Friday, August 31, 2007

Cubs Acquire Trachsel


The Chicago Cubs traded reliever Rocky Cherry and minor-leaguer Scott Moore to the Baltimore Orioles in return for veteran starter Steve Traschel. Steve has pitched very well for the Orioles, so it should be a good view to see how the old-timer does in the National League.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Dodgers Show Interest in Esteban


UPDATE: The Dodgers have claimed Esteban off of waivers for nothing, mearly a salary dump for Oakland.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, who just signed David Wells, are still low on starting pitching and have expressed "genuine interest" in Oakland A's starter Esteban Loaiza. Esteban hasn't been the same pitcher after he pitched for Mexico in the '06 World Baseball Classic. Instead of reaching 95 on the radar gun which he did in the playoffs before the classic, he now only works in the 85-88 mph range.

The 35-year old is 1-0 this year with a 1.84 ERA in only two starts. Looks like the two starts are enough to persuade the Dodgers to acquire him, as they had scouts at Friday's Oakland game.

Mussina Out / Kennedy In


Joe Torre announced that he will not start Mike Mussina this saturday, and rather bring up one of the Yankee's best pitching prospects in Ian Kennedy. Kennedy will be jumping all the way from Single-A, just as farmhand friend Joba Chamberlain has.

Kennedy was 6-1 with a 1.29 ERA in Single-A before being called up. He has been compared to Mike Mussina in terms of control and stuff, and features a knuckle-curve in his 5-pitch arsenal.

Yankees With Big Choices


As of now, outfielder Bobby Abreu is set to be a free-agent after this season and the Yankees have no interest, to this point, in resigning the OBP-machine. Now the Bronx Bombers are focusing on left-fielder Johnny Damon and if they should attempt to trade Damon in the offseason or hang out to the under-performing outfielder.

Looks like the right choice would be to resign Abreu and trade Damon, but I doubt the Yankees would sign Abreu before knowing if Damon can or will be traded.

Guillen Close To Extension


The Seattle Mariners and right-fielder Jose Guillen are reportedly close to signing a 3-year extension to keep Jose through the 2010 season. Guillen had a mutual option for the '08 season, but Seattle found enough in his .293 19HR 83RBI season that they would lock him up for much longer.

Stay here for all the Jose Guillen contract info, as it will be posted as soon as the deal is signed!

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Sosa would like 1 More Year


Sammy Sosa told reporters yesterday that even though he is now just a bench-player, he will indeed return next season. He didn't specify if it would be with the Texas Rangers or not, opening up some possibilities. Maybe Sammy will rejoin Chicago? Wouldn't that be such a great sight, but its doubtful. I'm sure there are plenty of teams who's bench would improve tremendously with the great Sammy Sosa sitting there.

Monday, August 27, 2007

Stros Fire Manager/GM



The Houston Astros fired both manager Phil Garner and general-manager Tim Purpura today, making it clear they are unhappy with how the team is being ran this season. Cecil Cooper will be Garner's replacement, and the assistant general managers will take Purpuras' spot for the remainder of the year.

Houston is 58-73 this season, tied with Pittsburgh for worst in the National League Central. Looks like the season was just rounded around both Craig Biggio's 3000th hit and the retirement of Bagwell's number and not the product being put on the field.

Cards Quiet On Isringhausen


When asked if they will pick up Jason Isringhausen's $8M option for 2008, general manager Walt Jocketty responded by telling reporters "it's a matter of negotiation, and we don't talk publicly about that."

I think we all know that Jason has definantly been worth $8M this year, going 4-0 with a 1.50 ERA and 27 saves in 29 chances. I would be shocked if the Cards cut ties with the 34-year old closer, so i'm not quite sure why Walt would come out with such a strong quote.

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Astros Retire Bagwell's 5


The Houston Astros are set to retire Jeff Bagwell's number 5 today, as Jeff played 15-years in Houston's colors. He compiled a .297 average and 449 career homeruns.

