SB Nation - Gary Matthews

Future Free Agent Mistake Power Rankings, 12/15

Grant — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 20:33:51 -0000

The offseason is quickly dividing the fanbase into two camps:

No moves is good moves. The longer we’re not hearing about a four-year deal to Adam LaRoche, the less likely we’re ever going to hear about one.
WHY AREN’T YOU DOING ANYTHING, SABES? THE MARINERS JUST SIGNED CLIFF LEE AND WE DON’T EVEN HAVE AN OFFER IN TO (hitter) YET?

In the interest of ruining that first sentence before I get a chance to back it up, I’m somewhere in the middle. When I watch the Mariners get a one-year rental to drastically upgrade their team, a part of me secretly envies them, even though I wouldn’t want the Giants to follow suit. They have a shiny new toy. I like shiny new toys. Scott Podsednik would be an itchy sweater made out of possum fur, but you knew that.

The big deals aren’t the only ones that are making me jealous, either. The Blue Jays acquired Michael Taylor from the Phillies for Roy Halladay, and then they turned right around and traded Taylor for Brett Wallace. Hot prospect-for-prospect action! The rarest kind! And while I have my guesses as to who came out ahead (the A’s), we won’t know for a few years. But right now, each team has a shiny new toy. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t trade Madison Bumgarner for Justin Smoak, but it’d be interesting, at least. We’re halfway through December, and we’re without any interesting. I could use some interesting.

You know what else is interesting? Scott Podsednik on a two-year deal. That’s interesting like a kitchen fire. Maybe interesting isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. I’m scared of interesting and the Giants.

So with no news directly relating to the Giants, but with plenty of news reducing the options the Giants have in free agency, it’s time for another Future Free Agent Mistake Power Rankings. Who will be the Aaron Rowand of 2011? Well, Aaron Rowand, for one. But maybe he’ll have some overpaid company!

Scott Podsednik -- OF -- ↑

Number one with a bullet. A signing that in the best case provides marginal upgrade while swallowing most of a limited budget? Oh, sure, I’ll take two. I think it’s disturbing that a team could seriously think about Eugenio Velez as a leadoff hitter and corner outfielder. More disturbing? That Velez could outproduce the Podsednik from ’07 and ’08 with his thumbs taped together. But don’t worry: when 34-year-olds drastically improve, those gains usually stick. Or is it the other way around? This baseball stuff is confusing!

Adam LaRoche-- 1b -- ↑

It’s hard to be this high on the list when you’re a player who would improve the team over the internal options, but LaRoche’s ridiculous contract demands, combined with merely decent production, makes this a great chance to rowand the Giants into a corner by the end of the contract.

Marlon Byrd -- OF -- ↓

With Mike Cameron off the market, Byrd is one of the better center fielders, and it’s been almost two years since Sabean has signed a center fielder. His palms are sweaty, his mouth is dry, and his sponsor isn’t returning his calls. Mmmmm. An overpriced center fielder sounds pretty good right about now, especially when you’re still kicking yourself for missing out on Gary Matthews, Jr.

Jermaine Dye -- OF -- ↓

Sabean explicitly mentioned Dye as someone the Giants aren’t interested in. But I think that’s like when I tell my wife something like, "No, I don’t even really find Jessica Alba that attractive. Her earlobes aren’t symmetrical, and you know how I am about that." I have trust issues with our intrepid GM.

Mark DeRosa—3B/LF -- ↑

At the right price, I’d welcome DeRosa. He’s not going to get the right price. DeRosa’s decline last year might have been age related, but it might have been a BABIP-influenced fluke. I sure as heck wouldn’t commit millions to the latter theory, but if he’s starting in left field instead of Velez, I might be able to ignore the horrible contract for a year. And it will be a horrible contract.

Jason Bay-- OF -- ↑

He says he has no interest in the Giants. The Giants say they have no interest in him. There are still rumors floating around that the Giants really are interested. So when I read that Bay said he’s not interested in San Francisco, I’m guessing he said it while doing that money pantomime thing, rubbing his thumb and fingers together while he raises his eyebrows and gives you that look.

