SBNation.com User Blog: Brett Taylor

Torii Hunter Might Be Uncomfortable And Other MLBullets

Brett Taylor — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 00:32:06 -0000

I'm not much of one for goodbyes. Actually, that's not true - I'm usually incredibly long-winded about that kind of thing. But, since this isn't really a goodbye, I'll keep it brief. This is my last MLBullets for BCB (though you can look for the feature to live on), and I want to thank you all for reading them this past year. I've enjoyed it, and want to thank Al for letting me be a part of the writing group here. I'll still be around in the community, and you can also see my work over at Bleacher Nation. Thanks again, and on to the MLBullets ...

This will probably be getting some play for the next few days because it continues to be a sticky issue. New Tigers outfielder Torii Hunter was asked what it would be like to have an openly gay teammate, and he responded: "For me, as a Christian ... I will be uncomfortable because in all my teachings and all my learning, biblically, it's not right. It will be difficult and uncomfortable." For most people, the religious angle will serve as an effective shield, but it's an unfortunate view. I say this without an ounce of religious judgment, but, instead, I'm just thinking as a teammate - Hunter has previously had, or currently has, in all odds, a gay teammate. Now, that guy is going to feel even worse about who he is and about his ability to be completely honest about his life, to the extent he wanted to in the first place. I'm of the mind that, because sexuality doesn't matter when it comes to sports, everyone should just be able to be who they are, and that'll be that. In 20 years, we'll probably think this era of the "gay athletes in sports" question was totally ridiculous.
The Red Sox and Mike Napoli are still negotiating about the contract he agreed to four weeks ago. The Red Sox clearly want some protection built into the agreement about Napoli's hip, and they're keeping in contact with Adam LaRoche, just in case. They'd prefer not to go that route, though, as LaRoche would cost them their second round pick. It'd be interesting to know how many other moves/free agents this whole drama is holding up - LaRoche doesn't want to sign until the Red Sox bow out; the Nats don't want to move Michael Morse until LaRoche is done; maybe the Mariners don't want to sign a player until they know they can't get Morse; maybe that player doesn't want to sign until he knows whether the Mariners are bidding ... and on and on.
The Cardinals are having Matt Carpenter, whose bat should be in the lineup, but who had trouble finding time at his more natural positions (first base and third base), learn to play second base. If he became a passable defensive option there, that's a great bat for second base. On the other hand, with an aging Rafael Furcal at short, that's not a lot of range up the middle.
The Marlins are listening to offers for Giancarlo Stanton, which, if a deal happened, could be the biggest prospect haul in recent memory. I doubt he goes this year, though.
Beyond the Boxscore with a saber-round-up, including the affect of complete games on young pitchers.
Sportswriters, drama queens, and Hall of Fame balloting, from David Murphy. Speaking of which, Peter Gammons on the Steroid Era, and voting for Hall of Famers this year.

Brett Taylor is the Lead Writer at Bleacher Nation, and a Contributor here at Bleed Cubbie Blue.

Get Ready For Another Set Of Justin Upton Rumors And Other MLBullets

Brett Taylor — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 01:40:53 -0000

With the Christmas holiday firmly in the rearview mirror, it's time for the rumor mill to start churning again ...

Oh, goody-goody gumdrops: the Justin Upton trade rumor watch is back. After falling back into a deep slumber following the Rangers' unsuccessful efforts to land the 25-year-old outfielder, the rumors are going to start popping up again. Jon Heyman believes Upton could be back in play for teams approaching the Diamondbacks about an outfielder after the Cody Ross signing. It still seems far more likely that Jason Kubel or Gerardo Parra are dealt, but everyone loves them a good Upton rumor. Prepare yourself.
Speaking of rumors, the Red Sox and Mike Napoli are engaging in a bit of a public dance. After agreeing to terms on a three-year, $39 million deal at the Winter Meetings, the two sides ran into a hang up, reportedly, about Napoli's hip. Presumably, the Red Sox then sought to renegotiate the deal or at least insert some protective language, and we've heard very little since. But now, suddenly, we hear that the Red Sox are still in communications with free agent first baseman Adam LaRoche (who would make sense for the Red Sox only in the absence of Napoli), and Napoli is in communications with another team. It seems each side is trying to publicly emphasize that they have other options.
Former long-time Yankee Hideki Matsui has officially retired. He spent 20 years playing professional ball, split half and half between Japan and the States.
Jayson Stark's strange but true feats from the 2012 MLB season - it's a great read, but a long one. That 17-inning Red Sox/Orioles game that featured Chris Davis as the winning pitcher (after striking out five times and grounding into a double play) still takes the cake for me.
Maury Brown has the nitty gritty of MLB's upcoming new television deals, which more than double the take coming to MLB teams.
Joe Sheehan offers his early predictions for the 2013 season. Probably a good one: "'...in the AL East' - That phrase gets retired, as after a decade of hegemony, age and questionable management push the Yankees and Red Sox down the totem pole and bring the game's toughest division back to the pack. It's still a strong group, but no longer clearly the best in the game - the NL East, AL West and NL West all vie for the title. The 2013 postseason is the first since 1993 with neither of the AL East's scary monsters involved."
Chipper Jones, in his post-playing life, is just like us. He makes oopsies, and then publishes them for the world to see.

Brett Taylor is the Lead Writer at Bleacher Nation, and a Contributor here at Bleed Cubbie Blue.

The NL Central Is Cheap And Other MLBullets

Brett Taylor — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 03:10:08 -0000

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and is ready to get back into business ...

Despite being unloaded by the Mets after very reasonable contract extension demands weren't met, R.A. Dickey wanted to make sure the fans knew how he felt, so he wrote them a long letter on his way out of town. In it, he remains deeply thankful to the Mets for giving him a chance, and wishes he could keep pitching for the Mets' fans.
We've already seen the final payrolls for 2012, but MLBTR breaks it down by division to see where the most money is being spent. As you may have expected, the AL East leads the pack at almost $130 million per team. The NL East came in second at $111.5 million, but the AL West was close behind at almost $110 million - a figure that could jump next year, depending on whether the Rangers reverse course on their failed bids. The NL West was next, at $98 million, but that will definitely jump next year with the Dodgers eager to sign everyone. The AL Central was second to last at $96 million, and the NL Central rounded things up at just $89 million. The Cubs will start to bring that number up in future years, but the figure underscores the opportunity laying ahead of the Cubs if and when they start to spend big.
Buster Olney talks about the top potential 2013 story lines, leading off with the weighty expectations of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Andruw Jones signed a $3.5 million deal to play in Japan next year, but that could be in jeopardy after he was arrested on a domestic battery charge in the wee hours of Christmas morning.
FanGraphs evaluates the Nick Swisher signing, and what it could mean to the Indians. He basically replaces Shin-Soo Choo in almost every respect, and the Indians picked up Trevor Bauer for Choo, so you could argue that the Indians are now better in the near-term and long-term with the twin moves.
Mark Faller is leaving his Hall of Fame ballot blank as a protest to the steroid era and the league that turned a blind eye to it. Somewhere Craig Biggio is saying, "Man, you suck."
Baseball Nation's "Best Of 2012" features a number of categories that are a bit different than what you might expect.

Brett Taylor is the Lead Writer at Bleacher Nation, and a Contributor here at Bleed Cubbie Blue.

Nick Swisher Lands In Cleveland And Other MLBullets

Brett Taylor — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 12:51:56 -0000

Happy Holidays to all, and a Merry Christmas Eve to those who celebrate it .May Santa treat you well.

One of the biggest remaining free agent chips dropped yesterday, with Nick Swishing signing on as an Indian for four years and $56 million. He'd been expected to end up in Cleveland for a little while now - they were, at least, the favorite - so it wasn' t a huge surprise. I'd expect that the money was a bit of a surprise to him, considering that just a couple years ago, Jayson Werth, at a similar age and with similar numbers, got a deal worth more than twice as much. Werth was better then than Swisher is now, but the difference in the contracts is stark.
Ken Rosenthal talks about the Indians' moves this offseason, and discusses how signing Swisher makes sense for Cleveland, even in the face of trading away Shin-Soo Choo, and possibly dealing Justin Masterson and Chris Perez as well. In short, they are trying to simultaneously rebuild for the long-term while also improving the team for 2013. We'll see how it works out.
The Red Sox and Pirates are working out the final details of a move that would send closer Joel Hanrahan to the Red Sox, together with another player, for outfielder Jerry Sands, pitching prospect Stolmy Pimentel, and possibly reliever Mark Melancon plus another player. The details probably won't be worked out until after Christmas.
It isn't quite the big bat the Mariners have been hoping to land, but Seattle yesterday agreed to terms with 40-year-old Raul Ibanez to a one-year, $2.75 million deal. With a mess of DH/1B/fringe-OF types already, Ibanez's fit is tough to figure, but, as I said, the Mariners were just desperate to make sure they landed another bat or two this offseason.
As Al noted on the front page, former Cub Ryan Freel died Saturday from an apparent suicide. It's a sad story about a guy who was a fan favorite in Cincinnati for a long time.

Brett Taylor is the Lead Writer at Bleacher Nation, and a Contributor here at Bleed Cubbie Blue.

The Early Offseason Winners and Losers And Other MLBullets

Brett Taylor — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 02:11:15 -0000

Hey, the world is still here. Neat.

