Mexico advances to Caribbean Series championship

Sebastian Valle singled home Yunesky Sanchez with the winning run in the ninth inning as Mexico rallied to defeat the Dominican Republic 3-2 Thursday night.
The Mexican team advanced to Saturday night's Caribbean Series final at Margarita Island, Venzuela, against the winner of Friday's semifinal between Puerto Rico and Venezuela.
For information purposes, I'll designate the contract status and other pertinent information for the players mentioned in this post because most of them are 1) who's he or 2) I didn't know he was still playing.
Valle is a 23-year-old catcher in the Phillies' organization. He backslid last season, but he has hit 25 homers the last two seasons for Double-A Reading. 3B Sanchez, 29, played last summer in the Mexican League but has been as high as Triple-A in the U.S.
LHP Oliver Perez (32, free agent) was the winning pitcher even though he walked one batter and hit another in his one inning, the ninth. Mexico had tied the game with a run in the bottom of the eighth.
On Wednesday, the Dominican Republic had defeated Mexico City 7-6 in the final game of the round-robin qualifier. OF Eugenio Velez (31, Brewers) hit a two-run home run in a four-run third inning. It was the second homer of the series for Velez, better known as a base stealer.
The losing pitcher was RHP Guillermo Mota (40, Royals), who entered the game with a 2-1 lead, the bases loaded and two out in the eighth inning. He didn't retire any of three batters in the ninth. In addition to blowing a save, he had two of the Dominicans' three losses and a 10.80 ERA in the series.
Puerto Rico qualified for the semifinals by handing Venezuela its only loss of the round robin, 5-4. RHP Tyler Herron (27, Nationals) retired 2B Alberto Callaspo (30, Athletics) with the tying run at first base for Herron's second save of the series. He could be someone to watch. Herron, a converted starter, had six saves in high-A and Double-A ball last summer, then was a Puerto Rican All-Star with 12 saves during the winter season.
Puerto Rico finished the round robin tied with Mexico and the Dominican Republic at 2-2. If the Puerto Rican team had lost, it would have been eliminated at 1-3 because it lost to Cuba, which did finish 1-3 in the five-team event.
The starting pitchers for Friday's semifinal were teammates last season at Triple-A Las Vegas (Mets organization. Giancarlo Alvarado, 36, is scheduled to start for Puerto Rico against Venezuela's Daryl Thompson, 28.
Other statistical leaders during round-robin play:
Batting average -- C Ronny Paulino (32, Tigers) .545 (6 for 11), Dominican Republic; and 2B Emilio Bonifacio (28, free agent) .462 (6 for 13), D.R.
Home runs -- 3B Zelous Wheeler (27, Yankees) 3, Mexico. He spent the last three years in Double-A and Triple-A in the Orioles organization.
RBI -- Wheeler; OF Chris Roberson (34, has played three of the last four seasons in Mexico, a former Phillie), Mexico; and C Ramon Hernandez (37, Royals), Venezuela, all with 5
ERA -- Alfredo Aceves (31, Orioles), Mexico; Juan Delgadillo (31, Mexican League veteran), Mexico, and Jon Leicester, D.R., who hasn't played in organized baseball since 2011, all 1-0, 0.00 in seven innings. Aceves started Thursday's semifinal game as well.
RHP Joel Pineiro (35, free agent) was 0-1 but with an 0.00 ERA in 6 2/3 innings.
Saves -- Jean Machi (32, Giants), Venezuela, 3
Carlos Marmol, 31, pitched a perfect inning in each of two games during the round robin for the Dominican Republic with a save, an 0.00 ERA and an 0.00 WHIP. On Thursday, Marmol's representatives said he had agreed to a 2014 contract with the Marlins. He could offer an alternative if RHP Steve Cishek struggles as Miami's closer.

