Paul DePodesta

[BWebb]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

and Drew's been hitting well when he's not getting hurt in freak injuries.

[/ QUOTE ]


Yeah, couldn't have seen that coming with Drew's past. He hasn't been too bad. It's not his fault Gagne is falling apart because he had to stop 'roiding it up.

[/ QUOTE ]

Right, because breaking your wrist has everything to do with chronic knee problems.

[/ QUOTE ]

Some players are more apt to get injured, whether the injuries are related or not. The wrist injury just happened for the knee injury did.

[Jack of Arcades]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

and Drew's been hitting well when he's not getting hurt in freak injuries.

[/ QUOTE ]


Yeah, couldn't have seen that coming with Drew's past. He hasn't been too bad. It's not his fault Gagne is falling apart because he had to stop 'roiding it up.

[/ QUOTE ]

Right, because breaking your wrist has everything to do with chronic knee problems.

[/ QUOTE ]

Some players are more apt to get injured, whether the injuries are related or not. The wrist injury just happened for the knee injury did.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't understand. How many players get hit by that pitch and NOT break their wrist? Uh, Gary Sheffield, maybe?

[andyfox]

I think I agree with you. Beltre has reverted to his pre-contract year form and Sean Green wasn't any good for a while. Drew is a good player and Kent has been fine. Dioner Navarro looks like he'll be a very good player and Lowe has pitched well. Losing Gagne obviously was a big blow.

But I too am curious to see Clarkie's thoughts.

[ftball0000]

He has the dodgers on track. It's not his fault that his whole team decided to get injured in the same year. I am suprised however that he doesn't go after more higher K, yet higher flyball pitchers due to the home-field advantage of Chavez Ravine

[sammysusar]

Billy Bean considered him his smartest baseball man. I would trust his opinion more.

[Big Folder]

Not sure if you guys follow Dodger's farm system but I think McCourt and Depo's plan was to build for the future while remaining somewhat competative and they have a farm system to do this.

Give Depo 2-3 more years and everyone will think he's a genius simply because of the young talent that is going to start making to the majors, even though he didn't have any effect on the farm system at all up to this point.

Still I think he's going to be a great GM simply because of his approach and how he isnt an old school GM like Bill Stoneman that overpays for overrated players (i.e. O. Cabrera, Erstad). Notice I'm not mentioning Finley because if he didnt regress so sharply this year and put up his career average numbers he'd be worth the $7 million. But Erstad and Cabrera have never been worth $8 million except for 2000 when erstad played out of his mind.

Finley was just a risk that went wrong, erstad and oc were terrible decisions.

[Clarkmeister]

The whole aborted Unit acquisition was an embarassment for the organization and ripped out the core of a team that had legitimate hopes of winning the NL and turned them into a doormat for the Cardinals. If you are going to gut your pen and trade the heart and soul of your team, you damn well better have the 2nd part of the deal (Unit) locked up. He didn't. That was unforgiveable.

JD Drew and his annual 60% of the season on the IL for a GUARANTEED 5 years and $55 million is a deal only a madman would make. Someone posted that the team would be better if it weren't for injuries, well how about not throwing money at a player with injury superpowers.

And I don't care what he's done this year, giving 4 years at nearly 10 million per to a 32 year old starter whose ERA had gone from 2.5 to 3.5 to 4.5 to 5.5 in the previous 4 years is borderline retarded and the mark of a GM who didn't plan adequately enough and was forced to take the last available guy because he felt he needed a name.

And just for good measure, in case last year's trade debacle didn't convince you that he doesn't understand the importance of chemistry in the clubhouse, he signs the human redneck hate machine Jeff Kent, and LO AND BEHOLD, Kent has been involved in clubhouse mayhem. Who coulda seen that one coming?

Toss in reluctance to reward an excellent manager in Jim Tracy with more than a meager 2 year contract and it all adds up to dufus to me.

[sublime]

And I don't care what he's done this year, giving 4 years at nearly 10 million per to a 32 year old starter whose ERA had gone from 2.5 to 3.5 to 4.5 to 5.5 in the previous 4 years is borderline retarded and the mark of a GM who didn't plan adequately enough and was forced to take the last available guy because he felt he needed a name.

there is apparently strong sentiment throughout baseball that owner frank mccourt (boston guy) was behind this deal.

[Jack of Arcades]

[ QUOTE ]
The whole aborted Unit acquisition was an embarassment for the organization and ripped out the core of a team that had legitimate hopes of winning the NL and turned them into a doormat for the Cardinals. If you are going to gut your pen and trade the heart and soul of your team, you damn well better have the 2nd part of the deal (Unit) locked up. He didn't. That was unforgiveable.

[/ QUOTE ]

Honestly, losing Mota and Lo Duca (in exchange for Penny and Choi) has not been the problem. The problem has been losing Beltre's Possessed Soul and replacing him with a great defensive 3B... that has missed significant time.

[ QUOTE ]
JD Drew and his annual 60% of the season on the IL for a GUARANTEED 5 years and $55 million is a deal only a madman would make. Someone posted that the team would be better if it weren't for injuries, well how about not throwing money at a player with injury superpowers.

[/ QUOTE ]

OK, so they sign an injury risk with chronic knee problems... coming off a year where he played in 145 games.. and he breaks his wrist getting hit by a 90+ mph fastball.

And really, JD Drew is just one injury. I think the whole team has been on the damned DL this year, and they average about 12 players of the opening roster on the DL. Eric Gagne, Jose Valentin, Milton Bradley, Wilson Alvarez, Cesar Izturis, and Odalis Perez have all missed time.

So they're not the Braves are the Cards, who seem to pull wins out of nowhere with a roster thrown together with gum and toothpicks. Paul

[ QUOTE ]
And I don't care what he's done this year, giving 4 years at nearly 10 million per to a 32 year old starter whose ERA had gone from 2.5 to 3.5 to 4.5 to 5.5 in the previous 4 years is borderline retarded and the mark of a GM who didn't plan adequately enough and was forced to take the last available guy because he felt he needed a name.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, that's the one questionable move but it has worked out and the acquisition of Lowe was a smart one - with the park and the best infield defense in the majors. Signing him for the amount of money he did was insane, but I don't think it has anything to do with DePodesta "needing a name," but more to do with him wanting Lowe for the reasons I just stated. That is, it was a good bet for Derek Lowe to be pretty good this season.

[ QUOTE ]
And just for good measure, in case last year's trade debacle didn't convince you that he doesn't understand the importance of chemistry in the clubhouse, he signs the human redneck hate machine Jeff Kent, and LO AND BEHOLD, Kent has been involved in clubhouse mayhem. Who coulda seen that one coming?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep, let's completely ignore that Jeff Kent's been the second best 2B in the majors, but he's caused a run-in with a paranoid wife-beater, so it was a horrible signing.

[ QUOTE ]
Toss in reluctance to reward an excellent manager in Jim Tracy with more than a meager 2 year contract and it all adds up to dufus to me.

[/ QUOTE ]

Excellent manager? There are two excellent managers in the game: Bobby Cox and TLR.

[Clarkmeister]

[ QUOTE ]
[
Excellent manager? There are two excellent managers in the game: Bobby Cox and TLR.

[/ QUOTE ]

TLR is mediocre at best. I'll leave it for Andy to elaborate on my behalf. [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]