Category: MLB (Page 169 of 448)

      Will Yankees or Sox outbid Twins for Mauer?

      September 25, 2009 /

      The Twins are going to try and re-sign catcher Joe Mauer to a new seven-year, $120 million contract this winter. “Try” being the operative word, as the Yankees and Red Sox are also expected to get into the bidding war over the 26-year old catcher.

      From the St. Paul Pioneer Press:

      Mauer, 26, can become a free agent after the 2010 season. When contract talks get serious after this season, the Twins are expected to try to sign Mauer for about $120 million over seven years.

      The New York Yankees, however, with catcher Jorge Posada at 38 years old, are expected to offer more money and possibly more years.

      For instance, the Yankees have first baseman Mark Teixeira, 29, under contract for $180 million for eight years. C.C. Sabathia, 29, is pitching with a $161 million, seven-year deal. Mauer is every bit the commodity.

      Boston catcher Jason Varitek is 37, and it’s clear the big spending Red Sox would love to have Mauer for the next seven or eight years.

      Mauer is from St. Paul, so I’m willing to bet that he takes less money to stay with the Twins, even though they’re a club that is always in a constant struggle to keep up with the big spenders in the AL. It’s better for baseball that superstars re-sign with their respective clubs and not flee to New York as soon as the Yankees start flashing big dollar signs around.

      Keep the talent as spread out as possible to keep the game competitive please.

      MLB

      Giants’ Sanchez needs knee surgery

      September 24, 2009 /

      According to a report by MLB.com, Giants’ second baseman Freddy Sanchez needs to have surgery to repair a meniscus tear in his left knee.

      San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy, however, is hopeful the procedure can be put off until the offseason and that the second baseman can still contribute to the team’s playoff drive after a few days of therapy.

      “We’ll wait and see what happens in these next two games,” Bochy said prior to the finale of a three-game series here with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

      So the club isn’t yet shutting down Sanchez for the remainder of a season that has 11 games remaining, even though the Giants took the field Wednesday night trailing Colorado by five games in the National League Wild Card standings.

      Sanchez, who suffered the injury taking an awkward step on the infield in the bottom of the first inning of Monday night’s game, checked into the clubhouse Wednesday afternoon “limping pretty good,” according to Bochy.

      Sanchez is hitting .284 since joining the Giants, but he certainly hasn’t made the impact that the club had hoped when they acquired the second baseman from Pittsburgh in exchange for Tim Alderson, one of the club’s top pitching prospects.

      Sanchez just hasn’t been healthy enough to have an impact for the fading Giants, who are four games back of the Rockies in the NL Wild Card standings and essentially need a miracle over the next two weeks to make the postseason.

      There has to be some within the Giants’ organization that are second guessing the trade for Sanchez, although hindsight is always 20/20.

      MLB

      Braves manager Bobby Cox to retire in 2010

      September 23, 2009 /

      The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that long-time Braves manager Bobby Cox will retire following the 2010 MLB season.

      Cox, 68, was given a one-year extension for next season as manager and then he has a five-year consulting agreement from 2011-15 to serve in an advisory role with the Braves.

      “I’m very excited and honored to be making plans for next year,” Cox said in a statement. “While I’ve decided 2010 will be my last season in the dugout, I want to make it clear that we will all be working hard as hard as ever to win another world championship for the city of Atlanta and our great fans.”

      The Braves announced the entire coaching staff will be back next season.

      If you can’t appreciate what Cox has meant to the game then you don’t appreciate baseball. He’s fourth on the list of all-time wins by a skipper and has been named Manager of the Year four times (1985, 1991, 2004 and 2005). He’s only won one World Series in his career, but to take away his accomplishments because he hasn’t won more championships would be a mistake.

      Plus, how can you not love the guy that holds the all-time record for most ejections? Awesome.

      MLB

      Yankees clinch, back in playoffs

      September 23, 2009 /

      Alex Rodriguez homered and hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the Yankees’ 6-5 victory over the Angels Tuesday night as New York became the first team to clinch a postseason berth in baseball.

      New York clinched the first phase of its postseason plans while still on the field, the berth finalized by the Athletics’ 9-1 victory over the Rangers while Jorge Posada was batting in the eighth inning. But that gave the Yankees little cause to rejoice — not after they gave back all five runs to the pesky Angels.

      Facing Matt Palmer in the ninth inning, Gardner opened the frame with a line-drive single to center and waited out the right-hander, who threw to first base repeatedly to check the speedster. Gardner took second base on the 1-0 delivery, and Derek Jeter walked.

      The playoff entry was acknowledged after the game with hugs and handshakes, but no wild celebrations — a tact that was encouraged by the Yankees’ team leaders. Those will be reserved for a potential division clinch in the near future, when next chapter of the club’s season truly begins.

      Not to be a downer, but the Yankees have done this before. It’s the next step that has eluded them.

      It’s time for CC Sabathia and A-Rod to step up in the postseason just once in their careers. This is a club that routinely looks past the first round and routinely finds themselves out of the playoffs too early. The Yankees need the players they spent millions on in the offseason to produce or else this playoff berth means nothing.

      The Yankees are built to win championships so anything less should be a disappointment. (Especially considering their payroll.)

      MLB

      Giants’ minor league prospect a murder suspect

      September 21, 2009 /

      According to a report by the San Jose Mercury News, Giants’ minor league prospect Angel Villalona is the prime suspect in the shooting death of a man in the Dominican Republic.

      The news devastated Giants officials, who have invested significant time and money in the 19-year-old first baseman. Villalona’s $2.1 million bonus was a franchise record when the Giants signed him in 2006. He was considered one of baseball’s elite power-hitting prospects, and his signing signaled a shift in priorities to rebuild the farm system.

      Dominican police told the Associated Press that Villalona turned himself in 12 hours after Mario Felix de Jesus Velete was fatally shot at a bar Saturday night in the coastal city of La Romana. Villalona will appear in court today and could face up to 20 years in prison.

      Not sound insensitive after a man lost his life, but in keeping things related to sports this would be a massive blow to the Giants if Villalona were guilty of this crime. We’re talking about an organization that is completely devoid of hitting prospects outside of catcher Buster Posey and Villalona has drawn comparisons to Miguel Cabrera. (Outside of the fact that Villalona has shown little to no plate discipline so far in the minors.)

      But let’s not jump to any conclusions. This could be a misunderstanding and Villalona had nothing to do with the shooting. We’ll have to wait for more details to emerge.

      MLB

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