MLB FanHouse

Marlins Likely to Keep Jorge Cantu

Pat Lackey — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:31:00 EST

Filed under: Marlins, NL East, MLB Hot Stove

Jorge Cantu is likely to stay in a Marlins uniform in 2010, MLB.com's Joe Frisaro is reporting. Cantu's coming off of a couple of decent seasons in Florida after being pulled off the scrap heap by the Fish in 2008, so this sort of news should be unsurprising. Of course, when talking about the Marlins and keeping people around, one can't take anything for granted.

This move is likely made possible by the Marlins' plan to trade Dan Uggla, who's looking at a substantial raise on his $5.35 million salary in arbitration this spring. Cantu, on the other hand, made $3.5 million last year and will probably be looking at a smaller raise in his second year of arbitration.

Marlins Likely to Keep Jorge Cantu originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:31:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AL MVP: Minnesota Twins' Joe Mauer

Andrew Johnson — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:01:00 EST

by Andrew Johnson

Filed under: Twins, MLB Awards

Twins catcher Joe Mauer was a nearly unanimous selection for 2009 American League MVP by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, receiving 27 of 28 first-place votes to win the award in a landslide Monday.

He beat out Yankee teammates Mark Teixeira and Derek Jeter, who finished second and third, respectively, to win the award for the first time in his career. Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera, who finished fourth in the voting, was the only other player to receive a first-place vote.

Mauer hit .365 to win the batting title for the second straight season and third time in his career, matching the total number of batting titles won by all other catchers in major league history. Babe Phelps is the only backstop in major league history to qualify for a batting title and hit for a higher average, hitting .367 for the 1936 Brooklyn Dodgers.

But Mauer's triumph is complete. In addition to winning the batting title, he also led the American League in on-base percentage, slugging and OPS, a feat never accomplished by a catcher before.

AL MVP: Minnesota Twins' Joe Mauer originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BaseCast: Top 50 Leftovers

Andrew Johnson — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST

by Andrew Johnson

Filed under: BaseCast, MLB Free Agency

It's a baseball podcast. The math is easy, right? BaseCast. Let's rock.

It's been a whole weekend since FanHouse's Frank Piliere released his Top 50 Free Agents list to the world. After taking some time to digest the list in all its glory, we decided to go to our in-house expert for some more details on his thinking.

Why did John Lackey beat out Matt Holliday and Jason Bay for the top spot? Why did he see Rich Harden and Marlon Byrd in such a positive light and guys like Adrian Beltre and Mark DeRosa less so?

Listen in after the jump as Piliere and I dive deep on his Top 50.

BaseCast: Top 50 Leftovers originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Scouting Notes: 40-Man Maneuvers Hint At Diamonds in Rough

Frankie Piliere — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:26:00 EST

by Frankie Piliere

Filed under: MLB Transactions, Prospects, Scout's Eye View

If there's one common theme to take note of when teams are deciding who to protect on their 40-man rosters, it's that the list of names usually contains high-upside pitchers with good arms.

This year was no different. Each team made their best effort to leave none of their top arms exposed.

Some of the names added seemed like foregone conclusions -- many top prospects unquestionably required protection for the Rule 5 draft. Others, however, may not be household names. The addition of the lesser known or lower-level players can speak volumes about just how highly an organization regards certain obscure talents.

Scouting Notes: 40-Man Maneuvers Hint At Diamonds in Rough originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:26:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Land Mines Litter Hot Stove Landscape

Matt Snyder — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST

by Matt Snyder

Filed under: MLB Free Agency

From the Windup is Matt Snyder's extended look at some aspect of America's pastime each week.

I used to always enjoy lists like our own Frankie Piliere's Top 50 Free Agents. Then Milton Bradley happened. Now, as a Cubs fan whose been scorned by the clubhouse-dividing, unaccountable-yet-entitled lunatic, I can't look through the list without being skeptical of many of them. Which one is going to ruin someone else's favorite team like Bradley ruined mine? With this in mind, I present 11 potentially dangerous free agent signings in this year's class.

Land Mines Litter Hot Stove Landscape originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Footprints in the Snow: Padres

Matt Snyder — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST

by Matt Snyder

Filed under: Padres, NL West

Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.

