Yankees Bring Andruw Jones Into The Mix

The first impression I had of Andruw Jones was not a happy one. He had just crushed an Andy Pettitte pitch deep into the night in Game 1 of the 1996 World Series. To make matters worse he had this hideous little smirk like he was so proud of himself. His first impression was a good one, but not a good one to me.

Things didn't get better later in the game when he hit a second bomb. This pimply faced (I don't know if he really had pimples) kid, who hadn't come on to the scene until August, had just hit two home runs en route to a Braves 12-2 route of the Yankees.

I had waited 18 years for the Yankees to return to the World Series and a blow out was not what I had in mind. To make matters worse the 19-yr old Jones had become the youngest player to hit a home run in a World Series game...breaking Mickey Mantle's record...Mickey Mantle!

Flash forward to January 20, 2011. Andruw Jones is now a Yankee. He signed a one year, $2 million deal that includes $1.2 million in incentives. Jones will back up all three outfield positions, pinch-hit, and see some occasional time at DH.

Jones won't hit for average, but still has some power, can drive in some runs, and draws walks. He's not the Gold Glove outfielder he once, but his creeky body can still play some outfield. Hopefully he's playing in the World Series in Yankee Stadium again this year, but wearing the home pinstripes this time around.

BD Hot Stove: No No-No No No No | Baseball Digest

BD Hot Stove: No No-No No No No | Baseball Digest

This morning’s local paper had its daily “What do these three things have common?” sports trivia. In this case it was the names Hideo Nomo, Ramon Martinez and Kevin Gross. I correctly guessed that they were last three Los Angeles Dodgers pitchers to throw a no-hitter. It then got me thinking about the New York Mets.

It is remarkable, especially given the great pitchers the team has employed over the years, that the franchise has never had a no-hitter in their 49 year history. Among the greats and “very goods” that have donned the Mets uniform are Hall of Fame member Tom Seaver, Cy Young winners Doc Gooden, David Cone, Pedro Martinez, Johan Santana, Tom Glavine, Frank Viola, and Bret Saberhagen (albeit all but Gooden won the Cy Young with other teams), and steady throwers like Ron Darling, Al Leiter, Jon Matlack, Jerry Koosman, and Sid Fernandez.

Especially frustrating to Mets fans has to be the fact that several of their hurlers threw no-hitters once they left the Mets (Seaver, Cone (Perfect), and Gooden come to mind immediately). But although the Mets have gone the longest without ever recording a no-hitter, they are not alone in the goose egg department. The San Diego Padres have yet to record a hit-less ball game as well. Meanwhile, the Brewers, Blue Jays, and Rockies (in 2010) have just one apiece in their history.

There’s no rhyme or reason to who will throw a no-hitter either. Some of the greatest pitchers in baseball history have never thrown one, yet sub-par throwers like Joe Cowley have tossed, with a lot of walks, a no-no. Bobo Holloman threw a no-hitter in his first major league start and only had two more wins in his entire one year career.

So we present you with a list of the last no-hitter thrown by each team in major league baseball. The longest stretch? The Cleveland Indians who haven’t blanked a team’s hit column since Len Barker threw a perfect game in 1981.

National League

Arizona – Edwin Jackson 6/25/10 vs. Tampa

Atlanta – Kent Mercker 4/8/94 vs. LAD

Chicago – Carlos Zambrano 9/14/08 vs. Houston

Cincinnati – Tom Browning 9/16/88 vs. LAD

Colorado – Ubaldo Jimenez 4/17/10 vs. Atlanta

Florida – Anibal Sanchez 9/6/06 vs. Arizona

Houston – Roy Oswalt, Pete Munro, Kirk Saarloos, Brad Lidge, Octavio Dotel, Billy Wagner 6/11/03 vs. NYY

Los Angeles – Hideo Nomo 9/17/96 vs. Colorado

Milwaukee (while in AL) – Juan Nieves 4/15/87 vs. Baltimore

Philadelphia – Roy Halladay (ALDS) 10/6/10 vs. Cincannati; reg season – Halladay 5/29/10 vs. Florida

Pittsburgh – Francisco Cordova, Ricardo Rincon (1o IP) 7/12/97 vs. Houston

St. Louis – Bud Smith 9/3/01 vs. San Diego

San Francisco – Jonathan Sanchez 7/10/09 vs. San Diego

Washington (as Montreal) – Dennis Martinez (perfect) 7/28/91 vs. LAD

American League

Baltimore – Bob Milacki, Mike Flanagan, Mark Williamson, Greg Olson 7/13/91 vs. Oakland

Boston – Jon Lester 5/19/08 vs. Kansas City

Chicago – Mark Buehrle (perfect) 7/23/09 vs. Tampa Bay

Cleveland – Len Barker (perfect) 5/15/81 vs. Toronto

Detroit – Justin Verlander 6/12/07 vs. Milwaukee

Kansas City – Bret Saberhagen 8/26/91 vs. CHW

Los Angeles – Mark Langston, Mike Witt 4/11/90 vs. Seattle

Minnesota – Eric Milton 9/11/99 vs LAA

New York – David Cone (perfect) 7/18/99 vs. Montreal (WAS)

Oakland – Dallas Braden (perfect) 5/9/10 vs. Tampa Bay

Seattle – Chris Bosio 4/22/93 vs. Boston

Tampa Bay – Matt Garza 7/26/10 vs. Detroit

Texas – Kenny Rogers 7/28/94 vs. LAA

Toronto – Dave Stieb 9/2/90 vs. Cleveland

Oh, and why the multiple “No” in today’s title? What better way to pay homage to no-hitters then with George Thorogood and the Destroyers version of “Nobody But Me”? Enjoy and be sure to check out the latest hot stove news below the video.

