Sporting News staff reports
According to a report on the Rangers’ Web site, the team is interested in free-agent outfielder/DH Vladimir Guerrero and is talking to his representatives.
The holdup could be Guerrero’s asking price, as the Rangers don’t have much money to spend. However, given the lack of interest in Guerrero from other teams, the Rangers might have some bargaining power.
The Web site reported Texas also has interest in free agent outfielders Jermaine Dye, Gary Sheffield and Xavier Nady, as well as free agent DH Jim Thome. The Rangers scored 117 fewer runs in 2009 than in 2008 and lost their top RBI man, outfielder Marlon Byrd, to the Cubs in free agency this offseason. Thus, their desire to add a bat.
Sporting News staff reports
According to a report on the Rangers’ Web site, the team is interested in free-agent outfielder/DH Vladimir Guerrero and is talking to his representatives.
The holdup could be Guerrero’s asking price, as the Rangers don’t have much money to spend. However, given the lack of interest in Guerrero from other teams, the Rangers might have some bargaining power.
The Web site reported Texas also has interest in free agent outfielders Jermaine Dye, Gary Sheffield and Xavier Nady, as well as free agent DH Jim Thome. The Rangers scored 117 fewer runs in 2009 than in 2008 and lost their top RBI man, outfielder Marlon Byrd, to the Cubs in free agency this offseason. Thus, their desire to add a bat.
Spitting incident could be reason why Roberto Alomar fell short.
Hall of Fame election results announced Wednesday were as surprising for who didn’t get in as who did. Few figured Andre Dawson would be the only player to gain election, while Roberto Alomar was the candidate most figured would get the call.
Well, Dawson knows where he’ll be July 25: In Cooperstown to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. And Alomar? Maybe next year.
Lessons learned from the announcement:
Patience pays: Dawson made the Hall on his ninth time on the ballot. He said he had a feeling the call would come this year. "It was worth the wait," he said. His numbers in today’s offensive framework don’t look Hall worthy: .279 average, .323 OBP and 438 homers — but Dawson was a dominant player in the 1980s. He also was one of the game’s most respected players by his peers and the fans.
Patience is a must: After falling just five votes short on his 13th try, Bert Blyleven could have cried. Instead, he smiled and actually was upbeat talking to reporters. One reason: He had a bigger jump in support than Dawson, who went from 67 percent to 77.9. Blyleven had an 11.5 percent bump, all the way to 74.2 percent. That number brings us to another reason: After coming so close, he can count on getting the call next year.
The incident was costly: Alomar is widely regarded as the best second baseman since Joe Morgan and one of the best half-dozen or so ever. The only explanation for him falling eight votes short was payback for spitting in the face of umpire John Hirschbeck, even though Hirschbeck forgave him long ago. Another reason Alomar could have fallen short: He did not make any friends with the media for his approach in his two years with the Mets.
Steroids matter: Mark McGwire again failed to garner 25 percent of the votes, the 23.7 percent he received was just slightly more than the 21.9 percent a year ago. Stay tuned next year. McGwire is supposed to talk with the media at some point before he begins his new job as the Cardinals’ batting coach. What he says undoubtedly will have an impact on his support from voters for the Hall of Fame.
DH’s time has not arrived: Edgar Martinez, one of the top hitters of the 1990s, was named on 36.2 percent of the ballots. The Mariners were not expecting him to make it, but he got enough votes for them to continue to work on his case.
Market factors: Barry Larkin was the first shortstop to have a 30-homer, 30-stolen base season. He won an MVP, three Gold Gloves and was among the first shortstops to excel as much on offense as defense. So why didn’t he get more than 51.6 percent of the votes? My reason: He spent his entire career in small-market Cincinnati.
Closer still not that close: Lee Smith was the all-time leader in saves when he retired, and still is No. 3 behind Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera. Yet Smith still hasn’t received 50 percent of the votes in any of his seven times on the ballot. At least he is going in the right direction. His 47.3 percent this time was 2.8 percent better than last year. With such a slow climb, though, Smith needs to be patient. Hey, it worked for Andre Dawson.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
Spitting incident could be reason why Roberto Alomar fell short.