Jayson Stark looks at the most improved and least improved teams of the offseason so far, according to computer projections, Vegas odds, and baseball executive opinion. The Blue Jays, Red Sox, Royals, Angels and Dodgers generally show up near the top of each list, with the Marlins, Astros and Mets generally showing up on the not-so-improved list (can you imagine an Astros team that isn't improved?). From the executives on the Blue Jays, who were pretty much unanimously at the top of the improved list: "They've traded for three starting pitchers (R.A. Dickey, Mark Buehrle, Josh Johnson) who averaged 209 innings apiece last season. They've added a dynamic leadoff man (Jose Reyes), a guy who hit .346/.390/.516 (Melky Cabrera) before the test-tube police nabbed him, and two players (Emilio Bonifacio and Maicer Izturis) who give them the depth and versatility they lacked in 2012. So what's not to like? "They've basically traded for a No. 1, a No. 2 and a No. 3 starter," said one AL executive. "And that's remarkable, in and of itself." ... "I give them a lot of credit," said another NL exec. "They recognized that right now, the Red Sox and Yankees aren't the Red Sox and Yankees. The AL East isn't the AL East like it used to be. They saw a window of opportunity, and they're going for it. A lot of teams never take that swing. At least they took it."
FanGraphs takes a look at agent Scott Boras' penchant for having his top guys wait to sign their contract, and, sometimes, take a one-year deal if the big money isn't there. Specifically, with respect to Michael Bourn this year, it's fair to wonder: did Bourn and Boras wait too long? ... probably not. Historically, Boras's plan to hold out his top players until the market settles a bit and other options go off the board has worked quite well. Odds are, it will work for Bourn, too, even if he has to accept a "pillow contract," and try again next year. (Though I'd point out that he's going to cost a draft pick, so teams may be slightly more reluctant to sign him for just one year, however cheaply he might come.)
Speaking of one-year deals, it sounds like AJ Pierzynski is going to settle for one with the Texas Rangers, who are finally making a move after an offseason of apparent misses.
Ever wonder how Kevin Goldstein went from writing for Baseball Prospectus to holding a high-level position in the Astros' front office? Well, he's interviewed here, and tells a bit of his story.
If you're looking for a transaction tracker to keep up with what moves have actually happened, here's one from MLB Daily Dish.

Brett Taylor is the Lead Writer at Bleacher Nation, and a Contributor here at Bleed Cubbie Blue.

Is It Time For An Electronic Strike Zone? And Other MLBullets

Brett Taylor — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 04:10:53 -0000

The latest from around MLB ...

A huge chunk of fans - a majority? - remain staunchly opposed to electronic means being employed to call balls and strikes. Despite the technology existing, which would allow us to know for certain whether that Greg Maddux comebacker really did clip the outer edge of the plate, we refuse to use it. That may sound like a judgmental statement, but it isn't - I'm not so sure I want to use that technology either. However, studies in this area are going to force us to confront the issue. For example, FanGraphs performs a study on the strike zone, and how it shifts dramatically based on the count. Specifically, the difference in the strike zone, over the course of a season's worth of data, on 0-2 counts and 3-0 counts is extreme. Check out the article for a visual that might make you rethink your position on electronically-called balls and strikes. Still, I struggle with the issue. There's something fun and intimately "baseball" about the argument that follows a close ball or strike call. Sometimes it's brutal, because the ump obviously screwed your team, but those moments all even out in the end, right? I just think I'd miss that feeling - the ups and the downs - associated with the ump jutting his arm out to the right, signaling the end of an at bat. I can't rightly redirect my anger at a computer, can I?
The R.A. Dickey trade to the Blue Jays officially went through yesterday after Dickey passed his physical and agreed to a two-year, $25 million extension with the Jays. Always thoughtful, Dickey explained his feelings on leaving the Mets: "I think it's important for me to grieve leaving New York. I had a proverbial home there. I had a home among fans. I had a home in an organization. I had a lot of success there, and I think it's important for me to be sad about that for a moment before I move on to the next feeling."
Phil Mickelson will no longer be the Magic Johnson-style face of the San Diego Padres' ownership group. He recently informed the group that is in the process of purchasing the Padres that he will not be joining them in the process. As a native San Diegoan, I'm sure locals are bummed that he won't be a part of the team.
Baseball Prospectus notes that Coco Crisp has evolved into the league's most skillful base stealer ... and digs into how exactly he's done it. By reviewing each of his stolen base attempts in 2012, R.J. Anderson discovered that Crisp isn't just fast. He's smart. He discovers patterns in pitchers' moves/pick-off attempts/deliveries, and exploits them to the point that his steals are almost never on the catcher. The catcher rarely even has a chance. It's a fascinating read, and probably a study that is going to make it harder for Crisp to repeat his feat in 2013.
Grant Brisbee does what Grant Brisbee does, which is to say he writes a fantastic piece on Hall of Fame voting. The short version? He'll call off the dogs if writers vote for Tim Raines and Alan Trammell. But don't limit yourself to the short version.
Rob Neyer evaluates the Red Sox's $9.5 million bet on Stephen Drew.

Brett Taylor is the Lead Writer at Bleacher Nation, and a Contributor here at Bleed Cubbie Blue.

It's All Up To Dickey And Other MLBullets

Brett Taylor — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 00:54:17 -0000

The hot stove continues to blaze ...

The big news over the weekend was the agreement on a trade between the Blue Jays and the Mets, in which the Mets would send R.A. Dickey, Josh Thole, and a lesser prospect to the Blue Jays for top catching prospect Travis d'Arnaud, top 100ish pitching prospect Noah Syndergaard, John Buck, and a lesser prospect. The trade is merely "agreed upon" at this point, as opposed to "consummated," because it is pending an agreement on an extension between Dickey and the Jays, with a 1pm CT deadline on Tuesday. Dickey, 38, will make just $5 million in 2013, and is coming off a Cy Young season in 2012. His skill set - that of a knuckleballer - tends to be one that ages well, so this isn't your average trade for a 38-year-old journeyman.
Jeff Passan says that Dickey wields all the leverage here, and will probably use it to get an extension from the Jays better than the two-year, $26 million deal he was seeking from the Mets. Ken Rosenthal says it could be a painful deal for the Jays, but he understands why they're doing it - after they made the huge trade with the Marlins, they were committed. With the Yankees aging and the Red Sox retooling, the time to strike in the AL East is probably right now. Richard Justice says that, if the Jays pull this deal off, they will be so good on paper that you can't rightly pick any other team to win the AL East. Dave Cameron explains why this deal is not the same kind of thing as the Royals trading top prospects for James Shields.
The Pirates have come under fire for having prospects in their organization train with the Navy SEALS, which has reportedly led to an injury or two. Pirates GM Neal Huntington defended the training, saying, "Collegiate and Olympic teams have gained valuable insight, gained valuable experience from the Navy SEALs. We‘re not alone in our belief that these techniques work. As a matter of fact, these are the scientifically proven techniques that help young men grow, that help young men develop."
MLB has released 2012's final payroll numbers, which are the actual, final calculations of "40-man rosters and include salaries and pro-rated shares of signing bonuses, earned incentive bonuses, non-cash compensation, buyouts of unexercised options and cash transactions." The Cubs came in at number 10, with a total official payroll of $107,708,021. The Yankees were up top, with more than $223 million in payroll.
Speaking of which, that payroll cost the Yankees an extra $18.9 million, thanks to the luxury tax. The cap was at $178 million last year, and will hold firm there for 2013 before increasing to $189 million in 2014.
Looks like the Red Sox are going to pick up Stephen Drew on a one-year deal, per Jon Heyman. He'll try to rebuild some value, and they'll buy time for their shortstop prospects.

Brett Taylor is the Lead Writer at Bleacher Nation, and a Contributor here at Bleed Cubbie Blue.

Josh Hamilton Gets PAID And Other MLBullets

Brett Taylor — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 04:06:50 -0000

Who needs the Winter Meetings, right? This week has already surpassed last week's activity, and it looks like there's more to come ...

Obviously the big news yesterday was Josh Hamilton finally re-signing with the Rangers ... er, heading northwest to the Mariners ... er ... the Angels? We shouldn't be too shocked given the surprising Albert Pujols move last year, but the Angels caught a lot of folks off guard yesterday when they landed Hamilton on a huge, five-year, $125 million deal.
The reactions to the Hamilton signing have been mixed, to say the least, with the Angels being accused by some of "panicking," and swooping in on Hamilton (to whom they were not connected until late last week at the very earliest) in order to reclaim some of the LA spotlight from the Dodgers, even though he may not have been a good fit for their needs. Jonah Keri says the Angels will be great fun to watch, but he wonders how will Hamilton will play in their pitcher-friendly ballpark. Jeff Sullivan points out that Hamilton's contact rate was terrifyingly low last year, which could portend some trouble. Glenn DuPaul says that, even after adding Hamilton, you have to make some assumptions that are seriously in the Angels' favor to say that they project to be better in 2013 than they were in 2012.
The question now is, what do the Rangers do after missing out on Zack Greinke and Josh Hamilton, and probably Justin Upton, too?
Lost in the Hamilton mania was a lesser signing, but of note around here - Ryan Dempster reportedly inked a two-year, $26.5 million deal with the Boston Red Sox. He'd hoped to stay in the NL with a team who Springed in Arizona, but I guess he wasn't getting as many calls as he would have liked. Good luck to Ryan in Boston.
The Yankees are reportedly set to re-sign Ichiro for two years and $12 to $14 million, which seems like an awful lot of money for a guy whose career has been trending so solidly downward. He was very good in his time in New York, though, so maybe there's something magical about those Yankee pinstripes.
Rob Neyer isn't sure the Dodgers are doing anything that teams before them haven't tried to do - i.e., spending a whole lot of money. The real test of their financial resolve will be when their roster starts to age: will they dump those players, eating the salary, AND go out and buy brand new shiny players?
Remember those anti-Mets comments R.A. Dickey supposedly made at a Christmas party when he was airing his grievances about not getting an extension? Well, here are some of the comments, and they are all kinds of tame, fair, and even-handed. Not a big deal. Makes you wonder if the Mets are just trying to lay the foundation to explain a trade to their fans.

