[Cross]

What a freak accident, unreal.

[Andy117]

Does Wieters catch much any more? He may have to pull a Joe Mauer.

Wieters doesn't hit enough to pull a Mauer.

[yisman]

yeah Wieters never lived up to his potential

he was supposed to be able to hit but he just has been poor the last few years

[Chi_archie]

Former Phillies prospect Matt Imhof retires after losing right eye


Seven months after losing his right eye in a freak training accident, former Philadelphia Phillies pitching prospect Matt Imhof is retiring from baseball at age 23.


Imhof, who began the 2016 season with the Clearwater Threshers in the Class A Florida State League, was taking part in a routine stretching regimen at Brevard County Stadium in late June when a piece of metal broke loose from the wall and struck him in the face -- fracturing his nose, breaking two orbital bones and severely injuring his eye.
=======

Wow!!!Crazy freak accident!!!

ouch, hurts thinking about

life is a risky gamble

[astro61200]

Does Wieters catch much any more? He may have to pull a Joe Mauer.

Caught 117 games last season with ok defense and a good arm. Still plenty left behind the plate for him.

[EmpireMaker]

8:23pm: Morrow will earn at a $1.25MM annual rate for any time spent in the majors, per Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter).
8:12pm: The Dodgers have agreed to a minor-league deal with righty Brandon Morrow, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). He is expected to be given a shot at earning a roster spot as a reliever, per the report.
Morrow, 32, had long served as a starter, but made the full-time transition to the pen last year after years of health problems. He didn’t make it up to the majors until late in the season, but provided the Padres with 16 innings of 1.69 ERA ball while posting 4.5 K/9 against 1.7 BB/9. Though the short-sample K rate isn’t exciting, Morrow posted a solid 10.3% swinging-strike rate and showed an average fastball of over 94 mph.
While there’s plenty of risk in relying too heavily on the righty, given his shoulder woes, it’s just a minor-league deal. And Los Angeles has clearly charted a strategy of taking chances on pitchers with questionable medicals of late, trusting the team’s depth pieces and ability to make mid-season moves to cover for any gaps that arise.

[El Nino]

Caught 117 games last season with ok defense and a good arm. Still plenty left behind the plate for him.

Right on, for some reason I thought he was in danger of losing time.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

weiters stinks

[JAKEPEAVY21]

agree, weiters is an underachiever...never lived up to the hype

[BigSpoon]

Rockies sign RP Greg Holland. Weird for him to choose Coors Field to rebuild his value. http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/1...r-greg-holland

[Cross]

And Greg holland will suck forever.

[koz-man]

Mariners ace Felix Hernandez among victims in high-end robberies

Mariners ace Felix Hernandez was robbed of his 2015 All-Star ring and an engraved watch by a gang of burglars working in the Seattle area, police said.

The robbery took place in November, police said at a news conference Wednesday, to announce that they had apprehended three men suspected of targeting luxury homes in the area. A nine-month investigation led them to a house in West Seattle, where they recovered $500,000 worth of stolen items.

Hernandez had lost more than $1.5 million worth of goods, including the diamond watch engraved with his nickname, "King Felix," police said. One of the suspects was wearing Hernandez's watch when he was arrested.
===========

Another case of the bad guys making the job of the police ez.!!

[EmpireMaker]

Ryan Howard tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that a productive second half in 2016 — Howard batted .262/.324/.608 in 140 plate appearances following the second half — convinced him that he still has “a lot left in the tank.” Howard is working out and waiting in hopes of receiving an offer for the upcoming season, Rosenthal writes. The longtime Phillies cornerstone is open to signing in the American League and serving as a designated hitter, and he’s realistic and understanding of the fact that he isn’t likely to be given an everyday role. Howard is one of many left-handed sluggers on the free-agent market — Brandon Moss, Pedro Alvarez, Adam Lind and Justin Morneau are all also available, for instance — but a strong finish and 24 home runs against right-handed pitching (in 327 plate appearances) could get him a look as a part-time DH or a bench bat in 2017.
Here are a few more late-night notes from around the game…