Hall of Fame election results announced Wednesday were as surprising for who didn’t get in as who did. Few figured Andre Dawson would be the only player to gain election, while Roberto Alomar was the candidate most figured would get the call.
Well, Dawson knows where he’ll be July 25: In Cooperstown to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. And Alomar? Maybe next year.
Lessons learned from the announcement:
Patience pays: Dawson made the Hall on his ninth time on the ballot. He said he had a feeling the call would come this year. "It was worth the wait," he said. His numbers in today’s offensive framework don’t look Hall worthy: .279 average, .323 OBP and 438 homers — but Dawson was a dominant player in the 1980s. He also was one of the game’s most respected players by his peers and the fans.
Patience is a must: After falling just five votes short on his 13th try, Bert Blyleven could have cried. Instead, he smiled and actually was upbeat talking to reporters. One reason: He had a bigger jump in support than Dawson, who went from 67 percent to 77.9. Blyleven had an 11.5 percent bump, all the way to 74.2 percent. That number brings us to another reason: After coming so close, he can count on getting the call next year.
The incident was costly: Alomar is widely regarded as the best second baseman since Joe Morgan and one of the best half-dozen or so ever. The only explanation for him falling eight votes short was payback for spitting in the face of umpire John Hirschbeck, even though Hirschbeck forgave him long ago. Another reason Alomar could have fallen short: He did not make any friends with the media for his approach in his two years with the Mets.
Steroids matter: Mark McGwire again failed to garner 25 percent of the votes, the 23.7 percent he received was just slightly more than the 21.9 percent a year ago. Stay tuned next year. McGwire is supposed to talk with the media at some point before he begins his new job as the Cardinals’ batting coach. What he says undoubtedly will have an impact on his support from voters for the Hall of Fame.
DH’s time has not arrived: Edgar Martinez, one of the top hitters of the 1990s, was named on 36.2 percent of the ballots. The Mariners were not expecting him to make it, but he got enough votes for them to continue to work on his case.
Market factors: Barry Larkin was the first shortstop to have a 30-homer, 30-stolen base season. He won an MVP, three Gold Gloves and was among the first shortstops to excel as much on offense as defense. So why didn’t he get more than 51.6 percent of the votes? My reason: He spent his entire career in small-market Cincinnati.
Closer still not that close: Lee Smith was the all-time leader in saves when he retired, and still is No. 3 behind Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera. Yet Smith still hasn’t received 50 percent of the votes in any of his seven times on the ballot. At least he is going in the right direction. His 47.3 percent this time was 2.8 percent better than last year. With such a slow climb, though, Smith needs to be patient. Hey, it worked for Andre Dawson.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
By signing Matt Holliday, the Cardinals:
• Assured themselves of having one of the three best middle-of-the-order attacks in the game (along with the Yankees and Phillies).
• Showed Albert Pujols they are willing to spend.
• Ensured they will enter the season as N.L. Central favorites.
What the Cardinals haven’t done: improve their roster from the end of last season. But this is one time when the status quo could be enough because the rest of the division hasn’t done enough to close the gap on St. Louis.
The moves so far (ranked by strength of moves)
Signing Matt Holliday was important for the Cardinals as they try to hang on to Albert Pujols.
Cardinals. It took awhile and it cost a bunch, but the Cardinals accomplished their No. 1 offseason goal: They signed the top free agent on the market. Holliday should be happy, too. He lands in the best place a hitter could want: the spot behind Pujols. Holliday took advantage last season when he actually outhit Pujols after joining the Cardinals. The club also signed Brad Penny to replace free agent Joel Pineiro in the rotation. Pineiro priced himself out of St. Louis by putting up a 3.49 ERA in 214 innings.
Cubs. General manager Jim Hendry also took care of his No. 1 offseason priority: correcting his No. 1 mistake of last season. Hendry dumped Milton Bradley on the Mariners in exchange for another bad contract in righthander Carlos Silva. Even if Silva doesn’t make the rotation — he is a long shot — the Cubs should benefit because of addition by subtraction. Clubhouse chemistry is not anything they have to worry about with Marlon Byrd, their latest free-agent outfield addition from the Rangers. On the other hand, the Cubs should hope the ivy comes in extra thick this year because Byrd, built like a fullback, goes hard after everything in center field.
