Rumors
Odds & Ends: Brewers, Cubs, Looper, Baer, Wigginton
Links for Monday... MLB.com's Adam McCalvy posts an unofficial list of Brewers' players who are out of options. Joe Inglett and George Kottaras appear to be the players most on the bubble. In a mailbag, MLB.com's Carrie Muskat says that the Cubs are still looking for righthanded relief help. MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince explains that Grady Sizemore's 2012 club option becomes a player option if traded. He also notes that the Indians are not in on Felipe Lopez. Braden Looper will not settle for a low base salary or a minor league deal, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Biz...Yankees Sign Randy Winn
The Yankees officially signed outfielder Randy Winn to a one-year, $1.1MM deal today. He can earn another $900K in incentives. Joel Sherman of the New York Post first reported the agreement on January 27th, with SI's Jon Heyman tweeting the contract value. The Winn signing definitively closed the door on Johnny Damon, tweets Sherman.
Winn, 35, slipped to .262/.318/.353 in 597 plate appearances for the Giants last year (including a brutal 125 PAs against lefties). His corner outfield defense still rates well; that was probably the draw for Yankees GM Brian Cashman.
Yankees Sign Marcus Thames
The Yankees signed Marcus Thames, tweets SI's Jon Heyman. Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets that it's a minor league deal worth $900K if he makes the team. Thames originally came up through the Yankees' system but was traded to the Rangers in '03 for Ruben Sierra.
Thames, 33 in March, hit .252/.323/.453 in 294 plate appearances for the Tigers last year, logging 125 innings in left field. He also has experience in right field and at first base in his career. He's a right-handed hitter with a .263/.326/.541 line against southpaws over the last three years.
Thames became a free agent in November, as the Tigers were not going to tender him a contract at a salary higher than 2009's $2.275MM.
Did Boras Fail Damon, Washburn, & Lopez?
Last offseason, the Scott Boras Corporation brokered approximately $341MM worth of free agent deals. It was a strong showing, with three of the four big-money contracts already looking regrettable (Derek Lowe, Manny Ramirez, and Oliver Perez). This time around, Boras will not reach even half of last year's total. That fact doesn't necessarily reflect on Boras' abilities as an agent, and he did find favorable contracts for Matt Holliday, Mike Gonzalez, Adrian Beltre, Ivan Rodriguez, and Alex Cora in a down market. But we must ask: did Boras clients Johnny Damon, Jarrod Washburn, and Felipe Lopez get screwed? ESPN's Buster...The Unsigned All-Star Team
Here on February 8th, over 90 free agents remain unsigned. It's time to determine the best available at each position. Starting lineup: Catcher: Rod Barajas First base: Russell Branyan Second base: Felipe Lopez Shortstop: Nomar Garciaparra Third base: Joe Crede Left field: Johnny Damon Center field: Endy Chavez Right field: Jermaine Dye Designated hitter: Carlos Delgado Rotation: Pedro Martinez Chien-Ming Wang Jarrod Washburn John Smoltz Braden Looper Bullpen: Closer: Kiko Calero Right-handed relief: Chan Ho Park Left-handed relief: Will Ohman Honorable mentions: Jose Molina, Hank Blalock, Mike Jacobs, Jonny Gomes, Gary Sheffield, Rocco Baldelli, Todd Wellemeyer, Mike MacDougal, Russ Springer,...
Blogs
MinorLeagueBall.com :: Prospect Retro: Ubaldo Jimenez
Gaslamp Ball :: Today's dedication will be at 4 p.m. on the Rolando Little League lower field at 66000 Vigo Drive...
Today's dedication will be at 4 p.m. on the Rolando Little League lower field at 66000 Vigo Drive in La Mesa. Padres President/COO Tom Garfinkel and pitcher Heath Bell will be among those on hand. Friar John's Blog: Little Padres Padres reach the big 4-0''I didn't know there was baseball in Ireland?!'' :: Block in the back.
Just curious, what's the penalty for a block in the back? When a guy shoves you in the back on a play, it should be flagged. It should be flagged if it is the Pee Wee leagues, the Canadian Football League, or indeed the Superbowl. Completely missed this the first time I saw the play (probably because I was jumping around doing that 'Oh my God' touchdown dance). Check it ...DRAYS BAY :: DRB Photo Caption/Shop Contest #2: The Shaving Cream Pie Edition
More photos » Chris O'Meara - A...Amazin' Avenue :: Mets hire Bob Melvin as a Scout
Mets hire Bob Melvin as a Scout The list of internal Manuel-replacement candidates grows.Little Padres Padres reach the big 4-0
The Padres will dedicate the 40th Little Padres Park this afternoon in La Mesa. The field, home of the Rolando Little League, has been refurbished as part of the Padres Foundation's commitment to ensure the youth of San Diego and...
Gaslamp Ball found this 87 minutes ago on padres.mlblogs.com
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Hot Stove Coal: Randy Winn Finalizes One of the Strangest Contracts
Brian Cashman said he had $2 million to spend on a leftfielder and it looks like he will do that one way or another. The report came out today that Winn's contract is only for $1.1 M and with the $900,000 Thames will get if he makes the Major Leagues, that makes $2 M. But if Thames doesn't make ...elgato83 posted 2 hours ago from nyat.net
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Chicago White Sox unretire Luis Aparacio's No. 11 so Omar Vizquel can wear it
Chicago White Sox unretire Luis Aparacio's No. 11 so Omar Vizquel can wear it.Josh Q. Public found this 3 hours ago on sports.espn.go.com
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Johnny Damon vs. Nick Johnson: Who Is a Better No. 2 Hitter?
