A Red Sox Dynasty: 1995-????

[Moriarty9]

Phils take 2-0 advantage
Red Sox in need of home cooking
Monday, October 24, 2011

PHILADELPHIA - Yovani Gallardo and the Phillies held down the Boston Red Sox to take a 2-0 lead in the World Series with a 5-2 win.
Gallardo gave up one run on nine hits with no walks and eight strikeouts in eight innings pitched and also went 2-for-2 with a double at the plate.
Lou Farsey and Javier Ramirez had three hits each for the Red Sox.
The series will shift to Fenway Park in Boston for Game 3.

[Moriarty9]

Hafner homers late in win
Phillies shoot for sweep in Game 4
Wednesday, October 26, 2011

BOSTON - If the Philadelphia Phillies can win tomorrow night in Game 4 of the World Series, it'll complete a sweep of three Fall Classic series with the Red Sox.
"We still have to fight and fight hard," said Phillies manager Alfonso Ramirez. "Boston has a strong team and if we give them an inch they will take a mile. We can't afford to give them any opportunity to come back in this series whatsoever. We need to go out there tomorrow like its Game 7 and bring an end to this series."
Philadelphia finds itself in charge of the World Series due in large part to a two-out two-run home run off the bat of Travis Hafner in the eighth inning. Hafner's blast gave the Phillies a 4-2 lead, which they held to secure the victory.
"We have our backs against the wall and we need to come out swinging," Red Sox bench coach Rick Down said.

[Moriarty9]

Sox stay alive
Game 5 tomorrow night
Thursday, October 27, 2011

BOSTON - If the Philadelphia Phillies want to win the World Series this year, they'll have to wait at least one more game after the Red Sox avoided a Fall Classic sweep by topping their guests 9-5 tonight.
The Red Sox rallied for a five-run seventh inning to push the club past the Phillies
Ichiro Suzuki went 3-for-5 with a double, a RBI and two runs scored in the ballgame while Dustin Pedroia and Javier Ramirez each picked up two hits each. Matt Kemp and Conor Jackson had two RBI apiece.
Scott Kazmir gave up three runs on six hits and two walks with nine strikeouts in seven innings of work. Jonah Bayliss worked the eighth while Joba Chamberlain pitched the ninth. Both relievers gave up one run in their inning of work.
Clay Hensley was hit with the loss after giving up six runs, five earned, on six hits and three walks. Jon Rauch struggled through 2/3 of an inning, giving up three runs, before Jimmy Gobble threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief.
The Phillies and Red Sox will square off at Fenway Park tomorrow night in Game 5.

[Moriarty9]

Philadelphia Phillies win World Series
Red Sox waste strong effort from Santana
Friday, October 28, 2011

BOSTON - The Philadelphia Phillies have defeated the Red Sox in the World Series for the third time in seven years.
The Phillies took advantage of poor defense and scraped together a 3-2 victory at Fenway Park tonight, making Kyle Kendrick the winner in the clincher.
Kendrick danced around 10 hits and a walk in six innings of work to give up just two runs while striking out only two Boston batters. Meanwhile, Johan Santana gave up three runs - two earned - on five hits and three walks with 13 strikeouts in eight innings of work.
The Red Sox made four errors in the contest, forcing Santana to throw additional pitches and giving the Phillies multiple opportunities at the plate.
Each of Boston's position players had at least one hit in the contest - only Ichiro Suzuki and Miguel Cabrera had multiple hits.
"It's tough. It really is," Red Sox manager Kevin Kennedy said. "We worked awful hard this year, Johan pitched a hell of a game, lot of guys hit but we couldn't catch the ball and we couldn't get the guys on base across the plate."
Despite his success over the last 17 seasons - 15 playoff appearances, 14 division titles, 7 World Series appearances, 3 World Series championships - there are a number of grumblings in Boston that ownership may cut Kennedy loose before his contract expires following the 2013 season.
The Red Sox haven't won the World Series since 2006 despite having the best record in baseball in many of the years since.
Kennedy seems to not have heard any of these rumors as he is focused on 2012 already.
"We have to do better next year because there's no reason we shouldn't have won this series," Kennedy said. "We'll get 'em next year."

[Moriarty9]

Gold Glove winners named
Thursday, October 11, 2011

Indians outfielder Juan Rivera won his third Gold Glove - his first since 2008 - after making just one error and picking up four assists in 131 games in the outfield.
Blue Jays third baseman Alex Gordon won his second straight Gold Glove. Gordon made 12 errors and turned 14 double plays at the hot corner.
White Sox pitcher Elizardo Ramirez had a perfect fielding percentage with 40 total chances over 26 starts, earning his first Gold Glove award.
Blue Jays catcher Jose "Chappy" Reyes made nine errors, allowed five passed balls and threw out 32.4% of would-be-basestealers to earn his first Gold Glove.
Another first time winner was Angels first baseman Alfonso Contreras, who threw together a .992 fielding percentage over 937 2/3 innings at the position.
Veteran second baseman Luis Rivas of the Athletics won his first Gold Glove after positng a .985 fielding percentage and turning 87 double plays.
Known as a defensive whiz in the minor leagues, Royals rookie shortstop Bill Cobb won a Gold Glove after making 8 errors in 127 games at third base. He also played six games at third base.
Rays outfielder Will Miller picked up his first Gold Glove after comitting four errors and throwing out seven baserunners in 150 games.
Yankees outfielder Jake Foster - three errors and 11 assists in 114 games in the outfield - won his first Gold Glove as well.

