Baseball Insider: February 15, 2009 - February 21, 2009
Jay Gibbons Resurfaces in Florida
Continuing with the theme from yesterday's Kris Benson post, we take a look at where former Orioles outfielder Jay Gibbons has landed. Gibbons, perhaps the most tragic figure to come out of the Mitchell Report saga after an impassioned letter to the 30 major league teams was made public last...
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CJ Holley
| February 21, 2009; 1:32 PM ET |
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Marlins, Orioles
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Twins Get Busy, Close to Crede, Cruz Deals
Leave it to Minnesota to near two enormous offseason moves late Friday night on the first week of spring training. The Yankees know how to make a media splash. The Twins? They're happier slipping in with silent swan dives. The primary dive which they've been focused on revolved around former...
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Cameron Smith
| February 21, 2009; 10:18 AM ET |
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Twins
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Kris Benson Still Kicking Around
Kris Benson, the less attractive member of the Benson family. (Linda Kaye - AP File Photo) Fittingly, this story comes out of Surprise, Ariz. According to T.R. Sullivan of mlb.com, Kris Benson will sign a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers and appear at the team's spring training....
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CJ Holley
| February 20, 2009; 9:34 PM ET |
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Orioles, Rangers
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Dodgers Sign Orlando Hudson
If Nats fans thought General Manager Jim Bowden's declaration that the team would not be adding second baseman Orlando Hudson was all a smoke screen, well, it wasn't. Hudson is now officially a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers without a single bid from the Nationals. According to MLB.com's Ken...
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Cameron Smith
| February 20, 2009; 6:02 PM ET |
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Dodgers
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Braves, Glavine Agree to One-Year Deal
Well, that answers this question from yesterday. Atlanta wasted little time in re-allocating some of the money it may have put aside for Ken Griffey Jr., coming to terms with longtime Braves and erstwhile Mets starter Tom Glavine on a one-year deal. According to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal, the contract...
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Cameron Smith
| February 20, 2009; 4:35 PM ET |
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Braves
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Moment of Levity: The Big Picture
TARZAN, HE IS NOT It wasn't so long ago that Rockies pitcher Aaron Cook was trying to work his way back from back trouble and blood clots caused by a rib pressing against a vein in his side. Guess he's over those problems, huh?...
By
Cameron Smith
| February 20, 2009; 3:21 PM ET |
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Rockies
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Signed, Sealed and Soon-to-Be Delivered
Brian Roberts and the Orioles have something to smile about. (Rob Carr - AP File Photo) UPDATED Brian Roberts's deal is done, the physical has been taken and now all that's left is the formal announcement which is expected at 1 p.m. today. As reported here and elsewhere, Roberts's...
By
CJ Holley
| February 20, 2009; 12:15 PM ET |
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Orioles
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Why You Can't Count on Prospects: Andy Marte
In December 2005, the Braves traded a minor league prospect named Andy Marte to the Red Sox for shortstop Edgar Renteria. While Renteria was coming off a rough season in Boston, he was still in the prime of his career and there was reason to believe, if healthy, he had...
By
Cameron Smith
| February 19, 2009; 5:27 PM ET |
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Braves, Indians, Red Sox
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Moment of Levity: The Big Picture
SWEET RIDE Yankees manager Joe Girardi offered to take in some bats and gloves after the Yankees practice on Monday, but we're not sure he would have agreed if he knew his daughter, Lena, was going to come along for the sunflower seed bucket ride. (AP/Mary Altaffer)...
By
Cameron Smith
| February 19, 2009; 2:25 PM ET |
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Yankees
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Baltimore Rejoice: Roberts Deal Nearly Done
For the past two seasons, Orioles Manager Dave Trembley has responded to trade rumors about Brian Roberts by noting that Roberts would be his leadoff hitter and second baseman until he was told otherwise. It doesn't seem like anyone will be telling Trembley otherwise for a while. The Baltimore Orioles...
By
CJ Holley
| February 19, 2009; 1:41 PM ET |
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Orioles
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What Do the Braves Do Now?
So much for Ken Griffey Jr. The outfielder spurned the Braves, Chipper Jones, Bobby Cox and harsh reality of American geography to sign with his first franchise, the Seattle Mariners last night. As a few outlets have already written, the Braves have taken steps in the right direction this offseason....
By
Cameron Smith
| February 19, 2009; 11:56 AM ET |
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Braves
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3-for-3: A-Rod's Cousin, B. Roberts, F. Gonzalez
1. Well, that didn't take long. Alex Rodriguez's mysterious, anonymous drug-mule cousin (the best made-up nickname for him came courtesy of Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal, who called him "Cousin It") now has a name: Yuri Sucart. Welcome to your nightmare, Mr. Sucart. 2. Must say I'm surprised by the news...
