Archives › Craig Calcaterra

Why? Because of some people who think they’re so important just because they, like, run the entire world and everything: The Group of 20 summit to be held in Toronto in June may be a boon to the city’s hospitality sector but it could be a major headache for the local baseball team, the Toronto Blue…

Earlier we passed along word that John Smoltz may wait until mid-season to sign someplace. Based on this report from the New York Times, however, Smoltz may be waiting a hell of a lot longer than that, because according to them he wants $3 million. The seems like an awful lot for a guy who,…

The Giants and Tim Lincecum have agreed to a two-year $23 million contract today, avoiding arbitration.  The exact split of the dollars across those two years has still not been confirmed.  My source is telling me that the first year of the deal will be between $9.5-$10 million.  Jon Heyman, in contrast, is reporting that…

It’s Truck Day in Boston, which means that boxes of gloves, bats, balls snuff cans and Gold Bond Medicated Powder are being loaded into the back of a rig outside Fenway Park and will soon depart for Red Sox spring training in Fort Myers, Florida. There’s been a lot of grumpy chatter from Red Sox…

Yahoo!’s Tim Brown tweets that the Giants-Lincecum arbitration has been delayed as the two sides are making progress on negotiations on a multi-year deal. ‘Duk from Big League Stew had the best line:  And now we wait for the white smoke to emerge from Tim Lincecum’s Mercedes, which will signal a new deal.

In light of yesterday’s two-year, $14 million offer to Johnny Damon, I had a Deep Thought:  If you’re Dave Dombrowski how on Earth are you supposed to negotiate with players and their agents if they know that Mike Ilitch may just come in and blow the budget whenever it strikes his fancy? Seems like credibility…

Buster Olney quotes some baseball official worrying about Tim Lincecum’s arbitration. Specifically, he worries about the “precedent” a $13 million award could set.  That word he keeps using; I do not think it means what he thinks it means: There is a lot of sentiment within other organizations for the Giants to settle the case,…

This was one of the splash pictures over at the FOX Sports.com baseball page this morning.  I expect Cardinals fan and FOX baseball columnist Dayn Perry to submit his resignation in protest by noon today.

It was just announced that Corey Hart has won his arbitration with the Brewers. He had asked for $4.8 million and now he gets it.  The Brewers had argued for $4.15 million. Arbitration is a lot more complicated than simply saying “well, he didn’t have a good year last year, so he don’t get no…

Orioles’ starter Brad Bergesen will not be able to throw in spring training for at least 10 days after pitchers and catchers report because he strained his right shoulder during the filming of a TV commercial in early December: “Obviously, I hadn’t picked up a ball. I’m kicking myself in the head about it. That’s…

Jim Bowden tweets that both John Smoltz and Pedro Martinez will wait until after the season gets going to sign a deal, a la Pedro’s thing with the Phillies last year.  The New York Post’s Adam Rubin reported as much a few weeks ago with respect to Smoltz. Most people probably assumed that Martinez would…

Got a press release a few minutes ago announcing that Ernie Harwell is going to receive the Vin Scully Lifetime Achievement Award in Sports Broadcasting. The award is given out annually by WFUV, the public radio station at Fordham University where Scully got his start.  The award will be given at the station’s Spring Gala…

Bob Bowman has been the CEO of Major League Baseball Advanced Media since its inception.  It’s been a fabulous success, and Bowman has deservedly received kudos for it. He may be looking for a new job, however: An official in Major League Baseball has formed a committee to explore a run for Michigan’s Democratic gubernatorial…

UPDATE: First he signed, then he didn’t, then he signed and then he didn’t:  Chien-Ming Wang’s agent is now saying that the reports are inaccurate, there is no deal with the Nats, and that Wang hasn’t finalized anything with anybody. And with that, I’m officially out of the Wang business. He could carve his signature…

UPDATE: Brace yourselves kids – Ken Rosenthal is reporting that Mike Ilitch has authorized his flunkies to offer Johnny Damon two years and $14 million. Which, you’ll recall, is the amount of money Damon turned down from the Yankees, launching our favorite meme of the offseason (i.e. Scott Boras screwed up). If this is true,…

After a year or so of denial, anger and bargaining, Tom Glavine has finally reached acceptance,  officially ending the playing portion of his baseball career.  He’s taking a job in the Braves’ front office as the assistant to team president John Schuerholz.  He’ll also do a bit of broadcasting work, both on Braves radio and…

The Mets have come to agreement with Hisanori Takahashi, late of the Yomiuri Giants, on a minor league deal worth $1 million if he makes the team.  Takahashi, who turns 35 in April, was 79-66 with a 3.70 ERA in 245 career games in the NPB. He’s a soft-tossing lefty who most have said would…

Buster Olney tweeted something really interesting a few minutes ago: Heard this: The Giants might wind up sending as few as one member of their front office to the Lincecum hearing. The heavy lifting on management’s side of the case will be done by MLB, and not the Giants. This follows up on the news…

If Lincecum knows there’s something wrong with his arm, he should take the offer, but otherwise, I’m wondering if Sabean got into Timmy’s stash.” – ESPN’s Keith Law, offering his less-than-approving assessment of the Giants’ $37 million offer to Tim Lincecum

There are no offers on the table and no negotiations afoot — hell, Prince Fielder isn’t even eligible for free agency until the 2011 season is complete — but the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Gary Howard is daydreaming about the Brewers locking him up all the same, building up to this: So I figure a sweet,…

The deal to keep the Cubs’ spring training home in Mesa, Arizona was contingent on the State of Arizona finding the money to help them build an $84 million new complex.  Their idea: impose a surcharge on spring training tickets to help cover the cost. But not just Cubs spring training tickets: they want to…

Yesterday it was reported that Carlos Delgado is demanding “substantial money and playing time.” In light of this article, however, he’s apparently cool with not getting those things: “I have to analyze all the options that I have and, another important thing, I’m not going to sign a contract just to say I signed. You…

John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Giants have offered Tim Lincecum a three-year, $37 million contract. The proposed contract would includes annual salaries of $9.5 million, $12.5 million and $15 million. Lincecum’s people reportedly countered with something north of $40 million. No one will confirm that, but the Giants are saying…

If there is anything that makes me doubt Kyle Farnsworth’s chances as a starter it’s the article in today’s Daily News about Johan Santana. In it John Harper catches for the Mets’ ace as he pitches a simulated half-inning against the heart of the Phillies’ lineup.  After striking out the cardboard cutout that simulates Jimmy…

I’ll give Royals fans a few moments to clean up the coffee they just spit all over the screen.  Done? Good. Let’s continue. Here’s Royals’ pitching coach Bob McClure: “Kyle Farnsworth is competing for a job in the rotation. We’re going to lengthen him out and see how it goes. Because what he showed me…