Brewers. They needed to upgrade their rotation and did so by signing lefthander Randy Wolf. But that is like adding one coat of white paint over a black wall that needs three coats. Reliever LaTroy Hawkins could prove just as important if he can match his ’09 numbers with the Astros (2.13 ERA in 65 appearances). Milwaukee’s lineup will include two newcomers: Carlos Gomez in center and Gregg Zaun behind the plate. Replacing Jason Kendall with Zaun is more or less a wash. Gomez, however, is worth watching. He has plenty of talent but often annoyed manager Ron Gardenhire in Minnesota with an approach best described as erratic.
Astros. Pedro Feliz will fit in at third base, and the bullpen shouldn’t miss Jose Valverde after adding Matt Lindstrom and Brandon Lyon. Houston also has given former Red Sox bench coach Brad Mills his first managing job. But all the Astros have done to address their biggest need — starting pitching — is sign Gustavo Chacin to a minor league deal. He hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2007.
Pirates. New second baseman Akinori Iwamura is a solid defender, carries a capable bat (.354 OBP in three seasons) and should ease the pain of last year’s loss of Freddy Sanchez. As the team’s highest-paid player ($4.85 million), he had better. The Pirates’ other notable additions — oft-injured infielder Bobby Crosby and lefthanded relievers Jack Taschner and Javier Lopez — do little to improve the odds of the club ending its 17-season losing streak.
Reds. They made a nice move in restructuring Scott Rolen’s contract to give them financial flexibility for 2010. What they do with that flexibility remains to be seen.
To-do lists (ranked by moves still needed)
Reds. They could use a shortstop and a veteran bat for the outfield. To get one, they could trade veteran starter Aaron Harang, who was part of the winter-meetings rumor mill. But don’t be surprised if the Reds you see now are the Reds you see when the team reports to its new spring training home in Arizona.
Astros. With Lance Berkman, Roy Oswalt, Wandy Rodriguez and a strong outfield, the Astros have a chance to be good. Don’t count on improvement, though, unless they pick up a couple of starting pitchers. Plenty of veterans remain and the prices should not go up as the offseason continues. The Astros also need a shortstop to replace Miguel Tejada.
Pirates. They still need a first baseman. Hank Blalock still needs a job. He might not have any better opportunities.
Cubs. They found out last season that Mike Fontenot should not be an everyday second baseman on a contending team. So why haven’t they signed Orlando Hudson? They could try him in their leadoff role and fill two needs with one player.
Brewers. They aren’t done shopping for starting pitchers. Mark Mulder has been linked to them in large part because he had his greatest success when he worked in Oakland with Milwaukee’s new pitching coach, Rick Peterson. Mulder is expected to begin throwing for teams in the coming weeks. Of course, he has been saying as much for months.
Cardinals. With Holliday finally on board, the Cardinals can focus on their remaining needs: third base, No. 5 starter and bullpen depth. They are in a good position because they have youngsters for all three spots. Tejada would be an ideal fit at third if his price falls. If it doesn’t, look for the Cardinals to go after a discount starter.
Sizing up 2010
If the Cardinals hadn’t kept Holliday, choosing a division favorite would have been difficult. His return makes them an easy pick to repeat. Expect the Cubs to be much improved for no other reason than better health; they suffered more than their share of injuries in 2009. One more reliable starter could go a long way in helping the Brewers contend because their already formidable lineup will benefit from another year of growing up and the return of Rickie Weeks. The battle for fourth place between the Astros and Reds should come down to the development of Cincinnati’s young hitters vs. the improvement in Houston’s rotation. The Pirates still look like a lock for last.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
By signing Matt Holliday, the Cardinals:
• Assured themselves of having one of the three best middle-of-the-order attacks in the game (along with the Yankees and Phillies).
• Showed Albert Pujols they are willing to spend.
• Ensured they will enter the season as N.L. Central favorites.
What the Cardinals haven’t done: improve their roster from the end of last season. But this is one time when the status quo could be enough because the rest of the division hasn’t done enough to close the gap on St. Louis.
The moves so far (ranked by strength of moves)
Signing Matt Holliday was important for the Cardinals as they try to hang on to Albert Pujols.
