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Jayson Stark makes a damn good point about the Hall of Fame ballot
Jan 4, 2011, 2:36 PM EDT
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Today Jayson Stark makes a point about the Hall of Fame ballot that I hadn’t even considered: writers leaving suspected PED users off their Hall of Fame ballots are, perversely, making it harder for the suspected non-users like Fred McGriff and Dale Murphy to make the hall. How is that? Because not everyone thinks like…
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UPDATE: T.R. Sullivan fills in the details of the Adrian Beltre-Rangers deal: The Rangers still have work to do before they finalize an agreement with free agent third baseman Adrian Beltre. But the deal is far enough along, according to sources, that it would be worth $96 million over six years. It would also include a…
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Arthur Rhodes’ one-year deal with Rangers includes vesting option for 2012
Jan 4, 2011, 1:44 PM EDT
Arthur Rhodes and the Rangers agreed to terms on a one-year contract last week, but the deal finally became official yesterday and the monetary details have been revealed. Rhodes will make $3.9 million this season and the deal also includes a $4 million option for 2012 that vests if he appears in at least 62…
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Yesterday Jon Heyman made a reference to “the small coterie of Internet zealots” who are responsible for getting BBWAA voters to change their minds about Bert Blyleven and push him to the brink of election to the Hall of Fame. While Heyman was unbelievably snotty in writing it like he did, he wasn’t technically wrong. There…
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UPDATE: Vlad Guerrero may not be in the Angels’ future after all
Jan 4, 2011, 12:59 PM EDT
UPDATE: Mark Saxson of ESPN Los Angels says that Vlad is not part of the Angels’ Plan B. That’s the speculation from the Los Angeles Times’ Mike DiGiovanna: Adrian Beltre, according to numerous media reports, is closing in on a deal with the Texas Rangers, a move that would be a considerable blow to the…
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In their ongoing effort to rebuild the bullpen the Rays “have expressed interest in” Manny Delcarmen, according to Joe Smith of the St. Petersburg Times. Delcarmen was traded from the Red Sox to the Rockies in August and then non-tendered last month after posting a 4.99 ERA and 38/32 K/BB ratio in 52 innings between…
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The Mariners may not formally replace Dave Niehaus any time soon
Jan 4, 2011, 12:30 PM EDT
How do you replace a broadcasting legend? As Larry LaRue reports, the Seattle Mariners may just avoid a replacement for the late great Dave Niehaus altogether: Out of respect for Niehaus, his family and fans, the team has not conducted a single interview – and may not. Among the options the Mariners are considering is…
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Brandon Webb hasn’t pitched in a big-league game since Opening Day of 2009, yet the former Cy Young winner still isn’t certain he’ll be recovered enough from shoulder surgery to begin the season in the Rangers’ rotation. Asked if he’ll be ready for Opening Day, Webb told Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com: I set timetables last…
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Given that I’ve written approximately ten thousand Hall of Fame posts in the past three weeks, I have no leg to stand on, but something over at MLB.com today provides a good reminder for us not to get too worked up at tomorrow’s vote totals: First, there were five. Cy Young, whose name graces the highest…
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General manager Walt Jocketty revealed last week that he’d talked to Edgar Renteria‘s agent and today John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes that “it’s believed that the Reds have an offer out to” the veteran shortstop. Last month the Giants reportedly offered Renteria a one-year, $1 million deal to re-sign after winning World Series…
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Back before Christmas I did a post about Lenny Dykstra that inspired some fun comments from a person named Monica Foster. Those of you who hung around that thread heard Ms. Foster explain how Lenny Dykstra bounced a check to her for escort services in a Beverly Hills hotel. As soon as she began posting…
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There was nothing improper about Scott Boras’ loan to Edward Salcedo
Jan 4, 2011, 9:43 AM EDT
An MLBPA source has told the Associated Press that Scott Boras did not violate any union rules when his company made loans to client Edward Salcedo. Of course we knew this back in November. The only person who didn’t seem to know this was the New York Times’ Michael S. Schmidt, who continued to push this story…
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Alfredo Simon will likely be charged with involuntary manslaughter
Jan 4, 2011, 9:16 AM EDT
Things are not looking good for Orioles reliever Alfredo Simon. The prosecutor told the Associated Press that the evidence supports an involuntary manslaughter charge: “The version that we have is that there was a dispute between two women and [Simon] tried to dissolve it, fired a shot that ended up wounding a young person in the…
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This is not a notable signing in and of itself. Jeremy Hermida will, at best, be a bat off the bench for Cincinnati. It’s notable, however, because it shows just how powerful first impressions can be. Hermida raked during a cup of coffee with the Marlins in 2005 and had another nice 120 games with…
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I’ve mentioned Dirk Hayhurst here before. For those who missed it or forgot, Hayhurst — known on Twitter and elsewhere as @TheGarfoose — is a mostly minor league pitcher, most notable to us for having written “The Bullpen Gospels.” The book was published last year, and it’s a great one. Sort of a “Ball Four”…
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Several writers who have defended excluding Jeff Bagwell from their Hall of Fame ballots have said that they don’t have a problem doing so even though there’s no evidence that he used steroids because the Hall of Fame is not a court of law, and the concept of “innocent until proven guilty” does not apply.…
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UPDATE: Alfredo Simon held pending the results of ballistic tests
Jan 4, 2011, 12:28 AM EDT
UPDATE: According to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun, Simon is being held in the Dominican Republic pending the results of ballistic tests. Authorities are currently trying to confirm whether the bullet that killed Castillo came from Simon’s gun. He has yet to be charged with a crime, though he is the lead suspect. 9:28…
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UPDATE: Michael Young willing to be DH if club signs Adrian Beltre
Jan 3, 2011, 10:17 PM EDT
UPDATE: Remember what I wrote earlier? Well, scratch all that. According to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News, Michael Young said he is willing to be a designated hitter if the club signs Adrian Beltre. 6:39 PM: Depending on what you read right now, the Rangers may or may not be close to signing…
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Now that veteran left-hander Arthur Rhodes has officially signed with the Rangers, Reds general manager Walt Jocketty told Mark Sheldon of MLB.com that Aroldis Chapman will likely remain in the bullpen for 2011. “I would think so, yeah,” Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said. “The plans are to keep Chapman in the bullpen right now.…
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According to Kevin Burkhardt of SNY, the Mets added a pair of Tommy John survivors today by agreeing to one-year contracts with left-hander Chris Capuano and right-hander Taylor Buchholz. Capuano, 32, returned from his second Tommy John surgery to post a 3.95 ERA and 54/21 K/BB ratio over 66 innings with the Brewers last season,…
