As Spring Training draws near, it’s time to look at which players are going to be overpaid in 2011 based on their previous performances.
How many Yankees and Mets players are on the list? Do Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and A.J. Burnett make the list?
What about Boston’s Daisuke Matsuzaka and Jonathan Papelbon?
Oddly enough, none of them are on the list. So if it’s not these veterans, then who could have possibly made the list heading into 2011?
The Colorado Rockies appear to be set to lock up one of the NL MVP candidates from last season.
The Rockies will extend Carlos Gonzalez’ contract for seven years, worth up to $80 million pending a physical, according to CarGo Media on Twitter.
The do-it-all, 25-year-old 2010 Gold Glove winning outfielder, Carlos Gonzalez, emerged as one of the top players in baseball last season for the Colorado Rockies.
You name it, “CarGo” did it.
From diving catches to stolen bases to clutch walk-off home runs, CarGo was the one consistent driving force in Colorado.
You could call him the Rockies’ Swiss army knife, perhaps?
Anyways…
Gonzalez showed potential in 2009 when he hit 13 home runs and stole 16 bases in 89 games. He was projected to have a breakout season. It would be interesting to find out if Rockies management had any idea what they would get from their emerging superstar.
In 145 games played, CarGo had a .336 average and .974 OPS. He hit 34 HR and 117 RBI on 197 hits. He scored 111 runs and stole 26 bases.
Even when Troy Tulowitzki was injured for a lengthy time in the middle of the season, Gonzalez continued to thrive for the Rockies. With Tulowitzki and Gonzalez on board, the Rockies appear set for the future.
At only 25 years old and heading into his fourth season in the majors, the sky is truly the limit for Carlos Gonzalez. He has all of the talent in the world and could very well once again stay in the running for the NL MVP award in 2011.
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It has been reported that Brandon Webb has reached a one-year agreement with the Texas Rangers.
The contract has a $3 million base salary, according to ESPN’s Buster Olney.
The Rangers were in the running for the great Cliff Lee, but he ultimately shunned them for the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Rangers had a lot to offer Lee, who just missed out once again on a World Series ring.
The Rangers played fantastic throughout 2010 and should field the top team in the AL West in 2011.
They may not have Cliff Lee to lead the rotation, but they just picked up a potential Comeback Player of the Year candidate.
Brandon Webb was once viewed as one of the best pitchers in all of baseball just a few short years ago.
Webb, 31 years old, has not played since the first game of the 2009 season when he suffered a shoulder injury.
Webb won the NL Cy Young award in 2006 but failed to show much improvement towards the end of the 2010 season and never saw the field.
Webb is determined to get back to being one of the top pitchers in all of baseball.
Webb has immense talent and we have seen pitchers come back from worse injuries before.
The Rangers will hope Webb can regain his velocity in time for Opening Day. Even if Webb isn’t ready for the first month or two of the season, the Rangers have the talent to still compete in the AL West while they wait for Webb. If Webb can stay healthy and come close to matching his 2008 form, the Rangers will be smiling from ear to ear.
In 2008, Webb was 22-7 with a 3.30 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in 226.2 innings pitched.
Webb has a 70-37 record with an average ERA of 3.24 and 1.20 WHIP in 231.58 innings pitched from 2005-2008.
Texas may have picked up the biggest steal in this free-agency period.
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There were conflicting reports this weekend that the New York Yankees were actually discussing whether or not they should bring in one-time Boston Red Sox villain and now free agent outfielder Manny Ramirez.
It was first reported on Thursday night, December 23, by YES Network’s Jack Curry that the Yankees were internally debating if they should sign Ramirez.
On Sunday, December 26, George A. King III of the New York Post reported that the Yankees do not have interest in Ramirez.
Whether the Yankees do or not, it is an interesting scenario nonetheless.
The Yankees missed out on acquiring Cliff Lee, Zack Greinke, Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford. This is one of the first times in recent memory that the Yankees failed to acquire a superstar in the offseason. It seemed the Yankees were destined to land one of their desired studs, but they were ultimately shunned.
The Yankees seem to have been pushed to second fiddle in the AL East by the Boston Red Sox, who have immensely upgraded their ball club.
The Yankees need to make a splash.
Simply bringing back Hall of Famers Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera and signing catcher Russell Martin is not enough for the “Evil Empire.”
Many believe Ramirez would be a poor fit, considering the Yankees are most likely going to keep Jorge Posada as their designated hitter.
