The season is over and congrats to the Giants on a well-deserved championship. Now we made it to the exciting part of the season( especially if your team has been sitting for awhile). Before the hot stove heats up, teams are making decisions on whose coming back already. Here's a list of players who aren't returning to their teams currently:
Adam Kennedy, 2B - Nats
Chris Young, P; Jon Garland, P; Yorvit Torrealba, C - Padres
Octavio Dotel, RP; Jeff Francis, P - Rockies
Willy Ayber, UT; Dan Wheeler, RP - Rays
Vladimir Guerrero - Rangers
Adrian Beltre, 3B - Red Sox
Orlando Cabrera, SS; Aaron Harang, P - Reds
Erik Bedard, P; Russell Branyan 1B, 2B Jose Lopez - Mariners
Eric Chavez, 3B; Boof Bonser, RP - A's
Rick Ankiel, OF; Kyle Farnsworth, RP - Braves
Jhonny Peralta, SS - Tigers
Adam LaRoche, 1B - D'Backs
Greg Zaun, C; Trevor Hoffman, RP; Doug Davis, P - Brewers
Mark Hendrickson, P - Orioles
Meanwhile, the Mets exercised Jose Reyes option, the Padres have exercised Adrian Gonzalez's option, The A's have exercised Coco Crisp and Mark Ellis's options, and finally the Reds pick up Bronson Arroyo and Jonny Gomes options. Aramis Ramirez exercised his player option with the Cubs.
Showing posts with label Brewers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brewers. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
No love for Scott Boras; V-Day Weekend pt.1
Happy V-day to all, unless of course you're Scott Boras. Boras is having a record off-season with not getting his clients jobs. Felipe Lopez has just fired him, but Angels 1B Kendry Morales has added him. Should Johnny Damon? Damon will get a deal by next week more than likely with the Tigers. Lopez hit .310 last year, but is still unsigned. The Cardinals had vague interest in him. He's a multi-position defender with a .975 field percentage and former all-star. So why doesn't he have a deal? I can't explain it. I can tell you it wouldn't hurt the Athletics, Astros, Mets, Phillies, or Padres to sign him with their available depth. I believe Lopez's price tag is probably what's inhibiting him from getting a deal. Scott Boras needs to evolve with the changing economy of baseball. Teams are more inclined to invest in their system providing cheaper talent. Free agency has given way to previous big spenders to get the best players, but now you're down to what's left and teams who have little room to work with on their rosters. Look at the past five years of World Series competitors and you'll see more young talent than previously before to begin the decade.
Biggest news of the weekend thus far is the Giants coming to terms with SP Tim Lincecum on a 2yr/$23M contract. Lincecum was offered 3yr/$37M which is a good deal for both sides, but walked away opting for less. It leads me to believe the young phenom has had enough of the bay. Lincecum went 15-7 with a 2.48ERA on his way to a 2nd consecutive Cy Young.
Pedro and Smoltzy may have a buddy waiting to get a deal. Carlos Delgado will be waiting into mid-season for a team, but don't rule out the Mets from bringing him back. Look at how the Pedro Martinez deal worked out for the Phillies. Delgado could bring potential to bat .300 and club at least 20 balls in a half season.
The Mariners(who I'm shocked still have oodles of money) re-signed Mike Sweeney to a minor league contract. He hit .281 with 8HRs and 34 RBIs for them last season. The only thing that sucks is that he will be fighting five other guys for the DH spot. He claims, "Seattle was his first-choice," this off-season. Sometimes, first choices aren't the best buddy.
Accoring to ProSportsDaily.com, Blue Jays pitcher Scott Richmond is injured (shoulder) while getting ready for spring training. No timetable has been set for his return. Richmond went 8-11 with a 5.52ERA last season for the Jays.
Rumors and Notes:
If the Tigers get Damon, they may have to dump Ryan Raburn and Clete Thomas. Not a good idea for dumping 2 of your OF's for an aging one (Have they considered Raburn's production at all?). Nate Robinson and Carlos Guillen could be moved according to James Schmel of MLive.com.
The Nats have not committed to the notion of signing SP Kris Benson yet.
The Brewers lost their arbitration case with Corey Hart. Hart is set to make $4.85M.
The Orioles avoided arbitration with SP Jeremy Guthrie.
The Marlins have no interest in Carlos Delgado as previously reported by various news circuits. They may not bring back RP Kiko Calero due to his shoulder.
Check out: http://www.sportsjabber.net
Biggest news of the weekend thus far is the Giants coming to terms with SP Tim Lincecum on a 2yr/$23M contract. Lincecum was offered 3yr/$37M which is a good deal for both sides, but walked away opting for less. It leads me to believe the young phenom has had enough of the bay. Lincecum went 15-7 with a 2.48ERA on his way to a 2nd consecutive Cy Young.
Pedro and Smoltzy may have a buddy waiting to get a deal. Carlos Delgado will be waiting into mid-season for a team, but don't rule out the Mets from bringing him back. Look at how the Pedro Martinez deal worked out for the Phillies. Delgado could bring potential to bat .300 and club at least 20 balls in a half season.
The Mariners(who I'm shocked still have oodles of money) re-signed Mike Sweeney to a minor league contract. He hit .281 with 8HRs and 34 RBIs for them last season. The only thing that sucks is that he will be fighting five other guys for the DH spot. He claims, "Seattle was his first-choice," this off-season. Sometimes, first choices aren't the best buddy.
Accoring to ProSportsDaily.com, Blue Jays pitcher Scott Richmond is injured (shoulder) while getting ready for spring training. No timetable has been set for his return. Richmond went 8-11 with a 5.52ERA last season for the Jays.
Rumors and Notes:
If the Tigers get Damon, they may have to dump Ryan Raburn and Clete Thomas. Not a good idea for dumping 2 of your OF's for an aging one (Have they considered Raburn's production at all?). Nate Robinson and Carlos Guillen could be moved according to James Schmel of MLive.com.
The Nats have not committed to the notion of signing SP Kris Benson yet.
The Brewers lost their arbitration case with Corey Hart. Hart is set to make $4.85M.
The Orioles avoided arbitration with SP Jeremy Guthrie.
The Marlins have no interest in Carlos Delgado as previously reported by various news circuits. They may not bring back RP Kiko Calero due to his shoulder.
Check out: http://www.sportsjabber.net
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Shoring up
As we are nine days away from the holy grail, teams are scrambling to find players they need. Johnny Damon is probably sweating bullets right now. Jermaine Dye and Jarrod Washburn should start panicking soon.
The Brewers signed journeyman Scott Schoenweis to a minor league contract. Schoenweis (1-2; 7.12ERA) struggle last season, but his wife passed away so I can't blame him. I think Schoenweiss will come back and be dominant in relief this season.
The O's finally brought back Mark Hendrickson and got reliever Will Ohman. Hendrickson (6-5; 4.37ERA) got a year at $1.4M and is expected to be a reliever. Ohman, another lefty, was let go by the Dodgers. Ohman posted a 1-0 record with a 5.84ERA. The ability to get through innings is good, but he has to limit his baserunners.
Jacque Jones is making his curtain call in Minnesota where he had some of his best seasons. Jones signed a minor league deal today. Jones had a terrible 2008 campaign with a .147, 1HR, 7RBIs between Detroit and Florida.
The Indians signed reliever Jamey Wright to a minor league deal. Wright went 3-4 with a 4.33ERA for the Royals last season, but had a great groundball ratio.
The Mets appear close to an agreement with 1B Mike Jacobs on a minor league deal. I can't see why he wouldn't make the team and I expect is insurance should Daniel Murphy falter. Jacbos hit .228 with 19HRs and 61RBIs. His drawbacks are his inability to get on base and his decreasing fielding percentage from not playing 1B as much. the Mets didn't stop here, though. They avoided arbitration with OF Angel Pagan, too. Pagan hit .306 with 6HRs and 32RBIs in 88 games. I expect Pagan to be as solid as he was last year. The Mets should score a lot more runs with a healthy Reyes and Pagan on base. The organization has been talking with the D-Backs about obtaining C Chris Snyder again, but talks have gone nowhere. I really don't understand the need for a fourth catcher. The Mets really need help in the bullpen and rotation, they should be pursuing RP Mike MacDougal.
Rumors and Notes:
Willy Taveras is a free man after being released by the A's. GM Ed Wade has hinted at making a run at him.
The Indians have added Hank Blalock to their wishlist according to Ken Rosenthal.
According to MLB.com's Corey Brock, the Padres are "highly unlikely" to sign pitcher Hasonori Takashi.
MLB.com's Bill Ladson writes, "Nats aggressively pursuing SP Chein Ming Wang. However, they have not yet made an offer as far as we know. Count the Dodgers and Mets out on him."
The Rockies aren't going to sign RP Joe Biemel and probably not SP Todd Wellemeyer. These were broke by Tony Renck of The Denver Post and ESPN's Jerry Crasnick.
The O's have interest in Jarrod Washburn, but it's unlikely he'll be signed due to low financials. They'll be settling for Smoltz, Wellemeyer, or Looper as per J.P. Morosi.
Check out: http://www.sportsjabber.net
The Brewers signed journeyman Scott Schoenweis to a minor league contract. Schoenweis (1-2; 7.12ERA) struggle last season, but his wife passed away so I can't blame him. I think Schoenweiss will come back and be dominant in relief this season.
The O's finally brought back Mark Hendrickson and got reliever Will Ohman. Hendrickson (6-5; 4.37ERA) got a year at $1.4M and is expected to be a reliever. Ohman, another lefty, was let go by the Dodgers. Ohman posted a 1-0 record with a 5.84ERA. The ability to get through innings is good, but he has to limit his baserunners.
Jacque Jones is making his curtain call in Minnesota where he had some of his best seasons. Jones signed a minor league deal today. Jones had a terrible 2008 campaign with a .147, 1HR, 7RBIs between Detroit and Florida.
The Indians signed reliever Jamey Wright to a minor league deal. Wright went 3-4 with a 4.33ERA for the Royals last season, but had a great groundball ratio.
The Mets appear close to an agreement with 1B Mike Jacobs on a minor league deal. I can't see why he wouldn't make the team and I expect is insurance should Daniel Murphy falter. Jacbos hit .228 with 19HRs and 61RBIs. His drawbacks are his inability to get on base and his decreasing fielding percentage from not playing 1B as much. the Mets didn't stop here, though. They avoided arbitration with OF Angel Pagan, too. Pagan hit .306 with 6HRs and 32RBIs in 88 games. I expect Pagan to be as solid as he was last year. The Mets should score a lot more runs with a healthy Reyes and Pagan on base. The organization has been talking with the D-Backs about obtaining C Chris Snyder again, but talks have gone nowhere. I really don't understand the need for a fourth catcher. The Mets really need help in the bullpen and rotation, they should be pursuing RP Mike MacDougal.
Rumors and Notes:
Willy Taveras is a free man after being released by the A's. GM Ed Wade has hinted at making a run at him.
The Indians have added Hank Blalock to their wishlist according to Ken Rosenthal.
According to MLB.com's Corey Brock, the Padres are "highly unlikely" to sign pitcher Hasonori Takashi.
MLB.com's Bill Ladson writes, "Nats aggressively pursuing SP Chein Ming Wang. However, they have not yet made an offer as far as we know. Count the Dodgers and Mets out on him."
The Rockies aren't going to sign RP Joe Biemel and probably not SP Todd Wellemeyer. These were broke by Tony Renck of The Denver Post and ESPN's Jerry Crasnick.
The O's have interest in Jarrod Washburn, but it's unlikely he'll be signed due to low financials. They'll be settling for Smoltz, Wellemeyer, or Looper as per J.P. Morosi.
