The biggest move of the day came when Texas sent Soranio to Washington for Brad Wilkerson, Terrmel Sledge, and a minor leaguer.
My jaw hit the floor when I heard who was involved. Soriano is easily one of the most overrated players in the game, posting a .234/.278/.409 line away from the Ballpark at Arlington with the Rangers, and now he's going to the best pitchers park in baseball.
Wilkerson is a solid OBP guy who can steal a few bases and play everywhere on the field. Oh, and he's going to make half of what Soriano will be due. Absolute raping of the Nats by new GM Jon Daniels. Bravo!
Note to self, draft Brad Wilkerson in your fantasy leagues next year.
Much more after the jump
The Padres have easily been the most active team of the off-season. You would be too if you were in that joke of a division and coming off a beat down in the playoffs? -- Anyway, they also traded Sean Burroughs, who I thought would make a nice lefty back-up 3B, to the Devil Rays in exchange for problem child Dewon Brazelton. -- Brazelton could still turn it around, but we couldn't have offered them a package with as much upside as this one.
In response to the Hoffman signing, the Indians re-upped with Bob Wickman. Paul Konerko and Jermaine Dye send a big thanks your way, executive of the year Shapiro.
Frank Thomas and Carl Everett were officially not offered arbitration, making them ineligible to negotiate with the White Sox until May, effectively ending their White Sox careers.
Angels outfielder, Jeff Davanon was designated for assignment. I bring this up not because it's particularly newsworthy, but because of his numbers compared to those of, official South Side Sox whipping boy, Timo Perez. They've both essentially been used as 4th outfielders, but over the last two years Davanon has hit .257/.361/.371 compared to Perez' .235/.278/.322. -- The Angels decided Davanon was easily replaceable, and not worth the salary. Let's hope the Sox think the same of Timo. And either hand the job to Joe Borchard, or call on Davanon.
Speaking of Borchard, this article says that there has been considerable interest from a number of teams about him at the winter meetings.
Also from that article was this passage about Jose Vizcaino.
Williams did express interest, though, in a certain Hall of Fame-bound pitcher, named Roger Clemens, who also was not offered arbitration by Houston.
"Sure. Who wouldn't?" said Williams, when asked if he had any interest in Clemens. "Nine more wins to 350 wins, who wouldn't?
"No, we can't afford him, unless Roger wants to pitch for free this year," Williams added with a wry smile.
Finally, it appears as though the Sox may have made a miscalculation as to whom to protect in the upcoming Rule-5 draft. MILB.com says that the Royals will trade the top pick to another club who will then select White Sox lefty farmhand Fabio Castro. -- This doesn't mean we lose him indefinitely. Rather, the team who drafts him has to keep him on the 25-man roster, or DL, for the entire '06 season, or risk having the Sox ask for him back.
I think that's enough. That was exhausting.