As Cliff Lee prepares to face the Yankees in the ALCS, he's trying not to think about his impending free agency, according to T.R. Sullivan and Bill Ladson. Still, Lee hinted to the MLB.com writers that winning the World Series with the Rangers this year would make it that much harder to leave Texas. Here are a few other links from around the league, as we count down the final 24 hours until the ALCS gets underway….
- The Astros removed three players from their 40-man roster, outrighting Brian Esposito, Anderson Hernandez, and Wladimir Sutil to Triple-A, according to a team release.
- Jeremy Hermida appreciates that the Athletics allowed him to reach free agency early in the offseason, says Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
- Troy Renck of the Denver Post asked Lance Berkman about the possibility of coming to Colorado for next season, and Berkman said he might be interested (Twitter links). Of course, the 34-year-old will be looking for an everyday role, and Todd Helton is still very much in the first base picture for the Rockies.
- In a separate tweet, Renck adds that even with Jarrod Saltalamacchia under contract, the Red Sox could still inquire on Chris Iannetta this winter.
- Fangraphs' Jack Moore argues that Paul Janish's play at shortstop should prompt the Reds to turn down Orlando Cabrera's 2011 option. Yesterday, over 80% of you opined that Cincinnati wouldn't exercise Cabrera's option.
- The Triple-A Portland Beavers will be sold to a group led by Padres owner Jeff Moorad, as J. Harry Jones of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes. If everything proceeds as planned, the club will play in Tucson in 2011 and then move permanently to Escondido in 2012, according to Jones and Josh Leventhal of Baseball America.
Well that sucks now all we’re going to have in Oregon is rookie teams, we really need an MLB team.
Yeah, What the hec is the point of moving them? I love the Portland Beavers and the Esconido Beavers doesn’t that ring to it.
I do know they were turning PGE park into a MLS expansion park, so they had no home. There was talk about moving them to beaverton though.
Beaverton? Seriously?
So they’d be the Beaverton Beavers? Wow.
Yup, some sort of marketing thing.
“So her name is going to be Julia Gulia? That’s funny” “What’s funny about that?” “I… I don’t know…”
Great movie and great reference on your part.
Ever watch Married With Children? One of the main characters of the show was named Marcy… in one season she marries a guy named Jefferson D’Arcy. That quote always reminds me of Married With Children.
No, in that scenario, they almost certainly would have wound up becoming the Beaverton Swooshes, or perhaps the Beaverton Philknights.
You’ll have to settle for the Escondido Bandidos.
Wonder if FSN Northwest will try to get something going with the Rainiers now that the Beavers are leaving? I always wondered why the Portland Beaver games were televised when they are the Padres AAA club. Its only natural that people in the NW would rather see the Rainiers since they are A, from Tacoma and B, a Mariner farm club.
Get it done FSN.
Every team needs two washed-up first basemen! Of course, Colorado would have three if they keep Giambi. How’s that for roster flexibility?
Jason Giambi has actually revived himself as a clutch pinch-hitter for the Rox.