Category: MLB (Page 211 of 448)

      Red Sox interested in Jack Wilson, but do they need him?

      June 15, 2009 /

      According to a report by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, trade rumors between the Red Sox and Pirates involving shortstop Jack Wilson are starting to heat up. There is some hesitation, however, on the Pittsburgh’s behalf because the club doesn’t want to alienate its fan base by trading away another popular player as it did last week when they dealt Nate McLouth to the Braves.

      While Boston would love to add a shortstop while Jed Lowrie continues to recover from a wrist injury, I don’t know if Wilson would be the right fit. While he’s excellent defensively, Wilson brings little to the table offensively and he’s grossly overpaid (he’s set to make $7.25 million this year and $8.4 million in 2010 with a club option buyout of $600,000).

      Even though Lowrie is hurt, he should return at some point this year and he gives the Sox a better overall player at the position than Wilson does. Not to mention, Lowrie is also cheaper.

      The problem is waiting for Lowrie to return. He’s been out since mid April and while Nick Green has filled in admirably, he doesn’t offer much long-term upside. The other issue is that with Lowrie out, there’s a possibility that Julio Lugo may continue to see the field and as all Sox fans know, that’s a tragedy.

      Personally, I think Boston would be better off not making a move for Wilson. Lowrie offers the Sox the most upside at the position and while it may be painful waiting for him to return, they might be better off in the long run if they hold off on making any moves (at least at shortstop).

      MLB

      What’s wrong with Johan Santana?

      June 15, 2009 /

      Just under a month ago, Johan Santana took the hill at AT&T Park in San Francisco and what was supposed to be an easy outing against a weak Giants’ lineup, turned out to be one of his worst starts of the season.

      While he did earn his fifth victory that day in San Fran to get to 5-2 on the year, Santana was hammered for 11 hits and six runs (only four were earned) in the Mets’ 9-6 win. Since then, Mets fans have mostly been wondering, “What’s wrong with Johan?”

      Santana’s numbers in his last three starts are staggering. He’s given up 24 hits, 17 earned runs, has struck out just eight and his ERA is 9.56. Granted, most of those bad numbers can be attributed to his outing yesterday at Yankees Stadium when the Bronx Bombers tuned him up for nine hits and nine runs in just three innings of work. The Yankees eventually won, 15-0.

      So is this just a slump for Santana or is trouble brewing on the horizon?

      Against the Yankees, Santana missed spots badly and his velocity appeared to be way down. Pitchers go through rough patches throughout the season, but Johan rarely struggles like the way he did on Sunday.

      There’s a good possibility that Santana is hurt. His elbow bothered him in spring training and he admitted that his back was acting up about a month ago. Even though he says that he’s healthy, maybe he’s suffering some lingering effects from nagging injuries and he just doesn’t have his stuff right now.

      Chances are Santana will turn things around soon. Don’t forget that he has often struggled in the month of April throughout his career but this year he was filthy, posting a 3-1 record with a 1.10 ERA and 44 strikeouts. Maybe he’s just suffering his April woes in June this year.

      Either way, if he does bounce back, it’s good for the Mets that he’s working out the kinks in June rather than late July or August. It’ll be interesting to see how he fares over his next couple of starts because while Met fans aren’t pushing the panic button yet, their hands are certainly hovering over it.

      MLB

      K-Rod, Yankees’ reliever Bruney almost brawl before game

      June 15, 2009 /

      Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez isn’t a big fan of Yankees reliever Brian Bruney – or his big mouth.

      Bruney has pitched only once for New York since April 21 because of a strained elbow. He tossed a perfect inning Saturday in a rehab appearance for Double-A Trenton.

      Afterward, he was asked about the Yankees’ wild win over the Mets on Friday night, when second baseman Luis Castillo dropped Alex Rodriguez’s two-out popup in the ninth inning. The error allowed two runs to score, giving the Yankees a 9-8 victory and handing K-Rod his first blown save in 17 chances this season.

      “Unbelievable. I’ve never seen anything like that. I have, but in high school,” Bruney said. “It couldn’t happen to a better guy on the mound, either. He’s got a tired act.”

      After converting a save, Francisco Rodriguez often pounds his chest and points to the sky while letting out a roar.

      Rodriguez shouted at the New York Yankees reliever during batting practice Sunday and the two were separated by teammates one day after they exchanged pointed jabs through the media.

      Bruney called Rodriguez’s exuberant celebrations on the mound a “tired act,” and K-Rod said he didn’t know who the injured right-hander was before advising him to “keep his mouth shut.”

