Cruz a gamble for Orioles

Today's "Newberg Report" Email from Jamey Newberg links to a damning FanGraphs article by Dave Cameron about OF Nelson Cruz.
He's in Florida now for a physical with the Orioles, with whom he has reportedly agreed on a 1-year contract for $8 million. Meanwhile, the Rangers are probably glad to have a supplemental draft pick instead of having to pay the $14.1 million it would have taken if Cruz had accepted their tender.
I think for a year or two, Camden Yards can hide Cruz's deficiencies. He still has enough power, even if not enhanced by PEDs, to hit home runs there. And right field is small enough to keep him from getting into too much trouble if he plays in the outfield.
-- The Dodgers are looking at a potential all-Cuban middle infield. They have signed SS Erisbel Arruebarrena (whom I'll call EAb for now) to a 5-year, $25-million contract.
He's expected to begin the regular season in the minor leagues, but arrive in Los Angeles by summer to pair with Alex Guerrero, another Cuban free agent shortstop who is being moved to second base. Designated for assignment off the roster is SS/2B Justin Sellers.
-- The Yankees, hedging their bets on RHP David Robertson as their closer for this season, signed RHP Andrew Bailey to a minor league contract.
-- The Rockies have decided not to move OF Carlos Gonzalez from left field to center. That seems like a good non-move with a somewhat brittle player who's expected to be a vital cog in the offense along with similarly injury-prone SS Troy Tulowitzki. The plan is to give Drew Stubbs most of the playing time in center. Brandon Barnes is another right-handed-batting candidate. Lefty-swinging Charlie Blackmon and Corey Dickerson could be in the mix. Based on last season's performance, I would expect Blackmon to play a majority of the games.
-- Cardinals LHP Jaime Garcia was scheduled to return Sunday to St. Louis for an MRI exam on his left shoulder. He underwent season-ending surgery last May.
-- The Giants signed free-agent fringe OF Tyler Colvin to a minor league contract. He can compete in an unsettled outfield, and receive some tips from a newly acquired spring-training instructor, Barry Bonds. The PED wheel just keeps spinning.
-- RHP Yu Darvish apparently would start three openers for the Rangers -- their first intrasquad game Monday; their Cactus League opener Thursday against the co-tenant Royals in Surprise, Ariz., and their regular-season opener against the Phillies March 31 at whatever Rangers Ballpark is being called this year. For at least the first two, he won't be throwing to C Geovany Soto. He'll miss three weeks after undergoing surgery to remove a bone from his left ankle.
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Basketball. Unless my team can make about a bajillion out of a bajillion and one free throws today, I'll do no better than 7-1 this week. And if my guys are cold from the field, I could drop to 6-2. Still looks like a 14-game lead with 24 to play.

Ellsbury following Damon's footsteps to New York?

Tuesday's flurry of moves continued into the evening, with the biggest individual move of the day -- CF Jacoby Ellsbury's reported agreement on a 7-year, $153-million contract with the Yankees. If this sounds familiar, it sort of echoes Johnny Damon's career path, except that Ellsbury is younger than Damon was when he moved from Boston.
It seems likely that Brett Gardner would move to Yankee Stadium's spacious left field, that OF Vernon Wells would hit the road again and OFs Ichiro Suzuki and Alfonso Soriano would fight it out to see who plays in the field and who joins the DH picture.
Another apparently imminent free-agent signing would have 1B Justin Morneau moving to the Rockies for 2 years and $13 million.
Colorado already was a major player Tuesday, dispatching CF Dexter Fowler to the Astros for CF Brandon Barnes and RHP Jordan Lyles.
The Rockies, on a smaller level than the Athletics but with greater needs, may have helped themselves in several places. Despite Morneau's disappointing stretch run with the Pirates, he still has more tread on his tires than the 2013 1B, Todd Helton. To avoid Morneau's difficulty hitting lefties, Colorado could give C Wilin Rosario more playing time by putting him at first against southpaws. OF Michael Cuddyer, who spent plenty of time at first during his career season, can go back to right field. Barnes would replace the more athletic Fowler in center field, which looks like a win for Houston. Lyles was just 7-9 with a 5.59 ERA for the last-place Astros. He might not be able to do even that well at Coors Field, but that still could be an improvement over some of the cast of characters who started games for the '13 Rockies.
In addition to jettisoning RHP Jim Johnson to Oakland for discredited 2B Jemile Weeks and a player to be named, the Orioles avoided arbitration with OF Nolan Reimold by signing him to a 1-year contract for $1 million. Reimold already will be 30 next season and, really, how much has he done in the majors.
The Tigers continued to be active players in the market. They reportedly are giving RHP Joe Nathan a 2-year contract to fill a sinkhole as their closer. Detroit's rotation won't be quite as good, because they traded RHP Doug Fister, a 14-game winner, to the Nationals for utility infielder Steve Lombardozzi (not the original, a 2B for the Twins when they won the 1987 World Series, but his son) and LHPs Ian Krol and Robbie Ray. Krol reached the majors in 2013 without much distinction (3.95 ERA in Washington's bullpen). As a starter, Ray was a combined 11-5 with a 3.36 ERA in high A and Double-A.
Fister always has ranked high in my Rule of 25 listing of pitchers' true ability (aiming for a .250 opponents' average and 2.5:1 K/W ratio), even when he was losing games for Seattle. The soon-to-be 30-year-old had more than three strikeouts for every walk, and earned 54 per cent of his outs on ground balls. Those stats helped lead to a 14-9 record and 3.67 ERA.
His new home park may not be as pitcher-friendly, but he'll remain a vital cog in a deep rotation in Washington that would include RHPs Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmerman and LHP Gio Gonzalez.
Detroit also made a bargain-basement signing to avoid arbitration with OF/IF Don Kelly. He will receive $1 million for 2014.
The Yankees freed up some loose change to help pay Ellsbury when they traded C Chris Stewart to the Pirates for a PTBN. Pittsburgh and Stewart reportedly agreed on a $1-million contract for him to back up C Russell Martin as he did in New York. The loser in that transaction was C Michael McKenry, who was designated for assignment.
Still a few player moves needing comments. I'll do those after I get home. Maybe Wednesday if I'm tired tonight.