Check out: http://www.sportsjabber.net
Friday, January 29, 2010
More "meaningless" Acquisitons; NL East responsible
So more names came off the FA board Thursday and Friday. The question is: Does anyone care? Most of these deals familiar names, but with implications. The first was the Yankees signing of Randy Winn. Johnny Damon was simply TOO much money for the Yanks to want to spend. They gave Winn the last $2M for a year they had. Winn is a sure-fire bargain at that price, but comes nowhere near Damon's production. The Yankees should be looking to call someone up for 2011 as Winn probably won't return. Winn put up a .262 with 2HRs and 51 RBIs.
No reunion will be necessary in STL for Jim Edmonds. He came to terms with the Brewers on a minor league deal. He's had a season off since playing with Cubs and Padres in 08. Edmonds will be an extra OF if he makes the team. The odds aren't in his favor his declining numbers in every category and the Brewers OF options.
The Nationals signed RP Miguel Batista to a minor league deal. Last we knew, he was making an insane $9M with the Mariners. His numbers (7-4; 4.04ERA) weren't that good either, but considerably better than his god awful 2008.
The Marlins not to be outdone by Washington's spending spree this off-season signed RP Jose Veras (4-3;5.19ERA), who've they've been targeting to a minor league deal. After signing Derrick Turnbow earlier, the Marlins should have servicable relievers, but the bullpen is very weak still.
The Mets signed Fernando Tatis ending a week's speculation he'd return. Does this mean the end of Carlos Delgado? I doubt it. Tatis hit .282 with 8HRs and 48RBIs in 125 games for the Mets disaster-season. He was on base decently enough and his slugging percentage didn't hurt either(.438). The organization also added SP Josh Fogg (0-2;3.74ERA) to a minor league deal. I hope they don't think this is their fifth man?!? Sure he eats up innings, but gives up hits and runs galore. Omar Minaya has waited too damn long for pitching which should've been their 1st/2nd priority this off-season. As stated by SI's Jon Heyman, their falling behind in pursuit of John Smoltz.
The Mariners, who've quieted down as of late, signed OF Eric Byrnes. Byrnes hit .226 with 8 HRs and 31 RBIs after signing a previous contract with $30M. Byrnes is in sharp decline and it's a wonder they didn't pursue Randy Winn for the bench or retain Bill Hall.
Rumors and Notes:
Johnny Damon a Blue Jay?
The Angels have avoided arbitration with SP Joe Saunders. The Rangers finished their last arb-eligible player Scott Feldman.
The Reds are waiting on an answer from Orlando Cabrera on a potential deal. They offered SP Jonny Gomes a minor league deal.
The Nats are talking extensions with Adam Dunn. The Tigers are looking "long-term" with SP Justin Verlander. Jeff Passan of Yahoo says "Verlander is looking for $75M over six and the Tigers have offered five years thus far."
the Mets and two other teams are looking into INF Frank Catalanatto.
Check out: http://www.sportsjabber.net
No reunion will be necessary in STL for Jim Edmonds. He came to terms with the Brewers on a minor league deal. He's had a season off since playing with Cubs and Padres in 08. Edmonds will be an extra OF if he makes the team. The odds aren't in his favor his declining numbers in every category and the Brewers OF options.
The Nationals signed RP Miguel Batista to a minor league deal. Last we knew, he was making an insane $9M with the Mariners. His numbers (7-4; 4.04ERA) weren't that good either, but considerably better than his god awful 2008.
The Marlins not to be outdone by Washington's spending spree this off-season signed RP Jose Veras (4-3;5.19ERA), who've they've been targeting to a minor league deal. After signing Derrick Turnbow earlier, the Marlins should have servicable relievers, but the bullpen is very weak still.
The Mets signed Fernando Tatis ending a week's speculation he'd return. Does this mean the end of Carlos Delgado? I doubt it. Tatis hit .282 with 8HRs and 48RBIs in 125 games for the Mets disaster-season. He was on base decently enough and his slugging percentage didn't hurt either(.438). The organization also added SP Josh Fogg (0-2;3.74ERA) to a minor league deal. I hope they don't think this is their fifth man?!? Sure he eats up innings, but gives up hits and runs galore. Omar Minaya has waited too damn long for pitching which should've been their 1st/2nd priority this off-season. As stated by SI's Jon Heyman, their falling behind in pursuit of John Smoltz.
The Mariners, who've quieted down as of late, signed OF Eric Byrnes. Byrnes hit .226 with 8 HRs and 31 RBIs after signing a previous contract with $30M. Byrnes is in sharp decline and it's a wonder they didn't pursue Randy Winn for the bench or retain Bill Hall.
Rumors and Notes:
Johnny Damon a Blue Jay?
The Angels have avoided arbitration with SP Joe Saunders. The Rangers finished their last arb-eligible player Scott Feldman.
The Reds are waiting on an answer from Orlando Cabrera on a potential deal. They offered SP Jonny Gomes a minor league deal.
The Nats are talking extensions with Adam Dunn. The Tigers are looking "long-term" with SP Justin Verlander. Jeff Passan of Yahoo says "Verlander is looking for $75M over six and the Tigers have offered five years thus far."
the Mets and two other teams are looking into INF Frank Catalanatto.
Check out: http://www.sportsjabber.net
Monday, January 25, 2010
Weekend in Review
I think this will have everything I missed over the weekend, or so I hope. A lot of high profile players reached deals. One of the first deals was a throwback with SS Miguel Tejada signed a 1yr/$6M contract with the O's. He will be playing 3B for the frist time there in his career. Tejada couldn't live up to the expectations of his $72M contract so they dumped him and he ended up with the Astros. Tejada batted .313 with 14 HRs and 86 RBIs. He fielded .970 which isn't great, but at third he shouldn't see as much action.
The Rockies have re-signed DH Jason Giambi to a 1yr/$1.7M contract. Giambi wa between Oakland and Colorado last season barely playing over 100 games. He hit a combined .201 with 13 HRs and 51 RBIs. He was much better with Colorado posting a stronger OBP and SLG.
The Phillies re-signed C Carlos Ruiz to a 3yr/$8.8M deal. Ruiz was the last Phillie arbitration eligible. He played in his second lowest total games (103), but was overall more productive than in any other season in most categories.
One Phillie not returning is DH Matt Stairs. The 42 year old signed a minor league deal with the Padres. He has a chance to make the majors, which shouldn't be a problem unless his bat has gone cold for good. He batted .194 last season with 5HRs and 17 RBIs, but was decent getting on base and play the OF in three different positons.
Rumors and Notes:
Mark Loretta has officially hung it up.
The Astros have agreed to a deal with arb-eligible OF Hunter Pence. The Brewers got one arb-eligible payer off their list by re-signing SP Dave Bush.
Ken Rosenthal and J.P. Morosi say, "The Cubs have engaged negotiations" with RP Kiko Calero. It's been ruled out SP Ben Sheets.
The A's are looking at OF Johnny Damon as a "Plan B." "Plan A" is Ben Sheets.
Check out: http://www.sportsjabber.net
The Rockies have re-signed DH Jason Giambi to a 1yr/$1.7M contract. Giambi wa between Oakland and Colorado last season barely playing over 100 games. He hit a combined .201 with 13 HRs and 51 RBIs. He was much better with Colorado posting a stronger OBP and SLG.
The Phillies re-signed C Carlos Ruiz to a 3yr/$8.8M deal. Ruiz was the last Phillie arbitration eligible. He played in his second lowest total games (103), but was overall more productive than in any other season in most categories.
One Phillie not returning is DH Matt Stairs. The 42 year old signed a minor league deal with the Padres. He has a chance to make the majors, which shouldn't be a problem unless his bat has gone cold for good. He batted .194 last season with 5HRs and 17 RBIs, but was decent getting on base and play the OF in three different positons.
Rumors and Notes:
Mark Loretta has officially hung it up.
The Astros have agreed to a deal with arb-eligible OF Hunter Pence. The Brewers got one arb-eligible payer off their list by re-signing SP Dave Bush.
Ken Rosenthal and J.P. Morosi say, "The Cubs have engaged negotiations" with RP Kiko Calero. It's been ruled out SP Ben Sheets.
The A's are looking at OF Johnny Damon as a "Plan B." "Plan A" is Ben Sheets.
Check out: http://www.sportsjabber.net
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Last of the Arbs: Big Deals
Well the arbitration period came and went, 70 players avoided it. Notables include: Johnathon Papelbon, Ramon Ramirez, Manny Delcarmen, Tim Lincecum, Joe Blanton, Justin Verlander, Wandy Rodriguez, Francisco Liriano, Mike Napoli, Reggie Willits, Howie Kendrick, Josh Willingham, Josh Hamilton, and Zach Duke.
The Mariners have agreed to a 5yr/$78M extension with SP Felix Hernandez. Hernandez (19-5; 2.49ERA) simply blew the competition away last season and this one should be no different with Cliff Lee on board. Look out AL West, this is the team for the next few years. Hernandez's contract also has a no-trade clause with it.
Cheer up Rockies fan, your bullpen is back. Houston Street and Rafael Betancourt have re-signed multi-year deals to stay with the Rox. Street (4-1 ;3.06ERA; 35 saves) was good after coming over in the Matt Holliday trade. Betancourt (4-3; 2.73ERA) signed for 2yr/ $3.7M with a third year option. Street's deal is worth 3yrs/$22.5M with a fourth year option. The Rockies have signed C Paul Lo Duca to a minor league contract. Lo Duca has really bounced around the league after being injured and admitting to use steroids. Not a lot of promise there, but maybe Coors Field could be used to his advantage.
The Dodgers did what they needed to do to keep attendance and a fan base by signing Andre Ethier (.272; 31 HRs; 106RBIs) and Johnathon Broxton (7-2; 2.61ERA; 36 saves) to two year deals. Aside from Matt Kemp, these signings have been the only bright spot in the Dodgers offseason. Ethier's is worth $15.2M and Broxton's totals $11M.
The Brewers have reached an agreement with RP Doug Davis. Davis(9-14; 4.12ERA) agreed yesterday to a 1yr/$5.2M(which seems a bit overpaid for a sub .500 winner and career 4.31ERA). Somehow, Davis was very sought after, but will be in Milwaukee for his second stint with the Brew Crew.
Joel Pineiro has a team and it's no the Mets. Pineiro agreed to terms on a 2yr/$16M contract to fill John Lackey's void. He's no Lackey, but is serviceable. Piniero went 15-12 with a 3.29ERA in 32 games for the Cardinals.
The Pirates may have their man in RP Octavio Dotel. Dotel is slated to accept a 1r/$3M contract with a 2011 option. Dotel (3-3; 3.32ERA) has really bounced around the league since 2004, but has been good-serviceable. I expect Dotel to be the anchor of the Pirates bullpen. They just need to give him run support.
The Phils have extended SP Joe Blanton for 3yrs/$24M. Blanton, oft-criticized, went 12-8 with a 4.05ERA last season in Philly. He's a mediocre pitcher at best, but is serviceable which most people forget. Twenty-four million is too much in my opinion.
Finally, the Bengie Molina drama is over. Molina (.265, 20HRs, 80 RBIs) agreed to a 1yr/$4.5M deal to stay with the Giants. Bad move for San Fran, good for Mets. The Mets can now focus on Yorvit Torrealba if they really need a third catcher, but I'd worry more about pitching for them. Molina is in a cramped infield already as well as catching position. If he doesn't play well this season, it's going to hurt him next year trying to sign a contract. The Mets were prepared to hand him the starting job at $5M over two years.
Rumors and Notes:
RP Eric Gagne is going to try-out for the Phillies, Rockies, Dodgers, and Blue Jays. "We don't expect much," says GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. Why bother?
D-Backs are out on the Ben Sheets sweepstakes citing, "Broke."