Cardinals. It took awhile and it cost a bunch, but the Cardinals accomplished their No. 1 offseason goal: They signed the top free agent on the market. Holliday should be happy, too. He lands in the best place a hitter could want: the spot behind Pujols. Holliday took advantage last season when he actually outhit Pujols after joining the Cardinals. The club also signed Brad Penny to replace free agent Joel Pineiro in the rotation. Pineiro priced himself out of St. Louis by putting up a 3.49 ERA in 214 innings.
Cubs. General manager Jim Hendry also took care of his No. 1 offseason priority: correcting his No. 1 mistake of last season. Hendry dumped Milton Bradley on the Mariners in exchange for another bad contract in righthander Carlos Silva. Even if Silva doesn’t make the rotation — he is a long shot — the Cubs should benefit because of addition by subtraction. Clubhouse chemistry is not anything they have to worry about with Marlon Byrd, their latest free-agent outfield addition from the Rangers. On the other hand, the Cubs should hope the ivy comes in extra thick this year because Byrd, built like a fullback, goes hard after everything in center field.
Brewers. They needed to upgrade their rotation and did so by signing lefthander Randy Wolf. But that is like adding one coat of white paint over a black wall that needs three coats. Reliever LaTroy Hawkins could prove just as important if he can match his ’09 numbers with the Astros (2.13 ERA in 65 appearances). Milwaukee’s lineup will include two newcomers: Carlos Gomez in center and Gregg Zaun behind the plate. Replacing Jason Kendall with Zaun is more or less a wash. Gomez, however, is worth watching. He has plenty of talent but often annoyed manager Ron Gardenhire in Minnesota with an approach best described as erratic.
Astros. Pedro Feliz will fit in at third base, and the bullpen shouldn’t miss Jose Valverde after adding Matt Lindstrom and Brandon Lyon. Houston also has given former Red Sox bench coach Brad Mills his first managing job. But all the Astros have done to address their biggest need — starting pitching — is sign Gustavo Chacin to a minor league deal. He hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2007.
Pirates. New second baseman Akinori Iwamura is a solid defender, carries a capable bat (.354 OBP in three seasons) and should ease the pain of last year’s loss of Freddy Sanchez. As the team’s highest-paid player ($4.85 million), he had better. The Pirates’ other notable additions — oft-injured infielder Bobby Crosby and lefthanded relievers Jack Taschner and Javier Lopez — do little to improve the odds of the club ending its 17-season losing streak.
Reds. They made a nice move in restructuring Scott Rolen’s contract to give them financial flexibility for 2010. What they do with that flexibility remains to be seen.
To-do lists (ranked by moves still needed)
Reds. They could use a shortstop and a veteran bat for the outfield. To get one, they could trade veteran starter Aaron Harang, who was part of the winter-meetings rumor mill. But don’t be surprised if the Reds you see now are the Reds you see when the team reports to its new spring training home in Arizona.
Astros. With Lance Berkman, Roy Oswalt, Wandy Rodriguez and a strong outfield, the Astros have a chance to be good. Don’t count on improvement, though, unless they pick up a couple of starting pitchers. Plenty of veterans remain and the prices should not go up as the offseason continues. The Astros also need a shortstop to replace Miguel Tejada.
Pirates. They still need a first baseman. Hank Blalock still needs a job. He might not have any better opportunities.
Cubs. They found out last season that Mike Fontenot should not be an everyday second baseman on a contending team. So why haven’t they signed Orlando Hudson? They could try him in their leadoff role and fill two needs with one player.
Brewers. They aren’t done shopping for starting pitchers. Mark Mulder has been linked to them in large part because he had his greatest success when he worked in Oakland with Milwaukee’s new pitching coach, Rick Peterson. Mulder is expected to begin throwing for teams in the coming weeks. Of course, he has been saying as much for months.
Cardinals. With Holliday finally on board, the Cardinals can focus on their remaining needs: third base, No. 5 starter and bullpen depth. They are in a good position because they have youngsters for all three spots. Tejada would be an ideal fit at third if his price falls. If it doesn’t, look for the Cardinals to go after a discount starter.
