Rumors for March, 2011
Benches clear in Cardinals and Nationals game
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The top of the seventh inning in the Grapefruit game between the Washington Nationals and the St. Louis Cardinals stirred up a little excitement with the benches clearing.
Bill Ladson of MLB.com reports that with one out and the Nats leading 4-2, Cardinals’ right-handed pitcher Miguel Batista hit shortstop Ian Desmond with a pitch. As Desmond was walking towards first base, he was arguing with Albert Pujols and both benches cleared. Fortunately, no punches were thrown as a result of the argument.
The game was delayed for about 15 minutes and even the managers, Jim Riggleman and Tony LaRussa, were jawing it up.
We’ll try to find the video, but since it’s Spring Training, it’ll be difficult to get.
Hideki Matsui donates $620,000 to Japanese Red Cross
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Oakland Athletics designated hitter, Hideki Matsui, infused some cash into the earthquake and tsunami relief fund by donating 50 million yen ($620,000 USD) to the Japanese Red Cross, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Matsui gave the same amount in 2004 after the deadly Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. In 2007 he donated 10 million yen ($62,000 USD) when an earthquake struck the western coast of Japan.
The former star of the Nippon Professional Baseball league donates on the heels of fellow country man Ichiro Suzuki. Last week, Ichiro donated 100 million yen ($1.25 million) to the Japanese Red Cross to assist in the relief efforts.
Mets continue cleaning house
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Not too long ago in 2007, the New York Mets’ and Philadelphia Phillies’ players were exchanging words about who was the best NL East team. That same year, the Mets suffered an incredible meltdown in September and they watched their biggest division rival clinch the division in the last day of the regular season.
After yet another disappointing season in 2010, the Mets decided to go for a quiet off-season and began their house cleaning. They first fired manager Jerry Manuel and General Manager Omar Minaya. Over this weekend, the house cleaning continued when they decided to release second baseman Luis Castillo (link here) and left handed pitcher Oliver Perez (link here), both of them with big money contracts ($6mm and $12mm) and incredibly poor 2010 seasons.
Let’s not forget that this is a team that in just a few years added players like Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, Johan Santana and Francisco Rodriguez. If you take a close look at those names, you’re talking about great baseball players, most of them in the “prime” of their baseball career, but what happened?
Well, Venezuelan lefty and two time Cy Young Award winner Santana got injured in back-to-back seasons. The other Venezuelan Rodriguez, hasn’t quite been the same after he established the Major League Baseball record for most saves in a single season, plus he got injured last year after fighting with his father in law in the stadium. Both Delgado and Beltran had their share of injuries too. Beltran is actually injured right now, yes, again and Delgado is recovering from offseason surgery as he attempts to prolong his career one last time.
Minaya also signed reliever Kelvim Escobar in December 2009, a pitcher who didn’t pitch in 2008 and only pitched five innings in 2009. The outcome, he didn’t play at all in 2010.
Bad luck or bad management? I think a little bit of both, but the truth is the Mets are beginning a serious process of house cleaning right now, and I don’t think they will be contenders for years to come.
Phillies not interesd in Mike Cameron
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The Philadelphia Phillies have an opening in right field due to Domonic Brown’s injury. Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald notes that the Phillies are not interested in Red Sox’s Mike Cameron.
Lauber says that Cameron is slated to come off the bench for the team, but they haven’t offered any indication they’re shopping him. Besides that the Phillies have not shown any interest in the veteran outfielder. “None,” said a Major League source today. “None at all.”
It appears that the Phillies will go with their in-house talent, Ben Francisco and John Mayberry Jr. to replace Brown.
Mayberry Jr. hit .333 with 2 HR’s and 6 RBI’s in 12 AB’s with the Phillies in 2010, and Francisco hit .268 with 6 HR’s and 28 RBI’s in 179 AB’s with the Phillies in 2010.
Cameron hit .259 with 4 HR’s and 15 RBI’s in 162 AB’s with the Red Sox in 2010.
