Pitchers and catchers are at their camps, along with some of the big name players. I’ll be down there a month from today to catch 6 games in 4 days.
Player movements
Athletics – claimed LHP Lenny DiNardo claimed off waivers from the Red Sox; designated OF Hiram Bocachica for assignment; outrighted OF Charles Thomas to Triple-A & invited him to Spring Training …
Dodgers – signed OF Choo Freeman to a Minor League contract with ST invitation …
Indians – signed RHP Cliff Politte to a Minor League contract with a ST invitation …
Mets – designated second baseman Ruben Gotay for assignment …
Nationals – invited Dmitri Young and Tony Batista to Spring Training …
Rangers – signed INF Desi Relaford to a Minor League contract with a ST invitation; invited Minor League RHP Jose Vargas to Spring Training …
Reds – signed RHP Kerry Ligtenberg to a Minor League contract with a ST invitation …
Website of the Day
Minor League Baseball’s look at 2007’s potential draft class.
Also on the web:
Baseball Prospectus ranks the MLB minor league systems. They’re a little different than mine.
Rumors
Rumor source: BenMaller.com
Omar Beltre and Alexi Ogando, right-handed pitchers in the Rangers’ organization, are not expected to be granted visas to pitch in the U.S. this year. They were middlemen caught in a marriage-visa scandal that involved several dozen baseball players. Neither has been allowed into the U.S. since, according to the FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM. Their crime was to go along with a proposal brought to them by men representing wealthy women who wanted to gain entry into the U.S. but couldn’t because of immigration laws. The players were offered several thousand dollars to say that they had married the women, which would facilitate their entry into the U.S. In the heightened security of the post-9/11 era, government officials uncovered the scheme. The players were denied visas last year and told to reapply in 2007. “They made a mistake, but they’ve more than paid for it,” Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said. “… They’re kids who didn’t know what they were doing. They’ve more than paid their fine. They’ve paid for it for two years by not being able to pursue their careers.”
This is where A-Rod can’t be dismissed in the event he and the Yankees part ways. The Tigers were believed to have at least inquired about A-Rod ahead of last July’s trade deadline. Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski won’t comment about past conversations or future considerations (he cannot discuss a player under contract). But it is plausible the Tigers at least made an inquiry as they went on a midsummer safari in search of a truly big hitter.
Carlos Zambrano isn’t expected at camp until Thursday, when Cubs general manager Jim Hendry expects him to clarify his statement on leaving after the season if he doesn’t get a new contract by Opening Day. The Cubs hope to avoid an arbitration hearing with Zambrano on Tuesday, but Hendry didn’t sound optimistic. Getting a long-term deal done soon will take concessions from both sides. “We’ve certainly made a commitment to try to make it work on a one-year basis, and we’ll try to keep Carlos in house [long term],” Hendry said. “I’m sure some of the things that have gone on the last couple of days, he’ll be prepared to talk about [Thursday]. That’s up to him—the time and the place. “But I’m not real concerned about anything except doing what’s best for the Cubs. I’m sure that’s what his mission is. To focus on one situation is really not what we’re about.”
The Giants are exploring a multiyear contract for Matt Cain, sources said, although talks are preliminary and the team is not sure a deal can be done this spring. Even though Cain cannot be a free agent until 2012, a long-term deal would enable the Giants to buy out one or two of his arbitration years. If Cain continues to improve, his earning potential could by sky-high when he becomes arbitration-eligible in two years, so the Giants might have to guarantee him some good money now to keep him out of arbitration.
Look for the Tigers to make a final-week trade. He is a right-handed hitter with no real position. He is strong, powerful. He could be Marcus Thames. Who will the Tigers get in return? That depends upon how Edward Campusano does during his audition as the left-handed reliever. It is expecting a lot of a man who has pitched only at Class A suddenly to jump onto the Tigers’ 25-man northbound roster. The scouting report is strong, but Rule 5 picks always come to camp with great resumes. Avoiding a Grapefruit League pounding might be another matter, at least late in camp.
The Mariners will try to trade Rene Reed or Ben Broussard, because neither player is likely to get the kind of work he needs. Both need to play regularly, and they will during the spring, which could pique the interest of other clubs.
Andy Pettitte will spend some time with Roger Clemens in Florida this spring, but the lefthander has no plans to spend much time trying to recruit the future Hall of Famer. “When me and Roger get together, Roger talks,” Pettitte said. “There’s nothing I’ve got to say. He knows how I feel about him and I know how he feels about me. He knows that whoever he adds himself to, it’s going to be an unbelievable help for that team.” Clemens has said that should he return to pitching, the Yankees, Red Sox and Astros are the only three teams he would consider, though he is unlikely to sign anywhere before May. “Those are huge decisions that he’s got to make in his life,” Pettitte said. “Roger will make those decisions and do whatever he feels is the best one.”
