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The hot stove is back to normal following the end of the Winter Meetings. Friday was a typical offseason day, with a handful of signings and a smattering of rumors. Here's a recap of the day's action.
SIGNINGS
Braves: Agreed to sign 1B Mat Gamel to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. (Sportsnet)
Cubs: Signed OF Ryan Kalish, IF Ryan Roberts and C Jeff Baker to a minor league deals with invites to spring training, the club announced.
Diamondbacks: Signed both RHP Daniel Hudson and C Henry Blanco to minor league contracts, the team announced. Hudson is rehabbing from his second Tommy John surgery in the last 18 months.
Indians: Signed IF David Adams to a major league contract and RHP Tyler Cloyd, RHP Travis Banwart and OF Matt Carson to minor league deals with invitations to spring training, the club announced.
Rays: Agreed to a three-year, $21 million contract with 1B James Loney ... Sent OF Todd Glaesmann to Diamondbacks as the player to be named later in the Heath Bell trade, the team announced.
Rockies: Agreed to a three-year contract worth $16.5 million with LHP Boone Logan.
Royals: Agreed to sign IF Omar Infante to a four-year contract worth $30.25 million.
Twins: Signed OF Jason Kubel to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.
WAIVER CLAIMS
Cubs: Claimed RHP Liam Hendriks off waivers from the Twins. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
RUMORS & SPECULATION
RHP Bronson Arroyo: The race is down to the Reds, Twins and two other teams.
RHP Gavin Floyd: Close to signing with an unknown team, but that team is not the Orioles. (Baltimore Sun)
RHP Masahiro Tanaka: Other NPB teams may contribute to the posting fee if the Rakuten Golden Eagles hesistate to post their ace right-hander. Of course, those clubs would be happy to see the best pitcher in the country leave for MLB.
Orioles: Have interest in RHP A.J. Burnett if he wants to pitch next season. (MASNSports-com)
Red Sox: Talking about a one-year contract extension with DH David Ortiz. (WEEI-com)
All you need to know: MLB rumors, news roundup for Dec. 13 - CBSSports-com
SIGNINGS
Braves: Agreed to sign 1B Mat Gamel to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. (Sportsnet)
Cubs: Signed OF Ryan Kalish, IF Ryan Roberts and C Jeff Baker to a minor league deals with invites to spring training, the club announced.
Diamondbacks: Signed both RHP Daniel Hudson and C Henry Blanco to minor league contracts, the team announced. Hudson is rehabbing from his second Tommy John surgery in the last 18 months.
Indians: Signed IF David Adams to a major league contract and RHP Tyler Cloyd, RHP Travis Banwart and OF Matt Carson to minor league deals with invitations to spring training, the club announced.
Rays: Agreed to a three-year, $21 million contract with 1B James Loney ... Sent OF Todd Glaesmann to Diamondbacks as the player to be named later in the Heath Bell trade, the team announced.
Rockies: Agreed to a three-year contract worth $16.5 million with LHP Boone Logan.
Royals: Agreed to sign IF Omar Infante to a four-year contract worth $30.25 million.
Twins: Signed OF Jason Kubel to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.
WAIVER CLAIMS
Cubs: Claimed RHP Liam Hendriks off waivers from the Twins. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
RUMORS & SPECULATION
RHP Bronson Arroyo: The race is down to the Reds, Twins and two other teams.
RHP Gavin Floyd: Close to signing with an unknown team, but that team is not the Orioles. (Baltimore Sun)
RHP Masahiro Tanaka: Other NPB teams may contribute to the posting fee if the Rakuten Golden Eagles hesistate to post their ace right-hander. Of course, those clubs would be happy to see the best pitcher in the country leave for MLB.
Orioles: Have interest in RHP A.J. Burnett if he wants to pitch next season. (MASNSports-com)
Red Sox: Talking about a one-year contract extension with DH David Ortiz. (WEEI-com)
All you need to know: MLB rumors, news roundup for Dec. 13 - CBSSports-com
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The Dodgers and third baseman Juan Uribe finally came to terms Saturday on a two-year, $15 million deal that resolves the club's biggest hole, according to a baseball source.
Uribe initially was hoping for three years, held out for two, while the Dodgers had previously offered one year plus an option. The Dodgers have not confirmed the agreement.
The return of Uribe eliminates the need to move shortstop Hanley Ramirez to third base. Now general manager Ned Colletti will focus on adding a utility man to provide depth at second base in the event that Cuban rookie Alexander Guerrero isn't ready to start the season in the Major Leagues. Michael Young and Mark Ellis are among the free-agent candidates.
Uribe, 34, was coming off a three-year, $21 million contract from the Dodgers, but did virtually nothing the first two years. He revived his career by taking over the position from Luis Cruz midway through the 2013 season and went on to hit .278 with 12 homers and, more important, was a finalist for a Gold Glove.
Uribe committed only five errors in 900 1/3 innings for a .983 fielding percentage, second-best mark among National League third basemen, and was named the Dodgers' Wilson Defensive Player of the Year.
His two-run, game-winning home run off David Carpenter and the Braves helped clinched the Dodgers' Division Series win and sent the Dodgers into the League Championship Series.
Additionally, the popular Uribe grew into a clubhouse asset, providing senior leadership to young Latin players like Yasiel Puig and a light-hearted rapport with virtually everybody. He also spent late-season pregames dueling with former Giants teammate Brian Wilson in dominoes or cards.
Earlier on Saturday, Colletti dismissed a report that the club was ready to move on without Uribe and turn to the 37-year-old Young as a starting third baseman.
Colletti also wants to add as many as three relief pitchers -- a righty and lefty for middle relief and a long reliever.
Juan Uribe reportedly agrees to return to Dodgers | MLB-com: News
Uribe initially was hoping for three years, held out for two, while the Dodgers had previously offered one year plus an option. The Dodgers have not confirmed the agreement.
The return of Uribe eliminates the need to move shortstop Hanley Ramirez to third base. Now general manager Ned Colletti will focus on adding a utility man to provide depth at second base in the event that Cuban rookie Alexander Guerrero isn't ready to start the season in the Major Leagues. Michael Young and Mark Ellis are among the free-agent candidates.
Uribe, 34, was coming off a three-year, $21 million contract from the Dodgers, but did virtually nothing the first two years. He revived his career by taking over the position from Luis Cruz midway through the 2013 season and went on to hit .278 with 12 homers and, more important, was a finalist for a Gold Glove.
Uribe committed only five errors in 900 1/3 innings for a .983 fielding percentage, second-best mark among National League third basemen, and was named the Dodgers' Wilson Defensive Player of the Year.
His two-run, game-winning home run off David Carpenter and the Braves helped clinched the Dodgers' Division Series win and sent the Dodgers into the League Championship Series.
Additionally, the popular Uribe grew into a clubhouse asset, providing senior leadership to young Latin players like Yasiel Puig and a light-hearted rapport with virtually everybody. He also spent late-season pregames dueling with former Giants teammate Brian Wilson in dominoes or cards.
Earlier on Saturday, Colletti dismissed a report that the club was ready to move on without Uribe and turn to the 37-year-old Young as a starting third baseman.
Colletti also wants to add as many as three relief pitchers -- a righty and lefty for middle relief and a long reliever.
Juan Uribe reportedly agrees to return to Dodgers | MLB-com: News
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On Sunday night, MLB-com confirmed that Cleveland is nearing an agreement with free-agent reliever John Axford on a contract, pending the completion of a physical. No details were immediately known and the Indians had no official comment.
ESPN's Buster Olney first reported the supposed agreement.
The Indians were in talks with Axford, along with a handful of other experienced late-inning arms, during the Winter Meetings last week. A former closer for the Brewers, the 30-year-old Axford lost his role in Milwaukee and was traded to St. Louis in August, finishing the season strong out of the Cardinals' bullpen.
With Cleveland, Axford would likely step into the ninth-inning role after the Indians released their former closer, Chris Perez, on Oct. 31. The Indians have expressed confidence in having either Cody Allen or Bryan Shaw assume the closing duties, but manager Terry Francona indicated during the Winter Meetings that his preference was to keep the pair of right-handers in set-up roles.
The Indians have also been in contact with free-agent closers such as Joaquin Benoit, Grant Balfour and Fernando Rodney, among others. Cleveland also extended an offer to Edward Mujica, but he ultimately signed a two-year contract with the Red Sox.
While the details of Axford's supposed pact with the Tribe are not known at the moment, a one-year deal is likely. The right-hander has two more years of arbitration eligibility following next season, making a short-term contract the most likely scenario.
Perez was eligible for arbitration this offseason, but he lost his job as Cleveland's closer in the final week of the regular season. In 54 games, Perez posted career worsts in ERA (4.33) and WHIP (1.43), making his expected salary (anticipated to be over $9 million) too inflated for his diminished role. The Indians opted to cut ties with Perez, who had an 88-percent save rate (123-for-140) over the past four seasons.
Last season, Axford posted a 4.02 ERA in 75 games (65 innings) between stints with the Brewers and Cardinals, piling up 65 strikeouts against 26 walks. The righty had a 4.45 ERA and was 0-for-6 in save chances in 62 games for Milwaukee, who dealt him to St. Louis on Aug. 30. Down the stretch, Axford posted a 1.74 ERA with 11 strikeouts and three walks in 10 1/3 innings.
Axford's best season came in 2011, when he fashioned a 1.95 ERA and saved 46 games during the Brewers' run to the postseason. Across the 2010-11 campaigns, he had a 2.19 ERA in 124 games (131 2/3 innings) and a stellar 93-percent save rate (70-for-75). Over the past two years, though, Axford has posted a 4.35 ERA in 150 games (134 1/3 innings) with a 69-percent conversion rate (35-for-51).
Even with his recent struggles, Axford offers more ninth-inning experience than Cleveland's current crop of relievers. Besides releasing Perez, the Indians also lost set-up man Joe Smith to the Angels (three years, $15.75 million) in free agency. Vinnie Pestano, who endured his own mound woes last season, leads the current Tribe bullpen in big league saves with 11 in his career. Allen is next on that list with two saves.
Right-hander John Axford nearing agreement with Cleveland Indians | MLB-com: News
ESPN's Buster Olney first reported the supposed agreement.
The Indians were in talks with Axford, along with a handful of other experienced late-inning arms, during the Winter Meetings last week. A former closer for the Brewers, the 30-year-old Axford lost his role in Milwaukee and was traded to St. Louis in August, finishing the season strong out of the Cardinals' bullpen.
With Cleveland, Axford would likely step into the ninth-inning role after the Indians released their former closer, Chris Perez, on Oct. 31. The Indians have expressed confidence in having either Cody Allen or Bryan Shaw assume the closing duties, but manager Terry Francona indicated during the Winter Meetings that his preference was to keep the pair of right-handers in set-up roles.
The Indians have also been in contact with free-agent closers such as Joaquin Benoit, Grant Balfour and Fernando Rodney, among others. Cleveland also extended an offer to Edward Mujica, but he ultimately signed a two-year contract with the Red Sox.
While the details of Axford's supposed pact with the Tribe are not known at the moment, a one-year deal is likely. The right-hander has two more years of arbitration eligibility following next season, making a short-term contract the most likely scenario.
Perez was eligible for arbitration this offseason, but he lost his job as Cleveland's closer in the final week of the regular season. In 54 games, Perez posted career worsts in ERA (4.33) and WHIP (1.43), making his expected salary (anticipated to be over $9 million) too inflated for his diminished role. The Indians opted to cut ties with Perez, who had an 88-percent save rate (123-for-140) over the past four seasons.
