Welcome

Hey fans,

This is Ryan P. Miller and I'd like to thank you for coming to my blog. I plan to cover the MLB as much as I can( tight schedule between college, working full-time, and balancing a social life). What I hope to bring you is the newest information without bias and cold hard facts (I'll try not to hate the Yankees too much for you all). FYI, I'm a die-hard Boston Red Sox fan and pay occasional attention to The Phillies and NY Mets because they're in my viewing area. With that said, here's the latest news before the FA period kicks off!

Red Sox trade LHP Hunter Jones and Jose Alvarez foe Marlins OF Jeremy Hermida. This season, Hermida batted .259 with 101 SO's, 111 hits, 13 HR, 56 BB and 47 RBI's in 129 games. Jones made 11 appearances with a 9.24 ERA giving up 16 hits, 3 HRs, 7 BB, and 9 K's. Alvarez (9-4) never made it above "A" ball pitchin between Salem and Lowell (26 games) with a 2.26 ERA, giving up 92 hits, 32 runs, 5 HRs, 16 BBs, and 74 K's. Can't see the benefit for either team unless Hermida becomes a machine in Fenway playing in what will more than likely be a limited role in the log-jammed OF if he makes the team. I expect Jones to get immediate playing time in Florida, but see Alvarez starting in A or AA. This is a zero impact trade for both teams.

Angels re-sign OF Bobby Abreu to a 2 yr deal with club option for 2012. Abreu hit .293 with 15 homers, 103 RBIs, and 30 steals this season.

The Tampa Bay Rays trade 2B Akinori Iwamura to the Pirates for Jesse Chavez. Iwamura, who spent most of the season injured, played in 11 games for AAA Durham Bulls batting .303 with 10 hits, o HRs, and 7 SO's. Chavez, whose stats I couldn't find, but believe he was 1-4 with a 4+ ERA this season for the Pirates. I expect this deal to be a win for the Pirates provided Aki can stay healthy. He won;t have competiton like he faced in TB.

MLBtraderumors.com reports the Royals have traded 1B/OF Mark Teahan to the White Sox for 2B Chris Getz and 1B/3B Josh Fields. Teahan, in 144 games, batted .271 with 123 So's, 142 hits, 69 runs, 12HRs, 50RBIs, and 8 SB's. Getz, in 107 games batted .261 with 54 SO's, 98 hits, 49 runs, 2 Hrs, 36 RBIs, and 26 SB's. Fields in 79 games batted .222 with 76 SO's, 53 hits, 29 runs, 30 RBI's, 7 HRs, and 2 SB's. Teahan is clearly more durable with better lifetime stats and I ponder what the Sox do with him. The White Sox have been said to be looking at Johnny Damon (Yankees) and Chone Figgins (Angels) as outfield options. I look for Teahan to have a bigger impact in this strike-out happy trade. In other White Sox news, 1B/OF Mark Kotsay has been re-signed at 1 yr/1.5mil deal. He hit .292 with the White Sox after coming over from Boston at the deadline.

The Giants have re-signed 2B Freddy Sanchez to a 2 yr/$12 mil deal. He hit .284 in a shortened stint with them last season due to a shoulder injury.

So far this is all. FA has just begun. The Hot Stove should be getting ready to heat up.