Best 2009 Offseason Move (MLB) and WORST

March 10, 2010

By DailySkew

Hello there! If you are new here, you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on this topic.

The Mariners got Cliff Lee for 3 unknowns

Now that most of the 2009 free agent class has been signed and the major trades have been made at the Winter Meetings and afterwards, it’s time for the DailySkew Best 2009 Offseason Move Award and the WORST 2009 Offseason Move Award.

The best 2009/2010 signing or trade this winter has to be:

The Seattle Mariners getting Cliff Lee, who is in his prime in a three-way trade. The Mariners gave up prospects we may never heard about, and now have two aces in their starting rotation (Cliff Lee and Felix Hernandez).

Cliff Lee has shown that he is not a fluke, and although he will not be going to the Hall of Fame, he still looks like an Orel Hershiser, Dave Stewart, Mike Scott, Brett Saberhagen, or Frank Viola type of pitcher (excellent primes, insane seasons, special post-seasons, but lacking the career numbers). For the Mariners to give up technically NOTHING is a steal. Frankly, the Phillies trading Cliff Lee for Roy Halladay doesn’t make sense to me, since they are the same right now.

and the worst 2009/2010 signing:

The Nationals still think Pudge is a Keeper!

Pudge Ivan Rodriguez getting a TWO-YEAR deal worth $6 million with the Washington Nationals. Sorry Pudge, but you haven’t been good since 2004 with the Tigers at age 34. Now you’re 38, and you simply aren’t productive with the bat anymore. In this market where veterans are being disrespected and steroid users are being blacklisted, it’s quite a miracle that you managed to get a 2-year contract. Amazing since the Nationals already had catching.

Keep in mind, folks, Pudge went back to the Texas Rangers last year for a little bit in what should have been his retirement tour. Pudge hit .245 with an on base percentage of .279. Shame on Scott Boras for selling this guy in 2009/2010. Ivan Rodriguez should be a minimum wage backup catcher at best, or a bench coach at worst. The Nationals have NO chance of contending, so why sink $6 million on a has-been- so Pudge can�allegedly�improve the young pitching staff?