MLB Off Season Thread

[Wang Chung]

Keep all MLB news in this thread and all topics with it.

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs announced the signing of pitcher Edwin Jackson to a four-year contract and introduced him at a news conference on Wednesday.

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On Dec. 20, a source told ESPN that the deal is for $52 million. The deal includes an $8 million signing bonus with annual salaries of $11 million per year, according to a Cubs source.

"You look at the (Cubs) on paper, and there's a lot of potential there," Jackson said. "I've been on a lot of teams that you look on paper and no one expects you do to do anything, and you make it to the World Series or go to the playoffs.

"It's definitely one of those teams where you're a few pieces from being where you want to be. I feel like with the additions we have and the team we have right now, we can go out and win ball games and have fun."

Jackson, 29, was 10-11 with a 4.03 ERA in 31 starts (189 2/3 innings) with the Washington Nationals in 2012. He has a 70-71 career record with a 4.40 ERA. In 2012, Jackson had 168 strikeouts and 58 walks but also gave up 23 home runs.

After going 12-9 with a 3.79 ERA in 199 2/3 innings for the Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Cardinals in 2011, Jackson wasn't able to get a long-term deal, and signed a one-year contract for $11 million with the Nationals.

Jackson has played for seven teams in his career, which began with the Dodgers in 2003. The 2010 season included his 150-pitch no-hitter with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

"I think the most assuring part is you have a chance to relax and have a chance to know you're going to be somewhere for a while, and you don't have to feel like you have to prove yourself every year," Jackson said of his new deal. "I feel like it's definitely going to help for myself just to go out and have fun and not worry about anything else."

Jackson joins a Cubs rotation that now includes free-agent additions Scott Baker and Scott Feldman, along with holdovers Matt Garza, Jeff Samardzija and Travis Wood. The Cubs added another starting option in right-hander Carlos Villanueva, who agreed to a two-year contract last month, a major league source told ESPNChicago.com's Bruce Levine.

"I think you're never happy with your depth, but we certainly worked really hard to build it up," Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer said. "That was a big factor for us. We felt like what we were running out there in September once we traded a couple guys, once we shut Samardzija down, it wasn't the quality we were looking for.

"We needed to really address our depth. We've worked hard it. We'll find out over the course of six months whether we were right or wrong about it. ... That was sort of our goal this winter to add as much depth and quality as we could."

Villanueva, 29, was 7-7 with a 4.16 ERA in 38 appearances with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2012, including 16 starts.

David Price, the American League Cy Young Award winner, has reached agreement on a one-year contract with the Tampa Bay Rays to avoid salary arbitration.

Price
Price

The deal was reported by ESPN.com on Tuesday and announced by the club Wednesday. The 27-year-old Price, who made $4.35 million last season, will make $10.1125 million in the coming season, the Rays said. He will be eligible for free agency after the 2015 season.

Price is 61-31 with a 3.16 ERA in the big leagues. He has made three straight All-Star teams, and went 20-5 with a league-leading 2.56 ERA last season to narrowly edge Detroit's Justin Verlander for the Cy Young Award.

He tied Jered Weaver for the league lead in wins and winning percentage and was sixth in strikeouts with 205 in 211 innings.

Price was the first overall pick in the 2007 draft out of Vanderbilt. He was promoted to the majors late the following year, when Tampa Bay made an improbable run to the World Series. In 2010, he became the youngest pitcher to start an All-Star Game since Dwight Gooden in 1986 and finished second to Seattle's Felix Hernandez in Cy Young balloting after going 19-6 with a 2.72 ERA.

The ace of one of the deepest rotations in baseball last season, Price will be counted on even more in 2013 following a six-player trade that sent right-handers James Shields and Wade Davis to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for four minor leaguers, including top prospects Wil Myers and Jake Odorizzi.

The Texas Rangers announced Thursday that they have agreed to a one-year deal with reliever Jason Frasor and, a source confirmed, also have some interest in Lance Berkman should the veteran decide to play again in 2013.