Last season, Axford posted a 4.02 ERA in 75 games (65 innings) between stints with the Brewers and Cardinals, piling up 65 strikeouts against 26 walks. The righty had a 4.45 ERA and was 0-for-6 in save chances in 62 games for Milwaukee, who dealt him to St. Louis on Aug. 30. Down the stretch, Axford posted a 1.74 ERA with 11 strikeouts and three walks in 10 1/3 innings.
Axford's best season came in 2011, when he fashioned a 1.95 ERA and saved 46 games during the Brewers' run to the postseason. Across the 2010-11 campaigns, he had a 2.19 ERA in 124 games (131 2/3 innings) and a stellar 93-percent save rate (70-for-75). Over the past two years, though, Axford has posted a 4.35 ERA in 150 games (134 1/3 innings) with a 69-percent conversion rate (35-for-51).
Even with his recent struggles, Axford offers more ninth-inning experience than Cleveland's current crop of relievers. Besides releasing Perez, the Indians also lost set-up man Joe Smith to the Angels (three years, $15.75 million) in free agency. Vinnie Pestano, who endured his own mound woes last season, leads the current Tribe bullpen in big league saves with 11 in his career. Allen is next on that list with two saves.
Right-hander John Axford nearing agreement with Cleveland Indians | MLB-com: News
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The MLB free-agency and trade rumors just won't stop flooding in.
Sure, many of the biggest names have already been accounted for. However, that just translates to an intense competition for the remaining players left on the free-agent front. Plus, there's been an uptick in trade speculation as general managers seek out creative means to upgrade their respective rosters.
Here's a look at all the latest MLB free-agency and trade rumors with a breakdown of what's fact or fiction.
Pictures: Fact or Fiction on All the Hottest MLB Free-Agency, Trade Rumors | Bleacher Report
Sure, many of the biggest names have already been accounted for. However, that just translates to an intense competition for the remaining players left on the free-agent front. Plus, there's been an uptick in trade speculation as general managers seek out creative means to upgrade their respective rosters.
Here's a look at all the latest MLB free-agency and trade rumors with a breakdown of what's fact or fiction.
Pictures: Fact or Fiction on All the Hottest MLB Free-Agency, Trade Rumors | Bleacher Report
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Trades went down left and right last week during Major League Baseball’s annual winter meetings.
Unfortunately, none of those deals involved notable prospects.
Well, that changed on Monday when the Chicago White Sox acquired third baseman Matt Davidson from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for closer Addison Reed.
In short, landing the 22-year-old Davidson is a huge victory for the White Sox, who haven’t received consistent production from a third baseman since Joe Crede a half decade ago. If he continues to develop as expected, Davidson should be an everyday regular at the position with 20- to 25-home run potential and a solid on-base percentage.
Reed is a proven closer with 69 saves over the last two seasons. However, with a 4.17 career ERA (103 ERA+) and 0.9 HR/9 (home runs per nine innings), he doesn’t rank among the game’s best in the role.
While a few smaller prospect trades should transpire before the end of the offseason, it’s doubtful that any top-ranked prospects will be moved unless there’s a blockbuster trade involving a star-caliber player.
So here’s a look at five different prospects-for-star trade scenarios that would make sense for both teams.
Win-Win Prospect Packages for Top MLB Trade Targets on the Market | Bleacher Report
Unfortunately, none of those deals involved notable prospects.
Well, that changed on Monday when the Chicago White Sox acquired third baseman Matt Davidson from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for closer Addison Reed.
In short, landing the 22-year-old Davidson is a huge victory for the White Sox, who haven’t received consistent production from a third baseman since Joe Crede a half decade ago. If he continues to develop as expected, Davidson should be an everyday regular at the position with 20- to 25-home run potential and a solid on-base percentage.
Reed is a proven closer with 69 saves over the last two seasons. However, with a 4.17 career ERA (103 ERA+) and 0.9 HR/9 (home runs per nine innings), he doesn’t rank among the game’s best in the role.
While a few smaller prospect trades should transpire before the end of the offseason, it’s doubtful that any top-ranked prospects will be moved unless there’s a blockbuster trade involving a star-caliber player.
So here’s a look at five different prospects-for-star trade scenarios that would make sense for both teams.
Win-Win Prospect Packages for Top MLB Trade Targets on the Market | Bleacher Report
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Right-handed pitcher Masahiro Tanaka might have to wait a year or more to achieve his goal of pitching in the big leagues.
Subject of much speculation this winter, Tanaka will likely not be made available to MLB teams by his Nippon Professional Baseball organization, the Rakuten Golden Eagles.
"I informed my team that I would like them to allow me to test my abilities in Major League Baseball next season," Tanaka said Tuesday in Japan. However, the odds of that occurring decreased recently when MLB and NPB reached a new agreement that caps the "posting" fee for players leaving Japan for North America at $20 million.
Under the old system, the Japanese team losing a star player to the United States could receive much higher sums, often $50 million-plus.
The Japanese team only receives the fee if the MLB team receiving the player's rights reaches a contract agreement with the player.
Rakuten appears likely to decide that keeping Tanaka, 25, for the upcoming season is worth more than $20 million.
CHOO DISMISSED YANKS
Free-agent outfielder Shin-Soo Choo turned down a seven-year, $140-million offer from the New York Yankees after the signing of Jacoby Ellsbury, Yahoo! Sports reported Wednesday.
When Choo's agent, Scott Boras, asked for a deal in the price range of Ellsbury's contract, the Yankees declined and moved on to get free-agent outfielder Carlos Beltran instead, according to Yahoo.
The Yankees' offer to Choo was apparently made between Dec. 3-6 after second baseman Robinson Cano left for the Seattle Mariners.
Boras countered by demanding a contract similar to Ellsbury's seven-year, $153-million deal. The Yankees then signed Beltran, who was with the St. Louis Cardinals, to a three-year, $45 million deal.
M'S RE-SIGN GUTIERREZ
Free agent outfielder Franklin Gutierrez might be staying put.
The often-injured veteran is close to signing a one-year, major league deal with the Seattle Mariners, Fox Sports reported Tuesday night. Gutierrez hit the free agent market when the Mariners declined his $7 million option after last season.
The 30-year-old appeared in 41 games in 2013, batting .248 with a .273 on-base percentage, a .503 slugging percentage, 10 home runs and 24 RBIs. Gutierrez was sidelined for portions of the season due to hamstring issues, part of his on-going difficulty in remaining healthy.
Since playing 153 and 152 games for the Mariners in 2009 and 2010, respectively, he failed to top 92 games in a season the next four years.
ANGELS INK IBANEZ
Veteran Raul Ibanez reached agreement on a one-year, $2.75-million contract with the Los Angeles Angels, according to reports.
The 41-year-old hit 29 home runs and had a .242 batting average with 65 RBIs in 124 games last season for the Seattle Mariners.
Ibanez is expected to fill a left-handed designated hitter role with the Angels, but he also can play first base and the outfield.
The Baltimore Orioles were reported to be interested in Ibanez, who has hit 300 home runs during an 18-year career with the Mariners, Kansas City Royals, Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees.
BRIEFLY
The Cleveland Indians acquired left-handed pitcher Josh Outman Wednesday from the Colorado Rockies in exchange for outfielder Drew Stubbs ... The San Diego Padres are nearing an agreement with right-handed reliever Joaquin Benoit on a two-year contract worth approximately $15 million, according to a report ... The Atlanta Braves picked up catcher/outfielder Ryan Doumit in a trade with the Minnesota Twins for left-handed pitching prospect Sean Gilmartin.
Masahiro Tanaka might not be MLB-bound after all | Baseball | Sports | Toronto Sun
Subject of much speculation this winter, Tanaka will likely not be made available to MLB teams by his Nippon Professional Baseball organization, the Rakuten Golden Eagles.
"I informed my team that I would like them to allow me to test my abilities in Major League Baseball next season," Tanaka said Tuesday in Japan. However, the odds of that occurring decreased recently when MLB and NPB reached a new agreement that caps the "posting" fee for players leaving Japan for North America at $20 million.
Under the old system, the Japanese team losing a star player to the United States could receive much higher sums, often $50 million-plus.
The Japanese team only receives the fee if the MLB team receiving the player's rights reaches a contract agreement with the player.
Rakuten appears likely to decide that keeping Tanaka, 25, for the upcoming season is worth more than $20 million.
CHOO DISMISSED YANKS
Free-agent outfielder Shin-Soo Choo turned down a seven-year, $140-million offer from the New York Yankees after the signing of Jacoby Ellsbury, Yahoo! Sports reported Wednesday.
When Choo's agent, Scott Boras, asked for a deal in the price range of Ellsbury's contract, the Yankees declined and moved on to get free-agent outfielder Carlos Beltran instead, according to Yahoo.
The Yankees' offer to Choo was apparently made between Dec. 3-6 after second baseman Robinson Cano left for the Seattle Mariners.
Boras countered by demanding a contract similar to Ellsbury's seven-year, $153-million deal. The Yankees then signed Beltran, who was with the St. Louis Cardinals, to a three-year, $45 million deal.
M'S RE-SIGN GUTIERREZ
Free agent outfielder Franklin Gutierrez might be staying put.
The often-injured veteran is close to signing a one-year, major league deal with the Seattle Mariners, Fox Sports reported Tuesday night. Gutierrez hit the free agent market when the Mariners declined his $7 million option after last season.
The 30-year-old appeared in 41 games in 2013, batting .248 with a .273 on-base percentage, a .503 slugging percentage, 10 home runs and 24 RBIs. Gutierrez was sidelined for portions of the season due to hamstring issues, part of his on-going difficulty in remaining healthy.
Since playing 153 and 152 games for the Mariners in 2009 and 2010, respectively, he failed to top 92 games in a season the next four years.
ANGELS INK IBANEZ
Veteran Raul Ibanez reached agreement on a one-year, $2.75-million contract with the Los Angeles Angels, according to reports.
The 41-year-old hit 29 home runs and had a .242 batting average with 65 RBIs in 124 games last season for the Seattle Mariners.
Ibanez is expected to fill a left-handed designated hitter role with the Angels, but he also can play first base and the outfield.
The Baltimore Orioles were reported to be interested in Ibanez, who has hit 300 home runs during an 18-year career with the Mariners, Kansas City Royals, Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees.
BRIEFLY
The Cleveland Indians acquired left-handed pitcher Josh Outman Wednesday from the Colorado Rockies in exchange for outfielder Drew Stubbs ... The San Diego Padres are nearing an agreement with right-handed reliever Joaquin Benoit on a two-year contract worth approximately $15 million, according to a report ... The Atlanta Braves picked up catcher/outfielder Ryan Doumit in a trade with the Minnesota Twins for left-handed pitching prospect Sean Gilmartin.
Masahiro Tanaka might not be MLB-bound after all | Baseball | Sports | Toronto Sun
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'Tis the season — to file a flurry of court motions.
As his baseball future hangs in the balance while he awaits a ruling on his 211-game ban in the Biogenesis matter, Alex Rodriguez, and Major League Baseball, are keeping plenty busy with other legal proceedings.
