Tagged: John Lackey
12/14 Hot Stove – Pitchers Burning on the Stove
If this three-team deal goes through with Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee involved, it would make the Blue Jays big winners today. Everyone knew the Blue Jays had to make a deal, and with what we’re hearing, they made a great decision.
Instead of taking a watered down deal from one team, they get to pluck a few of the best prospects from the Phillies’ and the Mariners’ farm systems.
What this deal sets up is the Mariners becoming the favorites in the AL West. With Cliff Lee and King Felix, you have the best lefty/righty combo in the game. Beckett and Lester, Beckett and Lackey, Sabathia and Burnett, are not going to dominate like Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee.
Cliff Lee gave the Phillies everything and more they could have expected last season. The only thing I can think of is that Roy Halladay gives the Phillies the big dominant right-handed ace. With lefties J.A. Happ, Cole Hamels and Jamie Moyer in the rotation, Halladay can add some balance.
Like the Yankees making big moves last year, the Mariners and the Red Sox are emerging as the teams making noise this offseason.
The only noise out of Anaheim has been the star players leavening. The Angels are sitting back while Seattle is going after it. The Angels are closing in on a deal with Hideki Matsui, replacing one aging slugger for another, which means Vladimir Guerrero will be out of Anaheim.
The John Lackey signing means two things for the Red Sox. First you can all put your Jason Bay jerseys in a frame, because they’re a collectors’ items now. With all the money spent on Lackey, I don’t think Bay is coming back to Boston.
Secondly this gives the Red Sox six starters. Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and John Lackey will lead the way. With Daisuke Matsuzaka you hope to get a bounce-back year. This leaves the number-five spot for Clay Buchholz and Tim Wakefield, who was an All-Star last year. Wakefield has always been a durable, “I know what I’m getting” guy, and the best number-five starter in the game.
What this scenario does is open the door for Adrian Gonzalez to come to Fenway. The depth in pitching allows Buchholz to be the chip that can bring in Gonzalez. With Gonzalez’s power bat at first, they can platoon Jeremy Hermida with another guy – say pick up Dan Uggla – to fill the spot in left field.
In between all the dealings between the East and West, the Cardinals are waiting to hear back from Matt Holliday. They made a respectable offer, but there might be more riding on a Holliday deal.
The Cardinals need to keep Albert happy, because if he’s not happy with the direction of team, he will have options.
Just imagine if Pujols tested the free agent waters? -Greg Amsinger
12/7 Hot Stove – The Left Wing
We finally get the Winter Meetings kicked off today, and with the cold setting in, it’s time for some deals to heat things up.
I’m interested in a few key situations, and how they’ll pan out during the meeting.
First of all, the big fish, Roy Halladay. With all the rumors swirling around lately, it seems like a deal is in the air, especially if he’s not going to accept a trade once the season begins.
The Blue Jays can learn a lot from the Johan Santana deal a few years ago. The Twins waited and then had to settle for the Mets offer which looking back was not the best offer on the table. Instead of playing tug-of-war with the Yankees and Red Sox, they need to make a good quick decision. We all know Roy’s got to go, but not getting the right prospect will return cost the Blue Jays big in the future.
I’m also interested in the Matt Holliday scenario. If the Cardinals can’t sign Holliday, then who else is out there for the Cardinals to sign to protect Albert Pujols?
Holliday has already proved he’s up to the task, so the Cardinals need to have a better plan if they decide to pass on Holliday. Is there one out there? I’m not so sure there is.
Then there is John Lackey, the only true ace available as a free agent. In his career he’s proven himself as a big game pitcher, a number one-starter, and a durable arm. What team out there won’t want to sign him?
Hot Stove is going to be jam-packed tonight – Braves Manages Bobby Cox and Cubs Manager Lou Piniella will join us together from Indianapolis. The Braves have been busy in the offseason already, so we’ll have plenty to talk about with two of the greatest managers out there.
Hot Stove airs tonight, tomorrow and Wednesday live from the Winter Meetings headquarters in Indianapolis from 6-8pm ET. We’ll have interviews and team updates throughout each show. – Dan Plesac
11/30 Hot Stove – Winter Meetings Preview
Tonight’s show will open with the top free agents available this offseason as we get ready for the Winter Meetings, which begin next Monday. We’ll be live from Indianapolis next Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday with Hot Stove from 6:00-8:00 p.m. ET, so make sure you tune-in.
We’ll explore quite a few free agents tonight and I’ll give you our top five for this blog:
1) Matt Holliday
2) Jason Bay
3) Chone Figgins
4) John Lackey
5) Aroldis Chapman
We’ll discuss some of the possible places these players may land.
Later in the show our own Baseball Insider Jon Heyman will talk about where Roy Halladay could end up. The Yankees are now in the mix since Halladay waived his no-trade clause for them.
Also, as most of you know already, Yankees PA announcer Bob Sheppard retired over the weekend. We’ll take a look back at his glorious career.
There’s plenty to talk about this offseason. Make sure you watch Hot Stove tonight at 6:00 p.m. ET.-Greg Amsinger
Click here to watch our Bob Sheppard feature from Monday night.
10/23 MLB Tonight – Thursday’s Thriller
Before we move to Game 6, we need to dig deep into the Angels victory last night.
People want a formula that works with regards to keeping your ace in a close game, because last night was a mess.
Aaron Boone said to me, as we were watching Lackey getting pulled, that pitchers usually plead their case with managers on the mound, but yesterday, because of the Fox production staff, you really got to see an extreme closeup of John Lackey just pleading, begging Mike Scioscia not to come to the mound. He was screaming, “Come on Sciosch, This is Mine, This Is Mine,” because he knows that once his skipper makes up his mind, there’s no two ways about it, his decision is made.
I think Joe Magrane said it best, “If you’re going to take out your ace, you’ve got to get better.” Darren Oliver has come up big for the Angels, but he is not better than John Lackey, and that move almost cost them their season. Flipping Teixeira around to the right side was not a big enough reason to take Lackey out of the game. Taking Lackey out was huge, that one move could have ended the Angels season.
But Joe Girardi bailed him out by sending A.J. out for the 7th. OK, I get the rationale; 80 pitches, cruising after a rocky 1st, and pitching with a lead, but is a tiring A.J. really the best option? He needed to showcase right there why the Yankees have been the best team during the regular season, and ride Joba, Hughes, and Rivera into the World Series. Instead, A.J. was sent out there to face finely tuned hitters seeing him for the 3rd time. His stuff was shaky and inconstant all night, and he couldn’t get the job done when he finally got a lead. By keeping A.J. in, Girardi turned the back end of the bullpen into a convoluted mess, and bailed out Mike Scioscia.
But we’re not done yet, because Fuentes almost stepped in and bailed out Girardi. There was some high drama in that 9th inning with Fuentes going up against the meat of the Yankee order, and looking at that inning, luck was in the air at the Big A.
Damon smashed a liner, Tex just missed a moon shot, and then A-Rod got the Barry Bonds treatment. Wildness loads the bases, but Swisher popped up a 3-2 pitch, and we have a Game 6.
At this point we’re not looking at a crisp October night; there is some heavy rain on the way to the Bronx. If a rain-out becomes reality, advantage Angels because of the pitching.
If Saturday doesn’t happen, the way Jered Weaver looked last night I won’t be surprised if he steps in for Game 6. John Lackey is gonna pitch on 3-days rest, and a Game 7 is not what the Yankees want.
There’s so much to talk about, so join us at 6 for MLB Tonight. – Greg Amsinger
MLB Network 