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.
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