Rumors for Seattle Mariners
Mariners had opportunity to trade Josh Lueke back due to rape and sodomy case?
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Back in July, the Seattle Mariners acquired right-handed pitcher Josh Lueke as part of a package that sent left-handed pitcher Cliff Lee to the Texas Rangers. Shortly afterwards, news reports started to come out regarding Lueke’s involvement in a May 2008 case for sexually assaulting an unconscious 22-year-old woman in Bakersfield, California.
Despite the Mariners insistence that they had no knowledge of the player’s past and there was nothing they could do post-trade, Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times says the team had full knowledge of Lueke’s history and had the opportunity to send him back to the Rangers.
Former Mariners pitching coach Rick Adair said he told general manager Jack Zduriencik about Lueke’s troubles well before the deal.
“I told him everything I knew about every prospect I was asked about, including Lueke, including any court case,” said Adair, who was fired Aug. 9 along with Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu. “Everything I knew to be accurate, I told them.”
Rangers GM Jon Daniels said he made a standing offer that night to take Lueke back.
“We tried that on Friday night,” Mariners president Chuck Armstrong said. “But then, on Saturday morning, the Rangers said, ‘No, we’ve already notified the players. The deal stands as is.’ ”
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Bobby Valentine to return to New York Mets as manager?
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MLB Network’s Peter Gammons told WFAN that he thinks Bobby Valentine will be the next manager of the New York Mets. Here’s the transcript via Matthew Cerrone’s MetsBlog:
“I think there are two things: 1) He has a history and a good working relationship with Omar Minaya and 2) he is one guy that, though Jeff Wilpon will not always like what he hears from Bobby, I think they can have a relationship where Bobby could say to Jeff, ‘No, we’re not doing this, that’s the wrong thing,’ and in the end they’ll win out together, because they have a mutual respect. I just think now is the right time to bring Bobby back.”
Earlier this month, friends of Valentine said that he would be interested in the vacant Seattle Mariners’ job, and Ichiro lobbied the team’s ownership about hiring Valentine. Valentine has not publically said anything about his interest in the Mariners.
Join PRO Rumors on ESPN 1420am with The Sports Animals
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Join PRO Rumors on ESPN 1420 AM Honolulu, Hawaii tonight at 8:35pm PST (5:35pm Hawaii Time) with The Sports Animals Chris Hart and Gary Dickman. You can listen live at http://www.espn1420am.com
VIDEO: Adrian Beltre ejected over misunderstanding with Felix Hernandez
Posted by: | CommentsBlame this ejection on the young and uninformed umpire. Dan Bellino, a Triple-A umpire who was behind the plate for the Boston Red Sox – Seattle Mariners game, ejected third baseman Adrian Beltre and then eventually manager Terry Francona over what started out as a playful gesture between two former teammates. Check out the video:
According to Daniel Barbarisi and Kevin Mcnamara of The Providence Journal, Beltre “jawed playfully” with former teammate Felix Hernandez after he struck out in the second inning. Beltre then gestured that he would hit a big home run the next time up. However, Bellino believed the gestures were meant for him and immediately threw out Beltre.
“He was going back and forth with Felix — they’re really good friends — and a young umpire … probably got in the midst of something that he didn’t know about. And it shouldn’t have happened. It’s a shame. Beltre was just having fun with Felix.
“He wasn’t even talking to him. So it was unfortunate,” Francona said.
Insurance carrier to blame for exposing MLB team’s finances?
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According to two Major League Baseball sources, close to Christian Red and Nathaniel Vinton of the New York Daily News, an insurance carrier associated with several baseball teams may be responsible for leaking sensitive financial documents.
Deadspin.com and the Associated Press published a series of confidential financial reports for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Tampa Bay Rays, Florida Marlins, Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Angels and Texas Rangers.
The reports show how small market teams such as the Pirates make millions in profits despite poor on-field performances.
“It was beneficial, some of the information,” said one of the sources. “I think a lot of people were glad to see that the receipts were higher” but not happy to see some “transfer of equity was not going toward players and player development.”
Update – Cliff Lee hates Texas? Wants to be a Yankee?
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8/25 01:01: Cowherd addressed Lee’s response on his show on Tuesday (via The Dallas Morning News):
“I’m sure he (Lee) wants to win games,” Cowherd said. “I’m not saying he’s tanking games. Cliff Lee is a human being.”
Here’s some facts about Cliff Lee, Cowherd said: “Fact: He loved pitching in Philadelphia and was awesome. He has always pitched well in New York and has said he likes it.