The Cards may sign OF Jim Edmonds by week's end. The organization is looking at SP Chien Ming Wang's medical records.
Jay Payton has signed on with the Rockies.
Check out: http://www.sportsjabber.net
The Mariners have agreed to a 5yr/$78M extension with SP Felix Hernandez. Hernandez (19-5; 2.49ERA) simply blew the competition away last season and this one should be no different with Cliff Lee on board. Look out AL West, this is the team for the next few years. Hernandez's contract also has a no-trade clause with it.
Cheer up Rockies fan, your bullpen is back. Houston Street and Rafael Betancourt have re-signed multi-year deals to stay with the Rox. Street (4-1 ;3.06ERA; 35 saves) was good after coming over in the Matt Holliday trade. Betancourt (4-3; 2.73ERA) signed for 2yr/ $3.7M with a third year option. Street's deal is worth 3yrs/$22.5M with a fourth year option. The Rockies have signed C Paul Lo Duca to a minor league contract. Lo Duca has really bounced around the league after being injured and admitting to use steroids. Not a lot of promise there, but maybe Coors Field could be used to his advantage.
The Dodgers did what they needed to do to keep attendance and a fan base by signing Andre Ethier (.272; 31 HRs; 106RBIs) and Johnathon Broxton (7-2; 2.61ERA; 36 saves) to two year deals. Aside from Matt Kemp, these signings have been the only bright spot in the Dodgers offseason. Ethier's is worth $15.2M and Broxton's totals $11M.
The Brewers have reached an agreement with RP Doug Davis. Davis(9-14; 4.12ERA) agreed yesterday to a 1yr/$5.2M(which seems a bit overpaid for a sub .500 winner and career 4.31ERA). Somehow, Davis was very sought after, but will be in Milwaukee for his second stint with the Brew Crew.
Joel Pineiro has a team and it's no the Mets. Pineiro agreed to terms on a 2yr/$16M contract to fill John Lackey's void. He's no Lackey, but is serviceable. Piniero went 15-12 with a 3.29ERA in 32 games for the Cardinals.
The Pirates may have their man in RP Octavio Dotel. Dotel is slated to accept a 1r/$3M contract with a 2011 option. Dotel (3-3; 3.32ERA) has really bounced around the league since 2004, but has been good-serviceable. I expect Dotel to be the anchor of the Pirates bullpen. They just need to give him run support.
The Phils have extended SP Joe Blanton for 3yrs/$24M. Blanton, oft-criticized, went 12-8 with a 4.05ERA last season in Philly. He's a mediocre pitcher at best, but is serviceable which most people forget. Twenty-four million is too much in my opinion.
Finally, the Bengie Molina drama is over. Molina (.265, 20HRs, 80 RBIs) agreed to a 1yr/$4.5M deal to stay with the Giants. Bad move for San Fran, good for Mets. The Mets can now focus on Yorvit Torrealba if they really need a third catcher, but I'd worry more about pitching for them. Molina is in a cramped infield already as well as catching position. If he doesn't play well this season, it's going to hurt him next year trying to sign a contract. The Mets were prepared to hand him the starting job at $5M over two years.
Rumors and Notes:
RP Eric Gagne is going to try-out for the Phillies, Rockies, Dodgers, and Blue Jays. "We don't expect much," says GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. Why bother?
D-Backs are out on the Ben Sheets sweepstakes citing, "Broke."
The Cards may sign OF Jim Edmonds by week's end. The organization is looking at SP Chien Ming Wang's medical records.
Jay Payton has signed on with the Rockies.
Check out: http://www.sportsjabber.net
Monday, January 18, 2010
A Swap and More Arbs
So the biggest news other than Bobby Jenks arbitration deal over the weekend was the A's-Padres swap of 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff( now an A) and minor leaguer Erik Sogard for OF Aaron Cunningham and OF Scott Hairston( now Padres). Um, so let's get this straight--the Padres swapped a decent fielding/hitting player for a guy that use to play for them and a guy I've never heard of? They couldn't do any better?!? Dump Heath Bell and be done being a baseball club San Diego. Disgrace everything Tony Gwynn brought to your organization. Billy Beane may as well be described as "King of The West" for this deal (It's not spectacular, but it looks freakin good when you dump two meaningless players for an average star 3B). Sure, you can argue Kouz's average at the plate (.255) and OBP (.302) weren't fantastic, but do Hairston or Cunningham compare? Hairston has a better batting average when he' a Padre, but that's it.
The Pirates came to terms with RP Brenden Donnelly on a contract worth $1.5M/1 year. Donnelly pitched for the Marlins last season posting a 3-0; 1.38ERA and was targeted by the Pirates a few days ago. He's really come on since Houston Triple-A before he signed with the Marlins last season after having surgery in 2007( Tommy John).
The Padres came to terms with INF Jerry Hairston, Jr. on a 1yr/$2.1M deal. Seems a bit expensive for a player who didn't produce very much last season, especially with the Yankees. Hairston (.251, 10HRs, 39 RBIs) does have the opportunity to play alongside his brother Scott, who was acquired in the Kouzmanoff deal.
Arbitration avoids:
Rangers SP/RP Dustin Nippert, White Sox RP Bobby Jenks, P Tony Pena, and OF Carlos Quentin, Blue Jays SP Shaun Marcum, Giants RP Brandon Medders, Marlins 2B Dan Uggla, Brewers OF Jody Gerut, and Reds RP Nick Masset.
Rumors and Notes:
Cards Skip Schumaker claims "The Cards and I are close to a deal." GM Mozelik is rumored to say Ryan Ludwick will have a new deal, too. Rick Ankiel, probably not.
RP Octavio Dotel could be a Pirate very soon.
"Don't rule out RP Kiko Calero returning to Florida," says ESPN's Buster Olney.
The Rays may be tied up trying to deal with pending arbitration's with B.J. Upton, Matt Garza, Jason Bartlett, and J.P. Howell, but they could be interested in DH Jim Thome (from MLB's Scott Merkin). Not really an upgrade over Pat Burrell.
ESPN's Buster Olney says, "Rockies are staying in contact" with Jason Giambi.
J.P. Morosi writes, "The Cubs are interested in OF Xavier Nady." Nady or Dye? That's an interesting contest.
Check out http://www.sportsjabber.net
The Pirates came to terms with RP Brenden Donnelly on a contract worth $1.5M/1 year. Donnelly pitched for the Marlins last season posting a 3-0; 1.38ERA and was targeted by the Pirates a few days ago. He's really come on since Houston Triple-A before he signed with the Marlins last season after having surgery in 2007( Tommy John).
The Padres came to terms with INF Jerry Hairston, Jr. on a 1yr/$2.1M deal. Seems a bit expensive for a player who didn't produce very much last season, especially with the Yankees. Hairston (.251, 10HRs, 39 RBIs) does have the opportunity to play alongside his brother Scott, who was acquired in the Kouzmanoff deal.
Arbitration avoids:
Rangers SP/RP Dustin Nippert, White Sox RP Bobby Jenks, P Tony Pena, and OF Carlos Quentin, Blue Jays SP Shaun Marcum, Giants RP Brandon Medders, Marlins 2B Dan Uggla, Brewers OF Jody Gerut, and Reds RP Nick Masset.
Rumors and Notes:
Cards Skip Schumaker claims "The Cards and I are close to a deal." GM Mozelik is rumored to say Ryan Ludwick will have a new deal, too. Rick Ankiel, probably not.
RP Octavio Dotel could be a Pirate very soon.
"Don't rule out RP Kiko Calero returning to Florida," says ESPN's Buster Olney.
The Rays may be tied up trying to deal with pending arbitration's with B.J. Upton, Matt Garza, Jason Bartlett, and J.P. Howell, but they could be interested in DH Jim Thome (from MLB's Scott Merkin). Not really an upgrade over Pat Burrell.
ESPN's Buster Olney says, "Rockies are staying in contact" with Jason Giambi.
J.P. Morosi writes, "The Cubs are interested in OF Xavier Nady." Nady or Dye? That's an interesting contest.
Check out http://www.sportsjabber.net
Friday, December 18, 2009
Another Big Trade?
This week seems to be a catalyst for baseball trades. First the blockbuster Lee-Halladay deal, now various sources report the busy Mariners are ready to send SP Carlos Silva to the Cubbies for OF Milton Bradley. This is great for the Cubs even though Silva is costing them $3M more beacause of the added depth to their pitching staff and a better clubhouse enviornment. Can the M's be a winner with Bradley? I think so. Bradley should be the hitter recieving protection so he can get some good balls to hit. Don Wakamatsu and Jeff Z. seem like the saviors of the franchise and should win the AL West this season with the moves they made. They won't tolerate Bradley's antics. Silva was out all of last season practically making only eight starts and going 1-3 with an 8.60ERA. I'm concerned for the Cubs because Silva's performance the past four year hasn't been all that good( not a single winning season or ERA below 4.19). Is it worth it for the Cubs to do this trade? Yes, Bradley is that much of a distraction to Piniella and Co. The deal is now pending a Bud Selig approval because of the money.
The M's didn't stop there either. They re-signed Ryan Langerhans to a one year contract(financials undisclosed). There is a rumor going aroudn they're shopping Brandon Morrow for a corner INF or DH. An extension is in the works for OF Franklin Gutierrez (.283 18HRs, and 70RBIs) for three-four years. His agent says they are "making progress."
If the deal goes down, ESPN's Jayson Stark says Cubs look at Rick Ankiel, Marlon Byrd, and Scott Podsednik. I like Marlon Byrd most of the bunch as a fit in Chi-town. Although having Ankiel's D at Wrigley wouldn't hurt?
The Yankees swooped in today and offered 1B Nick Johnson a 1yr/$5.5M contract. This would be Johnson's second stint with the team. He was a combined .256 hitter from '01-'04 with them. Johnson shuffled around the NL East last season and played in 133 games batting a combined .273. Where does he fit into the puzzle? I don't see where. I believe the Yankees did this to prevent other teams from picking him up(namely Boston). George King of the NY Post says if he signs the deal, "Damon's return is unlikely."
The Phillies have exercised SS Jimmy Rollins 2011 option ($8.5M) today. Rollins hit 2.50 with 21 HRs and 77 RBIs and stole 31 bases in '09.
Before Lackey was signed with the Red Sox, the team offered OF Matt Holliday a five year $82.5M contract. I'm glad we got Lackey instead, but something needs to be done about the outfield. Mike Cameron is not the answer. The Sox claim to still be active in trading for 1B Adrian Gonzalez. More than liekly, the deal doesn't get done and they settle for 3B Adrian Beltre. They still haven't jumped on the Mark DeRosa bandwagon and it came out today the Yankees will not pursue him.
Rumors and Notes:
The Braves agreed to terms with Cardinals INF Joe Thurston(.225).
The Brewers signed SP Kameoron Loe to a minor league deal.
The Dodgers are interested in Ronnie Belliard and Felipe Lopez.
The Padres and FA OF Coco Crisp are in serious talks about a one year deal.
The Reds have re-signed Laynce Nix to a minor league deal.
Check out http://www.sportsjabber.net
The M's didn't stop there either. They re-signed Ryan Langerhans to a one year contract(financials undisclosed). There is a rumor going aroudn they're shopping Brandon Morrow for a corner INF or DH. An extension is in the works for OF Franklin Gutierrez (.283 18HRs, and 70RBIs) for three-four years. His agent says they are "making progress."
If the deal goes down, ESPN's Jayson Stark says Cubs look at Rick Ankiel, Marlon Byrd, and Scott Podsednik. I like Marlon Byrd most of the bunch as a fit in Chi-town. Although having Ankiel's D at Wrigley wouldn't hurt?
