6-4-2 — an Angels/Dodgers double play blog

Labels: meta

// posted by Rob @ 2:18 PM link  //  4 comments

Labels: dodgers, stupid ideas, the horror the horror

// posted by Rob @ 6:47 PM link  //  6 comments

Labels: dodgers, spring training

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Labels: dodgers

// posted by Rob @ 3:49 PM link  //  0 comments

8. Do the player’s numbers meet Hall of Fame standards?

McGriff meets 47.9 percent on the Hall of Fame Standards Test, which is a pretty good total, just slightly below the average (more below the first base average). He scores at exactly 100 on the Hall of Fame Career Monitor, on which anything over 100 is supposed to signal a likely Hall of Famer. There is a tendency to hold contemporary players to a higher standard than that, but this probably shouldn’t hold to players like McGriff whose career is centered pre-1993.

His Black Ink (9) and Grey Ink (105) scores are poor for a Hall of Fame candidate at an offensive position, as he had relatively few league-leading seasons or seasons among the league leaders. He won two home run titles, but his only other official league-leading season was in games played in the strike-shortened 1995 season.

Labels: ex-dodgers

// posted by Rob @ 3:17 PM link  //  0 comments

If the Angels land Marlins third baseman Miguel Cabrera, it will give them enough offense to trade center fielder Gary Matthews Jr. Yet, even though Matthews has been displaced in center field by Torii Hunter, he remains valuable to the Angels due to the physical questions surrounding Vladimir Guerrero and Garret Anderson.

Manager Mike Scioscia prefers to rotate his DH, and Guerrero, 31, started only 108 games in right field last season. That number could drop further next season — Guerrero would benefit from cleanup procedures on his right shoulder and right knee, but is reluctant to undergo any type of surgery, industry sources to say.

Opponents no longer are afraid to run on Guerrero — his assist totals have dropped from 13 to eight to seven to five over the past four seasons. He often has difficulty stopping when chasing flyballs down the right-field line. His release isn't the quickest, and his throws are frequently inaccurate.

Angels owner Arte Moreno, however, plans to extend Guerrero's contract to bring it more in line with Hunter's, sources say. Guerrero will earn $14.5 million next season and the Angels hold a $15 million option on him for 2009. Hunter is earning $18 million per season under his new deal.

Labels: angels, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 12:23 PM link  //  0 comments

"I've felt we had a deal with them twice," Moreno said of the Marlins, who apparently cut bait and decided they needed more in exchange for the 24-year-old slugger.

...

"It's going to be hard to give up that talent," he said. "They're doing it to everybody. I read that the Dodgers' [general manager] Ned Colletti had a deal, and they changed [players] on him.

"They've maneuvered us against each other. They've got a 24-year-old power hitter who plays third base, and you've got about six teams that need a third baseman.

"They're asking for four Major League players -- three Major League players and a pitcher, or two pitchers and two players. He is arbitration-eligible this year -- $12 million-plus -- and then you've got to re-sign him."

"If you're looking at straight budget, we're over budget," Moreno said. "Yeah, I would [lose money] if I need to. It would be short-term.

Update 11/29: Welcome to David Pinto's readers.

Labels: angels, rumors, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 6:07 PM link  //  0 comments

Torii Hunter got a news conference from the Los Angeles Angels even before he finalized his contract.

Hunter was introduced Wednesday along with Jon Garland, acquired in a trade with the Chicago White Sox. Hunter, a seven-time Gold Glove center fielder, reached a preliminary agreement Nov. 21 on a $90 million, five-year contract but has yet to finalize the deal.

"We're just working out the final details of Torii's contract and that should be done relatively quickly," new Angels general manager Tony Reagins said. "He hasn't officially written his name, but we've agreed to all the terms."

Labels: angels, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 2:37 PM link  //  2 comments

Labels: ex-angels

// posted by Rob @ 2:36 PM link  //  0 comments

Update 11/28: Back up again, but the culprit turned out to be the NetworkManglerManager under Fedora Core 7, which for some reason was confused as to the necessity of using DHCP when there was a perfectly valid fixed IP address going. All better now.

Labels: meta

// posted by Rob @ 10:04 PM link  //  0 comments

Complete this sentence: The Dodgers will be successful in 2008 because...