Rumors, News, Transactions

SI's Jon Heyman has just reported that the Yankees and Andruw Jones have agreed to a one year, $2M deal with $1.2M in incentives.

The San Jose Mercury News is reporting that the Giants and Jeff Suppan are close to agreeing on a minor league deal.

The Hairston brothers are once again employed. The Mets made a nice signing by inking Scott Hairston and the Washington Nationals have added utility man Jerry Hairston Jr.

Eric Chavez isn’t calling it a career yet despite a series of back and shoulder issues. He reportedly worked out for the Dodgers.

The Royals have brought back Bruce Chen with a one year, $2M deal.

With Carl Pavano back in the fold, the final two spots in the Twins rotation will come down to a spring training battle between Brian Duensing, Kevin Slowey, and Nick Blackburn. My money is on the Duensing and Slowey.

The Diamondbacks have signed utility man Cody Ransom to a minor league deal.

BD Hot Stove: The Milestones | Baseball Digest

Baseball Digest: The Milestones

We're creeping closer and closer to spring training. Which will lead to opening day. Which will lead to some milestones being set. Here's a look at some of the more major ones.

Derek Jeter needs 74 hits to become the 28th player in major league history with 3,000 hits. Ivan Rodriguez is 183 hits away from the mark, but he hasn't come close to that many hits in a season since 1999, and he isn't likely to get enough at-bats to reach the milestone this year.

Others who should reach hit milestones include Alex Rodriguez (top 50 on the all-time hits list), Chipper Jones and Vladimir Guerrero (2,500 hits).

Do chicks still love the long ball after (hopefully it's after) the steroid era? Jim Thome needs just 11 home runs to become the eighth player to hit 600 home runs. He'll only be the 5th not linked to steroids. Speaking of which, Alex Rodriguez will pass Ken Griffey Jr. for 5th place on the all-time list and with a big season (37 HR), he would reach 650 career dingers.

When and if Manny Ramirez finds a job he should pass Reggie Jackson, Rafael Palmiero, and Harmon Killebrew to move up into 11th place. If he hits 29 (past Mark McGwire) or 32 (past Frank Robinson), he can move up as far as 9th. Guerrero and Jones should both reach the 450 mark while Albert Pujols should leap frog over a number of players from his current 45th position. Jim Edmonds needs seven more to reach the 400 mark, while Paul Konkero could get there with a big year (35 home runs).

Hank Aaron's RBI mark of 2,297 seems monumental when you look at it. Pujols currently has 1,230 RBI. He would have to average 107 RBI over the next 10 years to get there. At age 31 that' s a pretty big task ahead. Even if he averaged 130 RBI over the next five years he would still be over 400 RBI away.

Both Alex Rodriguez and Ramirez should reach 1,900 RBI, which only 10 players before them have accomplished (Barry Bonds and Eddie Murray being the last two). Chipper Jones will eclipse 1,500 as will Guerrero. Raul Ibanez, Torii Hunter, Pat Burrell, Troy Glaus, and Mike Cameron can all top a grand.

Juan Pierre doesn't hit home runs, but he can steal a base like few others. He'll move into the top 25 in career thefts with 31 swipes this season. Carl Crawford should run away with number 450, while Ichiro Suzuki will top the 400 mark. Johnny Damon (15) and Bobby Abreu (28) also have outside shots at the 400 plateau.

Jimmy Rollins and Jose Reyes will top 350, with the latter having a shot at 400 as well if he can steal 69 bases this season.

The leader in wins coming into the 2011 season is Jamie Moyer with 267, but with the 49-yr old coming off major surgery, he'll be stuck on that number for some time to come. Andy Pettitte is just 10 wins away from 250, but will he pitch? That means the only career leader who will definitely be active on opening day will be Tim Wakefield. The knuckler needs seven wins to top the 200 mark.

It's not likely that Roy Halladay will win 31 games, though I wouldn't put it past him. But, he will move up significantly on the list from his current total of 169 victories. Mark Buehrle needs a pair of wins for 150 as does Mike Hampton, though with the latter's health issues you never know. Yet another lefty, Barry Zito, needs eight more wins while right-hander Jeff Suppan needs a team and 12 wins. With another good year, Chris Carpenter (17) will get there as well.

Miguel Batista, Dan Haren, Joel Pineiro, and Jason Marquis are all on the precipice of the century mark.

3,000 strikeouts is another remarkable sign of longetivy and it's not likely to be reached by anyone in the near future. The top three active leaders - Moyer (2,405), Javier Vazquez (2,374), and Pettite (2,251) won't get there. If he finds a taker, Kevin Millwood will top the 2,000 mark this season. CC Sabathia has an outside shot at reaching 2000, with 202 K's needed. He's topped the mark twice in his career, and came up shy of a third time last year by 3.

Chris Carpenter, Ted Lilly, Jake Peavy (if healthy), Josh Beckett, and Carlos Zambrano will break the 1,500 barrier. Joel Pineiro, Scott Kazmir, Kyle Lohse, Justin Verlander, Carl Pavano, Zack Greinke, Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Marquis, and Cole Hamels will all top 1,000 career K's.