[Moriarty9]

Off-season Trades


Putz on the move
To Baltimore Orioles: OF Jimmie Martin, SP Marcos Delgado
To San Francisco Giants: RP J.J. Putz, 3B Sterling Wallace, cash
Putz, 34, is owed $2.11 million in 2012 and had lobbied for a trade out of Baltimore. He went 5-3 with 3 saves and a 4.65 ERA in 74 relief appearances with the Orioles.
Wallace, 21, spent most of the season with Class A Ocean City, where he hit .275 with three homers and 40 RBI in 76 games.
Martin, 22, is a speedy slap hitter that hit .316 with three home runs, 50 RBI, 70 runs and stole 52 bases in 57 attempts with AAA Fresno in 2011.
Delgado, 22, went 7-5 with a 3.48 ERA in 15 starts in class A.

Jays, Rays make swap
To Tampa Bay Rays: SP Juan Leon
To Toronto Blue Jays: OF Reed Johnson
Leon, a 26-year-old lefty, went 6-10 with a 4.87 ERA in 29 starts with Toronto this year. The Rays will be his fourth team in as many years (split 2009 with St. Louis and Kansas City).
Johnson, 34, is due $4.5 million in 2012 after hitting .262 with 6 homers, 46 RBI and 62 runs in 146 games last year.

Pirates, Rangers agree to trade
To Pittsburgh Pirates: 2B Dan Taylor
To Texas Rangers: MR Andrew Sisco
Taylor, 25, has good power for second base and played well in AAA Oklahoma this season. In 122 games with the RedHawks, he hit .284 with 19 homers and 77 RBI.
Sisco, a 28-year-old southpaw, was impressive for the Pirates this year, going 7-4 with a 2.55 ERA in 79 games with Pittsburgh.

[Moriarty9]

Personnel changes
Managers, GMs seek work

FIRED:
Atlanta Braves manager Way-Ming Kong
Kong was fired after just one season with the Braves despite guiding the club to an 88-75 record, good enough for second place in the NL East behind the World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies. He is expected to find work sooner than later.

Baltimore Orioles GM Dan Morse
Morse, 62, put together an Orioles team that finished in last place in the AL East with a 74-88 record.
A number of Baltimore players were unhappy this season and expressed desires to be traded.
Morse dealt for reliever Rafael Betancourt (1-3, 4 Sv, 5.68 ERA) and Kevin Millwood (10-13, 4.36 ERA) and re-signed thirdbaseman Mark Reynolds (.230, 34 HR, 110 RBI) to a two-year extension and catcher Joe Mauer (.329, 10 HR, 83 RBI) for the next five seasons.

Baltimore Orioles manager Sean Green
After two losing seasons with the Orioles, Green was fired along with Morse. Green led the O's to a 78-84 record in 2010, 74-88 this season.

Cincinnati Reds manager Bill Bell
Hired early in the season, Bell led the Reds to a 58-66 record during his time as manager and the team finished in fourth place. A long-time minor league manager, Bell will likely return to the minor leagues as a manager.

Cincinnati Reds GM Walt Parks
Parks dealt away prospects for reliever Brian Wilson (5-4, 3 Sv, 4.40 ERA), dealt Eduardo Perez (.246, 3 HR, 27 RBI, 179 AB) to Texas for 25-year-old outfielder Stu Barber (.262, 6 HR, 66 R) and re-signed third baseman Troy Glaus (.244, 28 HR, 70 RBI) to a two-year $30 million deal, 39-year-old Carlos Delgado (.296, 33 HR, 94 RBI) to a two-year $34 million extension and Scott Moore (6-8, 4.31 ERA) to a two-year deal worth $15.2 million.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim manager Roberto Garcia
Hired as interim manager earlier this season, Garcia's 55-74 record at the helm of the Angels was not quite good enough to impress the front office and he was given his walking papers.


HIRED:
Baltimore Orioles GM Walt Parks
After being fired in Cincinnati, Parks found employment at the helm of Baltimore's front office. He will have a tall task in front of him and must hire a new manager.

Chicago Cubs manager Michael Hudson
Hudson replaces Todd Haney - who left Chicago for the Angels managerial position - and gets his first managerial job. Hudson has coached exclusively in the low minor leagues.