"Thanks for being a champion" owner Dayton McLane told Jeff before the ceremony.

Hunter Turns Down Offer


The Minnesota Twins offered a 4-year $56M deal to center-fielder Torii Hunter, only for Hunter to turn them down. Looks like Hunter is extremely interested in testing the market. Speaking of the market, the Chicago White Sox have made it clear that they have extreme interest in signing Hunter to a multi-year deal.

When Hunter was approached by reporters, he made it clear that "there was no such offer", but Ken Rosenthal got the info from the actual Twins front-office.

Gonzalez Soon To Be Left Out


It's no secret that the Los Angeles Dodgers are brewing amazing outfield talent in their minor leagues, and that has already showed this year. After signing center-fielder Juan Pierre to a huge deal last offseason, the Dodgers are playing a 3-man rotation of Luis Gonzalez, Matt Kemp, and Andre Ethier at the two corner spots.

After Gonzo grounded into a game-ended double play, it is now clear that by the end of the year Luis will be sitting on the bench watching Kemp and Ethier shine at their respectful spots. It also deletes any chance that the Dodgers will re-sign Luis at the end of the year, meaning he could be a decent pickup for a team looking for a doubles machine.

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Phillies Hauling Extra Baggage


After bringing up Chris Coste from AAA and acquiring Tadahito Iguchi, the Philadelphia Phillies will have lots of players to move once players come back off the DL. Rod Barajas, Abraham Nunez, Greg Dobbs, Wes Helms, Russell Branyan are all gonna be avalible once Utley comes back and Iguchi plays third.

Would be interesting if Barajas would attract any teams. Kansas City Royals could use a better backup catcher than Jason LaRue, as will the Mets with Sandy Alomar Jr.

Boras High On Pudge/Rogers


Superagent Scott Boras has said that he has gotten plenty of attention for both Ivan Rodriguez and Kenny Rogers, meaning he will seek bigger deals than most. Rogers has already said he only wants to play for Detroit though, so if Detroit chooses to re-sign him it shouldn't be for too much.

Pudge on the other hand could be tough to re-sign if he decides to test the market. Plenty of teams would love to sign one of the best catchers of their era, so a $15M per year deal is not out of the question by any stretch.

Sweeney Resigning Looking More Imminent


“I think this team is going to turn into a winning team real soon,” he said, “and I definitely want to be here when it happens. Next year, rather than being tagged with being the $11 million man, I’ll be the guy who is getting $11 over the minimum.”

Quotes earlier in the week by Royals captain Mike Sweeney, who hasn't played more than 100 games in 5 seasons. Most people give the blame of the Royals' woes to Sweeney who has taken $11M of their budgets per season just to sit on the DL. But with Mike's current attitude, it could turn wonderful for Dayton Moore. Think about how much it costs for a power-hitter in the free-agent market. If Billy Butler proves he can play an audible first-base, a Sweeney resigning, especially for close to minimum as he asks, would save KC lots of money and allow them to sign another big pitcher.

Mussina At Risk


Joe Torre has made it clear that Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina must pitch better sooner than later to keep his spot in the rotation. The Moose is 8-9 on the season, with a 5.22 ERA and 1.44 WHIP, pathetic numbers especially for a guy who has gave the Yankees so many good seasons before this one. The 40-year old Mussina only went 1 2/3 innings giving up 7 to the Angels, than followed it up with a 5 inning outing giving up 6 earned.

Wickman Designated


The Braves are no longer trusting veteran Bob Wickman with closing their games. Wickman completed 20 of 26 save opportunities and only allowed a 3.92 ERA in 43.2 IP. He also told the Braves that he despised pitching in non-save situations for the team and needs to be the closer. Looks like the 38-year old will retire instead of going to another team but there is always an opportunity.

Atlanta will now rely on Rafael Soriano to close out games until ex-Royals closer Octavio Dotel returns from the DL.