The Yankees swooped in today and offered 1B Nick Johnson a 1yr/$5.5M contract. This would be Johnson's second stint with the team. He was a combined .256 hitter from '01-'04 with them. Johnson shuffled around the NL East last season and played in 133 games batting a combined .273. Where does he fit into the puzzle? I don't see where. I believe the Yankees did this to prevent other teams from picking him up(namely Boston). George King of the NY Post says if he signs the deal, "Damon's return is unlikely."
The Phillies have exercised SS Jimmy Rollins 2011 option ($8.5M) today. Rollins hit 2.50 with 21 HRs and 77 RBIs and stole 31 bases in '09.
Before Lackey was signed with the Red Sox, the team offered OF Matt Holliday a five year $82.5M contract. I'm glad we got Lackey instead, but something needs to be done about the outfield. Mike Cameron is not the answer. The Sox claim to still be active in trading for 1B Adrian Gonzalez. More than liekly, the deal doesn't get done and they settle for 3B Adrian Beltre. They still haven't jumped on the Mark DeRosa bandwagon and it came out today the Yankees will not pursue him.
Rumors and Notes:
The Braves agreed to terms with Cardinals INF Joe Thurston(.225).
The Brewers signed SP Kameoron Loe to a minor league deal.
The Dodgers are interested in Ronnie Belliard and Felipe Lopez.
The Padres and FA OF Coco Crisp are in serious talks about a one year deal.
The Reds have re-signed Laynce Nix to a minor league deal.
Check out http://www.sportsjabber.net
Monday, December 14, 2009
M.O.A.D.
Holy Friolies!!!! Today is the mother of all deal days! Big Names! Big Price Tags! This has by far eclipsed anything done at the winter meetings. Lets' get down to it.
Firstly, I'm excited and thrilled to report the Red Sox appear to have agreed to terms with SP John Lackey. The deal is worth $85M over 5 years which is significantly less than the expected $100M I thought Lackey would get. This move should make the Red Sox arguably the deepest pitching staff in the majors. Another bonus is it comes off of the pesky Angels, who always seem to meet the Sox in the opening round of the playoffs most seasons. The Sox would be giving up another draft pick to the Angels which would bump the Jays pick down for picking up Marco Scutaro. The team is having trouble negotiating with Josh Beckett, so this cushions the blow in the event, he elects free agency next season. Lackey was 11-8 with a 3.83ERA in the regular season and 1-1 with a 3.12ERA in the postseason. The Red Sox can now concentrate on getting an OF. Rumor has it Mike Cameron (who sure as hell is no Jason Bay) is in the mix.
The next biggest news is the 3 team swap including pitchers Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay. The Phillies before the trade are trying to lock up Halladay. The Phils get Halladay and two prospects from the M's. The M's get Cliff Lee. The Jays get Phillies catcher prospect Travis D'Arnuad and another to be named(OF Michael Taylor maybe?), and Seattle pitching prospect Phillipe Aumont. SP/RP J.A. Happ and Joe Blanton took physicals as well as other desired prospect Domonic Brown, who could be part of the deal. This is a bad deal for Philly, who depleted their talent to acquire Lee and now they want to do it again? Happ is going to be better than serviceable in the years to come. The Jays are looking towards the future and suppose these prospects don't produce? I looked at the numbers and these guys are all nowhere near the majors yet. How much longer will Toronto wait?!? Seattle makes off with immediate return.
The Angels have reached an agreement with DH/OF Hideki Matsui. It's a 1yr/ $6.5M deal which is far less than the $77M they doled out for Vlad Guerrero. Vlad's days are over if this deal goes through. Can Matsui play the OF if need be? This is an almost $7M dollar pay-cut from his previous Yankees contract. The Angels are said to be looking to the possibility of acquiring SP Derek Lowe from the Braves.
The Brewers re-signed 3B Craig Counsell at $2.1M plus $500K in incentives for one year. The deal is a steal for the Brewers looking at Counsell's salivating numbers last season (.285, 4 HRs, 39RBIs, 61 runs in 130 games).
The Nats brought back SP Scott Olsen to a 1yr/$1M deal with incentives that could make it up to $5M if he makes x number of starts. Olsen struggled last season before getting injured (2-4; 6.03ERA).
The Mets have offered SP Kelvim Escobar a minor league deal. Escobar is looking to work out of the bullpen for the preservation of his shoulder. No terms to report.
News and Notes:
The Astros, D-Backs, Pirates, and Cardinals all want a piece of 2B Kelly Johnson. My guess is the Cardinals or Astros get him.
The Nationals, Cardinals, Rangers, Rockies and Marlins have set their eyes on Matt Capps. I expect the Cards or Nats to get him unless he gets the multi-year deal he's looking for and is willing to be a set-up man for the other clubs.
Jason Michaels will be back next year in an Astros uni. Claudio Vargas is returning to the Brewers as well.
The Blue Jays signed C Ramon Castro to a 1yr/$1M deal.
Check out:http://www.sportsjabber.net
Firstly, I'm excited and thrilled to report the Red Sox appear to have agreed to terms with SP John Lackey. The deal is worth $85M over 5 years which is significantly less than the expected $100M I thought Lackey would get. This move should make the Red Sox arguably the deepest pitching staff in the majors. Another bonus is it comes off of the pesky Angels, who always seem to meet the Sox in the opening round of the playoffs most seasons. The Sox would be giving up another draft pick to the Angels which would bump the Jays pick down for picking up Marco Scutaro. The team is having trouble negotiating with Josh Beckett, so this cushions the blow in the event, he elects free agency next season. Lackey was 11-8 with a 3.83ERA in the regular season and 1-1 with a 3.12ERA in the postseason. The Red Sox can now concentrate on getting an OF. Rumor has it Mike Cameron (who sure as hell is no Jason Bay) is in the mix.
The next biggest news is the 3 team swap including pitchers Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay. The Phillies before the trade are trying to lock up Halladay. The Phils get Halladay and two prospects from the M's. The M's get Cliff Lee. The Jays get Phillies catcher prospect Travis D'Arnuad and another to be named(OF Michael Taylor maybe?), and Seattle pitching prospect Phillipe Aumont. SP/RP J.A. Happ and Joe Blanton took physicals as well as other desired prospect Domonic Brown, who could be part of the deal. This is a bad deal for Philly, who depleted their talent to acquire Lee and now they want to do it again? Happ is going to be better than serviceable in the years to come. The Jays are looking towards the future and suppose these prospects don't produce? I looked at the numbers and these guys are all nowhere near the majors yet. How much longer will Toronto wait?!? Seattle makes off with immediate return.
The Angels have reached an agreement with DH/OF Hideki Matsui. It's a 1yr/ $6.5M deal which is far less than the $77M they doled out for Vlad Guerrero. Vlad's days are over if this deal goes through. Can Matsui play the OF if need be? This is an almost $7M dollar pay-cut from his previous Yankees contract. The Angels are said to be looking to the possibility of acquiring SP Derek Lowe from the Braves.
The Brewers re-signed 3B Craig Counsell at $2.1M plus $500K in incentives for one year. The deal is a steal for the Brewers looking at Counsell's salivating numbers last season (.285, 4 HRs, 39RBIs, 61 runs in 130 games).
The Nats brought back SP Scott Olsen to a 1yr/$1M deal with incentives that could make it up to $5M if he makes x number of starts. Olsen struggled last season before getting injured (2-4; 6.03ERA).
The Mets have offered SP Kelvim Escobar a minor league deal. Escobar is looking to work out of the bullpen for the preservation of his shoulder. No terms to report.
News and Notes:
The Astros, D-Backs, Pirates, and Cardinals all want a piece of 2B Kelly Johnson. My guess is the Cardinals or Astros get him.
The Nationals, Cardinals, Rangers, Rockies and Marlins have set their eyes on Matt Capps. I expect the Cards or Nats to get him unless he gets the multi-year deal he's looking for and is willing to be a set-up man for the other clubs.
Jason Michaels will be back next year in an Astros uni. Claudio Vargas is returning to the Brewers as well.
The Blue Jays signed C Ramon Castro to a 1yr/$1M deal.
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Saturday, December 12, 2009
The Aftermath Weekend
The winter meetings ended somewhat quietly this off-season leaving many big names on the board still. One reliever took himself off, J.J. Putz (1-4;5.22ERA in 29 games) signed Friday with the White Sox to a 1yr/$3M deal. This is relatively cheap for Putz, who suffered through injuries last season in a plagued stay with the Mets. The white Sox made a good move here, but it leads me to believe GM Williams is pushing Bobby Jenks out the door. I like Jenks way better as a closer than Putz. Jenks was tendered a contract Saturday.
The Royals got their man in C Jason Kendall. Kendall signed to a similar "Pudge" Rodriguez deal. This new Royals team plan is kind of bizarre. Trade away talent for minimal talent or aged vets.
Saturday was tendering day. Unfortunately that meant a few players didn't make the cut: Yanks SP Chien Ming-Wang, Brewers SP Seth McClung, Rox 3B Garret Atkins,all-purpose Marlin Alfredo Amezaga, Nat's pitcher Scott Olsen, Phillies reliever Clay Condrey, Angels reliever Jose Arredondo, Giants 1B Ryan Garko Braves 2B Kelley Johnson and OF Ryan Church,Reds OF Jonny Gomes, Atheltics DH/OF Jack Cust, and surprisingly Pirates closer Matt Capps.
The Blue Jays signed OF Joey Gathright, C John Buck, and RP Raul Chavez.
News and Notes:
The Lowell-Ramirez deal is being held-up because of Lowell's thumb injury as per Nick Cafardo's report.
ESPN's Jayson Stark(via Twitter) reports the Angels are making a significant push at retaining John Lackey now.
The Red Sox completed the Boof Bonser trade by sending Chris Province (2-4;2.60ERA in AA) to the Twins. Bonser was signed through 2010 by the Sox Saturday.
SI's John Heyman says "The Mets will go to five years to get Jason Bay if need be," while Gordon Edes says for "Sox fans not to give up on Bay." Meanwhile, Luke Adams of mlbtraderumors.com reports Bay's agent Joe Urbon says "my client is ready to move on after seeing other offers."
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The Royals got their man in C Jason Kendall. Kendall signed to a similar "Pudge" Rodriguez deal. This new Royals team plan is kind of bizarre. Trade away talent for minimal talent or aged vets.
Saturday was tendering day. Unfortunately that meant a few players didn't make the cut: Yanks SP Chien Ming-Wang, Brewers SP Seth McClung, Rox 3B Garret Atkins,all-purpose Marlin Alfredo Amezaga, Nat's pitcher Scott Olsen, Phillies reliever Clay Condrey, Angels reliever Jose Arredondo, Giants 1B Ryan Garko Braves 2B Kelley Johnson and OF Ryan Church,Reds OF Jonny Gomes, Atheltics DH/OF Jack Cust, and surprisingly Pirates closer Matt Capps.
The Blue Jays signed OF Joey Gathright, C John Buck, and RP Raul Chavez.
News and Notes:
The Lowell-Ramirez deal is being held-up because of Lowell's thumb injury as per Nick Cafardo's report.
ESPN's Jayson Stark(via Twitter) reports the Angels are making a significant push at retaining John Lackey now.
The Red Sox completed the Boof Bonser trade by sending Chris Province (2-4;2.60ERA in AA) to the Twins. Bonser was signed through 2010 by the Sox Saturday.
SI's John Heyman says "The Mets will go to five years to get Jason Bay if need be," while Gordon Edes says for "Sox fans not to give up on Bay." Meanwhile, Luke Adams of mlbtraderumors.com reports Bay's agent Joe Urbon says "my client is ready to move on after seeing other offers."
