Forbes: Chicago Cubs Valuation Hits $1.8 Billion In Minority Sale Of Team

In 2009, the Ricketts family paid $845 million for the Chicago Cubs, Wrigley Field, 25% of Comcast SportsNet Chicago and a small parcel of land outside the stadium. The owners recently recently raised a total of $150 million of equity to help fund the renovation of their ballpark by selling minority interests of the same assets to six investors, plus a tiny piece of land they subsequently bought for $20 million where there was a McDonald’s, for $2.25 billion, according to two people at ...

MLB Network: Carlos Pena explains Effective Velocity (video)

Carlos Pena dives into the topic of effective velocity, or why all 90 mph fastballs aren’t created equally.

Baseball Prospectus | Prospectus Feature: A.J. Preller’s Offseason and the Toronto Precedent

Put me in the camp of those who think the Padres won’t compete in the NL West in 2015. They will be better than they were in 2014 but not good enough.

Arizona Diamondbacks’ Yasmany Tomas goes to work at third base

This does not sound hopeful.

I watched a little bit of his defensive work,” Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale said. “I thought he worked really hard and that he’s getting there. We have a lot of guys over there who are really fundamentally sound, so he’s able to watch them and pick things up from them.”

Bobblehead collectors Phil Sklar and Brad Novak turn pro by launching National HOF and Museum

The resultant publicity increased the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum’s membership rolls, which now include individuals in more than 40 states. Membership, which can be had for as little as $20, includes perks such as free admission to the museum and the ability to vote in Bobblehead Hall of Fame elections. (Fifty bobbleheads will be inducted as part of the initial class, with four per year receiving the honor after that). To create additional revenue, Novak and Sklar have also begun designing ...

Deep dive from Ike Davis on Mets’ downfall, hope for future - NY Daily News

I still kinda like Ike.

2015-16 MLB International Bonus Pools - BaseballAmerica.com

Does anyone know how these numbers are determined?

Aramis Ramirez plans to retire after 2015 season

In 2,057 career games, Ramirez has hit .285/.344/.496 with 369 home runs and 2,186 hits. Ramirez has made three All Star games in his career, including last season when he was elected a starter by the fans.

Jeff Sullivan: Every single team has a chance ... yes, even the Phillies

“...just to re-state it, for the current record: one standard deviation of the difference between actual wins and projected wins is found here to be 8.7. That’s a 17-win window, around a central projection…”

Dodgers going organic this season

“We are the healthiest team in pro sports,” was written across the top of the menu at Camelback Ranch Thursday. That day’s lunch was organic seared pork chops, free-range herb seared chicken, organic baked potatoes and organic sautéed asparagus. Not exactly low-calorie, but fortifying and low on toxins.

Because nothing says healthy like pork and potatoes.

AJC: Braves center fielder Upton (foot) likely out at least 2 months

Melvin Upton Jr. will likely miss all of spring training after being diagnosed with inflammation of a bone in his left foot, and the Braves suddenly have another opening-day spot up for grabs.

Upton had X-rays Friday morning that showed some damage but weren’t definitive, then had an MRI exam that revealed he has sesamoiditis, or inflammation in a bone behind the ball of his foot.

The Braves said he would be in short leg cast for two weeks, then a walking boot for 4-6 weeks. He’s not ...

Juan Pierre officially announces his retirement

Juan Pierre, who sat out last season after struggling for the Marlins in 2013, has officially decided to retire at age 37.

A delayed goodbye from one of the game’s fastest men.

International Notes: Bonus Pools, Alvarez, Olivera – MLB Trade Rumors

Some info about Yadier Alvarez’s free agent status.

Los Angeles Angels slugger Josh Hamilton likely faces significant suspension | FOX Sports

Some details.

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 2-27-2015

Washington Times, February 27, 1915:

Six major league ball teams are today en route to their training headquarters, and within a few days you fans will have the greatest kind of a feast over the news which is coming from the various camps regarding the development of the players.
...
The Athletics will [train] at Jacksonville, while the Brooklyns will proceed by rail to Daytona, and the Phillies to St. Petersburg, Fla.

The other teams which are traveling south today are the Chicago Cubs, who ...

What Rick Porcello learned while surrounded by aces in Detroit - WEEI | John Tomase

Rick Porcello talks about what he learned from the other starters in Detroit.

‘Tres Amigos’ lead new-look Red Sox’s scary offensive dynamo | New York Post

There is only one Laser Show.

A-Rod circus taking pressure off Gregorius at Yankees camp - NY Daily News

Jeter isn’t playing for the Yankees anymore?

Johan Santana gets another chance, signs with Blue Jays

Santana has agreed to join the Blue Jays on a minor-league deal with an invite to major-league spring training. It’s the first step in either a feel-good comeback story or another stalled attempt by Santana to reclaim his MLB glory.

Santana, 35, didn’t pitch in the big leagues in 2013 and 2014, but not for lack of trying. Shoulder surgery prevented him from taking the field in 2013 with the New York Mets. He signed a one-year contract with the Baltimore Orioles last year, but tore his ...

The Cuba Diaries: The Last Day of the Caribbean Derek Jeter, Carlos Tabares

What is the Cuban equivalent of a gift-basket?