Jon Lieber has been the source of trade speculation since the Phillies acquired Freddy Garcia in December. The righthander arrives as one of six starters, and the one most likely to be shipped elsewhere before the April 2 season opener against Atlanta. Is Lieber surprised to still be in the fold? “No, not at all,” Lieber said, returning to his low-profile self. “It’s great to be here for another spring training again.” He is in a free-agent year and says he will not retire after the season. He has motivation to pitch well.
Brewers manager Ned Yost will use the six weeks of spring training to make a centerfielder out of Bill Hall, who played primarily at shortstop last season en route to earning team most valuable player honors. “I’m going to put Billy in center,” confirmed Yost, who arrived in Phoenix on Tuesday to begin final preparations for the opening of the Brewers’ camp this weekend. “When we start out, we’re going to send Billy to center field and probably put Corey Hart in right.” With Hart taking over in right, Yost plans to return Geoff Jenkins to left field, his original position before moving in 2005 to accommodate Carlos Lee. Yost said left field is shaping up to be a platoon situation with Jenkins, a left-handed hitter, and Kevin Mench, who bats from the right side.
Nats GM Jim Bowden said he will meet with closer Chad Cordero and his agent, Larry Reynolds, on Thursday in a final effort to avoid an arbitration hearing with the 24-year-old. Cordero has asked for $4.15 million, and the club is offering $3.65 million. “Our preference is always to settle,” Bowden said. “We’re going to try one more time in person to do it and hopefully it will work out, and if not, if we have to go through the process again, we’ll do that.” Cordero, who has a career ERA of 2.61 with 91 saves in 106 opportunities, said this week that he would like to sign a long-term deal with the Nationals. Bowden declined Wednesday to say whether the team would be willing to negotiate something with Cordero, saying only, “We would always have interest in signing our core players.
Erik Bedard, his agent, Mark Pieper, and Orioles officials have not made much progress on settling on a one-year deal for the 2007 season. Bedard, who went 15-11 with a 3.76 ERA last season, is asking for $4 million, while the Orioles offered $2.7 million. If the two sides don’t compromise, the case will be heard by an independent arbitrator Tuesday in Phoenix. “Whatever happens, happens,” Bedard said. “I don’t know. I think it will go all the way if you ask me.” Although he acknowledged that there have been no developments in the contract talks, Orioles vice president Jim Duquette said the team is fully aware of the risk factor in going to arbitration with one of its best players.
After broaching the idea of playing for another team on Monday, Mariano Rivera said yesterday that he doesn’t envision himself in a different uniform next season. He reiterated his desire to pitch at the new Yankee Stadium in 2009 and to finish his career in New York, but if it comes down to it, he would not hesitate to go elsewhere. “The Yankees always knew that I wanted to finish my career with the Yankees,” Rivera said. “But that doesn’t mean that if they don’t want to do anything with me, I’m going to be home crying. I’m going to move on. “If they want me back, I want to come back,” he added. “But if they don’t …”
Since John Patterson first played pro ball in 1997, he has only once made as many as 30 starts. That came in 2005, when he threw more innings — 198 1/3 — than he had at any stop in his major or minor league career. Give him those 30 starts, let him throw those 200 innings, and Patterson has no doubt the other numbers — an ERA lower than 3.00, nearly a strikeout per inning, perhaps 15 victories — will follow. No one in the organization seems to dispute that. What the Nationals need from Patterson is more basic. “For me,” pitching coach Randy St. Claire said, “he needs to be healthy.” “If he’s healthy,” Manager Manny Acta said, “I think everything else will fall in place.” … Patterson has just 17 wins in the majors. His best season — that 9-7 campaign of 2005, when he posted a 3.13 ERA — was marred by a lack of run support and a major-league high 15 no-decisions.
Barry Zito still carries an A’s duffel bag but insisted he has made the mental trip across the bay. “Ever since the press conference, I’ve been wearing my Giants cap everywhere in L.A., just getting used to it, preparing myself to have it be natural,” he said, although he did not strut down the streets of Southern California with the interlocking “SF” on his head, merely in his car and while working out.
