Red Sox agree to deal with A.J. Pierzynski

BOOm!

Catcher A.J. Pierzynski has agreed to a deal with the Red Sox, according to a tweet from CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman.

A deal with Pierzynski would appear to end the Red Sox’ relationship with Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who was not tendered a qualifying offer last month.

Pierzynski, 36, is a 16-year veteran who played for the Rangers last season on a one-year deal, hitting .272/.297/.425 with 17 home runs and 70 RBIs in 134 games. He previously spent eight seasons with the White Sox and also ...

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 12-3-2013

Joe Kelley quoted in the Pittsburgh Press, December 3, 1913:

Years ago, Baltimore and Boston - and they were some ball clubs - tried to play a polite, courteous game, to see how it would work.
...
The first half inning was lovely. Even when Tim Hurst called a strike on Tom McCarthy that was a foot high, there was no outbreak. “Wasn’t that ball a trifle high, Mr. Umpire?” Tom asked, all courtesy. “I fear I may have erred in judgment, Mr. McCarthy, kindly overlook it if you will,” replied Tim with ...

Baseball America: 2014 Los Angeles Dodgers Top 10 Prospects

Spykstra cards going once, twice…

TOP 10 PROSPECTS

1. Joc Pederson, of
2. Corey Seager, ss
3. Julio Urias, lhp
4. Zach Lee, rhp
5. Chris Anderson, rhp
6. Chris Withrow, rhp
7. Alexander Guerrero, 2b
8. Chris Reed, lhp
9. Onelki Garcia, lhp
10. Ross Stripling, rhp

Their most recent big-ticket international signing—Cuban infielder Alexander Guerrero, who signed for four years and $28 million—went against the grain, as teams had several opportunities to evaluate him at showcases in the ...

Rob Parker: These Morally Superior MLB Voters Can Kick Rocks

Pulverizin’ Pulitzers! Don’t piss off Parker and his mighty Masters Degree from the Columbia School of Journalism!

The most-prized possession in my life is my Baseball Hall of Fame vote.

Yes, it means more than anything I ever obtained in this world - even my Masters Degree from the Columbia School of Journalism.

...Think about it. There are more than 300 million people in the United States. Yet, less than 500 people—just 10 of whom are African American—have a vote after being issued a ...

Athletics Acquire Jim Johnson From Orioles For Jemile Weeks

Weeks will make you want a Schoop.

The Athletics have officially acquired closer Jim Johnson from the Orioles in exchange for second baseman Jemile Weeks. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter) was the first to report the deal. The Orioles also pick up a player to be named later or future considerations in the deal, tweets Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun.

The Baltimore closer had been projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn a $10MM+ payday through arbitration for the Orioles, ...

Bucs prospect Chambers dies at 24 - Pittsburgh’s 2009 third-round pick passes away in his sleep

“All of us at the Pittsburgh Pirates are shocked and saddened by Evan’s sudden passing in his sleep this past weekend,” Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said. “Beyond being just a talented ballplayer, Evan was a great teammate and a quiet leader who went about his craft as a professional every day.

“Off the field, Evan loved making a difference in the community, and often dedicated a lot of his time working with children in the communities in which he played. Our heartfelt sympathies ...

Nationals acquire Doug Fister

Bolstering their rotation and checking off one of their major offseason goals, the Nationals traded the Detroit Tigers for Doug Fister, according to several reports. It is not immediately clear what the Nationals sent Detroit in return.

Mets non-tender Jordany Valdespin

Some Mets go when they get told to sit and ‘spin.

The JV1 era in Queens is over. According to multiple reports, Jordany Valdespin has been non-tendered by the Mets. Valdespin wasn’t arbitration-eligible until 2016, but it appears the Mets wanted to be rid of him…

2013 turned out to be a miserable season for Valdespin. After struggling mightily to begin the season, he hit a solo homer against the Pirates on May 10, 2013, in a 7-3 Mets loss. The homer came in the ninth inning with the Mets ...

Adam Rubin: My Hall of Fame ballot

Mike Piazza, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Frank Thomas, Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio, Curt Schilling and…........jack morris.

Here is my Hall of Fame ballot.

Second-year candidates Mike Piazza, Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens appear on my ballot for the first time. I also voted for Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas in their first year of eligibility. Because 10 candidates is the maximum for which to vote, I could not fit Tim Raines or Lee Smith this time after ...

Mariners To Sign Willie Bloomquist

tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

Bloomquist, a client of Scott Boras, batted .317/.360/.367 without a homer or stolen base in 139 plate appearances for the Diamondbacks in 2013. Bloomquist has spent the past three seasons in Arizona, batting a combined .289/.328/.368 with four homers—all of which came back in 2011. The 36-year-old served as a Swiss army knife for manager Kirk Gibson, playing shortstop, second base, third base, left field and right field in his time with the D-Backs.