Brett Taylor is the Lead Writer at Bleacher Nation, and a Contributor here at Bleed Cubbie Blue.

The Reds, Indians, And D-Backs Make A Deal And Other MLBullets

Brett Taylor — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 12:09:55 -0000

The latest from around the League, where the moves are flying ...

The Diamondbacks, Reds, and Indians consummated a big-time three-way trade last night, which saw nine players change teams. In sum: the Reds got outfielder Shin-Soo Choo and infielder Jason Donald from the Indians, the Diamondbacks got shortstop Didi Gregorius from the Reds plus left-hander Tony Sipp and first baseman Lars Anderson from the Indians, and the Indians got center fielder Drew Stubbs from the Reds plus top pitching prospect Trevor Bauer and relievers Bryan Shaw and Matt Albers from the Diamondbacks. The Reds get a quality bat in Choo for 2013, the Indians get a top young arm to help with their rebuild, and the Diamondbacks get their much-sought-after shortstop. Your perspective on the trade probably depends on your perspective of Gregorius and Bauer - some folks don't see Gregorius as a quality regular going forward, which makes Bauer as part of the price tough to swallow. That said, Bauer has had some issues of his own, and the Diamondbacks may have been itchy to move him.
FanGraphs digs in a little deeper on Choo, and what the Reds might reasonable expect from their newest bat ... and glove.
Kevin Youkilis and the Yankees have reportedly come to terms on a one-year, $12 million deal, which underscores how weak the third base market was this offseason, and how desperate the Yankees were to fill the void left by Alex Rodriguez and his bum hip. The formerly long-time Red Sox infielder will presumably slide off of third when Rodriguez returns, and will add to the Yankees' growing stable of aging players. It will be fun to see how he's received on his first return to Fenway Park in Yankee pinstripes.
There may be a little bit of nervousness in Boston today, as fans await the official announcement of Mike Napoli's three-year, $39 million deal. The two sides agreed to terms last week, and the announcement was expected at the end of last week. But Napoli didn't begin his physical until Monday, after which the Red Sox planned a press conference yesterday. That press conference didn't happen. Minor hang-up? Coincidence? Or was their a problem with Napoli's physical? Like I said: there could be some nervousness in Boston.
R.A. Dickey won the Cy Young and was rewarded by the Mets with an extension offer - two years and $20 million - just north of what Joe Blanton received from the Angels. He'll make just $5 million this year, and is 38, but his skill set is such that he could pitch very well for the next two years after that. Instead of $10 million, he's reportedly asking for just $13 million per year for those two years - a pretty reasonable request. So far, the Mets haven't budged, and apparently Dickey isn't too happy - he used the team's Christmas Party as his own personal venting grounds according to Mike Puma, and the Mets aren't pleased.
The Dodgers really do want all of the players, and are now turning their focus on ... Skip Schumaker.

Brett Taylor is the Lead Writer at Bleacher Nation, and a Contributor here at Bleed Cubbie Blue.

The Rays And Royals Pull Off A Big One And Other MLBullets

Brett Taylor — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 23:56:03 -0000

Forget the Winter Meetings, things are heating up now ...

Late last night, the Rays agreed to send righties James Shields and Wade Davis (plus a player to be named or cash) to the Royals for superprospect outfielder Wil Myers, very good pitching prospect Jake Odorizzi, formerly big-time pitching prospect Mike Montgomery and quality young third base prospect Patrick Leonard. For the Rays, the move was pre-ordained, as Shields was getting expensive and had just two years of control left. For the Royals, the move is all about "going for it" in the next two years. They've got a solid offensive core, but were desperately in need of pitching (and it showed). Snap judgment says the Rays got the best of this one - despite Andrew Friedman's comments about how difficult it was to pull the trigger on this one - but at least Royals are trying. (If you're looking for thoughts on how the deal could tangentially impact the Cubs, I've got some here.)
In more big news from the last 24/36 hours, the Dodgers continue on their quest to SIGN ALL THE PLAYERS, inking top free agent Zack Greinke to a six-year, $147 million deal (with an opt-out after three years, and another clause that says, if he's traded during the deal, he can opt out the following offseason), and Korean lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu to a six-year, $36 million (plus $6 million in incentives) contract. Add in the $25.7 million the Dodgers paid in posting price for Ryu, and it was a $200 million weekend for the Dodgers, which is like the rest of us going to a movie at the really nice theater AND getting popcorn.
To that end, you're going to hear a whole lot in the coming weeks (and years, really) about how having a huge payroll doesn't guarantee a team anything, and that's quite right. But it sure does help you get to the table: in the last 18 seasons, the big money Yankees have missed the playoffs exactly once. Don't let folks tell you the huge payroll thing is meaningless. It isn't a guarantee, but it sure as heck does matter.
In a much smaller weekend deal, the Phillies brought in Michael Young to play third base, despite his -1.4 WAR last year. He'll cost them $6 million in salary, as well as reliever Josh Lindblom and quality relief prospect Lisalverto Bonilla.
MLB's revenues have been climbing steadily since 1995, and reached $7.5 billion last year after a couple years at $7 billion (flat, likely due to the recession - but even staying flat through that period is positive). In just a couple years, with the infusion of serious television dollars, that figure could blow past $9 billion.
18-year-old Japanese pitching phenom Shohei Otani, who set off a firestorm of excitement a couple months ago when he indicated a desire to come straight to MLB, rather than first play in Japan ... is going to play in Japan.
Rob Neyer writes up his Winter Meetings experience - a look behind the curtain from the writers' perspective, if you will.

Brett Taylor is the Lead Writer at Bleacher Nation, and a Contributor here at Bleed Cubbie Blue.

The Winter Meetings End With A Whimper And Other MLBullets

Brett Taylor — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 12:07:45 -0000

The 2012 Winter Meetings are over, and teams left Nashville not knowing where any of the biggest prizes - Zack Greinke, Josh Hamilton, Justin Upton, Michael Bourn, Anibal Sanchez, among them - were going. It was one of the quietest Winter Meetings in recent memory.

Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik pretty much summed up a big part of why we saw so little activity at the Meetings this year: "There can be a domino effect. I think when clubs are focusing on a certain position, a certain need, there's options out there. And once one option goes away, then that changes the landscape of what a club would want to do. Everybody's got their ducks lined up in a row, and it's just a matter of how things fall. And there's timing involved." Because that first domino never fell, neither did any of the others.
Speaking of those dominos, the Dodgers are considering pulling out the Zack Greinke sweepstakes - where they are believed to be the leading suitor, together with the Dodgers - if the process drags on much longer.
The Phillies picked up outfielder Ben Revere from the Twins yesterday for pitcher Vance Worley and pitching prospect Trevor May. Seems like a pretty good haul for Revere. I reckon that, with escalating payroll commitments for aging players, and an urgency to keep trying to win in the next three years, the Phillies put a premium on a big league center fielder whom they could control for a while cheaply. Revere's numbers don't knock your socks off, but his defense is excellent and he's cheap as all get out. Couple that with Worley's elbow bone spurs surgery, and it's a little more understandable.
Grant Brisbee examines the difficult choices that have faced the Rangers in recent years - whether to extend Josh Hamilton or Mike Napoli, most notably - and how those choices have fared. At the same time, if the Rangers don't bring back Hamilton next year, they stand to potentially have a considerably worse offense. The whole discussion serves as a backdrop to the idea of "good" contracts and "bad" contracts. Maybe it isn't that simple.
The lawsuit challenging, among other things, MLB's draconian black-out restrictions has been allowed to proceed.
Jeff Sullivan sells you on Joe Blanton as much better than he looked last year.
The ongoing battle for dollars between Scott Boras, and his usually-reliable landing place - the Yankees. With the Bombers looking to get under the luxury tax cap of $189 million for 2014, they are sticking to one-year deals for 2013, and it invariably frustrates the super agent.

Brett Taylor is the Lead Writer at Bleacher Nation, and a Contributor here at Bleed Cubbie Blue.

The Winter Meetings Head Into Day Three And Other MLBullets

Brett Taylor — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 03:57:45 -0000

We're halfway home at the Winter Meetings, and the activity is starting to pick up ...

