MLB Trade Rumors (Free subscription) | 12/02/2009
Bill Ladson of MLB.com (via Twitter) reports that Washington has declined to offer arbitration to free agents Livan Hernandez, Austin Kearns, Dmitri Young, Josh Bard and Ron Villone. None of the five players were ranked as Type A or Type B free agents, so the Nationals weren't entitled to any compensation had any of the five turned down an arbitration offer and then signed elsewhere.
Beyond the Boxscore (Free subscription) | 11/14/2009
I created UZR projections for the 2010 season and the values are available on a Google Documents Spreadsheet . I got 4 years worth of UZR numbers from Fangraphs. Then I did a 5-4-3-2 yearly weighting regressed to 125 games with a -0.7UZR aging factor ( article where the math is explained ). I selected for the worksheet any players that played in at least 63 games at the position over the last 4 years....
Baseball Analysts (Free subscription) | 11/13/2009
First there was the error. A century later, we finally have the natural antithesis to the error: the Web Gem. The good people over at ESPN track all the best defensive plays in baseball on a daily basis, and come up with that short minute segment which is often a highlight of my night. This year, they began keeping track of who made each Web Gem, and were kind enough to share the data with me. Web...
William F. Yurasko (Free subscription) | 11/09/2009
Nats pass on Kearns' option - nationals.com RF Austin Kearns' Washington career appears to be over. THe Nationals declined to pick up the 2010 option on his contract, buying him out for $1 million instead of paying him to play for $10 million. It is obviously the right decisions because Kearns can no longer hit. Kearns arrived with Felipe Lopez in a 2006 trade with the Cincinnati Reds for relievers...
Federal Baseball (Free subscription) | 11/07/2009
More photos » by Lori Shepler - AP Browse more photos » In early 2007, when then-DC GM Jim Bowden signed right fielder Austin Kearns to a 3-year/$17.5 million dollar deal with a $10 million dollar club option for a fourth year or a $1 million dollar buyout, Kearns told Washington Post writer Barry Svrluga , as quoted in an 2/2/07 article entitled, "Kearns to Have an Extended Stay With...
MLB Trade Rumors (Free subscription) | 11/07/2009
Today was a busy day for options, as eleven decisions were reached. Here's a summary: The White Sox declined Jermaine Dye's $12MM option, paying a $950K buyout. The Phillies exercised their $9MM option on Cliff Lee. The Diamondbacks exercised their $8.5MM option on Brandon Webb. The Royals declined options on Coco Crisp, Miguel Olivo, and Yasuhiko Yabuta. The Brewers declined David Weathers' $3.7MM...
MLB Trade Rumors (Free subscription) | 11/07/2009
The Nationals declined their $10MM option on right fielder Austin Kearns, according to the AP. They'll instead pay a $1MM buyout. Kearns signed his three-year, $17.5MM deal in January of '07, and gave the Nats one solid year for their money. He represents the last of the day's multiple obvious option decisions. Kearns, 29, hit .195/.336/.305 in 211 plate appearances this year. He missed a chunk of...
Royals Review (Free subscription) | 10/15/2009
So this is what I am left with: doomed to follow a baseball team that uses pre-modern techniques for assessing players I am forced to come up with my own alternate reality that I hope will happen. I will list some groups of players that I would look to acquire at each position we need. I admit the plan is not "sexy" but it better positions us for 2011/12 and should improve the club next season....
Pursuit of Red Sox (Free subscription) | 10/07/2009
I was surprised to be pick up a box of these cards on e-bayUK. 24 packs of 8 cards. There are 300 cards in the base set. There are parallels: Red Chunks and Minis There are inserts: 40 4in1 stickers, 24 Comics, 55 Tattoos and 25 Stand-ups. There are relic cards: Adventure relics, Blast Bat relics and One-Liner relics. There are 8 cards per pack, each pack contains a Red Chunks and Mini. Here are the...
MLB Trade Rumors (Free subscription) | 09/19/2009
A few links to start off your Friday night... Royals GM Dayton Moore said Aaron Crow will be a given a chance to win a spot with the big league team next spring, according to MLB.com's Dick Kaegel. Bill Ladson of MLB.com writes that Austin Kearns' time with the Nationals is all but over. The outfielder is out with a thumb contusion, and GM Mike Rizzo said it's unlikely he'll return this year. There's...
A Pack A Day (Free subscription) | 09/09/2009
Last month I picked up a repack product at Target, four packs for $4.99. Unless some 1991 Donruss got slipped in there behind the front packs, I thought this was a good enough deal. The first pack, 2005 Fleer Showcase, is the one that turned this purchase from a maybe into a yes. Never opened one before, so this will be fun. Let's tear in. Top to Bottom: 12 Barry Zito (His A's cards always look cooler...
Amazin' Avenue (Free subscription) | 09/02/2009
by Tom Mihalek - AP Please don't touch me. Thank you. View full size photo uploaded September 1, 2009 The New York Post noted that 16 Mets have been thrown out at the plate this season. This is a staggering amount and doesn't reflect well on Razor Shines. One part of this story that the Post neglected to mention is only 9 of the 16 baserunners were thrown out from the outfield. The rest came on infield...
Another Cubs Blog (Free subscription) | 09/01/2009
Congratulations, Cubs fans. You’ve done it. You should be so proud of yourselves. The Cubs have not yet traded Milton Bradley, but he’s not going to be back in 2010. The Cubs will find a team to take him, send along half the money he’s owed (about $10.5 million) and seek a new right fielder who likely will not be as good as Milton Bradley. Well done. You all deserve a pat on the...
Federal Baseball (Free subscription) | 08/31/2009
More photos » by Morry Gash - AP Washington Nationals starting pitcher Collin Balester could rejoin the team as early as Sept. 1 when the major league rosters expand. (AP Photo/Morry Gash) Browse more photos » With September 1 literally just hours away, major league teams can expand their active roster to include anyone occupying a spot on their 40-man roster. Traditionally, teams have...
Federal Baseball (Free subscription) | 08/31/2009
Since August 18, the Nationals have been 3-10. That's pretty bad. But they've been playing some really good teams, and have been hanging with them. In those games, they've played the Rockies, the Brewers, the Cubs and the Cardinals; until recently, all of those teams were in the playoff hunt, and the Rockies and Cardinals are still. Now, the impressive part: of those ten losses, six were decided by...
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