Sunday, November 30, 2008 |
Another Valuable Comment On The Manny-Or-Kids Non-Choice
I've said this before, and I will say it again. Allowing McCourt to purchase the Dodgers was done solely to appease Rupert Murdoch who wanted to sell the team and who also gave a lot of money to MLB through the "Saturday Game of the Week" and playoff coverage (Fox's TV contract was set to expire in one year). Baseball thought more about Murdoch than McCourt, who should have never been allowed to be an owner.Update: There's always been an argument that for various reasons that happened to mesh, neither News Corp. (Rupert Murdoch) nor MLB (Bud Selig) wanted a strong Dodgers franchise; the former because they have all the negotiating leverage over the lucrative TV broadcast rights, and the latter because baseball ownership collectively doesn't want to see a well-financed powerhouse team driving up salaries. The problem with this theory, at least on the Murdoch end, is that Fox ended up increasing their fees to the Dodgers after the sale (reportedly by $10M per year). As to Seligian plans to keep salaries low, the McCourts have done about the worst thing imaginable from an ownership perspective, and overpaid for mediocrity or worse.
McCourt got a bunch of parking lots in South Boston, which has since become prime real estate. When courting Selig and MLB, Frank talked a big game about renovating South Boston along the waterfront as well as a new stadium for the Red Sox. In the 25 years that McCourt owned these parking lots, they have remained parking lots.
Outside of the parking lots, McCourt financed his $421 million purchase of the Dodger with debt. According to this article, the transfer of ownership of the Dodgers was most commonly reported as a sale. However, after closer inspection, it seems more like a foreclosure. McCourt owed Fox $145 million within two years after the transfer of ownership, but instead gave Murdoch his parking lots.
In March 2005, McCourt refinanced his $250 million short-term debt used to purchase the Dodgers (now a 25-year loan). The refinancing pays off the debt to Bank of America and the $71 million of seller financing by Murdoch. That's right, McCourt had to be loaned money by the person selling the team in order to complete the deal. This should have been a red flag right there.
Because of his questionable finances, McCourt has been raising ticket and parking prices. Now, ST ticket prices will be as high as $90. McCourt refused to take on any payroll at the deadline last season, which means he gave away some good prospects that he could have kept. Now there is this whole mess about donating money for public baseball fields. I would bet that if McCourt donated some money to charity, there would be some hefty tax breaks. Not only that, but an article yesterday at BTF said that there was another company who would be willing to match any money donated by McCourt up to a certain limit. Bottom line, if McCourt can get a mandate from the fans to improve the communities by means of these ballparks, he stand to save a lot of money than if he were to invest money in the Dodgers.
Labels: dodgers, mccourts, stupid ideas
Angels Announce Travs' 2009 Coaching Assignments
The Arkansas Travelers, in conjunction with the Los Angeles Angels, announce that Bobby Magallanes will return for his third season as field manager. "Mags" skippered the Travs to the 2008 Texas League championship and has been the team's only manager since moving to Dickey-Stephens Park. Ken Patterson also returns for his third season as the Travs pitching coach, while athletic trainer Eric Munson is back for a second go-around. Francisco Matos will join the club as hitting coach following a stint as the hitting coach for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.
Belated: Rangers Send Wes Littleton To Boston
Labels: rangers, red sox, trades
Bill Plunkett Rates The Angels' Best And Worst Free Agency Signings
Related: Sam A. Miller looks at the Angels' third base situation.
Labels: angels, history, transactions
Pratfalls Are Only Funny So Manny Times
If the changing economy means the McCourts can't afford Ramirez, fine. Say so. But again, it seems like the McCourts are going out of their way to prepare LA for the team to "lose" in the big FA races... and not get blamed for it. After Game 5 they made clear "it takes two to tango." They reiterated it this week. Now it's the economy. Fans aren't stupid. They'll be able to make the distinction between a deal the Dodgers should have matched for Manny and one they shouldn't. They'll know what's too much for Sabathia. They'll know if the team made a legitimate offer that wasn't accepted.I have hitherto been skeptical about the McCourts running out of money, because of their apparent profligacy with free agents. That appears to be coming to an end.The Dodgers still might re-sign Manny, they still might land CC. They have a lot of work to do in order to field a top flight team next season, and no question the economy matters. But I can do without the shallow, self-interested explanations on the appropriateness of spending free agent dollars while companies go under.
Labels: dodgers, mccourts, rumors
Friday, November 28, 2008 |
No Deals On K-Rod Until After The Winter Meetings
"I'll probably see the Mets at the winter meetings. I don't have anything else planned," he said Wednesday.
Thursday, November 27, 2008 |
OT: Happy Thanksgiving!
Labels: offtopic
More On The McCourts' Fields-Or-Manny PR-tastrophe
Here's the Mason & Ireland podcast, the interesting parts starting at 1:33.
John Ireland: I'm John Ireland along with A. Martinez. This is Mason & Ireland and one of the reasons we wanted to bring Jamie on today was to talk about what they announced yesterday, which is the fact that the Dodgers are going to add 42 more fields to the eight that they already built. You know, I know that people like the fact that you already built the eight, why did you build the 42 more?The words tone deaf aren't nearly descriptive enough. She said it — she never denied it. She was ... quoted out of context? More like, she has no clue. Really.Jamie McCourt: Well you know what, we just celebrated our fiftieth anniversary going backwards, as you know, and this is really in hopes of in talking about the legacy of the next fifty years, and what can we do that talks about the next fifty and moving forward, and we thought this is the perfect opportunity.
JI: Let me get right to what people are talking about today, Jamie, and I'm sure you've had some reaction to this this morning, since it appeared in the paper. You were quoted as saying, if you bring somebody in to play and pay them, pick a number, $30 million, does that seem a little weird? That's what we're trying to figure out, we're really trying to see things through the eyes of our fans, we're really trying to understand, would they rather do that or have the fifty fields?
JM: Oh no, it's not either/or, and ...
JI: Explain, explain that, because I said before you came on, I said that since I've known you, you have always been, almost to the point of a politician, that you never finish an answer without, "the most important thing to me is winning", like you almost seem obsessed with it.
JM: I know, it's a little ridiculous, right?
JI: So, what, I read this, and I think, this is not the Jamie McCourt that I know, and, and ...
JM: No, no, no ...
JI: ... explain it, explain it ...
JM: ... it was half the conversation. You know how it is in the paper, it was half the conversation. I think what was really interesting, though, is that we are in these really weird times, and there's a lot of talk, everywhere, about what's at stake, what's everybody doing going forward, and I think it's important, what's important is to have the conversation about what's important, right?
JI: Sure.
JM: So, I think you know, obviously you know us, we care about winning more than, hah, almost anything, by winning the right way, and we've always talked about winning the right way. It's almost like the Dodger legacy, it's sort of like, how lucky were we to have Jackie, who was a precursor to probably the entire civil rights movement, not just this entry into baseball, and we have Sandy Koufax, who did his whole thing with religious prejudices, and we have women, including people like me, doing things at the club, and Kim Ng. So, the Dodgers have always had this very interesting legacy of vision and integrity and accountability, along with the family values and trying to be an agent for social change, and yet trying always to win but doing it the right way.
JI: Jamie, the other ...
JM: Go ahead ...
JI: Jamie, the other part of the article focused on the guaranteed contracts that the baseball players get, and the quote at the end there, "Whatever money they are guaranteed could be money that we could otherwise give to the community." We're always led to believe, though, that the money for the community and for renovating the stadium is separate than the money that goes toward signing ballplayers.
