Orioles, IF Andino agree on 1-year deal
January 25, 2012
BALTIMORE (AP)—The Baltimore Orioles and infielder Robert Andino haveagreed to terms on a 1-year deal, avoiding arbitration.
The 27-year-old Andino had his finest season in 2011, playing the majority ofhis profession-high 139 games at second base for the injured Brian Roberts. He alsoplayed third base, shortstop and left field.
Andino set profession highs with 457 at-bats, 120 hits, 63 runs, five homers and36 RBIs.
The agreement leaves three Orioles still in the running for arbitration:center fielder Adam Jones and starting pitchers Jeremy Guthrie and BradBergesen.
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Fielder, Tigers have 9-year, $214M deal
January 25, 2012
DETROIT (AP)—With Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera in the middle of thelineup, the Detroit Tigers appear ready for a season of slugging at Comerica Park.
Fielder and the Tigers agreed Tuesday to a nine-year, $214 million contract,a individual familiar with the deal said. The AL Central champions boldly stepped upin the Fielder sweepstakes immediately after the current knee injury to star Victor Martinez.A week ago, the Tigers announced the productive designated hitter could miss theentire season soon after tearing his left ACL in the course of offseason conditioning.
CBS very first reported the agreement with Fielder.
The individual told The Associated Press the deal was topic to a physical. Theperson spoke on condition of anonymity since the contract was not yetcomplete.
Various teams had shown interest this winter in Fielder, the no cost agentfirst baseman who had spent his complete career with the Milwaukee Brewers. Hevisited Texas, and the Washington Nationals also got involved in thediscussions.
The Tigers won their division by 15 games ahead of losing in the ALchampionship series to Texas. With Fielder now in the fold, common manager DaveDombrowski and owner Mike Ilitch have a team that figures to enter the 2012season as a preferred to repeat in the division—with an eye on winning thefranchise’s initially World Series title because 1984.
“Everyone knew Mr. Ilitch and Mr. Dombrowski were going to make a move whenVictor went down,” outfielder Brennan Boesch mentioned in a phone interview with theAP. “But I don’t consider anybody believed it would be this big.”
The move also keeps Fielder’s name in the Tigers’ household. His father, Cecil,became a major league star when he returned to the majors from Japan and hit 51home runs with Detroit in 1990. Cecil played with the Tigers into the 1996season, and young Prince created a name for himself by hitting prodigious property runsin batting practice at Tiger Stadium.
In an interview with MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM, Cecil Fielder said hewas “shocked” by the news that Prince was heading to Detroit.
“He’s been there in Detroit most of his young life so I consider he’ll becomfortable in that place,” Cecil Fielder mentioned. “I know Mr. Ilitch is probablyexcited simply because he’s been wanting that kid since he was a little kid, so hefinally got his wish.”
With Cabrera and Fielder, Detroit will begin this season with two playersunder age 30 with at least 200 career homers. According to STATS LLC, that’shappened only once prior to. At the start out of the 1961 season, the Milwaukee Bravesfeatured 29-year-old Eddie Mathews (338 homers) and 27-year-old Hank Aaron(219).
Fielder hit .299 with 38 household runs and 120 RBIs final season. He is athree-time All-Star and was the MVP of final year’s occasion in Phoenix.
The beefy slugger has averaged 40 homers and 113 RBIs more than the past fiveyears. He’s also been among the most durable players in the majors, appearing inat least 157 games in each and every of the last six seasons.
Fielder hits left-handed, whilst Cabrera is a righty. Manager Jim Leylandwill get to determine exactly where to put them in the batting order.
“I don’t feel there’s a better suitable-left combo in any lineup inbaseball,” Boesch mentioned. “I’m confident Skip’s wheels are already turning on how toset them up.”
And to consider, the Tigers also have the American League’s reigning MVP and CyYoung Award winner—right-hander Justin Verlander.