Check out:http://www.sportsjabber.net
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Winter Meetings: Day 3
I'm still recovering from yesterday as today has more heavy-hitting news. The Granderson deal huge. Boston should strike back today or tomorrow to counter the Yankees. They could've gotten Granderson if they traded SP Clay Buchholz or Jacoby Ellsbury, but thought the price was too high. I agree with the front office. This probably means the Yankees have no trade chips to get Roy Halladay. The Yankees did get Andy Pettite after all, who signed for just under $12M despite not origianlly liking the number. Rumor has it the other New York(Mets) team has its eyes on Joel Pineiro, Doug Davis, John Lackey, Jon Garland, and Jason Marquis. I think they get Garland or Davis.
The Brewers have closed the deal with SP Randy Wolf. They get him for 3 yrs @ $29.75M with a fourth year option. As a bonus, they picked up reliever LaTroy Hawkins (1-4; 2.13ERA) for two years at $7.5M. Good moves by the Brewers, although I think they overpaid for Randy Wolf. Hawkins was a steal because of his abilityto get batters and baserunners out.
The Orioles and Rangers appear to be trading pitchers. The Orioles will get Kevin Millwood (13-10; 3.67ERA) sending Chis Ray (0-4;7.27ERA). What are the Rangers thinking? Ray hasn't had a winning season in 4 ML seasons? His ERA jumped almost 3 points from 2007 to this year?!? If I'm Texas, I'm praying someone's physical comes back with a defect (more than likely Millwood's). If I'm Baltimore, I'm thinking about pulling off a possible deal of the century. The money saved by Texas would allow them to pursue a cheaper starter. As of 6:34PM, it;s a done deal and Texas gets a player to be named later.
The Rockies are close to re-signing C Yorvit Torrealba(.291, 2HRs, 31 RBIs in 64 games). The deal would be worth $5.5M/2yrs. That's a lot for a backup catcher who doesn't even play half the season. Torrealba is looking for $6M.
The Astros appear close to receiving closer Matt Lindstrom from the Marlins reports Ken Rosenthal. It is unsure of who the Marlins will receive. Lindstrom (2-1; 5.89ERA) lost the closer job to Leo Nunez after injuring himself mid-season and never returning to form. As of 4:33PM, this deal is done and Lindstrom is on his way for a physical in Houston. The Marlins get pitcher Robert Bono,INF Luis Bryan and a player to be named.
SS Bobby Crosby is now a Pirate. The contract is worth $1M with 5K of incentives. At least they didn't overspend on him.
Rumors:
Multiple teams are interested in SP Derek Lowe (15-10;4.67ERA) and the Braves say they will "eat some of his contract."
The Rays lead the chase for reliever Rafael Soriano.
Rich Harden is on the verge of a contract agreement for an unknown team (Rangers is the rumor now).
The White Sox may take a look at reliever J.J. Putz. Does this mean that Bobby Jenks is on the move? Or will Putz accept a similar role when he was acquired by the Mets?
The Red Sox and Rangers are talking Mike Lowell.
Jayson Stark says the Padres are "aggresively" trying to move Kevin Kouzmanoff.
The Phillies have interest in pitcher Jason Marquis.
check out http://www.sportsjabber.net
The Brewers have closed the deal with SP Randy Wolf. They get him for 3 yrs @ $29.75M with a fourth year option. As a bonus, they picked up reliever LaTroy Hawkins (1-4; 2.13ERA) for two years at $7.5M. Good moves by the Brewers, although I think they overpaid for Randy Wolf. Hawkins was a steal because of his abilityto get batters and baserunners out.
The Orioles and Rangers appear to be trading pitchers. The Orioles will get Kevin Millwood (13-10; 3.67ERA) sending Chis Ray (0-4;7.27ERA). What are the Rangers thinking? Ray hasn't had a winning season in 4 ML seasons? His ERA jumped almost 3 points from 2007 to this year?!? If I'm Texas, I'm praying someone's physical comes back with a defect (more than likely Millwood's). If I'm Baltimore, I'm thinking about pulling off a possible deal of the century. The money saved by Texas would allow them to pursue a cheaper starter. As of 6:34PM, it;s a done deal and Texas gets a player to be named later.
The Rockies are close to re-signing C Yorvit Torrealba(.291, 2HRs, 31 RBIs in 64 games). The deal would be worth $5.5M/2yrs. That's a lot for a backup catcher who doesn't even play half the season. Torrealba is looking for $6M.
The Astros appear close to receiving closer Matt Lindstrom from the Marlins reports Ken Rosenthal. It is unsure of who the Marlins will receive. Lindstrom (2-1; 5.89ERA) lost the closer job to Leo Nunez after injuring himself mid-season and never returning to form. As of 4:33PM, this deal is done and Lindstrom is on his way for a physical in Houston. The Marlins get pitcher Robert Bono,INF Luis Bryan and a player to be named.
SS Bobby Crosby is now a Pirate. The contract is worth $1M with 5K of incentives. At least they didn't overspend on him.
Rumors:
Multiple teams are interested in SP Derek Lowe (15-10;4.67ERA) and the Braves say they will "eat some of his contract."
The Rays lead the chase for reliever Rafael Soriano.
Rich Harden is on the verge of a contract agreement for an unknown team (Rangers is the rumor now).
The White Sox may take a look at reliever J.J. Putz. Does this mean that Bobby Jenks is on the move? Or will Putz accept a similar role when he was acquired by the Mets?
The Red Sox and Rangers are talking Mike Lowell.
Jayson Stark says the Padres are "aggresively" trying to move Kevin Kouzmanoff.
The Phillies have interest in pitcher Jason Marquis.
check out http://www.sportsjabber.net
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Winter Meetings Day 2; Big News
First thing that happened today was C Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez agreeing to a 2yr/$6M deal with the Nationals pending a physical. Many fans thought Rodriguez was washed up in 2008, but had a great 2009 season between Houston and Texas hitting a combined .249 with 10HRs and 47 RBIs. The Nats are making some very good moves having just acquired Brian Bruney yesterday. At this rate, they could be contenders if they can hold onto Josh Willingham.
The biggest move probably of the day goes to the three team trade (Yanks, Tigers, and D-Backs). The Yankees will acquire OF Curtis Granderson (.249; 30HRs; 71 RBIs) from the Tigers and they ship OF Austin Jackson (.300BA in AAA) and reliever Phil Coke (4-3; 4.50ERA) to the Tigers and SP Ian Kennedy to the D-Backs. Jackson provides talent for the Tigers, but Phil Coke has a little work to do yet. The Tigers will receive SP Max Scherzer (9-11; 4.12ERA) and RP Daniel Schlereth (1-4; 5.89ERA) from the D-Backs. Scherzer is considered to be the prize of the deal for Detroit, who has just cut their payroll by a lot. The D-Backs meanwhile also get SP Edwin Jackson (13-9; 3.62 ERA) from the Tigers. The Yankees win this deal immediately by adding Granderson's big bat, but the Tigers are close behind with talent locked up for years to come. The D-backs, I have no idea what they were thinking? Jackson is a good pick-up, but won't be as beneficial as a Granderson, Jackson, or the Scherzer to come. With the deal going through, expect Yankees OF Melky Cabrera to be cut loose. Physicals will be taken before it's all set in stone.
The Pirates are reportedly close to signing SS Bobby Crosby (.223BA; 6HRs 29RBIs). He would be competing with Ronny Cedeno for the spot if signed. I think Crosby is the wrong move for the Pirates, not saying Ronny Cedeno is the answer. Crosby is a guy whose consistently underachieved since 2005.
Rumor has it the Angels will deal an infielder and the most likely candidate is Macier Izturis (.300BA, 8HRs, 65RBIs). Why they'd dump a guy with that production who only makes $1.6M is beyond me. They won't be able to replace those numbers that cheap. Also, the teams considering giving Vladimir Guerrero a 1 year deal, but Vlad wants at least two years. If two years is his asking price, he will find a suitor quick.
News and notes:
1B/3B/OF Mark Teahan has been locked up by the White Sox for three years at $14M.
The Braves designated OF Ryan Church for assignment (.260, 2HRs, 18RBIs in his Braves stint). This moves frees up the space for Rafael Soriano to return after he accepted arbitration late last night.
The Twins designated RP Boof Bonser (3-7; 5.93ERA) for assignment to make room for Carl Pavano, who also accepted arbitration late last night.
The Brewers have offered SP Randy Wolf (11-7; 3.23ERA) a three year contract at $27M...The deal screams sign me.
Chone Figgins is officially the Mariners 3B. Brad Penny is officially a Cardinal. The Giants better find someone now. Rich Harden sounds good?
The Phillies have signed multi-position player Ross Gload to a 2yr deal.
Check out http://www.sportsjabber.net
The biggest move probably of the day goes to the three team trade (Yanks, Tigers, and D-Backs). The Yankees will acquire OF Curtis Granderson (.249; 30HRs; 71 RBIs) from the Tigers and they ship OF Austin Jackson (.300BA in AAA) and reliever Phil Coke (4-3; 4.50ERA) to the Tigers and SP Ian Kennedy to the D-Backs. Jackson provides talent for the Tigers, but Phil Coke has a little work to do yet. The Tigers will receive SP Max Scherzer (9-11; 4.12ERA) and RP Daniel Schlereth (1-4; 5.89ERA) from the D-Backs. Scherzer is considered to be the prize of the deal for Detroit, who has just cut their payroll by a lot. The D-Backs meanwhile also get SP Edwin Jackson (13-9; 3.62 ERA) from the Tigers. The Yankees win this deal immediately by adding Granderson's big bat, but the Tigers are close behind with talent locked up for years to come. The D-backs, I have no idea what they were thinking? Jackson is a good pick-up, but won't be as beneficial as a Granderson, Jackson, or the Scherzer to come. With the deal going through, expect Yankees OF Melky Cabrera to be cut loose. Physicals will be taken before it's all set in stone.
The Pirates are reportedly close to signing SS Bobby Crosby (.223BA; 6HRs 29RBIs). He would be competing with Ronny Cedeno for the spot if signed. I think Crosby is the wrong move for the Pirates, not saying Ronny Cedeno is the answer. Crosby is a guy whose consistently underachieved since 2005.
Rumor has it the Angels will deal an infielder and the most likely candidate is Macier Izturis (.300BA, 8HRs, 65RBIs). Why they'd dump a guy with that production who only makes $1.6M is beyond me. They won't be able to replace those numbers that cheap. Also, the teams considering giving Vladimir Guerrero a 1 year deal, but Vlad wants at least two years. If two years is his asking price, he will find a suitor quick.
News and notes:
1B/3B/OF Mark Teahan has been locked up by the White Sox for three years at $14M.
The Braves designated OF Ryan Church for assignment (.260, 2HRs, 18RBIs in his Braves stint). This moves frees up the space for Rafael Soriano to return after he accepted arbitration late last night.
The Twins designated RP Boof Bonser (3-7; 5.93ERA) for assignment to make room for Carl Pavano, who also accepted arbitration late last night.
The Brewers have offered SP Randy Wolf (11-7; 3.23ERA) a three year contract at $27M...The deal screams sign me.
Chone Figgins is officially the Mariners 3B. Brad Penny is officially a Cardinal. The Giants better find someone now. Rich Harden sounds good?
The Phillies have signed multi-position player Ross Gload to a 2yr deal.
Check out http://www.sportsjabber.net
Friday, December 4, 2009
Scutaro;Zaun; Figgins and more
It's a deal. Boston's new SS is Marco Scutaro. I don't agree with the signing. I was more open to Pedroia moving over to SS and being able to sign a Brandon Phillips, Orlando Hudson (which the Rox claim they're not pursuing) or a 2b of those natures. The Sox don't trust Jed Lowrie because of his health, but Scutaro is coming off an injury, too. Sure, he hit .282 with 12 HRs, 60 RBIs and 100 runs for last season, but why do I feel like he won't come near those numbers again? Now the Sox mus tackle the OF and bullpen which are far more important a this point in my eyes.
