As if the Phillies didn't already have enough stars on the disabled list, Hunter Pence missed Monday's game due to a shoulder injury suffered diving for a ball Sunday against the Padres. The extent of the injury is yet unknown and Pence is considered day-to-day for the time being.
Some news from Monday in the Major Leagues…
- Dontrelle Willis talks to MASNsports.com's Roch Kubatko about the situation that resulted in Willis being placed on the Orioles' restricted list. Willis is "almost dumbfounded" by how things unfolded, as he thought he and the O's had agreed to part ways since he was injured and not adjusting well to relief pitching. "I don't understand what's really going on. I don't know if there's been a miscommunication there," Willis said. "Not with me. I talked to my agent and we talked about it, I talked to the proper representation, I talked to Dan [Duquette] personally….It was face-to-face. I don't know what's going on. And now if I want to sign with another team, I can't."
- Kubatko hears that Willis has drawn interest from a team in South Korea and a team in Japan, but Matt Sosnick, Willis' agent, denies that his client has received any offers.
- The Marlins' signing of Ivan Rodriguez in 2003 was "money well spent," team president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest tells Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald. Beinfest doesn't regret any of the moves the club made that season (even trading then-prospect Adrian Gonzalez for Ugueth Urbina) because it led to a championship. "You always hate to trade away a talent like Adrian Gonzalez. But you make it every day if you're going to win the World Series," Beinfest said.
- Cubs manager Dale Sveum hopes Rodrigo Lopez will clear waivers and remain with the organization, reports ESPN Chicago's Doug Padilla. The right-hander was designated for assignment earlier today as the Cubs added Michael Bowden to the roster.
- Pedro Alvarez's struggles inspired a discussion of the greatest draft busts in history in this mailbag piece from Baseball America's Jim Callis. Alvarez, taken by the Pirates with the second overall pick of the 2008 draft, could be "the biggest waste of hitting talent in draft history" unless he turns himself around, Callis writes.
- Twins President Dave St. Peter told Jim Memolo and Jeff Nelson on MLB Network Radio that his team needs to pitch better to recover from its 5-11 start. St. Peter suggested the Twins could move Francisco Liriano to the bullpen temporarily. “He’s an asset for this franchise and we need to get him back into a situation where he can go deep into ballgames,” St Peter said. The 28-year-old lefty faces a make or break year and it was announced today that Liriano would skip his next start and not pitch until May 1.
Okay you have to feel for Dontrelle. If what he says is true, he needs a hug
You feel for Dontrelle, being a baby and not wanting to be a reliever? He pretty much just committed career suicide on whatever amount of a career he has left.
I felt bad for him with his anxiety issues and troubles in the past, but this is foolishness.
yeah – they need to shut liriano down for awhile – he’s overthrowing and overthinking out there.
As a LONG TIME Twins fan Liriano has become the Twin version of Dontrelle Willis. The guy has amazing stuff, but is completely spun in the head.
“What’chu talkin’ ’bout, Willis?” – Dan Duquette
There are probably a few more who could have been as big of a busts outside of Alvarez. One I can think of right off is David Clyde.. Taken 1st overall by Texas in ’73, thrown right into the majors out of HS and totally ruined. World of talent, even managed to win his 1st game, but had a short pedestrian career thanks to horrible use of him by Texas to get a few people into the stands for the local high school hero.
Andrew Miller probably would have been the #1 overall in ’06 if his contract demands were not so publicly know, over Hochever and Longoria. Sure KC and the Rays are glad Miller was after so much though.
I believe the article was about position players.
It would be more interesting were it about racecar drivers coming over to the MLB.
Actually, has that ever happened?
“The Marlins’ signing of Ivan Rodriguez in 2003 was ‘money well spent,'”
That, ladies and gentlemen, is called an “Understatement.”
Was there any reason why Pudge only signed a one-year deal after 2002? He had a good year as usual in 2002 and I could have seen him getting a multi-year deal after that season. Was he just trying to build up his value more due to the fact he didn’t play more than 111 games a season between 2000-02?
I am still waiting for an article cross comparing Alvarez and Andy LaRoche. Surprisingly, they’ve had very similar stats from year to year.
If Alvarez is still this bad when he’s 27 I’ll call him a colossal bust. He’s 25 and was rushed from AAA due to Aki Iwamura and Andy LaRoche both imploding.
His defense has looked good this year and his arm is an 80. I bet he ends up as Russell Branyan.
Maybe that can be Neil’s pitch. Just keep telling people that Alvarez is a better signing than Aki.
“I bet he ends up as Russell Branyan.”
You say that like it’s a good thing, handsome one.
My thoughts exactly!
‘Rushed’ implies that Alvarez has continuously struggled since he came to the majors. Yet for the last 2 months of 2010, he hit .280 with 10 hrs and 40 rbis.. His struggles seem to be totally mental where he is just not picking up the ball out of the pitcher’s hand fast enough or something.
Maybe he has an ex-girlfriend who practices voodoo?
Willis … dumbfounded ??? . . as are we, with your flailing career
And on top of that, he got his only world series ring that year. Was there any reason why the Rangers chose not to resign Pudge? I assume it was because they were already up in payroll due to Rodriguez’s monster deal and they probably didn’t have enough to sign Pudge long-term wise.
Money woes, most likely. They were hip-deep in the Alex Rodriguez deal, at the time.