Beltre weighs options while Angels wait - Yahoo! Sports
Now that they’ve composed themselves since the Crawford debacle, the Los Angeles Angels are in the hunt. They have the greatest need, should be feeling the most pressure to sign someone for the middle of their order and their defense, and have the money. The club has discussed with Beltre’s agent, Scott Boras, the basic framework of a contract, according to sources, but not much more than that.
I guess there's no real hurry for the Angels to sign Beltre, that is, until another "mystery team" swoops in a nabs him. But which team, other than the Angels are; 1) interested; 2) have the cash; 3) have the need?
MORE LINKS AFTER THE BREAK...
Relievers Are Not Worth Multi-Year Deals - FanGraphs Baseball
As a group, teams have paid for premium production and instead received the same level of performance that they could have expected if they had signed minor league free agents. The evidence couldn’t be any stronger: signing guys like Guerrier and Crain to three year deals is just throwing money away. It’s not that they’re bad pitchers; it’s that relief pitchers are so prone to huge swings in performance that trying to project the long term future of any of these guys is simply folly.
I've always thought that teams could build a good bullpen for a relatively cheap cost. Something around $8-$10M for 6 relievers. This is where I think smart teams save on payroll; bullpens, 4th outfielders, infield utility, and 5th starters. After allocating most of their payroll to the 9 starters (8 position players and DH), and four starting pitchers, a team shouldn't devote more than $15-$18M on the rest of their 25-man roster. Am I wrong?
The Best Baseball Books Of 2010 - BaseballAmerica
We could almost have compiled a top 10 out of nothing but biographies. But that wouldn't be as much fun, so Mays and Cronin, both strong works, will have to settle for near-miss status. Unique releases from Josh Wilker and pitcher-turned-penman Dirk Hayhurst give us some variety. We even have that rare breed, the realistic baseball novel, courtesy of Jeff Gillenkirk.
Some people use the off-season to catch up on their reading. Here's a list to help figure out what to read. By the way, I've read both the Wilker and Hayhurst books and I found both to be very good. At the moment I'm just getting started on Crazy '08 by Cait Murphy after spending the past couple weeks reading non-baseball books Outliers and The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell and dot.com by John Cassidy (also all very good).
Metrodome memories - Peter Schmuck - baltimoresun.com
The situation did bring back some memories, however, since I was in the Metrodome for the only time the roof failed while there was an event taking place underneath it. That was on April 26, 1986, when a severe windshear tore the roof above the bleachers in right center field and dumped rainwater into the stands during the ninth inning of a game between the Twins and California Angels.
The roof ended up caving in on the Angels in Anaheim that year also.
December 17 - BR Bullpen
1928 - National League President John Heydler's designated hitter idea gets the backing of John McGraw, but the American League is against it.
1953 - In a tax-avoidance scheme, the New York Yankees sell Yankee Stadium and Kansas City properties for $6.5 million in a deal with Johnson Corp and the Knights of Columbus, who immediately lease the property back to the Yanks.
1964 - The Yankees fire long-time television and radio voice Mel Allen. This well-known broadcaster popularized the 'going, going, gone' home run call and often said 'how about that' to describe happenings on the ball field.
Happy b-day:
1886 - Jack McAdams, pitcher (d. 1937) I don't know who this guy is, but he reminds me of her.
1968 - Curtis Pride, outfielder