When Trevor Hoffman retired as the all-time saves leader he knew the record wouldn't last long. Maybe not even one season. Mariano Rivera trails Hoffman by just 42 saves, meaning if he can eclipse the number (42) on his back this year, he'll be the new numero uno. Francisco Cordero needs 10 saves for 300, while his fellow Francisco, K-Rod Rodriguez, needs 32 to reach that level. Jose Valverde (7) is closing in on 200 career saves as is Jonathan Papelbon (12) and Brian Fuentes (13). Bobby Jenks (27) has a shot if he were to take the role away from Papelbon.

Hudson Street needs one more save for 150, and should be joined by Brian Wilson, Joakim Soria, and possibly Kevin Gregg. Heath Bell and Ryan Franklin, meanwhile, will reach the century barrier.

There you have it. A taste of some of the more well-known milestones that will be smashed, trashed, and bashed this year. And Baseball Digest will be here to tell you all about it.

Rumors, News, and Transactions

Carl Pavano and the Minnesota Twins are said to be on the verge of a new deal.

Ken Rosenthal's sources indicate the Yankees could get a deal done with Andruw Jones today. His agent, Scott Boras, was at Yankee Stadium earlier today for Rafael Soriano's introductory press conference.

In one of the strangest moves, the Tigers yesterday avoided arbitration with Armando Galarraga by agreeing to a new one year deal. Then to make room on the 40 man roster for Brad Penny, they designated Galarraga for assignment. Huh?

Yankees Avoid Arb. With Trio of Pitchers

There will be no knocking Phil Hughes' second half, Joba Chamberlain's inconsistency, or Boone Logan's ALCS gopherball to Josh Hamilton. All three have avoided the sometimes painful process of arbitration by agreeing to new one year deals with Yankees.

Hughes will receive $2.7 million, $1.4 mill goes to Joba and Logan will bring home $1.4 million this coming season.

Now if they could clone Hughes for a void in the rotation.

BD Hot Stove: A Jones For Andruw | Baseball Digest

BD Hot Stove: A Jones For Andruw | Baseball Digest

Andruw Jones burst on to the scene for the Atlanta Braves in the 1996 World Series, slugging a pair of home runs in game 1 against the Yankees. He was a mere 20 years old at the time. 15 years later, Jones is looking for a job, but is clearly not the player he once was.

Older, slower, out of a shape, and a bad back…they all contributed to a less than stellar handful of seasons (2008-2010) for the five time All-Star. Even in his last very productive season (2007), when he hit 26 home runs and drove in 94 runs, Jones hit just .222 and struck out 138 times. The drop off in offensive production was dramatic after averaging 46 home runs and 128 RBI the previous two seasons. Jones also won the last of his 10 Gold Gloves in 2007.

With the White Sox last season Jones did show some pop-19 home runs- and drove in 48 runs in 278 at-bats. Despite hitting just .230, he put up a .341 OPS due to 45 walks. The combination is what has some teams still showing interest in the native of Curacao. The Yankees, looking to fill the void left by Marcus Thames and Austin Kearns, are said to be the front-runner for Jones’ services and, in fact, some sources say a contract is imminent. The Yankees would give him outfield time as well as occassional DH duty when the regular DH Jorge Posada gets a day off.

Rumors, News, and Transactions

A once promising career has apparently come to a close. Kansas City Royals pitcher Gil Meche has decided to retire due to lingering shoulder issues. The 32-yr old, who would have made $12M this season, said he would have to have another shoulder surgery to even think about being a starting pitcher again. The Royals released the following statement:

“After a lot of thinking and prioritizing of issues in my life I have decided to retire from baseball. As a competitor my entire life this is the hardest decision that I’ve ever faced, but it’s not fair to me, my family or the Kansas City Royals that I attempt to pitch anymore. I came into this game as a starting pitcher and unfortunately my health, more accurately, my shoulder, has deteriorated to the point where surgery would be the only option and at this stage of my life I would prefer to call it a career rather than to attempt to pitch in relief for the final year of my contract. I can’t thank the Kansas City Royals and their fans enough for my four seasons there and if I have any regret, it’s that we weren’t able to accomplish on the field what the goal was when I signed there.”

The Diamondbacks and shortstop Stephen Drew have agreed on a two year, $13.75M contract with a mutual option for 2013.

According to Jon Heyman, the Yankees are still looking at Freddy Garcia and Kevin Millwood for the number five spot in the rotation and a veteran presence in place of Andy Pettitte.

The Mets are reportedly close to a minor league deal with Scott Hairston.

Newly acquired Rajai Davis has agreed to a two year, $5.25M deal with the Blue Jays. Toronto has added a club option for 2013.

The Dodgers reached an agreement with Marcus Thames on a one year deal. LA is also close to signing Gabe Kapler to a minor league deal.

Several players have avoided arbitration with new contracts (all are for one year): Prince Fielder (MIL, $15.5M), Shin-Soo Choo (CLE, $3.975M), Ryan Ludwick (SD, $6.775M), Heath Bell (SD, $7.5M), Dallas Braden (OAK, $3.35M), Conor Jackson (OAK, $3.32M), Brandon Morrow (TOR, $2.3M), Shawn Camp (TOR, $2.25M), Yunel Escobar (TOR, $2.9M), Manny Parra (MIL, und.), Mike Pelfrey (NYM, $3.925M), Rafael Perez (CLE, $1.33M), Chris Perez (CLE, $2.25M), Felix Pie (BAL, $985K), Armando Galarraga (DET, $2.3M), Anibal Sanchez (FLA, $3.7M), Clay Hensley (FLA, $1.4M), Mike Morse (WAS, und.), Jeff Keppinger (HOU, $2.3M), Clint Barmes (HOU, $3.925M), Tony Pena (CHW, $1.6M), Felipe Paulino (COL, $79OK), Kyle Davies (KC, $3.2M)

Baseball Digest Birthdays: Don Zimmer | Baseball Digest

If you look up the word “character” in the dictionary, there’s a good chance you’ll see a picture of Don Zimmer next to the definition. With over 60 years in baseball as a player, coach, and manager, and one of the most recognizable faces on the planet, the man called “Popeye” has become one of the most beloved figures in the sport.

