MLB suspends Romero and Mitre 50 games each

January 7, 9:12 AM
by Alex Brown, MLB Examiner

Major League Baseball announced the suspensions of pitchers J.C. Romero and Sergio Mitre, both for 50 games, following positive drug tests. Both tested positive in 2008, but under the current agreement will miss the first 50 games of the 2009 season.

Romero was a fixture in the bullpen for the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies in 2008, pitching eight times in the postseason – apparently with the knowledge of his failed test and imminent suspension. He was informed of his positive test on September 23, and was offered a reduced suspension (25 games) if he began serving it....

immediately. Not wanting to miss the postseason, Romero declined and will serve the full 50 in 2009. He claims to have used a tainted supplement, 6-OXO Extreme, which he purchased over the counter.

Mitre last pitched as a starter for the Marlins in 2007. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2008 and missed the entire season before being released by the Marlins at the end of the year. He signed a one-year minor league deal with the New York Yankees (with a 2010 option) and is expected to miss half of 2009 anyway, so the suspension shouldn’t affect his season. Mitre tested positive around the same time as Romero, and for the same supplement - go figure.

Losing Romero for 50 games will impact the Phillies bullpen, and they will look for a replacement reliever, though not necessarily a lefty. Scott Eyre pitched well at the end of 2008, so they could go forward with him and another smaller signing until Romero’s return. This brings the total number of drug-related MLB suspensions to 20, 12 of whom are pitchers.

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Baseball Today

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Epstein, Francona silent on pursuit of Teixeira
BOSTON (AP) Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein was back at the airport Friday as part of the team's announcement of a new partnership - not with Mark Teixeira....


Schuerholz: Furcal's agents' actions 'despicable'

ATLANTA (AP) -- Braves president John Schuerholz has vowed to never again do business with Rafael Furcal's agents, whom Schuerholz accused in a newspaper interview of conducting "despicable" dealings with the team. Schuerholz and Braves general manager Frank Wren were quoted as saying the Wasserman Media Group negotiated dishonestly by taking the team's signed terms of agreement sheet for Furcal to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who then reached a preliminary agreement Wednesday to re-sign the shortstop....

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Offseason Player Watch

By Jayson Stark
ESPN.com
Updated: December 11, 2008

LAS VEGAS Mark Teixeira is still shopping. Manny Ramirez is still weeks maybe months from learning where he'll be parking his dreadlocks. And 150 free agents got to spend another fun-filled week on the unemployment line.

Once, there was a time when all the marquee free agents would have been wrapped up like a Christmas gift by the time the winter meetings ended. Well, not anymore.

So let's take a look at the many loose threads that are still dangling as the 2008 meetings fade into oblivion:

The Teixeira Watch

No agent who ever lived moves slower than Scott Boras. So even though CC Sabathia and Frankie Rodriguez already have managed to find their next homes, the Scott Boras Negotiating Olympiad has barely begun for guys such as Teixeira.

So all of a sudden, the crazy bidding rumors are flying. Eight years, $160 million from the Nationals. Seven years, $140 million from the Orioles. Seven years, $160 million from the Angels. No formal offers whatsoever from the Red Sox Yet.

You can believe those numbers if you want to. You can believe none of them if you're as wary of Boras spreading inflated negotiating fiction as many people in baseball are. But somewhere in there, you can find the plot line that's beginning to form here.

The Nationals have decided they need to make Teixeira the face of their franchise. (Hey, it beats Elijah Dukes.) That's the sales pitch they've been throwing at Teixeira and Boras relentlessly.

It's also helpful that they've been throwing more money at Teixeira than they've paid their entire baseball team in the past three seasons combined.

But will it work? And will it work even if the Nationals outbid everybody else which seems entirely possible? That's the question people in baseball keep asking.

How much money will Mark Teixeira really get? We'll have to wait and see.
"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.

The Manny Watch

Of all the free agents on your handy-dandy free-agent tote board, only one of them slugged over .600 this season. And it wasn't Teixeira.

It was good old Manny Ramirez, a guy who also hit .332 and had a .430 onbase percentage the seventh time in his career he has joined the .300 .400 .600 club, most of any active player.

So you'd think a hitter that legendary would have more job offers than Julia Roberts. But because he's Manny and there are certain, well, issues, he's a man who seems to have just about no market whatsoever.

Which means it's one of the greatest challenges of Boras' career to venture out into the marketplace and create one.

The popular theory has been that Boras would drive Teixeira to a team such as Boston, which he knows can't possibly pursue its old friend Manny. And that would leave all the losers in the Teixeira sweepstakes to turn their attention to Ramirez.

But there's a problem with that theory. The Angels keep insisting they have no interest. The Nationals don't need any more outfielders. And it takes a massive leap of the imagination to conceive of Peter Angelos' giving Ramirez a three, four or five year deal.

So where's he going? Dodgers GM Ned Colletti said Thursday that when he and Boras talked about Ramirez this week, he was still looking for a contract of four or five years. The Dodgers, on the other hand, are stuck on the two-year deal they offered a month ago. Colletti hinted that the dollars could still be negotiable if the length is short enough. But that's not happening not before somewhere around Valentine's Day, anyway.

Which means Boras likely is going to trot out a strategy he has used many times before: parking Manny in the waiting room.

He's a good bet to leave Ramirez hanging out there for as long as it takes, position him as Clearly The Best Hitter Left At The Unemployment Office and hope somebody gets desperate. His best shot here, though, might not be desperation. It might be a decision by a team such as the Yankees to swoop in at the final hour and see whether it can make an out of the blue score.

Could happen. But get back to us in a month. Or in the spring.

Rafael Furcal

Agent Paul Kinzer said this week that he has four teams with serious interest in Furcal -- the Royals, A's, Blue Jays and Dodgers. And all those teams know, he said, that it's going to take a three- or four-year contract (at $9-10 million a year) to get a deal done.

It's hard to figure whether the market for Rafael Furcal really is as hot as it seems.
But the market might not be as hot on Furcal as it's been portrayed. Kansas City, for instance, has been rumored to be the high bidder. But despite GM Dayton Moore's longtime admiration for Furcal from their Atlanta days, he doesn't have $35-40 million to spend. And one source with knowledge of the Royals' thinking said they haven't done much more than kick the tires on Furcal.

The Blue Jays are in a similar mode, and would have to move money to pay a player this pricey. The A's are still interested, but the popular theory among other clubs is that if Furcal wanted to be in Oakland, he'd already be there. And the Dodgers haven't gone beyond two guaranteed years, plus a vesting option.

So an official of one team that checked in says that Furcal "seems like a guy who's waiting for something to happen that hasn't happened." Our best guess is: He wants to return to L.A. But is he willing to give up a guaranteed year or two to do it? We might be about to find out.

A.J. Burnett

This one is simple. Does Burnett want to be a Yankee? Or does he want to be a Brave?

True, the Yankees have the high bid out there 5 years, $85 million, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick). But the Braves have made it clear there's a fifth guaranteed year, for a total of $80 million, there for Burnett to grab if he merely says the magic words: "I want to be in Atlanta."

"If he just wants the most money, he'll be a Yankee," said an executive of one team that once had interest in Burnett. "When the New York Yankees decide they're not going to be outbid, they're not going to be outbid. And I think that's the decision they've made."

But in reality, this is Burnett's decision. And it might be a "where" decision, not a "how much" decision. Both teams say all there is to do now is wait.

Derek Lowe

Lowe's market didn't exactly collapse this week. It just seemed that way -- but only because it was obviously overblown by Boras' leak squad in the first place.

It's now apparent that neither the Phillies nor the Red Sox made an offer at all. And they no longer seem any more than mildly interested.

The Yankees are still an option -- but maybe not for long. If Burnett and Andy Pettitte say yes to offers already on the table, the Yankees are out. And although the Mets maintain interest, it appears they want no part of the 4 year, $72 million price tag Boras was tossing out there early on. But there's a scenario in the making in which they become the last serious bidder standing. So maybe this will turn out to be Omar Minaya's lucky winter.

more hitters



There are close to 100 bats still on the market. And most of them look as if they're going to have big trouble getting anywhere near the paycheck they had in mind.

