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Top Ten Baseball Free Agents Still Available

Stephen Kersey — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 09:25:51 +0000

1. Manny Ramirez
Could Ramirez be heading to the Giants?

2. Derek Lowe
The Mets are after Lowe.

3. Adam Dunn
Dunn might replace Ramirez in Los Angeles.

4. Milton Bradley
The latest rumors have the Cubs most interested.

5. Oliver Perez
Expect the Mets to retain him.

6. Pat Burrell
The Phillies look to be moving on.

7. Orlando Hudson
Sleeper of the free agent market.

8. Bobby Abreu
Breaking down but still a solid player.

9. Ben Sheets
Risky signing but could reward.

10. Randy Wolf
Could quietly be steal of the offseason.

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San Francisco Giants after Manny Ramirez?

Stephen Kersey — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 05:10:09 +0000

According to a report, the San Francisco Giants are making a hard push to land Manny Ramirez. Ramirez, who spent last season with the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers, is a Hall of Fame talent who many teams are considering.

The deal for Ramirez is expected to be four years in total. The first two years would be guaranteed, while the third season would become guaranteed if certain performance levels are met. The fourth year of the offer is thought to be completely a team option.

The Giants, who earlier in the offseason signed 45-year-old Randy Johnson, are quietly making moves to contend for the National League pennant in 2009. If they can land Ramirez, that would definitely help in that regard.

Last season, the Giants were very poor offensively. With Ramirez, he could step into the cleanup spot and single-handedly turn that lineup around.

Stay tuned to see if the Giants get their man.

Photo credit: Newscom

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Brian Fuentes Signed by Los Angeles Angels

Stephen Kersey — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 03:02:19 +0000

After losing closer Francisco Rodriguez to the New York Mets in free agency, the Los Angeles Angels found their new closer when they signed Brian Fuentes. Fuentes, who spent the last seven seasons with the Colorado Rockies, signed a two-year deal.

The total value of the contract is believed to be approximately $17.5 million. There’s also a potential third year of the deal that will be enacted based on performance.

Fuentes will definitely have big shoes to fill. Last season, Rodriguez set a Major League Baseball record with 62 saves. He broke the record previously held by Bobby Thigpen of the Chicago White Sox.

The good news for the Angels is that Fuentes should be up for the challenge. Last season with Colorado, Fuentes had a 2.73 ERA to go along with 30 saves and 82 strikeouts in 62.2 innings. It was his fourth straight season with at least 20 saves.

Fuentes will join a solid group of relievers in Los Angeles that includes players such as Scot Shields, Jose Arredondo and Darren Oliver.

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Derek Lowe Offered $36M by Mets

Stephen Kersey — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 05:22:37 +0000

Derek Lowe is arguably the most sought after free agent starting pitcher left on the market. When we speculated Lowe’s possible destinations, we put the New York Mets at the top of the list. On Tuesday, the Mets made a move to acquire Lowe.

According to multiple reports, the Mets have offered Lowe a contract that is worth $36 million over three years. However, Lowe’s agent reportedly wants a five-year contract for the 35-year-old hurler.

While that might be what the agent wants, it’s unlikely that a team is going to give Lowe a contract that will pay him until the age of 40. This three-year deal from New York could very well be the best deal that Lowe gets offered during the offseason.

If the Mets are able to land Lowe, they will have completed a drastic overhaul to their pitching staff. They’ve already added Francisco Rodriguez and JJ Putz to their bullpen. Adding Lowe to the starting rotation could end being equally as important.

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Adam Dunn Rumors and News – Possible Destinations

Stephen Kersey — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 05:26:48 +0000

Adam Dunn has hit exactly 40 home runs in each of the last four seasons. The 29-year-old outfielder is a free agent and has interested quite a number of teams. Here are the top destinations based on Adam Dunn rumors.

Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers may have given up in their hope of re-signing Manny Ramirez. If that is the case, Dunn is the next logical option for Los Angeles. He’s not quite as talented but he can replace most of the bop in the middle of the lineup that Ramirez provided.

Baltimore Orioles
After striking out in the Mark Teixeira sweepstakes, the Orioles may throw big money at Dunn in hopes that they land a franchise level player. The Orioles are desperate for a big bat and a positive personality if they hope to keep fans around in 2009.

Washington Nationals
Like the Orioles, the Nationals are looking to rebound after missing out on Teixeira. While the team still has a lot of holes, a big bat in the middle of the lineup is arguably their most glaring need. Dunn could fit right in and be the cleanup hitter for the foreseeable future.

Chicago Cubs
The Cubs have a lot of talent and always seem to be right on the edge of actually making a postseason run. With a lot of their bats going quiet at the end of the 2008 season, adding Dunn’s bat may be just the thing to help the Cubs make noise in the playoffs.

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Brad Penny Signs with Boston Red Sox

Stephen Kersey — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 05:55:26 +0000

The Boston Red Sox decided to spend some of the money they saved when Mark Teixeira signed with the New York Yankees by agreeing to a deal with free agent pitcher Brad Penny. Penny, who spent the last four and a half season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, will vie for a spot in the Red Sox rotation.

