While the Red Sox brass dismissed the latest Alex Rodriguez trade rumor yesterday, they came to terms with Trot Nixon and Byung-Hyun Kim. Nixon, who has been with Boston longer than any other player on their roster, signed a one-year deal ($6.6 million) while Kim inked a two-year contract ($10 million). Nixon has been a fine player for Boston. Not only that but he’s always looked like a Red Sox to me. Even if he hasn’t been their greatest player, when I think of the Red Sox, I think: Trot Nixon. I would hope that Boston will try to sign him after the 2004 season, but Tony Massarotti thinks the Red Sox could disgard Nixon’s current contract in favor of a three-year deal during spring training.

The Mets launched the 2004 season with the start of their annual caravan yesterday in Grand Central Station. Forgetting their insipid new slogan, “Catch the Energy,” there is reason to look forward to the coming year at Shea. After all, the Mets have no where to go but up. While the Metropolitans didn’t make a big splash their fans were hoping for by signing Vlad Guerrero, who knows, they still may consider trading for Magglio Ordonez (One can always hope). Regardless, it will be exciting to watch Jose Reyes develop alongside his new partner, Kaz Matsui. Mike Cameron too, should give Mets fans—not to mention Mets pitchers—plenty to ooh and ahh about with the glove in centerfield (along with Cliff Floyd, Cameron is one of the more likable outfielders in the league).

But the biggest story in Queens remains Mike Piazza’s transition from full-time catcher, to part-time catcher, part-time first baseman. According to John Harper in The Daily News:

Mike Piazza pledged his allegiance to the ballclub, be it behind the plate or at first base. And if he still wasn’t exactly bubbling with enthusiasm over the idea of his much-debated move to first, at least he seemed committed to making the effort.

“I’ll be ready to play both positions,” Piazza said. “The thing that’s always worked for me is to keep it simple. I’ll work at it and we’ll see how it works out.”

I hope that Piazza is healthy this year and has a terrific season. With the exception of Hubie Brooks and Mookie Wilson, he is my favorite Met player ever. The next ground ball that he doesn’t run out will be his first, he calls a good game, is a solid receiver, and oh yeah, he just happens to be the greatest hitting catcher of all-time.

For more on the Mets, be sure and stop by Steve Keane’s The Eddie Kranepool Society and Avkash Patel’s the raindrops (they both have a full listing of Mets blogs and other Mets-related sources.)

The Yankees avoided arbitration with Alfonso Soriano, who earned $800,000 in 2003. The two sides have agreed on a one-year deal for $5.4 million.

In other news, the A Rod Rumor Mill is starting to churn once again (or is that my stomach?).

Kaz Sasaki has informed the Seattle Mariners that he will not return to the team in 2004, choosing to remain in Japan. Bryan Smith believes that the Mariners will be able to survive Sasaki’s departure, but he also stresses that Mariner GM Bill Bavasi’s other moves will doom Seattle to a third-place finish in 2004.

Fans of baseball literature should be in for a treat this spring, as two highly-anticipated books about pitching will be released. One is a collaboration between Rob Neyer and his former employer, Bill James, “The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers.” The second title is the debut effort by Baseball Prospectus’ injury-guru, Will Carroll. Carroll recently handed in the manuscript for “Saving the Pitcher.” While he’s experiencing some trepidation over how the book will be received, if it is anything like his “Under the Knife” column, it should be insightful, engaging, and above all, educational.

When Orlando ‘El Duque’ Hernandez came to the States to pitch for the Yanks in 1998, it wasn’t long before a fairy-tale story accompanied his adventures. Before long, political strings were pulled, and his ex-wife and two children were allowed to join him in the U.S. Jose Contreras, the latest Cuban exile to pitch for New York, is not enjoying the same kind of luck. Contreras recently told the Spanish newspaper, La Prensa that Cuban officials have denied permission for his wife to leave Cuba. They have informed him that she will have to wait four more years before she can apply again.

The Yankees are looking at John Burkett as the insurance arm they need to fill out their rotation. Oy veh. Burkett has spent the last few years with the Red Sox. Whenever he has started against New York, Yankee fans have felt confident that the Bombers could send the old man to the showers by the fifth inning. You think Red Sox Nation will share the sentiment should Burkett pitch against them in 2004? Count on it.

