Friday, November 30, 2007

Nationals Acquire Milledge


The Washington Nationals have acquired yet another tool-filled outfielder, this time acquiring 22-year old Lastings Milledge from the New York Mets in return for veteran catcher Brian Schneider and 29-year old outfielder Ryan Church.

Milledge has superstar written all over him, hitting .272 with 7 HR's and 29 RBI's in 184 at-bats last year with the Mets. His defense is sub par, but moving to center field he might spend a little extra time working with his fielding skills.

I don't understand the move from the Mets standpoint, as Schneider is a decent catcher, but New York's roster is already filled with Ramon Castro and Johnny Estrada. Minaya could be thinking about the future, as it seems like San Diego will offer catcher Michael Barret arbitration, leaving only Paul Lo Duca on the free-agent market. Omar could than shop either Estrada or Castro and acquire another relief arm.

As for Church, he's been highly under appreciated, compiling quite decent numbers. Most scouts believe he has a legitimate shot at playing right-field for the Mets, but is not going to get too much better. Nationals definitely came out on top with this one.

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Percival To Join Rays


Reliever Troy Percival is almost guaranteed to sign a 2-year, $8M deal with the Tampa Bay Rays in the coming days. Troy will join ex-Angel manager Joe Maddon over in Tampa, likely setting up Al Reyes or even stepping into the job come late in the year. The Rays are sure making some nice moves lately, as moving Delmon Young to Minnesota in order to acquire Matt Garza was a tremendous deal for Tampa.

The Rays will bolster a Kazmir, Shields, Garza big 3 coming into next year, a trio that could match up with pretty much any other club in the league.

Twins Sign Dickey/Braves Release Orr


The Minnesota Twins have signed the one and only R.A. Dickey and his knuckleball. Dickey would seemingly be the only knuckleballer in the league once Tim Wakefield retires, so it would make sense for the Twins to sign him. Dickey compiled a 3.72 ERA in AAA last year, so don't be surprised if he's the Twin's 4th or 5th starters come next season.

The Atlanta Braves have released second-baseman Pete Orr. Pete has a career .263/.292/.339 line, but there's gotta be a team that can hand him a utility role, something like Maicer Izturis does over in Anaheim.

Nationals To Inquire About Patterson


The Washington Nationals are going to obviously talk with agent Scott Boras and his client Andruw Jones during December 1st's meetings. They also have made it clear that they would like to sign Corey Patterson to a deal if the price was right. Corey would likely platoon and hit only against right-handers, as lefties have gave him major problems throughout his career.

To me, current center-fielder Nook Logan is a better bet than Corey Patterson in center, but what the Nationals need to do is sign Andruw Jones to a 5-year deal and let him carry their offense into the new stadium.

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Most Amazing Minor League Jersey Ever!

Very slow day, so lets excite the fans:

Freddy Garcia Gauging Interest


Starter Freddy Garcia and agent Peter Greenberg are taking bids for Garcia's work next season. Freddy is rehabbing for a horrible shoulder surgery, so Greenberg believes that he will allow teams to make a pro-rated offer to Garcia. Just as Roger Clemens last year, Garcia would come in May or June and start his season, saving the team he signs with quite a bit of salary.

Mets and GM Omar Minaya have already made several calls to the Garcia party and are showing extreme interest. Freddy was 1-5 with a 5.90 ERA last season, where injuries were a major factor in his 50+ innings of work. Before 2007, Garcia pitched more than 200 innings 6 straight seasons. He could receive a $12-14M deal, which would be prorated to about $10M.

Friday, November 23, 2007

Reds Ink Cordero For 4 Years


According to Ken Rosenthal, the Cincinnati Reds have signed closer Francisco Cordero to a 4-year deal worth $46M. The contract also includes an option for the fifth year. Thats $11.5M annually for all the non-math junkies out there. Quite a bit of money for a sub-.500 team who is having major rotation problems, but it's at least a step in the right direction. Did they overpay? Of course, but just like the Royals and Devil Rays, they must overpay to get players to suit up in their gear. Plus, looking at the numbers, if the Reds had an adequate 8th and 9th inning man last year, the would of been in first place of the NL Central come beginning of May.

If the Big Red Machine can go out and sign another pitcher, Carlos Silva maybe, they will definitely win more games next season. It seems like a broken record, but the smartest move for Cinci's front-office is to move their aging players (Griffey Jr.) and rebuild their minor league pitching program.

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Angels Sign Hunter


The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim continued their very busy offseason, signing center-fielder Torii Hunter to a 5-year contract worth approximately $90M. There was absolutely no speculation that there were even talks between the two parties, but Hunter's agent told the media that the deal was compiled within 24 hours of beginning communication.

