Phillies Sign Pedro Martinez

Three-time Cy Young Award winner Pedro Martinez, has signed a one-year, $1 million deal with the Phillies according to multiple sources around MLB. The signing was confirmed by the Phillies organization this morning, and the deal was worth $1MM for one year.

Martinez was immediatley placed on the 15-day DL because of a slight shoulder strain. There is no timeline on when the Phillies expect Pedro to take part in a rehab assignment.

Wednesday’s Version of Roy Halladay Rumors

During the All-Star game last evening, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports told Joe Buck that Roy Halladay will almost certainly be traded within the next two weeks. He mentioned that Blue Jay scouts are all over the country researching minor league talent.

STLToday.com reports that the Cardinals are going to make a generous run at the pitcher, but they will not “over do it” for Halladay.

The Bleacher Report featured an article today that explained why the San Francisco Giants should consider signing Halladay.

The Yankees and Red Sox continue to be in the conversation when it comes to potential suitors, though it would likely take a lot for Toronto GM J.P. Ricciardi to deal the ace to a division rival.

Manny Faces McCourt, Teammates

After being suspended by Major League Baseball for 50 games, Manny Ramirez apologized to Dodgers owner Frank McCourt during a meeting on Saturday in which was held to discuss his 50-game suspension.

The meeting was requested by McCourt who told reporters he is “furious” with the events that unfolded leading up to the positive test. McCourt is also expecting Ramirez make a formal apology to his teammates in the near future.

The drug is question is called human chorionic gonadotropin. In the world of performance enhancing drugs, hCG is increasingly used in combination with various anabolic androgenic steroid (AAS) cycles.

Ramirez has denied all claims that he used the drug to enhance his performance, but instead has said he was given the drug by his doctor for medical reasons.

The Dodgers now head east for a six game road trip begining with a 3 game series against the Phillies who eliminated them from the post season last year. It will be the first meeting between the clubs since last season.

Hamels Elbow “Mild Discomfort”

World Series MVP Cole Hamels reportedly left Phillies training camp yesterday, flying back to Philadelphia to have his left elbow examined by team physician Dr. Michael Ciccotti after reporting soreness in between innings.

According to the Zo Zone, Hamels did pitch in a minor-league spring training game Sunday at the Carpenter Complex. The Phillies said afterward that his performance went well and that he remained on schedule to start Opening Day on April 5.

“We do not think it is serious, at least at this time” Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. “We thought it was important for Dr. Ciccotti to check him out and see if there is anything more serious than what we think it is. He’ll decide once he sees him tomorrow morning if he needs to do any testing or any further testing. We did do a physical on him before we ended up finalizing the multiyear deal with him and felt comfortable with the diagnostics and such. But he’s had a little persistent soreness and we want to be cautious about it and have him checked out.”

With opening day less than twenty days away Hamels does not seem too stressed about his discomfort.

“Twenty days until Opening Day,” Hamels said. “My body and shoulder is pretty much ready. It’s just trying to get that mild discomfort out.”

After signing a 3-year $20.5MM deal less than two months ago, the Phillies will be sure to keep an eye on their ace.

Cole Hamels, MLB’s Newest Celebrity

Four months after leading the Philadelphia Phillies to a World Series Championship, Cole Hamels may have achieved himself into superstar stature with sports fans and the media all across the country.

From David Letterman to SI’s front cover, to a new condo that over looks Citizen’s Bank Park and the entire City of Brotherly Love, there is no question that his “celeb” status is on the rise. And you have to agree he has earned it!

Colbert Michael Hamels (his real name) has proven himself as a big game pitcher, performing nothing short of stellar not only during the World Series, but also taking control of the road, driving the “Fightin Phils” to the big dance.

Hamels went 4-0 during last season’s championship run and was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2008 World Series and National League Championship Series, helping the team accomplish its first championship since 1980.

On January 18th, 2009 Hamels agreed with the Phillies on a 3-year contract that will net the starter more than $20 million; a move that each and every Phillies fan hoped and anticipated.

As a native of San Diego, he attended Meadowbrook Middle School and Rancho Bernardo High School where during his junior year he fractured his arm while making a play. Even though the San Diego Padres were actively scouting Hamels, the injury deterred the organization from interest in the lefty. Hamels continued to battle injuries through his high school and Minor careers.

