Rumors for April, 2011
Ian Snell is considering coming out of retirement
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Right-handed pitcher Ian Snell is considering coming out of his brief retirement his agent told Evan Drellich of MLB.com.
“He told the world he’s retiring, and that’s what we thought was going to happen,” Snell’s agent Joe Sroba said on Friday.
The 29-year-old plans could be made within a week and a return to the St. Louis Cardinals is a possibility.
Snell pitched in two innings in one Grapefruit League game with the Cardinals this Spring. In Snell’s seven Major League seasons, mostly with the Pittsburgh Pirates, he appeared in 152 appearances (136 starts), where the right-hander was 38-53 with a 4.80 ERA and 1.549 WHIP. Snell was 0-5 with a 6.41 ERA in 46.1 innings with the Mariners in 2010.
Mat Latos to be activated from DL on Monday
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San Diego Padres starting pitcher Mat Latos will be activated from the 15-day disabled list and make his 2011 debut on Monday at home versus the Cincinnati Reds, MLB.com’s Corey Brock reports.
“It’s time to get him back on the horse,” Padres manager Bud Black said. “He feels ready. … I think he’s excited for his first start of the year.”
Latos was placed on the disabled list on March 22 after suffering from a sore shoulder a few days after a Cactus League star.
Everything just feels right,” Latos said earlier this week.
The 23-year-old right-hander recently threw 70 pitches in a Minor League simulated game on Monday in Arizona, but he will not be on a pitch count when he faces the Reds next week.
Angels place LHP Scott Kazmir on disabled list
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The Los Angeles Angels have placed left-handed pitcher Scott Kazmir on the disabled list due to lower-back stiffness, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports. In his place, Matt Palmer will start at home versus the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday.
There have been suggestions that the Angels and Kazmir could part ways, especially after a disasterous Opening Weekend last week when he went 1 2/3 innings against the Kansas City Royals – the shortest outing in his career.
Manager Mike Scioscia said that the team would have to look into situation regarding Kazmir, and his trip to the disabled list could be the team’s first action before finally cutting ties with the left-hander.
DiGiovanna said in March that if Kazmir continued to struggle, the Angels may have no choice but to release the lefty. They would eat the $14.5 million left on his contract ($12 million for 2011 and a $2.5 million buyout for 2012’s team option).
Kazmir was 9-15 with a 5.94 ERA and 93 strike outs over 150 innings and 28 starts in 2010.
Stephen Strasburg responds to Dad-Dibble feud
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In a Tweet by right-handed pitcher Stephen Strasburg, he responds to yesterday’s accusations from former MASN television analyst Rob Dibble by saying, “For those of you wondering my dad doesn’t even have the Lerners’ email… Actually was a fan of Dibble believe it or not”
Dibble said that Strasburg’s father emailed Nationals’ owner, Ted Lerner, and said that he wanted him out of there because of “suck it up” comments that were made toward the rookie pitcher last summer.
Dibble was eventually replaced this season with former player F.P. Santangelo.
As recently as mid-March, Strasburg was throwing from 90 feet on flat ground. The pitcher is regaining arm strength slowly, and it’s possible that he could return in September.
Strasburg made 12 starts in his Major League debut in 2010 and went 5-3 with a 2.91 ERA and 92 strikeouts in 68 innings.
Will Manny Ramirez make the Hall of Fame?
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In the wake of Manny Ramirez’s unexpected retirement, the next question that comes to everybody’s mind is, “Will Ramirez head to Cooperstown?”
At face value, he has 555 home runs and a career average of .312 over 2,302 games played in addition to winning World Series rings in 2004 and 2007. That’s usually enough to be an early candidate to gain entrance into the hallowed halls. However, he played in the steroid era, was already suspended for 50 games in 2009 for a failed drug test and would have been handed a 100 game suspension for his latest drug “issue” with Major League Baseball.
