Posted on May 5th, 2008 by Mr. Fleece
Each year in baseball, we notice a number of stars whose April/May numbers are nothing short of disappointing. For some players, it is alarming. Primarily in regards to aging veterans, where fans and media wonder: are they done as a player? This type of scrutiny can just lend to increased pressure on the ballplayer in question, […]
Filed under: Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, Houston Astros, New York Mets, New York Yankees | 12 Comments »
Posted on April 24th, 2008 by Old Navy King
According to Alyson Footer at MLB.com, Houston Astros ace Roy Oswalt laughed at questions about his supposed interest in waiving his no-trade clause. The questions apparently came from a recent comment on ESPN’s Baseball Tonight show, which hinted that the Astros were dangling Oswalt in trade talks, and that the right-hander was willing to waive his […]
Filed under: Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros, New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals | No Comments »
Posted on April 19th, 2008 by Old Navy King
As per Kevin T. Czerwinski at MLB.com, the Houston Astros have signed right-handed pitcher Alay Soler to a one-year deal. The split deal is worth $400,000 ($12k in minor leagues), and will officially be signed on Monday. Soler will then spend the next 2 weeks in extended Spring Training, and then report to AAA-Round Rock. The […]
Filed under: Houston Astros, New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates | No Comments »
Posted on April 17th, 2008 by McFleece
UPDATE: (April 17th, 11:06pm EST) - It turns out that Tejada is a little less innocent in this story than one might have initially thought. On ESPN’s Sportscenter tonight, a clip was released of an “E:60″ interview scheduled to air next week in which Tejada is asked point blank when he was born. The shortstop replies “1976″ with […]
Filed under: Baltimore Orioles, Houston Astros, Oakland Athletics, _Off-Field Fleeces | 4 Comments »
Posted on April 16th, 2008 by Old Navy King
The 2008 payrolls were released earlier this month by Major League Baseball, and there were a few surprises. What isn’t much of a surprise is that the New York Yankees were once again #1 on that list, topping $209 million (yet another payroll record).
Of interest though is that both the Detroit Tigers and New York Mets have leap-froged the […]
Filed under: Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, Florida Marlins, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, Washington Nationals | No Comments »
Posted on April 5th, 2008 by McFleece
Jose de Jesus Ortiz of The Houston Chronicle is reporting that the Astros have had discussions with various clubs that are interested in catcher Humberto Quintero, who was recently designated for assignment.
Houston has until Wednesday to trade, release or assign Quintero outright to Class AAA Round Rock. But it is believed that Quintero will be claimed before […]
Filed under: Houston Astros | No Comments »
Posted on April 3rd, 2008 by Old Navy King
As per Jon Paul Morosi of the Detroit Free Press, left-handed reliever Tim Byrdak decided against the Tigers afterall, and has instead signed a minor-league deal with the Houston Astros. Byrdak was cut by the Tigers last week, and Jim Leyland fully expected him to re-sign with the team on a minor-league contract. Earlier this […]
Filed under: Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, Minnesota Twins | No Comments »
Posted on April 3rd, 2008 by McFleece
REMINDER: Don’t forget to vote in our FINAL FOUR OF OFFSEASON FLEECES! We have some very close ballgames below that will be determined by late voters. Polls close tonight.