Fielder’s deal is only the fourth $200 million contract in baseball history,following Alex Rodriguez’s $275 million, ten-year contract with the New YorkYankees, A-Rod’s $252 million, ten-year deal with Texas and Albert Pujols’ $240million, ten-year contract last month with the Los Angeles Angels.
Amongst present players, Fielder’s $23.78 million common salary is behindonly A-Rod ($27.5 million), Ryan Howard ($25 million), and Cliff Lee and Pujols($24 million each).
Dombrowski indicated last week he’d in all probability seek a short-term remedy toMartinez’s injury, but he left himself some wriggle space, saying it depended whothe replacement was.
Acquiring Fielder opens all sorts of possibilities. For now, Detroit has anopening at DH with Martinez out. But Martinez is in the second year of a $50million, four-year contract.
1 option could be to move Cabrera from initially base to third. He playedthird base often for the Florida Marlins ahead of the Tigers acquired himbefore the 2008 season.
Third baseman Brandon Inge has 1 year left on a two-year, $11.five milliondeal with Detroit.
——— (equals)
AP Sports Writers Ronald Blum in New York and Larry Lage in Detroitcontributed to this report.
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Yankees C Posada announces retirement
January 25, 2012
NEW YORK (AP)—Jorge Posada was watching tv when he saw speculationon which teams were interested in signing him as a no cost agent.
“They put my face on different uniforms,” he stated. “And it didn’t lookgood.”
He began a Yankee and ended as a Yankee, spending his whole career inpinstripes.
Flanked by his wife and young children, with five Globe Series trophies sitting ona table to his correct, the five-time All-Star catcher retired at age 40 onTuesday right after 17 key league seasons. He completed with a .273 profession battingaverage, 275 home runs and 1,065 RBIs.
At a crowded Yankee Stadium news conference, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera andCC Sabathia were amongst those who watched Posada fight off tears as he sat on adais with wife, Laura, 12-year-old son Jorge Jr. and 9-year-old daughterPaulina. It was clear the rest of the family also wanted to be Yankees lifers.
“This is so cool,” Paulina said to her dad as she picked up the cardboardin front of her seat with her name and the renowned interlocking “NY” logo.“I’m going to maintain this.”
Posada joins Bernie Williams and Andy Pettitte in retirement, leaving onlythe 37-year-old Jeter and 42-year-old Rivera from the core group that led theYankees to 4 World Series titles in 5 years from 1996-2000.
“Mariano mentioned this is it. He says a single far more year. But Derek says he’s gotlike three much more to go. So we’ll see,” Posada said, adding he didn’t expect thegreat closer to quit following next season.
“I don’t feel about it right now. But the time will come,” Rivera mentioned.“Definitely the time will come when I’ll have to just admit it and hang (up)the glove and the uniform and move on. We all go by means of that.”
Jeter, the Yankees’ captain and leader, expects to outlast Rivera.
“Mo’s nonetheless got to go initially. He’s a lot older than me,” he said beforeadding with a laugh: “Mo’s going to be here longer than all of us.”
Shrieking at accomplishment and fuming more than failure, Posada often was nuclearfission at the center of the Yankees and what became recognized as the Core 4.Though Jeter and Rivera rarely reveal their feelings, and Pettitte does only onoccasion, Posada has been a passionate open window into the Yankees, praising,strutting, venting and battling.
“We feel the very same way I’m just superior at hiding it. But we feel the sameway inside, and I believe that’s why we’ve gotten along so effectively all through theyears,” mentioned Jeter, who initial played alongside Posada in the minors in 1992.
He has named him “Sado” for years, due to the fact late Yankee Stadium publicaddress announcer Bob Sheppard mispronounced Posada’s name when he pinch ran forWade Boggs in Game two of the 1995 AL playoffs.
In the exact same space where Pettitte announced his retirement 11 1/2 months ago,choose season ticket holders had been invited to sit in the audience.
Posada talked with wonderful fervor about the team that drafted him in the 24thround in 1991.