So what are your thoughts? Is Ramirez a Hall of Famer? Will the Baseball Writers Association of America prevent him from reaching immortality?
Dodgers re-sign Preston Mattingly
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Preston Mattingly, who was released by the Indians earlier this week has re-signed with the Dodgers reports Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times.
The 23-year-old was originally acquired by the Indians from the Dodgers for outfielder Roman Pena.
Mattingly, 23, the son of Don Mattingly, was the Dodgers’ first-round (31st overall) selection in the 2006 draft. Since 2006, Mattingly an outfielder over the last two seasons in the Minor Leagues, has a career .232/.275/.334 since 2006.
Rangers agree to a Minor League deal with Manny Corpas
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The Texas Rangers have agreed to a Minor league deal with right handed pitcher Manny Corpas according to Evan P. Grant of the Dallas Morning News. Corpas is coming back from Tommy John surgery so he isn’t expected to pitch this season.
Corpas was released by the Rockies back in November. The 28-year-old right-handed pitcher was 3-5 with a 4.62 ERA in 56 relief appearances for the Rockies in 2010. The Rockies are on the hook for $3.75 million ($3.5 million salary in 2011 and a $250,000 buyout). If for some reason he makes the Major League roster, the Rangers are only responsible for the prorated amount of the Major League minimum (neighborhood of $400,000).
Rangers claim RHP Ramon Aguero off waivers from the Pirates
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The Texas Rangers have claimed right handed pitcher Ramon Aguero off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates reports Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Aguero was designated for assignment by the Pirates back in March. He was 2-5 with a 6.14 ERA in 29.1 innings throughout 25 games with the Pirates Double-A and high-A teams.
Manny Ramirez retires
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According to the Indians official Twitter account, Manny Ramirez has decided to retire. Ramirez though is not retiring because he has lost his love of the game, as Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston reports that Ramirez chose to retire after being informed by MLB of an “Issue” regarding the Drug Prevention program.
Ramirez decided to retire as an “active player” as he was looking at a 100 game suspension as was already suspended for 50 games for banned drug use back in 2009. Initial reports point to a possible failed drug test in Spring of this year. MLB was preparing to announce the suspension when Manny blindsided the baseball world with his retirement.
Ramirez agreed to a one-year, $2 million deal with the Rays back in January. He went 1/17 with a single and an RBI as a Ray and was booed repeatedly by the handfull of Tampa Bay fans.
The Rays released a statement on the Manny news (via Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times): “The Tampa Bay Rays were informed today by the Commissioner’s Office that Manny Ramirez has decided to retire after being informed of an issue under the Drug Program. We are obviously surprised and disappointed by this news. We will have no further comment on this matter, and our fans and organization will carry on.”
Ramirez will be remembered as being one of the most feared right handed hitters of his time. He will walk away with career numbers of 555 home runs, 2574 hits, 1831 RBI, with a .312 avg in 19 seasons. In his 19 year career, Ramirez played for the Indians, Red Sox, Dodgers, White Sox and Rays.
Looking at just his numbers, Manny clearly deserves a place in the hall of fame. But after being suspended once for a banned drug use and facing a second suspension for the same thing (unknown if same drug), he will join Barry Bonds in the group of greatest players never to make the hall.
Injury updates: Sizemore, Morrow and Holliday
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Here’s a running list of injury updates for several Major league players:
– Center fielder Grady Sizemore played seven innings and went 1-3 in a Triple-A rehab game yesterday according to the team’s official Twitter account.
– Right handed pitcher Brandon Morrow had his first rehab game yesterday in Single-A reports John Lott of the National Post. Morrow worked three innings and allowed eight hits for five runs, four earned, two strike outs and one walk.
– According to Tony LaRussa, Matt Holliday’s chances of playing this weekend in San Francisco are “slim” (via FOXSportsMidwest)
– Mariners catcher Adam Moore’s MRI revealed a medial meniscus tear in right knee and he will require surgery according to the team’s official Twitter account.
