MLB Off Season Thread

[JakeYourBooty]

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[Petty]

Reds will host 2015 All-Star Game

CINCINNATI -- Amid a large crowd of Reds owners, players, management, fans and local corporate and civic leaders, Cincinnati heard the words Wednesday it has long hoped would come from the mouth of Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig. The Reds will get to serve as hosts of the 2015 All-Star Game.





Joined on a stage that featured Reds CEO Bob Castellini, Selig revealed the news during an afternoon news conference at Great American Ball Park. The stadium will be the site of the Midsummer Classic -- one of the game's biggest showcase events -- for the first time. "I have every confidence that this will be a great event," Selig said of what will be the 86th edition of the All-Star Game.






It will be the fifth All-Star Game played in Cincinnati, having previously been at Riverfront Stadium in 1988 and 1970 and Crosley Field in 1953 and 1938.
"The fans of Cincinnati, you're not going to recognize the event that you last saw in 1988," Selig said. "The All-Star Game remains a celebration of all that's the best in baseball ... but the scale of our festivities today is stunning. The growth of the All-Star Game has mirrored the remarkable growth of the National Pastime itself."





Great American Ball Park, which opened in 2003 and seats more than 42,000 fans, was built next door to its predecessor -- Riverfront Stadium/Cinergy Field -- along the banks of the Ohio River in downtown Cincinnati. When Castellini and his group bought the Reds in 2006, one of his top priorities was to land an All-Star Game for the city.





"This is a red-letter day for us, and we couldn't be more proud," Castellini said. "You've picked the sweet spot of locations for 2015, given that Cincinnati is a baseball town sitting in the middle of baseball's heartland in what we refer to as 'Reds Country.'





Not only will the game itself be played, in July 2015, but Cincinnati will also be on display for the world in several events that are part of All-Star Week. Those typically include the Home Run Derby, MLB All-Star Futures Game and a fanfest.





"It's a six-day event," Selig said. "The last time you had it here, people came in, they played the game, and then they left. No more. This will start on Thursday before the Tuesday game and that weekend, it'll be remarkable. You'll have people come in from all over to see it."


It's expected that the All-Star Game will not only be a boost for the profile of Cincinnati, but also be a boon economically.
"People make different projections, but I would say to you that in the last five or six years, you're talking anywhere from $80-100 million," Selig said. "It is just amazing. All of our recent hosts have seen how the game has been a common thread for the community. It's hard for me to articulate it today. You will see it."





By the time the 2015 All-Star Game is played, it will have been 27 years since it was last played in the city.
When Riverfront Stadium hosted the annual clash between American League and National League players on July 12, 1988, the AL won the game that year by a 2-1 score in a brisk 2 hours, 26 minutes. A's catcher Terry Steinbach was named the game's Most Valuable Player for hitting a home run and having a sacrifice fly.





While that game lacked resonance, Cincinnati was the scene of an historic All-Star moment on July 14, 1970. That was the game in which Reds icon Pete Rose barreled into Indians catcher Ray Fosse to score the winning run for a 5-4 NL win in 12 innings. The moment catapulted Rose's "Charlie Hustle" persona, while it also played a part in shortening the career of Fosse, who was never the same after separating his shoulder on the play.





The 2015 All-Star announcement comes amid a time of renaissance for the city of Cincinnati. Several neighborhoods have undergone transformation and improvement in recent years, but none more dramatic than right outside the ballpark.





A new development, The Banks, has sprouted along the river between Great American Ball Park and the Bengals' Paul Brown Stadium. It has brought restaurants, a new park and residential apartments into the area and added life to the experience of attending Reds games.





"Baseball truly could not have selected a more grateful and worthy community to partner with," Castellini said.
Since Castellini's ownership group bought the team, the Reds have lobbied MLB to host the Midsummer Classic. The club and city successfully hosted a league showcase event -- the Civil Rights Game -- in 2009 and '10, and Selig came away impressed. Each winter, the team holds a fanfest at Duke Energy Center that is of the size and scope of the All-Star Game FanFest.





"It's something you never forget as a player," two-time Reds All-Star right fielder Jay Bruce said of playing in the game. "I can imagine for a fan and community, it's something that will stick forever. If the Civil Rights Games were any example that we could have set, we set the right one there. The city of Cincinnati did a great job, as did the ownership and everyone involved. That's a small sample size of what the All-Star Game will be like."





Selig's visit to Cincinnati also brought the news that MLB would be donating $1.5 million toward the development of a new Urban Youth Academy in the city.





