Archives › Drew Silva
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Torii Hunter says having an openly gay teammate would be “difficult and uncomfortable”
Dec 30, 2012, 6:03 PM EDT
352 Comments
The math says that Torii Hunter — a 16-year major league veteran who has played with several hundred different teammates over the course of his amateur and professional baseball careers — has probably shared a clubhouse with a gay man. But math and science and reality aren’t things that the 37-year-old outfielder chooses to dabble in. Neither…
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Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post has pieced together a nice retrospective on the Nationals’ late-April decision to promote Bryce Harper — the process and thinking that went into it, and quotes from Nats general manager Mike Rizzo about how it all played out. It’s worth the long read on a weekend without very much baseball…
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The Red Sox have been linked in recent weeks to free agent first baseman Adam LaRoche. But it sounds like he is merely being used as leverage while the Boston decision-makers attempt to work out a hip injury clause in their yet-to-be-finalized three-year, $39 million contract with Mike Napoli. According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston…
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Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe has an update on the market for free agent right-hander Brett Myers: There are so many positive views of Myers and what he can bring either as a starter (a former 200-inning guy) or reliever, yet he remains unsigned. “The feeling is he’s been asking for too much money,”…
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Marlins listening to offers for right fielder Giancarlo Stanton
Dec 30, 2012, 12:34 PM EDT
The Marlins’ higher-ups have stated over and over again that they have no intention of trading young slugger Giancarlo Stanton. But they’ve been taking phone calls on the matter and will continue to do so. Assistant general manager Dan Jennings told Jim Bowden of ESPN and SiriusXM on Sunday morning that the Marlins “will listen to…
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Matt Carpenter posted a promising .294/.365/.463 batting line last season for the Cardinals but he was limited to just 64 starts because the positions he currently knows how to play — first base, third base and the corner outfielder spots — are taken in St. Louis. Which is why he was given a homework assignment…
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Remember Tsuyoshi Wada? The Japanese left-hander signed a two-year, $8.15 million free agent contract with the Orioles last winter but developed elbow discomfort shortly after arriving at spring training and wound up needing Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery in early April. He is recovering nicely, sources told MASN’s Roch Kubatko down at the Winter Meetings,…
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Dillon Gee is looking forward to a healthy 2013. The 26-year-old right-hander told New York Daily News beat writer Anthony McCarron in a recent phone interview that his winter workouts are going smoothly and that he feels looser and more natural when he throws since having a blood clot removed in mid-July from an artery near his…
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Orioles remain in contact with left-hander Joe Saunders, unlikely to pursue righty Kyle Lohse
Dec 29, 2012, 7:02 PM EDT
MASN’s Roch Kubatko provides the scoop: Executive vice president Dan Duquette remains in contact with left-hander Joe Saunders‘ agent. Some members of the national media keep trying to link the Orioles to Kyle Lohse, but they don’t give out big contracts to free-agent pitchers and they’d rather hold onto their first-round pick. Lohse registered a stellar…
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Rangers righty Colby Lewis was cleared to begin a throwing program earlier this month and is on a good pace in his recovery from a July procedure to repair a torn flexor tendon in his throwing elbow. The club’s other rehabbing starter is also making progress. According to Anthony Andro, Rangers beat writer for FOX…
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From Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News comes word that the Yankees have agreed to a minor league contract with outfielder Matt Diaz. It includes an invitation to spring training, where Diaz will be in the hunt for an Opening Day roster spot. Diaz batted just .222/.280/.333 with two home runs and 13 RBI…
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“Some days, the Reds’ usually frenetic utilityman would simply sit in his chair and stare into his locker…”
Dec 23, 2012, 5:15 PM EDT
Marc Lancaster served as the Reds beat writer for the Cincinnati Post from 2004-2006 and developed a close relationship with Ryan Freel, who was at the peak of his MLB career during those three seasons. Freel, a husband to Christie and father to three daughters, took his life with a shotgun at his family home in Jacksonville,…
