Archives › 2010 › January

This is part of a 30-article series looking at each team’s depth chart headed into spring training. Florida Marlins Rotation 1. Josh Johnson 2. Ricky Nolasco 3. Anibal Sanchez 4. Chris Volstad 5. Andrew Miller 6. Sean West 7. Rick VandenHurk 8. Ryan Tucker 9. Hayden Penn 10. Burke Badenhop 11. Graham Taylor Barring a…

Note: This story isn’t recommended for those with a weak stomach. Lance Broadway, a former first-round pick of the White Sox in 2005, has been accused of a brutal assault of a man at a New Year’s Eve party in Dallas. Randy Sorrels, attorney for 25-year-old Ivan Pinney, said his client’s left eye was severely…

On Friday, Craig wondered why the Dodgers were going after Garret Anderson. Well, it looks like they’ve come to their senses, because according to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com, the Dodgers are making a “hard run” at free agent outfielder Reed Johnson. He adds that a deal “may be close or already done.” Johnson, 33, played…

Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports that the Brewers are already engaging agent Scott Boras in some preliminary discussions about a long-term contract for Prince Fielder. Fielder, who turns 26 in May, is under team control for two more seasons. As McCalvy aptly points out, there’s no real precedent for Boras to advise one of his…

Bloomberg Sports rolled out a demo of their new fantasy baseball product in New York this afternoon. Through a partnership with MLB Advanced Media, the goal is to lure fantasy players away from competitors like Yahoo! and ESPN. While it will surely appeal to the already fantasy-savvy, the new portal through MLB.com signifies an effort…

At least if the words of team negotiator Teddy Werner are to be believed. The two sides will likely head to an arbitration hearing after the Brewers pulled their latest offer to outfielder Corey Hart, reports Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “We made a final offer that we thought was a good offer,” said…

Update: He’ll earn $1.3 million, tweets Rosenthal. 11:53 am: Many expected one to follow the other, and true to form, after Orlando Cabrera signed with the Reds, the Rockies inked Melvin Mora to a one-year contract, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com. Terms of the contract aren’t yet available. Mora, who turns 38 next month, batted…

Joba Chamberlain told the New York Post that he will arrive in Tampa next week with the mindset of a starting pitcher: “I’m going to go in and understand a lot of guys are fighting for that spot,” Chamberlain said after an autograph signing in New Rochelle in conjunction with Steiner Sports. “Nothing is guaranteed.”…

The Giants and right-hander Brian Wilson avoided arbitration on Saturday by agreeing to a one-year, $4,437,500 contract. The figure is the exact midpoint between the $4.875 million Wilson asked for and the $4 million he was offered when arbitration figures were exchanged earlier this month. He was arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter. Wilson,…

Oh, you didn’t hear? It might as well be a secret since the Johnny Damon front has been pretty quiet over the past few days. In his Sunday column for ESPN.com, Buster Olney provides an excellent timeline of events during the negotiations with the Yankees, writing that “it’s laughable that the Yankees are taking flak…

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe is back with his usual Sunday column of baseball goodies. Head over there to read the whole thing — where you’ll find an interesting look at the “contract year theory,” as well as updates on Gary Sheffield, Will Ohman, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Jarrod Washburn — but what really caught…

Update: Brown reports that the Reds have agreed to terms with Cabrera on a one-year, $3 million contract with a $3 million option for 2011. According to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com, there’s a $1 million buyout on the second year. Saturday 6:33 pm: Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports hears that Orlando Cabrera is leaning towards…

Update: According to the Associated Press, Nutting declined to listen to separate proposals to buy the team last season, including one by Lemieux. Minor league team owner Chuck Greenberg also submitted a proposal, but later joined Nolan Ryan in a successful bid to buy the Rangers. 11:06 am: Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports…

That’s right. During the team’s winter caravan event on Saturday, manager Dusty Baker mentioned that the team has considered using prospect Yonder Alonso behind the plate. Mark Sheldon of MLB.com has the quote from the Reds’ skipper: “That’s always a possibility,” Baker said. “We’ve entertained a few things, even the possibility of putting Alonso behind…

Jane Jarvis, an accomplished jazz-pianist and organist for the Mets from 1964 to 1979, has died at the age of 94, according to the New York Times. She pre-dates my experience as a Mets fan, but at moments like this I always look towards Greg Prince of the excellent Faith and Fear in Flushing to…

Silly robot. Craig neatly summed up PECOTA’s projected standings for 2010 earlier this week, as the Rays were predicted to finish in first place with the Yankees in third place and on the outside looking in at the playoffs. Mass hysteria followed. Really angry tweets were sent. Crazy times. But as Marc Topkin of the…

- The Angels and Joe Saunders avoided arbitration on Friday by agreeing to a one-year, $3.7 million contract. The 28-year-old southpaw asked for $3.85 million and was offered $3.6 million when arbitration figures were exchanged last week, so he settled for a little less than the midpoint. Saunders was 16-7 with a 4.60 ERA in…

Jon Heyman of SI.com tweets that the Cardinals are Rockies are among the teams interested in free agent second baseman Felipe Lopez. Lopez, who turns 30 in May, has been overshadowed by Orlando Hudson of late, but is coming off a season in which he batted .310/.383/.427 with nine home runs, 57 RBI and 88…

17-year-old Bryce Harper, the early favorite to be selected as the first pick in June’s First-Year Player Draft, made his collegiate debut with College of Southern Nevada on Friday night against Western Arizona. Harper started at third base — and had a throwing error during in the fifth inning — but finished 1-for-3 with two…

Free agent Mark Prior, who was unable to pitch in the majors or minors last season as he continued his recovery from surgery, is throwing in California, his agent told ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark Priior underwent surgery for a torn shoulder capsule in June 2008. He was hopeful of being ready to compete for a spot…

Outfielder Eric Byrnes is on his way to Seattle after signing a one-year deal Friday. Terms weren’t announced, but it’s certainly for the minimum, given that the Diamondbacks were on the hook for $11 million under the terms of the three-year, $30 million extension he signed in Aug. 2007. Since he came at such a…

The Yankees are taking the World Series trophy on an Asian tour next week, hitting Tokyo, Beijing and ending up in Hong Kong.  According to the story, Brian Cashman will be in the delegation. He had better watch his back. After letting Hideki Matsui walk, I have a feeling someone is going to be all…

“Adam really doesn’t want to DH in the American League. He wants to play the field, and believes his first base defense has reached the adequate level. He knows he’s no Gold Glover, but believes that he’ll get better, and is anxious to improve that aspect of his game.” – Statement of a person “close…

Last night Pablo Sandoval was in San Jose to drop the puck before the San Jose Sharks-Chicago Blackhawks game. Because of that, other Giants’ promotional obligations and the team’s desire to get his beefy butt back into Camp Panda, it was assumed that he would not be participating in tonight’s deciding game of the Venezuelan…

With the hot stove season winding down, my favorite annual meme begins to pick up steam: With Spring Training less than three weeks away and arthroscopic surgery on his left knee more than three months behind him, Griffey figures to be in much better shape. “I’m not saying he will look like he did in…