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.

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.

Alex Rodriguez Took Steroids 5 Years Ago. Who Cares?

If you’re one of the millions who attended a Major League Baseball game last season, obviously you don’t. If you’re one of the millions who watched a Major League Baseball game on television last season, you don’t either. And if you’re one of the millions who still consider themselves a fan of Major League Baseball through all of this, clearly you don’t really care either.

I know I don’t. Odds are, even as someone who despises the Yankees, I won’t even crack “The Yankees best player is a cheater” remarks to fans of the Bronx Bombers. Why? Because the odds are actually pretty good that at least a handful of my favorite players also juiced at one time or another. The same goes for you.

You might be mad. You might even be heartbroken that the game you’ve loved since childhood has come to this. But let me assure you that deep down, you don’t care as much as you think you do and you will get over it—at least enough to enjoy the game for the rest of your life.

Although A-Rod is the big name this time, it was Roger Clemens last time, Barry Bonds before that, and the Rafael Palmeiro/Sammy Sosa/Mark McGwire debacle before that. The list goes on and on. There were 90 names in the Mitchell Report and over 100 players failed a drug test the same time A-Rod did. Of course, we may never know who they are since the list was meant to be confidential, but does it even matter? And what about all the users we don’t know about?

The best way to judge an era’s impact is to imagine how it will be looked upon in the future. When I’m 80 years old, sitting in my rocker daydreaming about this era, I won’t be smashing holes through my wall with my cane as a result. Like all of you, I’ll never completely forget the steroids and the related controversy, but more so, I’ll remember feeling like a 10 year old as I sat behind the Braves’ bench at Spring Training in Florida last year. I’ll remember meeting Nate McLouth last season at a Pirates game and getting him to sign my all-star shirt with his name on it. I’ll remember chatting with guys like Ryan Howard, Cole Hamels, Gavin Floyd, Robinson Cano, Dustin Pedroia, and Jon Lester while they were still playing Double-A ball. I’ll remember paying almost $100.00 for MLB TV so I can watch every afternoon game of the season at work.

I wish steroids were never a part of the game. I really do. But, I accepted a long time ago that they had an impact and I’m over it. The way I see it, we will never know every name of every player who popped a pill or stuck themselves with a needle, so why even worry about it? Major League Baseball, and Congress for that matter, has made significant strides over the last couple of years and so I believe it is safe to say that the steroid era is over.

So be angry. Be disappointed. Be whatever you want. But, at end of the day, just ask yourself one question: How much do I really care?

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!

New York Mets Net Freddy Garcia

The Mets have beat the New York Yankees to the plate, landing free-agent pitcher Freddy Garcia to a minor-league deal according to multiple sources. Earlier this week, various reporters such as Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports spoke about the Mets and Yankees emerging as the front runners for acquiring Garcia. If Garcia can make the Mets’ squad for 2009, it is believed he can earn up to $8MM after reaching other incentives.

Garcia is a 10-year veteran who signed a minor-league contract last year with the Detroit Tigers. He made only three appearances late in the season and only recorded a single win. In his 10-year career, Garcia has pitched a total of 238 innings and has an earned ERA of 3.05.

With the signing of Garcia, other pitchers such as Oliver Perez, Ben Sheets and Randy Wolf still remain on the list for the Mets who are in hopes of adding another big name starter to their rotation. Sources last week said that Mets GM Omar Minaya would have rather signed Oliver Perez than Derek Lowe. Interesting…eh?

Garcia will compete for a rotation spot during Spring Training.

The REAL Reason Your Team Is Not Shopping This Offseason

Wondering why your team is not making a mad last ditch run to shore up a needed position on your team via free agency? Well, the economy is the overwhelming issue at hand, but that is not the only reason.

First we’ll examine the overall economic factors. Just look at the current free agent class, (most) teams are just not as willing to shell out big money and especially not big contracts for fear of how the economy will affect their market. The fact that Manny has not yet signed is a big testament to that, as well as the many free agents like Derek Lowe, Francisco Rodriquez (K-Rod), or Pat Burrell who all had to sign well below what they might have before the recession.

