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.

the Rockies, Rangers, and a predictable fate for Aaron Rowand.

It appears the Rangers and Rockies have been quite busy lately with their signing developments. With the Rockies, it seems like signing Michael Cuddyer got the ball rolling and now there's talk of them acquiring Brad Lidge, and having recently signed Casey Blake.

I don't really have a feeling one way or the other about Casey Blake, other than the fact that he is now an ex-Dodger. I imagine that going from Los Angeles to Denver would be a hell of an upgrade!

As for Brad Lidge, I have rather fond memories of his time with the Astros (with teammate and favorite Lance Berkman) and when he was part of the team's great run in the playoffs in 2005. I can even forgive his unattractive choice in facial hair, because otherwise he's pretty cute. Aesthetics, as usual with me, is a big factor here.

Speaking of former teammates from the 2005 NLCS Astros, Roy Oswalt is also seeking a short-term deal for 2012. It seems that both Lidge and Oswalt (NLCS MVP in 2005) have declined in recent years, though with the latter it seemed that injuries were mostly to blame. As sad as this is to say, I was pretty happy when the Giants beat Oswalt earlier this year, but that's only because he's currently a Phillie. Not necessarily his fault. If he signs with another team next year (barring a few exceptions), I'll probably like him again. Although, as previously stated, I'm not proud of that. Anyhow.

Now we move on to the Rangers and their developments with two players I'm not too fond of. As previously mentioned, I'm not a Mike Napoli fan. But still, the Rangers have been in talks with him about a possible contract extension starting in 2012. It's been predicted that he will make over $9 million next season. Wait, what? The catcher whose defensive abilities have been called into question will make that much? I see things with Napoli going the way they went for Cody Ross. Napoli, to me, seems like nothing more than a flash in the pan. Who knows, maybe he'll vastly improve next year and be worth $9 million. But I doubt it.

His teammate Derek Holland is also up for a possible contract extension next year. Perhaps I was too quick to say I don't like Derek Holland (or "Dutch Oven" as he is referred to). I'm not going to lie and say I like him for the right reasons - because I don't. Holland was part of the trio of pitchers that collapsed during that infamous game in the 2010 World Series (one of my better baseball memories, perhaps ever). Because of that, he will always have a place in my heart. And it's not as if he didn't have a good season this year. Hopes were high for him with the Rangers in the playoffs (along with how many others?). Any way I look at it, however, he's still with the Rangers. I also have to say the quasi-mustache disturbs me a little.

Now it's on to the main event, in which I get to gloat just a bit. I don't get that chance too often, so I'm going to take full advantage of it. Aaron Rowand was really the only sore spot from the 2010 Giants team. I never understood why they acquired him or why they paid him so much. Okay, so he won a World Series with the White Sox. As per usual with the Giants though, that was not recently.

My complaints about Rowand have rarely ever been about his defensive skills. And regardless of how I feel about him, that one killer throw he made from the outfield in the 2010 World Series is one I will likely never forget. However, that does not make up for his offensive skills, which leave much to be desired. When he came to the Giants, he was not cheap and it took awhile for other people to realize that maybe he wasn't worth his high salary. In addition to that, again, it's not his fault, but he has the strangest build of any player I've ever seen. For me, something about that guy isn't right.

Anyway, earlier this week he signed a minor league deal with the Marlins. Now that just sounds bad. A minor league deal with the Marlins? Oh, how the once-barely-mighty have fallen. So many people I know defended Rowand when he was with the Giants. It was downright annoying. But now? I feel pretty justified in my doubts about him, especially when I think about all of the other outfielders the Giants could have signed instead. It's almost painful. Meh.

A final little tidbit I've chewing on for awhile: why did the Giants re-sign Eli Whiteside? If someone could explain that to me, I would appreciate it. Because I'm rather confused over here.

Welcoming Michael Cuddyer to the NL and other ramblings

Once again, there were plenty of signings and developments that took place this week and of course, I must mention one in particular first. I can't help it.

While I will use any excuse to talk about Michael Cuddyer (and to ogle him), since he was arguably the week's biggest signing, I have a legit reason to now. Yesterday Cuddyer signed a 3-year/$31 million deal with the Rockies. While I'm sure this move will make my pal Craig Finn (avid Twins fan that he is) sad, I'm glad that he is finally in the NL. Not only that, but he's in the same division as the Giants, which means I may finally get to see him play in person next season! So it's a great move, in my opinion. I just hope that Cuddyer can stay healthy for the duration of his contract, mostly because he's just lovely. At least to me.

To switch from a player the Twins lost to a new player they gained, Josh Willingham of the A's signed with the Twins for a 3-year/$21 million deal.

I'm sure the A's will miss him quite a lot, but the Twins will be even happier to add him to their roster. There had been quite a lot of talk about just where Willingham would end up and I'm glad it was with the Twins. It might not make up for losing their longest-tenured player (Cuddyer), but it will certainly help.