Nomar Garciaparra isn’t the one. He isn’t going to stir the pot. According to an article by Gordon Edes in The Boston Globe, Garciaparra is taking the high road:

“I focus on the things I can control,” he said, “and the things I can control are focusing on getting ready for the season. I’m not going to feel unsettled. I’m under contract with the Boston Red Sox. I know that. My focus is on getting ready. I look forward to this year.”

And what about the potential drama with teammate Kevin Millar?

…And yes, he insisted, he’s square with Kevin Millar, who has been backtracking ever since he came out in favor of trades that would have brought Rodriguez and Magglio Ordonez to Boston, at the expense of Garciaparra and Manny Ramirez.

“Kevin and I are friends,” he said. “We’re friends. We’ve always been friends. Always. There are two sides to every story.”

The story yesterday was this: Whatever bitterness Garciaparra may harbor toward the Sox is tucked away, far from prying eyes. He insists it doesn’t exist. There were no Pedro-like demands that if an extension isn’t agreed upon by the start of the season, he is definitely walking come October.

The Sox and Garciaparra may have gone beyond the point of no return in terms of Nomar’s long-term future in Boston, but I hope that he remains in New England. Call it the traditionalist in me. As much as I love to root against the Sox, I was sad when they let Mo Vaughn get away and would feel the same way if Nomar bolted. I think Garciaparra should be a Red Sox for life.

My man Cliff C profiles the Yankees’ new back-up first baseman, Tony Clark over at Cliff’s Big Red Blog. I didn’t realize how young Clark is, or how decent he has been during his career. If used correctly, he should turn out OK for the Bombers:

A Tony Clark/Kenny Lofton platoon (with Bernie shifting to center against lefties) would give the Yankees a tremendous boost. Take a look at those two lines again:

Tony Clark vs. lefty pitching: 2003 – .279/.355/.500 (.285 GPA); 2001 –
.321/.376/.557 (.308 GPA)

Kenny Lofton vs. righties: 2003 – .313/.373/.478 (.287 GPA); ’01-’03 – .281/.354/.442 (.270 GPA)

By way of comparison here are the GPAs for Derek Jeter and Alfonso Soriano over the past two seasons. Jeter: .289 & .273; Soriano: .283 & .286.

Basically, a Lofton/Clark platoon would give the Yankees another full-time offensive player on the level of a Jeter or Soriano. I just hope Joe Torre’s smart enough to make it happen.

The Marvelous Jew

Last weekend, ESPN Classic broadcast Game 7 of the 1965 World Serious. I was only able to catch the last couple of innings, but it was a treat to watch. (It’s amazing how low key the Dodgers celebration was after the final out in comparison to the modern pile-on, and assorted fireworks.) I don’t know why the network doesn’t show more games from the early days of T.V. through the 1970s. (I’m sorry, but I have a hard time considering any game that has been played in the past five years “classic.”) Football fans have been monumentally spoiled by NFL Films. You want to learn about Jim Brown or Sayers or the old Packer teams? It’s all there for you.

But baseball fans who were born after 1970 don’t have the same luxury. By all accounts the 1960s was an exciting era for the game, but I’ve rarely seen games from that period played on TV. (It’s one of the reasons why Roger Angell is so important to our generation; his reporting gives you a good sense of the sights and sounds of the time.) The same goes for the game in the ’70s. Hey, I’d like to watch McCovey, Bonds, Stargell and Dick Allen too. What about Sutter?

While I doubt that we’ll see a change in this sorry state of affairs anytime soon, we should be thankful for the morsels that we are given. Rich Lederer, who grew up watching those Dodger teams in the ’60s, caught the Dodgers-Twins game over the weekend, and has written a terrific appreciation of the Serious and Koufax’s performance in it. He also critiques the sabermetric evaluation of Koufax’s career. A good read on a cold day for sure.

Like most Yankee fans, Shawn Bernard suspects that the Bombers will have another starting pitcher by Opening Day. Today, Bernard speculates if Maels Rodriguez, the latest Cuban hot shot pitcher to defect to the States, will be that man. Rodriguez is 24-years old, and can apparently throw smoke. He’s Cuban. That should be all George needs to hear, right? When Rodriguez is allowed to work out for major league teams in a few weeks, expect the Yanks to be pursue him aggresively. Whether or not it makes any sense–for the Yankees or anyone else—we shall soon find out.

