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Re: The MLB Thread
Mets GM Sandy Alderson uses Twitter to trash talk team owner
by Jeff Passan / Yahoo! Sports
The funniest person on Twitter these days is New York Mets general manager Sandy Alderson. His account – @MetsGM – reads like a good parody. Only it’s really him, the actual Mets GM firing tweet after snide tweet at the team that pays him, which makes it a thousand times funnier than satire ever could be.
Gallows humor plays well with the Mets, the biggest disaster in professional sports. They turn 50 this year, and their midlife crisis isn’t one whiled away in the driver’s seat of a Miata. Nor, as much as he’d like to be the case, the one in the car Alderson is driving to Mets spring training.
Alderson’s Twitter narrative thus far has focused on his jaunt to Port St. Lucie, Fla. His latest tweet encapsulates his message: “Will have to drive carefully on trip; Mets only reimburse for gas at a downhill rate. Will try to coast all the way to FL.” Considering in his two years as Mets GM Alderson has seen the opening day payroll drop from $134.4 million to $118.8 million to a projected $93 million, at least downhill is something to which he has grown accustomed.
Left unsaid by Alderson are the culprits of his, and the Mets’, plight: majority owner Fred Wilpon, his son Jeff and his brother-in-law Saul Katz. In the eyes of Mets fans, they are the three stooges. In those of a man named Irving Picard, they are the three blind mice. Picard is the trustee for the victims of Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme, from which Wilpon and his family profited. Picard claims Wilpon was “willfully blind” to Madoff’s fraud, and while his attempt to secure $1 billion in reparations failed, the trial for his clawback suit of nearly $400 million is scheduled to begin March 19.
The Madoff mess has thrown the Mets into a death spiral exacerbated by years of front-office mismanagement and rendered what should be one of baseball’s jewel franchises a joke on the level of – or even exceeding – the Los Angeles Dodgers. Hell, at least the @DodgersGM Twitter account is a fake.
It’s with that backdrop Mets camp opens in nine days, hopefully under such a cloud for the final time. While a number of high-level sources within baseball believe this is finally the year Wilpon will agree to sell the Mets – particularly with the Dodgers’ bidding exceeding an insane $1.5 billion – they admit such thinking could be wishful. As he has shown, Wilpon is happy to downgrade his Mercedes to a Toyota so long as he maintains his kung-fu grip on the wheel.
Picard’s case seemed to receive a boost last week when the testimony of noted whistleblower Noreen Harrington became public. Harrington worked for a Wilpon-led hedge fund, Sterling Stamos, and was tasked with vetting investments with Madoff. She said she warned Katz that Madoff’s profits were either through insider trading or patently false. Such proclamations, Harrington said, were rebuffed and ignored. Katz claimed under oath to have no recollection of her warnings.
Whatever the whims of the court case determine, a cadaverous odor has attached itself to Wilpon’s ownership and glommed onto the Mets. How commissioner Bud Selig continues to stand by Wilpon remains a great testament to cronyism. The Mets’ debt problem, broken down in depth at Amazin’ Avenue, doesn’t look to be vanishing anytime soon. The sale of 10 vanity shares in the team for $20 million apiece went so poorly, SNY – the Mets’ TV station in which the team holds two-thirds ownership – bought four and Sterling Equities – Wilpon and Katz’s investment firm – purchased two more.
Surely Selig can’t continue to back a franchise that robs its left pocket to pay its right.
Already the Mets are 4½ months late paying back a $25 million loan MLB extended to them in November 2010. They took another $40 million from Bank of America due next month. The best-case scenario for Selig is that Wilpon’s mound of debt collapses his ownership and forces him to sell – almost a certainty if Picard wins his suit.
Should Wilpon avoid payment in the Madoff case, the $200 million in minority ownership could stabilize the Mets in the short term – and considering the lengths to which Wilpon has gone to retain his position, he may find a way to weasel out of the cash-flow shortage coming from the expected drying up of revenue.