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Frasor, 35, made 50 appearances for the Toronto Blue Jays last season, posting a 4.12 ERA with 53 strikeouts and 22 walks. He missed seven weeks, including all of August, because of a strained right forearm. He pitched 7 2/3 innings after returning from the injury and gave up four runs on 10 hits with eight strikeouts and three walks.

Frasor has spent all but 20 games of his big league career with Toronto and has a 3.77 ERA in nine seasons. He will make $1.5 million, a source confirmed.

To make room for Frasor, the club has designated catcher Eli Whiteside for assignment.

The Rangers lost free-agent relievers Koji Uehara, Scott Feldman and Mike Adams and moved Alexi Ogando to the starting rotation. They've acquired other relief pieces in an effort to bridge the gap between starters and closer Joe Nathan. Josh Lindblom came over in the Michael Young trade to the Phillies and Tommy Hottovy, Jeff Beliveau, Coty Woods and Cory Burns have joined internal candidates Tanner Scheppers and Michael Kirkman. Left-hander Robbie Ross returns but could also get a look as the fifth starter if the Rangers do not sign another starter this offseason.

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Berkman, 36, played in only 32 games last season with the St. Louis Cardinals because of knee troubles. He had two surgeries on his right knee last year. He had 31 home runs and 94 RBIs to go along with a .959 OPS in 2011 as a member of the Cardinals team that beat the Rangers in seven games in the World Series.

Texas is still searching for more offensive help, and Berkman, if he can stay healthy, could provide some of it. He hasn't decided whether he will play in 2013 and acknowledged in a recent MLB Network interview that he's not sure of the level of interest clubs will have in him.

"I'm sure a lot of teams would have a question about if I could hold up over 162 games and things like that, so there's some factors there that I think are going to limit the offers that I get from some of these teams," Berkman said.

 

[Fuji Vice]

I've got to say, with all the moves we've made in the off-season, its a really fun time being a Blue Jays fan right now. There hasn't been this level of excitement in the city since the glory days of the early 90's. I don't know if things will ultimately work out for the team, but for now its pretty damn cool to think of the possibilities.

 

[TactMrBlack]

I'm a Jays fan this year too because of 43 hopefully he can have another Cy Young season

The Mets how ever are going to have another hard season.


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[Wang Chung]

Man you guys pulled of some trades this off season. You should be a Pirates fan. We just keep setting records

 

[Fuji Vice]

Andy Van Slyke was an awesome player back in the day.

 

[Wang Chung]

Andy Van Slyke was an awesome player back in the day.

hey was.

I hope that the young guys do better this year. McCutchen, Alverez both hit 30 HR's last season and had another hit 20 so as long as they continue that they should do better than last year. Hope the pitching sticks around for a full season especially since they traded Hanrahan to the Red Sox.

 

[Wang Chung]

With just three days remaining in spring training last year, the Toronto Blue Jays had identified only two members of their rotation. The club knew it would need three more starters but wanted to wait as long as possible to choose from among a cast of unproven youngsters and rehabbing veterans.

The Blue Jays won’t have that dilemma this spring. After a blockbuster offseason highlighted by the acquisition of not one, not two, but three elite starters, Toronto will enter spring training with one of the majors’ strongest rotations. It also will open camp as the favorite to win the World Series, at least according to one major odds maker.
Shane Victorino has a reputation as a clubhouse leader. (AP Photo)

While ranking the Blue Jays ahead of the likes of the San Francisco Giants and Detroit Tigers is a reach, they legitimately can lay claim to the unofficial (and, yes, mostly worthless) championship of the Hot Stove League. No matter what happens before pitchers and catchers report in mid-February, Toronto will open camp as arguably the game’s most improved teams.