“He’s elite, fact. He has also, fact, never pitched well in Texas. Fact, he’s not there pitching well again in Texas. Fact. He’s in a contract year. When the deal came down that he was going to the Yankees, he was completely excited, according to three different scources at this network. Fact, against the Yankees this year, who he could end up pitching for, he’s been excellent. Fact, he’s been horrible against Baltimore, the worst team in the sport. Now you tell me, coincidence?”
Said Cowherd: “Cliff Lee, who’s never pitched well in Texas, was never in love with the idea, in a contract year, of going to Texas, where he is going to make his final contract based on the numbers in the second half of the season in a place he’s never pitched well. Or he can get traded to the Yankees, the premier team in baseball, where he’s always pitched well. Where would you want to go?”
Cowherd on saying he’d been told Cliff Lee will not re-sign with Texas: “I have been told that by a source.” Read More→
Phillies Prospect Tyson Gillies Charged with Cocaine Possession
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Tyson Gillies, a top prospect in the Philadelphia Phillies organization, was arrested early Friday morning on a felony charge of possession of cocaine, according to Greg Auman of the St. Petersburg Times.
Here’s the team’s statement:
The Phillies have confirmed that Tyson Gillies was charged today on a drug possession charge arising out of an incident that was alleged to have occurred in June. Because this is an open case, we will not comment further at this time.”
Gillies, 21, came to the Phillies from the Seattle Mariners organization in the Cliff Lee trade last winter. He was arrested by Pinellas Country Sheriff’s offers at 1:10 am and was released at 10:52 am on $2,000 bond.
The arrest stemmed from a June 11th incident where he was given a courtesy ride by a police officer. He didn’t have enough cash for a cab ride home so the officer gave him a ride to a hotel. When he left the police cruiser, there was a small bag full of a “white powdery substance” on the back seat of where he sat. He was advised that he could be arrested at a later time.
Gillies had been out with an injured left hamstring for the last two months. He batted .238 in Reading with two home runs and six RBIs in 26 games.
2010 PRO Rumors MLB Draft Tracker
Posted by: | CommentsTo make thing easier for our readers, we’ve created a 2010 PRO Rumors MLB Draft Tracker. You can see at our homepage at http://www.prorumors.com. It’ll be updated throughout the night. You’ll see the player, team, position, whether they signed or not, what they signed for and the slot recommendation by Major League Baseball. Enjoy!
Ichiro lobbying Mariners to hire Bobby Valentine?
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According to a Mariners person close to Peter Gammons of MLB.com, Ichiro Suzuki has talked to the team’s ownership about hiring Bobby Valentine.
Last week, it was said by friends of Valentine (via Larry Stone of the Seattle Times), the former big league manager and now ESPN analyst would be interested in the vacant Seattle Mariners’ managerial job. Valentine did not comment on the situation.
Valentine managed the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan, so he could be a cultural fit for the Japanese-owned (Nintendo of America) Mariners.
The Mariners are currently being managed by interim skipper Daren Brown. “At the end of the year, we will open this job up and seek the best candidate possible,” GM Jack Zduriencik said. “In baseball and any sport or walk of life, there’s always an evaluation process going on. Daren will be evaluated as we move forward.”
Nick Cafardo on 2011 managers, Victor Martinez and Jeremy Guthrie
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Here are a few notes from Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe:
- Bobby Valentine could be a good candidate for the Seattle Mariners gig. Cafardo adds that the White Sox bench coach Joey Cora or Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell could be high on the list for the Mariners. The Mariners won’t be alone in searching for a new manager. The Florida Marlins, Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, and Pittsburgh Pirates could be looking for a new manager this off season too.
- Other manager candidates that could attract interest include Dave Martinez of the Tampa Bay Rays, Boston’s DeMarlo Hale, and the Yankees’ Tony Pena.
- If Joe Torre departs Los Angeles, Cafardo says, Don Mattingly seems like the favorite. The Dodgers could look at Tim Wallach, who has succeeded at Triple-A.
- If the Mets fire Jerry Manuel, Cafardo says New York could turn to Valentine, Torre, Wally Backman or Bob Melvin.
- According to a source close to Cafardo, there has been preliminary talks regarding an extension with catcher Victor Martinez. Cafardo says that Martinez may fall into the four-year, $60 million range, and the Sox may not believe he may be worth that. Martinez is a free-agent after the season.
- Cafardo says right-handed pitcher Jeremy Guthrie of the Baltimore Orioles is starting to figure things outs. An American League GM expressed regret at not going after Guthrie harder at the trading deadline. “It’s one of those situations where our evaluators were caught between well, he’s throwing the ball better, but will he keep it up?’’ said the GM. “After the deadline, he’s continued to throw the ball really well and I think he’s a pitcher who could have helped a lot of teams if you’d taken that leap.’’