Both sides filed motions Thursday in federal court in connection with Rodriguez’s suit against baseball and commissioner Bud Selig (a separate case from A-Rod’s appeal of the 211-game ban). Team A-Rod is arguing that the suit belongs in state court — where it was originally filed Oct. 3 — and is using a lawsuit filed in Florida by MLB as part of its justification. Baseball, meanwhile, filed a motion to have A-Rod’s suit dismissed altogether, arguing that because he is a member of MLB’s Players Association, Rodriguez is bound by the labor agreements between MLB and the union.
“Despite plaintiff’s futile attempt to avoid dismissal by amending his complaint, his claims that defendants tortiously interfered with his existing and prospective contractual relationships remain preempted by Section 301 of the Labor Management Relations Act,” reads the MLB court filing, “because adjudicating these claims requires a court to interpret the collectively bargained agreements that govern plaintiff’s employment.”
But Rodriguez’s team says that there is no merit in MLB’s attempt to have the suit tossed, citing the lawsuit baseball filed earlier this year in Florida in the Biogenesis case. In that legal matter, baseball accuses numerous defendants of tortious interference with baseball’s CBA.
“Mr. Rodriguez’s position should not come as surprise to defendants, as they themselves made the same argument in a similar action previously commenced by MLB in state court in Florida. . . . Certain defendants, as well as third parties, moved to dismiss MLB’s claims on the grounds that they were preempted by Section 301 of the LMRA (Labor Management Relations Act),” reads the court filing by Team A-Rod. “MLB opposed the motions, arguing to the Florida state court that its tortious interference claims did not require the court’s interpretation of the Agreements — the very same Agreements at issue here –because there was no dispute that the (performance-enhancing substances) at issue were banned by the Agreements.
“Here, MLB has taken a 180-degree turn, now arguing that Mr. Rodriguez’s state law tortious interference claims – which are substantially similar to MLB’s claims in the Biogenesis action — are somehow preempted. However, MLB is judicially estopped from taking positions that are contradictory to those it took before the Florida state court. Like MLB’s claims in Florida, Mr. Rodriguez’s claims here do not implicate the Agreements, and Mr. Rodriguez’s claims are thus not preempted.”
Rodriguez’s team also filed a motion in Bronx Supreme Court Tuesday, arguing to keep the slugger’s medical malpractice suit in that borough. Rodriguez originally filed suit against Yankee team doctor Chris Ahmad and New York Presbyterian Hospital, accusing Ahmad of misdiagnosing a left hip injury in the 2012 playoffs. The defendants have filed motions to have the case moved to Manhattan court.
An independent arbitrator, Fredric Horowitz, is expected to rule on Rodriguez’s 211-game ban in January.
Read more: Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez, MLB file motions against each other - NY Daily News
As his baseball future hangs in the balance while he awaits a ruling on his 211-game ban in the Biogenesis matter, Alex Rodriguez, and Major League Baseball, are keeping plenty busy with other legal proceedings.
Both sides filed motions Thursday in federal court in connection with Rodriguez’s suit against baseball and commissioner Bud Selig (a separate case from A-Rod’s appeal of the 211-game ban). Team A-Rod is arguing that the suit belongs in state court — where it was originally filed Oct. 3 — and is using a lawsuit filed in Florida by MLB as part of its justification. Baseball, meanwhile, filed a motion to have A-Rod’s suit dismissed altogether, arguing that because he is a member of MLB’s Players Association, Rodriguez is bound by the labor agreements between MLB and the union.
“Despite plaintiff’s futile attempt to avoid dismissal by amending his complaint, his claims that defendants tortiously interfered with his existing and prospective contractual relationships remain preempted by Section 301 of the Labor Management Relations Act,” reads the MLB court filing, “because adjudicating these claims requires a court to interpret the collectively bargained agreements that govern plaintiff’s employment.”
But Rodriguez’s team says that there is no merit in MLB’s attempt to have the suit tossed, citing the lawsuit baseball filed earlier this year in Florida in the Biogenesis case. In that legal matter, baseball accuses numerous defendants of tortious interference with baseball’s CBA.
“Mr. Rodriguez’s position should not come as surprise to defendants, as they themselves made the same argument in a similar action previously commenced by MLB in state court in Florida. . . . Certain defendants, as well as third parties, moved to dismiss MLB’s claims on the grounds that they were preempted by Section 301 of the LMRA (Labor Management Relations Act),” reads the court filing by Team A-Rod. “MLB opposed the motions, arguing to the Florida state court that its tortious interference claims did not require the court’s interpretation of the Agreements — the very same Agreements at issue here –because there was no dispute that the (performance-enhancing substances) at issue were banned by the Agreements.
“Here, MLB has taken a 180-degree turn, now arguing that Mr. Rodriguez’s state law tortious interference claims – which are substantially similar to MLB’s claims in the Biogenesis action — are somehow preempted. However, MLB is judicially estopped from taking positions that are contradictory to those it took before the Florida state court. Like MLB’s claims in Florida, Mr. Rodriguez’s claims here do not implicate the Agreements, and Mr. Rodriguez’s claims are thus not preempted.”
Rodriguez’s team also filed a motion in Bronx Supreme Court Tuesday, arguing to keep the slugger’s medical malpractice suit in that borough. Rodriguez originally filed suit against Yankee team doctor Chris Ahmad and New York Presbyterian Hospital, accusing Ahmad of misdiagnosing a left hip injury in the 2012 playoffs. The defendants have filed motions to have the case moved to Manhattan court.
An independent arbitrator, Fredric Horowitz, is expected to rule on Rodriguez’s 211-game ban in January.
Read more: Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez, MLB file motions against each other - NY Daily News
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Orioles left-hander Troy Patton was issued a 25-game suspension by the Commissioner's Office on Friday for violating Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.
Patton, 28, tested positive for an amphetamine in violation of the program. His suspension begins at the start of the 2014 season.
According to The Associated Press, Patton told The Baltimore Sun he took an Adderall pill four days before the season finished to try to improve his short-term focus.
Under the Joint Drug agreement, 25 games is the penalty for a second positive amphetamine test. A first positive results in evaluation and further testing.
According to The Sun, Patton tested positive for amphetamine use during Spring Training in 2010, also for Adderall.
"We were disappointed to learn of Troy Patton's suspension," Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette said Friday. "The Orioles support MLB's policy and its efforts to eliminate performance-enhancing substances from the game."
Patton, on Baltimore's 40-man roster, posted a 3.70 ERA in 56 relief appearances for the Orioles last season. Since joining the Orioles in 2010, Patton has gone 5-1 with a 3.04 ERA in 131 appearances.
"I took one because I was stupid," Patton told The Sun. "It was the end of the season. It was just a stupid mistake."
"I don't have trouble focusing all the time, it just enhances focus in certain situations, and I was just tired, basically. I don't want to list that as an excuse. I know I took a banned substance. It was just a poor lapse in judgment," he said.
According to the AP, MLB allows an exemption for players with attention deficit disorder, but Patton told The Sun he'd never been diagnosed. He said he tried to apply for an exemption in 2012 but was rejected after an examination by doctors.
Duquette said Patton's suspension won't dramatically affect Baltimore's bullpen plans heading into Spring Training. With Brian Matusz ensconced as manager Buck Showalter's primary left-handed specialist, the Orioles have several other left-handed options from which to choose.
Duquette specifically mentioned lefties Zach Britton, T.J. McFarland, Mike Belfiore, Kelvin De La Cruz and Chris Jones as candidates for the second lefty reliever job.
"We have some depth to the left-handed relief," Duquette said. "Brian Matusz of course has been our left-on-left pitcher and he's been very reliable, so we have some other good candidates as the second left-hander in our bullpen for Buck and the staff to take a look at this spring."
Orioles left-hander Troy Patton suspended 25 games for violating MLB drug policy | MLB-com: News
Patton, 28, tested positive for an amphetamine in violation of the program. His suspension begins at the start of the 2014 season.
According to The Associated Press, Patton told The Baltimore Sun he took an Adderall pill four days before the season finished to try to improve his short-term focus.
Under the Joint Drug agreement, 25 games is the penalty for a second positive amphetamine test. A first positive results in evaluation and further testing.
According to The Sun, Patton tested positive for amphetamine use during Spring Training in 2010, also for Adderall.
"We were disappointed to learn of Troy Patton's suspension," Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette said Friday. "The Orioles support MLB's policy and its efforts to eliminate performance-enhancing substances from the game."
Patton, on Baltimore's 40-man roster, posted a 3.70 ERA in 56 relief appearances for the Orioles last season. Since joining the Orioles in 2010, Patton has gone 5-1 with a 3.04 ERA in 131 appearances.
"I took one because I was stupid," Patton told The Sun. "It was the end of the season. It was just a stupid mistake."
"I don't have trouble focusing all the time, it just enhances focus in certain situations, and I was just tired, basically. I don't want to list that as an excuse. I know I took a banned substance. It was just a poor lapse in judgment," he said.
According to the AP, MLB allows an exemption for players with attention deficit disorder, but Patton told The Sun he'd never been diagnosed. He said he tried to apply for an exemption in 2012 but was rejected after an examination by doctors.
Duquette said Patton's suspension won't dramatically affect Baltimore's bullpen plans heading into Spring Training. With Brian Matusz ensconced as manager Buck Showalter's primary left-handed specialist, the Orioles have several other left-handed options from which to choose.
Duquette specifically mentioned lefties Zach Britton, T.J. McFarland, Mike Belfiore, Kelvin De La Cruz and Chris Jones as candidates for the second lefty reliever job.
"We have some depth to the left-handed relief," Duquette said. "Brian Matusz of course has been our left-on-left pitcher and he's been very reliable, so we have some other good candidates as the second left-hander in our bullpen for Buck and the staff to take a look at this spring."
Orioles left-hander Troy Patton suspended 25 games for violating MLB drug policy | MLB-com: News
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Rumors of Major League Baseball implementing protective headgear for pitchers have been floating around for years, though there hasn't been any significant movement on that front for a while.
Until now, it seems.
During an appearance on the podcast The Buzz (via Fox Sports' Jimmy Traina), Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Brandon McCarthy said it's possible pitchers will have the option to wear protective gear as soon as next season.
"From everything I know they'll be available this year," McCarthy said. "I don't believe they're going to be mandatory. Actually, I'm almost certain they won't be mandatory."
McCarthy is the ideal candidate to speak on the subject. Pitching in a game for the Oakland Athletics on September 5, 2012, the 30-year-old took a liner square to the head off the bat of Los Angeles Angels shortstop Erick Aybar.
That scary scene resulted in McCarthy suffering an epidural hemorrhage, brain contusion and skull fracture requiring surgery (via CBS Sports). He also suffered a seizure in June 2013, per USA Today, nearly one year after the incident.
Taking necessary precautions to avoid an incident like McCarthy's trauma should be at the top of Bud Selig's to-do list. It hasn't been forgotten, but finding the right technology to withstand a blow as hard as the one McCarthy suffered is problematic.
McCarthy also said on the podcast that he's been in contact with the doctors who are trying to find a way to implement this new safety gear, and that the new headgear being worked on would be so effective that "if I got hit by the same exact ball, I would have been able to keep pitching in that game."
If this technology does get implemented by MLB, whether it's in 2014 or later, it would be a revolutionary leap forward. Concussions have been around as long as people have been banging their heads on things, but public knowledge on the subject didn't increase until a few years ago.
MLB recently agreed to change rules to avoid unnecessary collisions at home plate and keep both the catcher and runner healthy. The change still has to go through the Rules Committee, owners and players, but making it this far is a big deal.
