The Game of Baseball: January 2008

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Reports Say Twins To Deal Santana To Mets For Prospects

"USA Today" reported Tuesday that the Minnesota Twins, and the New York Mets have agreed in principle to a deal that will send former Cy Young Award winner starter Johan Santana to the New York Mets for a bevy of minor league players.

The report says that the trade is contingent on Santana passing a physical, and the Mets and the player's representatives working out a long term contract extension. Santana is scheduled to become a free agent at the end of the 2008 MLB season. The extension is believed to be in the neighborhood of 6-7 years. Santana, has a no trade clause that he would be willing to waive if the deal is consummated. New York and the two time Cy Young Award winner have a window of 48 to 72 hours according to the report to work out the extension.

The report says that the Mets would give the Twins, outfielder Carlos Gomez, and three pitchers. Deolis Guerra, Phil Humber, and Kevin Mulvey would all go to Minnesota, if the proposed deal goes through. Santana, has been the subject of trade speculation since the end of the 2007 World Series. At times it looked like the New york Yankees, and Boston Red Sox were the front runners to land the highly sought after hurler. If the deal is consummated, it would alleviate a lot of criticism that Mets General Manager Omar Minaya has received from the New York Tabloids.

Posted by Jeff Sack at 6:31 PM | Permalink | Comments

Monday, January 28, 2008

Jones Says He's Centerpiece in Bedard Trade

Erik Bedard's days with the Orioles appear to be numbered. Indications are the team is close to finalizing a deal that would send the ace lefty to Seattle for among others, Adam Jones. The "Sun" reports the 22-year-old phenom told a reporter in Venezuela that he was headed to Baltimore for a physical. Jones went on to say the Mariners had informed him he was the centerpiece of a deal for Bedard. So far, the O's are saying there's no agreement with Seattle.

Labels: adam jones, Erik Bedard

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:15 AM | Permalink | Comments

Friday, January 18, 2008

Thames and Tigers Come to Terms

The Tigers and outfielder Marcus Thames avoided arbitration, agreeing to a one-year contract worth a reported $1.275-million. Thames played in 86 games last season and hit .242 with 18 home runs and 54 RBI. The Tigers have two players still eligible for salary arbitration in Miguel Cabrera and Bobby Seay. Today is the day arbitration numbers are scheduled to be exchanged.

Labels: Marcus Thames

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:17 AM | Permalink | Comments

Crede and White Sox Agree to One-Year Deal

It looks like third baseman Joe Crede will be back in a White Sox uniform this summer. The Sox and Crede have agreed to a one-year contract worth $5-million that allows him to earn another $300-thousand in performance bonuses. Crede played in just 47 games last season before having back surgery. He hit .216 with four home runs. As of now, the White Sox have two third basemen. Josh Fields was called up last season and batted .244 with 23 homers and drove in 67 runs in 100 games.

Labels: joe crede, josh fields

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:14 AM | Permalink | Comments

Thursday, January 17, 2008

News, Notes and Signings Around the Majors

The Cubs are hoping a familiar face can help them in 2008. The Cubs have signed pitcher Jon Lieber to a one-year deal. The right-handed starter pitched for the Cubs from 1999 until 2002 winning a career-high 20 games in 2001. Lieber, who will turn 38 in April, was just 3-and-6 for the Phillies last season.

The four Pirates eligible for salary arbitration have filed. Second baseman Freddy Sanchez, third baseman Jose Bautista, outfielder Xavier Nady and reliever John Grabow all filed the necessary paperwork before the deadline this past Tuesday. The teams and players can continue to talk but if they do not reach an agreement by noon tomorrow, the sides will exchange salary figures and the arbitration process will begin. Arbitration hearing will be held by MLB next month.

The Rangers and outfielder Marlon Byrd agreed to a one-year deal on Wednesday. Byrd signed with the Rangers on December 8th, 2006, and split last season between the big league team and Triple-A Oklahoma. He batted .307 with 10 homers and 70 RBI in 109 games with the Rangers last season.

The Red Sox have signed catcher Doug Mirabelli to a one-year contract. Financial terms were not released. Mirabelli, who will be back for his eighth season in Boston, hit .202 with five homers and 16 RBI in 48 games with the Red Sox last year. The 37-year-old is a career .231 batter with 58 home runs and 206 RBI in 566 big league games. Meanwhile, all three Sox players eligible for arbitration filed formal petitions with the Major League Baseball Players Union yesterday. First baseman Kevin Youkilis and relief pitchers Javier Lopez and Kyle Snyder are among the 110 big-league players who have filed for salary arbitration.

Two down, two to go. It appears the Tampa Bay Rays will avoid arbitration with outfielder Jonny Gomes by agreeing to a one-year deal worth around $1.2-million. The deal comes one day after the team avoided arbitration with reliever Dan Wheeler. Carlos Pena and Scott Kazmir are the two remaining players who are arbitration-eligible. The team has until Friday to sign them or else their cases will go to an arbitrator.

The Marlins signed veteran pitcher Mark Hendrickson on Wednesday. The southpaw went 4-and-8 with a 5.21 ERA in a career-high 39 games last season with the Dodgers. Hendrickson is a lifetime 43-and-55 with a 5.01 ERA in 179 career games, including 135 starts. The Marlins also signed pitcher Randy Williams to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training.

The Tigers and starting pitcher Nate Robertson have agreed to a three-year contract extension. The deal is worth $21.25-million and will keep the lefty in Detroit through the 2010 season. Robertson went 9-and-13 with a 4.76 ERA in 30 starts last season.

Kirk Saarloos is an A once again. The righty has signed a minor league contract with Oakland with an invitation to spring training. Saarloos' one year in Cincinnati was very forgettable. He was 1-and-5 with a 7.17 ERA while appearing mostly as a reliever. Elsewhere, one of the free agent that the Reds were reportedly considering is no longer an option.