C Greg Zaun has signed a deal with the Brewers. It's woth $1.9M this season with a $2M+ option for next season and a $250K buyout. Zaun split time between Baltimore and Tampa Bay last season playing 90 games hitting a combined .251.
The rumor is Chone Figgins is close to a deal, but don't rule the Angles out yet says Jayson Stark of ESPN, with the Mariners. This news may no break until tomorrow if it's true.
The Orioles have re-signed C Chad Moeller to a minor league deal. The Orioles backstop is now crowded behind Matt Wieters. Moeller will be battling Craig Tatum and Michel Hernandez for the spot. Moeller hit .251 in 30 games last season.
Other news, The Rangers claimed Joe Inglett of the Jays. Inglett hit .281 last season for Toronto and .360 in Triple A ball. The Dodgers signed reliever Justin Miller to a minor league deal. If he makes the majors, he'll make $850K. Last season before going down with arthroscopic elbow surgery. Miller posted a 3.18ERA for the Giants last season.
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C Greg Zaun has signed a deal with the Brewers. It's woth $1.9M this season with a $2M+ option for next season and a $250K buyout. Zaun split time between Baltimore and Tampa Bay last season playing 90 games hitting a combined .251.
The rumor is Chone Figgins is close to a deal, but don't rule the Angles out yet says Jayson Stark of ESPN, with the Mariners. This news may no break until tomorrow if it's true.
The Orioles have re-signed C Chad Moeller to a minor league deal. The Orioles backstop is now crowded behind Matt Wieters. Moeller will be battling Craig Tatum and Michel Hernandez for the spot. Moeller hit .251 in 30 games last season.
Other news, The Rangers claimed Joe Inglett of the Jays. Inglett hit .281 last season for Toronto and .360 in Triple A ball. The Dodgers signed reliever Justin Miller to a minor league deal. If he makes the majors, he'll make $850K. Last season before going down with arthroscopic elbow surgery. Miller posted a 3.18ERA for the Giants last season.
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Monday, November 23, 2009
Vizquel; Capauno; Halama; Rumors
The White Sox have made it official. Omar Vizquel is coming to the Windy City. It's a 1yr/$1.3M deal. In other signings, the Brewers have re-signed injury-prone Chris Caupano. The lefty was limited to nine minor league innings this season having Tommy John surgery and now rehabbing. In an effort to make them look better for having done this, they signed SP John Halama. Funny thing is, Halama has pitched in the minors all last season and hasn't had a ML outing since 2006. What are the Brewers thinking by this re-vamping their pitching staff? Take your chances and sign Ben Sheets back at this rate.
A few rumors today:
Teams have been calling about Rangers OF Nelson Cruz (.260; 33 HRs; 76RBIs and 20SBs). If the Rangers even had an inkling of trading him, I think every Rangers fan should boycott the team.
The Mets are looking into Russell Branyan playing 1B for 2010. Branyan is looking for 3-5 million. The Giants are thinking C Yorvit Torrealba to replace Bengie Molina. The Rockies aren't going to roll over and let him walk. They want him back, or else look at Brian Schneider.
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A few rumors today:
Teams have been calling about Rangers OF Nelson Cruz (.260; 33 HRs; 76RBIs and 20SBs). If the Rangers even had an inkling of trading him, I think every Rangers fan should boycott the team.
The Mets are looking into Russell Branyan playing 1B for 2010. Branyan is looking for 3-5 million. The Giants are thinking C Yorvit Torrealba to replace Bengie Molina. The Rockies aren't going to roll over and let him walk. They want him back, or else look at Brian Schneider.
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Friday, November 13, 2009
Odds and Ends
Not a whole lot flowing today out the organizations, but the Rockies have declined Rafael Betancourt's option. At this point, are the Rockies thinking arbitration with him? I don't think he'd last in the FA market that long. Better start making a push for Mike Gonzalez. The Brewers declined their option($6.5M) on Braden Looper. Looper posted a 5.22 ERA while going 14-7 in 34 starts. The Brew Crew is taking a look into acquiring Edwin Jackson from the Tigers. This would undoubtedly be their ace if they can get the deal done. The Brewers have a possible $15M to work with if Seth McClung, Jody Gerut, and Dave Bush don't return.
The Red Sox and Mets have expressed interest in John Lackey this week. The Mets don't have a shot here. They've said they don't have that type of money to give out. The Red Sox are looking for someone to fill out the rotation whether it be Lackey, Cuabn prospect Ardolis Chapman, or someone else. Being use to watching Lackey, I can say I'm indifferent if the Sox picked him up. He either has his stuff or he doesn't.
The Tigers and Angles are discussing the possibility of OF Curtis Granderson joining the Angels outfield. They'd move Juan Rivera to DH if so. The Angels are said to shop players such as Mike Napoli and Brandon Wood to fill the Tigers needs at a cheap cost. The Tigers are going to look this one long in the tooth. We know because of next year with Verlander coming up on FA and Edwin Jackson's cost, the Tigers will trim payroll now or later.
Unfortunately, there will be no post tomorrow as I will be away from the day, but Sunday I will return with a long post to sum up Saturday and Sunday.
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The Red Sox and Mets have expressed interest in John Lackey this week. The Mets don't have a shot here. They've said they don't have that type of money to give out. The Red Sox are looking for someone to fill out the rotation whether it be Lackey, Cuabn prospect Ardolis Chapman, or someone else. Being use to watching Lackey, I can say I'm indifferent if the Sox picked him up. He either has his stuff or he doesn't.
The Tigers and Angles are discussing the possibility of OF Curtis Granderson joining the Angels outfield. They'd move Juan Rivera to DH if so. The Angels are said to shop players such as Mike Napoli and Brandon Wood to fill the Tigers needs at a cheap cost. The Tigers are going to look this one long in the tooth. We know because of next year with Verlander coming up on FA and Edwin Jackson's cost, the Tigers will trim payroll now or later.
Unfortunately, there will be no post tomorrow as I will be away from the day, but Sunday I will return with a long post to sum up Saturday and Sunday.
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Tuesday, November 10, 2009
More speculation
At this point, I'm just itching for something to go down. The suspense is killing me where the top free agents are going to move and who else won't be returning for 2010. And will someone keep the Mets quiet? I've heard so many rumors about what they are going to do only to change their minds. Holliday, Bay, V-Tek have been nothing but smoke and mirrors. The newest updates we have are C Bengie Molina, C Chris Snyder, and C Rod Barajas. Looking at three catchers says to me, WE NEED A CATCHER! One of these guys has to be picked up right? Wrong. The Mets can keep this game going with how many FA catchers there are on the market. The Mets are going to pull something big, believe me. And we're all going to be blind-sided. MLB.com's Barry Bloom believe Shef and Delgado are done in NY. The Mets are showing in Joel Pineiro as reported yesterday, but not with his financial figure (3yr/$30Mil). Dear Omar, what have we learned about high-priced FA (Ex. Castillo, Lo Duca, etc.)?
The Yankees are starting to rumble to life in the deadest period of time they've had since the postseason. while they won't spend the U.S. economy on players this off-season, they're expected to still upgrade and retain their talent. They're going to roll the dice on offering Sergio Mitre an option despite wanting him and Chad Gaudin back. Chien Ming-Wang will not be tender a new deal, but they hope to get him cheaper. Wang had a season to forget with an astronomical ERA and was shut down by mid-season. As of today, reliever Brain Bruney will be tendered a contract. Bruney gave up a lot of walks, but was effective in relief until his elbow got sore. The deal would be around $1.25M.
Cue up the reunion reel, SP Carl Pavano in Cleveland round two may begin. Pavano, pitched half a season there resurrecting his career after the injury-plagued Yankee years. The Twins are still interested in bringing him back. He'll be looking for at least 4.35MM guaranteed plus incentives to play for either team.
The Brew Crew are said to be talking about Jarrod Washburn and Doug Davis. Washburn makes me think ok, low risk, moderate-high return. But Doug Davis? The same Doug Davis that went 9-14 with a 4.12 ERA and gave a career high 103 free passes? I'd re-think this. This isn't like letting C Jason Kendall walk to give a young prospect a chance. At least the D-Backs are considering signing Livan Hernandez(5.44 ERA)....oh wait, his best years are behind him. The D-Backs would be using for clubhouse atmosphere, eating up innings, and aid with Miggy Montero's progression. The D-backs may non-tender Mike Fotenot and Micah Owings. By season's begin, we may be looking at a whole new D'backs team. They may actively persue relievers Rafael Betancourt, Bob Howry, Mike Gonzalez, or LaTroy Hawkins and SP Joel Piniero, Jason Marquis, and Randy Wolf.
The Royals outrighted Lenny DiNardo and Yashuiko Yabuta to Triple-A, but it's believed both are opting for FA. Yabuta recently had his option declined. My prayers have been answered!! The Royals are discussing moving newly acquired Josh Fields to left and trade David DeJesus. The Orioles signed C Michal Hernandez who is hoping to make the back-up catcher role in spring training. He hit .237 in appearances with Tampa Bay and New York. Ok, so maybe I got too excited there. Whose replacing Mark Teahan in KC? Look no further than the Chicago White Sox organization he went to. 3B Wilson Betemit(involved in Nick Swisher trade) is expected to sign. In 20 games, he only hit .200 for the Sox. The Royals may want to re-think this decision.
The Tigers are listening to offers for SP Edwin Jackson (13-9; 3.62 ERA). I know what you're thinking, are they nuts? Well, they can't afford both he and Verlander (19-9; 3.45 ERA) past 2011 so someone is going to be seeing their way out of Detroit. I'd say bye-bye to Jackson too after the year Verlander had career bests in wins, innings pitch and K's.
Is 2B Dan Uggla on the move? After slumping considerably this season, the Marlins may want to retain Jorge Cantu instead and move Uggla for some prospects. The Gaints, Orioles are currently interested while the Red Sox have mentioned interest in having him as a LF. The Giants are trying to work out a new contract with Juan Uribe.
OF Xavier Nady is drawing the Cards interest as they are unsure if Matt Holliday will return. Let's face it that any move made to replace Holliday will be under the microscope because of Holliday's production and fielding ability. Nady could be a cheap alternative if the Cards go that route, Nady just has to stay healthy and be productive.
C Jason Varitek as exercise his player option with the Red Sox. He had a solid fielding year last season(.997) in 108 games, but offensively he wasn't there. As for V-Mart, no progress has been made in an extension according to his agent Alan Nero. Catcher has to be playing on Theo's mind now. A USA Today writer report's the Sox have met with Boras on OF Matt Holliday...details forthcoming.
Check out http://www.sportsjabber.net
The Yankees are starting to rumble to life in the deadest period of time they've had since the postseason. while they won't spend the U.S. economy on players this off-season, they're expected to still upgrade and retain their talent. They're going to roll the dice on offering Sergio Mitre an option despite wanting him and Chad Gaudin back. Chien Ming-Wang will not be tender a new deal, but they hope to get him cheaper. Wang had a season to forget with an astronomical ERA and was shut down by mid-season. As of today, reliever Brain Bruney will be tendered a contract. Bruney gave up a lot of walks, but was effective in relief until his elbow got sore. The deal would be around $1.25M.
Cue up the reunion reel, SP Carl Pavano in Cleveland round two may begin. Pavano, pitched half a season there resurrecting his career after the injury-plagued Yankee years. The Twins are still interested in bringing him back. He'll be looking for at least 4.35MM guaranteed plus incentives to play for either team.
