Category: Hot Stove

Hoffman to Sign with Brewers

hoffman Why didn’t the Brewers sign Coco Cordero last year instead of going out and pickup up broken down Eric Gagne? Luckily for Milwaukee Solomon Torres stepped into the closer’s job, and did a credible job – 28 saves, then he retired. So now, once again, the Brewers were without a closer, until they reached an agreement with the alltime career saves leader, Trevor Hoffman. Hoffman played his rookie year with the Marlins, but spent the last 15 years in Southern California, with the San Diego Padres. Last year he converted 30 of 34 opportunities, with a 3.82 ERA.

The 41 year old veteran signed a $6 million dollar one year deal, with an additional $1.5 million performance bonuses, based on games finished. Journeyman reliever Jorge Julio was brought in as insurance, but if Julio’s your insurance – Hell’s Bells!

Let’s Play the Game of Baseball

milton_bradley Old Faithful hasn’t erupted as regularly as Bradley, which explains why Chicago is his seventh organization in nine seasons, following stays with Montreal (where he was suspended for spitting gum at an umpire); Cleveland (where he battled with Manager Eric Wedge); the Dodgers (where he threw a water bottle at fans, was investigated for domestic violence three times and was arrested for disorderly conduct); Oakland; San Diego (where he tore a knee while being restrained from charging an umpire); and Texas he tried to confront a TV announcer who had some unflattering things to say about him. In fairness to Bradley, though, it hasn’t always been his fault. In Los Angeles, for example, a fan threw the water bottle first, and no charges were filed in any of the domestic violence calls. And in the incident when he was with the Padres, it was umpire Mike Winters who was suspended for baiting Bradley.

The Cubs got him for his bat, not to win a Miss Congeniality award. Bradley achieved career high in batting average .321, homers 22, RBIs 77, runs scored 78, and walks 80, in only 126 games with the Rangers last year. Chicago felt their lineup needed better representation from the leftside of the plate, hence the Bradley signing. I’m wondering how he’ll react when the rightfield bleacher bums come down on him for his bonehead defense, he only played 20 games in the outfield last year in Texas, making 3 errors & picking up 3 assists, he played in 126 games, 97 as a designated hitter, something not featured in the National League.

I don’t really see where the Cubs picked up that much in Bradley & Miles over DeRosa & Fukudome. I know it might’ve cost a little more, but they would have been much better off picking up Bobby Abreu to play rightfield, a better all around player than Bradley, without all the baggage, who shows up to play everyday. Abreu has driven in 100 runs, seven different times, and has scored 100 runs, eight times, and two other seasons he just missed the century mark with 99 & 98. But, it’s not my money, and who knows? Look what happened when the White Sox brought in malcontent Carl Everett, but just because a guy’s a goofball, doesn’t make him a clubhouse leader.

Teixeira Signs With the Yankees

An Angel Fan’s Viewpoint:

As a fan of the team that got the short end of the stick in this, here are my observations and conclusions:

Does anyone doubt that The Boss remains in charge of the Yankees? Maybe not the day-to-day operations of the team, but the BIG decisions. Who do they spend the money on? How much money is spent? Maybe even whether Joba starts or relieves. I think that The Boss still makes the big decisions.

I also think he was embarrassed last year to spend all that money and miss the playoffs. And he has vowed that IT WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. Maybe he was even pounding on the desk.

Meaningless DonS Observation: One way to make it less likely to happen again is to have a third baseman who is less interested in chasing Madonna and more interested in chasing the pennant, but that’s just MY opinion. Well, mine and Nick’s.

Two Other Interlocked DonS Observations: 1) I hate The Boss – in nice way, as “The One, The, Only Groucho” used to say. “Say the secret word and a duck will come down and give you fifty bucks. It’s a common word, one that people use every day.” 2) I wish The Boss owned a team that I root for, because he settles for no less than victory…and spares no effort to achieve that victory. I think he would be spending similar money even without the New York financial advantages that he enjoys, because he is the most competitive owner in sports.

Who says “money can’t buy me love?”

Rafael: Live & Die in LA

furcal Deja vu all over again, as Rafael Furcal once again is the center of controversy regarding signing with a team as a free agent. This time it’s Furcal choosing the Dodgers over the Braves, last time he snubbed the Cubs when he signed with LA in 2005.

