-
-
^
This is just the tip of the iceberg.Comment -
It will be good to see Astros players not being arrogant idiots.Comment -
Maybe we should bet the under in Astros games next year???Comment -
When is Verlander going to speak up?.....cricketsComment -
Before the holidays, the Twins offered Josh Donaldson a four-year, $84MM contract that would have made him the second-highest paid player in team history after Joe Mauer, writes Phil Miller in a profile well worth a read from the Star Tribune. Another interesting tidbit from Miller confirmed that Zack Wheeler had been the Twins’ primary target at the outset of the offseason, shifting only to Donaldson after missing out on Madison Bumgarner and Hyun-Jin Ryu. Donaldson offered a potent bat, of course, but the ability to improve their infield defense at third (and by effect, their pitching) also keyed the Twins on the Bringer of Rain.
Donaldson and his agent Dan Lozano fielded recruitment efforts from all corners of the Minnesota Twins extended universe before committing, from Miguel Sano over video eagerly offering to accommodate Donaldson by changing positions, to a former tennis professional and friend of Donaldson’s who happens to be a Twins fan, to the substantial recruitment effort put in ink by Twins’ ownership when they offered him a four-year, $92MM contract. The fifth year, $16MM team option helped push the deal over the edge, especially once the Twins’ agreed to set the buyout amount at $8MM. If the option is picked up, the deal becomes a five-year, $100MM pact.
Some of the heaviest lifting was done in a meeting between Donaldson, Lozano, Twins’ manager Rocco Baldelli, General Manager Thad Levine and Chief Baseball Officer Derek Falvey. Baldelli sold Donaldson on clubhouse culture and his plans for deploying Donaldson. The front office put together metrics on their 2019 success and profiled some of the talent on its way to Minneapolis from the minor leagues, establishing a belief that the Twins will remain in contention throughout Donaldson’s tenure.
Misinformation persisted in the media throughout, with Lozano suspected of leaking the $110MM asking price in the hopes of a team with deep pockets (like the Dodgers) matching the number. It worked, in a way, as the Twins realized Donaldson must not have had the offer he wanted, so they set out with renewed enthusiasm (and more money). Obviously, $100MM turned out to be the magic number.Comment -
If you're not cheating, you're not trying!Comment -
They should use an earpiece that relays the pitch to all defense players. That way catcher doesn't have to give signs. Problem solvedComment -
CINCINNATI -- The Reds continued their stockpiling of relievers to compete for bullpen spots at Spring Training with their signing of left-hander Jesse Biddle on Friday to a Minor League contract. Biddle was invited to Spring Training as a non-roster player.
With three clubs in 2019 -- the Braves, Mariners and Rangers -- Biddle had an 8.36 ERA and 2.29 WHIP over 30 appearances. As a rookie in '18 for Atlanta, Biddle was 6-1 with a 3.11 ERA and 1.27 WHIP over 60 appearances. That season, he was more effective vs. right-handed hitters (.194) than lefties (.253).
Lefties pummeled Biddle in ’19 to a .404 average, compared to .299 for right-handers.
Biddle, 28, was a first-round Draft pick of the Phillies in 2010. He joins veterans Tyler Thornburg, Nate Jones and Brooks Raley as non-roster invites that could be low-risk, high-reward moves, as they are trying to bounce back from injuries or rough seasons.Comment -
Jesse Biddle sucks.Comment -
- Cardinals’ reliever Jordan Hicks is recovering as expected from his Tommy John surgery last June, reports Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter). He remains on target for a midseason return, Goold adds. Should Hicks return at full strength, he and his 102 MPH fastball figure to have a good shot at reclaiming the ninth inning for manager Mike Shildt. Carlos MartÃnez, who took the closer’s role in Hicks’ stead last year, is preparing for a return to the rotation this spring.
- The White Sox have been among the offseason’s most active teams in free agency. While the additions of Yasmani Grandal, Dallas Keuchel, Edwin Encarnación and Gio González(among others) figure to help Chicago next season, they’re all under team control through at least 2021, GM Rick Hahn points out to James Fegan of the Athletic. That jibes with the franchise’s long-term plan, the exec notes. The Sox have myriad prospects and young players at or near the MLB level, particularly on the pitching staff and in the outfield. Plugging some immediate holes with veterans buys Hahn and the rest of the front office additional time to sort through those largely unproven options.
- Jorge Bonifacio stands a good shot at earning a spot in the Tigers’ corner outfield mix, observes Chris McCosky of the Detroit News. Bonifacio, who’ll be in camp on a minor-league deal, has struggled in recent seasons with the division-rival Royals. That said, he’s still just 26 years old and showed some promise in an extended run in 2017 with Kansas City. McCosky breaks down further position battles in the piece, which could be of interest to Tigers’ fans.
Comment -
Setting sights on spring training, Jose Altuve confident embattled Astros will 'be in World Series'
HOUSTON -- A week filled with fines, suspensions, firings and impromptu news conferences as a result of their sign-stealing scandal ended awkwardly in Houston on Saturday, with the Astros meeting and greeting fans and media at their annual winter festival.
Two of the team's biggest stars -- Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman -- took center stage: one for his unfazed confidence, the other for his terse tone and tenor.
Altuve, Houston's second baseman, said the Astros will be in the World Series again, while pushing back on the idea that the team's cheating went beyond the sign-stealing detailed in MLB's report earlier this week.
"Believe me, in the end of the year, everything will be fine," he said. "We're going to be in the World Series again. People don't believe it, we will. We will. We made it last year, we were one game away of winning it all."
