Players finding new homes, and one who may have screwed his future with one...

Oh, Josh Hamilton. What can I say? I love it when I'm right, because that's not exactly a regular occurrence. So I'm going to gloat. At least a little bit. 

I won't go too much into how predictable I thought (and amusing) his recent relapse was, because that's where I stop being a baseball fan and start slamming the guy for his hypocrisy. But his "press conference" (I use the term loosely) was one of the least sincere apologies I've ever heard. How much credit can you be given for being open and honest about something if you won't even answer questions about it? Okay, so it's a personal matter and this happened before spring training started. And yet...this is the same guy who complained about smelling pot in the outfield of AT&T during the World Series and was so appalled by smelling it while walking the streets of San Francisco. For me, the minute you throw religion into it, you're on thin ice pretty much automatically. You made a mistake, it's no one else's fault, you're human, move on. Leave Christ out of it, please. According to reports, contract extension talks with the Rangers are "on hold for now". I think that means, "Bye bye, contract extension! Enjoy free agency hell!"

Moving on to a more positive happening, Edwin Jackson finally found a new home when he recently signed a 1 year/$11 million deal w/Nationals. The amount of money he signed for is not the surprising part to me - more that it was only for one year. If he's anywhere as good this season as he was in 2011, I'm guessing that contract will be extended. He's also found himself part of a fantastic-looking rotation. That's also where one of my cuties, Gio Gonzalez, recently ended up. I guess this means I may become a Nationals fan - and hey, I have to find someone in the NL East to root for!

Also signing a new one-year deal with a new team is Casey Kotchman, who was signed for $3 million with the Indians. I admit, I didn't really know who he was until "the game" the Rays had against the Rangers in last year's playoffs, in which he became my hero by owning the Rangers pitching staff. Hence why he and Matt Moore (for owning the Rangers hitters) were my heroes that day. And while Kotchman is no longer with the Rays, I will remember him fondly for that for at least a few years to come. If the Indians can keep some of their better players (Asdrubal Cabrera, anyone?) for the foreseeable future, they have a chance in the AL Central.

Now the only Giants-related news as of late is that Pat Burrell (or "Pat The Bat") recently announced his retirement. I've always had conflicting feelings about Pat. He was one of the reasons that, during the regular season, the Giants made it to the playoffs in 2010. However, once he got the playoffs, he was, well...terrible. I lost count early on of how many times he struck out, particularly once they were in the NLCS. But they did call him "Pat The Bat" for a reason, mostly because of his time with the Phillies. He is also fourth on the list of all-time home run hitters for the Phillies (at home, anyway). I just wish he had had a better (and fuller) final season. It makes me wonder if another ex-Giant, Edgar Renteria, will now consider retirement as well. One can only hope.

Speaking of the Phillies, Raul Ibanez is apparently in "serious" talks with Yankees for the DH spot. Ibanez would reportedly take less money to be a Yankee, which at 39 makes sense. Personally, I have always found Ibanez rather overrated, but that is in part because he was with the Phillies. Guerrero, Damon and Matsui are also apparently in the running for the spot. If I were Joe Girardi, I would go with Damon, mostly because he's had the most playing time recently of the bunch. But that's just me. Plus, the Yankees have re-signed former players more than once, so reason stands that they might do it with Damon. And while I've never liked the Yankees (but don't hate them like I do, say, the Dodgers), they usually have a few players I like. I also would worry a lot more about my pitching rotation than adding a DH. Once again, only time will tell on this one.

I'm realizing now that this entry turned out to be somewhat Phillies-themed, though I did not intend it to be as such. Moving along on that theme, I suppose it should be mentioned that Chad Qualls signed a 1 year/$1.15 million deal with the Phillies earlier this week. What I find perplexing is that they signed Qualls and yet seem rather sure that they would not re-sign Roy Oswalt. Yes, Oswalt had some injuries in recent seasons, but he's still considered an above-average veteran. It appears the Reds had some interest in Oswalt, but are now denying it. Oswalt is not the type of player I'd deny having interest in.

