Rangers sign P Joe Nathan

The Rangers' 2012 pitching staff just took shape and
so did the rest of their offseason. The defending AL
champions agreed with Joe Nathan on a 2 yr deal that
includes a team option for 2014. Dave Pepe of Pro
Agents, Inc. negotiated a $14.5MM guarantee for the
4 time All-Star. Nathan will earn $7MM in 2012 and 2013
and the club holds a $9MM option for 2014 ($500K buyout).

The Rangers announced that Neftali Feliz is finally headed
to Texas' starting rotation. After successfully converting
C.J. Wilson and Alexi Ogando into starters, the Rangers will
attempt to bolster their rotation with a converted reliever for
a 3rd consecutive spring.

Nathan, who turns 37 tomorrow, missed the entire 2010
season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. The
Houston native posted a 4.84 ERA with 8.7 K/9, 2.8 BB/9
and a 34.9% ground ball rate in 44 2/3 innings this past
season, saving 14 games. His average fastball velocity
dropped to 92.3 mph in 2011 after sitting in the 93-95
mph range from 2002-09.

Nathan, an unranked free agent, won't cost the Rangers
a draft pick and his former team, the Twins, won't obtain
a compensatory pick. The Twins declined a $12.5MM option
for Nathan after the regular season, but maintained interest
in their longtime closer.

_________________
Sailin' on a BW midnight boat, their were no questions asked.
Waters so green and the air was so clean Matt stuck right to
his task.

Oh I'm just dreamin'... my life Away

Marlins & Padres play let's make a Deal

The Marlins have traded C John Baker to the Padres
for P Wade LeBlanc, according to a press release from
the Padres.

Baker, 31 in January, was mentioned as a non-tender
candidate by Tim Dierkes last week. Our projections
have the backstop earning $800K as a 1st time arbitration
eligible player in 2012. Baker had just 2 singles and 2
walks in 16 plate appearances this past season after
recovering from Tommy John surgery, but the lefty swinger
hit .273/.358/.406 with 14 homers in 744 plate appearances
from 2008-2010. He's thrown out just 34 of 175 attempted
base stealers as a big leaguer (19.4%).

The 27-year-old LeBlanc has made 52 starts (and two relief
appearances) for the Padres over the last 4 seasons, pitching
to a 4.54 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9. He's an extreme fly
ball pitcher, getting a ground ball just 34.7% of the time in
his career. That works well in Petco Park, but it remains to
be seen how the Marlins' new stadium will play. He owns a
4.64 ERA in 376 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level.

_________________
Sailin' on a BW midnight boat, their were no questions asked.
Waters so green and the air was so clean Matt stuck right to
his task.

Oh I'm just dreamin'... my life Away

Indians re-sign OF Grady Sizemore

Grady Sizemore will remain with the Indians in 2012,
announced the team. Sizemore receives a $5MM base
salary and $4MM in incentives on a 1 yr deal, tweets
SI's Jon Heyman.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pirates sign free agent UT Jake Fox, plus 6 minor free agents

The Pirates announced 6 minor league free agent signings:
Jake Fox, Brandon Boggs, Kyle Cofield, Jose Diaz, Shairon Martis,
and Stefan Welch. Fox, Boggs, and Martis received non-roster
invites to spring training. The signings of Fox and Martis were
1st reported yesterday by Baseball America's Matt Eddy.

Fox, 29, has a line of .237/.288/.425 in 534 plate appearances
across parts of 4 big league seasons with the Cubs, A's, and
Orioles. He's spent time at C and the INF and OF corners.
Fox has some powerful minor league performances on his resume.

Boggs, 28, hit .241/.381/.419 for the Brewers' Triple-A team
this year, playing the OF corners. Most of his big league
experience came with the Rangers in 2008.

Martis, 24, had 106 1/3 Major League innings in the Nationals'
rotation from 2008-09. He spent 2011 with the team's Double-A
affiliate, posting a 3.05 ERA, 9.9 K/9, 2.6 BB/9, and 0.6 HR/9 in
133 innings.

Cofield, a 24-year-old minor league reliever, was acquired
by the White Sox from the Braves for Scott Linebrink and
cash a year ago. Diaz, a 27-year-old minor league reliever,
posted a 1.41 ERA and 10.7 K/9 with 22 saves for the Orioles'
Double-A club this year. Welch, a 23-year-old first baseman,
hit 16 home runs in 514 plate appearances for the Mets' High-A
team this year.

