Arbitration? Can't we all just get along?? Halolinks for everyone!
- Angels, reliever Jerome Williams agree to $2 million deal - angels.com. "The Angels and pitcher Jerome Williams agreed Tuesday on a one-year, $2 million contract that avoids arbitration for the 31-year-old right-hander, a source told MLB.com. Williams, who isn't eligible for free agency until after the 2014 season, went 6-8 with a 4.58 ERA in 32 games (15 starts) while making $820,000 for the Angels this past season." Williams is unspectacular, and refreshingly mediocre (I mean that in a good way). The Angels also have the following players eligible for arbitration with their projected salaries (the projected arbitration salaries are from MLBTraderumors):
Callaspo, Alberto LAA 3B - $4.2M
Hanson, Tommy LAA SP - $4.0M
Jepsen, Kevin LAA RP - $1.1M
Vargas, Jason LAA SP - $7.4MWilliams, Jerome LAA SP - $1.9M - If I had been paying attention I may have noticed this before...but I doubt it: Buster Posey, Jason Heyward among 133 who file for arbitration - ESPN. "Under the latest labor deal, the top 22 percent of players by service time with at least two years but less than three are eligible for arbitration. From 1991 through last year, the top 17 percent in the two-to-three-year group could file." Basically, the union and owners agreed to increase the number of "super-two" players by 5%. I had previously read there were discussions on doing away with this group and having just one category of first-time eligible players. This ranking seems kinda lame to me, as it often is the main reason a player is left in the minors until he clears that service-time threshold.
- Although this post asks a question I've often wondered, it doesn't really answer it: Paying for the ‘pen - The Hardball Times. "I hope to examine whether more expensive bullpens are actually better. Some teams spend huge sums looking for a lockdown 'pen, while others scrape the bottom of the barrel in free agency and rely on pre-arb and arbitration-eligible players to form a much cheaper relief corps." It may be my fault as to why I'm still not getting it, so if any of you figure it out, please let me know.
- Today's Trout Porn:
- I had heard earlier this off-season that Scott Rolen was a free agent and thought, "Hey! Here's a good 3B the Angels could use!" And then I looked at the stats and thought, "Hey! Here's a good 3B the Dodgers could use!" Report: Dodgers evaluate 3B Scott Rolen as potential target - CBSSports.com. "Rolen, who turns 38 on April 4, hit .245/.318/.398 with eight home runs in 330 plate appearances in 2012."
- This Soriano-to-the-Nationals signing came out of nowhere, but then I read this: Half of Rafael Soriano’s new $28 million contract is deferred - HardballTalk. "According to Jim Bowden of ESPN and SiriusXM, the right-handed reliever will make just a $7 million salary in 2013 and 2014, and the remaining $14 million will be deferred until after the 2018 season. " Clever tactic Mr. Boras. You're able to brag about getting your client top dollar, while the team gets to put that client's salary on their American Express card. I'm glad the Angels don't do these kind of deals.
- Neat-o Frito-o animated GIFs: Change You Can Believe In - FanGraphs Baseball. "Capuano has the slowest fastball (what is probably more of a sinker), but he also threw one of the slowest change-ups in the league at 77.8 mph. Only Bruce Chen and Barry Zito averaged slower pitches in 2012. "
- Francona book: Red Sox owners made image a priority - CBSSports.com. "They told us we didn't have any marketable players, that we needed some sizzle," Epstein is quoted as saying. "We need some sexy guys. Talk about the tail wagging the dog. This is like an absurdist comedy. We'd become too big. It was the farthest thing removed from what we set out to be." Come on, do you blame 'em? Look at the beauty queens they had on that roster, Youkilis! Ortiz! Youkilis! Lackey! Jenks! Youkilis!