Here’s what Braves president John Schuerholz had to say about Furcal signing with the Dodgers. “Having been in this business for 40-some years, I’ve never seen anybody treated like that. The Atlanta Braves will no longer do business with that company — ever. I told agent Arn Tellem that we can’t trust them to be honest and forthright. I told him that in all my years, I’ve never seen any agency act in such a despicable manner”. It seems as though the Furcal team had a verbal agreement with Atlanta, then went with LA.

I remember a similar thing happened with the Cubs in 2005. Aramis Ramirez, Neifi Perez, & Greg Maddux had all talked with Rafael, telling him to sign with Chicago, his name was already penciled in as the leadoff hitter, but then he signed with the Dodgers.

Bronx Bombers Land #3 Starter: A.J. Burnett

aj-burnett A.J. Burnett, the 31 year old, 6’5″ righthander out of North Little Rock, Arkansas, picked the perfect time to have his career year, right before becoming a free agent. The Yankees bit, signing Burnett to a five year, $82.5 million dollar deal. A.J., the man with the nasty fastball & the filthy stuff, has had trouble staying healthy, but looked solid in 2008, posting career highs in starts, innings pitched, and wins (34 221′ 18). Before last year the most wins he ever had in a season was 12. Over his ten year big league career, despite his overpowering stuff, his record is only eleven games above .500

If he stays healthy, and that’s a big if (10 trips to the disabled list in 10 years), Burnett should experience success slotted into the #3 position, behind C.C. Sabathia & Chien-Ming Wang. A.J.’s fastball will look like it’s going 200 MPH after hitters bat off Wang’s sinker the day before. This signing still is pending following a physical.

C.C. Cashes in, Set to Become Bronx Bomber

The New York Yankees, not to be outdone by the Mets KROD signing, are all set to sign C.C. Sabathia to a lucrative deal, which would be the biggest total package ever paid to a pitcher. The seven year, $161 million dollar deal, breaks down to $23 million per annum, which would still leave the Mets Johan Santana with the highest yearly pay. A BIG deal for a BIG man, Sabathia, a lefty, stands 6’7″ and weighs in excess of 250 pounds. He’ll need all of his girth if he’s going to carry the weight of bringing a title to the Yankees on his shoulders, if you don’t win it all, you’re a loser, according to the Yankees. It’s not at all about, how you play the game.

Where does the potential signing of Ace Sabathia leave the Yankees? Well first off, with the retirement of Mike Mussina, they start off 20 wins shy of their last year win total of 89. They also don’t have Andy Pettitte, a 14 game winner in 2008, locked up. But here is what Pettitte’s former skipper Joe Torre had to say, “He was always married to the Yankees, the excitement playing for the Yankees. I called him only because his agent called Ned [Colletti, the Dodgers’ GM]. I certainly would’ve kicked myself [if I hadn’t called]. He never said no to anything, but just from talking to him, I know the Yankees are his first choice. I wasn’t about to talk him out of it, knowing Andy like I do.” So it looks like Sabathia in the number one slot, followed by Chien-Ming Wang, then comes Andy Pettitte, leaving two spots in the rotation. There has been speculation the Yankees are trying to sign oft-injured righthander Ben Sheets to a two year, $30 million dollar deal, and they’re said to be in the hunt for Derek Lowe and/or A.J. Burnett. The other options are youngsters Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy, but New York is a tough place to grow up.

Here’s what Yankee fan TomB, a friend of DonS thinks of the Sabathia signing. The Yanks are also close to signing Derek Lowe and are aggressively going after Ben Sheets. You might think Lowe isn’t much of a signing, but another sinker ball pitcher in Yankee Stadium (along with Chien-Ming Wang) could be just what the doctor ordered. The signing of Sabathia will move Wang down to #2, which is where he probably belongs. So you don’t think a rotation of Sabathia, Wang, Sheets/Burnett, and Lowe, with Mariano as the closer (and Chamberlain either as setup or starter) will be effective? Yanks won 89 games last year (20 by Mussina and with Wang on the DL) with crappy pitching. The signing of Sabathia and one other could bump that win total up over 100.

Here is what DonS’ brother KeithS had to say. I do think that Lowe is a great sinker ball pitcher and would be a good fit in Yankee Stadium. My gut tells me he will not sign with the Yankees, but I must say, I have been wrong before. Ben Sheets middle name is DL, so to count on him for an entire year, would be a mistake. Is Wang healthy? Burnett has the hill in his rear view mirror. Playing in NY is not like playing in LA or Milwaukee or Toronto, either. Also Giambi & Abreu missing from the middle of the lineup changes the lineup tremendously.