The Brew Crew are said to be talking about Jarrod Washburn and Doug Davis. Washburn makes me think ok, low risk, moderate-high return. But Doug Davis? The same Doug Davis that went 9-14 with a 4.12 ERA and gave a career high 103 free passes? I'd re-think this. This isn't like letting C Jason Kendall walk to give a young prospect a chance. At least the D-Backs are considering signing Livan Hernandez(5.44 ERA)....oh wait, his best years are behind him. The D-Backs would be using for clubhouse atmosphere, eating up innings, and aid with Miggy Montero's progression. The D-backs may non-tender Mike Fotenot and Micah Owings. By season's begin, we may be looking at a whole new D'backs team. They may actively persue relievers Rafael Betancourt, Bob Howry, Mike Gonzalez, or LaTroy Hawkins and SP Joel Piniero, Jason Marquis, and Randy Wolf.
The Royals outrighted Lenny DiNardo and Yashuiko Yabuta to Triple-A, but it's believed both are opting for FA. Yabuta recently had his option declined. My prayers have been answered!! The Royals are discussing moving newly acquired Josh Fields to left and trade David DeJesus. The Orioles signed C Michal Hernandez who is hoping to make the back-up catcher role in spring training. He hit .237 in appearances with Tampa Bay and New York. Ok, so maybe I got too excited there. Whose replacing Mark Teahan in KC? Look no further than the Chicago White Sox organization he went to. 3B Wilson Betemit(involved in Nick Swisher trade) is expected to sign. In 20 games, he only hit .200 for the Sox. The Royals may want to re-think this decision.
The Tigers are listening to offers for SP Edwin Jackson (13-9; 3.62 ERA). I know what you're thinking, are they nuts? Well, they can't afford both he and Verlander (19-9; 3.45 ERA) past 2011 so someone is going to be seeing their way out of Detroit. I'd say bye-bye to Jackson too after the year Verlander had career bests in wins, innings pitch and K's.
Is 2B Dan Uggla on the move? After slumping considerably this season, the Marlins may want to retain Jorge Cantu instead and move Uggla for some prospects. The Gaints, Orioles are currently interested while the Red Sox have mentioned interest in having him as a LF. The Giants are trying to work out a new contract with Juan Uribe.
OF Xavier Nady is drawing the Cards interest as they are unsure if Matt Holliday will return. Let's face it that any move made to replace Holliday will be under the microscope because of Holliday's production and fielding ability. Nady could be a cheap alternative if the Cards go that route, Nady just has to stay healthy and be productive.
C Jason Varitek as exercise his player option with the Red Sox. He had a solid fielding year last season(.997) in 108 games, but offensively he wasn't there. As for V-Mart, no progress has been made in an extension according to his agent Alan Nero. Catcher has to be playing on Theo's mind now. A USA Today writer report's the Sox have met with Boras on OF Matt Holliday...details forthcoming.
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Sunday, November 8, 2009
Sunday Sunday Sunday
While the rest of the world is freaking over the BCS and preparing for another week of NFL football, I'm dedicated to bring you the newest baseball news. Starting last night, The Rockies have been negotiating with FA reliever Rafael Betancourt. The Rockies are rumored to let RHP Josh Fogg (0-2; 3.24 ERA) go. The Rockies want a multi-year deal that will pay him less, but retain him longer( sounds like a perfect world, eh?). Betancourt used to be stud, but after the past 2 seasons, I have my doubts. His ERA has fluctuated throughout his career and looking at the trend, he won't throw under 2.00 for another 2-3 seasons. Lifetime, he's just 26-23 and his ball to strike ratio favors walks. If the Rox can get this done for a cheap price, it'd be fine by me and their fans I'm sure. As of 9:49AM, Beatncourt denied a 2yr/$7M deal. Also, Garrett Atkins will probably be around for awhile due to his high price tag.
The Cubs seem ready to part ways with Rich Harden and Reed Johnson as reported by Luke Adams of mlbtraderumos.com. Harden (9-9; 4.09 ERA) has had some injury-plagued years and didn't turn out to be the player the Cubs were expecting in the trade. I expect only a team desperate for starting pitching would sign Harden, but more than likely his career is looking like Ben Sheets. Johnson has a minute chance of sticking around, but it would more than likely he'd take a sizable paycut. The Cubs will make an effort to re-sign John Grabow(3-0; 3.24 ERA), but are letting Kevin Gregg and Chad Fox walk. Gregg (5-6; 4.72), obtained from Florida last off-season was another player who didn't live up to expectations being bounced from a closer role during the season.
Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports says the Red Sox don't have the pieces to acquire Adrian Gonzalez from the Padres, but they Padres should focusing on trading Heath Bell (6-4; 2.71 ERA). I will agree the Red Sox minor league is very depleted at this point. If the Padres are looking for minor league talent, they will not find it currently in the Sox organization. If the Sox could finagle a deal for Bell, it would vastly upgrade their bullpen, which I think in the playoffs was also a glaring problem. Also, he thinks Josh Beckett should be seeking A.J. Burnett type money. I can't blame him for it because statistically Beckett's track record is better than that of Burnett's. The question is this time next year will the Sox ante up to retain their man?
According to Rosenthal as well, sources say OF Matt Holliday would prefer not play in New York. Money talks Matt, money talks...The Yankees are also being reluctant with Xavier Nady. Nady had an injury plagued season in 2009 ( 7 games; .286 BA), but Nady claims "I can still be a productive player." The Yankees are definitely testing the waters in waiting for Jason Bay and Matt Holliday(despite Holliday's sources) than re-signing the current outfielders.
SP Mark Mulder is rumored to being close to a deal with the Brew Crew. Mulder didn't pitch last season for the Cards. In 2008, he had a 10.80 ERA and 0-0 record in 3 games. If I'm the Brewers, I'm hoping this is a low-risk, high-reward scenario, but in the back of my mind saying this is a bad idea. Mulder has only had one successful season in the NL (2005- 16-8 3.64 ERA). Since then, he's gone 6-10 with a sky high ERA. Basically, the Brewers are playing with fire and can guarantee, they will get burned.
The Astros are prepared to let Miguel Tejada walk and hand 3B to Chris Johnson as reported by The Houston Chronicle. Tejada, played in 158 games last season batting .313 with 14 HRs and 86 RBIs. Not bad for a guy who supposedly "declining." Tejada is very durable and should be a good pick-up for any team looking for a 3B. Would the Phils consider him with his big contract? Indians (Marte hasn't lived up to his hype)? Or The Angels if they lose Figgins? Melvin Mora is rumored to be a possible fit for the Phils, but I can't see them downgrading for Mora, whose definitely in decline (see last 3 season fluctuations in HRs, BA, and games played).
Elsewhere around the league, The Twins are busy negotiating a new extension for C Joe Mauer. Mauer absolutely killed the ball this season batting .365 in the regular season and .417 in the postseason. The Dodgers want to re-sign Vincente Padilla, but his off-feild actions last week are making them think twice. The Jays and D'back's are said to be making progress in the Overbay-Snyder swap.
Check out http://www.sportsjabber.net for more sports news!
The Cubs seem ready to part ways with Rich Harden and Reed Johnson as reported by Luke Adams of mlbtraderumos.com. Harden (9-9; 4.09 ERA) has had some injury-plagued years and didn't turn out to be the player the Cubs were expecting in the trade. I expect only a team desperate for starting pitching would sign Harden, but more than likely his career is looking like Ben Sheets. Johnson has a minute chance of sticking around, but it would more than likely he'd take a sizable paycut. The Cubs will make an effort to re-sign John Grabow(3-0; 3.24 ERA), but are letting Kevin Gregg and Chad Fox walk. Gregg (5-6; 4.72), obtained from Florida last off-season was another player who didn't live up to expectations being bounced from a closer role during the season.
Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports says the Red Sox don't have the pieces to acquire Adrian Gonzalez from the Padres, but they Padres should focusing on trading Heath Bell (6-4; 2.71 ERA). I will agree the Red Sox minor league is very depleted at this point. If the Padres are looking for minor league talent, they will not find it currently in the Sox organization. If the Sox could finagle a deal for Bell, it would vastly upgrade their bullpen, which I think in the playoffs was also a glaring problem. Also, he thinks Josh Beckett should be seeking A.J. Burnett type money. I can't blame him for it because statistically Beckett's track record is better than that of Burnett's. The question is this time next year will the Sox ante up to retain their man?
According to Rosenthal as well, sources say OF Matt Holliday would prefer not play in New York. Money talks Matt, money talks...The Yankees are also being reluctant with Xavier Nady. Nady had an injury plagued season in 2009 ( 7 games; .286 BA), but Nady claims "I can still be a productive player." The Yankees are definitely testing the waters in waiting for Jason Bay and Matt Holliday(despite Holliday's sources) than re-signing the current outfielders.
SP Mark Mulder is rumored to being close to a deal with the Brew Crew. Mulder didn't pitch last season for the Cards. In 2008, he had a 10.80 ERA and 0-0 record in 3 games. If I'm the Brewers, I'm hoping this is a low-risk, high-reward scenario, but in the back of my mind saying this is a bad idea. Mulder has only had one successful season in the NL (2005- 16-8 3.64 ERA). Since then, he's gone 6-10 with a sky high ERA. Basically, the Brewers are playing with fire and can guarantee, they will get burned.
The Astros are prepared to let Miguel Tejada walk and hand 3B to Chris Johnson as reported by The Houston Chronicle. Tejada, played in 158 games last season batting .313 with 14 HRs and 86 RBIs. Not bad for a guy who supposedly "declining." Tejada is very durable and should be a good pick-up for any team looking for a 3B. Would the Phils consider him with his big contract? Indians (Marte hasn't lived up to his hype)? Or The Angels if they lose Figgins? Melvin Mora is rumored to be a possible fit for the Phils, but I can't see them downgrading for Mora, whose definitely in decline (see last 3 season fluctuations in HRs, BA, and games played).
Elsewhere around the league, The Twins are busy negotiating a new extension for C Joe Mauer. Mauer absolutely killed the ball this season batting .365 in the regular season and .417 in the postseason. The Dodgers want to re-sign Vincente Padilla, but his off-feild actions last week are making them think twice. The Jays and D'back's are said to be making progress in the Overbay-Snyder swap.
Check out http://www.sportsjabber.net for more sports news!
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Winter Meetings Begin
From now until Nov.11th, owners and executives of all ML teams will be laying the groundwork for their 2010 operations. This means little will go on in the few days and then the explosion will happen. I'm looking quite forward the big moves. What die-hard baseball fan isn't? So far the biggest news I have today is the Twins exercised their option on 1B/OF Michael Cuddyer ($10.5M). Cuddyer hit .276 with 32 HRs, 93 runs, 162 hits, 94 RBIs, and 6 SB's. Cuddyer took over for 1B Justin Morneau, who went down with a season ending injury( finished similarily to Cuddyer statistically). The question is does Cuddyer go back to the outfield with a healthy Morneau or do the Twins deal Morneau? Morneau has 5 yrs left on his $80M on his deal which would be very hard to deal for a career .280 hitter. I expect both to remain Twins.
The Blue Jays have been showing interest in D'backs C Chris Snyder. Snyder, who was supplanted by Miggy Montero this season as starting catcher, had a poor showing in only 61 games this season (.200, 20 runs, 33 hits, 6 HRs, and 22 RBIs). The Jays are slated to let Barajas go in free agency leaving only injury prone Michael Barrett, who was recently designated for assignment. Synder hit .237 in the 2008 season playing almost 2x more games. I think if the Jays want to get it done they will, but Snyder is only a few points higher than Barajas. The Rogers Centre is the 23rd most hitter friendly park in baseball. Maybe time to look into the FA catcher market? The catcher market is extensive in options, but most catchers are very aged and have been used at back-ups. Just broke as I typed the draft of this blog @ 1:38pm, the Jays are looking to unload over-priced 1B Lyle Overbay for Snyder.
