Odds & Ends: Britton, Beckett, Crawford, Blue Jays
Links for Friday…
- If you play fantasy baseball, follow @closernews on Twitter as your guide to all things saves-related.
- Righty reliever Chris Britton has signed with the Lincoln Salt Dogs of the independent American Association according to a team press release. The 27-year-old last appeared in the big leagues with the Yankees in 2008, and spent last season in the Padres' minor league system.
- WEEI.com's Ethan Landy provides a transcript of Peter Gammons' appearance on The Big Show earlier today. Among other topics, he discussed how quickly the Josh Beckett deal came together.
- Satchel Price at Beyond The Box Score looks at some players making big money who are candidates to be released. MLBTR covered the same topic about a month ago.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports considers possible suitors for Carl Crawford once he reaches free agency.
- Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos comments on his hire of stat expert Tom Tango, in this article by Colby Cosh of Maclean's.
- MLB.com's Peter Gammons analyzes Jason Heyward's impact on the city of Atlanta.
- Yahoo's Alex Remington presents the Tommy John All-Stars, comprised of pitchers who had success after the elbow surgery.
Odd & Ends: Penny, Reds, Nationals, Buchholz
The College World Series kicked off today, with Arkansas knocking off Cal State Fullerton in Game One of the double elimination event. Virginia is taking on LSU tonight. You can see the game on ESPN.
Anyway, here's some Saturday night linkage:
- The Angels have signed nine draft picks, including 48th overall pick Tyler Kehrer according to Mike DiGiovanna.
- Jon Heyman tweets that teams have called the Red Sox about Brad Penny, and even though the Dodgers are looking "they wouldn't take him back."
- John Fay of The Cincinnati Enquirer spoke to Reds GM Walt Jocketty, who said he's looked outside the organization for help, but "there’s not a lot going on right now." Jocketty also said that the team is not looking for a third baseman, despite reports.
- Chico Harlan of The Washington Post says that the Nationals signed righthander Trevor Holder, their third round pick, to a below slot bonus.
- Rockies reliever Taylor Buchholz suffered a setback in his return from a right elbow injury according to Patrick Saunders, and could be out for the year. Could Buchholz's injury impact the Rockies' decision to move closer Huston Street if they maintain their current hot streak?
- The New York Times' Joe Brescia wrote about the Yankees and how they've used Mexico as a source of talent recently.
- Personal fave Chris Britton caught on with the independent York Revolution according to Jim Seip. The Padres released Britton last month after allowed 47 baserunners and had a 10.45 ERA in 20.2 IP between Double-A and Triple-A. (h/t Chad Jennings)
Chris Britton Won’t Make Padres
According to MLB.com’s Corey Brock, reliever Chris Britton has been told he won’t make the Padres. He’s in camp on a minor league deal. Brock says the Padres are talking to Britton’s agent about whether he’ll head to Triple A or be allowed to talk to other teams. The Padres crave hard-throwing bullpen arms, and Britton fits their previous mold of soft-tossers with good control.
Padres Invite 20 To Spring Training
MLB.com’s Corey Brock has compiled a list of the Padres’ non-roster spring training invitees:
Right-handers Kevin Correia, Chris Britton, Greg Burke, Matt Buschmann, Gabe DeHoyos, Will Inman, Mat Latos, Edwin Moreno, Oneli Perez and Mark Prior; left-handers Arturo Lopez and Nick Schmidt; catchers Eliezer Alfonzo, Mitch Canham and Colt Morton; infielders Peter Ciofrone, Chris Burke and Kyle Blanks, and outfielders Chad Huffman and Cedric Hunter.
Padres GM Kevin Towers has said that Correia and Britton have a good chance of making the squad. Burke’s versatility might also get him a nod.
Padres Sign Chris Britton
We missed this one – apparently the Padres signed recently non-tendered reliever Chris Britton, according to Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The big righty will compete for the seventh-inning role in 2009. What better place for a soft-tossing righty reliever to land than PETCO.
Krasovic adds that the Padres and pitcher Kevin Correia have mutual interest. Also, while the Padres may consider Brad Ausmus, they have an eye on San Francisco catcher Eliezer Alfonzo. Alfonzo missed 50 games in 2008 after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance. UPDATE: The Padres signed Alfonzo to a minor league deal on Friday, actually.