Certainly, the Blue Jays will open as the most improved of the 13 teams that finished 2012 with a losing record. Ranking the improvement of last season’s sub-.500 clubs:
1. TORONTO BLUE JAYS (73-89)

With the additions of R.A. Dickey, Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle, Toronto shouldn’t have to worry about finishing 25th in rotation ERA again. Adding Jose Reyes, Melky Cabrera and Emilio Bonifacio should boost an already strong lineup, too.

The Blue Jays still lack a proven closer and slugger Jose Bautista is returning from wrist surgery but, for the first time since winning the 1993 World Series, this team possesses as much talent as any in the AL East. New manager John Gibbons must develop the right chemistry.
2. BOSTON RED SOX (69-93)

Firing Bobby Valentine isn’t the No. 1 reason to believe the Red Sox could return to their winning ways. But hiring John Farrell ensures the harmony between the front office and the manager will be much improved, as should the relationship between the manager’s office and the clubhouse.

What Boston has done to improve its roster is more curious. It traded for Joel Hanrahan and named him closer even though it already had a closer, Andrew Bailey, for whom it gave up a lot last offseason.

The Red Sox might or might not have strengthened their rotation by signing Ryan Dempster. They might or might not have improved at shortstop by signing Stephen Drew. They might or might not have upgraded the outfield with Shane Victorino and Jonny Gomes. They might or might not have helped the situation at first base depending, first, on whether they actually sign Mike Napoli and, then, whether he can stay healthy.

What the Red Sox undoubtedly have done—and not by accident—is bring in players with reputations for being strong teammates. And given the talent already on the roster, the new guys don’t have to carry the team. They just have to fit in.
3. KANSAS CITY ROYALS (72-90)

It is all about starting pitching in Kansas City, where only one starter, Bruce Chen, is expected to return from last year’s opening-day rotation. That isn’t a bad thing if you’re manager Ned Yost, considering the Royals’ rotation ranked 26th in ERA in 2012.

James Shields, Ervin Santana and Wade Davis (plus a full season of Jeremy Guthrie) don’t quite match Toronto’s rotation upgrades. But the Royals were able to make their improvements while staying on their mid-market budget. Plus, general manager Dayton Moore could have a surplus of starters from which to deal at the trading deadline. Promising Danny Duffy and Felipe Paulino are expected to return from Tommy John surgery around the All-Star break.
4. CLEVELAND INDIANS (68-94)

Getting Terry Francona to manage was huge. Not only did he boost the club’s credibility, his presence spurred a surprising flurry of offseason activity. Most notable was the signing of Nick Swisher to a four-year, $56 million deal, though he essentially is moving into a spot vacated by the trade of the club’s best player, right fielder Shin-Soo Choo.

The Tribe’s chances for improvement rests more on the performance of the key players acquired in that three-team trade, notably young starter Trevor Bauer and center fielder Drew Stubbs.

The signings of slugger Mark Reynolds and righthander Brett Myers also have potential for upside, mainly because both are on one-year deals that make them potentially attractive trade chips if the Indians fall out of the race.
5. SEATTLE MARINERS (75-87)

Unlike the teams above, pitching wasn’t the Mariners’ main problem. In fact, they have enough arms that they were able to deal one of their best starters, Jason Vargas, to help fix their offensive woes. Kendrys Morales will help, too. In his second season back after a career-threatening leg injury, the 29-year-old switch hitter should improve upon his .273 batting average and 22 homers from 2012.

