Category: MLB

After missing on Bengie Molina and Yorvit Torrealba, the Mets have turned to free agent Rod Barajas to be their No. 1 catcher this season.

MLB.com reports Barajas on Saturday agreed to a one-year major league contract with New York. The site does not give specific terms, but it says media reports of a $1 million base salary are inaccurate. The site also reports the deal is pending a physical.

Barajas, 34, will supplant Omir Santos as the Mets’ top backstop. Santos is now likely headed for Triple-A, where he’ll back up prospect Josh Thole. Henry Blanco was signed in the offseason to be the No. 2 catcher.

The Mets add a needed power bat in Barajas, who hit 19 home runs and drove in 71 runs for the Blue Jays last season.

After Mets left-hander Johan Santana picked himself as the best pitcher in the NL East, Philadelphia reporters asked Phillies right-hander Roy Halladay the same question. But Halladay declined to add additional fuel to the Mets-Phillies rivalry.

"No, I steer clear of that," Halladay told the Philadelphia Daily News. "I think it was a Lou Holtz quote, ‘Well-done is always more important than well-said.’ I’ve always tried to take that philosophy."

A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press the Detroit Tigers and Johnny Damon have reached a preliminary agreement on an $8 million, one-year contract.

The person, who talked Saturday on condition of anonymity because the deal hasn’t been announced, says the contract is subject to a physical, which will be some time next week.

Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski confirmed Friday he had made a contract offer to the outfielder, but Dombrowski did not return messages seeking comment on Saturday.

The 36-year-old Damon hit .286 with 24 homers for the New York Yankees last season. He likely will bat leadoff for the Tigers, filling the void left when Detroit dealt Curtis Granderson to the Yankees.

Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

The comeback of free agent first baseman Carlos Delgado is on hold after he had a second hip surgery this week, according to a FOXSports.com

Delgado’s agent, David Sloane, said the first baseman will be out for four months but still plans to play this season.

"He felt, despite the time it would take, it was a better option for him to be the Carlos Delgado of old instead of an old Carlos Delgado," Sloan told FOX Sports.

Dr. Marc Philippon, who operated on Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez last spring, reconstructed the labrum in Delgado’s right hip and performed a micro-fracture procedure on the hip socket, according to FOX.

Delgado, 37, is 27 homers shy of 500 for his career. He played in only 26 games for the Mets last season before having season-ending hip surgery. He played winter ball in Puerto Rico and was working out while trying to latch on with a team but his hip was still bothering him.

Material from The Associated Press was used in this report.

An AL scout spoke with Sporting News’ Ryan Fagan about three of the division’s biggest questions:

Will Javier Vazquez have more success in his second stint with the Yankees?
Scout says: "There’s less pressure for him to anchor that staff than there was the last time he was there (4.91 ERA in 2004). He’s obviously going to have a little more run support than last year in Atlanta, a bit better ballclub and a little less pressure every five days. When you put him in that rotation with that ballclub, he’s going to be a great complement."

Now that third baseman Adrian Beltre is out of cavernous Safeco Field and at hitter-friendly Fenway Park, will he see a big uptick in his offensive production?
Scout says: "Yes, and not only from the different ballpark but from the guys that will surround him this year. His supporting cast in Boston is going to allow him to make a big impact. And some may make light of this, but the travel is going to be less for him, and that’ll help, too."

Will Rays starter David Price rebound from a sophomore slump?
Scout says: "I don’t think it was a slump. It’s a situation where a young guy was coming out of the bullpen, where he’d had a lot of success in short looks vs. hitters. But the league tends to do a lot of study on pitchers and makes adjustments. This guy is one of the best young pitchers in the game. He’ll be fine."

This story first appeared in the February 15 edition of Sporting News magazine. If you are not receiving the magazine, subscribe today, or pick up a copy, available at most Barnes & Noble, Borders and Hudson Retail outlets.

Ryan Fagan is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at rfagan@sportingnews.com, and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ryan_fagan.