The Red Sox have been busy at the meetings, locking down Shane Victorino and Mike Napoli to three-year, $39 million deals. Although the organization saved a huge chunk of cash this past season, after dealing Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, and Josh Beckett to the Dodgers, they've set about spending that free cash as quickly as possible. I'm not sure how wisely they've done that, but I guess we'll see how next year plays out.
The top free agent on the market, pitcher Zack Greinke, remains unsigned, and it looks like it's a two-horse battle for his services, between the Texas Rangers and the bottomless pocket of money in Los Angeles. The contract could exceed $160 million at this point, which is a serious commitment to a non-ace simply because he's the best on the market this year. But, hey, that's the price of poker these days.
One of the other big moves yesterday was the Nationals signing Dan Haren to a one-year, $13 million deal (pending a physical). The almost-Cub apparently convinced the Nationals that his hip and back are not a concern, and, if he is in fact healthy, that Nationals rotation remains unbelievable.
The Marlins have already unloaded shortstop Yunel Escobar, who they last night sent to the Rays for infield prospect Derek Dietrich. Apparently Escobar had soured on the idea of playing third base for the Marlins, and the Fish didn't want to take the chance of having a disgruntled Escobar on the roster who refused to play third base.
With the Escobar trade, the Marlins' payroll now projects to be just about $30 million in 2013 ... or two million more than the Yankees will be paying Alex Rodriguez.
Speaking of Alex Rodriguez, the aging Yankees' third baseman is going to undergo hip surgery next month for what is apparently a pretty serious hip issue that's been bothering him way back into the playoffs. Remember when he was struggling badly and was ultimately benched amidst a media circus? Well, it seems that was partially because of the bum hip. But nobody wanted to share that information at the time, I guess. Or nobody knew, as the Yankees claim. Whatever the truth, Rodriguez will miss a substantial portion of the 2013 season - perhaps the first three months - and then he will be a nearly 38-year-old coming off of hip surgery.
One of the ongoing sagas of the week is whether the Mets will be able to finalize an extension with Cy Young winning R.A. Dickey, or if they'll have to trade him in his walk year (in which he'll make just $5 million). At last check, the Mets were understandably receiving a great deal of interest in Dickey, but hadn't yet decided how to proceed.
MLB Daily Dish has a rundown of the Winter Meetings activities for each of the divisions - here is, for example, the NL Central.

Brett Taylor is the Lead Writer at Bleacher Nation, and a Contributor here at Bleed Cubbie Blue.

Welcome To The Winter Meetings And Other MLBullets

Brett Taylor — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 03:09:08 -0000

MLB's Winter Meetings kick off today, so you can expect the rumors and cocktails to be flowing this week in Nashville ...

The Daily Dish takes a look at the buyer and seller story lines from the Winter Meetings, and then talks to fans about what move their team needs to make this week.
Baseball Nation's Rob Neyer is on the scene in Nashville, so I reckon he's got you covered.
The Rays may be poised to make the first move of the Winter Meetings, signing free agent first baseman James Loney. Not sure whether he's expected to be their regular first baseman this year - they do have an opening - as he hit just .249/.293/.336 last year. Can't really get by with that from your first baseman.
I guess the Rays' move might not count as the first if you're counting a re-signing - the Rangers non-tendered Geovany Soto on Friday, and then brought him back on a one-year deal. Hopefully he can rebound after a couple rough years.
Flashback: Rich Harden and Brandon Webb are free agents, and looking to make a deal. A sentence that would have sent happy tingles down your spine a few years ago now just makes you wonder whether your team can get one of them on a minor league deal and see what's up in Spring Training.
Ozzie Smith has sold his 13 (consecutive) Gold Glove trophies for a hair over $500,000. He also sold his 2006 and 2011 World Series rings, which were gifts from the Cardinals. So, either Ozzie is hard-up for cash, is cleaning out his garage, or kind of hates the Cardinals.
MLB and the NPB may be looking to change the posting system that confounds teams when they want to bring over a Japanese ballplayer who is being made available before he's a free agent. Instead of a blind bidding system, they may go to a straight auction.
Beyond the Boxscore analyzes power - what does the simple "HR" stat tell us? What about home run distance? What about isolated power? And on and on. Interesting stuff.
MLBTR did a Q&A with Peter Gammons.

Brett Taylor is the Lead Writer at Bleacher Nation, and a Contributor here at Bleed Cubbie Blue.

Another Huge Extension And Other MLBullets

Brett Taylor — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 01:38:22 -0000

Anyone else feel really bad for hockey fans? I'm not a big fan of the sport, myself, but I can certainly empathize with fans missing their favorite game.

Another day, another huge extension: the Mets, much to many-a-surprise, got it done with David Wright, extending him for seven years and $122 million. The deal, which kicks in after 2013, in which Wright will make $16 million, is the largest in franchise history, if you include that 2013 season. His extension comes on the heels of a similar six-year deal given to Evan Longoria, and after a season that saw stars like Matt Cain, Cole Hamels, Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, and Andre Ethier land massive extensions. We are clearly in an extension boom in baseball, and we won't know for many years whether these teams are out in front of the game, or if they'll regret these long-term, big money deals. I'm sure, for now, Mets fans are happy to know that their brightest star won't be going anywhere after 2013. And it's not like the Mets are buying out too many aging years - Wright will be just 36 when the deal expires.
Speaking of New York stars sticking with their team, the Yankees have agreed to re-sign rehabbing - and aging - closer Mariano Rivera to a one-year, $10 million deal, plus incentives. It's a lot of money to pay a 43-year-old pitcher coming of a torn ACL, but Rivera is special - both in terms of his ability and his meaningfulness to New York fans.
The Pirates snaked a player from those Yankees, signing catcher Russell Martin for two years and $17 million. The Yankees have a couple young catchers they'll give a look, but I wouldn't put a Mike Napoli pursuit past them.
The Nationals finally got their center fielder, picking up Denard Span from the Twins for top 100 pitching prospect Alex Meyer. Whether you like or dislike the deal for either team necessarily depends on your opinion of the two players involved - some see Span as overrated, some see Meyer as risky.
It's dated now, but it happened since the last MLBullets, and in case you're the one person who missed it: the Braves signed B.J. Upton for five years and $75.25 million.
The Dodgers reportedly met with Zack Greinke yesterday, presumably in an effort to get the groundwork for a megadeal laid down before the Winter Meetings, which start on Monday. Here's hope Zack likes being paid in Monopoly money.
Grant Brisbee offers the reason Sammy Sosa doesn't tend to evoke a strong push from any side in the Hall of Fame debate sphere.
The domestic violence charges against Francisco Rodriguez, arising out of a September domestic dispute, have been dropped. This was K-Rod's second domestic violence arrest, which could impact the free agent market for his services in 2013, rightly or wrongly.

Brett Taylor is the Lead Writer at Bleacher Nation, and a Contributor here at Bleed Cubbie Blue.

Hall Of Fame Ballots Go Out Today And Other MLBullets

Brett Taylor — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 01:15:27 -0000

Undoubtedly you already know that Marvin Miller, the first leader of the MLB Players' Association, and the man credited with changing the way teams and players deal with each other (for the better), passed away yesterday. All appropriate condolences.

Speaking of which, Rob Neyer looks into why and how such an important and instrumental figure in baseball's history is not yet in the Hall of Fame.
And speaking of the Hall of Fame, ballots for next year's class go out today, and the list of newly-eligible players is as impressive as it is (likely) contentious: Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Roger Clemens, Mike Piazza, Curt Schilling, and Craig Biggio, among others. You can expect a couple months of debate about the steroid era, about what the Hall of Fame is supposed to represent, and about those players' careers relative to their counterparts. The results will be announced on January 9, 2013, so get your thoughts in now. Does Bonds belong in the Hall? Sosa? What about Biggio, whose numbers may not be as impressive, but who has never been attached to PED allegations? And what about holdover guys like Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines, and Jack Morris?
And another semi-speaking of: Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz has been suspended 25 games after testing positive for a banned stimulant. The 33-year-old catcher had a huge 2012 season (which should not be read as me subtly taking a jab), and offered the typical apology.
Reports flew around yesterday about David Wright's contract extension talks with the Mets - a 6-year, $100 million deal? a 7-year, $135 million deal? a nearly done deal? a deal won't happen? - but the start third baseman says that there were a lot of inaccuracies, and he was disappointed to read about it in the press.
With all the talk of the Dodgers' expected new TV contract, FanGraphs' Wendy Thurm put together a look at each and every local TV deal in baseball.
Russell Martin, one of the better catching options on the free agent market, is reportedly seeking a four-year deal worth as much as $10 million per year. That would seem a tough get for a guy who hasn't had an OPS+ over 95 since 2008, and who hit .211/.311/.403 last year. But, hey, contract dynamics are shifting every day in baseball, so I won't call it crazy.

Brett Taylor is the Lead Writer at Bleacher Nation, and a Contributor here at Bleed Cubbie Blue.

The Dodgers' New TV Deal Is Insane And Other MLBullets

Brett Taylor — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 01:05:12 -0000

Hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving and subsequent weekend. Back to reality ...