If Seattle can land free-agent center fielder Michael Bourn, it will move up at least one spot on this list.
6. PITTSBURGH PIRATES (79-83)

Outbidding the New York Yankees for catcher Russell Martin pumped a strong dose of hope into Pittsburgh. But some of that hope dissipated when the Pirates traded their All-Star closer, Hanrahan, to the Red Sox. A bullpen that had been the team’s strength becomes a question that has to break in a new closer, Jason Grilli.
7. CHICAGO CUBS (61-101)

If you thought Edwin Jackson would become Theo Epstein’s first—and to date, only—major free-agent signing, give yourself a pat on the back. Now prepare to watch the Cubs try to avoid a second consecutive 100-loss season. No disrespect to Scott Baker, Scott Feldman or Kyuji Fujikawa, but their signings likely won’t result in much of a turnaround at Wrigley Field.
8. SAN DIEGO PADRES (76-86)

After last summer’s change in ownership, the Padres were expected to raise what was the majors’ smallest payroll. So far, they have brought back Jason Marquis on a one-year, $3 million contract. Guess they are convinced their 42-33 second half was far more indicative of their ability than the 34-53 first half.
9. MINNESOTA TWINS (66-96)

The term “improvement” takes on a different meaning for the rest of this list. It is more like which team has hurt itself the least.

Trading two center fielders, Denard Span and Ben Revere, returned plenty of help for the future. But for 2013, the Twins have added one upgrade, starter Vance Worley. For a rotation that ranked last in the AL last season, that isn’t enough.
10. NEW YORK METS (74-88)

They had a nice time crowing about David Wright’s extension, but trading R.A. Dickey instead of extending him says a lot about the Mets’ plight. When a mega-market club won’t give the Cy Young Award winner a two-year, $25 million extension, it isn’t thinking about winning anytime soon.
11. HOUSTON ASTROS (55-107)

When your main move is signing Carlos Pena, who hit .197 with 19 homers last season, you’re in for a long season.
12. COLORADO ROCKIES (64-98)

At least the Astros are acting like they have a plan. The Rockies are so messed up that they hired a manager and gave him only a one-year contract. Have fun, Walt Weiss.
13. MIAMI MARLINS (69-93)

Last year, they spent $191 million to bring in Reyes, Buehrle and Heath Bell. This year: $4.35 million to bring in Placido Polanco and Juan Pierre.

You can say this, though: A 93-loss season won’t be a surprise this year.

Here are some thoughts on the losing teams and how they have done so far this off season from The Sporting News. Thoughts?

I agree on the Blue Jays and Red Sox but will the Sox win more games than the Yankees?

 

[TactMrBlack]

I hate that Valentine catches so much shit for his only season with the Red Sox. The man is a legend how many people get tossed out of a game and comes back wearing a disguise! Legendary!


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[JakeYourBooty]

He was a fuckin disaster in Boston trust me I listened to it everyday... He's an asshat

 

[Fuji Vice]

The man is a legend how many people get tossed out of a game and comes back wearing a disguise! Legendary!


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While I admit that moment is fucking hilarious, it doesn't change the fact that I think Valentine is a douche.

 

[Wang Chung]

While I admit that moment is fucking hilarious, it doesn't change the fact that I think Valentine is a douche.

did you say Douche? HMMMM

 

[Wang Chung]

Lance Berkman is now a Ranger:

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Newest Texas Ranger Lance Berkman said he expects to get most of his 2013 at-bats as the designated hitter but added that he feels good enough right now to play first base, if needed.

He said his right knee, which underwent surgeries in May and September of last year and limited him to 32 games with the St. Louis Cardinals, feels good.

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"Obviously, whenever you come off a year where you have two knee surgeries there's always work to do in terms of maintenance and getting to a strength level that will get me to perform at my best," Berkman said. "I like where I am in terms of the structural condition of the knee."

Berkman signed a one-year deal worth $10 million, sources confirmed. There's a club option for a second year at $12 million, but that option vests and moves to $13 million if Berkman has 550 plate appearances in 2013. He can be bought out of the option for $1 million if it doesn't vest. The Rangers designated Tommy Hottovy for assignment to make room for Berkman on the 40-man roster.

Berkman said last year, he knew he had a torn meniscus and tried to play through it.

"That's not the case this year," Berkman said. "There's nothing structurally wrong, it's just a matter of recovering from the surgery and getting stronger. The surgeries last year fixed the problem."

