March 2008

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Kielty Stays With Red Sox

Outfielder Bobby Kielty will not opt for free agency; he'll head to Triple A for the Red Sox. Kielty, a 31 year-old switch-hitter, batted .218/.287/.287 in 87 ABs for the A's and Red Sox last year. In his defense, he battled back and calf issues. Kielty can handle all three outfield positions and typically handles lefties well. He'll await a Coco Crisp trade to create an opportunity for him in Boston.   Continue Reading

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Braves Sign Scott Spiezio

According to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Braves have signed Scott Spiezio to a minor league deal. Spiezio, 35, hit .269/.354/.386 in 223 ABs for the Cardinals last year. Spiezio was released by the Cards in February when they learned of his arrest warrant related to a drunk-driving incident in December. The Cardinals paid him $2.4MM to go away.   Continue Reading

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Orioles Sign Alex Cintron

The Orioles inked shortstop Alex Cintron today. That he's probably the team's best option at short now is damning with faint praise. Cintron, 29, hit .243/.281/.324 for the White Sox in 185 ABs last year. He dealt with bone spurs in his elbow, a bruised thumb, and time spent on the bereavement list for his grandfather. Cintron had been with the Cubs this spring, but they no longer had a need for him after they decided not to trade Ronny Cedeno.   Continue Reading

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Latest On Rios Negotiations

12:24pm: J.P. Ricciardi is optimistic the Rios extension will get done, and the two sides are pushing their deadline back a few days. 8:17am: According to Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun, the holdup in the Alex Rios negotiations is the amount of money for the option year. It might be the salary or the buyout amount. Sounds like a minor stumbling block before completing the six-year, $65MM pact. J.P. Ricciardi is cautiously optimistic; the Jays kick off their season in less than four hours. That is supposedly the deadline, but stretching it another day or two doesn't seem like...   Continue Reading

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No Multiyear Deal For Aaron Hill

From Buster Olney's blog this morning: The Blue Jays attempted to sign second baseman Aaron Hill to a multiyear deal but could not reach an agreement. Hill, 26, broke out last year with a .291/.333/.459 line. He could be even better this season, with a shot at 20 home runs. His defense is among the best in the game at second base. Hill will reach arbitration for the first time after this season. Orlando Hudson might be a solid comparable. Hudson made $2.3MM, $3.9MM, and $6.25MM in his arbitration years.   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Cashman, Matsuo, Durham

Some random links to ponder today... Peter Abraham submitted nine reader questions to Yankees GM Brian Cashman. I liked reading about how Cashman deals with agents who lie to him. The Red Sox signed free agent Terumasa Matsuo, who was pitching in a Japanese independent league. I have no idea what the 26 year-old pitcher is capable of. Tracy Ringolsby says the Giants really want to move Ray Durham and Dave Roberts, and will pick up some salary to do so. Durham makes $7.5MM in '08. Roberts gets $6.5MM in each of the '08 and '09 seasons. The Big Lead...   Continue Reading

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Three July Trade Predictions

I'm in a prognosticating mood; here are three July trade deadline predictions. Phillies acquire Joe Blanton for Carlos Carrasco and Adrian Cardenas. Pat Gillick's last hurrah. Padres acquire Jason Bay for Kevin Kouzmanoff and Wade LeBlanc. Bay returns to San Diego to provide some power and solve the left field issue. Chase Headley takes over at third for the Padres. Rays acquire Javier Vazquez for Wade Davis and Desmond Jennings. Just a fun prediction to ponder. In this scenario the Sox opt for a complete rebuild and the Rays make a somewhat surprising playoff push. Your turn. Why are my...   Continue Reading

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2008 Cy Young Predictions

Let's make some 2008 Cy Young picks... AL: Justin Verlander. Runner up: Erik Bedard. NL: Johan Santana. Runner up: Jake Peavy. Who are you taking?   Continue Reading

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MLB Roundup Video

Let's kick off the week with a new MLB Roundup video. My segment examines three under-the-radar trades from the offseason.   Continue Reading

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MLBTR Logo Contest

I received dozens of excellent submissions for the MLBTR logo contest. I appreciate each and every one of them. The winner comes from a guy named Aaron, who you can reach at aaron4289@yahoo.com if you'd like to hire him. Here it is; what do you think? Click to enlarge it.   Continue Reading

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