At first look, it seems Hunter doesn't fit in with the Angels, playing a position that the Angels shelled out $50M last season to fill. Last year's center-fielder Gary Matthews Jr. didn't have a very good year with the bat, but the power numbers were pretty high. Los Angeles now has 6 outfielders to play 3 spots, most likely guaranteeing that Miguel Cabrera will be wearing red come next year. GM Tony Reagins put the club in a great postion to move 1 or 2 outfielders with Santana or Saunders in return for a big bat, whether it be Miguel Cabrera or even Miguel Tejada.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Brewers Sign Kendall


The Milwaukee Brewers have signed catcher Jason Kendall to a 1-year deal with an option for 2009. Kendall struggled quite a bit with the Oakland Athletics, but posted a .362 OBP with the Chicago Cubs in the second-half of last year. He's definantly not much better than recently traded Johnny Estrada, especially as he threw out less than 20% of runners last season. Keeping runners honest was the reason Estrada was traded, so why go out and sign another catcher who has throwing problems?

The Brewers aren't making very good deals lately, as they acquired steroid using reliever Guillermo Mota in return for Estrada. The best they can hope is that Mota lowers his ERA by at least a point, to around 4.5, and than is released via free-agency in 2009.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Indians Sign Kobayashi


The Cleveland Indians have signed 33-year old Japanese reliever Masahide Kobayashi to a 2-year deal worth $6.25M and an option for 2010 worth $3.25M. Very nice deal for GM Mark Shapiro and gang, as Masahide has 227 saves over Japan and has a very deceptive delivery, the same trait that made the Boston Red Sox sign all-star reliever Hideki Okajima. Cleveland did not have to attach a posting fee, as Kobayashi was a restricted free-agent across the sea. 2007 wasn’t a very good year for Kobayashi, but had a 2.95 ERA the last 3 seasons. (MVN.com)

Mets Acquire Estrada


The New York Mets sent reliever Guillermo Mota to the Milwaukee Brewers in return for catcher Johnny Estrada. Quite an amazing deal for Met’s GM Omar Minaya, as no one in the entire city of New York respects Mota anymore, and they acquire a catcher who might put up better numbers than Paul Lo Duca did last year. Estrada did only hit .278 with 10 HR and 54 RBI’s last season, but he had some procedures throughout the year, most likely equating to a rebound in ‘08. I don’t understand why the Milwaukee Brewers would want Guillermo Mota, as a 5.76 ERA and a hefty contract aren’t a good mixture. (MVN.com)

Monday, November 19, 2007

Ramblings


* ESPN’s Buster Olney reports that before third baseman Mike Lowell agreed on a 3-year/$37.5M deal with the Boston Red Sox, the Philadelphia Phillies offered Lowell a 4-year deal worth $50M. Looks like Lowell really did want to come back to Boston, as he made it clear he wanted 4-years and than turned down Philadelphia’s offer. He also lost a good $12.5M in the process.
* When asked about the 4-year $60M offer the Colorado Rockies reportedly made to soon-to-be National League MVP, Matt Holliday responded by making it clear that he would like a contract much longer than 4-years. He feels that he is worth a long term investment from the Colorado Rockies, and who’s going to argue against it?
* The St. Louis Cardinals have signed veteran catcher Jason LaRue, who spent 2007 with the Kansas City Royals, to a 1-year deal worth $850,000. LaRue really didn’t do too much in Kansas City.
* Free-Agent Torii Hunter is set to dine with the Texas Rangers owner and general manager tonight, possibly talking about a long-term deal in place to fill the Ranger’s CF vacancy. Most believe Texas is the front runner for Hunter.
* Don’t be surprised if new Angel Jon Garland does much better for the Halos, as their ballpark suits his pitching style very nicely. His 4.24 ERA in 2007 wasn’t too impressive, but I would be willing to put a wager on an ERA under 4 for next year. (MVN.com)

Angels Trade Cabrera For Garland


Big move for both the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Chicago White Sox today, as the teams swapped 33-year old short-stop Orlando Cabrera to Chicago in exchange for 28-year old SP Jon Garland. Being the Angel fan that I am, my first instinct about the move was simply wow. We just traded a 2007 Gold Glove winner who served as a team captain and kept the team together through hard times,hitting higher than .300 in the process. What's worse is that we acquire another starting pitcher, something that we are already extremely strong in. If we would of moved Cabrera for lets say Miguel Tejada, the deal would of been fine, but not for another pitcher.

But looking closer at the deal, it does make quite a bit of sense for the Angels. For one, they receive a pitcher who possesses amazing durability, pitching 200+ innings the last 4 seasons. Garland is also only 28 years old and will serve as a tremendous number 4 starter. Even though he is $3M more than Cabrera and was acquired for a package of Cabrera and even more cash, the Angels are still saving a good $6M from last year's payroll, ridding Bartolo Colon's horrific contract from their dues.

