Baseball Blogs Weigh In News & Rumors

On this date last year, the Diamondbacks inked Mark Reynolds to a three-year contract worth $14.5MM, buying out his first three years of arbitration-eligibility plus a club option for his fourth (Reynolds qualified as a Super Two). The 27-year-old hit .260/.349/.543 with 44 homers in 2009 but slumped down to .198/.320/.433 with 28 homers last season. He also struck out 200+ times for the third straight year. New GM Kevin Towers traded Reynolds to the Orioles for a pair of relievers in December, just nine months into his new deal.

These links are the best the blogosphere had to offer over the last seven days, so enjoy…

• Bless You Boys interviewed Tigers' radio announcer Dan Dickerson (part one, part two).
• Beyond The Box Score ranks the 30 best now-defunct MLB logos.
• MotionData created an interactive chart showing MLB team payrolls from 1991 through 2010.
• Baseball Time In Arlington muses about Chuck Greenberg's departure from the Rangers.
• Sports Perspective also checks in on Greenberg's departure.
• Bay City Ball comes up with some comparisons for Pablo Sandoval.
• Paapfly, meanwhile, isn't certain that a lighter Sandoval equals a better Sandoval.
• Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness wants to know how many problems Tony Gwynn Jr. can solve.
• U.S.S. Mariner says that Michael Pineda isn't ready for the big leagues.
• Royals Review wonders if Mike Aviles will ever earn $1MM in a season.
• Camden Crazies looks at the Orioles' lineup with platoon splits.
• The Shea Faithful asks if the Mets should be worried about Jason Bay.
• Blue Jays Rant speculates about whether or not the Blue Jays will exercise Aaron Hill's options after 2011.
• Twins Territory Talk muses about a Kevin Slowey for Joba Chamberlain trade.
• MiLB News provides an update on some top prospects fighting for jobs this spring.
• Wahoo Blues came up with a better way to measure a player's power.
• Dock of the Rays applies Sean Rodriguez's minor league platoon splits to his 2011 projections.

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The first game in Petco Park history was played seven years ago today. Led by head coach Tony Gwynn, the San Diego State Aztecs defeated the University of Hawaii by a score of 4-0. The teams shattered the attendance record for a college baseball game, drawing 40,106 fans. The previous record was just short of 28,000 fans.

I don't think we're going to break any records with these links, but let's give it a shot…

• Through The Fence Baseball interviewed umpire Mike Di Muro.
• Crashburn Alley thinks about a contract extension for Jimmy Rollins.
• The Todd Van Poppel Rookie Card Retirement Plan explains why March 15th is an important date for Conor Jackson.
• Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness wishes former Dodgers assistant GM Kim Ng good luck with her new job.
• The Friarhood thinks that the Padres' desperation could hurt Mat Latos' future.
• DRays Bay lists Andrew Friedman's worst moves.
• We Should Be GMs provides some disheartening facts about the Phillies offense.
• Blue Jays Rant wonders if Jose Bautista could be traded this season.
• Cubs Billy Goat Blog explored the battle for a Cubs rotation spot.
• The Yankee Analysts looked at A.J. Burnett's pitches on a month-by-month basis.
• The Shea Faithful calls Jonathon Niese a breakout candidate.
• D'Backs Central isn't very concerned about Joe Saunders' poor spring.
• The Mennella Line discussed Carlos Beltran's gait.
• Randall on Baseball lists some AL West rookies who could contribute in 2011.
• Fantasy Baseball Recon forecasts the 2011 home run champion.
• Congrats, You Found My Blog! introduces us to Salary+, a way of comparing a player's salary to the league average.
• Beyond The Box Score tallies up the number of Major League deals each writer broke this offseason.

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On this date in 1976, San Francisco mayor George Moscone intervened in the sale of the Giants to Labatt Brewery, which would have moved the team to Canada. Moscone helped arrange a last-minute sale to Bob Lurie and Bud Herseth for $8MM, keeping the team by the bay.

