The Oakland Athletics and free agent first baseman and designated hitter Jason Giambi are on the verge of agreeing on a one-year deal with an option for 2010, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney.

The deal would pay Giambi, who started his major league career in Oakland, $5.25 million in 2009 with a $4 million base salary for the option year in 2010. The second year would also provide for a $1.25 million buyout.

Link

I thought Giambi would make that much in 2009 alone. What a deal for Oakland!

The San Francisco Chronicle reported Thursday that Bonds, who has said he is not retiring and wants to play baseball again, underwent a hip procedure.

Bonds had the surgery with the intent of resuming his playing career this year, the Chronicle reported, citing a source familiar with the operation. With the start of spring training six weeks away, baseball's home run king would not be fully healed by then, but could be by Opening Day, the Chronicle reported.

Linky

...because clearly they don't have enough:

The Chicago Sun Times reports that the Cubs have agreed to terms with Aaron Miles on a two-year, $4.9 million contract.

St. Louis cut Miles loose because they didn't want to pay him around $2.5 million via arbitration, so it's a surprise that he's able to get a two-year deal. Chicago already had infield depth with Ronny Cedeno on the bench, so signing Miles seemingly could lead to the Cubs shopping Mark DeRosa.

Proof

The first person to suggest trading Washburn for DeRosa is banned.

This seemed timely:

The Truth:

Tossing a friend in bed after they've passed out drunk is a fantastic idea, provided you're hoping your friend drowns in their own vomit. Passing out and falling asleep aren't the same thing.

Someone who has passed out as a result of alcohol intoxication is unlikely to be awakened by the need to hurl. If they happen to be lying on their back when the spewing starts, the chunks have nowhere to go except into the lungs. Tell Hendrix we say hi!

Happy new year: remember every time you have a beer, Coach is blamed for an angel losing it's wings.

Rosenthal:

The Cubs, trying to clear salary while fortifying their bullpen, are close to trading right-hander Jason Marquis and cash to the Rockies for right-hander Luis Vizcaino, according to major-league sources.

The move, which is not expected to be announced until next week, would save the Cubs between $5-6 million -- money they could devote to the pursuit of a left-handed hitting outfielder such as their primary target, free agent Milton Bradley, a switch-hitter.

link

Jason Marquis pisses me off so freakin' much I can't evaluate this properly, but it seems a bit questionable for the Cubs.

Andruw Jones, coming off a disastrous first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, has been the subject of trade talks between L.A. and the New York Mets, according to sources.

New York also has been trying to move a second baseman Luis Castillo, who is coming off a poor season and is owed $18 million over the next three seasons. But it's unlikely that the Dodgers would have interest in Castillo, because they have a young second baseman in Blake DeWitt, and Castillo does not play a lot of different positions. If the Mets were to move Castillo, they would be in a position to then pursue the top free-agent second baseman, Orlando Hudson.

link

Hey, if you can get him for next to nothing, Jones may be worth a look, his UZR results are excellent (+17.5 3yr average) and he can't possibly be as bad as he was last year.

With all the enthusiasm for people wanting to create their own OT threads I'm surprised no one has made more of the opportunity the last few days.

Normally I would talk about how the warm day yesterday was just a cock tease from god, and how the skies have resumed shitting snow and why that upsets me, but I'm felling cheery so I'll leave you with this:

via i42.tinypic.com

As horrible of a day it was for football, I'm gonna dwell on the positive.

Same disclaimers as last time, only now we're looking at the superior league.

NL EAST

PHI, 22.81, ATL 21.49, NYM 21.30, FLA 18.72, WAS 16.72

NL CENTRAL

CHC 22.24, STL 21.49, MIL19.87, CIN 18.64, HOU 13.99, PIT 13.21

NL WEST

COL 18.39, SF 17.25, LA 17.18, AZ 15.28, SD 13.06

Continue reading this post »

Same disclaimers as last time, only now we're looking at the superior league.

NL EAST

PHI, 24.01, ATL 21.49, NYM 21.30, FLA 18.72, WAS 16.72

NL CENTRAL

CHC 22.24, STL 21.49, MIL 19.87, CIN 18.64, HOU 13.99, PIT 13.21

NL WEST

COL 18.39, SF 17.25, LA 17.18, AZ 15.28, SD 13.06

Continue reading this post »

Tools at my disposal:

ac's WAR spreadsheet

Marcel projections

3 yr UZR averages (where available)

Disclaimers:

-This is amateur hour: these things aren't park adjusted. Maybe I misunderstood, but I was told not to bother.

-These are only WAR projections for the starting lineups. (Like I have a pitchers spreadsheet).

-Some team's rosters aren't set, and most of those gaps are filled by replacement players

-I probably missed players that aren't on the 40 man, but will make their teams

-Any missing data such as playing time allotments, and defensive ratings where there was insufficient data was filled in with my best guess.

-I avoided flunking Geometry mostly because of pity, and passed Algebra II /Trig because I cheated. I have no idea how these calculations work, I just know that plug in the appropriate numbers ------> ***MAGIC***----> projection.

On to the numbers:

Continue reading this post »