This is something new I’m going to try. I’ve been doing this on a blog type style thing for friends and I’m going to try to expand it. I’m looking for feedback, so send some my way. So, here we go…
Player Movement
Tampa Bay – Acquired RHP Jae-Kuk Ryu from the Cubs for RHP Greg Reinhard and outfielder Andy Lopez…designated RHP Marcos Carvajal for assignment…
Website of the Day
RotoJunkie’s Top 100 Prospects
Rumors
Mariano Rivera a Red Sox? It could happen. Sitting in his car outside Legends Field yesterday, Rivera was asked by The Post if he could be Boston’s closer next year. “You never know,” said Rivera, who is determined to become a free agent after the World Series since the Yankees didn’t react to his December request for a two-year contract extension.
Braves GM John Schuerholz wouldn’t speculate on how the sale might affect the chances of re-signing Andruw Jones and John Smoltz, eligible for free agency after 2007. “It would be folly for anybody to do that,” Schuerholz said.
Dmitri Young, the former All-Star slugger released by the Tigers last September, is close to signing a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals. Young, who played for Washington general manager Jim Bowden while with the Cincinnati Reds, will be invited to spring training if the sides reach an agreement.
The one deal that wouldn’t have cost a front-line pitcher fell apart when Colorado first baseman Todd Helton refused to waive his no-trade clause to come to Anaheim.
The Phillies took a look at free-agent righthander Dustin Hermanson, who was limited to 62/3 innings with the Chicago White Sox last season because of back problems. Hermanson looked intriguing because he went 2-4 with 34 saves and a 2.04 ERA with the White Sox in 2005. But the Phillies were not impressed with his workout and have no plans to sign him.
Pedro Martinez addressed his retirement, saying if he were still hurting following this season, he would consider retiring. But assuming he is healthy, he said he believes he will have another contract after his deal with the Mets expires following 2008. The 35-year-old said he’s “hoping” to be on the hill at Citi Field in 2009, but said he will not be pitching at age 40.
No, Florida never gave serious thought to pursuing Yankees free agent center fielder Bernie Williams, who’s waiting out New York. But the Marlins were very disappointed about not getting center fielder Darin Erstad, who preferred the Chicago White Sox despite a similar financial offer from Florida ($1 million range).
Entering his 12th season skippering George Steinbrenner’s high-priced vessel, Joe Torre is a lame-duck manager because his contract expires when the last out of the Yankees’ season is recorded. Following a marathon meeting with front-office types, coaches and minor-league administrators that the Boss surfaced for at the end, Torre was asked
if he wanted to manage next season. Because he didn’t utter “No,” Torre’s future is going to be a red-hot topic the entire year. “I don’t know yet,” Torre said. “The way I feel right now I would say yes. It’s exciting and I am looking forward to it. For the most part, I am happy with the way I feel right now.” Does Steinbrenner want Torre back? That’s difficult to determine.
Two close associates say Miguel Cabrera, who will be in Arizona for Friday’s arbitration hearing, missed FanFest because he wanted to spend more time at his home in Venezuela and avoid the hassles of extra traveling, not because he’s fuming over arbitration. But Cabrera’s camp won’t be surprised if the Marlins broach his FanFest absence during the hearing.
Plenty of folks have shared their thoughts about Pat Burrell this off-season. He holds the rare distinction of being criticized by not one but two Phillies icons – Dallas Green and Mike Schmidt – in the same winter. Word around the Phillies is that these comments did not sit well with Burrell, who became engaged this winter. Will Burrell fire back at Green? Will he respond to Schmidt’s glass-house criticisms about striking out too much?
Closer Chad Cordero is the Nationals’ remaining arbitration case, and his hearing is scheduled for next Tuesday. But Cordero said his agent talked to the club last week about the possibility of striking a long-term deal. “I’d like to get something done,” he said. “I don’t know if they’re willing to do something, but I’d like to.”