According to ESPN, the Chicago Cubs have made a two-year offer to future Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux. Perhaps feeling the squeeze after the Astros upgraded their staff with a Hall of Famer of their own this week, the Cubs made what seems like a logical offer to Maddux. Maddux wouldn’t have to be the ace of the staff, plus Chicago would get a shot to have the Mad Dog win his 300th game in a Cubbies uniform.

Sounds appealing to me, even though the deal calls for Maddux to make between $6 million and $7 million per year, which would represent a dramatic paycut. It should be especially appealing for all those unemployed, gold-bricking Cubs fans that former manager Lee Elia once lambasted. Oh yeah, I’ve heard that the Cubs are now the Yuppie team of cherce in Chicago. But let us not forget the bleacher bums who were celebrated by Elia in a fateful postgame press conference, back in 1983:

Eighty-five percent of the people in this country work. The other fifteen percent come here and boo my players. They oughta go out and get a fucking job and find out what it’s like to go and a earn a fucking living. Eighty-five percent of the fucking world is working. The other fifteen percent come out here. A fucking playground for the cocksuckers.

Bring Maddux back, Cubbies. Give the bums and the Yuppies some gravy. And then make Ruzich and Carroll really happy and go sign Pudge to boot.

OH, YOU DIRTY RAT

Some Yankee fans are moaning about the fact that Roger Clemens has signed with the Astros. He was ripped in the tabloids yesterday; today, Roger’s sister defends his actions in The Post. Really, I can’t get behind being upset with Clemens. I’m not surprised he’s chosen to play for the Astros; makes all the sense in the world to me (Actually, I was skeptical that 2003 was his swan song). Nor am I in the slightest bit upset that he won’t be a Yankee this year, at least from a personality perspective (it’s likely he’s still got some good innings left). Has he ruined his chances of wearing a Yankee cap when he goes into the Hall of Fame? Probably, but so what? It’s only fitting that he should go in as a Red Sox. So I don’t get what all the cryin is about. But hey, you’ve got to find a way to sell papers in the middle of winter, right? Got to find something heated to keep you going in this bone-chilling weather. Fortunately, we New Yorkers have insulation: we’ve got enough hot air to keep us warm 365 days a year, thank you very much.

Both Jay Jaffe and Jon Weisman wonder if everything was indeed kosher with the Angels’ aquisition of superduperstar Vlad Guerrero. One thing is for sure: The move has to been seen as a slap in the face to the Dodger organization. Here is Tommy Lasorda in the L.A. Times:

“I’m very impressed with what they’ve done,” he said. “They’re gonna have a lot to say about who wins their division. That’s the good thing about free agency, you can go out and get players you need.”

What about the Dodgers, Tommy?

Lasorda shrugged and winced, a silence that spoke volumes.

Not easy to shut that man up either.

Edward Cossette ponders the concept of team chemistry today over at Bambino’s Curse. I just so happen to think it’s one of the best thing Cossette has ever done. It’s vivid, personal, and succint. Plus, I think he’s onto something when he writes:

Chemistry is not friendship. Chemistry, for certain, is akin to what the Supreme Court said about pornography: I can’t define it but I sure do know it when I see (or rather feel) it. (Of course, it’s the inability to quantify it that gets all the sabermetrics guys and gals all pissy.)

Personally, I’m always trying to get that perfect chemistry in my own life. (And I think you could just as easily substitute the word chemistry with “grace” or “harmony” or “feng-shui” so on and so forth). When I’ve got it, there is no limit to what I’m capable of as an individual who is also part of a larger group. I find it difficult to believe it would be any different for Tim Wakefield or Kevin Millar.

David Pinto offers his reaction at Baseball Musings.

