The Dodgers' total player expenditures last season – including payroll for a 40-man roster, incentive bonuses, benefits and tax payment, comes out to $248MM, according to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. The Dodgers were assessed $11.4MM under baseball's luxury-tax system, according to a person familiar with the matter. More out of the AL and NL West..
- Giants GM Brian Sabean says the club is probably done with major league deals, according to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter). Because it would be tough to make additions to the big league roster, he's not looking at minor league invites.
- After losing Jose Veras to the Cubs earlier this evening, Astros GM Jeff Luhnow says he's looking into other pitchers, writes MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. "We're still talking to other relievers," Luhnow said. "Again, the closer role is really going to be determined during Spring Training, and from the standpoint of Josh Fields, Chad Qualls, and Matt Albers, they all have the arm strength and pitches to pitch in the ninth inning. We'll just kind of see what develops. We're not necessarily done on pitching. We're still talking to some pitchers, and we'll see what happens."
- Corey Brock of MLB.com (on Twitter) gets the sense that Joaquin Benoit is very much in play for the Padres as they're still willing to add a difference maker in back end.
I hope the Padres do sign Benoit but how long do they wait? Didn’t the Padres offer Benoit a two-year deal last week?
I get the sense it’s Benoit or nothing, so no rush.
Now that the market has somewhat been set by the Balfour signing, Benoit should be signing somewhere soon. I too hope the Padres sign him, at least they would have a reliable arm to close when Street gets hurt. Looking back at the whole Gregerson situation, I find it telling that two seasons ago when Street got hurt they moved Thayer into the closers role and not Gregerson. Hindsight is 20/20 and I am still surprised that Smith is all the Padres could get in return for him, but maybe the writing was on the wall for a while now.
Some get the feeling that Beniot is cold on the idea of coming to San Diego because he’s not expected to get a better offer. I think they’re trying to make a trade or roster move of some sort 1st because the have exactly 40 on the current roster.
I wonder if the Astros will make a strong push for Crain now.Houston guy like the other relievers they signed and he said he would love to pitch there since him and his wife live there.could be a great match and would solidify that bullpen if he is healthy. Any other relievers out there they maybe talking to? Seems like most are off the board now.
that’s it Giants ? aw
Too bad the Giants aren’t extending any minor league invites. Sabean has hit gold finding players on the trash heap this way and making them valuable again, ex. Torres, Mota, Blanco, Casilla, Uribe, Arias, etc.
So basically the Giants only acquired Tim Hudson and Mike Morse. They are keeping the same team and they think they can win the World Series again. Good luck.
Yes. They resigned their declining home grown players in Lincecum, Pence, Volgy, Lopez etc and hope the addition of Hudson and Morse will be enough.
Pence and Lopez are home grown?
I thought Pence was originally from the Astros, how is that home grown? I am assuming you mean’t their own current players?
Hey, the team from last year is essentially the team that won them a World Series in 2012. A bunch of down years happened all at once. They added a consistent starter and a low-risk, high-reward, right-handed outfield bat. I think they thought they weren’t very far off last year.
not a popular sentiment amongst Giants fans right now it seems; but i couldnt agree more
It’s also the team that didn’t even make the playoffs last year.
Good luck with that.