Arbitration Limbo

by Deborah on January 29, 2012

There are still several players and teams who are in arbitration limbo.  Figures have been exchanged but as yet no deals have been reached.  Here’s a breakdown of some big name players that remain unsettled.

Alfredo Aceves Red Sox Player Number: 1.6 M Team Number: 950,000 Midpoint: 1.275 M

Elvis Andrus Texas Rangers Player Number: 3.6 M Team Number: 2.65 M Midpoint: 3.125 M

Emilio Bonafacio Miami Marlins Player Number: 2.2 M Team Number: 1.95 M Midpoint: 2.075 M

Asdrubal Cabrera Cleveland Indians Player Number: 5.2 M Team Number: 3.75 M Midpoint: 4.475 M

Nelson Cruz Texas Rangers Player Number: 7.5 M Team Number: 5.0 M Midpoint: 6.5 M

Clayton Kershaw LA Dodgers Player Number: 10.0 M Team Number: 6.5 M Midpoint: 8.25 M

A breakdown of the Colorado Rockies recent arbitration/free agency period.

Minor League Deals with the Rockies: Mike Ekstrom, Wil Nieves, Casey Blake, Jamie Moyer and Brandon Wood.

Multi-year Contracts: Michael Cuddyer (3), Ramon Hernandez (2).

One Year Contract: J.C. Romero.

Traded To Rockies: Tyler Chatwood, Tyler Colvin, DJ LeMahieu, Guillermo Moscoso,  Josh Outman, Zach Putnam, Marco Scutaro.

Traded To Other Teams: Chris Iannetta, Clayton Mortenson, Kevin Slowey, Seth Smith, Ian Stewart, Huston Street, Casey Weathers, Ty Wigginton.

Exercised Option: Jason Giambi.

Minor League Contract with Other Teams: Jorge Cantu, Aaron Cook, Matt Daley, Cole Garner, Edgar Gonzalez, Kevin Kouzmanoff, Joe Mather, Jim Miller, Kevin Milwood, Jose Morales, Ryan Spillborghs, Eric Stutts.

Arbitration Avoided/Deals Reached: Dexter Fowler.

Here are the results of the Braves recent arbitration activities:

Signed to a Minor League Contract with the Braves players include: J.C. Boscan, Luis Durango, Dusty Hughes, Adam Russell, Josh Wilson, Drew Sutton.

Signed to a Minor League Contract with Other Teams: Brooks Conrad, Diory Hernandez, Wil Nieves, Wilkin Ramirez, Antoan Richardson, and Matt Young.

Signed to a One Year Contract with Braves: Martin Prado and Jack Wilson.

Signed to a One Year Contract with Other Teams: Alex Gonzalez, Nate McLouth, George Sherrill.

Club Exercised Option: Eric Hinske.

Non-Tendered: Peter Moylan.

Released: Wes Helms and Julio Lugo.

No Movement Yet: Scott Linebrink.

Abritration Avoided/Deals Reached: Michael Bourn, Jair Jurrjens, and Eric O’Flaherty.

Say Hey

by Deborah on January 29, 2012

When Jason Heyward burst on to the Atlanta Braves baseball radar fans were treated to a 3 run homer and dreams of a new power hitter.  Little by little though that dream faded and Heyward struggled mightily.

Heyward was just 20 years old at the time.  He came from Henry County High School just a few miles south of Turner Stadium.  He was part of the East Cobb Baseball Program.  He was the hometown boy made good.  He was compared to Hank Aaron on a multitude of levels.  The fans were all over him from the moment he put on a Braves uniform.  The expectations were massive and growing.  It was a lot to take in.

Mauer Mended

by Deborah on January 29, 2012

For the Twins having Joe Mauer back would be akin to winning the lottery.  They need him and he said that he is ready to play, finally.

Last season, Mauer dealt with one injury and illness after another.  His season was filled with missed time and the Twins suffered a lot of losses.  Adding Mauer to the Morneau injuries was like adding salt to an open wound.  Mauer had everything from knee injury to bilateral leg weakness to pneumonia.  It was definitely not the best season for the Twins catcher and fan favorite.

Making the Mets Sexier…

by John Zakour on January 28, 2012

Okay, I admit it. The Mets are going to be very bad this year. The good news is my expectations are low. I don’t expect anything better than the fifth place finish. So there appears to be no way the Mets can let me down. The Mets have gone from a fourth place team with a huge budget to a fifth place team without that huge budget. They have cut their payroll over 50 million dollars from last season. If that’s not the biggest payroll cut in baseball history it’s near the biggest. There is no question in my mind that the Wilpons must sell the team. The Wilpons still have a lawsuit pending over their involvement in the Bernard Madoff Ponzi scheme. They just needed to borrow $40 million from Bank of America and another $25 million from major league baseball. Geesh, enough is enough. It’s time for baseball and the Wilpons to each cut their losses and separate themselves from each other. The Mets need a new owner.

MLB.com’s Red Sox reporter Ian Browne talks about who will play short after Marco Scutaro’s departure and why Boston traded him

One option for the Red Sox is Jose Iglesias, although Boston GM Ben Cherington seemed to think that Inglesias is not quite ready yet for the big leagues:

“We really like Iggy as a long-term option for us. He’s a really good defensive player. Right now, you never say never, but right now we feel like he may benefit from more time in Triple-A. But certainly he’s part of the long-term picture of the Red Sox.”

Who do you think will be the Red Sox shortstop on opening day?

The Detroit Tigers introduced their new first baseball Prince Fielder today after finalizing a $214 million, nine-year contract.

Fielder stood with a smile and recalled his earliest memories of old Tiger Stadium, when he would hang out at the ballpark where his father hit so many massive home runs.

“For me, it was always Sparky saying I was going to pinch hit — and I really believed him,” Fielder said, referring to former manager Sparky Anderson. “I’m just glad I get to come back. It’s kind of a dream come true. I’m excited.”

Prince FielderIt was only a little over a week ago that the city of Detroit held its collective breath when word got out that Tigers slugger Victor Martinez would miss the majority of the 2012 season because of a torn ACL in his left knee.

So much for repeating as AL Central Division champions.

Frantically, many around town began to inquire about Johnny Damon, Vlad Guerreo and Hideki Matsui. But alas, it all seemed to be in vain. Martinez was one of the Tigers’ best hitters in 2011, batting .330 with 12 home runs and 103 RBI. He contributed to the third-best offense in the majors and there just wasn’t anyone available who would be able to fill the void.

Nice Work If You Can Get It

by John Zakour on January 25, 2012

Prince Fielder just agreed to a nine year, $214 million deal with the Detroit Tigers. Wow, nice work if you can get it. You can bet Scott Boras (who may not be Dr. Evil but is JD Evil is smiling today.) The contract works out to over 23 million dollars a year. The good news is Prince will be 36ish when the contract ends, still young enough to be productive. (See Julio Franco…) The bad news is, Fielder weighs 275 pounds on a light day and 275 pound first basemen don’t age all that well. (See Cecil Fielder, Prince’s dad.)