When the Red Sox denied interest in Cody Ross and then signed him a few days later, that made sense. While I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Ross, at this point, he's not a player that a team shouts from the rooftops about acquiring. I think Oswalt has plenty of gas left in the tank, so to speak. He may have been a Phillie, but Oswalt's numbers and staying power don't lie. And this is why Clubhouse Confidential is my favorite show on MLB Network, because stats are stats. It is the only kind of math I can get behind.

Speaking of impressive stats, the last bit of relevant news to mention is the Dodgers locking Clayton Kershaw into a 2 year/$19 million deal. If nothing else, Kershaw is proof that hating the Dodgers doesn't cloud my judgment of a future pitching ace when I see one. I think he deserves every penny. And his attitude seems to fit in with the Dodgers quite nicely.

Of all people, I never imagined I would be someone who would root for a Dodger, but here I am. I think it's partially the fact that he's a pitcher; Jason Schmidt was a Dodger (very briefly after being a Giant) and I will always love him. And remember the game where I witnessed his lovely home run. Those were good times.

It's all winding down...so far

It's amazing what happens when you keep up with a sport, and yet don't at the same time. The Niners losing to the Giants in the NFC title game was not only sad for me, but will make for possibly one of the most boring Super Bowls of the last decade (or maybe longer). Alas. But yes, I've still been watching MLB Network and checking the MLB Trade Rumors site constantly, but it seems like the last week or so has gotten away from me. And it seems that I have a lot to talk about. But where to start, you might ask? Might as well get Prince Fielder out of the way early. 

In hindsight it doesn't surprise me at all that Fielder signed with the Tigers. Beyond the fact that his dad Cecil played for them, that signing to most of us was about as unpredictable as when Pujols signed with the Angels. As far as I'm aware, the Tigers were really never mentioned in the bidding war for Fielder. It's a strange event for me, since I really have no feeling one way or the other about the Tigers. Sure, I was rooting for them against the Yankees in last year's playoffs, but that was the extent of it. I also think Justin Verlander is egotistical, despite having had an amazing season last year. Other than that though, I kind of have a "meh" reaction to them.

I think the most interesting thing about this signing is what will happen to Miguel Cabrera. One can assume he will move to third base, and that he and Fielder can switch off at DH. I would think Tigers fans are a little less sad about Victor Martinez's injury now than they were, say, a week ago. More than likely anyhow. Cabrera and Fielder provide a hell of an offense for them. Yikes. 

Now is when we move onto the Giants-themed portion of the evening (as it were). Cody Ross did what most of us Giants fans assumed and signed elsewhere - the Red Sox to be exact. From what I understand, Marco Scutaro going to the Rockies had a lot to do with that decision, at least payroll-wise. Hopefully this will not turn into a Joe Nathan situation (average pitcher for us, amazing pitcher for the Twins right after he left) where Ross hits .330 and 100 RBIs this year. I'd say that's really unlikely, but one never knows. I suppose weirder things could happen. I'm a bit conflicted on Ross' departure though, because of course I loved him during the 2010 playoffs; but last season, not so much. Ross is not the only recent Giant moving elsewhere however...

Short-lived Giant Jeff Keppinger signed with the Rays this past week. He was only with the team for one year, but I liked him. In fact, for awhile there, he was the only Giants hitter getting on base. The poor guy got stranded at first though, countless times. Also, despite not being majorly cute, he understood how a man's beard should really look, and for that I'm thankful. And wishing he'd teach a seminar to many of those who seem to struggle with the concept. The Giants let Keppinger go, but decided to hold onto Mike Fontenot. I'm not entirely understanding that logic, but maybe it will present itself at some point. I hope so.