These links aren't in danger of relocating; here's the best the blogosphere had to offer over the last week…

• MLB Depth Charts is giving away a $100 Amazon.com gift card as part of its "Pick the Long Shots" contest.
• Stephen Goff at Examiner spoke to Chuck Knoblauch about his nephew Trace, who plays college ball for Indiana.
• Harness The Halo says goodbye to Garret Anderson.
• Crashburn Alley explains why Albert Pujols would not be a fit for the Phillies.
• Pine Tar And Pocket Protectors believes trading Chris Carpenter is the best way for the Cardinals to go.
• The Platoon Advantage tackles the Francisco Liriano trade rumors, noting that the Twins are an organization "driven by emotion."
• The Bottom Line tries to figure out who should hit cleanup for the Red Sox.
• Rooftop View is bullish on the Cubs bullpen.
• Ivy Report wonders if the Cubs should be interested in Barry Zito.
• Lookout Landing posted a short but not necessarily sweet Aaron Laffey comparison.
• Through The Fence Baseball breaks down some players at a career crossroads.
• Pirates Prospects takes a shot at fixing the free agent compensation system.
• More Hardball looks at some players that have been forced out of the game.
• DesigNate Robertson provides a way too early AL Central preview.
• The Mennella Line looks at Bobby Valentine's interest in buying a piece of the Mets.
• The composite, meanwhile, says the Mets should be contracted.
• The Shea Faithful thinks Rule 5 Draft pick Pedro Beato may have been born to be a Met.
• SB Nation explores the extreme side of baseball's superstitions, namely human mascots.
• 85% Sports lists their top five exhibits at the Baseball Hall of Fame.
• Fantasy Rundown compiles all of the prospect lists out there in one place, which Cubs Billy Goat Blog used to create a composite top 100 prospects list.
• Interpretation By Design put together a handy flowchart to help you pick a team to root for if you're undecided.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here. Only one email per week, please.

On this date in 1973, the players and owners agreed to a new three-year collective bargaining agreement, ending the Spring Training lockout. The new deal introduced salary arbitration for players with two or more years of service to the game, as well as ten-and-five no-trade protection. While we wait to see what rule changes are included in the next CBA (due this December), here's the best the baseball blogosphere has to offers…

• Wahoo Blues interviewed Justine Siegal, the first woman to throw batting practice in MLB history.
• Bless You Boys chatted with Tigers prospect Brandon Douglas.
• Viva El Birdos goes through the 17 stages of grief following Adam Wainwright's injury.
• Pine Tar And Pocket Protectors looked at the ripple effect of Albert Pujols' impending free agency.
• The Golden Sombrero explains why Pujols' venture into free agency is bad for baseball.
• Blue Sox Baseball muses about Pujols' inevitable contract and what's best for the Cardinals.
• Amazin' Avenue analyzed Jose Reyes and his future as it pertains to the Mets.
• The Process Report examines Rays' attendance immediately following the Scott Kazmir trade and in recent years (part one, part two).
• The Todd Van Poppel Rookie Card Retirement Plan wonders if the Athletics are built to last beyond 2011.
• Through The Fence Baseball muses about how teams can get the most out of their young pitchers.
• The Nats Blog looks at the best seasons by position player teenagers, hoping that Bryce Harper will one day crack the list.
• Tomahawk Talk continues its series looking at seven keys for the 2011 Braves.
• Capitol Avenue Club writes about the lesson learned from Andy Marte.
• The Biz of Baseball examines the potential ripple effect of Hunter Pence's arbitration award.
• Where Have You Gone, Andy Van Slyke? explains why 2011 is an important year for the Pirates.
• D'Backs Central looks at the Diamondbacks outfield setup for the upcoming season.
• Blog Red Machine tackles the idea of Jay Bruce hitting leadoff in 2011.
• Phillies Nation finished their countdown of the top 25 Phillies' prospects.
• Rooftop View tries to rationalize Alfonso Soriano's contract.
• 1 Blue Jays Way posted their 25 Man Roster Challenge.
• The Ghost of Moonlight Graham named its five offseason winners.
• Cubs Billy Goat Blog helps you prepare for your fantasy draft.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here. Only one email per week, please.