Speaking of Pinto, David also has some constructive criticism for Jim Caple, ESPN’s resident Yankee-baiter, who weighed in on the Roger Clemens signing in Houston yesterday:

Caple is turning into a one-trick pony, blasting the Yankees every chance he gets. It’s fine once in a while. I know lots of people think the Yankees are responsible for all the ills of the world. When Dan Shaughnessy took over Peter Gammons Sunday column in the Boston Globe, he added a new feature, a weekly dig at the Yankees buried in the column. Maybe this made Dan very popular in Boston; maybe his Yankee hatred makes Caple popular across America. But in both cases, it turned me off because I know neither writer will ever say anything honest about the Yankees. And if I can’t trust them with one team, why should I trust them with any other team?

From what I know of Jim, he’s a smart, funny guy. He should save his criticism of the Yankees for when they really deserve it. Otherwise, the constant harping will make readers indifferent to his columns. It’s already done that to me.

As radio personality Chris “Mad Dog” Russo would say, “Excellent point Pinto, that’s an excellent point.”

And on a ridiculous note, the Yankees hired former general manager of the Chicago Bulls, Jerry Krause as a scout. Hey, mabe’s he’s a big “Moneyball,” fan. Oh boy.

Larry Mahnken is one of the best voices out there talking about the Bronx Bombers. He recently beat the spring training rush with an excellent two-part preview of the 2004 Yankees that is both sensible and detailed called, “The New Face of Evil.” (Part One covers the offense, while Part Two examines the pitching.) When all is said and done, Mahnken likes the Yankees chances to return to the World Serious in 2004, provided they remain healthy:

If theyíre healthy, I donít see any team other than Boston being able to stop them, and I expect thatís what the season will come down to once again, an ALCS vs. Boston. I know that for fans of every other team itís incredibly frustrating to see these two great teams making themselves better while everyone else scrambles to keep up, let alone catch up, but it really has to be this way. Boston improved their rotation, they improved their bullpen, they had the best lineup in all of baseball last season. They finally have the team theyíve wanted to end 86 years of broken dreams. And standing in the way of that are the Yankees, with a team just as strong, ready to break Bostonís dreams once again, as it seems they always do. It’s what makes the Yankees evil, and what make the Yankees good. Theyíre relentless.

Meanwhile, do yourself a favor and head over Rich’s Weekend Baseball BEAT, and check out Lederer’s latest interview. This week Joe Sheehan, a founding member of Baseball Prospectus, steps up at bat. Along with Rob Neyer, and Steve Goldman, Joe Sheehan ranks as one of the brightest and most compelling analysts writing about baseball today. Don’t miss it.

Lastly, here is George Steinbrenner’s clipped reaction to the news that Roger Clemens will now pitch for the Houston Astros:

“Roger Clemens was a great warrior for the Yankees — a teacher and a leader. He told the world he was retiring, and we had no choice but to believe him.”

Man, you think George is burning up?

No, I guess it sure isn’t. We are in the heart of football season, so for what it’s worth, I figured I’d watch as much of the playoffs as I could stand. I used to be a football fan, a big one. Now, my football diet is anemic. Truthfully, I didn’t watch more than one quarter of football until the playoffs all season long. My football intake has dropped steadily for years and it’s at an all-time low. Part of it is that Emily doesn’t like football at all; the other part is that I can’t be bothered with anything but baseball

GO WEST YOUNG MAN

Suddenly, Mets fans were encouraged this week that their team could land Vlad Guerrero, who is arguably one of the five best players in the game. After rejecting a five-year, $75 million deal from the Expos, the biggest offer Guerrero has seen this winter is five-years, $65 million from the Baltimore Orioles. When Miguel Tejada signed with the O’s it was widely believed that Baltimore had an advantage in reeling in Vlad (Guerrero and Tejada, both Dominican, share the same agents).

But for whatever reason, Guerrero has balked. Word had it that he would love to play for the Marlins, but Florida has not jumped into the mix with both feet. The Dodgers are in need of a star offensive player, but with ownership in flux, they have been unable to make a competitive offer. Ah, the frustrations of rooting for the Mets and Dodgers these days.

Which leaves the Mets (and now apparently, the Tigers too). What a steal this could be. An outfield of Cliff Floyd, Mike Cameron and Guerrero is more than somewhat appealing. Heck, I sure would be envious. Guerrero is my favorite National League star; Floyd and Cameron are great guys to boot. But the Mets, concerned about Guerrero’s back troubles, were uneasy about giving him five years. So they offered him three-years at $30 million with incentives that could go much higher.

