Juan Cruz and the Royals: A Match Made in Heaven?

And the winner is....

The Royals.

What? Talk about coming out of left field. The normally frugal Royals are actually spending quite a bit of money this offseason...what a concept.

I did not see this one coming. The Royals were not even mentioned in "The Market for Juan Cruz" column a few weeks back! But you know what, I like it.

Here's why: after trading away two of their best relief pitchers for Mike Jacobs and Coco Crisp respectively, the Royals needed help in the bullpen bridging the gap to Joakim Soria. My apologies to all the Kyle Farnsworth lovers out there-he's not going to get the job done. Cruz gives manager Trey Hillman a real weapon out of the bullpen besides Soria. Cruz will strikeout lots of hitters (71 in 51 IP in 2008) and can work multiple innings, both of which are major pluses for the Royals.

As for the draft picks, the Royals will only have to surrender their second round pick (#55) because their first round pick is protected. Giving up a first round pick for Cruz would have made no sense for the Royals, and I'm sure there are those who oppose giving up a second round choice for Cruz, but more than likely Cruz will do more for the Royals in two years than a second round draft pick ever will.

We have to ask: do the Royals plan on competing in 2009? It sure seems like GM Dayton Moore thinks they can compete. They have now acquired veterans Kyle Farnsworth, Cruz, Coco Crisp, and Mike Jacobs...a major sign to their fanbase that they are serious about competing. The Royals won 75 games in 2008...does anyone think that these four players will push the Royals over .500 or even towards 85 wins? Very debatable.

The real question is this: does anyone outside of Dayton Moore think that the Royals are good enough to win in 2009? I still don't think so. The Royals play in an awfully tough division and still need another quality starter and impact bat (maybe Jacobs) before I can even consider them to be legitimate contenders. In addition, the Royals lineup needs to collectively produce a respectable OBP for me to take them seriously!

It's encouraging to see the Royals being aggressive. For the fans, it's nice to know that the Royals are not just going to remain inactive and not spend on free agents while the rest of the league laps around them year after year (cough...Pirates). I'm just not sure that the Royals have spent their money in the best way this offseason, but we'll have to wait and see.

The real winner in this deal is the Diamondbacks. By offering Cruz arbitration, the secured themselves and additional two draft picks in the 2010 draft and did not have to give in to a stupid sign and trade. Kudos to Josh Byrnes on this one.

UPDATE (4:41 PM): Here are the contract terms: (2 years/$6 million with an option)

Wow. Kyle Farnsworth got more loot than Cruz! Unbelievable! Cruz's type A status killed his market to such a degree that a mediocre relief pitcher like Farnsworth got a better contract. Memo to Bud Selig: the system needs fixin'!

And finally, it's hard to believe that a team like the Tigers did not make a run for Cruz. Considering the modest price tag, giving up only a second round pick would have been pretty good for the Tigers, and would have made them a much stronger ball club. Now instead, they have to face Cruz 19 times a season...

Spotlight's On: John Baker

*With the season now just over a month away, Jorge Says No! will profile one pivotal player from each team. To often, players get lost in the shuffle of the big names and bright lights, so we focus on some of the under the radar guys who need to step it up in 2009 for their team to succeed.*

For the better half of 2008, the Marlins struggled to find consistent production behind the plate. The combination of Matt Treanor, Mike Rabelo, Paul Hoover, and Paul Lo Duca simply did not get it done. No surprise there. But then in the second half of 2008, something amazing happened.

And his name was John Baker.

Baker, who was drafted by Billy Beane in the famous Moneyball draft, came out of nowhere to hit .299 for the Marlins in just 197 at bats. The unheralded Baker was an after thought in the Marlins organization and few believed that he would be anything more than a starter at AAA.

But during his brief tenure with the Marlins, Baker opened up lots of eyes. He proved to Marlins brass that he could get on base by compiling a robust .392 OBP and exhibited a strong ability to work the count. Despite the fact that Baker is a catcher, he should be the ideal #2 hitter for the Marlins this season because of his ability to take pitches and get on base. He could score lots of runs hitting in between Cameron Maybin and Hanley Ramirez.

With that said, there are plenty of questions that need to be answered about Baker. Can he be this productive for an entire season? Can he hit left handed pitching (.213 in '08)? Can he handle a pitching staff? Can he hit for power consistently? If Baker does not prove his worth, then I would expect the Marlins to look in another direction for a catcher (cough...Ivan Rodriguez).

But for now, Marlins fans have got to feel pretty good about John Baker. At worst, Baker is a one hit wonder who had a couple of very good months on the big show. But the best case scenario is quite sweet for the cash strapped Marlins-a productive, cheap, semi young catcher who can hold down the fort for a few years, while becoming an integral part in what could be an awesome Marlins lineup. Given how difficult it is to find a young catcher these days, it would be a major coup for the Marlins if Baker turns out be something good.

The spotlight's on, John Baker.

What do you think, will Baker produce in 2009?

*Coming up on Monday, the Washington Nationals.*

Florida Marlins: Five Things to Look Forward to in 2009

1. The elevation of Hanley Ramirez into a superstar
-Scary as this might sound for the rest of the National League, but Hanley Ramirez continues to get better and better. And this year, he will be more dangerous than ever. All indications point to Hanley hitting in the #3 hole, which would give him tons of RBI opportunities and a great chance to eclipse the 100 RBI mark for the first time in his young career. Look for Ramirez to put up monster numbers at the dish as he establishes himself as one of the top 5-10 players in the game.

2. The maturation of Cameron Maybin
-On the last day of the 2008 season, the Marlins inserted Cameron Maybin into the leadoff spot against the New York Mets. The Mets were fighting for their playoff lives and needed all the help they could get on that fateful day. Unfortunately, the Mets got no such help from Maybin. He killed us. Maybin went 2-4 with a double, stolen base, and a run scored; all of which helped eliminate the Mets from playoff contention. Maybin possesses a unique blend of speed, quick wrists, and power, which will make him quite the threat atop the Marlins lineup.

3. Can Cantu do it again?
-Jorge Cantu was one of the biggest surprises in baseball last season when he hit 29 homers with 95 RBI and a .277 batting average. Prior to the 2008 season, Cantu had not had a good season in the bigs since 2005. The steady Cantu was a consistent force in the Marlins lineup, even with his low on base percentage (.327). Will Cantu be able to produce in 2009? If he puts up big numbers again, the Fish will have a dynamite lineup.

4. Chris Volstad
-Yet another Met killer. The big right hander beat the Mets on game 160 last season, dominating them from the start. What an impressive guy. Did I mention that he had a 2.88 ERA in bigs last season through 14 starts (15 games)? How impressive is that? This guy has all the makings of a stud and I, for one, cannot wait to see what he can do.

5. Will Scott Proctor's Arm fall off?
-Probably not. Joe Torre is in LA...thankfully..for his sake.

Manny Ramirez: The Endless Saga Continues...

Chalk it up to Manny being Manny, right? Or maybe it's just Boras being Boras.

But last night, Manny Ramirez rejected the Dodgers latest offer, which was their fourth proposal so far (counting arbitration). The Dodgers reportedly offered Manny a 2 year/$45 million dollar contract, which is nearly identical to the deal the Dodgers offered Ramirez a few months ago. However, the difference this time was that only the first year was guaranteed, which would give Ramirez the ability to opt out in 2010 if the market rebounded.

This deal in theory would have given Manny an opportunity to become the 2nd highest paid player in baseball this season and possibly get another huge contract next season. Sounds too good to be true, right?

Well, wrong. Because when it came down to it, Boras and Manny decided not to accept the Dodgers offer. How could they do this?

The answer is simple. Right now, the Dodgers need Manny more than Manny needs the Dodgers. It's that simple. The Dodgers have played it cool so far, patiently waiting for Boras and Manny to get their act together, but with March rapidly approaching, the Dodgers need to have Ramirez in the fold. Without Manny, the Dodgers are toast.

All along the concept remained the same: the Dodgers need Manny and Manny needs the Dodgers...what's taking so long? But now we know why: Boras is convinced that the Dodgers, now out of viable options, will cave into Ramirez's demands...or else. Would it be out the question to see Ramirez hold out until April? He's held out this far...why not another month!

Boras is in complete control of these negotiations. The Dodgers cannot simply say, "we're done with Manny Ramirez" right now. Their fan base will not have it. The Dodgers need to stay in the Ramirez sweepstakes and come away with Ramirez....or else. Boras knows this and is trying to exploit the Dodgers for every last penny they have until Ramirez gets the contract he wants.

Boras is trying to build a market for Manny even where is no market. Boras is hoping that a team like the Giants suddenly gets motivated to get in on the Manny sweepstakes, especially seeing how long and drawn out these negotiations have become. Or Boras is hoping that the Dodgers will big against nobody and ultimately give into Ramirez's demands. Holding out is putting more and more power into Boras's hands.

In the end, I still think these two sides will come together. Manny does not have any other serious suitors out there, and for that, he needs the Dodgers. But by playing it cool, Boras is taking a risk that the best offer has not been thrown out there yet by the Dodgers. It's quite a risk, considering how generous the Dodgers' offers have been thus far and how bad the economy is.

My question is this: does anyone actually think Manny will be able to get a better contract than this? Will the Dodgers have to commit three years to get Manny to sign on the dotted line?

And when will this saga finally end? Somehow I can't help but think that the Manny Marathon is nowhere close to completion. Oy.

Offseason Winners: AJ Burnett

There were several great anomalies this offseason. With the market in such chaos, this is to be expected. But one oddity that I have yet to figure out is how in the world AJ Burnett wound up with $80 million bucks over five seasons.

I'm not saying that Burnett is not a good pitcher. Quite the contrary. He is actually a very good pitcher with a ferocious fastball and devastating hook that make him as good as anyone when he is on. There is no doubt about it...Burnett has ace stuff.

But here's where the problem lies, Burnett has never performed like an ace before over his 10 year career. Burnett has a lifetime 3.81 ERA with a very pedestrian 87-76 record for his career. There is nothing about those numbers that screams out "ace" to me.

In addition, Burnett has been quite frustrating because of his inability to stay healthy and remain on the field. Burnett has only pitched 200 innings in his career three times and has been on the DL more than 10 times.

So then why did the Yankees decide to pay Burnett $14 mil per season? Great question.

Is it because Burnett has ace stuff? The Yankees could have a dynamite rotation if Burnett turns into a number one starter.

Or is it because Burnett can throw 95+ MPH fastball? That could have enticed the Yankees given how effective Burnett's dominant fastball should be in October, where it really matters for the Bombers.

Either one of those reasons is perfectly logical, but do either of those warrant a $80 million dollars? I don't think so.

I would much rather have signed Derek Lowe for $60 million or Oliver Perez for $36 million than AJ Burnett at $80 million...but maybe that's just me. I don't think Burnett is worth $20 million more than Lowe or $44 million more than Perez...even if AJ has better stuff, what counts is ultimately results and not the humongous fastball.

The strange thing about Burnett this offseason was that multiple teams-the Yankees, Braves, and Blue Jays were willing to break the bank to acquire the big guy. Both the Yankees and Braves were willing to spend $80 million dollar big ones to bring Burnett on board, while the Jays maxed out somewhere in the $50-$60 million dollar range. Those teams are obviously higher on Burnett than I ever will be.

AJ Burnett is one giant question mark. Can he stay healthy? Can he perform up to his ability? Will he ever become an ace? $80 million is a lot to spend on question marks.

It'll be boom or bust for AJ in pinstripes, but either way, that 98+ MPH fastball has made him an awful lot of dough.

Philadelphia Phillies: Five Things to Look Forward to in 2009

1. The First Game Against the Mets at Citizens Bank Park
May 1st, Phillies fans. Save the date. Just so you can rub more salt in my already oozing wound.

2. Can they repeat?
This is sure to be the common theme for the Phillies throughout the entire season. No team has managed to repeat as champions since the Yankees from 1998-2000. We'll see if the Phillies are up to the immense challenge.

3. The revival of Jimmy Rollins
Lost in the hoopla of winning a World Championship was a down season from Jimmy Rollins. To be fair, Rollins missed significant time in 2008 and his production suffered as a result. The 2007 MVP went from 88 XBH in 2007 to only 58 in 2008, a drop that signifies how much his production dropped because of the injuries. Look for Rollins to re-establish himself as one of the best shortstops in the league this season at the dish, which would give the Phillies the best lineup in baseball outside of the Yankees.

4. The continued assent of Jaime Moyer
As astonishing as it may seem, Moyer is pitching some the best baseball of his career at 47. The soft tossing lefty continues to baffle hitters throwing nothing but junk. What a wonder it is to watch him pitch. Enjoy him while you can Phillies fans...even though it should not be a surprise to see Moyer pitch until he is 50!

5. More Ryan Howard Subway Commercials
Seriously folks, these are gems. We want more!

Spotlight's On: Brett Myers

*With the season now just over a month away, Jorge Says No! will profile one pivotal player from each team. To often, players get lost in the shuffle of the big names and bright lights, so we focus on some of the under the radar guys who need to step it up in 2009 for their team to succeed.*

Brett Myers was horrible for a good portion of 2008. The Phillies number #2 starter had a miserable first half where he had a tough time locating his pitches, gave up far too many long balls (24), and seemed somewhat lost on the mound. His 5.84 first half ERA was sickening. By July, the Phillies decided to ship Myers and his pitching problems to the minor leagues.

Whatever Myers did in the minors, it certainly worked. Myers returned to the Phillies with his location no longer MIA and suddenly became the #2 starter the Phillies had been lacking for the first half of the season. In the second half of 2008, Myers delivered with a 3.08 ERA, finally looking like the powerful Brett Myers of old.

Is it a coincidence then that the Phillies took off in the second half of 2008? They played their best ball of 2008 with a solid Myers on board, thus demonstrating how valuable Myers is to the Phillies when he is on top of his game.

The pressure will be back on Myers to produce in 2009. His 2008 season can be classified as inconsistent at best and if the Phillies are going to be serious contenders in 2009, they will need to have a dynamic #2 starter to pitch behind Cole Hamels. If Myers proves to be the guy once again, then the Phillies will be tough to beat in 2009. They have so many weapons offensively that if their pitchers deliver, they will be the favorites to win the NL pennant. And that's coming from a Met fan.

But if Myers fails to deliver the goods and under performs, it will be a huge blow to the Phillies. Besides Hamels, they have no other pitcher with Myers stuff and capabilities, which would leave a huge hole in their rotation. The Phillies won the title last season on the strength of their pitching staff and if they want to repeat, having Myers at his best in 2009 is a must.

The spotlight's on, Brett Myers.

What do you think, will Myers produce in 2009?

*Coming up tomorrow, the Florida Marlins.*

Coach Mike Piazza!

Exciting news for all of us over here at Jorge Says No! yesterday...there was a Mike Piazza sighting! And he was doing something baseball related!

The 41-year-old former catcher is the hitting coach for the Italian team in the Classic. On Wednesday morning, he was wearing a blue uniform with an "I" on his cap on a back field at Roger Dean Stadium, preparing for a "B" game against the Marlins.

"I'm excited to get on the field a little bit, and the fact they [Italian players] are so eager to learn, and there aren't a lot of egos over there," Piazza said. "It's a good thing. I'm really pumped."

Good for Mike. I always thought he would be a great hitting coach in his life after baseball. Piazza was my favorite player growing up and I always loved watching him hit (not to mention how jealous I was of his awesome facial hair). He had this calm demeanor at the plate and then as soon as the ball reached the plate, he would seamlessly explode towards at the ball. One of the most beautiful and powerful swings I have ever seen. I'm sure the guys on the Italian squad will love working with the legend.

More interesting stuff from this article:

Piazza played for Italy's Classic team in 2006, and coaching is keeping him touch with the game. He is working on doing a little broadcasting when the season starts.

"Nothing is really finalized," he said.

If Piazza becomes a full time broadcaster, I'd be thrilled (is this the man crush talking?). Piazza always seemed a bit timid to me in interviews and with the fans, but I'm sure he would add some valuable insight to the booth. Or at least I hope he would.

I just hope Piazza doesn't coach the catchers at throwing out base stealers...that could get ugly.

Poll Results: Who Will Win the NL East?

In our most recent poll, we asked "who will win the NL East in 2009?"

Well, 42 of you chimed in (c'mon people, VOTE!), and here are the results:

-Mets	15 (35%)
-Phillies	16 (38%)
-Braves	8 (19%)
-Marlins	1 (2%)
-Nationals	2 (4%)

Another close race this season, eh? The Phillies beat out the Mets by just one vote! That's exactly what I am expecting. The Mets and Phillies have evolved into quite the rivalry over the past three seasons and I look forward to another drama filled and heart pounding season from these two teams.

I find it fascinating that the Marlins only got 1 vote. Hell, even the Nationals got more votes than the Marlins! I know that almost no one knows who plays on the Marlins these days given their limited spending, but this is a talented bunch that might emerge as a dark horse playoff contender in 2009.

This should be a very competitive division is 2009 that probably won't be decided until the final days in September. No team is terribly weak in this division and even the once lowly Nationals should be more competitive than they were in years past. I can honestly see either the Mets, Phillies, Braves, or Marlins winning the NL East in 2009, which will be good for baseball, but bad for my heart.

Next Poll: Who win the 2009 NL Central? VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

Atlanta Braves: Five Things to Look Forward to in 2009

1. An actual starting rotation complete with pitchers, who can throw more than 4 innings!
-Hallelujah for Javier Vazquez, Derek Lowe, and Kenshin Kawakami! 200 innings, here we come!

2. The possible return of Jeff Francoeur
-Will "the Natural" ever recapture his rightful place on the throne next to Mickey Mantle? Probably not. Can he become a productive middle of the order hitter, who does not swing at every damn pitch he sees? Hopefully...the talent is there.