“Every time I stepped via the Yankee Stadium doors,” he began, “Iquoted Joe DiMaggio and mentioned, `I want to thank the great Lord for generating me aYankee.”’
“I could never ever wear another uniform,” he stated. “I will forever be aYankee.”
Posada’s voice broke up, especially when he spoke in Spanish about hisparents. He thanked his teammates, rubbing his chin three instances and wiping hiseyes. He known as Rivera “my brother” and praised Jeter “who helped me stayfocused and positive.”
“Hopefully you won’t miss me that considerably,” he stated.
Diana Munson, wife of the late Yankees catcher Thurman Munson, spokeadmiringly of Posada, who kept a quote from her husband in his locker: “Battingfourth and getting in the lineup is essential, but I consider the stuff I do behindthe plate is additional essential.” 1 day at Yankee Stadium, Posada sat next to herand told her about his admiration for the former captain, who died in a planecrash when Posada was 7. She wound up following Posada in the box scores.
“He in fact is the a single who brought me back to baseball once again. Following losingThurman, I kind of lost my heart for baseball,” she mentioned. “He plays the game Ithink the way Thurman played it: a lot of grittiness, lot of toughness. … Ithink he and Thurman would have been ideal buds. He certainly has the `it’factor. I can’t describe it. I don’t know what it is. But I knew immediatelyupon meeting him that he had it, and I believe the Yankee fans also have realizedthat, and I envision they’re as sad right now as we all are.”
She was followed by a video of fan tributes and by Lisa and Brett Niedererfrom Bristol, Wis. She talked about the Jorge Posada Foundation and itsemotional support and financial assistance to families affected bycraniosynostosis, a disease that causes bones in the skull to fuse prematurely.
Jorge Jr. has had nine operations, and Lisa Niederer was watching ontelevision when the father and son went onto the field together during theintroductions for the 2002 All-Star game. Brett, then 2 1/two , was diagnosed with thedisease about the start out of that year, and they talked about the Posada family members’sassistance.
“I knew we were not alone anymore,” mentioned Lisa, who has turn into a mentor forthe foundation.
When the focus returned to baseball, Posada recalled how he started hisprofessional profession as a shortstop, was moved to second base and was asked bythe Yankees to move to catcher immediately after the 1991 season.
“I felt like it was the worst choice ever,” he mentioned, remembering all thepassed balls he allowed although catching prime draft choose Brien Taylor. “It was nota pretty sight.”
He went on to have 1 of the much better offensive careers by a catcher. Theswitch-hitting Posada created the decision to retire for the duration of a season that turnedtumultuous May well 14 when he was batting .165 and was dropped to No. 9 in thebatting order against Boston. He asked to be taken out of the lineup, saying hewasn’t ready to play.
Posada rallied to hit .268 for the rest of the season, leaving him with a.235 average, 14 homers and 44 RBIs. And then on Sept. 21, his two-run pinch-hitsingle beat Tampa Bay to clinch the AL East and earn a different massive ovation. Hehit .429 (6 for 14) in the 5-game loss to Detroit in the division series.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi and basic manager Brian Cashman mentioned that wasjust a blip in his career—part of Posada’s fiery disposition, the a single thatdrew fans to him, 1 that he may take with him into coaching or managing—after the Yankees likely honor him with a tribute this year.
That nature triggered him to tell his agents not to negotiate with other teams.
“They kept saying that individuals are asking about you,” Posada said. “I’mlike—not interested.”
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Retired La Russa to manage NL All-Stars
January 25, 2012
ST. LOUIS (AP)—Tony La Russa will turn into the second retired manager tolead an All-Star team next summer, joining Hall of Famer John McGraw.
La Russa concluded a 16-season run in St. Louis with the team’s second WorldSeries title in 5 years final October, stepping down after 33 seasons general.Commissioner Bud Selig announced Tuesday that the 67-year-old La Russa willmanage the National League in this year’s game July 10 in Kansas City.