Regardless, as Posada is aging rapidly and increasingly injury-prone, Ramirez is an option the Yankees should sincerely consider.
Ramirez had a down year. He only hit nine home runs and had 42 RBI despite hitting .298 for both the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox.
He is also a known troublemaker.
On a one-year contract with the Yankees, Ramirez would most likely be on his best behavior. More importantly, he would be determined to prove he is still a top hitter in the game.
Perhaps even more importantly, one could imagine he would love to stick it to the Boston Red Sox each and every time they play each other. Ramirez would have more incentive to perform for the Yankees than just about any other team in the league. The Yankees provide Ramirez an opportunity to win a ring and seek some revenge on his old ball club.
It is a win-win for the Yankees. Ramirez is only seeking a one-year contract. The Yankees do need another veteran hitter with great power and vision. The Yankees need an insurance plan in case one of their hitters go down or slump. Ramirez is the type of player who can pick up the entire lineup. He is still a dangerous threat and one the Yankees need to consider taking a chance on heading into the 2011 season.
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The New York Yankees have reportedly offered former Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Russell Martin a one-year contract, according to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News.
Martin had an awful 2010 season, serving as one of the major disappointments for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Martin played in just 97 games, hitting .248 with five HR, 26 RBI and six SB.
Martin has declined over the past few seasons.
His batting average has steadily declined each year since 2007. He hit .293 in 2007, .280 in 2008 and .250 in 2009. The Yankees will hope Martin can turn the clock back to his 2007 career year, which was just his second in the majors. Martin hit .293 with 19 HR, 87 RBI, 21 SB and 32 doubles
A one-year offer to the catcher is a smart move for the Yankees. Without any long term attachment to Martin, the Yankees have nothing to lose. If Martin performs poorly, he’ll be gone after the season and they aren’t forced to play him.
The offer seems to be a proactive move to prevent the Boston Red Sox from gaining a quality catcher. The Red Sox changed the landscape of the MLB when they acquired two of the best players in the league. They traded for Adrian Gonzalez and signed Carl Crawford.
These two additions join a lineup already boasting David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis and Jacoby Ellsbury. With this stacked lineup ready to demolish opposing pitchers, the Red Sox have one of the strongest teams heading into the 2011 season.
It seems the World Series is set to run through Beantown once again as the Red Sox appear perched above the New York Yankees in the AL East at the moment.
The Yankees are reportedly set to offer Cliff Lee a monstrous contract that he may be forced to accept. However, the offer to Russell Martin now positions themselves for the possibility Lee doesn’t join the club.
New York Yankees catcher Jesus Montero is one of the top prospects in any farm system. They would love to see him battle Jorge Posada, and possibly now Russell Martin, for the starting catcher job.
If the Yankees don’t land Cliff Lee, they may be forced to trade their top prospect to the Kansas City Royals for pitcher Zack Greinke. The Yankees would feel compelled to upgrade their pitching staff to contend with the Boston lineup.
The only thing we know for sure is that the Yankees appear ready to do whatever they can to match Boston.
Rightfully so.
They’re in a position they never want to be in now: Looking up at the Boston Red Sox.
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Jayson Werth officially left the Philadelphia Phillies yesterday when he signed a massive seven-year, $126 million contract with the Washington Nationals. Some are questioning whether or not this was “Werth” it for the Nats.
Aside from Carl Crawford, Jayson Werth is the best outfielder on the market. More importantly, Werth will help shape the winning culture that Washington Nationals’ management is trying to build.
The Nationals lost Adam Dunn, as expected, to the Chicago White Sox. This didn’t sit well with the Nationals’ players, though. Ryan Zimmerman recently spoke out against letting one of the top free agents walk.
Washington needed to fill the big void he left. Werth will be able to do just that.
Werth is a very good outfielder, but more importantly, a great hitter. Last season, he hit .296 with 27 HRs, 85 RBIs and 106 runs scored. He also had 46 doubles and 13 stolen bases. Werth will be able to make sure pitchers can’t simply pitch around Ryan Zimmerman, one of the game’s best third basemen.
Perhaps the gaudy deal was too much. Really though, this is what the Nationals need to do. Washington has been a laughing stock for years now. They were a “bottom of the barrel” team. Now, their future is as bright as arguably any team in the majors.
This team has reinforcements on the way. With Jordan Zimmermann returning late last year from injury, along with Jayson Werth, Ryan Zimmerman, Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg on board, the Nationals have one of the best young cores in baseball.
