparaging about Kemp at all... if they felt he was a problem....he's gone, and only because the FO couldn't close a deal with the original target. No player has to say anything about anyone, gone or wherever.
I just don't believe a guy like Greinke would spin a statement like that to keep peace in the clubhouse...what, are Ellis and Zach 8 years old? In fact, what Greinke, of all people said, straight out, is something that could start a little wave in the clubhouse now, about not knowing if any improvements have really been made at all. Like Greinke gives a fuck about if someone doesn't like what he says...all of a sudden, he's a spin doctor now??
They both spoke the truth as they saw it, and didn't have to say shit at all if it were the opposite of what they said.
And I still wonder what it is supposed to be that Kemp did that was so bad...what, have a dugout thing with that cement block, Puig? Kemp is Stephen Hawking compared to Yasiel....and that's not saying much about what Kemp did out there himself half the time.

 

Reporters who follow the team, and are close to these situations and in the know, ask these questions both on and off the record fully knowing that they're not likely to get anything negative on record or any more than what they got from Greinke and Ellis. For example; the dust up between Kemp and Puig in the dugout late last season..Kemp gave the media nothin on the issue..he smiled and said " great game. " There's a code, particularly in baseball. And you certainly aren't gonna get anything negative at fanfest of all places. So no, no one's saying that Ellis won't genuinely miss Kemp..as Ellis put it in personal terms, he and Kemp go back a long ways to before they were in the show, so of course he's gonna have some good things to say about Kemp. Just don't expect Ellis to give the negatives. It's bad form..just as bad as someone perpetuating the theme that Kemp was traded solely because of his clubhouse issues or solely because we needed a catcher. There are a multitude of reasons as to why he's gone and they all stick.


And what Greinke said about not knowing if there had been any improvements at all this off-season is 1) a pure baseball topic/assessment and 2) a given and right in line with the new additions/new team needing to prove themselves and get the job done in 2015. Exactly what we need to hear as fans. Greinke went on to admit that he was wrong not long ago when he thought they had the best team in baseball going into the playoffs last season and how it turned out that his assessment was off the mark, so I don't think anybody's gonna be angry about his comments. He could simply be wrong again. His comment does surprise me, though, because the numbers guy that Greinke is, i'm sure he's aware of the upgrade in WAR at basically every replaced position other than CF where the rook's likely to be. But again, they need to prove themselves as a team anyway, so who really gives a shit about the talk?


This idea that Kemp would still be a Dodger if they had closed the Martin deal doesn't quite hit logically. The need to deal an outfielder(s) and free up CF for Peterson/RF for Puig, add a plus defensive shortstop/upgrade the leadoff spot, and to shed bad contracts to improve flexibility would've remained..and the lack of interest in Ethier/Crawford around the league would've also remained regardless of Martin joining. Kemp not being listed as a key loss for the team wasn't a shot at Kemp..it was a nod to his superior replacement in RF Yasiel Puig. Joc was getting his crack @ CF regardless and SVS is highly valued. They would've simply looked for a different return for Kemp had Martin been the solution at catcher. They had their sights on young, high quality pitching in fact. Paxton, Bundy, etc.

 

Wow...it's good to know the future so precisely and what would have been done, no matter what. Who knew... that if we landed Martin as C, we would have traded Kemp anyway for a young ss, even with Seager in the wings? Not me, I admit. I thought we'd make due, and wait for Seager.
Pactum factum, whatever. It must be so obvious to those who know, while others struggle with the results of 26 nowhere years of moves.
I wish I could do that, and be so self assured...I'd play the lottery, since all is revealed, evidently, to those with this ability.
I guess we are a shoe-in for the WS this year then?
About time.

 

Rollins is young? 26 nowhere years of moves? play the lottery? WS shoe in? extraordinary lengths he's gone to.
:lowscore:

 

There’s a growing sense among those involved in Shields talks that he will end up with the Padres, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com.



go gettem.

 

If I'm Preller and I sign Shields, I give Philly Myers and Cashner for Hamels.

 

Agreed. In the event that they do make the playoffs, Shields is not cutting it as a WC/game 1 starter. Cashner's been fighting all kinds of ailments anyway. Ship him out.

 

Shields to the Padre's is more than I think the Pad's are capable of.. way more.

But we'll see

 

That'd be a good deal for both teams. If the Phillies were smart, they'd flip Cashner at the deadline for prospects So then you get Myers for a couple years and then the prospects for 6 years of control

 

That would definitely be the most intelligent thing to do, especially since it fits way better with their rebuilding plan. However, we know Amaro isn't too intelligent lol

 

FEBRUARY8TH, 7:52pm: The Padres’ offer to Shields four years and between $72-80MM, tweets FOX Sports’ Jon Morosi.

 

This was kind of cool.

http://m.mlb.com/cutfour/2015/02/08...n-the-grammys-red-carpet-with-dodgers-uniform

 

*Fixed