_________________
Sailin' on a BW midnight boat, their were no questions asked.
Waters so green and the air was so clean Matt stuck right to
his task.

Oh I'm just dreamin'... my life Away

Yankees near new deal with P Freddy Garcia, also sign Jayson Nix

The Yanks are nearing a 1 yr deal with P Freddy Garcia,
according to David Waldstein of the NY Times.The Yanks
offered the right-hander arbitration earlier tonight.

Garcia, 35, signed a minor league deal in February and
delivered a surprisingly strong 3.62 ERA in 146 2/3 innings.
The 13-year veteran posted 5.9 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 and a 36.4%
ground ball rate for the Yankees, spending part of August
on the DL with an index finger injury.

The Yankees also have signed Jayson Nix to a minor league
deal that includes an invitation to Spring Training, according
to Joel Sherman of the NY Post. Nix, a 29-year-old who bats
from the right side, will presumably compete for a utility job
next spring.

Nix posted a .169/.245/.309 line in 151 plate appearances
for the 2011 Blue Jays before they outrighted him to the
minors in July. He posted double-digit home run totals in
2009-10, but has struck out in a quarter of his career plate
appearances. The 2001 first rounder has MLB experience at
SS, 2B, 3B and both corner OF positions.

_________________
Sailin' on a BW midnight boat, their were no questions asked.
Waters so green and the air was so clean Matt stuck right to
his task.

Oh I'm just dreamin'... my life Away

Blue Jays acquire INF Valbuena from Indians

The Indians have traded Luis Valbuena to the Blue Jays
in exchange for cash considerations, according to the team's
officlal Twitter account. The INF was designated for assignment
on November 18th.

Valbuena spent the majority of 2011 with Cleveland's
Triple-A affiliate where he hit .302/.372/.476 with 17
homers in 472 plate appearances. The infielder, who
turns 26 on November 30th, played 194 games for the
Indians' varsity squad in 2009 and 2010 and saw a good
deal of time at 2B.

_________________
Sailin' on a BW midnight boat, their were no questions asked.
Waters so green and the air was so clean Matt stuck right to
his task.

Oh I'm just dreamin'... my life Away

Mariners acquire C Jon Jaso from Rays

The M's have acquired C John Jaso from the Rays in
exchange for righty P Josh Lueke and a player to be
named later or cash considerations, according to a
team press release.

“[Jaso] gives us a left-handed hitting catcher with some
big league time who is still young,” Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik
said in the release. “His left-handed bat will be a nice compliment
to our right-handed hitting group. He’s a tough kid with postseason
experience and should be a nice fit with us.”

Last season marked Jaso's 1st full campaign in the
Major Leagues and the 28-year-old hit .224/.298/.354 with
5 homers in 273 plate appearances. Jaso took over the Rays'
catching job in 2010 as a rookie and hit .263/.378/.372 on the
year.

Lueke, who turns 27 on December 5th, made 25 appearances
for the Mariners last season and posted a 6.06 ERA with 8.0 K/9
and 3.6 BB/9. In 42 career Triple-A games, Lueke owns an ERA
of 2.56 with 8.0 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9.

Lueke was part of the 2010 trade that sent
Cliff Lee to the Rangers. After the trade, it
was revealed that Lueke had trouble with the
law in 2008 and the M's were not aware of this
when they made the deal.

_________________
Sailin' on a BW midnight boat, their were no questions asked.
Waters so green and the air was so clean Matt stuck right to
his task.

Oh I'm just dreamin'... my life Away

Tigers inquire on 3B Aramis Ramirez & P Mark Buehrle

The Tigers have inquired on free agent 3B Aramis Ramirez,
according to Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated. The Cubs
offered arbitration to Ramirez, a Type B free agent, on
Wednesday. While it's hard to pin down where Ramirez
will land, he won't be back with the Cubs.

Also, Detroit is one of the many clubs inquiring on free
agent lefty Mark Buehrle, reports Lynn Henning of the
Detroit News.

The Tigers are familiar with Buehrle, since he made 34
career starts against them as a member of the White
Sox. In Henning's opinion, signing him would allow the
Tigers to use young pitching as trade bait. The number
of reported Buehrle suitors reaches 14 if you include the
Tigers, though the White Sox and Cardinals were part of
that and those clubs are not considered likely.

