Here's a look at a few items out of the AL and NL East..
- It would be interesting to see if Bobby Valentine's style would be any different after not managing in the Major Leagues since 2002, writes Ian Browne of MLB.com. The 61-year-old Valentine is a finalist for the Red Sox's managerial opening along with Gene Lamont.
- The new collective bargaining agreement will undoubtedly change the way the Nationals conduct business. Seven of the Nats' top ten prospects have been picked in the last two drafts and all seven of those players signed hours before the deadline for teams to lock up their picks, notes Ben Goessling of MASNsports.com. All seven of those players, including Bryce Harper and Anthony Rendon, got bonuses or deals well over their slot recommendations.
- In an article for ESPN.com, Doug Glanville gives a unique take on Jimmy Rollins' free agency. The longtime Phillies outfielder signed with the Rangers after the 2002 season only to be traded back to Philadelphia in July of 2003.
Hey, there’s a good thought; if Valentine’s managing style is completely different this time around maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.
Now I get it; YOU’RE the true inventor of the wrap sandwich. I’m sure you guys can talk it out…
What?
Zach must be smoking on that good kush to call j roll an outfielder.
Doug Glanville, Phillies 1998-2002, OF.
I believe he was talking about Doug Glanville.
Or maybe you are, homeboy.
Yes John. Clearly J Roll signed with the Rangers after the 2002 season.
You know I dont think this is going to affect anyone but the prospects. They are still going to sign just for less money, they get those huge numbers because they know they can. Like Josh Bell of the Pirates signed for $5 mil but how do we know he wouldnt have signed for $3 mil, Brian Goodwin signed for 3 mil and probably would have for 1.5. I dont think this will be a problem. But for teams that cant spend big money on free agents I dont really think its fair to restrict them on spending on the draft. If thats the case then have a limit on free agent signings and slots for them.
Meh I just feel this hurts the game in the aspects of high school players going to other sports instead of baseball in college, since college baseball rarely has full scholarships it wouldn’t be unusual for one of the highly athletic players like this year’s drafted Archie Bradley and Bubba Starling would be much more inclined to focus on football where they’d get a full ride. We’d be losing out on the two sport athletes, and in today’s football dominating as America’s game why baseball would choose to hurt itself like it did is beyond me.
Calm down Glanville, you had a flukey .357 BABIP in your only relevant year and totally sucked as a ballplayer otherwise. He and Darin Erstad totally had that “have a massive year in 99 or 00 when the balls were juiced” seasons and were pretty terrible players otherwise, who managed to turn those single seasons into an extended career.
Its kind of like how Mark Kotsay has been utterly worthless as a player since 2006, and yet he still is inexplicably sticking around somehow…is it because his wife is hot? I don’t know, but I know there’s at least 50 guys in AAA who are better and would produce more and contribute more to winning games than him. Why the Padres just signed him is totally beyond logic and reason.
That is a hot wife.
Glanville was traded to the Cubs in July 2003
Corrrect. Traded from Tex to the Cubs, then signed back with the Phillies in the following off-season. It was his second turn with both Chi (originally a first round pick and first pro team) and Phi.
Valentine or Lamont–it really doesn’t matter, it’s a new voice, both are experienced baseball people. The question is who will they bring with them for coaches? Each will need a good pitching coach and bench coach; they’ve both been around long enough so they have probably contacted coaching prospects just in case they are selected.
I predict Scott Boras will buy the Israeli baseball league and then send all of his pre-draft clients there to play in a seven game season against the Washington Generals.
The players will then be reintroduced to MLB through a posting system.
BOBBY
VALENTINE IS THE PERFECT FIT FOR THE BOSTON RED SOX! WHY YOU ASK? BOBBY
WOULDN’T QUESTION ABOUT WHATS GOING ON WHEN THEY STARTED LOSING THEIR
LEAD IN THEIR DIVISION, HE WOULD OF FOUND A LINE UP THAT WOULD PUT AN END
TO SUCH A LOSING STREAK, NO MATTER IF YOU WERE A SUPER STAR OR NOT! THAT’S
ONE THING I LIKE ABOUT BOBBY VALENTINE, THERE IS NO EGOS IN HIS DOUGOUT
THAT WOULD DISRUPT THE CHEMISTRY ON HIS TEAM! IF ANYTHING HE WOULD MAKE THEM
MORE AGGRESSIVE AND MORE FOCUSSED TO WIN AND NOT TO WORRY ABOUT
THE LOSING STREAK!
THERE IS A LOT MORE I CAN SAY WHY HE WOULD FIT AS THE MANAGER OF THE RED SOX! I WILL SAVE THAT FOR ANOTHER TIME AND PLACE!
HIS A FIGHTER AND A WINNER FROM THE OLD SCHOOL OF BASEBALL!
I HOPE HE GETS HIRED! GOOD LUCK RED SOX! YOU’RE ON YOUR WAY BACK!
I’M OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!