JM: Well, let's be clear about so many different things. You've just covered a million things. There's the operating budget, which takes care of player compensation and all the other things it that takes to run a ballclub. That's one pot, right, that's one bucket. Then you've got tons of stuff that happens in the community, which by the way is way before you even get to the foundations, right. So, everything that, well, I think, the most important thing besides fielding a great team and winning, about a ball team is the give back to the community. Let's not forget it, the civic asset, right. This is an asset that belongs to all the people. And — you've heard me say this before, I'm sure — I feel like it's the fans who are the MVPs of the Dodgers, right? Without fans, there is not a ball team that's of significance. We have to do what the fans care about. They're our customers, they're our audience, and it's their team. I mean, they're what's important, and so it's important to give back to the community. That's, you know, whether it's the fields, the recreational component that we like to call first base, and then there's the educational component which we like to call second base, and then there's the green initiatives and the environment, and then there's the health care component, right? So we've touched a lot of different pieces, whether it's through the Dream fields, whether it's through Think Cure, whether it's through Dodger Scholars, whether it's through what we do in the environment — but there's thousands of organizations that we deal with, you know, and that we go out into the community with.
JI: So, Jamie ...
JM: Some of it is through the foundations, some of it is just part of the Dodgers and what they do.
JI: But I guess, I would want to know, is that signing a big-time free agent wouldn't mean is that there's less fields for kids.
JM: Oh, of course not. But, it does, I do think, I really do think it's important to ask the question ... how much is okay in times like this?
JI: Right. I think you make a great point.
JM: I think it makes you feel a little bit uncomfortable to watch all these different places losing money and people losing their jobs, and yet ...
JI: ... and it's gonna affect sports, I mean, Jamie, whether fans like it or not, it is eventually gonna ... there's agents out there asking for ten-year contracts and for $160 million, and that money is gonna come from somewhere. I guess you read the article in the Times, right?
JM: I read the article.
JI: Okay, can you see how fans would think — and again, you didn't write it, somebody else wrote it — but when fans read what you said, it paints a picture that they're either gonna build fields, or they're gonna sign Manny Ramirez. And you can assure us that that is not the case.
JM: Yeah, you know, writing the articles for the Times is not in my job description. laughs
JI: laughs
JM: I wish that would be, that would be a lot of fun...
JI: You could balance the scale a little, Jamie.
JM: That's why I'm talking to you guys. I love talking to you.
A. Martinez: What are the chances one of the new fields will be called Manny Ramirez Field? laughs
JM: laughs Call Scott [Boras?] and ask him!
JI: Do you have a — you're kind of an optimistic, glass half full woman. Do you have a sense for how that's gonna end up?
JM: You know, I honestly have no sense, I really don't. I really think that it's hard to predict what's going to happen. I mean, it's always hard to predict because Scott typically looks for long contracts at really huge amounts of money, and I think it's — Manny's 37 — it's really, you know — what do you think? What do you think? How many years should somebody give ...
JI: I think you're gonna get him, but I think that it is, you've gotta, I think you made a good offer — I know some people criticized you for it initially. I think if you come up to three or four years, you get him, and if you don't, he might go away, but Jamie, I'm like you, I'm speculating.
JM: Yeah, I mean, you just don't know. There's three parties involved: there's us, and there's Manny, and there's his agent.
JI: Right.
JM: And so all you can do is hope for the best, really, and give it your best shot. So we're trying, we tried to put an offer out that really made a lot of sense, and again, it's obviously only up to us a third of the way.
JI: So, Jamie, first of all, before we let you go, I want to commend you on building these 42 fields, because I think that the way that this article was written, I think that somehow what got lost in all this was that you guys came out yesterday, and said that you were gonna help, and especially in some of these inner cities where they don't have baseball, and I think it's a really cool thing, so congratulations for that ...
Wednesday, November 26, 2008 |
Eric Owens Takes Over At Rancho As Angels Announce Cal League Coaching Assignments For 2009
Dodgers' Offer To Manny Final?
Citing the unpredictable state of the economy, Dodgers owner Frank McCourt hinted Tuesday that the team would be reluctant to sweeten the two-year contract offer that would have instantly given Manny Ramirez the second-highest annual salary in the game."We need to review our priorities a little bit," McCourt said later. The Times story framed it a little differently:He said that the ball was "100 percent" in the court of Ramirez and his agent, Scott Boras, who have not given much of a response to the offer that has since been pulled off the table.
"There's nothing that's gotten better in the economy since that time," McCourt said. "You can interpret that how you like."
Would Dodgers fans react negatively if the team were to pay big money to free agents when the nation's economy is in sharp decline and many Americans are losing their jobs?Update: Kind of a non-sequitur, yes? Who really cares about the Dodgers from the perspective of what they do in the community (although these comments could be aimed at non-fans in the city council)? Why are we remotely worried about charity WRT the Dodgers' payroll? If there were ever evidence that Frank McCourt is getting close to the end of his fiscal rope, it has to be this. Commenter dzzrtratt in today's DT thread (comment 37):That was the question posed by Dodgers President Jamie McCourt as she made an appearance with her husband, team owner Frank McCourt, Tuesday at an event where it was announced the club's charitable foundation would help build 42 youth fields around Southern California.
"If you bring somebody in to play and pay them, pick a number, $30 million, does that seem a little weird to you?" Jamie McCourt asked in an interview at the Evergreen Recreation Center in East Los Angeles. "That's what we're trying to figure out. We're really trying to see it through the eyes of our fans. We're really trying to understand, would they rather have the 50 fields?"
The Times story on the McCourts has me steaming.Update 2: More on this from Jon, who riffs on the same theme:They're asking "fans" to tell them whether it's more important to pay for a high-priced free agent or to build 50 urban ballfields???
If they want to build 50 urban ballfields, they should do it with their own money, meaning not the daily operating revenues of the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the checks made out to Mr. and Mrs. McCourt as salary, dividends, bonuses or however they compensate themselves. Perhaps if they started a 50-ballfields foundation and asked me for a donation, I would cough one up. But to ask me as a fan if I'm willing to see the revenue I bring into the Dodgers be diverted away from the team and the fan's experience is an insulting and disingenuous guilt trip. Building youth ballparks or any other charitable activity is one outcome of running a profitable business. It is not, however, the reason the business exists.
What if you went into a department store to buy a jacket and after showing you the jacket, the salespersons said, "would you rather pay $200 for the jacket, or wouldn't you feel better about yourself if you just gave me the $200 and I could donate it to a charity of my choice? If you just buy the jacket, that's your right, but everyone will think less of you." My answer would be: Fine. I won't buy the jacket. But you also can't have my $200. I'll donate it to a charity of my choice. Or maybe I'll buy another jacket in another store.
The worst thing I can say about the McCourt's tactic: Not even Donald Stirling would do this. All those years he underinvested in the Clippers, he never told the fans that he was doing it for the sake of his charities. He just let us all think he was a cheap miser. The McCourts want to keep their money and be admired for it.
Rule 5 stays my hand here. But if this becomes a pattern, I might get a lot less interested in this team. I don't mind lousy baseball, but I don't want to be insulted.
... [Just] focus on getting the best players, and leave the morality out of it. I'll root for an austere team in austere times, but I'll have a lot more trouble embracing hypocrisy.SOSG has an excellent related post relaying a Forbes story that the Dodgers and Mets are the two most vulnerable franchises in sports based on their recent ticket price hikes and the downturn in the economy.