The Phillies, Angels and Mets have serious interest in Raul Ibanez, so he'll be fine. The Cubs and Rays have zeroed in on Milton Bradley. And you can bet your inauguration tickets that Adam Dunn will land in Washington if Teixeira doesn't. But guys such as Bobby Abreu, Pat Burrell and Jason Giambi look as though they're in for hefty pay cuts and maybe no more than a two-year deal. And everybody else would be best advised to grab for the first decent paycheck that comes along.

Other arms

The biggest question is what will become of the two big free-agent closers still out there Brian Fuentes and Trevor Hoffman. The Cardinals look like Fuentes' most serious pursuer. But Hoffman, one of the most underrated pitchers of all time, is scrambling.

The Dodgers have a smidgen of interest. The Tigers have interest, but not the budget. And Milwaukee and Texas might still be options. San Diego manager Bud Black tried to open the door this week for Hoffman to return to the Padres. But with Jake Peavy staying, it probably would have to be for a pay slash that Hoffman might find tough to digest. A pitcher this great deserves a happier ending than Hoffman seems headed for.

Of those other starting pitchers, Randy Wolf, Ben Sheets and Jon Garland are well-positioned to lead off the second tier once Burnett and Lowe sign. The Mets will try to bring back Oliver Perez if he ever comes off that five-year, $65 million talk. And Randy Johnson could land in Chicago, San Francisco, Texas or Oakland for a year.

But the most intriguing free-agent starter left might be John Smoltz, who had seven teams looking at his medical records this week amid rumors he's open to leaving Atlanta. Smoltz has been a Brave for so long that he was once a teammate of Bruce Sutter and Ken Griffey Sr. So can he really leave? Can Atlanta really allow him to leave? Might be the most riveting story line of the whole offseason.

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Players mov'in the news

Huston Street
Dec. 10 4:35 am et

Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd hinted Tuesday that Huston Street would enter spring training as the favorite to close over Manny Corpas.

Going with Street would help preserve his trade value in case the team wants to move him later on. Just talking him up now can serve the same purpose. Spring training will help determine who is really the better bet of the two for 2009. A healthy Taylor Buchholz is actually probably the Rockies' best reliever, but he's clearly third in line for saves right now.
Source: Denver Post

Alan Embree
Dec. 10 - 4:31 am et

The Rockies are expected to announce the Alan Embree signing after Thursday's Rule 5 draft.

Embree is believed to be getting a one-year deal worth about $2.5 million.
Source: Denver Post

Jarrod Saltalamacchia C Rangers
Dec. 10 - 3:31 am et

The Red Sox resumed talks with the Rangers about their young catchers on Tuesday, but there were no signs that progress was made.

It's been speculated since last month that the Rangers would want Clay Buchholz and either Justin Masterson or Michael Bowden for Jarrod Saltalamacchia, a price the Red Sox aren't going to pay. The Red Sox will probably have to go in a different direction and have kicked the tires on free agent Josh Bard, the Pirates' Ronny Paulino and many others. It's believed that they'll non-tender Kevin Cash on Friday, so they are on the lookout for two catchers. Of course, it remains quite likely that Jason Varitek will be one of them.
Source: Boston Herald

Rafael Furcal SS Dodgers
Dec. 10 - 3:22 am et

The Dodgers have extended an offer to free agent Rafael Furcal.

The Press-Enterprise described it as a "short-term" proposal. Something like $25 million for two years might be what the Dodgers are thinking. "They told us they'd keep us apprised," GM Ned Colletti said. "They don't seem to be in a big hurry."
Source: Riverside Press-Enterprise


Rich Aurilia 1B Giants
Dec. 10 - 3:19 am et

Giants GM Brian Sabean said that he has reconsidered on Rich Aurilia and would like to re-sign the free agent.

To think that we were concerned about the Giants' offense. Aurilia did hit lefties well last season, but he ended up with way too many at-bats, 407 to be exact. Viewed strictly as a backup, he'd be fine. However, it seems best not to give Bruce Bochy the opportunity to overuse him again.
Source: San Jose Mercury News


Joey Devine Athletics
Dec. 10 - 3:16 am et

A's manager Bob Geren indicated he plans to alternate Joey Devine and Brad Ziegler in the closer's role depending on the game situation.

It's doubtful that such an arrangement would last in today's era. Devine has the better chance of running away with the job, but he's also the more likely of the two to go down with arm problems and miss half of the season. Fantasy leaguers may have to pair them.
Source: San Jose Mercury News



Randy Johnson SP Diamondbacks
Dec. 10 - 3:13 am et

The Astros and Angels have joined the crowd expressing interest in free agent Randy Johnson.

Both teams have met with Johnson's agents. The Giants, A's and Dodgers may be the best bets to land Johnson. He would prefer a western division team.
Source: East Valley Tribune

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Players mov'in the News

Matt Wieters-C-Orioles Dec. 9

Orioles manager Dave Trembley said he is "looking forward to seeing" Matt Wieters in the majors next season if the team completes a Ramon Hernandez trade.

"I think everybody is," Trembley added. If the backstop vacancy opens up with Hernandez moving elsewhere, Wieters is definitely going to be given a shot. The Orioles might, however, sign a capable veteran that could ease Matt's transition.
Source: Baltimore Sun



George Sherrill-R-Orioles Dec. 9

Orioles manager Dave Trembley suggested Monday that George Sherrill and Chris Ray could share closing duties next season.

"I don't think there will be competition,'' Trembley said. "I think I'm going to be afforded the luxury of having two guys that have done it... I don't think it's inconceivable that we could somehow share that role." It's way too early to buy much into that comment, but it does show that the Orioles have faith in Chris Ray being healthy to start the season. He is coming off Tommy John surgery. We'd still consider Sherrill the frontrunner to take the job full time.
Source: Baltimore Sun



Kris Benson-S-Phillies Dec. 9

Free agent Kris Benson said the Blue Jays, Indians and Dodgers have expressed interest in him.

Benson spent 2008 working his way back from rotator cuff surgery and went 1-4 with a 5.52 ERA in the Phillies' minor league system. He believes he's fully recovered now, so there's the chance he could turn into an adequate fifth starter.
Source: MASN Sports

Francisco Rodriguez-R-Angels Dec.

SI.com's Jon Heyman expects the Mets and Francisco Rodriguez to agree to a three-year deal worth about $37 million.

K-Rod certainly would have had more earnings potential if he had elected for a one-year deal with the chance to go back on the market next winter. However, the difference between $12 million per year and $15 million per year has a lot more to do with status than any real world consequences. At least this deal is still bigger than the three-year, $34 million contract he turned down from the Angels a year ago.
Source: SI.com


Alex Rios-OF-Blue Jays Dec. 9

When asked, Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi wouldn't rule out dealing Alex Rios.

There was considerable momentum behind a Rios-for-Tim Lincecum deal last winter, though the Giants did end up passing. Rios later signed a seven-year, $70 million deal with Toronto. "I think we'd be open to talk abut anybody, but if you trade a guy like Rios, how do you replace him, too?" Ricciardi said. "We're not actively shopping Rios. Last year it made sense because we knew [A.J.] Burnett may leave and Lincecum would have stepped right in. But I don't know if there's that type of deal out there that would make sense." Almost certainly not. Rios was a lot more attractive before landing the big contract and turning in a disappointing season.
Source: National Post


Mark Teixeira-1B-Angels Dec. 9

A front-office official for a team on the outside looking in at the Mark Teixeira chase said he expects the first baseman to sign with Boston.

"I think he’ll sign with the Red Sox," the official said. "They want him. They have a good relationship with (agent Scott) Boras, and in the end, they have the dollars to make it happen." While the Yankees, Orioles and Nationals all met with Teixeira in D.C. last week, his supposed strongest suitors -- the Red Sox and Angels -- have yet to sit down for a face-to-face. It's unclear whether any team has made an actual offer.
Source: Yahoo! Sports


Ramon Vazquez-3B-Rangers Dec. 9

Free agent Ramon Vazquez is telling people that the one-year offer he received from Arizona was way too low and that he already has a two-year offer from another team.