Remember when the Dodgers' new owners paid over $2 billion for the team, and started throwing money around like it was water? Remember when the explanation was a somewhat vague "well, they're going to be getting a huge new TV deal, so they can afford it"? Well ... they're going to be getting a huge new TV deal, so they can afford. A ridiculously huge new TV deal, according to the L.A. Times: "The Dodgers' deal, proposed for 25 years, would average $240 million per year at $6 billion, or $280 million per year at $7 billion." The deal, annually, is worth almost 10 times the average annual value of their current deal. In other words: holy crap. Imagine how much a team with more than $400 million annually in revenue could spend on, for example, payroll. Yankees West, indeed.
This week in Marlins ridiculous miscellany: (1) Mark Buehrle, who was unceremoniously dumped on the Blue Jays after just one year with the Marlins, says his former team lied to him on multiple occasions: "Throughout the recruiting process, the Marlins made repeated assurances about their long-term commitment to Mark and his family and their long-term commitment to building a winning tradition of Marlins baseball in the new stadium," Buehrle said through a statement by his agent, Jeff Berry; (2) 87% of Marlins fans feel "furious and betrayed" by ownership (to which my reaction is a surprised, "they still have enough fans for 87% to be a plausible percentage?"); (3) Just 6% of South Florida residents who were polled on a variety of subjects had a "favorable" opinion of Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria.
Jerry Crasnick offers a thoughtful take on MLBPA Director Michael Weiner, who is fighting brain cancer.
Free agent Brandon McCarthy is expected to start throwing for teams at some point in December, which is when his market could pick up. You wonder if other pitchers in the middle tier of the starting pitcher market are waiting on McCarthy - or, more accurately, if teams in on McCarthy are waiting on him to make a decision before moving on to other options.
The Miami Herald contemplates the implications of the "fiscal cliff" and state tax rates on the free agent market.
The Kansas City Royals have been one of the most active teams already this offseason, and are poised to be even more active, indicating that they're willing to move a top prospect or two to pick up another arm. But is it all worth it? Can the Royals actually be competitive in 2013?
Beyond the Boxscore argues that we should stop using K/BB ratio as one of our primary pitching statistics. Instead, BTB finds K% and BB% to be more effective stats, and they're probably right.

Brett Taylor is the Lead Writer at Bleacher Nation, and a Contributor here at Bleed Cubbie Blue.

Free Chone Figgins And Other MLBullets

Brett Taylor — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 21:15:18 -0000

A pre-emptive Happy Thanksgiving to folks. Hopefully you can enjoy some good food, family, and friends.

The Blue Jays wrapped up their managerial search and landed on ... John Gibbons? Hmm. Gibbons was the manager of the Blue Jays from late 2004 until mid 2008. His Jays teams were relatively mediocre, and his most notable inclusions in the media involved fights with his own players (Shea Hillenbrand and Ted Lilly, in particular). The Jays know their needs better than we do, I suppose, and I reckon they had their pick of a wide variety of candidates.
Yesterday was the deadline for adding players to the 40-man roster for purposes of next month's Rule 5 Draft, so there was quite a bit of minor roster activity around the league. Perhaps the most notable move, if the most obvious, was the Mariners finally cutting ties with Chone Figgins. He's still owed $8 million, but the M's decided they'd finally had enough. His four-year, $36 million deal will long be remembered as one of the worst in history (despite its relatively small size, the M's were paying big money for a guy who was worth negative WAR), given that he hit just .227/.302/.283 in his time with the Mariners. It's debatable whether he's even worth a bench job for the Major League minimum at this point. If he wants to keep playing - he turns 35 in January - he'll probably be able to get a Spring Training invite somewhere, but you gotta figure that's it. I mean, he did have a 94 OPS+ in 2011 and 2012. Oh, wait ... correction. If you add his 2011 and 2012 OPS+ together, you get 94. My bad.
The Yankees agreed to terms with Hiroki Kuroda yesterday on a one-year, $15 million deal (with a little extra possible in incentives, too). Because the Yanks are hoping to be under the luxury cap limit of $189 million by 2014, they're happy to overpay on a one-year deal for a guy like Kuroda. They'll now try to wrap up a similar one-year deal with Andy Pettitte.
Sources in New York aren't willing to give the Mets better than a 50/50 shot of reaching an extension with David Wright this offseason. And if they can't come to an agreement, you've got to figure the possibility of a trade becomes more real.
Wendy Thurm asks (and answers) a question many wondered in the wake of the Marlins' sell-off: did they just kill public financing for other teams for years to come? With the Tampa Bay Rays in desperate need of a new stadium, and just across the peninsula from Miami, you'd think the answer is an obvious yes. But Wendy isn't so sure about that.
Rob Neyer wonders whether big league coaching is undervalued or quantifiable in any meaningful way.

Brett Taylor is the Lead Writer at Bleacher Nation, and a Contributor here at Bleed Cubbie Blue.

Oh, OK, So Now Justin Upton Won't Be Traded And Other MLBullets

Brett Taylor — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 02:21:54 -0000

The latest from around The League ...

So, not a few weeks after the Diamondbacks' GM made comments that strongly hinted Justin Upton was on his way out, and not a couple weeks after multiple pundits put an 80+% chance on his being dealt this offseason, the Diamondbacks owner is trying to squash that talk. That owner, Ken Kendrick, says there is a "very high likelihood" that Upton is still with the Diamondbacks when the season opens. And, to bring things full circle, Jon Heyman has a source who tells him there is a 90% chance of Upton not being dealt. Ah, conflicting reports, hurried back-tracking, and general confusion. The essence of the Hot Stove.
How do you know the Mets are broke? They have to think about offering R.A. Dickey a two-year extension worth more than $10 million per year. Two years. And what, $25 million? They have to *think* about that? Yes, Dickey is 38, but he just won the Cy Young with a skill set that is far less likely to deteriorate over those two years than your typical pitcher. He's also a popular player who clearly wants to stick with the Mets. If they can't get it done, you've got to believe they'll trade him later this offseason, given that he'll make just $5 million in 2013, before hitting free agency in 2014.
Rafael Furcal's elbow, which sidelined him in August, may still be giving him trouble. He's set for another MRI later this month, and the Cardinals have been connected to a variety of shortstop rumors already this offseason.
The Dodgers are viewed as the favorite to land Zack Greinke, because they are a bottomless pit of money.
Beyond the Boxscore takes a look at some very startling trends in Albert Pujols' numbers over the last few years. Everyone knows about his down 2012 - his first season in Anaheim - but his walk rate has actually been falling fast since 2009. Further, his out-of-zone swing percentage has been climbing over that same period. In fact, in 2012, of all aged-32-or-older players who had enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title, Pujols swung at more pitches out of the zone (31.9%) than any other player. The Angels still owe Pujols $228 million over the next nine years.
Grant Brisbee makes the same non-stat argument I did for selecting Mike Trout as the AL MVP: Miguel Cabrera out-hit Trout just slightly, but Trout out-fielded and out-ran Cabrera by miles. No advanced stats needed. Trout wins in a landslide. But that's, of course, not how it worked out. Smart guy, that Grant.
Rob Neyer has some issues with WAR, starting with the acronym, itself.

Brett Taylor is the Lead Writer at Bleacher Nation, and a Contributor here at Bleed Cubbie Blue.

The End Of Cabrera Versus Trout? And Other MLBullets

Brett Taylor — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 00:52:07 -0000

Baseball awards are excellent for many reasons - the history, the feather in your team's cap, the feeling that the season is just a little longer than it is - but the debate that ensues may be the best (and worst).

Well, it happened: Miguel Cabrera won the AL MVP over Mike Trout in a BBWAA vote that was not particularly close, and the nearly settled sabermetric dust was kicked up once again. However the vote turned out, there was going to be debate for years, so maybe the fact that Cabrera won isn't even a story?
Of course it's a story. Grant Brisbee goes all satirical on the decision. Rob Neyer says it was no surprise. Matthew Pouliot says he's OK with the vote, but also shreds every popular explanation for Cabrera over Trout (Triple Crown, playoff team, moved to third base for "good of the team").
(For me, it isn't any overly complicated - or even sabermetric - argument. Trout's and Cabrera's offensive numbers are virtually indistinguishable (Trout's rate stats are slightly better, Cabrera's counting stats are slightly better), and Trout is vastly more valuable on the bases and in the field. So, there you go. Is it really that much of a stretch to say that Trout's the guy?)
Buster Posey won the NL MVP in a far less controversial decision.
Since team owner Jeffrey Loria couldn't be bothered to answer questions in the immediate wake of the massive player dump the Marlins sent to the Blue Jays, team president David Samson sat before the firing squad on the radio in Miami. As you'd expect, he was evasive, and not particularly interesting in his responses. And all credit to Dan Le Batard for not letting Samson off the hook. He hammered him late in the interview with questions like, "What it looks like is you got a new stadium, you got your deal and you pulled the equivalent of like a Ponzi Scheme where a year after spending it you have sold everybody a sham? You say what to those people?" and "Why should people trust you guys? There's little reason to trust you." To that latter question, Samson offered a wholly-lame, "Do you mean trusting the fact that we chose the right players? Now, I will give you that we haven't been choosing the right players recently. But the faith we have in our scouts and in our upper baseball management come to our fans with names of players to win more games, we still have that faith."
Sources tell Joe McDonald that the Red Sox are working on an extension with second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who remains under contract through 2014. The Red Sox also hold an $11 million option on Pedroia for 2015, so it's hard to see why working on an extension right now with the 29-year-old would be much of a priority.
The Yankees' AAA affiliate in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre are now the "RailRiders." And their mascot is some kind of angry porcupine.
Ever wonder about the complexities of the MLB revenue sharing system? Well, Wendy Thurm does her best to unravel that twisted string of Christmas lights. It's an excellent read if you've got the time.

Brett Taylor is the Lead Writer at Bleacher Nation, and a Contributor here at Bleed Cubbie Blue.

The Marlins (Owner) Have (Has) Made Folks Angry And Other MLBullets

Brett Taylor — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 12:11:01 -0000

As you know by now, last night, the Marlins traded everything to the Blue Jays (everything being Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle, Jose Reyes, John Buck, and Emilio Bonifacio). That comes on the heels of already having dumped Hanley Ramirez, Anibal Sanchez, Omar Infante, and Heath Bell in the last few months. The reactions have been strong and swift ...

