Spring Training complexes in Florida and Arizona are starting to come alive with baseball activity, but there are meaningful games already being played all across the country. Stanford right-hander Mark Appel – the current favorite to go first overall in this year's draft – allowed just two hits and one run in seven innings against Vanderbilt yesterday, kicking off the NCAA baseball season. Here's the latest from around the big leagues…
- “We’d all like something resolved by the end of spring training,” said Matt Cain to Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com when asked about a contract extension. “I don’t think either side wants that to linger into the season.” Cain has already indicated that he will not give the Giants a hometown discount after already signing one team friendly contract.
- Jon Garland will take his physical on Monday, reports Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland-Plain Dealer (on Twitter). Garland agreed to a minor league deal with the Indians earlier this week, but the physical is far from routine after shoulder surgery.
- Carlos Guillen told MLB.com's Greg Johns that he had other opportunities, but chose to return to the Mariners on a minor league contract. "I decided to come here because this is my first house," he said. "I know the city, and I'm happy to be back."
- Jesus Flores told Amanda Comak of The Washington Times that he hadn't planned on being a backup catcher at this point of his career, but asking the Nationals for a trade is "not on [his] mind." The 27-year-old Flores will backup Wilson Ramos this season.
- Left-hander Wei-Yin Chen hasn't even thrown a pitch since signing a three-year, sub-$12MM deal with Orioles earlier this offseason, but he's already told Eduardo A. Encina of The Baltimore Sun that he hopes to stay in MLB for the next ten years (Twitter link).
- Rod Barajas told MLB.com's Tom Singer that he's excited to be reunited with A.J. Burnett. Barajas and Burnett played together with the Blue Jays before both landing with the Pirates this offseason.
I think that all these international signings are a good thing, honestly, but players like Chen, Darvish, Soler, Cespedes, Aoki, etc. have a ton of risk, right (some more than others)? Matsuzaka, Fukudome, Igawa etc. haven’t worked out as well as their respective teams hoped for. Oswalt and Damon are still unsigned despite it being easier to anticipate what kind of production they might offer at least this year.
Baseball got silly.
These international signings are viewed more like the lottery. You will probably swing and miss but when you hit it big you could have something amazing. The value that a guy like Ichiro brought to the M’s is amazing. Even someone like Kendrys Morales who developed slow and has spent the past 1.5 years on the DL was a huge boon for the Angels since he only cost them $6m.
Cain’s contract was a great deal for both sides. He’s gets $15 mill this year at the tail end of a 3 yr contract and is 27. Don’t really see that as team friendly.
He cant Caintain him self, he wants to get paid.
It’s fine he wants to get paid, but if he’s acting like he did us a favor with his previous contract….
I was making a ha ha but in all seriousness, I personally think (or wish) that Baseball players wouldn’t become these money seeking sharks, stick to their respective teams and just be happy and play the greatest sport. I mean come on, I’d be happy if I received $1000. Wouldn’t we all?
I’d be happy with all you can eat sunflower seeds! lol
Now that would be amazing!!
If it were our career, that we had devote full-time to for over 9 months a year? No, I wouldn’t be happy with $1,000.
That said, I’d do it for league minimum.
If travel, housing, and food expenses were all paid that would be enough for me.
Except housing and food expenses aren’t included, and travel only is when it’s a matter of going to or returning from away games.
Add to that the fact that you have to spend 3+ hours/day working out, and you have to interact with the media or pay fines…
I definitely ment if I got $1000 right now I would be happy, philliflusterd.
Oh snap! Making fun my name! You sure got me good!
That aside, you’re acting like it’s not their careers, when it is. Sure, I’d love a grand more in the bank, but considering my career isn’t nearly as challenging (at any given moment, anyway) as an MLB player’s…
All giggles Phillibuster! You’re a good dude.
Or dudette?
Nah, dude.
Now I’ll never know.
National (league) [neutral term] of mystery!
I have to agree. I need to have money to survive that other three months.
He signed his 3-year deal at the same time Timmay signed his 2-year deal. One guy postponed his date with free agency by a year, the other didn’t. Of course all the three year deal did was lock-in his option rate for 2011 from his previous contract while adding the 15m guarantee for 2012. Personally I think most guys don’t sign the deal Cain did. They play out their current contract and get to free agency a year earlier.
Put me down for a 5/100m extension for Cain with Lincecum leaving in two years. If Cain hits free agency with another Cain-like year, 6/120m seems reasonable.
He did. Imagine if he and Lincecum both went to arbitration every year. How much did SF save by not having that happen?