The best part of the deal is that it is a sign that in the very near future, the Angels are going to make another trade for either a short-stop or a third baseman known as Miguel Cabrera. If the Halos were to move lets say Conger/Kendrick/Santana/Saunders to Florida for Miguel Cabrera, they would be able to let him play the position he loves and would move last year's third-baseman Chone Figgins to short-stop, the position he played coming up with the club way back in 2002. New general-manager Tony Reagins is sure winning the hearts of Angel fans, proving that he can actually construct a deal, something Bill Stoneman had trouble with.

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Blue Jays Acquire Scutaro


The Toronto Blue Jays have acquired short-stop Marco Scutaro from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for minor-leaguers Graham Godfrey and Kristian Bell. The 32-year old Scutaro hit .260 with 7 HR and 41 RBI in 104 games for Oakland last year. He will likely serve as the back-up for John McDonald unless Toronto can acquire another SS this offseason.

Ramblings


* The Denver Post speculates that Yorvit Torrealba’s shoulder problems made the 3-year $14.4M deal with the Mets fall through. Now that the Mets are out of it, the Marlins are also getting pretty close to backing out, citing that if they sign Yorvit for what the Mets offered, he would be their second highest-paid player.
* It seems like the New York Yankees have made a 3-year deal worth $30M to Francisco Cordero, who would serve as the closer if and only if Mariano Rivera does not re-sign with the club. Cordero is much younger and would make a lot more sense for the aging Yankees to sign, but hey its Mariano Rivera.
* The Star-Tribune is reporting that the Minnesota Twins have offered ace Johan Santana a 5-year deal worth $93M. If this is the case, Johan would become the game’s highest paid pitcher, slight ahead of Barry Zito’s 7-year deal. The Dodgers, Red Sox, and Yankees have had the most interest in Johan.
* Royals’ outfielder Reggie Sanders has made it clear that he will retire next season unless a west-coast team makes an offer. He would also prefer going back to the National League. The Giants and Padres could use a veteran 5th outfielder. dismantled. (MVN.com)

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Glavine To Likely Sign Tommorrow


"The Associated Press is reporting that Tom Glavine’s agent, Greg Clifton, told reporters that “We’ve made significant progress throughout the day”. The feeling around both the Atlanta Braves clubhouse and on Glavine’s side is that the veteran left-hander will sign a 1-year contract worth $8M tomorrow afternoon.

Glavine has made it clear that he wants to pitch for Atlanta this year, declining his $13M option with the Mets. Atlanta offered an initial $7M contract yesterday, but Clifton countered with a $8M deal that is very likely to close tomorrow.

Analysis: Tom had a 14-8 season this year, compiling a 4.45 ERA in over 200 innings pitched. He’s a good number two or three pitcher, and will fit in nicely behind John Smoltz and Tim Hudson. Atlanta’s rotation will have quite a bit of depth, as Chuck James, Mike Hampton, Jair Jurrjens, Jo-Jo Reyes, and Buddy Carlyle will fight for the two remaning rotation spot.

Great news for Braves’ fans, getting a veteran who will win you at least 12 games next year for a reasonable, 1-year contract. Plus, there will likely be an option for ‘09 just in case Glavine has a tremendous year." (MVN.com)

Ramblings


* Tadahito Iguchi’s agent told the media that the Angels, Brewers, Padres, Rockies, and Astros have contacted Iguchi about signing with their respective clubs. Tadahito made it clear he wants to play 2B next year, so the Brewers will probably not work. The Angels are also a long shot unless they trade Howie Kendrick in the Miguel Cabrera deal.
* Free-Agent Aaron Rowand explained that the “interest is definitely mutual” with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Signing Rowand would force Juan Pierre to left-field and would also push yet another young outfielder out of the starting spot. Matt Kemp would most likely be the outfielder pushed out, and there might be a Baltimore Oriole deal in the works for ace Erik Bedard if Baltimore fails to re-sign him long term.
* Ex-Cardinals’ SS David Eckstein would like to receive the exact deal that Julio Lugo received last season, a 4-year deal worth $36M total. Looks impossible for the veteran to receive such a deal, but most believed it was impossible for Lugo to do the same.
* The Houston Astros have signed second-baseman Geoff Blum to either a 1 or 2 year deal, Fox 29 reports. Blum will be returning to the club that he spent 2002 and 2003 with. He will most likely be a bench player next year however.
* Amazing turn around in the Yorvit Torrealba to Mets deal, as now there is no deal reached despite reports from the other day. The Mets told the media that there is no more ongoing conversation with Yorvit, so it looks like Paul Lo Duca will probably be back next year.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Ramblings

* Both FSN.com’s Ken Rosenthal and Alex Rodriguez himself believe that Alex’s first priority is still to remain with the Yankees. In an official quote from Rodriguez’s site, Alex states that after talking it over with his family, he will communicate with the Steinbrenners and attempt to remain in pinstripes for the next 7-10 years.
* St. Louis Cardinals GM John Mozeliak told the media that third baseman Scott Rolen is indeed up for trade. This opens up another 3B option for many teams, most notably the Phillies, Dodgers, and Angels. Scott is due $36M throughout the next 3-years, a deal that he would probably receive in the open market anyway.
* The Atlanta Braves did not offer veteran Tom Glavine a contract in today’s winter meetings, but most believe they will and soon. Once a proposal is made, theres no doubt in my mind that Glavine will head to Atlanta for a 1-year, $8-9M contract with a mutual option for ‘09.
* When asked about being traded, Florida Marlins third baseman Miguel Cabrera told reporters that he would like to remain at third, but would be open to the possibility of moving around the diamond in order to improve the club he would play for. Even with this news, I doubt a team would acquire Miguel and move him elsewhere, unless its DH.