Change is hard for some people to take.
There's going to be some resistance to preventing catchers from blocking the plate when it gets voted upon, even though it's one more way to ensure player health.
McCarthy also said that the new headgear "looks ridiculous." though he admitted most people feel that way about something new until they eventually get used to it.
However, even if the protective headwear looks insane, if it can prevent another significant injury like the one McCarthy suffered—and was still dealing with the effects of nearly 12 months later—the sport would be better for it.
No longer would pitchers have to be completely exposed after releasing a pitch. We all see on the follow-through that after the ball leaves the hand, a pitcher's head is ripe for the picking.
The new headgear, whatever it looks like, won't be a drastic change. Like McCarthy said, people just need to get accustomed to seeing it.
Having it as an option, rather than a mandate, does seem strange. If you want to build something that protects players, it has to be universal.
MLB has tried to find protective measures in the past, with no results to show for it. In 2012, the league tried to put extra padding into hats with hopes of reducing the chances for injury.
Unfortunately, after testing and careful examination, MLB decided against using the padding in caps because it didn't provide a noticeable difference in preventing injuries after intricate testing.
It doesn't do anyone any good to have extra protection, tell someone he doesn't have to use it and then have a pitcher not using it get hit in the head and suffer a significant trauma that plagues him the rest of his life.
It all goes back to this idea of change.
Human beings are creatures of habit—especially athletes. They settle into a daily routine that prepares them to pull off incredible physical feats the rest of us can only dream about.
Implementing a new rule that would alter, however slightly, what an athlete does to prepare for a game, or that changes the uniform, could throw his mechanics off. That sounds goofy when you first hear it, but think of what goes into being a pitcher. The key to being successful is repetition. Finding the right moment to move your legs back, move your body and arm forward, push toward the plate and release the ball is paramount.
Pitchers get used to a certain way of doing this and grow accustomed to the weight of everything on their bodies. Suppose this new headgear adds an additional two or three pounds of weight. That will require an adjustment in mechanics to compensate for the added weight.
However, protective headgear that could, in theory, have allowed McCarthy to finish a game after taking a liner off the side of his head would be a huge step forward in the battle against head injuries.
It won't be an easy adjustment, but sometimes you have to sacrifice some comfort in the name of safety.
How Pitchers Wearing Protective Headwear Would Impact MLB | Bleacher Report
Until now, it seems.
During an appearance on the podcast The Buzz (via Fox Sports' Jimmy Traina), Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Brandon McCarthy said it's possible pitchers will have the option to wear protective gear as soon as next season.
"From everything I know they'll be available this year," McCarthy said. "I don't believe they're going to be mandatory. Actually, I'm almost certain they won't be mandatory."
McCarthy is the ideal candidate to speak on the subject. Pitching in a game for the Oakland Athletics on September 5, 2012, the 30-year-old took a liner square to the head off the bat of Los Angeles Angels shortstop Erick Aybar.
That scary scene resulted in McCarthy suffering an epidural hemorrhage, brain contusion and skull fracture requiring surgery (via CBS Sports). He also suffered a seizure in June 2013, per USA Today, nearly one year after the incident.
Taking necessary precautions to avoid an incident like McCarthy's trauma should be at the top of Bud Selig's to-do list. It hasn't been forgotten, but finding the right technology to withstand a blow as hard as the one McCarthy suffered is problematic.
McCarthy also said on the podcast that he's been in contact with the doctors who are trying to find a way to implement this new safety gear, and that the new headgear being worked on would be so effective that "if I got hit by the same exact ball, I would have been able to keep pitching in that game."
If this technology does get implemented by MLB, whether it's in 2014 or later, it would be a revolutionary leap forward. Concussions have been around as long as people have been banging their heads on things, but public knowledge on the subject didn't increase until a few years ago.
MLB recently agreed to change rules to avoid unnecessary collisions at home plate and keep both the catcher and runner healthy. The change still has to go through the Rules Committee, owners and players, but making it this far is a big deal.
Change is hard for some people to take.
There's going to be some resistance to preventing catchers from blocking the plate when it gets voted upon, even though it's one more way to ensure player health.
McCarthy also said that the new headgear "looks ridiculous." though he admitted most people feel that way about something new until they eventually get used to it.
However, even if the protective headwear looks insane, if it can prevent another significant injury like the one McCarthy suffered—and was still dealing with the effects of nearly 12 months later—the sport would be better for it.
No longer would pitchers have to be completely exposed after releasing a pitch. We all see on the follow-through that after the ball leaves the hand, a pitcher's head is ripe for the picking.
The new headgear, whatever it looks like, won't be a drastic change. Like McCarthy said, people just need to get accustomed to seeing it.
Having it as an option, rather than a mandate, does seem strange. If you want to build something that protects players, it has to be universal.
MLB has tried to find protective measures in the past, with no results to show for it. In 2012, the league tried to put extra padding into hats with hopes of reducing the chances for injury.
Unfortunately, after testing and careful examination, MLB decided against using the padding in caps because it didn't provide a noticeable difference in preventing injuries after intricate testing.
It doesn't do anyone any good to have extra protection, tell someone he doesn't have to use it and then have a pitcher not using it get hit in the head and suffer a significant trauma that plagues him the rest of his life.
It all goes back to this idea of change.
Human beings are creatures of habit—especially athletes. They settle into a daily routine that prepares them to pull off incredible physical feats the rest of us can only dream about.
Implementing a new rule that would alter, however slightly, what an athlete does to prepare for a game, or that changes the uniform, could throw his mechanics off. That sounds goofy when you first hear it, but think of what goes into being a pitcher. The key to being successful is repetition. Finding the right moment to move your legs back, move your body and arm forward, push toward the plate and release the ball is paramount.
Pitchers get used to a certain way of doing this and grow accustomed to the weight of everything on their bodies. Suppose this new headgear adds an additional two or three pounds of weight. That will require an adjustment in mechanics to compensate for the added weight.
However, protective headgear that could, in theory, have allowed McCarthy to finish a game after taking a liner off the side of his head would be a huge step forward in the battle against head injuries.
It won't be an easy adjustment, but sometimes you have to sacrifice some comfort in the name of safety.
How Pitchers Wearing Protective Headwear Would Impact MLB | Bleacher Report
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In the long run, it's hard to know how the Texas Rangers' decision to dole out over a quarter of a billion dollars to Prince Fielder and Shin-Soo Choo will work out. In 2014, though, the team arguably boasts the best lineup in MLB.
What makes adding Choo such a shrewd move for the Rangers is that the 31-year-old is equally at home in both table-setting and table-clearing roles. In 2013, Choo posted a .423 on-base percentage, which was the fourth best in all of baseball. He also clubbed 21 home runs, stole 20 bases and produced a .462 slugging percentage.
That means Rangers manager Ron Washington can plug Choo into the leadoff spot or drop him into a run-producing role. Here's what the Rangers lineup projects to be with Choo leading off:
Shin-Soo Choo, LF
Elvis Andrus, SS
Prince Fielder, 1B
Adrian Beltre, 3B
Alex Rios, RF
Mitch Moreland, DH
Geovany Soto, C
Leonys Martin, CF
Jurickson Profar, 2B
The other option would be to utilize Martin in the leadoff role and push Choo further down the lineup:
Martin
Andrus
Choo
Fielder
Beltre
Rios
Moreland
Soto
Profar
As Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports remarks, "My goodness is the Rangers' potential lineup scary." But is it necessarily the best in all of baseball?
In 2013, the Boston Red Sox could stake a claim to that honor. The World Series champions posted a .795 OPS as a team, which was No. 1 in all of baseball. While the Red Sox retained a major run-producer in Mike Napoli, they lost a big run-provider in Jacoby Ellsbury. In 2013, Ellsbury scored a team-leading 92 runs while posting a .355 OBP and swiping 52 bases in 56 attempts.
In 2013, the Detroit Tigers also had one of the best lineups in MLB. The club's collective .780 OPS was second only to the Red Sox. Like Boston, though, the Tigers have also suffered a major defection this offseason. The club managed to get out from under Fielder's massive contract, but his production will be heading out of town.
Miguel Cabrera will step in for Fielder at first base, and top prospect Nick Castellanos will take over at third base. According to Jonathan Mayo of MLB-com, Castellanos is the 11th-best prospect in the minor leagues. Still, to expect a player who posted a .793 OPS in Triple-A last year to produce at Fielder's level is a serious reach.
It's also worth noting that the Tigers haven't necessarily improved at second base, either. Check out how Omar Infante's stats from 2013 compare to Ian Kinsler's:
Infante: .318/.345/.450, 10 home runs
Kinsler: .277/.344/.413, 13 home runs
The Tigers clearly added some major payroll flexibility this offseason but at the cost of weakening the lineup in 2014.
The Rangers, meanwhile, have followed the exact opposite approach. The team opened itself up to some serious exposure by taking on seven-year contracts for both Fielder and Choo. By around 2017, neither one of those deals is likely to be terribly favorable for the Rangers.
In 2014, though, Texas will have the most dangerous lineup in baseball.
Does Shin-Soo Choo Give Texas Rangers Best Lineup in MLB? | Bleacher Report
What makes adding Choo such a shrewd move for the Rangers is that the 31-year-old is equally at home in both table-setting and table-clearing roles. In 2013, Choo posted a .423 on-base percentage, which was the fourth best in all of baseball. He also clubbed 21 home runs, stole 20 bases and produced a .462 slugging percentage.
That means Rangers manager Ron Washington can plug Choo into the leadoff spot or drop him into a run-producing role. Here's what the Rangers lineup projects to be with Choo leading off:
Shin-Soo Choo, LF
Elvis Andrus, SS
Prince Fielder, 1B
Adrian Beltre, 3B
Alex Rios, RF
Mitch Moreland, DH
Geovany Soto, C
Leonys Martin, CF
Jurickson Profar, 2B
The other option would be to utilize Martin in the leadoff role and push Choo further down the lineup:
Martin
Andrus
Choo
Fielder
Beltre
Rios
Moreland
Soto
Profar
As Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports remarks, "My goodness is the Rangers' potential lineup scary." But is it necessarily the best in all of baseball?
In 2013, the Boston Red Sox could stake a claim to that honor. The World Series champions posted a .795 OPS as a team, which was No. 1 in all of baseball. While the Red Sox retained a major run-producer in Mike Napoli, they lost a big run-provider in Jacoby Ellsbury. In 2013, Ellsbury scored a team-leading 92 runs while posting a .355 OBP and swiping 52 bases in 56 attempts.
In 2013, the Detroit Tigers also had one of the best lineups in MLB. The club's collective .780 OPS was second only to the Red Sox. Like Boston, though, the Tigers have also suffered a major defection this offseason. The club managed to get out from under Fielder's massive contract, but his production will be heading out of town.
Miguel Cabrera will step in for Fielder at first base, and top prospect Nick Castellanos will take over at third base. According to Jonathan Mayo of MLB-com, Castellanos is the 11th-best prospect in the minor leagues. Still, to expect a player who posted a .793 OPS in Triple-A last year to produce at Fielder's level is a serious reach.
It's also worth noting that the Tigers haven't necessarily improved at second base, either. Check out how Omar Infante's stats from 2013 compare to Ian Kinsler's:
Infante: .318/.345/.450, 10 home runs
Kinsler: .277/.344/.413, 13 home runs
The Tigers clearly added some major payroll flexibility this offseason but at the cost of weakening the lineup in 2014.