The Diamondbacks may be offering more playing time, but since Vazquez is 32 and hasn't made all that much money in his career -- his $810,000 salary in 2008 was his highest to date -- he may figure he's best off taking the high contact on the table. We could see the Yankees, White Sox or Phillies signing him for a utility role.
Source: Arizona Republic

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Players Mov'in the news

Mike Lamb-3B-Brewers Dec. 8 5:38 pm et

The Brewers are working to re-sign free agent Mike Lamb, MLB.com reports.

Lamb barely played after joining the Brewers on Sept. 5, going 3-for-11 the rest of the way, so it's something of a surprise that Milwaukee wants him back. Because Lamb is already getting $3 million in 2009 after the Twins cut him in the first year of a two-year deal, finding a team that will give him playing time should be his priority. In Milwaukee, he'd stand to compete with Bill Hall for starts at third.
Source: Hot Stove Blog


Erik Bedard-S-Mariners Dec. 8 5:34 pm et

Erik Bedard (shoulder) received the green light to begin a throwing program, MLB.com reports.

The favorable report should be enough to ensure that Bedard is tendered a contract before the Friday deadline. The Mariners could actually have an excess of pitching if Bedard is ready for the season. They have Brandon Morrow, Jarrod Washburn, Carlos Silva, Ryan Rowland-Smith and Miguel Batista to go along with Felix Hernandez and Bedard.
Source: Mariners.mlb.com


A.J. Burnett-S-Blue Jays Dec. 8 5:30 pm et

According to ESPN's Steve Phillips, indications are that the Braves and A.J. Burnett are moving closer to a deal.

Peter Gammons seems to think the same thing, though there are no quotes anywhere to back it up. The Cardinals' reported interest has failed to materialize, and it looks like Atlanta's four-year offer with a vesting option for a fifth year is the best proposal on the table.
Source: ESPN.com


Jerome Williams-S-Athletics Dec. 8 5:28 pm et

Athletics signed RHP Jerome Williams to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.

Williams got off to a really nice start in Puerto Rico this winter, but he had struggled over his last three starts and is now 1-3 with a 5.04 ERA and just 14 strikeouts in 30 1/3 innings. He had a 3.25 ERA in five starts and eight relief appearances in the Dodger system last season. He'll probably be a part of Triple-A Sacramento's rotation.

J.J. Putz-R-Mariners Dec. 8 5:19 pm et

Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times believes a J.J. Putz-to-Detroit deal could get done.

The Tigers are pretty short on talent to trade for someone who would be as sought after as Putz would be if put on the open market Baker believes the Mariners would have interest in Jeff Larish, but he's more of a No. 2 player in a Putz-type deal. Seattle would need to get a bigger talent along with Larish. The Indians have more to offer, and at $5.5 million for 2009, Putz is cheap enough that a team like the Red Sox or Yankees could potentially target him as a setup man.
Source: Seattle Times



CC Sabathia-S-Brewers Dec. 8 5:06 pm et

Dodgers GM Ned Colletti said it's "a possibility" the Dodgers could make an offer to free agent CC Sabathia.

Sabathia reportedly told Colletti he "wants to be a Dodger" in a chance meeting Sunday night. The speculation has long been that he'd prefer to join the Dodgers or Giants if the money is there.
Source: Hot Stove Blog


David Eckstein-SS-Diamondbacks Dec. 8 5:03 pm et

According to FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal, free agent David Eckstein is drawing interest from five teams, most of which want him as a second baseman.

He doesn't name the teams, though he speculates that Baltimore and San Diego have openings at shortstop for him. The Orioles are known to prefer Cesar Izturis.
Source: FOXSports.com

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Who will bailout free agency ?

Winter Meetings Preview
by John Perrotto


As has been well-documented, the free-agent market has been extremely slow to develop; to date only 11 of the 171 players who filed for free agency have signed contracts. There is no word yet if Donald Fehr has asked Congress for a bailout.

It's already been quite the offseason for trades however, and we haven't even reached the Winter Meetings yet. Among the notable names who have been dealt since the Phillies put the finishing touches on their World Series victory are Matt Holliday, Nick Swisher, Javier Vazquez, Coco Crisp, Huston Street, Khalil Greene, Mike Jacobs, Scott Olsen, Josh Willingham, Kevin Gregg, and Greg Smith.

With the Winter Meetings beginning on Monday in Las Vegas, there is likely to be more player movement this week, and most executives and agents expect to see some of the bigger-name free agents begin to come off of the shelves during the four-day affair, along with the possibility of more trades being consummated.

Here is a team-by-team look at how the 30 clubs shape up at this point of the offseason, and what might be on their wish lists as they descend upon Las Vegas:

Diamondbacks: A second baseman to replace Orlando Hudson tops their priority list, and they may settle on a platoon of free-agents Damion Easley and Ramon Vazquez; they feel free-agent Mark Loretta and the Cardinals' Adam Kennedy are too expensive. They'll make outfielder Eric Byrnes available, choosing to stay with Conor Jackson in left and Chad Tracy at first base, but with two years and $22 million left on Byrnes' contract and coming off of a bad season shortened by a torn hamstring, he could be tough to deal. Catcher Miguel Montero could also be traded now that Chris Snyder has entrenched himself as a regular behind the plate.

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Maddux to announce his retirement

Greg Maddux SP Maddux to announce his retirement

Greg Maddux has thrown his last pitch. The four-time Cy Young winner will announce his retirement Monday at the baseball winter meetings in Las Vegas, his hometown, according to his agent, Scott Boras. Maddux, who turns 43 in April, ranks eighth on the career wins list with 355. He went 8-13 with a 4.22 ERA last season with the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers. The last-place Padres traded Maddux to the Dodgers on Aug. 19 for two minor leaguers to be named or cash. He went 2-4 in seven starts for Los Angeles. His last regular-season game for the NL West champions was a gem - he beat the Giants 2-1 at AT&T Park on Sept. 27, giving up one run and two hits in six innings. Maddux then made three relief appearances in the playoffs for the Dodgers - he had an 0.00 ERA over four innings - and then filed for free agency amid speculation he would retire. Maddux finished one win ahead of Roger Clemens on the career victory list. Overall, "Mad Dog" was 355-227 with a 3.16 ERA, and is considered a certain first-ballot Hall of Famer when he becomes eligible after five years. (San Francisco Chronicle)

Braves sign free agent David Ross

The Atlanta Braves added catching depth by signing free agent David Ross to a two-year deal on Friday. Ross, a 31-year-old Georgia native, likely will replace Corky Miller as the primary backup to starter Brian McCann. Ross is a career .222 hitter. He hit .231 in 52 games with Cincinnati last season before he was released Aug. 18. He signed with Boston and appeared in eight games late in the season. He hit only .203 with 17 homers for the Reds in 2007, when he set a career high with 311 at-bats. His best season was 2006, when he hit .255 with 21 homers and 55 RBIs. Ross has hit 41 homers the last three seasons, the 11th-highest total among major league catchers. The Braves signed Ross one day after trading their top catching prospect, Tyler Flowers, and three other players to the White Sox for starting pitcher Javier Vazquez and left-handed reliever Boone Logan. (Houston Chronicle)

Greene, Khalil SS StL

A welcome fresh season for the shortstop now includes a fresh team as well. The Cardinals acquired their new starting shortstop from San Diego in a three-player swap this week. Greene hit .213 with a meager .260 on-base percentage last season, but the production was as uncharacteristic as the punch. In his four previous seasons as the Padres' starter, Greene averaged 18 home runs and 72 RBIs a season. (St Louis Post-Dispatch)

Burnett, A.J. SP
Braves talking five-year deal with Burnett.

The Braves are ready to offer A.J. Burnett a five-year deal worth $75 million. The Braves started with a four-year, $60 million deal that included a vesting option for a fifth year but are willing to guarantee the fifth season. "He would have to take that because of the length," an industry source with knowledge of the Braves' plans said. "Even if somebody else gave him $18 million a year for four years that's still less [$72 million]." Burnett has indicated he wants a no-trade clause. However, the Braves historically don't do no-trades. "He shouldn't worry about that because his contract is his no-trade; that's a lot of money," the source said. (New York Post)

Teixeira, Mark 1B
Nats are serious about Teixeira.

