And this, folks, is why there was limited interest in Prior, even for just $1 million. He’ll shut down baseball activities for a few weeks, and then he’ll resume throwing and see how he feels. There is no timetable for him to begin his re-hab, as it will all depend on how the shoulder feels.  

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David Murphy of the Philadelphia Inquirer

Gillick sounds like he is certainly open to the idea of an extension for Hamels, but remains reluctant.  He tells Murphy, “If at some point, if [Hamels is] performing to the level, you’re going to have to talk multiyear at some point.  These guys, maybe they are smarter giving guys 8-year deals. I don’t know.”

The Phillies are not opposed to multi-year contracts for youngsters, as the contracts given to Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley suggest.  But perhaps they view Cole Hamels slightly different.  A month ago, Jayson Stark pondererd out loud that the Phillies “might have doubts about his long-term durability.”   Perhaps Gillick and company are taking a “wait and see” approach so that if Mr. Hamels does eventually have to pay a vist to someone like noted orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews after logging another couple hundred innings, the Phillies can take pride in the fact they were not fleeced into a lucrative contract.

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“I’ve had no trade discussions,” Jocketty said.  “I’ve talked with him. Not knowing Junior that well, I wanted to make sure we had a line of communication open.  He assured me that he’d like to play here and hopefully win a championship.”

Meanwhile, outfield phenom Jay Bruce is still raking in the minors and may soon force the issue.  Bruce is clearly ready for the big leagues, but just needs a spot in the crowded Reds outfield to open up.  As Fay mentions, Bruce is hitting .667 with three home runs and nine RBI over his last five games and .611 over the last 10 games.  On the season, his average is .366.   Hey Jocketty: Get this kid in your lineup.

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This contract takes the recent deals of Troy Tulowitzki and Evan Longoria (both similar players in terms of experience and proximity to arbitration years) and spits on them.  Tulowitzki signed a 6 year, $31 million deal this January that shocked the baseball world.  And Longoria signed a 6 year, $17 million deal earlier this season after playing in the bigs for about a week.

Somehwere along the line, the Brewers must have decided that Braun’s arbitration years (which would not have begun until the 2011 season) were going to be quite expensive if the outfielder continued along his career path.  So, being from the cheese state, they threw him some serious cheddar.  As a return favor for putting so much money in his pockets at such an early stage in his career, Braun sold his first two years of free agency to the club.  That could come back to bite him later on.

Braun mashed in his rookie campaign last season, hitting .324 with 34 homeruns.  He beat out Tulowitzki for the N.L. Rookie of the Year award.  So far this season, the 5th overall pick in the 2005 draft is hitting .287/.318/.549 with 9 home runs and 29 runs batted in.

One wonders how this deal will effect ongoing negotiations with Prince Fielder.  You can check out previous rumors of Braun and Fielder extensions here.

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Says the loose cannon manager, “Not much we need.  Look at the lineup. Believe me, if we need something right away, [GM] Kenny [Williams] will do it. But we’re not going to replace [Carlos] Quentin, we’re not going to replace [Nick] Swisher. The people we have there, it’s good enough to win a championship.  I mean, who is going to replace [Joe] Crede or [Jim] Thome? We have a good-hitting ballclub.”

I’m not sure I’d agree with Guillen that the Chi-Sox are a championship caliber offense.  Despite leading the American League in homeruns, the White Sox are 13th in the AL in average (.241), and 8th in OBP (.326).  Still, Guillen may be right that there are not many spots in their lineup that can be improved upon easily.   If Orlando Cabrera, Nick Swisher and Paul Konerko ever get going, this team should start scoring more runs.  And if they don’t get going, maybe the answer is not to acquire new talent, but to trade away some of these aging veterans (Konerko, Crede, Thome), clear salary, stockpile young talent, and find at-bats for a guy like Josh Fields.

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I just made two pretty huge trades in my league, and was curious what you thought of them. (i.e., was i fleeced or did I apply the fleece?).

the league is 7X7 (standard 5X5 + batting K’s and OPS, and pitching L’s and HOLDS).

Trade 1:
I get: Manny Ramirez
I give: Justin Morneau and Joba Chamberlain (remember, holds is a category).

Trade 2:
I get: Alfonso Soriano
I give: Curtis Granderson

Who’s wearing the fleece on these deals??

(more…)

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May 14, 8:33pm (EST) - The Tampa Bay Rays have extended young ace Scott Kazmir. The deal is said to be for 3 years, worth a reported $28.5 million. There is also a club option for the 2012 season, which could bring the total value of the deal to $39.5 million. This deal buys out Kazmir’s first year of free agency.

Nice Ball by the Rays here. It’s good to see them understand that they’re moving in the right direction, and make such an effort to keep one of their young stars. The move does involve a bit of risk, as Kazmir has had arm problems here and there. All in all, however, Rays’ fans have to be very pleased.

Kazmir was originally acquired by the Rays in what is now considered a Great Moment in Fleece History. 

