Six years ago today, the Nationals beat Alfonso Soriano in their arbitration hearing after acquiring him from the Rangers. Despite the loss, his $10MM payout set a record for the largest salary ever awarded via arbitration, surpassing the $8.2MM Andruw Jones received in 2001. Soriano had filed for $12MM, and his record has since been broken a few times over. Here's the latest from around the baseball blogosphere…
- Padres Prospects interviewed Joe Wieland, who was part of the Mike Adams trade.
- Giants Nirvana published a collection of interviews from Giants media day.
- Yankees Fans Unite interviewed Maury Brown of The Biz of Baseball.
- Baseball Time In Arlington doesn't think Josh Hamilton's relapse will impact his leverage in contract extension talks.
- Bless You Boys looked at how Prince Fielder could lead to Yoenis Cespedes in Detroit.
- Why Won't The Tigers Hire Me? wonders if the Tigers are America's team.
- Camden Crazies says the Jeremy Guthrie trade is a mild win for the Orioles.
- The Nats Blog broke down Gio Gonzalez's performance away from Oakland.
- Marlin Maniac believes Anibal Sanchez deserves a contract extension.
- More Mariners thinks either Jesus Montero or Dustin Ackley should get an extension.
- Brotherly Glove doesn't think the Phillies should swap Joe Blanton with Roy Oswalt.
- BoSox Injection wonders if the Red Sox really need Oswalt.
- Redbird Rants says the Cardinals and Oswalt need each other.
- I-70 Baseball says infield depth is a problem for the Cardinals.
- Where Have You Gone, Andy Van Slyke? analyzed Charlie Morton's approaches.
- Did The Tribe Win Last Night? looked at what could land Lonnie Chisenhall in Triple-A.
- Indians Prospect Insider says not to worry about Cleveland's lefty heavy lineup.
- Talkin' Sox with Dan explains why Bobby Valentine was the right guy for the Red Sox.
- The Todd Van Poppel Rookie Card Retirement Plan wrote about the Athletics first base and DH situation.
- Baseball Reality Tour looked at some questions the Braves have to answer.
- Steel World Order posted an eight-part preview of the Pirates season.
- Lasorda's Lair revisited the Blake Hawksworth–Ryan Theriot trade.
- MLB Draft Insider conducted a 2006 redraft.
- Infield Shift tells you why you should start following college baseball.
- Pinstripes Alley played a game of prospect roulette.
- Seedlings to Stars listed the Twins top prospects.
- A's Farm compiled a consensus top ten Athletics prospects list.
- MLB Reports wonders if rosters should be expanded to 26 players.
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Baseball Time In Arlington doesn’t think Josh Hamilton’s relapse will impact his leverage in contract extension talks.
I don’t even need to read the article to know that doing so would be a total waste of my time. This is an absolutely ridiculous notion.
I just read that article. It is absurd. ANYTHING that a player does will be used as leverage by ownership. It’s just smart negotiating.
Hamilton’s substance abuse is the single most important aspect of his performance. If he reverts back to his earlier days then all the talent in the world won’t help him. If anything I think this gives them leverage to have very strict language around voiding his contract for consuming alcohol.
That Tigers article portion about Prince is horrible. You expect moving to the tougher league and the much tougher ballpark will make Prince hit MORE home runs? And your thoughts on this are because down the RF line it’s 5 foot shorter than Milwaukee and that Comerica is outside so he’ll gain from having the wind aide his deep fly balls? REALLY? The weather in freezing cold Detroit is likely to have a positive effect on his power? Really? The wind only blows one way there? The cold air won’t have any affect on his fly balls? I dunno if this is just a lack of understanding something as simple as weather or a giant bias.
For a guy whose sole skill is to hit the ball, and a long history of hitters with his body type declining early and hard, who also signed for a massive overpay (with a better player already on the roster) and will not only bring poor defense to 1st but will now make sure the defense at 3rd is poor as well, I know you have to hope for the best but the wind blows both ways, the ball doesn’t travel as well in the cold and the AL is tougher. To ignore those factors would be one thing, but to try and use factors that logic says will be a detriment and actually use them to explain an expected increase in production is just absurd. Also, there are plenty of teams that have stars of white/black/latin heritage. Boston has Beckett/Lester/Youkilis/Pedroia, they have Crawford who is black and AGonz and Ortiz which are latin, plus Ellsbury who is native american. The Yankees have Teixeira, CC/Granderson, Cano/Rivera/Pineda and ARod/Jeter are mixed and Joba is part native american.