3. The incredible Larry Wayne "Chipper" Jones
-Does anyone realize that Chipper hit .364 last season? How incredible is that? This guy is truly one of the best "clean" players of my generation, and Braves fans should enjoy getting to watch Larry Wayne play as much as they can while he is still healthy and productive. Yes, I'm a bitter Mets fan.

4. The continued rise of Yunel Escobar
-Thank God the Braves did not trade Yunel for Jake Peavy. Escobar has the makings of a top flight shortstop in this league and I fully expect him to breakout this season by hitting well above .300 and setting the table for the aforementioned Chipper Jones with a .370+ OBP. Mark my words, this guy is a stud.

5. A healthy, deep bullpen
-Pray to whatever Gods you want to on this one, Braves fans. Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano are your meal tickets to meaningful September baseball and maybe, just maybe, the Braves will be able to hold a few damn leads this season.

So Braves fans, what are you looking forward to in 2009? Discuss.

Spotlight's On: Mike Gonzalez

When the Phillies won the World Series in 2008, they did so with one of the game's strongest bullpens anchored by closer Brad Lidge. The flame throwing Lidge did not blow a single save in 2008 and turned a average bullpen into one of the best in baseball through his consistently great performance. His impact was enormous and cannot be understated.

Braves closer Mike Gonzalez, coming off Tommy John surgery, has the opportunity to transform the Braves bullpen from horrific to dynamic in 2009. Don't let his mediocre 2009 stats (0-3, 4.28 ERA) fool you, Gonzalez has the makeup and the stuff to be a fantastic closer in this league. The only question is whether or not he can remain healthy.

When the Braves acquired Gonzalez from the Pirates in 2007, they envisioned Gonzalez as a dominant relief pitcher at the back end of the bullpen and a possible candidate to close. Armed with a powerful fastball and a dynamic slider, Gonzalez has all the makings of a great closer. He can strike out hitters even after Tommy John surgery (44 K in 33 IP) and make hitters look absolutely foolish at the dish. But only 18 games into the 2007 season, Gonzalez was forced to undergo Tommy John surgery and missed the remainder of the season. Ouch.

So after missing all of 2007 and a good portion of 2008, this is Gonzalez's chance to prove his worth to the Braves. They will be counting on Gonzalez heavily this season to become the steady and productive force at the back end of their bullpen that they lacked in 2008. Without a solid closer last season, the Braves consistently struggled late in ball games last season and won only 11 one run ball games.

The Braves will need to win lots of close games if they are going to seriously compete in the NL East this season. Gonzalez will play a major role in that. If he performs well, the Braves could become the team no one wants to play in 2009 and a legitimate playoff candidate. Who knows if Gonzalez will turn into a lights out closer like Lidge? He certainly has the stuff to do it.

However, if Gonzalez fails to hold down the job or gets hurt, the Braves will struggle to hold down leads and win ball games. It could get ugly for the third year in a row for the Braves.

The spotlight's on, Mike Gonzalez. Stay healthy!

What do you think, will Gonzalez be the dynamic closer the Braves need?

*Coming up tomorrow, the Philadelphia Phillies.*

The Nonexistent Market for Pedro Martinez

Lost in the mist and muddle of this offseason has been the mysterious disappearance of Pedro Martinez from our collective consciousness. Isn't it somewhat surprising how little Pedro has been mentioned this offseason? We're talking about one of the best pitchers in baseball history, who has been strangely ignored this offseason like he has coodies or something.

The reality here is that Pedro is nothing more than a fifth starter right now. Since his surgery in 2006, Pedro's stuff has not been the same and too often he has been forced to rely on his guts and guile to pitch out of tough situations. He finished the 2008 season with an unimpressive 5-6 record, a 5.61 ERA, and an ugly 1.569 WHIP. Those are some ugly numbers.

There was talk in the beginning of the offseason that Pedro was drawing some interest from the Mets. Thankfully, they didn't. The Marlins were also rumored to have some interest in Pedro, but that proved to be hogwash. Outside of the Mets and Marlins, the market for Pedro has been dead quiet, which has to be concerning for the three time Cy Young award winner.

Pedro's 2008 was so bad that I understand why no team wants to go after him right now. But at the same time, there is no denying that Pedro is popular amongst fans and players and he is still a draw at the gate. Even towards the end of Pedro's run with the Mets, there was still a buzz when he took the hill, simply because he was Pedro Martinez, one of the best players in baseball. People want to see this guy pitch...especially when he is on.

In these rough economic times, I'm surprised that not one team has opted to take a flier on Martinez hoping that his mere presence would somewhat excite the fan base. Mediocre fans still know who Pedro Martinez is and the name recognition alone could bring some added fans to the stands.

So will someone take a shot on Pedro? Maybe. If he has a good WBC, then I could see someone taking a chance on Pedro. Or if a starting pitcher gets hurt, I could see a club taking a look at Pedro hoping that he recaptures some of his old magic. Would a team like the Pirates or Marlins take a chance on Pedro somewhere down the road? Debatable.

But right now, it's going to continue to be a tough go of things for Martinez. Teams obviously feel pretty strongly that Pedro is just not worth it at this point and that his skills have declined too much for him to be successful. I hope that Pedro gets a chance to come back and pitch well, because man, that guy is fun to watch and an amazing competitor.

Good luck, Pedro.

The Rhythmic Styles of Razor Shines

And the blog description has finally spoken.

Without further ado, Ladies and Gentlemen, the rhythmic styles of Razor Shines courtesy of the NY Times.

"Watching Shines interact is like a seeing a game of verbal pepper. Don’t let me down now, David. That’s what I’m talking about, Carlos. Good Lord have mercy, José. He is continually talking, constantly moving. He jogs from station to station, bumping fists and slapping fives. Security guards get them,too.

“When I was with Seattle, I would call Razor whenever I wanted to feel good about myself,” said outfielder Jeremy Reed, who played for Shines in 2003, for a White Sox Class A affiliate. “Now that we’re together again, I never have to worry about getting down on myself. He won’t let me.”

Shines, 52, is the Mets’ version of a corner man, albeit one with more than three decades of professional experience and a mind as sharp as his name. About that name, Razor. He has had it since July 18, 1956, his birth date. He was born Anthony Razor Shines, the third generation of Shines men to have Razor as a middle name. He says he does not know the origin, he just observes the tradition, having passed it along to his son, Devon.

“If I hear Anthony, I look around because someone sure knows a lot about me,” Shines said. “Razor gets more attention. As a baseball player, I like attention. I like it out there. Put it on me. Pile it on.”

Classic stuff there. There are four generations of Razor Shines? That's too good to be true!

Too bad Razor never made it big in the majors...I'm sure the good folks over at Gillette would have been all over Razor for endorsements!

On the baseball side of things, just keep the boys upbeat and smiling Razor...Lord knows you'll be keeping me smiling with that awesome name. And have no fear Razor, you will get plenty of attention all season long from Jorge Says No!

(Note: In a few weeks I will be heading down to Florida for a few days of spring training. My first, and only goal: picture with Razor Shines)

Spotlight's On: Luis Castillo

*With the season now just over a month away, Jorge Says No! will profile one pivotal player from each team. To often, players get lost in the shuffle of the big names and bright lights, so we focus on some of the under the radar guys who need to step it up in 2009 for their team to succeed.*

When the Mets acquired Castillo in 2007 from the Minnesota Twins, I thought he was going to be the perfect compliment to leadoff hitter Jose Reyes. Castillo, known primarily as a speedy slap hitter, could take lots of pitches in the #2 hole and get on base quite frequently, all of which would make the Mets lineup more potent in theory. For the latter half of 2007, Castillo actually played quite well for the Mets...well enough for GM Omar Minaya to hand Castillo a 4 year/$26 million dollar contract extension.

And from there, it was all downhill. Castillo was out of shape from the get go, spent almost two months on the DL, and looked old and slow on the diamond. The speedy slap hitter was replaced by an out of shape, gimpy man, who looked to be in severe pain just walking out to second base. By the end of the season, Castillo was getting booed mercilessly at Shea Stadium as he drifted into obscurity and into Mets fans' doghouse.

Fans began to view Castillo as a bust and demanded that Minaya get rid of the aging Castillo. However, Minaya decided to keep Castillo, banking on a resurgent season from the 33 year old second baseman. If Castillo can stay healthy and productive, the Mets lineup instantly becomes deeper, more potent, and one of the best in baseball. Castillo NEEDS to get on base to set the table for the heart of the Mets order (Wright, Delgado, Beltran) and take some of the pressure off of Jose Reyes at the top of the lineup.

In addition, Mets manager Jerry Manuel has discussed moving Castillo to the leadoff spot, which would allow Jose Reyes to hit third in the Mets order. Such a move would put even more pressure on Castillo to produce, but if he comes through, the Mets lineup would gain even more flexibility and potency.

Plain and simple, the Mets lineup improves tremendously with a healthy and productive Castillo. Yes, he is nothing more than a slap hitter and yes, his best days are probably behind him, but he is exactly the kind of table setter the Mets need. Having a second productive table setter is an aspect that Mets missed last season when Castillo got hurt, but if he rebounds, the results could be fantastic for the Mets.

The pressure is certainly on Castillo in 2009. If he fails to produce, he will be booed-alot. He will be labeled a bust by the NY media and Mets fans alike, while the Mets scramble to find a capable replacement. The Mets showed enough confidence in Castillo to keep him around, but they also made sure to sign a capable replacement, Alex Cora, to back up Castillo. Castillo will need to produce right away or a benching will certainly be in his future.

The spotlight's on, Luis Castillo.

What do you think, will Castillo produce in 2009?

*Coming up tomorrow, the Atlanta Braves.*

World Baseball Classic: Only 10 Days Away!

In just nine days, we will have the first real baseball of 2009. Yes, the World Baseball Classic makes its return to the forefront of the baseball universe, and I for one am excited to see how it plays out. Even with some odd rules and such, the tournament will be fun interlude between spring training and the start of the regular season.

Can you feel the excitement???

I'm somewhat worried about all the players not playing in the World Baseball Classic this time around. Between Francisco Liriano, Johan Santana, Joe Mauer, Mark Teixeira, and Albert Pujols; the Classic will be missing some of its biggest stars and draws. The Classic needs all the names it can get to sustain credibility and I for one will watch the Classic just to watch the best players compete at the same level. It loses some of its luster if B and C level players are only competing.

So who are the favorites this time around? Well, if you bet on baseball, I would have to put my money down on Cuba and Japan. Those two countries hooked up in the final last season and seem to care more about this tournament than any of the other countries who have serious talent. For that reason alone, they are my two picks for the final.

My favorite part of the classic is seeing all the different countries play under one umbrella, especially since some of them I had no idea even knew what baseball was. Seriously, South Africa and the Netherlands! Head over to your favorite sportsbook to see all the matchups, analysis, and random teams that will be involved in the WBC.

And finally, the big question on everyone's mind is how will the US fare in the tournament? Well, I think we'll put up a respectable showing. I think our guys will win a few games in tournament, but ultimately be knocked out just like last season because once again, this tournament does not mean as much to us as it does to the rest of the world. In addition, the US no longer has the best baseball talent in the world. Both those reasons are good enough for me NOT to pick the United States to win the WBC.

(Note: Pray that no one gets hurt in this exhibition tournament. The last thing Bud Selig needs is for Derek Jeter, David Wright, or Ichiro Suzuki sustaining a major injury and not being able to play in the upcoming season. Stay healthy guys!)

So is anyone excited for the WBC? Thoughts?

Where in the World is Odalis Perez?

Talk about going AWOL.

First, Odalis signed a very questionable minor league contract with the Nationals. I, like many others, was stunned to see that Perez was forced to sign a minor league deal given the market for starting pitching and the season he put together in 2008. While Perez's statistics were far from spectacular, he still put up good enough numbers to be an effective #5 starter on most teams (4.34 ERA, 159 IP, 122 K).

I admit that there are plenty of flaws in Perez's game: high WHIP (1.484 in '08), lots of HRs given up (22 in '08), but there is no reason why he should have had to settle for a minor league contract. Hell, even Mark Hendrickson, who could not even stay in the Marlins starting rotation last season, got a major league deal. Even though the market was greatly depressed, there is always demand for quality starting pitchers, even those of Perez's caliber.

Side note: Perez's agent should be fired for only getting him a minor league deal.

Right before spring training, Perez finally got the memo that a minor league contract was stupid. He could have done better. He should have done better. So what did Perez do? He demanded a guaranteed contract that would have given him security. Problem is, Perez already had agreed to the original contract. Ooops.

Perez then did the only thing he could to protest the atrocity of the Perez and his agent agreeing to only a minor league deal: he went AWOL. Perez failed to report to spring training and despite the Nationals attempts to reach him, Perez has failed to pick up his phone. What a guy.

And with that, the Nationals decided to release Perez today. Good for them. They did not need a headcase like Perez around. The last thing the Nationals needed right now was another distraction. Even if the contract was less than he deserved, Perez still agreed to terms and should have shown up. Plain and simple.

But the interesting facet to the Perez story is that by getting his release, Perez will now probably be in line for a major league contract with someone. There are plenty of teams out there that still need starting pitchers (Astros, Cardinals, Athletics, Pirates, Orioles, Rangers, etc). It's not out of the realm of possibility for Perez to actually benefit from his childish behavior, especially if he performs well in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.

I know for sure that I would not want a guy like Perez on my team. But since pitching doesn't grow on trees, I'm sure the phone will quickly begin ringing for Perez....as long as he still remembers to pick up the phone.

Anyone Remember This?

I sure do.

1999 NLCS. Mets v. Braves. What a series it was! Still breaks my heart do this day. Damn you, Kenny Rogers!

I was nine years old at the time and had not a care in the world outside of baseball. Little did I know that my family and I were sitting in front of one of the most epic signs ever created. Vulgar, insulting, yet hilarious at the same time. Boy am I glad this one was pulled from the ole' Shea Stadium family achieves!

RIP Shea Stadium.

Anyone else psyched for baseball? Just looking at this picture is getting me excited to see the Mets play the Braves and Phillies this season.

(h/t Bruce Levitt)

Garret Anderson: Look Out for the Braves

Almost a week ago, the Braves seemed to be closing in on signing Ken Griffey Jr to a one year contract worth just over $2.5 million. However, Griffey decided to sign with the Mariners instead of the Braves, which left Braves GM Frank Wren in an interesting position. Should he let young guys compete for left field or sign one of the many veteran corner outfielders to a team friendly contract?

Well, today we got our answer. The Braves signed Garret Anderson, formerly of the Los Angeles Angels, to a one year/$2.5 million dollar contract. Anderson, 37, will become the Braves starting left fielder and gives their lineup some needed pop and credibility.

For the Braves, I love this move. While they have a number of good, young talents that might be able to play left field full time, the Braves have lots of questions in the outfield already. Will Jeff Francoeur recover from his lost 2008 season? Who will be the Braves starting center fielder? Anderson offers stability to the Braves outfield and guarantees a certain level of production as long as he's healthy. While he will no longer hit 30+ home runs, Anderson should be able to hit .280 with 15+ HR, 80 RBI. Those are some solid numbers, especially for $2.5 million bucks.

Surprisingly, Anderson still hits lefties (.290 in '08) and righties (.293 in '08) extremely well. Because of this, he should serve as a more than capable everyday left fielder and a solid #6 or #7 hitter in the Braves lineup.

On the down side, Anderson's defense is nothing to write home about and it will be interesting to see how he holds up playing the outfield everyday. Anderson was the Angels designated hitter 60 times in 2008, a luxury that he will not have with the Braves.

Furthermore, Anderson is by no means an on base machine. In 2008, Anderson only walked 29 times resulting in a meager .325 OBP. Those numbers have to be a concern for the Braves, especially if the plan on hitting Anderson, Casey Kotchman (.328 OBP in '08) Jeff Francoeur (.294 OBP in '08) back to back to back. The Braves will need those guys to produce higher OBPs in 2009 if they are going to seriously compete in the NL East.

Nevertheless, this move makes the Braves a better team than they were before. Anderson is an upgrade over anyone else the Braves had, so that alone makes the Braves a better team on paper. Their lineup still leaves much to be desired, but if Anderson, Francoeur, and Kotchman can produce, than this team can go places.

Sounding Off: Those Who Did Not Cheat

*Sounding Off will be featured every Sunday morning as we address a hot topic from the past week. Feel free to weigh in and make your opinion heard!*

The true effect of the steroid era will be felt for years to come. I written at length about the legacy of the steroid era, but I have come away feeling as though that piece was not enough. There are so many different facets to the steroid era that need to be addressed. Because now that the steroid shock has somewhat gone away, some clear, rational thought needs to expressed about steroids and the future.

Perhaps nothing conflicts me more with the steroid era is how to view statistics. Here we have a group of players, who have used an illegal substance to give themselves a competitive advantage. There is no doubt that their statistics are tainted and will leave a stain over their careers, no matter how significant they were. This much we can all agree on.

But what about those who have never used steroids or at least have never been linked to performance enhancing drugs? Do we now elevate their statistics knowing that they played against a group of athletes, who were putting illegal drugs into their body in the hopes of performing better. There are a significant number of players who still put up great statistics even when faced with chemically enhanced players, who looked more like body builders instead of ball players.

Take for instance, Curt Schilling. The former Diamondbacks ace put up very good statistics throughout his career (216 career wins, 6 time all star) and is thought of in many baseball circles as one of the better pitchers of my generation. However, whether Schilling is a hall of famer or not is a widely debated topic. Hell, Schilling himself does not believe that he should be in the hall of fame!

But should the baseball community re-evaluate how they view Schilling because he performed at an optimal level during the steroid era and by all accounts has not used any sort of PED? There is no telling how Schilling's performance would have improved if he had used steroids during his career or if the rest of baseball had been clean. But the fact remains that Schilling put up fantastic numbers as a clean athlete. That's damn impressive.

If Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and Roger Clemens are going to be excluded from the hall of fame because of performance enhancing drugs, then I think there will be "clean" players who will gain credit with hall voters because of their performance during the steroid era. Schilling is one of the guys who I can see entering the hall of fame based both on his performance and that he was clean.

It'll be hard to figure out exactly who was clean and who wasn't during this era. But the presumption of innocence will play a large role in who enters the hall of fame. Because Lord knows, the worst case scenario for major league baseball is if a player in the hall of fame is found to have used performance enhancing drugs. Baseball simply cannot afford to have that happen.

So what do you think? Will the candidacy of "clean" players be elevated because they did not cheat?

Orlando Hudson: Finally Dodger Bound

For Orlando Hudson, the long national nightmare is over. He finally has a team.

After more than three months of free agency, Hudson and the Dodgers came to terms on a one year/$3.4 million dollar contract. The deal could be worth upwards of $7 million bucks if Hudson reaches all incentives.

For the Dodgers, I love this deal. Hudson is a very good player, who can make a significant impact in 2009 both offensively and defensively. Don't let the mild contract fool you, Hudson is one of the best second baseman in the league. He could very well score 100 runs, hit above .300, produce a .370+ OBP, and play gold glove caliber defense. That's quite a package for the Dodgers at the low price of $3 million.

And don't get me wrong, I like Blake Dewitt. I think he's got a future in this league and showed quite a bit last season with the Dodgers. However, the Dodgers are building to win now. And let's face it, Hudson gives the Dodgers the best chance to win right now. Not only did the Dodgers add a fine player, but they signed Hudson away from the Diamondbacks, who are a division rival. Quite a pickup for the Dodgers.

The only downside of this signing is that the Dodgers have to surrender their first overall pick (#17) to the Diamondbacks. But, c'mon people, who cares? The objective is to win now. The Dodgers, assuming they sign Manny Ramirez, will be legitimate pennant contenders in 2009 as their roster up and down is as good as anyone else's in the National League. Their starting pitching might be suspect, but I have supreme confidence in Kershaw, Kuroda, and Billingsley. I expect big things from those three in 2009.

Now all that's left is for the Dodgers to sign Manny Ramirez. If/When that day comes, the Dodgers will officially be among the National League's top contenders for the National League pennant. It's a good day to be a Dodger fan.

As for Hudson, this one has to be bittersweet. Yes, it's great to finally have a team and a contract in hand, but this came at a severely reduced rate. Remember, Hudson was originally looking for a 4 year deal worth $9-$10 million per season. Needless to say, he never came close to that. What a shame. It'll be interesting to see what Hudson can get on the open market in 2010, hopefully by then the market will have turned around. There is no reason why a good season with the Dodgers should not translate into a big contract next year....as long as the economy is in better shape.

Let's all say a prayer for that!

Manny Ramirez: What's Taking So Long?

Manny Ramirez still does not have a home. Yes, with only 9 days left until March, Ramirez and the Dodgers remain at an impasse.

My question is simple: how the hell could this be possible?

I mean, God, the two sides have been negotiating since November. That's more than three months. Memo to Scott Boras, this is a contract negotiation, not a peace agreement.

At this point, there really should not be that much to negotiate. Both sides know the other's position. Manny wants a huge mega deal. The Dodgers are willing to pay Manny (20+ mil per season), but only on a one (1 yr/$25 mil) or two year deal (2 yr/$45 mil). You would think a compromise could be worked out, but not in the world of Manny Ramirez.

Strangely, the Dodgers are Ramirez's only serious suitor. Not one other team has put an offer forward besides the Dodgers, and most of the cheaper outfield options have already signed with teams. The market for Ramirez was small at the beginning of free agency, but it has gotten even smaller as free agency has progressed.

Don't get me wrong, the Dodgers need Manny in a big way. They simply cannot afford to miss out on signing Ramirez after Adam Dunn and Bobby Abreu signed contracts. There is no fallback option. Without Ramirez, the Dodgers are screwed both on the diamond and in the pocketbook.

And Ramirez needs the Dodgers as well. They are the only team, who is willing to meet his exorbitant price tag of more than $20 million in tough economic times. Despite his immense talent, a combination of the economy and concerns over Manny's dedication have kept other teams from entering the Ramirez bidding. It's about time Manny and Scott Boras recognize this.

One would have to hope the Boras and Ramirez realize that the Dodgers offer is going to be the best they're going to get. They can continue to fool themselves into thinking that some "mystery team" is going to swoop in a sign Ramirez to a $100+ million dollar deal, but that's just not in the cards right now.

This is a marriage that needs to happen for both sides. They need each other. But when will both sides realize it?

Yet another big question remains: when will the thick headed duo of Boras and Manny finally give in to the Dodgers? A few days? Weeks? Months? Will Manny even play at all (foolish, I know) if he doesn't get the huge deal he wants? If Boras and Manny continue to hold firm, could this standoff possibly, gulp, go on for awhile? Let's hope not...

And how about this: would the Dodgers ever give into Ramirez with another year or more money? What would it take for the Dodgers to give into Ramirez? My best guess is that the Giants would have to go after Manny hard for the Dodgers to up their offer, but I doubt the Giants would enter the Manny market unless his price came down significantly. Damn!

We're well in February now people, enough is enough. Get the Manny deal done!

Brian Roberts: A Quality Extension

It's been reported that the Orioles and Brian Roberts are close on a 4 year/$40 million dollar extension that will begin in 2010. The 31 year old Roberts is a two time all star and has been a prime contributor with the Orioles over the past five seasons. It's hard not to like this extension for both Roberts and the Orioles.

On one hand, the Orioles need quality players to build around if they are ever going to be serious competitors in the American League. Roberts is one of the best second baseman in all of baseball and there are many teams who would break the bank to have Roberts on board. Roberts is definitely an asset and someone who the Orioles can build around.

I think this was an important move for the Orioles front office to make to show the fans that they are serious about competing and winning. Roberts is one of the few homegrown players the Orioles have and this extension shows the young guys that if they play well, they will be rewarded. This a sign of good faith from the organization to Roberts, the team, and the fans that the organization is serious about changing their troubled ways.

In addition, Roberts is one of the few players the Orioles have, who fans will actually come out to see. It's no secret that Roberts is a fan favorite in Baltimore and one of the most marketable players the Orioles have. If the Orioles are going to create a image and brand for their team, Roberts will undoubtedly play a big role in that.

And when you throw in that the Orioles have no other long term options at second base, this extension looks even better for the Orioles, who now have a long term, quality option at second base.

But on the down side, you have to wonder about giving Roberts a four year extension that will lock him in until 2013, when Roberts will be 35 years old. For a team that is looking to get younger, there is some significant risk involved in signing a guy as old as Roberts to a long term deal. There is a risk that Roberts, whose game depends so much on speed, will be on the decline towards the back end of this deal. If he does decline, his contract will make him virtually unmovable.

However, I think this was a move the Orioles needed to make. Losing Roberts would have hurt the Orioles big time on the pr front and they probably would not have been able to get that much back in a trade considering how poor the second base market is right now. While this extension won't make the Orioles instant competitors, it does give them a valuable asset who could help rebuild this franchise.

I have to ask though: did the Orioles overpay for Roberts? Considering how bad the free agent market has been for second basemen, I'm surprised to see Roberts getting $10 million per season. Any thoughts?

Ken Griffey Jr: Jubilation in Seattle

This quote from Mariners GM Jeff Zdur-something or another says it all:

"He's coming home. ... I can't begin to tell you how ecstatic we are. He is, too," Seattle general manager Jack Zduriencik confirmed on Wednesday night, calling Griffey "arguably one of the greatest athletes to ever play in the Seattle area."ESPN.com

And you know what, they should be elated. Griffey is back! Break out the #24 Griffey Jerseys!

Sure, no one has any idea what Junior will be able to give the Mariners this season, but the fans needed something to be excited about in 2009, especially after last season's debacle. Griffey brings an instant buzz to the Mariners, which the team needed in the worst way.

This team is still not expected to compete. Everyone knows that. But Junior will put the fannies in the seats for the Mariners and sell tons of merchandise, which is more than any player outside of Ichiro could say.

However, I do have one problem with this move. Junior's arrival in Seattle likely means that Wladimir Balentien, the Mariners top prospect for years, will be relegated to the bench or AAA. The Mariners have talked about giving Balentien a shot for years, but it looks like that opportunity will have to wait.

True, Balentien did get 243 at bats with the Mariners last season. And you know what, he was pretty unimpressive during that time (.202 BA, 7 HR). But 243 ABs is a rather small sample size for a highly touted youngster, don't ya think?

And you know what, that's a shame. This Mariners team should be trying to get YOUNGER and experiment with their highly touted young players to see what they got. This season would have been the perfect time to give Balentien a shot to perform everyday to see if he really does have a future with the team. This guy has performed very well at every stop in the minors and deserved a chance to play everyday. It's clear to me that the Mariners have little faith in Balentien and probably will never give him a chance to play everyday.

Wladimir Balentien=Felix Pie

Mariners fans: do you think Griffey and Balentien will platoon in left field? I hope so.

Ken Griffey Jr: Ouch, Atlanta

Shocking news last night that Ken Griffey Jr has decided to sign with the Seattle Mariners instead of the Atlanta Braves. The deal with the Braves seemed to be a near certainty, but Griffey, perhaps feeling quite nostalgic, decided to turn back the clock and sign with the Mariners.

Ouch, Atlanta. That hurts.

And you know where it hurts the Braves the most? The pocketbook. With the economy currently in the tank, having a guy like Griffey around would be a huge asset for Braves management because it would give fans a reason to buy all different kinds of Braves items. Stuff like tickets, merchandise, concessions, and TV revenues all would go up with Griffey on board.

Strangely enough though, I don't think this will hurt the Braves on the diamond. Sure there was always the chance that Griffey would recapture his glory days at 39, but odds are high that Griffey would be nothing more than a platoon player, even at the dish. In addition, playing Griffey everyday in the field would be a major risk given his injury history and decline; it's obvious that Junior should be in the AL with the hitter friendly DH.

Now the big question for Braves management has to be who do they pursue next? The obvious choice has to be Garret Anderson, who hit .293 with 15 home runs for the Angels last season. It's clear that he can still hit right handed pitching (.293, 14 HR in 2008), but the question remains: can he play defense consistently? Anderson was the Angels DH 60 times in 2008 and having him the outfield consistently would be a liability. We'll see if that's a risk the Braves are willing to take at this point. Trading for Xavier Nady or signing Luis Gonzalez remain options as well.

For Braves fans, this one has to be yet another letdown. This is the second time this offseason that a player (Rafael Furcal) has spurned their offer to sign elsewhere after the media reported that a deal was close. Even at his old age, people will still pay money to see Ken Griffey Jr, one of the best players in baseball history, play the game. He was that good.

Too bad Braves fans. For now, you'll have to settle with Gregor Blanco and Josh Anderson. Ouch.

The Weird and Wacky Left Handed Relief Market

When the offseason began, I thought that the demand would be high for left handed relievers. Sure there was an abundance of quality left handed relievers on the market this offseason, but hey, every team needs pitching, especially in the bullpen. Relief pitchers have done quite well on the free agent market in years past and there seemed to be no reason why a bunch of these guys would not get solid deals.

Hell, the market even started off well for left handed relief pitchers. On the eve of free agency beginning, Damaso Marte signed a 3 year/$12 million dollar extension with the Yankees. And within days of free agency beginning, Jeremy Affeldt signed a 2 year/$8 million dollar contract with the Giants. Even the 40 year old Arthur Rhodes found a home by signing a nice 2 year/$4 million with the Reds. Yay for setting the market...right?

Wrong. Because then, a funny thing happened, teams stopped giving left handed relief pitchers deals longer than 1 year. Veterans like Alan Embree, Brian Shouse, and Trever Miller have all found work on one year deals, but younger left handed relief pitchers, who put up very nice numbers last season, like Dennys Reyes, Joe Beimel, and Will Ohman are still out of work.

So what gives? How could this be?

For starters, perhaps teams started to view quality relief pitching as a luxury in these poor economic times and decided to cut back on spending. Many teams have decided to focus on other areas in the hopes of finding a solid, young, and cheap replacement to fill the left handed void in the bullpen. There was just no way that all of these guys were going to get $3-$4 million a season in a down economy. Unfortunately, left handed relief pitchers have become casualties of a terrible market.

The abundance of left handed relief pitchers on the market certainly has not helped given that so many teams have opted not to go the free agent route to solve their bullpen voids. Once the supply outweighed the demand, it was obvious that some of these guys were going to be left with nothing while others struck it rich. In this case, those who signed early certainly hit the jackpot. There is simply no way to explain how Jeremy Affeldt will likely get $6-$7 million dollars more than Will Ohman outside of luck and timing. Hell, the Giants even had to give up a pick for Affeldt...talk about luck!

Interestingly, draft pick compensation was not an issue for a lot of these guys. Affeldt, Shouse, and Reyes were the only ones offered arbitration and therefore, it costed/will cost whichever team that signs them a draft pick (probably 2nd round for type B free agents). The free agent compensation excuse is not valid here as Affeldt and Shouse have already signed and guys without compensation attached to their name remained unsigned as well. This offseason has truly been unpredictable.

And yes, I think these guys held out too long hoping for a deal similar to Marte or Affledts. The number of teams who could afford to go after left handed relief pitchers has dramatically declined and there has been limited competition for their services. Once they realized that the market was just not there, each guy should have jumped at the best deal one year out there and tried again in 2010 for the free agent riches.

One final thought: kudos to the agent of Darren Oliver. Oliver, a relief pitcher for the Angels, wisely accepted arbitration instead of playing the free agent market at 38. Oliver hit it big by accepting the Angels offer of arbitration and eventually agreeing on a one year/$3.7 million dollar contract. Yay for arbitration! Too bad more of these guys were not offered arbitration, then they all would have teams by now!

If the market for left handed relief pitchers has taught us anything, its that timing and luck are crucial.

Poll Results: Where Will Manny Sign?

In our most recent poll, we asked "where will Manny Ramirez sign?"

Well, 109 of you chimed in (thank you!), and here are the results:

-Dodgers	56 (51%)
-Giants	5 (4%)
-Yankees	23 (21%)
-Darkhorse (other)	17 (15%)
-Sit Out!	8 (7%)

Those numbers are right in line with my thinking. I still think the Dodgers are the odds on favorite to sign Manny, but what the hell is taking so long? It's not like either side has many more options...

It's interesting how only 5 of you thought Manny could wind up with the Giants and 23 of you think he could be a Yankee. The Giants need Manny a lot more than the Yankees do, but as we have seen in the past, never count out the Yankees and their massive check books.

With that said, how ridiculous would it be if Manny decided to sit out this season. Just another weird and wacky case of Manny being Manny I guess.

Next Poll: Who win the 2009 NL East? VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

Do You Believe Alex Rodriguez?

Simple question, yet confusing on so many different levels.

The optimist in me wants to believe A-Rod. I want to believe that A-Rod only took steroids from 2001-2003, that it was just a stupid mistake, that he was just young and stupid, that he is truly sorry for lying to the American people on national TV, and that he had no idea what steroids did to him.

But for some reason, I don't.

Maybe it was the lack of conclusive answers from A-Rod. Maybe it was the culmination of all the lies from A-Rod in the past (Couric interview, Selena Roberts stalked me!). For some reason, I did not walk away from yesterday's interview believing that A-Rod had completely solved this steroid issue. If anything, I think A-Rod might have opened up a new Pandora's box of questions because of his continually vague answers.

Here is what bothers me most: How could A-Rod put "stuff" into his body when he had no idea of the side effects or benefits? For a professional athlete, that just seems ridiculous and well beyond stupid.

So I ask you, the people, do you believe Alex Rodriguez? Did yesterday's interview satisfy all your concerns and questions?

Feel free to leave your responses in the comments section.

The Geriatric Braves: Tom Glavine and Ken Griffey Jr

Depending on the source, it now appears very likely that the Braves will sign Ken Griffey Jr. to a one year contract. The 39 year old outfielder is in the twilight of his career and is noticeably on the decline. Griffey will undoubtedly bring a good bit of revenue to the Braves simply based on merchandise and ticket sales. From that perspective, the move is a home run.

And from the baseball side of things, this appears to be a good risk for the Braves. Their outfield is in shambles right now outside of Jeff Francoeur and if they want to compete in 2009, they will need some production from someone outside of Chipper Jones, Brian McCann, and Yunel Escobar. Griffey at least gives the Braves a chance for the Braves to find some cheap production to support their main group. Look for "the Kid" to platoon with Matt Diaz in left field, which could keep him fresh and productive.

But on the down side, you have to wonder how much Griffey has left in the tank. Even though Griffey hit 18 home runs last season, he was only able to muster a .249 batting average and is no longer a great defensive player. Griffey has dealt with so many injuries over the past ten years and you just have to wonder how much more his body will be able to take. I worry about Griffey running around in the spacious Turner Field because of his injury history so restricting Griffey to left is a must.

I'm sure he will have his moments of glory with the Braves, but at this point, it might be unrealistic to expect any major production from Griffey. Then again, if he does produce, watch out for the Braves.

In addition to Griffey, the Braves also seem to be close to re-signing Tom Glavine. The 42 year old Glavine is coming off a season where he was unproductive (5.54 ERA) and injured. Glavine underwent surgery on both his elbow and shoulder, which limited him to 13 starts in 2008.

Despite the horrid numbers and injuries, the Braves seem intent on bringing back the declining star on a one year deal. Glavine is expected to be the fifth starter on the Braves and if healthy, might be able to contribute.

