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

Labels: offtopic

// posted by Rob @ 9:40 PM link  //  1 comments

The Angels will surrender their first-round pick at #33, but have the Mets' and Yankees' first-round picks at #25 and #29 respectively.

Labels: angels, hot stove, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 10:38 AM link  //  2 comments

Vargas is 46-40 in his career with the Expos (then Nationals), Diamondbacks, Brewers, and Mets, with a 4.94 ERA. Along with ex-Dodger Wilton Guerrero, he was one of the returns that sent Carl Pavano to the Marlins in 2002.

Labels: dodgers, ex-dodgers, hot stove, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 9:59 AM link  //  0 comments

Labels: ex-dodgers, hot stove, mets

// posted by Rob @ 7:33 PM link  //  0 comments

Labels: dodgers, hot stove, rumors

// posted by Rob @ 6:52 PM link  //  0 comments

Reaction at AZ Snake Pit seems to be generally positive, which confirms my view of this deal.

Labels: diamondbacks, hot stove, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 6:46 PM link  //  0 comments

Zelasko, who is in Dallas preparing for her Cotton Bowl sideline reporter duties, said that while she hadn't meant to sound so much like a candidate giving a stump speech, she has, indeed, sent the Dodgers an audition tape and that she would love to do Dodgers play-by-play on television.

"I wouldn't have applied if I didn't think I'd succeed," Zelasko said from Texas. "I believe a woman could do this job. I'm not big into self-promotion but one of the reasons I tossed my hat into the ring is because I've been around the game a very long time."

Labels: dodgers, stupid ideas, tv

// posted by Rob @ 6:25 PM link  //  6 comments

It's hard to recall a player with such a total collapse; Bob Timmermann, I believe, pointed out that Zoilo Versalles went from a 115 OPS+ in 1965 with the Twins to a 52 with the 1967 Twins. While I don't have direct access to Sean Forman's database, and it's impossible to do joins on the data that is publicly visible, I thought it might be interesting to look at some of the worst two-year dropoffs in baseball history. The criteria I elected to use were

• The raw data comes from the Sean Lahman database.
• My simplified OPS+ was calculated only against league OPS, and included pitchers.
• The dropoff had to occur in two years or less.
• Players had to have a minimum of 500 at-bats in their best year, and 200 in their worst year.

+-----------------+--------+------+---------+--------+------+---------+-------+
| name            | yearID | AB   | hi OPS+ | yearID | AB   | lo OPS+ | delta |
+-----------------+--------+------+---------+--------+------+---------+-------+
| Vinny Castilla  |   1998 |  645 | 129     |   2000 |  331 | 71      |    58 | 
| George Scott    |   1967 |  565 | 129     |   1968 |  350 | 75      |    54 | 
| Fred Lynn       |   1979 |  531 | 143     |   1981 |  256 | 92      |    51 | 
| Bernard Gilkey  |   1996 |  571 | 130     |   1998 |  365 | 86      |    44 | 
| Jason Giambi    |   2002 |  560 | 137     |   2004 |  264 | 94      |    43 | 
| Adrian Beltre   |   2004 |  598 | 135     |   2005 |  603 | 95      |    40 | 
| John Olerud     |   1993 |  551 | 144     |   1995 |  492 | 104     |    40 | 
| Sam Bowens      |   1964 |  501 | 112     |   1965 |  203 | 72      |    40 | 
| George Altman   |   1962 |  534 | 126     |   1964 |  422 | 87      |    39 | 
| Jermaine Dye    |   2001 |  599 | 107     |   2003 |  221 | 68      |    39 | 
| George Hendrick |   1983 |  529 | 125     |   1985 |  256 | 86      |    39 | 
| Vinny Castilla  |   2004 |  583 | 115     |   2006 |  275 | 76      |    39 | 
| John Mayberry   |   1975 |  554 | 137     |   1976 |  594 | 98      |    39 | 
| Mark McGwire    |   1999 |  521 | 146     |   2001 |  299 | 107     |    39 | 
| Jeff Cirillo    |   2001 |  528 | 111     |   2003 |  258 | 73      |    38 | 
| Von Hayes       |   1989 |  540 | 124     |   1991 |  284 | 86      |    38 | 
| Carlos May      |   1972 |  523 | 131     |   1974 |  551 | 92      |    39 | 
| George Scott    |   1966 |  601 | 113     |   1968 |  350 | 75      |    38 | 
| Roberto Alomar  |   2001 |  575 | 125     |   2003 |  253 | 87      |    38 | 
| Dale Murphy     |   1987 |  566 | 137     |   1989 |  574 | 99      |    38 | 
+-----------------+--------+------+---------+--------+------+---------+-------+

• Bernard Gilkey; after five up-and-down seasons with the Cardinals, he was traded to the Mets and had an inexplicable and unrepeatable 1996 as a 29-year-old. Two years later, the Mets traded him to Arizona after an abysmal .233/.320/.315 line.
• Adrian Beltre took a 70-point drop in OPS+ (as reckoned by Forman) changing leagues. He's returned to respectability since.
• John Olerud had a freakishly good 1993 (183 OPS+) that merely fell to very good levels subsequently.
• Sam Bowens was a one-year wonder, whose unrepeatable 1964 with the Baltimore Orioles was followed by an execrable 1965, the product of a beaning that changed his stance forever.
• Tennessee State product George Altman had two 137 OPS+ seasons; during the first (1961) he led the Cubs in RBIs (96) and the league in triples (12), but he came unhinged after a trade to the Cards that eventually led to another trade to the Mets, where he was execrable. He got shipped back to the Cubs as a reserve, where he spent the last four years of his career before becoming one of the first American players to spend time in the Japanese leagues.
• Top 100 Angel George Hendrick had his last good full year with the Cards before collapsing with the Pirates and Angels. A leg injury had partially caused his problems, but by 1987 he had fallen apart totally and wouldn't recover.
• Never a great player, Vinny Castilla had one brilliant 2004 in Colorado's thin air before disappearing again. It took two more years before he vanished.
• A more than 70-point drop in John Mayberry's OPS+ (from 168 in 1975 to 94 in 1976), he was purchased by the Blue Jays as Kansas City ostensibly moved him to make room for a young Clint Hurdle; rumor was Mayberry's drug use had wrecked his skills.
• Yes, Mark McGwire was injured in his last season, but he also never played again after his age 37 season.
• Jeff Cirillo somehow started his long, slow decline into sucktitude following his 2001 season, but he managed a couple relatively good seasons in Milwaukee in 2005 and 2006 before retiring. Part of his problem (though not explanatory for his awful 2003) was a wrist injury with the 2004 Padres.
• Mostly a thumper with the 1980's and early 90's Phillies, Von Hayes fell apart in 1990, ended up an Angel for the final year of his career in 1992. Famously, he was Wally Pipp'd to make room for the greatest offensive player in Angels history, Tim Salmon.
• The great second baseman for the World Series winning Blue Jays teams of the early 90's, Roberto Alomar had a last hurrah with the Indians for three years as a free agent, until he was shipped to the Mets in a multiplayer trade. He only posted one above-average season thereafter, that his partial 2004 with Arizona.
• Dale Murphy was one of the key players on some mediocre to godawful Atlanta Braves teams in the 1980's; mostly, he played center field there, but he also caught and played first base as well as the corner outfield slots. He had an anomalously bad season at 33, recovered the next year, but wasn't nearly as good thereafter.