"The 2015 season is destined to be one of our greatest with the All-Star Game happening the same year we dedicate the new Urban Youth Academy," Castellini said. "Both will benefit many people for many years to come."
Cincinnati has waited a long time to play host to another All-Star Game. But the city will have to wait some more to actually hold the event. The 2013 All-Star Game will take place at Citi Field in New York. In 2014, the Twins and Target Field in Minneapolis will play host.





Then it will be Cincinnati's turn to open its doors to thousands of visitors, and millions more watching on television and seeing the stream of coverage over the Internet.





"The history of Major League Baseball cannot be told without the story of Cincinnati and all of those who have been part of this great Reds tradition," Selig said. "From the sport's beginning in 1869, to the Big Red Machine, to Barry Larkin, Ken Griffey Jr. and to the Reds of today, Brandon Phillips and Jay Bruce and Joey Votto, I believe that the 2015 All-Star Game will be a really profound way to celebrate Major League Baseball and our sport's eldest franchise."

This is cool and exciting news for me. And I'm super glad to be a fan of the Reds.

 

[Wang Chung]

Spoiler

PHOENIX -- Justin Upton is having a family reunion in Atlanta.

Arizona traded its star right fielder to the Braves on Thursday in a seven-player deal that sent former All-Star infielder Martin Prado to the Diamondbacks.

For the first time since he was a high school freshman, Upton will have older brother B.J. Upton as a teammate.

The brothers combine with Jason Heyward, who won a Gold Glove in 2012, in an outfield potentially packed with power and speed.


The pairing of Justin and B.J. Upton in the same Braves outfield will be a fascinating thing to watch in 2013, writes Jayson Stark. Story

Every day must be marvelous when brothers are teammates. The Upton brothers will get to experience that in Atlanta, writes Tim Kurkjian. Story

Keith Law says the Diamondbacks didn't do as well as they could've in trading Justin Upton to the Braves. Blog Insider


"If we push ourselves to the next level, I feel with the extra push from each other there's no question we can be the best outfield in baseball," Justin Upton said in a telephone interview. "I'm not going to give us that label until we prove it."

The Braves, who also get third baseman Chris Johnson, are giving up one of their top pitching prospects, Randall Delgado, and three minor leaguers in the deal.

They are right-hander Zeke Spruill, shortstop Nick Ahmed and first baseman Brandon Drury.

Prado, projected to play third base for the Diamondbacks, can become a free agent after this season, but Arizona general manager Kevin Towers said he already was working with Prado's agent on a long-term deal.

B.J. Upton, 28, signed a five-year, $75.25 million contract with Atlanta in November.

Justin Upton, who has five full seasons in the majors but is just 25, said he already got tips from his brother from afar. Now there will be more chances for the two to help each other.

"I think from that standpoint it will be good, but I think more than anything being able to show up at the ballpark genuinely excited every day and have that energy," he said. "The more energy you can bring from the start every day, it makes you a better player."

Braves general manager Frank Wren said he expects the brothers will push each other.

"I do think it will drive them," Wren said. "We've been looking for that young dynamic, right-handed, power-hitting outfielder that can hit in the middle of the lineup and makes that other team think a little bit."

The younger Upton, who has three years and $38.5 million left on his contract, had been the subject of trade speculation throughout the offseason and vetoed a deal to the Seattle Mariners.

Upton had his ups and downs in Arizona, and Towers believes the change of scenery will benefit the young player, who was just 19 when he came to the majors.

"The expectations were through the roof on him," Towers said. "When the team struggled, it seemed like it was always because of Justin. That's hard. We're human beings. It's hard to take when you're a young individual trying to establish yourself."

Now, Towers said, Upton has "an opportunity to go to a different place to where he's going to fit in with some star players over there, where he's just kind of a piece of the puzzle versus kind of the centerpiece and the big piece of the puzzle.

"I think some pressure will be off of him."

Arizona manager Kurt Gibson, his left arm in a sling after shoulder surgery, said he sent Upton a long text wishing him the best.

"I said, 'You must be ecstatic to be able to play with your brother.' I could certainly understand that. It's got to be a great thrill for him."

Gibson said Upton reminded him of himself as a player.

Trade Details

The Braves and Diamondbacks have completed a seven-player trade. Here's where everyone is headed.
Atlanta Braves Get
Justin Upton OF
Chris Johnson 3B

Arizona Diamondbacks Get
Randall Delgado P
Martin Prado INF
Nick Ahmed SS
Brandon Drury 3B​

Zeke Spruill P

"I had some things that happened with my manager Sparky Anderson over the years where maybe we butted heads a little bit and I didn't agree with him," Gibson said, "but when it was all said and done it all made sense and it was for me to become a better person and a better ballplayer. I would say similar things have happened with me and Justin throughout our association. I know he respects me and I respect him."