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Anyway, get your Angels hitters in your lineups.

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This isn’t the worst thing in the world for Boston.  The 23-year old has an innings limit of about 180 this season, as reported here, so some time off here and there could be beneficial down the stretch.  Plus, he’s been pretty awful of late.

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UPDATE: (5/13 10:54pm EST) - According to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times,the Cubs appear ready to sign centerfielder Jim Edmonds after he clears waivers on Wednesday. Edmonds will be part of a platoon in CF with Reed Johnson.

May 12, 11:40pm (EST) - As per Dave van Dyck of The Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Cubs could be interested in signing outfielder Jim Edmonds, who was resently released by the San Diego Padres. Edmonds was hitting just .178 for the Pads, and wasn’t playing anywhere near the Gold-Glove defense he flashed earlier in his career.

Cubs manager Lou Pinella has been looking for a left-handed bat to add to his lineup, and Edmonds could just be that bat, sadly. The move could allow the organization to move younster Felix Pie back to Triple-A Iowa for more regular at-bats.

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First, the Rockies remain interested in pitcher Julian Tavarez, who was recently DFA’d by Boston.  Colorado is not willing to give up pitching prospect Brandon Hynick in any deal, however.

Also, former Rockies reliever Jose Capellan elected for free agency rather than report to the Triple-A.   

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The Mets have also placed outfielder Angel Pagan on the disabled list, while recalling veteran Fernando Tatis. Back-up catcher Raul Casanova has cleared waivers, and will report to AAA.

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In other Yankees’ news, the club will call-up pitcher Ian Kennedy from Triple-A to start on Thursday night against the Rays, according to Geroge A. King III of the New York Post. Kei Igawa will now be relegated to the bullpen. This means the Yankees will go with Rasner, Pettitte and Wang for the weekend Subway Series against the New York Mets.

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According to the piece, the Dodgers are seeking an emergency replacement for Furcal, who it hitting .366 with 34 runs scored so far this season. If they can’t find said replacement by Tuesday’s showdown with the Milwaukee Brewers, the team is expected to purchase Luis Maza from their Triple-A affiliate in Vegas. Maza is currently hitting .402 with that ballclub in 2008.

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We know the Colorado Rockies have had interest in acquiring Tavarez. A deal could still be worked out between the two teams within 10 days. Tavarez remains a versatile pitcher, who can work and give length out of the bullpen. Thus far in 2008, Tavarez has a 6.39 ERA while pitching 12 2/3 innings.

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The article really is a great read. The best part is how Graziano entitles it: BREAKING NEWS: Delgado’s agent is insane. I mean, can you think how furious the guy must be right now? He’s has to be irate! Or better yet, do you think Carlos Delgado is happy this morning reading about how his agent is officially the laughing stock of the industry? I mean, 10 year-olds say “So’s your Mom”…not sports agents, right? Who knew…

Graziano, hat tip to you my friend. You hand-wrapped of fleece for this guy.

Now I read Graziano here and there, and I have never found him to be offensive in any way. I think he’s always been a pretty good read. Like anything you read in the media(primarily if you’re reading newspapers in the north east), everyone is opinionated, and everything is scrutinized. You take it with a grain of salt. Apparently Mr. “I should no longer be employed” Sloane needed a reality check. And Graziano gave him one, in the variety of an Old Navy Performance Fleece. Nice Ball, Dan.

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The Brewers will go with a closer-by-committee approach, and give Gagne a “mental break” for awhile. Gagne had this to say on Saturday, “It’s mental; I think it’s negative thinking that creeps back in your mind. It’s a matter of going out there and executing your pitches, not thinking results and I’m thinking results. I’m going out there thinking three outs before I can even get one.”

We had noted Gagne’s recent struggles  less than one week ago. The Brewers signed him to a 1-year, $10 million deal this past offseason. His ERA this year is now a gross 6.89. Brian Shouse recorded the save on Sunday versus the Cardinals.

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Corey was outrighted to Triple-A Pawtucket on April 30 by the Red Sox.  In 7 appearances with the Red Sox this year, the 34-year-old poste a 10.50 ERA.

The Padres will hope that Corey can strengthen their bullpen as they attempt to crawl out of the hole they have dug themselves early this year.  Unfortunately, however, Corey cannot hit.  So they’re offense will continue to remain inept.

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Of the fact that Reyes, who was once considered one of the game’s top pitching prospects, was once again demoted to the minors last week, Strauss writes, “This year, however, the club appears firmer than ever in its stance: If Reyes enjoys success as a major-league pitcher it will likely occur elsewhere.”

Reyes’ most recent demotion represents the team’s use of his final option, meaning that if the club demotes him again next season, he’ll have to pass through waivers first.  That means, of course, that if St. Louis feels they have done all they can with Reyes, now may be the last chance they have to get something decent in return via trade.   And it appears that pitching coach Dave Duncan is, in fact, ready to give up on Reyes.  As Strauss writes, “Reyes is most comfortable throwing a four-seam fastball while pitching up and away from contact. It is no secret Duncan prefers a two-seam approach, pitching down with a desire for ground balls early in counts.”