On March 24th, MLB Fleece Factor kicked off the 2008 Sweet Sixteen of Offseason Fleeces. This tournament - whose winner will be determined by you - is Fleece […]
Filed under: Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Florida Marlins, Houston Astros, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, Seattle Mariners, _Polls | 6 Comments »
Posted on April 1st, 2008 by Old Navy King
According to Marc Topkin at the St. Petersburg Times, the Tampa Bay Rays inexplicably gave relief pitcher Dan Wheeler a 3-year, $10.5 million contract, with an option for a fourth season (2011). After being traded from Houston to Tampa Bay last season, Wheeler made 25 appearances for the Rays, and went 0-5 with a 5.76 […]
Filed under: Houston Astros, Tampa Bay Rays | 3 Comments »
Posted on March 30th, 2008 by Mr. Fleece
According to rotoworld.com, the Houston Astros have released right-handed starting pitcher Woody Williams on Saturday.As a result, the veteran starter plans on retiring. Williams had a nice little career for himself. He won 132 games over the course of his career, with an ERA of 4.19 over 15 years. His best year came in 2003 […]
Filed under: Houston Astros, St. Louis Cardinals | No Comments »
Posted on March 28th, 2008 by McFleece
On March 24th, MLB Fleece Factor kicked off the 2008 Sweet Sixteen of Offseason Fleeces. This tournament - whose winners will be determined by you - is Fleece Factor’s version of the NCAA March Madness Tournament. The last FLEECE standing in this tournament will be awarded the 2008 Offseason Golden Fleece Award.
After an incredibly impressive turnout for first […]
Filed under: Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies, Florida Marlins, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Angels, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, _Polls | 2 Comments »
Posted on March 24th, 2008 by McFleece
Because March Madness shouldn’t just be for college hoops fans…
MLB Fleece Factor introduces the Sweet Sixteen of Offseason MLB Fleeces!
We’ve set up the brackets, and we’re leaving it up to you to determine the winner of this honor…let’s call it the 2008 Offseason Golden Fleece Award!
Here’s a complete set of brackets for you:
Click Here For Your “2008 Sweet […]
Filed under: Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, Florida Marlins, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, _Polls | 14 Comments »
Posted on March 22nd, 2008 by McFleece
UPDATE: (Mar 22, 1:30pm EST) Ensberg has made the Yankees 40-man roster, according to the Canadian Press.
Mar 20, 10:09pm (EST) -Ken Rosenthal provides us with two more options for the L.A. Dodgers should they look outside the organization to fill their 3rd base hole that was created with the injuries to Andy Laroche and Nomar Garciaparra: […]
Filed under: Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees | 3 Comments »
Posted on March 21st, 2008 by The Biscuit
You knew it wouldn’t take long, so let the John Patterson sweepstakes begin! The talented, yet oft-injured starting pitcher was released by the Washington Nationals yesterday and is now free to seek employment elsewhere.. According to the Houston Chronicle’s Joe Duarte, the Astros have already expressed interest in the starting pitcher.
GM Ed Wade said, “We […]
Filed under: Houston Astros, Washington Nationals | 3 Comments »
Posted on March 20th, 2008 by Mr. Fleece
According to the Houston Chronicle, Shawn Chacon has pitched well enough this spring to earn a spot in the Astros’ rotation. Manager Cecil Copper confirmed his: “I think at this point we’d have to say that he’s got to be one of the guys.” Chacon has out-pitched veteran Woody Williams as well as Chris Sampson […]
Filed under: Houston Astros | 1 Comment »
Posted on March 17th, 2008 by Old Navy King
Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe delivers some knowledge down to all of us:
Mets GM Omar Minaya thinks that Moises Alou will be back much sooner than most people think. He is still, however, looking to add a right-handed hitting OF/1B.
Said Boras about his client Jeff Weaver, “There’s been a lot of interest. Pitching is […]
Filed under: Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals | No Comments »
Posted on March 15th, 2008 by McFleece
UPDATE: (3/15 @ 10:30am EST) - Further showcasing Inge’s versatility, the Tigers played him at shortstop for an inning yesterday. Inge played shortstop at Virginia Commonwealth, but was switched to catcher when the Tigers drafted him.
Despite the injury to third baseman Andy and the fragility of Nomar Garciaparra, the Los Angeles Dodgers still do not seem interested […]
Filed under: Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants | No Comments »
Posted on March 15th, 2008 by Mr. Fleece
UPDATE: 8:46am (3/15) - According to mlb.com, Matsui will have surgery to get this issue taken care of once and for all. He’ll be out about 2 weeks, and is most likely going to miss opening day. Mark Loretta and Geoff Blum would fill in at second until Matsui returns.