NC: That’s a great question. The Dodgers will be successful in 2008 because their younger players will continue to improve and the veteran players’ desire to win will meld with the younger players’ improvement, their knowledge of what it takes to win and improving under Joe’s leadership.

Labels: dodgers

// posted by Rob @ 6:37 PM link  //  1 comments

Labels: offtopic

// posted by Rob @ 2:32 PM link  //  0 comments

Rob Neyer Reads Me — I'm Famous, Sort Of

Trying Hard Not To Parse Disaster In The Dodger Tea Leaves

McCourt feels media reports of the Dodgers' clubhouse being a mess were greatly overblown. There might have been a youth-vs.-veterans feud after a few choice words by veterans Jeff Kent and Luis Gonzalez, but for McCourt, the worst part was, "we kept waiting for our talent to get us through the tough times and it never kicked in. When that happens, frustration sets in, and we just couldn't get ourselves out of that."

So it's with some relief that I read in today's Times Ned Colletti is going to rely on the kids. I should hope so:

"There's potential for change, but as we look at the young players that we played a lot this past year, we're less likely to fill in [positions with veterans] as much as we have in the past and more likely we'll give the younger players a greater opportunity," Colletti said. "I'm curious to see how our young players, who really had a chance this past year to play full time, I'm curious to see what another year does."

Several players who became flame outs ended up being traded but NO ONE was ever traded after posting a year like Matt Kemp posted at the age of 19-22. Also no one has been traded to my knowledge at the age of Miguel Cabrera after what he has accomplished.

Speaking Of Marginal Moves: Rich Lederer Pans Jon Garland

Labels: angels, dodgers, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 8:20 AM link  //  4 comments

Update: Fixed now.

Labels: meta

// posted by Rob @ 8:44 AM link  //  0 comments

Labels: angels

// posted by Rob @ 4:39 PM link  //  6 comments

Labels: offtopic

// posted by Rob @ 8:27 PM link  //  2 comments

Already, big names like Curt Schilling and Tom Glavine have signed, and Andy Pettitte, the best arm available on the free-agent market, has decreed that he'll either re-sign with the Yankees or retire. What's left? Middling stuff, for the most part. There's Carlos Silva (control artist, reliable innings guy, can be hit hard, likely to be overpaid), Kyle Lohse (promising injury history, capable of league-average innings, likely to be overpaid), Livan Hernandez (peerless durability, declining skills), and Randy Wolf (promising track record, coming off surgery, unknown quantity going forward, likely to sign low-base contract), among others. In other words, if you're looking to add an ace to your staff, then you're out of luck. On the other hand, if you need only to shore up the back end of the rotation, then you've got options.

If there's an ideal calculated risk available, then it's probably Bartolo Colon. Last season, Colon battled elbow problems for much of the year, and that limited him to 99.1 innings and a career-worst ERA of 6.34. On the other hand, after returning to the rotation in September, Colon posted a 3.95 ERA over the remainder of the season. Also, let's not forget that Colon has devastating stuff and won the AL Cy Young Award in 2005. Certainly, Colon's no sure thing — his health issues, poor conditioning and recent performance tell you that much — but he's also probably the best free-agent gamble left standing. Whether that's praise for Colon or an indictment of the current free-agent class is left to question.

Labels: angels, hot stove

// posted by Rob @ 10:51 AM link  //  0 comments

Update: Ken Arneson writes a great piece on the subject.

Labels: deaths

// posted by Rob @ 10:47 AM link  //  0 comments

Update: The hyperbole machine winds up:

Angels fans, I know it's the day after Thanksgiving and you're stuffed, but you should be licking your chops.

Close your eyes and imagine this guy in your outfield. There is a reason Hunter is a seven-time Gold Glove winner. Picture Boston in town. Those Red Sox fans and their incessant "Let's go, Red Sox" are making you nuts. Suddenly, Manny Ramirez drives a ball deep into center field.

There it goes, another Manny home run.

Wait, what's that?

It's Torii Hunter flying high above the center-field wall, arm stretched, glove wide.

Home run stolen.

"Let's go, Red Sox"? Put a sock in it.