The Cincinnati, OH native started his career in the minor leagues as a player in Cambridge, MD as part of the Eastern Shore League. He made a number of stops, including Elmira, NY, where he married his wife Jean, better known as Scoot, in 1951. But it was a stop in St. Paul, MN that nearly ended Zimmer’s career and his life. Long before the days of batting helmets, Zimmer lost a pitch in the sun and was hit in the temple. He wasn’t fully conscious for 13 days.

Holes were drilled into his head to relieve the pressure on his brain. He couldn’t talk, walk, and had blurred vision. The stocky 5’9″ infielder lost 35 pounds. He was lucky to be alive, but doctors told him his career as a player was finished. But Don Zimmer would prove them wrong.

He reached the big leagues with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1954 and became a utility infielder for the next three seasons. In 1958 he became the regular shortstop as Pee Wee Reese played his final season with the then-Los Angeles Dodgers. It was arguably the best season of Zim’s career – 17 HR, 60 RBI, .720 OPS. Zimmer was traded after the ’59 World Series championship to the Cubs and then played for the Mets (an original member), the Reds, one more brief stint with the Dodgers, and the Washington Senators before retiring after the 1965 season (He would play one final year in Japan in 1966). It was an ordinary career by numbers – a .235 career average – but Zimmer was a student of the game and made many connections along the way.

The transition to managing was a natural one and Zimmer spent a handful of years at the helm in the minor leagues before taking a 3rd base coaching job for the Montreal Expos in 1971. He was on the Padres staff a year later when manager Preston Gomez was fired and Zimmer was named his replacement. He managed through the end of the ’73 season before he too was let go.

Zimmer’s next managerial stop was his most famous, or possibly, infamous. He was the skipper for the Boston Red Sox from 1976 (replacing Darrell Johnson after 86 games) to 1980. That means, of course, that he was running the team that blew a 14 1/2 game lead in July, 1978 before losing a one game divisional playoff to the rival New York Yankees. He also led the Texas Rangers (1981-1982) and the Chicago Cubs (1988-1991) and was a member of a number of coaching staffs until one fateful day when Joe Torre, whom he didn’t know at the time, asked him to be the bench coach for his new gig as manager of the New York Yankees in 1996.

The late Arthur Daley, of the New York Times and the first sportswriter to win a Pulitzer Prize, wrote an article for Baseball Digest in September of 1958 centered around Don Zimmer's breakout season. Click here to read the article!

Just like Rick and Captain Renault in Casablanca, it was the start of a beautiful friendship. Zimmer’s time in New York would make him a folk hero and led to a pair of books on his life and career. His time in the Big Apple was marked by supreme loyalty to Torre, the infamous brawl in Boston during the 2003 ALCS when he was thrown to the ground by Pedro Martinez, and an abrasive relationship with George Steinbrenner that helped lead to his voluntary departure after the 2003 season. Zimmer became a senior advisor for the Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays in 2004 and still holds that position today.

Happy 80th birthday Zim. You are a true gem!

Also Celebrating A Birthday Today:

Chili Davis (b. Kingston, Jamaica 1960): One of the best hitters in baseball, Charles “Chili” Davis spent 19 season in the major leagues. His stops included San Francisco, Anaheim, Minnesota (WS ring ’91), Kansas City, and New York (AL, WS rings ’98-’99). He finished his career with 350 home runs, 1,372 RBI, and 2,380 hits. He was a three time All-Star and finished fourth in the NL Rookie of the Year voting in 1982.

Also Born Today:

Darrell Porter: The Joplin, MO (1952) native would become a hometown hero when he was named the MVP of the 1982 World Series while a member of the St. Louis Cardinals. A catcher, Porter played 17 seasons with the Brewers, Royals, Cardinals, and Rangers. He’s 29th all-time in games caught with 1,506, and was a four time All-Star. His best season came for he Royals in 1979 when he hit .291-20-112 with an AL-leading 121 walks. Troubled by drug and alcohol addiction, Porter tragically died as a result of a drug-related incident in 2002.

NFL Divisional Games - Sunday

Things didn't turn out too good for yours truly yesterday. Thankfully I had no money on either game. The Ravens sure looked good at halftime, didn't they? Then the Steelers defense stepped up and Joe Flacco crumbled like a box of Corn Flaccos, er Flakes.

Atlanta looked pretty good in the 1st quarter against Green Bay, but the Packers simply dominated the remainder the game. Aaron Rodgers was about as good as you can get. People keep ripping Brett Favre for holding him back, but actually watching Favre had to help him out.

So how about Football Sunday? The Seahawks-Bears has the potential to be an incredible borefest. This is just the opponent the Seahawks needed. I don't trust the Bears no matter their record. Seattle has already beaten them once and there's no reason they can't do it again.

That being said, this is the Bears defense and not the Saints'. Matt Hasselback won't have the time to fire touchdown passes around the field with Chicago's pressure. This will be a relatively low scoring game, with the Bears defense having a huge impact (perhaps a pick for a TD - by the way can we ban the phrase, "He's going to take it to the house" and all other variations?).