Cincinnati Reds GM Jose Fonseca
Fonseca is known to overpay for pitching and is the only Puerto Rican GM in the big leagues today.

Cincinnati Reds manager Eugene Dunbar
Dunbar was Fonseca's first decision as Reds GM. Dunbar has no professional managing experience but has been a base coach and bench coach for several organizations and is highly regarded.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim manager Todd Haney
Haney leaves the Chicago Cubs for Anaheim after going 78-84 last year. Known as a players' manager, Haney is known for his defensive strategies.

[Moriarty9]

Rookie of the Year winners named
Martinez, Gibson take home trophy
Friday, November 11, 2011

Left-handed hurler Tony Martinez had a stellar first season in the big leagues as the 22-year-old Tampa Bay Rays pitcher went 15-9 with a 2.99 ERA to win the American League Rookie of the Year award.
Martinez held opponents to a .216 batting average and struck out 181 batters in 205 innings over 33 starts.
He was especially impressive down the stretch, going 11-1 with a 2.25 ERA from July through September, 8-1 with a 1.49 ERA in August and September.
Martinez beats out fellow Rookie of the Year candidates Reggie Willits (.312, 49 RBI, 72 R, 81 BB, 35 SB) of the Boston Red Sox, Minnesota Twins shortstop Gustavo Chavez (.233, 8 HR, 63 RBI, 22 SB), Chicago White Sox pitcher Wayne Williams (10-16, 3.73 ERA, 222 Ks) and Oakland Athletics reliever Harvey Buchanan (8-2, 18 Sv, 1.11 ERA, 0.74 WHIP, 29 G).
In the National League, Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Corey Gibson took home the top honors for rookies after hitting .285 with 50 doubles, 12 triples, four home runs, 58 RBI and 87 runs scored. The speedster stole 53 bases in 70 attempts and made just four errors in 144 starts at first base. In 120 innings at third base, Gibson made just one error.
Gibson edged out Cincinnati Reds pitcher Steve Myers (9-11, 2.71 ERA), Atlanta Braves starter Lonnie Green (13-10, 3.45 ERA), San Francisco Giants reliever Steve Rodgers (11-3, 2 Sv, 3.47 ERA in 81 G), Atlanta Braves outfielder Wiley Cooper (.256, 9 HR, 52 RBI, 97 R, 44 SB), Milwaukee Brewers thirdbaseman Derrick Riley (.283, 43 2B, 8 3B, 8 HR, 53 RBI) and Houston Astros firstbaseman Ramon Chavez (.252, 19 HR, 81 RBI).

[Moriarty9]

VandenHurk, Peavy claim Cy Youngs
Saturday, November 12, 2011

The only 20-game winner in the Majors this year was recognized for his work with his first Cy Young award.
Rick VandenHurk went 22-9 with a 3.52 ERA and 141 strikeouts in 36 starts for the Cleveland Indians this season. He went 6-0 with a 2.92 ERA in the month of May and, from April 28 through June 3, put together a personal seven-game winning streak.
VandenHurk claimed the award over teammate Eulogio De La Cruz (2-2, 38 Sv, 2.70 ERA), Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Brandon Webb (15-7, 2.83 ERA), Erik Bedard (19-6, 3.17 ERA, 199 Ks) of the Boston Red Sox, Minnesota Twins pitcher Chris Capuano (18-6, 3.93 ERA), Tim Lincecum of the Chicago White Sox (15-10, 3.15 ERA, 270 Ks), and Toronto Blue Jays closer Joe Nathan (4-5, 2.64 ERA, 39 Sv).
Peavy, 30, wins his second consecutive Cy Young award after going 19-8 with a 2.57 ERA and 268 strikeouts in 35 starts with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Peavy opened the year with a 5-1 record and 2.66 ERA in six starts. From August 12 through the end of the season, he went 7-2 with a 1.78 ERA.
Cy Young candidates included San Diego Padres starter Aaron Harang (18-10, 3.20 ERA), Yovani Gallardo (17-10, 3.04 ERA, 219 Ks) of the Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals closer Jon Huber (3-9, 46 Sv, 2.21 ERA).

[Moriarty9]

MVPs: Teixeira, Godfrey
Sunday, November 13, 2011

Minnesota Twins first baseman Mark Teixeira won his first MVP award this year after hitting .303 with 40 home runs, 122 RBI and 111 runs in 158 games. He was especially effective in September, hitting .381 with 11 doubles, a triple, eight homers, 15 RBI and 27 runs for the month.
Teixeira led the AL in slugging (.593), OPS (.987), runs and extra base hits (86).
Teixeira beat out Baltimore Orioles catcher and batting champ Joe Mauer (.329, 10 HR, 83 RBI, 89 R, 16 SB), Oakland Athletics firstbaseman James Loney (.320, 38 HR, 98 RBI, 107 R), Boston Red Sox shortstop Hanley Ramirez (.301, 54 2B, 8 3B, 9 HR, 84 RBI, 92 R, 23 SB) and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim firstbaseman Brian Daniels (.252, 42 HR, 123 RBI, 97 R).