Close your eyes and imagine this guy at the plate. There is a reason Hunter is batting in the middle of this underwhelming lineup. Picture Boston in town. Those Red Sox fans and their incessant “Let’s go, Red Sox” are making you nuts, but the bases are loaded with two outs and Daiske Matsusaka's losing it. Suddenly, on a 3-2 count, Matsusaka throws a fastball 6 inches wide of the plate.

There it is, a bases loaded walk. The game is tied and the rally monkey is jumping.

Wait, what’s that?

It’s Torii Hunter flailing away and topping it weakly to short.

Rally killed.

“Let’s go, Red Sox.”

Labels: angels

// posted by Rob @ 6:04 AM link  //  0 comments

Labels: offtopic

// posted by Rob @ 9:48 AM link  //  0 comments

• It creates a surplus of outfielders. Unless the Angels are planning on giving Garret Anderson the boot, the logical evictees from the outfield would be Gary Matthews, Jr. plus a ton of cash to an unwitting third party, Reggie Willits, and/or Juan Rivera. According to the Times article above, the plan is to have GMJ and Hunter rotate in center, with Anderson and Hunter rotating in left, and Anderson switching out to DH with Vlad.
• It fails to fix the Angels' third base situation. Unless the team is still pursuing Miguel Cabrera — presumably, reports of A-Rod's signing with the Yankees for $280M/10 years are not a Jon Heyman fever dream — it fails to fix a glaring and longstanding weakness.
• It evicts younger players in Reggie Willits and Juan Rivera. Willits must needs be demoted to a fourth outfielder, and maybe not even that, which is liable to hurt his value to the team. His second half spiral didn't help his chances to keep any semblance of a starting job, and it looks like the club has given him a vote of no confidence going forward. As for Rivera, before his injury, he was looking like a far cheaper version of Hunter without the ability to play center (where he would have been redundant with GMJ) but with a similar slugging percentage. Did management believe he wouldn't come back from his broken leg?

  Update: Another possibility raised at HH is that Vlad now becomes a perma-DH.

Despite his type A ranking by Elias, Hunter's value to the team is rather dubious thanks to his age, multiplied by having a career year in a contract year. PECOTA projected him as a 45 VORP player, and he came in a bit below that at 39.2. Now, four wins is nothing to sneeze at, but he marks the kind of player the Angels really shouldn't be chasing; they need a Hall of Fame caliber bat, and Hunter simply isn't that. As a fix for the outfield, it reaches meh levels, with the usual caveats that Hunter's comps were either out of baseball or ineffective by the time this deal will be over, when Hunter is 36.

Update: Jon implies his gratitude to the Angels for executing a plan that looks like it might have been endorsed by the Bad Idea Bears, swiping Hunter away from the Dodgers. The title of his post says it all: "Thanksgiiviing".

Update 2: I wonder if the Angels FO was reading this as inspiration...

Labels: angels, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 2:51 AM link  //  8 comments

The Dodgers Prospect Mystery Machine

Now, it's possible that the Dodgers know something about Wright that hasn't been told to the public - such as Wright is hurt, or the Dodgers suspect his arm will fall off soon - but outside of that possibility, the Dodgers' protecting Alvarez over Wright is a monumental head-scratcher, and in my opinion, represents a Dodger front-office miscalculation. But, alas, such miscalculations are something to which the current Dodger front-office personnel are very far from strangers.

Tim Brown On The Dodgers' Offseason

More likely, Colletti draws on his farm system to upgrade at third base with Miguel Cabrera or Joe Crede. He could expand a trade with the Florida Marlins to include Dontrelle Willis, though Willis' value isn't close to what it was a year or two ago, and the Marlins don't quite recognize that yet. If they were to spend their prospects, they'd do well to bring back Johan Santana or Eric Bedard, exceptional left-handers who might be had because they are close to free agency.

Angels' FO To Fall Asleep Until Winter Meetings

Eric Chavez, Career A — Injured Or No

"Billy told me he'd never even thought about [trading him]," Chavez said. "He said he planned on having me here my whole career."