“Tony earned this opportunity with the remarkable run the Cardinalscompleted final October, and I am delighted that he shared my enthusiasm aboutstaying in this role,” Selig said in a statement. “The All-Star Gamecelebrates all the best of our game, and it is extremely appropriate that we willhave the likelihood to celebrate a single of the greatest managerial careers of all-timeas a portion of our festivities.”
McGraw retired soon after the 1932 season and managed the National League in thefirst All-Star game the following year.
Danny Murtaugh managed the NL All-Star team in 1972 soon after stepping downfollowing Pittsburgh’s 1971 Globe Series title, but Key League Baseballdoesn’t take into account him retired for that appearance since he returned to managethe Pirates from 1973-76.
This will be La Russa’s sixth time managing an All-Star team, three in eachleague.
Two managers led All-Star teams right after moving to new teams, Dick Williams in1974 soon after switching from the Athletics to the Angels and Dusty Baker in 2003after switching from the Giants to the Cubs.
La Russa and Joe Torre are tied for fourth with six All-Star managingappearances, trailing Casey Stengel (ten), Walter Alston (9) and Joe McCarthy(7).
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Cuban OF Cespedes establishes residency
January 25, 2012
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP)—The agent for Yoenis Cespedes saysthe Cuban outfielder has established legal residency in the Dominican Republic,the final hurdle to becoming a totally free agent.
Edgar Mercedes confirmed the residency in a telephone interview Tuesday.
As soon as Major League Baseball receives proof of Cespedes’ residency, it willsend a letter to all clubs verifying his status as a free of charge agent.
Earlier this month, Cespedes stated six significant league teams—the MiamiMarlins, Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Indians and the ChicagoCubs and White Sox—are interested in him.
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Cuban, Kroenke among bidders for Dodgers
January 25, 2012
NEW YORK (AP)—About 12 groups submitted initial bids to get the LosAngeles Dodgers from Frank McCourt, many men and women familiar with the processsaid Tuesday.
Amongst the bidders were Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and former YESNetwork chief executive officer Leo Hindery, two persons said, speaking oncondition of anonymity mainly because the bids had been to remain confidential.
One particular of the individuals also confirmed a Los Angeles Times report that StanKroenke was involved in the bidding. Kroenke already controls the NFL’s St.Louis Rams, the NBA’s Denver Nuggets, the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, Arsenal ofthe English Premier League and Major League Soccer’s Colorado Rapids.
Hindery’s bid, created with Marc Utay, was first reported by the Wall StreetJournal.
Bidders stated they had been waiting to hear from Blackstone Group, which isrepresenting McCourt, what the next step in the process will be. Blackstone mayask Major League Baseball to conduct due diligence on up to 10 bidders, witheach selected group paying MLB $25,000 to cover baseball’s costs.
McCourt is to choose his selected owner by early April, with Important LeagueBaseball approving the sale in time for a transfer by April 30, the day McCourtmust spend former wife Jamie a $131 million divorce settlement.
Some of the other groups consist of former Los Angeles Lakers star MagicJohnson, former Dodgers manager Joe Torre, former Dodgers owner Peter O’Malleyand former agent Dennis Gilbert.
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Yanks, C Martin agree on $7.5M contract
January 24, 2012
NEW YORK (AP)—All-Star catcher Russell Martin and the New York Yankeesavoided salary arbitration when they agreed to a $7.5 million, 1-yearcontract.
The deal, announced Tuesday, was $100,000 below the midpoint among the$8.2 million he had asked for in arbitration and the $7 million the Yankees hadoffered when proposed salaries were exchanged last week.
Martin also can earn performances bonuses.
Martin hit .237 with 18 homers and 65 RBIs last year for the Yankees, whosigned him soon after the Los Angeles Dodgers failed to supply a contract. He had a $4million base salary and earned $1,375,000 in performance bonuses.
He is eligible for totally free agency after subsequent season.
Lefty reliever Boone Logan is the final Yankees player nevertheless in arbitration.
