Bad news for the Diamondbacks. LHP Patrick Corbin will not be pitching in next weekend's two-game season-opening series in Australia -- and maybe not for quite a while after that. He has been diagnosed with a damaged ulnar collateral ligament.
For their opponents, the Dodgers, OF Carl Crawford will be on paternity leave. He and RHP Dan Haren will not go to Australia.
Corbin left Saturday's start -- expected to be his last before he would pitch the opening game Saturday, March 22 -- in the seventh inning because of a stiff forearm. The UCL is the ligament replaced in Tommy John surgery, and forearm pain is a symptom associated with TJ surgery, so you'll probably want to have a Plan B to replace Corbin on your fantasy team.
And LHP Jonathan Niese, the Mets' planned Opening Day starter, left Sunday's game because of elbow discomfort.
Athletics RHP Jarrod Parker has a tight forearm. By now, you should know the progression: tight forearm > sore elbow > Dr. James Andrews > Tommy John surgery. Parker is scheduled to see Dr. Andrews Monday. Oakland's rotation also will be without RHP A.J. Griffin, who has a strained muscle in his arm and won't throw at all for three weeks. He could return to the rotation in May. An MRI exam showed no structural damage in his elbow. LHP Tommy Milone could be a reasonable replacement for one of them -- but RHP Jesse Chavez, who hasn't been effective even as a reliever, is currently penciled in as the No. 5 starter. Look for a trade, especially if the prospect of Parker and Griffin's return appears bleak a month from now.
Braves RHPs Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy are expected to undergo Tommy John surgery and miss this season. That could put additional pressure on Mike Minor to return quickly despite a sore shoulder.
The Blue Jays expect RHP Casey Janssen, their closer, to be ready for Opening Day. He hasn't pitched in a game this spring because of a sore shoulder, but he is expected to resume throwing soon.
Tigers SS Jose Iglesias will begin the season on the disabled list because of a stress reaction in both shins. An ESPN report indicated that Iglesias has a stress fracture, which could keep him out until mid-season. The candidates to take his place are Hernan Perez, Eugenio Suarez and Danny Worth. A few days ago, I speculated that SS Jimmy Rollins, who apparently has outworn his welcome in Philadelphia, could be a trade target for Detroit. SS Freddy Galvis was in the Phillies' starting lineup Sunday.
The Phils have their own pitching injury problems. LHP Cole Hamels, sidelined by a sore shoulder, tossed 27 pitches in the bullpen Sunday, and could have another 'pen session Wednesday. LHP Cliff Lee, who pitched five scoreless innings against the Red Sox Saturday, could be Philadelphia's Opening Day starter.
Reds RHP Homer Bailey was scratched from Saturday's start because of a strained right groin muscle.
Could it get to the point where the majors use pitching machines, the way they do for T-ball graduates?
Remember when Angels OF Josh Hamilton was on crutches because of a strained calf muscle, but would be playing in a couple of weeks? Well, he still isn't playing. He's scheduled to make his exhibition debut Monday. He's saying he could be ready for Opening Day, but I'm not buying that.
Orioles 3B Manny Machado hasn't run in six days because of scar tissue from off-season surgery on his left knee. He said he could be ready to open the season, but don't expect that either.
Through Saturday, Rockies SS Troy Tulowitzki hadn't played since being hit in the left calf by a pitch Wednesday. His injury history is cause for concern.
Playing in Panama, Mariano Rivera's native land, the Bronx Bombers were Bronx Bummers Saturday against four Marlins pitchers (of which you've probably heard of only RHP Steve Cishek, who pitched the sixth inning). They completed a no-hitter, against a lineup somewhat short of what New York will put on the field this season. Oh, and Miami won 5-0. Rod Carew Stadium, built in 1999, is much more luxurious than the stadium in Panama City where I saw the '71 Pirates, eventual World Series champions, lose to Pedro Ramos and the Panamanian All-Stars.
Marlins SS Rafael Furcal has a tight left hamstring.
* * *
Basketball. I covered UFC 171 Saturday night, which meant I finished writing after 1 a.m. and didn't get home until 3. Slept in this morning, but went with my game plan of picking up player(s) whose team is in action Sunday to help in whatever categories I needed for this last week of regular-season competition. I came up with Miles Plumlee (the one from Phoenix), who can get some of the rebounds and points I need, with a reasonable field goal percentage. I "signed" the free agent, and dropped Amar'e Stoudemire, because the Knicks aren't playing today. Then I looked at the lineup, and Plumlee was listed on my bench. Then I realized that it was the lineup for Monday. Because some games already had started by noon CDT, the lineup was locked until tomorrow.
Could be a case of snooze, I lose.
So I will have Plumlee Monday, and may be able to reacquire Stoudemire, who won't play again until Wednesday anyway.