... a person familiar with those discussions said Monday "nothing is ongoing, and nothing [no trade] is going to happen."

Labels: dodgers, history, hot stove, mets, rumors

// posted by Rob @ 3:36 PM link  //  0 comments

Labels: dodgers, hot stove, rumors

// posted by Rob @ 1:05 PM link  //  0 comments

Labels: blogs, dodgers

// posted by Rob @ 6:08 AM link  //  0 comments

The Dodgers declined arbitration for Brad Penny and so are not entitled to compensation draft picks for him.

Update: The Boston Herald reports the deal is $5M with $3M in incentives if he pitches more than 160 innings.

Labels: ex-dodgers, hot stove, red sox, rumors, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 5:01 PM link  //  0 comments

Labels: dodgers, minors

// posted by Rob @ 1:04 PM link  //  0 comments

Andruw Jones’ search for solid contact has landed him in the heartland of a baseball-crazed country that isn’t his own, accumulating at-bats in the dead of winter.

The skills that made Jones a five-time MLB All-Star seemed to vanish upon putting on a Los Angeles Dodgers uniform after he signed a two-year, $36.2 million contract before the 2008 season. He was helpless at the plate, batting .158 with three home runs and 28 RBI in 209 at-bats, a far cry from his career averages of 33 home runs, 100 RBI and a .260 average.

Wasn’t it only three years ago that Jones belted 51 home runs? He’s only 31 years old. Where did it all go?

If Jones returns to the Dodgers with answers, they will have been found playing for the Aguilas Cibaenas in the Dominican Winter League. Aguilas veteran Rafael Furcal, a longtime teammate of Jones with the Atlanta Braves and the Dodgers, got him the gig.

Furcal met Jones’ private plane at the airport. Jones, overweight and bloated during the regular season, has dropped a few pounds. He could drop a few more.

“I need at-bats,” Jones said. “I am used to getting my 500-to-600-plus plate appearances, so as the 2008 season progressed, I realized that I was going to put everything aside and explore the possibility of playing winter ball.”

Labels: dodgers

// posted by Rob @ 7:09 PM link  //  0 comments

Labels: athletics, ex-angels, hot stove, rumors

// posted by Rob @ 1:14 PM link  //  0 comments

1. The Angels already have a free-swinging, aging slugger in Vlad Guerrero (not to mention a team philosophy that tends to make this a consistent problem). Dunn is useful at the right price, but he interjects other problems into the Angels lineup, and given the team's tendency to use the DH as a resting spot for Vlad, a perma-DH like Dunn is liable to cause scheduling friction.
2. The Times has already reported that the Angels won't pursue Dunn, nor Garret Anderson, Bobby Abreu, or Pat Burrell.

Labels: angels, blogs

// posted by Rob @ 7:08 AM link  //  0 comments

Update: AP reports it's for $8M guaranteed on one year, with up to $5M in performance bonuses.

Labels: giants, hot stove, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 6:19 PM link  //  0 comments

Jeanne Zelasko got hooked on baseball when she was "a little peanut" writing letters to her father who was working in Asia, trying to impress him by slipping in the name of a major leaguer she had just watched on television.

"In my mind, that was the way to reach out to my dad," said Zelasko, 42, who now is reaching out to the baseball gods - and the Los Angeles Dodgers - in hopes of becoming the first woman to do play-by-play in Major League Baseball.

A position became available when Charlie Steiner, who did 40 games a year on cable, had his role redefined. Fox, meanwhile, canceled the baseball pregame show she hosted with Kevin Kennedy due to the loss of advertising revenue.

"I love everybody I work with and would do it until I fell out of the chair, and I love sports," she said. "But this is an interesting time for me as I try to figure out, 'OK, what's next?'

"There is an opening for the Dodgers . . . so I have been beating down their door a little bit."

Zelasko said it is understandable that the Dodgers asked her if she ever had done baseball play-by-play - the answer is no - but she had that role for ice-skating and gymnastics competitions.

"But I've been around baseball for a very long time, and Kevin Kennedy, who should be managing somewhere, taught me more about that the game than I think most people could even consider. I was blessed to be next to him for eight years. So I'm excited. I don't know if they'll bite."

One thing we do know about Zelasko is that she's had a tough go of it lately. Not only did she lose her father to a heart attack in 2007, her sister developed a brain aneurysm, and she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Zelasko and her sister are both doing well (as of April, 2008), and Zelasko has returned to her normal duties at Fox.

Update: Okay, this cannot be a good sign:

I didn't have anything against Zelasko until this past July when she was on the Fox pre-game and the following happened.

1. They played a taped interview she did with Ken Griffey, Jr. It was good.

2. After playing the interview, Kevin Kennedy and another host (Dibble I think) talked about where Griffey might be traded to at the deadline. One mentioned him going to the Cubs to be reinited with Lou Piniella. The other host said that he thought Tampa Bay would be a good spot for Griffey, only an hour from his home in Orlando, etc, etc.

3. Zelasko immediately replied in a snide tone, "You really think he'd go to a non-contender?"

The Rays were in first place in the AL East at the time (about a week before the July 31 trade deadline) and had been all year but obviously Zelasko didn't know that and apparently thought they were still the sad sack Rays who'd finished in last the previous few seasons.