Dave Cameron at FanGraphs says it almost precisely as I would: "A year ago, the Marlins signed a bunch of free agents to long term contracts that were backloaded in salary and didn't include no-trade clauses. At the time of the deals, many skeptics suggested the organization's past history and the structure of these deals meant the entire spending spree was a mirage designed to fool the city of Miami into thinking they actually bought a competitive team with their new $500 million stadium. That once the rubber hit the road, the Marlins would just trade all these expensive players away and go back to putting a low payroll team on the field to accomplish their real goal: raking in cash while exploiting the flaws in the revenue sharing agreements for the owner's own personal gain. Tonight, the Marlins completed a trade with the Blue Jays that vindicates every single person who said or wrote such a thing last year."
Ken Rosenthal says the time has come for Jeffrey Loria, the owner of the Marlins, to sell. He also questions, given the amount of money the Blue Jays are taking on, whether this is really a good deal for the Blue Jays after all. Looking more closely at it, I do wonder - the Blue Jays gave up a bundle of prospects, essentially, for one year of Johnson and the right to pay Buehrle and Reyes the most expensive years of their contracts (it's not like either of those two increased their value in the year since they signed as free agents (when they were available to everyone for just cash)), since those deals were massively backloaded. If you're a Blue Jays fan, you better hope they win in the next couple years.
Craig Calcaterra catalogs the many sins of Loria, which, individually, could be explained away, but, in the aggregate, paint a very ugly picture.
Matthew Pouliot says it's time for Bud Selig to force Loria out of MLB. Given that it's now hard to imagine Loria not banking his revenue sharing money (for the third time) rather than spending it on his organization, I can't say I disagree.
The fan reaction among the few Marlins fans who remained after an already ugly 2012 season has been, unsurprisingly, strongly negative. The money quotes, from Fish Stripes: "And with that, the trust of the fan base, which was already beginning to be skeptical in the latter stages of 2012 as the team fielded a series of scrubs at various positions, has been completely shattered." It's hard not to feel bad for those fans.
The player reaction was mostly surprise and confusion on the Marlin side, and excitement on the Blue Jay side (from the players remaining with each organization, that is). Giancarlo Stanton probably said it best: "Alright, I'm pissed off!!! Plain & Simple."
Grant Brisbee points out another layer of the damage done by Loria, because the fire sale comes just after the taxpayers of Miami funded a new ballpark for the Marlins: "This screws with the Rays and their attempts to build enthusiasm for a new stadium, and it screws with the A's and their efforts. It screws with everything."
The Manager of the Year awards were handed out last night - to very little fanfare, thanks in large part to the Blue Jays and Marlins - to Bob Melvin of the A's and Davey Johnson of the Nationals.

Brett Taylor is the Lead Writer at Bleacher Nation, and a Contributor here at Bleed Cubbie Blue.

The Dodgers Want All The Players And Other MLBullets

Brett Taylor — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 01:16:11 -0000

Veteran's Day may have officially been yesterday, but we can remember and honor those who serve any and every day of the year.

Not two days after it was revealed that they'd won the bidding for the rights to negotiate with Korean lefty Hyun-jin Ryu for $25.7 million, the Dodgers are reportedly hot on Torii Hunter, discussing a two-year deal for the outfielder who rebounded nicely in 2012. Why is the Dodgers' pursuit of Hunter notable? Well, for at least two reasons. For one thing, Hunter is expecting to get a starting job somewhere (and he could find one if he shopped around), so the Dodgers would have to pay handsomely to get him to join their crowded outfield. For another thing, if the outfield is to be un-crowded (they've already got Matt Kemp, Carl Crawford, and Andre Ethier as the presumed starters), the Dodgers will have to deal Andre Ethier ... just months after signing him to a five-year extension. Perhaps that's their plan, rather than simply putting together a $300 million payroll, but I can't say I endorse that approach either - sign a guy to a five-year extension, and then deal him in the immediately following offseason? That can't be a great way to endear yourself to players.
Matthew Pouliot says the Rays should be dealing starter James Shields for a number of reasons - his future salary, his trade value, etc. - but offers this additional interesting reason: "And I just don't trust Shields to keep this up. He's been one of baseball's best starters the last two years, but he's also thrown 477 innings between those two seasons. He's reached 215 innings five of the last six years, missing only when he finished at 203 in 2010. That durability has given him a ton of value in Tampa Bay, but he's on the wrong side of 30 now. Dan Haren had a very similar streak to Shields from ages 25-30 before suddenly taking a dive last season. It was probably different back in the 1970s, but in the last 30 years, the list of the pitchers who have been most durable before age 30 doesn't match up very well with the list of pitchers durable after age 30."
Oh my: according to Wall Street Journal/Yahoo Sports writer Michael Salfino, the Wilpons, who own the Mets, and the Mets, as an organization, are broke. That is, according to Salfino, why the Mets are suddenly shopping R.A. Dickey rather than extending him, and is also why we aren't going to see the Mets extend David Wright (so he says).
The BBWAA Award season starts today with the Rookie of the Year awards in the AL and NL, which could be foregone conclusions in favor of Mike Trout and Bryce Harper.
Scott Boras essentially says Cleveland Indians' ownership doesn't care about winning, which is both a self-serving statement, and probably an accurate one.
Speaking of those Indians, they are apparently shopping 26-year-old shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, and the Cardinals have a great deal of interest. If the Indians are looking for young pitching, as they are believed to be, they might find a fit in the Cardinals, too.

Brett Taylor is the Lead Writer at Bleacher Nation, and a Contributor here at Bleed Cubbie Blue.

The Annual Justin Upton Availability Dance And Other MLBullets

Brett Taylor — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 12:48:03 -0000

The GM Meetings are wrapping up, and, as expected, there have been a variety of rumors but little action.

The big rumor from this week's GM Meetings in California is the availability of Diamondbacks outfielder Justin Upton (he's available every year, right? It sure seems like it). D-backs GM Kevin Towers says he'll listen to offers, and insiders like Ken Rosenthal suggest there's an 80% chance he's dealt. But it might be resolved any time soon, as Towers says he's not in any rush to make a move. "Our sights are set pretty high on what it would take, and if nobody meets what we're looking for - and we'd like to address a couple of different areas - if nobody meets it, then we stay status quo and keep him. We're a good team with him." I don't know how you keep a player after transparent statements like that, but, hey, whatever works.
Speaking of Upton, FanGraphs looks at both Uptons - B.J. and Justin - and their career trajectory. They might both be changing teams this offseason, but what does the future hold for the talented but inconsistent Uptons?
Anibal Sanchez is probably the second best starting pitcher on the free agent market this year, and he's pricing himself accordingly: he wants $90 million over six years. All things considered, including the direction of dollars, I don't think that's all that unreasonable.
Michael Bourn, B.J. Upton, Rafael Soriano, and Nick Swisher are all expected to reject their qualifying offers today, which will make them subject to draft pick compensation when they sign with a new team. The other four players who received qualifying offers - Josh Hamilton, Adam LaRoche, Kyle Lohse, and Hiroki Kuroda - are probably also going to decline the offer of a $13.3 million one-year contract.
MLB revealed its Silver Slugger winners for 2012, and Rob Neyer gives them a once over. He doesn't have too many nits to pick, but is surprised that Joey Votto and Giancarlo Stanton were excluded. You will be shocked to learn that no Cubs made the cut.
Walt Weiss, former big leaguer and high school baseball coach, has landed the Rockies' managerial gig. We're seeing a wave of managers with limited or no experience taking over, with Robin Ventura and Mike Matheny as examples. We'll see how Weiss does, though he'll likely have to have a long leash - the Rockies aren't expected to be great next year.
The finalists for the BBWAA Awards in the National League, and in the American League. No huge surprises on the lists.

Brett Taylor is the Lead Writer at Bleacher Nation, and a Contributor here at Bleed Cubbie Blue.

David Ortiz Thinks Bobby Valentine Is Crazy And Other MLBullets

Brett Taylor — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 03:20:34 -0000

For the first time in months, it's safe to get back on Facebook ...

Remember when Bobby Valentine said that David Ortiz had given up on the Red Sox, and quit late in the year rather than play for a bad team after an Achilles injury? Well, Ortiz, of course, denies the accusation, and openly wonders whether he's dealing with "someone crazy." (Ortiz wasn't just being colorful - he thought maybe medication was in order.) I'm not saying which side I believe, but the Red Sox fired Valentine and gave Ortiz a two-year, $26 million extension.
Jerry Crasnick, as he does each year, surveyed 22 anonymous high-ranking executives on a range of offseason topics. Among their thoughts: (1) Nobody knows who will sign Josh Hamilton or how much they'll spend; (2) Zack Greinke is probably staying in L.A. (either Angels or Dodgers); (3) Michael (Jason) Bourn is more attractive than B.J. Upton; (4) James Shields is far more likely to be traded than Justin Upton or Chase Headley; (5) Alex Rodriguez will not be traded; (6) Anibal Sanchez is the second best pitcher on the free agent market behind Greinke; and (7) Melky Cabrera won't get more than $10 million.
Cee Angi covers the many travels of Edwin Jackson, and wonders if he might finally, finally find a long-term home by virtue of signing a long-term deal this offseason. Just don't sign with the Cubs if you're wanting stability, Edwin. You could be on the road again within a few months.
Adam Wainwright, who won't be a free agent until next offseason, is willing to talk extension with the Cardinals right now, depending on what they're willing to offer up. To that end, FanGraphs wonders just what Wainwright is worth in an extension.
Yu Darvish has officially become an MLB'er: he will not participate in the World Baseball Classic next year, bailing like many of the best and brightest before him.
The Rockies are down to Matt Williams and Walt Weiss in their managerial search, with Weiss the favorite. That would be something if he gets the job - Weiss is currently coaching high school baseball.
Should MLB be concerned about sliding World Series ratings? Are they really sliding all that much?