What do I think? Well, DUH, it’s a no brainer! Any time you can add a pitcher of C.C.’s tremendous talents, without losing anything, it’s a good thing. And you have to remember, the Yankees aren’t like any other franchise, if they need more money, no problem. Sabathia has a lifetime winning percentage of .616, playing almost exclusively for the Cleveland Indians, but then he really turned it on, when in a playoff hunt with Milwaukee last year, he almost single handedly pitched the Brewers into the post season. This guy seems to thrive on pressure! All that said, the Yanks need to do more, they’re wrong if they’re counting on Nick Swisher to replace either Bobby Abreu or Jason Giambi in the lineup, and then there’s the matter of a catcher.

KROD: TAKE THE MONEY & RUN

The New York Mets, desperate for a closer, signed the best in the business, making KROD the highest paid relief pitcher in the game. The ink isn’t dry on the paper, but the deal is a reported three year, $37 million dollar deal, with a vesting option (dunno what that means) for a fourth year. I can still remember when starting pitchers were expected to & paid to complete games, it was an insult to the starting pitcher to pull him, not any more, not in this day of specialization. Francisco Rodriguez, won’t turn 27 until next month, he set a record last year with 62 saves with the Halos.

In 2008 the NY Mets converted only 43 saves out of 72 save opportunities. They were relying on Billy Wagner, who needed a ligament replaced in his pitching elbow last August. Even without a closer, NY finished the season with 89 wins, three games behind the Phillies in the East, and only one game behind the Brewers for the Wild Card. Aaron Heilman, Luis Ayala, and others in the Mets pen didn’t cut it, making getting a closer a top priority. There were some choices out there, Kerry Wood, Brian Fuentes, and alltime saves leader Trevor Hoffman, but in the end NY went with the best.

It will be interesting to see how KROD makes out in the Big Apple, it’s a long way from the Los Angeles Anaheim Angels. There’s going to be alot of pressure on Rodriguez to perform, he’s got an electric fastball & a slider that breaks out of sight. Francisco needs to get ahead of hitters in order to get them to bite on his breaking ball, usually in the dirt, control is not his strong suit. Besides that, the Angels had a pretty deep bullpen (Jose Arredondo, Scot Shields, & Darren Oliver), getting to the closer, we’ll have to see how the Mets setup men will bridge that gap. Last year’s signing of Ace Johan Santana was supposed to put the Metropolitans over the top, let’s see if KROD can do it.

"Grand" Branyan inked by the Mariners

Russ Branyan has been signed by the Mariners to a one-year deal.

Branyan has always been the kind of hitter who makes the most of his hits.  Secondary average, I believe Bill James calls it. 

Two years ago, he hit .228 yet almost reached the .500 mark in slugging (.498).  This past year, he had a .250 average but slugged .583 with a .342 OBP.  Mr All-or-Nothing can pretty much be counted to three things:  whiff, walk, or hit a home run. 

That is assuming he is in the lineup.  In the 11 seasons he’s been in the majors, he’s never batted more than 378 times.

The Mariners say they plan to use Branyan as a firstbaseman, thirdbaseman and, of course, DH.

THE PITTSBURGH INDIANS???

Remember when I was in Arizona for the Arizona Fall League the beginning of November I was telling you about a couple of East Indian pitchers who were trying out for major league scouts in Tempe? Well, the Pittsburgh Pirates have signed both hurlers. A White Sox fan friend out west was telling me, although the righthander threw harder, he thought the lefthander had a better shot at the big league, both were all over the place during the tryout.

Let me refresh your memory, Barry Bonds agent held a Million Dollar Arm Contest in India, whereby the winner would receive $100,000, specialized instruction from pitching coach Tom House, and a tryout in front of major league scouts. Dinesh Patel (20 years old), the 5’11” righty, threw 91-92 MPH, while Rinku Singh (19 years old), the 6’2″ lefty, threw 89-90 MPH.

While these two youngsters do have a shot at becoming the first major leaguers from India, they already are the first Indians ever to sign a professional contract outside of India. Recently the Pirates also signed a switch-hitting South African SS Mpho Ngoepe.

With 1,129,866,154 people in India with a Bucco rooting interest, can Pittsburgh really be considered a small market ballclub?