That's insane. How much of a baseball fan does she have to be to know that the Rays had turned things around and were in first place? Considering she has a job in baseball it's incomprehensible to me that she didn't have a clue.

Labels: dodgers, fox, tv

// posted by Rob @ 5:35 PM link  //  4 comments

Labels: offtopic

// posted by Rob @ 7:27 PM link  //  3 comments

A Dominican newspaper carried the conflicting reports Monday. Luis Garcia, who works for Jones' agent Scott Boras, says half of the information is right: Jones is in Atlanta and is planning to return for the playoffs.

What there can be no doubt about, however, is that Jones' performance so far this winter has been no better than his performance last summer, when he hit just .158 and struck out 76 times in 75 games.

Playing for Aguilas Cibaenas, Jones is hitting .188 through five games with three singles and eight strikeouts in 16 at-bats. Jones has twice struck out three times in a game and has yet to collect more hits than strikeouts in the same game.

Labels: dodgers

// posted by Rob @ 8:51 PM link  //  0 comments

Labels: ex-dodgers, hot stove, indians, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 4:11 PM link  //  0 comments

Also via Jon Heyman at Sports Illustrated.

Labels: ex-angels, hot stove, yankees

// posted by Rob @ 12:39 PM link  //  5 comments

Tony Reagins killed lingering speculation that the Angels still might be interested in Mark Teixeira, saying today that the team has "completely closed the door" on the free-agent slugger who was offered an eight-year, $160-million deal by the Angels.

The general manager then slammed the door on another free agent who has been prominently linked to the Angels: Manny Ramirez, the slugger who led the Dodgers to the National League Championship Series in October.

"Manny will not be an Angel," Reagins said in his first public comments since the Angels pulled their offer to Teixeira on Sunday. "We're going to give our kids an opportunity to play. We signed [outfielder] Juan Rivera to a three-year deal, and we think, given at-bats, he can be productive player.

"With Torii Hunter, Vladimir Guerrero, Gary Matthews Jr., Reggie Willits, our outfield is intact. It will not happen. We are not going to sign Manny Ramirez. End of story."

Update: Also on MLB.com, which has a far stronger statement:

"Manny Ramirez will not play for the Angels in 2009, or beyond, for that matter," Reagins said.

Labels: angels, ex-dodgers, hot stove, rumors, scott boras

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

Why now? Did they really think some kind of 15-day take-it-or-leave-it deadline would be met? Or, was all this just for show a la McCourt?

Are the Angels ready to announce the signing of someone else today, but need that money to complete the deal?

Did Moreno walk away in a huff because he didn't get his way? Did he read Plaschke's column calling for the Angels to sign Teixeira and say no way I'm going to be told what to do?

Labels: angels, hot stove, rumors

// posted by Rob @ 8:45 AM link  //  0 comments

Felipe López is a 28-year-old journeyman second baseman who has a .262 career batting average. Two weeks ago, he quietly signed a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

That deal is noteworthy now because López is the only client of the agent Scott Boras who has signed a free-agent contract this off-season.

Boras, the game’s most prominent agent, is known for being patient in negotiations until the long-term, big-money deals appear. But two months into the off-season, nearly 20 other Boras clients who filed for free agency are still unsigned. That group — which includes Mark Teixeira, Manny Ramírez, Derek Lowe and Oliver Pérez — includes many of the most talented players left on the market.

The combination of Boras’s patience, team executives who are wary of the weakening economy, and the lack of movement in negotiations between Boras and teams for his premier client, Teixeira, has slowed the movement of the others.

Labels: angels, hot stove, scott boras

// posted by Rob @ 8:17 AM link  //  4 comments

Labels: tigers, yankees

// posted by Rob @ 5:24 AM link  //  0 comments

No one broadcast Johnny Vander Meer’s second consecutive no-hitter in June 1938, but that did not deter fans from telling Red Barber years later how much they enjoyed his call.

Barber should have called it, at least for symmetry’s sake.

He was then in his final season with the Cincinnati Reds (his storied run with the Brooklyn Dodgers started the next season) and behind the Crosley Field radio microphone for Vander Meer’s first no-hitter on June 11 against the Boston Bees.

But because the Dodgers, Giants and Yankees were in the last season of a five-year ban on radio broadcasts from their stadiums, Vander Meer’s no-hitter at Ebbets Field on June 15 was a witness-only event, unheard on any airwave. So while Vander Meer was making history in Brooklyn, Barber was home in Cincinnati, being called by exhilarated fans who knew that his home number was listed under his wife’s name.

Forty-one years later, Barber came to the annual meeting of the Florida Association of Broadcasters. They presented him with their Gold Medal. He recalled a prayer about the “changes and chances of time,” then offered his listeners the gift of timepassed.

“Something no one has,” he said. He later added, “It’s going to be yours.”

Labels: dodgers, history, reds

// posted by Rob @ 8:12 PM link  //  0 comments

Why haven't the Dodgers entered the Mark Teixeira bidding?
-- Daniel C. Fontana, Calif.

It's the same reason they haven't bid on any Type-A free agents but their own. They are trying to develop from within. They are in a youth movement. They don't want to give nine-figure deals to anyone. Plus, they already have a solid, inexpensive, young first baseman in James Loney.

As much as fans don't like hearing it, the Dodgers are a business as well as a team. That's just reality. Current ownership has concluded that such contracts present an unwise risk/reward proposition, particularly with the unknowns of the current financial climate.

The Dodgers traditionally are among the game's leaders in ticket sales, allowing them a payroll annually near the top in the National League. But for another four years they will lack the riches that a regional television network provides teams like the Yankees, Mets and Red Sox. And squeezing added revenue out of a 47-year-old stadium has become a difficult challenge as well, as it requires huge capital expenditures to upgrade the venue.

So while the Dodgers can easily outspend their smaller-market division rivals, they don't have the resources some would expect for a club in a big market, even if they wanted to hook up in a bidding war with a free-spending rival. [emphasis mine]

Labels: dodgers, tv

// posted by Rob @ 4:10 PM link  //  0 comments

Ramirez has no plans to get serious about any offers until after Mark Teixeira - a fellow Scott Boras client - makes a decision regarding his own future. Ramirez has already turned down a two-year, $45 million offer from the Dodgers and has told friends he is seeking a four-year deal in the $100 million range.