It starts with Barry Bonds and when he will arrive. For reasons unknown, he still has not signed a contract that he approved, minus a personal-appearances clause that Major League Baseball did not like and favored the team over him. An interesting side note: Last week, Bonds’ name was listed on the Giants’ 40-man roster on the team’s official Web site. After inquiries from The Chronicle, it was removed, a case of the site editors getting a bit ahead of the news. Technically, even if Bonds signs, he does not have to arrive before a mandatory reporting date around March 1, and as one team employee said, “Maybe it would be better if he came a week later because he gets so bored at spring training.”
Joe Torre said he would limit Mariano Rivera to pitching only the ninth inning, a sign that the Yankees want to protect an arm that needed three weeks of rest last September. That is one reason the Yankees see no urgency to address Rivera’s wish for a contract extension. “My preference is to wait until the end of the year,” Cashman said. “We have a lot of people up. But I have to talk to Mariano. I talked to him once this winter, and this subject didn’t come up.”
Red Sox outfielder Wily Mo Peña is making plans that day to be in Phoenix for an arbitration hearing. “We’re going to arbitration on Friday unless the Red Sox decide not to go,” said attorney Josh Zeide, who represents Peña, the 25-year-old outfielder who could become the first Sox player to require a hearing since Theo Epstein became the club’s general manager after the 2002 season. “The ball’s in their court, if they want to make Wily Mo feel part of the team. The last thing we are looking for is any kind of adversarial relationship.” The Sox have offered $1.725 million; Peña is asking
for $2.2 million. What often happens is that the sides split the difference, which in this instance is $475,000. These things tend to get settled just before the deadline, but for now, the parties are not inclined to do so.
The Yanks have a standing offer to Bernie Williams to return on a minor league deal, although Williams does not have an obvious spot on the 25-man roster. “We’d love to have him,” General Manager Brian Cashman said. “I respect the fact he’s not interested in doing that.” Williams’s corner locker was given to a young pitcher, José Veras, but Posada said Williams had not ruled out accepting the offer. Torre said he would keep trying to reach Williams by phone, but he could offer no guarantees. “Obviously, he has to know he’s got to come in here and make the team,” Torre said. “That’s something he’s never had to do before.”
When asked if Joe Torre “had to win” this season, George Steinbrenner replied in a word: “No.” The fiction around the Yankees is that Steinbrenner, 76, demands a championship every season. The Yankees have lost 10 of their last 13 playoff games over the last three years, yet Steinbrenner has retained Torre every winter.
As Juan Uribe awaits a decision on whether he will be able to join his teammates for spring training next week in Tucson, the embattled White Sox shortstop’s attorney says he at least doesn’t have a weight problem. Martin Arburua said Tuesday that Uribe has been working out regularly and appeared fit during Arburua’s visit to the Dominican Republic three weeks ago. “I saw him running, and it was at 6:30 in the morning,” said Arburua, adding Uribe has been performing baseball drills. Arburua, however, couldn’t provide an update on the legal status of Uribe, who faces a hearing next week in a Dominican court for a case involving a shooting in which two men were wounded in October. … The Sox are expecting a rebound year from Uribe, who batted .235 in 2006. Uribe will earn $4.15 million this season, with the Sox holding a $5 million option, with a $300,000 buyout for 2008.
Nationals pitchers and catchers reported to spring training yesterday and then proceeded to spend most of the morning introducing themselves to the largest staff in the majors. There are a staggering 38 pitchers on the spring roster, only eight of which were in Washington’s major league camp a year ago. Everyone comes in on equal footing, though the handful of pitchers in camp with major-league experience do have a slight leg up on the rest. Those who fit that bill include right-handers Tim Redding (21-34 in 101 career games with the Astros, Padres and Yankees), Jerome Williams (23-24 in 70
games with the Giants and Cubs), Jason Simontacchi (20-10 in 83 games with the Cardinals) and Colby Lewis (12-13 in 46 games with the Rangers and Tigers) and lefty Mike Bacsik (5-5 in 22 games with the Indians, Mets and Rangers).
Still recuperating from elbow surgery, left-hander Francisco Liriano will report with Twins pitchers and catchers to spring training in Fort Myers, Fla., on Sunday.