And this brings us to the Giants recently signing Fontenot's former Cubs teammate, Ryan Theroit. This is yet another decision I would like management (presumably Brian Sabean) to explain to me. I have nothing against Theroit, personally, but I'm not sure why we need yet another infielder. Without any real information to go on, I would guess that perhaps the Giants are not quite as confident about Brandon Crawford's offensive abilities and want a back-up. Or maybe Freddy Sanchez is not as ready for spring training as they once thought. If the Giants sign more infielders after Theroit, I will really start to get worried. Then again, if they have the payroll for an "insurance" infielder, it probably won't do any harm. The consensus on the interwebs seems to be the opposite, though. But I was also (seemingly) the only one perplexed by the Angels signing CJ Wilson for so much money. It is what it is.

Those worried about Tim Lincecum's short-term future with the Giants (like me!) can breathe easier this week, as he signed a 2-year, $40 million deal, avoiding arbitration. I'm hoping this means that a contract extension for Matt Cain is also in the works. With Vogelsong having been re-signed, such a solid starting rotation (with Bumgarner too, of course) going into spring training would be great. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

This final mention is Giants-related, at least to me, but not in a good way. For awhile it seemed that Omar Visquel was rumored to have wanted to only play for the Giants, if he was to play one final season. Visquel having been one of my favorite Giants (ever!), this really excited me. I knew not to get too excited though, since the team already has Brandon Crawford at shortstop. But since Visquel said he wasn't planning on coming back to the Indians or the White Sox, that that would be it for him. This was not so, as he was just signed with the Blue Jays. Okay, so it was a minor league deal with an invite to spring training, but still. It saddens me nonetheless. I'm still holding out hope (like many Giants fans) that after his final season, Visquel will take a coaching position with the Giants. I think he'd fit in beautifully.

I guess I have to mention that Ryan Madson signed with the Reds. So he's not with the Phillies anymore. And that's good. I'm not sure what else I can say about that, since I don't find him particularly impressive. He's above average, for sure, but not spectacular.

Also, another former Phillies pitcher signed with a different team recently - Brad Lidge went to the Nationals. It's hard to say how much of an impact he will have on what already looks like a great pitching rotation, but we'll just have to wait and see. I can't say I will be waiting with bated breath though.

And...there's still no home for Edwin Jackson, although the rumor mill is buzzing, mostly about the Cardinals re-signing him. I'm thinking he will finalize something pretty soon, as the free-agent market is winding down, quality-wise.

I want to end with saying that the idea of the A's signing Manny Ramirez is hilarious to me. I can't even begin to describe it!

"Give me the reason why the mind's a terrible thing to waste..."

I received a gift this Christmas that I'm certain no one else did - my brother was kind enough, in helping me to develop some historical perspective, to get me an entire box of 1987 baseball trading cards. Yes, it's been fully acknowledged by now by pretty much everyone that there is indeed no cure for my baseball obsession. So why not heap more onto the fire?

I also received an ipad2, which is largely what distracted me from updating this blog sooner. On the flip side though, I'm glad I didn't update sooner than today. Why? Because it would've deprived me of talking about A's closer Andrew Bailey being traded (with Ryan Sweeney) to the Red Sox.

As I've said before, I haven't exactly been watching the A's religiously during the past few years. No longer having Dan Haren and Huston Street made them much less worth my time. However, I do like Andrew Bailey and his recent departure marks the end of a cuteness era (if you will) for the A's. On the other hand, Bailey's presence with the Red Sox will serve as a much-needed aesthetic upgrade for their pitching staff. Off the top of my head, the only semi-cute pitcher they have is Josh Beckett, and that's entirely dependent on what facial hair he's sporting. Bailey's financial security will also increase and it's always nice to see the younger guys get that. Plus, Bailey serves as a nice transition into talking about one of my very favorites.

Madison Bumgarner would normally be someone who wouldn't be anywhere on my radar, and I admit, if he weren't with the Giants, he may very well have fallen out of my sight completely. Nonetheless, there's something I really like about Bumgarner. Okay, so part of my fondness comes from the fact that I made $50 off my dad in game four of the 2010 World Series because Madison pitched six scoreless innings. That was one of the greatest performances I've ever seen, hands down. But despite that, it's his demeanor that I find so endearing. He hasn't been in the majors very long, but you wouldn't know it. It's the same reason I like Matt Cain so much (but sorry Madison, Matt is cuter).

