Mets strike deal with RHP Young (AP)

post from MLB News Blog on 17 January 2011 11:04:17 PM. © MLB News Blog

A person familiar with the negotiations says right-hander Chris Young has agreed to a contract with the New York Mets, pending a physical. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Monday because the deal had not yet been announced. San Diego declined its $8.5 million option on Young, sidelined most of [...]

Read The Full Article:
http://www.mlbnewsblog.com/2011/01/18/mets-strike-deal-with-rhp-young-ap/

Add to del.icio.us

Digg this

Post to Furl

Add to reddit

Add to myYahoo!

The 2011 Dodgers Starting Rotation

post from LADodgerTalk.com - Daily Dodger Talk, Dodger News and Dodger Rumors on 17 January 2011 11:02:29 PM. © LADodgerTalk.com - Daily Dodger Talk, Dodger News and Dodger Rumors

Read The Full Article:
http://www.ladodgertalk.com/2011/01/the-2011-dodgers-starting-rotation/

Digg this

Leo Nunez and Edward Mujica Agree to 1-Year
Contracts

post from FishStripes on 17 January 2011 11:02:21 PM. © FishStripes

According to JCR, the Fish have agreed with Leo Nunez and Edward Mujica on one-year contracts, avoiding arbitration with the pitchers.

Expected to reprise his role as closer, Nunez will earn $3.65 million plus performance bonuses based on games finished. Mujica will make $800,000. Acquired from the Padres in the Cameron Maybin deal, Mujica was arbitration-eligible for the first time.
Nunez becomes the highest paid Marlins reliever under Jeffrey Loria's decade-long run as owner. The most this ownership group had ever spent on a reliever for one season was $3.5 million for Armando Benitez, who signed a free agent deal before the 2004 campaign. No other Marlins reliever since 2002 has earned more than $2.6 million

Jeffrey Loria's highest-paid reliever blew eight saves last season, and lost his job to Clay Hensley. But let's not dwell on the past.

Only two arbitration-eligible Marlins remain. Clay Hensley and Brian Sanches have yet to sign contracts for 2011.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.fishstripes.com/2011/1/17/1941228/leo-nunez-and-edward-mujica-agree-to
-1-year-contracts

Digg this

Marlins Nunez, Mujica agree to deals (AP)

post from MLB News Blog on 17 January 2011 10:20:21 PM. © MLB News Blog

Right-handers Leo Nunez and Edward Mujica have avoided arbitration by agreeing to one-year contracts with the Florida Marlins. Nunez gets $3.65 million and the chance to earn $50,000 in performance bonuses, up from $2 million in earnings last year. Mujica gets $800,000, a raise from $419,800. Nunez spent much of last year as the Marlins’ [...]

Read The Full Article:
http://www.mlbnewsblog.com/2011/01/18/marlins-nunez-mujica-agree-to-deals-ap/

Digg this

Rauch, Janssen, Litsch agree with Jays (AP)

post from MLB News Blog on 17 January 2011 10:12:23 PM. © MLB News Blog

Reliever Jon Rauch agreed Monday on a one-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, and pitchers Casey Janssen and Jesse Litsch settled their salary arbitration cases. Rauch, a free agent, got a one-year deal worth $3.75 million. Janssen’s agreement is for $1,095,000 and Litsch’s for $830,000.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.mlbnewsblog.com/2011/01/18/rauch-janssen-litsch-agree-with-jays-ap/

Digg this

September Surprises

post from Baseball In-Depth on 17 January 2011 10:05:00 PM. © Baseball In-Depth

There weren't too many surprises among the best offensive players in September 2010, with many elite players simply continuing their excellent play(Pujols, C. Gonzalez, Tulowitzki, A-Rod, Holliday, Crawford, Votto).

There were other well-known but somewhat surprising players mixed in as well (Mark Ellis, Kelly Johnson, H. Matsui). There were also some surprises, which included players that have been around for a while like Ryan Raburn, but also some rookies who had played well all year but took their play to another level in September.

Top rookies: September 2010
Mike Stanton (Marlins, 21): .316, 8 HR, 19 RBI
Pedro Alvarez (Pirates, 23): .311, 5 HR, 26 RBI (T-2nd)
Ike Davis (Mets, 23): .344, 31 H, 16 R

Overall (2010)
Mike Stanton: .259, 22 HR, 59 RBI, 396 PA
Pedro Alvarez: .256, 16 HR, 64 RBI, 386 PA
Ike Davis: .264, 19 HR, 71 RBI, 601 PA

Read The Full Article:
http://www.baseballindepth.com/2011/01/september-surprises.html

Digg this

Can the Giants afford Albert Pujols

post from 22gigantes on 17 January 2011 09:03:42 PM. © 22gigantes

Over the weekend, Buster Olney of ESPN tweeted that St. Louis Cardinals' star first baseman Albert Pujols might walk away from the Cards after this season if a contract extension isn't worked out by the time spring training starts.

