Showing posts with label Indians. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Indians. Show all posts

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

Monday, February 8, 2010

Rest of SB Sunday and Monday

Recently reunited Oriole Miguel Tejada will likely be playing 3B for the O's this season. Best part of the job you ask? How about being endorsed by Cal Ripken Jr. and Brooks Robinson? The two agree Tejada has a learning curve, but feel his previous work at SS and his hands will do him well.

The Yankees finalized the Randy Winn deal today. They also signed Marcus Thames to a minor league deal today. I find it hysterical seeing as he was traded away years ago for Ruben Sierra. Thames hit .252 with 13HRs and 36 RBIs in 87 games. Thames is a good player that is now stuck unfortunately on the bench for the Yanks. If the Yanks are smart, he'll get in a lot of games on base seeing as his percentage .777.


Rumors and Notes:

Japanese pitcher Hashanori Takashi has turned down offers from the Orioles and Mets. Next to decline should be the Red Sox leaving the Dodgers and Giants to battle it out for his services. Takashi prefers the west coast.

The Indians may have their eyes set on Jermaine Dye, Russell Branyan, or Jonny Gomes according to Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer.

The Cardinals have avoided arbitration with OF Skip Schumaker.

Don't expect to see Livan Hernandez back in D.C. unless the Nats don't find a quality arm.

Check out: http://www.sportsjabber.net

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Ardolis Has A Home

Yes, it's true...Ardolis Chapman has landed with a MLB team. The thing is I don't think most people realize who he signed with or the fact the team spent the money to get him. Chapman signed a deal today worth five years and $25M with a sixth year option with.....catch your breath.....seriously, I'm not responsible for heart attacks....the Cincinatti Reds. Yes, the team that is like the god-father of "fire-sales," the team that doesn't spend much money, the team that trades away anyone decent for a bunch of prospects that never produce. I'm stunned. Chapman was expected to sign with the Red Sox, Yanks, Mets, Blue Jays, or any other big market team you can think of. Is this an upgrade for the Reds? Totally. Even if this guy tanks (see Jose Contreras), the Reds can still be better than they are with the sad rotation they have. If they could just get some run support! Rumor has it Chapman may see the big leagues with the Reds and could be a good reason why he signed with them because the other suitors projected starting him in AAA first.

The Giants and 1B/DH Aubrey Huff (.241, 15 HRs and 85 RBIs) have come to an agreement on a 1yr/$3M deal pending a physical. The move doesn't make a whole lot of sense becasue the Giants have 1B covered(unless Sandoval figures to be the starting catcher) and a plethora of bench players for reserves and DH. Sure, his more than likely means Adam LaRoche isn't coming to town, but how does this upgrade the Giants?

The Dodgers came to terms with SS Nick Green on a minor league deal. Green (.236, 6HRs, and 35RBIs) was servicable for a good portion of the season with the the Red Sox batting and fielding wise. He slumped towards the end and had surgery on his back in November. Green will probably be the back-up for Rafael Furcal.

The Royals have signed reliever Matt Herges to a minor league deal. Herges was (3-1 ;3.38ERA) between the Indians and the Rockies last season. Can't say this is much, but for the Royals I guess it's something. Let's hope he doesn't have an abysmal decline at age forty.

The Pirates have agreed to a deal with oft-injured OF Ryan Church. He'll get a one year deal plus an arbitration option for 2011. Church hit .273 with 4 HRs and 40 RBI between New York (NL) and the Braves.

Rumors and Notes:

The Orioles are said to be interested in 1B Adam LaRoche. Mets may get in the mix, too.

The Mariners may be interested in 1B Ryan Garko.

Reliever Doug Davis has interest in joining the Nationals. I believe the Phillies need him desperately and can't afford to let him sign with the Nats. Rumor also has it that 2B Orlando Hudson would be willing to accept a two year deal if "the money's right".

J.P. Morosi says "Indians have not shopped Jhonny Peralta". The club signed INF Mark Grudzielanek (.299) as well to a minor league deal. Grudielanek's physical play should add some backbone to the struggling Indians.

The Cubs are making a run at SP Ben Sheets.

The Dodgers and Mets are making pitches to SP Joel Piniero. The Mets have offered 2yr/$15M.


Check out http://www.sportsjabber.net

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Hinske, Holliday, Beltre and more

I'm at a loss for words....Adrian Beltre (.265, 8HRs and 77 RBIs) has signed a 1yr/$10M contract with an option for another year with the Red Sox. Why did we go after a hitter who was mostly noted for his horrendous slump last year? How will we dump Lowell might be the better question. On top of that, the Sox announced CF Jacoby Ellsbury will move to left and Mike Cameron will take his place in center. Are you kidding? This is a guy{Ellsbury} who was knocked for being a poor CF (.994% FLD) last season and he's gonna play the Monster (his last left field numbers were 1.000% in 24 games in 2008) ? Where's the logic? Ellsbury is far more athletic than Mike Cameron now. I don't see Cameron in CF working out very well. To add to my debate, Elssbury's fielding was .04% higher than Cameron's fielding. There's a talk of trading 1B Casey Kotchman to the M's for UTL Bill Hall and possibly minor league catching prospect Hassiel Jimenez. This deal is fairly stupid as far as I'm concered because of Bill Hall's $8.4M contract to basically be a reserve and Jimenez has even reached Single-A ball yet.