Yankees Continue to Add Players That Got Away
So far this offseason the Yankees have reacquired Nick Johnson and Javier Vazquez, two players they had previously traded away. Now, according to Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated, they have added another former Yankee, outfielder Marcus Thames.
For weeks, rumors persisted that the Yankees were looking to add one more right handed hitting outfielder on a minor league contract, and it looks like they got their man in Thames. There is no word as to whether or not Thames got a minor league or a guaranteed major league contract yet, but you can probably assume this is of the minor league variety.
In 258 at bats last season, Thames had a 99 OPS+ including a .323 OBP and a .453 slugging percentage. Against lefties, he struck out much less and walked more often although his batting average and slugging percentage were similar.
Some people are sure to be upset that the Yankees went after Thames instead of two other options, Rocco Baldelli and Jonny Gomes. There are strikes against each of the other two though. Baldelli is a good hitter and probably the best defensively out of the three, but is almost certain to be on the DL at some point in 2010, and if that point comes down the stretch, he wouldn’t have been much help to the Yankees. Also, Gomes is probably the best hitter of the three, but a terrible defender. Thames is in the middle of the two. He is not the best hitter of the group, but not the worst defender either.
If it is true that Thames was signed to a minor league contract, then it is not guaranteed that he will start the season with the Yankees. He will likely compete against Jamie Hoffmann, who the Yankees got in the "Rule 5" draft, as well as some other candidates like Colin Curtis and David Winfree. Curtis and Winfree are longshots, but they could make the team with a very impressive spring or if injuries occur.
Thames was originally traded in the middle of 2003 for Ruben Sierra.
Update: Via Jon Heyman we find out that Thames is going to make $900,000 plus incentives and Randy Winn signed for $1.1 million base plus incentives. There is your $2 million that Cashman had to spend.
Related Stories
- January 28, 2010–Yankees Rumors: Not Quite Done Yet (1)
- January 7, 2010–10 Potential Bench Players the Yankees Could Sign (2)
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com
Mookie, Melvin Join Mets
Mookie Wilson is rejoining the Mets as the minor league outfield and base running coordinator and Bob Melvin is joining as a pro scout. Both men have major league coaching experience. Additionally, both men have been managers (Wilson managed the Brooklyn Cyclones in 2005 and Melvin managed the ...
golddave posted 3 hours ago from mostlymets.golddave.com
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Baseball's Best 1-2 Punches: Is King Felix Worthy of Sitting Atop the Throne?
While Barack Obama and Joe Biden may represent the dynamic 1-2 punch of the United States, it’s much more important, and more controversial, to figure out the best 1-2 punches in Major League Baseball. In the early 2000’s, it was easy to notice the league’s top pair of aces, Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson of the Arizona Diamondbacks. However, at the dawn of this decade, it’s much harder to distinguish which staff boasts the best 1-2 punch. After spending an entire sermon scribbling ideas and rankings on the back of church bulletins, I determined the top 10 1-2 punches in baseball. The system I used to determine the point totals is Danny Ciaccio’s Magical Scale of Aces, which ranks pitchers on a scale of 1-10 based on the other aces in the league. i.e. 1=Zach Duke (Pirates No. 2) and 10=Roy Halladay (Phillies No. 1)Twitter / Joel Sherman: #Yankees sign Marcus Thame ...
Loader Twitter.com Login Join Twitter! #Yankees sign Marcus Thames to minor league deal, gets $900,000 if makes team. good job @ SI_JonHeyman on initial report 38 minutes ago from web nyp_joelsherman Joel Sherman Footer 2010 Twitter About Us Contact Blog Status Goodies API Business Help ...TYU found this 3 hours ago on twitter.com
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Bud Selig Statue an Insult to Major League Baseball Fans Everywhere
2010 MLB Predictions: And This Year's Oscar Goes to
News
Nothing distracts Kemp from leading LA
Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp says don't be taken in by the tabloids. He's focused, ready for Spring Training and determined to help the Dodgers get over the Philadelphia hump and into the World Series.Yanks sign Thames, make Winn official
The Yankees announced Monday that they have signed outfielder Marcus Thames to a Minor League contract, inviting him and 19 other non-roster players to Spring Training. The Yankees also made their acquisition of outfielder Randy Winn official.Vizquel to wear Aparicio's No. 11
The White Sox announced Monday that Luis Aparicio has given his consent for Omar Vizquel to wear No. 11 in his first year with the White Sox.Biggio not marking time in retirement
Craig Biggio has a hard time believing that when Astros camp begins next week it will be the third without him in uniform.Geren nixes six-man-rotation talk
Manager Bob Geren confirmed on Monday that, despite a tremendous amount of pitching depth, the A's will not open the season featuring a six-man rotation.White Sox to unretire Aparicio's No. 11 for Vizquel
Omar Vizquel will wear the No. 11 of former White Sox shortstop and fellow Venezuelan Luis Aparicio this season.Giles signs minor league contract with Dodgers
Mariners, Bedard agree to one-year deal
Free-agent left-hander Erik Bedard is coming back to the Seattle Mariners.Sources: Tigers, Braves interested in Damon
A-Rod's 500th HR ball fetches big $$$ at auction
The ball Alex Rodriguez hit for his 500th home run has sold at auction for $103,579.