The Bears are 10 point favorites, but I see it Bears 23 Seahawks 17. Which also means I'm going with the under on the 42.5 O/U.

The late game is the one everyone in the northeast corridor is waiting for. The Jets at the Patriots. Brash Rex Ryan and his foot fetish against grumpy Bill Bellichik and his hoodies. The two teams split the season series with the Patriots embarrassing the Jets in prime time in the latter match up, 45-3.

This should be a great game and the difference should come down to the experienced, excellent Tom Brady vs. the inexperienced/inconsistent Mark Sanchez. The Jets will definitely have to run the ball today if they are to win. But be that as it may, I see it Patriots 27 Jets 23. So taking the Jets +9 and taking the over on the 44.5 O/U.

NFL Divisional Round Picks - Saturday

This is going to be a great weekend of football. Some tremendous physical match ups, some general real hatred between opponents, and the beginning of a coming out party (not that kind) for Matt Ryan (IMHO). Today I am just going to focus on today's games.


Things kick off with a bruising battle between the Steelers and Ravens. There's going to be a lot of pain killers taken after this one and that's just from the fans watching at home. The teams split the season series, each winning on the road.

Baltimore started things out in week four with a 17-14 win at Heinz Field on October 3. Pittsburgh came from behind late in week 13 for 13-10 win at M & T Bank Stadium.

Low scoring, physical games are the mantra when these two teams get together and today should be no different. The Steelers come in as three point favorites with the over/under at 37. I'm going with the Ravens in this one- I saw them as as the AFC champ early in the season before the Pats went on their tremendous run and still believe they could beat the winner of tomorrow's Pats-Jets battle. And I'm going to just squeak under the over/under with a Ravens 19-17 win.

I'm looking forward to this evening's game even more. Packers-Falcons. The Packers were impressive, esp. on the defensive side of the ball last week and made everyone outside of Philly smile for ending Michael Vick's (and DeSean Jackson's) season.

But this Falcons team is not talked about it at all. They are the clear favorite to emerge from the NFC and reach their second Super Bowl. (It shouldn't take a Gary Anderson miss to do it this time either). The Falcons are solid on both sides of the ball and their defense is vastly underrated.

When the two teams met on Nov. 28 it came down to a last minute drive by Matt Ryan and the Falcons that culminated in a Matt Bryant game winning FG with just 13 ticks of the clock left. The 20-17 win pushed the Falcons record to 9-2 at the time.

Ryan should get a chance to show a national TV audience just what he can do (and unfortunately that means hearing that stupid "Matty Ice" nickname several times over). The Falcons are 1.5 pt favorites with an over under of 43.5. If you haven't figured it out by now the pick here is clearly the Falcons and again a close one on the over/under, this time over. Falcons 27 Packers 17

BD Hot Stove Breaking News: Yankees Sign Soriano | Baseball Digest

BD Hot Stove Breaking News: Yankees Sign Soriano | Baseball Digest


Unable to come up with a quality pitcher to strengthen the starting rotation, New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman went to Plan ‘B’- shore up the bullpen. Even if it meant exceeding the market value.

SI’s Jon Heyman reported tonight that the Yankees and reliever Rafael Soriano have agreed to a three year deal, worth approximately $35M. Cashman obviously felt he needed to make a statement to his team and, possibly, the Yankees fan base by making a big off-season move after failing to land Cliff Lee. Some will call it a panic move, but it undoubtedly makes the Yankees bullpen one of their strongest features.

Soriano is coming off the best season of his career, one in which he saved 45 games in 48 chances for the divisional rival Tampa Bay Rays. The hard throwing right-hander was looking for closer money, but evidently was not finding a team to give it to him. He’ll set up for Yankees eventuAl Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera, at least for the next two seasons- that’s the length of Rivera’s new contract, and will be an insurance policy in case the 41-yr old Rivera is injured. Should Rivera retire after his current deal, Soriano could then step into the closer’s role.

It was just the other day on the hot stove that I discussed the potential injury risk that Soriano presents. He’s been DL’ed for long periods of time after his previous two sets of back to back seasons with heavy workloads. He’s coming off a third stint (141 innings in 2009-2010) on the heels of an elbow injury that caused him to miss most of the 2008 season (He also had Tommy John surgery in 2004).

But if he remains healthy, he’ll give the Yankees their best 1-2 punch out of the bullpen since Rivera set up John Wetteland in 1996. Brian Cashman is banking on it.

BD Hot Stove: St. Louis Hopes Pujols Extension Is In The Cards | Baseball Digest

BD Hot Stove: St. Louis Hopes Pujols Extension Is In The Cards | Baseball Digest

Albert Pujols and his agent Dan Lozano have sat back this winter and watched as teams gave Jayson Werth $18M a year and Carl Crawford over $20M per season. They watched in 2007 as the Yankees rewarded Alex Rodriguez with a $275M bonanza spread out over 10 years. And they know that their time is about to come.

Prince Albert will make $16M for the 2011 season and then will be a free agent unless the Cardinals can pony up an attractive enough contract to keep him in St. Louis for years to come. And that is easier said than done.

With an ongoing rough economy, it may be difficult to pay the game’s number one player, number one money.Pujols is a three time MVP and has finished in the top three in MVP voting five other times. He’s a nine time All-Star, has won six Silver Slugger awards and a pair of Gold Gloves. He averages 40 home runs and 120 RBI a season! I could go on and on, but you get the picture.