By
Dave Sheinin
| February 19, 2009; 7:25 AM ET |
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Griffey, Mariners Party Like It's 1999
Same player, same team but the game has very much changed in the last 10 years. Despite a strong, late push by the Atlanta Braves, aging slugger Ken Griffey Jr. is heading back to Seattle, the Mariners announce Wednesday night. The deal is rumored to be for one year...
By
CJ Holley
| February 18, 2009; 11:45 PM ET |
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Mariners
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Is the Eagle Finally Landing?
So reports out of Baltimore, most notably by Sun columnist Peter Schmuck yesterday and Sun Orioles beat writer Jeff Zrebiec today have the Orioles and all-star second baseman Brian Roberts closing in on a new multi-year deal. The deal is rumored to be in the neighborhood of four years and...
By
CJ Holley
| February 18, 2009; 2:49 PM ET |
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Orioles
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Moment of Levity: The Big Picture
LOST IN TRANSLATION Chan Ho Park is new to the Phillies, so there's plenty for him to go over with his new pitching coach, Rich Dubee. Still, we're not sure whether this has something to do with his unorthodox delivery or a move he picked up on Dancing With...
By
Cameron Smith
| February 18, 2009; 2:21 PM ET |
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Phillies
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Griffey to the Braves? Today?
David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has been banging the drum about Ken Griffey Jr. joining the Braves for the past two days. And even after Griffey's agent denied reports that Griffey had agreed to a deal with the Braves last night, O'Brien insists one is in place, and that...
By
Cameron Smith
| February 18, 2009; 1:22 PM ET |
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Braves, Mariners
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Jeremy Guthrie and an Introduction
Hey folks, I'm CJ Holley and I'm a sports producer for washingtonpost.com as well as the latest addition to the growing Baseball Insider family. I plan to focus chiefly on the team up I-95, the Baltimore Orioles, but I'm sure I'll chime in on some other baseball related goodies. Well,...
By
CJ Holley
| February 18, 2009; 12:02 PM ET |
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Orioles
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A-Rod, The Aftermath
The Yankees' first full-squad workout will begin within the hour, and on the surface it'll be one of those classic scenes. The sky here in Tampa is blue, they're watering the infield, the crazy Yankee fans are milling about outside Steinbrenner Field, and Alex Rodriguez is no doubt feeling much...
By
Barry Svrluga
| February 18, 2009; 10:05 AM ET |
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Report: Top Nats Prospect Lied About Age
According to a report released late Tuesday night on Sports Illustrated's web site, one of the Nationals' top prospects, 19-year-old shortstop and Dominican native Esmailyn Gonzalez, is not who he claims to be. Instead, writer Melissa Segura claims, he's actually a 23-year-old named Carlos Alvarez Daniel Lugo, and he was...
By
Cameron Smith
| February 18, 2009; 12:37 AM ET |
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Nationals
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I Want To Believe A-Rod, But....
.... I just don't. On a surface level, Alex Rodriguez came off looking very good today. He was less evasive than in the ESPN interview. He offered the details that everyone craved. He made a big show (a 37-second pregnant pause) of conveying his appreciation for his teammates. But there...
By
Dave Sheinin
| February 17, 2009; 4:52 PM ET |
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Most Revealing Quotes About A-Rod
There's been a ton of focus on Tampa and Alex Rodriguez today, and most of that attention, rightfully, is directed squarely at the third baseman in question. Yet there have been a few interesting quotes of note to trickle out from Rodriguez's teammates and other Yankee officials that, if they're...
By
Cameron Smith
| February 17, 2009; 4:48 PM ET |
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Yankees
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Moment of Levity: The Big Picture
MARQUIS STILL LOOKING FOR ANSWERS Former Cubs and Cardinals pitcher Jason Marquis was shopped to the Rockies in the offseason, largely to cut payroll. Or so it seemed. It looks like he's still trying to figure out why himself, though we're not sure he's looking in the right place....
By
Cameron Smith
| February 17, 2009; 4:21 PM ET |
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Rockies
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Barry's Live Press Conference Updates
After 33 minutes, Alex Rodriguez's press conference at Yankees spring training has come to an end. Rodriguez expressed remorse and admitted to using other substances that are now banned by Major League Baseball. Here were Barry Svrluga's quick thoughts throughout: 2:24 p.m. Rodriguez said he was injected, that he was...
By
CJ Holley
| February 17, 2009; 2:01 PM ET |
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Yankees
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The Calm Before the Storm
Barry Svrluga sets the scene at the Alex Rodriguez press conference... Perhaps 150 media members have gathered under a tent behind the left-field stands at George M. Steinbrenner Field here in Tampa. Three microphones are on the table at the front of the tent. Alex Rodriguez did not appear in...