Although Stephen Strasburg will miss the entire 2011 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, we have seen players come back from the surgery and regain their superstar form.
This was a move the Nationals had to make. They could not let themselves stay at the bottom of the MLB forever. The Nationals are positioning themselves for a run at the NL East crown. Jayson Werth is just another important piece to their puzzle.
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It is being reported that the Yankees captain and shortstop will re-sign with the only team he has ever known.
Jeter will re-sign with New York for three years anywhere between $45-51 million with a potential fourth year in place, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
It’s about time the two parties were able to come to some sort of agreement.
This process took far too long for one of the Yankees’ all time greats and first ballot Hall of Famer. Derek Jeter is far too important to the Yankees, Yankees nation and Major League Baseball in general.
Jeter is the face of the team and the Majors. The amount of money the Yankees profit on Jeter alone made this re-signing a no-brainer. Money should never have been a topic of discussion. Jeter is worth every penny.
The Yankees just completed a two-year deal with Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera for $30 million.
Now that he Yankees has two of their staples back on the team, they can finally focus on bringing in free agent acquisitions such as Cliff Lee and Carl Crawford. Both are necessary acquisitions to bring a 28th championship to New York now that the Red Sox will bring in Adrian Gonzalez, one of the most feared hitters in the league, to Beantown.
The re-signing process took too long for Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, but at least it’s over. Yankee nation can sleep softly knowing their Hall of Fame cogs are back with the Empire. The dynasty will continue in 2011 with two of the greatest players to ever grace the diamond on board.
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Adrian Gonzalez, one of the MLB’s premier hitters, has been traded to the Boston Red Sox, according to ESPN’s Buster Olney.
Although this isn’t a shock, as the Red Sox attempted to trade for the superstar slugger before the 2010 Trade Deadline, this is the type of move that will send shock waves throughout the AL East division.
Gonzalez is an excellent power hitter and will thrive at Fenway Park. He has a fantastic eye and will put a ton of pressure on opposing pitchers.
With Gonzalez on board, the Red Sox can move Kevin Youkilis back to third base and don’t have to worry about filling the void of Adrian Beltre.
This move will surely create a domino effect as the Yankees will be forced to answer with a monster acquisition of their own.
It is unknown exactly who the San Diego Padres will receive in return, but it almost doesn’t even matter.
The Red Sox lineup is now stacked.
They are in prime position with their pitching staff and veteran hitters to make another championship run. Despite all of the injuries last season, manager Terry Francona did a hell of a job keeping his squad together and focused for the most part, almost making a playoff run at the end of the season.
With Adrian Gonzalez on board, this gritty and resilient Red Sox team will be extremely scary in the 2011 season.
Last season, Gonzalez batted .298 with 31 homers, 101 RBIs and 87 runs scored.
Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz, Adrian Gonzalez and Kevin Youkilis make up one of the deadliest opening five hitters of any lineup in the majors.
The Yankees just re-signed Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera to a two-year deal. They are still in serious negotiations with captain Derek Jeter. These re-signings won’t be enough now that the Red Sox acquired Adrian Gonzalez. They can’t counter with a jab; they need to pull out all of the stops.
The MLB offseason has officially opened for business.
The clock is ticking, New York Yankees.
For now, Red Sox Nation must be going wild for their superstar acquisition that has them in prime position for another World Series championship.
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The Yankees battled the Tampa Bay Rays all season for the top record in the Majors. They lost out in the final days of the season, but still made it further in the playoffs than their division rivals. As expected, the Yankees swept the Justin Morneau-less Minnesota Twins, but their AL Championship Series performance was what was unexpected. They came back in Game 1 in Texas, but were rather lifeless the rest of the way.
Sporadic performances spread the team too thin. The Yankees could not recover from the quality pitching and hitting the Rangers threw at them. The lively Texas team made the Bronx Bombers the Bronx Kamikaze Bombers as the Yankees continually dug themselves into holes they could not burrow out of.
With Derek Jeter’s contract expiring and management questioning his worth after his subpar postseason, many have begun speculating which team Jeter will play for next season.
Jeter finished the 2010 campaign with a .270 batting average, .340 on base percentage, and .370 slugging percentage, all of which well below his career averages.
He scored 111 runs, stole 18 bases, connected on 10 homers, and drove in 67 runs.
This decline in production has led many to question how much he deserves to get paid, where he deserves to hit in a lineup and which position he should play on the field.
However, he remains one of the leading figures in all of sports, and Jeter will bring revenue and a strong veteran presence to whichever team he plays for in 2011.