At 31 years of age (this Sunday) and with 10 professional seasons under his belt, there is no reason to think that Pujols is going to slow down any time soon. What that translates to is a $30M per year deal. With A-Rod’s deal averaged out to $27.5M over the life of his deal, the Cardinals know they have to pay their man dollars more per season. It’s not just a matter of principle, Pujols deserves it.

Fox Sports’ Jon Morosi recently spoke with Cardinals’ chairman and CEO William O. DeWitt Jr. about his franchise player. When asked if the two sides were close to a deal, Dewitt replied, “No, I would just say we’ve had discussions, and we’re continuing to talk.”

“We’ve got time between now and then (the start of spring training) to get things done,” DeWitt said. “I’m hopeful. But these are big deals, and we’ll make every effort to get it accomplished.

“Spring training is a long period of time — six weeks. Whether it’s reporting date, or a week after, I don’t view it as, ‘If it’s not done by this day, then . . .’ I don’t see a specific day.”

The Cardinals faithful certainly share DeWitt’s hope.

Rumors, News, and Transactions

The NY Daily News sent the social media networks atwitter on Wednesday when they published a piece saying that Andy Pettitte would not start the season with the New York Yankees. With near panic in the streets, GM Brian Cashman said the reporter had misinterpreted what he had said. The Yankees had not received any new word from Pettitte, so for now they have to proceed as if he won’t be with them when the season begins. In other words, Pettitte’s situation is the status quo.

The Rays, Rockies, and Yankees are all reportedly showing interest in outfielder/DH Andruw Jones. But the Rays are the only team that really make sense for the 15-yr veteran. The Yankees have committed to Jorge Posada as their full-time DH in 2011 and the Rockies can’t afford (defensively) to play him in the outfield. The Rays, however, could plug him into the DH spot.

Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg told the Washington Post he is about three or four weeks away from beginning to throw. Strasburg underwent Tommy John surgery this past September 3rd.

The Diamondbacks have inked utility man Willie Bloomquist to a one year, $1.05M deal with a mutual option for 2012.

BD Hot Stove: Grapefruit or Cactus? | Baseball Digest

BD Hot Stove: Grapefruit or Cactus? | Baseball Digest

With snowfall blanketing much of the country, it’s good to know that spring training is within reach. A mere 33 days until pitchers and catcher report to sites in Arizona and Florida. With that in mind it’s never too early to present a guide to the individual spring training sites for each team (maps courtesy of mlb.com).

Florida

Dunedin – Toronto Blue Jays

Clearwater – Philadelphia Phillies

Port Charlotte – Tampa Bay Rays

Tampa – New York Yankees

Bradenton – Pittsburgh Pirates

Sarasota – Baltimore Orioles

Ft. Myers – Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox

Lakeland – Detroit Tigers

Lake Buena Vista – Atlanta Braves

Kissimmee – Houston Astros

Viera – Washington Nationals

Port St. Lucie – New York Mets

Jupiter – St. Louis Cardinals, Florida Marlins

Arizona

Surprise – KC Royals, Texas Rangers

Peoria – San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners

Goodyear – Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians

Phoenix – Chicago White Sox, LA Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland A’s

Scottsdale – Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, San Francisco Giants

Mesa – Chicago Cubs

Tempe – LA Angels

If you get the chance to go to spring training some time, do so. The players are more accessible, the ballparks are quaint, and the atmosphere is similar to minor league baseball.

Rumors, News, and Transactions

The all time leader in saves (601), Trevor Hoffman, decided to call it a career on Tuesday after 18 seasons in the bigs. His saves mark is likely to stand a year at the most with Mariano Rivera just 42 saves behind him. Hoffman spent 16 years with the San Diego Padres before pitching for the Milwaukee Brewers the last two seasons. He finished his career with a 61-75, 2.87 mark in 1035 games, all relief appearances, and averaged 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings.

The Rays certainly don’t expect him to replicate the nearly unhittable season Joaquin Benoit had in 2010, but the team has added Kyle Farnsworth to their bullpen. The deal is worth $3.25M with an option for 2012.

The Cubs have added Reed Johnson to their outfield mix with a minor league contract and invite to spring training. They also avoided arbitration with Koyie Hill, agreeing on a one year deal worth $850K.

The Tigers and Ryan Rayburn agreed on a two year deal to avoid arbitration.

The Mets signed pitcher Taylor Tankersley to a minor league deal. Now if they could only acquire Taylor Teagarden to catch him.

BD Hot Stove: A Penny Signed Is A Penny Earned | Baseball Digest

BD Hot Stove: A Penny Signed Is A Penny Earned | Baseball Digest

The Detroit Tigers have spent the last couple of seasons trying to re-work their starting rotation. Outside of Justin Verlander, the Motown crew hasn’t had gotten much consistency from their starting staff.

Hopes are still high very high for Rick Porcello, who had an oustanding rookie campaign in 2009, but floundered in much of his sophomore season. Max Scherzer was brought in from Arizona prior to the 2010 season. He’s a hard thrower who strikes out nearly a batter per inning, but struggles with his command. Then there’s Armando Galaragga, who can look perfect one day and quite ordinary the next.

In attempt to steady the rotation and add some experience GM Dave Dombrowski has signed veteran right-hander Brad Penny to a one year, three-million dollar contract. It’s a good low risk gamble for Dombrowski and the Tigers. Penny made just nine appearances last April and May, as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals, due to back trouble.