Because of shrewd investing, Twins catcher Joe Mauer, 23, was financially set for life even before signing a four-year, $33 million contract this week.
One of the encouraging changes George Brett is already seeing with the Royals’ new regime under general manager Dayton Moore is an emphasis on connecting today’s Royals to the team’s glorious past. In fact, one of Brett’s duties as he prepares to leave for spring training in Surprise, Ariz., will be to work a bit more with the minor-leaguers and perhaps serve as a teaching link to that glorious past. “It’s definitely going to be about bringing the past into the future,” Brett said by phone. “I think Dayton wants these younger players to feel good about putting on that Royals uniform again, feel good about being a Royal rather than just waiting around for a few years and hope you get traded. “One of the ways to do that is to show these players the past and how great it once was. I noticed when I was down in the Instructional League that even the clubhouse down in Surprise has changed. There used to be some pictures of players from other organizations on the wall, and now we’ve got all these pictures of former Royals players up on the wall. “Hopefully the younger guys will look up at these pictures and ask questions and want to hear about the winning tradition.”
The Las Vegas Hilton, owner of the world’s largest sports book, released its over/under baseball numbers this week and put the Rockies at 74½ wins, last in the National League West. Rockies owner Charlie Monfort has earmarked 81 wins this season as his goal, raising expectations for O’Dowd and Hurdle, who are in the final year of their contracts. “If I was a betting man, I would definitely take the over,” Rockies all-star outfielder Matt Holliday said. How many games will the Rockies win? “Substantially more than 74,” Holliday said.
The scrum of Cardinals starting candidates who will officially report to Roger Dean Stadium today combined for 22 major-league wins as starters in 2006. All but seven belonged to Chris Carpenter, the only pitcher in camp to have handled 20 major-league starts last season. … Kip Wells, projected as No. 2 starter, made only nine starts last season. The nine starts were nine more than made by either Adam Wainwright or Braden Looper, who worked exclusively in relief before being listed as headliners in this spring’s renovation of the starting staff. Anthony Reyes averaged barely five innings in 17 starts during his rookie year, though he did work a career-most 169 1/3 regular-season innings between Class AAA Memphis and the major leagues. Mulder is recovering from September rotator cuff surgery. Reyes, no longer a rookie and winner of Game 1 of the World Series, has only 119 days of major league service.
Luis Ayala stopped short of saying he was 100 percent healthy, and both Nats Manager Manny Acta and Jim Bowden said they would bring Ayala along slowly. But Ayala said he sees no reason why he won’t be able to reclaim his position as one of Cordero’s top setup men. “I’m trying to get my position [back]. I lost one year,” he said. “But the most important thing is to feel good.”
If the Phillies fail to trade one of their starters, they could make a starter Tom Gordon’s setup man. There is some speculation that newcomer Adam Eaton could be the man, but the Phillies don’t like the idea. Eaton typically takes two or three innings to build his velocity, which wouldn’t seem to make him suited for a one-inning appearance.
Kerry Wood is in better playing shape than at any time in his nine-year career, having begun his training program in August after opting not to have surgery on his rotator cuff. “He made a decision to go on an extremely high-level training program just to take every possible doubt in his own mind that [his weight] wasn’t going to be any detriment to his arm health,” Hendry said. “Woody weighed more when he was 20 than he weighs now, and I don’t think any of us ever looked at Kerry Wood as being too heavy.
Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee’s off-season was busier than usual. He was extensively involved with the foundation he started to help prevent Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis, a rare eye disease that results in vision loss or blindness at a young age. Lee’s daughter, Jada, was diagnosed with LCA last summer at the age of 3 and lost vision in one eye. “She’s doing good, still the same as when we left [Chicago], so that’s good,” Lee said.
