Red Sox Sign Timlin for 2006
One of my favorite times at a ballpark was an Oakland game against Seattle a number of years ago. At the time, I was living in Southern California, but was up in the Bay Area for training. One of my co-workers at the time, also a baseball fan, was with me. Everyday we’d sneak out early to catch a game in Oakland or San Francisco.
If you’ve ever seen a game in Oakland, you know that due to the width of the stadium, the relievers warm up in foul territory. We got seats close up to where the Seattle relievers would warm up. At some point, Mike Timlin, then pitching for the Mariners, comes up. He throws his first warm up pitch and the crowd around him goes WoooooOOOOOPPP! As the bullpen catcher would throw the ball back, the crowd would go WOOOOOoooooppp! After about five pitches, Timlin is rather pissed. The sixth pitch is overthrown and the crowd goes wild. Once Timlin goes to the mound, he’s boiling over. Oakland strikes back off of him and win the day. I don’t remember who got the win, but clearly it should have gone to the fans.
So, what does this story mean now that he’s re-signed with Boston? Nothing. There just isn’t much in the transaction world going on right now. One can only speculate the impact of the reinstatement of Josh Hamilton for so long.
Timlin will continue to be a quality setup man in Boston. Because he’s 39 going on 40, he’s not useful for more than an inning at a time. As a veteran with experience pitching in high pressure situations, he will be the backup closer if something happens to Keith Foulke. Even if Foulke is healthy, Timlin will get his share of wins as Boston has the bats to come back from behind.
Nationals Trade Castilla
The Nationals were in a kind of dilemma. Their most exciting prospect, Ryan Zimmerman, is ready to play, but he found himself blocked by Vinny Castilla. The Nationals experimented with scenerios, such as moving Zimmerman to short. Instead, they traded Castilla to the Padres for Brian Lawrence.
As both the Padres and Nationals play in pitchers parks, both Castilla’s and Lawrence’s performance should be about the same. Zimmerman now has a place to play. Lawrence will be an unspectacular workhorse pitcher, throwing about 190 innings. Castilla's career will go into extra innings.
Clearly Sean Burroughs is the big loser. His power has never developed. At 25, he still has some time, but he won’t get it at the Major League level next year.
Indians Re-sign Belliard
Signing Ronnie Belliard in 2004 has been a real boon for the Tribe. Still a really streaky hitter, there were times when Belliard’s surprising power carried the team, and times where Belliard looked tired. As a second baseman, he has plus hands and turns the double play well. Although he is 5’8” and 197 pounds, he moves and ranges faster than he looks.
The loser in this transaction is Brandon Phillips. Now out of options, he will either be traded or lost in the Rule V draft in December. Look for Phillips to be traded as Tribe GM Mark Shapiro will want something for him.
White Sox Buy Out the Big Hurt
It did not take a genious to figure that the White Sox were going to buy out Frank Thomas. Let me see, should you pay him $10 million to probably not play, or give him $3 million and maybe re-sign him with an incentive-laden contract?
The fracture in Thomas’ foot is caused by wear and tear. Mother Nature has not developed a substance that can handle the pounding of a 275-pound man playing 110 percent over a 162-game season. Because of this, you have to be very wary of the Big Hurt right now. There is a good chance that the next break will end Thomas’ career for good.
Cubs Sign Neifi Perez for Nearly an Eternity
Once again the Cubs sign someone to a long-term contract that makes you wonder what exactly they are thinking. If you take the first four years, when he played in Colorado, out of Neifi Perez’s career stat line you find that he is a .230 hitter. While he has a good arm, his range is slipping as he gets older. He hit .270 yet could not break .300 with his on-base. He has no power, even in Wrigley.
As a utility infielder, Perez is an asset; as a starter, he is below average.
World Series Hero Blum Signs with Padres
I told fellow CREATiVESPORTS.com writer Rob Blackstien my theory on the World Series. It is always the little piece of garbage player who wins you a World Series. True to my word, here comes Geoff Blum in Game Three.
As a baseball player or even a Strat player, Blum has value. He’ll hit about .240-.260 with some power, play every position, and can be a starter in a pinch. As a Roto player, you want to stay as far away from him as you can.
Leicester Traded for PTBNL
The Rangers traded for John Leicester and don’t have to pay now. Leicester started the season on the Cubs' Major League roster, but was sent down to Triple-A in May after going 0-2 with 9.00 ERA. He did not fare much better in the minors, where he went 3-8 with a 5.51 ERA as both a starter and a reliever. The Cubs moved him because they didn’t have room on the 40-man protected roster and figured to lose him in the Rule V draft in December. Texas will throw him in the kindling pile known as “Potential Starters.”
Pirates Extend Bay For Four Years
The Pirates did the sensible thing and extended Jason Bay’s contract for four more years. He had a monster season last year, hitting .306 with a .402 OBP and a .559 Slugging Percentage. Let’s face it, once Bay is free to ask for what he wants, the Pirates will not be able to pay it. Baring injury, this Canadian slugger is just entering his prime.