GRAB BAG "I’m a little frustrated about our pitching situation right now. We’re still going to be pretty good on the field, but our pitching staff is up in the air, and everybody knows you can’t win without pitching." — Jim Leyland, Marlins manager "I’m an independent person. After this season, I’m a free agent….
With all the focus on players who’ve moved due to expansion, trades, or free agent lunacy, some players whose roles have increased dramatically have received less attention. Here’s a quick review of several players whose ’98 values may rise due to all the recent activity. Mark Kotsay, Cliff Floyd, Todd Dunwoody (Florida of/1b types) If…
ANAHEIM ANGELS Signed C Matt Walbeck to a one-year contract. [12/16] ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS Sold the rights to LF Harvey Pulliam to Orix of the Japanese Leagues. [12/17] Signed RHPs Scott Brow, Greg Hansell, Barry Manuel, and Dave Pavlas to minor league contracts with NRIs to spring training. [12/18] The D-backs’ pitching situation is fluid (to…
ANAHEIM ANGELS Signed RHP Rich DeLucia to a one-year contract, and signed RHP Mark Gubicza to a minor-league contract with a spring training invite. [12/8] Signed RHP Omar Olivares to a one-year contract. [12/11] The Angels haven’t managed to pull off any of the rumored deals for pitching that would in turn move either Garrett…
SIGNINGS "Vinny [Castilla] has become one of the top players in the major leagues at his position. He plays every day and not only puts up big offensive numbers but has surfaced as one of the best fielding third basemen in baseball today." — Bob Gebhard, Rockies GM "There was never any question we wanted…
This year’s Hall of Fame ballot is considered weak by many observers. Indeed, several players who should have been elected have seen their eligibility dry up in recent years, and it’s not until next year that such luminaries as Robin Yount, Carlton Fisk and Nolan Ryan will appear on the ballot. But this year’s ballot…
ANAHEIM ANGELS Signed C Eric Helfand to a minor league contract. [12/3] Signed LHP Greg Cadaret and 3B Frank Bolick to minor league contracts. [12/4] Signed INF Steve Scarsone to a minor league contract. [12/5] Fillin’ up for Vancouver… Scarsone is a handy utility infielder with good offensive skills vs. LHPs, and with Craig Grebeck’s…
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS Named Mark Connor pitching coach, and signed LHP Kirt Ojala to a minor league contract. [11/26] Although clearly less guilty than the D-Rays in this regard, chalk this up as an example of Buck Showalter wanting people he’s familiar with. Connor was his pitching coach with the Yankees, and the Boss’ decision to…
THE EXPANSION DRAFT "I think we did as good as we could. I don’t know that there’s anything else we could have done." — Larry Rothschild, Devil Rays manager "I feel extremely good because we had several objectives, and we accomplished all of them." — Fred Claire, Dodgers GM "There were a tremendous amount of…
This week, we’re joined by Daniel Rotenberg, who contribued this piece on the Toronto Blue Jays. We hope you enjoy it. Our thanks to Daniel for his work. Introduction In 1997, the Toronto Blue Jays were last in the AL in runs, walks, batting average, and on-base percentage. They were below average or far below…
The Giants recently traded for Robb Nen, putting to rest the rumors that Julian Tavarez would have to be the team’s closer in 1998. Nen struck out 81 batters in 74 innings last season, and has struck out more than a batter per inning throughout his major-league career. The alternative, Julian Tavarez, is three years…
The Diamondbacks did a fair to middling job in the draft. There were a lot of missed opportunities, and a couple of inexplicable acquisitions before the dust settled, but by and large, they did a passable job, and far better than the atrocities against humanity committed by Chuck LaMar in the name of the Devil…
ANAHEIM ANGELS Signed RHP Ken Hill to a three-year deal with a one-year option. [11/16] Acquired UT Phil Nevin and C Matt Walbeck from Detroit for RHP Nick Skuse. [11/20] Trading Perisho for the subsequently drafted Mike Bell doesn’t hurt as much now, since Hill came around and re-signed. There are still questions about whether…
THE DRAFT 1. Tony Saunders, LHP, Florida 4. Quinton McCracken, CF, Colorado 6. Bob Abreu, LF, Houston (traded to Philadelphia for SS Kevin Stocker) 8. Miguel Cairo, 2B, Chicago-NL 10. Rich Butler, RF, Toronto 12. Bobby Smith, SS/3B, Atlanta 14. Jason Johnson, RHP, Pittsburgh 16. Dmitri Young, 1B, Cincinnati (the PTBNL for the 11/11 trade…
ANAHEIM ANGELS Exercised the option on RHP Ken Hill, who declined and is now a free agent. [11/7] The Angels are supposed to be livid about this, because they claim they would not have traded Matt Perisho to the Rangers had they known this was going to happen. Since the Perisho-Mike Bell deal wasn’t a…
NL MVP AWARD "It’s such a great feeling. I was going up and down the stairs at my house and I don’t think I hit any of the steps. I just kind of glided up the stairs." — Larry Walker, on winning NL MVP "[Larry Walker] is the MVP, no question. But I go out…