Mets Close To Signing Torrealba


"Numerous reports believe that the New York Mets are set to offer catcher Yorvit Torrealba a 3-year deal worth approximately $15M. Torrealba, who went to the World Series with the Colorado Rockies last year, hit a mere .255 last season with 8 HR and 47 RBI. His World Series appearance has got to be earning him quite a bit of cash, because it looks to the naked eye that the Mets are attempting to pay a back-up catcher $5M per year.

The Mets’ catcher last year, Paul Lo Duca, had a much better season than Torrealba, hitting .272 with 9 HR and 54 RBI. The Mets as a whole must not like Paul’s defensive side and age.

Analysis: Seems like the Mets are just attempting to try something new, as they’re overpaying for a catcher that is downgrading on the offensive side from what they had last year. Or maybe Omar Minaya is betting that Yorvit’s defense and ability to call games will help both the pitching staff and defense of the Mets. Either way, $5M is quite a bit to pay for a sub-par catcher.

Torrealba has told the media that he plans to allow the Rockies to match any offer he receives, but I doubt Colorado would want to match the 3/$15M deal the Mets are quoted to be putting up." (MVN.com)

Monday, November 12, 2007

Posada/Yankees Agree To 4-Year Extension


"Yankees general-manager Brian Cashman tricked us all and signed catcher Jorge Posada to a 4-year deal worth $52M. After telling reporters that Jorge wouldn’t be resigned before the deadline, he did just that. The deal occurred slightly longer than an hour before the deadline approached, and i’m sure Met’s GM Omar Minaya is furious at this moment.

Minaya was even seen taking Posada and his family out to dinner, just to make sure that he would indeed wait until after the deadline to talk numbers with the Mets. The Mets will most likely just re-sign Paul Lo Duca now, as there really isn’t too much better out in the market. Yorvit Torrealba would be a decent choice, but he’s told Colorado that he will allow them to match any offer he receives.

Analysis: Sure the Yankees overpayed for Posada, but it was a matter of having too. Jorge had a tremendous 2007, batting at an absurd .338 mark. He also hit 20 home-runs and drove in 90. Amazing numbers when you realize that he also does a pretty good job fielding at the catcher position.

It was a done deal once the Yankees agreed to make the deal 4-years instead of keeping it at 3, which they originally offered. Good move on Cashman, as the Yankees already have too many personnel moves to lose yet another face in Posada." (MVN.com)

Kent Has Not Decided Whether To Come Back for '08


Contrary to comments that CNN reporter Larry King made on Saturday night, Jeff Kent has not yet decided if he will return to play for Joe Torre and the new-look Dodgers. King told the media that there was "no doubt" Kent would be playing in 2008, but agent Jeffery Klein made it clear that "Jeff has not decided yet about whether to return for 2008".

Rotoworld.com has reported that Joe Torre has also talked to Kent through a phone conversation and also believes he will be back next season. Seems like everyones guaranteeing a return besides Kent himself.

Pedroia/Braun Win ROY's


Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia and Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Ryan Braun won the Rookie of the Year Awards for their respective leagues. After only batting .182 through April, the Red Sox believed that Pedroia still had major league skills. And they were right. Dustin finished the season batting .317, the highest average by a rookie 2B'man in history.

As for Braun, a May call-up didn't affect his swing at all, batting a monstrous .324 with 34 HR, 97 RBI, and 15 SB's. Quite amazing numbers when you take into consideration that he did this in only 451 at-bats, by far the least of any 30 HR hitters this year.

Congratulations to Dustin Pedroia and Ryan Braun.

Jones/Infante Switch Almost Complete


"The Detroit Free Press is reporting that the Chicago Cubs are close to trading outfielder Jacque Jones to the Detroit Tigers in return for infielder Omar Infante. The Tigers would most likely play Jones in left-field, improving their defense quite a bit from prospect Cameron Maybin. Detroit would be taking on Jones’ $5.5M salary next season, a decent sum when you consider that Jones had a very nice .285 5 HR 66 RBI season in 2007.

I can’t understand why the Cubs would want Infante. He is still young, 25, but their entire infield is made up of “infielders”, not players with specific positions. You can’t just fill a team with 4 utility players roaming the infield. It’s still good for Chicago, as they save $4.3M for next year, but I would guess they should rather attempt to receive a prospect from Detroit’s side.