      In video footage on the YES Network, an angry Rodriguez could be seen pointing at Bruney from a few feet away before Yankees reliever Jose Veras stepped between them in left field.

      Bruney held his ground and appeared to say little, if anything. Mets pitcher Mike Pelfrey got in front of Rodriguez and escorted him away.

      “I was probably 10 feet away and I just saw K-Rod pointing and raising his voice,” Pelfrey said, “and I just came over and grabbed him and I said ‘C’mon, lets go in.’ He was upset I guess.”

      After Bruney said what he did, if K-Rod was approached about the comments all he would have had to say was, “Who the hell is Brian Bruney?”

      MLB

      Jake Peavy placed on the DL

      June 14, 2009 /

      peavy

      San Diego Padres ace Jake Peavy is the newest star pitcher to be placed on the DL. He joins a host of other marquis arms including Brandon Webb, Scott Kazmir, and Brad Lidge. Though his stint on the 15-day DL is retroactive to June 9th, three Padres physicians believe Peavy’s tibialis posterior tendon strain could keep him out of the game for 8-12 weeks.

      He has made 13 starts for the Padres this season, going 6-6 with a 3.97 ERA (36 ER/81.2 IP) and 92 strikeouts. Peavy currently ranks among National League leaders in strikeouts (3rd) and strikeouts per 9.0 innings pitched (4th, 10.14), while limiting opponents to a .228 (10th) batting average.

      Over parts of eight Major League seasons with the Padres, Peavy is 92-68 with a 3.29 ERA (491 ER/1342.2 IP) and 1,348 strikeouts in 212 starts. He is the Padres all-time leader in strikeouts and ranks tied for second on the club’s all-time wins list.

      Obviously, this is horrible news for the Padres, who’s pitching staff, excluding Peavy, is spotty at best. Although San Diego is in second-to-last place in the NL West, they have shown signs of life under the terrific bats of Adrian Gonzalez and (the now injured) Scott Hairston. With Peavy’s injury, San Diego baseball is not looking good.

      And of course, this doesn’t help Peavy’s status on the trading block. Multiple teams have shown interest in the competitive hurler, so none of these organizations will want to pay an injured pitcher until he’s proven that he’s over his injury. As a result, the earliest Peavy would get signed is in the winter.

      On a side note, how sad is this?: Peavy, Lidge, and Kazmir are all on my fantasy team. I also had Brandon Webb but managed to trade him as soon as I heard how long he was going to be out. It’s a struggle, each and every day.

      MLB

      Yankees demolish Mets 15-0

      June 14, 2009 /

      santana

      It has been an eerie day in baseball indeed, especially in New York, where the Yankees absolutely embarrassed the Mets in the conclusion to their Subway Series. Johan Santana, who up until this start has been his typical dominant self, gave up nine runs in less than four innings of work.

      The Yankees had put up four runs to take an early lead against Santana in the second inning, and the left-hander’s luck only soured in the fourth. Hideki Matsui belted a two-run homer and Derek Jeter chased Santana with a single past diving shortstop Alex Cora — one of his four hits — to score the seventh run. Catcher Francisco Cervelli collected three hits, pushing his average above .300.

      Johnny Damon greeted reliever Brian Stokes with an RBI double off the left-field wall, and after an Alex Rodriguez double play brought home the ninth run, Robinson Cano put an exclamation point on the pounding with a two-run homer before Melky Cabrera completed the frame with a two-run double.

      The 15 runs were a season high for the Yankees and put A.J. Burnett in line for a breezy victory, as the right-hander won for the third time in four starts, striking out eight and limiting the Mets to four hits and four walks in seven innings.

      Burnett appeared poised to give a 4-0 lead back, walking two and allowing a hit to the bottom of the order in the third inning. But Burnett struck out both Cora and Fernando Martinez swinging before getting Carlos Beltran to line to shortstop, stranding the bases loaded.

      Except for this blip, Santana is off to another Cy Young-caliber season. Prior to this start, Santana boasted an 8-3 record with a 2.39 ERA, 91 Ks, and a WHIP of 1.13. Every pitcher gets rocked every now and then, and if it’s going to happen, it might as well be against the Yankees who have a devastating lineup top to bottom.

      The Mets who seem as lost as ever, are another story. When we look at Carlos Beltran’s comments, Luis Castillo’s error, and their daily inconsistency, this doesn’t look like the team many expected would lead the NL East for the majority of the season.

      MLB

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