0 comments by TOC Locker on 11/18/2014
I think Zach Duke is a fine reliever. I ranked him eighth among all free agent relievers last week. However, for as much as I like Duke, I don’t like him enough to sign him to a three-year, $15 million contract, which the Chicago White Sox just did. I’m not going to trash Zach Duke’s […]
0 comments by TOC Locker
It’s taken awhile to get the full breakdown on Giancarlo Stanton’s mammoth new contract with the Marlins, but the numbers have finally been revealed by ESPN’s Jayson Stark. And as expected, they’re shocking, and the contract is severely backloaded. According to a major league source who had seen the terms, Stanton’s salaries over those first […]
0 comments by Joe Lucia
On Monday, the Atlanta Braves set Twitter abuzz by trading Gold Glove right fielder Jason Heyward to the Cardinals. And while the move makes sense from an objective perspective (heading into his walk year, in line for a massive payday, Braves needed young pitching), it hurts from an emotional perspective. This is a guy who […]
0 comments by TOC Locker on 11/17/2014
Jason Heyward is gone after today’s trade that sent him to the St. Louis Cardinals. The general consensus about why Heyward was traded is that he would be too expensive to sign long-term, and he’d leave as a free agent after the 2015 season. We don’t know that for sure, however. According to Heyward, who wanted […]
0 comments by Ian Casselberry
The MLB hot stove season is already off to an active start, with some big signings and trades made before Thanksgiving. Free agency has plenty of options for teams seeking starting pitching or relievers, but those without money to spend might find better options on the trade market. Clubs looking for offensive help will almost […]
0 comments by Garrett Wilson
Over the last week, there was a burgeoning debate about which of the Atlanta Braves outfielders might get traded. That debate is over before it ever really began because the Braves just traded Jason Heyward and reliever Jordan Walden to the St. Louis Cardinals for pitchers Shelby Miller and Tyrell Jenkins: For Atlanta, this deal helps shore up their rotation […]
0 comments by Tim Livingston
In the first major free-agent signing in the the four-year long Alex Anthopolous tenure, the Toronto Blue Jays signed veteran catcher Russell Martin to a five-year, $82 million deal. Peter Gammons initially announced the signing as a “(Brian) McCann-level contract”, with Jon Heyman and Ken Rosenthal reporting the official length and worth. Catcher has long […]
0 comments by TOC Locker on 11/15/2014
It hasn’t been a good tour of Japan so far for the MLB All-Star team that has been sent over there. They’ve lost the first three games in the five game Japan All-Star Series, and on Saturday, they lost 4-0 and got no-hit. Hoo boy. Here’s a highlight video of Samurai Japan’s no-hitter. This wasn’t […]
0 comments by TOC Locker
The Detroit Tigers will more than likely have a new every day right fielder in 2015. GM Dave Dombrowski told Hunter that after the signing of Victor Martinez earlier this week, he wouldn’t be retained. From the Detroit Free Press… “I called and said it just didn’t look like it was going to fit the […]
0 comments by TOC Locker on 11/14/2014
Earlier this week, a news tidbit broke that stated the Rays were getting close to dealing starting pitcher Jeremy Hellickson to a National League team. Today, that news finally broke – Hellickson is heading to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for a pair of minor leaguers, the first significant move for the new regimes in […]
0 comments by TOC Locker
The Pittsburgh Pirates made probably the most shocking move of the early part of the MLB offseason, bringing back A.J. Burnett on a one-year deal worth $8.5 million. Burnett shined for the Pirates from 2012-13, tossing a total of 393 1/3 innings, striking out 389, and pitching to a 3.41 ERA. He then signed a […]
0 comments by TOC Locker
The Miami Marlins are getting very, very close to finalizing their mammoth extension with Giancarlo Stanton – and won’t be coming cheaply. Yep, that’s right – 13 years, $325 million, a no-trade clause, AND an opt-out. So in other words, they’re paying Stanton what could be considered fair market value, locking him in long-term, ensuring […]
0 comments by Ian Casselberry
Sure, Miami Marlins, you’re going to sign Giancarlo Stanton to a long-term contract extension. Oh yeah, you’re going to keep a star player around. Whatever, man — just let us know when Stanton is traded to the Red Sox for a boatload of prospects and we’ll resume writing those columns about what a feckless, disingenuous […]
0 comments by Joe Lucia
We end the free agent primer series with a look at possibly the most overpaid market in baseball today – relief pitchers. A top-tier reliever can make more money than a back-end starter, despite 70 innings a year being considered “a heavy workload”. This winter will be no exception, as there are some relievers out […]
0 comments by TOC Locker
At the end of his introductory press conference, new Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon said that he’d buy the media a round of drinks. Apparently, no one took him up on the offer, and Maddon is offering a make-good to Cubs fans after an early season win. Joe, I hope you choose a middle of […]