Analysis: No doubt the Tigers would win in this deal, acquiring an outfielder who could do a decent job in left-field and give Cameron Maybin another year to get used to being in the big leagues. This move is merely a salary dump for the Cubs, trying to regain some of the money they paid to Alfonso Soriano in last year’s mega-deal. Infante is almost a younger version of Cesar Izturis, and we all know how great he did in Chi-Town." (MVN.com)

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Mets Could Use Haren


Kevin Kernan of the New York Post believes that should the A's go into re-building mode, the Mets should trade Beane-prodigy Lastings Milledge and possibly an Aaron Heilman to Oakland in return for "the best pitcher not named Josh Beckett", Dan Haren. Haren had a tremendous 2007, giving the A's 15 wins and a 3.07 ERA in quite a bit of innings. Kevin's offer will not pry Haren away from Beane though, for the simple fact that Dan is signed for a mere $4M next year, followed by $5.5M and $6.75M in '09-'10.

Seems a bit biased, as Oakland would probably need Milledge, Carlos Gomez, and one of the Met's prize young arms for Haren. You can expect Billy to get plenty if he does trade Haren, as most teams will show tons of interest since the Johan race will get out of hand.

Johan Package May Be Centered On Cano


"Ken Davidoff of Newsday.com reports that “a person familiar with Minnesota’s operations” believes that if the Yankees were seriously going to make a run at south-paw Johan Santana, New York second baseman Robinson Cano would have to be the centerpiece of the package. Makes a lot of sense for Minnesota, as they have a hole at 2B after trading Luis Castillo to the New York Mets on July 31st.

Robinson hit a cool .306 last year, with 19 HR and 97 RBI. His OBP sat a very good .353, and he only struck-out 85 times in 617 at-bats. The Yankees are rumored to have offered Melky Cabrera, Phil Hughes, and another prospect for Santana, but the Twins easily turned that down. If Johan is ever to get traded, the Twins will no doubt get a very young all-star caliber player and a few amazing prospect arms." (MVN.com)

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Phillies Ink Romero To 3-year Extension


"The Philadelphia Phillies have re-signed left-handed reliever J.C. Romero to a 3-year contract worth $12M. Romero had a 1.24 ERA through 36.1 innings, quite good numbers especially for Philadelphia’s late September run which eventually gave them a playoff berth.

Seems like the deal is a little too hearty as the 31-year old Romero had a horrible 2006, forfeiting a 6.70 ERA for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Yes, he did have a good half season for Philadelphia, but he was only a decent reliever for Boston to open up the season. I predicted awhile ago that J.C. would get a 2-year deal worth $6M, but making the deal one year longer and paying an extra million per year is pushing the envelop quite a bit." (MVN.com)

Friday, November 9, 2007

Tampa Bay Changes Identity

The Tampa Bay Devil-Rays have announced their team changes for 2008, and boy are they major changes. From now on, instead of the Devil-Rays, they will be simply known as the "Tampa Bay Rays". The move is to lose the losing identity that is normally identified with the low-budget Rays. Along with the name change, they have revamped the jerseys and created a new logo. The jerseys are now dark and light blue instead of the traditional green we are acustomed to seeing. The logo is also blue, centered around a baseball diamond and sparkling with a star right by the "R".

The Rays had a concert tonight showing off their new jerseys, as players Carl Crawford, James Shields, Johnny Gomes, Akinori Iwamura, and Carlos Pena showed off the new unis, followed by a concert with music by Kevin Costner.

Silver Slugger Awards Announced

The 2007 Silver-Slugger Awards were revealed today as follows:

American League:
C: Jorge Posada
1B: Carlos Pena
2B: Placido Polanco
3B: Alex Rodriguez
SS: Derek Jeter
OF: Vladimir Guerrero
Ichiro Suzuki
Magglio Ordonez

National League:
C: Russell Martin
1B: Prince Fielder
2B: Chase Utley
3B: David Wright
SS: Jimmy Rollins
OF: Carlos Beltran
Matt Holliday
Carlos Lee
P: Micah Owings

Please explain to me how Hanley Ramirez doesn't win the NL SS Silver Slugger?

Greene To Possibly Be Offered Extension


"The San Diego Union-Tribune is reporting that the San Diego Padres are likely to offer short-stop Khalil Greene a multi-year deal this off season. “He’s one of our better players, and we’d like him to be here for some time”, GM Kevin Towers said. Khalil will reach arbitration for the second-time in his career and will most likely make $4-5M in 2008. The 28-year old Greene hit .254 with 27 HR and 97 RBI’s in 2007, but failed to compile an OBP of .300. Towers and San Diego will most likely offer Khalil a 3-4 year deal worth anywhere from $7-8.5M per season.