Steve Finley Still Wants To Play

Labels: angels, athletics, dodgers, ex-angels, ex-dodgers, injuries, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 7:37 PM link  //  0 comments

Five-Star Prospects
1. Nick Adenhart, RHP
Four-Star Prospects
2. Brandon Wood, 3B/SS
3. Jordan Walden, RHP
4. Hank Conger, C
Three-Star Prospects
5. Sean O'Sullivan, RHP
6. Sean Rodriguez, SS
7. Peter Bourjos, OF
8. Rich Thompson, RHP
Two-Star Prospects
9. Matt Sweeney, 3B
10. Jon Bachanov, RHP
11. Mason Tobin, RHP

Just Missing: Jose Arredondo, RHP; Chris Pettit, OF; Hanley Statia, SS

Labels: angels, minors

// posted by Rob @ 3:02 PM link  //  0 comments

Labels: angels, minors, transactions, yankees

// posted by Rob @ 8:07 AM link  //  0 comments

Labels: awards, phillies, rockies

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Labels: angels, awards, tigers, yankees

// posted by Rob @ 9:13 PM link  //  0 comments

Labels: dodgers, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 9:09 PM link  //  1 comments

One way or another (though Rotoworld thinks it could be Erick Aybar), Cabrera was going to be gone by the end of 2008; getting something of value for him qualifies as a good thing. Moreover, the Angels get younger, and while I tend to agree with the anonymous Rotoworld analyst that at this point who says Garland is a fourth starter on the Angels, it puts one of Joe Saunders or Ervin Santana on notice that theirs isn't an automatic rotation slot.

Garland pitched in a hostile environment in U.S. Cellular, so moving to Angel Stadium might help; it should, however, be noted that his career home ERA is a half run lower than his road ERA. He's never had very good peripherals (career 4.79 K/9 and only 4.23 in 2007), and so he's had to rely on pitching to contact to earn his keep. He's at his best when he keeps the ball on the ground, but he hasn't been able to do that consistently in his career — and that ability seems to be eroding lately. That is, he's an older, more expensive version of Joe Saunders or Paul Byrd with slightly better numbers than Saunders and younger than Byrd.

As to Garland's future: PECOTA just about nailed Garland's 50th-percentile projection with a 23.5 VORP (he finished at 26.6); assuming that accuracy continues, Garland is likely to play out just below the 4 WARP level, i.e. he's worth maybe two wins a year if he gets lucky. As a one-year deal, it makes some sense for the Angels; Garland is likely better than the free agent pitching available this offseason (Matt Clement, anyone?). He hasn't had any significant injuries lately, and has generally been healthy, both good attributes for a pitcher.

Overall, I like this trade for the Angels, but despite what some are claiming at BTF, this is a pretty even trade. Both players are entering free agency after this year (though why Chicago wants Cabrera after re-signing Juan Uribe is a mystery), both have been healthy, though Cabrera has substantial downside risk and Garland's upside, despite being only 28, is pretty limited. It provides depth for the Angels, but ... what for the Chisox, who really need to think about rebuilding at several positions?

Update: More coverage at the Times and Register.

Update 2: I don't get why U.S.S. Mariner's Dave thinks this makes the Angels worse. The gap between Nick Adenhart and the majors is still large. The suspicion elsewhere seems to be that there's going to be another big move, whether it's another attempt to get Tejada or going for broke with Miguel "Who You Callin' Fat?" Cabrera.

Update 3: Also via MLB.com, which adds this money quote from Tony Reagins (emphasis mine):

"I don't know if it's a bold move," Tony Reagins, the Angels' new general manager, said of his first major deal. "It's a move that makes us better. This puts us in the right direction and opens up opportunities to do things down the line if that opens up."

"More important, it gives Tony the opportunity to look at some things in the [Dec. 3-6] Winter Meetings [in Nashville]. Obviously, there's been a lot of focus on the offensive side. Tony's not done. ... He's going to address that, and he has the tools to do things. Every club we've talked to asks about pitching, and we have a legitimate six-man rotation."