Update 3: In the BTF thread regarding the LAT article:
The more irritating part is the idea that if they sign Manny Ramirez or the fiasco of the Andruw Jones contract is somehow keeping them from giving to charity. I suppose they could a field a team of all minimum contracts and solve the problem of hunger or homlessness in the Greater L.A. area. Who wouldn't want that? C'mon Dodger fans, suck it up for the greater good!
In that same Diamond Leung post: Luis Maza was signed to a minor league deal with an NRI to spring training.
Labels: dodgers, mccourts, rumors, stupid ideas, transactions
OT: Happy Birthday, Jon
Tuesday, November 25, 2008 |
Dodgers Trolley May Not Return Next Year
Labels: dodger stadium, dodgers
A Day For Celebration: Morons Lose Mother's Day Lawsuit
That Cy Young Glow
First impression, he has that look, that glow, that the preternaturally gifted all seem to have. His handshake was impressive, to say the least. He did seem normal sized, not huge, but his hands were large, solid, and seemed very strong.Via David Pinto.
Labels: giants
LAT: Angels In On CC Sabathia As Focus Drifts From Teixeira
The Angels, unwilling to meet Mark Teixeira's desire for a 10-year contract, are in discussions with CC Sabathia and could offer him a contract that approaches the $140-million bid extended to him by the New York Yankees.As the article itself points out, Carlos Beltran didn't sign with the Mets until January.The Angels appear reluctant to guarantee more than seven years in a contract for Teixeira, said a source familiar with the club's thinking. They appear more likely at this time to pursue Sabathia, with an offer in the range of Johan Santana's six-year, $137.5-million contract with the New York Mets.
Teixeira remains the Angels' top priority -- the club would sign him but does not want to miss out on Sabathia while waiting to see whether Teixeira's asking price falls. The Angels are not believed to have made a formal offer to either player.
Monday, November 24, 2008 |
Rockies Name Virtually All-New Coaching Staff
Labels: coaches, ex-angels, ex-dodgers, rockies
Giants Sign Edgar Renteria?
Update: ... or not, writes San Francisco Chronicle Giants beat reporter Henry Schulman.
Labels: giants, transactions
A's Stadium Plans On Hold?
Cisco has already announced plans to buy the naming rights to a Fremont stadium, for $4 million a year - that’s enough to pay off at most $60 million in stadium costs, and probably less given today’s extortionate interest rates. That would leave something on the order of $25 million a year to come out of concessions and parking money - new concessions and parking money, if the A’s don’t want to take a loss on what they’re currently bringing in at the newly de-corporatized Oakland Coliseum. Given that stadiums almost never pay their own way with increased revenues, Wolff would almost certainly have to take losses for a few years in hopes that the real-estate bubble could eventually be reinflated, which seems like a risky gambit.Wolff was recently quoted in a San Jose Mercury-News article as saying the current problems won't have any effect on construction schedules:
"The best building I've done has been in times when I shouldn't be building," Wolff said. "We could easily put our plans on hold for two years, but that is the furthest thing from our minds."
Labels: athletics
Sunday, November 23, 2008 |
Teixeira Not Too Interested In The Angels?
During Thursday's ESPN telecast of the Georgia Tech-Miami game in Atlanta, Teixeira told sideline reporter Erin Andrews he wants a baseball team for Christmas.“I don't want to put a timetable on it, but Christmas morning, I want to know where I'm going to be for the next couple of years,” he said. “So hopefully, by Christmas, it will be done.”
Knowing agent Scott Boras' affinity for the big stage, I'm guessing Teixeira's headline-grabbing signing will be announced during baseball's winter meetings Dec. 8-11 in Las Vegas. What better place for the rich to get richer?
But I don't think it will be with the Angels. If he were going to re-sign in Anaheim, I think it already would have happened. Just a gut feeling. Even the people I talk to in the organization don't seem optimistic.
Saturday, November 22, 2008 |
Tech: Blackberry Storm Review
Well, that latter would assume some lessons learned from Apple, at least, not to mention the other smart phone makers out there, and unfortunately, it's something that Research In Motion doesn't seem to have learned too well. The early reviews have been decidedly mixed, and trending toward negative; the Debbie Downers say — with justification, after I spent some time with one today — that the capacitive click-screen seems "more confusing than helpful ... feels like a failed experiment" (PC World). Wired was even more brutal:
The BlackBerry Storm is a lot of things: It's the first touchscreen device ever made by RIM, it has a 3.2-MP camera and it features cut-and-paste tech. But then there's an even longer list of what the Storm is not: The software isn't fully realized, the handset is no lightweight, the battery life is poor. Most of all, this isn't the iPhone killer RIM was hoping it would be.It's not that I hate the Storm; it just really didn't impress me as much as I had hoped. Among other things, it uses a godawful iTAP or iTAP-alike predictive typing system that, two years into a Motorola RAZR, I still have not mastered and for my money is wholly unintuitive. The two-key keypad used on some other Blackberry phones is the main interface for typing, something else to dislike (though there apparently is a QWERTY interface available); the glowing surrounding the keys, mentioned in The Boy Genius Report's review, isn't nearly as helpful as the iPhone's magnifying glass that appears over your finger on its QWERTY keypad. Some people liked the click feedback, others didn't; my feeling is that it doesn't add much to the conversation either way.How the hell do you brew up an iPhone killer?
Short of cracking open Steve Jobs' head and slurping out his big thinky brain, you could create a half-assed imitation that masters one aspect of the Jesus phone and fumbles the snap on virtually every other feature.
There are a lot of small things just plain missing from the Storm that will prevent it from being an iPod killer. One of them is the lack of screen "inertia", for want of a better term; that is, you can scroll the iPod's display and it keeps going. That just isn't the case with the Storm, which has a fairly clumsy scrolling mechanism. The Storm doesn't have WiFi, something that Blackberry units from other wireless companies provide, part of what the Wired review called "Verizon's totalitarian control over the Storm's OS" — typical of their approach to running phones. (Update: The Engadget review mentions that there is no way to sync to a Mac. None. Oh, man, that's a major flip-off right there.)
The hardware itself proved a pleasant surprise; for all that I'd heard it was a brick, it didn't feel nearly as heavy as I expected, and wasn't as thick as I imagined, either. The construction felt solid, and the display was crisp and sharp. I didn't bother checking out the web interface, though, mainly because of the frustration I had with typing. If you're going to get basic stuff wrong like that, it doesn't bode well. I hate to say it, but this no longer looks like a must-have.
Postscriptum: If you absolutely, positively gotta have a Storm, you're already out of luck, as any orders made now won't be filled until Dec. 5. Unreal.
Update 2: David Pinto reports that the phone shipped with an unforgiveable bug: the browser disappears! Good Lord, this is the reason you buy the damned thing!
Labels: tech
Chad Billingsley Breaks Leg After Slipping On Ice
Garret Anderson Hires Scott Boras
Anderson was represented by Chris Arnold for most of his career, including April 2004 when he signed a four-year, $48 million contract extension with the Angels. Shortly after that signing, there were changes in Arnold’s agency and Anderson elected to go without an agent for the past few years.Anderson’s situation changed this fall when the long-time Angel became a free agent for the first time in his 14-year career. The contract extension he signed in 2004 included a club option for 2009 at a $14 million salary. The Angels elected to buy out that option for $3 million, allowing Anderson to file for free agency.
Labels: angels, transactions
Friday, November 21, 2008 |
Joe Beimel Done With The Dodgers?
