Mike Sweeney has been telling former teammates that he would like to play in 2011, but only if he can find a contending team willing to give him a Major League contract according to ESPN's Jayson Stark (Insider req'd). The Phillies told Sweeney that they would have interest in bringing him back on a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training.
The 37-year-old Sweeney hit .231/.310/.385 in a reserve role for the Phillies after coming over from the Mariners in a midseason trade. He finally got his first taste of postseason play in 2010, the 15th full season of a career that features a .297/.366/.486 batting line.
Stark speculates that the Padres could have interest in Sweeney as a bat off the bench and possible platoon partner for Brad Hawpe at first.
I want to play too!
Me too! I don’t even require a major league deal.
Ha! That was my immediate thought! I’d also like to have Natalie Portman pick me up and take me out on the town for a while. 😉
Could be a decent platoon partner for Dan Johnson on the Rays.
First thing I thought of. Would be a good veteran presence and insurance at first base. Most likely wouldn’t cost much to sign either.
Having Damon in the outfield is defensive suicide. Put him at first base from day ONE of Spring Training and make every effort to make him your first baseman. He will absolutely kill you in the outfield. Seriously, Manny in left and Johnny at DH is an upgrade of Johnny in left. Damon has worked out at first before, even playing in some games with the Yankees. You’ll never have another fielder like Pena at first, so just get over that. Defensively Damon will hurt you, but a lot less at first.
Agreed! It would be a great sign for the Rays
Dan Johnson is not playing 1st for the Rays, hes sitting on the bench. Zobrist will play 1st.
Are you joking? Zobrist is playing 2nd.
Zobrist 1st
Sean Rodriguez 2nd
Reid B SS
Longoria 3rd
Jaso Catcher
Damon LF
Jennings CF
Upton RF
Manny DH
Dan Johnson=BENCH
Strongly disagree. You do not waste Zobrist at first base.
I’d much rather find a guy on the market to play first base or platoon Johnson with a righty (Sweeney? Glaus?) than waste someone like Zobrist at first base, do you really think Sean Rodriguez is worth that?
Yea I do think SRod is worth that….the kid is a big time prospect with big time potential, in order for the Rays to compete they need to give these kids a chance.
I’m not quite sure what you mean by “waste” Zobrist at first, but regardless, if they use Jennings out of spring training, the positions I previously posted is how it is going to be…even if you strongly dissagree.
What I mean is that when you have a guy that can hit and play second base, you don’t waste him at first base when hitting first baseman are a dime-a-dozen.
Here’s some ammo for you ;
Ben Zobrist… 2010 games played by position…
1b…14g…9 starts.
3b…2g…1 start
rf…110g…89 starts
2b…55g…45 starts.
Hitting line…
10HR- 75RBi- 77R- 24 for 27SB- .238BA- .346OBP- .353SLG in 541AB
Not quite up to his 2009 all star line, but maybe Zo got tired down the stretch.
2B and RF is where he will play in 2011, splitting playing time with others, but in the lineup every day.
He may very well be an everyday platoon type guy yes, good point, however his main position will be first.
thats mannys job
Manny should be the full-time DH.
I want the phils to sign him
He can ONLY play 1B. And the guy we have there already tends to play everyday.
If Sweeney could play the outfield even a little bit, I would like him back too. But seeing as he’s never been anywhere but C and 1B in his career, it’s just not a fit.
Sweeney quit playing catcher back in his Royals days because of a bad back.
He lost a few seasons in his prime for the same reason.
He moved to 1B and then DH because of his back.
The Royals finally had to cut bait on a long-time fan favorite in KC
Asking Sweeney to play OF is like asking Bengie Molina to pinch run and steal third.
I actually played with guys like Jason Marquis and Rudy Lugo when I was in high school and college, I should have never quit in college. And as far as Sweeny, I didnt know his career average was so high.
My lone high school varsity AB as a high school kid back in the late ’60s in San Diego was against Terry Forster. (White Sox and Dodgers).
They said he threw 3 pitches when I was at the plate.
I never saw them.
I was in 10th grade, barely 14 years old.
End of regular baseball career.
I was already lying about my age playing on a men’s slo-pitch team
PLayed slo-pitch until age 41..six times playing in the California Championship Tourney
Gave it up when the gain was no longer worth the pain
Had a great time….but I didn’t miss playing the game a bit after I called it quits.
Mike Sweeney? Now the wheels are really starting to turn.
I have a Phillies Mike Sweeney shirt. I don’t want that shirt going to waste. Sign him Ruben.
I would like to see the Padres look at Glaus, Cantu and Willy Arbar before Sweeney.
Have you seen Sweeney’s numbers at Petco? They’re insane! He’s a real nice guy that some of these young, spoiled players can learn a thing or 2 from.
Cantu can play 1B or 3B, and 2B if need be.
He could spell Hawpe at 1B , and put a boot in Headley’s -ss to perform at the plate.
I have no problem with Headley’s defense.
His offense is horsesh-t !
I hope to God he doesn’t get 600+ PAs again.
Headley couldn’t get the bat off his shoulder in the last 6 weeks of the season.
He ran out of gas about August 15th.
The Padres have 39 on the roster…room for 1 more.
Who’s it gonna be ?
I do believe Glaus is still a possibility because of his ties, (Morrad & Co /So Cal). He likely will not receive a starting role, even as a DH. I do believe Cantu will have an offer from some team that can offer more playing time.
I think Cantu could get 350-400 PAs with the Padres
between, platoon at 1B, DH, a little 2b if ODog needs a day off, PH and …
…taking over full time about June 1st when the Padres finally realize
Headley can’t hit ML pitching well enough to become a MLB run producer.
Sign Georgie Cantu to 2 years with an option.
Georgie will keep 3B warm until the arrival of Rincon or Darnell..
Aybar? God no, Cantu and Glaus are ok tho
Why not Aybar for the bench? If they cannot sign Glaus or Cantu, (which still could be a reach) it would come down to lessor candidates. Aybar wouldn’t be bad at all off the bench.
Sweeney is one of those guys I root for, but don’t want on my team. Super nice guy… had a good career… deserves a shot at the ring… but he has little if anything left to contribute.
I think Mike Sweeney will have to accept a minor league contract as their not lot of team out their that going to waste a roster spot on guy that cannot play the field anymore & alot of DH position are filled, maybe better suited as PH role in NL on team that got WS chants or go to boston their favorite in AL East since they made some great moves.
Remember what Thome did for the Twins. This is another guy who could fit with the Yankees as an occassional DH pinch hitter and backup for Tex. They have no backup first baseman and if you can get Sweeny for a million its worth considering. They took a chance on Park and Winn, taking a chance on Sweeny is not a bad idea at all.
I think he can make any contender’s bench deeper and we always have to remember that it always takes the full 25 guys to win a championship.
In past years, Sweeney has expressed willingness to catch again, if it helps him get a contract. And he’ll sign cheap. I think his last two contracts have been just slightly above league minimum. He’s made his money; he just wants to play meaningful games in October and November.
It would pain me to see Sweeney in a Yankees uniform, because I’d root for the Cuban Nationals if they were playing the Yankees. Whoever Mike Sweeney is playing for is my second-favorite team by default. I would really like to see him get a World Series ring, even if he makes a grand total of 12 plate appearances in a season.