Analysis: I always wonder why people are so high on Khalil Greene. Yes, he has good HR and RBI totals, but it seems like he can never hit the ball very consistantly. He struck out 128 times in 2007, and only walked 32 times in the process. His OBP of .291 has got to be one of the worst of all National-League short-stops.

I guess if he can drive in 97 every year, he’s worth $5-6M. But $7-8M? I wouldn’t be too high on offering that much to Greene. Still, the Padres are offense thirsty so you can’t blame them too much." (MVN.com)

Giants Re-Sign Vizquel


From MVN.com (my other site)
"The San Francisco Giants have chosen to re-sign 41-year old short-stop Omar Vizquel to a 1-year deal worth $5.3M. The contract also includes an option for 2008, which will be exercised if Omar plays in 140 games next season. If he fails to do so, the Giants can buy-out the contract for $300,000.

Very awkward, as Vizquel is coming off his worst season since his ‘89 rookie year and is still receiving a raise from his $4M salary last season. Omar hit a mere .246, only hitting 4 HR’s and driving in 51 in 145 games.

Analysis: I thought the Giants were looking to get younger this off season? Looks like GM Brian Sabean wants to retain yet another veteran to hit sub-.250 and collect $5.3M. If I were a Giant fan, I would be completely assaulted with the move, as we lose another $1.3M in salary and must watch a 41-year old short stop make the occasional play or two." (MVN.com)

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Phillies Acquire Lidge/Send Bourn


This is an exclusive article I wrote for MVN.com, please visit that site as most of my in-depth articles are posted there.

"Ed Wade made his first move as the new Astro’s GM tonight by sending reliever Brad Lidge and short-stop Eric Bruntlett to Philadelphia in return for outfielder Michael Bourn, RHP Geoff Geary, and 3B’man Mike Costanzo.

Analysis: Pretty big news on Philadelphia’s side, acquiring a closer for a team that was having weak rotation problems. The amazing part of this deal is the fact that Brett Myers will now most likely re-enter the Phillies’ rotation, shoring up any rotational problems the club was having.

On Houston’s side, Ed Wade’s decision makes quite a bit of sense. Michael Bourn is only 24-years old and has showed the ability to put the ball on the ground and steal quite a bit of bases. In 2007, Bourn hit a ground ball 59.6% of the time, a very good ratio for a left-handed speedster. His 18 SB’s in only 119 AB’s are also very impressive. The trio of Eric Bruntlett, Geoff Geary, and Mike Costanzo aren’t anything special and just cushion for the real deal of Lidge for Bourn. Bruntlett is a 29-year old infielder who did nothing special in 2007, batting .246 with 0 HR’s and only driving in 14. Geary is an average reliever at best, which is still better than most of the arms in Houston’s pen. As for Costanzo, most scouts believe he has a slim chance of even making the major-leagues.

If I were to choose, the Phillies definitely came out on top in this deal, acquiring a top-brand closer and not giving up much but an outfielder they had no room for in 2008. This deal is going to look even better for Philadelphia once Brett Myers goes back to being the ace they needed so badly. Ed Wade, make sure you study a bit more before making your next move." (MVN.com)

Cameron Would Love To Play In D.C.


Mike Nicotera told reporters that his client, center fielder Mike Cameron, is highly interested in roaming the Nationals' CF vacancy. Cameron, who is 35 years of age, is most likely quite a bad move for the Nationals, as he's going to command at least $8M per year and will not be major-league capable once the Nationals are ready to compete.

Hopefully Jim Bowden agrees with me and pursues Andruw Jones instead. Jones still drove in 100 runs last year and would bring quite a bit of fans into the new park set to open in 2008.

Mariano Hasn't Responded to 3/$39M


SI.com is reporting that closer Mariano Rivera has not responded to a 3-year $39M contract the New York Yankees have offered him. Seems like a very generous deal for Mariano, who is 38-years old and didn't have a Rivera-like 2007.

Seems like the Yankees are just trying to keep some names around, as they will struggle to find an identity without Alex Rodriguez and Joe Torre. I would think Mariano would be quite foolish to turn down this contract unless he can get the exact same amount on another team, which is highly doubtful.

White Sox/Uribe Agree To Terms


The Chicago White Sox re-signed short-stop Juan Uribe to a 1-year, $4.5M contract. The move saves Chicago $500,000 as they had a $5M option in his contract. On the down-side, Juan hasn't had a .300-OBP season since 2005 and has definitely lost a step at short. But who's gonna argue that he's a worse choice than Giant's short-stop Omar Vizquel?

Seems like a move just to save some time up the middle for the White Sox, as Uribe definitely won't be a starting short-stop for much longer.

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Mets Clean House


The New York Mets made a variety of moves today, dictating the direction they want to go this off season. First, they agreed with 2B'man Marlon Anderson on a 2-year, $2.2M deal to pinch-hit for the club.