Keith Godfrey of the Houston Astros took home the NL MVP, the first such award for the 26-year-old outfielder. Godfrey hit .348 with 50 doubles, 14 triples, 24 home runs, 87 RBI, 116 runs and 28 stolen bases.
Godfrey led the NL in on-base percentage (.439), slugging (.619), OPS (1.058) and extra base hits (88).
MVP candidates included Andre Ethier (.352, 59 2B, 18 HR, 104 RBI, 98 R) of the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants catcher Victor Martinez (.351, 49 2B, 18 HR, 80 RBI, 95 R), Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Josh Hamilton (.302, 54 HR, 162 RBI, 109 R), Atlanta Braves firstbaseman Ryan Howard (.298, 56 HR, 122 RBI, 116 R), Florida Marlins outfielder Carl Crawford (.314, 7 3B, 18 HR, 85 RBI, 109 R, 83 SB) and Phillies firstbaseman Travis Hafner (.285, 45 HR, 109 RBI, 131 R).

[gocubsgo]

Wow not sure how the heck i missed your dynasty but the love the annual recaps.

[Moriarty9]

Zach Duke signs with Giants
Lefty signs for 7 years, $87.36 million
Wednesday, December 7, 2011

SAN FRANCISCO - After negotiating with a handful of teams, left-handed pitcher Zach Duke has come to terms on a lengthy contract with the Giants.
Duke, 28, signed a seven-year contract worth $12.48 million annually with San Francisco today.
The southpaw went 13-13 with a 3.28 ERA for the 83-79 Chicago White Sox last season and has gone 110-86 with a 3.45 ERA in 267 career starts with the Tampa Bay Rays and White Sox.
The New Jersey native was rumored to be in negotiations with the New York Yankees, White Sox, Giants, World Series champions Philadelphia Phillies and pitching-rich Boston Red Sox.
"I'm thrilled to be coming over here to San Francisco and am eager to get going," Duke said in a conference call with reporters. "The Giants stepped up with the best package - between the money, the security, the chance to win something and even just the environment there."
Giants manager Rod Martin suggested Duke would head the team's rotation ahead of Dontrelle Willis (15-12, 3.37 ERA), Homer Bailey (14-10, 3.07 ERA), Doug Waechter (8-9, 2.96 ERA) and recently acquired ex-Cleveland Indians pitcher Fausto Carmona (11-8, 3.53 ERA).
"This kid has talent and he has a chance to really do something over here over the next few years," Martin said. "He's got the potential to be an ace."
Duke's finest season came in 2006 with Tampa Bay, going 18-7 with a 2.69 ERA in 32 starts. He has never won fewer than 10 games in his eight-year career and has won 13-plus games each of the last six years. He is a two-time All Star, pitching his way to the Mid-Summer Classic in 2006 and 2010.
The remaining big names in the free agent market include Houston Astros catcher Russell Martin (.267, 12 HR, 54 RBI, 93 R, 20 SB), Houston Astros secondbaseman Marlon Anderson (.309, 29 HR, 129 RBI, 20 SB), Chicago White Sox shortstop Derek Jeter (.302, 4 HR, 61 RBI, 54 R, 19 SB in 108 games), Oakland Athletics firstbaseman James Loney (.320, 38 HR, 98 RBI, 107 R) and Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier (.352, 18 HR, 104 RBI, 98 R).

[Moriarty9]

Brewers lead busy day in trades
Five teams agree to three deals
Friday, December 9, 2011

Friday was a busy day in Major League Baseball in terms of transactions as three trades were consumated, including two by the Milwaukee Brewers.
In a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Milwaukee landed minor leaguers Joe Towns and Jose Moran in exchange for pitching prospect Don Jennings.
Towns, a 24-year-old switch-hitting secondbaseman, hit .267 with five homers, 55 RBI and 64 runs in 108 games with AA Altoona while Moran, a 22-year-old firstbaseman, hit .253 with 3 HR, 50 RBI and scored 54 runs in 110 games.
Jennings, 22, spent 2011 as the closer for AAA Nashville, going 6-3 with 24 saves and a 2.03 ERA in 48 relief appearances.
The Brewers dealt highly touted outfield prospect Norbert Sanderson to the Baltimore Orioles for catching prospect William Anderson.
Sanderson, 24, hit .250 with 7 RBI, 7 runs and 7 stolen bases in 39 games with the Brewers last year. In 100 games with AAA Nashville last season, he hit .296 with 15 homers, 76 RBI, 68 runs and 44 stolen bases.
Anderson, 20, was drafted in the third round of the 2011 draft and hit .208 with 19 RBI in 54 games in Class A ball.
After signing Zach Duke earlier this week, the San Francisco Giants found Doug Waechter to be expendable and dealt the 30-year-old pitcher to the Detroit Tigers for shortstop Jimmy Rollins.
Waechter, due $3.5 million in 2012, went 8-9 with a 2.96 ERA in 32 starts with the Giants last year. He has gone 61-70 with a 4.23 ERA over 190 starts with San Francisco over his six-year career.
Rollins, 33, hit just .201 with five homers, 31 RBI and 24 runs with 14 stolen bases in 97 games with the Tigers last year. Rollins, a career .263 hitter with 106 homers, spent the first 11 years of his career with the Milwaukee Brewers, spent 2010 with the New York Yankees and last year with Detroit. He was an All Star with the Yankees in 2004.