Part of me feels like a "bad" baseball fan that I'm not nearly as interested in where Prince Fielder will be next season as most baseball people are. It's not that I don't like Fielder; I think he's a great player. I'm just not really invested in who his future team will be. According to insiders though, it seems as if the Cubs are the most likely of his suitors at the moment, followed closely by the Mariners. I think the Mariners need him more and they would have a solid DH on their hands as well. Moving on...

The most puzzling signing of the week, for me, has to be Dontrelle Willis signing with the Phillies. Granted, it's only a one-year contract, but the move seems like an odd one. Willis is not the pitcher he once was, and chances are, he probably won't be in the future. The logic seems to be that Willis would make the transition into the Phillies bullpen and perhaps end up as a reliever. I can't imagine he would be used much as a starter though, given how few innings he's pitched in the last few years. However, I'm still of the opinion that he was robbed of the Cy Young when he had that amazing season with the Marlins. That time is long gone though. I digress.

Why would the Braves want to get rid of Jair Jurrjens? That's a question I've been asking all week. He was one of the most impressive pitchers of the 2010 season, at least in the NL. It seems the Braves have been in talks to do a trade with the Orioles for Jurrjens and Martin Prado. Sure, Jurrjens had a rough last part of the season, but the first half was so good that you would think the Braves would want to hold on to him. To me, he's far too young and has far too much potential to trade him now. But that's just my opinion.

The final development I want to mention involves a player who, for whatever reason, I've never liked. My dislike of Jason Varitek is completely inexplicable. I rooted for the Red Sox when they finally won a World Series in 2004. I thought they had a fantastic team. But I wasn't necessarily rooting for Varitek. According to reports, he's still in consideration to continue catching for the Red Sox in 2012. Is it likely that he will? I doubt it. I don't blame him for wanting to continue playing; he's been a staple of the Red Sox for a pretty long time. It's just that, personally, I don't see what the big deal about him is.

My opinion of him makes me sad though, because he is a catcher. I usually like catchers. This is the girl who loves Bengie Molina, Brian McCann, Buster Posey and Joe Mauer. Come to think of it, the only other catcher I really don't like besides Varitek is Mike Napoli. And that's mostly by virtue of the fact that he's with the Rangers, so it's nothing personal. It can't be personal with Varitek either, really. It just is what it is; I'm not proud of it. We all inexplicably dislike some people, and those feelings are especially silly when you dislike someone you've never met and likely know little about. Alas.

Various snippets, courtesy of MLB Trade Rumors

A few odds and ends:

- While I already don't like the Phillies, at this point, they're just getting greedy. By the end of the year, they could acquire Michael Cuddyer, in addition to already signing Jim Thome and Jonathan Papelbon. What did the Twins do to Philly? Papelbon is the only one that makes sense to me, since the Phillies really do need a decent closer, but the other two? Yes, Thome is technically coming back to his old team, but he's not getting any younger and it's not a team where he could be the DH. Does not compute!

- The speculation on whether or not Tim Lincecum will be with the Giants next year is not only silly, it's unnecessary. The World Series hasn't even been over for a month and the bay area is in a tizzy over this! And now they have moved on to whether or not Matt Cain will re-sign with the Giants next year. Considering how long both pitchers have been with the team, it seems unlikely that SF will lose either of them, let alone both. Enough already!

- With Mike Matheny having been made the new manager of the Cardinals, it looks like I have to be a full-fledged Cardinals fan now. I think he has a better shot at managing the team than some people do. Plus, he's obviously the cutest manager in baseball now!

- Why is everyone grabbing at a chance to get C.J. Wilson when he was winless in the entire postseason? Sure, postseason play isn't everything, but to lose each start from the ALDS to the World Series is something worth noting. The fact that insiders are projecting he will earn the same amount as Matt Kemp is short of insane!

- Can someone explain to me why Clayton Kershaw still only makes $500,000, but Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee got at least $50,000 extra each for coming in second and third in the NY Cy Young race? I'm baffled, to say the least.

- Even though SF don't need him in their rotation (assuming Brian Wilson stays healthy), having Joe Nathan back as closer would sure be awesome. I really miss him! Come back Joe, come back!

- Another inexplicable recently-made decision: why are the Astros moving to the AL in 2013? The reasoning seems to be that it adds one more team to the AL West, but really? I'd like a better reason than that. And having two Texas teams going against each other in the same league and the same division can come to no good. Does that mean that the Astros will suddenly be good again? I think it will take more than a move from one league to the other, especially since they no longer have Hunter Pence or Michael Bourn. Their recent glory days ended when Lance Berkman was no longer an Astro. Those were the days.

And I realized that I'm as addicted to mlbtraderumors.com as some people are to tabloids!