Brett Taylor is the Lead Writer at Bleacher Nation, and a Contributor here at Bleed Cubbie Blue.

Is Zack Greinke Really Worth It? And Other MLBullets

Brett Taylor — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 02:03:26 -0000

The latest from around MLB ...

Zack Greinke is clearly the best arm available on the free agent market this year. So many teams are desperate for starting pitching. The new CBA shifts dollars that might otherwise have been spent on the amateur side to the big league side. Many teams are flush with - or expect soon to be flush with - huge new revenue streams thanks to improved TV deals. Combine all of those facts, and you've got every reason to believe that Greinke is going to become the highest paid right-handed starter ever ... but is he worth it? Matthew Pouliot looks back at the numbers over the last three years for the top pitchers on the free agent market, and wonders whether Greinke is worth all the fuss. There's certainly an argument to be made, though I'd point out that, even by the more standard statistics, Greinke still looks like he's on top. And, by most advanced metrics, Greinke takes out the rest of the class pretty easily.
Speaking of top free agents, most think the guy on the positional side is Josh Hamilton. He's started floating his demands to interested teams: $175 million over seven years. I could see him getting $25 million per year, but it's hard to imagine a team going to seven years given his age (32 next year), his durability issues, his erratic performance, and his potential for off-the-field concerns.
Just nine players received qualifying offers on Friday, which means the free agent market isn't going to be nearly as impacted by the specter of draft pick compensation considerations as it had been in the era of offering arbitration. The list of free agents who received a one-year, $13.3 million qualifying offer from their current team, and who would cost their signing team a first round pick (or second round if the team's first round pick is in the first 10 selections): Michael Bourn, Josh Hamilton, Hiroki Kuroda, Adam LaRoche, Kyle Lohse, David Ortiz (already re-signed), Rafael Soriano, Nick Swisher, and B.J. Upton.
Speaking of that Ortiz signing, the soon-to-be-37-year-old (DH-only, coming-off-an-Achilles-injury) got two years and $26 million from the Red Sox. Certainly a portion of that money is related to his standing among fans in Boston, but it makes you wonder what kind of value someone like Alfonso Soriano might actually have.
Beyond the Boxscore dug into Tommy John surgery data to, among other things, compile a chart of the total number of Tommy John surgeries performed on players on each team/in each organization over the past 30 years (the data are admittedly not perfect). The Braves come in at the high end with at least 26 Tommy John surgeries, and the White Sox come in at the low end with just six. The Cubs are near the middle, but in the lower half, with 15.
The Angels are set to go with a Mike Trout - Peter Bourjos - Mark Trumbo outfield from left to right next year, after declining to give Torii Hunter a qualifying offer. A humorous aside? Those three starters in 2013 will make, combined, less than 1/10th the amount of the guy sitting on the bench behind them, Vernon Wells.
The Astros have new uniforms, which go for the "classic" look.

Brett Taylor is the Lead Writer at Bleacher Nation, and a Contributor here at Bleed Cubbie Blue.

The Angels Could Move Dan Haren Today And Other MLBullets

Brett Taylor — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 11:24:34 -0000

Free agents can start signing with new teams tomorrow ...

Dan Haren, on whom the Angels hold a 2013 option for $15.5 million, is getting the feeling he'll be traded. And, if he's going to be traded, it's probably going to be today, since that option decision is due tonight at 11pm CT. Though Jeff Sullivan at FanGraphs wonders whether the Angels might be better served picking up Haren's option (even if they have no intention of keeping him), and then shopping him later in the offseason when a team or two might be more desperate. That would also allow the Angels to have some rotation certainty while they wait out Zack Greinke's decision.
Of course, the Angels already did trade one player on the verge of an option decision, Ervin Santana to the Royals. Rob Neyer questions the Royals' willingness to pay $12 to $13 million for one year of Santana, who was strikingly bad last year.
So, with three straight World Series wins and three straight All-Star Game wins, has the NL finally overtaken the AL as the better league? No, says Bill Parker. It's just a small sample size. He points to the whoopin' the NL regularly receives in interleague play as evidence that it's still the AL on top. (To which I'd point out that the AL has a built-in advantage with the ability to keep a masher bat as a DH, while the NL teams are forced to use whatever guy they can find at the end of their bench to DH. Since pitchers as batters are roughly equivalent, whether they are in the AL or NL, that gives the AL a solid advantage in half of the games.)
The Marlins have their replacement for Ozzie Guillen. It's Mike Redmond, who managed at the A-ball level the last two years. Given the rather large thumb under which the Marlins manager has to operate, it's no surprise that they had to go with a lesser known name this time around after the Ozzie experiment failed (to draw interest, that is). Redmond was a catcher with the Marlins for seven years, including their 2003 World Series championship season.
The Rockies, on the other hand, are content to let their managerial search last into next week. It seems like the three finalists are Jason Giambi, Walt Weiss and Matt Williams.
Rick Ankiel is contemplating a return to the mound, after he switched to a positional job in his mid-20s when he lost his command in a tremendously awful way (and then had Tommy John surgery).
Not a single team has called the Yankees about Alex Rodriguez, says Bob Nightengale.

Brett Taylor is the Lead Writer at Bleacher Nation, and a Contributor here at Bleed Cubbie Blue.

Gold Gloves For Everyone And Other MLBullets

Brett Taylor — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 20:01:05 -0000

Happy Halloween, folks. Hopefully it's as dry for you as possible, and the kiddos can get their candy.

Gold Gloves went out last night (during a televised ceremony worthy of ESPN2), and we all know the big winner - Darwin Barney, at second base in the NL. John Kruk, of the aforementioned ceremony, called it the biggest upset of the night, believing instead that Brandon Phillips should have won. You can make a case for Phillips, but to call it the biggest upset of the night suggests that somebody hasn't really been following much defense this year. The other winners in the NL were Mark Buehrle (P), Yadier Molina (C), Adam LaRoche (1B), Jimmy Rollins (SS), Chase Headley (3B), Carlos Gonzalez (LF), Andrew McCutchen (CF), and Jason Heyward (RF). In the AL, the winners were Jake Peavy & Jeremy Hellickson (P, tie), Matt Wieters (C), Mark Teixeira (1B), Robinson Canó (2B), J.J. Hardy (SS), Adrián Beltré (3B), Alex Gordon (LF), Adam Jones (CF), and Josh Reddick (RF).
Rob Neyer notes some strangeness in the winners, particularly in the NL (he calls Rollins' win "sort of a joke"), but says, overall, there were fewer misses this year than in years past. To me, Jones over Mike Trout was the most glaring surprise. The numbers say Carlos Gonzalez was terrible this year (far worse, for example, than Alfonso Soriano), but he always looked pretty good to me. Of course, that's the problem with fan interpretations of these awards: how many times did I actually see CarGo play? What do I really know about his ability over the course of a season?
Among the notable transactions in the last couple of days: the White Sox declined their 2013 option on Kevin Youkilis, but signed Jake Peavy to a two-year, $29 million extension. The Mets, as expected, picked up their 2013 options on David Wright and R.A. Dickey, each of whom they'll presumably try to extend beyond 2013 (particularly Wright). The Dodgers paid big to keep reliever Brandon League (three years and $22.5 million), and the Yankees elected to pick up their options on Robinson Cano (duh), Curtis Granderson and David Aardsma. You can keep up with the latest transactions on the MLBDailyDish Transaction Tracker.
The San Francisco Giants used nothing but scouts and eyeballs to piece together their championship team. I mean, just listen to Bruce Jenkins: "The San Francisco model is based on visual evidence, not statistics, and it clearly works - but it will fail, miserably, in the hands of organizations cutting their scouting staffs and stocking computers. Those people wouldn't understand what the Giants saw in Gregor Blanco, a longtime disappointment, as he tore up the Venezuelan winter league. They wouldn't necessarily spot the massive heart inside Sergio Romo, or what Hunter Pence's relentless energy brings to a contending team. The Giants look at the face, the demeanor, the background, the ability to play one's best under suffocating pressure - all the components 'Moneyball' lamely holds up to ridicule." Suggesting that any MLB organization in this day and age doesn't employ both statistical analysis and traditional scouting is, in the truest sense of the word, ignorant. BP's Colin Wyers obliterates Jenkins for his sloppy (or, worse, intentionally obtuse) article.
Hunter Pence is a Katy Perry fan.

Brett Taylor is the Lead Writer at Bleacher Nation, and a Contributor here at Bleed Cubbie Blue.

The Giants Do It Again And Other MLBullets

Brett Taylor — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 00:43:56 -0000

The offseason has officially arrived ...

