Reds president Phil Castellini rankles some with comments on team at Reds supporters club lunch [$]

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Among his remarks was that the ownership group ran the team like a “nonprofit.” Rosie Reds president Sara Mathews said that was just part of the statement, noting that she believed the overall message was that Castellini meant the team put any profits back into the team. Others did not take that away from the comment.

“He did open up that talk asserting that the Reds were a nonprofit organization,” said Tracey Johnson, a season ticket holder and Rosie Reds member. “I’ve worked for 501(c)(3)s and I was appalled, to say the least. It went down from there. He was very much trying to really back up, ‘hey, we’re trying and the system is fixed against us.’”

Castellini bemoaned guaranteed contracts in the ...

Why The Angels’ Small Moves Might (Finally) Add Up To Big Success

One of the underrated reasons for Los Angeles’s struggles was that it gave so much playing time to outright bad players. According to wins above replacement,1 only the ghastly Pittsburgh Pirates (-13.4), Oakland Athletics (-13.0) and Cincinnati Reds (-12.5) lost more wins via negative-value players than the Angels, whose subzero-WAR contributors cost them 12.0 wins last season. If the Angels are the ultimate example of a “stars-and-scrubs” roster, the scrubs have been dragging down the stars for years.

And so, the Angels have finally made plans to address this recurring problem over the offseason by upgrading the non-star portion of the roster. On the position-player side, the team has bolstered its talent by trading for infielder ...

Carlos Correa Shares What Giants Said About Ankle When Contract Fell Through

The shortstop initially reached a 13-year, $350 million agreement with San Francisco; however, the club had “concerns” with his physical. In an interview with The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, Correa revealed that the Giants’ conversations about his ankle with him were centered around the future, specifically “that in the future it might not hold up. Which I couldn’t understand.”

Correa went on to add, “I never missed a game because of my ankle. You look at my complete medical record in the big leagues, there is zero treatment on my ankle. And it has never hurt. I couldn’t understand how they were predicting the future, saying 8-10 years down the line something might happen to it.”

The shortstop, then, agreed to a ...

Cubs to give Sandberg statue, not ready to reunite with Sosa

The Chicago Cubs plan to honor Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg with a statue outside Wrigley Field and put him in an exclusive club that includes Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Ron Santo, Ferguson Jenkins and Harry Caray.

When it comes to Sammy Sosa, however, nothing has changed. They’re not ready for a reunion.

Chairman Tom Ricketts surprised Sandberg with the announcement that the statue “is in progress” during a question-and-answer session with fans, drawing a standing ovation in a crowded ballroom.

They weren’t as happy when he told them there has been no progress toward welcoming back Sosa. Ricketts said he remains hopeful a reunion will happen and insisted: “I don’t think the final chapter has been written on this.”

The ...

Boras: Blue Jays, Cubs, Twins “Were Really After” Xander Bogaerts

Xander Bogaerts’ first visit to free agency resulted in an 11-year, $280MM deal with the Padres that greatly exceeded projections, even for a player who was expected to land one of the offseason’s biggest contracts.  Agent Scott Boras discussed some of the twists and turns of Bogaerts’ free agent trip with USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, and Boras identified that Bogaerts was San Diego’s second choice, once Trea Turner rejected a reported $342MM offer from the Padres.

Once Turner turned down the Padres’ offer to sign with the Phillies, “we kind of knew the Padres’ guy was Bogaerts,” Boras said.  “They wanted that personality, that leadership in that locker room.”  Left unspoken by Boras was the fact that the Padres were ...

It’s international signing day! Here’s where top prospects are going

The international signing period runs through Dec. 15, 2023. Here is a look at which players from MLB Pipeline’s Top 50 International Prospects list have agreed to terms with clubs, and for how much. Unless otherwise noted, clubs have not confirmed the deals.

1. Ethan Salas, C, Venezuela – Padres ($5,600,000) More »
2. Felnin Celesten, SS, Dominican Republic – Mariners ($4,700,000)
3. Joendry Vargas, SS, Dominican Republic – Dodgers
4. Alfredo Duno, C, Venezuela – Reds
5. Luis Morales, RHP, Cuba – Athletics
6. Derniche Valdez, SS, Dominican Republic – Cubs ($2,700,000)
7. Enmanuel Bonilla, OF, Dominican Republic – Blue Jays ($4,100,000)
8. Sebastian Wolcott, SS, Bahamas – Rangers
9. Brandon Mayea, OF, Cuba – Yankees ...

Report: Trey Mancini, Cubs agree to 2-year deal

Mancini, a cancer survivor, helped the Houston Astros win the World Series last season after arriving Aug. 1 from Baltimore in a three-team trade that included Tampa Bay.