Labels: angels, trades, white sox

// posted by Rob @ 10:52 AM link  //  4 comments

Eric Wedge, Bob Melvin Voted Managers Of The Year

Red Sox, A's To Open 2008 In Japan

Sabathia, Peavy Take Home Cy Young Hardware

Meta: Slow

Labels: athletics, awards, indians, meta, padres, red sox

// posted by Rob @ 11:21 AM link  //  3 comments

Logan White may well have had a mandate from Frank McCourt to get more talent out of Latin America than the Dodgers had been getting since McCourt took control of the Dodgers, and White almost certainly had to have more money for the task than McCourt was willing to spend before, but "more" is not the same thing as "enough." The Dodgers' budget to sign international amateur talent is still small, and the Dodgers' reputation in the international market is that they are still cheap. Scout.com's Bill Shelley claims that in the Dominican Republic the men who steer talented kids to MLB organizations - and take a cut of the kids' signing bonuses - outright avoid the Dodgers when they have kids whom they think are worth a million dollars or two, with Shelley quoting White as saying, "We don't get to talk to them. They know we won't pay that."

Labels: dodgers, international

// posted by Rob @ 11:18 AM link  //  0 comments

Labels: dodgers, rumors, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 5:48 PM link  //  0 comments

The Chronicler also does the same for second basemen. No surprise there, Howie Kendrick is a pretty good (above average but unspectacularly so at 3.8 runs) player at that position, while Adam Kennedy, whom he replaced, has fallen off the floor at -4.7. Jeff Kent is one of the worst second basemen in the league, at -13.1.

Labels: angels, dodgers, fielding, stats

// posted by Rob @ 1:13 PM link  //  0 comments

Labels: awards, brewers, red sox

// posted by Rob @ 12:48 PM link  //  0 comments

Labels: dodgers, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 12:45 PM link  //  0 comments

American League

• C Jorge Posada NYY
• 1B Carlos Pena TBA
• 2B Placido Polanco DET
• 3B Alex Rodriguez NYY
• SS Derek Jeter
• OF Vladimir Guerrero LAA
• OF Ichiro Suzuki SEA
• OF Manny Ramirez BOS
• DH David Ortiz BOS

• C Russell Martin LAD
• 1B Prince Fielder MIL
• 2B Chase Utley PHI
• 3B David Wright NYM
• SS Jimmy Rollins PHI
• OF Carlos Beltran NYM
• OF Matt Holliday COL
• OF Carlos Lee HOU
• P Micah Owings ARI

Labels: angels, awards, dodgers

// posted by Rob @ 1:54 PM link  //  0 comments

• The Dodgers announced that yesterday's report of a Chan Ho Park signing is in fact reality. Park will join the club as a non-roster invitee to Spring Training.
• Chin-Hui Tsao was outrighted to AAA Las Vegas.
• The Angels purchased the contracts of RHPs Warner Madrigal, Nick Green, and INF Sean Rodriguez, putting them on the 40-man roster.

Labels: angels, dodgers, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 8:05 AM link  //  0 comments

With the Angels, Dodgers, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, San Francisco Giants and Cleveland Indians all interested in Cabrera, the Marlins could reject any team that demands a negotiating window with Cabrera. Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti would not discuss Cabrera in particular but indicated he could do a deal without such a window.

Labels: angels, marlins, trades

// posted by Rob @ 9:15 PM link  //  14 comments

Dodgers Sign Chan Ho Park

Update: Jon quotes Josh Rawitch as saying the deal isn't in the can just yet, but "it's heading that direction." And thanks to SoSG for the linky.

Dodgers To Pursue Hiroki Kuroda

Dodgers Hire Dennis Mannion As CEO

Steve Dilbeck Thinks The Angels And Dodgers Should Forget About A-Rod

Here's a better idea for the Dodgers: Sign free agent Torii Hunter and put him in center, and then try to swing a Matt Kemp-for-Miguel Cabrera deal with the Marlins.

Cabrera, 24, is getting pricey for Florida and figures to get over $10 million in arbitration this year. He has two years before being eligible for free agency.

Hunter, 32, is expected to receive offers for around $15million per season and wants a five-year contract, which is still half the commitment Rodriguez is apparently after.

With the money saved from signing A-Rod, the Dodgers could try to pry Scott Kazmir from Tampa Bay or take a run at the latest Japanese pitching import, Hiroki Kuroda. Or at least hold off on that next parking fee increase.

The Angels could act similarly, or go after Mike Lowell at third or Andruw Jones or Japan's Kosuke Fukudome in the outfield. Try to swing a trade for Marlins starter Dontrelle Willis, another suddenly expensive player for the Marlins. And still keep beer prices down.