Sizing up 2010
If the Cardinals hadn’t kept Holliday, choosing a division favorite would have been difficult. His return makes them an easy pick to repeat. Expect the Cubs to be much improved for no other reason than better health; they suffered more than their share of injuries in 2009. One more reliable starter could go a long way in helping the Brewers contend because their already formidable lineup will benefit from another year of growing up and the return of Rickie Weeks. The battle for fourth place between the Astros and Reds should come down to the development of Cincinnati’s young hitters vs. the improvement in Houston’s rotation. The Pirates still look like a lock for last.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
The Hall of Fame will announce its class of 2010 this afternoon. And you can bet Randy Johnson will be among its 2015 inductees. The 10-time All-Star retired Tuesday after an outstanding 22-season career. Where the 6-foot-10 left-hander ranks all-ime in key categories:
Wins: 303 (22nd)
Strikeouts: 4,875 (2nd)
Games started: 601 (21st)
Iinnings pitched: 4,135 1/3 (38th)
Cy Young Awards: 5 (2nd)
The Hall of Fame will announce its class of 2010 this afternoon. And you can bet Randy Johnson will be among its 2015 inductees. The 10-time All-Star retired Tuesday after an outstanding 22-season career. Where the 6-foot-10 left-hander ranks all-ime in key categories:
Wins: 303 (22nd)
Strikeouts: 4,875 (2nd)
Games started: 601 (21st)
Iinnings pitched: 4,135 1/3 (38th)
Cy Young Awards: 5 (2nd)
Sporting News staff reports
One intriguing free agent remains on the market, and his destination may be known soon.
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported Tuesday that 21-year-old Cuban left-hander Aroldis Chapman may sign "within the next three or four days." The newspaper reported the Los Angeles Angels and Toronto Blue Jays are the favorites to land him, and that each has offered him about $21 million.
Chapman reportedly has also received offers from the Florida Marlins ($13 million) and the Boston Red Sox ($15 million).
Teams have been eager to scout Chapman ever since he defected from Cuba. He was impressive in a recent workout for scouts in Houston; he reached the mid-90s with his fastball.
Sporting News staff reports
One intriguing free agent remains on the market, and his destination may be known soon.
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported Tuesday that 21-year-old Cuban left-hander Aroldis Chapman may sign "within the next three or four days." The newspaper reported the Los Angeles Angels and Toronto Blue Jays are the favorites to land him, and that each has offered him about $21 million.
Chapman reportedly has also received offers from the Florida Marlins ($13 million) and the Boston Red Sox ($15 million).
Teams have been eager to scout Chapman ever since he defected from Cuba. He was impressive in a recent workout for scouts in Houston; he reached the mid-90s with his fastball.
Sporting News staff reports
The agent for free-agent third baseman Melvin Mora told The Baltimore Sun that three teams have expressed interest in his client. Two of the teams are from the National League and the third is from the American League, but none of the teams is from the AL. East or NL. East.
It was reported recently that the Rockies had interest in Mora as a utility player, though it is unclear if Colorado is one of the NL teams looking at Mora now. According to his agent, Mora hopes to land with a contender who will give him a decent amount of playing time.
Sporting News staff reports
The agent for free-agent third baseman Melvin Mora told The Baltimore Sun that three teams have expressed interest in his client. Two of the teams are from the National League and the third is from the American League, but none of the teams is from the AL. East or NL. East.
It was reported recently that the Rockies had interest in Mora as a utility player, though it is unclear if Colorado is one of the NL teams looking at Mora now. According to his agent, Mora hopes to land with a contender who will give him a decent amount of playing time.
Sporting News staff reports
Although the Twins should get a financial boost from the new Target Field, the Star Tribune of Minneapolis-St. Paul reported the team won’t dramatically ramp up its spending. The Twins still have needs at second base and third base, but the newspaper noted they also have to sign catcher Joe Mauer to a long-term extension.
In addition, first baseman Justin Morneau, closer Joe Nathan and right fielder Michael Cuddyer all will make more than $10 million this season. A handful of other Twins also will get substantial raises from 2009. Thus, the team has been conservative this offseason.
In other Twins news, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported left-hander Francisco Liriano has been impressive in winter ball. "I just got a report that he’s throwing the living fire out of the ball down in the Dominican (Republic)," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire told the newspaper.
