Happy Black Friday, all! I trust that everyone had a great Thanksgiving and that the coming Christmas season will be one to remember.
As we storm department stores across the nation on this popular shopping day, teams across Major League Baseball are doing some shopping of their own. Robinson Cano, Carlos Beltran, Jacoby Ellsbury, Shin-Soo Choo, Matt Garza and a plethora of other notable names still remain on the market, and most are likely to find homes before the new year. A few big fish have already been reeled in: the St. Louis Cardinals have inked Jhonny Peralta to a hefty four-year contract, Brian McCann will don the famous Yankee pinstripes, and Ricky Nolasco has found a new home in the Twin Cities.
Meanwhile, the Yankees are said to be the frontrunners in vying for Beltran's services, the Rangers have the supposed edge on ace lefty David Price, and Mike Napoli of the World Series champion Red Sox could be headed back to his native Florida to play for the Marlins.
But let's not forget the less-heralded, but still very much important, names like Grant Balfour, Hiroki Kuroda and Ervin Santana. The Indians, Tigers and Mariners are all in need of bullpen help, and the Mariners also join the Mets and Braves as clubs searching for a dependable veteran arm for the starting rotation. So who fits best where?
That question, as well as many others, will be answered in front of the Hot Stove as the weather turns colder. Keep your eyes and ears open for more big moves in the coming weeks. You never know what sort of gift your team's GM might reel in this holiday season.
More to come from Walks and Balks in 2014. Have a safe and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Friday, November 29, 2013
Thursday, November 21, 2013
The Dog Days (of the Offseason)
This is a brief post because I'm sure that many minds out there, my own included, are elsewhere at this time of year. The dog days of the baseball offseason have arrived. Trees are bare, the air is frigid, and a thin layer of frost covers baseball fields everywhere. Thanksgiving is a week away, and Christmas looms on the horizon.
Let's be honest: it's not always easy to keep up with Hot Stove reports and MLB Network while visions of sugar plums are dancing in our heads.
But nonetheless, a couple of intriguing moves have stirred the baseball world this week, including the blockbuster trade of Detroit Tigers' first baseman Prince Fielder to the Texas Rangers in exchange for second baseman Ian Kinsler.
Four new managers have been hired: Rick Renteria is the new man in charge on the North Side of Chicago, ex-Pirate skipper Lloyd McClendon takes the helm for the Mariners, longtime pitching coach Bryan Price takes the manager's seat for the Reds, and former All-Star catcher Brad Ausmus will assume responsibilities in the Motor City.
What do these moves mean for the teams involved? Time will tell.
But for now, put on your warm stockings, prop your feet up by the fire and pour yourself some pumpkin-spice eggnog. Keep your TV and your smartphone apps ready though--with big-name free agents such as Jacoby Ellsbury, Robinson Cano and Carlos Beltran on the market, the coming weeks may bring big news.
***
"People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring."
-Rogers Hornsby
Let's be honest: it's not always easy to keep up with Hot Stove reports and MLB Network while visions of sugar plums are dancing in our heads.
But nonetheless, a couple of intriguing moves have stirred the baseball world this week, including the blockbuster trade of Detroit Tigers' first baseman Prince Fielder to the Texas Rangers in exchange for second baseman Ian Kinsler.
Four new managers have been hired: Rick Renteria is the new man in charge on the North Side of Chicago, ex-Pirate skipper Lloyd McClendon takes the helm for the Mariners, longtime pitching coach Bryan Price takes the manager's seat for the Reds, and former All-Star catcher Brad Ausmus will assume responsibilities in the Motor City.
What do these moves mean for the teams involved? Time will tell.
But for now, put on your warm stockings, prop your feet up by the fire and pour yourself some pumpkin-spice eggnog. Keep your TV and your smartphone apps ready though--with big-name free agents such as Jacoby Ellsbury, Robinson Cano and Carlos Beltran on the market, the coming weeks may bring big news.
***
"People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring."
-Rogers Hornsby
People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/r/rogershorn104218.html#sOmikOvdEwcLKoDp.99
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/r/rogershorn104218.html#sOmikOvdEwcLKoDp.99
People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/r/rogershorn104218.html#sOmikOvdEwcLKoDp.99
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/r/rogershorn104218.html#sOmikOvdEwcLKoDp.99
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