Hot Stove, part 2

He doubled his contract in the NLCS.

Another candidate for bust of the off-season, though it'll be in Milwaukee so no one will care or notice. Oh hi Bubbler and Gutter and PDB.

 

Is it that much better than the last couple of years? Is he a step up from Davis of 2 years ago?

I think he (in retrospect) waited too long. Who would have guessed he'd get less than Meche & the same as Lilly.

 

Which is why it's good the Brewers have Sheets and Cappy ahead of him in the rotation. Yeah, the Brewers overpaid for him (who didn't this offseason), but I don't think Suppan = Hammonds. The Brewers signed him with the intentions of making them a better team, not because they wanted folks to notice that they're doing stuff with the money they've made thanks to us showing up regularly.

Davis was the innings eater last year. Suppan kind of becomes that guy this year. Here's hoping the defense behind him is good enough to snatch up them ground balls he gets hitters to produce.

 

He doesn't have the stuff of Meche or Lilly, he's barely adequate in the NL and he's the oldest of the bunch by two years. I think this is the best he was going to do.

 

In this market, you're saying he would have made $5 million a year has the Cards not made the playoffs?

 

Suppan is a right-handed Doug Davis.

And seeing as Doug Melvin did nothing to improve the D from last year, other than signing re-treads Craig Counsell and Tony Graffanino, it could be another loooooooooong season.

 

In regards to Jeff Suppan being an "innings-eater," I just want to note that he has not pitched over 200 innings (close, though) in any of the last three seasons. So the Brewers better hope their bullpen is better and healthy this season.

 

So teams are looking to deal for Randy Johnson ... my question is why? The guy makes $16 million, hasn't exactly been Clemens-like, has had some injuries and is 43. If anyone gives up decent prospects for him it's a joke. (Of course, Johnson does have a no-trade contract, which might make all this even more pointless.)

 

I like going through the list of remaining free agents to wonder if any of them, other than Zito and a couple of others, will get a major-league deal somewhere.

 

Did Cliff Floyd sign yet? I read that Aubrey Huff is looking for like a four-year, $35 million deal or something like that. Good luck to him. Kind of surprised Craig Wilson is still out there; that guy murders lefties. Not sure who else is out there. Heard Tomo Ohka might go to the Cardinals.

 

OK, so it should say Zito and a handful of others.

 

I thought Johnson had asked the Yankees to look into dealing him somewhere closer to home (Phoenix). Not a demand. He said he's fine staying, but would prefer to play closer to home.