Carlos Villanueva Signs With KBO’s Hanwha Eagles
The Hanwha Eagles of the Korea Baseball Organization announced on Friday that they’ve signed veteran Major League right-hander Carlos Villanueva to a one-year contract (h/t: Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net and Jee-ho Yoo of South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency). The ISE Baseball client will earn $1.5MM in his first venture into pro ball overseas. He’ll join former big leaguers Alexi Ogando and Wilin Rosario on the Eagles’ roster for the 2017 campaign.
Villanueva, who turned 33 this offseason, spent the 2016 campaign with the Padres and struggled to a 5.96 ERA in in 74 innings of relief. The veteran swingman did display some more encouraging peripherals, including a 7.4 K/9 rate, 1.7 BB/9 and an 11 percent swinging-strike rate, but interest in the soft-tossing righty (88.1 mph average fastball in ’16) never picked up much steam this winter. In fact, today’s signing marks the first time that Villanueva’s name has been tagged here at MLBTR since inking his one-year deal with San Diego in Jan. 2016.
Prior to his ugly 2016 season, Villanueva enjoyed a terrific year with the Cardinals, during which he logged 61 innings with a 2.95 ERA, 8.1 K/9, 3.1 BB/9 and a 42.4 percent ground-ball rate. That year served as an exclamation point on a nice five-year run that saw Villanueva toss 499 2/3 innings of 4.03 ERA ball while pitching for the Blue Jays, Cubs and Cards. Next year’s crop of free-agent pitchers is superior to the group that hit the open market this year, but a rebound campaign in the hitters’ paradise that is the KBO could either create renewed Major League interest in Villanueva or earn him a more substantial payday overseas in 2018 and beyond.
Quick Hits: Rule Changes, Capps, Adrianza, Utley
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale spoke to a number of active players that voiced extreme displeasure for many of the proposed rule changes that have been mentioned in news and rumors this winter. Brandon Moss, Jonathan Lucroy, Cole Hamels, Chris Young, Peter Moylan, Jason Grilli and Jimmy Rollins were among those to weigh in, with none sounding the slightest bit enthused by the notion of changes such as pitch clocks and automatic intentional walks. Young took a level-headed approach to the topics and suggested that while commissioner Rob Manfred’s “mind is in the right place” — keeping an open mind about progressive ways to improve the game — the players need to be more involved in talks. “It can’t be just unilateral that we’re going to implement this,” Young said to Nightengale. “…The game’s a partnership between the players and the owners. We can’t just mandate that every team has a $200 million payroll. They can’t mandate that the rules are going to be changed without our consent, either. I think there are definite ways to improve the game, but let’s do this together.”
Those who have been following the proposed rule changes this winter will absolutely want to read Nightengale’s column in full, as it’s stuffed with impassioned quotes from the game’s current wave of players. Here are a few more notes from around the league…
- Former big league closer Matt Capps is set to work out for MLB clubs this coming Sunday (Feb. 26) in Marietta, Ga. The right-hander, now 33 years of age, hasn’t pitched in the Majors since 2012, when he posted a 3.68 ERA with 18 strikeouts against four walks in 29 1/3 innings with Minnesota. Shoulder injuries limited his workload that season and plagued him for several years thereafter, as he attempted comebacks with the Indians and Braves. Capps spent the 2016 season in the Diamondbacks organization, and while he didn’t generate positive results in Triple-A Reno — 5.15 ERA, 8.3 K/9, 3.7 BB/9 — he did manage to stay healthy, logging 50 2/3 innings. Prior to his injury troubles, Capps logged a 3.52 ERA in 439 2/3 Major League innings from 2005-12, compensating for a lack of strikeouts (career 6.5 K/9) by demonstrating stellar control (1.7 BB/9).
- The Twins claimed Ehire Adrianza off waivers from the Giants based on his defensive prowess, writes Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and the 27-year-old’s glove is already drawing attention early in camp. Twins third base coach/infield coach Gene Glynn lauded Adrianza’s instincts and defensive tools, while manager Paul Molitor noted that the report he received on Adrianza was that “he’s going to be the best defensive shortstop on the field when he’s out there.” Adrianza will compete with Eduardo Escobar for a utility role, Miller notes, and his glove could seemingly give him a viable chance of making the roster. Adrianza is just a career .220/.292/.313 hitter, though Molitor offered some optimism about being able to help him improve at the dish.