The Mets’ attendance took a beating last season, and as a deeply flawed team tries to compete in the loaded National League East, fans already sickened by the stench emanating from Citi Field will protest in the only way fans can: by not showing up. Whether a money drought would force Wilpon to sell is unknown. They could pare payroll even more. Never has Selig been one to get on a team for slashing costs, though few teams have so furiously wielded weed whackers.
To have the Mets – a team in New York, for goodness’ sake – operate like those in flyover states and depressed economies is such a waste of an audience, a fan base, a market. What a good owner wouldn’t give for the Mets and their inherent advantages. It’s the thought of what could be – and what isn’t – that makes the Mets such a modern sports tragedy: a story of greed and gluttony, of irresponsibility and hubris, of something great tarnished by someone far from it.
So here they are: Fred Wilpon owning a New York baseball franchise with a sub-$100 million payroll; David Wright, Johan Santana and Jason Bay cannibalizing more than 60 percent of it; fans nauseous at that thought and so many others about this flawed team; loan officers wondering when they’re going to get paid; Bernie Madoff sitting in a North Carolina prison for the next 150 years; Citi Field, with its pulled-in fences, ready to sit half-empty, maybe worse; and Sandy Alderson tweeting his merry way down to Florida.
It’s funny in a way. And it’s not in so many more.
Re: The MLB Thread
Athletics sign Cuban OF Yoenis Cespedes for four year / $36 million deal
by Jane Lee / MLB.com
OAKLAND -- Following a series of unpopular moves, the A's changed the course of their busy offseason on Monday, agreeing to terms with Cuban sensation Yoenis Cespedes for four years.
The 26-year-old outfielder is set to make $36 million during that time, MLB.com confirmed.
The deal, which won't be officially announced by the A's until Cespedes has taken a physical, precludes Oakland from offering him arbitration, meaning the outfielder will automatically become a free agent at the conclusion of the 2015 season.
"I am super happy because it's been a dream of mine for a long time," Cespedes told MLB.com from the Dominican Republic. "To leave my country and play in the big leagues is what the goal was. My family is really happy, too. They are living their dreams through me."
Oakland is believed to have outbid the Miami Marlins, who had been considered the favorites to land Cespedes amid a competition that also included the Cubs, Tigers, Orioles and White Sox. Just last week, Cespedes was in Miami via a travel visa, touring the Marlins' new facility with agent Adam Katz.
"Miami was a great visit," Cespedes said. "I had a good time. I ate with the team president and other people in the front office. They were nice and it was a great experience, but the A's were for me.
"It was a great process, training and working out for teams. It was a difficult decision to leave Cuba, but I'm really excited with how things worked out. I saw a bunch of teams and they saw me, too, but Oakland was the best for me."
The Marlins reportedly offered Cespedes a six-year deal ranging in value from $36 million to $40 million but were not willing to give him $9 million per year, as the A's did.
Moreover, Cespedes' representatives felt "the A's wanted him more than anyone else," MLB.com's Peter Gammons reported via Twitter. Oakland was among the finalists for Cuban players Aroldis Chapman and Alexei Ramirez when they were free agents after defecting in recent years.
By snagging Cespedes, thought to be a five-tool player, Oakland has landed a power-hitting center fielder who will perfectly slot into the middle of what was previously a lackluster lineup. He can play all outfield positions but is best suited for center, meaning Coco Crisp could potentially settle at one of the corners.
The A's, who essentially entered the offseason with a blank outfield, also have Josh Reddick, Seth Smith, Collin Cowgill and Jonny Gomes in the mix -- a scene that should make for an eventful Spring Training.
"My first goal is to make the team and stay healthy all season, and little by little, I'll make more goals," Cespedes said. "I've been preparing every day for this, and I 100 percent believe that I am ready for the Major Leagues. I have a lot of international experience and experience at a high level. I'm very confident in my abilities.
"Believe me, I'm going to give the best I have, and I'm going to leave it all on the field. I'll do my best and show I deserve this opportunity. I know I can do it. I'm ready."