However, according the The New York Times this morning, Guerrero’s agents have told the Mets that they will pass on New York’s offer:

Last night, Guerrero, baseball’s premier free agent this off-season, was prepared to accept the team’s multiyear offer, believed to be for up to five years. Two people in baseball said the team was not the Baltimore Orioles. Baltimore was the only other team known to have made an offer to Guerrero, but the Orioles’ offer deferred too much money.

So who is this mystery team? Florida? L.A.? The Tigers? A few weeks ago, Will Carroll heard a rumor that the Yankees were considering signing Vlad. Gluttony, you say? Reader Jim Gerard thinks it is sensible:

If the Mets are apparently in a position to steal him away from Baltimore for $13M a year, what’s to stop George from offering him $14M? The Yanks seem to have made up their mind not to sign him early in the off season, and the only possible explanations for it are that George had his sights on Sheffield and ignored his baseball people, who seem to have preferred Guerrero; and that the team is looking to bag Beltran after next season. (They may have been wary of his back, but Will Carroll says it’s fine.) However, that presumes: A) Beltran will still be a free agent — KC could resign him or trade him to a team that signs him long-term, which most teams would make a contingency of acquiring him; or B) he’ll want to play for the Yankees. While I love Beltran and perhaps even favor him over Guerrero because he plays a more important position, is better defensively, and has no injury issues, it’s a much riskier strategy than grabbing Guerrero now. If so, he goes to RF, Sheff moves to LF or DH, Matsui to CF (if Sheff goes to LF), Bernie’s the DH, Lofton becomes (appropriately) the fourth outfielder/pinch hitter-runner.
It’s odd that George would apparently let a talent like Guerrero go unimpeded to his crosstown rival and make a major splash on the back pages.

While I doubt the Yankees are the team that has made the latest offer to Vlad—don’t you think we would have heard some rumors leak through the New York Press by now if that were the case?—I can’t argue with Gerard’s logic. However, as much as I’d love to see Vlad in the Bronx, I think it would be hilarious and fitting if he ended up with the Tigers. First of all, he’d look crisp in their classic home uniform (are they still wearing that these days?), and the transition from oblivion (Montreal) to oblivion (Detriot) is just too funny not to appreciate.

But, nooooo. According the The Los Angeles Times, the mystery team is none other than the Anahiem Angels, who have crashed the party with a five-year, $70 million deal:

Guerrero, who speaks little English, will find a Spanish-speaking owner in Anaheim and fellow Dominicans in [Bartolo] Colon, [Jose] Guillen, pitcher Ramon Ortiz and coach Alfredo Griffin. In September, even before Colon and Guillen had signed, Ortiz heartily endorsed the pursuit of Guerrero.

“If the Angels sign this guy,” Ortiz said, “my God, watch out.”

Like I said, tough time to be a Dodger fan. I hope Jon Weisman keeps himself away from any sharp objects. And how do you think Mariners fans must feel about this one? Yeeesh.

The amount of words devoted to Pete Rose this week has been predictably overwhelming. I’m back to feeling ennervated by the whole thing. Buster Olney is just one of many to weigh in with his take (Rob Neyer also has a good column delineating the history of gambling in baseball), but my favorite bit comes from Rob Dibble, who played for Rose and remains an ardent supporter of the Hit King:

I was in the locker room, when we’d joke that if two cockroaches took off across the floor, Pete would bet on who’d make it first. And I was also on the field when Pete managed the Cincinnati Reds to countless wins.

As my cousin Jonah remarked, somehow, just somehow, I think we would find a way to count all those wins.

You didn’t think we saw the last of Don Zimmer now did you? Popeye has been hired as an advisor by the Devil Rays. According the AP:

Zimmer, who turns 73 on Jan. 17, will be in uniform as a coach during spring training and for pregame practices at all regular-season home games.

It’ll be good to have Zim hanging around Lou. Hopefully, it won’t be too long before he and George engage in some backpage-tabliod fun. I wonder if there will be any fights in the East this year. I can’t remember the last time the Yankees got into a bench-clearing rumpus, but I don’t believe they’ve had one since Giambi’s been on the team. Can I get a little help on this one?