Category: MLB (Page 63 of 448)

      Tigers sign Victor Martinez to a $50 million contract

      November 24, 2010 /
      Boston Red Sox catcher Victor Martinez makes a throwing error as he tries to throw out New York Yankees batter Brett Gardner at first base in the tenth inning of their MLB American League baseball game at Yankee Stadium in New York September 26, 2010. REUTERS/Ray Stubblebine (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

      It’s official: Victor Martinez is no longer a Boston Red Sox.

      The Tigers signed Martinez to a four-year, $50 million contract that wasn’t confirmed until Wednesday. With the signing, Detroit adds a middle of the order bat to their lineup and a player that hit .302 in 538 plate appearances last year for the Red Sox. He also earned a trip to the All-Star Game for the fourth time in his career.

      The Red Sox had hoped to re-sign Martinez but it was clear that they weren’t going to break the bank for him. They offered him a choice of three years and $36 million or four years and $42 million, but in the end Martinez opted to go where the money was greener. The downside for Boston is that it lost even more power in its ever fleeting lineup but the Sox pick up a high draft pick as part of their compensation for losing him via free agency.

      The Orioles were also reportedly interested in V-Mart and offered him a four-year, $48 million contract, while the White Sox tried to lure him to Chicago with a three-year, $48 million deal.

      But the Tigers won out in the end. They’ve been arguably the biggest players in this year’s offseason, committing $39.25 million to Brandon Inge, Jhonny Peralta and Joaquin Benoit.

      External Sports, MLB

      Yankees offer Cliff Lee six-years, $140 million?

      November 23, 2010 /
      Texas Rangers' pitcher Cliff Lee pitches against the San Francisco Giants during the eighth inning of game one of the World Series in San Francisco on October 27, 2010. UPI/Kevin Dietsch Photo via Newscom

      Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports reports that the Yankees have offered free agent Cliff Lee a six-year deal worth around $140 million. If C.C. Sabathia’s contract in December of 2008 can be used in comparison, then Brown’s figures sound right.

      The Yankees signed Sabathia to a seven-year, $161 million contract in ’08. While Sabathia had two more years added onto his contract, he was also four years younger than Lee at the time of the deal. If Lee signs with the Bombers, that would mean the Yankees would be paying their top two pitchers roughly $46 million per year.

      Wowzers.

      That said, the Rangers are expected to match the Yankees’ offers, at least initially. But it’s hard to imagine that a team that had to be saved by Major League Baseball (financially, that is) would be able to come up with that kind of money for one player. At some point, the Rangers will have to bow out and hope that Lee bypasses more money for the opportunity to return to Texas.

      The Nationals are also reportedly interested in Lee and there are sure to be other suitors as well. But as I’ve written for the past couple of months, no team will be able to match what the Yankees offer. Thus, one would think that it’ll be between the Yankees and Rangers in the end. Why would he go anywhere else? He can either cash in a big payday and have an opportunity to win a ring every year, or take less and hope that the Rangers’ run in 2010 was no fluke.

      External Sports, MLB

      Did Boras’ firm loan money to prospects in the Dominican Republic?

      November 23, 2010 /
      Aug 31, 2010; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Scott Boras attends the MLB game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Photo via Newscom

      According to a report by ESPN.com, baseball agent Scott Boras’ company supplied “tens of thousands of dollars in loans and payments” to the families of needy prospects in the Dominican Republic.

      The report cited people with ties to Boras. The Times said the loans and payments raise questions about whether his company broke Major League Baseball Players Association rules governing the conduct of agents.

      Domingo Ramos, a former big league player who works for Boras’ company, told The Times that the company typically represented a few top Dominican prospects each year and made loans to a majority of them. The money was usually used for food, housing and other needs, he said.

      “Sometimes we get it back, sometimes we don’t,” Ramos told The Times. “Sometimes, it’s tough to get it back. It’s as simple as that.”

      The Times said Boras’ company loaned teenage client Edward Salcedo and his family about $70,000 from 2007-09, according to the shortstop’s brother, Thommy, and Martiris Hanley, a former Boras employee. They said the money was to be repaid out of Salcedo’s future earnings.

      In a way, it’s nice to see that Boras’ company provided money for food, clothing and shelter. But the only reason they dished out money was so that these players would sign with Boras, so it’s not like he’s Mother Teresa here.

      If the report is true, this is just another example of how far agents will go to secure a client.

      External Sports, MLB

      Yankees’ offer to Derek Jeter more than fair

      November 19, 2010 /
      New York Yankees' shortstop Derek Jeter warms up before the Yankees take on the Texas Rangers in game four of the ALCS at Yankee Stadium on October 19, 2010 in New York. UPI/Monika Graff Photo via Newscom

      If SI.com’s Jon Heyman’s report is true, then the Yankees’ offer for shortstop Derek Jeter is more than reasonable.

      According to Heyman, the Yankees are on the verge of offering their captain a three-year, $45 million contract. Jeter is reportedly looking for at least a four-year deal, but given his age and declining skills, it’s hard to argue with whether or not the Yankees’ offer is fair.

      Jeter means more to the Yankees than what he does on the field, but it’s not as if the Bombers are low-balling him here. He’s no longer a strong defensive shortstop and he’s coming off a year in which he batted .270 over 663 at bats. He posted career numbers in 2009 but nobody expected him to repeat that effort in 2010, which he didn’t.

      In some respects, the Yankees have to overpay. Again, his contributions to the organization run deeper than his stat line and New York has to be willing to fork over a little more than Jeter would probably get on the open market. It’s about showing respect to the player that helped lead them to five World Series titles over the past two decades.

      But let’s get real here. Jeter wouldn’t get three years and $45 million on the open market – not at 36. It’s up to his agent to get the best deal possible and Jeter’s camp may wind up asking for more, but the Yankees’ current deal is certainly fair for all parties involved.

      External Sports, MLB

      Rockies, Marlins and Red Sox all interested in Justin Upton

      November 18, 2010 /
      June 20, 2010: Arizona Diamondbacks right fielder Justin Upton (10) during the MLB baseball game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan.

      A day after GM Kevin Towers said that he would be open to trading young outfielder Justin Upton, teams have come calling.

      Initial reports are that the Rockies, Marlins and Red Sox are all interested in dealing with Towers, although the GM’s asking price is believed to be ridiculous. It may take up to four or five prospects to move Upton, but teams have already started kicking the tires on a potential deal.

      FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal has been all over the Upton trade rumors thus far. He’s reporting that the Blue Jays are showing “strong interest” and that the Mariners could construct a deal centered around pitching prospect Michael Pineda.

      While the Rockies are believed to have inquired about Upton, Towers is determined not to trade the outfielder within the NL West. That means Colorado, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco are out of luck. Atlanta is probably out as well after acquiring Dan Uggla for a paint-by-numbers coloring book and a half-eaten turkey melt.

      Talks between Towers and the Red Sox have apparently cooled, but Boston is showing more interest than the Yankees at this point. Arizona is looking for at least four prospects in return for Upton and aging teams like New York are reluctant to part with that many farm players. Still, if the Red Sox are interested, the Yankees are interested (even though the Bombers may have no place to put Upton in their outfield).

      Much like the Cliff Lee situation, new rumors will surface daily about where Upton may wind up. It’ll be interesting to see how this story unfolds over the next couple of weeks.

      External Sports, MLB

      « Older posts Newer posts »

      © 2026 The Scores Report – The National Sports Blog

      Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