Monday's move also perhaps restores faith in doubtful fans who, earlier in the winter, watched Oakland trade All-Star pitchers Trevor Cahill, Gio Gonzalez and Andrew Bailey as it looks ahead to the potential of moving into a new stadium in San Jose. Cespedes' signing would seem to complement the A's plans of contending in that new home, although there's no guarantee he'll still be with the A's when that time comes.
The 6-foot, 215-pound Cespedes played eight seasons for Granma in the Cuban League, tallying a record 33 home runs to go along with a .333 average and 99 RBIs in 90 games during the 2010-11 campaign. He was also Cuba's starting center fielder during the 2009 World Baseball Classic, batting .458 in six games.
The Cuban defector, who recently gained temporary residence in the Dominican Republic, was declared a free agent by Major League Baseball on Jan. 25 but was not allowed to sign with a team until legally cleared by the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control.
Recently unblocked, Cespedes was free to sign with the A's, and he'll need to obtain a worker's visa before joining the team in Arizona for Spring Training.
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WOW! Another off-season shocker. I never ever saw the A's in this. I guess Billy Beane felt he needed to do something to at least make a splash for the case to head to San Jose. Angels get Pujols, Rangers get Darvish, A's get Cespedes.
The AL West looks better and better in the coming years. Might be a whole new dominate ballgame in the future. Look out AL East.
Re: The MLB Thread
Indians agree to deal with RHP Jon Garland
by Tom Withers / AP Sports
CLEVELAND (AP)—Jon Garland may give the Cleveland Indians yet another option for their uncertain rotation.
The right-hander, who has won 132 games in the majors for five teams, agreed Monday to a minor league contract with the Indians, who have four starting spots filled but want to add depth and experience. Garland’s deal is contingent on him passing a physical in the next week at the Indians’ training complex in Goodyear, Ariz.
Garland’s 2011 season was cut short by a shoulder injury. He went 1-5 with a 4.33 ERA in just nine starts for the Dodgers before shoulder surgery in July.
As long as he passes his physical, the 32-year-old Garland would get a shot to start for the Indians, who still don’t know whether they will have the pitcher formerly known as Fausto Carmona in 2012. Carmona, whose real name according to officials in the Dominican Republic is Roberto Heredia Hernandez, is facing charges of using a false identity in his native country so he could play in the U.S. He was arrested last month and placed on baseball’s restricted list.
The Indians have no idea if or when Carmona will be cleared. Also, he could be facing additional penalties if he is permitted to return to the U.S.
The decision to bring in Garland is a low-risk, high-reward move for the Indians, who have four pitchers—Ubaldo Jimenez, Justin Masterson, Derek Lowe and Josh Tomlin—projected as starters. The club acquired Kevin Slowey in a trade from Colorado in the days after learning of Carmona’s legal troubles, but Garland could be in the mix for the fifth spot with Slowey, David Huff, Zach McAllister and Jeanmar Gomez.
Garland’s impressive resume includes two 18-win seasons (2005, 2006) for the Chicago White Sox. He has won at least 12 games seven times and pitched at least 200 innings in six seasons.
Garland won 14 games for the San Diego Padres in 2010. He has also pitched one season for Arizona.
Los Angeles signed Garland to a $5 million, one-year contract before last season. The team declined an $ 8 million option in October.
Garland has a 132-119 record with a 4.32 ERA in 330 starts.
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Garland seems like he's been around forever. It's still incredibly hard to believe he's only 31 years old! Amazing how what could've been a great career just didn't turn out the way one would've thought. He's the next generation Kevin Millwood.
Re: The MLB Thread
AJ Burnett to Pittsburgh is OK. There could be more worse options I guess. What this team needs is new ownership. Sadly the clowns who own them won't sell because they're making too much money off of it.
Cespedes signing with the A's came out of the blue. I've read both Chicago teams, Detroit and the Marlins were interested. But good for Oakland. They seem to be building a good nucleus of high ceiling young players. As long as Beane doesn't pull off another Matt Holliday style trade. I'm interested in watching whether or not Cespedes lives up to the hype. Oakland signed that 16 year old pitcher a few years ago for 4 million and haven't really gotten a good return on it.