However, you have to wonder if the soft tossing left hander will be able to make a successful return to the big leagues. Even before the injuries, his stuff was declining as he relied more and more on smarts, guts, and guile. I'm sure Glavine's mental toughness will win him a few games with the Braves, but at what point does his physical liabilities start to have a real effect on his performance? There is only so long you can survive with a 83 MPH fastball in the big leagues.

We'll see how these two signings work out for the Braves. If the Braves limit their expectations of Griffey and Glavine, then they might be pleasantly surprised with some production. However, expecting miracles from either of these aging stars is stupid. Please keep expectations in line.

If anything, the team just got a whole lot older and more enjoyable for me. I'm not sure how these guys will react on the field given their old age (in baseball terms of course!), but having three first ballot hall of famers on one team (Glavine, Griffey, Chipper) is very exciting. Too bad for Braves fans that it's 2009, and not 1999. A team with those three would have been remarkable.

Young and Stupid

And with those two words, we sum up the 35 minute "Alex Rodriguez-Steroids Extravaganza" press conference. Rodriguez stuck to the talking points for a good portion of the time, but went to some interesting details about his steroid use.

Here is what we learned:

-He got the "boli", as he called it, from a cousin in the Dominican Republic

-His cousin injected Rodriguez with steroids

-A-Rod did not reveal his cousin's identity

-A-Rod had no idea what the drugs did for his body

-Even with his limited knowledge of the drug, Rodriguez was injected roughly twice a month for 3 years.

-Rodriguez never took HGH, but did admit to taking some kind of amphetamine during his time in Seattle

And with that, the extravaganza was over. I think Rodriguez needed to come clean with as much information as possible, which is what he did, but the idea of simply being 'young and stupid' became annoying and repetitive for me. He really beat that point over the head.

Did anyone else feel uncomfortable when A-Rod became all choked up and emotional when thanking his teammates? Okay good, glad I'm not the only one.

Let's just hope, for everyone's sake, that this story simply dies off. The circus will hopefully subside, and maybe, just maybe, we can all focus on baseball for once. Enough with this nonsense.

For more on the A-Rod press conference, head on over to Fack Youk and read their hilarious live blog of the press conference.

Be Patient, Orlando Cabrera!

It's hard to believe that Orlando Cabrera made $10 million bucks last season. The former White Sox shortstop will be lucky to make half of that in 2009, if he is even signed before the season begins. And as we documented before, Cabrera's type A status has absolutely shredded his market because teams would have to give up a high draft pick (either 1st or 2nd round) in addition to the millions they would surrender for Cabrera.

In this economy, that is not a good combination.

Here we are on February 17 and Cabrera remains unsigned with limited interest. His price tag has dropped quicker than Enron stock and people seem to have forgotten just how good a player Cabrera really is.

So that begs the question, just what kind of deal could be out there for Cabrera right now?

The answer is beyond simple: not a good one. The only team interested in Cabrera right now has been the Athletics, who usually hesitate to spend any money at all. If the Athletics sign Cabrera, they would have to surrender their second round pick because their first round pick is protected (#13 overall). That's actually a plus for Cabrera, since teams have refused to part with their first round pick...a second round pick might be more feasible for the Athletics given how deep their farm system is.

However, it's all downhill from there for Cabrera. The Athletics are in total control of the negotiations. If they do not sign Cabrera, they still have a pretty good option at shortstop with the oft injured Bobby Crosby. Cabrera is a luxury, not a necessity; therefore, the Athletics have full power to dictate his salary, which should be solely on their terms.

I would say that the best Cabrera should be able to do right now is something in the one year/$2-$4 million dollar range. When you consider that Bobby Abreu just signed with the Angels for a one year/$5 million, a minuscule salary should not be out of the question for Cabrera. Whoever gets Cabrera at that rate would be getting a huge bargain. Mark my words.

But if I was Cabrera's agent, I would hold off on signing a contract anytime soon. There is just no market for Cabrera right now and his only opportunity to build a market for himself is to wait for either an injury to occur, a disappointing season from a fellow shortstop, or for some GM to become desperate and throw a nice chunk of change at Cabrera. All three of those options are going to happen at some point. Patience is the hard part.

It's gotta be tough for Cabrera to be sitting around and waiting for any team to suddenly become interested in his services. However, this late in the off season, not much is likely to change. But I'm sure Cabrera will be rewarded down the road if he stays patient and does not jump at some ridiculously low offer.

Enough with the Steroids...What are you Looking Forward to in 2009?

Steroids. Alex Rodriguez. Steroids. Alex Rodriguez. Steroids.

That's all we've heard for the past week. And I'm sick of it!

I know A-Rod has his press conference later on today, but c'mon everybody, it's spring training! This is the time where baseball fans all over the world should be coming out of hibernation by making rash predictions about why the 2009 season will be fantastic...not steroids!

So I'd like to take a minute to state five things about the 2009 season that I am profoundly looking forward too. There are so many positive story lines coming into the 2009 season that I feel as though we are doing a disservice by not touching on them.

So with out further ado, here are the top 5 things that I am looking forward to in 2009:

5. Josh Hamilton
2008 was Hamilton's coming out party. The Rangers OF hit 32 home runs with 130 RBI in 2008 after battling through drug addiction and nearly being out of baseball prior to 2007. Hamilton also put together one of the greatest performances in home run derby history by hitting a ridiculous 28 home runs in the first round, many of which were moon balls that almost left the Earth's orbit.

So in theory, it should be all downhill for Hamilton from here on out, right? Wrong. People forget that Hamilton drove in 95 RBIs before the all star break before fading badly down the stretch (only 35 RBI). Who knows how crazy Hamilton's numbers could have been if he had been able to produce down the stretch like he did in the first half?

Now with a full season under his belt, Hamilton could put up RBI numbers that should only be attainable in video games. Hamilton has a realistic chance drive in 160+ runners in 2008, a number that has not been met since 2001, when a potentially juiced Sammy Sosa drove in 160. Let's hope Hamilton can put together an even better season than he did in 2008!
4. The Orioles
After more than a decade of suffering, Orioles fans finally have hope. For years, Orioles management tried to sign aging and expensive free agents in the hopes of competing with the Yankees.

Well, that didn't turn out too good. The Orioles have lived in the AL East cellar (or 4th place) since 1998 and have only finished higher than 4th place once in that time. It's been a rough go for Orioles fans, but luckily for them, hope is on the way.

Because for the first time in years, the Orioles actually seem to have a plan. They finally have a solid, young nucleus to build around (Markakis, Jones, Pie, Guthrie, Hill etc.) that does not consist of overpriced stars. GM Andy McPhail has done a masterful job bringing young talent to the Orioles and understanding the importance of player development.

In all likelihood, the Orioles will stink in 2009. But they will be fun to watch. I cannot wait to watch Nick Markakis develop into a franchise player, Rich Hill find his control again, Felix Pie establish himself as a major league outfielder, and Adam Jones track down balls in center field. Seriously, Jones is a joy to watch in the outfield.

And the under rated part of the 2009 Orioles will be the trades. With Aubrey Huff, Melvin Mora, and Brian Roberts coming off the books after the season, will GM Andy McPhail try to trade any of them to a contender in the middle of the season? Each guy could bring back young talent to help facilitate the rebuilding process...

Interesting.

3. Francisco Liriano
In 2006, Liriano was establishing himself as one of the best pitchers in baseball. Unfortunately, Liriano got hurt and missed all of the 2007 because of Tommy John surgery.

So when Liriano finally returned to the big leagues in 2008, the results were ugly at first. Liriano posted an ERA above 11 in the first half and looked like a shell of his former self. Many Twins fans wondered if they would ever get anything out of Liriano in the future.

But then, Liriano turned it around in the second half. All of a sudden, Liriano's trademark slider had returned and his stuff was looking explosive again. Liriano was dominant in the second half to the tune of a 2.74 ERA and 60 Ks in 65 IP. Not too shabby for a guy just coming off Tommy John surgery.

So as we enter 2009, I am interested to see if Liriano can dominate for an entire season. Even though he has been around for what seems like forever, Liriano has yet to pitch a full season in the big leagues, and is overdue for a breakout season. I see big things for Liriano in 2009...as long as he remains healthy. Twins fans should be very excited to watch their new ace develop.

2. Nelson Cruz and Chris Davis
Wow, I guess it's safe to say that I'll be watching lots of Rangers games this season. First Hamilton, now these two.

Like most Rangers teams, the offense will be incredible. Between Hamilton, Michael Young, Ian Kinsler, etc, we already know that this offense should be able to keep the Rangers in lots of games even with their horrible pitching. The Rangers led the AL in runs scored, batting average, RBI, and total bases in 2008.

But it's Cruz and Davis who can transform this lineup from amazing to prolific. These two potential studs put up huge numbers in the minors and looked very impressive for the Rangers during their stints with the team in 2008 (Cruz: .330, 7 HR...Davis: .285, 17 HR). Those translate to huge numbers over an entire season and would make the lineup video game-esque.

Can Cruz and Davis put up huge numbers for an entire season? It remains to be seen. Both guys will get the opportunity to hold down a starting job (Davis 1b, Cruz rf) and if they prove to be capable big leaguers, this lineup could be impossible to pitch too.

The thought of those two studs hitting after Hamilton is enough to make Jon Daniels salivate....

1. Yankees
The baseball world's biggest soap opera! How could the Yankees not be #1!

Where to begin....? Can Teixeira and Sabathia live up to the hype? Will AJ Burnett break down? Can Joba Chamberlain successfully make the switch to the rotation for a entire season? Will Robinson Cano rebound from a sub par 2008? How will Joe Girardi find at bats for Damon, Matsui, Nady, and Swisher? Who will start in rf-Swisher or Nady? How many stupid comments will Hank Steinbrenner make? Will Yankee fans be able to survive without their two main whipping boys-Latoya Hawkins and Kyle Farnsworthless?

Oh yeah...and there's that Rodriguez guy.

Woo. That's going to be some quality TV right there folks. Much better than Rock of Love.

And how about this...how will the Yankees fare with having a roster full of all stars? By my count, the Yankees have 11 former all stars on their roster, a number that seems to be unmatched throughout baseball. Will a collection of stars be able to win games as a cohesive unit? Will the Yankees ultimately suffer because they lack role players? Will talent alone be able to propel the Yankees to a title?

So many questions...just get on with the season already!

One final question...what will happen if the Yankees fail to win a title in 2009? I sense a Steinbrenner meltdown....

Please chime in! Post the top five things your looking forward to as we get ready for the 2009 season!

Quotable: Steroids, Testing, and Suspensions

Last week, Alex Rodriguez, the best player in baseball admitted to using steroids. And now, we get to hear the reaction from the rest of baseball. I have compiled a list of some of the best quotations from today's players about the current steroid policy, what needs to be done, and whether baseball is clean or not. Enjoy.

Ozzie Guillen (USA Today):

"In 2009, whoever gets caught, do something really drastic about this, and people will start to believe."

"We should put a year suspension. We have to make, someplace and somehow, people believe we do something about it. Fifty-game suspension, that's good, but I think we've got to make people believe," he added.

I absolutely love Ozzie's attitude towards steroids...kudos.

Ted Lilly (Chicagosuntimes.com): responding to Guillen....

"Well, whatever Ozzie says, that should be what we should do," said pitcher Ted Lilly, who was asked whether something like that would be a good deterrent and good for the game.

"I don’t know," he said. "Is there any possible chance that there could be some mistakes in the testing along the way? That would be a bummer if that happened to you. ... Is there any way possible or fathomable that there could be some corruption? I don’t know."

"What if people stopped paying attention?" he said. "I guess, unfortunately, there are enough people that are interested in hearing about things like that and hearing what Britney Spears is doing with her personal life. It’s too bad. There are a lot of other good things going on out there."

Nice! Finally a player invokes Britney Spears into the conversation!

David Ortiz (boston.com):

"I think you clean up the game by testing. I test you, you test positive, you're going to be out. Period. This is serious. I know that if I test positive by using any kind of substance I know I'm going to disrespect my family, the game, the fans and everybody. I don't want to face that situation. That's what I would do and I'm pretty sure everybody is on the same page."

Scott Baker (twincities.com)

"That's where stereotypes get you," said starting pitcher Scott Baker. "That's the stereotype (of baseball), that everyone is doing it, and that's unfortunate. But unless there is some serious scientific one-step-ahead-of-the-game going on, it's almost impossible now. You have to be either really smart or really stupid to try it."

Jaime Moyer (philly.com)

"It's almost embarrassing to say that you play because of things that have happened and how they've been handled," he said. "It's such a distraction. I really wish there was some way to make it all go away. I wish Major League Baseball and the (players') union could figure out some plan to deal with all this. Whatever list (of positive 2003 tests) there is, throw the names out there or throw the list away. Start with a clean slate. It's something the industry needs. How they do it doesn't matter."

In 2004, baseball began punishing players who tested positive for steroids. A first positive test now carries a 50-game suspension. Moyer suggested toughening that.

"Implement a system where if you do it, you're taking a chance," he said. "Make the punishment stringent enough that nobody would be interested in doing it. I don't know if you could do lifetime because you're taking someone's livelihood away. But a year might be fine. One year, then if you do it again - lifetime."

Roy Oswalt (Houston Chronicle):

“Only the guys that have been proven guilty, their numbers shouldn’t count. … I love Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens just like brothers. I’ve played with them for three years. They’re great teammates and I would love to have them on my team this year, but the way I feel I feel like they cheated me out of the game just because of the way they enhanced themselves but I’ve done it by working out.”

“Now with the testing we have in place, there’s no way you can get around d it,” he said. “I think in the last two years or three years the game’s been clean, real clean. It’s probably one of the cleanest sports out there. There’s really no way to beat the tests with what’s in place now.”

Interesting stuff, very interesting. I love the idea of increasing the penalty for a positive test and it's quite encouraging to hear guys talk about how well the program is working. A one year ban for a first time offense followed by a lifetime ban seems to be the way to go. It's the only way to restore some level of credibility in the future.

And isn't it refreshing to hear how pissed off these guys are? It's not just the fans who hate this garbage, and that is music to my ears. For some reason, hearing Big Papi sound off about steroids today brought a large smile to my face...

What's your opinion? Who do you agree with? Does the MLB need to increase steroid penalties? How can the MLB restore credibility after years of allegations, illegal drugs, and cheaters?

Pressure's on, Cardinals

In 2010, LeBron James will become an unrestricted free agent. King James, who has developed into one of the best basketball players the world has ever seen and will undoubtedly demand a contract in excess of $120 million, the maximum allowed under the complicated CBA. The Cleveland Cavaliers, James's current team, have made every effort to make sure that James is happy with the club by adding talent in the hopes of winning a title before 2010. But the real goal is to keep James around for the long term.

In 2011, Albert Pujols will become a free agent. Pujols has been one of the best hitters of the past decade and could be in line for yet another huge contract. The two time MVP will probably command a contract around $20 million per season, if he chooses to maximize his earning potential. Remember, in 2011, Pujols will be just 31 and will probably still have a few more God-like seasons ahead of him. There will be many teams lining up to pursue Pujols if he chooses to leave St. Louis.

But would Pujols actually leave St. Louis? Before yesterday, I would have said not a chance. But just take a look at these quotes from Phat Albert (ESPN):

"It's not about the money all the time," the first baseman said Sunday in Jupiter, Fla. "It's about being in a place to win and being in a position to win.

"If the Cardinals are willing to do that and put a team [on the field] every year like they have, I'm going to try to work everything out to stay in this town. But if they're not bringing championship-caliber play every year, then it's time for me to go somewhere else that I can win."

The fascinating part is obviously the last sentence. It's pretty obvious to me that the Cardinals have NOT done enough this off season to bring a potential championship contender to St. Louis. Khalil Greene is a nice player, but is he really that big of a difference maker? Probably not. And Trevor Miller, good pitcher, but definitely not the difference maker the Cardinals need.

The free agent market has been so bad this off season and as a result, there have been many guys who signed deals well below what they should have received. This should have been a prime spot for the Cardinals to make a run at Orlando Hudson, Oliver Perez, Brian Fuentes, or even Trevor Hoffman. Unfortunately for Cardinals fans, the team refused to add any major free agents this off season.

And as a fan, you have to wonder how serious the front office is about putting a quality product around Pujols. There were so many options this off season for the Cardinals to improve their patchwork rotation or find a legitimate closer, but it did not happen. It'd be a shame to waste away another .350+ season from Pujols with a mediocre fourth place finish.

With all of this said, I think the odds are against Pujols leaving in 2011. This quote just about sums it up (National Post):

"Do I want to be in St. Louis forever? Of course, because that city has opened the door to me and my family like no other city is ever going to do," the first baseman said. "I don't want to go to any other city."

St. Louis is a wonderful baseball city and I can understand why a fabulous baseball player like Pujols would want to stay put. He's got a pretty good situation there with the fans and city.

But be warned Cardinals management, being complacent and on the sidelines while other top free agents go elsewhere will not gain you any points with Pujols. The Cardinals HAVE to win over the next three seasons and put a competitive product on the field, or else Pujols WILL have to seriously consider leaving. Take a note from the Cavaliers: do everything you can to make your star happy and let him know that there is nowhere else to be but here.

Spend, spend, spend!

Sounding Off: Legacy and Steroids

*Sounding Off will be featured every Sunday morning as we address a hot topic from the past week. Feel free to weigh in and make your opinion heard!*

Ahhh steroids. The topic that will not go away. How many times have you heard about Alex Rodriguez and steroids this week? Probably enough to make your head explode while viciously turning the channel past ESPN so that you don't have to see re-runs of the Alex Rodriguez/Peter Gammons interview.

But something funny happened to me when I watched the A-Rod interview this week? I became really, really pissed off. Why so?

Not because A-Rod was some hero of mine who I grew up loving as a kid. I was actually a huge Mike Piazza fan growing up (Met fan...dur), and I swear, if one day it's discovered that Piazza did the juice, I will declare my childhood null and void.