Thursday, November 20, 2008 |
MLB Postpones Vote On Sensible Broadcast Rules Until January
Labels: tv
Dodgers Add To 40-Man Roster
Added were right-handed pitchers Jesus Castillo and Travis Schlichting, left-handed pitchers Victor Garate and Brent Leach and outfielder Jamie Hoffman. The moves protect the players from being selected by another club in the Rule 5 Draft, to be held at the Winter Meetings on Dec. 11.In a procedural move, the club also reinstated from the 60-day disabled list infielder Tony Abreu, outfielder Andruw Jones and right-handed pitchers Mario Alvarez, Yhency Brazoban and Jason Schmidt.
The Dodgers' Major League roster is at 38. Because of free agency, the Dodgers have only five infielders on their roster.
Labels: dodgers, transactions
Roster Notes
- The Angels purchased the contracts of 1B Mark Trumbo and RHP Anthony Ortega.
- Tony Jackson reports the Dodgers have not made an offer to C.C. Sabathia.
Update: Via David Pinto, Jeff Sackmann at Brew Crew Ball relays an extensive analysis of why the Yankees' $140M offer and the Brewers' $100M offer aren't really that far apart. Cost of living, and especially, taxes will draw them closer. It's also possible that a shorter contract will, surprisingly, work in Sabathia's favor, because if he turns out to be the horse he's selling himself as, he'll have an opportunity to cash in again that much sooner, and for more real dollars. Bottom line, if the Dodgers are serious about making a bid for C.C., they might not have to outbid the Yankees — just the Brewers.
- Both the Cubs and A's are said to be pursuing Rafael Furcal, who is believed to be seeking a four-year deal.
- Jake Peavy supposedly would prefer to be traded to the Cubs over other NL destinations.
- Derek Lowe allegedly seeks a $16M/year deal, years unknown, but I have to speculate it's no less than three years. In this environment, he could probably ask for four and get away with it.
Labels: angels, cubs, dodgers, rumors, trades, transactions
Sean Rodriguez Exits DWL Early, Too...
Labels: angels
With White Sox Gone, Rockies Consider Moving Spring Training, Too
Labels: diamondbacks, rockies, spring training
Red Sox Fan Who Assaulted Angels Fan Has A Record
Labels: angels, red sox, stupid ideas
Wednesday, November 19, 2008 |
Rockies To Hire Jim Tracy As Bench Coach?
Labels: coaches, ex-dodgers, rumors
Rosenthal: Mike Mussina To Retire
Labels: retirements, yankees
Jerry Crasnick On Nine Who Might (Should?) Retire
The Angels declined a $14 million club option on Anderson after the season, but haven't ruled out bringing him back in 2009 at a more reasonable price.At the moment, Anderson is well down the pecking order of priorities. Francisco Rodriguez, Jon Garland and Juan Rivera might all be leaving through free agency, and Mark Teixeira wants huge money to stay, so GM Tony Reagins has more pressing items than Anderson on his agenda.
Even if Anderson is still available when the Angels are ready to make a move, the team might decide to commit to prospect Brandon Wood at third base and shift Chone Figgins to left field. (As an aside, Wood was just released by his winter league team after hitting .167 in 13 games in the Dominican Republic.)
Anderson's .433 slugging percentage this year was 15th-best among the 17 left fielders with enough at-bats to qualify for the batting title (only Skip Schumaker and Delmon Young were worse). And get this: In 14 years as an Angel, he has yet to draw 40 walks in a season.
But Anderson is only 36, and he has enough life left in his bat to stick around a while. He'll just have to wait to see where Adam Dunn, Raul Ibanez, Bobby Abreu et al surface before his 2009 destination becomes clear.
"He still probably has two or three years left," said a National League front office man.
Labels: angels, ex-angels, ex-dodgers, rumors
Maybe Beane's Sh*t Can Work In The (One-Game) Postseason
Lew Wolff has a way to shorten baseball's postseason: Make the first round best-of-one."I'd make it one-game-and-you're-out for the first series," the Oakland Athletics owner said Wednesday. "It would be exciting. It would be great."
Begun in 1995, the division series has been a best-of-five competition. Some people have advocated it be expanded to best-of-seven, matching the league championship series and the World Series. Baseball commissioner Bud Selig has repeatedly said he favors the current format.
Wolff said he hasn't brought up his concept with Selig.
"No, I'm afraid to do that," he said.
Labels: athletics, postseason, stupid ideas
Tuesday, November 18, 2008 |
Mariners Name Don Wakamatsu New Manager
... I still think we should be encouraged by this hiring. Not necessarily because we have any reason to think that Wakamatsu will be one of those few that make a significant positive impact, but because of the way this entire process was handled. I know a lot of you were concerned when Zduriencik was hired that this was just going to be more of the same, with huge amounts of micro-managing from Armstrong and Lincoln, and a perpetuation of old school, 20th century ways of running an organization.Wakamatsu was
White Sox Officially Cut Ties With Tucson, To Join Dodgers In Glendale
Labels: dodgers, spring training, white sox
Dustin Pedroia Wins AL MVP
"I'm not the biggest guy in the world. I don't have that many tools," he said. "If you saw me walking down the street, you wouldn't think I'm a baseball player."
Ouch! Brandon Wood Cut From DWL Team
Brandon Wood, the Angels' top prospect and a candidate to start in their infield next season, has been dismissed from his winter club because of poor performance.Man, this is not looking good.Wood hit .167 for Estrellas in the Dominican winter league, with one home run and 16 strikeouts in 48 at-bats. The club sent him home after 13 games.
You've got to perform pretty much right off the plane," Angels minor league director Abe Flores said.
General Manager Tony Reagins said the dismissal would not extinguish Wood's chances of winning a roster spot in spring training.
"We put weight on the winter-ball season, but we'll monitor how he is in spring training," Reagins said. "He'll get an opportunity to fight for a job, whether it be at shortstop or at third base."
The Angels have incumbents at those positions: Erick Aybar at shortstop and Chone Figgins at third base. Reagins has said that Figgins could be moved to left field or second base, depending on what other moves the Angels might make this winter.
Wood, 23, hit .296 with 31 home runs in 103 games at triple-A Salt Lake last season. He also had three stints with the Angels, hitting .200 with five home runs and 43 strikeouts in 150 at-bats.
This is the second consecutive winter-ball club for which Wood has failed to complete a season. He hit .152 in nine games for Guasave in the Mexican winter league last year, then went home for the funeral of his grandmother. He returned to Mexico, but the club released him rather than reinstate him.
More on DWL action at The Fabulous Forum.
Labels: angels
Monday, November 17, 2008 |
Tech: MLB Kisses Silverlight Goodbye
The deal, announced at the Adobe Max conference running in San Francisco this week, hands Adobe one of the largest and likely most profitable video services out there. MLB.com has signed up more than 1.5 million subscribers since 2003 and streams more than 2,500 regular and postseason games annually. Moreover, MLBAM has been a technological leader and is influential among Web video services.At least it works on the Mac and under Linux. Wait — what's that you say?
"Microsoft has appreciated the partnership of MLB.com," said Microsoft Vice President Scott Guthrie. "Microsoft continues to be very pleased with the success of Silverlight. We have a great ecosystem that includes more than 150 partners."But not YouTube, and now, not MLBAM. Buh bye, and don't let the door hit you on the way out. (Via BTF.)
