Week In Review

April is in the books, and it came with its fair share of surprises. Did anyone predict the Blue Jays to be leading the AL East, or Brandon Inge to be the Tigers' most productive hitter? And how about the Pirates' pitching? Here's your look at the past seven days:

• There's been a lot of talk about who could be on the move this summer. J.P. Ricciardi made it pretty clear this week that Roy Halladay is unlikely to be a candidate. If he was, the Blue Jays would ask for a "boatload" in return, according to Ricciardi. It'll be interesting to see how the division plays out as the year goes on. Can the Jays stay in the race?
• From a current ace to a future ace, the Nationals have every intention of drafting and signing Stephen Strasburg, according to Buster Olney. Strasburg has continued to be absolutely phenomenal this year, posting nearly a 10:1 K:BB ratio and an absurd 16.7 K/9 at San Diego State. The Nationals' offense has been getting this job done this season; they'll be a team to watch in the coming years if they land Strasburg and another solid arm.
• Speaking of the Nats, they acquired Logan Kensing from the Marlins this week for minor league reliever Kyle Gunderson. Kensing was designated by the Fish last week.
• Another reliever making his way to Washington is Mike MacDougal. MacDougal was released by the White Sox earlier this week and signed a minor league deal this morning. The Nationals have had bullpen problems all season, and it looks like they'll continue to dig through the scrap heap to find some useful parts.
• The Mets released Freddy Garcia this week, following two Triple-A starts that resulted in an 8.18 ERA. Garcia was topping out at 85mph. His agent says that Garcia is "way too young to retire" at age 32, but he hinted that it could be time. Good luck either way, Freddy.
• Scratch the Brewers from the list of teams who are interested in Pedro Martinez. Doug Melvin said that he hasn't even spoken to Pedro's agent. The Nationals are still the only team that has publically expressed any interest in the future Hall of Famer, but they're not willing to pay $5MM.
• Tim's 2010 Options series this week included the White Sox and Indians.
• Tim takes a look at some free agents who are off to a great start and those that aren't living up to their contracts yet.

Here's your weekly look back at the happenings of the MLBTR world…

• More sad news continues to roll in this week, as long-time Phillies broadcaster Harry Kalas died at the age of 73. Kalas had been calling Philadelphia games for over 30 years, but had the pleasure of seeing his beloved Phils take home a World Series title in his final season in the booth. RIP Harry.
• Unfortunately that wasn't the only bad news of the week: Mark Fidrych, perhaps better known as "The Bird," was found dead at his home at just 54 years of age. Fidrych was outstanding in his first season with the Tigers, but his career was derailed by injuries. His antics on the mound and tremendous personality will never be forgotten by baseball fans though. RIP Mark.
• The Yankees' outfield depth took a hit this week when it was announced that Xavier Nady may have to miss the remainder of the season with an elbow injury. Their decision to hang onto both Nady and Nick Swisher this offseason definitely looks like a good decision right now. Here's a look at some additional options they could pursue to add depth to their bench.
• Staying within the division, the Red Sox may have lost Jed Lowrie for the season as well. Lowrie had his wrist examined, and if he undergoes surgery, 2009 will essentially be a lost season. The BoSox still have Julio Lugo on his way back from a rehab assignment, but a wrist injury for their shortstop of the future is certainly not good news looking down the road.
• The Nationals may be closing in on an extension with Ryan Zimmerman. It's believed to be five years, $45MM, and could include the 2009 season.
• Tim conducted a Q&A session with both Troy E. Renck and Jerry Crasnick.
• Also, he finished up the Offseason in Review series with the Phillies.
  

