Two years ago, about 77% of our January-February posts were about Johnny Damon. This year? Not a ton, really. Aging is hard.
But after all of the ink we spilled back then — our first offseason on this blog — I still sort of feel like this is Johnny Damon season. So I pass along the word from Jim Bowden:
There are four teams that are still playing on Johnny Damon to different degree’s: Baltimore, Seattle, Oakland & NYY…surprisingly not TB
— JIM BOWDEN (@JimBowdenESPNxm) February 6, 2012
Of course, no one seems all that serious.
Last we heard he wanted $5 million. Seems pretty unlikely he’ll get that. He could still help someone though, so while some of the many DH-types may be without teams this year, I wouldn’t be shocked to see him sign a cheap deal before spring training begins.
-
Getty Images
After Franklin Morales drilled Luke Scott in the top of the ninth — apparent retaliation for a plunking of Dustin Pedroia earlier — benches cleared in Friday’s game between the Rays and Red Sox at Fenway Park. Some bad blood likely carried over from last week’s series in Tampa Bay, in which the Rays hit…
-
AP
Josh Hamilton‘s home run drought is finally over. And yes, I write that with tongue firmly planted in cheek. After Aaron mentioned this morning that Hamilton hadn’t homered in nearly two weeks, the Rangers’ slugger went deep in the bottom of the second inning tonight against the Blue Jays. His solo shot off right-hander Carlos…
-
AP
Tonight is Dustin Ackley bobblehead night at Safeco Field. However, Ackley isn’t playing. Manager Eric Wedge said he’s resting his second baseman, even though the Angels are throwing a right-hander. Which is just plain stupid. Ackley should be playing tonight regardless of the bobblehead matter. He’s a left-handed hitter who has hit righties far better…
-
Jhoulys Chacin diagnosed with pectoral injury after getting second opinion
May 25, 2012, 8:55 PM EDT
Getty Images
UPDATE: Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports that Chacin was diagnosed with an injury to his pectoral minor muscle involving a nerve entrapment. This rules out an injury to his biceps, shoulder or elbow. The injury can be treated through rest and exercise, but Chacin isn’t expected to resume throwing for at least another…
-
Getty Images
Yoenis Cespedes wasn’t ready to return from the disabled list when he was first eligible on Tuesday, but he could rejoin the Athletics’ lineup next week. According to Jane Lee of MLB.com, Cespedes took 28 swings in the batting cage today without pain and is scheduled to take full batting practice tomorrow. He hopes to…
-
Diamondbacks and Miguel Montero agree to five-year, $60 million extension
May 25, 2012, 7:37 PM EDT
Getty Images
Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com reports that the Diamondbacks and catcher Miguel Montero have agreed to a five-year, $60 million contract extension. The deal is expected to be officially announced at a press conference tomorrow. Montero was due to hit free agency this offseason, but he’ll now be signed through the 2017 season. The new…
-
Getty Images
It just hasn’t been Brandon Guyer‘s year. He’s still facing a $5 million lawsuit because a drunk Matt Bush was driving his vehicle at the time he nearly killed a guy, and now he’s going to require shoulder surgery and miss the rest of the season. Guyer, a 26-year-old outfielder, had been in the majors…
-
AP
That’s the way it’s working in both the American and National Leagues to date this year: AL East vs. AL Central: 37-20 – .649 AL East vs. AL West: 29-22 – .568 AL West vs. AL Central: 33-29 – .532 NL East vs. NL Central: 45-33 – .577 NL East vs. NL West: 34-25 –…
-
Reuters
Chipper Jones has been teammates with future Hall of Famers Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz and he got to see plenty of Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez and Kevin Brown during their heydays. Stephen Strasburg, though, might outclass them all: “He has the best stuff, the best repertoire of pitches that I’ve seen on…
-
Getty Images
After watching Ramon Hernandez perform poorly while playing through tendinitis in his left hand for most of the season the Rockies have placed the veteran catcher on the disabled list. Hernandez played well enough for the Reds in 2010 and 2011 that the Rockies gave him a two-year, $6.4 million contract at age 37, but he’s…
-
Curt Schilling’s company told employees it was selling their homes; didn’t
May 25, 2012, 5:00 PM EDT
Reuters
Not only did Curt Schilling’s company go belly-up and lay everyone off, it allegedly boned some of them via a relocation program that apparently didn’t do what it was supposed to do: Some of the hundreds of 38 Studios employees laid off yesterday were hit with a second round of bad news this week when…
-
AP
Earlier this week Juan Carlos Oviedo reportedly received his work visa, but then it turned out he received a pardon from the U.S. State Department that’s necessary before getting a visa but hadn’t gotten the actual visa yet. Now he has both, with Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reporting that Oviedo has finally been…
-
Baseball seems to have come to a complete stop, news-wise, in the past couple of hours. That’s OK. It’s a holiday weekend. Everyone is firing up the grill and cracking coldies I guess. Of course teams are releasing guys. Our third one of the day is Bill Hall, who was just DFA’d by the Orioles. Hall…
-
Reuters
Ben Francisco exited yesterday’s game with a strained hamstring and today the Blue Jays placed him on the disabled list while recalling first baseman David Cooper from Triple-A. Francisco has played sparingly for the Blue Jays, getting most of his starts versus left-handed pitching and hitting just .206 with a .535 OPS in 37 plate…
-
When the Pirates signed Nate McLouth to a $1.75 million deal in December, they were hoping he’d at least be a shadow of the productive hitter he once was for them. Instead, he wasn’t even a shadow of the shadow and now, according to Ben Nicholson-Smith of MLB Trade Rumors, they’ve designated him for assignment.…
-
As expected, D.J. Carrasco and his $1.2 million salary passed through waivers unclaimed after the reliever was designated for assignment by the Mets last week and today they released the veteran right-hander. Carrasco’s solid track record suggested he was a nice bargain signing for two years and $2.4 million last offseason, but he proved to…
-
After several weeks of what often sounded like pointless, boring testimony, things are finally heating up for the prosecutors in the Clemens case: A forensic scientist testified that two cotton balls and a syringe needle allegedly saved after a steroids injection tested positive for Roger Clemens’ DNA, a key moment on Friday as the government…
-
David Segui hit pretty well off Roger Clemens in his career, going 14 for 38, walking six times and driving in six in 44 plate appearances. yesterday, he hit Clemens again: Former Major Leaguer David Segui testified at the federal perjury trial of Roger Clemens on Thursday, backing up Brian McNamee’s claim that the strength…
-
Getty Images
Tim Stauffer is on the disabled list for the second time this season because of a sprained right elbow and was able to make just one start in between DL stints, so not surprisingly he sought a second opinion on the injury. Rob Terrnova of the North County Times reports that Stauffer was examined recently…
-
And with this, John Maine will have completed most of his East Coast Bias career tour. All he needs now is a stop in Philly: The Yankees will be signing former Mets/Red Sox righty John Maine to a Minor League deal, source says. Maine’s been working out with Yanks — Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) May 25,…