Penny struggled his only other time in the American League back in 2009 with Boston. Shoulder issues made him ineffective in 24 starts and the Red Sox released him in late August. Whether it was a switch to the National League or better health, Penny went 4-1, 2.59 in six starts after the San Francisco Giants picked him up four days later.

That’s the Penny the Tigers are hoping for; one that can shine in Detroit, and give the sagging rotation a boost. Over the span of 11 seasons, Penny has made 284 starts, won 108 games and posted a 4.11 ERA.

Rumors, News, and Transactions

The Yankees may be taking a low risk gamble as well. Several sources have them in serious discussions with free agent right-hander Justin Duchscherer. The 33-yr old missed 2009 after undering going elbow surgery and was also treated for clinical depression. Last year he underwent hip surgery and made just five major league appearances. When not injured, Duchscherer is extremely effective. In 2008, he went 10-8, 2.54 in his first season as a full-time starter. His strikeouts per nine innings (6.0) were lower than in his time as a reliever, but he posted a WHIP under 1.0. He made his second All-Star appearance as well. With just five appearances in the last two seasons, the Yankees could likely sign him to a deal worth less guaranteed money than Penny.

Across town the Mets are reportedly taking a look at free agent right-hander David Bush (per ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick).

The Reds officially signed off on their deal with Edgar Renteria and also added outfielder Fred Lewis.

The Angels and infielder Alberto Callaspo avoided an arbitration hearing by agreeing on a one year contract.

The Rockies signed veteran right-hander Claudio Vargas to a minor league deal.

Another veteran righty, Kris Benson, has decided to call it quits.

Left-handers are in the news too. KC GM Bob Dutton told MLB.com’s Dick Kaegel that the team is considering re-signing Bruce Chen. And the White Sox signed lefty reliever Will Ohman to a two year, $4M deal.

The Mariners signed veteran infielder Adam Kennedy to a minor league deal that will included an invitation to spring training.

BD Hot Stove: Soria-Yes SoriaNO | Baseball Digest

BD Hot Stove: Soria-Yes SoriaNO | Baseball Digest

Having lost out in the Cliff Lee sweepstakes and still waiting for Andy Pettitte to make a decision, word is (via Jon Heyman) that the Yankees are considering signing Rafael Soriano to a big money deal to set up Mariano Rivera. Many Yankees fans are clearly in a panic because of the aforementioned missing out and waiting, and say throw caution and much money at the wind, er Soriano.

I’m hear to say the Yankees would be better off working a deal with Kansas City for their stud closer, Joakim Soria. You are now saying, “Why would the Royals deal Soria? He’s young, he doesn’t make much money.” And I would have to tend to agree with you, however, he won’t be making little money for long. At least not KC’s version of little money. Also, the Royals aren’t going to be a strong team any time soon, so why hold on to such a valuable commodity? One that will have an impact in 60-65 games.

Soria, who will be 27 in May, is signed through this season with the team holding option on years 2012-2014. The closer made $3M in 2010 and gets a bump to $4M in 2011. After that is when Soria starts to come in to more money. $6M in 2012, $8M in 2013, and $8.75M in the final year of the deal. That is not the kind of money KC likes to pay out. The Yankees, obviously, don’t mind it. Soria has been relatively durable, making over 60 appearances in three of his four big league seasons. He missed part of 2009 with shoulder soreness, but bounced back in fine fashion.

Teams win with starting pitching and any team that has Bruce Chen in it’s rotation is going nowhere fast. With Zack Greinke gone, KC’s starting rotation at the moment is Gil Meche (only 190 IP over the last two years due to injuries), the aforemention mediocre Chen, journeyman Vin Mazzaro, Sean O’Sullivan, and one time prospect Luke Hochever. That’s not an 80 win starting staff.

Let’s start the deal off with Joba Chamberlain. Many of you will scoff or laugh, but hear me out. Chamberlain would be closer to his home, to his father, to his son. The Royals could/should convert Chamberlain back into a starter. One that would no longer have to answer endless “what’s wrong?” questions from the New York media or pitch in front of the scrutiny of an over expectant Yankees Stadium crowd. Still just 25, the right-hander with a multitude of pitches could still be a succesful middle of the rotation starter.

The Yankees would also have to include one of their bigger pitching prospects- A Dellante Betances or Manny Banuelos or Andrew Brackman (the least likely to be dealt) perhaps. Maybe one of the catchers from the multitude the Yankees now possess. Money of course is also always part of the picture and the Yankees could help things along by picking up Meche and the final year of his contract. At best he’s the number five starter. At worst, the Yankees try to swing him somewhere else for a low level prospect. Soria would set up Mariano Rivera, get occassional save opportunities himself and take over when the closer of all closers calls it quits.

Getting back to Rafael Soriano…I’ve said before he’s a great pitcher and would be a great pick up for most teams. But the Yankees are not one of them. To pay closer money for three years for Soriano to be a set up man does not make sense. Soriano is 4 1/2 years older than Soria and had serious elbow issues in 2004 (Tommy John surgery) and 2008. Both injuries occurred after two straight years of heavy workloads. I’m not saying he will have any health issues in 2011, but Soriano has made 141 appearances over the last two seasons, the highest back to back totals of his career.

Right now age and durability makes a Sori deal a better risk than a Soriano signing. Finally, Soriano would also cost the Yankees a draft choice in this June’s amateur draft, which is reportedly loaded with talent, and that is something Yankees GM Brian Cashman, for the moment, refuses to do.

The bottom line is one way or another the Yankees could come up with a deal suitable for KC and comfortable to Cashman.