_________________
Sailin' on a BW midnight boat, their were no questions asked.
Waters so green and the air was so clean Matt stuck right to
his task.

Oh I'm just dreamin'... my life Away

Marlins have interest in INF Carlos Guillen

The Marlins have shown interest in free agent Carlos
Guillen, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
The versatile Guillen could pinch hit and provide the
Marlins with an extra option at 1B, 2B, 3B and LF if
he has recovered from the assortment of injuries that
sidelined him in 2011.

The 36-year-old missed much of the 2011 season with
knee, wrist and calf injuries. However, he hit a combined
.257/.333/.419 with 17 homers in 597 plate appearances
from 2009-10. As Morosi points out, Marlins manager
Ozzie Guillen knows Guillen, a fellow Venezuelan, from
their time in the AL Central.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Dodgers talkin' with free agent Adam Kennedy

The Dodgers are talking with the representatives for free
agent INF Adam Kennedy about a potential deal. Kennedy,
35, could take over the role Aaron Miles played in 2011 and
back up projected Dodgers starters James Loney, Mark Ellis,
Dee Gordon and Juan Uribe around the infield.

Kennedy played 1B, 2B and SS for the Mariners in 2011,
posting a .234/.277/.355 line with 23 doubles in 409 plate
appear ances. Kennedy has signed one-year deals in the
$1MM range in each of the past two offseasons. The M's
signed him to a minor league deal that paid him a $750K
plus incentives last offseason.

_________________
Sailin' on a BW midnight boat, their were no questions asked.
Waters so green and the air was so clean Matt stuck right to
his task.

Oh I'm just dreamin'... my life Away

Teams interested in P Octavio Dotel

The Cards, Reds, and Tigers are among the teams
that have inquired on free agent righty Octavio Dotel,
according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Teams won’t
have to surrender a draft pick to sign Dotel, but the Cards
will obtain a supplementary 1st round draft choice in 2012
if he signs elsewhere thanks to a recently-announced status
change for certain free agents.

Dotel, 38, posted a 3.50 ERA with 10.3 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 and
a 30.1% ground ball rate in 54 innings for the Jays and Cards
in 2011. The Angels also have some interest in Dotel.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mariners interested in 1B Prince Fielder

The M's are interested in Prince Fielder and will explore
a potential deal with the slugging free agent 1B. GM Jack
Zduriencik, who drafted Fielder as the Brewers’ scouting
director, told MLB.com’s Greg Johns that the Mariners may
be able to afford a major expenditure such as the 27-year
old Scott Boras client.

"There's no question we could use a big bat in the middle of
our lineup, but where is your limitation and threshold?,” Zduriencik
asked. “We'll go down that road and experiment and see where it
ends up, but until things get more definitive, we'll just have to
wait and see."

Zduriencik cautioned that the Mariners will have to take the
pace of the market into account, as well as Fielder’s asking
price. Should the market for Fielder drag, it may become difficult
for Seattle to allocate resources to other areas of need. The
Nationals, Cubs and Brewers are also known to be interested in
Fielder.

_________________
Sailin' on a BW midnight boat, their were no questions asked.
Waters so green and the air was so clean Matt stuck right to
his task.

Oh I'm just dreamin'... my life Away

Royals sign P Jonathan Broxton

The Royals announced that they have agreed to sign
Jonathan Broxton to a 1 yr deal, pending a physical.
The deal is worth $4MM and includes $1MM in incentives
based on games pitched for the 27-year-old right-hander,
who will be Kansas City's setup man in 2012.

“We are delighted to add someone as talented as Jonathan
to our bullpen,” Royals GM Dayton Moore said. “He will be used
in a setup role to closer Joakim Soria and will help solidify what
we feel is a young and talented bullpen.”

Broxton’s 2011 season ended in May after just 12 2/3 innings
with a 5.68 ERA and nearly as many walks (9) as strikeouts (10).
He had arthroscopic elbow surgery in September and was expected
to begin an offseason throwing program this month. A dominant
reliever for the Dodgers from 2006 to the early part of 2010, Broxton
will look to rebuild value on a one-year contract in Kansas City.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nationals interested in UT Mark DeRosa

The Nats are interested in free agent utility player
Mark DeRosa, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson.