- Prior to Chase Utley‘s agreement to return to the Dodgers, the Cubs briefly spoke to the veteran infielder about a bench/pinch-hitting role, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports recently tweeted. The talks never became serious, however, and a formal offer was never made to Utley’s camp. The Cubs clearly value depth, though it’s tough to imagine how Utley would receive any semblance of regular playing time with the reigning World Series champs. Javier Baez‘s emergence may have already pushed Ben Zobrist into a crowded outfield, and the team also has Tommy La Stella on the roster as an additional infield option on the bench.
NL East Notes: Nationals, Wieters, Mets, Arano, MacPhail
Nationals ace Max Scherzer has been recovering from a stress fracture in the knuckle of his right ring finger, and he’s on track to throw off a mound for the first time this spring on Saturday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com reports. If everything goes according to plan, he’ll progress to bullpen sessions and be game-ready in a couple of weeks, Zuckerman adds. While pitching coach Mike Maddux conceded that Scherzer could be “a start or two” behind the rest of the team’s rotation, the extra time in Spring Training (which was worked in due to the World Baseball Classic) will prove beneficial to Scherzer. Both Stephen Strasburg and Tanner Roark threw in an intrasquad game today as well, Zuckerman notes — a particularly important note for Strasburg. The 28-year-old righty saw his 2016 season end in early September due to a flexor mass strain but was able to throw his fastball, curveball and changeup in Thursday’s session.
More from the NL East…
- The Mets‘ show of faith in Travis d’Arnaud will be all the more interesting to watch now that Matt Wieters has agreed to sign with the division-rival Nationals, writes Dan Martin of the New York Post. The Mets weren’t impressed with Wieters’ defense, Martin reports, which is why the team never embarked on a serious pursuit of the longtime Oriole. Martin spoke to a number of Mets players about the feeling of watching an excellent catcher, Wilson Ramos, depart from the Nationals only to be replaced by another well-reputed backstop. “When you lose a guy like Ramos and back him up with a guy like Wieters, that’s pretty solid,” David Wright said to Martin. “It’s tough to replace a guy like Ramos. … That’s what good organizations do, whether it’s us getting [Neil] Walker immediately after losing [Daniel] Murphy [to the Nationals]. They find a Plan B and a Plan C very quickly.”
- The Phillies will be without hard-throwing right-handed relief prospect Victor Arano for at least one month, per CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury. The 22-year-old, who averaged about 94 mph on his fastball in 2016, has been diagnosed with a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. While surgery hasn’t been recommended, Arano did receive a platelet-rich plasma injection that will sideline him for the bulk of Spring Training. Though he was never likely to break camp with the Phils, it’s still discouraging for the team to see the promising young see his development set back. Last season, Arano posted brilliant numbers between Class-A Advanced and Double-A, working to a combined 2.26 ERA with 10.7 K/9 against 2.1 BB/9 across 79 2/3 innings of work. Arano rated 23rd among Phillies prospects entering the season, per MLB.com, while ESPN’s Keith Law rated him 16th. “If there’s a Ken Giles in the system right now, it’s him,” Law wrote of Arano.
- Andy MacPhail’s career in baseball spans several decades, but the Phillies‘ president is leading the charge to help modernize his organization, writes MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki. MacPhail, who took charge of the Phillies following the 2015 season, explained to Zolecki the myriad changes that are being made all throughout the organization. Improvements not only to the team’s analytics department but also to nutrition programs in the minor league ranks and a new facility opening in the Dominican Republic are just some of the changes that have been ushered in. MacPhail also sounded intrigued by the Rays’ recent decision to push back the start times of their spring workouts for players and cited an interest in sleep science studies. Beyond that, he noted that the Phils will be looking to hire a replacement for EVP/COO Mike Stiles, who will be retiring in June, though there’s been no determination on whether they’ll go with an internal or external hire.
Potential Trade Destinations For Derek Norris
The Nationals’ reported two-year agreement with Matt Wieters (which contains a player option/opt-out clause after the first season) gives the team four catchers on the 40-man roster, as Wieters now joins Derek Norris, Jose Lobaton and young Pedro Severino. While Severino was likely to open the year in the minors anyhow, the addition of Wieters immediately made it apparent that the Nats were likely to explore deals involving their remaining two MLB backstops.
Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post wrote this week that manager Dusty Baker strongly implied that the team would gauge interest in Norris, and FanRag’s Jon Heyman wrote today that the Nats are “trying to trade” Norris, citing sources from other clubs that have been contacted by the Washington front office. The Post’s Barry Svrluga adds to the Norris trade buzz as well, tweeting that his expectation is that Norris will be traded. That’d leave the Nats with Wieters and Lobaton to comprise their primary catching corps (with Severino, of course, in the wings at Triple-A).
Unquestionably, Norris’ value was higher a year ago than it is at present. The former Padres and Athletics receiver (who was originally drafted by the Nats in 2007) posted quality offensive numbers from 2013-15 but limped to a dismal .186/.255/.328 batting line in 458 plate appearances last season. That was about 45 percent worse than the league-average bat, per park-adjusted metrics like OPS+ and wRC+, leading many (myself included) to wonder about the possibility of Norris simply being non-tendered by the Padres this winter. Instead, San Diego tendered him a contract and traded him back to the Nats, who avoided arbitration with Norris on a one-year deal worth $4.2MM.
Though his 2016 production (or lack thereof) diminishes Norris’ trade value, there’s also still reason to believe that the Nats could find a taker. Norris only just turned 28 years of age last week, and he’s just one season removed from a .250/.305/.404 batting line that is more than passable for a catcher. From 2013-15 he hit a combined .256/.333/.405, and he’s clubbed left-handed pitching at a .276/.353/.453 clip in his career as well (even including last year’s woeful output).
Norris has received well-above-average marks in pitch framing over the past two seasons, and while he’s been inconsistent in controlling the running game on a year-to-year basis, his career caught-stealing rate checks in at a roughly average mark of 26 percent. (He’s been as high as 34 percent in 2015 and as low as 17 percent in 2014.) Furthermore, Norris has two years of club control remaining. If he’s able to bounce back following a trade, his new team would have the option of retaining him through the 2018 season via arbitration. For a club without a clear answer at catcher or a rebuilding squad that could look to flip a rejuvenated Norris sometime in the next nine months, the extra year of control carries some appeal.
The majority of clubs around the league are set when it comes to a starting catcher, but there are still clubs where Norris can either slot in as a veteran backup or compete with a less-proven option for regular at-bats.
Looking around the league, here’s a rundown of some speculative landing spots for the 28-year-old Norris…
- Angels: The Halos were connected to Wieters at length over the past several months, but his price tag would’ve brought them extremely close to the competitive balance/luxury tax threshold. Anaheim is currently set to deploy light-hitting Martin Maldonado and Carlos Perez as its two primary backstops in 2017, though. For a club that hopes to reverse its fortunes in the American League West this season, that duo doesn’t come with an inspiring track record with the bat. Norris’ $4.2MM salary should be far more palatable for the Angels as well, and the cost of acquisition figures to be low, as the Nats are motivated to deal him. (In other words, the Angels’ lousy farm system won’t be a major deterrent in a deal.)
- Blue Jays: Toronto was tied to numerous veteran backups over the course of the winter but watched nearly all of them sign elsewhere. Now that they’ve released A.J. Jimenez, their primary candidates to back up Russell Martin are non-roster invitee Jarrod Saltalamacchia, whose was nearly as bad as Norris with the bat last season, and winter waiver claim Juan Graterol — a light-hitting minor league veteran with a solid glove. Saltalamacchia’s never been considered a great defensive catcher, and Graterol has less upside on offense. The Jays, though, may not be keen on paying $4.2MM to a backup, considering their payroll is already projected to be about $163MM.
- Brewers: Milwaukee reportedly kept tabs on Wieters in free agency, and their starting catching role is up for grabs at the moment, as MLBTR’s Jason Martinez recently profiled. Andrew Susac, Jett Bandy and Manny Pina are all in the mix for work behind the plate. If none of those options thrill the Brewers, there’s certainly room for Norris and his $4.2MM salary in the Brewers’ modest $66.4MM payroll (as Jason projects at Roster Resource).