Friday, August 24, 2007

Wells To Start Sunday


It's official, the Los Angeles Dodgers have signed David Wells and will start him this sunday on ESPN's National Game of the Week. Wells struggled quite a bit with San Diego, so don't look for him to pitch too much better especially as he's in the same division as he was before.

It will be interesting to see when Wells will serve his 6-game suspension which is due this season, maybe once Randy Wolf comes off the DL?

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Cubs Acquire Monroe


The Chicago Cubs picked up another outfielder today, acquiring left-fielder Craig Monroe from the Detroit Tigers. All they had to send Detroits way was some cash and a PTBNL.

Wierd signing especially with their surplus of outfielders and the fact that Craig is signed through '08. They are hoping a change of league will wonders, just as Jason Kendall did from Oakland.

Rogers Makes Decision For '08


Detroit ace Kenny Rogers has made it clear that if he does not play for the Detroit Tigers next year, he will retire. That means teams looking to add a veteran starter will have to look elsewhere. This might be a move for Rogers to tell Detroit that he loves their organization and wants to play there for the last few years of his career.

Kenny has been hurt almost all-year but has pitched wonderfully in the days he was not on the DL.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Orioles Name Manager for '08


The Baltimore Orioles eliminated all the manager talks by announcing that current interim manager Dave Trembley will indeed be their manager for the remainder of this season, and '08. He also has an option in his contract that could keep him in the O's dugout for '09.

Quite a suprise as Baltimore could of had some good managerial opportunities this offseason, but instead they put their trust in a guy coming out of nowhere. Baltimore has been playing much better lately though. Would be nice if Trembley can steadily improve the club by next offseason.

Schilling in Tampa?


Curt Schilling recently noted in one of his ramblings that he might want to sign with an up-and-coming team like the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He'd probably work well with the youthful pitchers coming up in Tampa Bay such as Scott Kazmir, James Shields, and Andy Sonnastine. The signing would raise the Devil-Rays salary by at least $10-$11M, something that they haven't handed out in the career of the team.

He has said, though, that he wants to sign with the team with the most chance of winning a World Series, and Tampa won't be in that kind of talks for at least another 2 years.

Dodgers, Mets, Phillies Appear Interested in Wells


The Los Angeles Dodgers are still the front-runners for signing veteran David Wells, but MLBTradeRumors.com believes that the Mets could also be one of the mystery teams that could step in at any moment. I also believe that with Cole Hamels going on the DL, the Philadelphia Phillies would probably have quite a bit of interested in Boomer.

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

BAL Signs Fernando


The Baltimore Orioles have signed former-Indian reliever Fernando Cabrera. The O's have already taken Jeremy Guthrie from Cleveland and made him into a great pitcher, can they do it again? Cabrera is only 25-years old so he still has room to be molded into a great reliever. Scouts believe Fernando has wicked stuff, just hasn't been able to find the command needed to be a credible pitcher. He went 1-2 with a 5.61 ERA in 24 games this season for the Indians before being designated for assignment.

Otsuka Likely Over for '07


Rangers closer Akinori Otsuka will seek a third option on his sore right forearm today, but it looks like his season will be over. Otsuka hasn't pitched in a game since July 1st and has been examined by orthopedists Dr. Keith Meister and Dr. Lewis Yocum.

Bedard Cy Young Winner?


Baltimore left-hander Erik Bedard has been pitching amazingly all season and I wanted to put the spotlight on the young Navan, Ontario native. Erik struck out 11 Ranger batters today through 7-innings and tied the Oriole record for season strikeouts at 218. Coming along with those league-leading 218 strikeouts, Bedard has only walked 52 en-route to his 13-4 season. His ERA stands at 2.97, fourth in the American League.

With almost a month left in the season, I would have to say that Erik Bedard deserves to win this year's Cy Young, even with Dan Haren and Josh Beckett out there.