Labels: angels, dodgers, front office, pay-rod, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 10:08 AM link  //  1 comments

The more Boras talks the more he sounds like he thinks he erred by orchestrating the opt-out clause with Rodriguez. Maybe Boras was calling the Yankees’ bluff, and now may see that they are serious about not talking to A-Rod to play third base. Any agent with a player like A-Rod for a client would want the Yankees to drive up the bidding. The question now is if there is anyone else to drive up the bidding? Boras has almost always achieved his goals for his superstar clients, finding some team to bid big. But is there a team among the other 29 prepared to make his and A-Rod’s day?

Labels: angels, pay-rod, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 11:29 PM link  //  0 comments

"Where [the Dodgers' young players are] at, we're fine with. They have to continue to do it. They're not complete. They can't just come in here and think that they're not going to have to continue to work and continue to grow and continue to understand the game better. And forget a little about personal accomplishment and more about figuring out how to win the game ...

Update: Matt's right: in my haste to get this out, I failed to notice that this was a not a speculation about an potential trade but his speculation about what it might take to get such a trade done. The difference is that two speculations are called for.

Labels: dodgers, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 10:06 AM link  //  3 comments

Martin, Cabrera Headline Gold Glove Awards

Update: Complete NL Gold Glove list:

• P: Greg Maddux (his 17th, the most ever by a single player)
• 1B: Derrek Lee
• 2B: Orlando Hudson
• 3B: David Wright
• SS: Jimmy Rollins
• OF: Aaron Rowand
• OF: Andruw Jones
• OF: Carlos Beltran
• OF: Jeff Francouer

Update: mlb.com has the complete AL list; Orlando Cabrera won a Gold Glove at shortstop. Placido Polanco of Detroit won the second base award, while Kevin Youkilis got the nod at first base. In the outfield, Grady Sizemore of Cleveland took home the hardware; on the mound, Johan Santana won the AL's pick.

According to the Seattle Times, Ichiro Suzuki and Adrian Beltre won the award in the AL for the respective positions of centerfield and third base. It was the first award given to an AL third baseman not named Eric Chavez since 2001.

ESPN's Offseason Advice For The Angels

Baseball GMs Vote In Favor Of Instant Replay

Mariners Hire Ex-Baltimore Manager Sam Perlozzo

Willits Trade Speculation

When trade-averse GM Bill Stoneman left the Angels last month, it increased the chances Towers will barter with the Angels for outfielders such as Reggie Willits and Nathan Haynes. Willits has almost no power, but he had a .391 on-base percentage last year. The strong relationship between Padres manager Bud Black and Angels manager Mike Scioscia increases the chances the two franchises could strike a deal.

Labels: angels, gold gloves, mariners

// posted by Rob @ 1:51 PM link  //  3 comments

Joe Torre and Frank McCourt —
Best Friends Forever
Until The First Losing Season

Torre As Panacea

The McCourt mantra is reconnecting with the tradition of the team.

Here, finally, they have hired someone who is up to and understands the task. Plus, he's won four World Series rings.

Except. Except? Except Torre is overrated. Overrated?

Definitely. As he himself knows better than anyone, he does not walk on water. He's not going to wave a fungo bat and suddenly the Dodgers will find themselves in the World Series. The young players need to grow. The roster should be tweaked.

It is just shy of four years since she and her husband, Frank, bought the Dodgers. The skepticism has yet to abate.

No one can question the McCourts' passion for Los Angeles, for the Dodgers, for victory. But they're still learning on the job, on their own, preferring to run the organization themselves than entrust it to an experienced sports executive.

So, on what should have been a glorious day for the Dodgers, too many questions revolved around credibility. The Dodgers employed one manager, Grady Little, while they searched for another: What did Torre know, and when did he know it? What about Ned Colletti, the general manager? What about the McCourts?

