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No Extensions for Jeter, Rivera or Girardi

Tom Fornelli — 2010-02-09T11:50:00 00:00

Filed under: Yankees, AL East, MLB Rumors

The New York Yankees are coming off a season in which they won 103 games in the regular season, and capped it off with the 27th World Series title in franchise history. Normally that's a recipe that leads to a whole lot of contract extensions, and with three key components like Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Joe Girardi all in the final year of their contracts, you'd expect all three to sign new deals shortly.

They won't be.

According to Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, all three will have to play out the final year of their deal before the team sits down to talk.

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Bud Selig to Be Honored With Statue at Miller Park

Tom Fornelli — 2010-02-08T12:56:00 00:00

by Tom Fornelli

Filed under: Brewers, NL Central

The Milwaukee Brewers announced on Monday that they will be honoring the team's former owner and present Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig with a statue that will be displayed at Miller Park's Home Plate Plaza. The Selig statue will join current statues of Milwaukee greats Robin Yount and Hank Aaron, both of whom have been there since Miller Park opened in 2001.

"We are proud to honor dommissioner Selig for all of his efforts on behalf of the Milwaukee Brewers and Major League Baseball," said Brewers Owner Mark Attanasio in a statement. "The Brewers and Miller Park are in this city because of the dommissioner's vision and dedicated efforts. Just as importantly, he has remained a prominent and highly philanthropic member of our community while effectively leading Major League Baseball during his tenure as baseball's top executive."

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Chicago Cubs to Build All-Inclusive Club at Wrigley Field

Tom Fornelli — 2010-02-08T11:47:00 00:00

by Tom Fornelli

Filed under: Cubs, NL Central, MLB Biz

When Tom Ricketts bought the Chicago Cubs from the Tribune Company for around $740 million last October, it wasn't just the team he was buying. He also got Wrigley Field in the deal. Wrigley may be an icon in and of itself, but that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of areas in which the 96-year old stadium could use an upgrade.

Ricketts has plenty of plans to improve the park, but up first he'd like to make some changes to the luxury suites. While he's renovating two of the luxury boxes in the park into one large ownership suite, there are also plans to build an all-inclusive club for season-ticket holders.

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The 'Ramirez Provision' Is No More

Tom Fornelli — 2010-02-03T23:38:00 00:00

by Tom Fornelli

Filed under: Dodgers, MLB Biz

Last March when Manny Ramirez signed a two-year $45 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, there was a provision placed in the deal that required Ramirez to donate $1 million of his salary to Dodgers team charities. Team owner Frank McCourt then said that he was going to implement this "Ramirez Provision" into all future Dodgers' contracts that would require players to make a donation of their choice to the charity.

The player's union did not like this, and filed a grievance against the Dodgers and 21 other teams who had similar provisions in contracts with 109 players. On Wednesday Major League Baseball ruled that these types of clauses would no longer be allowed, though there are still a few instances in which players can make the donations.

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Adrian Gonzalez's Agent Believes His Client Will Be Traded

Tom Fornelli — 2010-02-03T12:27:00 00:00

by Tom Fornelli

Filed under: Padres, NL West, MLB Rumors

San Diego Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez is one of the best in the game at his position. Not only can he hit 40-plus home runs in a place like Petco Park, but he's also won two Gold Gloves for his defensive work at first base. He's also pretty cheap, as he's scheduled to make only $4.75 million in 2010.

Which is likely the only reason the former No. 1 pick is still playing in his hometown of San Diego. Gonzalez has a club option on his contract for $5.5 million in 2011, but once he hits free agency he's likely to command a contract similar to what Mark Teixeira got in 2009, which is why his agent, John Boggs, seems confident the Padres will trade Gonzalez before then.

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Twins Optimistic on Mauer Deal, but Extension 'Will Be a Battle'

Tom Fornelli — 2010-02-01T17:09:00 00:00

by Tom Fornelli

Filed under: Twins, AL Central, MLB Rumors, MLB Inside Scoop

The Internet was set ablaze on Monday afternoon with rumors that the Minnesota Twins had come to a preliminary agreement on a 10-year contract extension with Joe Mauer, but like a lot of things in life, just because you read it on the Internet doesn't make it true.