This week's competition is 4-4. I trail by .0022 in field goal percentage, three 3-pointers, 27 rebounds and 21 points as I write this. I also lead by just five assists and six steals. I have seven active players to my opponent's six. My best players going are probably Chris Bosh and Serge Ibaka; it scares me a bit to be playing against James Harden.
Right now, I have the Duke-Virginia game on the TV. How many Plumlees are there, anyway?
* * *
Hockey. It's still kind of a back-and-forth situation, where I gain a point and then lose it back. Still mired in third place with 65 points. Oh, at the moment 65.5 because I picked up half a point in ATOI. On a daily basis, that's almost totally dependent on having more defensemen than forwards, and on not having someone get hurt early in a game.
The league leaders remain out of reach at 89. The second-place team is at 76, but I don't think totally out of reach because his skaters have played 76 games more than mine so he'll run out of games sooner than I will. I'm more concerned that the fourth-place team, currently at 56, could catch me.
I am really beginning to hate fantasy goalies. Steve Mason shut out the Penguins Saturday, and gave up only one goal in the first period Sunday. So I turned on the Flyers-Pittsburgh game, and in the Penguins' first rush up the ice they scored their third goal of the game against Mason. I also saw him in person giving up four goals in about four heartbeats against the Stars, which prompted me to drop him for a while. When Mason hasn't been on my roster, he has been spectacular. And of course, Tim Thomas won a game when I didn't start him, then gave up two third-period goals in a loss Friday when I did start him. Don't get me started on Ben Scrivens or any of the other half-dozen or dozen goalies who have disgraced my roster but played well when they weren't on my team. Hmmm. Let me check on Martin Brodeur again ... His save percentage is no better than the Texas Puckin Penguins', but his GAA is 2.50. I'll have to cogitate on this one.
Showing posts with label Rafael Furcal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rafael Furcal. Show all posts
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Friday, December 6, 2013
The last of the 10-year contracts?
Three thoughts about the reported agreement between the Mariners and free-agent 2B Robinson Cano.
1. It's a great deal for Cano and his agent, even though it would be for $65 million less than the original asking price. I guess it's like buying a mansion. What's $6 million a year when you're getting $24 mill? I hope the deal will also bring good things to young people, in Seattle or the Dominican Republic from Cano's affordable largesse.
2. It signifies that the Mariners now could become a large-market team -- competing with the Yankees, Red Sox and possibly Dodgers-Angels-Rangers (with big TV money anticipated) -- for top-dollar free agents. The other direction Seattle could take is toward the financial problems that beset Tom Hicks in Texas after the ill-fated A-Rod signing didn't work. I think there's plenty of Japanese money available, so I don't think that would happen to the Mariners.
3. I wonder when we'll see the end of 9-10-year contracts. My guess is after A-Rod's contract plays out. (By the way, shouldn't we be hearing something about his hearing pretty soon? Not sure why that should be taking 9 months when most player hearings are over within 9 days.) The easiest prediction from the Cano signing is that there's no way it -- like similar deals for Albert Pujols, the aforementioned A-Rod and probably Prince Fielder, and going all the way back to Wayne Garland nearly 40 years ago -- will come close to paying off in results equal to even half of its value.
Let's look at the particulars. Cano is already 31. He wouldn't get any better in any circumstances. He can't equal in Seattle the offensive statistics from playing home game at Yankee Stadium with its favorable left-handed-hitting setup. He'll have 9 years of not worrying about playing for a contract and financial security. Actually, 10. If he's still playing in 2023, it would be on a going-into-retirement cruise.
Can Cano help the Mariners in the short run? No question. He's filling what has become an abyss since Dustin Ackley didn't work out at second base. Cano could probably reach 20 homers for a few years. But when his range at second base inevitably declines, he'd become a below-average left fielder or first baseman or DH. At that point, the best hope would be to have some other needy team take him off the Mariners' hands, saving Seattle a fraction of the money it would owe Cano.
Lots of activity in New York. The Yankees apparently also are losing OF Curtis Granderson's left-handed bat. The New York Post reported that he agreed to a 4-year contract with the Mets, no doubt for far less than he could have received even 2 years ago. Granderson is 32, coming off an injury-plagued 2013 and struggles against left-handers.
Also, the Yankees retained RHP Hiroki Kuroda for 2014. The busy Post reported the contract is for $16 million, with a $250,000 incentive for innings pitched. Kuroda has been mostly reliable in his two seasons in the Bronx. He has exceeded 200 innings in each of the last three years. But ... he has two winning records in six seasons in the U.S., will be 39 next season and didn't win a game after Aug. 12. (I know that too well; he was on one of my fantasy teams.) He's an exception to the rule that the ancient Yankees are getting somewhat younger.