Labels: ex-dodgers, rumors, yankees

// posted by Rob @ 4:58 PM link  //  0 comments

Update: MLB.com reports the Angels have withdrawn their $160M/8-year bid.

Update 2: Tim Brown @ Yahoo:

Sources close to the process said Angels owner Arte Moreno concluded that Teixeira did not intend to play for the Angels and that his team was being used to drive up the price for the other interested clubs.

Also, a source said the Red Sox have not spoken to Boras since Thursday night, when Henry issued his statement.

A source told Yahoo! Sports on Sunday that the Angels would not re-enter the bidding for Teixeira, whom they acquired from the Atlanta Braves at the trade deadline in July.

Update 3: Jayson Stark quotes another anonymous Angels organization dude as saying a Manny Ramirez signing would be "a stretch" after the team re-upped Juan Rivera. Huh.

Update 4: Also at the Times.

Labels: angels, hot stove, red sox, rumors

// posted by Rob @ 3:54 PM link  //  0 comments

Labels: angels, hot stove, red sox, rumors

// posted by Rob @ 3:10 PM link  //  5 comments

If Teixeira walks, so does a chunk of Moreno's Angels mystique, as if he suddenly announced he were doubling beer prices.

Moreno needs this. Scioscia needs this. The Angels need this.

All winter, Angels fans have been burdened with the memory of a failed suicide squeeze.

Sign Teixeira, and replace it with a homer.

Labels: angels, hot stove

// posted by Rob @ 7:48 AM link  //  4 comments

''I don't want to participate in a halfhearted way. This will only cause trouble for everyone involved,'' Kuroda was quoted as telling a person close to him. The 33-year-old was a member of the Japanese team at the 2004 Athens Olympics and among 34 candidates picked for Hara's team.

Labels: dodgers, injuries, whew

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

Labels: angels, haha, stupid ideas

// posted by Rob @ 12:44 PM link  //  0 comments

BK: Which can you pull up quicker, the first strikeout or the first hit?

Kershaw: Both.  The first hit is pretty cool, because it was Albert Pujols.  So that's something I'll be able to talk about, to give it up to one of the best hitters in the game.  (Note: I meant the first hit Kershaw registered as a hitter, but I like that his thought process instead took him to the one he gave up.) The first strikeout was also the first batter I faced, so Skip Schumaker, thank you.  Sorry, but I'll remember that for a while.

Labels: dodgers

// posted by Rob @ 10:18 AM link  //  1 comments

Wolf, 32, went 12-12 with a 4.30 ERA in 190 1/3 innings for the Padres and Astros after the Dodgers declined his $9 million option for 2008 when shoulder surgery derailed his previous season. The left-hander from West Hills is interested in coming home again.

"The Dodgers have not made an offer," Wolf said in an e-mail. "If the Dodgers want to come forward, I would be open to the possibility."

Labels: dodgers, hot stove, rumors

// posted by Rob @ 4:08 PM link  //  0 comments

Labels: ex-angels, ex-dodgers, obituaries

// posted by Rob @ 3:09 PM link  //  0 comments

Reiterating: I like this deal.

Labels: angels, hot stove, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 2:02 PM link  //  2 comments

The Red Sox were believed to have offered Teixeira an eight-year deal in the $175-million range, and a source who is familiar with negotiations but is not authorized to speak about them on the record said it was "significantly" better than the Angels' offer.

Labels: angels, hot stove, red sox, rumors

// posted by Rob @ 9:45 AM link  //  0 comments

The A's have placed shortstop Bobby Crosby on outright waivers, major-league sources say, enabling a rival club to claim him and assume his entire $5.25 million salary. Bobby Crosby just might remain with the A's. (Christian Petersen / Getty Images)

The Royals and Blue Jays still are trying to upgrade at short, but neither is likely to claim Crosby, whose .645 on-base/slugging percentage last season was the third lowest in the majors.

It's telling that the A's are willing to lose Crosby for nothing without an obvious internal or external replacement. But if Crosby clears waivers, which expire at 1 p.m. ET Friday, he is virtually certain to stay with the A's.

There is zero incentive for the A's to send him to the minors; Crosby, as a player with five-plus years of major-league service, could reject the assignment, become a free agent and still collect his entire salary.

Update: Crosby cleared waivers. What did the A's accomplish?

Labels: athletics, hot stove, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 9:43 AM link  //  0 comments

Labels: dodgers, stupid ideas

// posted by Rob @ 7:47 AM link  //  0 comments

Broxton was used in plenty of critical situations in ‘08 (his LI was 1.7), but he didn’t perform as well as he had the previous two seasons. While he stranded runners at an 82.2% clip in ‘06 and 75.1% in ‘07, his LOB% fell to 67.7% in 2008. Broxton’s WPA was -0.14. With a low strand rate and a high BABIP (.328), however, he figures to improve going forward. Using Expected Fielding Independent ERA (XFIP) from The Hardball Times, we find that Broxton’s ‘08 performance (2.91) fit right in with his 2006 (3.33) and 2007 (2.75) showings.

Labels: analysis, dodgers

// posted by Rob @ 7:40 AM link  //  0 comments

Labels: angels, weird

// posted by Rob @ 7:09 AM link  //  2 comments

Update: OR NOT???

Henry's words: "We met with Mr. Teixeira and were very much impressed with him. After hearing about his other offers, however, it seems clear that we are not going to be a factor."

Earlier tonight, multiple news outlets reported the Red Sox had traveled to Texas to meet with Teixeira and his agent, Scott Boras, in the hopes of trying to finalize a deal. WCVB-TV Channel 5 reported that the Red Sox had offered Teixeira an eight-year deal worth $184 million (an average of $23 million per season).

Labels: angels, hot stove, red sox, rumors, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 9:03 PM link  //  0 comments

Reagins also has conducted conversations recently with the agents for Bobby Abreu, Pat Burrell and Adam Dunn, but thus far the club has no interest in Milton Bradley.