Caribbean Series could be last chance to make a new impression

At this stage of the hot stove season, when the groundhog could have told us (but didn't) that winter's over, there are five possible areas of activity:
1) Signing free agents
2) Signing minor league free agents
3) Signing a veteran who was impressive in winter ball
4) Going to arbitration
5) Avoiding arbitration
6) Designating players for assignment
Forget about 1. It appears that the remaining "name" free agents who would cost the signing team a draft pick will be remaining on the sidelines until after the draft or until a team has an emergency opening caused by an injury.
2 has been slow this weekend.
I'll come back to 3 later.
The 4 hearings are scheduled between now and Feb. 21, but haven't started yet.
Teams are more active in 5. The Nationals avoided arbitration with RHP Doug Fister by signing him to a 1-year contract. The salary wasn't announced, but splitting the difference between the salaries proposed by each side would put it at $7 million. Is Fister worth twice as much as Dodgers catcher? Probably more. But LA and A.J. Ellis agreed on a 2014 contract for $3.555 million plus incentives.
For 6, the Royals designated 2B/OF Emilio Bonifacio for assignment to make room on their 40-man roster for LHP Bruce Chen. Bonifacio's steals give him more value on a fantasy roster than on a major league team. His best bet is as a utilityman for a contending team, which could use him as a pinch runner and defensive replacement.
Now, on to winter ball.
The Caribbean Series began Saturday at Margarita Island in Venezuela. Puerto Rico's champion, Mayaguez, defeated Licey from the Dominican Republic 7-6 in 10 innings, and Hermosillo from the Mexican Pacific League won over Cuban champion Villa Clara 9-4.
Cuba is in the Caribbean Series for the first time since 1960. Because it's a five-team tournament, the top four from a round robin would advance to the semifinals, with those winners meeting Saturday, Feb. 8, for the championship.
Venezuelan champion Hermosillo is scheduled to play its first game at 7:30 p.m. EDT against Cuba. the series is being televised only on ESPN Deportes.
Bonifacio can use his Caribban Series performance to attract another team. His Dominican teammate, free-agent RHP Carlos Marmol, pitched a perfect ninth inning against Puerto Rico.
For Puerto Rico, SS Rey Navarro doubled and scored the winning run. He played during the last three of his seven minor league seasons for the Royals' Double-A affiliate at Northwest Arkansas.The hero of Mexico's opening victory was Chris Roberson, 4 for 5 with a home run and four RBI. He last played in the majors with the 2007 Phillies, and has spent his last three summers with Monterrey of the Mexican League.
Antoher  player for Mexico, Zelous Wheeler, hit a three-run homer in the seventh game of the MPL finals. He has signed a minor league contract with the Yankees.
In Australia, where it's actually summer ball, the regular-season-champion Perth Heat will host the Canberra Cavalry at Barbagallo Ballpark next weekend for the Australian Baseball League championship. 
Perth would seem to be a prohibitive favorite. Brandon Tripp led the league with 41 RBI and was second in homers and batting average. He played at Cal State-Fullerton, and last performed in the minors in 2012 in the Phillis organization. Former major league RHP Mike Ekstrom, released from the Angels organization last summer, led the Australian league with an 0.72 ERA and was 5-1. Jack Frawley, who didn't make it past short-season Class A and independent ball in the U.S., led the league with seven wins. If Canberra can stay close, the Cavalry charge could be led by Sean Toler, who tied for the ABL lead with 11 saves. He pitched at Missouri State and last season with the Kansas City T-Bones of the independent American Association.
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Basketball. I'm down to a 6-2 lead, trailing now in field goal percentage as well as rebounds. I had Anderson Varejao in my lineup Saturday, hoping he would play despite his injury, but he didn't play. Reminds me that I need to check the free agents to see if there's a rebounder who can shoot a little bit playing today.
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Hockey. I gained a point in power-play points, but lost half a point in goalie wins. Both teams that were tied with me two days earlier have new passed me. Tim Thomas let me down, allowing four goals in a loss.