But the REAL reason, for the time being, is arbitration. Most teams have many arbitration hearings, or contracts, to work out as we approach spring training. This means that as team budgets shrink the potential money that will have to be paid via arbitration hearings or contracts will have a greater impact. Sure, typically 20 million dollars in payroll at this time of year wouldn’t be as big a deal. But with the economic uncertainty that teams are facing in their respective markets the money that teams might have to pay out in the coming weeks has become a bigger issue.

No one is really saying this of course, teams want to downplay the economy at some times and rightfully so. But I guarantee you that teams are waiting to find out what budget they will have left to work with before they start to go after big free agents before spring training. It makes sense, I mean let’s all find out what we will owe our current employees before we go out and hire any new ones.

Most teams have many arbitration hearings to go through. Shoring up young talented players like Andre Ethier, Russel Martin, or Cole Hamels is definitely a priority for teams. Especially since most teams are getting a great deal for these players. And most teams have more arbitration eligible players than not. Now I understand that not all arbitration eligible players make it to an arbitration hearing. Clubs try to do all that they can to avoid this and you can see this by a flurry of smaller contracts being worked out right now in order to avoid arbitration.

After all of these contracts get worked out you will start to see teams get more aggressive with their signings, albeit at the 11th hour. I’ll bet that we see a Manny deal after the Dodgers have finished dealing with all of their arbitration eligible players that they have left. And after Manny goes, so will Dunn, Abreu, and others. The same will go for pitching; clubs will make stronger offers to pitchers like Oliver Perez, Ben Sheets, Randy Wolf, and Jon Garland after they finish hammering out salaries for their existing staff.

I’m not sure why this is being treated like such a white elephant and I am also not aware of anyone else that has pointed this out. It seems pretty clear that clubs are holding back on contracts for good reasons.  Other than the overall economic situations, which are all relevant to each team’s specific market, currently it is the uncertainty over what clubs will have to pay via arbitration or new contracts for arbitration eligible players.

Five Teams Interested In Ken Griffey Jr.

Five teams are reportedly interested in one of the most forgotten free-agents this offseason-Ken Griffey Jr. Griffey who just turned 39 years old, batted an uncharacteristic .249 last season.

His low performance last year has been attributed to a knee problem that was caused when Griffey fell over a shoe enclosure in the Red’s clubhouse at the beginning of 2008.

According to SI.com and Griffey’s agent, three American League teams and two National League teams may be interested in the outfielder’s services. Two of the American League teams include the Tampa Bay Rays and the Seattle Mariners for sure. The other three teams have not been mentioned as of today.

Griffey is expected to settle for a short duration contract possibly one to two years max. The future hall of famer is considered to be a possible fit for team looking to fill the DH position if the current outfield is already occupied.

More to follow on “the Griftster”…

Top 10 Free Agents Your Team Doesn’t Have

There is no doubt that this year’s free agent class has been one of the most epic of all time.  There was a ton of big time talent available like CC Sabathia, Mark Texeira, Manny Ramirez, and Adam Dunn. If you are a team in need then you have the opportunity to really turn things around. Just ask the New York Yankees!

Yet, given the amount of talent available the market has developed slower than Andruw Jones’ bat this season. We all have Scott Boras to thank for that. He likes to hoard his players until the last minute while he tries everything to create a circus and a buzz around his players. And unfortunately he represents the majority of the biggest names in baseball.

Another thing that has slowed the market is the economic uncertainty that owners are facing. No one is sure what the impact will be on their respective markets. If you ask Scott Boras baseball is recession proof. Nevertheless teams are treading very carefully, especially those in smaller markets that rely more on ticket sales.

But I need to also mention that we need to not only look at this year’s free agent crop when analyzing the market. We need to consider who will be on the market in the coming years. Fred Claire does a great job of analyzing the free agent market in the coming years. Read it if you have the time but the jist of it is that the market, in terms of the amount of talent that will be available, will be much thinner in the years to come. And that tells us that now is the time to buy, especially considering that contracts are going to be smaller this year because of the amount of talent out there and because of the economic uncertainty.