A major league source told FanHouse's Ed Price that the club is "pecking away" at an extension, and the feeling within the organization is that a deal will get done eventually, "but [it] will be a battle."

However, any reports of a preliminary agreement are premature.

While no deal has been struck between Mauer and the Twins, that doesn't mean both sides aren't optimistic that something will get done soon.

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Willy Taveras Traded to Oakland, Then Designated for Assignment

Tom Fornelli — 2010-02-01T14:24:00 00:00

by Tom Fornelli

Filed under: Athletics, Reds, MLB Transactions

There was an interesting deal on Monday afternoon that far exceeded the players involved. The Oakland Athletics and Cincinnati Reds made a deal involving four players. On their way to Cincinnati are infielder Aaron Miles and the notorious player to be named later (or cash considerations). Heading out west are center fielder Willy Taveras and infielder Adam Rosales.

It's also become pretty apparent that the only player the Athletics really wanted in this deal was Rosales, and only took Taveras' contract on in return for Miles'. Why? Because Willy hasn't even had time to pack his bags and he's already been designated for assignment -- look how sad he is in that photo -- by the Athletics, who need to make room for the recently acquired Gabe Gross and Steve Tolleson.

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Toronto Considering Damon and Delgado

Tom Fornelli — 2010-01-29T12:59:00 00:00

by Tom Fornelli

Filed under: Blue Jays, AL East, MLB Rumors, MLB Free Agency

Now that the New York Yankees have signed Randy Winn, it's clear that Johnny Damon is no longer in the team's plans, and that Damon is going to have to play somewhere else in 2010. Though he may not have to leave the AL East to do so. While the Tampa Bay Rays have shown some interest in Damon, along with the Oakland Athletics, it seems that the Toronto Blue Jays have kicked around the idea of signing Damon as well.

Toronto is in need of a left-fielder and a lead-off hitter, and those are two roles that Damon can fill. So it's not surprising to hear general manager Alex Anthopoulos admit that the Jays have thought about bringing the veteran free agent north of the border during the team's State of the Franchise event on Thursday night.

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Bronson Arroyo Takes Movie Role After Jersey Shore Cast Turns It Down

Tom Fornelli — 2010-01-25T12:36:00 00:00

by Tom Fornelli

Filed under: Reds

As an Italian-American I was subjected to a lot of stereotypes growing up. People would constantly joke around with me by asking me if my family was in the mafia, especially when The Sopranos was airing because, much like the main character of that show, Tony Soprano, my father is in the waste management business. So when I found out MTV's reality show Jersey Shore would air this winter, I was worried about being subjected to more stereotypes.

I tuned into the show wanting to hate it, but like seemingly everyone else in America, I couldn't get enough of it. It's car-crash television at its finest, because no matter how ugly it gets, you just can't turn away. Well, now the "guidos" and "guidettes" of the show are so popular and busy that they're turning down roles in movies due to a lack of time. So who do you cast in your movie when Snooki doesn't have time for you? Why Bronson Arroyo, who else?

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Tampa Bay Rays Prospect Involved In Fatal Car Accident

Tom Fornelli — 2010-01-25T12:03:00 00:00

by Tom Fornelli

Filed under: Rays, Minor Leagues

On Friday afternoon 18-year-old Rays minor-leaguer Andrew Bellatti was driving with his 16-year old girlfriend in California near his former high school just outside San Diego. Driving at a speed of 80 mph Bellatti illegally crossed over a double-yellow line into oncoming traffic and his Ford Mustang crashed into a Dodge Caravan.

Bellatti escaped the accident with some cuts and bruises on his face, but the same can not be said of the driver of the Caravan. 50-year old David Reid was killed in the accident, and his 17-year old son was seriously injured in the wreck. Bellatti's girlfriend was also hurt in the accident.