Now I don't just bring him up because it's fun, but because Madison is part of the Giants golden starting rotation, and one that the team is trying to "lock up", as it were. The fact that I would prefer Matt Cain over Tim Lincecum is proof that aesthetics is a top priority for me (excluding Lance Berkman). Baseball insiders name Bumgarner as one of the only pitchers of his caliber to not have signed an extension with his current team yet. If the Giants are smart, they will fork over more cash, even if his extension is short-term. I certainly hope so. It's all speculation right now, of course, but for Giants fans it's something to think about. Do I think the Giants will keep all three starters? Not really. As fantastic as Lincecum has been, I would be the least sad to see him go of those three pitchers. Lincecum is the most expensive, which means he's least likely to sign an extension and more likely to get a better offer elsewhere. I have to say though, that it seems Cain is finally getting the attention he deserves and is slated to make quite a bit more money in the future. But I could talk about Matt Cain all day, obviously. Nevertheless, that's not why I'm here.

Speaking of pitchers (and not Giants pitchers), Edwin Jackson has not signed a deal with any team yet, which I find a bit surprising. Initially he was seen as a lower-tiered free agent pitcher. Once the dust settled on deals for guys like CJ Wilson, Mark Buerhle and John Danks though, opinions on him appeared to change. I was rather impressed with his postseason performances with the Cardinals this year. While his numbers aren't stellar, I think he should be able to find the deal he wants and not have to settle too much. I'm curious to see where he lands, if somewhere else other than St. Louis.

I really didn't mean for this post to be mostly Giants-related, but it is what it is. The Giants did a great thing (I think) by signing Emmanuel Burriss to a one-year contract. I was awfully sad when I heard he was sent down to the minors earlier this season. Any guy who can play most infield positions well is worth hanging on to, or at least worth giving another chance. He is young, fast and versatile (and, I won't lie, pretty damn cute). I hope Burriss gets plenty of chances to play in 2012.

As much as I'm not caught up in the speculation surrounding Prince Fielder, I feel I should weigh in and say I'm equally as surprised as everyone else that he hasn't signed a deal with any team yet. I agree with most baseball insiders who assumed that once Albert Pujols signed with the Angels, Fielder's signing would be pretty immediate. It seems we were all wrong. This situation reminds me, if nothing else, how complex the process of signing with a team is. Of course it's not all about money, but a lot of the decision rests on how a player "fits" in with a team. It's easy enough for a team to say, "We need a solid first baseman". However, it is a much less simplistic matter to say, "We need a solid first baseman who is a good fit for our team, our players and our clubhouse". Prince Fielder, I would think, fits all of the former categories of most any team out there. And it doesn't appear that a real bidding war is going on for him.

His ideal offer is apparently somewhere around $254 million for ten years, a full $1 million more than Pujols received. There are plenty of arguments to be made that Fielder is worth at least $1 million more, especially given his younger age. But the former team a player was with leaves a lot to consider too. Pujols has two World Series titles, multiple MVP and Gold Glove awards, and was a huge reason why the Cardinals consistently made the playoffs each year. Fielder doesn't have this kind of experience. He has some of the award recognition, but virtually (except this season) none of the postseason experience. Granted, part of how you get to have Pujols' experience is consistent excellence through the passage of the time, like with most things. But $254 million is a lot of money to take that chance on. I feel as if there are things going on behind the scenes with Fielder that the public doesn't know about. Despite Fielder's more-than-steep asking price, Pujols' signing should have made for a very swift signing for him as well. Though who can predict the free agent market? I certainly can't.

Now there were some additional points I wanted to hit tonight, but I think they were less important - such as the Rockies' possible interest in Cody Ross (an in-limbo Giant) and Yorvit Torrealba's 66 game suspension from the Venezuelan Winter League (a former Giant). However, I think I've covered more than enough for one entry. So I digress.