After going 12-3 with a 2.16 ERA as a rookie in 2006, Liriano missed all of 2007 season because of Tommy John surgery. In his first full season back in the majors in 2009, he went 5-13 with a 5.80 ERA.
The newspaper reported Liriano will compete with Brian Duensing and Glen Perkins for the fifth spot in the Twins’ rotation this season.
Sporting News staff reports
Although the Twins should get a financial boost from the new Target Field, the Star Tribune of Minneapolis-St. Paul reported the team won’t dramatically ramp up its spending. The Twins still have needs at second base and third base, but the newspaper noted they also have to sign catcher Joe Mauer to a long-term extension.
In addition, first baseman Justin Morneau, closer Joe Nathan and right fielder Michael Cuddyer all will make more than $10 million this season. A handful of other Twins also will get substantial raises from 2009. Thus, the team has been conservative this offseason.
In other Twins news, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported left-hander Francisco Liriano has been impressive in winter ball. "I just got a report that he’s throwing the living fire out of the ball down in the Dominican (Republic)," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire told the newspaper.
After going 12-3 with a 2.16 ERA as a rookie in 2006, Liriano missed all of 2007 season because of Tommy John surgery. In his first full season back in the majors in 2009, he went 5-13 with a 5.80 ERA.
The newspaper reported Liriano will compete with Brian Duensing and Glen Perkins for the fifth spot in the Twins’ rotation this season.
Sporting News staff reports
A day after agreeing to a contract with Adrian Beltre, the Red Sox are working to ease their corner infield logjam.
Multiple media outlets are reporting that Boston is close to trading first baseman Casey Kotchman to Beltre’s former team, the Seattle Mariners, for utilityman Bill Hall, a minor leaguer and cash to cover a portion of Hall’s $8.4 million salary for 2010.
The trade is pending physicals and Beltre’s signing being finalized later this week, according to the Seattle Times.
Many believed Kotchman was expendable even before Beltre came aboard in Boston; the Red Sox had Kevin Youkilis at first base and Mike Lowell at third. The team unsuccessfully attempted to trade Lowell in December. It reportedly will try again once Lowell shows he has recovered from offseason surgery on his thumb.
Kotchman played in 39 games for the Red Sox after being acquired from the Atlanta Braves for first baseman Adam LaRoche before the July 31 nonwaiver deadline. He batted .218/.284/.287 in 95 plate appearances. Seattle will make Kotchman, 26, its full-time first baseman. The former Angels regular is a lifetime .269/.337/.406 hitter in parts of six major league seasons.
Hall played in 34 games for the Mariners last season after being released by the Brewers. Milwaukee is responsible for about $7 million of Hall’s salary this year.
Sporting News staff reports
A day after agreeing to a contract with Adrian Beltre, the Red Sox are working to ease their corner infield logjam.
Multiple media outlets are reporting that Boston is close to trading first baseman Casey Kotchman to Beltre’s former team, the Seattle Mariners, for utilityman Bill Hall, a minor leaguer and cash to cover a portion of Hall’s $8.4 million salary for 2010.
The trade is pending physicals and Beltre’s signing being finalized later this week, according to the Seattle Times.
Many believed Kotchman was expendable even before Beltre came aboard in Boston; the Red Sox had Kevin Youkilis at first base and Mike Lowell at third. The team unsuccessfully attempted to trade Lowell in December. It reportedly will try again once Lowell shows he has recovered from offseason surgery on his thumb.
Kotchman played in 39 games for the Red Sox after being acquired from the Atlanta Braves for first baseman Adam LaRoche before the July 31 nonwaiver deadline. He batted .218/.284/.287 in 95 plate appearances. Seattle will make Kotchman, 26, its full-time first baseman. The former Angels regular is a lifetime .269/.337/.406 hitter in parts of six major league seasons.
Hall played in 34 games for the Mariners last season after being released by the Brewers. Milwaukee is responsible for about $7 million of Hall’s salary this year.
ST. LOUIS — Matt Holliday is staying with the St. Louis Cardinals, agreeing Tuesday to a $120 million, seven-year contract that is baseball’s richest deal of the offseason.
The middle of the Cards’ order is secure with Matt Holliday’s return to St. Louis.