This is not the first time credibility issues have overshadowed personnel decisions. The McCourts inherited Dan Evans as general manager and said they would consider retaining him, followed minutes later by Jamie McCourt telling the Daily News, "When we get a GM . . . "

Dodgers VP Marty Greenspun Resigns

Roster Notes

• The Indians picked up their 2008 option on Paul Byrd, worth $8M.
• Curt Schilling and the Red Sox will be back together in 2008, taking one of the higher-visibility free agent pitchers off the market. Schilling says "it's looking good" on his blog. The Boston Herald reports the deal to be worth $13M for one year.
• According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Jose Guillen bought $19,000 worth of steroids from May 2002 through June 2005, which would have covered his time on the Angels. He previously denied taking steroids in an ESPN The Magazine story back in February.
• " In surveying a handful of GMs, the prevailing opinion is that the Rockies will explore moving setup man Brian Fuentes for a starting pitcher," writes Troy E. Renck in the Denver Post.

Labels: angels, dodgers, managers, mariners, mccourts, red sox, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 8:47 AM link  //  0 comments

Labels: padres, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 4:41 PM link  //  0 comments

Los Angeles Angels (20)
Righthanders: Henry Bonilla, Robert Coello, Marcus Gwyn, Matt Hensley, Pedro Liriano, Warner Madrigal, Alex McRobbie, Alex Serrano, Steven Shell
Lefthander: Jonathon Rouwenhorst
Catchers: Cody Collet, Corey Myers
First basemen: Michael Collins, Mike Eylward
Second basemen: Adam Morrissey, Steven Smith
Shortstop: Gary Patchett
Outfielders: Tommy Murphy, Greg Porter, Curtis Pride

For the Dodgers:

Los Angeles Dodgers (18)
Righthanders: Rick Bauer, Jose Diaz, Chris Fussell, William Juarez, Spike Lundberg, Alvis Ojeda, Raul Rivas
Lefthanders: Eric Cyr, Luis Gonzalez, Matt Riley
Catchers: Alberto Concepcion, Ken Huckaby, Octavio Martinez, Chad Moeller
Second baseman: Luis Maza
Third baseman: Marshall McDougall
Outfielders: Rapheal Freeman, Wilkin Ruan

Labels: angels, dodgers, minors

// posted by Rob @ 12:39 PM link  //  0 comments

Angels' Hot Stove Begins With A Murmur

"I'm looking forward to it," Reagins said. "I've had conversations with a lot of GMs around the league. This will give me a chance to meet them on a face-to-face basis.

"We're going to the meetings with an open mind. We'll try to dialogue with as many teams as possible to see if there's something available to improve our club. The meetings are an opportunity to lay some groundwork for moves that could help our club."

Something is available — or will be when the 15-day post-World Series window of exclusivity for teams to negotiate with their own free agents expires Nov. 13. That's when the anticipated courting of free agent Alex Rodriguez will begin.

Reagins said he has already had a conversation with Rodriguez's agent, Scott Boras. It was "an introductory conversation," Reagins said, initiated by Boras, who represents numerous players. The two had never met during Reagins' years in the Angels' baseball operations department.

"He basically just called to introduce himself," Reagins said. "We didn't talk numbers (regarding Rodriguez's contract expectations) obviously. There are rules that don't allow you to do that for another eight days or so."

Roster Notes

• Also in the above linked article: Dallas McPherson is playing in instructional league, hitting .240 (6-for-25) with two home runs, four RBIs, eight walks and nine strikeouts.
• Chone Figgins recovery time, earlier listed as January 1, is said to be "in time for Spring Training".
• Yeah, I gotta snicker at Luis Gonzalez wanting to come back to the Dodgers because of Joe Torre. Torre's press conference announcing his arrival will take place later today.
• Free agent starter Matt Clement is interested in returning to San Diego.
• Talks with the Cardinals are faltering, so the speculation is that ex-Angel David Eckstein will end up a White Sox.

Labels: angels, dodgers, ex-angels, injuries, transactions, white sox

// posted by Rob @ 10:07 AM link  //  2 comments

Joe Torre signed his name on a three-year contract worth %$13 million Thursday, officially making him the sixth Dodgers manager of the last decade.

But General Manager Ned Colletti said that while he did not expect the 67-year-old Torre to hold the position for "a very, very long time," the signing of the former New York Yankees manager was part of a design to establish continuity for the Dodgers.

"If we can groom somebody under Joe's direction, we look forward to doing that," Colletti said, adding that the concept was a "key component" of a vision he shares with owners Frank and Jamie McCourt.