That being said, here are the top 10 free agents left in this year’s market:

MANNY RAMIREZ, OF/DH

Not much needs to be mentioned here as Manny Ramirez is one of the greatest right handed hitters of all time. He recently hit .396 with 17 homers and 53 RBIs in 53 games for Dodgers and pretty much carried them into the playoffs, while making everyone on the team better around him. Sure he has a checkered past and has proven to be quite juvenile. But it is apparent that all he wants to be respected for his talents and acknowledged. He has a ton of money and I do not believe that is all that motivates him. And Harold Reynolds of ESPN and MLB Network notes that what Manny has done in the past is nowhere close to as criminal as what so many other players have done on and off the field! Manny just attracts attention because of his electric personality and bat.

DEREK LOWE, SP

If you are looking for pitching, and most teams are, then Derek Lowe is your safest option left because if his consistency. He averages more than 15 wins a season, throws a heavy sinker that keeps the ball on the ground, has a stellar record of not being injured, and has proven to be a great big game pitcher. The Mets are the front runners to sign him but I don’t think that the three-year, $36 million offer will get it done unless Lowe is really motivated to pitch in NY this season.

BOBBY ABREU, OF/DH

Abreu is consistent and his cautious approach keeps him healthy. He is in very good company, joining Alex Rodriguez and Albert Pujols, as having reached at least 100 RBI in the past six seasons. His defense is average, and is better than Manny’s and Dunn’s but that isn’t saying much. He is patient at the plate and uses the whole field. He would set a great example for other young hitters on any team he lands with. He will probably be the best bargain of this year’s free agent class as he is highly underrated.

ADAM DUNN, OF/DH

Adam Dunn is a great power hitting left handed run producer. But he is a below average fielder that has proven to be cranky player when he doesn’t get his way. Dunn does not run well, Manny might be able to beat him to first, and he strikes out more than almost anyone else. However his patience at the plate gives him a good OBP and his all or nothing approach gives you about 40 home runs and 100 RBI each season. Given his lack defensive liability and power stoke he may be well suited for the American League, possibly the Angels, which is why I list him as a possible DH. It has been reported that the Nationals and Jim Bowden may make a run at Dunn but the Dodgers have also listed him as a fall back option if they do not land Manny.

BEN SHEETS, SP

Big Ben is a great pitcher with electric stuff….. when he is healthy that is. He has a better career than A.J. Burnett but also has an injury plagued history that is keeping teams away. He is definitely not getting the respect he deserves which makes him a possible bargain and candidate for a short-term incentive laden contract. If he stays healthy he can be one of the top pitchers in the league. Unfortunately that is too big of an “if” for most teams it seems.

PAT BURRELL, OF/DH

Pat Burrell has all the shortcomings of Dunn. Poor defensive skills, no speed, and strikes out at a dizzying rate. But he is also good for 30+ home runs and 100 RBI a season. His declining defense and lack of speed also make him well suited for move to the American League. I am totally amazed that there are not more teams going after his power bat. Maybe it is because of the fact that he has not been able to put together a complete season, often playing poorly in either the first or second half of each season. He tends to not be consistent and that maybe his main drawback. I still feel that Burrell is in the same group with Sheets and Abreu as one of the more underrated free agents of this year’s market.

MILTON BRADLEY, OF/DH

Bradley is coming off of a stellar season in which he lead the entire AL in both on-base percentage (.436) and OPS (.999). Another plus is that he is a switch hitter that hits for power and average. The reason that I list him so low is that he has bad knees that limit him to probably 130-135 games in the field. It is said that he could still go to the National League and the Nationals are said to have him at the top of their list, as well as the Cubs.

JON GARLAND, SP

Jon Garland is coming off of a weak 2008, which is never good for a free agent, despite a respectable 14 wins which can be counted on from him. He rarely strikes anyone out and is said to be one of those guys that pitches to contact, so he needs a solid defense behind him. His career is not that dissimilar to that of Burnett or Lowe but again his 2008 was not super, with an ERA of 4.90 and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 1.53. Garland would be a much better fit for the NL where there is no DH and has been rumored to be sought after by the Cardinals and their pitching maestro Dave Duncan.