Prado, who joins fellow Venezuelan Miguel Montero in Arizona, made the All-Star team in 2010 as a second baseman and played mostly in left field last season. Prado was projected to move to third base for the Braves this season to replace the retired Chipper Jones.

Arizona had accumulated a glut of outfielders, signing Cody Ross as a free agent last month. Upton, an All-Star pick in 2009 and '11, was the most marketable.

Upton, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 draft, has played five full major league seasons. Last season, he hit .280 with 17 home runs and 67 RBIs and a career-high 107 runs.

In 2011, while helping Arizona win the NL West, Upton hit .289 with career-best totals of 31 home runs and 88 RBIs and finished fourth in NL MVP voting. Overall, he's a career .278 hitter with 108 home runs, 739 hits, 147 doubles and 80 stolen bases.

Upton said he hopes to become a more consistent player in Atlanta.

"I've had a couple good years where I put up good numbers and my goal all along has been to put those years up consistently," he said. "I think now I'm in a position with Atlanta ... we can really feed off each other throughout that lineup to try to get everybody to that consistent production rate."

Delgado, a 23-year-old right-hander, had been expected to challenge for a spot in the Braves rotation. His acquisition bolsters the young pitching depth in Arizona depleted by the trade of Trevor Bauer. Delgado was 4-9 with a 4.37 ERA in 18 appearances, 17 as a starter, for the Braves. Rated Atlanta's No. 3 prospect by Baseball America the past two years, he was 4-3 with a 4.06 ERA with Triple-A Gwinnett last season.

The trade leaves Arizona with three veteran outfielders -- Ross, Jason Kubel and Gerardo Parra -- along with two youngsters the team feels are ready for the majors -- Adam Eaton and A.J. Pollock. Towers projects Eaton as a center fielder and a prototypical leadoff hitter.

Towers said the addition of Ross and a top contact hitter in Prado changes the character of the club.

"I would say we're going to be a little different club," he said. "I think we can still hit home runs, but I think the last couple of years we've relied too much on the long ball. If you look at our record, those days that we didn't homer, we usually didn't win."

Spoiler

The New York Mets, who had been the lone team not to sign a free agent to a major league contract this winter, have agreed to terms with right-hander Shaun Marcum.

Marcum, 31, will get a one-year deal contingent on passing a physical, a major league source confirmed. CBSSports and Fox reported the deal earlier Thursday.

He would fill the void left after NL Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays and join Johan Santana, Matt Harvey, Jonathon Niese and Dillon Gee in the Mets' rotation. The addition of Marcum also likely precludes the Mets from re-signing free-agent pitcher Chris Young.

Marcum went 7-4 with a 3.70 ERA in 21 starts last season for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Spoiler

The New York Yankees on Friday made a clean sweep of all the arbitration-eligible cases on their plate this winter, coming to terms with right-handed reliever David Robertson on a one-year deal worth $3.1 million, according to a team source.

Previously, the Yankees had avoided going to arbitration with pitchers Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain and Boone Logan.

Robertson, who made 65 appearances in a setup role for emergency closer Rafael Soriano, was 2-7 with a 2.67 ERA in 2012. He enjoyed a breakout 2011 season as Mariano Rivera's setup man, going 4-0 with a 1.08 ERA in 70 appearances.

In that season, he earned the nickname "Houdini" for his remarkable ability to escape from jams, many of his own making. He had far less success in those situations last season.

But Robertson's 2012 was plagued by injuries -- a broken foot suffered in a freak accident in his home during spring training, and an oblique strain after briefly assuming the closer's role after Rivera suffered a season-ending knee injury in May.

In 2013, Robertson is expected to re-assume the role he played in 2011, as the setup man for the 43-year-old Rivera, who is returning as the team's closer after a winter of rehabilitation.

Looks like the Braves will be pretty decent this season.

The Mets will still suck and the Yankees will continue to spend money on players developed elsewhere and they think Jeter might not be out a full year.

 

[JakeYourBooty]

Justin Upton was a flat out disappointment last year, his brother isn't any better. I find them to be terribly overrated. That being said they will probably kick ass in Atlanta.

 

[Wang Chung]

King Felix gets a nice big paycheck:

Spoiler

Felix Hernandez has agreed to a new seven-year, $175 million contract with the Seattle Mariners, USA Today Sports reported Thursday.

The deal would make Hernandez the highest paid pitcher in baseball history. The reported value of the contract easily would surpass the record $161 million deal that CC Sabathia signed with the New York Yankees prior to the 2009 season.

