Rocco Baldelli tells Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe that, despite having to retire at age 29, he considers himself fortunate to have had as much time as he did in the majors. "I have no regrets," Baldelli said. "I played major league baseball. I got to the big leagues and I had some moments I'll never forget." Cafardo opens this week's column by wondering what might have been, had Baldelli stayed healthy throughout his career. The Globe writer also shares a handful of hot stove notes….
- Although recent trade rumors involving Grady Sizemore and Fausto Carmona were quickly shot down, Cafardo says if both players are healthy and playing well this year, they could be "major trade deadline chips."
- Four teams are in discussions with agent Jim Masteralexis, regarding client Manny Delcarmen. We heard earlier this month that the Rays had interest in the ex-Red Sox, so they're likely one of the four.
- One executive told Cafardo that he's surprised Lastings Milledge is still available. While the exec's team doesn't need another outfielder, he argued that "you just don't give up" on a talent like Milledge.
- Scott Schoeneweis, who hopes to play this season, is being considered by the Diamondbacks.
- Friends of Pedro Martinez say the right-hander has yet to get pitching out of his system. Pedro will turn 40 later this year, and didn't pitch in the bigs in 2010, but he had success for the Phillies in 2009, compiling a 3.63 ERA, 7.5 K/9, and 1.6 BB/9 in nine starts.
- Cafardo speculates that Boston could be a good fit for Jeremy Bonderman on a minor league deal.
I agree with Cafardo about Bonderman. I believe he could be a nice depth signing in the minors.
Honestly, with the Tigers trotting out Ryan Raburn and Brennan Boesch here and there, I think trying to pick up Milledge on a minor league deal with incentives wouldn’t be a bad move. It’d be insurance and depth if anything.
i actaully like the idea of milledge. i dont think boesch is going to be the first half MVP type player that we saw. he is not MLB material. i hate to say it but its true. raburn could be good but i think he will do better in a similar role as last year. starts 4 or 5 times a week and sits out the other 1-3. we really dont have a a number two guy in the order and lastings could fit that nicely. i would love if he platooned with raburn.
If you want Milledge you might as well change your name to 100_Problems.
I don’t buy into the clubhouse cancer type crap and I think Leon Durham in Toledo could be a good mentor for time spent there. Leyland hasn’t put up with a ton of shit(excluding Sheffield) and I wouldn’t say Milledge is anywhere as bad as Gary ever was.
Would love to see the Tigers take a flyer on him.
wow. the problems jokes are gettin really old. its not clever when its done so much. and at least my team didnt sign jayson werrth to the worst contract of all time. id rather have a cheap milledge than the contract youll be dealin with for the next 7 years
Riggleman is singing “I got 99 problems and a Mill-edge ain’t one”.
Lastings Milledge is a clubhouse cancer. He has so much talent, but doesn’t seem to care. It is saying that the Nats and Pirates are the two teams that got rid of him.
Yeah, you would know considering you spend so much time in the clubhouse with him, right?
Do we have Milledge among us?
First of all, many will tell you a good clubhouse doesn’t lead to winning; winning leads to a good clubhouse. Washington and Pittsburgh were both awful long before Lastings Milledge got there. The Pirates also waived Bronson Arroyo and lost him for nothing. Does that mean he was a clubhouse cancer?
Secondly, even if Milledge does misbehave, if the Tigers can get him on a minor league deal, does anyone really care if he disrupts the clubhouse of the Toledo Mud Hens?
Good God Cafardo! Just STFU already, everyone knows you’re full of $%&*. You’ve been caught in a lie and you know nothing of baseball outside of Boston.
I’m not so sure that he knows much about baseball inside of Boston either.
How many times do the Indians have to make denials that they are trading Sizemore and Carmona?
They will not sell low on Sizemore-they just won’t. If he does play well, they need to keep him. They do not have a ready replacement for him; the system is light on upper level outfield talent at the moment. The only way they consider a trade is if they are made an offer they can’t refuse. Now, who is going to do that with all of the questions about his health? How this rumor keeps floating around is beyond me. It makes no BASEBALL sense for the Indians to move him right now or even mid season.