Final Info on Wily Mo Pena Deal


The Deal in which outfielder Wily Mo Pena headed to Washington was actually a 3-team trade with both the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Boston Red Sox. Washington gave up reliever Emiliano Fruto to the Diamondbacks, the Diamondbacks sent first-basemen Chris Carter to Boston, and Boston of course sent Pena to the Nationals. Looks like a very even deal but what Wily Mo could do for the Nationals is just amazing. He's already hit 2 home-runs and had a 3-4 night.

Mets Acquire Conine


The New York Mets traded two low-level minor league prospects in return for outfielder Jeff Conine. Conine is famous for clearing waivers and being traded, as this is his 3rd time being sent through waivers. The move came after the Mets placed Damion Easley on the 15-day DL with a twisted ankle. Jeff lead the Reds in pinch-hits with 6, and hit .265 with 6 HR's and 32 RBI's in 80 games.

Rockies Sign Mark Redman



The Colorado Rockies have signed left-hander Mark Redman to a minor-league contract. Redman, who was a 2006 All-Star for the Royals, was 0-4 with a 11.63 ERA in only 6 games for the Atlanta Braves. Redman is only 64-80 in his career.

Looks like the Rockies just wanted to build up some arms, as Redman's Double-A debut went horrible yesterday giving up 5 earned-runs in only 6 innings.

White Sox Sign Myers


The Chicago White Sox signed left-hander Mike Myers last night to a pro-rated $1.1M deal with a club option for next season. This deal is mainly made to lock up the good lefty for all of next year, if he can remain good for the White Sox. Excellent deal by the White Sox, especially since Myers kept his ERA under 3 this season.

Monday, August 20, 2007

Johan Santana


Yesterday was the slowest day for rumors ever! So, I figured I must post right now since its been two days.

Buster Olney of ESPN, claims that Twins-ace Johan Santana might be put on the market this offseason, making every team salivate at the site of the 28-year old left-hander. He lists stud pitchers such as Jered Weaver, Phillip Hughes, and Andrew Miller as once untouchable pieces that will most likely be avaliable to acquire a Johan Santana.

My gut feeling is still that the Twins would hold on to him for a playoff run next year, and than take the 2 compensation picks once he walks. Or they can do it the old-fashioned way and just sign the guy.

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Veterans Moving Places


I've been seeing a few veterans popping up here and there un-noticed and figured i'd tell the world about them. Today, the Oakland Athletics purchased the contract of outfielder Jeff DaVanon who was somehow on their Triple-A team.

The Los Angeles Dodgers also had Shea Hillenbrand in their Triple-A team for awhile, and finally brought him up a few days ago. Hillenbrand never came close to putting out $6.5M worth of production for the Angels, but is doing a decent job for the other L.A. team.

Other News: Wily Mo Pena made his Washington Nationals debut today going 1-4 with a 2B and 2 R's.

Nats Designate Langerhans


The Washington Nationals designated outfielder Ryan Langerhans today, as he only hit .182 with 5 HR and 19 RBI's in 86 games with the club. Ryan was acquired from the Oakland Athletics who acquired him from the Braves within 2 days of trading him. Langerhans had huge potential back in his Brave's days, but it never came to shore and looks like it never will.

White-Sox Extend Dye


The Chicago White Sox re-signed right-fielder Jermaine Dye to a 2-year contract worth $22M. The deal also includes a mutual option for the 3rd year at $12M with a $1M buyout. They better believe this is a down season because $11M is quite a bit for an under-performing outfielder. He is currently hitting .245 with 24 HR's and 62 RBI's and had the best year of his career last year.

Now Chicago has resigned both Buehrle and Dye, meaning their team is in place at least for the next 2 years, even though they are struggling terribly this year and will not make the playoffs.