Not because I was concerned about the "purity" of the game, or whatever nonsense Bud Selig wants to throw my way. The idea that every athlete in every sport has performed at their highest level without ANY kind of performance enhancers is foolish. There have been many epidemics throughout baseball history (amphetamines and cocaine come to mind), and steroids, even if is the most serious, is just another sad and scarring black eye on the game I love.

Not because A-Rod lied to the American people in 2007 about performance enhancing drugs in an interview with Katie Couric. Lying is undoubtedly a terrible act, but I understand why A-Rod did it: he had an image to protect especially after signing a $275+ million dollar contract with the Yankees. I hate what he did, but hey, the guy made a mistake that every other person in the world has made...he's human.

So what could A-Rod have done to piss me off? Legacy.

A-Rod was the best player of my generation that everyone thought was not juiced. He was a first ballot hall of famer, without question. He had a legitimate chance to go down as one of the all time greats-we're talking the DiMaggio, Mantle, Ted Williams, Ken Griffey Jr level here. That's high praise.

And now, there is no chance that A-Rod can even be mentioned in the same breath as those guys. Cheaters don't become legends, they become infamous. Cheaters don't make the hall of fame, they make the hall of shame.

And that hurts, but this is really where it gets to me.

My Father can go on and on about the greats of his generation because those guys were connected with the fans and viewed as great players and legends. He tells stories about the classic moments and great plays as well as anyone. It's like those images are engraved in his head forever and he continually passes those lasting memories down to me.

Who in my generation will be viewed as a legend? Can anyone in my generation be viewed as a legend without some dude in the back room screaming, "was he on the juice?" And my lasting image of my generation will ultimately be that some of the best players I ever saw play (Bonds, Clemens, McGwire, Rodriguez, etc.) have been linked to steroids.

My Father's generation got legends while I got cheaters, asterisks, and a whole lot of questions.

That pisses me off.

I want to be able to go on for hours to my children about the great players I grew up fawning over. I want to talk about Bonds like my Dad talks about Hank Aaron, or go on about Roger Clemens like my Dad does about Sandy Koufax because that's the way it should be. But instead, the lasting moments and images of this generation of greats will be the infamous ones, when they either admitted to using steroids or were caught using steroids.

The steroid era will ultimately go down as the generation that should not be mentioned. Now that's sad.

Hallelujah!

Spring training...is finally here.

26 of 30 teams have their first practices today, including my beloved Metropolitans.

Hallelujah! Spring has come! Baseball is back.

T minus 51 days until the regular season begins....

The Market for Manny Ramirez (Part III)

Could we finally be witnessing the conclusion to the seemingly never ending Manny Ramirez saga? Probably...yes...I think so. Then again, you never know with Manny.

But with many teams opening up training camp tomorrow, the Manny market seems to have finally fizzled out. Adam Dunn and Bobby Abreu have found homes on modest contracts, while Ken Griffey Jr seems destined to wind up back with the Seattle Mariners. The only big name left on the market is Manny Ramirez.

Amazing as it seems, we are finally down to two teams. Gone are the laundry list of teams rumored to have interest in Ramirez under the right conditions. The Manny market has finally settled with two (only one?) teams remaining in the battle:

Dodgers and Giants.

Yes, the two long time rivals could end up fighting with each other over Ramirez. Even if this scenario seems far fetched right now, I would not count anything out, especially with agent Scott Boras running the negotiations.

How should/could this play out? Let's have a look:

Dodgers: The Dodgers need Ramirez now more than ever. With Adam Dunn and Bobby Abreu now off the market, the Dodgers need to have Ramirez back in the fold and happy. Without Ramirez, the Dodgers would go into panic mode and would have a difficult time competing, even in the weak NL West.

On the other hand, Manny still needs the Dodgers, badly. The Dodgers are his only opportunity to get a big contract and the money he craves. They have shown in their previous offers that they are willing to pay Manny more than $20 million big ones per season, but it remains to be seen if Manny will take less years to play in LA.

I still think the Dodgers and Ramirez will find a way to get this done because both sides NEED each other. The contract length and value is anyones guess, but I'll go out on a limb and say 2 years/$48 million.
Giants: Wouldn't it be great if the Giants found some way to sign Ramirez to stick it to their rivals? Could you imagine the excitement in San Francisco if Giants management pulled off the impossible and signed Manny? Not only would San Francisco go crazy, but it would send horrific shock waves through Los Angeles that would doom the Dodgers to a disappointing season in 2009.

From the baseball perspective, if the Giants sign Ramirez, then they would become contenders in the mediocre NL West. That should force management to take a hard look at Ramirez, but ultimately, the final decision will be based on finances.

Will Ramirez accept a deal that is "manageable" for the Giants? Probably not, but that remains to be seen.

I think the Giants still should make a run at Ramirez. If anything, they would provide some competition for the Dodgers and probably force the Dodgers to raise their offer. That could hurt the Dodgers in the long run, which should be appealing to Giants management.

And if by some long shot they are able to sign him...great. The baseball world, the city of San Francisco, and Giants fans would be elated. The worst thing the Giants could do is stay out of the Manny sweepstakes and let their arch rival swoop up one of the best hitters in the world without a fight.

And seriously, the Manny saga can't go on much longer can it? I don't know how many more "The Market for Manny Ramirez" columns I have in me...

The Market for Manny Ramirez (part 1)
The Market for Manny Ramirez (part 2)

Not Smart, Bud

Apparently, Bud Selig is seriously considering suspending Alex Rodriguez for admitting that he used steroids from 2001-2003.

From nydailynews.com:

"It was against the law, so I would have to think about that," Selig told the paper. "It's very hard. I've got to think about all that kind of stuff."

"He's open to everything. That doesn't mean he can do everything. He's keeping all options open," MLB spokesman Rich Levin told the Daily News, referring to Selig."

There are so many things wrong with suspending A-Rod that it's ridiculous.

For starters A-Rod used admitted to using steroids five years ago when there was no steroid testing or punishments for players who tested positive. Suspending A-Rod now would be some kind of ex post facto and would probably do more harm that good to Selig's image.

And how about the other 103 players who tested positive for steroids who were on the same list as A-Rod? How can Selig justifiably suspend A-Rod while not taking action against any of the other 103? It's unfair enough that A-Rod was the only name to come off this list and suspending only A-Rod would make this look like a witch hunt.

And finally, when will the higher ups at major league baseball take some of the blame for this mess? It's easy to place all the blame on the players, because hey, they took the stuff, but the fact remains that there was no testing or punishment for steroid use and many owners turned a blind eye when they heard rumors about steroids. Ultimately, profit overtook the purity of the game and for that, owners must take responsibility.

The steroid era is going to leave a painful and permanent black eye on baseball. And you know what, the A-Rod confession was probably just the start of it. I'm sure there were hundreds more who used steroids and some (if not most) of those names will eventually get out. It's easy for Selig to make an example of A-Rod right now, but he would be setting a horrible precedent and be awfully unfair.

Why Sign Adam Dunn?

ESPN.com's Keith Law makes very interesting points in his most recent blog post about Adam Dunn and the Washington Nationals.

From ESPN.com:

"Developmental concerns aside, the big question for the Nationals is this: Why? Dunn won't be around long enough to be part of the first winning Nationals team. Even if Dunn has one of his best years, the Nationals are still the favorite to finish last in the NL East and unlikely to finish above fourth. As mentioned above, they have done a terrible job of using the trade market to restock their farm system -- a route that Oakland, Texas, and Cleveland have recently used to vault their systems into the top five in the game -- and the tepid market for Dunn this winter doesn't bode well for his trade value. Dunn didn't net a draft pick for Arizona, so there's no reason to assume the Nats will get a pick or two for him after 2010.

Dunn's contract becomes $20 million for a few meaningless wins over the next two years. Moves like that don't usually push a franchise backward, but they don't push it forward, either."

I don't think anyone in their right mind thinks that the Nationals can compete in 2009 or even 2010. Law is 100% right here.

This brings us to the question: why did the Nationals spend $20 million bucks on Dunn when they still remain a long distance away from competing for a playoff birth? It seems illogical and somewhat stupid on the surface, but I see exactly where GM Jim Bowden was going with this move.

You have to understand how insignificant the Nationals have become in Washington DC. Sure, the Nationals have a nice, new stadium for fans to watch a game in, but they had no players who fans actually wanted to come see play. There was no buzz. No reason to get excited.

Hell, one can only be so excited watching a bunch of retreads and young guys fight just to avoid losing 100 games in a season and the cellar seems to be this team's ceiling.

So that's why Dunn means so much for the Nationals. He gives the fans a reason to care. The Nationals have never had a power presence in the middle of their lineup like Dunn before. The once futile Nationals lineup now has an actual presence and a good chance to score some runs and stay competitive in games.

Most importantly, this move shows that the front office actually gives a damn. For too long, the Nats front office simply signed the best retread they could find instead of trying to sign major free agents. As a result, no one wanted to go to DC and the Nationals failed to build anything substantial. The signing of Dunn should at least give fans hope that the Nationals are willing to go after free agents and can actually sign a big name-even if they have to overpay.

This team will not make the playoffs in 2009. There is a very good chance that they could lose 90+ games again and finish 20+ games out of first place. But Dunn is a symbol that yes, there might actually be a better day for the Nationals in the near future.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say 2012. Any guesses?

Mets Problem: Who Should Hit #2?

The New York Mets are expected to have one of the best offenses in baseball in 2009. Between Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, Jose Reyes, and David Wright; there is no reason why the Mets should not score at least 750-850 runs. There lineup could, and should, be that good.

At the same time, the Mets lineup has a gigantic problem already. Who will hit #2 in the order?

Daniel Murphy is the obvious choice. Murphy, one of the Mets best prospects, hit .313 in only 131 ABs and produced an impressive .397 OBP. He has a fantastic approach at the plate and has no problem working into deep counts and taking lots of pitches. There is no doubt that Jose Reyes would benefit greatly from having Murphy hit behind him. The lineup should be fantastic with Murphy in the #2 hole.

Unfortunately, the Mets still have Luis Castillo. The second baseman put together a miserable 2008 campaign where he only hit .245 with 46 runs scored and looked like a shell of his former self. Castillo is nothing more than a singles hitter and has virtually no ability to hit for power. Castillo was supposed to be the Mets #2 hitter in 2008 because he could take lots of pitches for Jose Reyes, get on base, execute the hit and run, and pinch hit. He is the prototypical #2 hitter and really should not be hitting anywhere else in the lineup.

And that's where the problem lies for the Mets. If they have Murphy hit second, they will have a very strong lineup 1-6 with:

Reyes
Murphy
Wright
Delgado
Beltran
Chruch.

However, after that, the Mets will have either Schneider/Castro, Castillo, and the pitcher. None of those guys are particularly good hitters and the bottom of the Mets order could become a quick and easy 1-2-3 inning. These guys have the potential to be automatic outs, which is obviously not good for the Mets.

So herein lies the dilemma: should the Mets have the best 1-6 possible by having Murphy bat second or make the lineup deeper by having the inferior Castillo bat second? It's going to be a tough decision, but ultimately I think the Mets will give Castillo the first crack the job. They have a lot of money invested in Castillo, and for their sake, they need to see something from Castillo.

Omar Minaya better be praying to his lucky stars that Castillo's 2008 season was simply an aberration and he produces in 2009. Lord knows, Mets fans will not take another three years of a .250, slap hitting, slow footed second baseman.

So who should hit second: the scrub Luis Castillo, or the wunderkid, Daniel Murphy? All opinions welcome.

What to do with Nick Johnson?

So now that the Nationals have made the big move by signing Adam Dunn, the question remains: what will the Nationals do with first baseman Nick Johnson? At one time, Johnson was thought of as the Nationals first baseman of the future because of his ability to get on base and great defensive ability, but injuries have derailed his once promising career. Johnson has not been healthy since 2006 and has only gotten 500 ABs in a season once. Not good.

With the signing of Dunn, Johnson will be relegated to the bench. Even though Dunn played left field for the Reds, he probably will be moved to first base because the Nationals already have something like 14 outfielders (slight exaggeration). The signing of Dunn ultimately will leave Johnson on the outside looking in.

Johnson is owed $5.5 million this season and will be a free agent after this season. It's pretty clear at this point that the Nationals will not be looking to re-sign Johnson after this season because they will already have Dunn. It's obvious that Johnson is no longer viewed as a long term solution for the Nationals.

So there are two schools of thought:

1. Trade Johnson
-Johnson is not likely to get any playing time with the Nationals this season and it would be best for both parties if the Nationals try to move Johnson. The Nationals will probably not get much back in return and might even have to pick up some of Johnson's salary, but anything the Nationals can get back in return will be more valuable in the future than Johnson will.

I would expect the Mariners, Angels, Athletics, and maybe even the Giants to be interested.

2. Hold Johnson
-Interestingly enough, holding onto Johnson might actually put the Nationals in a power position down the road. Many rosters are set and most teams have maxed out their payrolls, which means that there would not be many suitors interested in Johnson.

If the Nationals hold onto Johnson for the first few months of the season, it's inevitable that some team will experience injuries or poor performance at first base. If he proves to be healthy, Johnson could be an attractive option for a team in need.

The Nationals could get more value for Johnson in a few months than they would right now.

In addition, if the Nationals are serious about competing this season (which I doubt), then it would certainly help them to have as many talented players on their roster as possible.

I think the Nationals need to focus on the future even with Adam Dunn on board. The focus should be acquiring as many assets as possible to compete down the road. If Bowden can use Johnson to acquire some young talent, then he has to do it.

No matter which option GM Jim Bowden chooses, I just hope that Johnson is able to stay healthy and finds a good place to play. Johnson is one of my favorite players to watch and plays the game the right way and it would be an absolute travesty if this guy cannot reach his potential because of injuries.

Nationals Sign Adam Dunn

Well, that was quick.

Just one day after I pleaded with the Nationals to add talent, the Nationals signed Adam Dunn to a very reasonable two year contract worth $20 million big ones. The deal gives the Nationals the power hitting presence in the middle of their order that they have been missing since they came to Washington DC.

Here is what I wrote just a week ago about Dunn and the Nationals:

"Hypothetically speaking, I think the Nationals would actually be a pretty good fit for Dunn. Odds are the Nationals would have to overpay for Dunn because nobody wants to come to DC right now except for that Obama guy. The Nationals are not exactly a hot bed for free agents and the baseball culture in DC is still a work in progress. However, at the same time, if you stick Dunn in the middle of the Nationals lineup (in between Milledge and Zimmerman), all of a sudden that lineup does not look so bad. The big donkey could actually put up some huge numbers in that lineup and help those young players develop.

But there is no way to get around it, the Nationals are Dunn's last option. He does not want to go there...period. But at the same time, the Nationals may be Dunn's last option if he wants to get a big payday. Something in the 2 year/$26 million dollar range would not be unreasonable for either side and would allow Dunn to become a free agent again at the age of 32."

So obviously, I love this move for Dunn and the Nationals. Dunn has his deficiencies (defense, batting average, RISP), but everyone knows that he brings so much to the table with his power and ability to get on base that it would have been foolish for the Nationals not to go after him. It remains to be seen how effective Dunn will be at first base, but I look forward to watching Dunn perform in DC. He instantly becomes one of the most talented players to put on a Nationals jersey. Good move, Jim Bowden.

I might have to go buy some Nationals tickets now...

The Market For Juan Cruz

I feel for Juan Cruz, really I do. After failing to live up to the huge expectations with the Cubs, Cruz has turned his career around in the bullpen with the Diamondbacks. Last season, the free agent to be put up the best numbers in his career, producing a stellar 2.61 ERA and striking out 71 in only 51 innings.

Conventional wisdom would suggest that Cruz would be in line for a big contract. Just last season, the White Sox gave RP Scott Linebrink, the best middle relief pitcher on the market, a 4 year contract worth $18 million bucks. A contract similar to Linebrink's should not have been out of the question for Cruz, one of the best free agents on the 2008 market.

However, the market for Juan Cruz has surprisingly bottomed out. Cruz has been hurt by the poor economy as teams have cut back on their spending and long term deals. Also, Cruz's market has been severely undercut by the free agent compensation system, which labeled Cruz as a type A free agent. Because of his type A status, any team who signed Cruz would have to surrender their first round pick.

Because of the terrible economy, that's a price that many teams have been unwilling to pay.

As a result, Cruz remains a free agent with only a few days to go until spring training. There has been virtually no buzz for Cruz and it remains to be seen where he will end up.

Let's take a look at some potential landing spots for Cruz:

Diamondbacks: To me, this scenario makes the most sense for all parties involved. The Diamondbacks would not have to surrender their first round pick for Cruz since he played for them last season and signing Cruz would give the Diamondbacks one of the deepest bullpens in baseball. And for Cruz, this is a good situation for him. He has flourished in the desert before and if has a good 2009, then there is no reason why he cannot capitalize on the market again after the season.

A one year deal would be great. Make it happen, Josh Byrnes.

Yankees: Like the Diamondbacks, the Yankees would not have to surrender their first round pick if they signed Cruz (already lost to Angels). However, GM Brian Cashman has stated that the Yankees are done and not looking to add to the roster, which would eliminate them from signing Cruz.

Mets: I would love to see the Mets add Cruz. If 2007 and 2008 have taught Mets fans anything, its that you can never have too much bullpen. Even with Putz and K-Rod, the Mets would have a dominant bullpen if they added Cruz to the mix. Plus, the Mets would not have to surrender their first round pick (already lost to Angels).

However, GM Omara Minaya has stated that the Mets are done and are not looking to add to their roster, which would eliminate them from signing Cruz. Sound familiar?

Tigers: The Tigers seem to have reached their payroll limit, especially after signing Brandon Lyon, but the fact remains that their bullpen is weak. Cruz would help fill a huge void, but it remains to be seen if the Tigers are willing to give up their second round pick or dish out the dough for Cruz. I think not.