[Moriarty9]

dgs
Winter Meetings open with flurry
Monday, December 12, 2011

NEW ORLEANS - The first day of the annual Winter Meetings has come and gone, as have a number of player transactions.
The Boston Red Sox quickly accepted a trade offer made by the Baltimore Orioles today, sending 26-year-old minor league secondbaseman Dale Reed to Baltimore for reliever Rafael Betancourt, minor leaguer Marcos Delgado and cash considerations.
Reed is a very strong defensive ballplayer who can play all four infield positions. He hit .291 with three homers and 21 RBI with 10 stolen bases in 66 games with AAA Pawtucket last season. In 171 Major League games, Reed has hit .220 with four home runs, 51 RBI, 114 runs and 46 stolen bases in 57 attempts. He last played in the big leagues with Boston in 2010, hitting .368 with six RBI over 19 at bats.
Betancourt, 36, struggled to a 1-3, 4 save, 5.68 ERA performance in 46 games with the Orioles last year. In his 10 year career, eight of which were spent with the Houston Astros, Betancourt has gone 45-37 with 160 saves and a 3.70 ERA in 587 games.
Delgado, 22, was a 17th round draft pick in 2009. He went 7-5 with a 3.48 ERA in 15 starts with Class A Modesto last season.
Left-handed reliever Hong-Chih Kuo will be changing the color of his socks this year as the former Boston Red Sox hurler signed a two-year deal with the Chicago White Sox tonight.
Kuo, 30, will earn $6.48 million in each of the two years in his contract as a set-up man for closer Matt Lindstrom.
The southpaw went 2-3 with 27 saves and a 2.06 ERA in 54 games with Boston last season.
The San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics agreed to a four-player trade that sends pitchers Ryan Dempster and Mike Price to Oakland in exchange for minor league infielders Pedro Arellano and Dylan Starks.
Dempster, 34, went 2-3 with 15 saves and a 3.31 ERA in 54 games with the A's last season and has gone 78-87 with 90 saves and a 4.40 ERA over his 14-year career with the Florida Marlins, Chicago Cubs and Oakland.
Price, 23, was a 20th round draft pick by Oakland last year and spent the season in Class A ball.
Arellano, 26, has worked as a utility infielder but is naturally a secondbaseman. He hit .231 with three homers and 13 RBI in 104 at bats with San Diego last year. In 80 big league games, he has hit .238 with five home runs and 19 RBI.
Starks is a 21-year-old firstbaseman who has seen some time at secondbase and shortstop in the minor leagues. A round 7 draft pick by San Diego in 2010, Starks hit .305 with two home runs and 56 RBI in 105 games in Class A last season.
The St. Louis Cardinals re-signed 24-year-old firstbaseman Juan Cortez to a two-year extension that will pay him $10.32 million annually. Cortez has just three years in the big leagues but has hit .264 with 89 home runs and 286 RBI in 470 games. Last season, earning an All Star selection, he hit .280 with 38 homers, 107 RBI and 99 runs.
The Cleveland Indians re-signed outfielder Juan Rivera to a four-year deal worth just less than $72.5 million. The fourth year of the contract is a player option that Rivera holds and he will receive $900,000 in any season in which he wins the MVP. Rivera has been with the Indians since 2006 and hit .299 with 32 home runs, 93 RBI and 92 runs scored in 129 games last year. A lifetime .294 hitter with 196 homers, he has also played for the Montreal Expos and Anaheim Angels in his 13 year career.
"This is where I wanted to stay and I'm fortunate the organization felt the same way about me," Rivera said.
All indications were that reliever George Sherrill was set to return to the San Francisco Giants until the 34-year-old agreed today to a two-year deal with the Florida Marlins. The Marlins offered a sizeable paycheck and the closer's role. Sherrill will earn $6.13 million annually over the life of the contract. He went 1-5 with two saves and a 3.18 ERA in 49 games with San Francisco this year. He last closed with the Giants in 2007, recording 24 saves in 58 games. In his seven-year career - which had been spent with the Giants - Sherrill has gone 28-31 with 64 saves and a 3.39 ERA.
The Cincinnati Reds sent pitching prospect Marcos Melendez to the Pittsburgh Pirates for reliever Greg Kerr.
Melendez, 24, went 8-3 with two saves and a 2.28 ERA in 106 2/3 innings with Class A Everett last season.
Kerr, a 25-year-old southpaw, went 1-1 with one save and a 3.60 ERA in 28 relief appearances with the Pirates last season.

