Twins optimistic Mauer will ink new deal
January 29, 2010
MINNEAPOLIS (AP)—Minnesota Twins manager Ron Gardenhire says he’s optimisticthat a new deal will get done with American League MVP Joe Mauer(notes).
Mauer and the Twins are keeping quiet on any talks about a new contract forMauer, who’s in the final year of his current deal. Gardenhire said Friday he’sconfident the sides will come together and strike a deal.
Gardenhire says he doesn’t “sit and fret about it” and that he doesn’t getinvolved in the process. But he says he believes Mauer’s contract will get donebefore spring.
Mauer is making $12.5 million this season.
Twins’ Morales, Punto have wrist surgery
January 29, 2010
MINNEAPOLIS (AP)—Minnesota Twins backup catcher Jose Morales(notes) will be out untilmid-March following surgery on his injured right wrist. Starting second basemanNick Punto(notes) won’t need as much time for his recovery.
General manager Bill Smith confirmed Friday that Morales had surgery onThursday. He says Morales will be ready for the regular season. Hiscontributions will be more critical to supplement AL MVP Joe Mauer(notes), now thatveteran Mike Redmond(notes) is with Cleveland.
Punto was scheduled for surgery Friday on his right wrist.
Smith called Punto’s operation more of a “clean up” than the repairMorales needed. Position players report to spring training by Feb. 26, and Smithsays Punto will be recovered by then.
Marlins, RHP Turnbow agree to contract
January 29, 2010
MIAMI (AP)—Former All-Star reliever Derrick Turnbow(notes) has agreed to a minorleague contract with the Florida Marlins and will join their major-league campfor spring training.
Turnbow, a right-hander, converted 51 of 55 save chances at the start of hiscareer but struggled with shoulder tendinitis and hasn’t pitched in the majorssince May 2008. He failed to land a spot with Texas out of spring training lastyear.
Turnbow had 39 saves for Milwaukee in 2005 with an ERA of 1.74. He made theAll-Star team in 2006, then suddenly lost his form midseason.
Florida goes to spring training with Leo Nunez(notes) as the favorite for thecloser’s job. The Marlins also announced minor league deals Friday withright-hander Jose Veras(notes) and infielder Danny Richar(notes).
Nationals, RHP Batista agree to contract
January 29, 2010
WASHINGTON (AP)—Right-hander Miguel Batista(notes) and the Washington Nationals haveagreed to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.
Batista went 7-4 with one save and a 4.04 ERA in 56 relief appearances forSeattle last season. He is 95-108 with 39 saves and a 4.54 ERA in 530 games,including 237 starts, across 15 seasons with eight clubs.
The deal is the latest example of Washington’s attempts to rebuild itsbullpen. The Nationals finished with the worst record in the majors for thesecond season in a row in 2009, going 59-103.
Mariners still expect to add hitter
January 29, 2010
SEATTLE (AP)—Will Jack Zduriencik ever rest?
Even though the general manager has already remade his Mariners this winterby boldly acquiring former Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee(notes), giving $78 millionto co-ace Felix Hernandez(notes), signing All-Star third baseman Chone Figgins(notes), nabbingnew first baseman Casey Kotchman(notes) and bringing back iconic Ken Griffey Jr.(notes),Zduriencik’s not done yet.
“We’re still looking for a right-handed bat,” Zduriencik said Thursday,three weeks before pitchers and catchers report to spring training.
Seattle’s GM is seeking a veteran hitter who can play left field, andperhaps be a part-time designated hitter and first baseman.
“It may be a few days, a few weeks, however long it takes,” Zdurienciksaid of what should be his final acquisition of a busy winter. “We’re playingwith a few things right now that we’re reasonably comfortable might happen.”
Seattle has Griffey penciled in at DH. Manager Don Wakamatsu said Thursdayat the team’s annual pre-spring training luncheon that the Mariners will againslowly work baseball’s active home run leader into everyday shape, adding that“when he can play, he’s going to be in there.”