The Nationals, who are looking for fans as well as wins, are expected to make a bid to try to blow the field away for Mark Teixeira, the almost hometown kid from an hour away in Severna Park, Md. A Nationals person said their priority is to find a left-handed slugger, and there's no better one than Teixeira. They probably also wouldn't mind tweaking Orioles owner Peter Angelos, who hasn't exactly made friends with his neighbor and has coveted Teixiera since he starred in high school about three miles from Camden Yards. Still, most folks still see the incumbent Angels as the slight favorite to keep him, with the Red Sox also a major factor and the winning bid expected to hit or exceed $160 million over eight years. Owner Arte Moreno and manager Mike Scioscia are said to love Teixeira (though some of their baseball people might actually prefer a run at CC), and the guess is that Moreno will outbid the Red Sox, Yankees and other East Coast suitors. (SI.com)

Peavy, Jake SP SD
Cubs have the money for Peavy.

The Cubs' payroll could climb by perhaps 10 percent or more from the final 2008 figure of about $130 million, a greater increase than initial reports this offseason -- and the kind of increase that could allow general manager Jim Hendry to fit both the left-handed bat the team seeks and the Cy Young pitcher the San Diego Padres are trying hard to sell. Two Cubs sources told the Sun-Times this week that the Cubs still are interested in Padres right-hander Jake Peavy, including one saying he expects Hendry to acquire the former Cy Young winner. If the Atlanta Braves, who appeared to be Peavy's strongest pursuer last month, close the deal they're seeking for free-agent pitcher A.J. Burnett, (Chicago Sun Times)

Ramirez, Manny LF
Manny forced to play the waiting game.

It appears Manny Ramirez is going to have to be patient. The Dodgers, the team that badly needs him, isn't anxious to spend yet. And at 36, even after his superhuman saving of the Dodgers' season, he appears to be a fallback option for a couple big spenders, including the Angels and his hometown Yankees (he's from Washington Heights in Upper Manhattan, just across the East River from the Bronx), who can't be counted out here, either. While Ramirez doesn't crave to go home like Sabathia, he does admire the dollar, and has said -- and shown -- he's ready to go the highest bidder, whomever that may be. (SI.com)

Read more...

MLB Headlines

Padres shortstop Khalil Greene signs with Cardinals
CC Sabathia-S- Brewers Dec. 5 - 2:32 am et

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman plans to meet face-to-face with CC Sabathia at the winter meetings, sources told FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal.

Unless they're standing up, in which case it'd be face-to-chest. At $140 million over six years, the Yankees are believed to have by far the highest offer out to Sabathia.
Source: FOXSports.com

Paul Byrd-S- Red Sox Dec. 5 - 2:29 am et

Free agent Paul Byrd has made it known that he'd like to pitch closer to his home in Atlanta.

It looks like the Braves would prefer to go after a big-name pitcher, but they might be better off spending $7 million or so on Byrd and using the savings to upgrade their outfield. If Atlanta isn't a fit, Byrd might instead join the Orioles or Nationals. The Red Sox have offered him arbitration, but he's expected to decline it.
Source: FOXSports.com

Jorge Julio-R- Brewers Dec. 5 - 2:24 am et

Jorge Julio is guaranteed $950,000 under the terms of his deal with the Brewers.

He can earn an extra $950,000 in incentives, including $600,000 based on games and $300,000 based on games finished, which he'd only reach if he becomes the Brewers' closer.

Khalil Greene signs with Cardinals

ST. LOUIS -- In a slow-moving market, the Cardinals are acting quickly. St. Louis answered the biggest question in its 2009 lineup on Thursday, trading for Padres shortstop Khalil Greene. A day earlier, the Cards signed reliever Trever Miller to a one-year contract.
The Redbirds announced the trade on Thursday evening after a day of reports and speculation. St. Louis will send relief prospect Mark Worrell and a player to be named later to San Diego.
More news: MLB.com

Make no mistake, the New York Mets' first choice is Francisco Rodriguez and not merely because he passes his 27th birthday next month. Younger, more accomplished and seemingly more ready to embrace a hire-wire role in a big market, K-Rod is what the Mets see. And the only reason they haven't pushed more to this point is that they have seen no reason to do so. They don't want to extend an offer and be the ones to establish the first parameter of the K-Rod market, according to MLB.com.

The Mets don't anticipate returning from Vegas with Putz, or any other closer, for that matter, on their roster. They view Putz and free agent Brian Fuentes are comparables and not merely because each has passed his 30th birthday. Neither is comparable, in the Mets' view, to Francisco Rodriguez.
Source: MLB.com

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MLB Heads Up News

The Rays don't expect B.J. Upton to be ready to play in time for the first spring training games following November shoulder surgery.

Upton probably wouldn't have been on the team anyway, but there's no chance of him participating in the WBC now. The Rays do expect him to be at full strength for the beginning of the regular season.
Source: Tampa Tribune


Mark Worrell-R-Cardinals Dec. 4 - 2:27 pm et

The Padres will get Mark Worrell and a player to be named from the Cardinals for Khalil Greene, according to MLB.com.

Worrell deserves a chance to make it as a middle reliever or setup man and will probably have some success at Petco. Still, unless the second player is better than he is, this will go down as quite a deal for the Cardinals.
Source: Hot Stove Blog


Edgar Renteria-SS-Giants Dec. 4 - 1:50 pm et

Giants signed shortstop Edgar Renteria, who had been with the Tigers, to a two-year, $18.5 million contract.

Renteria will probably resume hitting back in the National League -- he finished at .332/.390/.470 for the Braves in 2007 -- but whether he'll be an adequate shortstop remains to be seen. He's clearly lost some range the last couple of years, and he absolutely has to get into better shape if he hopes to stick around long enough to reach 3,000 hits (he's at 2,070 through his age-32 season). Frankly, we'd like him better at third base at this point of his career. The Giants, though, figure to drop out of the Rafael Furcal chase and keep Renteria at short. That makes Emmanuel Burriss part of the competition at second base with Kevin Frandsen and Eugenio Velez.

Mike Lincoln-R-RedsDec. 4 - 1:42 pm et

The Reds have re-signed free agent Mike Lincoln to a two-year, $4 million contract, according to the Denver Post.

Bob Howry gets $2.75 million for one year and Lincoln gets two?
The 33-year-old Lincoln was an adequate reliever for the Reds in his comeback season, finishing with a 4.48 ERA in 70 1/3 innings. Of course, it was his first major league action since 2004. Just once in his career has he thrown at least 50 innings and posted an ERA under 4.00. There's simply no reason to be giving such a pitcher a two-year guarantee.
Source: Denver Post


Randy Johnson-S-Athletics Dec. 4 - 1:29 pm et

The A's are targeting free agent Randy Johnson to be their fifth starter, sources told FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal.

Oakland is used to dealing with injury-prone pitchers and does need the depth after trading both Rich Harden and Joe Blanton. Johnson, though, may prefer to stay in the NL.
Source: FOXSports.com


Andy Pettitte-S-Yankees Dec. 4 - 1:27 pm et

Free agent Andy Pettitte remains focused on the Yankees, but is holding out for a better off than the one the team has on the table.