Garrett Atkins -- DH -- ↑

I’ll admit, the 2006 and 2007 versions are intriguing, but chasing after past glories only makes sense if it’s cheap. That, and Atkins is the worst defensive third baseman in the history of the game. Would it be in poor taste to suggest that Ron Santo has better range, even today? Yes? Okay, then I won’t write that. But Atkins is an abomination. Maybe he’s better at first, but he isn’t that likely to be a good enough hitter to displace Travis Ishikawa. I’d take Atkins over Ishikawa, but only for a few hundred thousand dollars’ difference.

Inconsequential Sub-Mediocre Free Agent Catcher -- C -- ↓

It’s going to happen, so the exact one – Miguel Olivo, Rod Barajas, Mike Sadek – doesn’t really matter. And as long as it isn’t a two-year deal, I can almost accept it, but you know whomever they acquire will play 150 games under Bochy. In GiantsLand, a catcher can make up for a .290 on-base percentage by calling a good game and handling a staff, so there’s no question that SMFAC will be more valuable than Buster Posey next year.

Johnny Damon -- OF -- ↓

He can probably still hit, and he isn’t Scott Podsednik. Heck, I think I might be in favor of a Damon deal at this point. The only problem is that if he’s going to take two years, he’ll probably just take it from the Yankees.

Hank Blalock -- 3B? -- ↓

No one is talking about him, and that scares me. I can imagine DeRosa, Nick Johnson, and LaRoche all taking other offers on the same day, leaving the Giants in a Garkoless panic.

I guess these rankings are, by design, doom-and-gloom. Maybe that’s not fair. But the Giants and free agency in the past few years have mixed like diarrhea and first dates. So, please, forgive me and the black cloud over my head.

Jason Bay May Sign with Angels

Rev Halofan — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:26:29 -0000

More photos » by Steve Nesius - AP

7 months ago: Boston Red Sox baserunner Jason Bay (44) steals second as Tampa Bay Rays' Akinori Iwamura, of Japan, fields the late throw during the third inning of a baseball game Saturday night, May 2, 2009 in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)

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Many media outlets are reporting that baseball's Winter Meetings are buzzing with the Angels monopolizing the time of free agent outfielder Jason Bay (via his representatives), and the Angels' contingent just landed at the airport in Indianapolis an hour ago.

In the age of the cell phone and blackberry this is more possible, but reports indicate that the Mariners and Red Sox cannot even get in a word edge-wise. Bay is seeking a Torii Hunter style deal: 5 years, $18 Million. He turned down 4 years $15 Million from Boston in November.

Another big pair of rumors is a reported Juan Rivera to the Detroit Tigers for Curtis Granderson trade as well as an upbeat report that the Angels may have found a trading partner for the services of Gary Matthews Jr.

Bay only batted .267 last season but his OPS was .921. That was, however, in Fenway (minor league girls can hit) Park.

If we sign Bay, adios Big Daddy (Vladimir Guerrero)

If we sign Bay, adios Johnny Rivers (Juan Rivera)

If we sign Bay, adios Thunder Mountain (John Lackey)

I will stop before I accidentally rhyme something and you mistake this for a poem.

Poll

Is Jason Bay Worth Torii Hunter Money?

Yes

683 votes

No

683 votes

1366 votes | Poll has closed

My Favorite Part Of Any Article

Jeff — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 02:27:05 -0000

The agent.

On Gary Matthews Jr.:

"They know where we stand," Matthews' agent, Scott Leventhal, told FOXSports.com. "Gary wants to play every day, and he wants to play center field."

"He's still got an amazing amount of talent," Leventhal said.

On Jacque Jones:

"I think any team will be impressed to sit across from Jacque Jones and reach out and shake his hand," Lapa said. "He looks as if he took his uniform off two weeks ago -- probably the best that I've seen him look. He has a lot of baseball left in his body, and he's looking for a team, hoping to make them look like geniuses."

On Rich Harden:

Tellem added that Harden, who has a history of shoulder problems, is healthy. "He’s fine," the agent said. "If the team had been in the race, he would have been pitching (at the end of the season). No health issues at all."

If a sportswriter is going to quote a player's agent in a story, then in the interest of being fair, he should also have to quote a guy whose wife the player hit on.

Gary Matthews Jr. Signs-This Date in Angels Blogging History

Rev Halofan — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:00:13 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Riedel - AP

Everything is broken... (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

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On this date in 2006, 3 years ago today, Halos Heaven went on record as saying that the Angels signing of Gary Matthews Jr. was a stupid thing and, in the first of three posts from that sad day, held out hope that another team would swoop in and sign the free agent outfielder.