The Rangers, meanwhile, have followed the exact opposite approach. The team opened itself up to some serious exposure by taking on seven-year contracts for both Fielder and Choo. By around 2017, neither one of those deals is likely to be terribly favorable for the Rangers.
In 2014, though, Texas will have the most dangerous lineup in baseball.
Does Shin-Soo Choo Give Texas Rangers Best Lineup in MLB? | Bleacher Report
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The Texas Rangers rolled the dice in a big way over the weekend, agreeing to a contract with the best hitter left in free agency, outfielder Shin-Soo Choo. At $130 million over seven years, Choo could hardly be classified as a bargain and along with the addition of Prince Fielder's gargantuan contract, the Rangers have left little doubt that they've thrown caution to the wind.
Everyone agrees that Choo is a good player and an excellent addition for any contending team right now, but just how much will the Rangers regret the signing by decade's end? If history is any guide, quite a lot.
All-Star, not a superstar
The initial problem with Choo's contract is that while he's very likely to be a big help to the 2014 Rangers, he's not really a superstar. When signing a player to a megacontract, you tend to need a great deal up front as compensation for the back end of the deal. For example, when looking at Seattle's signing of Robinson Cano, while Cano may not be worth his salary in the final years of the deal, that's balanced by the odds that he's actually likely to be underpaid for his production in the early stages of the contract.
Texas Rangers will regret Shin-Soo Choo contract - MLB - ESPN
Everyone agrees that Choo is a good player and an excellent addition for any contending team right now, but just how much will the Rangers regret the signing by decade's end? If history is any guide, quite a lot.
All-Star, not a superstar
The initial problem with Choo's contract is that while he's very likely to be a big help to the 2014 Rangers, he's not really a superstar. When signing a player to a megacontract, you tend to need a great deal up front as compensation for the back end of the deal. For example, when looking at Seattle's signing of Robinson Cano, while Cano may not be worth his salary in the final years of the deal, that's balanced by the odds that he's actually likely to be underpaid for his production in the early stages of the contract.
Texas Rangers will regret Shin-Soo Choo contract - MLB - ESPN
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Every year, a handful of players across Major League Baseball emerge from relative obscurity to become key contributors for their respective teams and household names to baseball fans across the country.
The breakout performance of guys like Chris Davis and Matt Harvey stole the headlines, but those two were relatively well-known around the league heading into the 2013 season.
On the other hand, the likes of Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Jean Segura, Oakland A's third baseman Josh Donaldson, Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Patrick Corbin and Seattle Mariners right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma were all relatively unknown leaguewide heading into the year and emerged as stars.
So who could step up this season and announce themselves to the baseball world? Here is a look at five guys who may not be known to everyday baseball fans outside of their home cities but could see that change in 2014.
Pictures: Unknown MLB Players Who Will Have Breakthrough Years in 2014 | Bleacher Report
The breakout performance of guys like Chris Davis and Matt Harvey stole the headlines, but those two were relatively well-known around the league heading into the 2013 season.
On the other hand, the likes of Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Jean Segura, Oakland A's third baseman Josh Donaldson, Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Patrick Corbin and Seattle Mariners right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma were all relatively unknown leaguewide heading into the year and emerged as stars.
So who could step up this season and announce themselves to the baseball world? Here is a look at five guys who may not be known to everyday baseball fans outside of their home cities but could see that change in 2014.
Pictures: Unknown MLB Players Who Will Have Breakthrough Years in 2014 | Bleacher Report
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Paul Blair, an outfielder for the Orioles, Yankees and Reds who played on four World Series championship teams, died Thursday at 69, according to the Baltimore Sun.
Reports said Blair collapsed while bowling in Pikesville, Md. Blair was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, a hospital supervisor confirmed to the Sun.
Blair was a part of the Orioles' championship teams of 1966 and 1970 and was a part of the Yankees' World Series championship teams of 1977 and 1978. He played in two other World Series with the Orioles (1969 and 1971).
Blair won eight Gold Glove awards, the second-most in Orioles history after Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson, whom he played with on both championship teams.
Al Bumbry was a teammate with Blair during Bumbry's first four seasons in the majors, taking over in center field in 1977.
"I learned a lot watching him and talking to him about playing center field," Bumbry told MASN. "I was smart enough to realize the guy won a lot of Gold Gloves. He must know something."
Blair was known for his defensive prowess, but he also homered to win Game 3 of the 1966 Series and batted a team-high .474 in the 1970 Series when Baltimore beat the Reds in five games.
He played 12 years for the Orioles before stints with the Yankees and Reds.
In 17 seasons in the majors, he hit .250 with 134 home runs, 620 RBIs and 171 stolen bases. In addition to the six World Series, Blair was a two-time All-Star.
Former World Series hero Paul Blair dies at 69 | MLB-com: News
Reports said Blair collapsed while bowling in Pikesville, Md. Blair was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, a hospital supervisor confirmed to the Sun.
Blair was a part of the Orioles' championship teams of 1966 and 1970 and was a part of the Yankees' World Series championship teams of 1977 and 1978. He played in two other World Series with the Orioles (1969 and 1971).
Blair won eight Gold Glove awards, the second-most in Orioles history after Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson, whom he played with on both championship teams.
Al Bumbry was a teammate with Blair during Bumbry's first four seasons in the majors, taking over in center field in 1977.
"I learned a lot watching him and talking to him about playing center field," Bumbry told MASN. "I was smart enough to realize the guy won a lot of Gold Gloves. He must know something."
Blair was known for his defensive prowess, but he also homered to win Game 3 of the 1966 Series and batted a team-high .474 in the 1970 Series when Baltimore beat the Reds in five games.
He played 12 years for the Orioles before stints with the Yankees and Reds.
In 17 seasons in the majors, he hit .250 with 134 home runs, 620 RBIs and 171 stolen bases. In addition to the six World Series, Blair was a two-time All-Star.
Former World Series hero Paul Blair dies at 69 | MLB-com: News
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Major League Baseball may take a step back from its e-commerce operation in order to boost profits, The Post has learned.
Under consideration is a move to completely outsource its MLB-com shop, sources said.
MLB currently operates the e-commerce sites for all 30 teams — including inventory and pricing — and uses a third party, Fanatics Inc., to ship the jerseys, caps and other items sold on the sites.
But baseball brass are weighing a move to have Fanatics largely run the operation, three sources close to the situation said.
If it outsourced the operation to Fanatics, MLB would be relieved of inventory and pricing headaches — while gaining access to a fatter profit stream from MLB sales on the Fanatics site.
“Right now, MLB makes no money from baseball-related sales by Fanatics,” a source said.
Both MLB and Fanatics buy the same jerseys and sell them on their sites.
The hope is that the added revenue from a new contract signed with Fanatics, if that’s the path chosen by MLB, would more than offset the profit margins of as much as 20 percent it gets from the $100 million a year it rings up now by running MLB-com itself, sources added.
MLB has run its e-commerce site since 2001.
Fanatics currently operates the e-commerce businesses for the NFL, the NBA and the NHL.
The MLB’s possible move shows the increased power e-commerce retailers presently wield when competing with league sites.
“Fanatics takes a New York sports fan and, while selling them a football jersey, has the ability to cross-sell them a baseball jersey,” a source noted.
That’s an advantage a single league doesn’t have.
In June, Fanatics completed a $170 million funding round giving it a $3.1 billion valuation.
Backers of the sports merchandise retailer include Andreessen Horowitz, Insight Venture Partners and Alibaba Group.
However while MLB has decided its current e-commerce set-up is no longer feasible, it has not yet decided what changes are best, sources said.
One option for MLB is to keep running its site while choosing a new shipper, sources said.
MLB is speaking to Demandware, which does not compete with them, about replacing Fanatics, a source said.
Fanatics could be a thorn in MLB’s side by competing with its partner on price.
“Fanatics has undercut prices being a loss leader,” a source said. A tour of the Fanatics and MLB-com sites does show several items priced lower on Fanatics.
Both MLB-com and Fanatics declined comment.
MLB may farm out online merchandise sales | New York Post
Under consideration is a move to completely outsource its MLB-com shop, sources said.
MLB currently operates the e-commerce sites for all 30 teams — including inventory and pricing — and uses a third party, Fanatics Inc., to ship the jerseys, caps and other items sold on the sites.
But baseball brass are weighing a move to have Fanatics largely run the operation, three sources close to the situation said.
If it outsourced the operation to Fanatics, MLB would be relieved of inventory and pricing headaches — while gaining access to a fatter profit stream from MLB sales on the Fanatics site.
“Right now, MLB makes no money from baseball-related sales by Fanatics,” a source said.
Both MLB and Fanatics buy the same jerseys and sell them on their sites.
The hope is that the added revenue from a new contract signed with Fanatics, if that’s the path chosen by MLB, would more than offset the profit margins of as much as 20 percent it gets from the $100 million a year it rings up now by running MLB-com itself, sources added.
MLB has run its e-commerce site since 2001.
Fanatics currently operates the e-commerce businesses for the NFL, the NBA and the NHL.
The MLB’s possible move shows the increased power e-commerce retailers presently wield when competing with league sites.
“Fanatics takes a New York sports fan and, while selling them a football jersey, has the ability to cross-sell them a baseball jersey,” a source noted.
That’s an advantage a single league doesn’t have.
In June, Fanatics completed a $170 million funding round giving it a $3.1 billion valuation.
Backers of the sports merchandise retailer include Andreessen Horowitz, Insight Venture Partners and Alibaba Group.
However while MLB has decided its current e-commerce set-up is no longer feasible, it has not yet decided what changes are best, sources said.
One option for MLB is to keep running its site while choosing a new shipper, sources said.
MLB is speaking to Demandware, which does not compete with them, about replacing Fanatics, a source said.
Fanatics could be a thorn in MLB’s side by competing with its partner on price.
“Fanatics has undercut prices being a loss leader,” a source said. A tour of the Fanatics and MLB-com sites does show several items priced lower on Fanatics.
Both MLB-com and Fanatics declined comment.
MLB may farm out online merchandise sales | New York Post
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Now Masahiro Tanaka is the latest Roy Hobbs wannabe. Actually, if you go by his otherworldly credentials as a pitcher in Japan, the man they call Ma-kun is sprinkled with more pixie dust than that. He is the combination of Joe Hardy, T-Rex Pennebaker, Steve Nebraska, Bobby Rayburn, Stan Ross and Chet "Rocket" Steadman -- at least when it comes to what baseball fans expect of a super hero in cleats between the foul lines.
Those were fictional characters, but there have been a slew of real ones who either have sizzled or fizzled with their bigger-than-life tags.
Remember Sixto Lezcano? Didn't think so.
How about Joe Charboneau, David Clyde, Wily Mo Pena, Mike Ivie and Willie Mays Aikens? They joined Lezcano and others by falling a little shy of greatness despite celebrated entries into the Major Leagues. Then there were others who were mighty teases. Kerry Wood punctuated his rookie season as a 20-year-old by striking out 20 Houston hitters during a one-hit shutout. Jeff Francoeur impressed so much with his bat that he made the cover of Sports Illustrated after only a few months in the Major Leagues.
You know the rest. Wood and Francoeur quickly fizzled, but things have been better for the Nationals' dynamic duo of Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper, who have matched their hype with action. Whether Yasiel Puig does the same during his second season with the Dodgers after his brilliance following his arrival in the middle of last season, who knows?
