At 70-80, the Houston Astros haven’t lived up to expectation. As a result, the team has decided to fire manager Cecil Cooper. Dave Clark, the team’s third-base coach, will be the Astros interim manager.
Prior to the firing, the Astros had lost seven straight games. Following the firing, the Astros lost again under Clark — extending their losing streak to eight games. On Monday, the St. Louis Cardinals handed the Astros a 7-3 loss.
Ed Wade, Houston’s general manager, decided to make the move even though the 2009 baseball regular season is almost over.
Said Wade: “The issue we had to address here, …read more

Milton Bradley was signed in the offseason by the Chicago Cubs and was viewed as a potential difference maker. However, less than one year into his three-year, $30 contract, this marriage appears to be over.
On Sunday, the Cubs decided to suspend Bradley for the rest of the season. Reading between the lines, it’s safe to say that Bradley won’t be wearing a Cubs uniform any time soon.
Said Jim Hendry, the GM of the Cubs: “Recently, it’s become intolerable to hear Milton talk about our great fans the way he has. We pride ourselves on having the greatest fans in baseball, …read more

Scott Kazmir, a starting pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays, will be traded to the Los Angeles Angels — according to numerous online reports including one on MLB.com. In return, the Rays will reportedly receive minor leaguers Matthew Sweeney and Alexander Torres.
Prior to the 2009 baseball season, Kazmir signed a three-year deal worth $28.5 million. However, he has underperformed this year for Tampa Bay. In 20 starts, he has an ERA of 5.92 ERA and a record of 8-7.
Despite his poor season, the Angels can use all the help they can get in their starting rotation. Dealing with a variety …read more

After getting released by the Boston Red Sox, it didn’t take John Smoltz too long to find a new home. On Wednesday, Smoltz signed a deal for the rest of the year to pitch for the St. Louis Cardinals. Since the Red Sox are still paying him money, the Cardinals will only have to pay Smoltz around $100K.
With the Cardinals, Smoltz will likely begin as a starting pitcher. However, down the line, he could switch to the bullpen. Many team insiders have speculated that if the team makes the playoffs, Smoltz would likely be the the Cardinals’ setup man.
As it …read more

Stephen Strasburg, the number one overall draft pick of the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft, has agreed to a contract with the Washington Nationals. Facing a deadline of midnight on Monday, the Nationals were able to strike a deal with just minutes to spare. The contract is reportedly worth more than $15.5 million over four years.
Strasburg is one of the highest rated baseball prospects of the last twenty years. A starting pitcher for San Diego State, Strasburg was simply dominant on the college level. The lanky right-hander has an overpowering fastball and a devastating curveball in his arsenal. In his …read more

The Boston Red Sox really wanted to find a veteran shortstop to add to their squad. On Friday, they landed a familiar face when they sent cash and a minor leaguer to the Cincinnati Reds for Alex Gonzalez. Gonzalez played in 111 games for the Red Sox in 2006.
This year, the 32-year-old native of Venezuela hasn’t been hitting the ball too well for the Reds. He has a .210 batting average, a .258 on-base percentage, three homers, 16 runs and 26 RBIs. In 2006 with the Red Sox, he had a .255 batting average to go along with nine homers, …read more

The Toronto Blue Jays recently placed Alex Rios on waivers. The Chicago White Sox pounced on the young outfielder. On Monday, the White Sox officially acquired him when the Blue Jays decided to let Rios go.
Although Toronto had a chance to reclaim Rios, the fact that he’s owed more than $60 on his contract helped the Blue Jays decide to shed the salary. On the season, Rios is hitting .264 with 14 homers and 62 RBIs. He also has 19 stolen bases and 52 runs scored.
With the White Sox, he will make Chicago a better team. He’ll get a lot …read more

Last season, Cliff Lee was busy winning the American League Cy Young Award. Suddenly, Lee will now help the Philadelphia Phillies try to win a second consecutive World Series title.
After striking out in their bid to land Roy Halladay from the Toronto Blue Jays, the Phillies called the Cleveland Indians about their ace. The two teams soon agreed to a deal that sent Lee to Philadelphia in return for four minor league prospects.
Lee’s Cy Young award numbers were obviously impressive. He had a 22-3 record to go along with a 2.54 ERA. This season, Lee has continued to pitch well. …read more

After Manny Acta got fired as manager of the Washington Nationals, the name that immediately popped up as a possible replacement was Jim Riggleman. On Monday, Riggleman officially took over as the Nationals new manager.
Currently, Washington has a 26-61 record — which is good enough for the worst record in all of baseball. After finishing with the worst record last year, Riggleman will have his work cut out for him in regards to changing the atmosphere in the Nationals clubhouse.
Washington’s main problem is their pitching. They’ve given up 489 runs so far this season. Only the Cleveland Indians have given …read more

A couple years ago, Jeff Francoeur looked like a player on the verge of becoming a superstar with the Atlanta Braves. The home grown outfielder had 29 homers and 103 RBIs as a 22-year-old in 2006.
But now at 25, Francoeur has struggled for the last year and a half. On Friday, the Braves decided to go in a new direction. They traded Francoeur to the New York Mets for Ryan Church.
On the season, Francoeur is hitting .250 with five homers, 35 RBIs and 32 runs. After hitting 29 homers in 2006, his power numbers have dropped considerably. In 2007, he …read more