However, Griffey is 40 and coming off his second knee surgery in 12 months.Yet, Mariners trainer Rick Griffin said the man who has 630 home runs is“better now than he was at any time last year.”
Griffey hit .214 last season in his return to Seattle, with 19 homers and 57RBIs in 117 games. He was a DH for all but the first weeks of the season.
Griffin spent a few days with Griffey at his home in Florida this winter.The trainer said the slugger and team crackup has lost about seven pounds—andis bragging about his renewed physique.
“He told our general manager that he’s going to be ripped,” Griffin said,smiling. “We’ll see.”
The Mariners recently acquired Milton Bradley(notes) from the Cubs in hopes thesometimes volatile 31-year-old can play left field and perhaps DH. But Bradleyhas a history of blowing up spectacularly while on seven teams the previous 10seasons.
Seattle also acquired Kotchman to play first base, but the defensive whizlacks power.
Zduriencik admits that is a glaring void on a team that is becoming a trendypick to win the AL West in 2010 and return to the postseason for the first timesince 2001.
First baseman Russell Branyan(notes) hit a career-high 31 home runs in 116 gameslast year with Seattle before a herniated disk ended his season. The Marinersrecently decided he was not healthy enough to give the free agent the multiyeardeal he is seeking.
Other veteran free agents still available who have home-run history includeJermaine Dye(notes), Carlos Delgado(notes) and Hank Blalock(notes).
“I think we’ll be a little bit challenged—as we speak—power-wise,”Zduriencik said. “But when you realize what it costs to get one of those reallybig-time bats (it’s) pretty expensive. We used our resources in other ways.”
Such as giving former All-Star shortstop Jack Wilson(notes), another outstandingdefensive player, $10 million in a new, two-year contract and locking uppotential Gold Glove center fielder Franklin Gutierrez(notes) for four years and $20.25million.
The Mariners are also unsettled at catcher and in the rotation behindHernandez and Lee.
Catcher Rob Johnson(notes) returns after emerging last season as a pitcher’s bestfriend, forcing veteran Kenji Johjima(notes) out of the league and back to Japan. ButJohnson had surgeries to both hips and his wrist this winter. The 27-year-oldwho has yet to start more than 80 major league games in a season will not fullyparticipate until at least late in spring training, but said Thursday “I’ll beready” for the season.
The only catcher in camp with more than two years of major league experiencewill be non-roster invitee Josh Bard(notes), a six-year veteran.
Pitching coach Rick Adair mentioned four returning candidates for threerotation spots. Ryan Rowland-Smith(notes) appears to have one in hand. That leaves IanSnell(notes), Doug Fister(notes) and Jason Vargas(notes)—all of whom emerged last season—battlingfor the other two.
Nationals, RHP Walker agree to deal
January 28, 2010
WASHINGTON (AP)—Reliever Tyler Walker(notes) has agreed to a one-year contract withthe Washington Nationals pays him $650,000 if he’s in the majors and $120,000 ifhe’s in the minors.
The Nationals announced the free-agent deal Thursday. It’s the latest in aseries of moves the team has made to reshape its bullpen.
The 33-year-old right-hander went 2-1 with a 3.06 ERA in 32 appearances withthe NL champion Philadelphia Phillies last season. He has played for four teamsacross seven seasons in the majors.
Walker joins a new-look Washington bullpen. Earlier in the offseason, theNationals signed closer Matt Capps(notes), traded for New York Yankees reliever BrianBruney(notes), and agreed to a minor league contract with Eddie Guardado(notes).
Mariners: Griffey ‘ripped,’ ready to go
January 28, 2010
SEATTLE (AP)—Ken Griffey Jr.(notes) is “ripped” and ready to go for springtraining.
Baseball’s active home run leader had his second arthroscopic knee surgeryin 12 months in October, to remove a bone spur. And Seattle Mariners trainerRick Griffin says Griffey is “better now than he was at any time last year.”