It was very team friendly.
Y1 Arb – $2.6m
Y2 Arb – $4.25m
Y3 Arb – $7m
FA Y1 – $15m
Compare that someone like Jered Weaver …
Y1 Arb – $4.25m
Y2 Arb – $7.37m (lost arbitration case)
Y3 Arb – $14m
FA Y1 – $16m
Covering those same years Cain will earn $29m to Weaver’s $42m and that is with Weaver signing a team friendly contract to cover his last year of arb and 1st year of FA.
They are both very comparable pitchers and yet Cain will earn $13m less than Weaver over the same period of their career. Cain signed an extremely team friendly deal. Not Evan Longoria friendly but certainly well below market rate.
It all goes back to his original 4/9m deal he signed. His new contract essentially covered year 4 of the original one, excercised the 5th year option with a slight raise, while tacking on the 15m salary for his first free agent year. It was a bargain for the Giants, but it was that way because they signed him after he only had one full season in the majors.
Adrian Gonzalez signed a very similar deal with the Padres in terms of money and time/years, unfortunately for San Diego, prior to 2010 season he wasn’t willing to tack on a 15m free agent year simply by having the team excercise his 6-7m option for the upcoming season a year early.
Carlos Guillen got sad because no one wanted him.
Do you think his agent explained to him a minor league contract means he won’t play in Seattle during the season?
Are you a Mariners fan?
I don’t see much difference between Seattle’s minor league roster and their major league roster. Plenty of those guys could get moved around. For a guy like Guillen playing for the M’s represents one of his best chances to get AB’s at the major league level.
agreed.
Mark Appel looks like he’s a great pitcher, and I hope that he’s available in the draft when it’s time for the Twins to make their pick. He reminds me of a pitcher by the name of Justin Verlander, and he just might be the ace that the Twins have been lacking since Matt Garza and Johan Santana were traded.
that whole stanford squad is looooooooaded. three possible 1st rounders and a couple more high round draft possibles, just insane.
Astros are probably gonna take him. They lack any kinds of quality pitching, and this guy is legit. Huge mistake if he slips by.
Does anyone know what kind of draft this is? Pitching heavy, bat heavy, HS heavy, College heavy, balanced, weak, strong, etc.
appel is legit, but so is giolito, can’t really go wrong with either one
Do the Astros really have worse pitching prospects than the Twins? Wow, that’s really difficult to imagine.
You dont like Scott Diamond? jk, I live in Rochester so I go to all the AAA games. They could use a little help. But I am excited about this season.
Well, excited for the Red Wing season because they really couldn’t be any worse. Also like 46 Scranton Yankees home games are being played in Rochester this year. That helps.
I like watching Anthony Swarzak pitch, but I don’t think he’ll be any better than a 4th or 5th starter. I’m not very excited about any other pitcher in the Twins farm system besides Gibson, and he won’t be pitching for a while after his surgery.
Beep, beep, beep, beep. That’s the sound of the truckload of money being backed up and dumped on Cain.
Make it Cain.
Yes we Cain!
It’ll take a contract over nine nine nine…
Only if Pacman’s there!
Ahhhhhhh!!!! Too many Cain jokes!!!
I’ll bet you just Cain’t wait ’til they stop, huh?! 😉
You’re just no Mattch for him.
Are all of these puns annoying Yu?
…oops, wrong article!
Wait a minute, this is what was posted “Cain has already indicated that he will not give the Giants a hometown discount”. The link states “You definitely love being in San Francisco, and we do. We have a year till free agency. That’s something as a player you think about, having that opportunity. It’s hard to say what will happen in these next several months.”
How is that indicating he will not give the Giants a hometown discount?
He already gave them discounts in the previous extension. He wants to stay a Giant, but wants to be paid what he’s worth. Can’t blame him. Giants need to pony up and pay the man.
I’ve never understood Jon Garland. I think I’m going to start a band called Jon Garland’s Career.
Jon Garland is to baseball as John Cusack is to acting.
If Jon Garland’s 2012 is anything like John Cusacks movie of the same name then God help us all!
Carlos Guillen is a good digning for the Mariners to get the offense going for the young ballclub after struggling last year when the team lost 17 games in a row at one point. GM Jack Z better not be finished w/ free agency as Hideki Matsui, Johnny Damon, and Vladimir Guerrero are still out there to sign one of them by helping out the young team this season. Trading Chone Figgins may open up a roster spot for one of those valuable veteran players.
It’s February. It’s too early to say “probably’ about any specific pick.