Next big Cuban international free agent is SS Jorge Soler. Not close to being MLB ready (19 years old). I've read the Cubs are supposedly going to make him a big offer.
I'd be interested in joining an Espn fantasy baseball league as well.
Re: The MLB Thread
Marlins to be focus of Showtime series "The Franchise"
by AP
MIAMI (AP)—With their profile on the rise, the Miami Marlins are getting a TV show.
This season the Marlins will be the focus of Showtime’s documentary series, “The Franchise.” That means unprecedented exposure for a team that has finished last in the NL in attendance each of the past seven seasons.
Showtime and Major League Baseball Productions announced the decision Monday and said the Marlins were an appealing choice as a team in transition. They hired Ozzie Guillen as manager and spent $191 million to sign All-Stars Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Heath Bell, and they anticipate sellout crowds nightly this year as they move into a new ballpark.
“The Franchise” made its debut last season by focusing on the San Francisco Giants.
Re: The MLB Thread
AJ Burnett to Pittsburgh is OK. There could be more worse options I guess. What this team needs is new ownership. Sadly the clowns who own them won't sell because they're making too much money off of it.
Cespedes signing with the A's came out of the blue. I've read both Chicago teams, Detroit and the Marlins were interested. But good for Oakland. They seem to be building a good nucleus of high ceiling young players. As long as Beane doesn't pull off another Matt Holliday style trade. I'm interested in watching whether or not Cespedes lives up to the hype. Oakland signed that 16 year old pitcher a few years ago for 4 million and haven't really gotten a good return on it.
Next big Cuban international free agent is SS Jorge Soler. Not close to being MLB ready (19 years old). I've read the Cubs are supposedly going to make him a big offer.
I'd be interested in joining an Espn fantasy baseball league as well.
Well that makes 4. We need two more.
Re: Pittsburgh -- they don't seriously intend on doing anything. They've got a good young core of players, but they seriously don't need to be trading away their good youth for overpriced junk like Burnett. This is the one year the Pirates could actually seriously contend and win the NL Central for the first time in years, and instead they hold on to their precious cash for an almost guaranteed 4th-5th place finish in the NL Central. *yawn* 
As for Soler... I don't read too much into 19 year old players. I've seen many of highly touted Cubs prospects come in and out of the organization and never became what they though. Andrew Sisco was supposed to be the next Randy Johnson. Angel Guzman was supposed to be the next Pedro Martinez. Felix Pie was supposed to be the next Ken Griffey, Jr.
I'll believe it when I see it.
As for Cespedes, yeah it'll be interesting what Cespedes turns into. If he returns exactly in the states what he did in Cuba, he'll have 1998-2002 Sammy Sosa HR's with Juan Gonzalez line-drive power.
Not gonna lie, it'd be fun as friggin' hell to watch a player like that in the majors again, and it would certaintly put the A's back on the map after alot of dormant years.
Re: The MLB Thread
Manager Ozzie Guillen likes Marlins' makeover
by Steven Wine / AP Sports
MIAMI (AP)—Ozzie Guillen says Hanley Ramirez is reluctant, Carlos Zambrano is rejuvenated and the Miami Marlins’ much-maligned uniforms are redeemable.
“They look bad,” Guillen said Monday. “But if we win, those are going to be the best uniforms in the game.”
With spring training a week away, Guillen spoke at the Marlins’ media day about the team’s offseason makeover, which included new colors, a name change and a spending spree as the franchise moves into a new ballpark. Among the acquisitions were manager Guillen and former All-Star pitcher Zambrano, two ex-Chicagoans in the market for a fresh start, along with All-Star free agents Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Heath Bell.
When asked if Ramirez has embraced his move to third base so Reyes can play shortstop, Guillen said no.
“I don’t think he’s 100-percent on board,” Guillen said. “Not yet. I don’t expect him to be.”
Guillen said he has talked with Ramirez only once since the signing of Reyes. But he expects Ramirez to accept the position switch once he realizes it gives the Marlins their best chance to win.