By noon, the Angels had signed him to a five-year deal and I overreacted in a post, awarding the division to another team for the next three seasons when I read that Matthews would have a three-year no trade clause.

By that evening I was live-blogging my own meltdown, sinking into a weeping, desperate prayer that this terrible signing be somehow redeemed.

I guess those prayers were answered as the Angels have managed to win three division titles despite this albatross contract holding a mediocre 4th outfielder in place on our bench. If there is a silver lining, it is that I can always refer to the posts linked above to show that I called one right ~~and, much more importantly, this deal was not as bad as the Dodgers signing of~~ ~~Juan Pierre for the same 5 years, $50 Million as GMJ.~~ (see comments where that assertion is disproven by Turks Teeth)

Poll

Worse Signing

Steve Finley

130 votes

Gary Matthews Jr.

242 votes

Mo Vaughn

186 votes

558 votes | Poll has closed

Derek Lowe for Gary Matthews Jr. Trade?

Rev Halofan — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:16:13 -0000

More photos » by Kathy Willens - AP

DEREK LOWE: Ugly as John Lackey, sweats like Kevin Appier ... what is not to like (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

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A National League baseball team known as the Atlanta Braves are looking to dump pitcher Derek Lowe and his $45 Million over the next three seasons, according to The Fanhouse Blog. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are looking to trade Gary Matthews Jr. and $23 Million over the next 2 seasons.

If the Angels fail to re-sign John Lackey, could this deal be a backup plan for a veteran starting pitcher to round out our rotation and jettison the Matthews abomination of a contract from the Big A once and for all?

If the Angels fail to re-sign their beloved Chone Figgins, could Lowe + salary relief be packaged in a trade to the Detroit Tigers for, ummmm, maybe Curtis Granderson?

Signing Most-Valuable Players

DanUpBaby — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:00:36 -0000

You shoulda come to the first party—we didn't get home 'til around four in the morning. I was blind for three days...

View full size photo »

There's no new news, which means it's time we go over some old news: the decision to sign Ryan Franklin to a multi-year extension stipulating that he was not allowed to record another out in 2009. That particular clause was the main problem with the Franklin deal in particular, but since we didn't know about that at the time I think it's the principle of the thing that's wedged so tightly inside the Cardinals fanbase's collective craw. This team's management does so many things correctly; it's identified free talent like Ryan Ludwick, it's signed Adam Wainwright to a long-term deal at actual wainwright rates, and its drafts have improved tremendously since the seeds of what's become the new regime were first planted.

But Ryan Franklin was the second time in as many years that the Cardinals broke, to their own detriment, what was originally a Branch Rickey tenet and has since become a Sabermetrics 101 truism: Don't sign a player at the top of his value! This shouldn't be a difficult thing to grasp because it's so categorically true as to be basically meaningless; if you sign a guy at the very peak of his value, things can only go downhill from there.

I've thought about these contracts assuming, above all else, that John Mozeliak is a rational, above-average general manager; most of them are at this point, so it might be worthwhile to consider who else has made these two moves in recent years, and where it's left them.

THE LOHSE DEAL: Three long-term contracts obviously weirder than Kyle Lohse's

3. Juan Pierre. Five years, $44 million, 11/2006. What a terrible year for contracts this was—at the same time all of this was happening the Cardinals were getting ready to tear up Chris Carpenter's last two years, worth $15 million, so that they could hand him three more at an annual value of $15 million. Pierre is probably the nearest analogue to Kyle Lohse of the three I've got here; he's an intermittently useful regular who is being passed off, as salaries go, as the second banana on a pretty good team, not the guy who goes to the bench when somebody better shows up.

But more importantly, when the Dodgers pounced on Juan Pierre here—before the winter meetings, even—they seemed to be bidding against themselves. Pierre had just been traded from the Marlins for what at the time was a platter of second tier pitching prospects, and his year in Chicago hadn't exactly brought him back to the front of the national conscience. Who else was ready to offer Juan Pierre $44 million? Or Kyle Lohse $41?

2. Gary Matthews, Jr. Five years, $50 million, 11/2006. Stop me if you've heard this one before, maybe three times before: a player who has been useful in his own way for some time has a brilliant season that gets a lot of attention, not all of it for his tangible value. In the offseason he's signed to a contract that seems out of touch both with his apparent market value and the likely bounds of his performance, but the team in question is convinced that, despite being in his thirties, this player has found a new level of performance. He has not.