- Diamondbacks: The D-backs seemingly have had some semblance of interest in every catcher with a pulse this winter, and while the cupboard is well-stocked with options for new manager Torey Lovullo, uncertainty still abounds in Phoenix. Currently, the D-backs will see Jeff Mathis, Chris Iannetta and Chris Herrmann vie for playing time. Non-roster invitees Hank Conger and Josh Thole are also on the periphery of the picture. Admittedly, the Diamondbacks feel like a reach, but the team’s new front office seems set on creating significant depth at the position.
- Rays: Another team that was heavily linked to Wieters near the end of his free agency, the Rays are set to open the season with some combination of Luke Maile, Curt Casali, Jesus Sucre and Michael McKenry behind the plate. (The latter two are in camp as non-roster invites.) Wilson Ramos was signed to a two-year deal this winter, so there’s some help on the way later in 2017, but Norris certainly seems like a reasonable fit to pair with one of the less-experienced options currently on the 40-man roster. And even when Ramos is healthy, he’ll likely see plenty of time at DH as he eases back into the rigors of an MLB schedule in the wake of last year’s ACL tear.
- Rockies: Reports on the Rockies all winter have suggested that they’re content with young backstops Tony Wolters and Tom Murphy. There’s little reason to doubt that the Rox are pleased with that duo (and with Dustin Garneau serving as a Triple-A depth option), but Norris would bring more experience to the table, which could help with what looks to be a very youthful pitching staff.
- Twins: Chris Gimenez and John Ryan Murphy are slated to battle for the backup gig in Minnesota, where Jason Castro will suit up as the starter in the first season of a three-year, $24.5MM deal. Neither has much of a track record at the plate, though Gimenez is a known commodity to both chief baseball officer Derek Falvey (from his time with Cleveland) and GM Thad Levine (from his time in Texas). Norris’ career marks against lefties and solid framing numbers make him a logical partner for Castro, and the two could form somewhat of a rough platoon. As is the case with the Jays, Norris would be a costly backup, though the Twins’ $94.6MM payroll projection suggests that there’s room to accommodate the salary.
- White Sox: The Pale Hose once again look set to entrust the bulk of their at-bats at catcher to Geovany Soto, who signed a minor league deal to return to the Sox this winter (and is reported to have an excellent chance of making the club). Unproven Omar Narvaez is on hand as a backup option, and the Triple-A ranks in Chicago don’t offer considerably more hope. The Sox and Nats are no strangers to trade talks this winter, and there have been rumors that the ChiSox would be interested in Pedro Severino in a deal involving closer David Robertson. Norris wouldn’t be a significant piece in a Robertson deal, though he could be thrown in along with a few prospects to help balance out the financial component of a deal. Alternatively — and perhaps more likely — he could be obtained in a smaller deal that doesn’t include any notable big league pieces going back to the Nats.
Minor MLB Transactions: 2/23/17
We’ll track the day’s minor moves here:
- The Rangers announced that they’ve signed first baseman/outfielder Kevin Keyes to a minor league deal. The 27-year-old Texas native won’t be invited to Major League camp, however. A former 26th-round pick of the Nationals that has spent the entirety of his career in the Nats organization, Keyes reached Triple-A in both 2015 and in 2016, though last year represented the worst of his pro career. In 375 plate appearances between Double-A and Triple-A, Keyes slashed just .204/.304/.367. He’s a career .233/.309/.411 hitter in parts of seven minor league campaigns.
Earlier Updates
- The Mets have announced the signing of righty Wilfredo Boscan to a minor-league deal that does not include an invite to MLB camp. Boscan, 27, appeared in the majors for the first time last year — he had previously been on an active roster without being handed the ball — though he struggled in limited action. He did, however, managed 169 1/3 innings of 3.14 ERA ball at the Triple-A level, with 5.8 K/9 against 2.9 BB/9. Boscan’s broader track record in the upper minors suggests those results may have been something of an outlier, however; he has allowed more than four earned runs per nine innings over his 467 2/3 lifetime frames at Double-A and Triple-A. In any event, he’ll represent another depth arm for New York to call upon should a need arise this year.
MLBTR Chat Transcript: 2/23/17
Click here to read a transcript of today’s chat with host Jeff Todd.