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Miguel Tejada Signs With Baltimore

Tom Fornelli — 2010-01-23T12:19:00 00:00

by Tom Fornelli

Filed under: Orioles, AL East, MLB Rumors, MLB Hot Stove, MLB Free Agency

In December 2003, Miguel Tejada was one of the biggest prizes on the free-agent market and he ended up signing a six-year, $72 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles. He would only spend four years with Baltimore before being traded to the Houston Astros for four prospects, but now that Tejada is a free agent once more, it's deja vu all over again.

Tejada has signed with the Orioles again, though this time the deal isn't quite as lucrative. All that's known at this point is that it's a one-year deal, and the details of the contract have not been released. Though it's not likely to be for $12 million a year like the last one.

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The Twins Are Looking at Jim Thome

Tom Fornelli — 2010-01-22T18:09:00 00:00

by Tom Fornelli

Filed under: Twins, White Sox, AL Central, MLB Rumors, MLB Hot Stove, MLB Free Agency

It's the end of January and Jim Thome is one of many veteran free agents who still find themselves unemployed. Earlier this week Thome expressed his interest in returning to the Chicago White Sox, but it doesn't look like that interest is reciprocal, so if Thome is going to hit the 36 homers he still needs to reach 600 in his career, he'll have to look elsewhere.

So if Thome can't return to the White Sox, why not sign with one of their division rivals?

That seems to be a very real possibility as the word out of Minnesota is that the Twins are thinking of adding the left-handed masher to their roster.

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Bryant Gumbel Accuses Three Players of Steroid Use

Tom Fornelli — 2010-01-22T12:52:00 00:00

by Tom Fornelli

Filed under: MLB Media Watch, MLB PEDs

Back in June 2009 there was a bit of a media firestorm all started by a blog post on a previously unknown website. The author of the post, Jerod Morris, speculated that after looking at Phillies outfielder Raul Ibanez's career numbers, it made you wonder if Ibanez had possibly been using steroids. Ibanez found out about the post and vehemently denied it, while Morris was dragged about as the latest example of everything wrong with sports blogs and the kids writing them from their mother's basement. Morris was even brought on ESPN's Outside The Lines to be publicly flogged.

So where is all the backlash for Bryant Gumbel this morning?

If Morris was made public enemy No. 1 for simply implying that Ibanez may have taken steroids, then Gumbel should be in a bit of hot water himself. All he did was come out and say that not one, not two, but three major league players were on steroids at the end of his HBO show Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.

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You Can Now Turn Your Lawn Into a Baseball Field

Tom Fornelli — 2010-01-20T13:02:00 00:00

by Tom Fornelli

Filed under: Cardinals, Cubs, Phillies, Red Sox, Reds, MLB Biz, MLB Fans

I remember growing up and playing baseball with my friends in yards all over the neighborhood, and while there were plenty of differences between the front yard down the street and Wrigley Field, we made the best we could with what we had. Of course, one of the biggest problems with playing in a yard is that not all yards are maintained quite like a major league field. The grass isn't as green or neatly manicured, and there are even dips that cause for some wicked hops and kids laying on the ground holding themselves while their friends laugh at them.

If only we had the chance to play on a real baseball field!

Well, while kids across the United States still aren't going to be able to play on the surface of Wrigley Field or Fenway Park, they now have the chance to get as close to the real thing as possible thanks to a deal between MLB and The Scotts Company.

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Johnny Damon Has Pondered Retiring

Tom Fornelli — 2010-01-20T12:14:00 00:00

by Tom Fornelli

Filed under: Yankees, MLB Rumors, MLB Free Agency

It seems that reality is finally starting to set in for Johnny Damon. The Yankees won the World Series over two months ago, and we're a month away from the beginning of spring training, and Johnny is still sitting at home waiting for somebody to offer him a contract. He had told Yankees general manager Brian Cashman that unless he was prepared to make Damon a $13 million offer for 2010, don't even bother making the call.

Well, it seems that other general managers got the message too, and none of them are picking up the phone.

So Damon's options are limited, and when the Giants announced they had signed Bengie Molina on Monday, it took away one of them. That leaves the Braves and Yankees as Damon's most likely landing places, provided he eases up on his salary demand. His only other option is retirement, and apparently he's kicked that idea around in his head.

