0 comments by TOC Locker on 11/23/2014
It escalated quickly between Hanley Ramirez and the Boston Red Sox. On Sunday, reports of the team pursuing the free agent shortstop circulated through the media. Hours later, it appears that the two sides have reached an agreement. In
0 comments by TOC Locker
Free agent shortstop Hanley Ramirez could be headed back to where it all began – Boston. According to a pair of reports that began circulating on Sunday night, the Red Sox are interested in bringing Ramirez back to the organization that initially signed him as a teenager in 2000. First, there’s the report from Jon Heyman […]
0 comments by TOC Locker on 11/21/2014
ONE OF THESE THREE MEN WILL BE THE NEXT MANAGER OF THE TAMPA BAY RAYS Will it be Kevin Cash, the current Indians bullpen coach and a former Rays catcher? Will it be Raul Ibanez, who was sitting in the Royals dugout during the World Series last month as a player and has never coached […]
0 comments by Joe Lucia
The Chicago White Sox have replaced one aging first base/DH type on their roster with another, signing former Washington National Adam LaRoche to a two-year contract worth $25 million. Of course, I doubt the White Sox will play LaRoche in the field all that much because of the presence of reigning AL Rookie of the Year […]
0 comments by Ian Casselberry
With an exciting, young starting rotation bolstered by the return of Matt Harvey and what appears to be a solid lineup, the New York Mets could be a contender next season in the NL East. Naturally, we’re early in the offseason and don’t yet know what moves each team in the NL East can still […]
0 comments by TOC Locker
$13 millionThe wild and wacky Atlanta Braves offseason is taking another strange turn. In this excellent column by ESPN’s Jayson Stark, he reveals that the Braves have apparently told several teams interested in Justin Upton (Stark mentions the Padres, Reds, and Mariners as suitors) that they’ll need to also take Justin’s older brother B.J. (and presumably, […]
0 comments by Joe Lucia
One of Andrew Friedman’s main tasks as Dodgers president of baseball ops was to remake a bullpen that had consistently been a disappointment. In 2014, the Dodgers pen had a 3.80 ERA, and totaled just 0.7 fWAR in 489 2/3 innings. Taking dominant closer Kenley Jansen out of the situation, those numbers fall to a […]
0 comments by TOC Locker on 11/20/2014
The bizarre offseason of the Atlanta Braves is taking another twist – Jon Heyman of CBS Sports is reporting that the Braves are a “dark horse” contender for Cuban outfielder Yasmany Tomas, joining well-known aggressive pursuits from the Phillies, Padres, and Giants. Heyman’s report also claims that the Braves are the “mystery team” that has […]
0 comments by Ian Casselberry
The biggest free agent names and the blockbuster contracts they sign draw the headlines during the offseason. But it’s the players on the lower shelves — the ones you might have to squat down to find and check the labels carefully — that can become the best bargains for MLB teams and thus provide the best values for […]
0 comments by Randy Holt
The Toronto Blue Jays didn’t surprise too many people when they threw a whole bunch of money at Ontario native Russell Martin. And as blasphemous as a five-year deal for a catcher heading into his age 32 season may sound, it was probably necessary for them to actually be able to reign him in (even though we all […]
0 comments by TOC Locker
When Giancarlo Stanton signed his new megadeal, there were some questions on how the Marlins would surround him with talent and stay competitive. After all, they haven’t been known to spend big, and when they have, it’s been short-lived. But the fact that Stanton’s contract is so back-loaded may help Miami in the short-term, and […]
0 comments by TOC Locker on 11/19/2014
The San Francisco Giants might soon be on the hunt for a third baseman. According to a report from Dennis O’Donnell of KPIX 5 in San Francisco, the Boston Red Sox have a 90% chance of signing Pablo Sandoval, and the Giants are basically out of the running. Sandoval was in Boston yesterday where I am […]
0 comments by Garrett Wilson
It happens every year, MLB teams desperate to inject some life into their World Series hopes throw big money at players and almost immediately come to regret it. No matter how smart we think MLB front offices should be, they continue to make mistake after mistake. Sometimes it can’t be helped, but sometimes it can. These nine […]
0 comments by TOC Locker
On the DVD of the 2014 World Series Film, various Giants players do impressions of World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner. They are…well, they sure are unique. Tim Hudson’s mop wig is by far the highlight of this clip. Simple, yet hilarious.
0 comments by TOC Locker on 11/18/2014
The most stereotypical Oakland Athletics player is heading to the Bay Area. The A’s have reportedly agreed to a three-year, $30 million contract with former Royals DH Billy Butler. The 28-year old Butler had arguably the worst year of his career in 2014, hitting .271/.323/.379 with just nine homers for Kansas City. However, he did […]