The beginning of the season finally arrived, but unfortunately brought one of the more tragic occurrences in recent baseball history. Let's take a look:

• The top story of the week is unquestionably Nick Adenhart's tragic, untimely death. Adenhart, 22, was killed in a car accident just hours after tossing six scoreless innings against the A's. My strongest condolences to the familes and friends of Adenhart, Courtney Stewart, and Henry Pearson, as well as the Angels organization and Angels fans. R.I.P. Nick.
• Pedro Martinez doesn't have any thoughts of retiring or sitting the 2009 season out. He still fully plans on playing, and reportedly is not interested in lowering his $5MM asking price or taking an incentive-laden deal. Will a contender in need of a fifth starter eventually give in and pay the price, or will Pedro have to bring down his asking price if he wants to play in 2009? Where do you see him going, and for how much?
• The Giants took a shot at adding some much-needed pop to their lineup when they signed the recently-released Dallas McPherson. Will San Francisco finally be the place where McPherson reaches his potential, or will he retain his Quadruple-A label?
• Speaking of recently-released players, the Padres signed Chad Gaudin to a minor-league deal early this morning. As we always say, if there's any place for a pitcher to get his career back on track, Petco Park in San Diego is it. Nice signing by the Friars.
• Here's a signing I never thought I'd type: The Mariners signed Jeff Zimmerman to a minor-league deal this week. Yes, the same Zimmerman who saved 28 games for the Rangers in 2001 and hasn't pitched in the big leagues since. He's had two Tommy John surgeries since then, and will attempt to make a comeback in Seattle at the age of 36. Can't see it happening, but it'd make for a nice story, wouldn't it?
• Lots of extension talks this week: Ryan Zimmerman and the Nats put their talks on hold until after the season, but Zimmerman says they've come a long way; John Lackey backpedaled a bit on his Opening Day deadline for extension talks, now that he's dealing with an elbow injury; and Tim Lincecum is fine discussing an extension mid-season. There's no deadline on those talks.
• Offseason in Review updates: Rays, Dodgers, Red Sox, Cubs, and Brewers.

The season is finally here! I'll refrain from making a celebratory post and instead just go with the usual rundown of the past seven days:

• Chipper Jones agreed to a three-year, $42MM extension with an option for 2013. That deal should keep Chipper in a Braves uniform for the remainder of his career. I think it's a nice value for the Braves, considering Chipper's offensive capabilities, and I also love seeing guys stick with one club their whole career. Nice move for both sides; Braves fans should be happy.
• Will Ohman decided he actually wants to play baseball this season, signing a one-year $1.35MM minor league deal with the Dodgers. His contract has a $2.2MM club option for 2010.
• The biggest surprise of the week had to be the Tigers' release of Gary Sheffield. They'll eat a whopping $14MM as a result of the decision. Sheff claims to be healthy (though we've heard that before), and he's just one home run shy of the 500 mark. He signed with the Mets later in the week, where he'll be an option in both right and left field, and undoubtedly notch career HR number 500 for the league minimum.
• Sheffield was one of many released this week. We also saw Frank Catalanotto released by the Rangers. This move makes more sense. The Rangers, not surprisingly, couldn't find a trade partner for Catalnotto and the $6MM owed to him. His release allows for Andruw Jones to serve as a right-handed platoon option at DH and a fifth outfielder.
• The Phillies joined in as well when they released Geoff Jenkins. Another pricey decision, as they'll have to eat the $8MM left on his contract. Jenkins has drawn interest from the Marlins.
• Two big-time power bats that have never lived up to the hype were released as well. The Nationals said farewell to Wily Mo Pena, while the Marlins cut ties with Dallas McPherson. McPherson seems like he would be a great low-budget, high impact quick fix for the Yankees. Anyone out there want to venture a guess as to where all these players end up?
• The Tigers sent minor-league pitcher Rudy Darrow to the Braves in exchange for Josh Anderson, after Jordan Schafer beat out Anderson for the center field job in Atlanta. This move doesn't make much sense to me, given the Tigers' need for bullpen help. Darrow has put up solid minor league numbers and could've been more beneficial to the Tigers than Anderson.
• Offseason in Review updates: Angels, Mets, Yankees, Astros.
• Just a few hours till the first game of the year! I know I'll be tuning in…feel free to voice your excitement. Personally, I think Opening Day should be recognized as a national holiday.