The Cards officially have the NL Central wrapped up and possibly a World Series appearance(I'm re-thinking my Phillies prediction) after coming to terms with OF Matt Holliday on a 7yr/$120M contract.

The Phillies lost another bullpen arm as of yesterday. Clay Condrey (6-2; 3.00ERA) has agreed to terms with the Twins. Condrey pitched 42 innings because of an oblique strain last season, but his 55.2% groundball is a best among free agent relievers. this is quite a shot to take after Scott Eyre retired Wedensday for Philadelphia.

The Braves signed UTL Eric Hinske(is this guy always on the move?) to a 1yr/%1M contract. Hinske hit a combined .242 with the Yankees and Pirates last season. It's a solid option for the Braves offensively and defensively, but there maiun problem is pitching.

The Mariners have re-signed OF Franklin Guiterrez to a 4 year, $20M extension. Guiterrez was phenomenal after coming over from Cleveland hitting .283. His CF defense was the best in the najors last season. Seattle is back baby!

The seemingly quiet Rays have signed C Kelly Shoppach to a 2yr/$5.5M deal. Shoppach hit .214 last season in a shortened seasoned, but his overall numbers are very productive. I wish the Sox never let him go. Shoppach proveds a solid option at the plate over Navarro, but Navarro has a better defensive skills.

A team I literally forgot about (Sorry to your fans) was the Indians. They signed OF Austin Kearns to a minor league deal. Kearns was abominable last season in the time he got to play. His career numbers go up and down consistently, but 2009 was an all-time low for him. Thankfully, there's a bright spot Indians fans--Shelley Duncan. This is the smartest move the organization has made towards rebuilding. I've gotten the pleasure( or maybe displeasure) of watching Duncan with the AAA Yankees. The guy has a nice swing and is insanely productive. His fielding isn't bad either. It's going to be a long road in Cleveland, but Duncan will be a fixture there in the years to come.

Another move that makes me wonder why is the A's re-signing Jack Cust. The team, opposing hitters and fans alike know this guy can't play D worth a dime. Offensively, he's consistently low-mid .200's and has a huge number of strike-outs. So why did he get a 1yr/$2.5M? Ask Billy Beane or your Prozac bottle.

Rumors and Notes:

Jose Valverde has four offers to choose from (Tigers,D-Backs and two mystery teams).

The Rangers offered DH Vlad Guerrero a 1yr/$7M contract. My guess is he turns it down.

Russell Branyan most likely will not return to the M's with the impending Kotchman-Hall deal.

John Smoltz is drwaing interest from 3/5 of the NL East(Phils, Nats, and Mets). i wish he'd hang it up already. Speaking off, congrats to Randy Johnson on a fantastic career.

Congratulations to Andre Dawson for making the HoF.

check out: http://www.sportsjabber.net

Monday, November 30, 2009

Mets and Cards strike

After a slow Thanksgiving break, the Mets and Cards starting putting together pieces of the 2010 season. The Mets signed C Chris Coste (.224BA) and re-signed Alex Cora (.251 1HR; 18RBIs). Coste was more productive in the first half with the Phillies than the Astros. The catcher turns 37 this year and if he hangs on with the Mets will be eligible next year for salary arbitration. Cora has a potential $3M deal if he makes 80 starts this season. Why the Mets chose to pay him that much when they could've had the pick of the litter for a utility player is beyond me. They are rumored to be close to a deal with C Henry Blanco too. Blanco hit .235 with 6 HRs and 16 RBIs. The good news is it shouldn't cost the Mets more than a million.

The Cardinals have signed deals with 2B Ruben Gotay and C Jason LaRue. Gotay (.235; 2HRs and 8 RBIs in 88 games) has yet to play a full major league season since breaking into the bigs in 2004. His best season came with the Mets in 2007 where he batted .295 and didn't play at all in the majors this season. LaRue is a cheap option rather than the Cards going after Torrealba, Molina, etc. He hit .240 last season and is a good clubhouse guy to have.

Basically, these are minor deals today as we have yet to see a significant signing happen. Rumors today include: Pirates interested in Justin Duchsherer, Orioles interested in Kevin Millwood, The Sox like Holliday over Bay?, Phils and Sox talked on 3B Mike Lowell, Rangers have interest in Octavio Dotel and Jermaine Dye, and the Indians plan to fill positions from within the organization.

Check out http://www.sportsjabber.net

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