Pickoff Moves
Albert Pujols Wins NL MVP
Albert Pujols won his second MVP award; the second- and third-place runners-up were Philadelphia's Ryan Howard and Ryan Braun.Giants Sign Reliever Jeremy Affeldt
San Francisco signed the first free agent today, inking an $8M/2 year deal. Affeldt pitched for the Reds in 2008 with a 1-1, 3.33 ERA record.Mark Cuban Charged With Insider Trading
Mark Cuban has been charged with insider trading, which will probably put an end to his pursuit of the Cubs. Via BTF.Jay Jaffe On The Dodgers
Jay Jaffe ponders the offseason for the teams in the NL West, and looks at the Dodgers thusly:What Do They Need? Though the Dodgers won just 84 games, they showed in the postseason that they were a better team than that once their injured players had healed up. They begin the offseason with no fewer than 13 free agents, including three starting pitchers (Derek Lowe, Brad Penny, and Greg Maddux), three starting infielders (second baseman Jeff Kent, shortstop Rafael Furcal, third baseman Casey Blake), and left fielder Manny Ramirez, whose arrival from Boston at the non-waivers trade deadline catalyzed the offense and turned him into a mega-celebrity the likes of which hasn't been seen in Dodger blue in decades. Despite the number of free agents, at most two rotation slots and two infield slots need covering, and while they have the resources to fill some needs from within, an offense that ranked eighth in the league in Equivalent Average and 13th in slugging percentage—one that hasn't seen a hitter surpass 20 home runs since 2005—could really use some muscle.What Do They Have? They've got a lineup with five starters who will be 27 or younger in 2009, counting 23-year-old Blake DeWitt, a springtime surprise who began the year at third base amid a rash of injuries, and who was shifted to second once Kent was sidelined by knee surgery; where he'll play depends upon how the winter unfolds. They've also got a premier player development system offering multiple options for their infield (Chin-Lung Hu, Tony Abreu, and Ivan DeJesus Jr.) and their pitching staff (James McDonald, Scott Elbert), and, further down in the system, talent to deal if they're so inclined. Thanks to the handiwork of GM Ned Colletti, they also have two expensive, unproductive outfielders who want out of LA in Juan Pierre (owed $37.5 million through 2011) and Andruw Jones ($22 million for one year plus signing-bonus payments stretching into 2010), not that they'll find many takers.
What are they likely to do? They've already started playing hardball with Ramirez, withdrawing an initial offer of two guaranteed years and $45 million that wasn't going to get the job done anyway; headed towards his age-37 season and coming off a combined .332/.430/.601 line with 37 homers, he's seeking a six-year deal. If he's willing to go below four years, the sky's the limit on what the Dodgers might offer, and if he settles for four, they could bite the bullet and re-sign him. Beyond Manny, it's up in the air as to whom among their own free agents they'll pursue. Blake is a possibility, and Furcal may return if he's willing to re-up with a three-year deal, even though he was either absent or subpar for about half of his expiring contract; as the Cubs found out, the Dodgers are a different team when he's atop their lineup. More likely, they'll target a short-term deal for Orlando Cabrera. In the rotation, neither the injured Penny nor Lowe are likely to return, so the Dodgers will enter the high-stakes bidding for California native CC Sabathia—if the Yankees haven't already closed that deal—and they may pursue Randy Johnson, who just filed for free agency after reaching an impasse in negotiations with the Diamondbacks. Contrary to early off-season rumors, they're unlikely to deal Russell Martin or anyone else from their young nucleus to fill needs.
What Should They Do? The Dodgers likely can't afford both Sabathia and Ramirez, and given their current posture, they're not favorites to sign either. One alternative to the latter whose name has yet to surface is Adam Dunn, who's reached the 40-homer plateau for five straight years and just turned 29. Though he lacks Manny's charisma, even moving into the least hitter-friendly park of his career, he'd be an imposing middle-of-the-order presence, and he's hardly a major step down defensively. Beyond that, and assuming no Sabathia signing, a one-year deal with Johnson could make sense given his 2008 performance, and a fungible inning-eater to account for the youth of Clayton Kershaw (and possibly McDonald) is in order—perhaps someone like Randy Wolf or Jon Garland. As for the infield, between Hu, DeJesus, DeWitt, and Abreu, the Dodgers can probably cover two of their three infield vacancies, so they should focus on signing the best free agent they can for one position and letting the kids fight for the remaining spots.
Labels: awards, cardinals, cubs, dodgers, giants, transactions
Friday, November 14, 2008 |
Braves Exit Peavy Bidding
Labels: angels, braves, dodgers, padres, rumors
Dodgers Rescind Manny Offer, To Continue Negotiations
Break Out The Fleetwood Mac, It's Rumo(u)rs Time
Silly glove songs
- The Yanks' recent trade for Nick Swisher with the White Sox means that team is unlikely to pursue Mark Teixeira, according to the New York Post. Frankly, that sounds like red meat to Yankee fans.
In fact, in an exclusive interview with The Post, Cashman strongly indicated the Yankees will not even sign Sabathia and Teixeira in tandem.
"At the pricetags I have read, that is fantasy land, not reality land," Cashman said yesterday of bringing in Sabathia and Teixeira. A Yankees executive said the club has not even created scenarios for assembling a 2009 roster in which it signs the most attractive starter and position player in the free-agent market.
The plan is to concentrate on starting pitching, namely Sabathia, and — at best — Teixeira is a backburner issue in case all the rotation avenues prove fruitless. Teixeira was pushed further to the backburner yesterday when the Yanks obtained Nick Swisher, who, as of now, projects to be the starting first baseman.
- Teixeira, who is a native of the Baltimore area, may be a target of the Nationals, but you've gotta wonder what he would say to joining one of the worst teams in the NL. Sounds like fanbait to me, but the Tigers started their return to respectability with the Pudge signing a few years back, too.
- Randy Johnson is "[h]igh on [the Dodgers'] list of targets" according to a Ken Gurnick piece published on mlb.com.
- Following the Cubs' unexpected cutting ties to closer Kerry Wood, Ken Rosenthal suggests that the Rangers will make a play for his services.
Labels: angels, dodgers, rumors, transactions, yankees
$90 Spring Training Tickets?
The Dodgers are freezing prices on season tickets. So are the Houston Astros and the Pittsburgh Pirates -- and the Boston Red Sox, who have sold out every game since 2003. The NFL is cutting the price of playoff tickets.When do the Dodgers not miss an opportunity to screw with their fans?Commissioner Bud Selig has warned teams not to "get too cocky" on prices in these rocky times. Yet the Dodgers have done just that in setting the prices for their new spring complex in Glendale, Ariz.
For an exhibition game -- for three innings of Matt Kemp and six innings of A.J. Ellis -- the Dodgers are charging $90 for the best seats in the house, $30 and $26 and $24 for everything else between the bases.
The perks of the $90 seats, according to the Dodgers' website, include "complimentary water, sunscreen [and] cool scented towels."
Labels: dodgers, spring training, stupid ideas
Thursday, November 13, 2008 |
50% Off Still Not Enough To Get A Deal Done, Big Unit Files For Free Agency
Johnson, unable to reach a contract agreement with the Diamondbacks, opted for free agency on Thursday, the final day players could file."Randy instructed us not to file for free agency until we made every effort to reach an agreement," Johnson's agents, Barry Meister and Alan Nero, said in a statement. "The Diamondbacks have a budget based on their club's financial situation and obviously viewed Randy's contract in that context. Randy considered every reasonable compromise including offering to take a 50% pay cut, all to remain a Diamondback. However, the economic situation did not lend itself to an agreement."
Johnson's two-year contract with the Diamondbacks averaged $13 million per season. His actual salary last season was $10 million.
The Diamondbacks' offer, then, did not exceed $5 million. It was believed to be in the $2 million to $3 million range.