The deal with Penny is believed to be worth $5 million, however he could end up making $8 million if he’s able to pitch more than 160 innings. While that amount of innings is doable for many starting pitchers, Penny is coming off of an injury ravaged season with Los Angeles.

In 2008, Penny had an ERA of 6.28 to go along with a 6-9 record. For the season, he pitched only 94.2 innings in 17 starts and two relief appearances.

However, it wasn’t that long ago that Penny was a very good pitcher. In 2006, he had a record of 16-9 with an ERA of 4.33. In 2007, Penny was even better — finishing with a 3.03 ERA and a record of 16-4.

If he can regain his top form, the 30-year-old right-hander could go down as one of the biggest steals of the baseball offseason.

Photo credit: Newscom

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Derek Lowe Rumors and News – Possible Destinations

Stephen Kersey — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 04:05:42 +0000

Derek Lowe, who spent last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, is one of the hottest names still available in the baseball free agent market. Where will the right-handed starting pitcher end up? Here are the top Derek Lowe destinations based on the latest rumors.

New York Mets
After shoring up their bullpen by signing Francisco Rodriguez and trading for JJ Putz, the Mets now are looking to bolster their starting pitcher. Their main target at the moment appears to be Lowe — and they are willing to pay top dollar.

Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox still have a lot of money to spend in free agency and acquiring Lowe appears to be one of their options. The Red Sox have a good group of starting pitching but Lowe could step in and add even more veteran leadership and a clutch arm. It can’t hurt that Lowe pitched seven and a half years for Boston earlier in his career.

Philadelphia Phillies
Last season, the Phillies won the World Series despite not having great depth in their starting rotation. Adding Lowe would be huge for Philadelphia, especially considering that one of the pitchers they depend on is Jamie Moyer — who is 46 years old.

Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers are still hoping they will be able to hang onto Lowe. Although it will be difficult due to all the interested teams with deep pockets, the Dodgers will undoubtedly make Lowe a good offer before he inks a contract elsewhere.

Photo credit: Newscom

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Roger Clemens – Hospital Removes Name

Stephen Kersey — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 05:47:21 +0000

Since throwing his last pitch in the major leagues, Roger Clemens has had a lot of issues surface. He’s had a sex scandel with Mindy McCready. He has steroid rumors swirling around him. He even has been accused of abusing Viagra.

Now Clemens can add another strike to his resume. This time a hospital in Houston has decided to drop his name. The Roger Clemens Institute for Sports Medicine will now be known as the Memorial Hermann Sports Medicine Institute. While the hospital didn’t specifically point to any transgressions as a reason for the name change, it’s not exactly rocket science to figure out why the hospital had the change of heart.

In Clemens’ career, he had 354 wins, 4672 strikeouts and a lifetime ERA of 3.13. Although he’s eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2013, there is some question on when — or even if — he’ll get in. His inclusion in the Hall of Fame could very well rely on the fallout of all the allegations that have haunted Clemens as of late.

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Randy Johnson Signs with the Giants

Stephen Kersey — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 05:06:56 +0000

Randy Johnson garnered a lot of attention on the free agent market despite his advanced age. On Friday, he found a home when he signed a contract with the San Francisco Giants.

The 45-year-old Johnson signed a deal worth approximately $8 million over one season. However, there are performance bonuses that could make the deal worth as much as $13 million.

After struggling with injuries in 2007, Johnson had a bounce back season in 2008. He finished the campaign with an 11-10 record and an ERA of 3.91. He also tallied 173 strikeouts in 184 innings.

On the Giants, Johnson will be a valuable veteran pitcher that can help teach the young pitchers in San Francisco’s starting rotation how to win. And when he’s on the mound, he’s still one of the most feared pitchers in the league.

Johnson could also help draw fans to the ballpark. He has 295 victories and should crack 300 victories at some point in the season. With 4789 career strikeouts, there’s also a chance that he could get his 5000th strikeout in the upcoming season with the Giants.

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2009 Baseball Power Rankings – Best Teams

Stephen Kersey — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 12:37:22 +0000

1. New York Yankees
Heading into the offseason, the New York Yankees had a lot of question marks. But after their signing spree, the Yankees have addressed virtually all of their weaknesses. Signing Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett would help any team become the odds on favorite.

2. Philadelphia Phillies
The defending World Series champions should be very good once again in 2009. They are bringing back largely the same team that was able to get the job done in 2008. With added confidence and experience, the Phillies are the team to beat in the National League.

3. Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays, like the Phillies, should see a jump in their confidence and experience. On top of that, the Rays have a ton of young players who are getting better and better. Although the Yankees will be tough to beat, the Rays might have the best chance of doing just that.

4. New York Mets
The biggest weakness for the Mets down the stretch last year was their pitiful bullpen. But after signing Francisco Rodriguez and trading for JJ Putz, the Mets suddenly have arguably the best bullpen in all of baseball. They’ll be tough to beat in 2009 — especially in games they get up early.

5. Boston Red Sox
With all the signing flurries, the Red Sox have been forgotten a little bit. But truth be told, they still have an extremely talented roster. As long as David Ortiz can have another fine season, there’s no reason why the Red Sox can’t compete once again.

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