Labels: angels, hot stove, red sox, rumors, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 8:53 PM link  //  0 comments

Furcal receives salaries of $6.5 million, $8.5 million and $12 million. The team option for 2012 is for $12 million, but vests with 600 plate appearances in 2011. There is a $3 million deferred signing bonus. Furcal, 31, is coming off a $39 million, three-year deal with the Dodgers. He played for the Braves from 2000-05.

Update: Diamond Leung and Tony Jackson both say $30M; the $3M deferred bonus was probably the point of confusion in the AP article.

More from the Kamenetzkys:

As I expressed just recently, Furcal's back still makes me nervous (it's often a body part that never really heals up), thus concerning me that retaining the shortstop for anything along the lines of big dollars or long years is mighty dicey. While three years isn't exactly a life sentence, 10 mil isn't quite cat food, either. If Furcal's string of injuries while donning blue continue, the Dodgers are staring down both the grim prospects of metaphorical cash spending its time on a trainer's table, but a very sizable hole in need of filling.

• No more Jack Wilson rumors! No more nightmares of Angel Berroa as the starting SS! Unlike in the outfield, where there's plenty of non-Manny outfielders should we lose out on our favorite dreadlocked manchild, there was absolutely nothing else available at shortstop. I've mentioned this about, oh, ten million times, so I won't bore you with it again. Just sleep soundly tonight knowing that "James McDonald and Chin-Lung Hu to Pittsburgh for Jack Wilson" is not going to ruin your Christmas this year.
• No worry of Juan Pierre leading off! Don't believe how real of a danger this is? "But MSTI," you say. "Torre ended the year leading off with Matt Kemp much of the time." Oh yeah? Check this out, homeboy. Furcal went down in early May, and Pierre led off every single game until he too was injured in late June. ...
• Great middle IF depth/trade chips! Did anyone feel comfortable handing the SS job to Chin-Lung Hu or Ivan DeJesus, Jr.? Of course not. ...
• A player who clearly wanted to be a Dodger! Fine, if the fourth year vests, the total salary will be higher - but how many times can you remember a player turning down more guaranteed years? Furcal had four solid years in hands from Oakland, and preferred to come back to Los Angeles. Call me a sucker, but I like that.
• Less guaranteed money than his last deal!

Labels: dodgers, hot stove, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 6:38 PM link  //  0 comments

Labels: ex-angels, pirates, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 5:26 PM link  //  0 comments

Update: There is no deal in place according to the Times' Dylan Hernandez, "but if he chose right now it would be Atlanta" according to his agent, Paul Kinzer. "We're still in conversations with [Furcal and agent Kinzer]" said Ned Colletti.

Update 12/17: Ken Rosenthal claims the Dodgers have signed him now.

Update 3: AP now reports that the deal is for 3 years/$33M.

Labels: braves, ex-dodgers, hot stove, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 11:01 AM link  //  0 comments

Wilpon bought the Mets in 1980 in a partnership with Nelson Doubleday and became the team’s principal owner in 2002, when he bought Doubleday’s share of the team. The losses that Wilpon has sustained as a result of the Madoff fraud case could hamper his ability to pay back debt related to that buyout.

The losses could also hurt Wilpon’s ability to help the Mets weather the current economic downturn. Many sports leagues, including Major League Baseball, are bracing for lower revenue next season as consumers cut back on discretionary spending.

Perhaps most troubling is the possibility that losses incurred by Sterling Equities could put pressure on Wilpon to raise money by selling other assets. Because Sterling invested money directly with Madoff, Wilpon may have to come up with money to reimburse some of his own investors for losses. That may cause him to sell valuable assets, including a portion of his ownership in the Mets.

Labels: mets, ouch, stupid ideas

// posted by Rob @ 10:38 AM link  //  0 comments

Labels: ex-dodgers, orioles, transactions

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

Labels: ex-angels, hot stove, rumors

// posted by Rob @ 11:07 PM link  //  0 comments

Moores, who bought the team in 1995 for approximately $80 million, said the international banking firm has been hired as a financial advisor to study selling the team either in its entirety, in part or not at all.

"My strong desire is to stay involved, because the last decade and a half has been a terrific experience," Moores said in a telephone interview. "But I have no idea how long this is going to take or how it's going to turn out. I don't know at this point what the combination will be and whether I'll be involved in it."

Labels: padres

// posted by Rob @ 10:45 PM link  //  0 comments

Park was quoted by the Korea Times as saying the Phillies considered him a starter, but Amaro declined to say whether Park will compete for a starting spot or pitch in relief. The 35-year-old went 4-4 with a 3.40 ERA in 54 appearances for the Los Angeles Dodgers last season, going 1-0 with a 2.16 ERA in five starts. He could compete with Kyle Kendrick, J.A. Happ and prospect Carlos Carrasco for the fifth spot in the rotation.

Labels: ex-dodgers, phillies, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 10:39 PM link  //  0 comments

Neil Liefer was something of a wünderkind, selling his first sports photographs at age 17, and shortly thereafter selling his photos to Sports Illustrated. You'll see why when you open this impressive compendium of baseball photography from the 1960's and 70's. It doesn't include many of the familiar shots you've come to know by heart; you won't find Carlton Fisk willing his long screamer fair, but you will find this amazing photograph of the Marichal/Roseboro incident...

... as well as the intelligence that Marichal hit Roseboro over the head twice, something I had not previously known (and something that must have seriously weighed in when the league punished Marichal). If you have someone interested in baseball on your gift list, I can't recommend this excellent coffee table book enough. The only weirdness: thanks to the German publisher (Taschen), the captions and many notes are translated into German and French. Well, why?

Labels: books, dodgers, giants, reviews

// posted by Rob @ 8:21 PM link  //  2 comments

Labels: angels, contracts

// posted by Rob @ 12:51 AM link  //  7 comments

Labels: diamondbacks, ex-angels, mets

// posted by Rob @ 6:04 PM link  //  1 comments

Labels: angels, phillies, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 2:02 PM link  //  3 comments

Dodgers VP of communications Josh Rawitch confirmed that Steiner was OK with being taken off the 40-odd FSN Prime Ticket and KCAL-Channel 9 road game package that Hall of Famer Vin Scully passes on each season (all games East of the Rockies). Steiner will go back to working exclusively on the KABC-AM (790) radio broadcasts for the entire season with Rick Monday as his partner.