Rumors, News, and Transactions

The Padres have signed recently acquired Jason Bartlett to a two year contract extension worth $11M. The deal also has a vesting option for 2013.

Pittsburgh proved once again they’ll just about signing anyone by re-signing much traveled Jorge Julio to a minor league deal.

The hip surgery for Mariners closer David Aardsma turned out to be more complicated than originally thought so he may not be ready for opening day after all.

Scott Schoeneweis told the Boston Globe he’s going to try to make a comeback this season.

Baseball Digest Birthdays: Willie McCovey | Baseball Digest

Baseball Digest Birthdays: Willie McCovey | Baseball Digest

Willie Lee McCovey is one of the best ball players that many people don’t know much about. That’s what happens when your a soft spoken southern (Mobile, AL) gentleman playing on a team of stars, including fellow Hall of Fame members Willie Mays, Orlando Cepeda, and Juan Marichal.

For instance, did you realize that McCovey spent a good deal of his early days in San Francisco playing the outfield due to Cepeda and others occupying 1st base? He wouldn’t become a full time 1st baseman until 1965, but played there for the remainder of his career (with a 9 game stint as a DH thrown in there for the Oakland A’s in 1976).

McCovey came on the scene with a fury in 1959, winning the Rookie of the Year award despite playing in only 52 games. But a .354 average, 13 HR, and 38 RBI earned him all 24 first place votes for the award.

He would have his struggles too though, getting sent down to the minors the very next year when he went from hero to zero at age 22 and was met with boos on a regular basis by the Giants fan base. He was demoted in mid-July and hit just .238 for the season, matching his rookie home run total despite 88 more plate appearances.

McCovey’s prodigious slugging was not to be denied. The man known as “Stretch” had a run from 1963-1970 in which he averaged 36 home runs, 99 RBI, and 82 walks. The final three years of that period was McCovey at his best.

His 36 HR, 105 RBI, .923 OPS season in 1968 was topped by an MVP campaign in 1969, the first year of divisional play. The Giants were in first place with eight games left in the season, but finished 3-5 to fall three games behind Atlanta. It should be noted that the Giants were in that position due to the amazing offensive display McCovey put on all year.

“Stretch” smacked 45 home runs and drove in 121 runs despite leading the lead with 121 walks (45 of which were intentional) in 1969. Throw in a .320 batting average and a .656 slugging percentage and you can understand why McCovey beat out Tom Seaver (25 wins, 2.21 ERA) by 22 points to capture the NL MVP award. For an encore in 1970, McCovey matched his ’69 RBI total, posted a 1.056 OPS, and hit “just” 39 home runs while walking 137 times.

In 1970 the NY Post’s Milton Gross wrote “Why McCovey Won the MVP Award” by basically carrying the team on his back. Check it out here.

The Giants would reach the World Series just once (1962) in McCovey’s tenure, but he provided one of the most famous highlights in post-season play. The series was tied at three games apiece against the Yankees with the finale in Candlestick Park. The Giants trailed 1-0 in the 9th inning and were down to their final out. With two men aboard, Yankees starter Ralph Terry elected to face McCovey rather than walk him and pitch to Cepeda. McCovey nearly made him pay, hitting one of the hardest balls you will ever see…right at 2nd baseman Bobby Richardson for the final out of the series. It was doubly heartbreaking for McCovey because he would reach the post-season just one other time in his illustrious career, losing in the NLCS to the Pirates in 1971.

The big man was dealt to the San Diego Padres after the ’73 season as the Giants looked to get younger. He would spend the next two plus seasons with the lowly Pads before spending the final month of the 1976 season with the Oakland Athletics. McCovey was welcomed back into the Giants fold as a 39-yr old free agent a year later and spent the last four seasons of his career calling Candlestick Park his home once again. McCovey’s final home run in the major leagues tied him with Ted Williams for, at the time, 10th place on the all-time list with 521. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1986 in his second year of eligibility (Lou Brock and Hoyt Wilhelm took the majority of the votes the prior year).

His knees are in bad shape and he often uses crutches, but McCovey can still be seen semi-regularly at the Giants’ Pac Bell Park watching long home runs hit into the area of San Francisco Bay dubbed “McCovey Cove” in honor of the now 73-yr old slugger.

Happy Birthday Willie McCovey.

Also celebrating a birthday today:

Ervin Santana is 28. The right-hander has won 76 games in his six big league seasons with the Angels. The Dominican native loves even numbers years, winning 16 games twice and 17 last season. He was an All-Star in 2008 and finished sixth in the AL CY Young voting that season.

Adam Kennedy turns 35. The veteran of 12 seasons is a free agent still seeking employment for 2011. Originally a draft choice of the St. Louis Cardinals, he was dealt to the Anaheim Angels prior to the 2000 season in a deal that brought Jim Edmonds to Missouri. He finished sixth in the AL Rookie of the Year voting that season when he drove in 72 runs and stole 22 bases in 30 attempts. Kennedy was a key to the Angels lone World Series championship in 2002, hitting a combined .409 with four home runs and eight RBI in the division and championship series. After seven seasons with the Halos, Kennedy was a utility man back in St. Louis for a couple of years before spending a year each with Oakland and Washington.

Also born on this day- Hall of Fame member Harry Wright (1835-1895), who was a player/manager for the Boston Red Stockings (National Association) and Boston Red Caps (NL) from 1871-1877. A rookie at age 36, he retired and became a full time manager in 1878. He would manage for 25 years and was inducted in the Hall as a Pioneer/Executive in 1953.