Category: MLB (Page 54 of 448)

      Yankees have considered adding Kazmir and other lefties, but what about Zito?

      February 4, 2011 /
      San Francisco Giants Barry Zito pitches in the first inning against the San Diego Padres at AT&T Park in San Francisco on October 2, 2010. Zito walked in two runs in the first and took the loss in the 4-2 game. UPI/Terry Schmitt……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

      Ken Rosenthal writes via Twitter that the Yankees have “kicked around” the idea of making trade offers for Scott Kazmir (Angels) and other lefties, such as Joe Saunders (Angels), Gio Gonzalez (A’s), Wade LeBlanc (Padres) and Clayton Richard (Padres).

      One name absent from that list is former AL Cy Young winner Barry Zito. I would have to imagine with the amount of pitching depth that the Giants have that Zito would be available for the right price. (Or any price for that matter.)

      The problem of course is that Zito has three years and $64.5 million left on his contract. The Yankees have that kind of money hanging on toilet paper rollers in their front office bathrooms, but it’s not like Zito is worth that much coin – even to a team like New York, which could use a starter.

      But what if the Giants were willing to pay a portion of Zito’s salary and take very little in return? Would the Yankees be willing to take a risk on him then? It’s telling that the Giants left Zito off of their World Series roster after he choked in the second-to-last regular season game against the Padres (a game in which San Fran needed Zito to pitch well and instead he lasted just three innings), but the Yankees have concerns now that Andy Pettitte has decided to retire. If A.J. Burnett doesn’t round back into form, then the Bombers will have a serious issue on their hands in terms of starting pitching. Zito isn’t Cliff Lee but he’s not Bartolo Colon either.

      Then again, maybe this is a deal that works out way better for the Giants and I’m forcing the issue from the Yankees perspective. San Fran signed Jeff Suppan to a minor league deal and while Zito is arguably better than the former Cardinal, Suppan would be fine as a fifth starter (which is all the Giants would require him to be). If they could free themselves of at least a portion of Zito’s contract, then it doesn’t matter what they get back in a trade. It would be a win for them no matter what.

      The Yankees, on the other hand, would have to pick up some of the tab for a pitcher that has had major confidence issues since arriving in San Francisco. They already have A.J. Burnett on their roster – they don’t need another one.

      But a Zito/Yankees marriage is intriguing nonetheless.

      External Sports, MLB

      Pujols disappointed with slow pace of negotiations with Cardinals

      February 4, 2011 /
      St. Louis Cardinals Albert Pujols sits in the dugout watching the scoreboard in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on September 4, 2010. Cincinnati won the game 6-1. UPI/Bill Greenblatt

      Albert Pujols began negotiations with the Cardinals for a long-term contract over a month ago, yet the two sides appear no closer to agreeing to a deal today as they were back then. And according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, this has left Pujols feeling disappointed with the process.

      DeWitt has maintained that he believes the window for negotiations could remain open through spring training. However, implementation of the deadline in the first place probably reflected growing frustration by Lozano and his client about the virtual absence of negotiations last spring training and earlier this winter.

      At his client’s urging, Lozano has offered little public comment during the last 11 months about the process. However, that hasn’t prevented sources close to Team Pujols from noting the first baseman’s disappointment over a process that has never reached high gear.

      As an outsider, it feels like the Cardinals are dragging their feet. Maybe they’re hoping that the longer they wait, Pujols will eventually accept a “discount” to stay in St. Louis. But as it stands right now, Pujols’ camp has stayed steadfast in saying they want a deal similar to A-Rod’s 10-year, $275 million contract or the best player in baseball will test the free agency market in 2012.

      This situation is complicated but the decision is rather clear-cut. Either the Cardinals pony up and pay Pujols one of the richest contracts in baseball history or they allow him to walk and face intense public scrutiny. There aren’t any other options as the situation current stands, because Pujols has already put the kibosh on any potential trade.

      External Sports, MLB

      With Pettitte retiring, the Yankees’ rotation success rides on Burnett

      February 3, 2011 /

      Now that Andy Pettitte has decided to retire, the general consensuses is that the Yankees’ are screwed when it comes to their starting rotation. But that’s probably an overreaction.

      erunner Nelson Cruz circles the bases behind him in the top of the sixth inning of game four of the American League Championship Series at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York, USA, 19 October 2010. The winner of the best-of-seven series will go on to face either Philadelphia Phillies or the San Francisco Giants in the World Series. EPA/JUSTIN LANE fotoglif765596

      Assuming he doesn’t get injured or suffer a case of bad luck, CC Sabathia is still the best pitcher in the American League. If he can stay healthy, Phil Hughes is a solid No. 3 on a championship team and even has the talent to be a good No. 2. Freddy Garcia, Bartolo Colon, Ivan Nova and Sergio Mitre are the unknowns, but the Yankees don’t need any of those guys to be Cliff Lee or even Pettitte. They could do much worse for their No. 4 and No. 5 starters.