The Cardinals announced Tuesday they had agreed with the power-hitting outfielder on a multiyear contract subject to a physical. The team said a formal announcement was likely by Thursday.
Holliday, who had been the biggest prize in free agency, confirmed he was returning in an interview on ESPN Radio.
Free-agent watch: See where the biggest names have signed
"I’m going back to the Cardinals," Holliday said. "I’m excited about it."
His agreement includes $119 million guaranteed over seven seasons plus a $17 million vesting option for 2017 with a $1 million buyout, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team didn’t reveal the length of the contract or financial details.
St. Louis acquired Holliday from Oakland in July and he helped lead the Cardinals to their first NL Central title since 2006. They sent several top prospects to the Athletics and justified that expense by retaining a player who hit .353 with 13 homers and 55 RBIs in 63 games for St. Louis.
A three-time All-Star, Holliday was a perfect fit batting cleanup behind star slugger Albert Pujols, though he was the goat in a first-round playoff sweep by the Los Angeles Dodgers after dropping a sinking liner to left field that would have been the final out of Game 2.
Holliday, who turns 30 on Jan. 15, batted .313 overall with 24 homers and 109 RBIs, his fifth .300 season and third 100-RBI year.
"Obviously, with Albert Pujols on the team you have a great opportunity to have a great team," Holliday told ESPN. "Albert is the best player in the history of baseball in my mind. Hopefully between the two of us we can help do our part to win a World Series."
Cardinals pitcher Kyle Lohse said he got the news in text messages between the teammates’ wives.
"That’s pretty good, pretty exciting," Lohse told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "I’ve been around long enough not to pay too much attention until something gets done, but I know he liked it here and I’m sure he’s really happy things worked out."
Holliday’s agreement is much bigger than the other two big free-agent deals of the offseason: pitcher John Lackey’s $82.5 million, five-year contract with Boston and outfielder Jason Bay’s $66 million, four-year contract with the New York Mets, which was finalized earlier Tuesday.
"When you’re a little kid growing up hoping to be a professional baseball player and hoping to play in the major leagues, I don’t think you ever think about the money," Holliday said. "Now that you look at it, it’s a little overwhelming."
Holliday’s contract contains a full no-trade clause and deferred money that lowers its annual present-day value to about $16 million.
It also likely sets a floor for negotiations between the Cardinals and Pujols, who is entering the final guaranteed season of a $100 million, seven-year contract. St. Louis holds a $16 million option for 2011 on the three-time NL MVP.
St. Louis becomes only the third team with a pair of $100 million players, joining the New York Yankees (Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira and CC Sabathia) and the New York Mets (Johan Santana and Carlos Beltran).
The Cardinals have long considered themselves a mid-market franchise and had a payroll under $100 million last season, but this deal might be a signal the franchise is willing to spend more. The Cardinals have three players making over $10 million per season, including NL Cy Young Award runner-up Chris Carpenter ($13 million).
Holliday said he was happy to have things settled after negotiations that have been ongoing for months.
"This has been a bit of a long process and there were some emotional ups and downs that go with it," he said. "It hasn’t exactly been a walk in the park. It’s relief."
Holliday and Lohse have the same agent, Scott Boras. Lohse said he never tried to get the inside story on negotiations.
"I’ve had several people ask me what was going on," Lohse said. "It’s not that I don’t care, but it’s a business decision."
Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
ST. LOUIS — Matt Holliday is staying with the St. Louis Cardinals, agreeing Tuesday to a $120 million, seven-year contract that is baseball’s richest deal of the offseason.
The middle of the Cards’ order is secure with Matt Holliday’s return to St. Louis.
The Cardinals announced Tuesday they had agreed with the power-hitting outfielder on a multiyear contract subject to a physical. The team said a formal announcement was likely by Thursday.
Holliday, who had been the biggest prize in free agency, confirmed he was returning in an interview on ESPN Radio.
Free-agent watch: See where the biggest names have signed
"I’m going back to the Cardinals," Holliday said. "I’m excited about it."
His agreement includes $119 million guaranteed over seven seasons plus a $17 million vesting option for 2017 with a $1 million buyout, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team didn’t reveal the length of the contract or financial details.
