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After sitting out the chase for Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder, the Orioles are staring down a fifth straight last-place finish and a seventh consecutive 90-loss season. Such is life in the AL East. Rotation Jason Hammel – R Zach Britton – L Jake Arrieta – R Wei-Yin Chen – L Tommy Hunter – R…
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Was there really a violation of chain of custody protocol in Ryan Braun’s PED case?
Feb 23, 2012, 9:56 PM EST
Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun had his 50-game performance-enhancing drug suspension overturned Thursday after independent arbitrator Shyam Das ruled that there were legitimate chain of custody issues with the urine sample that eventually tested positive for elevated levels of synthetic testosterone. After a thorough review of the joint drug agreement between Major League Baseball and its…
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Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw skipped a scheduled bullpen session Wednesday after feeling stiffness in his back following his first spring workout. As expected, the stiffness is no big deal. Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times reports that Kershaw will throw that bullpen session on Friday and is expected to have no restrictions going forward…
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A fitting reward, is it not? Cubs manager Dale Sveum said today that while he’s still figuring out the rest of his lineup, he’s currently planning to use David DeJesus as a leadoff man and Bryan LaHair in the cleanup spot. It’s quite a show of faith in LaHair, a 29-year-old who has hit .262/.335/.395…
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In almost all cases, the people who say that someone “got off on a technicality” or took advantage of a “loophole” really mean “I think the SOB was guilty and because of that I don’t care if the proper safeguards and protocols were followed!” It’s a ridiculous stance. Ridiculous because procedures such as chain of…
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Ryan Braun won his appeal because the evidence collector took his urine sample home with him
Feb 23, 2012, 6:53 PM EST
Lots of people are saying that Ryan Braun got off on a “technicality.” Before I get in to the odiousness of that particular phrase, let’s all get up to speed on what that technicality was. This is from ESPN.com: Braun didn’t argue evidence of tampering, didn’t argue anything about science being wrong but argued protocol…
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The Nationals may have disappointed some by failing to make a big run at the top three free agents, but a vastly improved rotation could make them surprise contenders in the NL East. Rotation Gio Gonzalez – L Edwin Jackson – R Jordan Zimmermann – R John Lannan – L Stephen Strasburg – R Bullpen…
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Ryan Braun’s return puts Brewers on good footing in NL Central
Feb 23, 2012, 6:07 PM EST
In doing the Brewers’ edition of running down the rosters earlier this month, I presented two lineups: one with Ryan Braun and one without him for the 50 games he appeared likely to miss pending the appeal of his PED suspension. Needless to say, the one with the exonerated 2011 NL MVP looked a whole…
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Yadier Molina likely to become one of the highest-paid catchers ever
Feb 23, 2012, 5:52 PM EST
Just three catchers in big-league history have signed contracts worth in excess of $10 million per season. That’s about to change. Yadier Molina heads a class of four free-agent-to-be catchers, all of whom could find themselves in eight-figure territory with big 2012 seasons. Molina is probably the one sure thing in the bunch to draw…
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Nationals and Ryan Zimmerman are “close to a resolution” on contract extension
Feb 23, 2012, 5:31 PM EST
UPDATE: Apparently general manager Mike Rizzo wasn’t kidding about “working extremely hard” on an extension with Zimmerman, because Bill Ladson of MLB.com reports that the two sides are “close to a resolution.” ========== Ryan Zimmerman has said that he won’t negotiate a long-term contract extension once spring training is over, so the Nationals are making…
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Huge news: As first reported by Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Ryan Braun has won the appeal of his 50-game suspension for taking a banned substance. The MLBPA has confirmed. Braun is the first player to successfully appeal a drug suspension. Immediately after this news broke, Major League Baseball released a statement, printed in…
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Adam LaRoche’s surgically repaired shoulder is not at full strength
Feb 23, 2012, 5:13 PM EST
After missing out on Prince Fielder the Nationals are fully committed to Adam LaRoche at first base despite his missing most of last season following shoulder surgery. LaRoche played catch from 150 feet today, which is the furthest he’s thrown since going under the knife in May, and but afterward told Adam Kilgore of the…
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Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com was on hand today when Blue Jays shortstop Omar Vizquel said today that 2012 will likely be his last year: “This will likely be my last year. My motivation is to challenge myself to play another year. I know every year it starts to get a little harder for yourself and…
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Sometimes, on his Twitter feed, Jose Canseco sounds really sad and depressed. Some days, however, he’s the most optimistic, upbeat guy in the world. I’m no psychiatrist, but I’m going to assume that swinging back and forth between such extremes — between such poles, as it were — is nothing but healthy. All that mania…
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UPDATE: Martin’s agent told Andrew Marchand of ESPN New York that the Yankees are now pitching the idea of figuring out a three-year deal that would cancel out his one-year contract, but “negotiations are in the early stages.” ========== Russell Martin and the Yankees avoided arbitration by signing a one-year, $7.5 million contract back in…
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Hey look: another misleading “the Mets have sold a bunch of minority shares” story!
Feb 23, 2012, 3:40 PM EST
Once or twice a month we get a new story about how the Mets have sold several of those minority stakes they’ve been peddling for close to a year. The stories always have a bit of an optimistic “we’re almost there!” spin to them. The latest appeared yesterday as the Newsday — and then the…
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Jason Isringhausen’s minor-league deal is worth at least $700,000 if he makes Angels
Feb 23, 2012, 3:15 PM EST
Yesterday the Angels and Jason Isringhausen agreed to a minor-league contract and Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports that the deal is worth between $700,000 and $1 million in guaranteed money if he cracks the Opening Day roster. DiGiovanna and other reporters covering the Angels seem to think that’s likely, and general manager…
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Earlier this week Yadier Molina said that long-term contract negotiations with the Cardinals had stopped, but now Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post Dispatch reports that the two sides have “re-engaged” in talks. Molina has made it clear that he won’t discuss a deal once spring training is over and he’ll be a free…
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Remember last year how we couldn’t go a day in spring training without hearing about strained oblique muscles? Yeah, that was great. This year we have a new fashionable muscle strain: starting pitcher backs. Tim Lincecum the other day, Clayton Kershaw yesterday. Today it’s Wandy Rodriguez. Will back strains become as popular as strained obliques?…
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Ozzie Guillen says Hanley Ramirez will stay at third base even if Jose Reyes is injured
Feb 23, 2012, 1:43 PM EST
Now that Hanley Ramirez has put to rest all the offseason speculation about his willingness to play third base the next question is whether the Marlins would move him back to shortstop if Jose Reyes is on the disabled list. Ozzie Guillen gave a pretty adamant “no” to that question today, telling Clark Spencer of…