What makes the Sarge Jr. contract crazier than the Kyle Lohse deal, besides the additional year, is that the real Gary Matthews Jr. was a fourth outfielder with an inconsistent bat and a flashy glove. Since the Angels signed him, that's exactly what he's been. When it comes to inexplicable career year contracts, we're all Gary Matthews, Jr., Jr. Except for this man:

1. Vernon Wells. 114 years, $573 billion, 12/2006. Recently we were talking about how great it is to be able to lock up your own homegrown talent—how that's one of the keys to the Yankees' success, and, in the Blue Jays' case, one of the keys to competing with the Yankees. After looking at the Vernon Wells contract to this point, one might be tempted to never, ever sign another homegrown player again.

Vernon Wells was a trap; that's all there is to it. He looks like a homegrown franchise player; he plays center field, and in his second full season in the league he had an enormous season, hitting .317/.359/.550 and doing everything well. In his ill-fated contract year, he nearly reprised that season, hitting .303/.357/.542. But between those lines, and even between the lines' lines, there are more warning signals than you'll find on a pack of Canadian cigarettes. Between 2003 and 2006 are two extremely average lines; even in 2003 and 2006 there's a walk rate that keeps him from being an elite hitter. The Blue Jays were signing a player that they'd gotten for two non-contiguous years out of four to a deal that might even have been rich for that hypothetical guy.

They couldn't have known that his offense and defense would both take a complete nosedive by 2009, making him one of the worst players in baseball just in time for his contract to get to these numbers:

2010—$12.5 million
2011—$23 million

If I stopped here it would be a bad deal. But I've got more, one entirely separate bad deal—

2012—$21 million
2013—$21 million

That's like signing Vernon Wells to a bad contract—five years, $63 million—and then signing him again, at the conclusion of the contract, to Manny Ramirez's deal. (You know? It really is...)

THE FRANKLIN DEAL: Three mid-contract renegotiations less necessary than Ryan Franklin's

3. Vernon Wells. Why on earth did they renegotiate after his career year when they had one more on which to base things? Were they concerned that the Vernon Wells would take it as a serious personal affront?

2. Travis Hafner. You've got a slugger who has just turned 30 and who, while brilliant, has serious old player skills. He's gotten off to a slow start this season, but it's alright—you've got him signed through the end of the next year on a deal that's beneficial for all parties concerned. Do you A) wait out his slump, or B) sign him to a four year, $57 million contract that wipes out your attractive year and a half as a show of good will?

1. Chris Carpenter. It hurts, it really does. But at least we don't have to blame this one on John Mozeliak. I'm aware that this is easier for us to do, as armchair GMs, than it is for the actual executives, who are dealing with actual human beings they will have to see on a semi-regular basis. And it's not just the player—fans can be pretty quick to accuse teams of not opening up DeWallet, and the Vernon Wells deal was apparently engineered, to some degree, by the Blue Jays' owner.

But in general, contracts like Lohse's and Franklin's—on a smaller scale, luckily—illustrate how risky a business it is to use contracts to send messages to players, fans, or owners. A pat on the back might have done more good for Ryan Franklin than an extra $4 million on his head.

Milton Bradley Update

Eli Greenspan — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:17:28 -0000

More photos » by Charles Rex Arbogast - AP

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The Cubs ownership sale is finally complete. Now it is time to go to work.

The Cubs have been trying very hard to move disgruntled outfielder Milton Bradley for the past month, but haven't found any serious takers. There are several teams, however, with big contracts that they are trying to move, so it is safe to say that there is a match out there.

ESPN.com's Buster Olney lists several possible names including Gary Matthews of the Angels, Barry Zito of the Giants, and even Dontrelle Willis of the Tigers.

The Vernon Wells-for-Milton Bradley rumor was quickly shot down, which makes sense considering there is an 86 million dollar difference in their contracts.

The Cubs could also explore a deal for Jeremy Hermida of the Marlins. Hermida is arbitration eligible, but the Marlins could be interested in Bradley because the Marlins do not draw the same media attention like in Chicago.

It is safe to say Bradley won't be in Chicago in 2010. Where do you see him going this offseason?