The Yanks are believed to be offering $10 million, which is down from $16 million last year. "I mean, to tell you the truth, like I’ve told you all a hundred times, I’ve made it loud and clear where I’d like to play at," Pettitte said. "I’m just basically sitting here letting my agents do their job really." $13 million would be a reasonable compromise.
Source: New York Times

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Heads Up News

Report: Braves acquire Vazquez from White Sox

According to ESPN.com, the White Sox will trade Javier Vazquez and Boone Logan to the Braves for Jo-Jo Reyes, Brent Lillibridge and a prospect.
Ken Rosenthal agrees that the deal has been agreed to, but he doesn't think Reyes is involved. On the other hand, he believes young slugger Tyler Flowers might be going to Chicago in the trade. It sounds like it will be a good deal for the Braves, though there's really no need for Logan to be involved. They already have seven relievers better than him. Dec. 2 - 7:16 pm et
Source: ESPN.com

Astros re-sign Brocail to one-year deal

Astros re-signed RHP Doug Brocail to a one-year, $2.75 million contract with a club option for 2010.
Brocail will make $2.5 million next season. The option for 2010 is worth $2.85 million and contains a $250,000 buyout. Incentives could push his salary higher in both years. Brocail, 41, finished last season with a 3.93 ERA in 68 2/3 innings. It looks like he'll be the seventh-inning guy in front of LaTroy Hawkins and Jose Valverde. Dec. 2 - 5:35 pm et

Agent refutes Renteria-to-San Fran report

Edgar Renteria's agent said the report of the shortstop signing a two-year deal with the Giants is completely false.
Agent Barry Meister confirmed that Renteria and the Giants have been in talks, but he denied that anything is even close to being done. Other suitors for Renteria may not put in official bids until after the Tigers decline to offer him arbitration next month. The Cardinals, for instance, would lose a first-round pick if they signed Renteria now. Nov. 24 - 7:24 pm et
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Utley out 4-6 months following hip surgery

The Phillies still feel they're looking at a 4-6 month recovery phase following Chase Utley's rip surgery on Monday.

Utley had an arthroscopic debridement of his labrum and a bony lesion that was present. Dr. Bryan Kelly reported the surgery went well and the findings yesterday were consistent with the diagnostic studies performed prior to surgery. Utley's toughness certainly isn't in doubt, and it'd be no surprise to see him back for Opening Day. Still, the Phillies may want to go shopping for a better utilityman than Eric Bruntlett. Nov. 25 - 2:35 pm et
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer

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Latest MLB News

Sources told FOX 26 Sports that the Astros have agreed to terms with Mike Hampton, pending a physical.

There was nothing to indicate this was close to happening, but it hardly comes as a surprise. The Astros were known to have interest in the left-hander, and it was assumed that Hampton wanted to get closer to his family in Arizona. Hampton pitched for the Astros from 1994-99 and won 22 games in his final season with the club. Dec. 1 - 4:05 pm et
Source: FOX 26 Houston

Yanks decline to offer arbitration to Abreu

The Yankees have declined to offer arbitration to Bobby Abreu, Andy Pettitte, Jason Giambi, Ivan Rodriguez, Sidney Ponson, Carl Pavano and Chad Moeller.

We imagine the Red Sox and Rays are plenty pleased to see that the Yankees won't be getting any extra draft picks next year. Having Abreu back for about $16 million wouldn't have been such a bad thing for the Yankees, and odds are that he would have left and brought back two picks. Now the Yankees are facing the possibility of not having their regular first-round pick or any supplemental first-round picks. They will have the 29th pick in the draft after not signing their first-round pick from 2008. Dec. 1 - 5:46 pm et
Source: SI.com

Sources told FOX 26 Sports that the Astros have agreed to terms with Mike Hampton, pending a physical.

There was nothing to indicate this was close to happening, but it hardly comes as a surprise. The Astros were known to have interest in the left-hander, and it was assumed that Hampton wanted to get closer to his family in Arizona. Hampton pitched for the Astros from 1994-99 and won 22 games in his final season with the club. Dec. 1 - 4:05 pm et
Source: FOX 26 Houston

Yanks decline to offer arbitration to Abreu

The Yankees have declined to offer arbitration to Bobby Abreu, Andy Pettitte, Jason Giambi, Ivan Rodriguez, Sidney Ponson, Carl Pavano and Chad Moeller.

We imagine the Red Sox and Rays are plenty pleased to see that the Yankees won't be getting any extra draft picks next year. Having Abreu back for about $16 million wouldn't have been such a bad thing for the Yankees, and odds are that he would have left and brought back two picks. Now the Yankees are facing the possibility of not having their regular first-round pick or any supplemental first-round picks. They will have the 29th pick in the draft after not signing their first-round pick from 2008. Dec. 1 - 5:46 pm et
Source: SI.com

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Brave join in the hunt

Ken Rosenthal has been the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com since Aug. 2005.

Braves join Burnett pursuit
Add the Braves to the list of teams showing interest in free-agent right-hander A.J. Burnett.

In a perfect world, the Braves would add two top-of-the-rotation starters, then slot righty Jair Jurrjens as their No. 3.

"They've shown no reservations acknowledging that they need that guy going forward, especially if (John) Smoltz and (Tom) Glavine aren't back," Burnett's agent, Darek Braunecker, said Monday.

"They see the significance long-term of having a guy who can be at the top of the rotation and have the desire and capability of leading a staff. They've communicated that to me better than any club."

Of course, "communicating" and "signing" are two different things, particularly with the Yankees, Blue Jays, Red Sox and Orioles expressing varying degrees of interest in Burnett.

To get Burnett, a team almost certainly will need to sign him for five years. The Braves haven't awarded a five-year deal to a pitcher since signing Greg Maddux to an extension of that length in August 1997.

Then again, Padres right-hander Jake Peavy likely would require a minimum five-year investment if the Braves ever acquired him in a trade. Peavy, who is owed $59 million over the next four years, almost certainly would want his $22 million club option for 2013 guaranteed and possibly an extension to waive his no-trade clause.

Burnett, 31, is four years older than Peavy, but could end up in the same five-year, $80 million range. Some teams will balk at that length of contract, knowing that Burnett has exceeded 166 innings only twice in the past six seasons. Giving Burnett five years would be out of character for the Braves, and the Red Sox, too.

For now, the Braves are intrigued by their addition of left-handed reliever Erik O'Flaherty, whom they claimed on waivers from the Mariners last week. O'Flaherty, 23, did not pitch after June because of a back injury, but the Braves consider him a potential sleeper.

The team's bullpen, in fact, could emerge as a strength — the Braves will either re-sign or replace Will Ohman as their main situational left-hander, and lefty Mike Gonzalez and righties Rafael Soriano and Peter Moylan could form an imposing late-inning trio.

Moylan, recovering from Tommy John surgery, should be ready early in the season, if not Opening Day.

Hell's bells, Hollywood style?
Imagine "Hell's Bells" blaring at Dodger Stadium to herald the entrance of Trevor Hoffman in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Trevor Hoffman wouldn't be a bad fit for the Dodgers. (Stephen Dunn / Getty Images)

The idea of the Dodgers signing Hoffman makes a lot of sense.

The Dodgers have so many holes, they might be unable to spend heavily if they replace closer Takashi Saito, who will be 39 next season and coming off an elbow injury.

Hoffman, 41, could serve as a one-year mentor for setup man Jonathan Broxton, who is still only 24. Staying in the NL West almost certainly would appeal to Hoffman. So would the chance to stick it his former team, the Padres.


The Red Sox's potential logjam
The Red Sox seem to believe that they will find a taker for third baseman Mike Lowell if they sign free-agent first baseman Mark Teixeira.

Lowell could be a candidate for Frank McCourt's Los Angeles Red Sox if the Dodgers failed to re-sign free agent Casey Blake.

Other rival executives, however, are skeptical that the Red Sox could move Lowell quickly.

Lowell, who turns 35 on Feb. 24, is coming off hip surgery and guaranteed $24 million over the next two seasons.

The Red Sox are confident he will be fine, but one general manager countered, "I don't think anybody will take a chance on Mike Lowell until you see him play next spring."

The blueprint for a Lowell trade might be last winter's Scott-Rolen-for-Troy Glaus deal, in which the Cardinals and Jays exchanged high-priced, physically questionable third basemen.

Finding a match for Lowell might be more difficult. To further complicate matters, the Red Sox also are trying to work a salary exchange with shortstop Julio Lugo, who is less productive than Lowell and owed $18 million over the next two seasons.

As for trading designated hitter David Ortiz, good luck. Ortiz, as a player with 10 years of major-league service, five with the same team, has the right to veto any deal. Plus, as a designated hitter, his market would consist only of American League teams.

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Dice-K ready for World Baseball Classic

By Associated Press
Friday, November 21, 2008 http://www.bostonherald.com

TOKYO - Boston Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka [stats] is ready to help Japan defend its title at the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

Matsuzaka, the MVP of the 2006 tournament, said Thursday he will start preparing for the WBC in December.