St. Louis acquired Holliday from Oakland in July and he helped lead the Cardinals to their first NL Central title since 2006. They sent several top prospects to the Athletics and justified that expense by retaining a player who hit .353 with 13 homers and 55 RBIs in 63 games for St. Louis.
A three-time All-Star, Holliday was a perfect fit batting cleanup behind star slugger Albert Pujols, though he was the goat in a first-round playoff sweep by the Los Angeles Dodgers after dropping a sinking liner to left field that would have been the final out of Game 2.
Holliday, who turns 30 on Jan. 15, batted .313 overall with 24 homers and 109 RBIs, his fifth .300 season and third 100-RBI year.
"Obviously, with Albert Pujols on the team you have a great opportunity to have a great team," Holliday told ESPN. "Albert is the best player in the history of baseball in my mind. Hopefully between the two of us we can help do our part to win a World Series."
Cardinals pitcher Kyle Lohse said he got the news in text messages between the teammates’ wives.
"That’s pretty good, pretty exciting," Lohse told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "I’ve been around long enough not to pay too much attention until something gets done, but I know he liked it here and I’m sure he’s really happy things worked out."
Holliday’s agreement is much bigger than the other two big free-agent deals of the offseason: pitcher John Lackey’s $82.5 million, five-year contract with Boston and outfielder Jason Bay’s $66 million, four-year contract with the New York Mets, which was finalized earlier Tuesday.
"When you’re a little kid growing up hoping to be a professional baseball player and hoping to play in the major leagues, I don’t think you ever think about the money," Holliday said. "Now that you look at it, it’s a little overwhelming."
Holliday’s contract contains a full no-trade clause and deferred money that lowers its annual present-day value to about $16 million.
It also likely sets a floor for negotiations between the Cardinals and Pujols, who is entering the final guaranteed season of a $100 million, seven-year contract. St. Louis holds a $16 million option for 2011 on the three-time NL MVP.
St. Louis becomes only the third team with a pair of $100 million players, joining the New York Yankees (Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira and CC Sabathia) and the New York Mets (Johan Santana and Carlos Beltran).
The Cardinals have long considered themselves a mid-market franchise and had a payroll under $100 million last season, but this deal might be a signal the franchise is willing to spend more. The Cardinals have three players making over $10 million per season, including NL Cy Young Award runner-up Chris Carpenter ($13 million).
Holliday said he was happy to have things settled after negotiations that have been ongoing for months.
"This has been a bit of a long process and there were some emotional ups and downs that go with it," he said. "It hasn’t exactly been a walk in the park. It’s relief."
Holliday and Lohse have the same agent, Scott Boras. Lohse said he never tried to get the inside story on negotiations.
"I’ve had several people ask me what was going on," Lohse said. "It’s not that I don’t care, but it’s a business decision."
Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Sporting News staff reports
Five-time Cy Young Award winner Randy Johnson is likely to announce his retirement, according to multiple media reports.
Johnson, 46, has scheduled a conference call with the media Tuesday to discuss his baseball future. The Big Unit won his 300th game last season with the Giants, but missed more than a month with injuries and finished the year 8-6 with a 4.88 ERA.
In 22 seasons, Johnson won 303 games while losing 166 and posting a 3.29 ERA. He is second on the all-time strikeout list to Nolan Ryan.
Johnson’s career included stints with the Expos, Mariners, Astros, Diamondbacks, Yankees and Giants. He was the AL Cy Young winner with the M’s in 1995 and then won four straight with the D-backs from 1999 to 2002.
Sporting News staff reports
Five-time Cy Young Award winner Randy Johnson is likely to announce his retirement, according to multiple media reports.
Johnson, 46, has scheduled a conference call with the media Tuesday to discuss his baseball future. The Big Unit won his 300th game last season with the Giants, but missed more than a month with injuries and finished the year 8-6 with a 4.88 ERA.
In 22 seasons, Johnson won 303 games while losing 166 and posting a 3.29 ERA. He is second on the all-time strikeout list to Nolan Ryan.
Johnson’s career included stints with the Expos, Mariners, Astros, Diamondbacks, Yankees and Giants. He was the AL Cy Young winner with the M’s in 1995 and then won four straight with the D-backs from 1999 to 2002.