Trading Matthews, Talking Guerrero: Friday Halolinks

WiHaloFan — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:49:14 -0000

More photos » by Peter Morgan - AP

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Would GMJ get any job if he were a free agent? - Sam Miller - OCRegister.com
Gary Matthews, Jr. wants to be traded. Barring that, he’d like to be released "to go somewhere to play for an organization that believes in my ability to play every day. " I’m assuming he doesn’t mean the Fullerton Flyers, but an actual Major League team. But if he were actually a free agent right now, how sure should he be that he’d even get a Major League contract offer?

Where does production come from? - The Hardball Times
There are a lot of ways to build a winning ballclub. The method behind the Angels' success doesn't get the same attention as some other techniques, but perhaps it should. They've won 89 or more games six consecutive seasons, including 97 and 100 the last two.

True Grich: You can't teach an old dog new tricks

Statistically, he’s been great (for the most part), but again, I hardly knew him. All I know of Vlad is what I’ve heard through broadcaster Jose Mota, who usually translates interviews for him. That’s it. You don’t see Vlad on Sports Center doing interviews. You don’t hear him on the radio with Jim Rome. We rarely even see a quote in the paper from him. It’s as if he doesn’t exist outside of the box score. All we get is what we see on the field. Now, I know that’s good enough for some fans, but it’s never been enough for me. Some of us want to feel connected to our players. Vlad could have had a love affair with Angel fans, but he never put forth the effort. I’ve seen him at Spring Training. I’ve seen him walk past fans without so much as a wave or even a smile. Nothing. I’ve seen him ignore the autograph requests of little kids wearing his jersey. And I’m not just talking about once or twice over six years. I’m talking about him consistently ignoring us; as in all of the time, year after year.

Owners really cheated on Dodgers fans -- latimes.com
And, really, as embarrassing as the McCourts have behaved toward each other, has it been any worse than watching violent fans roam Dodger Stadium while celebrated stoner Snoop Dogg promotes the team on the video board? By the time the McCourts started one divorce, another was already being finalized, between the team and the values that once made it so special.

October 30 - BR Bullpen
Events, births and deaths that occurred on October 30.

What do you think...is this real?

Poll

Was Vladimir Guerrero's popularity lessened because he rarely gave interviews?

Yes, part of his job is to connect with fans.

248 votes

No, he's paid to play baseball and he did it well.

395 votes

643 votes | Poll has closed

Would the Braves trade Jair Jurrjens?

Eli Greenspan — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:28:37 -0000

More photos » by Paul Abell - AP

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The Atlanta-Journal Constitution proposes the question should the Braves trade pitcher Jair Jurrjens? Jurrjens is quickly establishing himself as one of the top young pitchers in the game, building on strong 2008 rookie season to a post a 2.60 ERA in 2009 with 14 wins.

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Jair Jurrjens	14-10	36	34	0	0	0	0	215.0	186	71	62	15	75	152	2.60	1.21

Jurrjens has great intuitive instincts on the mound. He combines those instincts with a good work ethic, which is obviously paying dividends for him.

People in favor of trading Jurrjens, which are few and far between, say that trading him avoids future negotiations with his agent, Scott Boras.

First off, very few, if any teams have traded their top talent (before they reach arbitration, mind you) because of the agent they have. While Jurrjens has put up back to back double-digit win seasons, he is far from earning what would be considered out of the Braves' price range.

That may not be the case for Javier Vazquez though. Vazquez put up 15 wins with a sub-3.00 ERA and is coming into a contract year. While the Braves may need to eat a portion of his 2010 contract, Vazquez could net the Braves they bat they are looking for.

I expect the Angels to contact the Braves about Vazquez. The Angels will shop Gary Matthews this offseason, and his contract matches up nicely with Vazquez for 2010. However, I doubt the Braves would ever make a one-for-one swap like that.

Other available players include Milton Bradley, Pat Burrell, and Jeremy Hermida, among others.

Thursday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:22:47 -0000

More photos » by Jae C. Hong - AP

Jarrod Washburn: 2010 Brewer?

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Some things to read while testing the healing powers of bacon.

Jon Heyman is the latest to bring up the possibility that Jarrod Washburn could become a 2010 Brewer (as noted in Rumorville). Al says "he's been solid for far too many seasons to pretend he's not a good pitcher." With that said, he's also 35 years old and coming off surgery.