Griffin spent a few days with Griffey at his home in Florida this winter.The trainer said Thursday the slugger who turned 40 on Nov. 21 has lost about 7pounds.
Griffey’s even bragging about his new physique.
“He told our general manager that he’s going to be ripped. We’ll see,”Griffin said, smiling three weeks before the Mariners begin spring training.
“He knows he has to lose weight. And he has,” Griffin said.
Griffey hit .214 last season in his return to Seattle, with 19 homers and 57RBIs in 117 games. He was a designated hitter for all but the first weeks of theseason.
The man with 630 career home runs had his knee drained repeatedly in 2009,and often walked stiffly around the clubhouse with a bulbous ice pack wrappedaround his leg.
Yet he still produced thrilling, late-game home runs, reminders of what madethe 13-time All-Star a Seattle icon from 1989-99, beginning as a grinningMariners teenager.
“A lot of people don’t realize, not being in the clubhouse every day, howbad his knee was last year,” Seattle manager Don Wakamatsu said.
He has Griffey penciled in as his designated hitter. Wakamatsu, who ledSeattle’s turnaround from 101 losses to an 85-77 record last season, saidThursday at the team’s annual pre-spring training luncheon that the Marinerswill again slowly work the 1997 AL MVP into everyday shape.
“When he can play, he’s going to be in there,” Wakamatsu said.
Griffey is Seattle’s clubhouse leader and the key to maintaining theenvironment of trust Wakamatsu created last year in his first season with theMariners.
But just as Seattle is expecting more out of its rising team, its managerexpects more out of Griffey now that he’s healthy.
“We’re expecting production,” Wakamatsu said.
Mariners: Griffey in shape, ready to go
January 28, 2010
SEATTLE (AP)—Ken Griffey Jr.(notes) is ready to go for spring training.
Griffey had surgery on his left knee in October. Seattle Mariners trainerRick Griffin says Griffey is “better now than he was at any time last year.”
Griffin spent a few days with Griffey at his home in Florida this winter.The trainer said Thursday that the slugger has lost about seven pounds.
The 40-year-old Griffey hit .214 last season in his return to Seattle, with19 homers and 57 RBIs in 117 games. He was a designated hitter for all but thefirst weeks of the season.
CF Edmonds signs with Brewers
January 28, 2010
MILWAUKEE (AP)—Outfielder Jim Edmonds(notes) has agreed to a minor league contractwith the Milwaukee Brewers, hoping to return to the big leagues after sittingout last season.
The 39-year-old is a career .284 hitter with 382 homers and 1,176 RBIs in 16seasons with Anaheim, St. Louis, San Diego and the Chicago Cubs.
A four-time All-Star and eight-time Gold Glove winner, he hit .235 with 20homers and 55 RBIs in 111 games for the Padres and Cubs two years ago.
General manager Doug Melvin has been looking for left-handed hitters to helpfill out his predominantly right-handed roster. Milwaukee’s outfielders includeRyan Braun, Corey Hart(notes), Carlos Gomez(notes) and Jody Gerut(notes).
MLB players donating up to $1M to Haiti
January 28, 2010
NEW YORK (AP)—Baseball players are pledging to donate up to $1 million toHaitian earthquake relief efforts.
The Major League Baseball Players Association says it is making a pair of$100,000 contributions to Esperanza International and Medicines for Humanitythrough the Major League Baseball Players Trust. The trust will give grants forthe remainder of the money over the next five years.
Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson(notes), the trust chair, said Thursday thatplayers “want to do our part to support the humanitarian efforts.”
The MLBPA also is part “One Team 4 Haiti,” a joint relief effort with itscounterparts from the NFL, NBA and NHL. NL MVP Albert Pujols(notes) and NL Cy YoungAward winner Tim Lincecum(notes) have recorded public service announcements.
