Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 12-4-2013

Gyroball.

Pearlman: Ellis Valentine: addiction, life after sports & the beanball that changed his life

White Light/White Heat/White Rat goin’ messin’ up my mind.

JP: May 30th, 1980, you’re playing the St. Louis Cardinals, you’re hit in the head by Roy Thomas and a fractured cheekbone …

EV: By a manager, probably, and I do believe this to this day that I was probably intentionally thrown at because pitchers do do that; people try to sit here and say the ball just got away. Sorry; excuse my language. That’s bullcrap, ok? They don’t just get away. They don’t hit little .220 hitters ...

Yankees close to deal with Kelly Johnson, who could replace Robinson Cano

Yankees: Maximizing the Kelly strategy.

The team is close to a one-year deal for versatile infielder Kelly Johnson, according to the New York Post. The deal will be worth about $2.75 million to $3 million.

Johnson, who turns 32 in February, has played second base for much of his career. But he’s also spent time as a left fielder and third baseman. As they Yankees pressure Robinson Cano to decrease his contract demands, Johnson serves as a reasonable alternative. He could also fill in for ...

Rockies To Sign Justin Morneau

In the tradition of “Dumping Doug Fister So You Can Afford Joe Nathan” comes “Dumping Dexter Fowler So You Can…”

The Rockies have agreed to sign Justin Morneau to a two-year deal worth roughly $13MM, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).

Morneau hit .259/.323/.411 with 17 homers in 2013, a slash line is a slight improvement over that of a league-average hitter, and his .152 isolated power mark is also slightly above the league average of .146.

...Read More...

The District Attorney Posted: December 03, 2013 at 11:12 PM | 8 comment(s)
  Beats: free agents, justin morneau, pirates, rockies, transactions

Phillies Acquire Brad Lincoln

The world will little note, nor long remember…

The Phillies announced that they acquired right-handed pitcher Brad Lincoln from the Blue Jays in exchange for catcher Erik Kratz and minor league left-hander Rob Rasmussen.

Lincoln, 28, appeared in 22 games for Toronto in 2013 and posted a 3.98 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 6.3 BB/9…

Rasmussen combined to post a 4.11 ERA with 7.5 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 in 28 games (24 starts) for the Dodgers Triple-A and Double-A affiliates.

Kratz, 33, hit just ...

Ellsbury getting close to a seven-year deal with the Yankees - CBSSports.com

Hmm.

Marlins To Sign Jarrod Saltalamacchia

Update: Jarrod Saltalamacchia and #Marlins have agreed in principle to three-year, $21 millon contract

Rockies trade Dexter Fowler to Astros for Jordan Lyles, Brandon Barnes

The Astros have acquired center fielder Dexter Fowler and a player to be named later from the Rockies in exchange for right-hander Jordan Lyles and outfielder Brandon Barnes, both teams announced.

Thanks to JJ.

Posnanski: The 100 Greatest Baseball Players Ever

Ritter/Honig in on #1!

1. Every player is eligible. So, pre-1900 players, Negro Leagues players, legendary talents who never made it to the Majors, Japanese players, everybody is eligible.

2. I rank the players entirely on their play on the field (and whatever other subtle and helpful baseball qualities I could glean out of their careers)...

3. I rank the players using my own judgments — it wouldn’t be fun any other way…

Well, as Marty DeBergi says, enough of my yapping. The 100 ...

Padres acquire Seth Smith from A’s for Luke Gregerson

I do subscribe to the theory that Padre relievers are made-up people.

Clearing out their outfield logjam a bit following the deal for Craig Gentry earlier today the A’s have traded Seth Smith to the Padres for reliever Luke Gregerson.

Smith put up some big numbers in Colorado early in his career, but hit just .246 with a .738 OPS in 242 games for Oakland during the past two seasons…

Gregerson has posted consistently excellent numbers as a setup man for the Padres, including a sub-3.00 ERA in ...

Gabe Kapler: HOF voting needs clear-cut rules for suspected PED users

Is it fair to assume that guys like Bagwell and Craig Biggio took steroids and lankier, more average body types like Maddux and Glavine did not? After all, the whispers were likely started based on nothing but body-type profiling.

The proof will be in the non-anabolic pudding when Thomas is elected to the Hall in his first year on the ballot and Bagwell, whose numbers are definitely not as good as Frank’s but eerily similar in most categories gets a stiff arm to the well-developed chest.

...

2014 ZiPS Projections - Boston Red Sox

A’s get Craig Gentry from Rangers for Michael Choice

according to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com.

Gentry is incredibly fast and a fantastic defensive center fielder with a .280 batting average and .355 on-base percentage in 323 career games, although those totals likely overstate his offensive ability because he’s typically been platooned a lot.

Choice was the 10th overall pick in the 2010 draft, ranked as a consensus top-100 prospect coming into this year, and hit .302 with 14 homers and an .835 OPS in 132 games at Triple-A as a ...

Yankees and Brian McCann Agree To Deal

Brian McCann will be introduced by the Yankees at a news conference Thursday now that the catcher has passed his physical and his five-year, $85 million deal has been made official. The deal also contains a vesting option for the 2019 season.

Rays To Acquire Ryan Hanigan

Man, this is gonna be frameariffic.

The Reds are trading catcher Ryan Hanigan to the Rays, sources tell Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link).  The swap could be a three-way deal. 

It was expected that Cincinnati would move Hanigan since they agreed to a two-year deal with Brayan Pena…

Hanigan will give the Rays three catchers with Jose Lobaton and Jose Molina already in the fold…

Hanigan… has a reputation as a solid defensive backstop, having led the league in ...

SF Giants Minor Leaguer Players in Arizona Crash

The crash occurred when a team van collided with a car after pulling out of a hotel’s driveway.

Police and fire spokesmen said either three or four people affiliated with the Giants were hurt and taken to a hospital, while Giants spokeswoman Staci Slaughter says six Giants minor league players were transported.

Police Sgt. Mark Clark said none of the injuries was life-threatening.

Tigers To Sign Joe Nathan

I guess this “explains” it…

The Tigers are in agreement with Joe Nathan on a two-year deal, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (Twitter link).

BPP: Vote: The 50 best baseball players not in the Hall of Fame, Version 4.0

And you don’t need a Masters Degree!

Here we go again… It’s hard to believe it’s been a full year or that this will be our fourth time around, but it’s time to vote for my annual project on the 50 best baseball players not in the Hall of Fame. Last year’s project was a smashing success, and this year looks to be even better with the ballot fuller than ever. Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, and Frank Thomas highlight an unusually deep class of newly-eligible players.

Votes for this year’s ...

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 ...