Tabares has been on five of the Industriales’s 12 championship winning teams. He is considered one of the best postseason players in league history, and holds the record for most postseason hits. His career batting average (.308 at the moment of our conversation) will likely stay above .300 for the remainder of his career, barring a total collapse in his predicted final two seasons. He is a media and fan favorite, and a certain Hall of Famer. And ...

Ex-big leaguer (Jim) King, 82, dies

Former professional baseball player Jim King of Elkins died Monday in Fayetteville.

He was 82.

An outfielder, King played 11 seasons with six major-league teams. He began his major-league career in 1955 with the Chicago Cubs where he played two seasons. His first at-bat came at Wrigley Field, where he had a pinch-hit double against eventual Hall of Famer Robin Roberts.

King went on to play a year for the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants. He didn’t play in the majors in the 1959 ...

Blue Jays outfielder Michael Saunders injured, out until all-star break

The Blue Jays announced early Thursday morning that left-fielder Michael Saunders suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee in a freak accident at the Mattick Training Centre on Wednesday.

Saunders, a native of Victoria B.C., stepped on an exposed sprinkler head in the outfield during batting practice and heard a pop.

Bad luck for Saunders and the Jays. Not much left in free agency - maybe Andy Dirks would make sense?

MLBTR: Mets Not Expected To Talk Extension With Daniel Murphy

Though second baseman Daniel Murphy has been one of the Mets’ most consistent offensive performers over the past few seasons, the team has no plans to negotiate an extension with the 29-year-old during the season, reports ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin. While that wording would seem to leave open some possibility of a Spring Training extension, Rubin writes that the expectation is for New York to let Murphy walk as a free agent next offseason. ...

If an extension isn’t in the cards, Murphy ...

Brewers To Re-Sign Francisco Rodriguez

Apparently last season, he had 44 saves, a WHIP under 1, and made the All-Star team. Not even joking!

(That’s 348 saves going into his age 33 season…)

The Brewers have reached agreement on a two-year, $13MM deal with reliever Francisco Rodriguez. The team also holds a club option for the 2017 season over the Boras Corporation client.

The total guarantee is expected to include just $3MM this year and $6MM next season. That would appear to suggest that the contract includes a significant option ...

Lindbergh: Has Baseball’s Minors-to-Majors Jump Really Gotten Harder for Hitters?

I do feel like the people who say “Get rid of this guy who hits mediocrely in the NL! This other guy has been hitting great in AA for over a year!” were more often correct 15 years ago.

On the other hand, every prospect who can’t make the leap seems to be countered by a prospect who succeeds in the majors after nobody noticed he got promoted, like Khris Davis.

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 2-26-2015

Pittsburgh Press, February 26, 1915:

[During a team jogging drill, White Sox pitcher Reb] Russell repeatedly lagged behind the others and once when passing the home plate, where the manager stood the boss called: “Show some speed, Tex. Where’s your ‘pep’?”

“What do you think this is, my birthday?” was the rather sarcastic reply of the bulky athlete.

“Well, it isn’t any holiday,” came the answer from the manager. “This isn’t a vacation trip. You’re out here to work.”
...
The affair was ...

Braves insist it’s a ‘remodeling,’ not a ‘rebuilding’

You don’t?

The reality is the Braves didn’t believe they could be a World Series team if they kept the team intact. To be honest, they were actually thrilled the Nationals and Miami Marlins got even better during the winter, reinforcing their belief they were not going to contend for the division title.

At the same time, you don’t bring in veterans A.J. Pierznyski, Jason Grilli, John Buck, Kelly Johnson, Jim Johnson, Alberto Callaspo, Gomes and Markakis, and expect to go out every night and ...

Hedges shrugs off rankings, focused on Majors | padres.com

Austin Hedges is the most overrated prospect in baseball.

“I don’t blame them. If you look at my numbers last season, they weren’t great,” said Hedges, who hit .225 last season with Double-A San Antonio. “Those guys weren’t in the Texas League every day and didn’t see what wasn’t on paper, which was a lot of quality at-bats and hard-contact outs.”

O’Brien turning heads at D-backs camp | dbacks.com

He may have big-time power. His defense has big-time problems, however.

“I think he’s on a different level,” Gosewisch said. “Sometimes there’s guys in BP where you see them hit a few home runs and you might yourself try to hit some home runs to match them, but he’s on another level and it’s fun to watch. You can hear [it], [the ball] just sounds different coming off his bat. There’s a few guys in the game that have that sound, and he’s one of them. He’s got some kind of power.”

...Read More...

Jim Furtado Posted: February 26, 2015 at 08:10 AM | 19 comment(s)
  Beats: diamondbacks, pete o'brien

Yankees confident they can avoid paying A-Rod milestone bonuses - CBSSports.com

This situation can get even uglier than it is already.

Yankees people are said to be confident A-Rod wouldn’t prevail in the expected skirmish over the $30 million, not only because of their belief that his drug missteps have rendered his marketing value nil, but also because of the phrasing in the agreement that requires that the Yankees “designate” the historic home runs as milestones. Perhaps even more important, the potential to call him to the stand under oath should he challenge their ...