The decision to make Steiner-Monday the radio team for all 162 regular-season games (after the three innings that Scully simulcasts to open each contest) also means a) Monday won't have to fumble around with play-by-play any longer and b) former Dodgers pitcher Jerry Reuss unfortunately won't be needed.

Labels: dodgers, tv

// posted by Rob @ 11:47 AM link  //  0 comments

Update: Bloomberg News has more on this, including an excerpt of a released statement from Sterling Equities:

“This news does not affect the day-to-day operations and long-term plans of the Mets organization and the Citi Field project,” the team said in an emailed statement.

Labels: mets, ouch, stupid ideas

// posted by Rob @ 11:41 AM link  //  0 comments

http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/mpf/players/indexPlayerPage?*

Labels: tech

// posted by Rob @ 9:03 AM link  //  2 comments

Labels: angels, hot stove, phillies, rumors, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 8:24 AM link  //  1 comments

"Here's what I wonder," one GM said. "Let's say the Nationals' bid is $5 million higher than the Red Sox or Angels. What happens then? Scott's clients always take the most money. But if Teixeira goes to the Nationals, how does he spin it? He sure can't say it was about winning. I guess he'll have to say it's about going home. Playing the family card always works."

Maybe that going-home speech is already in the hands of Boras' speechwriters. But in the meantime, you can bet Boras will be working 28 hours a day trying to prod the Angels and Red Sox to step up and outbid the losingest team in baseball this year.

Labels: angels, hot stove, nationals, red sox, rumors

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

"Our focus right now is on the infield," Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said. "That is taking up most of our conversations."

At a time when the economy is down and ownership is believed to have a stated preference, if not an outright mandate, that the club's player payroll be reduced somewhat, Colletti admitted the uncertainty of what it will cost to fill the shortstop hole is part of what is holding up his effort to address the team's other needs.

For now, there is still a considerable chasm between Furcal and the Dodgers, in terms of both the length of the offer and the amount of guaranteed salary. It is believed that three other teams — Kansas City, Toronto and Oakland — are pursuing Furcal and that at least one of them, the A's, have offered a four-year contract with a guarantee of somewhere between $32 million and $40 million.

Labels: athletics, blue jays, dodgers, royals, rumors

// posted by Rob @ 8:01 AM link  //  0 comments

Labels: mccourts

// posted by Rob @ 7:51 AM link  //  0 comments

A religious woman in her later life, Page was mystified by her influence on modern popular culture. "I have no idea why I'm the only model who has had so much fame so long after quitting work," she said in an interview with The Times in 2006.

Labels: obituaries, offtopic

// posted by Rob @ 10:06 PM link  //  2 comments

Labels: rangers, red sox, trades, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 9:46 PM link  //  0 comments

General manager Kevin Towers said Thursday that Cubs GM Jim Hendry told him Chicago was ceasing its pursuit of the 2007 NL Cy Young Award winner. Towers said Monday that the Cubs were the only team in the running at that point.

Padres spokesman Warren Miller confirmed that trade talks with Hendry and the Cubs had halted.

"Now we need to start moving forward," Towers told reporters before leaving the winter meetings. "He said he's got other things going on. I respect his position."

According to an Angels' official, the club has already put together a package for the Padres to consider in return for Peavy. It will take more than agreeing on players for a deal to be worked out. Peavy must approve any trade, and he has indicated a desire to stay in the National League.

Labels: angels, cubs, padres, rumors

// posted by Rob @ 6:33 PM link  //  0 comments

• Free agent utility infielder Wilson Betemit found a home with the Chisox for one year and $1.3M.
• The Tigers acquired Edwin Jackson in a trade with Tampa Bay for OF Matt Joyce.

Labels: devil rays, ex-dodgers, tigers, trades, transactions, white sox

// posted by Rob @ 5:46 PM link  //  2 comments

Neither the Dodgers nor the Angels took any players in their major league draft turns.

In the minor league portion, the Dodgers lost three: SS Francisco Lizarraga (to the Reds), OF/1B Drew Locke (to Houston), and SS Shane Justice (to Milwaukee). The Dodgers also acquired 3B Anthony Hatch from the Blue Jays.

O'Day is a case where clearly the Angels gave up on him for no apparent reason; there doesn't seem to be any shortage of 40-man slots when that roster includes guys like Rafael Rodriguez. I can understand Bobby Mosebach (IIRC he had a significant injury history); Miguel Gonzalez came off a pair of weak showings at AA, but improved by about a half a run from his previous stint at AA in 2007.

For the Dodgers, Lizarraga appears to be an eminently replaceable defense-first shortstop. Andy Locke was a 25-year-old OF/1B playing at high-A Inland Empire, and probably therefore not of much interest. I can't find anything on Justice. As to Anthony Hatch, he spent most of three years at high-A Dunedin, and would be a 24-year-old playing at AA or AAA next year (his 2008 line in 255 at-bats was .235/.289/.353; it was the first level he hadn't shown a SLG over .500 in his career, which is something.

Labels: angels, dodgers, draft

// posted by Rob @ 4:02 PM link  //  3 comments

Labels: angels, rumors

// posted by Rob @ 8:57 AM link  //  2 comments

The issue is his right elbow. He suffered a partial tear of a ligament that usually requires Tommy John ligament replacement surgery and a year off. But at age 38, Saito instead chose an experimental stem-cell injection and two months of rehabilitation. He returned to pitch six times in September and had a shaky playoff outing in Chicago but wasn't healthy enough to be included on the Dodgers' National League Championship Series roster.

So he ended the season physically unable to perform, and for negotiation purposes, that's how the club remembers him. He's back home in Japan now and the Dodgers have medical reports as far as they go, but there's no way to really know his health until he pitches regularly in games. ...

Labels: dodgers, injuries, rumors

// posted by Rob @ 8:26 AM link  //  0 comments

• Mariners get: Reliever Aaron Heilman, outfielder Endy Chavez, first baseman Mike Carp, and minor leaguers Maikel Cleto, Jason Vargas and Ezequiel Carrera from the Mets, and Franklin Gutierrez from the Indians.
• Indians get: Joe Smith from the Mets and infielder Luis Valbuena from Seattle.
• Mets get: Putz and Smith.