OLIVER PEREZ, SP

Perez is solid lefty, posting 25 wins over the past two seasons with the Mets. He has proven to be pretty durable by pitching over 170 innings in the past two years. He is a strikeout pitcher, averaging 150+ over the past three seasons but is also hittable with an average of 150 hits per season during that same span of time. So he is not spectacular but can be solid. Unfortunately Boras is his agent and is of course asking for way too much, 5 years and $70 million. I doubt that he’ll get that in today’s market. The Mets would like him back but need to first see if they can land Lowe before they will make him an offer.

ORLANDO CABRERA, SS

I am going to round out my list with an infielder, not just to round out the top 10 but because he deserves it. Cabrera is much better, right now, than Renteria. And Renteria surprisingly signed an $18.5 million deal. Cabrera is a masterful fielder, earning this year’s Defensive Player of the year from MLB.com/TWIB and just missed the Gold Glove award in the AL. Along with his glove, Cabrera also brings his bat with him to the ball park. He hit a respectable .281, can score around 100 runs per season, will swipe some bags and makes for a great lead-off man. Unfortunately the market was full of good SS this year so he has lost some value. But some team somewhere will end up with a great lead-off man/SS at a great value.
Honorable mentions: Jason Giambi, Orlando Hudson, Joe Crede, Andy Pettitte, Garret Anderson, Randy Wolf, and Freddy Garcia.

Yankees Spent $423 Million In December

The New York Yankees have gone “all out” this holiday season possibly placing the best players on the free agent market under the tree for the city of New York and all of those Yankees fans around the country.

Spending 423 million bucks on a few gifts is definitely a rarity these days, but the Yankees have all the confidence in the world on their recent holiday investments that include CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and A.J. Burnett.

What could you possibly buy with $400MM?  Apparently, it is possible to buy yourself a house on the moon, or even 400 billion 99 cent cheeseburgers at McDonalds. You could even buy three of the best players in baseball and add them to your roster in hopes of winning a World Series-just like the Yankees have done.

The Yankees have always been infamous for smashing the piggy bank, but with their recent $400MM in transactions the team will actually have saved money even after paying their so-called “luxury tax”.

Losing players like Jason Giambi, Mike Mussina, Bobby Abreu, and Andy Pettitte all were responsible for freeing up most of the Yankees’ salary cap this offseason and reducing the payroll numbers below 2008 totals. The Yanks have successfully saved a dime in 2009! This is one spending spree we may never forget!

Nationals Had Higher Offer For Teixeira Than Yankees

First of all, RBI Magazine would like to wish everyone a very Happy Holiday and a great New Year as we move closer and closer to 2009. And with that we move to today’s breaking baseball news story….

Christmas Day has brought us a few stories surrounding the recent Yankees acquisition of first-baseman Mark Teixeira. RBI Magazine has learned from multiple news sources including MLBTRs that the Washington Nationals actually had a higher offer for Mark Teixeira and easily could have smoked the Yankees original offer. So why isn’t Teixeira a Nat?

Earlier this week, Teixeira’s agent Scott Boras was quoted stating that Teixeira would choose the team that was most likely to win a championship over the next few years. Obviously, Teixeira’s agent did not lie and even money could not stand in the way of his future decision. How much did Teixeira actually turn down to become a Yankee?

Reports have been circulating that the first-baseman turned down more than $5MM dollars more from the Nats to play in the Bronx. You might be asking “What in the Sam Hill was he thinking?”

The fact of the matter here is that Teixeira WAS thinking! Now he will have the opportunity to play and learn with baseball superstars Derek Jeter, CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Alex Rodriguez, and possibly develop his skills even more. Also, what seems to be the most important factor to agent Scott Boras and Mark Teixeira, is possibly winning a Championship.

If you were to choose who would win a championship in the next few years, I am sure the Nationals don’t immediatley come to mind. Did Mark Teixeira just pay $5MM to win a championship? Many think so…

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