Dodgers: If the Dodgers sign Orlando Hudson, then they will only have to surrender their second round pick, and not their first to sign Cruz. Under that scenario, Cruz makes a lot of sense for the Dodgers. He would provide depth to the back end of the bullpen and make the Dodgers pen potentially dominant. However, like most teams, it remains to be seen if the Dodgers will have enough money to offer something substantial to Cruz.

Japan: Hey, if Cruz is only concerned about the money and has no other offers, he can go here. Sayonara.

As we can see, it's not a good time to be Juan Cruz or his agent. This should have been a great time for Juan Cruz, but instead, he has become a market casualty because of his type A status.

It's time to change the free agent compensation rules, major league baseball.

Tony Reagins Has Finally Woken Up

About time:

"Free-agent outfielder Bobby Abreu is in serious talks toward a one-year agreement with the Los Angeles Angels, two baseball sources told ESPN.com.

Abreu, 34, is one of the premier hitters left on the market this offseason. The Angels jumped into negotiations with a big push this week and have emerged as clear front-runners. Although the two sides still have some issues to work through, a source said an agreement could be reached before the start of spring training this weekend in Arizona."

I have been saying for more than a month now that the Angels needed to step up and add a big time hitter to their lineup.

Back in January I wrote:

"Angels: The Angels are in dire need of another impact bat to hit in front of Vladimir Guerrero and Abreu would be a good fit. However, GM Tony Reagins has previously stated that the Angels will give their younger players a chance to fill the voids left by Garret Anderson and Mark Teixeira. If Reagins comes to his senses, the Angels could become serious competitors in the American League."

And after months of staying on the sidelines, the Angels finally got in the game. It has been reported that the Angels are now in "serious negotiations" with Bobby Abreu on a contract for 2009. Angels GM Tony Reagins has finally woken up, and Angels fans should be thrilled about it.

Just take a look at this lineup (or something like it):

3b Chone Figgins
2b Howie Kendrick
Rf Bobby Abreu
DH Vladimir Guerrero
CF Torri Hunter
Lf Juan Rivera/Gary Matthews Jr.
1b Kendry Morales
C Mike Napoli
SS Erick Aybar

Now, that lineup will not compare with the Yankees or even the Red Sox. But that lineup has a lot of productive parts in it and Abreu is a great fit hitting in front of Vladimir Guerrero because of his patience, ability to get on base, and solid production. Anytime you can add a guy who can hit .300 with 20 HR, 100 RBI, and a .370 OBP, you know the lineup should improve.

With the addition of Abreu, the Angels are now looking pretty strong. Are they contenders for the AL pennant? I say yes....what do you think?

Holes to Fill: NL East Edition

*Yes, it's February. Normally, rosters are pretty set by now as most of the major moving and shaking has already occurred on the free agent and trade market. However, this off season has been different. There are still many quality free agents still out there and plenty of teams with holes to fill (no dirty minds, people). So we'll break this down, division by division, to see who could still go where and what holes need some filling*

Braves: Outfield
The Braves have done a good job this off season fixing up their starting rotation. By adding Derek Lowe, Kenshin Kawakami, and Javier Vazquez to their rotation, the Braves now have a deep and stable rotation that should be able give Manager Bobby Cox lots of quality innings.

However, the Braves still have a gaping hole in the outfield, where some combination of Gregor Blanco, Josh Anderson, Matt Diaz, and Brandon Jones is expected to play center field and left field. I' m not sure any of those guys have the goods to get the job done, and if the Braves are serious about competing in 2009, then they should make a strong run at Bobby Abreu.

In addition, a good fall back plan for the Braves would be to add Orlando Hudson to play second base and shifting Kelly Johnson, a defensive liability at second, to left field. This would improve the Braves infield defense and give them a quality bat in the outfield.

Do the Braves have the funds to pull off any more major moves? We'll see.

Phillies: Left Handed Relief Pitcher
The Phillies need to find a right handed hitter off the bench as well, but I think left handed relief pitcher is more of a priority at this point. With JC Romero on tap to miss the first 50 games of the season because of a failed steroid test, the Phillies need to find a suitable replacement.

Luckily for them, the market is still ripe with left handed relief pitchers. Between Joe Beimel, Will Ohman and Dennys Reyes; this market is loaded with quality yet affordable relief pitchers. The Phillies have already been linked to Ohman and Reyes, and it would not surprise me to see the Phillies add either of them.

At the same time, the Phillies could elect to go with Scott Eyre and hope that he is able to effectively fill the void. But with the way the market is going, it makes all the sense in the world for GM Ruben Amaro to go after another lefty.

Mets: Left Handed Relief Pitcher
Could the Mets and Phillies eventually compete for a left handed relief pitcher? Maybe. It depends on how much the Mets are willing to spend at this point.

Even though Omar Minaya has stated that the Mets are done going after free agents, anyone with two eyes will tell you that the Mets need another left handed relief pitcher to go along with Pedro Feliciano. The Mets bullpen has drastically improved on paper with K-Rod and JJ Putz, but adding another piece to the pen would really make the Mets competitive in 2009.

I would love to see either Ohman or Beimel added to the Mets roster, but at the same time, it would not shock me to see the Mets go the cheap route and simply hope that either Valerio De Los Santos, Casey Fossum, or Tom Martin develops into a quality option out of the bullpen.

Needless to say, Ohman or Beimel look like pretty good options right now...especially Ohman, who would not cost the Mets a draft pick.

Marlins: Catcher
I can say with certainty that the Marlins are not looking to spend. The always frugal club will enter 2009 with one of the lowest payrolls in baseball. Despite this, I think the Marlins have a very good roster and they could compete for the NL East title.

Their biggest weakness to me is at catcher. John Baker had a great couple months with the Marlins at the end of 2008 by hitting .299 in 197 ABs. No one knows for sure if Baker will be able to handle the starting job in 2009, so I would love to see the Marlins add Ivan Rodriguez. Sure at this point, Pudge is a shell of his former sel, but he would be a great mentor for Baker and he would be a good option against left handed pitching.

And of course, Pudge would have to come to the Marlins at a cheap price...

Nationals: Talent.
This off season should be looked at as a disappointment by Nationals fans. Sure, the Scott Olsen/Josh Willingham trade looks pretty good for the Nationals and yes, they made a big push to sign Mark Teixeira, but this off season could have been much better for the Nationals.

Think about it...the market stinks. There is an influx of quality free agents still available on the market because they either have had no interest or have priced themselves out of the market. Guys like Adam Dunn and Orlando Hudson came into the off season with high hopes for a big deal, but have fallen flat.

This is the point where I hoped the Nationals would have stepped in. With the market in such bad shape, the Nationals should have stepped up and blown either Hudson or Dunn (especially Hudson) away with an offer that exceed what any other team was offering. I know that the Nationals are not a hot place for free agents to come to, but money is a great reason to change people's minds. I'm not talking about a deal that is crazy, but a two-three year deal for either Hudson or Dunn would be perfectly reasonable in my eyes.

The Nationals need to add talent. If they ever want to attract a prime player like Teixeira, they need to have pieces around them. That's why I would love to see the Nats make a big play for either Dunn (who they might have already) or Hudson and pray to the baseball Gods that they get one of them.

Nationals fans need a reason to care or at least be excited...adding either guy would add some buzz to the lifeless franchise.

Do The Kyle Lohse!

Last off season, despite a free weak free agent class, SP Kyle Lohse was unable to nab a long term contract. Lohse was coming off a mediocre season with the Reds and Phillies in which he only won nine games and produced a less than spectacular 4.62 ERA. Nevertheless, Lohse still thought that he would be able to exploit the market and get a long term deal with a team desperate for starting pitching.

However, Lohse's effectiveness was questioned and teams shied away from him because of his high contract demands. The then 29 year old Lohse proved to be a casualty of the free agent market because he priced himself above what teams were willing to pay him. Lohse eventually signed with the Cardinals in the middle of March on a modest 1 year/$4 million dollar contract. Quite a far cry from the four/five year contract Lohse expected at the beginning of free agency.

Fast forward to the end of 2008. Lohse, coming off a stellar season where he won a career high 15 games, was awarded a 4 year/$41 million dollar contract from the Cardinals. Lohse was able to parlay his modest one year deal into a lucrative, long term deal that will make him one of the Cardinals highest paid players.

I mention Kyle Lohse's situation for a few different reasons.

The first, and most obvious reason is because of the large number of free agents still on the market right now. Between Adam Dunn, Bobby Abreu, Juan Cruz, Orlando Cabrera, Orlando Hudson, Joel Beimel, Will Ohman, and Manny Ramirez; the free agent market remains littered with stars and quality players. There is no doubt that each of these guys entered the free agent market this off season dreaming of a lucrative long term contract.

But with only three days left until spring training, it now looks as though each one of these guys is going to be disappointed. As we all know by now, the market has been brutal to say the least and this year there are an awfully high amount of market casualties.

Each one of these guys by now has accepted the reality that the huge contract they envisioned when the off season began is now a remote pipe dream. It is now time to move onto plan B.

The one year contract.

Yes, I know, it's not a popular option. On many levels, it makes no sense. But to me, this is the only way for most of these guys to cash in...even if it's in the distant future.

Look at it this way, if you take a one year contract now and perform well, then there is no reason why you should not be able to cash in after the 2009 season. Sure the market will always fluctuate, but it can't be as bad as it was this year, right? Let's hope not.

The example of Kyle Lohse is a bold one. Lohse was guaranteed nothing beyond the one year deal he got with the Cardinals, but in part because of necessity, Lohse took the deal and was able to parlay it into something bigger. It was a risk, but at the same time, Lohse had no choice.

And that's how I see the free agent market right now. Some of these guys are stuck in a holding pattern waiting for any opportunities to come their way while others have continued to hold out, hoping to eventually capture a better contract. The choices are slim, and could get even slimmer by the day. Eventually, these guys will have no choices at all and will be out of work despite being productive players.

Taking anything more than a one year deal at this point would be foolish considering how bad the economy is (Manny excluded). Unless one of these guys can get a significantly better contract than what most of their peers have gotten, then they would be better off taking a one year deal and playing the field again after 2009.

Just because the market has squeezed these guys out doesn't mean that they cannot capitalize off a big year in the future. If Lohse can do it, so can you.

Another Suitor For Orlando Hudson?

For some reason, the Cardinals released second baseman Adam Kennedy even though he had another year on his contract. Kennedy has been a bust thus far for the Cardinals, but he was still viewed as the Cardinals second baseman entering the 2009 season. Releasing Kennedy this late in the off season is a pretty tacky move, unless Kennedy had a falling out with Manager Tony La Russa or management:

"Even after general manager John Mozeliak designated Kennedy as this year’s starter, La Russa found it difficult to embrace the arrangement."

So where can the Cardinals go from here to fill their second base void? Well, there are the obvious in house options that include: Brendan Ryan, Skip Schumaker, Joe Thurston, and more. Depending on how the Cardinals budget looks, this could be an obvious route for them to travel.

However, I'd like to see the Cardinals go bigger on this one. No one would have suspected that Orlando Hudson, the best free agent second baseman, would still be available in early February. Hudson has virtually no suitors right now and his market has really taken a nose dive because of the economy.

With their hole at second base, the Cardinals would be a great fit for Hudson. He would be a wonderful addition on the defensive side of the ball with his gold glove ability at second base and would be a pretty good number 2 hitter, right in front of Albert Pujols. There is no doubt in my mind that this move would make the Cardinals a much more competitive team in the NL Central.

The biggest question remains the Cardinals budget. If they can find room to in the payroll to make a run at Hudson, they will likely be able to sign Hudson to a team friendly one or two year deal. As I said before, there is no market for Hudson. The Cardinals would be in a very powerful position when negotiating with Hudson and would be in prime position to get a great player at cheap price.

Something in the one year/$7 million range or two years/$16 million would be perfectly reasonable for Hudson and the Cardinals at this point. Make it happen St Louis.

Hi, My Name is Alex, And I Used Steroids...

Yes he did.



Wow...good to see A-Rod come clean, but honestly, this admission is a year too late for me. Remember, it was only a year ago when A-Rod strongly denied that he ever used performance enhancing drugs.

And so it goes with A-Rod. Another day, another story. We now have the best player in the game, who is also a liar and a cheater. Not good.

It was interesting how A-Rod stated how the pressures of his massive contract were a reason why he used steroids. To me, it humanizes Rodriguez. So often, we think that professional athletes are immune to pressure, which is obviously not the case. Even A-Rod, one of the best players to ever play the game, he still felt the need to cheat because of pressure and expectation.

Hey, maybe A-Rod should have just sat back and listened to some Billy Joel...

"You have to learn to pace yourself
PRESSURE
You're just like everybody else
PRESSURE
You've only had to run so far, so good
But you will come to a place
Where the only thing you feel
Are loaded guns in your face
And you'll have to deal with
PRESSURE"

Off Season Winners: 2007 Free Agent Class

Chalk it up to timing. I can just imagine the agent's of mid level free agents in this year's market kicking themselves for getting their clients a contract that was just one year too long. This year's market has been that bad.

How else can we explain Francisco Rodriguez getting a 3 year/$36 million dollar contract with the Mets in 2008 while the inferior Francisco Cordero scored a 4 year/$46 million dollar contract with the frugal Cincinnati Reds? If Rodriguez was on the market in 2007, he probably would have gotten a 5 or 6 year deal.

Chalk it up to a terrible economy. Who is their right mind could have predicted that we would experience a global economic recession at the end of 2008? So many of us believed that baseball was immune to the economy, but this off season has been proof to the contrary.

How else can we explain how Oliver Perez, a 27 year old lefty with ace stuff, got a 3 year/$36 million dollar contract from the Mets while Carlos Silva, an overweight fourth starter, got a $4 year/$48 million dollar contract with the Mariners in 2007. If Perez was on the market in 2007, he would have gotten offers in the 4-5 year range easily.

Chalk it up to competition. The 2007 free agent class aside from A-Rod was one of the worst free agent classes in recent memory. You know your in trouble when Carlos Silva is the best pitcher on the market. The 2008 free agent class was littered with all stars and quality players, all of whom were looking to cash in on big seasons. Obviously, with the economic crisis, some players were going to be fresh outta luck when negotiating with teams.

How else can we explain how Adam Dunn and Bobby Abreu remain unsigned while the far inferior Jose Guillen somehow obtained a 3 year/$36 million dollar contract from the cash strapped Royals in 2007? If Dunn or Abreu were on the market in 2007, each guy would have had no problem getting a deal in 4-6 year range.

Or maybe we should chalk it up to stupid luck. In the current market, teams who have been affected by the current economic crisis have elected to either not spend as much, spend wiser, or not increase payroll. But in the good ole' days of 2007, teams (not named the Yankees) were willing to increase payroll and go on a foolish and lavish spending spree.

How else can we explain Orlando Hudson having no suitors in 2009 while the inferior Luis Castillo received a 4 year/$26 million dollar contract from the Mets? The Castillo contract is the definition of foolish. How lucky is Castillo that he was a free agent in 2007 and not in 2008? He would have been lucky to get a two year deal in this market.

You have to feel somewhat bad for guys like Dunn, Abreu, and Hudson right now. I know it's difficult to feel bad for multi-millionaires when it comes to money, but these guys have done nothing wrong except become free agents at the wrong time. Instead of capitalising on their success, these guys will likely have to take a fraction of what they deserve.

Even for millionaires, that's not right.

Sounding Off: Alex Rodriguez and Steroids

*Sounding Off will be featured every Sunday morning as we address a hot topic from the past week. Feel free to weigh in and make your opinion heard!*

Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the Alex Rodriguez steroid scandal is the endless amount of hours that America will now devote to baseball's steroid era. Seriously, when the hell is America going to be able to move on from all this steroid nonsense? Like me, I'm sure there are baseball fans all over the world who are absolutely sick of the steroid talk and want nothing more for all this nonsense to go away.

But thanks to Alex Rodriguez, this story will not be going away any time soon.

And that my friends, is an absolute shame. Even though the news is still littered with steroid chatter, mainly from the trials of Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds, the talk of the steroid era had somewhat drifted from the consciousness of America. Yes people care about Bonds and Clemens, but at this point, those guys are old news and come with limited shock value.

Finally! We can focus on baseball!

Or not...Thanks to yesterday's news that Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids in 2003, I feel as though the steroid issue will be at the forefront of baseball for years to come. It's inevitable. Three of the best players of my generation have now been linked to steroids and presumably have cheated. The issues of hall of fame and legacy have yet to be addressed, and if Mark McGwire has taught us anything, it will get ugly.

Will these guys be remembered as heroes or steroid injected mutants? Hall of famers or cheaters? These are questions that will undoubtedly be debated for decades to come. We will not be having the spirited debates of decades past of who was the best player of the decade, instead we will be asking whether a certain player cheated or not.

How sad is that.

But the saddest part of this ordeal to me is that the shock of hearing who was on steroids has diminished completely, because so many of our heroes and legends have been caught already. After all the media coverage, McGwire, Palmiero, the Mitchell Report, Kirk Radomski, Brian McNamee, Roger Clemens, and Barry Bonds...it would impossible to be shocked that any player was accused of steroids.

How sad is that.

If Alex Rodriguez did indeed take steroids in 2003, then shame on him. He has let down millions of fans and that is something that he will have to live with forever. His legacy will be tarnished forever.

But what Alex Rodriguez did yesterday was worse than anything he could possibly do to his legacy. A-Rod took away the excitement of spring training for this fan because I know every time I turn on ESPN, the main issue will be steroids and not baseball. Baseball is all I want, but steroids is undoubtedly what I'd get.

How sad is that.

Say It Ain't So A-Rod!

If this news is true, then it is quite sad...say it ain't so!

Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids in 2003

"In 2003, when he won the American League home run title and the AL Most Valuable Player award as a shortstop for the Texas Rangers, Alex Rodriguez tested positive for two anabolic steroids, four sources have independently told Sports Illustrated.

Rodriguez's name appears on a list of 104 players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball's '03 survey testing, SI's sources say. As part of a joint agreement with the MLB Players Association, the testing was conducted to determine if it was necessary to impose mandatory random drug testing across the major leagues in 2004." SI.com

Yikes. If there really is proof that Rodriguez used steroids, then this is a PR nightmare for MLB. Despite being one of the best home run hitters during the steroid era, there was never much doubt if Rodriguez used steroids. Most people believed that the probable home run king was one of those amazing talents, who was not juiced like Barry Bonds or Jason Giambi.

But it now appears as though that was not the case. If Rodiriguez truly is guilty of using 'roids, his legacy will be tainted forever. I don't care if he leads the Yankees to three world titles and hits 900 home runs, the damage has been done.

For me personally, this story pisses me off. Rodriguez was supposed to be one of the clean guys, one of the guys that as a fan, I thought I could trust. Yet again my trust might have been broken and it sickens me to think that this guy might be the new home run king.

The only person who ever talked about Rodriguez potentially using steroids was Jose Canseco is his book, Vindicated. Most people, like me, laughed at Canseco at the time and did not think much of his claim that A-Rod might have used steroids. Canseco alleged that he introduced Roriguez to a steroid dealer, but he had no concrete proof that Rodriguez used steroids. But today's news about Rodriguez will certainly serve as another notch on Canseco's belt (like Rafael Palmiero before him).

Well, if this report is true, then I will never doubt Jose Canseco ever again...except when he fights Danny Bonaduce....

Yikes.

We Now Present...Jorge Says No! Version 1.5

Well, after much canoodling and formatting, we are happy to present you with the new, hopefully improved, but not yet completed Jorge Says No!

Not too much has changed besides the color and the format, but hopefully ya'll will like the new and improved look.

We're calling this 1.5 for now since there are more layout changes still on the way. Hopefully in the next few weeks, the layout will look even better than it does right now. Stay tuned for that.

Any suggestions/comments about the new layout are greatly appreciated. And if anyone with photo shop capabilities knows how to make a banner, please do so! You will be handsomely rewarded with a shout out and my undying gratitude.

In addition, we are happy to report that you can now find us at jorgesaysno.com. Same content, same layout....all that has changed is that you no longer have to type in blogspot. Good times.

Once again, thanks for supporting Jorge Says No!

-jorgesaysno
jorgesaysno@gmail.com

Afternoon Reading

I recently started writing sports columns for The Eagle, American University's student run newspaper. Here is my latest piece, about the Washington Nationals.

Nats falling flat

I would love to hear any opinions of the piece as it is my first jump into the world of print journalism.

Enjoy!

(Note: If you're really feeling motivated, feel free to check out my first article about Manny Ramirez)

The Frustrating Tale of Adam Dunn

Adam Dunn is a strikeout hitter. Baseball people expect Dunn to strikeout at least 160 times a season to go along with the 40 or so home runs that he will hit on average. However, I don't think there were too many baseball people who could have predicted that Dunn would have struck out this badly on the free agent market.

With ten days to go until spring training, Dunn remains stuck in free agent purgatory. There have been very few suitors for Dunn's services despite his tremendous power hitting ability. Dunn initially priced himself out of the market by looking for a 4 year/$56 million dollar contract. Now, it looks like Dunn will be lucky to get half of that. And that's best case scenario.

Right now, Dunn has only received one offer (that we know of). That offer comes courtesy of the Washington Nationals, who lost a league worst 102 games last season. While terms of the offer are unknown, we do know that Dunn wants to play on a winner because he has never made the playoffs before in his big league career. And let's be honest here, the odds of the Nationals making the playoffs in 2009 are slim to none.

You can understand why Dunn has not jumped at the Nationals offer.

So Dunn has instead taken a patient approach, hoping and praying that another team becomes interested in his services and opens up the checkbook. However, no team has come close to biting thus far.

Dunn seems intent on waiting out the Manny Ramirez situation before he makes his decision about where to play in 2009. If Ramirez and the Dodgers cannot work out a deal, then Dunn might become their top priority. However, there is no guarantee that the Dodgers and Ramirez won't come to a deal and in addition, no guarantee that the Dodgers will even pursue Dunn if they miss out on Ramirez.

As for other teams, I would love to see the Angels enter the bidding, but GM Tony Reagins seems to be high on young players and reluctant to spend anymore dough. The Red Sox could be interested, but they currently have no where to put Dunn. Like the Red Sox, the Yankees have no where for Dunn to play. It's obvious that this market is barren.

That leads us to the million dollar question: should Dunn continue to be patient and hope that some team decides to make an effort to sign him after three months on the free agent market, or should Dunn take the deal with the Nationals and maybe try again for a big contract when the market recovers?

At this stage in the game, the Nationals are the only sure thing that Dunn has. If the Dodgers enter the bidding, it will certainly help Dunn. But the guess here is that the Dodgers and Manny will eventually come to terms, which will leave Dunn on the outside looking in.

Hypothetically speaking, I think the Nationals would actually be a pretty good fit for Dunn. Odds are the Nationals would have to overpay for Dunn because nobody wants to come to DC right now except for that Obama guy. The Nationals are not exactly a hot bed for free agents and the baseball culture in DC is still a work in progress. However, at the same time, if you stick Dunn in the middle of the Nationals lineup (in between Milledge and Zimmerman), all of a sudden that lineup does not look so bad. The big donkey could actually put up some huge numbers in that lineup and help those young players develop.

But there is no way to get around it, the Nationals are Dunn's last option. He does not want to go there...period. But at the same time, the Nationals may be Dunn's last option if he wants to get a big payday. Something in the 2 year/$26 million dollar range would not be unreasonable for either side and would allow Dunn to become a free agent again at the age of 32.

For a guy who hit 40+ home runs in each of the past 5 seasons, the limited amount of interest on the free agent market for Dunn's services has been astounding. Dunn and his agent better hope the Dodgers and Manny Ramirez suddenly hate each other, or that the Angels reverse course and make a play for him, or the Yankees try to conquer the baseball world by signing every major free agent known to man.

So it's Dodgers or bust for Dunn. If Manny re ups with Dodger Blue, it's not inconceivable for Dunn to have no other option besides the...cough...Nationals.

How amazing would that be!

(Note to baseball teams: Adam Dunn is a very good player. Sure he has his flaws, but there is no reason why this guy should not be signed this late into free agency. Dunn is the biggest bargain on the free agent market right now and will make any team very happy that they signed him. Mark my words.)

Time to Get Your Elbow Fixed, Ben Sheets

Back in August, I foolishly predicted that Ben Sheets would receive a massive 5 year/$85 million dollar contract.

Wow...I was wrong. Dead wrong.

But in my defense, a lot changed from August until now.

Until early September, Sheets was having a phenomenal season that was capped off by a starting nod in the 2008 All Star Game. I figured that at 30 years old, Sheets had finally turned a corner in his career and would be in line for a huge contract at the end of the season. Remember folks, in August it looked as though Sheets was going to be the second best starting pitcher on the free agent market this season.

Unfortunately for Sheets, the injury prone pitcher was hit by the injury bug once again and missed several starts in September with a mysterious arm ailment. However, all indications were that Sheets thought he was healthy and still wanted a multi-year contract on the free agent market.

And from there, it only got worse for Sheets. Suitors began to shy away from Sheets because of his injury history and concerning medical reports. Most teams were unwilling to take a chance on Sheets because his injury risk was too high and teams feared he would miss significant amounts of time.

Fast forward to Tuesday when reports surfaced that Sheets would need to undergo elbow surgery and would miss most of the 2009 season. Fears about Sheets medical history turned out to be true and as a result, Sheets probably won't sign with a team until July or August...at the earliest. It makes sense for Sheets to take care of his arm now, especially since the big time offers are not rolling in.

Sheets' injury woes are an absolute travesty to teams like the Mets and Rangers, both of whom would have welcomed a healthy Sheets into their rotation with open arms.

What a terrible twist of fate for Sheets. Here was a guy who was finally staying healthy and putting himself in line for a huge payday when his arm troubles resurfaced. Hopefully Sheets will be able to come back strong at some point in 2009 and put himself in line for a nice deal for 2010. If Sheets can get healthy by July or August, I can definitely see teams clamoring to take a chance on Sheets down the stretch. It could be an interesting side plot to the 2009 season, but at this point, all of us will have to sit back and wait.

Get well soon, Ben!

Would the Giants Compete With Manny Ramirez?

As I look up and down the Giants roster, I can't help but notice that the Giants actually have some talent. Gone are the days of signing aging, declining, and useless players to three year contracts that would cost the team a draft pick and hurt the team's performance on the field (I'm looking at you Michael Tucker, Dave Roberts, and Rich Aurilia). Instead, this off season, the Giants have signed veteran players to very manageable short term contracts that have made the Giants a dark horse contender in the NL West.

The Giants had several goals entering the off season: to find a reliable fourth starting pitcher, solidify the bullpen, identify a stopgap shortstop, and maybe find a power hitter to add some thunder to the middle of the lineup.

As of right now, the Giants have addressed all their needs except for one. General Manager Brain Sabean masterfully signed Randy Johnson to a one year deal that will pay major dividends for the Giants as long as he stays healthy. Sabean quickly scooped up Jeremy Affeldt and Bobby Howry early in free agency to build a competant bridge to closer Brian Wilson. And finally, Sabean signed Edgar Renteria to a manageable two year contract, even if he did overpay for his services.

Obviously, what is still missing from the Giants want list is a power hitter. And boy is a power hitter needed.

In 2008, the Giants had the worst offense in the National League. The Giants offense finished dead last in home runs and RBIs and second to last in runs scored, slugging percentage, and total bases. Those numbers speak for themselves: the Giants offense was abysmal. You know you're in trouble when Benjie Molina is your primary cleanup hitter...

Well, luckily for the Giants, there is still power hitters out there on the free agent market, namely Manny Ramirez. The former Red Sox great is looking for a contract north of $20 million per season and would like to sign for more than one or two seasons. The 37 year old outfielder is coming off a campaign in which he put up historic numbers for the Dodgers during a two month stretch and single handedly brought the buzz back to LA.

Ramirez would be a natural fit (at least in the batting order) for the Giants. He would bring a sense of legitimacy to a weak Giants lineup that has lost a lot of thunder since the steroid God known as Barry Bonds involuntarily left the game of baseball. If Manny plays hard for the entire season (BIG IF), then he should be a lock to hit 30-40 home runs and drive in close to 130 RBIs. Those statistics would transform the Giants lineup from futile to at least mediocre.

However, the question remains, if the Giants sign Ramirez, would they become a contender to win the NL West?

I say yes...but very caustiously.

Let's begin with the pitching. Every fifth day, the Giants will give the ball to Tim Lincecum, who in only two seasons has become one of the best pitchers in baseball. This guy is an absolute stud and a strikeout machine. He should win close to 20 games if the offense produces and the bullpen actually holds leads. And did I mention that Giants have another young stud named Matt Cain? Give this guy some run support and get out of the way...dude has great stuff. 15 game winner right there.

In addition, the rest of the Giants rotation is a fantastic mix of youth, ability, guile, and strikeouts. The trio of Randy Johnson, Noah Lowry/Barry Zito, and Jonathan Sanchez has the ability to keep the Giants in lots of ball games and give manager Bruce Bochy lots of innings (and strikeouts from Sanchez and Johnson). Lowry and Johnson NEED to stay healthy, Zito needs to get his act together, and Sanchez needs to work through the natural growing pains of a young pitcher. If all goes well, watch out; the Giants rotation will be loaded.

And I like what the Giants have done with their bullpen. Sure, they do not have a dominant closer or even a dominant relief pitcher for that matter, but the trio of Bobby Howry, Jeremy Affeldt, and Brian Wilson should hold down the leads in lots of games for the Giants.

With the pitching staff in pretty good shape, the key factor for the Giants would obviously be the offense. With Ramirez in the lineup, the supporting cast would certainly see better pitches to hit and should have more opportunities to drive in runs. Odds are, the Giants would not rank in the bottom two in batting average, runs scored, or RBIs.

However, the fear is signing Ramirez is obvious. What if opposing teams decide not to pitch to him? If teams give Ramirez the Bonds treatment, sure other players will have the opportunity to step up with runner(s) on base, but what if the supporting cast cannot pick up the slack?

I'm sure no pitcher is going to sleep at night hoping and praying that he does not have to face Aaron Rowand, Randy Winn, or Benjie Molina in tomorrow's game. Nice players, but none of those guys are anywhere close to the stratosphere of Manny Ramirez and none qualify as protection for the great Ramirez in the Giants lineup.

Furthermore, what if Travis Ishikawa and Pablo Sandoval are not ready for the big show? Then teams will certainly pitch around Manny and his big stick will be mitigated even if it comes at the expense of a .475 OBP. The young guys need to stick if Ramirez is going to see any quality pitches to hit,

Obviously, there is a lot of risk involved with bringing Ramirez in. There is no guarantee that this move would pay off for the Giants, who are probably still another power hitter shy of really competing even with Ramirez. The supporting cast will determine how far this team would go with Ramirez and someone in that lineup is going to have to give opposing managers a reason to pitch to Ramirez...as far fetched as that sounds.

Even with all these questions, the Giants STILL should be able to compete in the NL West. The fact remains that the NL West is probably the weakest division in baseball and with the pitching the Giants have, you can never count them out for good...especially if they sign Ramirez. The other four teams in the division are all flawed and hardly invincible so it's not impossible to think that this team could actually compete just one season after winning only 72 games.

But finally, it will all come down to Ramirez and Giants management. If Manny becomes frustrated enough with the Dodgers, then sure I could see him bolting LA for the division/arch rival Giants. It remains to be seen what kind of deal that would require and just how much money the Giants are willing to spend on Ramirez.

If they want to seriously compete in 2009, management has to make a push for Ramirez.

What the Hell Were You Thinking? Julio Lugo Edition

Julio Lugo is quickly turning into a poor man's Juan Pierre...seriously. Just a year and a half after the Red Sox signed Lugo, he was relegated to the bench to make room for hot shot prospect Jed Lowrie. Lugo is a classic example of a good player, who was able to maximize his earning potential on the free agent market. However, just two years later, here we are pondering, what the hell were you thinking, Boston?

Why Sign Lugo: After trading Nomar Garciaparra in 2004, the Red Sox were not able to find a permanent replacement for the former face of the franchise. Edgar Renteria was a disaster. Alex Gonzalez was only a stopgap. The Red Sox could do better...and they knew it.

So as a result, the Red Sox went after Lugo...hard. They believed that he would be a productive lead off hitter, who could steal bases, hit for a solid average, and play pretty good defense. The Red Sox did not need Lugo to be a star, but they thought he would be a great complimentary piece.

What Went Wrong: To be quite frank, Lugo declined...quickly. Lugo, who was a solid .270-.290 hitter with the Devil Rays, went into a deep funk with the Sox in 2007 and finished the season only hitting .237 and seemed allergic to taking walks. Obviously, 2007 was a disaster for Lugo on the field.

And it did not get much better in 2008. Lugo battled with injuries throughout the season and he seemed to be a shell of his former self. His defense took a major turn for the worse as Lugo committed a whopping 16 errors in only 81 games. Not even Edgar Renteria was that bad. And to make matters worse, Lugo's power evaporated as he only hit 1 home run and 13 doubles. It's not surprising that Lugo lost his starting job to Jed Lowrie even when Lugo returned from injury.

Future Implications: The future implications of this signing will not be felt until this spring. Lugo intends to compete with Lowrie to be the starting shortstop and if he shows some skills, then he could be of some use to the Red Sox. I doubt he will win the starting job, but the Red Sox can afford to have a $9 million dollar player on the bench as insurance. At worst, the Red Sox might actually be able to find a suitor for Lugo, even if they have to pick up most of the tab.

At the same time, if Lugo proves that he truly is on the decline, then the Red Sox will be stuck with a useless, overpaid player for the next two seasons.

The Red Sox will be fine with or without Lugo. They have enough organizational depth, quality talent, and resources to absorb a disappointment like Lugo.

Lesson Learned: Look out for the warning signs. Lugo, who was 31 when the Red Sox signed him, had a terrible second half after being traded to the Dodgers in 2006. Lugo did not hit for any power, struggled to get on base, and suddenly could not hit for average. Could it be possible that Lugo's terrible second half hinted at his decline with the Red Sox? Maybe...but it's always risky paying a guy for one good half.

In addition, the Red Sox became desperate to find a long term answer at shortstop and as result they overpaid for Lugo. Desperation is never a good word when it comes to free agents.

Off Season Winners: Sign Early!

*Over the next few days, Jorge Says No! will highlight some of the major winners from the off season. Even in this terrible economy, there were some lucky ones who did well! We'll highlight how and why each player wound up with a favorable deal.*

With spring training only two weeks away, there are still a number of quality free agents out there on the market. So many players came into this off season with high hopes of a huge deal, only to be let down by the deflating economy and terrible market. As it turns out, those players who signed early wound up getting the best contracts as teams gradually decided not to spend money.

WINNERS!

-Damaso Marte: With a large group of left handed relief pitchers on the free agent market this season, Marte decided to quickly re-up with the Yankees. Even though he put up pedestrian numbers with the Yankees, Marte still received a 3 year/$12 million dollar contract that seemed to be in line with what quality relief pitchers should receive.

However, this market has proven to be a different animal all together. Left handed specialists are struggling to garner up interest as Dennys Reyes, Joe Beimel and Will Ohman remain unsigned. In years past, these guys would have been locks to receive long term deals, but now it appears likely that both guys might have to settle for one year deals.