Another situation I've commented on without a follow-up is 1B/DH Paul Konerko's re-signing. I applaud his or his agent's foresight in structuring his 1-year contract so he's paid $1.5 million in 2014, with $1 million deferred until 2015. That will make his transition out of the game much smoother. It's not likely that Konerko would suffer through another poor season in '15 -- barring an unlikely late-in-life resurgence such as Ted Williams and Stan Musial had in 1959 after bad years in '58. It's no coincidence that White Sox play-by-play man Ken Harrelson's contract expires after 2015, and he already has curtailed his travel schedule. In 2012, Sox color man Steve Stone made a reported $600,000 (with a lot of broadcast experience). There would seem to be room for Konerko in the broadcast booth, or even making a few hundred grand as a coach.
Marlins fans! Don't make World Series plans yet, but Miami did sign SS Rafael Furcal to a 1-year contract. He's expected to move to second base, with former 2B Donovan Solano or a player to be acquired at third. Apparently, the 36-year-old Furcal no longer is strong enough to unseat Adeiny Hechavarria at shortstop, especially after undergoing Tommy John surgery last March and missing all of last season. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel indicated that Furcal's contract is for $3.5 million, plus incentives. We'll find out during spring training whether he'll be ready by opening day. But really, does this look like a contending infield? Wait! I'm forgetting 1B Logan Morrison, who hasn't batted even .250 in any of the last three seasons.
* * *
Football. Both of my teams were off to a good start Thursday night, with Texans TE Garrett Graham scoring a touchdown and gaining 72 receiving yards. So I took early leads of 13-0 in my scoring-plus-yardage league (first week of a two-week consolation playoff semifinal) and 6-0 in Week 14 of my scoring-only league. In that one, I'm still projected for a tie against one of the two teams tied for first place a game ahead of me.
* * *
Hockey. Important key: The downside of having a lot of players, especially forwards, in your lineup, is that they can drag you down, especially by your plus/minus and ATOI.
I filled my starting lineup with 15 skaters and 2 goalies -- and lost 3 1/2 points. Where I was within 2 points of second place, I dropped to 5 back overnight. Here's what happened. The two goalies' team played but they didn't. I read a note saying that Jean-Sebastien Giguere would start for Colorado Friday, but forgot that it was Thursday. The 15 skaters totaled 0 goals and 2 assists, and were minus-6. In addition, defensemen Jan Hejda and Victor Hedman both left early because of injuries, hurting my ATOI even more. They join Henrik Zetterberg on my injured list. Also, I have to get the minus-9 Jason Spezza from the loser Senators off my roster. Clarke MacArthur can stay for the time being.
* * *
Basketball. Important key. If you have a guy on your roster who isn't playing tonight, but is tomorrow, be sure to put him into an open spot in your starting lineup instead of a player who is inactive for the next 2 days -- even if he's a franchise player.
I didn't follow one of my other important keys Wednesday. I didn't set my lineup until nearly 7 p.m. EDT. By that time, the Cavaliers' game already had started, so I couldn't get Anderson Varejao into my lineup. I could have put him in the lineup Tuesday (see Important key under hockey), guarding against the possibility of getting around to setting the lineup too late. I could have used his 18 points, 13 rebounds and assorted assists, blocks and steals. I made up somewhat for that lost production Thursday, regaining a 5-3 lead for the week.
For now, I'm off to find a hockey forward to replace Jason Spezza.
1. It's a great deal for Cano and his agent, even though it would be for $65 million less than the original asking price. I guess it's like buying a mansion. What's $6 million a year when you're getting $24 mill? I hope the deal will also bring good things to young people, in Seattle or the Dominican Republic from Cano's affordable largesse.
2. It signifies that the Mariners now could become a large-market team -- competing with the Yankees, Red Sox and possibly Dodgers-Angels-Rangers (with big TV money anticipated) -- for top-dollar free agents. The other direction Seattle could take is toward the financial problems that beset Tom Hicks in Texas after the ill-fated A-Rod signing didn't work. I think there's plenty of Japanese money available, so I don't think that would happen to the Mariners.
3. I wonder when we'll see the end of 9-10-year contracts. My guess is after A-Rod's contract plays out. (By the way, shouldn't we be hearing something about his hearing pretty soon? Not sure why that should be taking 9 months when most player hearings are over within 9 days.) The easiest prediction from the Cano signing is that there's no way it -- like similar deals for Albert Pujols, the aforementioned A-Rod and probably Prince Fielder, and going all the way back to Wayne Garland nearly 40 years ago -- will come close to paying off in results equal to even half of its value.
Let's look at the particulars. Cano is already 31. He wouldn't get any better in any circumstances. He can't equal in Seattle the offensive statistics from playing home game at Yankee Stadium with its favorable left-handed-hitting setup. He'll have 9 years of not worrying about playing for a contract and financial security. Actually, 10. If he's still playing in 2023, it would be on a going-into-retirement cruise.