Mar 11 - Astros’ second-baseman Kaz Matsui will be […]
Filed under: Houston Astros, _Off-Field Fleeces | 5 Comments »
Posted on March 12th, 2008 by McFleece
The Fleece Factor crew continues to work hard to complete in depth previews of all thirty major league teams as the 2008 season quickly approaches. These MLB team outlooks should be finished soon, at which point we will put ourselves on the line and make our own individual predictions. So stay tuned for those!
We have now completed […]
Filed under: Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, _Team Outlooks (2008) | No Comments »
Posted on March 10th, 2008 by McFleece
The Baltimore Orioles have expressed interest in Houston Astros utility man Mark Loretta, according to The Baltimore Sun. Acquiring Loretta would provide the Orioles with insurance in the event that the Brian Roberts trade rumors become reality.
Loretta fleeced himself immensely this offseason by first accepting arbitration from the Astros, then watching the ‘Stros get fleeced by Kaz Matsui, then […]
Filed under: Baltimore Orioles, Houston Astros | No Comments »
Posted on March 7th, 2008 by McFleece
Baltimore left-hander Troy Patton will miss the entire 2008 season after the Orioles have now decided that Patton will have surgery to repair a small tear in his left labrum, as per MLB.com.
This is devastating news for the Orioles, as Patton - once a top pitching prospect in the game - was a key piece […]
Filed under: Baltimore Orioles, Houston Astros | 1 Comment »
Posted on March 4th, 2008 by Mr. Fleece
Much of the attention surrounding the Astros’ camp thus far has been centered around the presence of Roger Clemens, and the pending issues in regards to newly acquired shortstop Miguel Tejada. Despite the negative publicity, the Houston Astros have a season to prepare for. They finished 2007 in 4th place in the N.L. Central division, […]
Filed under: Houston Astros, _Polls, _Team Outlooks (2008) | 5 Comments »
Posted on March 1st, 2008 by Mr. Fleece
UPDATE: (3/1) 12:00am (EST) - According to Foxsports, Astros’ owner Drayton McLane has said he expects to honor the 10-year personal service contract of Roger Clemens.
Feb 28 - According to Foxsports, Roger Clemens’ 10-year service contract he signed with the Houston Astros’ organization could be voided, depending on the result of an investigation as to whether […]
Filed under: Houston Astros, _Mitchell Report/Steroids | 1 Comment »
Posted on February 29th, 2008 by Mr. Fleece
UPDATE: (3/1) 12:42AM (EST) - According to mlb.com, Berkman has been cleared by the medical staff to play in a grapefruit league game vs. the Nationals. He has felt good in recent days, and will try to give it a go.
UPDATE: (2/27) 11:01am (EST) - According to the Houston Chronicle, Berkman said some of the […]
Filed under: Houston Astros | 1 Comment »
Posted on February 20th, 2008 by Old Navy King
According to Alyson Footer at MLB.com, the Houston Astros and free-agent pitcher Shawn Chacon have agreed on a 1-year contract, worth $2 million. The deal also includes performance incentives.
Chacon will compete this spring for a spot in the starting rotation, but is versatile enough to pitch out of the bullpen as well. That makes him a […]
Filed under: Houston Astros, _Polls | 5 Comments »
Posted on February 19th, 2008 by Mr. Fleece
Miguel Tejada has arrived at his first Houston Astros camp, but according to ESPN, he won’t be discussing the allegations of steroid usage. He did not want to discuss the situation, saying he only wanted to discuss baseball.