The Cubs aren’t too worried Carlos Zambrano will carry through on his threat to walk after the season if he doesn’t get a new deal by Opening Day. On the eve of the opening of spring training camp, general manager Jim Hendry tried to nip the story in the bud, suggesting negotiations can continue after the ’07 season begins even if Zambrano’s deadline passes without a deal. Zambrano told WGN-TV on Monday that while he wants to remain a Cub, “if they don’t sign me, sorry, but I must go.” Hendry was surprised to hear Zambrano had changed his tune just one week before his scheduled arbitration hearing.”Basically, that statement has never been conveyed to me,” Hendry said. “Carlos and his representatives have always made it clear that the Cubs are where he wants to be. I certainly have no problem with a player with five-plus years wanting to have a deal by Opening Day, but if you don’t have one, it doesn’t necessarily mean there will be a parting of ways.”
Phils manager Charlie Manuel said that he will ask less of Pat Burrell in spring training and through the regular season as Burrell copes with a chronic problem with his right foot for a fourth straight year
The Yankees did not assign No. 30 out of respect for pitcher Cory Lidle, who died in an October plane crash.
Members of the original 1957 Rawlings Gold Glove Team will report to New York City next Tuesday (Feb. 20) to help unveil the national ballot of the top 50 Rawlings Gold Glovers as selected by a crackerjack team of baseball pundits and purists. The ballot will then be turned over to fans around the world, who over the next several months will select the “Finest in the Field” — the best Rawlings Gold Glover of the past 50 years at each position. … Three of the five living members of the original 1957 Rawlings Gold Glove Team will attend a news conference next Tuesday in Times Square: Willie Mays, Frank Malzone and Minnie Minoso.
Who Knew? Gone from last year are Ramon Ortiz, Tony Armas Jr., Livan Hernandez and Pedro Astacio, who combined for 104 starts for the Nationals.
Proof that spring training is big business: The Yankees are installing three rows of premium seats behind home plate at Legends Field. The cost of a box of eight a year is $22,800, an average of $190 a ticket over the 15-game spring schedule.
ARIZONA’S TOP 9 SPRING TRAINING BALLPARKS
1. Surprise Stadium at Billy Parker Field (Rangers & Royals)
Why It’s Numero Uno: Modernity meets intimacy for Rangers and, yes, even Royals fans. This ballpark is so cool, the Phillies still fairly new Florida Spring Training complex in Clearwater is modeled after Surprise.
2. Scottsdale Stadium (Giants)
Why It’s Numero Dos: Not as much intimacy as Surprise, but plenty of characters, from young, plastic surgery cuties to old-timers. Oh, and some guy named Bonds just happens to hit here. And they actually cheer him. BUY YOUR TICKETS! Sellouts common!
3. HoHoKam Park at Dwight Patterson Field, Mesa (Cubs)
Why It’s Numero Tres: Still thirsting for a pennant has its rewards, sort of – desperate Cubs fans make HoHoKam Spring Training’s largest, and often, loudest, ballpark. Come see Lou Piniella throw his first temper tantrum of the season.
4. Tucson Electric Park (Diamondbacks and White Sox)
Why It’s Numero Cuatro: Oh, those Catalina Mountains as the outfield backdrop are magic on a warm sunny day or cool spring evening in Old Pueblo.
5. Peoria Stadium (Padres and Mariners)
Why It’s Numero Cinco: Ichiro, Ichiro, Ichiro…Ichiro, you are unbelieveable!
6. Phoenix Municipal Stadium (Athletics)
Why It’s Numero Seis: Simple, quaint – and got to love the mysterious Papago Park hovering in the distance. Boo: you MUST fork over some dough out the window of your Hyundai rental car or risk getting towed!
7. Tempe Diablo Stadium (Angels)
Why It’s Numero Siete: While the fan atmosphere has improved in recent years thanks to something called a World Series title in 2002, this place doesn’t have a history of being the most riveting venue to see a game. But the SoCal babes are wicked hot.
8. Maryvale Ballpark, Phoenix (Brewers)
Why It’s Numero Ocho: If only the Brewers weren’t, well, weren’t the Brewers! But wait a second, they’re getting better. We think. We hope. We believe? Come see for yourself.
9. Hi-Corbett Field, Tucson (Rockies)
Why It’s Numero Stinko: Why do you think the Indians left in 1992? Welcome to baseball at the equator…At least Rockies fans can rest on the satisfaction that, well, hey, Willie “Mays Hayes” once got a really good nights’ sleep here.
