I’ve been meaning to write an all-baseball post for quite some time. So, without further ado, here are the most interesting things going on in the baseball universe:
1. Roy Oswalt has signed a five-year/$73M contract extension. A great move by the Houston Astros in keeping the franchise ace in town until his 34th birthday. However that, and $1.50 gets you a bottle of water. The Astros offense is horrendous and they, like the Cardinals before them, rested on the laurels of winning the National League pennant in lieu of making any bonafide roster improvements. Oswalt better get used to losing games 4-2 because that’s how it’s going to be unless Astros GM Tim Purpura goes out and gets some hitters.
2. Jon Heyman is reporting that Aramis Ramirez will terminate his contract with the Chicago Cubs and explore the free agent market. The article mentions that he would like to come to New York. Quite honestly, Aramis better keep dreaming. The Yankees are not trading for Aramis Ramirez and they’re certainly not going to go into free agency to sign him when they have ARod already. The Padres need a third baseman, as do the Phillies, Angels, and Mariners. Clearly, there will be a market for his services somewhere, although I doubt he’ll get much more than the $11M he’d be leaving on the table from his existing contract.
If the Cubs let him go, however, they’re making a huge mistake. As we have seen, the Cubs offense is feeble, at best. Through 132 games, the Cubs have scored a total of 559 runs, which puts them on pace for 686 for the year (an average of 4.2 runs/game). Without Ramirez, I don’t see how the Cubs score runs next year.
3. In the same Heyman piece, there’s a tidbit about Soriano’s run at the 40-40 club. He’s exceeded my expectations for this year, no doubt. He’s had a career year. But he’s a selfish player, and an overrated one at that.
I’m sure he’ll get his free agent money from the Mets (who need either a second baseman or a left fielder) but, as a Yankee fan, I know his limitations. He’s always been wrapped up in his own stats, going back to the 2002 season when he was one homer away from joining the 40-40 club and he started swinging for the fences in the last week of the season. He ended up screwing up his swing and posted a .brutal 118/.211/.353 in the ALDS vs. the Angels that year. When it comes to Soriano, buyer beware.
4. The fat fuck formerly known as David Wells is likely headed out of Boston. The rumor is that he’ll be moving back to the National League, either to St. Louis, San Diego, or LA. What does it say about Boston’s confidence when a team with the 11th worst AL ERA (out of 14 teams) and 25th worst overall (out of 30 teams) ERA is selling pitching? I guess Boston is calling it a season. For a team that won the World Series less than two years ago, it didn’t take the Red Sox (and their $120M opening day payroll) long to find themselves behind the eight-ball.
Obviously there are still 30 games left to be played and the Red Sox could mount a comeback at any time. But if I were a Red Sox fan, I’d be pissed that they’re trading Wells and seemingly waving the white flag.
5. One more thing about the Red Sox. They’ve got to be worried about Big Papi’s heart arrhythmia. That offense is pure crap without Papi and Manny in the middle. Not to start rumors or anything but a man with a melon that size and sudden heart trouble? Sounds like steroi...nah, couldn’t be, right?
6. I think this is a really cool little factoid, courtesy of ESPN:
“The Tigers and Yankees met with both teams 25 or more games over .500 for the first time since Sept. 17, 1961.”
It’s hard to believe that it’s been since the days of Mantle, Maris, Colavito, and Kaline since both teams were at the top of their game. Crazy.
1. Roy Oswalt has signed a five-year/$73M contract extension. A great move by the Houston Astros in keeping the franchise ace in town until his 34th birthday. However that, and $1.50 gets you a bottle of water. The Astros offense is horrendous and they, like the Cardinals before them, rested on the laurels of winning the National League pennant in lieu of making any bonafide roster improvements. Oswalt better get used to losing games 4-2 because that’s how it’s going to be unless Astros GM Tim Purpura goes out and gets some hitters.
2. Jon Heyman is reporting that Aramis Ramirez will terminate his contract with the Chicago Cubs and explore the free agent market. The article mentions that he would like to come to New York. Quite honestly, Aramis better keep dreaming. The Yankees are not trading for Aramis Ramirez and they’re certainly not going to go into free agency to sign him when they have ARod already. The Padres need a third baseman, as do the Phillies, Angels, and Mariners. Clearly, there will be a market for his services somewhere, although I doubt he’ll get much more than the $11M he’d be leaving on the table from his existing contract.
If the Cubs let him go, however, they’re making a huge mistake. As we have seen, the Cubs offense is feeble, at best. Through 132 games, the Cubs have scored a total of 559 runs, which puts them on pace for 686 for the year (an average of 4.2 runs/game). Without Ramirez, I don’t see how the Cubs score runs next year.
3. In the same Heyman piece, there’s a tidbit about Soriano’s run at the 40-40 club. He’s exceeded my expectations for this year, no doubt. He’s had a career year. But he’s a selfish player, and an overrated one at that.
I’m sure he’ll get his free agent money from the Mets (who need either a second baseman or a left fielder) but, as a Yankee fan, I know his limitations. He’s always been wrapped up in his own stats, going back to the 2002 season when he was one homer away from joining the 40-40 club and he started swinging for the fences in the last week of the season. He ended up screwing up his swing and posted a .brutal 118/.211/.353 in the ALDS vs. the Angels that year. When it comes to Soriano, buyer beware.
4. The fat fuck formerly known as David Wells is likely headed out of Boston. The rumor is that he’ll be moving back to the National League, either to St. Louis, San Diego, or LA. What does it say about Boston’s confidence when a team with the 11th worst AL ERA (out of 14 teams) and 25th worst overall (out of 30 teams) ERA is selling pitching? I guess Boston is calling it a season. For a team that won the World Series less than two years ago, it didn’t take the Red Sox (and their $120M opening day payroll) long to find themselves behind the eight-ball.
Obviously there are still 30 games left to be played and the Red Sox could mount a comeback at any time. But if I were a Red Sox fan, I’d be pissed that they’re trading Wells and seemingly waving the white flag.
5. One more thing about the Red Sox. They’ve got to be worried about Big Papi’s heart arrhythmia. That offense is pure crap without Papi and Manny in the middle. Not to start rumors or anything but a man with a melon that size and sudden heart trouble? Sounds like steroi...nah, couldn’t be, right?
6. I think this is a really cool little factoid, courtesy of ESPN:
“The Tigers and Yankees met with both teams 25 or more games over .500 for the first time since Sept. 17, 1961.”
It’s hard to believe that it’s been since the days of Mantle, Maris, Colavito, and Kaline since both teams were at the top of their game. Crazy.
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