Labels: Jon Leiber, Kirk Saarloos, Nate Robertson

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:18 AM | Permalink | Comments

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Congress To Delay MLB Hearings

The United States House Of Represenatives have postponed their hearing in which Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, and former trainer Brian McNamee from January 16, until February 13. The delay is to give the congressmen more time to study the case, McNamee who was strength and conditioning coach with the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees, named Clemens and Pettitte to the Mitchell Commission as being involved with performance enhancing drugs. McNamee claims that he injected Pettitte with HGH, a charge Pettitte does admit to. McNamee also says he was injecting Clemens with Winstrol and HGH. Clemens denies the claims and says he received Lidocaine, and B-12 injection from McNamee. The House Committee will however still meet with MLB Commissioner Bud Selig, former Senator George Mitchell, and MLBPA Union rep Donald Fehr on January 15, as originally scheduled

Posted by Jeff Sack at 4:16 AM | Permalink | Comments

Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Interview With Marty Stanovich

The Game Of Baseball's Jeff Sack was a guest on the Marty Stanovich Show Tuesday January 8, 2008 on NEWSRADIO 1620 in Pensacola, Florida. Marty and Jeff discussed The Roger Clemens Interview on CBS 60 Minutes, Rich Gossage's induction into the MLB Hall of Fame and Jim Rice's chance to get in to the Hall in 2009.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Posted by Jeff Sack at 1:46 PM | Permalink | Comments

Tuesday, January 08, 2008

Goose Flies Alone Into Cooperstsown

Former MLB closer Rich "Goose" Gossage was named Tuesday as the sole member named to the MLB Hall Of Fame Class of 2008. Gossage who was in his ninth year of eligibility was elected with 85.8% of the votes cast by the Baseball Writers Of America, far above the cutoff point for eligibility which is 75%. Jim Rice former Boston Red Sox slugger was just shy of getting elected as he received 71.2% of the vote, next year will be his final year of eligibility. Andre Dawson who spent the majority of his career with the Chicago Cubs captured 65.9% of the votes, while former starter Bert Blyleven garnered 61.9% of the tally. Former Cardinal and Oakland A's slugger Mark McGwire was again, greeted with disdain by most of the writers receiving only 23.6% of the votes, despite his prodigious home run numbers.

Gossage being named was long overdue, frankly I told colleagues when Bruce Sutter was named to the Hall a few years ago, that Gossage deserved equal treatment. Gossage pitched 22 seasons in the Major Leagues and acquired 310 saves. Much of his career was spent in the glaring spotlight of the "Bronx Zoo" AKA the New York Yankees teams of the late 1970's through the middle of the next decade. Gossage not only performed under the glare he thrived on it, becoming a major factor to the success of that era for the Bronx Bombers. Gossage joins, Sutter, Rollie Fingers, Hoyt Wilhelm, and Dennis Eckersley as the only five relievers in Cooperstown.

Posted by Jeff Sack at 3:25 PM | Permalink | Comments

Former Players Await Call From Cooperstown

The National Baseball Hall of Fame will announce its Class of 2008 today. Fourteen returning candidates and 11 first-timers were on the ballot, released late last year. According to MLB.com, about 600 ballots were distributed to eligible voters from the Baseball Writers Association of America. A candidate must receive a vote on over 75-percent of the ballots to be enshrined in Cooperstown.

Among the top returning candidates are reliever Rich "Goose" Gossage and outfielder Andre Dawson. Mark McGwire, who has been scrutinized for possibly using performance-enhancing drugs, also returns to the ballot. Once expected to be a first-ballot entry, "Big Mac" received just 23-point-five-percent of last year's vote. Whoever makes the grade will be inducted into the Hall at a ceremony on July 27th. Five people from the managers and executives category will also be enshrined that day. Managers Billy Southworth and Dick Williams, commissioner Bowie Kuhn and owners Walter O'Malley and Barney Dreyfuss were elected by the Veterans Committee last month.

Labels: bowie kuhn, dick williams, mark mcgwire

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:08 AM | Permalink | Comments

MLB To Institute New Security Measures

Major League Baseball announced yesterday that it will start to institute new clubhouse security policies for the 2008 season. The announcement comes in light of the recommendations by former U.S. Senate majority leader George Mitchell. The increased security is an effort to prevent the illegal use of performance-enhancing substances. All the teams were notified of several changes that will be enforced, including background checks and random drug tests on all clubhouse personnel. Also, all teams will be required to keep a log of all packages sent to clubhouses at major league ballparks.

Labels: george mitchell

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:07 AM | Permalink | Comments

Clemens Denies Use Of P.E.D.'s

This segment of Monday's press conference with Roger Clemens had him denying that he ever took any perfomance enhancing drugs.

Posted by Jeff Sack at 6:23 AM | Permalink | Comments

Clemens Tries to Defend His Name

What you are about to watch is Roger Clemens Press Conference held Monday January 7, this segment Clemens tries to Defend his Name.

Posted by Jeff Sack at 6:17 AM | Permalink | Comments

Clemens Phone Conversation With McNamee

What you are about to watch, and hear is Brian McNamee's phone conversation with Roger Clemens.

Posted by Jeff Sack at 6:07 AM | Permalink | Comments

Opening Statements By Roger Clemens Attorney

What you are about to watch is the opening statements made by Roger Clemens attorney at a press conference held Monday 7, that they organized to prove that Clemens did not receive PED's (performance enhancing drugs, as alleged by his former trainer Brian McNamee.

Posted by Jeff Sack at 5:51 AM | Permalink | Comments

The Game of Baseball

America's National Pastime!