So here we go again. Tanaka is just the latest baseball player to become bigger than life despite not throwing a single pitch in the Major Leagues.
The hype continues, though, and this is mostly good. For one, the rising mania surrounding Tanaka on this side of the Pacific Ocean adds to baseball's reputation as a haven for those who dare to dream. Courtesy of our national pastime, anything is possible, ranging from sunshine bursting through every cloud to a World Series title for the Cubs sitting just another October away.
There also is this -- Tanaka is worth every syllable of his hype, because his brilliant right arm says so. He was 24-0 last season with a 1.27 ERA. Not bad, and the same goes for his lifetime numbers. After seven seasons in NPB, he has a 99-35 record overall and a 2.30 ERA. And, yes, he was throwing for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles instead of the Yankees, but we're talking about a 25-year-old who has yet to peak, and Major League scouts say he has the control of a Greg Maddux and the power of a Nolan Ryan.
I'd take him. So will the Yankees, the Cubs, the Dodgers, the Red Sox, the Rangers, the Diamondbacks and the Mariners.
That's just for starters.
All 30 teams will have a chance to sign Tanaka before Jan. 24, and I believe nearly all 30 teams will try, and he won't come cheaply. Not only will his Major League salary approach the total payroll of some teams, there is that matter of a posting fee. Whoever lands Tanaka will have to pay $20 million to Rakuten since he remains under contract with the Japanese team. It could be worse financially for Tanaka's future MLB team. Prior to an agreement two weeks ago between MLB and NBP, there wasn't a cap on posting fees. In fact, the Rangers paid more than $50 million two years ago for the posting fee of pitcher Yu Darvish -- and then the Rangers negotiated Darvish's salary, which is worth nearly $60 million.
Speaking of Darvish, he also was a star pitcher in Japan for seven seasons, but only for the Nippon Ham Fighters. He was high on strikeouts, but he was low on walks on his way to a career ERA of 1.99. If you haven't guessed by now, he was Tanaka before Tanaka. That applies on the mound and at the negotiating table. After Darvish and his handlers announced two years ago he would take his skills to the highest Major League bidder, he became the top bigger-than-life player of that time.
How did things turn out?
You decide. During Darvish's two seasons with the Rangers, he hasn't missed a trip to the All-Star Game. If he isn't the AL's best pitcher with a fastball that approaches nearly 100 mph that rarely misses its target, he is in the top three. He led baseball in strikeouts last year with 277 in 209 innings, and he was an out shy of a perfect game. To translate -- his stretch as Japan's best pitcher along the way to shining at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2009 World Baseball Classic foreshadowed things to come in the Major Leagues.
So it sort of matters that Tanaka is a two-time winner of the Sawamura Award, which is Japan's equivalent to the Cy Young Award. He was also named Most Valuable Player of the Pacific League. In addition, he added to his legend by marrying Japanese pop star Mai Satoda.
Roy Hobbs never married a pop star.
Does that mean Tanaka is better than Hobbs?
We shall see.
Masahiro Tanaka looks to live up to hype in big leagues | MLB-com: News
Those were fictional characters, but there have been a slew of real ones who either have sizzled or fizzled with their bigger-than-life tags.
Remember Sixto Lezcano? Didn't think so.
How about Joe Charboneau, David Clyde, Wily Mo Pena, Mike Ivie and Willie Mays Aikens? They joined Lezcano and others by falling a little shy of greatness despite celebrated entries into the Major Leagues. Then there were others who were mighty teases. Kerry Wood punctuated his rookie season as a 20-year-old by striking out 20 Houston hitters during a one-hit shutout. Jeff Francoeur impressed so much with his bat that he made the cover of Sports Illustrated after only a few months in the Major Leagues.
You know the rest. Wood and Francoeur quickly fizzled, but things have been better for the Nationals' dynamic duo of Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper, who have matched their hype with action. Whether Yasiel Puig does the same during his second season with the Dodgers after his brilliance following his arrival in the middle of last season, who knows?
So here we go again. Tanaka is just the latest baseball player to become bigger than life despite not throwing a single pitch in the Major Leagues.
The hype continues, though, and this is mostly good. For one, the rising mania surrounding Tanaka on this side of the Pacific Ocean adds to baseball's reputation as a haven for those who dare to dream. Courtesy of our national pastime, anything is possible, ranging from sunshine bursting through every cloud to a World Series title for the Cubs sitting just another October away.
There also is this -- Tanaka is worth every syllable of his hype, because his brilliant right arm says so. He was 24-0 last season with a 1.27 ERA. Not bad, and the same goes for his lifetime numbers. After seven seasons in NPB, he has a 99-35 record overall and a 2.30 ERA. And, yes, he was throwing for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles instead of the Yankees, but we're talking about a 25-year-old who has yet to peak, and Major League scouts say he has the control of a Greg Maddux and the power of a Nolan Ryan.
I'd take him. So will the Yankees, the Cubs, the Dodgers, the Red Sox, the Rangers, the Diamondbacks and the Mariners.
That's just for starters.
All 30 teams will have a chance to sign Tanaka before Jan. 24, and I believe nearly all 30 teams will try, and he won't come cheaply. Not only will his Major League salary approach the total payroll of some teams, there is that matter of a posting fee. Whoever lands Tanaka will have to pay $20 million to Rakuten since he remains under contract with the Japanese team. It could be worse financially for Tanaka's future MLB team. Prior to an agreement two weeks ago between MLB and NBP, there wasn't a cap on posting fees. In fact, the Rangers paid more than $50 million two years ago for the posting fee of pitcher Yu Darvish -- and then the Rangers negotiated Darvish's salary, which is worth nearly $60 million.
Speaking of Darvish, he also was a star pitcher in Japan for seven seasons, but only for the Nippon Ham Fighters. He was high on strikeouts, but he was low on walks on his way to a career ERA of 1.99. If you haven't guessed by now, he was Tanaka before Tanaka. That applies on the mound and at the negotiating table. After Darvish and his handlers announced two years ago he would take his skills to the highest Major League bidder, he became the top bigger-than-life player of that time.
How did things turn out?
You decide. During Darvish's two seasons with the Rangers, he hasn't missed a trip to the All-Star Game. If he isn't the AL's best pitcher with a fastball that approaches nearly 100 mph that rarely misses its target, he is in the top three. He led baseball in strikeouts last year with 277 in 209 innings, and he was an out shy of a perfect game. To translate -- his stretch as Japan's best pitcher along the way to shining at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2009 World Baseball Classic foreshadowed things to come in the Major Leagues.
So it sort of matters that Tanaka is a two-time winner of the Sawamura Award, which is Japan's equivalent to the Cy Young Award. He was also named Most Valuable Player of the Pacific League. In addition, he added to his legend by marrying Japanese pop star Mai Satoda.
Roy Hobbs never married a pop star.
Does that mean Tanaka is better than Hobbs?
We shall see.
Masahiro Tanaka looks to live up to hype in big leagues | MLB-com: News
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Venezuelan Winter League
Aragua 7, La Guaira 6
Juan Infante led the way for Aragua in the win, going 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Wilson Ramos went 3-for-5 with two doubles. Carlos Hernandez got his third win, while Junior Guerra took his second loss of the season.
Margarita 8, Zulia 5 (7 innings)
Behind a six-run second inning, Margarita took a commanding lead and never looked back. Wilmer Flores went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs, and Breyvic Valera went 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Cesar Valdez took the loss, while Carlos Monasterios got the win.
Zulia 8, Margarita 1 (7 innings)
A five-run first inning helped Zulia cruise to victory over Margarita. Ernesto Mejia went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs. Ender Inciarte and Hernan Perez had two hits for Zulia. Miguel Sulbaran got the win, while Omar Bencomo took the loss.
Lara 11, Caribes 3
Lara's bats were on fire Sunday, as the team belted out 15 hits in the win. The biggest inning was the fifth, when the team scored five runs. Robert Perez had four hits and Ericson Leonora went 3-for-5 with a double, home run and five RBIs.
Mexican Pacific League
Los Mochis 6, Culiacan 2
The bottom of Los Mochis' order did most of the damage Sunday, combining to go 3-for-11 with four RBIs. Salvador Valdez took his first loss of the season, allowing four runs on three hits in two innings. Marco Quevedo got his third win, allowing two hits in five innings.
Mexicali 8, Guasave 1
Mexicali was no match for Guasave on Sunday, belting out 10 hits and scoring eight runs in the contest. Four Mexicali players had two hits. Russell Branyan hit a grand slam in the third inning, marking his 11th home run of the season.
Navojoa 5, Obregon 4 (10 innings)
In this back-and-forth battle, it was Navojoa who came out on top with a run in the top of the 10th inning. That important run came on a solo home run by John Lindsey, his fifth of the season. Jonathan Arias took the loss, while Jose Manuel Lopez got the win.
Hermosillo 5, Mazatlan 1
Mazatlan's bats were held nearly silent in Sunday's contest against Hermosillo. Hector Galvan got the win, allowing one run on three hits in four innings. Fernando Villalobos took his third loss of the season, allowing four runs on three hits in 12/3 innings.
Dominican Winter League
Aguilas 7, Escogido 5
Scoring early and often against Escogido, Aguilas got the win. Plating runs in four innings, the team was led by Francisco Pena, who went 3-for-5 with two doubles and two RBIs. Edward Paredes got the win, while Carlos Perez took the loss.
Licey 2, Gigantes 0
While the two clubs managed to scatter 15 hits in the game, only Licey was able to plate runs and came away with the victory. Esmil Rogers got his first win, while Zach Kroenke took the loss, allowing two runs on six hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Puerto Rican League
Carolina 4, Santurce 3
Behind a three-run fourth inning, Carolina was able to come away with the victory over Santurce. Jesus Feliciano went 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI, and Ruben Gotay went 2-for-4 with a solo home run. David Kopp got the win, while Eric Niesen took the loss.
Ponce 4, Mayaguez 2
Ponce started the game strong against Mayaguez, scoring three runs in the first inning. The team then tacked on another run in the sixth to get a little breathing room. Jonathan Albaladejo took his fifth loss, while Joel Pineiro got his second win.
Winter League roundup: Aragua wins behind big bats | MLB-com: News
Aragua 7, La Guaira 6
Juan Infante led the way for Aragua in the win, going 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Wilson Ramos went 3-for-5 with two doubles. Carlos Hernandez got his third win, while Junior Guerra took his second loss of the season.
Margarita 8, Zulia 5 (7 innings)
Behind a six-run second inning, Margarita took a commanding lead and never looked back. Wilmer Flores went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs, and Breyvic Valera went 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Cesar Valdez took the loss, while Carlos Monasterios got the win.
Zulia 8, Margarita 1 (7 innings)
A five-run first inning helped Zulia cruise to victory over Margarita. Ernesto Mejia went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs. Ender Inciarte and Hernan Perez had two hits for Zulia. Miguel Sulbaran got the win, while Omar Bencomo took the loss.
Lara 11, Caribes 3
Lara's bats were on fire Sunday, as the team belted out 15 hits in the win. The biggest inning was the fifth, when the team scored five runs. Robert Perez had four hits and Ericson Leonora went 3-for-5 with a double, home run and five RBIs.