About halfway through the 2009 season, the San Diego Padres looked poised to be among the worst teams in baseball. They were 38-62 and being outscored at an alarming rate. All of a sudden, though, they seemed to put some things together. In their last 62 games, they won 37 (a .597 winning percentage). There seems to be a foundation of youth in place, though they aren't yet ready to compete with the Dodgers, Giants or Rockies in the NL West.

The biggest issue is their offense. It's been well-documented it's tough to score runs in their home park because it sucks the power out of anyone. True to form, the Padres were last in the NL in slugging percentage and 13th in home runs. Still, it's not just the ballpark. Their .321 OBP was 12th in the NL, which was a major they scored fewer runs than everyone in the NL except the Pirates.

More Footprints in the Snow

Footprints in the Snow: Padres originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Footprints in the Snow: Rockies

Matt Snyder — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST

by Matt Snyder

Filed under: Rockies, NL West

Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.

After an awful start to 2009, the Rockies fired Clint Hurdle, promoted Jim Tracy and proceeded to play like the best team in the National League for the rest of the regular season. They lost an exciting playoff series to the eventual NL champion Phillies, but there is no reason to think the Rockies are going away with all their young talent.

In fact, the Rockies are in position to make themselves a candidate to be a dynasty. Seriously. They can move forward with a starting lineup of Todd Helton, Clint Barmes and six proven guys who are 27 or younger. The pitching staff and minor-league talent are equally as impressive. Now it's simply a matter of cultivating their young talent while making sure they don't halt any momentum.

More Footprints in the Snow

Footprints in the Snow: Rockies originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Footprints in the Snow: Giants

Jeff Fletcher — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST

by Jeff FletcherFootprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.

The Giants made a nice improvement from 72 victories in 2008 to 88 in 2009, achieved pretty much because of an outstanding pitching staff. The Giants aren't likely to pitch better in 2010 than they did in 2009 -- their 3.55 ERA ranked second in the majors -- so if they are to take the next step, they'll have to find a way to score more runs.

The bad news is, outside of Pablo Sandoval, they don't have a single player on their roster who is a safe bet to perform at an above-average level next year. The good news is that means the Giants have a lot of flexibility in where they can put whatever players they find to upgrade. They seem locked in to Freddy Sanchez at second and, because of their contracts, Edgar Renteria at short and Aaron Rowand in center. Sandoval can play first or third. Other than that, the lineup is a blank slate that GM Brian Sabean can spend the winter completing.

More Footprints in the Snow

Footprints in the Snow: Giants originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Footprints in the Snow: Dodgers

Ed Price — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:00:00 EST

by Ed Price

Filed under: Dodgers, NL West

Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.

The Dodgers went to the National League Championship Series for the second year in a row, and lost again.

So they now realize -- or at least should -- that they need to retool some to take the next step. And as if that already didn't make this a critical offseason, owner Frank McCourt is divorcing his wife Jamie, leaving everyone to wonder who will control the team and whether it will affect their spending, as happened down the road in San Diego.

The Dodgers did some fixing on the fly over the summer, with Vicente Padilla, Jon Garland and Ronnie Belliard. But all three of those players are now free agents, so the holes are back to be patched.

More Footprints in the Snow

Footprints in the Snow: Dodgers originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Footprints in the Snow: Diamondbacks

Andrew Johnson — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:00:00 EST

by Andrew Johnson

Filed under: Diamondbacks, NL West

Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.

Since the moment they were swept out of the 2007 NLCS, the Diamondbacks have been waiting. Waiting on their impressive collection of young talent. Waiting on their dynamic rotation duo of Dan Haren and Brandon Webb to deliver a playoff spot. Waiting for everything to come together.

It hasn't happened yet. Arizona was passed by the Dodgers in late 2008 after holding the NL West lead for much of the season. Then, this past year -- one filled with calamity, including a major shoulder injury to Webb that limited him to one start -- saw the Diamondbacks dip all the way to last place.

Arizona is still waiting. There is still promising young talent on hand, including the terrific Justin Upton. There is still hope. It's just tempered by all the work that needs to be done to get the Diamondbacks back in contention.