Marlon will make $1.05M next year and $1.15M in 2009. Quite a good deal for Marlon, who had a very good season for the Metropolitans. With the re-signing of one second-baseman, the Mets turned around and declined Jose Valentin's $4.3M option for next season. Valentin had a decent 2006 for the club, but injuries plagued his 2007 season. New York also declined RHP Brian Lawerence's $4M option, saving the club a total of $7.3M to use on a starting-pitcher for next season.

Vizquel Set To Receive Raise From San Francisco


FOXSports.com reports that the San Francisco Giants and short-stop Omar Vizquel are close to re-signing the veteran for $5.5M. Quite horrible news for Giants' fans, as Omar witnessed the worst season in his career and will still be getting a $1.5M raise for next season.

As for Vizquel, he did not win the NL Gold Glove this season, handing it down to Philadelphia Phillies' potential-MVP winner Jimmy Rollins.

Nationals' Zimmerman Breaks Bone In Wrist


Nationals' star third-baseman Ryan Zimmerman broke the hamate bone in his left wrist last weekend after swinging a bat. He is expected to miss 4-6 weeks, but as Rotoworld points out "hamate injures are notorious for sapping a player's power for a length of time. It could potentially be an issue for him next year."

This could hurt Zimmerman's 30HR threat, limiting his power for probably the first month or two in the season. If the Nationals indeed sign some big free-agents, it could hurt their chances of at least being over .500 next season.

Rockies To Shop Fuentes For Starter


According to the Denver Post, a handful of GM's believe that the Colorado Rockies are going to indeed shop left-handed reliever Brian Fuentes for a starting pitcher. Post writer, Troy Renck, believes that the Chicago White Sox might dangle Jon Garland Colorado's way and shore up the White Soxs' pen with a duo of Fuentes and Jenks.

"The Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, among others, have had past interest in the left-hander" (Denver Post). If any of those teams were actually interested in Fuentes, it would have to be the Philadelphia Phillies as they need a reliever pretty desperately. But what starter would they move?

Guillen Bought Steroids


Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams of the San Francisco Chronicle report that Mariner's outfielder Jose Guillen purchased $19,000 worth of steroids from a Florida anti-aging clinic.

Very bad news for Jose, especially as the Mariners declined his $9M option just a few days ago. Now, it looks like he won't get nowhere near what he was going to get, and might actually be forced to retire.

Monday, November 5, 2007

Schilling Re-Signs With Boston


FOX has just reported that the Boston Red Sox have re-signed veteran ace Curt Schilling to a 1-year deal with a base salary of $8M. The deal also includes $5M worth of incentives, most likely to insure that Curt can stay healthy throughout the season. Seems quite early, as Schilling listed a group of teams he was interested in on his blog 38pitches.com

Schilling had a very good 2007, going 9-8 with a 3.87 ERA in 151 innings-pitched for the World Champions. On the other side of the AL East, Andy Pettite has opted out of his $16M player option. Andy made this move to give him more time to make decisions and to open up a spot on the Yankees' roster.

Photo Of The Day: November 5th (Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

Nationals To Attempt To Sign Zimmerman Long Term Once Again


Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post posted a great article on the state of the Washington Nationals. Seems like the owning family, the Lerners, are "committed to raise payroll". Washington's payroll sat at a cool $38M last season.

GM Jim Bowden has already communicated with agents for Aaron Rowand and Torii Hunter, but made it clear that he would much rather aquire young players through trade than signing big name free-agents.

Svrluga also believes that the Nationals are set to once again offer third-baseman Ryan Zimmerman a multi-year contract to remain the face of the franchise. Talks stalled last year, as Bowden believes that "there's no urgency" in signing Ryan. "We don't have interest in doing a long-term deal that is going to cost us more money than going through the [arbitration] process."

Twins Ask Red Sox About Crisp


La Velle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune received word that the Minnesota Twins have talked to the Boston Red Sox about center-fielder Coco Crisp.

Prospect Prizes Kevin Slowey and Scott Baker seem to be on the table, but the Twins have plenty of young arms in their minor-leagues that can make this deal work. Rotoworld quotes Jeff Manship and reliever Eduardo Morlan as two possible arms that could be included in the Crisp deal.

Padres Ink Maddux To 1-Year Extension


ESPN.com is reporting that the San Diego Padres have re-signed veteran Greg Maddux to a 1-year contract worth $10M. The move also means that Maddux was going to opt out of his player option worth $8.5M, but didn't want to make San Diego exercise their $11M team option.

"Mad Dog" finished 2007 going 14-11 with a 4.11 ERA, starting in 34 games. It's a good move for San Diego, as they had to spend their exact 2007 amount on Greg. Hopefully San Diego won't have to face Tony Gwynn Jr. in game 162 of 2008.

Scott Kazmir May Be Available


Joel Sherman of the New York Post believes that the Tampa Bay Devil Rays will indeed dangle ace Scott Kazmir and listen to offers. The left-hander is still 3 years away from free-agency, and 2 years of Kazmir has gotta be as good as 1 year of Johan.