Berkman, who turns 37 on Feb. 10, is confident he can get closer to his 2011 numbers. That season, Berkman hit .301 with 31 homers and 94 RBIs in 145 games. He also hit a big two-run single in the 10th inning of Game 6 of the World Series that tied a game the Cardinals eventually won over the Rangers. They claimed the title the next night in Game 7.

Berkman doesn't think his age will keep him from having success.

"I think that No. 1, my statistics have never been artificially inflated," Berkman said. "You're talking about a natural-type aging process. I think with advances in nutrition and weight training, you can stay healthy and strong and at a peak performance longer. I feel like my bat speed is still there, a big part of my game is plate discipline. You don't lose the ability to judge the strike zone overnight."

The key for Berkman is staying healthy. He told ESPNDallas.com on Sunday that he plans on winning fans over with his play a few years after his comments before the 2011 season, when he said he thought the Rangers were going to be an average team because they didn't sign Cliff Lee. The team ended up going back to the World Series.

"I'm prepared to let bygones be bygones, but I understand the fans remembering those comments," Berkman said Sunday. "Ultimately, I had to eat some crow and I was happy to do that. I tend to share an unvarnished opinion and not everyone was going to like that answer. It was my honest opinion and I was proved to be incorrect in my assessment and it was not the first time I've been wrong.

"This is a different team and a different scenario and I'm happy to be a part of the Rangers organization. It's a winning team. Hopefully by playing well, I'll be able to win over some of those fans I ostracized by shooting my mouth off before."

Berkman said he likes this current Rangers group and is excited to be a part of it.

"I like the balance of the lineup," Berkman said. "The way the team is configured, it's less dependent on one or two guys. I feel like the onus of production is going to be spread out throughout the lineup. I like the pitching staff. There's a lot of potential and everybody knows the game is predicated on your pitching. Handicapping the division, I'd put our pitching staff against anyone in the division and that always warms my heart."

Berkman said his experience in New York as the designated hitter can help him in Texas, as he rejoins the American League. Berkman has played most of his 13-year career in the National League.

"When I went to the New York Yankees initially, I was violently opposed to the idea of the DH and that it should be outlawed from baseball," Berkman said. "But I got to liking it, especially when you're hitting good. Who doesn't want to go up there and rake and then sit on the bench and let everybody else play defense?"

 

[JakeYourBooty]

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/...t-adam-laroche-two-year-deal-hot-stove-010813

Laroche is going back to the Nats...


this pretty much fucks the Red Sox into still getting Napoli even though he has a bum hip...AWESOME

 

[Petty]

The Cincinnati Reds are gonna be beast this year. That is all kind sir.

 

[Doom]

No players inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame for the first time since 1996.

ESPN

NEW YORK -- Steroid-tainted stars Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa were denied entry to baseball's Hall of Fame, with voters failing to elect any candidates for only the second time in four decades.

In a vote that keeps the game's career home run leader and one of its greatest pitchers out of Cooperstown -- at least for now -- Bonds received just 36.2 percent of the vote and Clemens 37.6 in totals announced Wednesday by the Hall and the Baseball Writers' Association of America, both well short of the 75 percent necessary. Sosa, eighth on the career home run list, got 12.5 percent.

Player Votes Pct
Craig Biggio 388 68.2
Jack Morris 385 67.7
Jeff Bagwell 339 59.6
Mike Piazza 329 57.8
Tim Raines 297 52.2
Lee Smith 272 47.8
Curt Schilling 221 38.8
Roger Clemens 214 37.6
Barry Bonds 206 36.2
Edgar Martinez 204 35.9
Alan Trammell 191 33.6
Larry Walker 123 21.6
Fred McGriff 118 20.7
Dale Murphy 106 18.6
Mark McGwire 96 16.9
Don Mattingly 75 13.2
Sammy Sosa 71 12.5
Rafael Palmeiro 50 8.8