In 2002, Hamels entered the draft and was picked in the 1st round by the Phillies. His Minor League career was plague with injuries, but somehow he managed to keep active and advance to higher levels until he was finally called up to the Phillies in May of 2006 for a game against the Cincinatti Reds.

In his MLB debut, he pitched five scoreless innings in which he allowed only one hit, striking out seven batters and walking five. His debut was scored as a no-decision when reliever Ryan Madson gave up a 2-run lead. Not a bad start.

So where does the condo come in? With more money and fame, more personal luxuries become plenty. Cole Hamels and his wife recently purchased a magnificent penthouse apartment in Two Liberty Place, Philadelphua,  that is nothing short of magnificent. Take a tour and see for yourself, courtesy of the Inquirer.

From humongous glass windows to gorgeous hardwood floors, to a view that could be considered one of the greatest visuals of the entire city, you could say that Hamels and his beautiful wife Heidi Strobel have it made.

Strobel is also no stranger to the spotlight. After placing fifth on the sixth season of the reality TV show Survivor, herself and companion Jenna Morasca appeared together in the August 2003 issue of Playboy magazine. Ask Cole about it when you get the chance!

Despite all of the luxuries, Hamels has been said to be focused on the 2009 season more than ever, arriving in Clearwater FL., a few days ago. A few sources close to Hamels said that the new proclaimed superstar seems to be very focused on topping his numbers from last year hoping for another trip to the World Series.

On the first day of spring training, when asked who the Opening Day starter would be, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel responded:

“Yeah, you might as well go ahead and pencil him in.  I don’t think there’s any sense in me playing games. Go ahead, pencil him in.”

As a pitcher who’s “stuff” is just down right nasty, Hamels has been said to engage in offseason workouts that have lasted more than six hours per day. His dedication to the team and leadership is none like any other.

As a Phillies fan I saw Cole’s career begin in Philadelphia, and I along with millions of Phillies fans, hope to see #35 on the mound for many years to come!

Maybe even one day, he will invite me over to his condo to check our his view of the city over a few cheese steaks. Who knows! One thing I do know is that the Phillies will be in great shape with the talent and leadership of Cole Hamels kicking off their starting rotation.

5 NL East Players To Watch For 2009

It’s been a wild offseason for the National League East.

The Mets welded their leaky bullpen by signing two closers.  The Braves loaded up on starting pitching by grabbing 365 wins off the market and recently added a hall of famer. Florida locked up their franchise player, Hanley Ramirez, to a six-year contract.  Even the lowly Nationals got involved, stealing Adam Dunn for $20 million.  The World Champion Phillies found themselves a new left fielder and brought back the majority of the 2008 squad.

Even though the spring is just starting, it will be April before long and each of these teams will be looking to a special player to lead them.

Each NL East team has to incorporate a new player or players into their plans and some will work out, and some won’t.  Here is a look at five players to keep an eye on in the NL East for 2009.

Raul Ibanez, Philadelphia Phillies LF
-Ibanez really the no-brainer choice for the Phillies being the newcomer.  He takes over for Pat Burrell in left field and has to bring the offense east.

The former Seattle Mariner is a steady bat and run producer, and although he lacks the power of Burrell, he was hardly housed in a launching pad at Safeco Field.  Ibanez has a career batting average of .286, and has not dipped below 100 RBI’s in the past three seasons.  Consistency was not a word in Pat Burrell’s vocabulary, so that part of Ibanez’s game will be welcomed.

For the Phillies to remain the cream of the crop in the National League, Ibanez will have to bring that stability to Philadelphia.  As of now, it looks like the six hole suits Ibanez best, and he could very well knock in a ton of runs in that spot.

If his track record is any indication of what he can provide this year for the Phils, everyone should be in for a treat.  Ibanez hit .327 with runners in scoring position, over 100 points higher than Burrell.  While Burrell was leaving his friends on the island, it’s safe to say Ibanez should bring them home.

There are many positives in the upgrade of Ibanez, one however, is not age.  He is going on 37-years old and seems to be aging well.  The Phillies need him to fend off father time for a few more years.

Dallas McPherson, Florida Marlins 3B
-If you’re a diehard fan, you may remember this name.  The guy was supposed to be a stud, but has played like a dud.

