- P Scott Rice signed to a minor league contract with an invite to spring training [ Link ]
GMJ to Anaheim
Well, the shoe has finally fallen. Gary Matthews Jr has gotten a 5 year, $50 million deal from the Anaheim California Angels of Los Angeles of California. I wanted to see Matthews stay as much as the next Ranger fan – but yikes. Not THAT much.
This is another of those off seasons where contracts are way out of whack. Soriano? Pierre? Jeez.
I wonder if Matthews will stay productive that long – 5 years is a long time for a career journeyman until 2006. Good luck, GMJ.
UPDATE: Dave over at USS Mariner has a great look at GMJ’s career to date. Check it out.
Ryan Howard
Saw a minute or two ago that Ryan Howard was named MVP of the NL for 2006. As a Phillies fan in addition to a Rangers fan, I have to admit I had a bit of the homer choice there. :)
It is an accomplishment – I heard on XM’s Home Plate channel last week that if Howard did get it, he’d be one of only a few players in MLB history to be crowed rookie of the year and then league MVP the following year. Cal Ripken did it, I forget who the other was (memory says it’s just one other guy).
I think Pujols probably would have gotten it had he stayed healthy all season.
P.S. Wanted to say hi to the guy who works at the Garland Firewheel Build a Bear Store. I was in there Sat night making a bear for my daughter, and he recognized me. Yo! :)
Frank Catalanotto
Rangers make some moves
The biggest of the last few days came tonight while I was at church at my discipleship class. Frank Catalanotto has returned to the Rangers pending a physical. The deal is for three years, $13 million (similar money that DeRosa got from the Cubs). The Rangers hold a team option fourth year. This is probably a hedge against GMJ going elsewhere, which unfortunately looks pretty likely. Most Ranger fans were sorry to see Little Cat go, I know my wife was. I enjoyed him myself during his time here, so that will be a nice return. So we still do have something from the Juan Gonzalez trade! (Granted, its’ via free agency, but still… :) )
A few days back, we signed Miguel Ojeda to a contract for 2007, virtually assuring that Rod Barajas will not be back. I didn’t see enough of Ojeda to have any real comments on him, but it’s probably the signing we had to make for a backup (although I admit I was hoping they’d sign Gregg Zaun).
The Texas Rangers also signed RHP Franklyn German and INF Ramon Vazquez to minor league contracts with invites to spring training. I admittedly do not know much about these two. There was more on them in a recent Newberg report.
We also signed LHP Matt Merricks and INF David Matranga to minor league contracts. I know a little about Matranga, having driven down to Round Rock a few times and seeing him play there for the Express. Neither of these strike me as much else besides roster filler. If they do get to the bigs, I can’t imagine it will be for much more than a cup of coffee.
There was also word this past week that Jon Daniels is hopeful that we can resign Vicente Padilla. I wonder if the change in managers will make a difference in his surly behavior. Maybe not, but as long as he pitches well, I guess it doesn’t really matter, eh?
Soriano signs with Cubs
Apparently Alfonso Soriano signed with the Cubs tonight, a reported 8 year $136 million dollar deal. That’s a lot of dough. The Cubs are throwing a lot of money around. I wonder if the curse will cancel all that out. :)
Eek. I was hoping my hometown Phillies would sign him. Oh well.
German & Vazquez
- RHP Franklyn German signed to a 1 year minor league contract w/invite to spring training
- INF Ramon Vazquez signed to a 1 year minor league contract w/invite to spring training
- LHP Matt Merricks signed to a 1 year minor league contract
- IF David Matranga signed to a 1 year minor league contract [ link ]
Miguel Ojeda
- C Miguel Ojeda signed to a 1 year contract [ link ]
Matsuzaka
Wow. $51.1 million. Just for a cup of coffee. Baseball money is so out of whack. It’s a good thing I really love the game, or I would have bailed ages ago. I did enjoy the remark that DMZ had over at USS Mariner…
This is, by the way, approximately 1/4th the value of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays franchise.
ESPN’s site has a link which shows that if you combine the salaries of all these players, it still doesn’t even add up to the posting fee the Red Sox paid. Johan Santana, Brandon Webb, Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, Cris Carpenter, Scott Shields, Joel Zumaya, Aaron Heilman, Scott Linebrick, Juan Rincon, & Francisco Rodriguez. And you’d have about $2.5 Million LEFT OVER. Yeesh. And that’s not even the contract!
My own remark… If ever there’s a time for this bible scripture to be used..
…I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Matthew 19:24.
Mark DeRosa to sign with the Cubs
Well, we don’t get to keep Mark DeRosa. That’s a shame, I really liked him during his time here, but after last year, I can’t blame him for going where a guaranteed starting job is. Unless we traded Blalock (unlikely given Washington’s comments about him), I can’t see where DeRosa would get regular starting time here. The story is 3 years $13 million. Not bad for the year he had last year. I wonder if his old team (the Braves) made a run at him at all.
UPDATE: I guess it’s official now, there’s a story about it over on the Cubs website.
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