Month: July 2010 (Page 61 of 62)

      NFL suspends Jackson for three games

      July 1, 2010 /

      ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the NFL has suspended Chargers’ restricted free agent Vincent Jackson for three games this season. The suspension stems from the receiver’s two DUIs, although it can also be appealed.

      Earlier this week I discussed possible trade partners for Jackson if the Chargers eventually decide to deal him. He has already stated his intentions to hold out if GM A.J. Smith doesn’t abide by his wishes for a new contract, or trades him to a team that will invest in him long-term.

      Interestingly, Schefter also reports that even if Jackson follows through with his holdout threats, the suspension will still start in Week 1 no matter what. If that’s the case (there’s no reason to doubt Schefter), then it gives V-Jax all the more reason to follow through with his holdout, seeing as how he won’t be playing the first couple of weeks anyway. He could ultimately holdout through training camp on the first couple of weeks to see if the Chargers offer him a long-term deal and then make his decision before Week 4.

      That said, no matter what Jackson does, Smith isn’t going to give in. He’s a hard-nosed executive that doesn’t bow to plays threats or demands. If he wants Jackson to play on a one-year tender, then that’s probably the receiver’s best and only option. We’ll just have to wait and see if either side gives in, although my money is on Smith standing firm.


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      External Sports, NFL

      How good would a LeBron/Wade/Bosh combo be?

      July 1, 2010 /

      ESPN’s John Hollinger used his Player Efficiency Rating to estimate the number of games this group would win if surrounded by 10 minimum salary veterans.

      Using my preseason prediction model, I plugged in a team with those three players and used fairly conservative estimates for what they might produce in the coming season — a Player Efficiency Rating of 29 for James, 26 for Wade and 23 for Bosh. I gave James 3,100 minutes, Wade 2,850 and Bosh 2,600.

      For every other minute played by Team Trinity, I inserted my replacement-level figure of a 10 PER — this is what I input when a team has an empty rotation spot or has it filled by a player projected to produce less than 10. I never go any lower than this and have never felt a need to, as virtually anyone who produces at a lesser rate (once we include defensive value) is quickly replaced.

      OK, that’s my methodology; now for the result. This team, believe it or not, projected to win 61 games.

      And that assumes all replacement level players. The roster could improve at midseason when a vet is bought out or waived, and next summer when the team would have the various exceptions available to add higher-priced talent.

      External Sports, Fantasy Basketball, NBA, News, Rumors & Gossip

      Raptors not interested in Beasley

      July 1, 2010 /

      Per the Miami Herald…

      The eve of free agency offered more convoluted speculation. One potential deal involved Toronto agreeing to send Bosh to Miami, with forward Michael Beasley, guard Mario Chalmers and center Joel Anthony, a native Canadian, going to the Raptors on July 8.

      But multiple league sources disputed the deal, including a high-level Raptors source who said the team had no real interest in Beasley or Chalmers. Toronto would, however, consider a $16 million trade exemption and the return of its first-round pick from Miami in the 2009 Jermaine O’Neal trade for a potential Bosh move.

      Bosh, who ranks the Heat among his top choices, would lose about $30 million in a guaranteed sixth-year salary if he bolted Toronto without a sign-and-trade deal.

      That Bosh rumor was the hot topic on the eve of free agency, but it appears that the Raptors aren’t all that interested in Beasley. The Heat don’t have quite enough cap space to offer Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh max contracts, but if they were able to move Beasley, they’d be very, very close. The Raptors disinterest doesn’t mean that a deal can’t happen, however. If the Heat got a third team involved, one that was interested in Beasley, then a deal could still be struck.

      The Raptors disinterest makes some sense. Beasley is a face up power forward, and that’s the natural position of former #1 overall pick Andrea Bargnani. The Raptors need a post up center to play alongside Bargnani.


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      External Sports, Fantasy Basketball, NBA, News, Rumors & Gossip

      Just one more reason for Giants fans to loathe GM Brian Sabean

      July 1, 2010 /

      If you’re a Giants fan and you’re eating while reading this, stop immediately. For those general baseball fans checking this post out, you might find this extremely interesting and damn near hilarious.

      ESPN’s Buster Olney conducted a poll recently where he asked “a dozen general managers” about making trades with other GMs. Below are the five poll questions.

      1. Who is the easiest GM for you to make a trade with?
      2. Who is the toughest GM for you to make a trade with?
      3. Who is the most open, as you go through the process of making a trade?
      4. Who is the biggest poker player, as you go through the process of making a trade?
      5. Of the other 29 general managers, who would you hire to be your GM?

      As Olney points out, the results were fascinating – or nauseating for Giants fans.

      The point of the exercise was not to rip anybody; rather, it was merely to get some sense of the style of various general managers. Without a doubt, however, the GM who got hammered in a way I never expected was the Giants’ Brian Sabean, for one simple reason — rival executives say they cannot get him on the phone. They cannot get him to return messages. In a couple of cases, some GMs say they don’t even bother calling Sabean, they just go straight to assistant Bobby Evans.

      The feeling of the other GMs is that beyond the issue of simple etiquette — “It’s just flat-out disrespectful to not return a call,” said one GM — Sabean isn’t putting himself in position to hear trade ideas that could benefit the Giants. “What happens if somebody calls to offer Brock for Broglio?” said one GM. “That’s what I get nervous about — what if the other team is shopping a really good player and he gets traded without me getting involved? That’s why I return all calls.”

      In 14 years (dear Lord, has it been that long?), a general manager is going to have some ups and downs. It’s not realistic for a GM to have never been burned by a signing or a trade. But Sabean’s resume reads more like a horror script than someone who has kept his job longer than any other current GM in Major League Baseball.

      You want bad trades? Try Jeremy Accardo for Shea Hillenbrand and Vinnie Chulk, or Russ Ortiz (in his prime) for Damian Moss and Merkin Valdez, or of course, the mother of all bad trades: Joe Nathan, Fransisco Liriano and Boof Bonser for one miserable year of A.J. Pierzynski (and cash!).

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      External Sports, MLB

      Report: Phillies interested in Dan Haren

      July 1, 2010 /

      According to MLB Trade Rumors (via ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick), the Phillies have Diamondbacks’ starter Dan Haren on their radar and might be interested in dealing for the ace.

      ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reported (via Twitter) earlier in the week that the Phils would like to add an arm “higher in caliber” than Jeremy Guthrie, and Haren certainly qualifies. However, Philadelphia is far from the only team looking into acquiring the 29-year-old. We heard yesterday that the Nationals expressed interest in Haren, and that the Cardinals also covet the right-hander. Those two clubs, along with the Yankees, Tigers, and Twins, have scouted the Diamondbacks’ ace recently.

      The Phillies’ fourth and fifth starters behind Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, and Jamie Moyer have had their struggles this year. Kyle Kendrick has posted a 4.88 ERA in 15 starts, and even after three straight quality starts, Joe Blanton’s ERA still sits at 6.19. Given the question marks in rotation, the Phillies have made starting pitching depth a priority as the trade deadline approaches.

      Whether it’s Haren or Cliff Lee, the Phillies keep coming up in trade rumors involving starting pitchers. It’s not known who the D-Backs would want in return for Haren, although at least one of Philly’s top prospects (Domonic Brown, Jarred Cosart or Jonathan Singleton) would likely be involved in any deal.


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      External Sports, MLB

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