Heyman’s Latest: Villar, Lucroy, Tigers Veterans, Utley, Weaver, Lincecum, Clevenger
After grading every team’s offseason, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag provided a bevy of information on a variety of situations around the league in his latest notes post. Some is mostly of historical interest, and there’s lots more in the article, but these are some of the highlights with transactional ties:
- The Brewers “floated” an extension offer to infielder Jonathan Villar, says Heyman, but he wasn’t interested. The club’s initial offer, at least, would only have guaranteed him around $20MM. While Villar had a relatively undistinguished career before landing in Milwaukee, he was rather excellent last year and hasn’t yet turned 26. On the other hand, he won’t reach arbitration eligibility until next fall and still has to prove he can repeat that effort. Though Milwaukee owner Mark Attanasio may have been willing to green-light pursuit of Matt Wieters, it seems that the front office wasn’t enthusiastic about that possibility.
- While the Rangers haven’t yet opened extension talks with catcher Jonathan Lucroy, it’s still expected that a deal will at least be explored. GM Jon Daniels has acknowledged as much, though it’s unclear just when the discussions will get underway. If nothing comes together, Lucroy promises to be one of the game’s most widely pursued free agents next winter. Texas, of course, is also chatting with starter Yu Darvish and second baseman Rougned Odor.
- The Dodgers explored a deal with the Tigers involving star righty Justin Verlander, per Heyman, who notes that “nothing got close.” Verlander’s hefty salary obligations were considered a barrier, though it seems his no-trade protection may not have been. The veteran righty has suggested he’d be amenable to consider a swap, and his relationship with Kate Upton would likely make Los Angeles an appealing destination. While the Dodgers have a quite a few starters on hand, it’ll be interesting to see whether the pursuit of the resurgent Verlander is rejoined at some point.
- Speaking of the Tigers, the organization evidently considered quite a few other deals before largely holding pat. The Mets “seriously discussed” giving up Michael Conforto for the final season of control over star slugger J.D. Martinez, but ultimately backed down. While the Astros reportedly checked in on Miguel Cabrera, they were asking for “more than half of the $150 million remaining on Cabrera’s contract” to be paid by Detroit and apparently never offered enough for the front office to bring a deal to ownership. And both the Twins and Padres made inquiries on shortstop Jose Iglesias, but clearly nothing developed with either team.
- Though the Indians had real interest in Chase Utley, the team’s offer was shy of the ultimately successful bid from the Dodgers. Still, it seems that Cleveland very nearly landed him before L.A. “stepped in late,” per Heyman.
- While the Reds have said they are done adding to their MLB roster, Heyman suggests the organization could make a play for some of the veteran pitchers still available. Cincinnati may even have outbid the Padres for Jered Weaver, who earned $3MM, though it’s not clear whether the club ever did so.
- Veteran righty Tim Lincecum is drawing some interest as he prepares for a showcase, according to Heyman, though surely he won’t draw as much intrigue as he did last year. It’s unclear what’s next for catcher Steve Clevenger, who has attempted to rehabilitate his image in an interview with Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports. His former team, the Orioles, at least considered offering him a minor-league pact, but ultimately decided against it.
AL Notes: Romney, Brantley, Hamilton, O’s, Frazier, Red Sox
After moving on from a potential effort to buy the Marlins, Mitt Romney and his family are eyeing the purchase of a share of the Yankees, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag. In this case, though, the high-profile politician and businessman would only be looking at obtaining a small portion of the franchise’s highly valuable ownership stake.
Here’s more from the American League:
- There’s ongoing concern in the Indians organization regarding the health of outfielder Michael Brantley, Heyman futher reports. Though Cleveland is expressing at least some degree of optimism publicly, the most important steps remain to be taken. Hopes that Brantley could be ready to take the field on Opening Day “have waned just a tad,” says Heyman, though clearly the most important issue isn’t so much when he’s ready as it is ensuring that there isn’t another major setback when he does return to action.
- It seems that Josh Hamilton will be able to resume his quest to crack the Rangers roster, as he T.R. Sullivan was among those to tweet that a knee exam yesterday revealed no new structural damage. For the time being, it seems, the discomfort will slow him down somewhat, though presumably he’ll be back in action as soon as the oft-injured joint allows.