Acquired from Detroit in a three-team blockbuster trade this offseason, new Yankee center fielder Curtis Granderson recently spoke with Sporting News’ Stan McNeal about his new team:

When my family and friends start talking about me being a Yankee, I think about what it means. There’s the Lakers in basketball, the Cowboys in football and the Yankees in baseball. No matter where I travel around the world, people know about the Yankees. To now be a part of that franchise is amazing.

I’ll be wearing a new number, 14. The Yankees gave me the option to keep 28, but after last year, when (manager) Joe Girardi wore 27 and they won their 27th championship, I had no problem letting him take 28. Besides, I wore 14 in high school and my dad wore it in his softball league.

I look forward to going to Boston as a Yankee. When you go to Fenway with another team, you can see the confidence of the fans. Like, Hey, we know we’re going to win. When you go in as a Yankee, they’re like, We might win, but this is going to be a battle. That’s the kind of respect this franchise has earned.

I’ve been asked if I’m going to hit 40 home runs. I don’t think that’s what I was acquired for. With the guys who have made this lineup what it is, I look at myself as a small piece of the big puzzle trying to repeat as champions.

This story first appeared in the February 15 edition of Sporting News magazine. If you are not receiving the magazine, subscribe today, or pick up a copy, available at most Barnes & Noble, Borders and Hudson Retail outlets.

Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.

White Sox general manager Ken Williams told the Chicago Sun-Times that he will give free agent outfielder Johnny Damon until Sunday morning to accept their latest offer.

Judging from William’s comments, however, it appears the White Sox are out of the running for Damon.

"We asked for their bottom line, and obviously we underestimated on what the market is for him because we thought we were competitive with what the rumors were out there," Williams told the Chicago Sun-Times. "With what we got back (Friday afternoon), unless Johnny sees this as a great opportunity for him, enjoys a chance to win in a great city, it’s an unrealistic number (that) we got back from them."

Williams said the White Sox’s offer, which is believed to be worth between $4.5 million and $6 million, was less than what Damon and agent Scott Boras are seeking.

According to various reports, the Tigers have offered Damon a two-year deal for $14 million and perhaps a one-year deal for $7 million.

"It’s the nature of the beast, but this has gone on long enough," Williams said. "We have a pretty good club as is. Would Johnny Damon add to it? He’s proven that. He was icing on the cake as far as we’re concerned."

There is hope associated with Baltimore baseball this spring. The youngsters coming through the minor league system are starting to mature into major league-ready contributors, and the front office brought in a few veterans who appear to be perfect short-term fits. Mr. Oriole himself, Cal Ripken Jr., has noticed the improvement. He took a few minutes to chat about the Orioles — and Topps’ million-baseball card giveaway that he is promoting — with Sporting News‘ Ryan Fagan.

‘I think all of baseball is looking at the Orioles’ arms,’ Hall of Famer Cal Ripken says.

Sporting News: What are your thoughts on this year’s Orioles? They’re generating a bit of buzz.
Cal Ripken: If you’re an Orioles fan, there’s lots of reasons to be optimistic about the coming season. They’ve assembled a lot of talent, young talent, in this rebuilding process. Adam Jones came into his own last year as a center fielder, a fabulous center fielder. (Nick) Markakis is a perennial All-Star out in right field. They’ve got (Miguel) Tejada coming back as a bridge at third base. Garrett Atkins, I thought, was a good pickup. Matt Wieters is a potential Joe Mauer in the making, and the guys they’ve got on the mound — (Kevin) Millwood’s coming in as a true ace to take a little pressure off them, and maybe provide some veteran leadership for these young arms. They’ve got guys who legitimately throw in the upper 90s, and it’s a matter of them figuring out what to throw and when to throw it. If they do, they’re going to be very competitive.

SN: Wieters has all the measureables and had a good rookie season, but what about him stands out to you?
CR: When you first look at him, he’s calm and handles the pitching staff well. He’s a big guy, and he has all the offensive skills that you get excited about out of that position. But he seems to be a smart catcher — one that handles the pitching staff well, and one that you’d be glad to have grow with their young staff. When you look at somebody like Joe Mauer, I think you take for granted some of his defensive skills behind the plate, but I think Matt Wieters is in the same sort of mold as Joe Mauer.

