Getty Images Rangers GM Jon Daniels addressed the speculation that his team might be a serious suitor for free agent slugger Prince Fielder after Wednesday’s press conference announcing the Yu Darvish contract.
From MLB.com beat writer T.R. Sullivan:
Jon Daniels, off camera, on the Rangers chances of pursuing Fielder: “I’m intimately aware of our budget and it’s very unlikely.”
So while the door isn’t completely closed on a Fielder purchase, it sure sounds doubtful to happen. The Rangers just signed off on a commitment of nearly $112 million to Darvish and will soon have to engage in extension talks with outfielder Josh Hamilton and catcher Mike Napoli or risk losing them to free agency.
The Nationals still feel like the front-runner for Fielder, who possesses a sparkling .929 career OPS and slugged 38 home runs in 162 games last season for the National League Central champion Brewers.
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Jered Weaver threw 5.2 innings of one-run ball in an extended spring training game today, potentially setting him up to come off the disabled list and rejoin the Angels’ rotation next week. Kevin Baxter of the Los Angeles Times reports that Weaver threw 75 pitches, 62 for strikes, and struck out nine versus zero walks.…
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Superman has kryptonite. Matt Harvey has Zack Cozart. Despite being a nearly unhittable pitcher this year, the Reds’ Cozart got four hits off Harvey today en route to a 4 for 5, two-double performance. Overall Harvey had his worst outing of the season, allowing four runs on nine hits in six and a third. One…
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Kinda feels like a lot of Rays farmhands get suspended for drugs: The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball announced today that Tampa Bay Rays Minor League right-handed pitcher Angel Yepez has received a 50-game suspension without pay after testing positive for metabolites of Nandrolone, a performance-enhancing substance in violation of the Minor League Drug…
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Las Vegas police investigating Jose Canseco as a suspect in sexual assault case
May 22, 2013, 4:16 PM EDT
UPDATE: Las Vegas police issued the following statement: The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is currently investigating a Sexual Assault case. Jose Conseco [sic] has been named as the suspect in this investigation. At this time no charges have been filed and our investigation remains ongoing. Per department policy neither victim information or investigation details…
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Even though they met in the World Series nearly 22 years ago, the Twins-Braves series still stirs up some emotions in partisans of each team. Mostly Braves fans, to be honest, as we are bitter and angry and all of that stuff even more than two decades later. Freakin’ Kent Hrbek. Freakin’ Kirby Puckett. Freakin’…
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AP
It’s not often that you see an Opening Day starter sent to the minors, let alone demoted less than two months into the season, but that’s exactly what the Twins just did with Vance Worley. Worley got knocked around for eight runs in 3.2 innings against the Braves today, falling to 1-5 with a 7.21…
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Adam Eaton was diagnosed with a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in March and was playing in rehab games. Then this: #Dbacks OF Adam Eaton has returned to Phx to see doc after having soreness in elbow. — Steve Gilbert (@SteveGilbertMLB) May 22, 2013 Eaton hit .259/.382/.412 in his cup of coffee last year and was…
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Rafael Soriano took back all that stuff he said about Bryce Harper
May 22, 2013, 2:44 PM EDT
AP
Remember how Rafael Soriano called out Bryce Harper for blowing last night’s game by missing a catch in right field? Not surprisingly the Nationals closer took it all back today, telling James Wagner of the Washington Post that the comments came during what he thought was an off-the-record conversation with a reporter. Here’s more from…
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We’re talking phenoms on HBT Daily today.
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Jeremy Affeldt was interviewed about his new book. Which, it seems, reveals the deeply Christian Affeldt to have experienced a transformation on the matter of homosexuality: When Jeremy Affeldt came to the Bay Area as an opposing player, he refused to leave his hotel room aside from going to and from the ballpark. He was…
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Chase Utley is getting an MRI exam after “burning sensation” in rib cage
May 22, 2013, 1:48 PM EDT
AP
Chase Utley was scratched from last night’s game with pain in his right side and Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com reports that the Phillies second baseman is getting an MRI exam. Utley complained of a burning sensation in his rib cage and Salisbury speculates that it might be an oblique strain, which would almost certainly require…
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Don Mattingly may be uttering his last words as Dodgers manager
May 22, 2013, 1:00 PM EDT
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I’m usually the last guy to call for a manager’s head, but I’m sorry, when you call out your own team’s toughness and your boss’ construction of the roster, you’re not long for your job. Here’s Bill Plunkett of the OC Register, quoting Mattingly today about what ails the Dodgers: Don Mattingly pregame seemed to…
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AP
When the Cardinals placed left-hander Jaime Garcia on the disabled list last week they feared that he’d need shoulder surgery and sure enough Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports that he’ll go under the knife. Garcia has a long history of arm problems and the possibility of shoulder surgery has been looming since last year, when…
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He didn’t actually use those words, but I kinda wish he did because I have a lot of fun with the “robot umps now” thing on Twitter. But Brenly does tell Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that he thinks the game is too fast, the technology is too good and the calls are too…
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Kyle Lohse has been scratched from his next scheduled start with what the Brewers are calling elbow irritation. Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports that Mike Fiers will fill in for Lohse against the Pirates on Saturday. Lohse has an ugly 1-5 record since signing a three-year, $33 million deal with the Brewers late in spring…
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For the second time this week the Twins have called up a player they signed out of an independent league. First it was reliever Caleb Thielbar and now it’s first baseman Chris Colabello, who signed with the Twins last year after dominating in the Canadian-American Association. Colabello is 29 years old and wasn’t all that…
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Rafael Soriano calls out Bryce Harper for the game-tying triple last night
May 22, 2013, 11:02 AM EDT
Well, Bryce Harper and/or whoever is in charge of defensive positioning in the late innings of last night’s Nats loss to the Giants. From USA Today: “With two outs and the tying run at first, you have to play the outfield so the ball doesn’t go over your head,” Soriano said in Spanish. “It may…
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AP
Jacoby Ellsbury is hitting just .242 with a .307 on-base percentage, but Red Sox manager John Farrell has stuck with him in the leadoff spot. However, the manager did admit to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com that he’s considering shifting Ellsbury down in the batting order. For his part Ellsbury thinks that would be a mistake,…
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Trevor Plouffe hits the seven day DL after catching a knee to the head
May 22, 2013, 10:30 AM EDT
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Trevor Plouffe had an awful tenth inning in last night’s Twins-Braves game. First he reached base by taking a 97 m.p.h. Craig Kimbrel fastball to the ribs. Then he tried to break up a double play and took a knee to the head, leaving him on the ground for a good while. Looked nasty. Plouffe has…
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Hanley Ramirez tested his hamstring injury by doing some running yesterday, but Dodgers manager Don Mattingly told Ken Gurnick of MLB.com that he’s still at least two weeks away from returning to game action. That fits the initial 4-6 week timetable Ramirez was given for the injury back in on May 7. Dee Gordon has…