1. The +2 win player the M’s are getting back is much younger than the +2 win player they’re giving up, and they have him under team control for a lot longer. For where this team is, Gutierrez is more valuable than Putz.

2. One of Valbuena or Lopez had to go, because there was no way for them to coexist at full value. In that sense, the M’s swapped a prospect at a position of depth for a prospect at a position where they have a gaping hole. I like Valbuena better than Carp, but Carp has a much clearer road to a job in Seattle.

3. By acquiring Gutierrez and Chavez, the M’s just have given themselves the ability to run out one of the best outfield defenses in baseball on days where they send a contact pitcher to the hill. A Chavez/Gutierrez/Ichiro outfield will make Silva and Washburn look significantly better than they really are, and by investing in the defense, the M’s have made it possible that they could salvage some value from a pair of bad contracts.

Labels: ex-dirtbags, ex-dodgers, indians, mariners, mets, trades

// posted by Rob @ 11:57 PM link  //  0 comments

After meeting with agent Scott Boras, Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said he's moving on without free agent Derek Lowe.

"I don't believe Derek Lowe will pitch for the Dodgers next year," said Colletti, who this week discussed interest in top free-agent pitcher CC Sabathia.

Labels: dodgers, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 1:05 PM link  //  0 comments

Labels: angels, rumors, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 12:46 PM link  //  1 comments

According to a Jon Heyman piece in Sports Illustrated yesterday, the Angels were never serious about acquiring Sabathia:

"We're eventually going to make a decision to move on,'' Moreno said. "We have a B Plan and a C plan.''

And while some Angels baseball people are fantasizing about Sabathia, Moreno suggested Sabathia isn't even the B Plan. It could be that Manny Ramirez is a more likely fallback plan for Moreno, as the Angels' real need is for offense.

Labels: angels, rumors, transactions, yankees

// posted by Rob @ 8:18 AM link  //  0 comments

The Dodgers knew Jason Schmidt had a rotator cuff injury when they signed him to a contract worth a guaranteed $47 million, the club acknowledged in a court filing this week.

The Dodgers filed suit against the company that insured Schmidt's contract, alleging failure to pay $9.27 million in claims. In the suit, filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, the Dodgers argue the torn labrum that required surgery and limited Schmidt to six games over two years was unrelated to the rotator cuff injury and thus covered by insurance.

...

"Before we sign anybody, they're run through a pretty strong physical," Dodgers General Manager Colletti said then. "If there was a red flag on any player, we wouldn't pursue him."

It is believed the Schmidt physical included an MRI examination that confirmed the rotator cuff injury. In the suit, the Dodgers claim such injuries are not uncommon and said they awarded him the contract based on his success with the Giants.

"Major league pitchers often experience such partial rotator cuff tears but nevertheless remain competitive and effective," the suit reads, "as Mr. Schmidt had demonstrated himself to be during the 2006 season immediately prior to joining the Dodgers.

"The Dodgers therefore did not find Mr. Schmidt's preexisting rotator cuff condition to exclude him from consideration as a team member."

And, yeah, fire Ned Colletti. It needs saying.

Labels: dodgers, injuries, stupid ideas

// posted by Rob @ 8:08 AM link  //  0 comments

The Angels are now in line to receive the Mets' first-round pick plus a compensatory pick after the first round, which will help them restock a farm system that has thinned out over the past few years. (If the Mets sign Lowe, the Angels will still receive the Mets' first-round pick and the Dodgers will receive the Mets' second-round pick.) The Angels could slide Jose Arredondo into the closer role and continue to let Scot Shields set up, and they might be a fit for a free-agent reliever who could fill the spot Arredondo would vacate.

Labels: angels, mets, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 7:12 PM link  //  0 comments

According to the complaint for breach of contract, Ace American Insurance Company has failed to pay the team more than $9.2 million owed as a result of a policy insuring the Dodgers against the risk of Schmidt becoming unable to play.

The policy provides that Schmidt be compensated for his services for the duration of his contract with the ball club "even if he is physically disabled, as the result of a sports injury or otherwise, from performing at the major league level," the lawsuit alleges.

Labels: dodgers, injuries

// posted by Rob @ 2:20 PM link  //  0 comments

The word around here is that Giants officials are supremely confident that they are going to sign the big lefty, this despite the fact they are already paying all that money to Barry Zito.

Labels: giants, rumors

// posted by Rob @ 1:24 PM link  //  1 comments

Update: Ken Rosenthal reports the deal is completed pending a physical. The contract also stipulates a fourth year with a team option for $14M that would increase the value of the contract to $51M.

Labels: ex-angels, mets, rumors

// posted by Rob @ 1:20 PM link  //  1 comments

Blagojevich and [chief of staff John] Harris also allegedly conspired to demand the firing of Chicago Tribune editorial board members responsible for editorials critical of Blagojevich in exchange for state help with the sale of Wrigley Field, the Chicago Cubs baseball stadium owned by Tribune Co.

Labels: cubs, newspapers

// posted by Rob @ 1:19 PM link  //  0 comments

Labels: dodgers, rumors

// posted by Rob @ 8:59 AM link  //  0 comments

Update: The Padres now deny this. Either way, Buster Olney reports that Peavy will either be a Cub or a Padre next year.

Labels: padres, rumors, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 8:56 AM link  //  2 comments

Labels: dodgers, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 8:53 AM link  //  0 comments

Also via MLB.com.

Labels: angels, transactions

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

Loretta is insurance against Chin-Lung Hu not being ready, which it's likely his bat isn't and may never be; but third base awaits a real solution, and the Dodgers apparently think it's still Casey Blake. Tony Jackson reports the Dodgers are closing in on a 3-year/$17M deal, though a subsequent dispatch indicated the deal won't be completed until later today at the earliest.

Labels: dodgers, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 12:12 AM link  //  0 comments

Dodgers Not Pursuing Sabathia — Yet

Veteran's Committee Elects Joe Gordon To Cooperstown, Snubs Ron Santo (Again)

Maury Wills was also on the ballot but failed to get the required votes.

MLB Won't Ban Maple Bats

Rangers Send Gerald Laird To Detroit For Two Pitchers

Update: Allegedly the Tigers inquired about Mike Napoli but were rebuffed by a high price tag.