[Moriarty9]

Meetings continue with deals
GMs, agents have been busy
Tuesday, December 13, 2011

NEW ORLEANS - The Houston Astros re-signed free agent second baseman Marlon Anderson after a small bidding war between a handful of clubs. Anderson, 37, signed a two-year guaranteed contract at $23.03 million annually and the veteran holds an option for a third season (2014) at $23.03 million. If he exercises his option, the contract would run out while he is 40-years-old. The contract also calls for a $700,000 bonus if Anderson wins the MVP.
A two-time All Star (2007, 2011), Anderson hit .309 with 29 home runs, 129 RBI, 92 runs and was successful in 20 of 26 stolen bases attempts this past season, his first with the Astros. During his 12-year-career with the Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels and the Astros, Anderson has hit .275 with 1,416 hits, 191 homers and 800 RBI in 1,515 games.

Manuel Corpas signs with Sox

One day after bullpen mate Hong-Chih Kuo left the Boston Red Sox for the Chicago White Sox via free agency, Manuel Corpas followed suit. Corpas, 29, signed a two-year deal with the ChiSox today. The contract is worth $7.09 million annually.
He went 3-2 with a 2.85 ERA in 41 relief appearances with Boston this past season.

Haren to Mets for Matsui

Pitcher Danny Haren hopes his new home will be kinder than his last as he was traded by the Cincinnati Reds with minor league pitcher Johnny Knecht to the New York Mets for Kazuo Matsui and minor league pitcher Pedro Roman.
Haren, 31, posted poor 8-19 record but with a respectable 3.55 ERA in 33 starts for the Reds last season.
In nine seasons with the Angels, Giants and Reds, Haren has gone 96-134 with a 4.59 ERA in 299 starts.
Matsui, who won a Gold Glove at second base with the Seattle Mariners in 2005, hit .246 with seven home runs and 28 RBI in 94 games with the Mets last season, .294 with three round-trippers and 26 RBI in 53 games with AAA New Orleans.
He has spent parts of eight seasons in the big leagues - five of them with Boston - and hit .253 with 19 home runs and 150 RBI in 503 games.

Tigers, Yankees swap Zerbe, Thompson

The Detroit Tigers have a new firstbaseman in 25-year-old Mike Thompson after trading veteran reliever Chad Zerbe and minor league outfielder Salvador Blanco.
Thompson, who also plays a little leftfield, hit .281 with five homers, 45 RBI and 61 runs in his first full season at the big league level. He struck out 110 times and walked 29 times in 473 at bats over 140 games this past year. In 208 career big league games over the last four years, Thompson has hit .266 with eight homers and 64 RBI.
Zerbe, a lefty, had the worst season of his 11-year-career last season, going 4-2 with a save and a 6.08 ERA in 46 games with the Tigers. The Yankees hope he will resemble the pitcher that went 3-2 with 2 saves and a 2.63 ERA in 33 games just two years ago, or even 3-5 with 4 saves and a 4.60 ERA in 56 games last year.

[Moriarty9]

Big signing on Day 3 of meetings
Loney, Tejada headlining acts in Big Easy
Wednesday, December 14, 2011

NEW ORLEANS - James Loney and Miguel Tejada were signed for a cumulative $117.81 million today, the third day of baseball's annual winter meetings.
Loney is the latest - and most likely the last - notable free agent acquisition for the Chicago White Sox, who shelled out $59.52 million over three seasons, an average of $19.84 million per year.
Loney, 27, hit .320 with 38 home runs, 98 RBI and scored 107 runs in 161 games with the Oakland Athletics last season. In his six-year career, spent entirely with the A's, Loney has hit .319 with 178 homers and 624 RBI. He won the 2006 AL Rookie of the Year by hitting .330 with 25 homers and 103 RBI in 133 games for Oakland.
Tejada, 35, is expected to finish his career with the only team he has played for - the Chicago Cubs - after signing a two-year contract with a player option for a third season. Tejada will earn $19.43 million annually in the contract with a $700,000 bonus for any season in which he wins the MVP award.
Tejada has played shortstop for the Cubs for the last 16 years, accumulating 2,303 hits, 290 home runs, 1,142 RBI and 1,180 runs over 1,965 games in which he has hit .302. Last season, he hit .309 with 16 homers, 59 RBI and 90 runs in 141 games.
In other business at the winter meetings, the New York Mets dealt veteran reliever Julio Mateo (5-3, 3.65 ERA, 72 G last year) to the Detroit Tigers for veteran firstbaseman Mario Valdez (.246, 10 HR, 44 RBI, 134 G last year) and cash considerations. It will be the second stint in Queens for Valdez, who played with the Mets from 2003 through 2007.
The Arizona Diamondbacks have acquired pitcher Brian Bannister (12-17, 4.38 ERA, 33 starts last year), minor league catcher Jim Davis (.293, 11 HR, 52 RBI in 99 games in Class A) and cash considerations from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for thirdbase prospect Chris Simpson (.285, 7 HR, 47 RBI in 101 games with AAA Tucson).