Altuve was the American League MVP in 2017, and since the sign-stealing scandal broke, some have questioned whether he deserved the award. In recent days, he has also been accused of wearing an electronic device under his jersey that could alert him of certain pitches, which he vehemently denies.
"You know, we all know that some people made that up," he said. "And like I said, the best thing to happen to me was the MLB investigate that and they didn't find something."
While Altuve didn't have a problem answering numerous questions about the scandal, Bregman, Houston's third baseman, refused repeated attempts by reporters to get him to address what happened and kept repeating variations of the same phrase.
"The commissioner made his report, made his decision, and the Astros made their decision," he said. "And I have no further comment on it."
After being pressed on if he plans to discuss the sign-stealing in the future, Bregman finally gave an answer that didn't seemed as rehearsed. "I think in the 2020 year," he said, "our actions will speak louder than our words."
Altuve and Bregman were the only two stars at FanFest who were part of the 2017 championship team. Many of the other big names who helped the Astros win their first title -- including World Series MVP George Springer, ace Justin Verlander, who was the American League Championship Series MVP, and shortstop Carlos Correa -- did not attend the daylong event at which fans interact with players.
Meanwhile, Altuve was consistent is spinning the storyline forward. With spring training less than a month away, he wants the focus on baseball.
"I have two options. One is cry, and one is go down and play the game and [perform] and help my team," he said. "And you know what one I am going to do."
MLB's investigation of Houston began after former Astros pitcher Mike Fiers, who played for Oakland last season, told The Athletic about the team's scheme to steal signs.
Houston manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow were suspended for a year by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred on Monday after he found illicit use of electronics to steal signs during the Astros' run to the 2017 World Series championship and again during the 2018 season. Team owner Jim Crane then fired both Hinch and Luhnow. Manager Alex Cora left the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday after the report identified him as the ringleader of the sign-stealing scheme when he was the bench coach for the Astros in 2017.
The Astros were fined $5 million, which is the maximum allowed under the Major League Constitution, and must forfeit their next two first- and second-round amateur draft picks.
The investigation found that the Astros used the video feed from a center-field camera to see and decode the opposing catcher's signs. Players banged on a trash can to signal to batters what was coming, believing it would improve the batter's odds of getting a hit.
"It's a tough situation, and as a team, we have to stay together and go through this as a team like we've been doing, always," Altuve said. "We have to talk about it at spring training and try not to let things in the past distract us for next year."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.Comment -
Astros batters going to set record for most HBP's this coming season.Comment -
Altuve may lead the league in HBP.Comment -
Braves spending a million on King Felix?? Does he have anything left??Comment -
- In an update on the Orioles’ offseason efforts, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports that the club’s trade talks have gone “quiet.” That’s not terribly surprising. We haven’t seen much action on Trey Mancini or Mychal Givens, who are perhaps the club’s two most plausible trade pieces. In both cases, the club has multiple years of control remaining and needs not be in any rush to make a move. As ever, though, it’s possible that late-developing interest could spur some chatter.
- Beyond that, Kubtako says that the O’s are only “willing to hand out one more major league contract this winter.” That limits the open-market possibilities — not that it ever seemed likely the team would do more at this stage. Buttressing the rotation and infield seemingly remain the two chief goals. Kubatko says the club has dabbled in both 40-man and non-roster deals at both positions.
- While the Baltimore front office works to fill out its slate of candidates at the MLB level in 2020, it has also added a fun twist to the Spring Training festivities. Elite prospect Adley Rutschman has received an invitation to participate on the big league side of camp, per MLB.com’s Jon Morosi (via Twitter). The exciting young backstop won’t be challenging for a job in the majors, obviously, but he will get a taste of the future at the outset of his first full year in the organization. When he was drafted with the top overall pick last summer, Rutschman was billed as both a highly talented and highly polished player. Just how fast he’ll move remains to be seen, but this decision tends to suggest the Orioles anticipate a relatively swift run through the farm.
Comment -
Thanks for sharing all this information everyone.Comment -
Thought the Houston cheating saga would be over by nowComment -
The Giants have signed veteran left-handed reliver Jerry Blevins to a minor-league contract,The deal includes an invitation to major-league camp.
Blevins has pitched parts of 13 seasons with four different teams. He's spent time with the A's, Nationals, Mets and Braves.
Last season with Atlanta, the 36-year-old posted a 3.90 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 32.1 innings over 45 appearances.
Blevins appears to be another low-risk, high-reward signing by the Giants' front office. If he makes the team out of spring training and shows that he has value, he could be a prime trade candidate ahead of the July 31 trade deadline.Comment -
Marcell Ozuna gets one-year deal from Braves worth $18 million
ATLANTA -- Free agent outfielder Marcell Ozuna and the Atlanta Braves reached an $18 million, one-year deal Tuesday that puts him on the team he helped beat in the playoffs last October.
Ozuna hit .429 with two home runs for the St. Louis Cardinals in their five-game win over the Braves in the National League Division Series.
The 29-year-old Ozuna hit .241 with 29 home runs and 89 RBI last season. His low batting average was something of an oddity because he ranked among the major league leaders in the highest percentage of hard-hit balls, according to Statcast.
Ozuna is a two-time All-Star who spent his first five seasons with the Marlins, then was traded and played two years in St. Louis.
Ozuna's signing leaves infielder-outfielder Nicholas Castellanos as the last remaining major free agent with spring training set to start in about three weeks.
The two-time NL East champion Braves have been busy this offseason. On Monday, they signed former AL Cy Young Award winner and longtime Seattle ace Felix Hernandez to a minor league with an invite to big league spring training.Comment