“This is Hanley’s team,” Guillen said. “Those guys they brought from outside are to help him to win the championship. When you lose it’s not fun to come to the ballpark. That happened to Hanley a lot.”
The Marlins finished last in the NL East in 2011 and haven’t reached the playoffs since 2003. But this year they’re expected to contend for a postseason berth—and make lots of headlines.
The transformation of the Marlins’ profile is such that they’ll be the focus of Showtime’s series “The Franchise” this year, Major League Baseball said Monday. Thanks in part to Ramirez, the talkative Guillen and the combative Zambrano, the program could become a soap opera.
Zambrano wore out his welcome with the Cubs feuding with teammates, management and umpires. The Marlins believe they can revive his career by pairing him and fellow Venezuelan Guillen.
“I have people in Venezuela betting to see when’s the first time me and Carlos are going to fight,” Guillen said. “He did a lot of bad things in Chicago. He was out of hand. He was kind of like phony. But Carlos is a great guy. He’s healthy. He’s hungry. He’s going to show people who Carlos Zambrano is.”
The historically thrifty Marlins acquired Zambrano in a trade and spent $191 million to sign Reyes, Buehrle and Bell. They were spurned in courtships with Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes, who signed Monday with the Oakland Athletics, and with top free-agent prize Albert Pujols.
“You don’t land everybody you want to land,” president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest said. “But I think we’ve been aggressive. We’re really happy with the way the club looks.”
Beinfest said the team should be fully healthy heading into spring training. That includes ace Josh Johnson, who has been throwing off a mound after making only nine starts in 2011 because of right shoulder inflammation.
“I feel great,” Johnson said. “No problems. I haven’t really been sore yet, and I’ve been letting it go.”
If Johnson’s healthy and Zambrano takes advantage of his fresh start, the rotation is set. The bullpen and defense should be much-improved, and the top of the order looks potent with the speedy Reyes and Emilio Bonifacio, followed by 2009 batting champion Ramirez and precocious slugger Mike Stanton.
The start of spring training is always a time for rosy predictions, but this year the Marlins’ optimism seems justified.
“We made a big push to get really good,” first baseman Gaby Sanchez said. “We should not only compete, but be able to win the division. I feel like every other team knows that, too.”
Guillen said he expects to win the NL East, despite formidable competition from the Phillies, Braves and even the improved Nationals. At the very least, his team should be colorful—and not just because of those orange, blue, black and yellow uniforms.
Re: The MLB Thread
Marlins lucked out on alot of talent in the off-season market. The Reyes & Burhele signings are overrated, and Heath Bell is a great pickup but not a game changer.
I expect the Marlins to surprise and be better than the Braves (who just sit on their ass this offseason), with better leadership and a willingness to spend and trade if necessary to win now, but I don't see a monumental shift going on.
Phillies will walk away with the NL East. The team watch will be the Washington Nationals. THAT is the team on the rise that no one is talking about in the NL East! If they can get some momentum, I would not be shocked if Exponals finish 2nd and are a possible Wild Card contender.
Re: The MLB Thread
The NL is pretty wide open as opposed to the AL which has the Super 6 (NY, DET, BOS, TB, LAA and TEX) and maybe Toronto.
Will Arizona be able to repeat or will the Giants find more offense and contend? Too bad the Dodgers didn't do anything of note in terms or adding new players. It's unlikely that Colorado does much.
NL Central looks like a 3 team race with the Reds, Cards and Brewers. Brewers will sort of have to hang around until Braun gets back from suspension.
The NL East as you noted should have 3 playoff contenders. I have no idea what to think about Atlanta though. This team came so close to being in the playoffs but they didn't add anything to help their club and Chipper is pretty much on his last legs. I guess they're counting on Jason Heyward bouncing back and Freddie Freeman developing. They do have pitching though both in the minor league and major league level.
Did they ever announce Theo compensation for the Red Sox? I think I've read somewhere where Bud finally announces what the Cubs owe the Red Sox.