General manager John Mozeliak insists that he is not ready to dump Reyes, though, saying, “We have no interest in giving Anthony Reyes away.”  Mozeliak is apparently asking for a top prospect plus another prospect in an attempt to fleece.  But it seems obvious that the Cards are at the end of their rope with Reyes, so any team that offers up a decent package for the pitcher deserves to get fleeced.  In my opinion, Reyes represents a very good “buy low” opportunity for a team that can afford to be patient with him. 

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Maddux earned his 350th career win last night and, at age 42, could be in his final season before retirement.  With San Diego struggling mightily, this is no way to end such a storied career.  Ace Jake Peavy agrees, saying, “He can help somebody.  It sucks that this is probably the last year of his career and he’s got to sit here and be a part of this and have (this be) the last thing he remembers in baseball — if this thing doesn’t turn.”

“If this thing doesn’t turn” is the key, of course.   The Padres currently sit at 13-24 and 10 games behind the first place Diamondbacks.  They certainly have the pitching to compete (although they made some bullpen help), but the offense has been atrocious and would have to be added to for them to right this ship.  So it will be an interesting decision for the Padres management to make: Try to beef up the offense via trade in an effort to make a run this seasonbefore it’s too late; or consider the prospect of waving the white flag and moving pieces such as Greg Maddux in an effort to build towards next year. 

One thing is for certain, though.  Plenty of contenders would welcome the addition of Greg Maddux to the back end of their rotations.  The Professor could represent a good fleece opportunity for San Diego.

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First on their list may be recently released Jacque Jones.  Per the article, three sources confirm that the Fish are still interested in Jones.  We had reported earlier this week that both Florida and San Diego are interested in the hacking outfielder who was recently cut by Detroit.  Jones could become an option in centerfield for Florida, along with Cody Ross and Alfredo Amezaga if Florida wants someone who won’t be able to get on base in front of Hanley Ramirez.

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UPDATE: (5/10/08, 11:30am) Yankees manager Joe Girardi doesn’t think David Wells is a good idea.  In fact, Girardi RUINED Wells by telling CBS Sportsline, “I don’t know if he’s capable of pitching, still.”

May 9th, 8:45am: As per Mike Puma of The New York Post, 45-year-old southpaw David Wells believes he could add value to the troubled starting rotation of the New York Yankees.

And apparently, Hank Steinbrenner has thought about the idea.  Wells recently appeared on “The Best Damn Sports Show” and Ole’ Hank admitted seeing the appearance and thinking about the possibility of adding Wells.

However, the topic has not been broached with GM Brian Cashman or Manager Joe Girardi yet.  Still, Hank isn’t ruling it out.  “You never know,” Steinbrenner tells The Post. “[Wells] hasn’t come up in conversation, but I’ve had so much other [bleep] to deal with lately.”

Wells was 9-9 with an ERA of 5.43 for San Diego and the Dodgers last season.  He does not consider himself retired.  The big guy actually says, “I’m in shape, I’d just have to fine-tune a couple of things.  I’d need a little bit of time, but not much. Physically I feel fine, real good.”

Needless to say, the Krispy Kreme’s and McDonald’s of New York are ecstatic about this possibility.

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The contract, which is pending a physical and will not be announced until at least early next week, would rank as the largest contract in the Marlins franchise history, although that is not saying much given the tendency of the franchise to treat it’s fans like garbage by not retaining it’s home grown superstars.

In just over two full years in the big leagues, Ramirez has not only become one of the game’s best shortstops, but also one of the game’s best offensive players.  In 1,411 major league at-bats, Ramirez has a .314 average, .374 OBP, .525 slugging percentage, 54 homeruns and 115 steals.  He was, of course, acquired from the Boston Red Sox prior to the 2006 season along with Anibal Sanchez in the Josh Beckett/Mike Lowell deal.

Given Ramirez’ proximity to his arbitration years (he would have become eligible after this season), the fact that the shortstop would agree to a 6-year deal is quite surprising, as this contract will buy out the first three years of his free agency at a very reasonable rate.   Had Ramirez just played out his arbitration years, he would have been a 28-year-old star shortstop entering free agency in three years.  I don’t even want to guess at what he would receive on the market in that case, but it would probably break records.  Nonetheless, Ramirez appears willing to accept a slight fleece from the Marlins in order secure this massive amount of cheddar.  He’ll still be just 30 (his birthday is 12/23/83) when this contract is up, and he will certainly be in a position to fleece at that point if he can stay healthy and productive.

We’ll post an update when this deal is made official.

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This season, Turnbow is 0-1 for the Brewers with an ERA over 15. Yes, that’s right, 15! In 6 1/3 innings, he’s allowed 25 base-runners. Batters are hitting over .400 against him. Hat tip to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s blog for the information.

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