Players get better in their prime. And where did I say that we had the only three stars with different heritage. Why does this upset you, so?
You didn’t say you were the only team with three stars with different heritages. You asked the ridiculous question if the Tigers are “America’s Team” based off that fact. Considering plenty of other teams have that going for them, it’s as ridiculous as acting like the wind and weather are only going to help Prince. There aren’t multiple “America’s Teams”. So if that is your requirements to go off, to call them that, then no. It doesn’t make me angry at all. You’re just wrong. You can’t have a team called “America’s Team” based off something that several other teams have.
So, what you’re saying is that it is impossible for Prince Fielder to hit 40 home runs?
His prime? There is a great article on Fangraphs about ISO. Running the numbers most hitters *peak* at 24-25 (Prince had his best two years at 23 and 25 from a HR perspective).
Since Prince broke into the majors he has averaged (over 162 games) 33 HR’s. He’s had two seasons over 40 HR’s and 4 seasons under 40 HR’s.
As hrbomber1113 correctly points out, a less favorable ballpark, in a tougher league, with worse weather, all point to a slight decrease in production. Add in his age and the fact that hitting HR’s is getting harder and harder and I just don’t see 40-50 HR seasons happening on a regular basis. Not saying that he won’t or that he is incapable of hitting 40 HR’s but to pencil him for that amount seems overly optimistic IMO. More like 30-40 HR’s as the likely outcome.
He is a great offensive player. The combination of Miggy and Prince will be great to watch. Hitting 35 HR’s and sporting an OBP over 400 is a force to be reckoned with.
I don’t think one month of not so warm weather (april) is going to play to much on Prince. If anything, it would hurt Cabby more which obviously has made him the worst hitter in baseball…. um wait…. not sure if you know what your talking about.
And your comment is somehow relevant to what I said? My point was playing in a larger ballpark, tougher league, and in a cold weather city and outside compared to inside for his home games are NOT reasons to think he’ll actually improve upon his previous performance. And citing the wind and weather as being helpful without even mentioning the fact that that it could definitely hurt is absurd.
Your comment about Cabrera is just ridiculous and totally irrelevant. I didn’t say Prince would suck. I’m saying predicting him to start consistently hitting 40-50 HRs doesn’t make any sense at all. Just like your entire comment. Bias trumps logic I guess.
im curious on how the tigers all of a sudden became americas team? or even it be concidered? Detroit has been to one world series since 1984 and before 2006 had not made the post season since 1987. so what classifys a team to be concidered americas team?
You shouldn’t comment on things when you haven’t read them.
“No manager in the game will outfox Valentine on any strategic move”
That is one main reason for Bobby V and no playing favorites with Billy Hall types, or Darnell McDonalds who have little to no use even being around, much less getting a lot of playing time.
Bobby V will play the game the way it should be.. Hard nosed and straight forward. He will have the guts to tell an umpire he blew a call and not stay in the dugout, unless the fans are all over him and then sheepishly walk out (with head down) say 2 words and walk back with his tail between his legs.
Bobby V will also handle his veterans, rather than the other way around.. nope.. This season it is going to be quite a different place at 1 Yawkey way and a new boss in charge.
Yeah sorry but Tito did a lot of screaming at umps he never stayed in to stay in. Darnell is one of our bench options and will probably get a solid amount of playing time to start the season. Also Valentine might run himself out of town trying to be everybody’s daddy I bet you he will be far looser than you think. Its not like he cannot be replaced, the guy has interviewed for seemingly every open coaching job the past few years with not a single taker. There are no absolutes in this game and I look forward to watching him get outfoxed just like every other manager. Tito was the better option, if we are lucky they fire Bobby a week in and fly him out Mirabelli style.
I do see McDonald possibly making the roster until Kalish comes back from his surgery, but that is only if they deem his below average bat and mediocre (at best) glove better to have on the team more valuable as a 5th OF over Lin, who has an outstanding glove, great arm and good speed and also hits from the right side.
For a spot that will rarely be used.. It could be more valuable to have a player that could pinch run for example for the slow guys.. AGone, Ortiz come to mind, rather than someone that they already have covered in a RH OF in Ross..
Now that is just my thoughts there and Lin is probably the best defensive/arm combo of the bunch..Ells included because of Lin’s arm.
I share your feelings on the Blanton/Oswalt story. But, I actually read the article, and it is insulting to my intelligence.
The Guthrie deal could turn into a very nice move if they can get simlar production from Hammels and a single nice young prospect at the deadline for Lindstrom.