Phillies announce Minor League deal with Luis Castillo
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In an announcement by the team, the Philadelphia Phillies have announced that Luis Castillo has signed a Minor League contract with them. Matt Gelb of The Philadelphia Inquirer says that Castillo will report to the Phillies today.
The deal between the Phillies and Castillo was first reported by Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. Castillo appeared to be a good match for the Phillies in the wake of the injury to Chase Utley.
Castillo was released by the Mets last week and was quickly linked to Marlins and Phillies – both teams with question marks right now at second base.
The Mets are responsible for the $6 million owed to him for 2011, but that would be reduced to approximately $5.6 million should he sign with another team for the required league minimum of a little more than $400,000.
Pittsburgh Pirates release Garrett Atkins
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The Pittsburgh Pirates have released infielder Garrett Atkins, according to Colin Dunlap of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Pittsburgh was having a tight competition for bench spots. As recently as last week, the team had four players fighting for one or two spots off the bench.
The Pirates signed Atkins to a Minor League deal with an invitation to Spring Training in late December. Atkins had ties to current Pirates’ manager Clint Hurdle who was the former manager of the Colorado Rockies.
The 31-year-old hit .214 with one home run and nine RBI’s over 44 games for the Orioles before the club released him on July 6, 2010.
The veteran infielder may be best remembered for his time with the Colorado Rockies where he played mostly third base from 2003 thru the 2009 season before becoming a free agent.
New York Mets release Oliver Perez
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In an expected move the New York Mets have released left-handed pitcher Oliver Perez, Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal reports.
Perez has been in the dog house with New York since last year and his 2/3 innings of relief where he gave up three hits (two home runs), one walk and two earned runs against the Washington Nationals may have done him in.
Perez, who is due $12 million, acknowledged that he did “a really bad job”.
Any team that decides to pick up Perez will only have to be responsible for the Major League minimum of approximately $400,000. The Mets would then be responsible for approximately $11.6 million.
Barry Bonds perjury trial set to begin on Monday
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Here are a few quick facts for the upcoming perjury trial involving home run king Barry Bonds:
–Trial will begin on Monday morning with jury selection.
– The case is officially named USA versus Barry Bonds.
– Bonds is facing four charges of perjury and one case of obstruction of justice.
– Case is expected to last 3-4 weeks
– If found guilty, Bonds could serve 10 years in prison.
– The trial will be conducted at the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.
– Several former teammates will be called to testify including Bobby Estalella.
– The case stems from Bonds’ grand-jury testimony from December 2003 where the prosecution says that Bonds lied when asked if he was ever given or was administrered anabolic steroids, testosterone or human growth hormones with needles by personal trainer Greg Anderson from 2000-2002 Bonds denied using any performance-enhancing substances.
Freddy Garcia says there’s nothing to prove in Triple-A
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34-year-old starting pitcher Freddy Garcia is on the verge of being cut by the New York Yankees, and it’s uncertain what he’ll do if he doesn’t make the team.
“If I don’t make the team, what am I supposed to do in Triple-A?” Garcia said as reported by Brian Costello of the New York Post. “I’m 34 years old. I’ve been in the big leagues a long time. There’s nothing to go to Triple-A and prove. It’s either I make the team or not.”
The Yankees have two spots open in their starting rotation and it’s going to come down to r Ivan Nova, Garcia and Bartolo Colon. Nova is likely going to be awarded the No. 4 spot and Colon is the front runner for the fifth spot.
“We’re going to have to make a tough call,” GM Brian Cashman said last week. “Who do we think is going to help us as we move forward, period. We have to make a bet. We have to bet on somebody.”
Robert Andino and Alberto Gonzalez on Padres radar
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In a Tweet by Corey Brock of MLB.com, he says that infielders Robert Andino and Alberto Gonzalez are on the San Diego Padres’ radar.
Gonzalez, 27, hit .247/.277/.301 in 114 games for the Nationals last season. He’s out of options, so the Nationals would be motivated to move him if they have no intention to keep him on the 25-man roster. Washington currently have utility depth with Jerry Hairston and Alex Cora.
Andino, 26, played in 16 games with the Baltimore Orioles in 2010. He’s a lifetime .226/.275/.318 hitter.