Mexican Pacific League
Los Mochis 6, Culiacan 2
The bottom of Los Mochis' order did most of the damage Sunday, combining to go 3-for-11 with four RBIs. Salvador Valdez took his first loss of the season, allowing four runs on three hits in two innings. Marco Quevedo got his third win, allowing two hits in five innings.
Mexicali 8, Guasave 1
Mexicali was no match for Guasave on Sunday, belting out 10 hits and scoring eight runs in the contest. Four Mexicali players had two hits. Russell Branyan hit a grand slam in the third inning, marking his 11th home run of the season.
Navojoa 5, Obregon 4 (10 innings)
In this back-and-forth battle, it was Navojoa who came out on top with a run in the top of the 10th inning. That important run came on a solo home run by John Lindsey, his fifth of the season. Jonathan Arias took the loss, while Jose Manuel Lopez got the win.
Hermosillo 5, Mazatlan 1
Mazatlan's bats were held nearly silent in Sunday's contest against Hermosillo. Hector Galvan got the win, allowing one run on three hits in four innings. Fernando Villalobos took his third loss of the season, allowing four runs on three hits in 12/3 innings.
Dominican Winter League
Aguilas 7, Escogido 5
Scoring early and often against Escogido, Aguilas got the win. Plating runs in four innings, the team was led by Francisco Pena, who went 3-for-5 with two doubles and two RBIs. Edward Paredes got the win, while Carlos Perez took the loss.
Licey 2, Gigantes 0
While the two clubs managed to scatter 15 hits in the game, only Licey was able to plate runs and came away with the victory. Esmil Rogers got his first win, while Zach Kroenke took the loss, allowing two runs on six hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Puerto Rican League
Carolina 4, Santurce 3
Behind a three-run fourth inning, Carolina was able to come away with the victory over Santurce. Jesus Feliciano went 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI, and Ruben Gotay went 2-for-4 with a solo home run. David Kopp got the win, while Eric Niesen took the loss.
Ponce 4, Mayaguez 2
Ponce started the game strong against Mayaguez, scoring three runs in the first inning. The team then tacked on another run in the sixth to get a little breathing room. Jonathan Albaladejo took his fifth loss, while Joel Pineiro got his second win.
Winter League roundup: Aragua wins behind big bats | MLB-com: News
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As 2013 comes to a close, the 30 Major League Baseball teams have largely created their 2014 rosters. It's a time for reflection, for trying to figure out how to do things better in the New Year. They may not be looking to do what you are, like lose 20 pounds, or finally finish that treehouse, but hopefully, they are introspective enough to take these suggested New Year's resolutions to heart.
National League East
Atlanta Braves: You clearly have commitment issues. You're moving out of Turner Field less than 20 years after it was built. And this isn't the first time you've done this, either: remember how you got to Atlanta, 13 years after bolting Milwaukee, where you moved from Boston. Resolve to stop trying to run from your problems.
Miami Marlins: You just signed Jarrod Saltalamacchia to a three-year deal. Just for kicks, see if you can go a whole year without trading him.
New York Mets: 2014 resolutions still being run past ownership's creditors.
Philadelphia Phillies: You have 12 commitments for 2014 of at least $900,000. All 12 are to players 30 or older, and 10 of the 12 are to players 33 or older. In the New Year, try to internalize the 1960s motto, "Never trust anyone over 30."
Washington Nationals: Please, I'm begging you, Nationals, if Bryce Harper might be hurt, please give him time off. Resolve not to let him dictate when to return to the lineup. Be cautious with him, so we don't all have to live through another Pete Reiser.
National League Central
Chicago Cubs: I mean, it's the same one as they've had every New Years Day since 1909, when the resolution was to repeat as World Series champions.
Cincinnati Reds: Make sure none of your players acts in an unprofessional manner toward a talented, respected reporter.
Milwaukee Brewers: Take a closer look at how first basemen are supposed to hit, and then reconsider whatever plan led you to start Yuniesky Betancourt at first base last year, and to consider Michael Young there this year.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Think about how much better Francisco Liriano, Mark Melancon, A.J. Burnett and others have been than you had any right to expect, resolve to give pitching coach Ray Searage a raise.
St. Louis Cardinals: Do everything in your power to make Carlos Martinez, who is as exciting to watch as any hurler in the game, a part of your starting rotation.
National League West
Arizona Diamondbacks: Try to make amends to Mark Trumbo, a perfectly competent first baseman, for bringing him to a team where he'll either have to play the outfield, or back up Paul Goldschmidt.
Colorado Rockies: You're trading Dexter Fowler, but you're adding Brett Anderson. You're signing Justin Morneau, who is years removed from hitting like a regular, and Boone Logan, a solid lefty out of the pen for a contender, for $16.5 million over three years. 2014 resolution? Resolve to decide whether you're coming or going.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Reconsider your decision to dial back all the spending. The Yankees are coming in on a strict budget, and baseball needs a C. Montgomery Burns. I want money baths on the mound pregame. I'm looking for Yasiel Puig to homer, watch his ball leave the yard, and do it while burning a $100 bill in the batters' box. Embrace your inner antagonist.
San Diego Padres: Let Kyle Blanks play, every day, somewhere. He's entirely too talented, and you will regret trading him.
San Francisco Giants: Get Hunter Pence a television show. Skits, interviews, I don't care.
American League East
Baltimore Orioles: Make sure if you say a guy's injured, he's actually injured when you elect not to sign him.
Boston Red Sox: Consider increasing the degree of difficulty for every Quintin Berry stolen base attempt-- bases already loaded, David Ortiz ahead of him, the field is on fire--so we can find out just how impossible it truly is to throw him out.
New York Yankees: Try and remember: nobody cares if your owners save a bunch of money by getting under the $189 million luxury tax in 2014 but you. Resolve to stop talking about it already.
Tampa Bay Rays: Make it a year with more Wil Myers, less Josh Lueke.
Toronto Blue Jays: Treasure the chance to watch Jose Reyes play every day.
American League Central
Chicago White Sox: Focus your energy on saying goodbye to Paul Konerko, back for one more year, and saying hello to his replacement, Jose Abreu.
Cleveland Indians: Just a thought: if you're committed to Yan Gomes at catcher, consider trading Carlos Santana for a third baseman, rather than making him play third base to get into the lineup.
Detroit Tigers: Spend 2014 reflecting on how you allowed the Nationals to steal Doug Fister, and how to make sure that doesn't happen again.
Kansas City Royals: Prepare for the possibility that Danny Valencia (29 years old, career 94 OPS+), who you just acquired for depth, will outhit Omar Infante (Turn 32 years old on 12/26, career 93 OPS+), who you just signed to a four-year deal to start at second base.
Minnesota Twins: Resolve to use the careful, thoughtful way you handled Joe Mauer's concussion and transition to first base as a model for your future planning on concussions. But maybe stop spending so much money on pitchers with 5+ ERAs last year.
American League West
Houston Astros: Decide to start showing games from your minor league affiliates on the scoreboard during your major league games.
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: Spend every waking moment figuring out how to sign Mike Trout for the rest of his natural life.
Oakland Athletics: Prepare for a host of national attention coming your way every time Sonny Gray pitches.
Seattle Mariners: Revise whichever plan led to 1. Robinson Cano! 2. 😟?? 3. Profit😡!!
Texas Rangers: Try not to forget that you're getting to watch a Hall of Fame third baseman in Adrian Beltre every single day.
[url=www-sportsonearth-com/article/66196772/]We made New Year's resolutions for all 30 ML
National League East
Atlanta Braves: You clearly have commitment issues. You're moving out of Turner Field less than 20 years after it was built. And this isn't the first time you've done this, either: remember how you got to Atlanta, 13 years after bolting Milwaukee, where you moved from Boston. Resolve to stop trying to run from your problems.
Miami Marlins: You just signed Jarrod Saltalamacchia to a three-year deal. Just for kicks, see if you can go a whole year without trading him.
New York Mets: 2014 resolutions still being run past ownership's creditors.
Philadelphia Phillies: You have 12 commitments for 2014 of at least $900,000. All 12 are to players 30 or older, and 10 of the 12 are to players 33 or older. In the New Year, try to internalize the 1960s motto, "Never trust anyone over 30."
Washington Nationals: Please, I'm begging you, Nationals, if Bryce Harper might be hurt, please give him time off. Resolve not to let him dictate when to return to the lineup. Be cautious with him, so we don't all have to live through another Pete Reiser.
National League Central
Chicago Cubs: I mean, it's the same one as they've had every New Years Day since 1909, when the resolution was to repeat as World Series champions.
Cincinnati Reds: Make sure none of your players acts in an unprofessional manner toward a talented, respected reporter.
Milwaukee Brewers: Take a closer look at how first basemen are supposed to hit, and then reconsider whatever plan led you to start Yuniesky Betancourt at first base last year, and to consider Michael Young there this year.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Think about how much better Francisco Liriano, Mark Melancon, A.J. Burnett and others have been than you had any right to expect, resolve to give pitching coach Ray Searage a raise.
St. Louis Cardinals: Do everything in your power to make Carlos Martinez, who is as exciting to watch as any hurler in the game, a part of your starting rotation.
National League West
Arizona Diamondbacks: Try to make amends to Mark Trumbo, a perfectly competent first baseman, for bringing him to a team where he'll either have to play the outfield, or back up Paul Goldschmidt.
Colorado Rockies: You're trading Dexter Fowler, but you're adding Brett Anderson. You're signing Justin Morneau, who is years removed from hitting like a regular, and Boone Logan, a solid lefty out of the pen for a contender, for $16.5 million over three years. 2014 resolution? Resolve to decide whether you're coming or going.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Reconsider your decision to dial back all the spending. The Yankees are coming in on a strict budget, and baseball needs a C. Montgomery Burns. I want money baths on the mound pregame. I'm looking for Yasiel Puig to homer, watch his ball leave the yard, and do it while burning a $100 bill in the batters' box. Embrace your inner antagonist.
San Diego Padres: Let Kyle Blanks play, every day, somewhere. He's entirely too talented, and you will regret trading him.
San Francisco Giants: Get Hunter Pence a television show. Skits, interviews, I don't care.
American League East
Baltimore Orioles: Make sure if you say a guy's injured, he's actually injured when you elect not to sign him.
Boston Red Sox: Consider increasing the degree of difficulty for every Quintin Berry stolen base attempt-- bases already loaded, David Ortiz ahead of him, the field is on fire--so we can find out just how impossible it truly is to throw him out.
New York Yankees: Try and remember: nobody cares if your owners save a bunch of money by getting under the $189 million luxury tax in 2014 but you. Resolve to stop talking about it already.
Tampa Bay Rays: Make it a year with more Wil Myers, less Josh Lueke.
Toronto Blue Jays: Treasure the chance to watch Jose Reyes play every day.
American League Central
Chicago White Sox: Focus your energy on saying goodbye to Paul Konerko, back for one more year, and saying hello to his replacement, Jose Abreu.
Cleveland Indians: Just a thought: if you're committed to Yan Gomes at catcher, consider trading Carlos Santana for a third baseman, rather than making him play third base to get into the lineup.
Detroit Tigers: Spend 2014 reflecting on how you allowed the Nationals to steal Doug Fister, and how to make sure that doesn't happen again.
Kansas City Royals: Prepare for the possibility that Danny Valencia (29 years old, career 94 OPS+), who you just acquired for depth, will outhit Omar Infante (Turn 32 years old on 12/26, career 93 OPS+), who you just signed to a four-year deal to start at second base.