Athletics To Sign Scott Kazmir

Kazmir, who turns 30 next month, reemerged as a legitimate Major League starter in 2013… After pitching to a 5.54 ERA in 299 innings from 2009-11 and seeing his average fastball velocity drop below 87 mph, Kazmir returned with a 92.5 mph heater and posted a 4.04 ERA In 158 innings for the Indians. He averaged 9.2 strikeouts and 2.7 walks per nine innings to go along with a 40.9 percent ground-ball rate…

The Kazmir signing likely puts an end to Oakland’s interest in a ...

Blue Jays To Sign Dioner Navarro

It wasn’t until this past season with the Cubs that Navarro proved he can still hit at the Major League level in a big way. In 266 plate appearances with the Cubs, Navarro slashed .300/.365/.492 with 13 home runs.

Catcher was a clear area of need for the Blue Jays this offseason after J.P. Arencibia, Josh Thole, Mike Nickeas and Henry Blanco combined to bat .190/.235/.335 in 2013…

Navarro will turn 30 in February, and his signing could cost Arencibia his job, as Rosenthal ...

OT: The Soccer Thread, December 2013

Some December highlights:

December 2nd: Lazio v Napoli
December 3rd: Upstart Lille v Marseille and Palace v West Ham
December 4th: Man U v Everton
December 6th: World Cup Draw, Bologna v Juventus
December 7th: MLS CHAMPIONSHIP, SKC v RSL, Man U v Newcastle, FA Cup second round proper matches, Napoli v Udinese, Dortmund v Leverkusen
December 8th: Arsenal v Everton, Roma v Fiorentina
December 9th: Swansea v Hull
December 10th: Man U v Shakhtar Donetsk, Galatasaray v Juventus, FC Hollywood v Man ...

Father Gabe Costa: Who Will Be Elected To The Baseball Hall Of Fame In 2014?

Father Gabe Costa doesn’t have a HOF vote…and the father away the better!

I have listed a number “interesting” eligible candidates on this year’s lists. I have included the number of years for which they have been under consideration (just for the BBWAA), a bullet comment or two and listed a “Prediction Grade for Election in 2014” which is calibrated as follows:

A = Definite Election…if not this year, then in the very near future

B = Possible Election…if not this year, then ...

Curt Schilling and Howard Eskin Got into a Vicious Twitter War Over the Weekend

Curt Schilling and Howard Eskin love pissing on each other. In January, Eskin attacked Schilling’s HOF credentials and Schilling called Eskin a jackass.

This weekend, their ongoing disagreement bubbled over into new territory. A confusing Twitter war commenced when Eskin again took aim at Schilling’s credentials. Schill responded. And many followers chimed in, sending the argument into strange territories.

I’ve done my best to curate the conversation into a coherent exchange. Do enjoy

...Read More...

Repoz Posted: December 02, 2013 at 10:18 AM | 63 comment(s)
  Beats: hof, phillies

Gregg Zaun: World Series Champion, Analyst, and helping families in need

Okay…so the analyst bit was a reach.

GZ: I think the game has deteriorated fundamentally. High-level players are rushed to the bigs too soon. They don’t get enough reps in the minors anymore. Just look at the bunting and the inability to command the fastball. Pitchers who throw 95 are out there trying to trick guys and end up with Tommy John surgery from throwing too many sliders, etc. Players focus on the areas of their games which get them paid.

...GZ: Don’t assume that a veteran is ...

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 12-2-2013

Washington Herald, December 2, 1913:

Eli Cates, pitcher of the Indianapolis Federal League team, had his right hand torn off in a corn shredder. The accident happened on the farm of Cates’ uncle near [Greenfork, Indiana]. Cates, who pitched with his right hand, was one of the mainstays of the Indianapolis club last season.

Yowch.

U.S.S. Mariner: The Nelson Cruz Inevitability

Nelson rules…where a greater variation of teams would be expected.

Offers being equal, the Mariners wouldn’t be the pick of many players. But there’s reason to believe that, with Cruz, the offers won’t be equal, and if the Mariners blow away the competition, Cruz would have to take a significant hit to go somewhere else. Before Byrd, maybe the Phillies would’ve been the team most likely to save the Mariners from themselves, but now they’ve already acquired an alternative and the ...

NY Post: Ca-no money left for Robbie?

Here is a question Robinson Cano and his advisors have to at least take into consideration as they attempt to find common ground with the Yankees:

What happens if the Yankees spend their dollars elsewhere and they are no longer in the market for the five-time All Star? [...]

Seattle is thought to be a dark horse-team for Cano, but the Mariners don’t figure to contend in the AL West with or without Cano. Since Cano left Scott Boras for Jay Z because he believed the mega entertainment star ...

OT: NBA Monthly Thread - December 2013

The Starters:

let me just tell you that I’ve found the best possible gift for any basketball fan: basketball-printed and basketball net-printed leggings... Even better, both the ball and net leggings have matching t-shirts to go along with them. Personally, I’d pair the basketball shirt with the hoop leggings, since it’d give you the appearance of being a gigantic human basketball going in to an elongated human rim, but that’s just me. At just $150 per pair of leggings — and $175 ...