Juan Rivera Garners Tampa Bay Interest

It's Go Time For Tony Reagins

K-Rod Meets With Mets

Dodgers Near Agreement With Casey Blake

Labels: angels, dodgers, hall of fame, mets, rangers, rays, rules, rumors, tigers, trades, twins

// posted by Rob @ 1:30 PM link  //  0 comments

Supposedly this won't affect the Cubs, but we'll see.

Labels: cubs, newspapers, times

// posted by Rob @ 1:01 PM link  //  0 comments

Tribune is in danger of falling below the cash flow required under its agreement with its bondholders, but it is not clear how seriously Tribune is thinking about seeking bankruptcy protection. Analysts and bankruptcy experts say that the hiring of advisers, including Lazard and Sidley Austin, one of the company’s longtime law firms, could be a just-in-case move, or a bargaining tactic. The company would not comment on Sunday.

Some interesting discussion at BTF over this.

Labels: cubs, newspapers, times

// posted by Rob @ 11:02 PM link  //  0 comments

Angels Sign Korean Pitcher Pil Joon Jang

Dodgers Sign Four Pitchers To Minor League Deals

Belated Thanks

Labels: angels, dodgers, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 2:51 PM link  //  0 comments

One of our neighbors has a liquid amber tree that, like many, hasn't dropped its leaves yet because of the unusually warm December. He's got a ton of lights in the tree, and it's just gorgeous. Behold...

Labels: offtopic

// posted by Rob @ 2:07 PM link  //  0 comments

Dodgers Saved From Making Incredibly Stupid Move? Tigers Take Jack Wilson Off Trade Market (Maybe)

Dodgers' Top Eleven Prospects

Four-Star Prospects
1. Ethan Martin, RHP
2. Ivan De Jesus Jr., SS/2B
3. James McDonald, RHP
4. Scott Elbert, LHP
5. Andrew Lambo, LF
Three-Star Prospects
6. Josh Lindblom, RHP
7. Devaris Gordon, SS
8. Josh Bell, 3B
Two-Star Prospects
9. Pedro Baez, 3B
10. Kyle Russell, RF
11. Xavier Paul, CF

Cubs To Be Sold By Spring Training?

Joe Torre: Andy Pettitte Not Headed To LA

Robothal: A's Out Of The Furcal Sweepstakes

Labels: dodgers, minors, pirates, rumors, yankees

// posted by Rob @ 11:25 PM link  //  0 comments

Labels: ex-dodgers, retirements

// posted by Rob @ 1:52 PM link  //  0 comments

Sabathia and his agent, Greg Genske, have made no public comments lately. Genske has kept a low profile since taking over Jeff Moorad’s agency when Moorad left to run the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2004. Sabathia is the most prominent free agent Genske has represented; he was fired in February by Manny Ramírez, who hired Scott Boras.

The presence of Boras looms over Sabathia, too, because of another Boras client: Mark Teixeira, the free-agent first baseman for the Los Angeles Angels.

Teixeira is seeking a 10-year contract worth $200 million, and Boras often waits until deep into the winter before making a deal. If the Angels sign Teixeira to a new contract — as they insist they are trying to do — they would probably not sign Sabathia. But if Teixeira leaves, the theory goes, they may.

That seems unlikely, especially after the Angels offered salary arbitration to starter Jon Garland, who may well take it after a poor second half of the 2008 season. But the hope of an overture from the Angels, apparently, explains Sabathia’s delay.

Labels: angels, rumors, yankees

// posted by Rob @ 12:11 AM link  //  3 comments

Labels: cardinals, padres, trades

// posted by Rob @ 4:08 PM link  //  0 comments

Also via MLB.com.

Labels: giants, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 3:18 PM link  //  0 comments

"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?"

1. As Jamie McCourt herself later admitted in a radio interview with John Ireland and A. Martinez, the pile of money for Dodgers operations is separate from the Dodgers' various charitable activities. Yet the quote above conflates the two.
2. Combined with the other actions the Dodgers have taken recently — whether it's failing to block the Adam Dunn trade (reportedly because they couldn't afford his salary), demanding the Red Sox pay all of Manny Ramirez's salary, likewise for the Indians and Casey Blake, or failing to offer arbitration to Joe Beimel and Brad Penny — and it furthers suspicions that the team is running short of money. That is, the Dodgers are not interested in making a serious offer to Manny.

In the end, the questions raised by McCourt are silly, immature, and rooted in envy. A logical consequence of freedom is that ability and talent, being unevenly distributed, will result in an uneven distribution of wealth. If Streeter finds himself drawn to a share-the-wealth system of allocating revenues, he will first need to explain why Visalia, say, shouldn't then have a major league team.

Update: I should also throw in today's T.J. Simers piece which makes much the same point, but with the specifics of the actual cost of going to the game. Simers sometimes makes himself useful by saying what needs to be said, and he gets to it about halfway through the article:

It's gibberish, just cheap talk for the sake of a better image. The Dodgers are in the business of attracting fans with a good product on the field, and donations to charity are a wonderful byproduct of it all.

Labels: dodgers, mccourts

// posted by Rob @ 1:43 PM link  //  1 comments

We know, baseball is a business, and cold-blooded decisions are made many times every year. Still, it's a little sad that the Angels have decided not to pick up Garret Anderson's option for 2009. Yes, he's 36, and, yes, he has had some injury problems of late – and, yes, his $14 million option salary could free up money to acquire or give raises to younger players. But Garret Anderson, who has played all 14 years of his Major League career with the Angels, and the most games in franchise history, is a special player.

Labels: angels, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 8:35 AM link  //  0 comments

Labels: dodgers, rumors

// posted by Rob @ 6:08 PM link  //  0 comments

El Lefty Malo links to San Francisco Chronicle blogger Henry Schulman, who says Howry's poor showing was due to overwork, "particularly in the number of times Howry warmed up in the bullpen without pitching." It's an interesting comment since it's hard to check on.

McCovey Chronicles reminds us that the Cubs refused arbitration to Howry, thus making him more attractive to the Giants.

Labels: giants, transactions

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

Not unexpectedly, U.S.S. Mariner ("Thumbs up for Zduriencik’s first signing - this is exactly the kind of move the Mariners need to be making.") and Lookout Landing ("he is literally the perfect stopgap") approve.

Labels: mariners, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 1:42 PM link  //  0 comments