Here's your weekly look back at the events of the last seven days:

• Curt Schilling announced his retirement this week, wrapping up his career with a 216-146 career record, 3.46 ERA, and 3,116 career Ks. The six-time All-Star will go down as one of the greatest postseason pitchers ever, as he was 11-2 with a 2.23 ERA through 12 postseason series. Congratulations to Curt on a great career.
• Bad news for Rangers fans, as Josh Hamilton was reportedly "disappointed" by the contract extension the Rangers offered him this past week. Hamilton is a the anchor of a dynamic lineup, and a once-in-a-lifetime talent; I'd be surprised to see the Rangers fail to get something worked out eventually.
• There's been a lot of talk about what the White Sox are going to do with their center field situation. Juan Pierre's name was (very) briefly mentioned last weekend, but Ozzie Guillen said this week that he'd prefer to solve the problem internally. The question then, is whether or not one of Jerry Owens, Brian Anderson, or Dewayne Wise can step up and be the everyday guy the Sox need.
• Gary Matthews Jr. wants to play every day, and isn't happy to be buried on the depth chart for the Angels. Any creative future general managers out there who can find a way for the Halos to somehow move Matthews and the three years, $33MM left coming his way?
• Following his release from the Nationals, Shawn Hill elected to sign with the Padres. Hill should have an immediate rotation spot if he's healthy, and what better place to rebound for a pitcher han Petco Park? Hill had offers from six teams, and if you ask me, made the right choice for his career.
• Ben took a look at the remaining names on the free agent market.
• Tim conducted several Q&As this week, including Keith Law, Kevin Slowey, and Josh Byrnes.
• Offseason Review updates: White Sox, Cardinals, Twins, and Marlins

Only a couple of weeks from Opening Day! Things have been slowing down, but let's take a look at the highlights from the last week:

• We've been hearing for awhile now that Ivan Rodriguez would land with either the Astros or Marlins, and the rumors proved true. Pudge signed a one-year, $1.5MM contract with the Astros this week. He can earn another $1.5MM through incentives. Pudge said he was going to use the World Baseball Classic as a showcase, and while it's a limited sample, he accomplished his goal by going 10-20 with two home runs and 19 total bases.
• The Astros aren't necessarily done yet though. They're reportedly looking to acquire a third baseman in light of Aaron Boone's heart condition. Ed Wade received a call from a team saying they had a third baseman available. Personally, my first thought was Dallas McPherson, but there's lots of other teams out there. Mark Teahen? Brian Buscher? Scott Rolen? What's everyone think?
• John Lackey is less than excited about the Angels' extension offerings. It may be a down economy, but you have to wonder how much Lackey could fetch on the free agent market in spite of the market. If the Angels don't lock him up, he'll be the top starter out there. How much is he worth?
• The Nationals made two signings this week. First, they inked Joe Beimel to a one-year, $2MM deal. Later in the week, following the release of Josh Bard by the Red Sox, the Nats signed him to a minor league deal. Bard isn't far removed from a few good seasons with the Padres.
• Peter Gammons took a look at what we can expect for a price tag on Stephen Strasburg in this year's June draft. Gammons ventures that Scott Boras could demand a ridiculous six years, $50MM if the Nats take Strasburg first overall. Personally, I can't see any team ponying up like that. Strasburg had downright ridiculous numbers in 2008, and is continuing that pace in 2009, but that seems like too much to swallow.
• Offseason Review updates this week: Rangers, Reds, Indians, Diamondbacks, and Blue Jays.

Just a few weeks away from Opening Day after a long offseason! Let’s take a look at the last week:

