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This off-season has already seen the three biggest free agents switch teams for the lure of a nine-figure contract, and two of the biggest names in the game traded to title contenders.
As more and more free agents agree to terms, we begin to see a clearer picture of what to expect next season.
Pitchers and catchers will begin reporting in less than two months and opening day is just over three months away.
With next season rapidly approaching, let’s take a moment to stare into my crystal ball and examine 50 bold predictions for the upcoming year.
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Around 12:30 this morning, my phone buzzed with an e-mail alert, one I was not ready for or expecting.
According to T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com, Cliff Lee has just agreed to sign a five-year deal for about $115 million with the Philadelphia Phillies.
The deal, according to ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick, has a vesting option for a sixth year in Philadelphia.
Lee turned down offers from both the Texas Rangers, who had offered five-year and six-year deals to stay with the 2010 American League champions, and the New York Yankees, who had offered a seven-year deal worth about $155 million.
First, let me admit, I got it all wrong with Lee. Really wrong.
I was convinced that Lee was going to come to the Bronx this winter because of the desperate need the Yankees had for starting pitching and because of the Yankees offering the most money.
Usually, the New York Yankees don’t get turned down very often when they offer the most money, like the case two years ago when the Yankees offered seven years and $161 million to get CC Sabathia.
But if you want to look really hard at it, Lee turned down two guaranteed years and $40 million more to go back to Philadelphia. Why?
Does the Game 3 of the ALCS at Yankee Stadium stick in the minds of Lee and his wife Kristen, when she and along with other wives of the Rangers had beer and spit thrown into their direction while sitting in the visiting players’ seats?
Lee said that the incidents of that night would not play into his decision. I beg to differ here, because if he wanted to come to New York, he should have done so, say…Thursday?
Read more at bleacherreport.com
Ranking the top 100 baseball players of all-time is no easy task. It’s hard to juggle players from the dead-ball era, the middle 20th century and modern times.
Even more complicated is how to rank players at different positions. Where do you place the game’s dominant closers? How about starting pitchers? No matter how lights-out they may be, they still sat on the bench for most of their teams’ games.
Then, of course, comes the prickly situation of cheating, whether proven, admitted or alleged. Should ballplayers be penalized for the use of performance-enhancing drugs? Corked bats? How about the spitball?
It all adds up to a lively debate that we encourage you to join as Bleacher Report presents The Top 100 Baseball Players of All Time.
Read more at bleacherreport.com
Nick Swisher, the New York Yankees outfielder, will be off the market this weekend when he marries actress Joanna Garcia on Saturday at the Breakers Hotel & Resort in Palm Beach.
“She is my princess. I just could not be more happy,” Swisher told Page Six last month. “It’s just so great to have your best friend with you throughout everything good and everything bad.”
Get to know more about the beautiful Joanna right here.
Read more at bleacherreport.com
It begins already.
As soon as the Boston Red Sox signed Carl Crawford to an absurd seven-year, $142 million contract, ESPN delegated the team as a “bunch of grinders.”
Grinders don’t make $142 million.
Grinders don’t make $68 million like Josh Beckett or $82.5 million like John Lackey, $70 million like J.D. Drew, $62.5 million like David Ortiz, $41.1 million like Kevin Youkilis, $52 million like Daisuke Matsuzaka or $40.5 million like Dustin Pedroia.
A team of grinders is not worth $165 million.
Stop trying to paint the Boston Red Sox as some sort of winning with a small market team like the Tampa Bay Rays, the Minnesota Twins or the Oakland Athletics, so that fans of the other 29 teams won’t hate them as much.
They are not.
Granted, I will give Theo Epstein the benefit that he spends money on the right players with a mixture of home-grown players and trades for prospects far more than the New York Yankees, who simply overpay the biggest name on free agency, no matter who it is or what their history.
Or in this year’s case, the Yankees overpay old way past their prime guys rather than focus on what’s good for the team.
Read more at bleacherreport.com
One of the most often said phrases is “Keeping up with the Joneses,” a catchphrase referring to the comparison to one’s neighbor as a benchmark for social status or the accumulation of material goods. To fail to “keep up with the Joneses” is perceived as demonstrating socio-economic or cultural inferiority.