- The Orioles continue to receive positive signs on two key pitchers who are dealing with some early-spring health questions, as Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports (Twitter links). Though Zach Britton still has “a little discomfort in [his] left side,” he says it’s getting better. And starter Chris Tillman says that his right shoulder “feels great” as he continues to throw long toss. It’s not yet clear when the two hurlers will get back on the mound.
- White Sox third baseman Todd Frazier, meanwhile, is dealing with what he describes as a minor oblique issue, as Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago reports. Frazier, who is considered day-to-day for the time being, says he’ll likely just sit for a few days while the tightness hopefully subsides. “It’s something I’ve dealt with before,” says Frazier, who remains a potential trade chip in his final year of team control. “But at the same time, from what I’ve heard they’re not anything to mess with. So let’s take a couple days and see how it is after a couple days and go from there.”
- As the Red Sox have moved to cash in prospect assets for talented major leaguers since the arrival of president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, the remaining young players have seemingly taken on added importance to the club’s future. As Rob Bradford of WEEI.com writes, the Sox refused to part with third baseman Rafael Devers in the deal that ultimately netted Chris Sale. He and first baseman Sam Travis — who missed a significant chunk of 2016 due to knee surgery — aren’t expected to head north with the club out of camp, but could play a major role not long from now. As Dombrowski observes: “The best clubs are constantly breaking in young players on a consistent basis, year in, year out. And you also need it from a cost basis perspective.”
Visit Hoops Rumors For NBA Trade Deadline Coverage
The NBA trade deadline is hours away, and our sister site Hoops Rumors is posting updates constantly. Check out the action at Hoops Rumors and follow us on Twitter @hoopsrumors!
White Sox To Retire Mark Buehrle’s Number
The White Sox are set to retire Mark Buehrle‘s #56 jersey this summer, the team announced. As Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago notes on Twitter, that would appear to suggest the the lefty himself is also hanging up his spikes for good — though there’s been no official word to that effect as of yet.
Last we heard, around this time last spring, Buehrle was still pondering his future. But he decided against pitching in 2016, and we’ve heard no indication since that he was planning a return. Today’s news seemingly confirms that the famously fast-working and incredibly durable southpaw is finished after 16 highly productive seasons in the majors.
Though he ended his career elsewhere, Buehrle spent his first dozen seasons in Chicago. He was a model of consistency there, providing 2,476 2/3 innings of 3.83 ERA ball while averaging 5.1 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9. Despite being taken only in the 38th round of the 1998 draft, Buehrle cracked the majors in 2000, his age-21 season, after just a season and a half in the minors.
Arguably his best season came in 2005 — the club’s World Championship campaign — when he came in fifth in the American League Cy Young voting upon compiling a 3.12 ERA over 236 2/3 frames. That represented the second-straight season in which he led the league in innings and the fourth in a row in which he retired the side at least 230 times. Buehrle had many fine moments in Chicago, among them a no-hitter in 2007 and one of just 23 perfect games ever pitched (on July 23, 2009, against the Rays).
Buehrle departed the White Sox after the 2011 season, joining the Marlins along with a crop of other free agents. After one solid year in Miami, he was dealt to the Blue Jays as part of the blockbuster trade that also shipped veterans Josh Johnson and Jose Reyes (among others) to Toronto. Buehrle was productive til the end, providing the Jays with 604 1/3 innings of 3.78 ERA ball in his final three campaigns.
Even in his age-36 season, which appears now to be his last, Buehrle managed 198 2/3 innings and led qualifying AL pitchers with a 1.5 BB/9 walk rate. That broke a string of 14 consecutive seasons in which the exceedingly durable hurler racked up at least 200 frames.
In the end, Buehrle racked up 51.9 fWAR and 59.2 rWAR over his career. By Fangraphs’ measure, only four other pitchers — Roy Halladay, CC Sabathia, Randy Johnson, and Roy Oswalt — were as productive over Buehrle’s active seasons, over which he paced all of baseball in total innings. In that span, he received five All-Star nods and picked up four Gold Gloves, while never failing to make at least thirty starts in each of his full MLB seasons.
Assuming this is in fact the end, MLBTR congratulates Buehrle on his excellent career and extends its best wishes to him in his future endeavors.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.