Can Cano help the Mariners in the short run? No question. He's filling what has become an abyss since Dustin Ackley didn't work out at second base. Cano could probably reach 20 homers for a few years. But when his range at second base inevitably declines, he'd become a below-average left fielder or first baseman or DH. At that point, the best hope would be to have some other needy team take him off the Mariners' hands, saving Seattle a fraction of the money it would owe Cano.
Lots of activity in New York. The Yankees apparently also are losing OF Curtis Granderson's left-handed bat. The New York Post reported that he agreed to a 4-year contract with the Mets, no doubt for far less than he could have received even 2 years ago. Granderson is 32, coming off an injury-plagued 2013 and struggles against left-handers.
Also, the Yankees retained RHP Hiroki Kuroda for 2014. The busy Post reported the contract is for $16 million, with a $250,000 incentive for innings pitched. Kuroda has been mostly reliable in his two seasons in the Bronx. He has exceeded 200 innings in each of the last three years. But ... he has two winning records in six seasons in the U.S., will be 39 next season and didn't win a game after Aug. 12. (I know that too well; he was on one of my fantasy teams.) He's an exception to the rule that the ancient Yankees are getting somewhat younger.
Another situation I've commented on without a follow-up is 1B/DH Paul Konerko's re-signing. I applaud his or his agent's foresight in structuring his 1-year contract so he's paid $1.5 million in 2014, with $1 million deferred until 2015. That will make his transition out of the game much smoother. It's not likely that Konerko would suffer through another poor season in '15 -- barring an unlikely late-in-life resurgence such as Ted Williams and Stan Musial had in 1959 after bad years in '58. It's no coincidence that White Sox play-by-play man Ken Harrelson's contract expires after 2015, and he already has curtailed his travel schedule. In 2012, Sox color man Steve Stone made a reported $600,000 (with a lot of broadcast experience). There would seem to be room for Konerko in the broadcast booth, or even making a few hundred grand as a coach.
Marlins fans! Don't make World Series plans yet, but Miami did sign SS Rafael Furcal to a 1-year contract. He's expected to move to second base, with former 2B Donovan Solano or a player to be acquired at third. Apparently, the 36-year-old Furcal no longer is strong enough to unseat Adeiny Hechavarria at shortstop, especially after undergoing Tommy John surgery last March and missing all of last season. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel indicated that Furcal's contract is for $3.5 million, plus incentives. We'll find out during spring training whether he'll be ready by opening day. But really, does this look like a contending infield? Wait! I'm forgetting 1B Logan Morrison, who hasn't batted even .250 in any of the last three seasons.
* * *
Football. Both of my teams were off to a good start Thursday night, with Texans TE Garrett Graham scoring a touchdown and gaining 72 receiving yards. So I took early leads of 13-0 in my scoring-plus-yardage league (first week of a two-week consolation playoff semifinal) and 6-0 in Week 14 of my scoring-only league. In that one, I'm still projected for a tie against one of the two teams tied for first place a game ahead of me.
* * *
Hockey. Important key: The downside of having a lot of players, especially forwards, in your lineup, is that they can drag you down, especially by your plus/minus and ATOI.
I filled my starting lineup with 15 skaters and 2 goalies -- and lost 3 1/2 points. Where I was within 2 points of second place, I dropped to 5 back overnight. Here's what happened. The two goalies' team played but they didn't. I read a note saying that Jean-Sebastien Giguere would start for Colorado Friday, but forgot that it was Thursday. The 15 skaters totaled 0 goals and 2 assists, and were minus-6. In addition, defensemen Jan Hejda and Victor Hedman both left early because of injuries, hurting my ATOI even more. They join Henrik Zetterberg on my injured list. Also, I have to get the minus-9 Jason Spezza from the loser Senators off my roster. Clarke MacArthur can stay for the time being.
* * *
Basketball. Important key. If you have a guy on your roster who isn't playing tonight, but is tomorrow, be sure to put him into an open spot in your starting lineup instead of a player who is inactive for the next 2 days -- even if he's a franchise player.
I didn't follow one of my other important keys Wednesday. I didn't set my lineup until nearly 7 p.m. EDT. By that time, the Cavaliers' game already had started, so I couldn't get Anderson Varejao into my lineup. I could have put him in the lineup Tuesday (see Important key under hockey), guarding against the possibility of getting around to setting the lineup too late. I could have used his 18 points, 13 rebounds and assorted assists, blocks and steals. I made up somewhat for that lost production Thursday, regaining a 5-3 lead for the week.
For now, I'm off to find a hockey forward to replace Jason Spezza.
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