In the 1980s, Ronald Reagan built up the Star Wars defense initiative and the Soviet Union tried to keep up but went bankrupt. Not until the Russians privatized their state industries did the Russian Mafia become the wealthy capitalists they are now.
In the case of the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, it would be baseball inferiority, with the Yankees leading the way and Red Sox trying to keep up. Yanks get Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett, the Red Sox get scared and re-sign Josh Beckett and go out and sign John Lackey.
So when the Boston Red Sox did not advance past the first round of the playoffs in 2009, getting swept by the Los Angeles Angels, and then FAILED to make the post season last year, they have to do something else now, right?
The Red Sox must be thinking, “We can’t let the Evil Empire go out and get Cliff Lee. And now they are talking about getting Carl Crawford?”
Read more at bleacherreport.com
The Philadelphia Phillies have released Triple-A infielder Pablo Ozuna, who was suspended 50 games in June for violating baseball’s minor league drug program. The 34-year-old former big leaguer batted .294 with 15 RBIs in 51 games for Lehigh Valley this season. Major League Baseball said Ozuna had an elevated ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone, a violation of its drug rules.
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After having the AFC’s leading rusher last season, the Jets added even more to their offensive backfield by drafting last season Doak Walker Award Winner Shonn Greene. You would think that during Training Camp one of these running backs would look subpar to one of the others, but the opposite has happened, all three look great. So the “Three Headed Monster” has been born.
“We haven’t come up with a name yet for all three of us,” Leon Washington said, “but we do want to be the best backs in the league.”
Rex Ryan thinks a ton of his three running backs and plans on using all three in major roles on the team.
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If you’re going to exact on-field vengeance for one of your “untouchables” being hit by a pitch, you better keep your target practice below the waist.
That was the message sent last week by Major League Baseball vice president Bob Watson, who dispenses discipline for transgressions by uniformed personnel.
On the same day Watson decided not to suspend Los Angeles reliever Guillermo Mota for intentionally hitting Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder and getting ejected, the MLB exec suspended St. Louis reliever Brad Thompson for three games.
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The Philadelphia Phillies came into tonight’s game against the Florida Marlins with no energy, no enthusiasm, and lackluster play. For the second night in a row they looked like they were disinterested in Hamels leg kick 4.24.09 098 playing and have now allowed the Marlins to get back into the pennant race.
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By Mark Newman
The last time Major League Baseball ran a parade through downtown St. Louis and included Albert Pujols and the World Series trophy on the trucks, it was to celebrate the 2006 championship the Cardinals had just won.
Guess who’s back, St. Louis?
Pujols and the World Series trophy will be just parts of the MLB All-Star Red Carpet Parade presented by Chevy — an annual baseball tradition that started in that same 2006 season at Pittsburgh. Fans are invited to watch the game’s greats arrive at the 80th All-Star Game as they make their way from the corner of Market and Fourth Streets, down Market to Eighth Street to Stan Musial Drive and Gate 3 of Busch Stadium. Read more
SCOREBOARD
Detroit at St. Louis – Tigers 20-year-old rookie Rick Porcello (7-4) faces MLB home run leader Albert Pujols and St. Louis Cardinals.
STARS
Tuesday
-Felix Hernandez, Mariners, pitched a two-hitter and Seattle handed San Diego a record-setting 12th straight interleague loss with a 5-0 victory.
-Gil Meche, Royals, pitched a four-hit shutout – his first in nearly five years – as Kansas city beat Arizona 5-0.
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By Jesse Sanchez
Commissioner Bud Selig said that baseball draws more attention and criticism for its steroid revelations than does football during a radio interview on Tuesday.
“We are held to a higher and different standard,” Selig said during a 17-minute appearance on the Dan Patrick Show.
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The Chicago White Sox haven’t shown much of a spark at the plate this season. They hope their top prospect will provide one. t7fbrh6qmk
Gordon Beckham is expected to make his major league debut Thursday when the White Sox look for a split of their four-game series with the AL-worst Oakland Athletics.
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Baltimore Orioles shortstop Cesar Izturis is going on the disabled list after undergoing an appendectomy.
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