As for Carmona-they have to have someone that could replace his two hundred innings if he were to be moved. With all the youth and question marks in their rotation they would be shooting themselves in the foot if they were to move him and count on the youngsters for even MORE innings than they are already counting on them for.
Having said that, if the Indians do trade them before they have adequate replacements in place, I’m going to be mad. So mad that I will find a different AL team to root for!
”…. he argued that “you just don’t give up” on a talent like Milledge. ”’
Well, the Mets, the Nats and the Pirates did.. If you can’t make yourself valuable for bottom teams, maybe you’re not part of the solution..
Bondo if goin’ to BoSox
What is the disgraceful profession? Do you mean journalism in general or specifically beat writers?
If his profession is disgraceful, You must be hmm, President of the United States?
It sounds like you may have something against Nick, because he did not “make up” the story about Cleveland trading Sizemore.
In a January 24, 2011 column by MASN’s Phil Wood, he wrote:
“Another big league scout tells me he’d heard some conversations had taken place between the Nats and the Indians about starting pitcher Fausto Carmona and outfielder Grady Sizemore. The Tribe is looking to move salary, and Sizemore, coming off of knee surgery, is eligible for free agency in 2012.”
Looks like one of “Gradys Ladies” will be upset when he’s traded this summer!
So you’re wishing me luck in bringing some class and enthusiasm to a field that needs it?
Okay, bet you couldn’t guess why I don’t spend every minute of every day on the MLBTR comment boards anymore.
Didn’t say anything, just trying to prove a point that you’re the one critizing me.
I still don’t get the point here, but whatever dude.
Maybe I’m just reading you wrong here. Sorry about that. But theres no reason you should be wearing a hat in doors. However, the disqus commenting works really well on my phone, so perhaps you’re getting a bite to eat or something. Lobster roll?
Are you on your period??? Get of SPAN’s back he never said anything to you, just asked whats your beef with beat writers
Funny that you’re commenting on a site that probably wouldn’t exist without writers like Cafardo!
Phil Wood’s source is not Cafardo, Phil’s source is “another big league scout”. You make it sound like Nick is the one who started the trade rumors.
I do appreciate you acknowledging your bias against Nick, but I don’t think it’s appropriate to make such serious accusations when at least one ML scout is saying the same thing that was supposedly “made up” by Nick.
why dont you get back to baseball. you havent even mentioned it for several comments.
not sure what your getting at here…
The report you are referring to was immediately shot down. It is even linked to and referred to in this exact post.
“The Nationals reportedly inquired on Fausto Carmona and Grady Sizemore, but ESPN.com’s Buster Olney and Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer both hear that the Nationals have not discussed such a trade with the Indians (Twitter links). Olney says the Nationals haven’t called the Indians ‘at all’ about such a move.”
And yes it is awful journalism from Cafardo to say that “the Indians would love to trade Sizemore” without anything at all to back it up. The (false) report that you are referring to came several weeks after Cafardo made this claim and was immediately shot down. But Cafardo still wrote this bs about how they would become deadline chips (trying to cover himself) when it would make no sense at all for the Indians to trade Sizemore because of his contract.
I agree with most regarding the Indians desire to trade Grady. They DON’T WANT to trade Grady but obviously if they get an inclination that he won’t ever be a healthy player while under contract then they would listen to offers.
To me, WANTING to trade someone feels more like how the Mets feel about Oliver Perez. If anything, the Indians WANT Sizemore to be healthy, perform like an all-star for 2011. When and if they trade him is TBD according to his perceived willingness to stay at an affordable price.
Cafardo makes it sound like Antonetti is actively shopping him and Carmona which I doubt is the case. I would imagine there isn’t a single player, Choo included, that they wouldn’t at least listen to offers from other teams. That’s a far cry from shopping or wanting to trade them though.
Exactly Yanks, everyone will take calls and listen to offers, but it means nothing until the owning GM starts to make those calls asking about what it will take to move a player. Well said.