More Footprints in the Snow

Footprints in the Snow: Diamondbacks originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stephen Strasburg's Knee Injury Will Not Require Surgery

Pat Lackey — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:14:00 EST

by Pat Lackey

Filed under: Nationals, NL East, Prospects

The Nationals learned Friday that the knee injury suffered by Stephen Strasburg will not require surgery to repair. It's instead been diagnosed as a dislocated knee cap. As painful as that sounds, there's no ligament damage and the Nats' phenom will only require rest and some rehab to get the knee back up to full strength, though he'll still miss Saturday's Arizona Fall League championship game.

Considering those that witnessed the injury firsthand saw Strasburg crumple while playing long toss on Thursday and reported hearing a popping sound (often a telltale sign of ligament damage), this is obviously great news for the Nats. I can't even fathom following up a 103-loss season with a serious knee injury to the highest-paid draft pick in baseball history.

Stephen Strasburg's Knee Injury Will Not Require Surgery originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:14:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Knicks Hope a Little of Joe Girardi's Success Rubs Off on Them

Josh Alper — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST

by Josh Alper

Filed under: Yankees, AL East

Fun fact: Yankees manager Joe Girardi has as many wins in November as Giants coach Tom Coughlin, Jets coach Rex Ryan, Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni and Nets coach Lawrence Frank combined. His loss total pales in comparison, however, which is probably why the Knicks invited him to Madison Square Garden to be honored during Sunday's ~~loss~~ game against the Celtics.

They're giving him the (quite possibly made up) Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton "City Spirit" Award, ostensibly because he stopped on his way home from winning the World Series to help the victim of a car accident flag down help from the police. It was a kind act, but it's not hard to imagine Knicks brass is desperate to liven up the grim Garden scene these days.

Knicks Hope a Little of Joe Girardi's Success Rubs Off on Them originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jason Marquis Wants to Pitch for Mets

Pat Lackey — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:02:00 EST

by Pat Lackey

Filed under: Mets, NL East, MLB Rumors

In the six weeks since the Mets' disastrous season has ended, lots of people have opined on how to fix the Mets. One person who'd like to chip in to the conversation is Jason Marquis. The Mets need to add a starter and, well, what do you know! Marquis is a free agent starter! After adding those two together, the Staten Island native has gone ahead and declared himself a "perfect fit" for the Mets.

Marquis had a nice enough year for the Rockies in 2009, notching 15 wins, a 4.04 ERA, and his first career All-Star nod. He's not a bad pitcher. He'd make a nice enough fit for a contender looking for a back-end starter to eat some innings and not embarrass himself. For a team like the Mets that trotted out Mike Pelfrey, John Maine, Oliver Perez, Tim Redding, and Livan Hernandez after Johan Santana, well, I dunno if I'd call him a "perfect fit."

Jason Marquis Wants to Pitch for Mets originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What the FIP? Cy Voters Still Missed

Jeff Fletcher — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST

by Jeff Fletcher

Filed under: Cardinals, Giants, MLB Awards

Since Zack Greinke and Tim Lincecum won Cy Young awards this week with modest victory totals, there has been much discussion about how baseball writers are finally moving into the 21st century and looking beyond the win column.

Although I'm all for patting baseball writers on the back -- since I am one, and I did vote for Greinke -- I think in the case of the NL Cy Young, my colleagues may have looked past victories, and still picked the wrong guy to make their point.

Let's start with the ol' FIP, or Fielding Independent Pitching. FIP is a stat intended to quantify how well a pitcher performed based solely on the things in his control (strikeouts, walks and homers) without regard to the vagaries of the defense behind him.

More Coverage: Lincecum Ekes Out NL Cy Young

What the FIP? Cy Voters Still Missed originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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White Sox Honing In on Omar Vizquel

Tom Fornelli — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:12:00 EST

by Tom Fornelli

Filed under: White Sox, AL Central, MLB Rumors, MLB Hot Stove

As FanHouse went over in our Footprints in the Snow on the Chicago White Sox earlier on Friday, the Sox aren't expected to be big buyers this offseason after making big moves to land Jake Peavy and Alex Rios last summer. Still, that doesn't mean they won't be making smaller moves to tweak their roster in the coming weeks.