Five victories short of 300, Johnson intends to pitch next season, but almost certainly will sign with another team.
"Randy can be a difference-maker," Meister said. "I expect there to be significant interest."
Labels: diamondbacks, transactions
Dodgers Release Tentative 2009 Spring Training Schedule
Labels: dodgers, spring training
Cliff Lee Wins AL Cy Young
Scott Boras's Definition Of "Serious": More On Manny
But Scott Boras, who represents Ramirez, made it clear that the Dodgers would need to sweeten their deal when he said, "On behalf of Manny Ramirez, we will, for the first time, begin accepting serious financial offers on Friday.""Serious" of course meaning "more than one", something he can get when other teams can negotiate with the free agent. Arte Moreno is one such:
"He single-handedly took L.A. to the promised land," Moreno, in an interview with AM-830 at the Angels Baseball Foundation Golf Classic in Newport Beach, said of Ramirez, 36."He did a heck of a job, he hit great, he was a fan favorite, he did a great job with their young players. At the end of the day, you want people who can hit, and he may be one of the top right-handed hitters ever."
Labels: angels, dodgers, rumors
Tech: Blackberry Storm In Stores Next Week
Research In Motion has a nifty demo page that shows the device in action, but I really want to get my hands on one and see how it feels.
Crackberry.com sponsored a contest called, "What would you do for a free Blackberry Storm?" These girls wrestling in chocolate pudding in the back of a truck parked in Times Square were the winners (very slightly NSFW, but not too bad):
Apparently there will be a pre-availability sale and demo event for VIPs November 20.
Previously: Tech: What I Want (Before) Christmas: The New Blackberry Storm
Update: Thanks to David Pinto for the link.
Labels: tech
Wednesday, November 12, 2008 |
Moreno: Angels "Turning The Page" On K-Rod
"Believe it or not, we really spent a lot of time and effort trying to re-sign Frankie," Moreno said. "There were six different offers on the table at different times, and this time last year, we thought we had him signed. Then Rivera got his deal.Moreno also discussed the possibility of signing Manny Ramirez."I'm not one of these never-never people, but I think as a whole, it's time to turn the page and move forward and get to things we need to do."
Joe Maddon, Lou Piniella Win Manager Of The Year
Labels: awards
The "Good" Is The Enemy Of Excellence
Jon is not one of those (he's tempered his enthusiasm with an understanding that the trade might be too dear in the future), but I wanted to respond to a paragraph in this piece today:
Let me start by saying that I don't really expect Manny Ramirez to end up being a Dodger next season, mainly because I'm not convinced they'll launch their offer into the stratospheric heights and lengths it will probably take to get him.And why would the Dodgers not have that money? The Dodgers are, after all, a major market team. The answers are Jason Schmidt, Andruw Jones, and Juan Pierre. Now, there are legitimate reasons not to extend Manny past three years — the man will be playing out his age 40 season at the end of even a three-year deal — but the Dodgers went all-in on the Manny trade. Boom, a hole at third base in addition to a hole in the outfield. Welcome to the corner the Dodgers backed themselves into.
Labels: dodgers
Tuesday, November 11, 2008 |
Bad Altitude On Yesterday's Holliday Trade
I held off on this yesterday because I wanted to find out what the haul was, but now I know. The Rockies are a pathetic, disgusting joke and I'm annoyed that by proximity I'm going to be forced to follow them for another dreary season. This ownership group has ground the hopes and spirits of baseball fans desperate for a quality squad into the ground, Albert Haynesworth-style. The Nuggets, Avalanche, and Broncos are spending all of their resources to bring star players, successful coaches, and hopefully championships to the city of Denver, a city where for better or worse winners get supported intensely and passionately and losers get ignored. This is the city of Carmelo Anthony, Joe Sakic, Champ Bailey, Milan Hejduk, Jay Cutler, Adam Foote, now Chauncey Billups.
Labels: analysis, athletics, rockies, trades, transactions
Big Unit, Trevor Hoffman Near Retirement; Do They Know It?
The last day for players to declare free agency is Thursday. And neither seemed especially optimistic on Monday that a deal would be reached.The Diamondbacks recently laid off 31 front office employees as part of cost-cutting measures, and it's certainly questionable whether the franchise would be interested in Johnson at those prices."It's hard to say how it will turn out," one Diamondbacks official said.
Johnson earned $15.1 million last season. He has not earned less than $9.1 million since 1998. And after going 11-10 with a 3.91 ERA and pitching 184 innings last season, he probably is not interested in a major paycut.
The Diamondbacks, on the other hand, surely are not enamored with the idea of paying $10 million or more to a 45-year-old pitcher with a history of back trouble — even though Johnson's countdown to 300 victories likely would boost attendance.
Trevor Hoffman is in a similar situation with the Padres; a franchise icon for years, the Pads withdrew a contract offer to him of $4M in 2009 with a $4M team option for 2010, with no buyout. Hoffman failed to respond, and the team took the deal off the table over the weekend. Kevin Towers has declined comment as to whether this marks the end of negotiations. It's said that the Indians would be interested in Hoffman if negotiations fall through, but in both cases, it's clear that retirement is within sight for both men, and possibly before the 2009 season starts.
Labels: contracts, diamondbacks, indians, padres, retirements, transactions
Salomon Torres To Retire
Labels: history, retirements
Giants Starter Tim Lincecum Wins NL Cy Young
RIP, Preacher Roe
Not to be confused with Schoolboy Rowe, who also pitched for the Dodgers six years before, he had tremendous heat as a prep pitcher in rural Arkansas. He came up with the Cardinals, and was traded to the Pirates, where he had two successful years. In the offseason of 1945, he got into an argument while coaching a high school basketball team and got knocked to the ground. He suffered a fractured skull and spent the next two years ineffective. Fortuitously for him, the Dodgers were about to integrate baseball, and when Dixie Walker expressed a desire to get off the team, his wish was granted. Roe was the return on that trade; he shocked everyone by trading in his power pitcher routine for the repertoire of a soft-tossing lefty in the mold of Jamie Moyer. "I got three pitches. My change, my change off my change, and my change off my change off my change", he once said; he also had an illegal spitball that he added to the mix, and rarely got caught. Partly on the back of that pitch, he managed to go 22-3 in 1951, the second-highest winning percentage in Dodger history. Years after he retired, he tried to get the pitch reinstated by confessing to its use in the pages of Sports Illustrated; the effort backfired, and he became persona non grata at Dodger old-timer events.Roe's 22-3 1950 season is still a franchise record winning percentage for any pitcher with 20 or more starts, and his career winning percentage of .715 tops the list. He's also in the top 10 for home runs allowed (single-season and career), and career ERA+.
Update: Also via Bloomberg News and dodgers.com:
"Preacher Roe left an indelible mark in Dodger history," said Dodgers chairman Frank McCourt. "He was one of the original 'Boys of Summer' and his success in the World Series against the Yankees in 1949, 1952, and 1953 helped pave the way for the 1955 World Champions. Our heartfelt sympathies go out to his family and loved ones."
Labels: dodgers, obituaries
Monday, November 10, 2008 |
MLB TV Reaches Deal With Verizon FiOS
Unfortunately, I'm not all that impressed by the Engadget stories I'm reading about FiOS service; these include fast-forward disabled video-on-demand (not that I use that much, but c'mon), and weak but recently improved HD coverage that only recently has included Extra Innings. It's extra-relevant to me because I talked to a Verizon employee this morning who was this very day installling FiOS on my street.