He also caught the eye of many Giants bloggers when he tweeted that San Francisco could be a destination for the slugger.

No matter where he turns up, one thing's for sure: he's going to be paid handsomely.

Some insiders are saying the Cardinals' negotiations with Pujols could resemble the Yankees' negotiations with Alex Rodriguez. Indeed, Cardinals executives have acknowledged that an extension with their first baseman would take the organization "places it hasn't gone" in terms of contract value and potential incentive clauses.

Determining a fair price for the 30-year-old will be a unique challenge for Cards GM John Mozeliak and Pujols' agent Dan Lozano. Simply put, there is not much precedent for Pujols, who is already a Hall of Fame lock. The nine-time All-Star and two-time defending home run champ is one of the best players of all time. Pujols, who has three MVP trophies on his mantle, will be 32 in 2012, which would be the first season of a potential new deal.

So, how does San Francisco fit in?

First of all, reports indicate that the talks between Pujols and the Cards are not going smoothly.

Given that the usual suspects (Yankees, Phillies, and Red Sox) already have established first basemen, maybe there is a little logic to Olney's speculation. (He also said that the Dodgers, Cubs and Angels could be interested.)

Now I don't know if Olney just pulled his opinion out of thin air or not. The key word here is "interested." I mean, who wouldn't be interested in Pujols, right?
The real question of course, is, can the Giants afford Pujols?

While unfathomable, it's not entirely unreasonable to think that Pujols could be baseball's first $300 million player. Think of it. Thirty-mil a year for 10 years.

It's been awhile now since Giants GM Brian Sabean has attacked the club's coffers. And while Barry Zito still has four years left on his $128 million deal (and Aaron Rowand still has 2/$27.2), Dave Roberts has been off the books for a whole year! Ch-ching.

Seriously though, any attempts by the Giants to get involved in the Pujols Party would have to start with a discussion about what to do with their up-and-coming starting rotation. Tim Lincecum (unrestricted free agent in 2014), Matt Cain (2013), Jonathan Sanchez (2013) and -- eventually -- Madison Bumgarner are all going to ask for big contracts, too, once the Giants lose control of them, one-by-one.

Even if you did just win a World Series title, you can't sign Pujols and Lincecum/Cain/Sanchez/Bumgarner to monstrous, long-term contracts. Can you?

Read The Full Article:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/22gigantes/ySKM/~3/uF2QCDUbcnU/can-giants-afford-a
lbert-pujols.html

Digg this

Ricky's Ready

Good news, Fish fans. Ricky Nolasco's progress is coming along nicely after his September surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. He is actually recovering ahead of schedule, and when pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training one month from now, Ricky will be ready for action.

[Nolasco] doesn't expect any limitations at the start of camp. "I'm probably a little bit ahead [of schedule]," Nolasco said during an interview Saturday on the Marlins Insider radio show. "I had a little bit of a long layoff. So I started doing stuff a little earlier. There were no limitations in anything that I did. The knee is fine. I'll be ready to go in Spring Training with no issues. I'll be able to do all my running and everything."

If at least 50% of the Marlins roster avoid suffering meniscus tears in 2011, I will personally consider the season a raging success.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.fishstripes.com/2011/1/17/1941006/rickys-ready

Digg this

Ryan Theriot Does Baseballs Version Of Trash
Talking

I think it’s pretty clear trash talking is in the air these days. I mean, the New York Jets and New England Patriots gave the media enough material for a year in one week last week. And let me comment on that game if I may. As a Jets fan, that was the biggest win [...]

Read The Full Article:
http://theghostofmoonlightgraham.com/2011/01/18/ryan-theriot-does-baseballs-versi
on-of-trash-talking/

Digg this

SS Cabrera, Indians avoid arbitration (AP)

Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera and the Cleveland Indians have agreed to a one-year contract worth $2,025,000, avoiding salary arbitration. Cabrera made $437,500 last year, when he hit .276 with 16 doubles and 29 RBIS in 97 games. He was sidelined from May 18 to July 18 with a broken left forearm. Three Indians remain in arbitration: [...]

Read The Full Article:
http://www.mlbnewsblog.com/2011/01/18/ss-cabrera-indians-avoid-arbitration-ap/

Digg this