Mariners Did What They Had To

SchoenfieldThe Mariners had to sign Felix Hernandez. Now it's time to build a good team around him, writes David Schoenfield. SweetSpot

Hernandez agreed to a $78 million, five-year contract in January 2010 and has earned an additional $2.5 million in escalators and $300,000 in bonuses. He is due $20 million this year and $20.5 million in 2014, which would be superseded by the new deal.

Seattle general manager Jack Zduriencik said he could not comment when reached on Thursday by The Associated Press, and Hernandez's representatives didn't immediately return messages.

The contract is expected to be finalized before spring training, according to USA Today Sports.

If the deal is finalized, it would leave Detroit's Justin Verlander and the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw as the most attractive pitchers eligible for free agency after the 2014 season. Tampa Bay's David Price is eligible after the 2015 season.

Hernandez's new contract will start this season, according to USA Today Sports, and pay the three-time All-Star an annual average salary of $25 million, which would surpass Zack Greinke's $24.5 million under his new contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

King Felix Strikes It Rich

Felix Hernandez reportedly became the richest pitcher in baseball history Thursday when he agreed to a $175 million deal with the Mariners. By average annual value, Hernandez's contract exceeds that of every contract given to a pitcher except for Roger Clemens' prorated $28 million deal in 2007.
Largest Pitcher Contracts by Total Value In MLB History
Pitcher Value Years
Felix Hernandez $175M* 2013-19
CC Sabathia $161M 2009-15^
Zack Greinke $147M 2013-18
Cole Hamels $144M 2013-18
Johan Santana $137.5M 2008-13
Matt Cain $127.5M 2012-17
Barry Zito $126M 2007-13
* According to USA Today Sports
^ Opted out in 2011
-- ESPN Stats & Information

Hernandez has become the face of Seattle's struggling franchise, transforming from a curly haired 19-year-old who wore his hat crooked to one of the most dominant and exciting pitchers in baseball.

His fiery enthusiasm on the mound and his willingness to first sign a long-term deal in 2010 have endeared him to fans in the Pacific Northwest who have gone more than a decade without seeing postseason baseball.

Hernandez went 13-9 with a 3.06 ERA and 223 strikeouts last season, his fourth consecutive campaign with at least 200 strikeouts. The right-hander pitched the first perfect game in Mariners history on Aug. 15, striking out 12 in a 1-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.

The 2010 American League Cy Young Award winner, Hernandez has pitched at least 232 innings in each of the past four seasons and owns a career record of 98-76 with a 3.22 ERA in eight years, all with the Mariners.

His career record would be even better if he didn't play with one of baseball's worst offenses. Seattle had the lowest batting average in the major leagues in each of the last three seasons. Hernandez has taken 10 losses during that span when he's given up two earned runs or less.

For his career, Hernandez has allowed two earned runs or less in 141 of 238 starts, but the team is only 99-42 in those games due to the offensive problems.

Hernandez will anchor an inexperienced Seattle rotation that likely will include 24-year-old Blake Beavan, 22-year-old Erasmo Ramirez and second-year Japanese starter Hisashi Iwakuma.

The Mariners also boast a pitching-rich farm system that features Taijuan Walker, Danny Hultzen, Brandon Maurer and James Paxton.

Locking up Hernandez long-term won't solve all of the problems that have left Seattle looking up at Texas, Oakland and the Los Angeles Angles in the AL West for most of the last 10 years.

The Mariners have tried to address some of those issues this offseason by trading for Kendrys Morales and Michael Morse to provide more punch to go along with young prospects Dustin Ackley, Kyle Seager and Jesus Montero, who have all shown flashes early in their careers.

 

[Wang Chung]

ALLENTOWN, Pa. -- Talk about streaming media: The Philadelphia Phillies' top minor league affiliate is set to debut what it calls a "urinal gaming system" at its ballpark in Allentown.

The Lehigh Valley IronPigs tapped a British company to install the system in men's restrooms at Coca-Cola Park.

It consists of a video display mounted above each urinal. When a fan approaches, the video console will sense his presence and switch into gaming mode. The guy aims left or right to control the play on the screen.

The team said Tuesday that Coca-Cola Park will be the first sports venue in the world to feature the gaming system. It'll be ready by opening day next week.

IronPigs general manager Kurt Landes says he didn't want to flush away a golden opportunity to entertain fans. He says the games are -- wait for it -- "sure to make a huge splash."

I think I want to go to Allentown just to piss in the urinals. This is fucking great. I wish the Pirates would do that so I don't get so mad at them losing at least there would be winners at the ballpark from Pittsburgh.

 

[Fuji Vice]

One thing's for sure, that bathroom is going to be a fucking mess. :