• The Red Sox and Jon Lester agreed on a five-year, $30MM extension with a $13MM option for 2014. Lester was great in 2008, and Boston rewarded him with the largest contract  ever for a pitcher with two years of service time. Lester’s rebound from cancer has been a great story, and this extension is another nice chapter.
• A lot of talk about where Pedro Martinez will end up lately. We’ve heard him linked to the Pirates, the Dodgers are curious about him, and he was even mentioned as a closer candidate for the Cardinals earlier this month. According to Buster Olney, there’s a "zero percent chance" that the Mets will sign Pedro. He’s looking for about $5MM-$8MM last we heard, which is hurting teams’ interest levels.
• Chad Cordero finally found a home this week; he’ll attempt to make a comeback in Seattle. The Mariners signed him to a minor league deal and he’ll make $750K if he makes the big league club. Great move for both sides. The Mariners make a low-risk move on a guy who’s been an outstanding closer, and Cordero goes to the team that gives him the best opportunity to close.
• Joe Beimel is close to signing with a team as well. The Padres are apparently out, but we could see him land with the A’s or Dodgers still.
• Any team in need of pitching could have two options available via trade as Spring Training winds down. Both Jeff Niemann and Jason Hammel are out of options, and when David Price claims his spot in the Rays’ rotation, one of them will likely have to go.
• Don’t look for any new faces in the Bronx. The Yankees won’t be trading for anyone to replace Alex Rodriguez for the beginning of the season.
• On the other side of New York, the Mets released Duaner Sanchez this week. Sanchez hasn’t been able to regain his velocity following an accident while riding in a taxi back in 2006. Sanchez will attempt a comeback as a Padre; he signed with San Diego earlier today.
• Offseason in Review updates from Tim this week included the Pirates, Athletics, Braves, Tigers, and Rockies.
• It may be a small sample size, but if you’re curious to see how the top free agents from the offseason are faring so far, Cork did a nice write-up of their progress so far in Spring.

All of the biggest free agent names have finally found a home as we continue moving toward Opening Day 2009. Let’s look back at the last seven days:

• No question what the biggest story of the week was. Four months after failing to work out a two-year, $45MM deal with the Dodgers, Manny Ramirez signed a… two-year, $45MM contract with the Dodgers. Manny can opt out after the first year, which means we could be in for another offseason of Manny-mania if he has a huge year. He’ll earn $25MM in 2009 in an absolutely loaded Dodgers lineup. Here are his specific contract details.
• It’s a bit unusual for an injury note to be big news on MLBTR, but when it’s announced that Alex Rodriguez will miss a significant amount of time due to a torn labrum in his right hip, it certainly qualifies. The Yankees are currently planning on using Cody Ransom as a replacement for the first month of the season. How disastrous is losing A-Rod for an entire month in that division? Where does everyone see the Yankees finishing in light of this news?
• The A’s made two signings this week: First, Orlando Cabrera inked a one-year, $4MM deal with Oakland early in the week. Later in the week, Nomar Garciaparra also signed a one-year deal, though we don’t have the numbers on his deal. Cabrera is a bargain for a solid upgrade at shortstop, and Garciaparra should be a nice bench bat and great mentor for some of the younger players on the team while backing up just about everyone in the infield. It never hurts to have infield depth with Eric Chavez and Mark Ellis on your squad.
• One person who probably isn’t happy to see Cabrera’s arrival in Oakland is Bobby Crosby. He’s already requested a trade, and we’ve already heard a possible Cubs rumbling. Crosby’s contract will be a big issue in moving him, however.
• The Twins locked up one-fifth of their strong, young rotation when they signed Scott Baker to a four-year, $15.25MM deal with a $9.25MM option for a fifth year. Great signing for an underrated arm, and the Twins may not be done yet. We also heard this week that a Joe Mauer extension could be in the works.
• The Cardinals made a nice move to strengthen their bullpen by signing lefty Dennys Reyes to a very affordable two-year, $3MM deal. Reyes hasn’t been talked about as much as Will Ohman or Joe Beimel this offseason, but he held lefties to just a .202 average last season.
• Updates in Tim’s Offseason In Review series: Mariners, Padres, Orioles, Nationals, and Royals.

Spring Training is in the air… let’s cover the last week here on MLBTR!