Minnesota Twins: Resolve to use the careful, thoughtful way you handled Joe Mauer's concussion and transition to first base as a model for your future planning on concussions. But maybe stop spending so much money on pitchers with 5+ ERAs last year.
American League West
Houston Astros: Decide to start showing games from your minor league affiliates on the scoreboard during your major league games.
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: Spend every waking moment figuring out how to sign Mike Trout for the rest of his natural life.
Oakland Athletics: Prepare for a host of national attention coming your way every time Sonny Gray pitches.
Seattle Mariners: Revise whichever plan led to 1. Robinson Cano! 2. 😟?? 3. Profit😡!!
Texas Rangers: Try not to forget that you're getting to watch a Hall of Fame third baseman in Adrian Beltre every single day.
[url=www-sportsonearth-com/article/66196772/]We made New Year's resolutions for all 30 ML
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2006/12/07
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Arbitrator Fredric Horowitz is expected to rule at any time on Alex Rodriguez's appeal of his 211-game suspension, which was imposed last August by Major League Baseball after its Biogenesis investigation into performance-enhancing drugs.
The Yankees third baseman was cited for violations of the joint drug agreement and Basic Agreement between MLB and the players' association. MLB claimed Rodriguez possessed and used PEDs received from Anthony Bosch, founder of the former anti-aging clinic in Miami known as Biogenesis. Rodriguez and his attorneys denied baseball's allegation,
Horowitz did not respond to emails seeking a time frame or whether he would discuss his decision, which is expected to be delivered in the form of an email to all parties involved in the arbitration. The process comprised 12 sessions and essentially ended Nov. 21 when Rodriguez stormed out after Horowitz refused a request to have MLB commissioner Bud Selig testify.
Horowitz could uphold, overturn or alter the suspension. Rodriguez is owed $89 million on the 10-year, $275-million contract he has left with the Yankees. He is set to make $26 million in 2014.
Joe Tacopina, Rodriguez's lead attorney, strongly has suggested that Rodriguez would take the matter to federal court if any part of the suspension is upheld. Tacopina would need to obtain a stay of the suspension for Rodriguez to be eligible to play while the matter is adjudicated. Legal observers consider it a long shot for the court to interfere with an arbitrator's ruling. The Major League Baseball Players Association, which also represented Rodriguez during his appeal, has not said if it would be part of any court action.
Alex Rodriguez, MLB await arbitrator's ruling
The Yankees third baseman was cited for violations of the joint drug agreement and Basic Agreement between MLB and the players' association. MLB claimed Rodriguez possessed and used PEDs received from Anthony Bosch, founder of the former anti-aging clinic in Miami known as Biogenesis. Rodriguez and his attorneys denied baseball's allegation,
Horowitz did not respond to emails seeking a time frame or whether he would discuss his decision, which is expected to be delivered in the form of an email to all parties involved in the arbitration. The process comprised 12 sessions and essentially ended Nov. 21 when Rodriguez stormed out after Horowitz refused a request to have MLB commissioner Bud Selig testify.
Horowitz could uphold, overturn or alter the suspension. Rodriguez is owed $89 million on the 10-year, $275-million contract he has left with the Yankees. He is set to make $26 million in 2014.
Joe Tacopina, Rodriguez's lead attorney, strongly has suggested that Rodriguez would take the matter to federal court if any part of the suspension is upheld. Tacopina would need to obtain a stay of the suspension for Rodriguez to be eligible to play while the matter is adjudicated. Legal observers consider it a long shot for the court to interfere with an arbitrator's ruling. The Major League Baseball Players Association, which also represented Rodriguez during his appeal, has not said if it would be part of any court action.
Alex Rodriguez, MLB await arbitrator's ruling
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Jeff Suppan, the right-hander who logged 140 Major League victories and was a postseason hero for the St. Louis Cardinals, announced his retirement on Thursday with an homage to his late mother.
Suppan made his announcement to Jon Heyman of MLB Network and CBS Sports at 5 p.m. ET, precisely six years after Kathleen Suppan passed away.
"After 17 Major League seasons, I've squeezed everything out of my ability," Suppan said. "I am both honored and blessed to have played the game with some of the greatest teammates and coaches. Baseball will always hold a special place in my heart and I am looking forward to the next chapter of my life."
He never made an All-Star team or garnered a vote in Cy Young Award balloting, but Suppan squeezed his ability for 417 regular-season starts, 31 relief appearances and 2,542 2/3 innings for the Red Sox, D-backs, Royals, Pirates, Cardinals, Brewers and Padres, doing his best work in the state of Missouri. He made 133 of his starts and threw 11 of his 16 complete games for the Royals from 1998-2002, then was 32-19 with a 3.86 ERA for the Cardinals from 2004-06.
The Cardinals made the postseason in all three of those seasons and Suppan was 3-3 with a 3.00 ERA in those series, earning 2006 National League Championship Series MVP honors on the way to winning a World Series ring.
The Brewers rewarded Suppan with a four-year contract the following winter, but he did not have the same success in Milwaukee, going 29-36 with a 5.08 ERA in 3 1/2 seasons before being released in the final year of the deal. He returned to St. Louis for the second half of 2010, then appeared for 2012 Padres in what would prove to be his final six Major League starts.
Suppan was born and raised in Southern California, and, along with his wife, Dana, operates Soup's Sports Grill in Woodland Hills, Calif.
Former October standout Jeff Suppan retires | MLB-com: News
Suppan made his announcement to Jon Heyman of MLB Network and CBS Sports at 5 p.m. ET, precisely six years after Kathleen Suppan passed away.
"After 17 Major League seasons, I've squeezed everything out of my ability," Suppan said. "I am both honored and blessed to have played the game with some of the greatest teammates and coaches. Baseball will always hold a special place in my heart and I am looking forward to the next chapter of my life."
He never made an All-Star team or garnered a vote in Cy Young Award balloting, but Suppan squeezed his ability for 417 regular-season starts, 31 relief appearances and 2,542 2/3 innings for the Red Sox, D-backs, Royals, Pirates, Cardinals, Brewers and Padres, doing his best work in the state of Missouri. He made 133 of his starts and threw 11 of his 16 complete games for the Royals from 1998-2002, then was 32-19 with a 3.86 ERA for the Cardinals from 2004-06.
The Cardinals made the postseason in all three of those seasons and Suppan was 3-3 with a 3.00 ERA in those series, earning 2006 National League Championship Series MVP honors on the way to winning a World Series ring.
The Brewers rewarded Suppan with a four-year contract the following winter, but he did not have the same success in Milwaukee, going 29-36 with a 5.08 ERA in 3 1/2 seasons before being released in the final year of the deal. He returned to St. Louis for the second half of 2010, then appeared for 2012 Padres in what would prove to be his final six Major League starts.
Suppan was born and raised in Southern California, and, along with his wife, Dana, operates Soup's Sports Grill in Woodland Hills, Calif.
Former October standout Jeff Suppan retires | MLB-com: News
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Major League Baseball finally has arrived at banning home plate collisions, starting in 2015 — pending the approval from the players and umpires unions and a review of what plays will be considered banned and subject to discipline.
Baseball is seeking to ban collisions that have happened since Abner Doubleday invented baseball. What are we doing here?
This isn’t football, in which every play is a collision. You get a severe home plate collision once in a while, and although MLB estimates that 50 percent of its concussions come from collisions at the plate, they also are the result of batters being hit with pitches, catchers taking foul balls off the mask, and other collisions.
How far are we going to take this?
David Ross and Alex Avila suffered concussions as the result of foul balls off their masks during the 2013 season. Are we banning foul balls soon?
The type of collision Ross and Avila had in the American League Championship Series would be banned; Ross barreled in and tried to dislodge the ball from Avila’s mitt. A player was trying to score and the other player was trying to prevent it.
An outfielder throwing to the plate, a runner barreling around third, and ball and runner coming to the plate at the same time is one of the most exciting plays in baseball. Does the catcher hold on to the ball after the collision, or does he drop it, with the runner safe?
This is sport. This is athleticism.
And now we’re taking it away?
I’m with Indians manager Terry Francona on this one.
“I think it’s well-intended,” Francona said. “I might be a little bit in the minority. I think there is liable to be more injuries with baserunners than maybe we realize. I guess I feel like if you don’t want your catcher not to block the plate, just tell him not to block the plate. You don’t have to enforce rules, just tell him not to block the plate.”
Detroit manager Brad Ausmus, who caught 1,938 games over 18 seasons, is torn as well.
“I do think it should change,” he said. “With all the new information on concussions, it’s probably the prudent thing to do. However, I am a little bit old school in the sense that I don’t want to turn home plate into just another tag play. This is a run. This is the difference between possibly making the playoffs and not making the playoffs. It should matter a little bit more.
“In my mind I’d love to see something that if there’s a collision, any hit above the shoulders, maybe the runner is out. I don’t know how it’s going to pan out. I know that would be very difficult to umpire, intent on something like that. But I do think something is going to happen.”
Ausmus believes the Posey-Cousins collision opened the door for this dialogue.
“But again, for me, those things are going to happen,” he said. “The occasional knee injuries, those things are going to happen. In my mind let’s talk about protecting the head, keep the concussions to a minimum or to zero, if possible.”
Is a rule change necessary? Or is simply enforcing the obstruction rule in place good enough?
Rule 7.06(b): “The catcher, without the ball in his possession, has no right to block the pathway of the runner attempting to score. The base line belongs to the runner and the catcher should be there only when he is fielding a ball or when he already has the ball in his hand.”
Simple enough. The catcher has to have the ball in his possession before he can block the plate. Leave it alone. Enforce it. Or as Francona suggests, just tell your catchers they are not to block the plate and they are to use the swipe tag, the way Pudge Rodriguez did through his career.
Mets general manager Sandy Alderson, who headed the committee to look into home plate collisions, said the recommended ban is because of a few factors.
“One is just the general occurrence of injuries from these incidents at home plate that affects players, both runners and catchers — and also the general concern about concussions that exists not only in baseball but throughout professional sports and amateur sports today,” he said. “It’s an emerging issue and one that we in baseball have to address as well as other sports. So that’s part of the impetus for this rule change as well.
“The exact language and how exactly the rule will be enforced is subject to final determination. We’re going to do a fairly extensive review of the types of plays that occur at home plate to determine which we’re going to find acceptable and which are going to be prohibited.”
Angels manager Mike Scioscia, who was a rough-and-tumble backstop for the Dodgers, is on board with the change.
“Well, I think everyone is in agreement that the mindless collisions at home plate where a catcher is being targeted by a runner, that needs to be addressed,” he said. “I think that it’s easy to say a runner has to slide. But on the other side of the coin, it’s going to be difficult to contain a runner and telling him what he has to do and let the catcher have carte blanche to be able to block the plate aggressively.
“I think it’s going to be possible, you just have to figure out how to do it. I know as a catcher, if I knew that the runner couldn’t run me over, I’d definitely block the plate. So there is probably a solution there. That is something that they’ve got to work on. Will it be perfect? I don’t know. Probably not.” Marlins manager Mike Redmond, another former catcher, said, “Well, if I was catching and I knew that the guy wasn’t going to run me over, then I could block the plate and not worry. You know, as a catcher, you always have that aspect of, ‘Hey, this guy could run me over, so I have to be ready,’ and if that is eliminated, you can lay down in front of the plate, right?”
It sounds as if runners and