Two years ago today, the final piece of Shea Stadium was demolished. The Mets called the ballpark home from 1964, the team's third year of existence, through 2008. Shea housed the World Champion Mets in 1969 and 1986, and at one time or another was inhabited by the Yankees (1974-1975), the New York Jets (1967-1983), and Pope John Paul II (Oct. 1979).

Here is the best the blogosphere had to offer over the last week…

• Bugs and Cranks interviewed Jamie Moyer.
• Phoul Ballz spoke to Nick Hernandez, the Brewers first round pick in 1978, about his son Nick, a Phillies prospect.
• Beyond The Box Score interviewed Baseball America's Conor Glassey about this summer's amateur draft.
• Bless You Boys posted an honest reaction to Miguel Cabrera's poor decisions.
• River Ave. Blues remembers the Gary Sheffield era in the Bronx.
• Royals Review explores the success and failure rates of Baseball America's top 100 prospects through the years.
• Camden Crazies looks at how much the AL East hurts the Orioles.
• South Side Sox wonders if Paul Konerko can do it again.
• Pirates Prospects tries to figure out what Paul Maholm is worth.
• Nick's Twins Blog explores Minnesota's backup plan for Justin Morneau, who is coming back from a concussion.
• The Friarhood breaks down the Padres' rebuilt bullpen.
• The Baseball Opinion looks back at the trade that sent Tim Hudson to the Braves.
• Mariner Log does the same with the deal that sent Cliff Lee to the Rangers.
• The Process Report wonders if Brandon Allen is of interest to the Rays.
• Rays The Roof grades Tampa Bay's offseason.
• Cracked Bell Sports ranks the ten best moves the Phillies never made.
• D'Backs Central muses about Arizona's reported interest in Michael Young.
• Cubs Billy Goat Blog sifts through the Spring Training noise.
• Yankeeist provides a 110-year retrospective on Yankees Spring Training.
• Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness needs some help figuring out what kind of games are being played in the Dodgers bullpen.
• Wahoo Blues has some fun and compares current Indians players to characters from Major League.
• Midwest Sports Fans shows you a recent conversation between Albert Pujols and Alex Rodriguez.
• Last, but certainly not least, DRays Bay lets you choose your own adventure on Joe Maddon's big night.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here. Only one email per week, please.

On this date ten years ago, Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh was imploded. The former home of the Pirates opened in 1970 and housed World Championship teams in 1971 and 1979. Roberto Clemente picked up his 3,000th hit there, Mike Schmidt hit his 500th homer there, and the last winning Pirates team played there.

Here are this week's links…

• Splashing Pumpkins posted a video interview with Cody Ross.
• Baltimore Sports and Life spoke to several national writers about the Orioles.
• Some Thoughts On Baseball interviewed former Blue Jay Bob File.
• Baseball Time In Arlington examines four scenarios that could arise should the Rangers not trade Michael Young.
• The Dugout Doctors dug up some potential destinations for Young.
• Blogging From The Bleachers compares Alex Rodriguez to Albert Pujols, with an eye towards the latter's upcoming mega-contract.
• Meanwhile, both Sports: A Game Of Inches and Prospect Insider looked ahead to Pujols' future.
• Red Sox Beacon wrote about a truly regrettable contract given out by the Red Sox.
• More Hardball put a positive spin on the upcoming Mets season.
• Rising Apple broke down David Wright's swing.
• DesigNate Robertson gives Tigers fans ten things to look forward to in 2011.
• Through The Fence Baseball wonders if Chipper Jones had a better career than Derek Jeter and Cal Ripken Jr.
• MLB Prospect Watch provides a list of each team's minor league invites to Spring Training.
• The Hardball Times comes up with a new way to evaluate pitchers for fantasy purposes.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here. One email per week, please.

February 4th is a big day in contract extension history. Last year on this date, the Tigers and Justin Verlander finalized a five-year, $80MM contract while another Tiger, Curtis Granderson, agreed to a five-year, $30.25MM contract three years ago. The most notable deal was struck seven years ago, when the Cardinals and Albert Pujols avoided arbitration by agreeing to a seven-year deal worth $100MM. St. Louis picked up the $16MM option for 2011, but now they're trying to get a new deal done that will keep Pujols in town for the rest of his career.