• The Marlins’ acquisition of right-hander Severino Gonzalez filled the team’s 40-man roster, making further guaranteed contracts unrealistic, MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro reports. The Marlins could still add some players on minor league deals, but with a full 40-man roster and a payroll that is at its limit (roughly $110MM), additional spending is a long shot. Miami was recently connected to both Chris Carter and Mark Reynolds, but Frisaro calls the chances of signing either “extremely remote.” The Fish do have interest in Jeff Francoeur, but he’d have to be willing to sign a minor league contract in order to return to Miami. That could ultimately happen, but Francoeur does have interest elsewhere, as the Braves are said to be in on him as well.
• Sticking with the Marlins, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald hears that it was the agents for Carter and Reynolds who reached out to the Marlins recently, and not vice versa. That would certainly make sense, as Miami could look like an appealing landing spot, on paper, for either slugger. Jackson writes that the Marlins are considering a 13-man pitching staff and a four-man bench, making the addition of even a modestly priced right-handed bat like Carter or Reynolds unlikely. There’s still some interest in Francoeur and Chris Johnson, he notes.
• Fangraphs’ David Laurila spoke with Rockies GM Jeff Bridich about a number of topics, interestingly touching on what lessons that Major League front offices can learn from the front offices of teams in other sports. Laurila notes that Bridich is a diehard Green Bay Packers fan, and the two discussed Green Bay’s ability to build through the draft as well as the Atlanta Falcons’ turnaround from a sub-.500 club to a Super Bowl participant. Bridich also spoke about the Rockies’ focus on youth and athleticism as well as their growing analytics department. “We’ve worked in leaps and bounds to do that, but it’s probably unfair to say we’ve brought our analytics process up to par with our scouting process,” said Bridich. “…in terms of the human capital, in terms of the financial capital, and the time spent in the growth of the analytics over the last year, year and a half… it’s real. We’re starting to really see some movement there.”
• Rays general manager Erik Neander tells Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times that newly acquired right-hander Jose De Leon is very close to making a “significant impact” on the team, though Topkin writes that De Leon could open the year in Triple-A. De Leon’s shoulder has been a source of concern for some, but the right-hander denies that there’s any cause for concern and said his arm is healthy. “I’m on a mission,” De Leon tells Topkin. “I was a low draft pick, nobody knew about me, nobody believed in me, so I’m on a mission to fulfill my dreams. Getting to the big leagues is just the beginning.”
• Topkin also notes at the end of that column that the Rays are “possibly” considering free-agent catcher Matt Wieters in their search for a bat. While that may seem like a curious fit at first glance, offseason signee Wilson Ramos will be out early in the season as he recovers from surgery to repair a torn ACL. Even when Ramos is healthy enough to take the field, it’s all but certain that the Rays will want to be cautious at first once he’s activated. Wieters could catch regularly for a good portion of the season and eventually be part of a catcher/DH timeshare with Ramos, in theory.

[astro61200]

I forgot Howard didn't really break into the majors until he was 26 or 27. Remember being on vacation in NJ as a teenage with my family and hearing them talking about needing to trade Thome to make room for Howard. Now he's about to retire. Between stuff like that and players I remember being top prospects now getting into the HOF, makes me feel old!

[El Nino]

Mariners ace Felix Hernandez among victims in high-end robberies

Mariners ace Felix Hernandez was robbed of his 2015 All-Star ring and an engraved watch by a gang of burglars working in the Seattle area, police said.

The robbery took place in November, police said at a news conference Wednesday, to announce that they had apprehended three men suspected of targeting luxury homes in the area. A nine-month investigation led them to a house in West Seattle, where they recovered $500,000 worth of stolen items.

Hernandez had lost more than $1.5 million worth of goods, including the diamond watch engraved with his nickname, "King Felix," police said. One of the suspects was wearing Hernandez's watch when he was arrested.
===========

Another case of the bad guys making the job of the police ez.!!

Heard they thought the robbers nabbed a Yankees World Series ring...it was a replica worth $35

[Otters27]

Robbers targeting celebreties and pro athletes. A lot of inside jobs from back stabbers

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Robbers targeting celebreties and pro athletes. A lot of inside jobs from back stabbers

you have to have a tight inner circle once you get rich and famous..get rid of the riff raff

[Chi_archie]

I don't think anyone picks Howard up

[BigSpoon]

I don't think anyone picks Howard up

I don't think anyone will sign him to be their everyday 1B but could see an AL side signing him as a DH/bench role.

[koz-man]

MLB Roundup: Will Bronson Arroyo be pitching
for Reds this spring?

In Bronson Arroyo's time with the Cincinnati Reds, he was a model of low maintenance. On the day he was scheduled to pitch, he took the ball. In between his starts, he did his work and prepared for the next time he was scheduled to pitch.