"I’ll accept the offer if I’m asked to play," Matsuzaka said. "I’ll pick up the pace of my training in December so that I won’t have to scramble at the last minute."

The right-hander went 3-0 in the 2006 WBC with a 1.38 ERA. One of his wins came in the final against Cuba.

Matsuzaka said he was pleased with his second season for Boston, where he went 18-3.

"I won 18 games, but in the United States people severely look at the way you perform," he said. "I had a fulfilling season, though, with both good and bad experiences."

Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners has also said he expects to play in the 16-nation tournament, which starts March 5 in Tokyo.

Yomiuri Giants manager Tatsunori Hara will guide Japan’s team.

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Fantasy Baseball News

Bay, Red Sox Blast Yankees - 08/28/2008
BY Aaron Gleeman

Johnson's four-hit gem leads Fish over Braves

Rangers' Hamilton out with abcessed tooth

Hamilton scratched from Rangers' lineup

Official: Red Sox acquire Kotsay from Braves

Report: Red Sox close to acquiring Kotsay

MLB to begin instant replay Thursday

Report: Drew headed to disabled list

As expected, the Red Sox made the trade for Mark Kotsay official Wednesday by sending 20-year-old outfield prospect Luis Sumoza to the Braves. My analysis of the deal from Boston's point of view can be found in yesterday's column, so let's focus briefly on Sumoza. A corner outfielder who didn't do much in his first two pro seasons, he's hit .301/.366/.549 in 51 games at low Single-A this year. While far from a top prospect, he's intriguing enough to be a nice haul for Kotsay.

* Meanwhile, Boston's blockbuster deal last month continues to pay off for the Red Sox, as Jason Bay drove in four runs Wednesday versus the Yankees and is now hitting .347/.387/.558 with four homers and 24 RBIs in 23 post-trade games. Of course, Manny Ramirez has been even better for the Dodgers, batting .380/.473/.620 with six homers and 21 RBIs in 24 games. In fact, only the Pirates have failed to get good value from the trade thus far.

Andy LaRoche was the centerpiece of the trade for Pittsburgh, but he's in a brutal 0-for-27 slump and has hit .119 in 21 games overall. Craig Hansen was demoted to the minors Wednesday after going 0-2 with an! 8.10 ER A in nine outings with the Pirates and 21-year-old pitching prospect Bryan Morris has been shut down for the remainder of the year at Single-A with biceps soreness. Only Brandon Moss has had any kind of success, and even he missed time with an ankle injury.

* Josh Johnson continues to look stronger and stronger in his return from Tommy John surgery, tossing his first career complete game Wednesday night while holding the Braves to one run on four hits. Johnson is now 4-0 with a 3.12 ERA and 48-to-20 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 57.2 innings spread over nine starts since coming off the disabled list, and as discussed previously in this space has actually increased both his fastball and slider velocity since going under the knife.

* Remember the criticism Aubrey Huff took following an offseason appearance on the Bubba the Love Sponge radio show? Huff said some negative things about Baltimore and interacted with a naked woman, which got him in all kinds of heat with fans and the local media. Oddly enough, that seems to have been forgotten now that he's having the best season of his career. Perhaps hanging out with BTLS, Spice Boy, Brent Hatley, and Melissa Midwest isn't so bad after all.

Huff went 3-for-4 with a homer in Wednesday night's victory over the White Sox and is now hitting .307/.366/.566 with 28 homers, 71 total extra-base hits, 84 runs, and 94 RBIs in 129 games. He ranks among the AL's top 10! in homers, runs, RBIs, slugging percentage, and OPS after pos! ting a m odest .280/.337/.442 mark with just 15 homers and 72 RBIs in 151 games last season. In his last 81 games-exactly half a season-Huff has hit .344 with 23 homers and 70 RBIs.

* David Purcey was talked up in this space as a worthwhile pickup in AL-only leagues when the Blue Jays called him up from Triple-A, which looked pretty silly after he went 2-4 with a 6.55 ERA through his first seven big-league starts. However, Purcey finally showed some of his potential in a losing effort Wednesday, tossing eight innings of one-run ball against the Rays while racking up 11 strikeouts versus zero walks.

His overall numbers remain ugly, but with a strong 176-to-50 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 179 innings between Double-A and Triple-A over the past two years Purcey strikes me as an underrated long-term bet. The former first-round pick is still relatively young at 26 and has above average stuff for a left-hander, working with a low-90s fastball and mid-80s slider. He could have some value down the stretch in AL-only leagues and makes a nice stash-away candidate for keeper leaguers.

* Manager Jerry Manuel laid out his plans for the Mets outfield Tuesday, saying that Ryan Church will play every day in right field while Fernando Tatis, Daniel Murphy, and Nick Evans split time in left field. Manuel indicated that Murphy will get most of the starts against right-handers, with Tatis and Evans sharing time against left-handers, but that could change if Murphy comes back down to e! arth a bit. It's tough to keep Tatis out of the lineup when h! e's hit .300/.365/.494 in 78 games.

AL Quick Hits:
Evan Longoria's fractured wrist hasn't healed enough for him to swing a bat yet, suggesting that he may not be ready to return next week .
Josh Hamilton was scratched from Wednesday's lineup with an abscessed tooth and may need a root canal .
Dustin Pedroia's first career grand slam Wednesday put an exclamation point on the Red Sox's blowout win over the Yankees . With Victor Martinez (elbow) on the verge of returning, Kelly Shoppach went 3-for-5 with a homer Wednesday to lead the Indians to their 10th straight win .
Troy Percival (knee) threw a bullpen session Tuesday and remains on track to come off the disabled list when eligible Saturday .
George Sherrill (shoulder) played catch Tuesday and said afterward that he's hoping to return next week .
It took 14 tries, but Ryan Feierabend finally turned in his first Quality Start in a no-decision Wednesday . David Murphy (knee) said Wednesday that he's hoping to return once rosters expand next week .
Ivan Rodriguez has just one RBI through 18 games with the Yankees after going hitless Wednesday and the team fell to 5-9 when he starts.

NL Quick Hits:
Carlos Delgado hit just .229/.306/.396 through June 25, but after going deep twice Wednesday he's batting .310 with 19 homers and 58 RBIs in 56 games since .
Mike Hampton lost Wednesday, but tossed eight innings of three-run ball for his fourth Quality Start in five tries this month .
Ryan Zimmerman homered Wednesday for the first time in 31 games since coming off the shelf . Manager Tony La Russa said Tuesday that Colby Rasmus won't be called up next month because "he hasn't earned it" while being injured for much of the season . Khalil Greene will have the cast removed from his fractured hand Friday, but remains unlikely to play again this season .
Zach Duke lost Wednesday, but allowed just two runs and completed eight innings for the first time in 47 starts dating back to September of 2006 .
Andrew Miller (knee) is expected to come off the disabled list when rosters expand next week, but may do so as a reliever . Hitting .278/.374/.465 with 13 homers and 20steals at Double-A, 21-year-old outfield prospect Cameron Maybin has been sidelined for the past week after being bit on the face by a spider.

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Futures

August 18, 2008
Future Shock

by Kevin Goldstein

Gordon Beckham, SS, Low-A Kannapolis (White Sox)
The eighth overall pick in June, Beckham didn't sign until last week, and he hadn't played for nearly two months, so a slow start could easily be excused. No excuses are necessary though (so much for the rust factor), as in his first weekend as a pro he went 7-for-11 with a double, a home run, four walks, and no strikeouts. Beckham has all the tools and abilities to be a star-level player, combining contact skills with above-average power, and just enough in the way of both speed and arm strength to become at least an average shortstop. Just as importantly, all of his skills are advanced enough to project a quick rise to the majors, and Beckham should be up in Double-A by mid-2009, if not earlier.