The San Francisco Giants are your 2012 World Champions, having last night swept the Tigers on the strength of a 4-3 Game Four win. It took 10 innings and a two-out Marco Scutaro single (scoring Ryan Theriot, naturally), but the Giants took it home in the minimum. There was no coming back from the brink of elimination necessary in this one.
This was the Giants' second World Series win in the last three years, and their second built on the strength of pitching.
Their parade and World Series party will take place on Halloween, which could prove a lot of fun.
Jayson Stark points out all the ways in which the Giants' victory will go down as particularly memorable. Michael Rosenberg pulls out the chemistry card.
Bud Selig on the 2012 season, and the addition of two more Wild Cards: "Better than I could have hoped .... Everybody said, 'Boy, you really orchestrated this.' No, I didn't. I knew that it would be good. I was happy with it, but it worked out even better than I thought. It gives so much hope, especially in September, to so many other cities. So, yes, it worked out great. I'm glad we did it. It was tough. We had to [implement it at the last minute]. Next year it's going to work out better. It's going to work into the schedule better. It's been an amazing season. An amazing season from start to finish. I think of September and all the excitement at the end. And then October. It's really been remarkable in every way. Seasons have a lot of ups and downs, but great attendance, great economic success. And great success on the field. I'm very proud of everything that happened."
Insult to injury and all that for the Tigers: Omar Infante broke his hand in the 9th inning last night, courtesy of a Santiago Casilla fastball.
How much of pitcher BABIP is skill, defense, and luck? Beyond the Boxscore digs into it.
Grant Brisbee on the (hopeful) death of those Moneyball-is-Dead type arguments. (Bonus points for the hilarious permalink.)
The offseason officially begins, and free agency with it. Players can sign with new teams in five days, but the rumor mill will start churning immediately.

Brett Taylor is the Lead Writer at Bleacher Nation, and a Contributor here at Bleed Cubbie Blue.

The 21.2% Tigers And Other MLBullets

Brett Taylor — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 23:44:15 -0000

Something about the Giants and ground balls in the infield. They can give them magical spin to skip by a shortstop, or pitching wedge-like precision to stop rolling just inside the foul line.

Thanks in part to the aforementioned precision (a sacrifice-bunt-turned-infield-single), the Giants beat the Tigers 2-0 last night to take a 2-0 lead in the World Series. Each of Madison Bumgarner and Doug Fister were solid in Game Two, but Bumgarner ultimately out-dueled Fister in every way save, perhaps, for line drives off the head (Fister was OK and stayed in the game). And now everyone will talk about why you don't want to sweep in the LCS, and about having too much rest and getting cold. Anibal Sanchez will start for the Tigers as the series shifts back to Detroit tomorrow night at 7pm CT. Ryan Vogelsong gets the ball for the Giants (if I would have told you back in April that the Giants would be in the World Series and neither of Matt Cain nor Tim Lincecum would start any of the first three games ... ).
So, the Tigers are toast, right? Sure, they have a theoretical shot, but, for all intents and purposes, that shot is minuscule, isn't it? Eh, not quite minuscule. Teams going down 0-2 in the World Series, historically, have a 21.2% chance of coming back to win. It last happened in 1996 when the Yankees came back to beat the Braves.
Did you know that the Tigers twice before trailed in the World Series 2-0? They lost them both, in 1907 and 1908, to the Cubs. You can find that pearl and other World Series did-you-knows here.
FanGraphs wonders whether Tim Lincecum's future might be in the bullpen after his dominant stretch there this offseason (on the heels of his worst season as a starter). Digging into the numbers, a dominant reliever can actually provide almost as much value as a dominant starter, depending on the situations in which you use him (the theory goes, anyway).
Speaking of high leverage relievers, Mariano Rivera is reportedly now considering retirement after a season lost to an ACL tear. Soon after the injury, the soon-to-be-43-year-old vowed to be back, but now that the reality of the rehab and the reduced effectiveness (in theory) are setting in, he may be rethinking things.
The Fielding Bible named its top defenders of the year, and they were catcher Yadier Molina of the Cardinals, first baseman Mark Teixeira of the Yankees, second baseman Darwin Barney of the Cubs (yay), third baseman Adrian Beltre of the Rangers, shortstop Brendan Ryan of the Mariners, left fielder Alex Gordon of the Royals, center fielder Mike Trout of the Angels, right fielder Jason Heyward of the Braves and pitcher Mark Buehrle of the Marlins.
Bud Selig reiterated that he's committed to having a one-game playoff in the Wild Card round again next year. Shrug.

Brett Taylor is the Lead Writer at Bleacher Nation, and a Contributor here at Bleed Cubbie Blue.

What Did The Marlins Expect? And Other MLBullets

Brett Taylor — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 18:25:53 -0000

The World Series has arrived, with the Tigers making their way to San Francisco for Game One tonight at 7pm CT. Justin Verlander takes on Barry Zito, which seems fair.

The Marlins canned Ozzie Guillen yesterday, just one year into a four-year, $10 million deal, and just one year after trading two prospects to acquire him from the White Sox. While Ozzie wouldn't be my choice for manager either, I can't help but feel like this is a case of, "what the heck were you expecting, Marlins front office/ownership?" The team was terrible because it was terrible constructed and then immediately dismantled. Ozzie was brash and distracting because Ozzie is brash and distracting. How else did you think this was going to end? Just another example of frustratingly bad decision-making from a frustratingly inept front office ( ... which has somehow won titles).
Speaking of deposed managers, Bobby Valentine, whom the Red Sox recently dismissed, says David Ortiz quit on the team once he realized they weren't going to be competitive down the stretch. Ortiz had returned from an achilles injury just before the Red Sox dealt Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett to the Dodgers, and soon after headed back to the disabled list for good. "He realized that this trade meant that we're not going to run this race and we're not even going to finish the race properly and he decided not to play anymore," Valentine said in an interview airing Tuesday night on "Costas Tonight" on NBC Sports Network. "I think at that time it was all downhill from there." I guess you can take the manager out of the dugout, but you can't take the need to rip your own players out of the manager.
Melky Cabrera, having been suspended for 50 games after testing positive for a PED mid-season, is now eligible to return to the Giants' roster, but they've said they won't be bringing him back for the World Series. That's probably the right decision for a variety of reasons, though it would have been hard to blame them for wondering whether they might be better with his bat on the bench.
Baseball Prospectus offers a brilliant guest piece from Jorge Arangure on the old saw: "You don't walk off the island." He digs into what exactly that means for Dominican youths, and what is being done about the problem of plate discipline. A particularly telling segment: "[O]ut of the top 10 leaders in walks last year in each of the 10 full-season minor leagues, only four of the possible 100 players were Dominican. Since 2009, only one undrafted, non-U.S.-educated, Dominican-born player ranked in the top 30 in baseball in walk rate: Cleveland's Carlos Santana."
MLB Trade Rumors reports that the Super Two cut-off for next season is expected to be two years and 139 days (shorter than last year's two years and 144 days thanks to a CBA change that makes 22% of two years+ players eligible, rather than 17%, as was the previous rule). Notable players qualifying for Super Two status, which brings with it an extra year of arbitration: Nationals reliever Drew Storen, Padres shortstop Everth Cabrera, Mets catcher Josh Thole, Rays outfielder Sam Fuld, Rockies outfielder Tyler Colvin and Diamondbacks third baseman Chris Johnson.
You've already seen this - you must have already seen this - but you need to see it again. (Ok, this is actually here for the very few of you who haven't seen this insanity.) Hunter Pence's magic double that opened the floodgates in Game Seven of the NLCS:

Brett Taylor is the Lead Writer at Bleacher Nation, and a Contributor here at Bleed Cubbie Blue.

Nothing Like A Game Seven And Other MLBullets

Brett Taylor — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 11:25:08 -0000

You gotta love win-or-go-home games, and we've had plenty of 'em this post-season ...

The most recent - or, more accurately, the most upcoming - win-or-go-home game came courtesy of the San Francisco Giants' Game Six win in the NLCS over the St. Louis Cardinals. Ryan Vogelsong was as dominant as Chris Carpenter was shaky, and the Giants won 6-1. That's two wins in a row for the Giants, who know a little something about winning three in a row with their backs against the wall (having done this to the Reds in the NLDS). Then again, no team has been better than the Cardinals in elimination games in the past few years ... so, something will have to give.
Kyle Lohse will try to do what Lance Lynn and Chris Carpenter couldn't do before him: close out the Giants. He'll square off against Matt Cain at 7 p.m. CT this evening on FOX. Although rain is in the forecast for today, MLB says it will do everything it possibly can to get the game in, and fortunately, the rain is expected to taper off later in the day.
Speaking of Lohse, Beyond the Boxscore wonders if his success this year is skill or luck, and whether it is sustainable beyond this year. It would be easy to look at the super low BABIP and the elevated xFIP, and conclude that he's just been lucky. But it might not be that simple when you dig deeper into his pitch mix.
Lance Berkman isn't sure he'll be ready to go by the start of the World Series, if the Cardinals make it that far. Berkman has been working on a surgically-repaired knee, which was most recently operated on in September.
As expected, the Red Sox have hired John Farrell as their next manager. They gave up Mike Aviles to make the deal happen, and will receive reliever David Carpenter. (That seems a popular thing in Boston, collecting relievers named "Carpenter" in compensation deals.)
The Tigers, who've been doing a lot of sitting around, having their World Series rotation lined up: Justin Verlander, Doug Fister, Anibal Sanchez, and Max Scherzer.
Japanese pitcher Shohei Otani will be coming straight to the United States at age 18 rather than starting his career in the NPB, which is a largely unprecedented move. He is to be a true international amateur signing, which means signing him is subjected to the restrictions in the new CBA. Otani works in the upper 90s, and was expected to be a top pick in the NPB draft.

Brett Taylor is the Lead Writer at Bleacher Nation, and a Contributor here at Bleed Cubbie Blue.