DeRosa played in just 47 games in 2011 because of a
strained left wrist. The versatile 36-year-old was
productive in 2009, posting a .250/.319/.433 line and
appearing at five different positions for the Indians and
Cardinals. However, he has struggled to stay on the field
since signing a 2 yr deal with the Giants two Decembers
ago. When he did play for the Giants, DeRosa posted a
forgettable .235/.313/.279 line.

DeRosa, who would like to be closer to his Atlanta home,
may have to sign a minor league deal and play his way
onto a roster next spring. This is the first time this
offseason we've seen him linked to a team.

_________________
Sailin' on a BW midnight boat, their were no questions asked.
Waters so green and the air was so clean Matt stuck right to
his task.

Oh I'm just dreamin'... my life Away

Looks like the Sox have a new Coach in Bobby Valentine! I remember him from when he coached the Mets, but don't really know too much about him. Anyone have opinions? I miss Tito

_________________
Please come to Boston in the Springtime.....

My fondest memory of Bobby V as the Mets' manager was when he was ejected from a game and came back to the dugout with a fake mustache disguise.
Have fun with that BBBB!

_________________

I remember that! Gotta give him props for trying!

_________________
http://www.goredforwomen.org/

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. - Herm Albright

The trouble with quotes from the internet is that you never know if they're real or not. - Gandhi

Cubs reach agreement with free agent OF David DeJesus

The Cubs reached agreement with OF David DeJesus, tweets
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. It's a 2 yr deal, tweets MLB.com's
Jane Lee. The Cubs confirmed the deal on Twitter, noting the
inclusion of a club option for 2014. The contract guarantees
$10MM, tweets SI's Jon Heyman. Paul Sullivan of the Chicago
Tribune tweets salary details. DeJesus will be the Cubs' regular
RF. He makes his offseason home in Wheaton, Illinois, according
to the Cubs' press release.

DeJesus, 31, had a disappointing offensive season for the
Athletics after being traded from the Royals a year ago, hitting
.240/.323/.376 in 506 plate appearances. In his Royals career,
DeJesus hit .289/.360/.427 in 3,799 plate appearances. Despite
his offensive struggles in 2011, DeJesus was worth over 2 wins
last year according to FanGraphs, partially on account of strong
RF defense. He's logged over 1,700 innings at each outfield
position in the course of his nine-year career. DeJesus was
offered arbitration by the A's last week, so they'll receive a
supplemental draft pick in 2012 for their loss.

DeJesus marks the 1st signing under new Cubs president
Theo Epstein and GM Jed Hoyer. Epstein had interest in
acquiring the OF for the Red Sox at the 2010 trade deadline
until he tore a ligament in his thumb.

_________________
Sailin' on a BW midnight boat, their were no questions asked.
Waters so green and the air was so clean Matt stuck right to
his task.

Oh I'm just dreamin'... my life Away

Tigers interested in OF Coco Crisp

The Tigers are interested in free agent OF Coco Crisp,
according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. The team
has a projected OF of Delmon Young, Austin Jackson and
Brennan Boesch, but seems to be considering additions.

The switch-hitting Crisp led the AL with 49 stolen bases in
2011, hitting .264/.314/.379 with 27 doubles as Oakland's
CF. The Tigers could trade an OF, most likely Young, if they
sign a free agent such as Crisp. The California native seems
to prefer West Coast teams, but explained in September that
he’s also looking to play on a winner and find a good "financial
situation" for himself. The A’s remain interested in re-signing
him.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tigers also re-sign Ramon Santiago

Tigers announced that they've agreed to sign Ramon Santiago to a
2 yr contract. The deal guarantees Santiago slightly more than $4MM,
Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports. The 32-year-old infielder
will provide manager Jim Leyland with a familiar option for 3
INF positions.

Santiago hit .260/.311/.384 in Detroit this past season,
appearing at SS, 2B and 3B. He became the Tigers’ regular
2B toward the end of the season and continued starting in
the postseason. He was not a ranked free agent, so the team
would not have obtained a draft pick had he signed elsewhere.

_________________
Sailin' on a BW midnight boat, their were no questions asked.
Waters so green and the air was so clean Matt stuck right to
his task.

Oh I'm just dreamin'... my life Away