Odds and Ends: Ivan Rodriguez, Hall, Street
Time for today’s link roundup.
- MLBTR live chat here at 2pm CST, don’t miss it!
- Ivan Rodriguez expects to play ball beyond this season.
- Bill Hall isn’t happy with the Brewers’ callup of Russell Branyan. Hall is hitting .220/.292/.418 in 196 plate appearances. He’s signed through 2010.
- Susan Slusser ponders the future of A’s relievers Huston Street, Alan Embree, Santiago Casilla, and Joey Devine. Might be tough to deal anyone unless the team drops out of contention.
- Part 2 of AN’s Billy Beane interview.
A’s Sign Alan Embree
As has been rumored for a while now, the A’s signed southpaw reliever Alan Embree. According to RotoWorld, he received a two-year deal with a club option for ’09. Embree will be 37 in January; he’s been around.
Embree has good command; he was one of the few free agent relievers with a K/BB ratio over 3. He also had a fine year in terms of ERA and WHIP.
RotoWorld mentions that the signing likely indicates Joe Kennedy will move to the rotation. Kennedy will be 28 next season. The southpaw last had success starting in 2004 with the Rockies, when he posted a 3.66 ERA in 27 starts.