McPherson started out with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and was destined for stardom.  The third baseman of the future in Anaheim, McPherson smashed 40 homers between double-A and triple-A in 2004, and was poised to make the leap to the pros in ’05.  But over the next three seasons, McPherson did little in the bigs, and people began to call him a quadruple-A player.

He has since moved to Miami and is still the third baseman of the future, but now is 28-years old.  At 6’4”, 210 pounds, McPherson should be a perennial 35-homer guy, but it hasn’t panned out that way.  Instead, he is hoping to stay at the major league level for an entire year, something he has yet to do.

McPherson is yet another project player the Marlins so often find on their hands.  He is a reclamation story hoping to hit it big on a team filled with young players and castaways.  And even though the Marlins look shoddy on paper, they always find a way to be involved in the NL East. McPherson will be an need to be the power in the middle of the order, because the Marlins just don’t have anyone else.  Besides their franchise player Hanley Ramirez, they have traded both Josh Willingham and Mike Jacobs and Jeremy Hermida has not been able to put it all together.

Hopefully the kid is ready for stardom, because the Marlins are in need of that big bat.

Jeff Francouer, Atlanta Braves RF
-The dude has an absolute cannon for an arm, which has not changed.  What has changed for Jeff Francouer is his ability to hit.

Looking like an all-star caliber outfielder in 2006, Francouer went 29/103 and the sky was the limit.  In ’07 his home runs dropped (19), but his RBI’s went up (105) and he was still a special player in the making.

2008 was an entirely different story for kid with the killer arm.  Francouer struggled so mightily last year that he was sent down to the minors briefly in an attempt to wake up the sleeping bat.  Nothing worked and the slugger limped to the finish with this line: .239/11/71.

This year, the Braves need the Jeff of old if they want to compete. Complete with a refurbished rotation, Atlanta needs an offense to work with.  Chipper Jones has been the focus of the lineup for more than a decade and while injuries continue to hinder him, they have yet to find someone else to produce consistently in front of, or behind him.  Brian McCann has been one of the best catcher in baseball, but he is a catcher and they aren’t known for their bats.  Yunel Escobar is a nice player, but still has holes he needs to fix.

It all rests on the wide shoulders of Jeff Francouer to take over as “the” guy.

Ryan Zimmerman, Washington Nationals 3B
-Last year was a long one for everyone involved in DC.  Zimmerman has suffered through three straight dismal seasons, with 2008 being the worst.  The Nats went 59-102,  never really showing much promise with a group that was thought to be on the up and up.

None of that was true, and no one suffered more than Zimmerman, who fought through injuries and played just 106 games.  His numbers hit three-year lows as he managed to hit just 14 home runs, which happened to be the most on the team.  How’s that for low.

Zimmerman was the fourth overall pick in the 2005 draft, and in his first full year in the bigs he looked like the real deal.  His 20/110 line was “star in the making” type stuff, and his second season was almost as nice, going 24/91.  But last year was an abomination, as the team tried to fly, but couldn’t get off the runway.  One of the main reasons was their ailing third baseman.

For this to be a positive year, and anything can be positive after a 59-win campaign, Zimmerman must be healthy and be the leader the Nationals drafted him to be.  He is the heart and soul of this franchise and although they have another big bat in the clubhouse these days, it’s still his squad.  Adam Dunn will join Zimmerman in the lineup and the two could have a huge impact on how Washington does in the criminally tough NL East. But, it could go south just as easily as last season.

Washington still has questions in the rotation and in their crowded, but underachieving outfield.  The one constant they need is Zimmerman.  He’s the engine that makes this club run.

JJ Putz, New York Mets RP
-It’s funny that a relief pitcher would be one of the most influential players in an entire division, but such is the case when you’re a New York Met.  Last season, the Mets were second in the league in blown saves with 29.  The back end of their bullpen was a leaky faucet and the offense couldn’t have been happy about that.

The Mets bats did their job, and the starting pitching wasn’t half bad either.  New York was tied with the Philadelphia Phillies for the second most runs in the NL with 799.  It clearly was not the offense that let them down.  The rotation was stellar as well, as the starters had a cumulative ERA under four in 2008.

The bullpen was where the blame shall lay.  JJ Putz and Francisco Rodriguez have combined for 309 saves in their careers, and each have been an all-star.  They will now team up and anchor a bullpen that crumbled down the stretch last year and took their playoff hopes down with it.  Putz is the key here.