Then-Reds manager Dusty Baker loved having Arroyo on the team, mostly because he was a pretty good pitcher, but also because he provided an example to all other pitchers -- all other players, too -- of how to go about his business.

Arroyo turns 40 next month and he has not pitched in the big leagues since 2014, but because of the relationship between the pitcher and the Reds, the two sides have mutual interest in a deal -- a minor-league contract. Sources indicated that the Reds have seen Arroyo throw recently, and saw enough to have interest in the idea of bringing him to camp.
======
Would not surprise me one bit. The Reds love to give washed-up/old players a chance.

[El Nino]

I don't think anyone picks Howard up

Not in less it's on the mega cheap.

[yisman]

howard and utley both came up late which is why their primes were so short

[Andy117]

I don't think anyone picks Howard up

He'll get a shot somewhere in the AL.

[astro61200]

howard and utley both came up late which is why their primes were so short

And now the Phillies are bringing their guys up too early

[Chi_archie]

lot of top 100 prospect lists coming out

[EmpireMaker]

The agents for Jerry Blevins and Boone Logan are signaling to interested teams that each left-hander will be able to land two-year, $12MM deals or better, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. That two-year, $12MM figure — the same contract inked by Antonio Bastardo with the Mets last offseason — was recently used a potential template for both Blevins and Logan by one executive that spoke with Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith.
Nicholson-Smith recently reported that the Jays remain in contact with Blevins, and Rosenthal lists the Dodgers as another club that’s interested in his services. As is the case with their interest in Joe Blanton, though, the Dodgers are interested in a one-year deal, which could make it difficult to secure one of the top remaining names on the relief market. The New York Post’s Kevin Kernan writes that the Mets are checking in with Blevins’ camp on a daily basis. The Yankees are also in touch with the representatives for the remaining lefty relievers, Rosenthal adds, though they’re only interested in one-year deals with a low base salary or even minor league deals with Spring Training invites. That, it would seem, removes the likes of Blevins and Logan from the Yankees’ realistic options.
Both Blevins and Logan averaged better than 11 strikeouts per nine innings this past season, though Blevins did so with a lower ERA (2.79 to 3.69) and better control (3.2 BB/9 to 3.9 BB/9). That strikeout rate represented an easy career-best for Blevins, while Logan has averaged better than 11 K/9 in each of the past five seasons with the Yankees and Rockies.
Meanwhile, Craig Breslow’s recent showcase, which was attended by roughly half the league, has thrust him into the conversation of available lefties. Breslow’s new arm slot was said to pique the interest of some clubs, and he represents a significantly more affordable option than other southpaws that have yet to sign with a new team. Rosenthal reports that the Indians, Mets and Dodgers each had multiple evaluators in attendance, and WEEI’s Rob Bradford reported recently that the Rockies, Blue Jays and Cubs were all in attendance as well. Kernan notes that he spoke to a scout who was in attendance for Breslow’s workout and came away impressed.
Travis Wood, too, is still seeking a new home this winter, but Nicholson-Smith notes that many in the industry still expect Wood to seek a starting job due to his experience in the rotation. That makes him a tough fit for the Blue Jays, and the fact that teams like the Yankees and Dodgers aren’t looking to break the bank, in my mind, makes either club seem like a long shot as well.

[Cross]

He was smart to get that Subway commercial before he started sucking.

[EmpireMaker]

http://m.mlb.com/prospects/2016?list=prospects

[El Nino]

lot of top 100 prospect lists coming out

Byron Buxton will probably still be on there...even though he blows.

[Chi_archie]

Byron Buxton will probably still be on there...even though he blows.

no

its for guys that haven't quite broken into the bigs yet, down to just drafted 18 year olds that might be 3-5 years away still

Buxton's got almost 500 plate appearnces in the bigs now

[astro61200]

Anyone else get Baseball Prospectus? Shipping soon, on sale on Amazon for $17

[JAKEPEAVY21]

bronson arroyo is dogshyt

[koz-man]

bronson arroyo is dogshyt

That's my point, why the Reds will sign him.

[BigSpoon]

bronson arroyo is dogshyt

Harsh but fair, was never a fan of his.

[Andy117]

Byron Buxton will probably still be on there...even though he blows.

I wouldn't write him off just yet. Most guys his age are still in AA.