      But with Pettitte retiring, the Bombers do need the 2009 version of A.J. Burnett to return and not the puss that took the mound in 2010. It’s not like the guy can’t pitch; he helped the Yankees win the World Series in ’09 by finishing with a 4.04 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP. But those numbers rose in 2010 when he went 10-15 with a 5.26 ERA and 1.51 WHIP.

      The key with Burnett has always been his mindset. If he’s healthy and his head is in the right place, then the Yankees’ rotation will be fine with Sabathia, Burnett and Hughes rounding out the top 3 spots. But if Burnett’s confidence starts to go, then so does his stuff and the wheels can come off rather quickly.

      Pitching in New York and the small dimensions at Yankee Stadium don’t help his cause either. Pitchers can’t get away with mistakes at Yankee Stadium like they can at Petco Park or AT&T. Leave one up to a lefty in the Bronx and the ball is likely to wind up in some fan’s office the next morning.

      But the early reports on Burnett have been good. He’s working with pitching coach Larry Rothschild, who says Burnett has a new approach that should yield better results. He also thinks that Burnett’s “mind and heart are in the right place,” and that he wants to do well.

      For the Yankees’ sake, hopefully Rothschild is right. Losing Pettitte to retirement could be a minor blip or a catastrophe depending on Burnett.

      External Sports, MLB

      Giants to hire Lou Piniella

      February 2, 2011 /
      Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella stands for the playing of the Star Spangled Banner before the game against the Atlanta Braves at Wrigley Field in Chicago on August 22, 2010. Piniella announced Sunday that the game would be his last game as manager. UPI/Brian Kersey

      Even though Bruce Bochy just helped them win their first World Series title since the team moved to San Francisco in 1957, the Giants have decided to give him the boot and hire Lou Piniella instead.

      Nah, I’m just kidding. Bochy and that giant-sized dome of his aren’t going anywhere. But the Giants did hire Piniella to act as some kind of baseball czar according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

      He retired from managing in August, more eager to be with his family, citing his mother’s failing health, than playing out the string with the Cubs. The good news is that he’s not totally gone from the game, and that’s where the Giants enter the picture.

      The team hasn’t made an announcement yet, but The Chronicle learned Piniella, 67, is joining the Giants’ front office to consult in a variety of ways, whether it’s evaluating or advising on player movement or scouting or . . . well, whatever a baseball lifer of 48 years can provide.

      I’m not sure how much of an impact Piniella will have on the Giants’ week-to-week operations. The club hired Felipe Alou after the 2006 season and after that news made a small ripple in the San Francisco area, nobody has mentioned him since. I even forgot he was with the team until I read the Chronicle’s article about Piniella.

      That said, adding a man with as much baseball experience as Piniella can’t be a bad thing. Nobody outside of GM Brian Sabean knows what Piniella will be doing, but I don’t see how this could blow up in the Giants’ faces. After all, the club already has a World Series-winning manager in Bochy, so if they start the season 10-20 it’s not like rumors will start to surface about Piniella taking over (uh, I think). After all, Piniella will set up shop in Florida, which Google maps tells me is cross-country from San Francisco.

      I think it’s a good decision by the defending champs. Piniella was available and has connections with the Giants. Seems like a good fit.

      External Sports, MLB

      Jose Canseco trying to make a serious comeback attempt in baseball

      February 1, 2011 /

      According to Business Insider, Jose Canseco has elicited the help of former football agent Nello Gamberdino in order to make a comeback attempt in baseball.

      “The main obstacle that I’ve had to get over as his agent,” Gamberdino explained, “is when you initially throw his name out there, people think it’s a joke. We’re trying to make it clear that, no, he’s not doing this as a publicity stunt; he’s doing this because he wants to play, he loves baseball, and he still feels he can contribute as a player. In this country where everyone has a second, third, and sometimes fourth chance at redemption, why can’t someone step up and help him? There are certainly guys in baseball that have done far worse than write a book.”

      “It must be nice for people to sit on their high horse and judge him,” Gamberdino said defensively, “but Jose’s had to do those things for financial reasons.” (It’s unclear how, exactly, Canseco blew the nearly $50 million he made in his 15 year career). Canseco hasn’t made many friends since writing his two tell-all books, and Gamberdino – who only began representing the slugger after he signed on for March’s “Celebrity Apprentice” premier – reminds him that his extra-curricular activities do not portray him as someone who takes baseball seriously. But he’s got the name, Gamberdino said. “And until he can make some money in baseball, celebrity appearances are the best way to pay the bills.”

      Gamberdino can’t blame anyone for thinking this is a joke because his client is Jose Canseco. This is the same man who once said he would “rent” a day hanging out with him in his Florida home. (That’s right, for $5,000 you could spend the entire day with a former juicer at his very own home.)

      Although I wonder how someone could blow through $50 million, I don’t judge Canseco for whoring himself out for money. But everyone’s chickens eventually come home to roost. If you make a mistake, you’re going to pay for that mistake in some way or another. He bragged about introducing steroids to the game of baseball and then tried to cash in by exposing players for juicing. Sorry, but you leave yourself open for criticism when you do something like (along with his many other transgressions).

      I wish Canseco luck. He’s going to need it.

      External Sports, MLB

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