As per Tejada:
“I can’t really talk about that. It’s not my position to talk about that…Right now, my mind […]
Filed under: Houston Astros, _Mitchell Report/Steroids | 3 Comments »
Posted on February 19th, 2008 by Mr. Fleece
According to the Houston Chronicle, Houston Astros’ outfielder Hunter Pence injured his hands and knees while falling through a glass window on Monday evening. He had lacerations all over his hands and knees from the incident. It appears as though Pence will be alright. Firemen and paramedics apparently arrived at his apartment to bandage up […]
Filed under: Houston Astros | No Comments »
Posted on February 19th, 2008 by McFleece
The Houston Astros have defeated 2nd baseman Mark Loretta in arbitration, MLB.com is reporting. Loretta had asked for $4.9 million, but will instead have to settle for the $2.75 million offered by the Astros. Teams are now 5-0 in arbitration.
This a huge win for the Astros, who appeared to have been fleeced when Loretta accepted arbitration after […]
Filed under: Houston Astros | 2 Comments »
Posted on February 18th, 2008 by McFleece
Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the Houston Astros are closing in on a one-year deal with right-handed pitcher Shawn Chacon.
The Astros have been linked to Chacon for about a week now. The Pittsburgh Pirates were also interested in bringing back Chacon as a reliever, but were hesitant to pay an alleged $4 million asking pricing. 80% of our readers […]
Filed under: Houston Astros, Pittsburgh Pirates | 1 Comment »
Posted on February 15th, 2008 by McFleece
Alyson Footer of MLB.com is reporting that the Houston Astros have won their arbitration case against newly acquired closer Jose Valverde.
Valverde, who saved 47 ballgames for Arizona last year, asked for $6.2 million, but will have to settle for the Astros offer of $4.7 million.
‘Stros GM Ed Wade tells Footer: “We’re happy with the decision and happy the issue […]
Filed under: Houston Astros | 1 Comment »
Posted on February 12th, 2008 by Old Navy King
According to Alyson Footer at MLB.com, Ed Wade and the Houston Astros have made an offer to free-agent pitcher Shawn Chacon. But as of this afternoon, Wade has not yet heard back from the right-hander’s agent. “I’m talking to his agent but we haven’t reached any agreement yet,” Wade said.
The piece notes that it is […]
Filed under: Baltimore Orioles, Houston Astros, Pittsburgh Pirates | 1 Comment »
Posted on February 6th, 2008 by Old Navy King
According to Jim Street at MLB.com, the setup roles and the closer job have already been determined for the Arizona Diamondbacks bullpen. Bob Melvin, the team’s manager, said today, “Brandon Lyon will be the closer, and Chad Qualls and Tony Pena will set him up. All three of these guys are tremendous pitchers, and I […]
Filed under: Arizona Diamondbacks, Houston Astros | No Comments »
Posted on February 6th, 2008 by McFleece
Left-handed reliever Trever Miller has agreed to a one-year major league contract with the Rays that includes a team option for 2009, according to the Tampa Tribune’s Marc Lancaster.
Miller, 34, will make $1.6 million in 2008, and $2 million in 2009 if the option is picked up. There is a $400K buyout fee attached to that option.
This […]
Filed under: Houston Astros, Tampa Bay Rays | 2 Comments »
Posted on February 3rd, 2008 by Old Navy King
According to the Houston Chronicle, the Astros have expressed interest in Bartolo Colon, the former AL Cy Young winner and free agent pitcher. Team officials will be watching Colon pitch in the Dominican League championship series at some point.
The piece does note, however, that the chances of Colon being offered anything more than a minor-league […]
Filed under: Houston Astros | 1 Comment »
Posted on February 2nd, 2008 by McFleece
Understandably, there has been a lot of talk recently about Johan Santana - arguably the majors top pitcher who was just fleeced from the Twins by the Mets, where he will now fleece the Mets into the largest financial deal ever for a pitcher. But hey, where did this guy come from anyway? Strangely, the answer is that Johan Santana’s major league career was […]
Filed under: Florida Marlins, Houston Astros, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, _Great Moments in Fleece History | 7 Comments »