He struggled at the plate with Houston and finished the season batting .239 with 18 home runs, 63 RBIs and a .710 OPS overall for the Orioles and Astros.

Mancini, who turns 31 in March, brings a right-handed bat with power and could be a primary option at designated hitter for the Cubs. He plays first base and the corner outfield spots, also giving Chicago a potential platoon partner for new first baseman Eric Hosmer, a left-handed hitter.

Cub news- Trey Mancini gets two years $14 million guarantee.Bonuses can add another $7 million from PA totals. Mancini can opt out ...

Eight Shortstops Red Sox Could Target After Trevor Story Injury

TRADE CANDIDATES
Ha-Seong Kim, San Diego Padres
What if Bogaerts and Kim simply switched spots? Obviously, that’s a downgrade for Boston when painted as such, but Kim is a good, versatile infielder who’s coming off a 2022 season in which he posted 3.7 fWAR, the 11th-best mark among MLB shortstops. He’s also only 27 and on a team-friendly contract, meaning the Red Sox would need to part with legitimate talent to pry him away from San Diego, but it’s definitely a worthwhile consideration given Boston’s glaring need up the middle…

Adalberto Mondesi, Kansas City Royals
This would be a dart throw, seeing as Mondesi was limited to 50 games the last two seasons due to injuries and proved inconsistent with the bat in the years before ...

Sources: Padres, Juan Soto reach $23M deal, avoid arbitration

Outfielder Juan Soto and the San Diego Padres agreed Friday on a one-year, $23 million contract to avoid arbitration, sources told ESPN, in what is expected to be the richest deal on a day when hundreds of players settle on their salaries for the 2023 season.

The arbitration process allows players with more than three years of major league service time to negotiate their salaries with teams for the upcoming season. In cases where the sides cannot come to terms on a deal by the Friday deadline, they exchange numbers that they then take into an arbitration hearing, where a three-person panel listens to a case and chooses a side.

Today is the deadline to reach terms on arbitration-eligible players or exchange figures for arbitration.

Former MLB outfielder Lee Tinsley dead at 53

Former MLB outfielder and coach Lee Tinsley died Thursday at 53. No cause of death was announced.

According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, Tinsley died in Scottsdale, Ariz. where he is “survived by three beautiful children.”

Tinsley’s brief major league career spanned across five seasons from 1993 to 1997, where he played for the Mariners, Red Sox and Phillies. In 1994, he ranked second on the Red Sox with 13 stolen bases without being caught.

He started the 1995 campaign with a 14-game hitting streak and was moved from the bottom of the order to the leadoff spot. He also had a 15-game hitting streak in June. Tinsley hit a career-high .284 with 18 stolen bases in 100 games for the AL East champion Red Sox.

MLB front office selections best farm systems

50%—Orioles
21%—Dodgers
9%—Cardinals
6%—D-backs
Also received votes: Cubs, Guardians, Rays, Reds, Yankees

Mets have fallen further behind Yankees in this key area

I’m in 100% agreement on the importance of intellectual diversity. What I’m not so sure about is that the Yankees are necessarily ahead of the Mets based on these three guys. Don’t get me wrong, I like the hires for the Yankees. Without knowing all the voices in the Mets organization, however, it’s completely possible the Mets have as much diversity of thought as the Yankees.

The next step forward for Steve Cohen and GM Billy Eppler should be to add a person or people whose eyes are trained to provide deeply informed answers to questions like that. Intellectual diversity is one element that differentiates good front offices from great ones, and the Mets could stand to improve in this area.

The team has scores of terrific scouts, analysts ...

Sources: Andrew McCutchen returning to Pirates on 1-year deal

Andrew McCutchen is returning to the Pittsburgh Pirates, it appears.

The 36-year-old McCutchen, who was named the 2013 NL MVP when he was playing in Pittsburgh, has agreed to a contract with the Pirates for the upcoming season, sources have confirmed. The finalization of the deal is pending a physical examination.

A summer of milestones is likely ahead for McCutchen, who needs 52 more hits to achieve 2,000 in his career; eight more doubles to reach 400; 13 more homers to reach 300.

4 Train Savages on Twitter: Derek Jeter deserves an Oscar for this performance

Derek Jeter deserves an Oscar for this performance pic.twitter.com/DaysFskiat

— 4 Train Savages (@FourSavages) January 11, 2023

Sources - All AAA parks to use electronic strike zone in ‘23

The challenge system seems workable.

The electronic strike zone will be used in all 30 Class AAA parks in 2023, sources told ESPN, seemingly another significant step toward the implementation of the technology at the big league level in the near future.

