Daily Archives: November 15, 2007
During an online chat with MLB.com, Braves GM Frank Wren had the following to say regarding…
…the team’s interest in free-agent LHP Tom Glavine…
“We are interested. He would clearly make our rotation deeper and obviously better.”
…his recent meeting with Glavine’s agent, Gregg Clifton…
“I met with Gregg Clifton yesterday and there is very strong interest from both sides to try and work something out.”
If signed, Glavine will join John Smoltz, Tim Hudson, and Chuck James, along with rookies Jair Jurrjens and Jo-Jo Reyes and a 
rehabbing Mike Hampton as candidates in a potentially deep rotation.
…you know, now that the sting of the final game of the season has gradually worn off, i’m growing more and more concerned about how the Mets will replace his 200 innings…however, much like the Paul Lo Duca situation, the writing is on the wall here…like cerrone said yesterday, it sounds like Braves or bust for glavine…that said, a first-round pick would certainly lessen the blow…
According to the Associated Press, citing an anonymous source, Alex Rodriguez has agreed to a deal with the Yankees that will pay him at least $275 million over 10 years.
…my hunch is that there is more to this negotiation that we will ever know, and so to characterize a-rod as a beggar, or having settled, or referring to his agent as a loser in this scenario, or suggesting the Yankees went back on their word, is probably inaccurate…again, just a hunch…
…as i said last night, the thing i can’t help but wonder is what other team, who he clearly had no interest in playing for, was at least willing to give him a sizeable and competitive offer, because the Yankees are not just giving him this much money to be nice…sure, it’s far from a low-ball offer, and $275 million is not the initially rumored-about $350 million, but it’s not seven-years, $200 million either, which they easily could have offered had no other suitors been available…so, even if he had his heart set on playing in the bronx and only the bronx, simple market-economics will suggest that at least one other team is willing to pay big money, though less that he’s signing for, in order to escalate the Yankees offer to where it is right now…
At Up in the Rockies, a Rockies fan blog for MVN, Dan Lucero says goodbye to Yorvit Torrealba, writing, among other things…
“Even though I think the Rockies can upgrade at the position, I’m sad to see Yorvit Torrealba go. I’ll miss the emotion and the passion he brought to every game behind the plate. It really felt like Yorvit was the representative of the die-hard Rox fan on the field…
“Some players seem almost robotic as they go about the 162-game grind. Not Yorvit, especially not during this year’s stretch drive…Sometimes it’s nice to know that the guys we root for care just as much about winning as we do. With Yorvit Torrealba, there was never a doubt. That’s why I’ll miss having him behind the plate.”
…i hate to admit it, especially since this is the opinion of just one fan in colorado, but this write-up from dan, a Rockies fan, has made me far more understanding of this acquisition…
…thanks to fawcette for the link…
Tagged Yorvit Torrealba |
According to Neil Best, at his blog, Watchdog, for Newsday, Jerry Seinfeld will be a guest of Steve Somers on WFAN around 6:30 p.m.
…yes, bee movie, i’ve got it…i am aware…
According to the Associated Press, Barry Bonds was indicted Thursday on perjury and obstruction of justice charges, due to a four-year federal investigation into whether he lied under oath to a grand jury looking into steroid use by elite athletes.
As noted earlier, according to ESPN.com, citing the player’s agent, free-agent C Yorvit Torreabla will agree to a three-year contract with the 
Mets, which should be officially announced in the next day or so.
…in case you missed it, from yesterday…
…i was able to talk with Troy E. Renck, who does an amazing job covering the Rockies for the Denver Post…
Renck, on Torrealba’s overall game…
“He is a clutch hitter and pitchers like the way he received and called the game…During the season it became obvious that the pitching staff had an unbelievable comfort level with him…The team’s manager, Clint Hurdle, went out of his way on repeated occasions to talk about how he thought what a terrific job Torrealba was doing calling games…
“Torrealba’s main value is that he has passion, he has leadership qualities and he worked wonders with their pitchers. He knew when to give them a pat on the back or a kick in the butt.”
Renck, on Torrealba’s ability to deal with media, since, in New York, the catcher is often asked to address reporters regarding that day’s starting pitcher…
“In the playoffs he loved the attention, he gravitated towards the spotlight. He held court at his locker at several times…Now, how he’ll deal with 10 or 15 reporters, during like what the Mets went through last year, that I don’t know. I mean, he can be a little moody, but, to me, it’s a by-product of his passion…He cares deeply about winning. So, sometimes when he gets upset, it’s not to be a jerk, it’s because he is genuinely upset and he doesn’t want to say the wrong thing, because he cares so much about winning - and I think that’s what his teammates respond so much to.”
