Throw Another Log on that Old Hot Stove
So far, the biggest trade was the three-way deal involving the Yankees, the Diamondbacks, and the Tigers. New York got All Star centerfielder Curtis Granderson, enough said, they got the best player in the deal. Arizona got starting pitchers Edwin Jackson & Ian Kennedy. While Detroit landed centerfield prospect Austin Jackson, starting pitcher Max Scherzer, and a couple of lefties for their bullpen Phil Coke & Daniel Schlereth.
The Texas Rangers traded starter Kevin Millwood to the Orioles in exchange for reliever Chris Ray and Rule V selection Ben Snyder, the move was designed to free up money so Texas could sign free agent starter Rich Harden. The Rangers had enough money left over to acquire thirdbaseman Mike Lowell for catching prospect Max Ramirez from the Red Sox. Boston is interested in signing free agent thirdbaseman Adrian Beltre.
Pirates reliever Jesse Chavez has to be wondering whether it’s safe to unpack his bags, as he’s on his third team this offseason. He was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays, who just dealt him to the Atlanta Braves for reliever Rafael Soriano. The Braves no longer needed Soriano, since bringing in Billy Wagner & Takashi Saito.
The Chicago White Sox brought in former Seattle Mariners closer J.J. Putz to replace Octavio Dotel, whom they chose not to retain.
The White Sox fired up the Hot Stove signing SS Omar Vizquel & Andruw Jones. Vizquel has been the best defensive shortstop of his time and will tutor Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez. Omar might be headed for Cooperstown when he finally hangs them up, his numbers stack up with Ozzie Smith, and nobody flashed a better glove at short. Speaking of excellent fielders, nobody did it better than Andruw Jones, but that was in his day. Andruw isn’t all that old, but he got old in a hurry, with very old knees. Jones will not embarrass himself in the outfield with the glove, although he won’t add to the team speed, but he was brought in here for his bat and to provide some outfield depth.
With Javier Vazquez traded off to Atlanta, good riddance, Chicago had an open slot in their rotation, in Back to the Future fashion, Kenny Williams flipped back to 2003, and Bartolo Colon. Colon was signed to a $1 million dollar contract, with an innings pitched clause that could be worth an additional $2 million dollars. Workhorse Bartolo is a big man, who pitches big innings, when healthy, 242 in 2003 with the White Sox. He was limited to only 39 innings with the Red Sox in 2008, due to injury.
The Orioles have signed 33 year old starting pitcher Koji Uehara, of the Yomiuri Giants. As a rookie in 1999 he was the leader in wins (20), strikeouts (179), ERA (2.09), winning percentage (.833, 20-4 record), complete games (12), and was named Rookie of the Year. Koji was the Sawamura Award (named after legendary Yomiuri Giants pitcher Eiji Sawamura of the 1930s & 40s) winner in 1999 & 2002, best starting pitcher in Japan. Due to an injury in 2007 Uehara pitched as a closer, saving 32 games, with a 1.74 ERA. He returned to the starting rotation in 2008.
There used to be a time when “Made in Japan” meant inferior quality, not anymore, just ask the Red Sox. The Red Sox just added Takashi Saito, former Dodgers closer, who first became a closer in Japan when his predecessor, Kazuhiro Sasaki came to the Mariners. In Japan Saito had a tendency to give up alot of home runs, 15 off the bat of Hedeki Matsui, which should be interesting. The Red Sox are hoping the 38 year old Saito can bounce back from an elbow injury, which landed him on the disabled list for much of 2008. Junichi Tazawa, a 22 year old, righthander, who idolizes Daisuke Matsuzaka, signed with Boston, in early December. The 5’11″ Tazawa was 6-1 with a 1.00 ERA, striking out 56 in 54 innings in 2008, with Nippon. In signing two more Japanese hurlers, the Bosox are hoping for the same type of success they’ve had with Daisuke Matsuzaka & Hideki Okajima. Daisuke and his gyroball were only 15-12 in his first year with Boston, but he had a breakout 18-3 record last year. While lefthanded reliever Hideki Okajima has been solid in his two seasons with the Red Sox, more than 60 games & 60 innings pitched, & a sub 3.00 ERA, each year. 
When Rocco Baldelli first came to the big leagues with Tampa Bay in 2003 as a 21 year old kid, he was compared to Joe DiMaggio. In his first two seasons he played centerfield, 156 games as a rookie, then 136 games in his second season, batting .289 & .280, 89 runs & 78 RBIs, and 79 runs & 74 RBIs, 27 SBs & 11 HRs, and 17 SBs & 16 HRs, not bad for a kid Rhode Island, still wet behind the ears. Baldelli tore his ACL while playing baseball with his brother in the offseason, while rehabbing he injured his elbow, and needed Tommy John surgery, he missed the entire 2005 season, and didn’t return to everyday play until June 7, 2006. Playing from that point on, he batted .302, 16 homers, 57 runs, 57 RBIs, 10 steals, in only 364 at bats. In 2007 during spring training Rocco pulled his hamstring, he’d appear in only 35 games. Doctors discovered some metabolic and/or mitochondrial abnormalities, but were unable to provide an exact diagnosis. Baldelli was limited to 28 games in 2008, mainly as a DH & pinch hitter, batting .263, with 4 homers, and 13 RBIs, he hit a three run homer in game #3 of the ALCS to help the Rays take the lead in the series. In the offseason, further testing revealed he suffers from channelopathy, which makes his condition more treatable and less serious than previously thought. Rocco will wear #5 with the Red Sox, first guy to wear it since Nomar Garciaparra’s departure.
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