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Report: Red Sox Were Worried About Jason Bay's Knees

Tom Fornelli — 2010-01-19T12:34:00 00:00

by Tom Fornelli

Filed under: Mets, Red Sox, MLB Injuries, MLB Rumors, MLB Free Agency

Outfielder Jason Bay was one of the bigger prizes in this winter's free agent class before he signed a four-year, $66 million deal with the New York Mets in early January. Of course, had it not been for some concerns of the Boston Red Sox and their medical staff, Bay may have never reached free agency at all.

According to Peter Gammons, the Red Sox were ready to sign Bay to a four-year, $60 million deal last July but when an MRI raised some concern about both of Bay's knees, the Red Sox lowered the offer to two years which Bay rejected and instead opted to hit the open market.

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Recently Released Byrnes Interested in the Giants

Tom Fornelli — 2010-01-17T19:13:00 00:00

by Tom Fornelli

Filed under: Diamondbacks, Giants, NL West, MLB Rumors, MLB Transactions, MLB Free Agency

Eric Byrnes' first two years in Arizona were productive enough to earn himself a three-year, $30 million contract extension from the Diamondbacks. Which was then immediately followed by two seasons of Byrnes spending the majority of his time on the disabled list, and only managing a .218 batting average in the 136 games he did play.

So after the Diamondbacks signed Adam LaRoche last week, it didn't come as much of a surprise when Arizona designated Byrnes for assignment, even if it meant having to eat the $11 million left on his contract. Now that Byrnes is a free agent he's taking a look around to see where he might find some work, and if it was up to him, San Francisco would be a wonderful place to play.

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Tom Glavine May Take a Job With Braves, but He Won't Be Pitching

Tom Fornelli — 2010-01-15T14:31:00 00:00

by Tom Fornelli

Filed under: Braves, NL East, MLB Rumors

Tom Glavine still doesn't know what he's going to be doing for work in 2010, though he seems to have a pretty good idea what he won't be doing, and that's donning a major league uniform and heading out to the mound anytime soon. Glavine is aware that his playing days are likely over, yet like Barry Bonds and Frank Thomas, he has yet to officially announce his retirement.

So if he has a future in the game of baseball it's going to be serving as a coach, a member of a front office or maybe in a television broadcast booth. All opportunities that Glavine is currently mulling over with the franchise he spent the majority of his career playing for, the Atlanta Braves. Neither the Braves nor Glavine are sure just what he'll be doing for them, but it seems that an announcement is just around the corner.

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Jack Clark Rips Into Mark McGwire and Steroid Users

Tom Fornelli — 2010-01-15T14:03:00 00:00

by Tom Fornelli

Filed under: Cardinals, MLB PEDs

The use of steroids and performance-enhancing drugs is an issue in MLB that's not going away any time soon, no matter how badly MLB, the players, fans and some members of the media want it to. It's also a subject that many different people have differing views of. If you were to poll the MLB writers and bloggers here at FanHouse about their view of steroids in baseball, odds are you would get about 12 different answers.

Still, as dead-set against steroids as a few FanHouse staffers may be, I don't think the subject makes any of us as angry as it does former St. Louis Cardinal Jack Clark. Clark was never shy about sharing his opinion during his playing days. Now that Mark McGwire has come clean about his steroid use, Clark is letting McGwire and his steroid-using buddies have it.

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Drayton McLane Grants Negotiating Window to Prospective Buyer

Tom Fornelli — 2010-01-12T12:54:00 00:00

by Tom Fornelli

Filed under: Astros, NL Central, MLB Biz

Houston Astros owner Drayton McLane has owned the team since 1993 when he paid $113 million for the franchise, and though he says he has no interest in selling the team now, "when people call, you listen." Well, from now until the end of January there's only a couple of select people that McLane will be listening to.

McLane granted exclusive negotiating rights to a group that is interested in buying the Astros from him, and includes former USOC chief Harvey Schiller. Still, even though he's granting negotiation rights and nearly sold the team to Jim Crane in 2008, McLane wants you to know he's not planning on selling the team.

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