Moves like trying to sign Omar Vizquel to a one-year deal to be a backup infielder as FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal is reporting.

White Sox Honing In on Omar Vizquel originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:12:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Footprints in the Snow: White Sox

Tom Fornelli — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST

by Tom Fornelli

Filed under: White Sox, AL Central

Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.

The 2009 season was not one with which the Chicago White Sox were pleased. They followed their 2008 division title with a third-place finish in the AL Central and a record of 79-83. When you consider that the team's general manager Kenny Williams is never shy on making big moves when the team does well, there's no telling what he's going to do after a disappointing season.

So it's pretty safe to assume that the White Sox team that takes the field in 2010 will look a lot different than the one Sox fans saw in 2009, and we're not just talking about Jake Peavy and Alex Rios. What changes will be made on the South Side? Nobody can be sure, but FanHouse has an idea of what Chicago's "other" team might do.

More Footprints in the Snow

Footprints in the Snow: White Sox originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Footprints in the Snow: Twins

Tom Fornelli — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST

by Tom Fornelli

Filed under: Twins, AL Central

Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.

It's a winter of transition for the defending AL Central champion Minnesota Twins. The Twinkies are going back to their roots in every way. No longer will they be playing indoor baseball at the Metrodome as the team will open the new outdoor Target Field in 2010. The team also just unveiled their new old uniforms on Monday as well, as they revert back to their classic look from the early '60s.

Still, the field on which they play and the uniforms they wear won't be the only thing different about them. This winter they'll also be trying to make the moves necessary to ensure that they get back to the playoffs again in 2010. What moves they'll make remain to be seen, but given the club's history, it's somewhat safe to assume they'll be the right ones.

More Footprints in the Snow

Footprints in the Snow: Twins originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Top 50 2009 MLB Free Agents

Frankie Piliere — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:30:00 EST

by Frankie Piliere

Filed under: FanHouse Exclusive, Scout's Eye View, MLB Hot Stove, MLB Free Agency

Free agency is upon us. It's been 15 days since the Yankees hoisted the World Series trophy, and with that, players on the market can officially begin discussing deals with teams other than the one they played for last season.

Yes, it's the unofficial opening of Hot Stove season, a time when dollar figures dance around the imagination and anything seems possible for all 30 teams (OK, maybe not for the Nationals, Royals or Pirates). It's a season that's almost as much fun as the regular one, so why not kick it off with a look at the top commodities available.

After the jump, FanHouse's in-house professional scout Frankie Piliere ranks the top 50 free agents on the market this year. Get the skinny on the best talents, bargains and potential busts.

The Top 50 2009 MLB Free Agents originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Footprints in the Snow: Tigers

Tom Fornelli — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST

by Tom Fornelli

Filed under: Tigers, AL Central

Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.

The Detroit Tigers are in a unique position this offseason. They missed the playoffs in 2009 after blowing their division lead during the final weeks, and then losing a one-game playoff against the Twins in Minneapolis, but they remain one of the most talented teams in the AL Central. The question is how much of that talent will be back in 2010?

Dave Dombrowski and the Tigers are usually one of the more aggressive teams during the offseason in both the free agent market and with trades, and have no problem paying top dollar for players. Still, there's a lot of speculation that things will change this winter as the economy in Detroit is still causing problems. Some are saying that the Tigers are going to be selling off a lot of that talent this winter. So odds are that, either way, the team Tigers fans see on Opening Day in April could look a lot different than the one they saw in the Metrodome last October.

More Footprints in the Snow

Footprints in the Snow: Tigers originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Footprints in the Snow: Royals

Tom Fornelli — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:00:00 EST

by Tom Fornelli

Filed under: Royals, AL Central

Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.

Over the last few years there has been a familiar refrain coming out of the City of Fountains: this is the year that the Kansas City Royals will finally be competitive. Yet it just hasn't happened. In fact, since the team won it's lone World Series back in 1985, they've finished over .500 only six times, and only once since the strike season of 1994.

So if general manager Dayton Moore is going to put together a winning ballclub, it's obvious he has quite a bit of work to do. Still, there is talent on this Royals roster, so Moore might not have to make as many moves this winter as you would think.

More Footprints in the Snow

Footprints in the Snow: Royals originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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