Longoria, Soto Win League Rookie Of The Year Awards
Soto won the award with more than twice as many points as his nearest competitor (158 points vs. Joey Votto's 21 second-place votes).
Labels: awards, cubs, ex-dirtbags, rays
Oakland Picks Up Matt Holliday
I'll probably have more on this deal later on, but initially, it looks pretty even for both sides so far as I can tell. The A's are spending a little money here since they're picking up the $13.5M remaining on Holliday's contract, while unloading a reliever who clearly has seen better days in Huston Street. Rotoworld snarks:
... the Rockies did extremely well and the A's gave up too much for just one year of a player who has never played at a superstar level outside of Coors Field. Manny Corpas owners should be disappointed if Street is in the deal, as Street would likely close for the Rockies. Smith would jump right into the rotation. Gonzalez could be a candidate to play left field or even center for a year, but everything that happened in 2008 suggests that he needs more minor league time.Street performed pretty miserably versus expectations for most of 2008, but he managed to pull together a strong September, with a 1.74 ERA, the first time he managed a sub-3.00 ERA for a single month all year. Smith posted fairly pedestrian but acceptable numbers in the mostly hitter-friendly parks and leagues that Arizona subjects its pitchers to in the minors.
What I think Rotoworld misses here is that while this erodes the A's pitching depth a bit, Street wasn't going to figure into their plans in 2009 almost without doubt; that they were able to get something of value for him, even as only a rental, is impressive enough, though they did have to throw in a couple other players, one of whom was a starter. The Rockies have hopefully learned from their 2007/8 offseason inactivity, and are looking to fix the problems they encountered as their pitching staff back of Aaron Cook and Ubaldo Jimenez were league average or worse.
Update: Ken Rosenthal has an interesting wrinkle:
The A's are not acquiring him with the intention of flipping him or even trading him in July. The team is in position to increase its payroll to as much as $80 million, and plans to contend next season.To that end, the A's also are targeting free-agent shortstop Rafael Furcal to be their leadoff man. Furcal is drawing interest from about 10 clubs, according to his agent, Paul Kinzer. The acquisition of Holliday could help persuade Furcal that the A's are serious about competing.
Labels: athletics, rockies, trades, transactions
Belated: Get Well Soon, Rory Markas
Angels Raising Season Ticket Prices 6%
Labels: angels
Bargaining Leverage? Angels Interested In Cordero?
K-Rod, coming off a record 62-save season, also could have a relatively long wait before signing given how many teams -- at least a half-dozen, headed by the Mets -- are in the market for a closer.If they don't bring their closer of the past four seasons back, the Angels have in-house options, Reagins said, in veteran Scot Shields and Jose Arredondo, who had an impressive rookie season in 2008.
Another possibility has emerged in veteran right-hander Chad Cordero, who became a free agent after having shoulder surgery while in the employ of the Nationals.
According to a baseball source, the Angels, Mets, Rangers and Tigers are interested in Cordero, and each club has asked to look at his medical records.
Cordero missed most of the 2008 season because of a labrum tear in his right shoulder. He had surgery on July 8 and is expected to be ready for Spring Training. Cordero visited Dr. Lewis Yocum for a checkup last week and is expected to start throwing in a week.
Cordero's first choice reportedly would be the Angels. He is from Anaheim and grew up an Angels fan. Cordero also wouldn't be averse to a reunion with Mets general manager Omar Minaya, who drafted him in the first round of the 2003 First-Year Player Draft when he was with the Expos.
Sunday, November 09, 2008 |
Man, I Hate It When Simers Is Right: On Manny's Proposed Deal
The Dodgers' website reported and continues to report the offer to Ramirez was "believed to be in the neighborhood of two years at $55 million," although most every other report had it closer to $45 million.Of course, you could argue that the market for Manny will include teams liable to do stupid things (the Mets come to mind here), but would it be the worst thing in the world if the Dodgers didn't get him? It would certainly serve as an object lesson on the business of throwing away perfectly serviceable players for two-month rentals, though that part of it might not be so easily grasped by the McCourt brain trust.But whether it was knowing or unknowing exaggeration, promising words like huge and monstrous or misinformed commentary, McCourt got his message to season-ticket holders: "Look, I'm doing everything I can to bring back Manny."
If true, then maybe he ought to read his own website, Manager Joe Torre quoted as saying, "I think he'd like to come back, but I think he's at a point in his career where he wants some longevity, and I understand that."
Everyone in baseball knows Ramirez wants some longevity, so why did the Dodgers use their exclusive negotiating window with agent Scott Boras to make an offer they knew would be unacceptable? Just for show, of course, McCourt consistently mindful of image, going through more PR consultants than GMs and managers.
Update 11/10: More (really, an echo) from LAist.
Friday, November 07, 2008 |
Minor League Free Agents
Los Angeles Angels (13)
RHP: Henry Bonilla (AAA), Dan Denham (AA), Yosandy Ibanez (AA)
1B: Michael Collins (AA)
2B: Adam Morrissey (AAA)
3B: Ricky Alvarez (R), Corey Smith (AA)
SS: Gary Patchett (AAA)
OF: Dee Brown (AAA), Jordan Czarniecki (AA), Adam Greenberg (AA), Brian Stavisky (AA), Chris Walker (AAA)Los Angeles Dodgers (21)
RHP: Mike Koplove (AAA), B.J. Lamura (AAA), Kieran Mattison (AA), Miguel Pinango (AAA), Jimmy Rohan (R), Anthony Tomey (AA), Heath Totten (AAA), Jerome Williams (AAA), Bob Zimmermann (Lo A)
LHP: Juan Cedeno (Lo A), Eric Cyr (AAA), Eric Dubose (AAA), Jacobo Meque (AA)
C: Kelley Gulledge (AA), Rene Rivera (AAA)
1B: John Lindsey (AAA)
2B: Luis Maza (AAA)
3B: Brandon Taylor (Lo A)
OF: John-Ford Griffin (AAA), Mitch Jones (AAA), Wilkin Ruan (AAA)
Labels: angels, dodgers, minors
Tax Changes Might Accelerate Offseason Signings
Obama's proposal would increase federal income tax on families earning more than $250,000 annually, money that would help finance a decrease for workers and families earning less than $200,000 annually.Next year's major league minimum is $400,000. Agent Scott Boras, negotiating eight- and possibly nine-figure deals for free agents Manny Ramirez and Mark Teixeira, already has thought about the possibility of asking for larger signing bonuses payable this year in some of his contracts.
"There's some consideration to be had with the impact of the election," he said.
Labels: contracts
The End Of Coin Tosses?
"The team that performed better against the other team I think is the one that deserves to have home-field advantage, not an arbitrary coin flip," San Diego Padres general manager Kevin Towers said Thursday as the annual GMs meeting ended.With such a system, the site of tiebreakers might not be known until the last day of the season.MLB staff is drafting a proposal for the GMs to consider next month when they gather at the winter meetings in Las Vegas, according to Jimmie Lee Solomon, executive vice president of baseball operations in the commissioner's office. Head-to-head record between the tied clubs appears likely to be the first tiebreaker.
Labels: rules
Thursday, November 06, 2008 |
Administrivia: Minor League Sidebar Link Changes
Labels: administrivia
LA Times: Dodgers Offer Manny $45M, 2 Years
Update: Tony Jackson posts a transcript of a Scott Boras interview on XM radio regarding Manny. Man, he's windy.