Phillies are considering Chone Figgins and Adrian Beltre as 3B options in the event of deciding against exercising Pedro Feliz's options. Figgins is going to be courted by many teams (White Sox, Orioles, Phillies, and Cubs) and The Angels will persue him I'm sure. The Phillies have never been a team that likes to spend a lot of money and Figgins will be looking for a significant increase from the $5.5 he made. Figgins led the AL in runs and had a .400 OBP last season. He's proven he's a consistent force on the basepaths. The Phillies should take this into consideration seeing as they had five players above .300 in the regular season. If you didn't remember Beltre (.265 in 2009) had a horrid slump this season(He rode bench for a week on my fantasy league before being dropped). Safer alternative is Figgins who can benefit more from the dimensions of Citizen's Bank Park (.298 hitter for 2009).
The Yankees are specualted to let DH Hideki Matsui and OF Johnny Damon walk in order to persue LF Jason Bay and Matt Holliday. I will probably have a melt-down if Bay goes to the Yankees even with the market for outfielders the Red Sox have the options to choose from. Andy Pettite is expected to re-sign with the Yankees.
Other news and notes: With newly acquired OF Carlos Gomez, the Brewers will unload Mike Cameron in an effort to save money to buy-up pitching in the offseason. Gomez doesn't have hte power Cameron has/once had, but provides speed and better defense. After exercising Manny's option, the Dodgers are looking to unload Juan Pierre. Pierre should easily land on a team's roster after the performance he gave in Manny's absence this season. The Dodgers will spend considerably less this off-season due to Frank McCourt's divorce. It's specualted as per Tim Kurkijan that Randy Wolf will not return. Unfortunately, Pierre enters a market with Matt Holliday, Johnny Damon, Jason Bay, and Carl Crawford. The Cards, Mets, Tigers, and Rangers are a good fit for Pierre who could benefit from his hitting and base-running. the Marlins declined Ross Gload's option. Gload (1B/OF) was a .261 hitter this season, but excelled in pinh-hitting opportunities hitting .318. The Marlins save 2.6M by declining. The Cubs will have a hard time trying to trade OF Milton Bradley with 2 yrs and $20M left on his contract.
The Blue Jays have been showing interest in D'backs C Chris Snyder. Snyder, who was supplanted by Miggy Montero this season as starting catcher, had a poor showing in only 61 games this season (.200, 20 runs, 33 hits, 6 HRs, and 22 RBIs). The Jays are slated to let Barajas go in free agency leaving only injury prone Michael Barrett, who was recently designated for assignment. Synder hit .237 in the 2008 season playing almost 2x more games. I think if the Jays want to get it done they will, but Snyder is only a few points higher than Barajas. The Rogers Centre is the 23rd most hitter friendly park in baseball. Maybe time to look into the FA catcher market? The catcher market is extensive in options, but most catchers are very aged and have been used at back-ups. Just broke as I typed the draft of this blog @ 1:38pm, the Jays are looking to unload over-priced 1B Lyle Overbay for Snyder.
Phillies are considering Chone Figgins and Adrian Beltre as 3B options in the event of deciding against exercising Pedro Feliz's options. Figgins is going to be courted by many teams (White Sox, Orioles, Phillies, and Cubs) and The Angels will persue him I'm sure. The Phillies have never been a team that likes to spend a lot of money and Figgins will be looking for a significant increase from the $5.5 he made. Figgins led the AL in runs and had a .400 OBP last season. He's proven he's a consistent force on the basepaths. The Phillies should take this into consideration seeing as they had five players above .300 in the regular season. If you didn't remember Beltre (.265 in 2009) had a horrid slump this season(He rode bench for a week on my fantasy league before being dropped). Safer alternative is Figgins who can benefit more from the dimensions of Citizen's Bank Park (.298 hitter for 2009).
The Yankees are specualted to let DH Hideki Matsui and OF Johnny Damon walk in order to persue LF Jason Bay and Matt Holliday. I will probably have a melt-down if Bay goes to the Yankees even with the market for outfielders the Red Sox have the options to choose from. Andy Pettite is expected to re-sign with the Yankees.
Other news and notes: With newly acquired OF Carlos Gomez, the Brewers will unload Mike Cameron in an effort to save money to buy-up pitching in the offseason. Gomez doesn't have hte power Cameron has/once had, but provides speed and better defense. After exercising Manny's option, the Dodgers are looking to unload Juan Pierre. Pierre should easily land on a team's roster after the performance he gave in Manny's absence this season. The Dodgers will spend considerably less this off-season due to Frank McCourt's divorce. It's specualted as per Tim Kurkijan that Randy Wolf will not return. Unfortunately, Pierre enters a market with Matt Holliday, Johnny Damon, Jason Bay, and Carl Crawford. The Cards, Mets, Tigers, and Rangers are a good fit for Pierre who could benefit from his hitting and base-running. the Marlins declined Ross Gload's option. Gload (1B/OF) was a .261 hitter this season, but excelled in pinh-hitting opportunities hitting .318. The Marlins save 2.6M by declining. The Cubs will have a hard time trying to trade OF Milton Bradley with 2 yrs and $20M left on his contract.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Hardy To Twins; 79 hit FA; Myers out of PHL
It's going to be another busy day for baseball outside of NY. Seventy-nine players including John Lackey, Jason Bay, and Matt Holliday have filed their papers and are ready to play the market. I'm very upset that Bay has hit the market because I can almost commit myself that he won't be coming back to Boston. He'll either be in a Giants uni or even worse a Yankees uni. The Red Sox will definitely be persuing Holliday at that point, but Holliday isn't a prolific hitter(.298) in AL parks. It will be interesting how this plays out. Rumor also has it that OF Rocco Baldelli may have played his last season in Boston with recently acquired Jeremy Hermida coming in. This is a tilt either way offensively and Hermida gets the advantage because of his health.
Twins make a big move today trading OF Carlos Gomez ( similar numbers as Hardy) for SS J.J. Hardy( .229, 53 runs, 95 hits, 11 HRs, 47 RBIs, and 85 SO's.) This can only mean Orlando Cabrera will not be re-signed despite putting up decent numbers with the Twins this season (.289, 32 SO's, 70 hits, 42 runs, 5 HRs, 36 RBIs). I think this trade will benefit both teams. However, both players are going to have to work on their batting averages. Hardy gets the advantage here as Mall of America Field is the 6th most hitter friendly park and Miller Park is 27th. I look for Hardy to hit at least .300 this season, a .71 increase on his current average. Gomez needs to prove he is an up and coming player in MIL and try to elevate his play. I think this season his average will increase minimally.
It's been decided today that Phillies RHP Brett Myers (4-3 4.84 ERA in 18 games) will not be offered a new deal. Myers has had his share of troubles (on and off the field) in the organization and is easily coming off two bad seasons where his ERA has risen .51 in two seasons. Tim Dierkes of MLBtraderumors.com believes he could a low value opportunity for many teams looking for a reliever. Philadelphia smartly exercise Cliff Lee's options ($9MM). Next, they must talk extension with him if they want to keep their stranglehold on the NL East. Amaro Jr. (Phils GM) must make a decision soon (Monday) on 3B Pedro Feliz's option ($5.5M). There are no FA 3B so I can't see why the Phils wouldn't being Feliz back at least 1 more season.
In other champions news, Yankees DH Hideki Matusi has sparked the Mets interest. I can't see why in any respect Matsui would be useful. His defensive range is horrible and the NL rarely uses DH's. The Mets also decline their option on J.J. Putz. White Sox have bought out OF Jermaine Dye's contract. Dye still has some left in the tank so I expect him to catch on with someone. D'backs exercise option on SP Brandon Webb and are currently trying to negotiate a new contract. Webb was injured most of the season after coming off a dream season tow seasons ago. The Royals have declined options on OF Coco Crisp, C Miguel Olivo, and bust reliever Yashuiko Yabuta. This marks the second day the Royals have been busy after trading 3B/OF
Mark Teahan to the White Sox.
List of FA's available aside from big names (Matt Treanor and Marcus Thames just hit the market as well):
Twins make a big move today trading OF Carlos Gomez ( similar numbers as Hardy) for SS J.J. Hardy( .229, 53 runs, 95 hits, 11 HRs, 47 RBIs, and 85 SO's.) This can only mean Orlando Cabrera will not be re-signed despite putting up decent numbers with the Twins this season (.289, 32 SO's, 70 hits, 42 runs, 5 HRs, 36 RBIs). I think this trade will benefit both teams. However, both players are going to have to work on their batting averages. Hardy gets the advantage here as Mall of America Field is the 6th most hitter friendly park and Miller Park is 27th. I look for Hardy to hit at least .300 this season, a .71 increase on his current average. Gomez needs to prove he is an up and coming player in MIL and try to elevate his play. I think this season his average will increase minimally.
It's been decided today that Phillies RHP Brett Myers (4-3 4.84 ERA in 18 games) will not be offered a new deal. Myers has had his share of troubles (on and off the field) in the organization and is easily coming off two bad seasons where his ERA has risen .51 in two seasons. Tim Dierkes of MLBtraderumors.com believes he could a low value opportunity for many teams looking for a reliever. Philadelphia smartly exercise Cliff Lee's options ($9MM). Next, they must talk extension with him if they want to keep their stranglehold on the NL East. Amaro Jr. (Phils GM) must make a decision soon (Monday) on 3B Pedro Feliz's option ($5.5M). There are no FA 3B so I can't see why the Phils wouldn't being Feliz back at least 1 more season.
In other champions news, Yankees DH Hideki Matusi has sparked the Mets interest. I can't see why in any respect Matsui would be useful. His defensive range is horrible and the NL rarely uses DH's. The Mets also decline their option on J.J. Putz. White Sox have bought out OF Jermaine Dye's contract. Dye still has some left in the tank so I expect him to catch on with someone. D'backs exercise option on SP Brandon Webb and are currently trying to negotiate a new contract. Webb was injured most of the season after coming off a dream season tow seasons ago. The Royals have declined options on OF Coco Crisp, C Miguel Olivo, and bust reliever Yashuiko Yabuta. This marks the second day the Royals have been busy after trading 3B/OF
Mark Teahan to the White Sox.
List of FA's available aside from big names (Matt Treanor and Marcus Thames just hit the market as well):
Catchers
Gary Bennett (37)
Rob Bowen (28)
Johnny Estrada (33)
Toby Hall (33)
Paul Lo Duca (37) - Type B, not offered arb
Javier Valentin (33)
First basemen
Tony Clark (37)
Richie Sexson (34)
Second basemen
Ray Durham (37)
Damion Easley (39)
Mark Grudzielanek (38)
Shortstops
None
Third basemen
None
Left fielders
Moises Alou (42) - Type B, not offered arb
Chris Duncan (28)
Luis Gonzalez (41) - Type B, not offered arb
Jay Payton (36)
Wily Mo Pena (27)
Dave Roberts (37)
Shannon Stewart (35)
Center fielders
Jim Edmonds (39)
Right fielders
Geoff Jenkins (34)
DHs
Frank Thomas (41) - Type B, not offered arb
Jose Vidro (34)
Starting pitchers
Brandon Backe (31)
Tom Glavine (43)
Chuck James (27)
Mark Mulder (31)
Odalis Perez (32)
Sidney Ponson (32)
Kenny Rogers (44)
Ben Sheets (30) - Type A, offered arb
Relievers
Winston Abreu (32)
Jesus Colome (31)
Scott Elarton (33)
Tom Gordon (41)
Mike Koplove (32)
Aquilino Lopez (34)
Al Reyes (38)
Ricardo Rincon (39)
B.J. Ryan (33)
Justin Speier (35)
Derrick Turnbow (31)
Jamie Walker (37)
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