Dellin Betances, RHP, Low-A Charleston (Yankees)
The Yankees shelled out $1 million in 2006 to sign Betances, but injury problems have slowed his progress significantly. He pitched just seven games last year before being shut down with a sore arm, and the first two months of this year were filled with what can only be described as dominating wildness, as the six-foot-eight righty struck out 64 in 55 innings, while also walking 40. Then came another shutdown for some vague reason which was never called anything more specific than "a tired shoulder." The good news is that the off period lasted only a month, and Betances has put together his best run as a pro since returning, including a career-high 12 strikeouts on Saturday in just six innings. Since his return, he's whiffed 62 in 49 1/3 innings while allowing just 37 hits and, even more promising, walking just 18. Nobody has ever questioned his stuff or projection, and he just might finally be on track.

Alex Carnevale is a contributor to Baseball Prospectus

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Two Start Pitchers and schedules

from Eric Ferguson/sportingnews.com
Week Ahead
August 17, 2008
FAVORABLE SCHEDULES

Cubs hitters: With the Reds and Nats coming to town to visit the league's best offense, the scoreboard operators are going to get a workout.
Rangers hitters : It's a little-known fact Rangers Ballpark is actually a hitters paradise. OK, that's not true. It's a well-known fact. The Rangers get a week at home to add to their league-leading OPS and runs totals.
Diamondbacks pitchers: What do you get when two of the league's most strikeout-prone teams face off against one of the league's most strikeout-heavy pitching staffs? More strikeouts.

UNFAVORABLE SCHEDULES

Reds pitchers: They're nothing to brag about no matter what, but they're especially blech when they have to travel to Wrigley and Coors Field to face the league's top two home offenses.
Orioles pitchers: The O's rank 28th in home ERA, and they've got the Yankees and Red Sox coming to town. Pass.
A's hitters: They face four lefties this week. I'll give you one guess who ranks last in OPS against lefties. Yep, the Ballplayers Formerly Known as the Mack Men.

TWO-START PITCHERS

AL: Nick Blackburn, Mark Buehrle, Justin Duchscherer, Sean Gallagher, Jon Garland, Jeremy Guthrie, Felix Hernandez, Luke Hochevar, Jon Lester, Luis Mendoza*, David Purcey, Darrell Rasner, Anthony Reyes, Kenny Rogers, Ervin Santana, Kevin Slowey, Andy Sonnanstine, Jarrod Wasburn.

NL: Josh Banks, Jason Bergmann, Joe Blanton, Jorge Campillo, Kevin Correia, Doug Davis, Josh Fogg, Jeff Francis*, Rich Harden*, Paul Maholm, John Maine, Charlie Morton, Ricky Nolasco, Oliver Perez, CC Sabathia, Eric Stults*, Randy Wolf, Barry Zito.

* = Two-start status is in question.

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MLB top 10 teams

August 15, 2008
Prospectus Hit List
Streaks and Strings
by Jay Jaffe

Top 10

1
Red Sox 71-51 5-2 .614 Zink Stink: More than four years after The New Yorker heralded him as the knuckleball's Next Big Thing, Charlie Zink finally makes his major league debut, but it doesn't go well. Starting in place of injured Tim Wakefield and staked to a 10-run first-inning lead via two David Ortiz three-run jacks, Zink gets pounded (4.1 11 8 8 1 1) and is ultimately chased from a wild 19-17 slugfest which ends with the Sox on top. He's sent back to Pawtucket while the Red Sox try to patch their rotation with Paul Byrd. They'd do well to restore Justin Masterson to the front five, particularly as he's been limited to janitorial duty since moving to the bullpen; his .564 Support Neutral Winning Percentage dwarfs any of the team's other fifth-starter options.
2
Cubs 74-47 5-1 .611 A 6-1 burst helps the Cubs absorb the momentum of the Brewers' latest run, and there's nary a dull moment here. Skipper Lou Piniella gets hot under his collar over Alfonso Soriano's hot-dogging and creates a stir by suggesting that Kosuke Fukudome needs to improve his performance. Mired in a 2-for-29 slump, the right fielder promptly snaps out of it by collecting four hits in a doubleheader, but his .240/.338/.360 performance since May 2 still isn't much to write Chunichi about.
3
Rays 73-47 5-1 .589 The Rays set a franchise record with their 71st win, but it's a painful week as they lose both Evan Longoria and Carl Crawford to the DL. Longoria leads both the Rays and all rookie hitters in VORP, and has a wrist fracture that will sideline him until September, while Crawford, who's having an off season (.273/.319/.400), has a torn tendon in his finger that could end his 2008. The return of Rocco Baldelli may help cover for the latter, but this offense, which is 10th in the league in scoring but third in EqA, needs another big bat more than ever.

4
White Sox 68-52 5-2 .564 With four straight homers by Jim Thome, Paul Konerko, Alexei Ramirez, and Juan Uribe, the White Sox tie a major league record and extend their major league lead in the long-ball department; they have eight more than the Phillies and 23 more than the Rangers, who rank second in the AL. Alas, the Sox lack the power to accelerate the healing of the wounded, so they'll be without Jose Contreras the rest of the way after he tore his Achilles tendon. That's a tough loss, because despite having the rotation's highest ERA by a hair, Contreras is third on the team in SNLVAR and Support Neutral Winning Percentage.
5
Angels 75-44 4-1 .559 West Coasting: It's a breezy week for the Angels, who sweep the Yankees at home and open up a whopping 15½-game lead in the AL West. They're now 11.9 games above their third-order projection, a figure that's tied for fourth all-time and less than one win off the 2004 Yankees' all-time mark of 12.7, all of which should add some suspense as the team coasts to its fourth division title in five years. The Halos are 23-13 in one-run games and an even more impressive 21-5 in two-run games, records that speak well of a bullpen that's second in the league in WXRL.
6
Brewers 70-52 6-1 .556 An eight-game winning streak helps last week's dugout drama blow over as the Brewers assert their hold on the NL Wild Card. Coming up big is CC Sabathia, who shuts out the Nationals (9 5 0 0 1 9) and runs his line to 7-1, 1.55 ERA since being traded from Cleveland; his 6.1 SNLVAR tops the majors. Back spasms keep Ryan Braun from joining the party, but Gabe Kapler's 13th-inning home run eases the pain a bit; the supersub is hitting .304/.337/.490 from off of the bench.
7
Mets 65-56 5-2 .550 Is Manuel's Cap Too Tight? With the pressure of Billy Wagner's absence clearly impeding the flow of oxygen to his brain after a bullpen meltdown, Jerry Manuel threatens to move a starter—either Oliver Perez or John Maine—into the temporarily vacant closer role. This from the skipper of a team that's consulted the Bureau of Missing Persons to locate the likes of Nelson Figueroa, Brandon Knight, and Brian Stokes to patch their rotation. Manuel would do well not to tempt fate with Perez riding a 1.71 ERA and 55/18 K/BB over his last eight starts and Maine having tossed five innings of shutout ball in his return from the DL, albeit against a Nationals lineup that's about as threatening as your niece's tea party nephew's tee-ball team.
8
Yankees 64-57 1-5 .540 Farnsworth's Revenge: The Yankees deal themselves a crippling blow by going 3-7 on "the worst road trip since the Joad family went to California." They've now lost 12 of 18, a span during which their Playoff Odds have shrunk from 34.8 to 4.6 percent. Ian Kennedy flops in his return to the battered rotation and winds up back in Scranton, but the bigger trouble is the bullpen, which is torched for an 8.78 ERA on the trip, including a 10-run meltdown in Anaheim that drops them to seventh in the league in WXRL.
9
Phillies 64-57 2-5 .534 Phlop: A four-game sweep by the Dodgers knocks the Phillies out of first place in the NL East for the first time since July 29. The rotation's best efforts (3.52 ERA this month) are going to waste between an offense that has picked the wrong time to cool down (3.3 runs per game on .206/.312/.371 hitting) and a bullpen that's showing signs of wear (4.46 ERA), with Brad Lidge resting his shoulder, Tom Gordon nearing a point of reckoning on his elbow and the remaining unit frittering away leads. Not good.
10
Cardinals 68-56 4-3 .529 Red Alert: The Cardinals' playoff aspirations take a hit in the standings and the training room as they lose ground to torrid Chicago and Milwaukee clubs and are forced to scratch Chris Carpenter from at least one start due to a strain at the back of his shoulder. The 2005 Cy Young winner has compiled a 1.88 ERA in three abbreviated starts since his return from Tommy John surgery, but the rest of the rotation has failed to back him up; they've yielded a 4.94 ERA since the All-Star break while surrendering 1.8 HR/9, and the team is now just 15-13 in the second half.