Rockies owner provides detailed look at team’s budget

[Monfort] also explained why he isn’t about to spend all that new TV money next year. He said he is planning to receive $8 million less, or $19 million, believing a chunk will be kept for baseball’s central fund to compensate for last season

...The $18 million is additionally siphoned, Monfort explained, to pay $5.5 million to the MLB credit line for past loans, $5 million for player raises and $3.5 million to cover projected revenue loss from not having the Yankees and the Red Sox play at ...

[OTP-Dec 2013] Toronto Sun: Politics, baseball and Star Trek 2

When I read Aristotle’s ethics in undergrad it initially struck me as odd that one of the later chapters was on friendship. Why include such a frivolous topic in a book of such gravitas?

But it soon became clear to me the reason we debate, for example, roads and public transit isn’t because there is some inherent value in it. But because it gets us to work, or to the baseball game. Politics has no inherent value. Enjoying baseball and beer with friends on a weekend afternoon does.

This is ...

Tangotiger: Jack Morris will make the Hall of Fame

And probably Lee Smith will as well.

The player with the highest share of ballots to not (eventually) make the Hall of Fame was Gil Hodges, at 63% of votes at his peak.  Jack Morris received 68% last year.  He’d be the new leader.  But he won’t be for long, because the Veteran’s Committee will vote him in eventually.

After Hodges (*), second place is Tony Oliva at 47%.  Do you know what this means?  It means it’s completely ridiculous to make a player need 75% of the votes.  As soon ...

Murray Chass On Baseball: VOTE DELAYED IS STILL A VOTE

Bacne-of-the-envelope miscalculation.

The packet of information for the writers’ vote for the Hall of Fame arrived in the mail, and if it had included an actual ballot, I would have immediately marked an X next to Jack Morris, whose name appears for the last time of his 15-year eligibility.

(Omission of the ballot was to be rectified this week.)

The 254-game winner received 67.7 percent of the vote a year ago, the highest of his 14 years, but he was 42 votes short of the number he needed ...

Gammons: The new generation of shortstops

Now, as we (hopefully) ease out of the so-called Steroid Era into what Bud Selig hopes is simply the return to real baseball era, there are six young shortstops we will likely see arrive this season that could soon make this a golden era at the position.

–One, the Rangers’ Jurickson Profar, will probably play second base and team with Elvis Andrus, who in case you missed it, had the fourth best Wins Above Replacement of any shortstop in 2013. “His instincts and hitting skills should make ...

Balasis: Wilpon’s Brick and Mortar Failure

And here I thought Baseball Bill Denehy had a lot of rage…

In Fred Wilpon’s almost quaint and tragic desire to restore an Ebbets Field to the N.Y. landscape, his dream of building a new stadium resulted in the debt riddled quagmire he’s still mired in. He assumed property would always appreciate, he believed cash would always be at the ready, he predicted everything would work as it had during his real estate heyday, but not only did he assume wrong on every one of those counts, he lost ...

Twins sign Phil Hughes for $24 million over three years

Phil Hughes will join Ricky Nolasco in a rebuilt Twins rotation, according to La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, agreeing to a three-year, $24 million contract on Saturday.

Hughes, the winter’s youngest free agent at age 27, is coming off a rough season in which he went 4-14 with a 5.19 ERA in 29 starts and one relief appearance for the Yankees. Getting out of Yankee Stadium and it’s shallow right field porch should do him a whole lot of good, though it’s not like ...

BtBS: Replacing setup men with “openers”

Starting pitchers aren’t as effective a couple of times through the order, bullpens are getting bigger, and outings are getting a little bit shorter. It’s all part of the continuing shift in baseball away from the rotation, and toward the bullpen.

So let’s stop burying the lede and get it out of the way: I think it couldn’t hurt for teams to experiment with a new bullpen role. We’ve got closers ... I think there’s a good reason at this point to add in the role of the “opener.” ...Read More...

bobm Posted: November 30, 2013 at 05:23 PM | 31 comment(s)
  Beats: bullpen, pitching, rotation

Hall of Stats: The Interactive 2014 Hall of Fame Ballot

This is my fourth year creating the Interactive Hall of Fame ballot—a ballot with “bullseye” visualizations of every player on the ballot. You can drag the visuals around to compare players to each other.

The outer ring represents Wins Above Replacement (WAR, or an approximate measure of the player’s career value) while the inner ring represents Wins Above Average (WAA, or an approximate measure of the player’s peak value).

Mitchell: Jhonny Peralta and PED Inconsistency From Major League Baseball

Or as Hochman rabbled…“There are a lot more Aardsmas than Peraltas.” Gee, not according to my census book.

Peralta’s signing also indicates that the Cardinals believe that Peralta not only has served his time, so to speak, but that he is capable of performing at a high level even without the steroids. After all, Peralta will face a 100 game suspension if he tests positive again. If Peralta can perform as he has in his better years, this will be a good signing for the Cardinals, but if he ...