Here's the latest from around the web, with a heavy dose of interviews and Q&A sessions…

• Pittsburgh Lumber Co. recapped a recent get together between bloggers and Pirates president Frank Coonelly, GM Neal Huntington, and pitcher Paul Maholm.
• Phoul Ballz posted some excerpts of their interview with Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr.
• The Process Report interviewed Chaim Bloom, the Rays' Assistant Director of Minor League Operations.
• DRays Bay, meanwhile, interviewed one of the newest Rays, Dirk Hayhurst.
• Blogging From The Bleachers posted a Q&A with Matt Antonelli, who signed a minor league deal with the Nationals.
• Splashing Pumpkins asked Giants' prospect Thomas Neal ten questions.
• SF Giants Rumors interviewed a different Giants prospect, Brandon Crawford.
• The Few, The Proud, The Braves listed five things they learned at a Braves' season ticket holder event.
• Beyond The Box Score looks at the possibility of a Barry Bonds comeback.
• Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness wonders if the Dodgers should have taken a look at Jim Edmonds.
• Camden Crazies likes the Justin Duchscherer signing, noting that the O's could trade him if he stays healthy during the first three months of the season.
• Through The Fence Baseball makes a case for the Pirates having baseball's best outfield.
• Some Thoughts On Baseball breaks down the Blue Jays' rebuilt bullpen.
• Yankeeist looks at the possibility of Yu Darvish becoming the next great Yankee right-hander.
• Harness The Halo sorts out the Angels' catching situation following the Mike Napoli trade.
• Earning My Stripes lists one last move the Tigers could make this offseason.
• Baseball Analysts wonders if the Phillies' rotation is a luxury, or a necessity.
• Red Sox Beacon posted part one of their series looking ahead to John Lackey's 2011.
• Ivy Report wonders if next season will be Carlos Zambrano's last chance.
• The Nats Blog looks at how the Mets' financial crisis impacts the Nationals.
• The Todd Van Poppel Rookie Card Retirement Plan came up with an idea to revolutionize bullpen usage.
• River Ave. Blues penned a requiem for the Yankees' offseason.
• MLB Depth Charts looks at some Comeback Player of the Year candidates.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here. Only one email per week, please.

The Brewers signed Jim Edmonds to a minor-league contract one year ago today, even though the outfielder did not play at all during the 2009 season. He hit a more than respectable .286/.350/.493 with eight homers in 240 plate appearances before being traded to the Reds for Chris Dickerson. All told, the 40-year-old Edmonds hit .276/.342/.504 last season, though he battled oblique and achilles strains.

Here is this week's collection of links…

• Pine Tar And Pocket Protectors calls the Vernon Wells trade an "act of desperation."
• Lookout Landing doesn't get the trade for the Angels.
• LA Angels Insider says everyone knew the team would eventually cut ties with Mike Napoli.
• Baseball Time In Arlington looks at the ripple effect of the Rangers acquiring Napoli.
• Rooftop View compares Wells to another high-priced outfielder, Alfonso Soriano.
• Royals Review believes that Billy Butler's contract extension is ridiculously good for the team.
• Disciplies of Uecker thinks a three-year contract extension for Rickie Weeks is ideal.
• Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness says Scott Podsednik's poor decision has benefitted the Dodgers.
• Red Sox Beacon explores Boston's starting pitching depth.
• Bay City Ball remembers what Chris Ray brought to the Giants.
• The Nats Blog attempts to put together the best lineup for Washington.
• Cubs Billy Goat Blog wonders if next year's Cubs will be better than last year's.
• M.C. Antil says that Gil Meche did the right thing by retiring.
• More Hardball puts together a list of useful players still on the free agent market.
• Beyond The Box Score reviews the multiyear contracts given to position players last offseason.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here. Only one email per week, please.