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Working the waiver wire

Getting help from the waiver wire
by Marc Normandin/Baseball Prospectus
August 13, 2008

The trade deadline has passed in all but the most lenient of fantasy leagues, meaning it's time to focus on the margins using free agency and waivers in order to bolster your roster during the remaining month and a half of the regular season. Those in head-to-head leagues have even less time to improve, with their league playoffs just a few weeks in the future, so with that in mind we'll take a look at pitchers (the most coveted commodity) using QuikERA, a favorite statistic of mine that you should familiarize yourself with. Using QERA should tell you which pitchers you can expect to see regression from, and which ones are safer bets to continue their success (or failures) going forward.

Scott Olsen began the year on fire, and his line on the season still looks solid enough because of it; over his first 10 starts he posted a 3.38 ERA, and now has a 4.04 ERA over a total 147 innings pitched. Given his peripherals at the time, it's a wonder that his ERA managed to stay as low as it did then. Olsen had an equal number of walks and strikeouts during that early run (29 of each in 64 innings) and gave up 1.1 home runs per nine, a rate of 24.4 every 200 innings pitched. Thanks to that early stretch, his current numbers look solid, though they go against his season's QERA of 5.47. In fact, the 1.43 difference between his actual ERA and his QERA is the sixth-largest spread for any starter with at least 50 innings pitched. He can thank his BABIP of .259 for that, as it's 65 points below his expected figure given his 20.4 percent liner rate.

His punch-out rate is one reason we can't expect his current actual ERA to last. Though he's striking out more batters since his first 10 starts, he's still at a below-average 4.9 K/9 for the season. Throw in that he induces grounders just 36 percent of the time, and it's easy to see why Olsen is not a favorite when it comes to this statistic (since ground-ball tendencies are another component of QERA). He's regressed closer to his QERA figure over his last 10 starts, with a 5.19 ERA over 59 innings pitched, even though he's put some space between his strikeouts (4.9) and walks (2.7) per nine, in part because he's started to give up far more home runs, with a 1.5 HR/9, or 34 per 200 innings, a significant increase. Opponents have knocked Olsen around for an ugly .286/.336/.524 clip, and it's tough to survive a ballgame when you're turning all of the opposition into this year's Vladimir Guerrero. Though Florida's defense is solid, with a .705 Defensive Efficiency that ranks sixth in the National League, they aren't so good that you can expect his low BABIP to last. If you have other options, skipping out on Olsen's starts or dropping him is a solid plan, and make sure not to overdraft him next year based on his final seasonal line, either.

Olsen isn't the only Sunshine State hurler who is pitching above expectations, as Tampa Bay's Edwin Jackson has also put together a season that, on the surface, appears to be more than solid. He has a 4.07 ERA over 137 innings, but has just 5.1 K/9 and nearly four walks per nine, as well as being on pace for 25 homers allowed over 200 innings. His 5.60 QERA is 1.53 runs higher than his actual ERA, putting him a spot ahead of Olsen in terms of the largest discrepancies between ERA and QERA. His actual BABIP is 21 points below his expected rate (.278), helped by his lower-than-average 17.9 percent liner rate, but the overall BABIP is also a product of his pitching in front of the second-best defense in the American League.

Thanks to his defense, Jackson can survive with his low K rates as long as he doesn't let the walks or homers get out of control. While the walks have not been as much of an issue as in the past, he's struggled with the long ball over his last 10 starts. Though he has a 4.10 ERA (and 4.25 RA) over the 59 1/3-inning stretch, he's given up 1.7 homers per nine, a projected total of nearly 38 home runs over 200 innings. That's a poor showing for anyone, never mind someone with the high walk totals and low strikeout rates he has. At this point, Jackson's defense makes him a worthwhile innings eater on a club desperate for that, but his recent stretch is worrisome, and he's of no help to someone who already has productive pitching in place. He's the kind of guy you dump into free agency if you're forced to make a move for help elsewhere.

Javier Vazquez's recent struggles have been surprising, given his strong start and his history as a quality pitcher. Lately though, he's pitched poorly: in 66 innings over his last 10 starts he's got a 5.32 ERA thanks to 1.5 HR/9, and that's in spite of a solid 8.3 K/9 against just 3.1 BB/9. If not for the homers, Vazquez would have come out ahead during this stretch, as he gave up a .262/.324/.461 line that was really only marred by the 11 homers that he gave up. Vazquez has had some poor luck, as the White Sox are in the middle of the AL in Defensive Efficiency, converting 70 percent of balls in play into out, but he hasn't received that kind of defensive support, as reflected by his .331 BABIP allowed on the season. Granted, his 20.2 percent liner rate means we should expect his BABIP to be .322, an insignificant difference, but with the defense playing as well as it has, you'd think he would have reaped some benefit.

Regardless, the defense can't catch the balls that Vazquez lets hitters put into orbit, and there has been far too much of that lately. QERA does not account for home runs, which makes sense when you see that it expects Vazquez to have a sub-four ERA, about a run better than his current numbers. Vazquez's career HR/9 rate is 1.2, and he's matching that this year despite his recent bad patch, but that career rate is somewhat misleading thanks to awful campaigns with the Diamondbacks and Yankees. During his better years, he's usually around the 1.0 mark, right where he was after his first 14 starts of this season. Even with the homers and ERA, Vazquez does plenty of good thanks to the low walk rates and multiple punchouts; if he manages to rein in his homer rate before year's end, it's all to the good for your club.

Carlos Silva hasn't been as bad as advertised this year, as his 5.93 ERA is almost a full run above his QERA of 4.92. The problem with that is that a 4.92 isn't any great shakes either, and when you combine his pitching style with Seattle's awful defensive play, it's no surprise that he's struggled the way he has. He's still one of those guys who usually floats to the top of free-agent leaderboards simply by virtue of throwing a lot of innings, and at this time of year, he's the kind of player who someone may be desperate enough to pick up. It's for that reason that I mention him, just to tell you that you are not desperate enough to acquire him for your stretch run, no matter how dire your need for pitching is.

Silva is striking out fewer than four per nine, continuing a streak that he's kept going since 2004, his first year with Minnesota. Luckily, walks are rare, as he's giving out just 1.7 BB/9 on the year, right around his career rate; the problem has been his BABIP of .331. With Seattle ranking second-to-last in the AL in Defensive Efficiency and converting a paltry 68.8 percent of balls in play into outs, it's no wonder Silva has been unable to pitch to his normal standards. When nearly 86 percent of your opponents end up putting the ball in play, you would like to have a defensive unit behind you that can catch a few of those. The right side of the infield hasn't had too much trouble with his grounders, as the opposition is hitting just .250 there on 25 percent of balls in play, but the left side is allowing a .301 average on 20.1 percent of balls in play, which is far too high for ground balls. The outfield isn't doing him any favors either, with .431, .500, and .531 averages from left to right. The lesson you should glean from these numbers is that Silva isn't the answer for you, no matter how hard up for pitching you may be, not unless Seattle's defense all of a sudden learns how to field. Given how unlikely that is, you'll want to avoid him.

Marc Normandin is an author of Baseball Prospectus.

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DL watch Crawford out may need surgery

DL watch Crawford out may need surgery
from CBSSports.com
posted by Tabloid Paige

Crawford could be out for year

The St. Pete Times reports that Rays OF Carl Crawford has tendon subluxation in his wrist, a problem with the tendon being out of its normal groove. He is likely out at least 6-8 weeks and could require season-ending surgery.

While Crawford hasn't done much for Fantasy owners this season, they would surely rather have him in their lineup than be on the DL and trying to scramble to fill his spot with someone else especially in AL only leagues. When healthy, he's a must start in all leagues that reward stolen bases, but it doesn't look like he'll be doing that any time soon. Hold onto him in deeper mixed and AL formats for now, but don't be surprised if he's no use to you the rest of the way.

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