Also leaving the Yankees recently was Don Mattingly, who is expected to be on Torre's coaching staff and could be the manager-in-training of whom Colletti spoke. Colletti said a coaching staff was not in place yet.

The most important thing:

"The McCourts couldn't have made a better decision," said former Dodgers manager Tom Lasorda, a special advisor to the owners.

Labels: dodgers, front office, managers

// posted by Rob @ 8:07 AM link  //  5 comments

Reaction To The Torre Hiring

That said, the linkfest:

• Jon's got a couple pieces up, the first with commentary from Cliff Corcoran of Bronx Banter, Baseball Prospectus's Steven Goldman, and Jay Jaffe. The most important paragraphs in this one (emphasis mine):

  Don't expect Juan Pierre to be benched anytime soon.

  "Even though the Yankees often had a power-hitting lineup, Torre liked speed," Goldman said. "His Yankees clubs were more interested in the stolen base than any non-Rickey Henderson Yankees teams of the modern era. This extended to leading off Alfonso Soriano for two years though he was the most impatient hitter on the club, putting (Tony) Womack in the lineup, keeping Johnny Damon in the leadoff spot despite a rough year in 2007, experimenting with Kenny Lofton in 2004, and the continual non-benching of a fading Knoblauch."

  The second one was a lengthy recap by esteemed Yankee blogger (and Baseball Toaster-mate) Alex Belth, who writes that Torre's "greatest asset in New York was being able to handle (George) Steinbrenner". The four rings the team picked up under his tenure surely didn't hurt. Whether McCourt will be so patient remains to be seen.
• Sons of Steve Garvey provides us with a couple very good links of stories written by a pair of ex-Times staffers, Steve Henson at Yahoo (who calls the Torre signing "the franchise's greatest coup since drafting Mike Piazza in the 62nd round 20 years ago", tainted by Dodger "duplicity") and J.A. Adande at ESPN.com, whose most trenchant comments echo my own thoughts:

  But over the long run, this city really does separate the talented from the hyped. In the movies, it's all about box office. In sports, it's about banners.

  Want proof? When was the last time you read about that David Beckham guy?

• Best poster ever for a managerial hire from MSTI.
• Two from the newish SportsHubLA, one by Kevin Arnovitz and another (far too gleeful) by Ted M. Green.
• Dodger Blues is strangely appreciative.
• Andrew Grant shares my lack of enthusiasm for this whole process.

OT: Serialism Is For Musical Nazis (Or Not)

"This calls into question the entire Second Viennese School of music," announced minimalist composer John Adams from his home in the Adirondack Mountains. "Ever since I first encountered compositions by Arnold Schonberg I wondered what the hell anyone ever heard in it. Now I know."

Update: It's a hoax.

Labels: dodgers, managers, offtopic

// posted by Rob @ 11:15 AM link  //  5 comments

Labels: angels, marlins, trades

// posted by Rob @ 7:14 PM link  //  5 comments

Labels: angels, coaches

// posted by Rob @ 7:07 PM link  //  0 comments

Update: Now at dodgers.com. Significant pieces of intelligence therefrom:

Torre was manager of the year in 1996 and 1998. He previously managed the Braves, Mets and Cardinals. His overall winning percentage is .539, but his win percentage excluding the Yankees years was .470, and those teams finished first once in 15 seasons.

Labels: dodgers, front office, managers

// posted by Rob @ 2:40 PM link  //  0 comments

Labels: dodgers

// posted by Rob @ 2:21 PM link  //  1 comments

A team source said that the Dodgers asked to be made exempt of the full-scale interview process to expedite the hiring of Torre, the former New York Yankees manager. A deal with Torre believed to be for three years and worth more than $4 million a season could be finalized today.

Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti acknowledged for the first time Wednesday that he was speaking to Torre and considered him to be the top choice to replace Grady Little, who resigned Tuesday.

"When you look at his resume and what he's done and the market he's done it in, certainly, you have to start from there," Colletti said.

Labels: dodgers, front office, managers

// posted by Rob @ 10:05 AM link  //  0 comments

Labels: dodgers, spring training

// posted by Rob @ 5:11 AM link  //  0 comments