Lucas Giolito Rumors
Quick Hits: Guerrero, Lee, Gordon, Giolito
The Yankees signed Orlando Hernandez to a four-year, $6.6MM contract on this date 14 years ago. El Duque posted a 3.96 ERA in six seasons with New York and also made a number of memorable postseason starts as the Yankees won three consecutive World Series titles. Hernandez expressed interest in making a comeback as recently as last year, before officially retiring in August. Here are today's links...
- Agent Fern Cuza told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that Vladimir Guerrero “still wants to play.” Guerrero is waiting the right opportunity and has a strong preference for contenders (Twitter links).
- Free agent first baseman Derrek Lee is open to the right opportunity and doesn’t plan to officially retire, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets.
- Negotiations between the Royals and Alex Gordon are in their early stages, but are expected to pick up later this spring, according to Rosenthal. Gordon will almost certainly look to sign for more than $55MM, the current Royals record, Rosenthal writes.
- It’s too early to predict which team will select high school right-hander Lucas Giolito, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter). Giolito sprained the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow yesterday.
Potential Top Draft Pick Giolito Sprains Elbow
Highly-regarded high school righty Lucas Giolito sprained the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow yesterday and will be out six to ten weeks, reports Eric Sondheimer of the L.A. Times. The hard-throwing senior doesn't need surgery, coach Matt LaCour told Sondheimer, but he and his teammates are crushed. Giolito was regarded as the best high school player in the 2012 draft, but now he may be more likely to honor a commitment to UCLA. As Baseball America notes, the new collective bargaining agreement's draft restrictions make it much harder for Giolito to fall in draft position and still receive a ton of money.
Quick Hits: Playoffs, Giolito, White Sox
MLB will expand the playoffs starting this season and the reaction has generally seemed positive. Here are a few more links to cap off the leap day, starting with reaction to the upcoming postseason format...
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the changes are good for the game, because they will add excitement with minimal intrusion. Plus, the new format will provide teams with an incentive to win their divisions.
- Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com says the changes make sense. Commissioner Bud Selig has made the right call, Heyman writes.
- High school right-hander Lucas Giolito hit 100 mph in a start last night, Baseball America’s Nathan Rode confirms. Giolito is the top high school prospect for the 2012 draft, according to Rode.
- South Side Sox interviewed Dan Fabian, director of baseball operations for the White Sox, about his role with the team, trades, stats and scouting.
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