Friday, August 17, 2007

Chris Ray Out for '08


Sad news in Baltimore as stud closer Chris Ray had Tommy-John Surgery and will miss not only all of this year but most likely all of '08 as well. Ray was 5-6 with a 4.43 ERA with 16 SV's this season, after going 4-4 last season with a 2.73 ERA.

Baltimore's pen will take another major hit, as they were already one of the worst pens before this news came in. Maybe they should sign Joe Kennedy? Might help out a little!

Tigers Make Major Moves


The Detroit Tigers have designated outfielder Craig Monroe and brought up 20-year old outfielder Cameron Maybin. Wierd move if you ask me, especially with Monroe being their everyday left-fielder. I mean, a .222 average is bad, but Craig's hit 11 dingers and drove in 55 runs this year and did wonders for the team last year in the playoffs.

Maybin is a mega-prospect, but was barely in Double-A at the time of the promotion. He was hitting .400 with 4 HR's and 8 RBI after a .304 10 44 Single-A run. You gotta believe Cameron is gonna be a star, but he's only 20 years of age. Is he really gonna be good enough to play in the playoffs and maybe even the world series in two months? I doubt it.

Cubs Resign Big-Z


The Chicago Cubs ended all hopes that Carlos Zambrano will reach free-agency today, signing him to a 5-year deal worth $91.5M. The deal also includes a 1-year $19.5M player option.

Carlos started the season pitching horrible, but turned it around just as he always does. He's 14-9 on the year with a 3.86 ERA and 139 K's. The deal was definantly a home-town discount for the Cubbies, but spending $18.5M a year is still pretty hefty.

Pena Traded To Nationals


Wily Mo Pena has been traded to the Washington Nationals for cash considerations and a PTBNL. Pena struggled all year in Boston, batting around .226, but now will get an everyday job, the same job that made him a huge star for the Cincinatti Reds.

I believe this is a big deal for the Nationals, Pena is gonna blossom into something great down in Washington.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Colon Could Join Angels Early September


Bartolo Colon, 2005 American League Cy Young Winner, could rejoin the Angels rotation as early as September 1st. Colon, who earlier revealed that he hasn't been 100% all year, might have to make a few rehab starts depending how he feels in the next couple of days. He is currently 6-6 with an awful 6.72 ERA.

LAD/COL Interested in Wells


Shortly after David Wells cleared waivers, information came out that both the Los Angeles Dodgers and Colorado Rockies have talked to San Diego in efforts to acquire the veteran.

Wells has struggled all year in a pitchers' park, so moving to Colorado could be quite deadly for the Rockies, but than again they could use a veteran in their very young rotation. Remember again, David has a 7-game suspension he must serve, so teams are only gonna get a good 7-9 starts from him before year's end.

Wilson/Visquel/Wells/Young Cleared


Thanks to Jason Stark and MLBTradeRumors.com, I have learned that Jack Wilson, Omar Visquel, David Wells, and Dmitri Young have also cleared waivers and are eligible to be traded to any team. Found it wierd that the Nationals would place Dmitri on waivers, as they just rewarded him with a 3-year contract. Maybe a team wanted him to be signed long-term before acquiring him? It's all a mystery to me.

If you would like to be up-to-date with which players have cleared waivers, check out the section on the right side of the site under the blog archive.

Diamondbacks Designate Kim/Kennedy


The Arizona Diamondbacks designated both Byung-Hyun Kim and Joe Kennedy for assignment, less than two weeks after acquiring them. Looks like their claims were only as blockers for another team to acquire either of them, but turned into an acquisition of two mediocre relievers.

Kim was released after giving up 3 earned-runs in only 2/3 of an inning pitched. His season ERA is at a 5.23 clip.

Kennedy also pitched yesterday, giving up 6 earned in only 1/3 of an inning pitched. Pathetic combination by both guys allowed the D-Back to let them go.