Labels: dodgers, rumors, transactions
Wednesday, November 05, 2008 |
Torii Hunter Wins Eighth Gold Glove
P - MIKE MUSSINA - YANKEES
C - JOE MAUER - TWINS
1ST - CARLOS PENA - RAYS
2ND - DUSTIN PEDROIA - RED SOX
3RD - ADRIAN BELTRE - MARINERS
SS - MICHAEL YOUNG - RANGERS
OF - TORII HUNTER - ANGELS
OF - GRADY SIZEMORE - INDIANS
OF - ICHIRO SUZUKI - MARINERS
Labels: angels, awards, gold gloves
Tony Jax: Dodgers Making Manny Largest Salary Bid In Franchise History
Labels: dodgers, rumors, transactions
Robothal: Angels To Give Teixeira A Short Window
At what point do the Angels tell Scott Boras to shove it?He goes on to suggest that the Dodgers may take the same approach to re-signing Manny.OK, that's putting it indelicately, but the Angels' history is to strike quickly in the free-agent market — and Boras, when it comes to cutting deals, isn't exactly Mr. November.
So, as much as the Angels want to retain first baseman Mark Teixeira, they will not engage in protracted negotiations with Boras.
Labels: angels, dodgers, rumors, transactions
Dodgers Decline Penny's Option; Greg Maddux Wins 18th Gold Glove
Also, Greg Maddux won his 18th Gold Glove for what may be his final season in the majors. He was the only Dodger to win a Gold Glove; no Angel player did so.
Also, Gary Bennett filed for free agency, no surprise.
Labels: dodgers, transactions
OT: A Thought On The Morning Of A New Day
We have faced a democratic and unsentimental truth: Not the good, not the mediocre and not the bad can be predicted by skin color, sex, class or any of the other things that we formally used to pretend that we have some inside information on the unknown. We do not....
Our country has become much closer to what it always seemed that it could become when it matured and lost fear of books, science and reason, all of which, as we have also learned, can be misused as thoroughly as anything else.
So it seems to me that whether or not Barack Obama is elected this time around, he has given patriotism a new version of itself, one based on how well and how consistently the country has fought against its imperfections and how and why many of those struggles were successful.
Labels: offtopic
Tuesday, November 04, 2008 |
Dodgers Decline Gary Bennett's Option
Labels: dodgers, transactions
Rumored: Dodgers Willing To Part With Martin
Some Dodger officials have spread the word that Martin will either be traded or moved to third base, with a Jason Varitek signing a possibility. Whether or not it actually happens will be interesting to see, but teams looking for catching, like the Red Sox, will do a headfirst dive to get in on Martin, who turns 26 in February.That would be brilliant -- unloading a young, cheap, excellent offensive catcher with good defensive skills for an aging guy who's just barely hanging on in the majors. This sounds like Peter Gammons, Boston Globe reporter talking.
Report: Maddux "Almost Certain" To Retire
"He hasn't made a final decision, but for now it is doubtful he will play (any longer)," Boras said at the GM Meetings. "As it stands now, he is not going to play."Here's a related story in today's Times about superagent Scott Boras.
Labels: ex-dodgers, retirements, scott boras, transactions
Angels, Yankees On Peavy's Even Shorter AL Trade List
Peavy, who has a full no-trade clause, would consider a trade to only two American League teams, the Angels and the Yankees, Towers said.Update: Also at MLB.com.To approve a trade to the Yankees, Peavy would probably ask for a new contract comparable to whatever Sabathia gets. Towers said he didn't think that would be necessary if he can strike a deal with the Angels.
Labels: angels, padres, rumors, transactions, yankees
Monday, November 03, 2008 |
Pickoff Moves, Bedtime Edition
White Sox Recycle Dodgers, Angels System Player, Coach
The White Sox have picked up Olmedo Saenz to coach Advanced Rookie Great Falls. Former Angels system coach Ever Magallanes will manage the Chisox' class-A Birmingham team. Interestingly enough, an ex-Sox went to the Dodgers, Carlos Subero, who is the manager for the Dodgers' Inland Empire Cal League affiliate.Ned: Signing Manny Won't Be Fast
Jon Heyman:Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said what's been obvious for a while, and that is that their talks with superstar free-agent outfielder Manny Ramirez aren't going to result in a quick signing."I'm not too confident it's going to be resolved in the next short period of time,'' Colletti said Monday at the baseball general manager meetings.
While Colletti said again that the Dodgers had yet to meet with Ramirez's agent, Scott Boras, or make an offer, sources say they intend to make an initial short-term offer at a high annual salary, something along the lines of $55 million over two years. Ramirez, the Dodgers' season savior who hit .397 with 17 home runs and 53 RBIs in 53 games, has made it clear he's interested in getting the best deal he can anywhere, suggesting during interviews in the playoffs that he wants a six-year contract.
Rangers Tab Mike Maddux For Pitching Coach
The Rangers have signed Mike Maddux as their pitching coach. Maddux previously was the Brewers' pitching coach, but became a free agent at the end of the year. It's likely that the Rangers came up with a big offer.Padres Get Michael Watt From Dodgers As PTBNL In Maddux Deal
The Padres acquired Michael Watt from the Dodgers as the player to be named later in the deal that sent Greg Maddux to the Dodgers.As part of negotiations that would send Padres pitcher Greg Maddux to Los Angeles on Aug. 19, the Dodgers refused to trade Watt. Creative thinking by Padres General Manager Kevin Towers helped the two sides strike a deal. Towers suggested that if the Dodgers reached the playoffs, the Padres could get Watt, in addition to minor league pitcher Eduardo Perez. The Dodgers eventually agreed, and when L.A. won the National League West, the Padres got Watt.Watson said that Watt was responding well to Dodgers coaching and conditioning methods by season's end. In the lefty's final 23 innings, he had 20 strikeouts and zero walks. He went 9-4 with a 4.35 ERA in the hitter-friendly Pioneer League.
The Dodgers' Logan White, a former Padres scout whose draft record since 2002 ranks “as good as anybody's,” according to Towers, selected Watt 86th overall out of Capistrano Valley High. In a waiver claim later in October, the Padres grabbed another player drafted out of high school by White, second baseman Travis Denker.
Towers and the Dodgers could talk trade again this month as Towers tests Jake Peavy's trade value. Jump-starting the GM meetings in Dana Point, Towers yesterday was to meet with the Cubs, Brewers and Cardinals.
Labels: brewers, cardinals, coaches, cubs, minors, padres, rangers, rumors, trades, transactions
Look Out, Manny, Gas Is Going Down
Ramirez, whose $20 million team options were voided when the Los Angeles Dodgers acquired him from Boston on July 31, expects a bull market for his services."I want to see who is the highest bidder. Gas is up and so am I," he said last month after the Phillies eliminated the Dodgers from the playoffs.
Perhaps Ramirez didn't notice, but the average price for a regular gallon of gas dropped to $2.41 nationally on Monday, down more than 30 percent from last month, according to auto club AAA, the Oil Price Information Service and Wright Express.
"We'll have to check the gas market, I guess, before I go and speak with him," Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said. "I know how the fans feel and how we feel. It's obvious. I mean, what he did for 10 weeks -- regular season and postseason -- was as good as anybody can do. I've been at it long enough to tell you that I'm not going to tell you what my gut feeling is."
K-Rod, Rafael Furcal File For Free Agency
Labels: angels, dodgers, transactions
Now, Do It Again: Phillies Sign Ruben Amaro, Jr. To 3-Year Deal
Labels: front office, phillies
Sunday, November 02, 2008 |
Oliver, Rivera File For Free Agency
Labels: angels, transactions
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