Mets first baseman Ike Davis is being treated for a form of Valley Fever, though the team says Davis' infection is non-contagious and not very serious (via Mike Puma of the New York Post on Twitter). Davis says he has yet to receive an official diagnosis and hasn't experienced any symptoms. In recent years, Conor Jackson has also dealt with Valley Fever, missing most of the 2009 season with a more severe case of the infection.
Here are some (non-medical) news items from around both East divisions….
- Jim Johnson seems to have enough of a lead over Kevin Gregg for the Orioles' closer job that Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun reports that Gregg could be traded if Johnson's back is healthy. Gregg struggled in his first season in Baltimore and to move him, the O's would have to eat a big portion of Gregg's $5.8MM salary for 2012.
- The Rays have renewed Jeremy Hellickson's contract for 2012, the team announced today. Hellickson isn't eligible for arbitration until after the 2013 season and is under team control through 2016. The Rays also announced they had come to terms with 22 other players with less than three years of Major League experience, including such notable names as Desmond Jennings, Alex Cobb and Matt Joyce. Tampa Bay's entire 40-man roster is now under contract for 2012.
- David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution thinks the Braves may have cost themselves by waiting to extend Brian McCann. Yadier Molina's five-year, $75MM extension with the Cardinals will probably raise the price for McCann to as much as $18-$20MM or even more per season. O'Brien thinks AL teams have an advantage over the Braves if McCann hits free agency, since McCann wouldn't have to play the field in his later years if he went to the American League. McCann is under contract through 2012 and the Braves hold a $12MM club option on the All-Star catcher for 2013.
- The Blue Jays may be the best-positioned of any team to benefit from the expanded playoff format, writes ESPN's Jayson Stark.
- The two East divisions boast seven of the top 16 fantasy pitchers in baseball, according to Mike Axisa's rankings for Roto Authority. The Phillies alone have three pitchers in the top seven, including Roy Halladay in the top spot.
The more impressive thing to note is that 3 of the top-7 guys are on the Phillies.
It seems there is an echo in here.
Yeah, what I meant was that having 7 of the top-10 between the two divisions with the biggest payrolls isn’t all that impressive. The fact that one team has 3 of the top-7 is noteworthy, though.
I guess it was more of a shameless plug for the site itself, though.
While, I enjoy reading Peter S’s columns when I can (The Sun suffers from an Eclipse) meaning they charge to read their paper online. I think he’s being a bit optimistic to say Gregg will be traded. I can’t think of one team that would want him no matter how much salary the O’s are willing to eat. There is simply no demand for him, not even Oriole fans demand for him.
The Blue Jays may be the best-positioned of any team to benefit from the expanded playoff format. I like the Royals a bit more, but like the Blue Jays the chances lie how well their rotation does.
As for the Phillies they better have a top rotation, they paid enough in trade and salary to have that distinction.
My problem with Peter is he rarely ever has any real news, he just gives opinions, and he’s not the first person to suggest this move.
There are easily eight relievers in Baltimore who are most likely better than Kevin Gregg, though that isn’t saying much…
Ayala, Bergesen, Berken, Johnson, Lindstrom, O’Day, Phillips, Strop, with Eveland and Wada in that group as well if they don’t make the rotation.
I doubt the O’s will be able to trade Gregg, even if they eat 90% of his salary, but I’d be happy to see him cut, a la Jay Gibbons a few years back.
What I would like to see is for them to eat 80% of his salary and trade him to the Cubs for the Rule 5 pick (Flaherty) so we can send him down to Norfolk and still keep him.
Why would the Cubs give up the chance to get Flahery back in exchange for a 34-year-old reliever who they already dumped once?
Because they are the Cubs? Oh, wait. They have Epstein in charge now. Damn.
I find it difficult to believe the Orioles will be able to find a sucker to take Gregg off their hands for any amount of money right now. Dude was flat-out awful last season.
Their only option is to hope he fixes whatever was wrong last year and bounces back to his average/slightly below average self and someone is desperate enough to take him for a D prospect at the deadline and saving a million dollars or so in salary. I think keeping him around for that slight chance is probably better than waiving him, its not like he can singlehandedly kill our playoff hopes Though thats possibly only because you can’t get lower than a 0% chance to start the season with.
Problem is what was wrong with him is what has always been wrong with him, and that is he refuses to throw strikes. For all his stuff and his live fastball, he seems to have no confidence whatsoever that he can actually challenge a hitter and get them out. It’s entirely mental for him, interms of his attitude and his game plan. Just once I would like to see him come into the game with the idea that, “I’ve got a very good fastball and a pretty good slider, and I don’t think you can hit them. Here they are, prove me wrong.” Unfortunately, that’s just not his MO, and it’s why he’s got the worst ERA in the history of baseball for someone with at least five 20-save seasons (I’m not sure where I read that, but I totally believe it).
In terms of not saying much.
Have you seen O’Day’s stats before last year? He has had filthy numbers in the past. Strop and Johnson could be really solid too, with Eveland being someone I have some faith in bouncing back for some odd reason. Lots of good players in the pipeline too (Patton and a ton of other names that could be bullpen bound). I don’t think the O’s do much of anything this year, but I bet you the O’s have a sneaky good bullpen this year.
Also I wouldn’t cut Gregg, but he’s worth a salary dump. He wasn’t completely useless as a reliever last year, just a really really bad closer.
Time to break out, Mr. Bethancourt. I’d hate to see them lose McCann, but I don’t see him returning without a home-town discount(a rather substantial one at that).
THe Orioles bullpen situation for Jim Johnson doesn’t really have that much to do with a lead he has over Gregg. It’s moreso to do with the fact that they have the most out-of-option players in baseball, most of them pitchers, and they’re so stocked up on starting pitchers that they will have to be creative with the roster to keep that depth into the season.They may have to make several trades just from having to releasing a few roster-worthy arms.
They really made some odd roster moves going into spring training. I think a lot of people (including myself) want to see this bad O’s team give players like Jai Miller and Flaherty a chance. Of course we go out and sign Betemit, which all but guarantees Jai and Flaherty doesn’t make the roster. (at best 1/2 of them will).
Kevin Gregg may be at the twilight of his closer days, and should probably be an 8th inning guy (or 7th). But, cheer up, Kevin….you haven’t gone totally Eric Gagne (yet)
“you haven’t gone totally Eric Gagne (yet)”
Ask the Cub fans from ’09 that and adding to that? Gregg is a “closer” who was happily ran out of every town he ever pitched for.. Say that as a Fish Fan, who watched Gregg, even then with that nasty habit of walking the 1st batter or 2 and then sweating hand grenades on the mound.. All from his own doing..
Frank Wren comes off as the type of GM that says this “I don’t give a crap what Yodeler Semolina signed for, we’re handling this on our own and you can make up all the silly rumors you want. You don’t know diddly squat about what we’re discussing and you’re never going to until an agreement is made, now go away”
Completely agree. No one knew about the Uggla deal or Bourn deal, until they were finalized.
AL East, you’ve been warned.
Signed, a Jays fan