The Rangers spent that hundred grand on a wind study to determine just how much fly balls are affected. A little? A lot? Did the building of the infamous Gold Club — or Cuervo Club as it’s now called — seven years ago make a major difference? The answers are all there on Cogen’s desk in a 400-plus-page document that arrived in late September and details almost every nuance of the wind effects at The Ballpark. But let’s cut to the chase. Are the Rangers going to do anything about it? The answer: No, probably not. I don’t say that sarcastically. Really, I don’t. Things are changing too rapidly around The Ballpark these days for the Rangers to be certain that, whatever they might do, the wind effects wouldn’t change again a year from now. A 27-story football stadium just to the southwest of The Ballpark seems certain to have its own effect on the prevailing wind currents.
Former BALCO attorney Troy Ellerman, part of the original team defending BALCO founder Victor Conte and who later represented company vice president James Valente, will plead guilty to leaking the information, lying about it, obstructing justice and disobeying a court order not to disclose grand jury information, according to court documents. Once his plea is filed and accepted by the judge, a Department of Justice press release said, the reporters’ subpoenas will be repealed. Under the agreement, the U.S. Attorney’s office recommends that Ellerman serve up to two years in prison or three years under supervised release with a fine of no more than $250,000 and a $400 special assessment.
The Washington Nationals added two more low-risk bargains to the fold, signing one-time sluggers Dmitri Young and Tony Batista to minor league contracts. Neither has been invited to the team’s major league camp, but will be within eyeshot at the team’s minor league complex a few hundred yards away.
With the status of third baseman Corey Koskie still uncertain due to lingering effects of post-concussion syndrome, some have wondered why the Brewers aren’t moving Bill Hall to that position. But prospect Ryan Braun is being groomed to play that position at some point in the near future and Yost and Melvin don’t want to move Hall twice.
Edgar Alfonzo, who will manage the Brooklyn Cyclones, expects brother Edgardo will live in Queens and play for an independent-league team in the Northeast in an attempt to latch on with a big-league club. Fonzie, 33, batted .220 for Magallanes in Venezuela this winter. He finished last season at Norfolk, hitting .241 in 141at-bats, and didn’t get a September call-up.
There were 50 credentialed Japanese media members for Masumi Kuwata’s first appearance in Pirates camp Saturday, and 15-30 of those are expected to follow him all spring, Trdinich said. To accommodate them, Trdinich and his staff have put up a small tent near Pirate City’s batting cages — already dubbed “Hotel Nico,” after Kuwata’s nickname — where he will deliver his daily news conference. Some of the Japanese cameramen filmed the tent getting built. Kuwata’s reaction to it all is just about what should be expected for someone who once was a national sensation in his homeland.
All of Major League Baseball grieved and Cory Lidle’s last team, the Yankees, will announce soon a plan to honor him throughout the season. (They opted not to issue his No. 30 this spring.) In Lidle’s West Covina, Calif., hometown there is talk of naming a street and erecting a statue in his honor at a new sports park.
The last three years have been nightmarish for Kerry Wood, who signed a three-year deal after helping lead the Cubs to the postseason in 2003. He is 12-15 over the last three seasons and threw only 84 2/3 innings the last two years, including 11 games in relief in 2005 before shutting down for the season and having shoulder surgery. That surgery was supposed to ensure Wood would be healthy in ’06. But a virtual rerun ensued, and Wood was shut down again in June after only four starts. Doctors eventually discovered a tear in his right rotator cuff and Wood opted not to have surgery.
It’s interesting that the land behind Target Center that is expected to be the site of the Twins’ new stadium was advertised for $17.5 million on the owners’ website but now is carrying a $40 million asking price. “The bottom line is if they get real on a price I think they can get a deal done, and I’m still optimistic that will happen,” Twins President Dave St. Peter said.
Outfielder Choo Freeman, a former first-round pick released last week by the Colorado Rockies, was signed to a Minor League contract by the Dodgers and invited to Major League training camp.
Reliever Jamie Walker, known for his outgoing personality, burst into the Orioles clubhouse yesterday carrying his Detroit Tigers equipment bag and shaking every hand in sight. He was also wearing camouflage pants, which prompted pitcher Jaret Wright to ask him, “Did you kill any deer on the way to the park?”
The Yankees did not issue Paul O’Neill’s No.21 jersey to any player this spring, the sixth consecutive year it will not be worn.
An equipment malfunction cut off telephone and computer access for several White Sox employees this week. It’s not certain whether the recent snowstorm caused the problem, but the bad weather that swept the nation this week shouldn’t hinder the Sox’s travel plans to Tucson.
The Twins have sold 38,000 tickets for the season opener April 2 against Baltimore and are a cinch to sell out. Unfortunately, the only three-game series here against the Yankees will be April 9-12 and is expected to attract only about 20,000 spectators a game. If that series had been scheduled in June, July or even August, it might have been a sellout.
Post comments, news, etc in the new MLB Thread in the forums.