The Automatic Balls and Strikes system, commonly referred to as ABS, will be deployed in two different ways. Half of the Class AAA games will be played with all of the calls determined by an electronic strike zone, and the other half will be played with an ABS challenge system similar to that used in professional tennis.

Each team will be allowed three challenges per game, with teams retaining challenges in cases when they are proved correct. MLB’s intention is to use the data and feedback ...

Matt Holliday resigns; McEwing hired as bench coach

The St. Louis Cardinals have hired Joe McEwing as their bench coach after Matt Holliday resigned the position.

McEwing, 50, a native of the Philadelphia metro area, comes to St. Louis after spending 15 years coaching with the White Sox organization, most recently as the third base coach from 2021-22, also serving as the bench coach from 2017-20 under manager Rick Renteria….

Holliday, 42, who was hired by the Cardinals as the bench coach on November 6, 2022, after serving as the volunteer coach for Oklahoma State University, has resigned from his post. Daniel Nicolaisen will be added to the Major League staff as the third hitting coach. Patrick “Packy” Elkins will be responsible for gameday duties, planning for both hitting and ...

Marlins Reportedly to Trade Shortstop Miguel Rojas to the Dodgers

Rojas, 34 next month, has been a high-contact, solid-defense shortstop for the Marlins for a long time, and although he may not be an everyday starter for the Dodgers, his righty bat might pair nicely in a time-share with Lux’s lefty bat (and Lux can man other positions when he’s not at short). This is a floor-raising move for a team that already had an incredibly strong floor.

It’s a good move for the Dodgers (and their pitchers), and they’ll part with shortstop prospect Jacob Amaya, who is ranked 15th in a very good Dodgers system:

Padres agree to deal with veteran slugger Cruz

Veteran slugger Nelson Cruz has agreed to a one-year, $1 million deal with the Padres, a source told MLB.com’s Shaun O’Neill on Wednesday, adding a little more thump to a lineup that has brought Xander Bogaerts and Matt Carpenter aboard this winter. The club has not confirmed the move.

For years, Cruz held Father Time at bay more effectively than almost any player in baseball history. A late bloomer who didn’t establish himself in the Majors until his late 20s, Cruz made up for lost time by bashing 292 home runs from ages 33-40—more than anyone other than Barry Bonds, Rafael Palmeiro and Babe Ruth. He also earned five of his seven career All-Star selections in that time, as well as all four of his Silver Slugger Awards.

...Read More...

RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: January 11, 2023 at 05:45 PM | 13 comment(s)
  Beats: nelson cruz, padres

OF Corey Dickerson, Nationals agree to one-year deal

Corey Dickerson hopes to show he can still hit for power and make an impact in the majors in his 30s. Signing with the Washington Nationals should give the well-traveled outfielder the chance to show that.

Dickerson finalized a $2.25 million, one-year deal with the Nationals on Tuesday. After combining for just 19 home runs over the past three seasons, he joins a young team in Washington that’s coming off three consecutive last-place finishes in the NL East and seems to match his mentality.

Athletics, Shintaro Fujinami Agree To One-Year Deal

The Athletics have agreed to a one-year contract with right-hander Shintaro Fujinami, reports ESPN’s Jeff Passan (Twitter link). The hard-throwing 28-year-old was posted by the Hanshin Tigers of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball back on Dec. 1. His agreement is pending a physical, and the A’s expect to use him out of the rotation, Passan adds. MLB.com’s Jon Morosi reported not long prior to Passan that the A’s were in ongoing talks with Fujinami’s camp and considered a finalist to sign the righty.

Fujinami was a high school phenom from the same draft class as Shohei Ohtani, incredibly stepping right from high school ball into the Tigers’ rotation and as a 19-year-old rookie and pitching to a 2.75 ERA in 137 2/3 innings as ...

Mariners to induct Félix Hernández into team hall of fame

The Mariners will induct Félix Hernández into their hall of fame during the 2023 season, the team announced Wednesday.

Hernández, widely regarded as one of the best pitchers in franchise history, will be the 11th inductee for the club. The ceremony will be held Aug. 12 during a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles.

Hernández pitched parts of 15 seasons with the Mariners after debuting as a 19-year-old during the 2005 campaign. He was a six-time All-Star, won the 2010 American League Cy Young Award and twice finished second in Cy Young voting.

He went 169-136 with a 3.42 ERA while playing on several terrible teams and should have ended his career with better numbers. Hernández threw the most recent perfect game in ...

Tigers announce major changes to Comerica Park’s dimensions

The first big change is moving the center field wall in to 412 feet in straightaway center field. Instead of a straight wall perpendicular to the hitter, that wall will also now curl in a little at the edges to keep the distance to carry the wall pretty much the same across its full length.