[Moriarty9]

White Sox ink Gold Glove catcher
Martin signs for $107 million, six years
Friday, December 16, 2011

NEW ORLEANS - On the final day of the annual winter meetings, the Chicago White Sox made one more big money free agent signing.
Former Houston Astros catcher Russell Martin signed for five guaranteed seasons at $17.91 million annually with a player option for a sixth year (2017) at the same rate.
Martin, 28, hit .267 with 12 home runs and 54 RBI, scored 93 runs and stole 20 bases in 24 attempts.
"They stepped up with the Benjamins," Martin said at a press conference this afternoon. "These guys have showed they want to win a World Series at any expense and so do I."
The White Sox have spent quite a bit on free agents this season, signing Martin, relievers Hong-Chih Kuo and Manuel Corpas, and firstbaseman James Loney.
Chicago's payroll for 2012 is now at just under $125 million, behind only the Boston Red Sox ($137.5 million).
The Red Sox today also added to their depth, although at minimal cost. Boston acquired pitcher Matt Garza from Texas off waivers. Garza, 28, is signed to a minor league contract. He went 9-10 with a 3.21 ERA in 23 starts with AAA Oklahoma last season. Garza last appeared in the big leagues with Texas in 2008, going 0-2 with a 3.93 ERA in three starts. In 29 career starts with the Rangers, he has gone 6-10 with a 4.61 ERA.
Garza has been assigned to AAA Pawtucket.

[Moriarty9]

Sanford returns home to California
Three-time All Star signs huge deal with LA
Wednesday, December 21, 2011

LOS ANGELES - A native of Oakdale, Calif., outfielder Danny Sanford is returning to the West Coast after signing a five-year deal worth $96.65 million to play ball for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
"I grew up a big Dodgers fan, watching Mike Piazza for all those years," Sanford said. "It's a dream come true to be able to put on those Dodger blues."
Sanford, 27, hit .291 with 23 home runs and 97 RBI in 158 games with the Detroit Tigers last season, earning his third All Star selection.
In six big league seasons with the San Diego Padres and Detroit, Sanford has hit .277 with 103 homers and 472 RBI in 908 games.
He will be paid $17.4 million in 2012, $18.36 million in 2013, $19.33 million in 2014, $20.3 million in 2015 and $21.26 million in 2016.

[Moriarty9]

Jeter signs with Tigers
Brewers, Mets agree to trade
Wednesday, January 4, 2012

DETROIT - After spending the last nine years with the Chicago White Sox, nobody expected 37-year-old shortstop Derek Jeter to leave the Windy City for the Motor City.
But that's just what Jeter did today as he signed a two-year contract, with a player option for a third season, with the Detroit Tigers.
Jeter will be paid $19.52 million annually under the terms of what is likely his last big contract.
The three-time All Star and former Gold Glove winner hit .302 with four home runs and 61 RBI, stealing 19 bases in 108 games with the White Sox last season. In his 17-year career with the White Sox, New York Yankees and New York Mets, Jeter has put together a Hall of Fame-esque resume that includes a lifetime .308 average, 2,442 hits, 172 home runs, 1,014 RBI, 1,321 runs scored and 380 stolen bases in 1,928 games.
In other baseball news today, the Mets dealt pitchers Tom Mastny and Carlos Lerma to the Milwaukee Brewers for outfielder Craig Monroe and minor league catcher Will Ryan.
Monroe, 34, hit .219 with one homer and 23 RBI in 65 games with the Brewers last year while Ryan, 22, hit .161 with two runs scored in 19 games in rookie ball. He was a seventh round draft choice of the Brewers in 2011.
Mastny went 2-6 with 2 saves and a 4.52 ERA in 56 relief appearances for the Mets last year while Lerma, a sixth round draft selection, went 2-3 with a 4.76 ERA in seven Class A starts.

[Moriarty9]

Red Sox prepare for Spring battles
Some roles to be determined by exhibition games
Friday, March 2, 2012

FT. MYERS, Fla. - For the superstars and regulars, its all about getting their timing down and getting back into the swing of things while the rookies try to open up the eyes of team officials and league scouts.
It's spring training and the exhibition schedule opens up for the Boston Red Sox this afternoon at City of Palms Park against the Chicago White Sox.
There are a handful of battles brewing that will be interesting to watch as the spring progresses.
One area the team will be paying close attention is pitching. Manager Kevin Kennedy said familiar hurlers Johan Santana, Roy Oswalt, Erik Bedard and Scott Kazmir will open the year in the starting rotation with Dave Mason as the presumptive fifth starter. Victor Waddell and southpaws Jon Lester and Eric McAllister will compete with Mason for the fifth spot in the rotation as well as a potential spot in the bullpen as a long reliever and spot starter.