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CJ Holley
| February 17, 2009; 1:33 PM ET |
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Yankees
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A-Rod News Conference: Live Video
Just FYI, we will have streaming video from the Alex Rodriguez news conference, scheduled for 1:30 p.m. ET in Tampa. Who doesn't like watching a media circus in real time?...
By
Jon DeNunzio
| February 17, 2009; 1:14 PM ET |
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Pirates, McLouth Agree to 3-Year Deal
After an offseason of acrimonious negotiations that stretched from December to the brink of an arbitration hearing, the Pirates somehow found some middle ground with young center fielder Nate McLouth, with the two sides agreeing on a three-year deal this morning that buys out the rest of McLouth's arbitration eligibility....
By
Cameron Smith
| February 17, 2009; 11:43 AM ET |
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Pirates
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The Scene in Tampa
Barry Svrluga here, wandering my way through the Gulf Coast of Florida and stumbling upon the circus here at George M. Steinbrenner Field, just off Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa. I'll try to have updates throughout the day, but for now, there's not much to report. The Yankees position players...
By
Barry Svrluga
| February 17, 2009; 10:34 AM ET |
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Braves, Glavine Deal Close; Griffey Next?
Most of the focus centered on Atlanta over the past couple days has zeroed in on the possible acquisition of outfielder Ken Griffey Jr., who would provide experience, leadership and power to the team's lineup. Well, the Braves are looking for a little bit of all those categories in starting...
By
Cameron Smith
| February 17, 2009; 9:05 AM ET |
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Braves
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Tuesday Triple-Play: A-Rod, A-Rod, A-Rod
1. No offense to Peter Gammons, who is one of the titans of my profession, and who I like and respect, but he should have gone further in his probing of Alex Rodriguez when he had the chance eight days ago. Luckily, we, the media, get a mulligan today --...
By
Dave Sheinin
| February 17, 2009; 8:39 AM ET |
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Camp Notes: Twins in Ft. Myers
The Twins make Spring Training home right across town from the Red Sox, which usually just means that things are a bit quieter on their side of town. Not this year. For the first time in, well, a long time, the Twins camp may be more intriguing than Boston's right...
By
Cameron Smith
| February 17, 2009; 2:32 AM ET |
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Twins
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Odalis Perez Is Holding Out
UPDATE: Chico has a more in-depth breakdown right here. If he can dig up any more tonight it's the first place you'll see it, too. That's the story according to ESPNDeportes, which got an interview with the pitcher in the Dominican Republic via Enrique Rojas, earlier today. According to Rojas,...
By
Cameron Smith
| February 16, 2009; 8:18 PM ET |
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Nationals
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Cardinals, Ludwick Avoid Arbitration
The Cardinals wrapped up their final arbitration eligible player tonight, signing outfielder Ryan Ludwick to a one-year deal worth $3.7 million, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold. The contract was signed near the midpoint of the $4.25 million Ludwick asked for and the $2.8 million the Cardinals wanted...
By
Cameron Smith
| February 16, 2009; 8:17 PM ET |
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Cardinals
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Camp Notes: Red Sox in Ft. Myers
Checking in with the team that finished a game short of the World Series, as the Red Sox get camp rolling in Ft. Myer's: Health is always a concern for Boston, as last year's playoff run proved. Well, things aren't off to the best start: outfielder J.D. Drew is still...
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Cameron Smith
| February 16, 2009; 12:24 PM ET |
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Red Sox
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Camp Notes: Phillies in Clearwater
Some brief camp notes from the past couple days out of Clearwater, Fla., where the World Champion Phitins make their home: The Phillies' biggest concern heading into camp was second baseman Chase Utley's health after offseason hip surgery. Well, Utley is already out fielding grounders in practice, and while prior...
By
Cameron Smith
| February 16, 2009; 11:34 AM ET |
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Phillies
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Lending Type As a Helping Hand
You may have noticed that there's still a handful of top free agents on the market. That's not a complete shock, because some of the guys still sitting on the sidelines are Type A free agents who rejected an offer of arbitration. Given the current economic climate, teams are more...
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Cameron Smith
| February 16, 2009; 10:42 AM ET |
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Athletics, Diamondbacks, Nationals, Twins
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Griffey to the Braves? Makes More Sense
Just when you think a future Hall of Famer is on the verge of proving that concerns of competition always come behind concerns of contract dollars, another team enters the race and offers Ken Griffey Jr. a chance to play for a borderline contender. According to multiple reports from the...
By
Cameron Smith
| February 15, 2009; 11:50 AM ET |
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Braves, Mariners
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