Putz right now is slated to be the eighth inning guy, but his role is just as important, if not more so, than the closer.  They now have a veteran presence that can actually get the game to the ninth inning, rather than blowing it after six or seven, which was the norm.  Putz may also need to step in for K-Rod once in a while, and it’s nice to count on another solid arm if that is the case.  The Mets should feel comfy with a lead after seven innings, because with two closers, they hope it will be game over.

Patrick Gallen is the Philadelphia Phillies Examiner for examiner.com.  He also hosts his own internet radio show, “Basketball Roundup” on the Sports Journey Broadcast Network. The show airs Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10am-12pm est.

World Champion Phillies Ink Miguel Cairo

As we continue to monitor the Ken Griffey Jr. situation, various reports have now confirmed that former Seattle Mariner, Miguel Cairo, has signed with the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies.  Cairo an extremely versatile player, is a great asset that Phillies could use in key situations as a pinch hitter, or a even a backup player at any position.

Cairo saw time at all infield positions at one point or another for the Mariners in 2008. The “fightin Phils” have been searching for a right handed bat over the past few months and have even considered names like Nomar Garciaparra and Moises Alou.

Cairo batted .249 and tallied 23 total RBI’s in 221 at-bats last season in Seattle.

More to follow…

Phillies Agree To 3-Year Deal With Ryan Howard

The World Champion Phillies have added the last remaining piece to their championship puzzle. The Philadelphia Inquirer is now reporting that Ryan Howard and the Phillies have agreed to a $54MM 3-year deal successfully avoiding the arbitration process and a hearing that was to take place later this week.

Initially, Howard was seeking $18MM for an additional year while the Phillies organization fell about $4MM short offering the slugger only $14MM. Now with the new agreement Howard’s average salary tends to average just about $18MM per year he and his agent were requesting.

The contract will eliminate the remainder of Howard’s arbitration eligible period as the agreement will be made through the 2011 season. The 2006 NL Most Valuable Player will be eligible for free agency at the end of the 2011 season.

Ryan Howard lead the league in home runs and RBI’s last season and was a vital contributor to the Phillies championship run last season. I think Philadelphia is very happy this issue has been resolved!

Nomar May Be “No More” For Phillies

Nomar may be “no more” for Philadelphia and Ryan Howard is a “big elephant”.

Reports in January linked the World Champion Phillies to rumors that the team was interested in signing Nomar Garciaparra if the “righty” wanted to continue his career. As it turns out those rumors were indeed valid and the Phillies were genuinely interested. However, what the Phillies want and what Nomar wants may not agree.

The uncertainty surrounding Garciaparra continuing his career, and the $4MM dollars that separates Ryan Howard and the Phillies from an agreement, may have just put a damper on Nomar’s chances in  “the city of Brotherly Love”, at least for now.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the Phillies $98 million payroll has jumped to $130 million this offseason and will continue to rise because  Ryan Howard’s unsettled salary still remains. The article continues to validate rumors about almost every right handed bat they have considered. One of the surprises on the list- Andruw Jones.

As the Phillies sit approximately one week from spring training, it looks as though the World Champions are finished “wheeling and dealing” for the meantime, but are still expected to be chasing another right-handed bat possibly near the beginning of the season.

Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. was quoted saying it is “very likely” the Phillies will not make any more additions. He then proceeded to call Ryan Howard “the elephant in the middle of the room”.

Phillies Chasing After Moises Alou

Recent reports surfacing over the last few weeks have identified Nomar Garciaparra as a possible candidate to join the Philadelphia Phillies roster this offseason.

However, as talks continue, Nomar is still undecided whether or not he wants to hang up the spikes on his career.As the waiting game continues, reports are now beginning to confirm the World Champion Phillies may be interested in LF Moises Alou to fill one of these final reserve positions.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. confirmed that the Philles are indeed interested in Alou.

The team is currently searching for a strong right-handed bat who could be used off the bench whenever needed. With the degree of uncertainty about Nomar continuing his professional career, the Phillies are beginning to focus elsewhere.

Alou has spent the last two years with the New York Mets before becoming a free agent this offseason. In 2008, Moises saw 49 appearances at the plate—17 of which were scored as hits. The left fielder is also expected to play for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic this coming March.

Other players possibly on the Phillies list include free agents Mark Grudzielanek, Rich Aurilia, and Kevin Millar.

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