By the way, Renck and other writers from the Denver Post will soon release A Magical Season, a book about the 2007 Rockies, who put together one of the most amazing hot streaks in baseball history to reach their first World Series ever.
Tagged Yorvit Torrealba |
According to ESPN.com, citing the player’s agent, free-agent C Yorvit Torreabla will agree to a three-year contract with the Mets.
Torrealba’s agent told ESPN Radio in New York that he expects to formalize the agreement with the Mets this afternoon. He declined to reveal how much the contract would pay over the term.
…i am not sure what to make of this torrealba and castro combination…will it be a so-called platoon…and if so, why didn’t the Mets just bring back Paul Lo Duca and give castro more playing time next year…hopefully we will hear from Omar Minaya soon…
…added to by Matthew Cerrone…
The Denver Post writes that the Rockies will now turn their attention to ‘other veteran catchers,’ including Paul Lo Duca.
Tagged Ramon Castro, Yorvit Torrealba |According to Ken Rosenthal, citing ‘a source,’ at FOXSports.com, Japanese free-agent OF Kosuke Fukudome could opt to stay and play in 
Japan, as opposed to signing with a team in Major League Baseball.
Fukudome recently received a contract offer from the Tokyo Giants, ‘the pre-eminent team in Japan,’ writes Rosenthal.
Meanwhile, according to past reports, the San Francisco Giants, as well as the Padres and Cubs, have all shown interest in Fokudome.
Last week, at Dugout Central, Dugout Scout gave a detailed, first-hand scouting report of Fukudome, writing…
“Fukudome is one of the better athletes playing in Japan. He is capable of playing center field and right field…capable of hitting in the middle of the batting order or in the number two spot…could bat fifth in the line-up for 11 of the 30 teams. He projects to the following: .265 AVG, .380 OBP, 20–30 HR, 80–100 RBI and 10 SB.”
For more on Fukudome, check out his profile page at Armchair GM, complete with a collection of video.
In a post to his blog for the Sporting News, Gerry Fraley explains how a coming move to a new stadium will impact A’s GM GM Billy Beane, who ‘has pitching to deal,’ such as RHP Joe Blanton and RHP Dan Haren.
According to Fraley…
“The Mets are a logical partner…Omar Minaya
cannot repeat this season’s mistake of giving manager Willie Randolph a rotation that was both too old and too young. The Mets need a top-end starter like Haren. The A’s have long coveted Mets center fielder Lastings Milledge.”
Meanwhile, at Gotham Baseball Magazine, citing ‘a West Coast baseball official,’ Mark Healey writes that to get Haren the Mets will have to part with at least John Maine, adding…
“I don’t see a deal between these two teams right now, but if Haren becomes available, it will be up to Omar to see if he wants to pull a trigger on a deal that will cost him Maine, and likely Lastings Milledge and Aaron Heilman as well. Is it worth it?”
…from what i can gather, beane and omar do not talk as often as we’d like to think, if they even talk at all…as i understand it, most of these ‘discussions’ occur between their assistants, who shuttle rough-sketch ideas back and forth on occasion…dating back to Barry Zito, the sense i repeatedly get is that the crux of any oakland-new york chit-chat will always center on milledge, and whether he is worth blanton, or whether he is worth more than blanton – and that’s where these ‘talks’ come to a stand still…
Tagged Omar Minaya |…yesterday i did a bit of digging to determine why the Mets are 
pursuing Yorvit Torrealba…since then, i have been sent several e-mails asking the counter question, which is: why not Paul Lo Duca…
…as i have mentioned before, in talking with people connected to the team, i sense ownership and some coaches feel he was too negative and too surly during August and September…additionally, from what i can gather, there is a lot of concern regarding his ‘health,’ especially since he is 36 years old, looking for a three-year deal, and was pretty banged up last season…lastly, i sense there is mild concern with how he spoke publicly about Willie Randolph during the end of last season, some of which, if you ask me, was totally warranted…and while no one element is enough to base a goodbye on, when all added all up it seals his fate…
…that being said, the Mets seemingly view torrealba as less expensive and younger, and that he will give roughly the same offensive production as lo duca going forward, especially with ample rest, plus he’s positive, and seen as a clutch hitter, he speaks english and spanish, he has played on a gritty, come-from-behind team that went to the world series, and it will not cost a prospect to get him…
Tagged Paul Lo Duca | ← Older posts