I'm having a hard time getting off the fence on this possibility. Obviously, Washburn's age and injury status would create the possibility that signing him could turn into a major mistake. With that said, his ERA in Seattle was never over 4.69, and when you adjust that for the NL he could very well be expected to post something in the 4.20-4.40 range next season. Giving him anything more than a two year deal would be a mistake, but to me he's worth considering in the short term.

Meanwhile, Jorge Says No! is still listing the Brewers as one of six teams that could trade for Gary Matthews Jr., but only if the Angels eat most of his salary. Every GM starts the offseason looking for players who are cheap and good: Trading for GMJ with the intent of playing him in center field would mean sacrificing the "good" part to get the "cheap."

Here's an unsubstantiated possibility I'll throw out there: The Mets are reportedly looking for a right-handed platoon partner for Daniel Murphy at first base next season. At first glance, Casey McGehee would make sense, as his versatility would allow him to fill in at other positions when he's not starting at first. Just a thought.

And while I'm out here on the rampant speculation train, View From Bernie's Chalet has a look at one potential Opening Day lineup for the 2011 Brewers. He presents a pretty encouraging possibility: A productive Brewer lineup with all eight position players under 30.

Earlier this week, the Milwaukee chapter of the BBWAA announced their postseason awards, but it's possible they didn't tell the whole story. Miller Park Drunk has the full list of awards presented.

By the way, to answer MPD's question: No, the Milwaukee BBWAA chapter isn't just the three writers from the Journal Sentinel. Six ballots were cast when voting on the awards: One of them was likely AP reporter Colin Fly, and I'm pretty sure the Madison Capital-Times and Racine Journal-Times also have active BBWAA members.

In the minors:

Bernie's Crew has short videos of the deliveries of three of the Brewers' top pitching prospects: Cody Scarpetta, Jake Odorizzi and Wily Peralta, if you haven't seen them before.
Baseball Intellect, at least partially spurred by this Battlekow interview, discusses Evan Anundsen's drop in velocity and the possibility that his high pitch counts in high school are to blame.
Baseball America has a report card for the Brewers' 2009 Draft. It's behind their pay wall, but Rattler Radio has several of the salient points.

Around baseball:

Astros: Outrighted catcher Chris Coste to AAA. Coste will be a minor league free agent.
Braves: Are expected to sign Tim Hudson to a three year contract extension worth $27 million.
Dodgers: Manny Ramirez exercised his $20 million player option to remain with the team next season.
Rays: Outrighted first baseman Chris Richard to AAA, making him a minor league free agent.
Rockies: Reliever Joel Peralta rejected an outright assignment to the minor leagues and will become a free agent.

Yesterday, Roguejim noted MLB Trade Rumors' Bad Contract Swap Meet. That's a good idea, but this one would be better TV: Dave Cameron of FanGraphs proposes the Bad Contract White Elephant. Clearly it's intended to be tongue in cheek, but I'd watch it.

Earlier this week, BCB endorsed the Phillies in the World Series, and we're off to a pretty good start. It appears not everyone got the memo, though: Ryan Grant is rooting for the Yankees.

I don't buy a lot of baseball books, but I gladly shell out the money for John Sickels' Baseball Prospect Book every year. It's easily my top resource for scouting reports on over a thousand prospects and it's great to have on hand when attending spring training or minor league games. I've probably consulted it 30-40 times in my work here during the 2009 season. Sickels is currently accepting pre-orders for the 2010 book, which help pay for its publication. If you're a minor league buff or just want to be one step closer to knowing what you're talking about when discussing prospects, I'd highly recommend picking up a copy.

Speaking of the minors, the Reds' decision to move spring training from Sarasota to Goodyear, Arizona has sent a ripple into the minor leagues: The Reds, who also own their Florida State League affiliate in Sarasota, are selling it to the Pirates, who intend to move it to their spring training facility in Bradenton. So, in one year's time the city of Sarasota may lose both their spring training presence and their FSL team.

On this day in 2002, Ned Yost was hired to manage the Brewers, and Ken Macha was named manager of the A's. We'll have more on Brewer managers later today.

Happy birthday to Dana Eveland, who pitched in 36 games as a Brewer in 2005 and 2006 and turns 26, knuckleballer and 2007 Nashville Sound R.A. Dickey,, who turns 35, and Narciso Elvira, who appeared in four games for the 1990 Brewers and turns 42.

Oh, and if you're feeling nostalgic, this description of Gabe Kapler's play should bring back some memories.

Drink up.