Statistically, there is no difference between Marte, Ohman, and Beimel. Hell, Marte might even be the worst out of the three. However, because Marte immediately re-signed with the Yankees, he was able to get the big contract while the other guys sit back and wait for suitors.

-Edgar Renteria: When the Tigers acquired Renteria after the 2007 season, they expected Renteria to deliver huge numbers and provide solid defense at shortstop. Instead, the Tigers were stuck with an under performing defensive liability, who failed to live up to expectations.

Despite this, the Giants still decided to sign Renteria, who was not offered arbitration, to a 2 year worth $18.5 million bucks. That contract, which seems normal in most off seasons, now looks excessive as Orland Cabrera, who put up better numbers than Renteria in 2008, remains unsigned. Blame it on Cabrera's type A status, which obligates a team who signs him to give up their first round pick.

Either way, it's ridiculous that Cabrera is left on the sidelines while Renteria gets the big contract. The compensation rules need to be changed.

-Ryan Dempster: I have written about Dempster and the Cubs before: I think the Cubs overpaid for Dempster.

They were eager to strike a deal with Dempster without letting the market dictate his price like the Mets did with Oliver Perez and like the Braves did with Derek Lowe. As a result, both Perez and Lowe signed contracts that were much lower than what they originally anticipated at the beginning of the off season.

The reality of the situation is that I if the Cubs had simply waited longer for the market to develop, I bet they could have gotten a better deal than the 4 year/$52 million dollar contract they ultimately gave Dempster.

But you gotta give Dempster and his agent credit: they were able to maximize his earning potential in a terrible market. How many other players (that are not Yankees) can say that!

So what does this list show us about this off season?
-Sign early, market was good (or at least not as bad...)
-More likely to get a better contract if you quickly resign with a team (interesting...)
-Teams are willing to pay more when they don't have to give up draft picks

UPDATE (6:22 PM): Looks like our friends over at the Orange County Register Angels blog have picked up the article and written a response to it using PECOTA and statistical analysis. Even if they disagree with me, this is some interesting stuff. Definitely worth a read.

Just Move On, Dodgers

Well, that was quick.

Less than 24 hours after receiving a one year/$25 million dollar offer from the Dodgers, Manny Ramirez and agent Scott Boras have turned down the Dodgers proposal.

This boggles my mind. Ramirez and Boras must truly believe that they will eventually have a better offer out there because it takes balls to turn down $25 million. Well, either balls or flat out stupidity. Take your pick.

I'm just not seeing a better contract coming Ramirez's way at this point. I thought the Dodgers offer was more than fair, but in the twisted and strange world of Scott Boras and Manny Ramirez, this contract was not enough.

So where should the Dodgers go from here? I think they have put their two best offers on the table for Ramirez and have wisely not gone above 2 years. The fact remains that Ramirez STILL wants much more than what the Dodgers are willing to give him and he does not seem willing to make a compromise. I'm not sure how much longer the Dodgers are willing to be hamstrung by Ramirez and Boras, but I would be awfully eager to move on right now if I was the Dodgers.

Luckily for them, there free agent market still plays very much in their favor. In most years, $25 million would not go nearly as far, but in this rough economy, the Dodgers clearly have the upper hand. There are so few teams who are looking to spend money right now, but a surplus of quality free agents, which means the Dodgers could get bargains on the best remaining free agents if they elect not to sign Ramirez.

Adam Dunn is still available. Bobby Abreu too. And don't forget about Orlando Hudson, who has had virtually no buzz this off season.

And if the Dodgers want to address the pitching side, they can make a play for Ben Sheets or Randy Wolf, depending on who they like/trust more.

It's not impossible to think that two or three of those free agents could be in Dodger Blue should the team elect to pass on Ramirez and his $20-$25 million per year demand.

If I'm Ned Colletti, I would look to add Dunn, Hudson, and Sheets; which would give the Dodgers a great group of talent and drastically improve their chances of winning the NL West. Dunn should be able to replicate Ramirez's power numbers and OBP, while Hudson would provide stability at second base and great clubhouse leader to boot. The wild card in this would of course be Sheets, who if healthy, would turn the Dodgers into a pennant contender, but there is of course no guarantee of that. I would give Sheets a one year deal packed with incentives and see if he takes it.

You can definitely make the case that the Dodgers would be building a strong team by adding three valuable pieces as opposed to just Ramirez. No free agent would bring the kind of buzz to LA that Ramirez could, but the product on the field might be better if the Dodgers move on.

2009 Rays Bullpen: A Must Watch

While it might be difficult to compete with the Yankees and Red Sox on a $50-$60 million dollar payroll, the Rays continue to establish themselves as strong contenders in the AL East. While the Rays will never be able to make the splashy signings like the Yanks or Sox, the Rays have made some quiet yet productive signings that will make this team a contender to win it all in 2009.

Even though the Rays had a dynamite bullpen in 2008, GM Andrew Friedman has taken aggressive measures in upgrading the bullpen with more quality arms.

Friedman's first target was RHP Joe Nelson, who was coming off a career year with the Marlins in 2008. Even though Nelson put up a 2.00 ERA, the Marlins did not offer Nelson a contract for 2009 fearing that he would receive too much of a raise. Because of the Marlins cheap ways, the Rays were able to swoop in and sign Nelson to a very club friendly one year deal worth just over $1 million.

Next, Friedman needed to find a left handed specialist to replace the departed Trever Miller. Friedman targeted LHP submariner Brian Shouse, who delivered a 2.81 ERA in 2008 and held left handed hitters to an .180 BAA. The Rays signed the 40 year old Shouse to either a one year deal with an option or a two year deal (depending on who you read).

These two moves make the Rays bullpen look fantastic on paper. Just look at the ridiculous amount of options manager Joe Maddon has late in games:

Percival (if healthy)
Wheeler
Balfour
Howell
Bradford
Shouse
Nelson
Hammel
Cormier

Now, there are two reasons why this bullpen will be the bullpen to watch in 2009.

1. Two submarines
-If you haven't noticed, the Rays now have two of the best submarine specialists that baseball has to offer. In Chad Bradford and Brian Shouse, the Rays have two of the most entertaining players in baseball to watch. Trust me, I spent a year marveling in Chad Bradford wondering how in right hand did not hit the mound and how any right handed hitter could make contact off of him.

And Rays fans get both Bradford and Shouse...I'm jealous.

By my count, there are less than twenty submarine pitchers in baseball right now, and amazingly, the Rays have two of the best in their bullpen. This will be highly entertaining for Rays fans, and absolutely awful for opposing hitters. (Shouse destroys left handed hitters, while Bradford is still very, very good against right handed hitters)

The thought of watching Joe Maddon bring in Shouse to face Johnny Damon and then bringing in Bradford to face Derek Jeter is exhilarating. Honestly, the match ups Joe Maddon will have at his disposal will be endless and make the Rays a much deeper team.

2. Who the Closer?
-If he is healthy, I can say with some level of certainty that Troy Percival will be their closer in 2009. However, there is no guarantee that Percival will be able to stay healthy. He was on the DL three times in 2008 and was unable to pitch in the playoffs because of his injuries.

And plus, even if Percival is healthy, there is no guarantee that he will be effective. While he was quite good in the first half (3.54 ERA), his second half was awful as he dealt with injuries and inconsistency (6.63 ERA).

I know that personally, I would love to see a Bradford/Shouse duo close out games for the Rays in '09. But the odds of that happening are unfortunately long...so Dan Wheeler or Grant Balfour will probably have to do.

So I look at this bullpen and I can't help but ponder what it would like with a dominant closer to shut the door in the ninth. They have so many good middle relief pitchers, but right now, the ninth inning looks like a weakness for the Rays. If the Rays can find a quality closer, then I really think that this bullpen can propel the Rays a top the AL East and into title contention.

The bullpen could be...that good.

This bullpen should be the biggest strength the Rays have in 2009. Their rotation will be solid, their offense will be very good, but the bullpen will determine how far this team goes in the AL East. The Rays have a ridiculous amount of depth and quality in the bullpen and I'm confident (even without a definite closer yet) that the Rays will be serious competitors in the AL East.

Just Say Yes, Manny!

Are we finally going to see some movement on the Manny market?

Well, today the Dodgers offered Ramirez a 1 year/$25 million dollar contract. Earlier in the off season, the Dodgers offered Ramirez a 2 year/$45 million dollar contract, but Ramirez has yet to accept the deal because he wants a lucrative long term deal. It remains to be seen if Ramirez will accept the contract, but I think Manny needs to accept this contract for various reasons.

1. The market
-To be quite frank with you, the market for Manny sucks. As I wrote earlier, the market for Manny has not developed and there appears to be no other serious suitor outside of the Dodgers. I'm not sure how much longer Manny wants to wait for the Mets or Giants to get their act together, but if they haven't by now, then they probably won't in a week or so.

If the Dodgers suddenly get sick of waiting and pull out of the Ramirez sweepstakes, that would further damage the Manny market and limit where he could wind up. Not likely to happen I know, but it's something to consider especially with Adam Dunn and Bobby Abreu still unsigned.

Plus, the Yankees are not going to be involved, which means that Manny is very unlikely to receive a large, ludicrous contract.

2. 2010
-One of the best perks of this deal from Ramirez's perspective is that he would be a free agent again next season. Who knows? At this time next year, the market might rebound (let's hope!) and a number of teams might develop interest in Ramirez. There is always the chance that Ramirez can get another big contract, even at age 37.

3. The Red Sox
-Even though Ramirez has no chance of returning to Boston, his Boston ties will probably play some role in whether he accepts this proposal or not. Remember, Manny was adamant that the Sox not pick up his two options after this season, which would have guaranteed him another $40 million over two years.

Even though Ramirez would not come close to the $40 million, he could save face knowing that he will make more per year in 2009 with the Dodgers than he would have with the Red Sox. Not to mention that Ramirez would become one of the highest paid players in baseball.
Petty I know, but ya never know with Manny.

4. Image
-The great thing about LA is that there are marketing opportunities galore. Manny re energized the Dodgers in 2008 and if he returns to the Dodgers, he would probably make millions more on endorsements alone. This town loves Ramirez and would be a buzz if Manny were to return in 2009. I'd imagine that Manny's face would be all over the town, which I'm sure is very very appealing to Manny and his brand.

For the Dodgers, this deal makes sense a couple different levels. Even though the thought of $25 million bucks is absurd in this economy, signing Ramirez is a must for the team if they are serious about competing in 2009. And I like the idea of a one year deal because it mitigates the amount of risk the team would take on and should provide ample motivation for Ramirez to put up HUGE numbers with the Dodgers in 2009.

I am still a bit skeptical about having Manny playing left field 150 times for the Dodgers in 2009, but I guess that's the price they'd pay to have one of the game's best hitters.

On second thought, why are the Dodgers offering up $25 million? Couldn't they have gone lower from their original 2 year/$45 million dollar offer? Are they concerned about another team entering the bidding? As I see it, the Dodgers seem to be the only team that is serious about making a push for Ramirez...

And in all seriousness Manny, just get this thing over with...I'm not sure how many more Manny marches I can take...quite the tease.

Welcome Back, Oliver!

The New York Mets and Oliver Perez came to terms today on a three year/$36 million dollar contract with NO vesting option for a fourth season. The deal looks to be a major coup for the Mets, who now retain the young yet enigmatic Perez at a somewhat reasonable rate. This contract is much better than the 5 years/$60 million dollar contract that I thought Perez would get at the end of the season.

By now, we all know the deal with Perez. When Perez is on, he is a great pitcher and at times, unhittable. He is an absolute stud against left handed hitters and has a great track record against the Phillies, Braves, and Yankees. If he could ever get his control together for an entire season, the sky is truly the limit for Perez.

After watching Perez for the past two seasons, I can honestly tell you that he is not worth $12 million per season. Eve though he has ace stuff, he will probably will never be confused for an ace because he has never been able to maintain his control for an entire season (besides 2004).

Nevertheless, I still like this deal for the Mets. The Mets smartly realized that there were no other serious bidders for Perez and thus refused to give into Boras and his large demands. Because of this, the Mets were able to sign Perez to a short and modest contract that will protect the club should Perez implode or get hurt.

Also, Perez fills a number of voids in the Mets rotation. He is a solid front to middle of the rotation starter, a lefty, not injury prone, and is only 27 years old, which suggests that Perez's best years should still be ahead of him.

With Perez now in the fold, the 2009 Mets rotation is nearly identical to the 2008 rotation with the exception of Tim Redding. Many will criticise the Mets and say that it is foolish to come back in 2009 with virtually the same rotation, but I think that's hogwash. The 2008 Mets rotation gave the team lots of opportunities to win ball games and make it to the playoffs, but the bullpen ultimately blew 29 saves last season. It's amazing to think that the Mets still won 89 games with that kind of production from the bullpen.

So I think it's quite likely that the Mets rotation will become a strength in 2009. If Mike Pelfrey continues his ascent, John Maine can stay healthy, and Oliver Perez can find his control; then I see no reason why the Mets cannot win 95+ games with the bullpen they have now.

You can certainly make the case that Omar Minaya should still make a push for Ben Sheets, who is still a free agent because of injury concerns. I would love to see Sheets with the Mets because he could give the Mets another ace to go along with Johan Santana if he's healthy. The Mets would really make noise with a healthy Sheets in their rotation. However, I think Minaya is pretty comfortable right now having Tim Redding and Freddy Garcia compete to be the fifth starter.

Now with their rotation set, it would be great to see the Mets make a push for Juan Cruz, Will Ohman, or Joe Biemel. Even though the Mets have dramatically improved their bullpen, I still believe that they can take advantage of this terrible market by signing a great relief pitcher to a team friendly deal. The Mets need all the quality arms they can get in the bullpen and I think either guy would make a fantastic addition.

Make it happen Omar!

Penny Pinching White Sox

It's a good thing that I am not a White Sox fan because if I was, I would be awfully conflicted about the direction of this team. If you haven't heard, the White Sox are not looking to add any high priced free agents despite the surplus of veteran free agents who are still available. Instead of trying to add proven commodities to the team, GM Kenny Williams has instead shed payroll this off season by trading away Nick Swisher and Javier Vazquez.

Even with their almost $30 million in savings, Williams has opted not to go after any free agents this off season and is instead relying on young players to step up as key contributors in 2009.

-Instead of going after Orlando Hudson, Williams is banking on Chris Getz, Jayson Nix, or Brent Lillibridge to hold down the fort at second base.

-Instead of going after Jim Edmonds, Williams is relying on DeWayne Wise or Brain Anderson to hold down the center field job.

-Instead of going after Ben Sheets, Braden Looper or Randy Wolf, Williams is depending on Jeffrey Marquez, Aaron Poreda, Clayton Richards, or Lance Broadway to become an effective back of the rotation starter.

-Instead of going after Ty Wigginton or re-signing Joe Crede, Williams believes that Josh Fields is finally ready to handle third base duties full time.

Obviously, Williams' faith in these young players is a risk. If these guys fail to produce, Williams will be chided by fans and baseball people alike for entrusting the White Sox season is so many unknowns.

But perhaps the the toughest thing for White Sox fans to swallow right now is not just that there are so many free agents available right now, but because of the market, these guys can probably be had at a much cheaper rate. Guys like Hudson and Wigginton have literally no buzz around them and are struggling to get offers. I'm sure there are many fans who would feel much better about the team if they went for the proven guy at a great price.

Williams decision not to go after any major free agents underscores just how much baseball has become centered around young players. Baseball is a copycat league, and if the Rays taught us anything, its that young teams can win and withstand the burdens of a long baseball season. Williams feels more comfortable with young, unproven players then going after veterans who are more likely to break down.

Whether the young guys work out or not, you have to admire Williams for coming up with a specific plan and sticking to it. Sometimes the right decisions are not always the most popular and there is definitely a chance that this youth movement could be a major boon for the White Sox in the future.

As for 2009, that's anyone's guess. This team has a lot of question marks and uncertainties, which could make them regress from their 2008 performance. This team still has veterans like Jermaine Dye, Jim Thome, Mark Buerhle, and Paul Konerko who expect to win and have succeeded before. However, I think that Williams's refusal to spend this off season coupled with his commitment to youth will make the White Sox better in 2010 and beyond.

So for all you White Sox fans out there, how do you feel about the penny pinching White Sox? Do you like the quasi-youth movement?

Super Housekeeping Items (with Prediction!)

Since it's Superbowl Sunday, the baseball news will be rather light today. We'll have a full slate of material for tomorrow, so stayed tuned.

Over the past couple of days, I have tried to find a few new toys that will help you, the readers, keep in touch with the comings and goings of Jorge Says No! I encourage everybody to do the following:

-follow my twitter feed: http://twitter.com/jorgesaysno

-become a fan of Jorge Says No! on facebook: http://apps.facebook.com/blognetworks/blog/jorge_says_no/

-Or as always, you can subscribe to the site's feed: http://jorgesaysno.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

As always, feel free to email me (for whatever reason) at: jorgesaysno@gmail.com or jl7350a@american.edu....whether you love us or hate us, let us know!

And now for my Superbowl prediction...it will probably be very wrong, but ya'll can make fun of me for that tomorrow.

Superbowl Prediction: Steelers 26, Cardinals 17

Look for the Steelers to put lots of pressure on Warner to try and rattle him in the pocket. If the Steelers are able to get to Warner, they will win this game. I think the Steelers pressure will get to Warner and because of the pressure, Warner will be unable to find his favorite target, Larry Fitzgerald, as much as he needs too.

As for my MVP, he will never win it, but look for my favorite kicker Jeff Reed to have a big night tonight. I got him down for four field goals.
Your probably wondering, why do you have a favorite kicker????

But the answer is obvious, the hair.

Once again, thank you for your continued support of Jorge Says No!