On this date in 2005, Roger Clemens agreed to a one-year deal worth $18MM with the Astros, making him the then-highest paid pitcher in baseball history. The Rocket filed for $22MM in salary arbitration while Houston countered with just $13.5MM. He was coming off a season in which he posted a 2.98 ERA with 9.2 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 214 1/3 innings and won his seventh career Cy Young Award.

Here is this week's batch of links…

• SF Giants Rumors has a Q&A with Pablo Sandoval, including a short but exclusive video of one of his lifting sessions. You'll notice that Kung Fu Panda had shed quite a few pounds this winter.
• Fishstripes sat down for a chat with Marlins first baseman Gaby Sanchez.
• Yankeeist interviews former Yankee catcher John Ellis.
• Red Reporter wishes the Reds would have locked up Joey Votto for more than three years.
• Harness The Halo believes the Angels can be major players for Albert Pujols next offseason.
• The Tao of Stieb thinks the arbitration filing figures are an indication that the Blue Jays and Jose Bautista are willing to work towards a long-term deal.
• Drunk Jays Fans sifts through some recent Blue Jays related news.
• The Blue Jay Hunter does the Manny Ramirez dance.
• The Nats Blog discusses the topic of trading draft picks.
• Rooftop View wonders if a long-term deal for Carlos Marmol is a good idea.
• We Should Be GMs flashes back to two Phillies extensions signed on this date.
• Royals Review takes a premature look at Kansas City's 2012 roster.
• The Process Report analyzes Kyle Farnsworth's intimidation factor.
• Bless You Boys looks at Phil Coke's changeup and his transition to the rotation.
• Baseball Time in Arlington muses about Michael Young's flexibility.
• The Friarhood wants to see the dimensions of Petco Park changed.
• Camden Crazies posted 2011 projections for Derrek Lee and Matt Wieters (Lee, Wieters).
• Splashing Pumpkins compares two Matts, Cain and Garza (part one, part two).
• Crashburn Alley has a humorous take on Kyle Kendrick's arbitration case.
• Prospect Insider meanders about some Mariners news and notes.
• Baseball Analysts looks back at the Cardinals' offseason.
• More Hardball reviews some questionable offseason roster moves.
• At Home Plate ranks the five best offseason moves.
• Purple Row debuted its newest feature: Rockies Roster.
• Beyond The Box Score ranks reporters by their offseason scoops.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here. Only one email per week, please.

On this day seven years ago, the Angels signed Vladimir Guerrero to a five-year contract worth $90MM. The deal also included an option for a sixth year at $15MM, which was eventually picked up. Vlad hit .337/.391/.598 with 39 homers in his first year with the Halos, taking home the AL MVP award. During his six year stint in Anaheim, Guerrero was a .319/.381/.546 hitter with 173 homers, winning that one MVP and finishing in the top three of the voting two other times.

Vlad is still looking for a job this offseason, but then again so are plenty of other DH's. Here is this week's batch of links…

• Friarhood remembers Trevor Hoffman's time with the Padres.
• RE-Think The Game looks at the pros and cons of the Rafael Soriano signing.
• Baseball Time In Arlington looks at the Rangers' payroll levels in the past and going forward.
• The Process Report pictures a contract extension for David Price.
• Wahoo Blues breaks down Chris Perez's arbitration case.
• FanSpeak wonders if the Orioles should sign a DH.
• Dock of the Rays looks at how Tampa can spend some of its remaining money on the open market.
• The Sports Banter put together some productive free agent platoons.
• The Nats Blog wonders if the Nationals should flip Ian Desmond with Danny Espinosa defensively.
• Rooftop View explains why the Matt Garza deal is no good for the Cubs.
• Meanwhile, the composite believes the Garza deal helps the Yankees.
• Cubs Billy Goat Blog tries to predict the Cubs' future.
• Todd Van Poppel Rookie Card Retirement Plan is curious to know where the Athletics' infield depth is.
• Rays Prospects chatted with Baseball America's Jim Callis about Tampa's minor league system.
• Reds Minor Leagues put a dollar value on each team's farm system.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.