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Lincecum agrees to 2-year, $40.5M deal
January 24, 2012
SAN FRANCISCO (AP)—Two-time NL Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum and theSan Francisco Giants reached a verbal agreement Tuesday on a two-year contractworth $40.five million.
The deal includes a $500,000 signing bonus and salaries of $18 million thisyear and $22 million in 2013, a individual familiar with the agreement said Tuesday,speaking on condition of anonymity because the terms were not announced.Lincecum still need to take a physical, which the Giants hope will take place earlynext week to total the deal.
Lincecum had asked for a close to-record $21.five million in salary arbitration andhad been supplied $17 million by the club. He remains eligible for cost-free agencyfollowing the 2013 season.
Tim Lincecum earned $13.1 million pitching for the Giants in 2011.(Getty Pictures)
The 27-year-old suitable-hander, the winning pitcher in the Game five World Seriesclincher at Texas in 2010, earned $13.1 million last season when he finished atwo-year deal worth $23.two million.
When the sides exchanged numbers last Tuesday, Lincecum’s request neared therecord amount sought in arbitration. Houston pitcher Roger Clemens asked for $22million in 2005.
San Francisco’s give was the highest in arbitration history, topping the$14.25 million the New York Yankees proposed for shortstop Derek Jeter in 2001.
As Giants vice president Bobby Evans expected, they located prevalent groundaround the midpoint of the figures—and did so in only a week.
San Francisco’s front office had hoped to lock up Lincecum and fellowstarter Matt Cain with long-term deals, though Lincecum seemed set on keepinghis possibilities open in the near future on a shorter contract. A call to thepitcher was not immediately returned and his agent declined to comment.
With Lincecum earning a hefty contract, Evans joked final week, “I usuallyleave off the final three zeroes mainly because it’s less difficult to calculate.”
In February 2010, Lincecum agreed to a $23 million, two-year contract aheadof the scheduled hearing. He had been set at that time to ask for $13 million.
That final contract was rather a raise for the undersized, hard-throwingpitcher his teammates call “Franchise” and “Freak” right after he earned $650,000in 2009.
Lincecum—the 10th overall draft pick out of Washington in 2006—has beenan All-Star in each and every of the past 4 seasons. He went 13-14 with a two.74 ERA lastyear for his initial losing record. The Giants scored no runs although he was in thegame in seven of 33 starts, had a single run six times and two runs 5 instances,according to STATS LLC.
San Francisco, which sold out every single game in 2011 but missed the playoffs,will have a payroll of around $130 million.
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Jays sign RHP Morrow for 3 years, $21M
January 24, 2012
TORONTO (AP)—Pitcher Brandon Morrow and the Toronto Blue Jays have agreedto a $21 million, three-year contract that avoided salary arbitration.
Morrow gets $4 million this year and $8 million in every of the following twoseasons. Toronto has a $10 million selection for 2015 with a $1 million buyout.
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The 27-year-old Morrow was 11-11 final season with a 4.72 ERA.
But the suitable-hander also set career highs in wins (11), innings (179 1-three)and strikeouts (203).
On Monday, the Jays announced the signing of 44-year-old infielder OmarVizquel to a minor league contract.
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Acta: Tribe trying to get Carmona to US
January 24, 2012
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP)—Cleveland Indians manager MannyActa says the pitcher recognized as Fausto Carmona is an significant part of therotation and the team is carrying out what it can to speed up his arrival.
Acta told The Related Press late Monday that the team is producing thenecessary moves to get Carmona to the United States for the coming season butalso will be prepared to go with no him.
Says Acta: “It doesn’t matter that he was a small inconsistent final year.Fausto is an critical part of our rotation.”
Carmona is accused of employing a false identity to play baseball in the U.S.and faces a judicial process in the Dominican Republic. He was released fromjail on Friday.
Carmona’s genuine name is Roberto Hernandez Heredia. He’s 31, three years olderthan he had claimed.
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