Links for Monday, as teams and players continue avoiding arbitration in advance of tomorrow's deadline for exchanging figures…
- Former A's, Mets and Brewers pitching coach Rick Peterson has accepted a job with the Orioles, MASNsports.com's Roch Kubatko reports. The sides have been discussing a pitching-related role since last month.
- ESPN.com’s Buster Olney suggests the Yankees could use their DH spot to see what Jorge Vazquez can do at the big league level or to give Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter partial days off (all Twitter links). The 29-year-old Vazquez posted a .262/.314/.516 line with 32 homers at Triple-A in 2011.
- The Orioles aren’t very high on the idea of having a DH-only player, Olney tweets. Because teams like the Orioles and Yankees are shying away from traditional DHs, veterans such as Vladimir Guerrero, Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui and Manny Ramirez aren't finding a robust market for their services.
- Yoenis Cespedes has two hits with six strikeouts in 19 at bats in the Dominican Winter League, tweets Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com.
- Jim Callis of Baseball America includes Devin Mesoraco, Yonder Alonso, Mike Trout and Matt Moore on his 2012 all-rookie team in this week's edition of Ask BA.
- Many see Steve Cohen, whose net worth likely exceeds $5 billion, as the biggest threat to buy the Dodgers, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets.
After every strike out Cespedes does 100 pushups and a 4ft vertical jump that continues to impress scouts.
And every 18-49 year old on Youtube.
Sources have now verified that he is rather doing one arm chin ups, while puffing a cigar
This is Yoenis Cespedes, not Yoenis Castro…
Cohen the biggest “threat” to buy Dodgers? Heyman actually tweeted he’s the biggest “treat,” which is even more bizarre.
Read some really bad things about him.
Think the day yanks tell Jeter to play DH is the day he decides to retire
Would he rather be in LF? I remember him crying about that, too. Derek: if the OF was good enough for Robin Yount, it’s good enough for you too.
Hasn’t he played numerous single games at DH over the past few years? I think the intention of the story was that to suggest that the Yanks would continue to use the DH slot as a rotating day off for their aging infielders — which is precisely what they should do, in my opinion.
but he’s a team player who always does and says the right thing and knows how to win and wants to win and is captain. why would he retire?
Damon can occasionally play LF cant he? I know hes got a bad arm, but if he plays part time it cant hurt.
sure it can barney.
His arm or playing ability? (can’t hurt comment)
bad arm is an understatement, have you ever seen the rainbows he lobs back in from LF?
Damon might be able to play the field. Who are the Orioles gonna play at DH? Roberts?
Can’t the Yankees go slightly over budget and pull in Vladimir Guerrero for between 5-7 million?
No, thanks.
Ok. Good argument.
Let’s go in-house with Jorge Vazquez, liking the Idea.
Yoenis Cespedes will be overmatch by Major league Pitching.
Good to see Buster Olney is on top of things. What a brilliant statement by him.
ESPN loses credibility with their baseball reporters by the second.
Cohen/Threat. Truth.
Wasting $5MM+ on a way-past-his-prime DH wouldn’t be a very good way for Duquette to distinguish himself from his predecessors.
I haven’t heard Duquette talk about Damon, but this is the second or third time I’ve read that he speaks of Damon with reverence. For the sake of the Orioles and their long suffering fans, I hope it’s all talk. There are hundreds of scenarios that make more sense for the O’s than siging some 37-year-old who was good three years ago.
Also, read some of the recent stories on Brian Roberts. If you walk away from them thinking he’ll ever play Major League Baseball again, you’re the most optimistic person I know.
Sometimes that’s all it takes.
it’s been well documented his inability to hit a breaking ball… and he’s being pitched by #5 and #4 starters in the winter leagues, actually minor leaguers.
Seriously? He is a solid consistent hitter. The last time he batted this low was 1996 and his average last year was .290. He strikes out about once every ten at bats and has some power left in him. Plus, you have the potential of yet another ex-Yankee making the HOF.
Yogi Berra did O.K.
Is that Sloth from the Goonies?
If nobody wants to sign “some 37-year-old who was good three years ago,” then why is the AL bothering with the DH at all. Get back to playing real baseball.
Despite the anomaly that was 2010 (Which can be accounted for by noting his home/road split, he was pretty mediocre outside of Arlington), Guerrero’s been declining steadily since 2007.
From 2007 through 2011, he OPS’ed: .950, .886, .794, .841 (.796 outside of Texas) and .733. We’re not looking at a sudden off year here or there from injury, that is a steady decline. Vlad is pretty much cooked.
Not sure those are bad numbers. Just a quick review but minus Granderson’s break out year last year, don’t they have similar numbers (for OPS)? Actually, Vlad’s were higher. Swisher’s were pretty much similar as well.
Yes it does.
No it doesn’t.
Yes it does.
No it doesn’t.
Good argument.
Good thing no one told that to Jaime Moyer.
And prior to Granderson’s breakout year last year, he was an all glove, no bat CFer, which still leaves you with a glove, something Gurrero certainly is incapable of at this point.
Conversely, whil Swisher’s reputed as a bad fielder, his OPS the last three seasons has ranged anywhere from slightly better (A .30 difference at worst) to substantially better (A nearly 100 point difference last year). Swisher’s also about six years younger.
Guerrero’s numbers would be passable as a bat off the bench who can put in some innings in the field (Ala Andruw Jones), but considering he’s considered effectively incapable of fielding at this point, Vlad’s worth a flier at maybe $1.5MM on a split minor league deal or a ST invite. He’s absolutely not worth the risk of guaranteed money.
What’s he have to do with the DH rule?
More focusing on the age comment. It seems to me that as you get older, you get useless. I think it should be judged more along lines of playing ability.
Rob, I think you missed the point. I could have easily replaced the name Moyer with Thome or another player of an age bracket 37 or older. Most of the focus on the boards in reference to DH seems to be that the players are getting older who can fit into a DH spot.
If Rickey Henderson and Julio Franco could contribute at real positions over 40, I don’t see why other players can’t be expected to do the same.
My comment was pure sarcasm. Buster Olney, in his comment, is stating the absolute obvious. Especially when he mentions giving A-Rod and Jeter partial days off. ESPN used to have Harold Reynolds, Peter Gammons, Buck Showalter, etc. Now they have John Kruk and Buster Olney. What a crack team of sports journalists…