Carlos Ruiz, the starting catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies, has been giving a nice pay raise. The 31-year-old from Panama got a three-year deal worth nearly $8.9 million. Ruiz’s deal allows both sides to avoid arbitration.
Although his stats don’t blow you away, he’s been an important part of Philadelphia’s team that has reached the World Series two straight years — and won the 2008 baseball championship. Ruiz started each postseason game the last two years and his hitting improved under postseason pressure.
In 2009, the regular season saw Ruiz hit .255 with nine homers, 43 RBIs and 32 runs. In the …read more

Miguel Tejada played with the Baltimore Orioles from 2004 to 2007. After a signing a one-year deal worth around $6 million, Tejada has returned to the Orioles. His return will become official once he passes a physical, which will take place at some point this week.
In the 2007 offseason, the Orioles traded the shortstop to the Houston Astros. Tejada had success with the Astros — making the All-Star game both seasons. Last year, he hit .313 with 14 homers, 86 RBIs and 83 runs.
With the Orioles, Tejada is expected to shift over to third base. A shortstop for his entire …read more

Rick Ankiel has had one of the most interesting careers of any active baseball player. The next chapter of his story has the centerfielder heading to the Kansas City Royals. Ankiel will reported earn at least $3.25 million over one season.
To begin his career, Ankiel was a pitcher who broke into the big leaguers as a 20-year-old phenom in 1999. While initially pitching very well, Ankiel’s pitching career imploded and he was no longer a viable pitcher. So, instead of throwing pitches for a living, Ankiel became an outfielder for the Cardinals beginning in the 2007 season.
In 2007, Ankiel hit …read more

Shane Victorino has emerged as one of the best outfielders in the National League. On Thursday, the Phillies rewarded him by giving him a three-year extension to his contract valued at approximately $22 million. The extension, which has been reported by numerous news outlets, will keep Victorino in Philadelphia through 2012.
Last season, the native of Hawaii hit .292 with 10 homers, 62 RBIs, 102 runs, ten triples and 25 stolen bases. Victorino, who plays centerfield, is a 29-year-old who has a chance to get better. Due to his growing potential, this extension looks like a good deal for the Phillies.
Also …read more

The Detroit Tigers lost closer Fernando Rodney to free agency. On Tuesday, they were able to ink their new closer: Jose Valverde, formerly of the Houston Astros. Valverde’s deal is reportedly a two-year contract worth about $14 million.
Last year with the Astros, Valverde had 25 saves in 29 opportunities and posted a 2.33 ERA. In 54 innings, the native of the Dominican Republic had 56 strikeouts while giving up 40 hits. In 2008, Valverde had 44 saves for Houston.
To begin his big league career, Valverde played from 2003 until 2007 with the Arizona Diamondbacks. His last season with Arizona saw …read more

A couple days ago, the San Diego Padres traded for Scott Hairston in a deal with the Oakland A’s. Today, the Padres signed his brother — Jerry Hairston, Jr. The brothers are the son of former big leaguer Jerry Hairston.
The contract for Hairston is believed to be worth about $2.13 million over one season. Last year he split his season between the Cincinnati Reds and the New York Yankees. Hairston was with the Yankees as they won the 2009 World Series.
While Scott plays only in the outfield, Jerry can play almost anywhere. In 2009, Jerry played shortstop, second base, third …read more

The Pittsburgh Pirates entered the offseason wanting to address their bullpen. Their latest move to accomplish that goal is to sign free agent Brendan Donnelly to a $1.5 million contract. The one-year deal will become official after a physical and includes another $1.5 million in incentives.
The 38-year-old Donnelly had a very good season with the Florida Marlins last season. In 30 appearances, he had a 1.78 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 25.1 innings.
In his career, Donnelly has a 3.02 ERA in 348 appearances. However, durability has been an issue as he hasn’t pitched more than 26 innings since 2006 with …read more

The Cincinnati Reds and Nick Masset were able to avoid arbitration by agreeing on a new two-year deal. The contract will reportedly pay Masset more than $2.5 million. Considering how well the 27-year-old pitched for the Reds last year, the price looks like a bargain.
In 74 appearances, Masset was 5-1 with 20 holds and an ERA of 2.37. In 76 innings, the 6-foot-4 righty had 70 strikeouts and gave up only 54 hits.
Walt Jocketty, the GM of the Reds, sees Masset as a long-term member of the Reds bullpen.
Said Jocketty: “We’re pleased we were able to get a deal done …read more

Josh Johnson is one of the most coveted young pitchers in the all of baseball. The Florida Marlins opened their stubborn purse strings and inked Johnson to a $39 million deal that goes through 2013. The 25-year-old will become one of the few high priced players on the Marlins roster.
Last season, Johnson was 15-5 with a 3.23 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP. In his career, which spans back to 2005, he’s 34-16 with a 3.40 ERA. At 6-foot-7, Johnson uses his size to his advantage and most every scout believes he has a very good future.
Johnson’s success is also a …read more

Ryan Church, a 31-year-old outfielder who split last season with the New York Mets and the Atlanta Braves, has signed a contract to join the Pittsburgh Pirates. If Church is able to reach all the incentives in the contract, its value could grow to more than $2.8 million over one season.
Last season, Church hit .273 with four homers, 40 RBIs and 46 runs. His best season came in 2007 with the Washington Nationals when he hit .272 with 15 homers, 70 RBIs and 57 runs.
The Pirates view Church as valuable depth. Though Church likely won’t have a starting job heading …read more