• The Dodgers landed a bargain this week, when they agreed to terms with Orlando Hudson on a one-year, $3.4MM deal with an additional $4.6MM worth of incentives. The Dodgers complete a very strong middle infield, and still have Blake DeWitt available to fill in any holes that come up from injuries. Very nice value.
• Lots of drama surrounding Ken Griffey Jr. this week, but he wound up returning to Seattle on a one-year, $2MM contract with another $2.5MM in incentives. Griffey’s return to Seattle should be a great story for the 2009 campaign. Can you imagine the crowd on Opening Day?
• The Orioles signed Brian Roberts to a four-year, $40MM extension this week. Roberts said he feels the O’s will be competitive in that span. I think trading Roberts for some young arms would have given the O’s a better shot at competition, but they do have some good young players already. What about everyone else?
• Nate McLouth also agreed to terms on an extension through the 2011 season with a 2012 option, controlling his arbitration years and first year of free agency. He’ll get $2MM in 2009, $4.5MM in 2010, and $6.5MM in 2011 to go along with a $1.5MM signing bonus. Very good value, but I’ve got similar questions as I did with Ryan Doumit’s extension? Is this to lock him up or make him look better in a trade?
• Joe Crede finally found a home this week; he signed with the Twins on a one-year, $2.5MM deal with incentives that could take the deal to $7MM. Bargain signing for the Twins, as Crede was originally looking for a $7MM base salary. Even if his back flares up, they’re only on the hook for $2.5MM. I’m surprised the Giants weren’t more involved, seeing his final base salary.
• Tom Glavine finally signed as well, returning to the Braves on a one-year, $1MM deal that could reach $4.5MM with incentives. It’s a low-risk move, so I can’t really criticize it, but I really question how much Glavine has left…
• Lastly, could Roy Halladay be moved at some point? Blue Jays General Manager J.P. Ricciardi says that "all hell would have to break loose,"  but you have to imagine teams would be knocking down the door if the Jays were in the AL East cellar around the trade deadline. Ricciardi admitted, "At that point, we’d have to reevaluate."

Couple of big signings this week, with Spring Training just around the corner. Let’s get right into it…

• The Angels may have gotten the biggest bargain of the offseason: Bobby Abreu on a one-year, $5MM deal with minimal incentives. Phenomenal value for an incredibly consistent hitter. A few months ago, I never would’ve believed this to be possible.
• The Halos also agreed to terms with Ervin Santana on a four-year, $30MM extension. This move’s a it more questionable. Ervin was tremendous in 2008, but it’s the first year he’s lived up to his potential. He has great stuff, but I’d personally be worried about his ability to keep it consistent. If he manages that, however, he’ll be a bargain for the Angels.
• The other big signing of the week was the Nationals inking Adam Dunn to a two-year, $20MM deal. Dunn adds a legit presence to the middle of that lineup, and gives Washington a very underrated offense. However, without adding some pitching, I’m not sure I see the logic behind this move. Here’s some more insight on the Abreu/Dunn signings.
• Dunn is expected to play first base, which is obviously something Nick Johnson doesn’t love to hear. He’d like to play every day, and will accept a trade to do so. Johnson is a great OBP guy when healthy, but he hasn’t shown the ability to be healthy at all over the past two seasons.
• The Nats tried to add another bat to the lineup, but Ray Durham rejected their offer. He’s apparently 50-50 on retirement. Seems like he’d rather play for a team with a better chance of contending.
• Could that team be the Cardinals? They released Adam Kennedy earlier this week, which forces them to eat $4MM. Very surprising move in this economy. That of course begs the question: Who’s going to be playing second base for the Cards?
• The Brewers signed Braden Looper to a one-year, $4.75MM contract with a $6MM option for 2010. Not a bad deal for the Brewers, who needed starting pitching depth. Surprised we haven’t seen them (or anyone, for that matter) roll the dice on Mark Mulder…
• The Mariners are looking to add an outfielder, and early on it looked like a reunion with Ken Griffey Jr. was on the horizon. The Braves have now entered that picture, though providing some competition for the M’s. Interesting choice for Griffey – play in Seattle again or go to a team more likely to contend?
• Joe Crede’s name is still being tossed back and forth between the Twins and Giants. The Giants offered him a contract earlier this week, while the Twins see a sizeable gap between their offer and Crede’s $7MM demand. Last we heard, the Giants expect Crede to sign with Minnesota. Can Crede’s back hold up on artificial turf at the Metrodome?