SN: What are your thoughts about Brian Matusz, the young lefty?
CR: The word around baseball about the great young arms — and Brian certainly fits into that — is they have phenomenal stuff. Then it’s a matter of making the pitch at the right time, making the right pitch, and throwing to your game plan and figuring out how to settle into that big league model. Some people can do that really easily. I remember Mike Mussina was somebody who came right into the big leagues and knew what he was doing from a mental standpoint and a physical standpoint, and he had success right away. Ben McDonald struggled a little bit, and he had to get his feet on the ground and get more of a game plan before he took off. So, you’re wondering, at least from a makeup standpoint, are they Mussina-types or are they a little more like McDonald-types?

SN:With as many young starters as the Orioles have, they probably have both, right?
CR: Yeah. I’m excited. I think all of baseball is looking at the Orioles’ arms.

SN: Did you have a favorite baseball card as a kid?
CR: I was a big Brooks Robinson fan, and I was also a big Cincinnati Reds fan — maybe because I was a front-runner and they were the Big Red Machine and they competed against the Orioles in the 1970 (World) Series. So I tried to collect the starting lineup for the Reds. And, being around Baltimore, Brooks Robinson was hard to get. I remember getting a lot of Tom Shopay cards, but I finally got a Brooks. I couldn’t tell you where Brooksie is; I think my mom might have thrown it out.

SN:Do you remember the first time you got to meet Brooks?
CR: I do. When my dad first came to the big leagues. I was about 14 or 15 years old, and I had the chance to go down and say hello to Brooksie. He didn’t disappoint; he was as nice of a person as I thought he was. Took all the time in the world for me. I still have yet to find a person in the world who says a negative thing about Brooksie. He was my man.

SN: Have you seen some of the cards in this Topps giveaway?
CR: I’m looking at the 1952 Topps rookie card for Mickey Mantle, and this one, they tell me, in vintage condition went for $250,000. This one I have right here has a couple scrapes on it, and they say it’s worth about 20 grand.

SN: The most expensive card I’ve ever held was worth about $70. What’s it feel like to hold a Mantle rookie card?
CR: Well, it doesn’t feel much different. This Mickey Mantle one is really protected. It’s in a real thick case so I can’t do any damage to it, and it’s tagged. So it doesn’t feel much different than holding my rookie card, which is not worth nearly what Mickey’s is. But, you know, baseball cards are baseball cards. The older ones have some nice color.

Ryan Fagan is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at rfagan@sportingnews.com, and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ryan_fagan.

After 12 consecutive losing seasons and back-to-back last-place finishes, the Orioles had a productive offseason. They added four veterans — two corner infielders, a No. 1 starter and a closer — to a core that features several in-their-prime hitters as well as several ready-for-prime-time youngsters. However, Baltimore still plays in the majors’ toughest division, and bad luck already has struck: Righthander Brad Bergesen injured his shoulder while filming an Orioles TV commercial in December.

Kevin Millwood’s veteran leadership should give the Orioles a nice anchor atop their rotation.

Three questions

1. How much better will the rotation be?
It can’t be much worse. Orioles starters finished last in the A.L. and 29th in the majors with a 5.37 ERA last season. Jeremy Guthrie led the Orioles with 10 wins last season but also had 17 losses and a 5.04 ERA. Enter Kevin Millwood, acquired from the Rangers this offseason. Millwood is the veteran workhorse this young rotation needs. "I don’t think a lot of people realize his ERA was as low as it was—and he pitched in Texas," Orioles Hall of Fame righthander Jim Palmer said. "He should help everybody. He’s been around. He came up with Atlanta, so he was there with (John) Smoltz, he was there with (Tom) Glavine, he was there with (Greg) Maddux. He’s a No. 1 guy on that staff and takes a lot of pressure off Guthrie."

Still, the back of the rotation is young, with Brian Matusz, Chris Tillman and Bergesen having combined for 39 career starts—all last season.

2. Can Miguel Tejada play third base?
For several seasons, Tejada resisted making the move from shortstop to third. However, as he entered free agency this offseason, he admitted it was time for the change. Orioles third basemen (namely, Melvin Mora) finished fifth in the majors with a .968 fielding percentage in 2009, so the bar is set high.