RELIEF PITCHERS

With Hong-Chih Kuo, B.J. Ryan and Manuel Corpas leaving via free agency, the bullpen will see some new faces and there will be a competition for the closer's job.
Jonathan Papelbon is the odds on favorite to be the man in the ninth inning for Boston, although Joba Chamberlain will be given an opportunity this spring to show what he can do.
Southpaws Terry Allen (6 games with Boston last year) and Danny Hanna (6 games with Boston last year, 20 with the Angels) will fight for the left-handed setup man role.
The other bullpen guys are Jonah Bayliss, Rafael Betancourt and Harvey Garcia.

CATCHERS

There will most certainly be a Boston backstop battle this spring. Javier Ramirez hit .263 with six home runs and 52 RBI in 123 games last year and is the incumbent behind the plate. Fighting for the backup job - and possibly a chance to unseat Ramirez as the starting catcher - are four veterans. Kenji Johjima, 35, hit .278 with seven homers in 115 games with the Detroit Tigers last year and will chiefly compete with former Boston catcher Josh Phelps, 33, who hit .264 with 10 homers in 84 games with the Angels and Mets last season. Also in the mix is Mike Rivera, 35, who hit .249 with four homers and 27 RBI over 169 at bats with the Atlanta Braves last year and Rob Bowen, 31, who hit .263 with nine RBI in 13 games with Boston last season.

FIRST BASE

There will also be a fight for time at first base. Conor Jackson was the regular firstbaseman last season but lacks the oomph expected out of the position. Jackson hit .251 with 10 homers and 80 RBI in 158 games, hitting a homer just once every 60.9 at bats.
Adrian Gonzalez, signed to a low-money contract this winter, will compete for the job after hitting .249 with 16 HR and 69 RBI in 134 games with Seattle last season. There are also other internal candidates, including 22-year-old Bob Miles (.319, 5 HR, 19 RBI, 135 AB in AAA Pawtucket), Gabriel Avila (.259, 5 HR, 29 RBI, 143 AB with Boston) and Kendry Morales (.239, HR, 7 RBI in 2 games with Boston, .353 with 8 HR and 48 RBI in 96 games with Pawtucket).

SECOND BASE

Second base belongs to Dustin Pedroia after he hit .307 with 12 home runs and 85 RBI in 150 games last season. He will be backed up by Howie Kendrick, who hit .269 with three dingers and 28 RBI in 305 at bats last season.

THIRD BASE

Miguel Cabrera hopes to rebound after a down-season last year as the club's third baseman. Cabrera hit .291 with 23 homers and 104 RBI in 135 games last year. He is a lifetime .355 hitter that averages around 30 homers and 125-plus RBI.

SHORTSTOP

Hanley Ramirez remains firmly in place as the starting shortstop after hitting .301 with 54 doubles, eight triples, nine homers, 84 RBI and scoring 92 runs in 139 games.

UTILITY INFIELDER

Candidates for a utility infielder include Bill Hopkins (.298,6 HR, 50 RBI in 386 at bats in AAA Pawtucket, .163 with eight RBI in 43 at bats with Boston), Willie Bloomquist (.330, 18 RBI in 57 games with Pawtucket, 3-for-10 with Boston), 24-year-old Nick Huggins (.378, 7 HR, 41 RBI in 62 games with Pawtucket, 1-for-6 with Boston) and Clinton Barber (.311, 7 HR, 64 RBI in 119 games with Pawtucket).

OUTFIELD/DH

In the outfield, its a mix of young and old. Outfielder and DH Matt Kemp and 38-year-old outfielder Ichiro Suzuki are locks for starting roles while Reggie Willits, Lou Farsey, David Murphy, Antonio Andres and Adam McCormick compete for the remaining spots.
Willits, a 30-year-old switch-hitter, is most likely to end up as one of the starting outfielders because of his speed and defense. It doesn't hurt that he hit .312 with 49 RBI, scored 72 runs and stole 35 bases in 133 games last season.
Lou Farsey, 23, burst onto the scene in the minor leagues and then with Boston last season, even earning a spot on the post-season roster. The speedy outfielder hit .315 with two home runs, eight RBI and 15 runs scored in 25 games with Boston last year.
David Murphy has long been the fourth outfielder and has filled in admirably when needed. He had one of the least productive season of his five-year career last year, hitting .255 with four homers and 19 RBI in 56 games.
Andres struggled in Boston last season (.104, HR, 4 RBI in 21 games) but hit well enough in Pawtucket (.315, 7 HR, 46 RBI, 21 SB in 22 attempts) to compete for a spot this spring.
McCormick earned a September callup after hitting .320 with six triples, seven homers, 51 RBI and 72 runs in Pawtucket. He went 2-for-5 with a RBI in Boston.