The second change may stand out even more in actual game play, as they’re lowering the right-center field wall and the right field wall, producing a uniform height of seven feet from the right field corner all the way to where the left side of the center field wall meets the visitor’s bullpen. That’s a change that most will like, as it brings the fans closer to field level and produces a lot more opportunities for an outfielder to rob would-be ...

A’s appear to be down to 1 potential Las Vegas ballpark site

Bally’s President George Papanier, who oversees the company’s land-based casino operations, confirmed to the Review-Journal in an email that talks with the A’s regarding the Tropicana site remain ongoing.

All of this, of course, is contingent on the A’s deciding not to remain in Oakland. In the Bay Area, the A’s have a waterfront development at the Port of Oakland’s Howard Terminal in play. The $12 billion mixed-use development would include residential, commercial, hotel and public space centered around a $1 billion waterfront ballpark.

The process has a new twist now with newly sworn-in Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao replacing former mayor Libby Schaaf. Thao’s comments to Bay Area media seem to mimic Schaaf’s, with the desire ...

Red Sox’s Trevor Story Will Miss Time After Elbow Procedure

Who could have seen this coming? Not the Red Sox doctors, apparently.

Boston announced Trevor Story underwent an internal bracing procedure of the right ulnar collateral ligament — which is an alternative to Tommy John surgery. The Red Sox did not list a timetable for recovery, but internet searches say between four and six months.

Story signed a six-year deal with the Red Sox prior to the 2021 Major League Baseball season. Despite being primarily a shortstop with the Colorado Rockies, Story played second base and, when healthy, was one of the best defensively at the position last year.

Sources: Carlos Correa finalizing with Twins after Mets talks fizzle

Star shortstop Carlos Correa and the Minnesota Twins are finalizing a six-year, $200 million contract, pending a physical, after weeks of discussion to salvage a deal with the New York Mets broke down, sources familiar with the situation told ESPN.

The stunning turn caps a whirlwind month for Correa, who agreed to a 13-year, $350 million contract with the San Francisco Giants on Dec. 13. After the Giants raised concerns about Correa’s surgically repaired right leg, he pivoted quickly to the Mets, who offered him a 12-year, $315 million contract. The Mets flagged his physical as well, and efforts to amend the deal fell apart, leading Correa back to Minnesota, where he signed after a topsy-turvy offseason last year, too.

Ken Rosenthal on Twitter:  Johnny Cueto in agreement with Marlins

Source confirms: Free-agent right-hander Johnny Cueto in agreement with Marlins, one year with a club option for 2024. Including buyout, deal is for $8.5M guaranteed. First: @JonHeyman

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 10, 2023

Blue Jays To Sign Brandon Belt

7:58pm: Belt is guaranteed $9.3MM, reports Kaitlyn McGrath of the Athletic (on Twitter).

7:51pm: The Blue Jays are signing Brandon Belt to a one-year contract, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link). The veteran heads to Toronto after spending his entire career as a member of the Giants.

A fifth-round pick by San Francisco in 2009, Belt reached the majors two seasons later. He played in 63 games as a rookie and took hold of the primary first base job by his second season. Belt was a key contributor on San Francisco’s 2012 World Series team, hitting .275/.360/.421 over 145 games. Injuries limited him to 61 regular season contests during the 2014 season but he was healthy enough to contribute to San ...

Giants ink Luke Jackson, who missed ‘22 with TJ, to 2-year deal

The Giants bolstered their bullpen on Monday by signing veteran right-hander Luke Jackson to a two-year, $11.5 million contract that includes a club option for the 2025 season.

Jackson, 31, missed the 2022 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery last April, but he enjoyed a career-best season for the World Series champion Braves in 2021, logging a 1.98 ERA with 70 strikeouts over 63 2/3 innings.

Jackson will earn $3 million in 2023 and $6.5 million in ‘24; his 2025 club option is worth $7 million. If the Giants choose not to exercise the option, Jackson will receive a $2 million buyout.

2023 NBA Regular Season Thread

I estimate that this new thread should have been posted 10-12 days ago, at least.

MLB reinstates former Braves GM after ‘lifetime ban’: Everything to know

John Coppolella will likely have to seek new employment elsewhere given the Braves currently have Alex Anthopoulos as their general manager, but new opportunity awaits.

The former Atlanta general manager was well known for his exploits in international markets, but it was that same flirtation which eventually led to his undoing. Coppolella broke MLB rules by offering players a higher signing bonus to sign in Atlanta. Rob Manfred himself suspended Coppolella for “circumvented international signing rules from 2015 through 2017.”

“We can confirm that Mr. Coppolella has been reinstated, given the more than five years he spent on the ineligible list, the contrition he expressed and the other steps he took in response to this matter,” ...