25-30659/LA2

Olsen Gone If Charges Are True


The Florida Marlins have made it clear that starting-pitcher Scott Olsen will not be welcomed to the team if DUI and Resisting Arrest charges are convicted. As of now, it would look like the Diamondbacks, Phillies, Royals, and Devil-Rays would be top contenders. Olsen could also get the Marlisn a very good center-fielder.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Royals/Cubs Sign Their Men


The Kansas City Royals and Chicago Cubs made the last-minute shopping in this years' draft, signing both Mike Moustakas and Josh Vitters respectively. Moustaka's bonus filled out at $4M and Vitters ended up getting $3.2M.

All 30 first round draft picks were signed, thankfully, with catcher Matt Wieters getting the highest signing-bonus at $6M.

Price Signs 6-year Deal


The Tampa Bay Devil Rays and number 1 overall draft choice, David Price, have agreed to a 6-year contract worth approximately $11.25M. The deal also includes a $5.6M signing bonus.

Price had an amazing year in Vanderbuilt, going 11-0 with a 2.71 ERA and led the NCAA Division I baseball with 175 strike-outs. He than pitched for team USA, going 5-1 with a 0.20 ERA in 8 starts.

Dodgers To Scout Jose


The Los Angeles Dodgers are going to scout Jose Contreras this Friday as the White Sox will take on the Seattle Mariners, another team in the race for Contreras. He's still due about $24M through this year and the next two, so he could be costly for the Dodgers to take a risk on.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Pedro Shows Improvement


Pedro Martinez made his second rehab start this afternoon going 4 innings allowing 4 hits and 3 earned-runs. He struck out 4 batters and walked 1, throwing 47 of his 60 pitches for strikes. After the game, Pedro said he feels much closer to coming back for the New York Mets. He also said that the earliest he will be able to come back is September 1st.

If Pedro comes back and does a decent job for New York, it could solidify their playoff push and back the Atlanta Braves off of them a bit.

Yanks/Pads Fail To Move Igawa


The New York Yankees and San Diego Padres failed to make a trade with left-hander Kei Igawa in the 48-hour time frame. The Yankees need all the pitching they can get, so it looks like a pretty smart move to keep a player they pushed out $50M+ just to talk with.

Greene In White Soxs for '08?


The Chicago White Sox have been calling the San Diego Padres non-stop about acquiring Khalil Greene, even offering to put him in a deadline deal for Jermaine Dye. Now they might get their wish. The talks are now so high that the White Sox will move Jon Garland and Brian Anderson to San Diego for Khalil, Heath Bell, and a prospect or two. Both sides look pretty happy with this deal, most likely meaning one of the early offseason deals this year will be this one.

Monday, August 13, 2007

Deadline For Draft Picks Soon

Major League Baseball teams and first round draft picks have until midnight Wednesday night to sign with teams or else they will re-enter the draft. It can still be good for teams, for example, if the Tampa Bay Devil Rays fail to sign number 1 overall pick David Price, they will get the number 2 pick in next year's draft. As of now, Kansas City Royal's selection Mike Moustakas is not getting the $3.1M Scott Boras is asking. This might force Mike to go to USC for another 3 seasons.

Every other selection is just on pace to sign before the deadline, though.

Contreras Clears Waivers


Jose Contreras has cleared waivers and is now eligible to be traded to any team. He could probably help a team like the Phillies or Mets in their playoff run, but will most likely be non-existant on any team's rotation next year.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Rockies Sign Dessens


The Colorado Rockies have signed veteran reliever Elmer Dessens to a minor-league contract. Dessens has been changing uniforms quite a bit lately. so it'll be a nice view if the Rockies will allow him to stay with them. Elmer can also pitch in the rotation if the Rockies need him too, a big plus.

About Me

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Fullerton, California, United States
Hey, this is Josh Jones, been an Angel fan for about all my life and love talking baseball with anyone. If you visit the site, I would greatly appreciate it if you could comment the blogs that I've made.Thanks in advance!!