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From Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun comes word that Orioles owner Peter Angelos and manager Buck Showalter have “established parameters for a multi-year contract extension” that should be made official at some point in early-to-mid January. Showalter, who makes his offseason home near Dallas, met with Angelos several times last week in Baltimore and…
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Instead of buying an ad in a paper to say his goodbye to Mets fans, knuckleballer R.A. Dickey penned an entire column. Here’s a snippet from the New York Daily News: I may not pitch for the home team anymore (a friend told me I now have to start calling myself a Canuckleball pitcher )…
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The Diamondbacks signed Cody Ross to a three-year, $26 million free agent contract on Saturday afternoon and now have to trade an outfielder to free up enough playing time for him. Justin Upton is apparently still on the block, but it could be Jason Kubel who ultimately winds up packing his bags. CBS Sports’ Danny…
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As first reported by beat writer Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News, the Indians have signed free agent outfielder Nick Swisher to a four-year contract worth $56 million. It’s only pending a physical exam. The deal also includes a $14 million vesting option for the 2017 season, meaning the total potential length and…
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Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic has the full year-to-year financial breakdown for Cody Ross‘ three-year, $26 million deal with the Diamondbacks: 2013: $5 million 2014: $8.5 million 2015: $8.5 million Ross will also recieve a $3 million signing bonus. There’s a club option for the 2016 campaign worth $9.5 million. It carries a $1…
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Via Chad Cushnir of FirstCoastNews.com: First Coast News sports director Dan Hicken has learned that Ryan Freel, a Jacksonville native and former Major League Baseball has died at the age of 36. The cause of death is suicide. There aren’t many details available at this time. Freel batted .268/.354/.369 with 143 stolen bases over parts of…
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As noted by Nick Collias of MLB Trade Rumors, the Astros are close to an agreement with Jose Lopez. “On December 26th I’m going to fly to Houston,” Lopez told reporters on Saturday in his native Venezuela. ”Nothing is firm yet, but I might have to stop playing (in the Venezuelan winter leagues). Everything depends on…
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Raul Ibanez is headed back to Seattle. Again. Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com reports that the Mariners have signed the free agent outfielder, and WFAN’s Sweeny Murti adds that it’s a one-year contract. No word yet on the financial terms. Ibanez was drafted by Seattle in the 36th round of the 1992 MLB Amateur Draft and…
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From MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy comes word that the Brewers have signed free agent reliever Jim Hoey to a minor league contract. The deal does not include an invitation to spring training, so Hoey won’t be up for a spot on Milwaukee’s Opening Day roster. The 29-year-old New Jersey native posted an ugly 4.60 ERA, 1.67 WHIP…
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That whole Anibal Sanchez thing didn’t quite work out, so the Northsiders are trying a different route. According to Jim Bowden of ESPN and Sirius XM, the Cubs are “now the front runner” for free agent right-hander Edwin Jackson, who is also being courted currently by the Rangers. Bowden says the “ballpark” asking price is…
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Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com has the scoop: The Dodgers are showing interest in Pirates closer Joel Hanrahan, but they have a little company. The Red Sox are said to have an interest as well. The Bucs would presumably want a starting pitcher (or multiple starting pitchers) in return, which makes the Dodgers a nice fit because they’re looking to unload both Chris…
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From Jon Heyman of CBS Sports comes word that the Cubs have agreed to a contract with free agent right-hander Carlos Villanueva. No word yet on the financial terms of the deal. The length is also a mystery, but chances are it’s a one-year pact. Villanueva posted a decent 4.16 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 122/46…
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A source told ESPN New York’s Wallace Matthews this afternoon that the Yankees were closing in on an agreement with Ichiro Suzuki but not quite there. Now the two sides have fully closed the gap. According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the Yankees and Ichiro officially inked a two-year, $13 million contract on Wednesday…