I can't see Tampa making this deal as Scott's been lights out and is only 24-years old. If a major deal is thrown at them, however, why not entertain it?

Sherman also writes that the Devil-Rays have made only B.J. Upton untouchable, allowing outfielders Carl Crawford and Delmon Young to be traded. Seems like Tim Lincecum for Carl Crawford may make sense for the Giants, but they still need more specs in the package.

Sunday, November 4, 2007

Padres Watching Outfielders/Clement


Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune wrote an impressive article today, talking about the various activity that the Padres might encounter this offseason. To begin, he believes that San Diego is set to offer a 1-year contract to ex-Brewer Geoff Jenkins. GM Josh Towers has been seeking a left-fielder who can bat left-handed, and Jenkin's agent, Damon Lapa, is quoted saying "It wouldn't be too tough a sell for Geoff to slide in nicely there,”

Krasovic also believes that the Padres are expressing interest in Coco Crisp, but made it clear that the Padres aren't moving Double-A third baseman Chase Headley. If Crisp was to come to San Diego, he might play better being allowed to use his speed in such a spacious park.

Matt Clement, who began his career in San Diego, would like to sign a low-base 1 year contract with a boatload of incentives. Matt is coming off of rotator cuff surgery, but has had some very decent seasons in his career.

Giants Still Shopping Lincecum


I can't believe this is happening, but Nick Cafardo still believes that the San Francisco Giants are going to shop rookie-phenom Tim Lincecum in order to acquire a very young explosive bat. MLBTradeRumors.com believes that this "explosive" bat is going to come from Tampa Bay with the likes of Delmon Young.

Even if it were Young that was heading to San Francisco, giving up Lincecum would hurt their rotation in so many ways, and would disrupt he soon-to-be big 3 Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum, Barry Zito. Giants fans better pray to the baseball gods every night that they don't trade Lincecum, because that would sprain the franchise quite a bit.

Astros Showing Great Interest In Castillo


Ken Rosenthal believes that the Houston Astros are going to make a great push to sign second-baseman Luis Castillo. Luis would replace the retired Craig Biggio up the middle, and would inject quite a bit of OBP to the top of Houston's lineup.

The 32-year old Castillo would help Houston in so many ways, and the Astros can afford to give him the money that would of been handed to Craig Biggio last season. And for those who believe Castillo is often injured, he still compiled 548 AB's last year.

Saturday, November 3, 2007

Sammy Needs $7M To Play Next Year


Free-Agent Sammy Sosa told reporters that he will retire next season unless a team can offer him a $7M contract. Sammy, I'm sorry but you have lost it. His 676OPS last year against RHP was quite pathetic, and he would be lucky to get $1M next year. He did drive in quite a few runs, but was absolutely horrific in the outfield.

Looks like Sammy's return will be short-lived, as he's put an absolutely embarrasing offer on the table. He could, however, just have made that claim to prove that the team he signs with is getting a "bargain" but I doubt it.

Friday, November 2, 2007

Rockies Interested In Jennings


Who can forget the Jason Jennings who posted a 3.78 ERA in 212 innings for the 2006 Rockies? The Astros sure can't, letting the veteran walk away after shelling out Willy Taveras, Jason Hirsh, and Taylor Buchholz just to acquire the right-hander in last year's off-season.

Now the Rockies want to sign Jennings back to the team that made him famous, potentially offering a 2-year $7.5M deal with a surplus money that can be had with a certain amount of starts. Jason has said that he is holding no grudge with Colorado at all, but wants to explore the market first.

Friday's Contracts


The New York Yankees surprised absolutely no-one, exercising outfielder Bobby Abreu's $16M option for 2008. There was no way the Yankees would lose their third and fourth hitter in one offseason.

The Toronto Blue Jays resigned veteran outfielder Matt Stairs to a 2-year, $3.5M contract. Very good price, as Matt had more than 20HR's in the 2007 season. He is in his upper-30's though, so a two-year deal might be a little iffy.

The Boston Red Sox exercised both Tim Wakefield and Julian Tavarez's options, Wakefield at $4M and Julian's at $3.85M. Tavarez was quite surprised as he thought for sure he wasn't returning with the team after Boston left him off the World Series roster.

Thursday, November 1, 2007

Minaya Places Posada On Top


The New York Daily News reports that Mets' general manager Omar Minaya has placed catcher Jorge Posada on the top of his free-agent list. Jorge seems to get a 3-year deal worth $40M from the Yankees, but will likely wait until November 13th to get an opportunity to communicate with other teams. If Minaya comes out and blows Posada away with an offer, the Mets will be mighty good next season. Upgrading at catcher is the only position that could be steadily improved on the ball-club, so why not get one that has to potential to hit .300 with 20HRand 85RBI?

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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!!