In his 13-season major league career, Tejada has played no defensive position other than short. The Orioles know he isn’t the hitter he was during his first go-round with the team (2004-07), but they have to hope Tejada can follow in the footsteps of another well-known shortstop who made the same transition late in his career. Some guy named Cal Ripken. Until we see Tejada at the hot corner in spring training, the jury is out.

3. Will Garrett Atkins rediscover his stroke?
Atkins, primarily a third baseman in his career, will take over at first. But the Orioles signed him for his bat, not his glove. Trouble is, Atkins, who averaged a .305-25-110 stat line with Colorado from 2006-08, slumped to .226-9-48 last season. The Rockies nontendered him in December.

"We are confident that Atkins will have a year more in line with what he showed three out of the last four seasons," manager Dave Trembley said. "A new league, a guy (who) has proven he is an RBI guy and I have a lot of confidence in Terry Crowley, our hitting instructor, to get Atkins back on track."

Projected lineup
1. 2B Brian Roberts: Led majors with 56 doubles.
2. CF Adam Jones: Breakout season: 19 HRs, 70 RBIs in 119 games.
3. RF Nick Markakis: OPS dropped from .897 to .801.
4. 3B Miguel Tejada: Career .321 AVG at Camden Yards.
5. C Matt Wieters: Hit .312 at home, .265 on road.
6. LF Nolan Reimold: Team-best .831 OPS in rookie season.
7. DH Luke Scott: Career-best 25 HRs led team.
8. 1B Garrett Atkins: Hit .199 vs. righthanders.
9. SS Cesar Izturis: Has a career .298 OBP.

Projected rotation
1. RHP Kevin Millwood: 3.17 ERA at hitter-friendly Rangers Ballpark.
2. RHP Jeremy Guthrie: No months with a sub-4.50 ERA.
3. LHP Brian Matusz: Allowed .315 BA vs. righthanders.
4. RHP Brad Bergesen: 7-1, 268 ERA at home; 0-4, 4.56 on road.
5. RHP Chris Tillman: 15 HRS allowed in 65 IP.

Projected closer
LHP Mike Gonzalez: Career-high 90 K’s in 74 1/3 innings for Braves.

Grades

Offense: B. The Orioles finished in the middle of the pack in most key offensive categories, but this unit has top-10 potential. Adam Jones, Nolan Reimold and Nick Markakis are arguably the majors’ most underrated outfield trio, and there is speed atop the order with power throughout.

Pitching: D. The rotation has plenty to prove, and the relievers’ 4.78 ERA ranked 28th in the majors. Millwood will help, and Mike Gonzalez will fill the ninth-inning void left by the trade of George Sherrill late last season. Much will depend on the young arms’ maturation and Guthrie’s bounce-back ability.

Bench: C. Assuming he isn’t dealt, Ty Wigginton provides plenty of versatility and some pop. Outfielder Felix Pie finally broke through in 2009, hitting nine homers in a reserve role. Robert Andino can play just about anywhere but hit just .222 last season (nine points better than his career average).

Manager: C. In his first two full seasons in Baltimore, Trembley is 132-191 (.409 winning percentage). However, he hasn’t had much with which to work — until now. He has a nice mix of veterans and emerging youngsters, and improvement will be expected.

Sporting News prediction: With so many promising young stars reaching the majors, there finally is hope. Unfortunately, it won’t translate to more than a fourth-place finish in MLB’s toughest division.

Coming Monday: Phillies preview.

Chris Bahr is a senior editor for Sporting News. E-mail him at cbahr@sportingnews.com.

When asked by reporters to name the top starting pitcher in the NL East, Mets lefthander Johan Santana picked … himself, according to the New York Daily News.

Santana went 13-9 with a 3.13 ERA last season but had season-ending elbow surgery in early September.

Santana, 31, has been throwing off a mound since last month, though he won’t pitch in a Grapefruit League until the second week of action.

"I’m able to now throw my fastball with no problems and throw my breaking ball and my changeup without feeling that sharp pain in the back of my elbow now," Santana told the Daily News. "I’ll be able to throw all of my pitches pain-free. That’s a big plus for me."