| Recent Player News |
| Date |
Player |
News |
| 11/20/2008 |
Pedro Feliz, 3B (Phi) |
Feliz needs surgery on his back, and was scheduled for a lumbar discectomy Thursday.
Analysis: The operation will be followed by an eight-to-12 week rehabilitation program, meaning Feliz should be ready to go for 2009. He hit .249 with 14 homers and 58 RBIs for the World Series champions in 2008. |
| 11/20/2008 |
Chase Utley, 2B (Phi) |
Utley will have hip surgery next week and could resume baseball activity in three to four months.
Analysis: He was bothered by a right hip problem during the season, but still managed to lead all second basemen with 33 home runs and 104 RBIs. Depending on the extent of the repair needed, Utley may not be fully healthy until May. |
| 11/20/2008 |
Mike Mussina, SP (NYY) |
Mussina announced his retirement Thursday after winning 20 games this past season. He becomes the first pitcher to call it quits following a 20-win season since Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax in 1966.
Analysis: He was 270-153 with a 3.68 ERA in 18 seasons in the majors. The first 10 seasons were with Baltimore followed by eight in New York. Mussina went 20-9 with a 3.37 ERA for the Yankees this season to become the oldest pitcher in MLB history to win 20 games for the first time. The right-hander tossed 200 1-3 innings in 34 starts. |
| 11/19/2008 |
Mike Mussina, SP (NYY) |
The Yankees expect to enter next season without Mussina.
Analysis: FoxSports.com reported Wednesday that Mussina intends to retire and will make the move official this week. In the report, the Web site cited unidentified major league sources. Mussina, who turns 40 next month, would become the first pitcher to call it quits following a 20-win season since Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax in 1966. Only 30 wins shy of 300, Mussina became the oldest pitcher in big league history to win 20 games for the first time. |
| 11/19/2008 |
Ramon Ramirez, RP (Bos) |
The Red Sox acquired Ramirez from the Kansas City Royals in a trade for outfielder Coco Crisp.
Analysis: The primary setup man for Joakim Soria, the 27-year-old right-hander went 3-2 with a 2.64 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 71 2-3 innings. Ramirez should take over the setup role for Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon and send Justin Masterson back to the rotation. |
| 11/19/2008 |
Coco Crisp, CF (KC) |
The Kansas City Royals acquired Crisp from the Red Sox on Wednesday for reliever Ramon Ramirez. Boston will to replace Crisp with a right-handed outfielder who can play center. The Red Sox will likely look outside the organization. Crisp is due to make $5.75 million next season in a deal that includes an $8 million club option for 2010 with a $500,000 buyout.
Analysis: Kansas City was 12th among the 14 American League teams in runs scored and 11th in stolen bases. The 29-year-old Crisp has stoled 20 bases or more in each of the last three seasons with 20 last year. He also hit .283 with seven homers and 41 RBIs. "The speed aspect of it was very important," Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. "I've talked many times about the importance of a balanced lineup, speed at the top and the bottom, and Coco certainly gives us that." |
| 11/18/2008 |
Dustin Pedroia, 2B (Bos) |
Pedroia won the AL MVP award Tuesday, becoming the first second baseman to earn the honor in nearly a half-century. Nellie Fox was the last second baseman to become AL MVP, in 1959 with the White Sox. No position has produced fewer MVPs overall.
Analysis: Pedroia led the AL in hits, runs and doubles in helping the Red Sox win the AL wild-card berth. He batted .326 with 17 home runs and 83 RBIs and also stole 20 bases, getting caught just once and playing Gold Glove defense. |
| 11/18/2008 |
Ryan Dempster, SP (ChC) |
Dempster and the Chicago Cubs agreed Tuesday on a $52 million, four-year contract that includes a player option for 2012.
Analysis: Dempster was 17-6 with a 2.96 ERA for the Cubs last season, then became a free agent after making the switch from the closer to starter. "No doubt in our minds that Ryan would have exceeded this deal on the streets in three or four weeks from now, the way the market is for starting pitching," Cubs general manager Jim Hendry. After serving as the Cubs' closer in 2006-07, Dempster returned to the starter's role he held with the Marlins and Reds from 1998-2003. |
| 11/18/2008 |
Kevin Kouzmanoff, 3B (SD) |
Kouzmanoff had arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder and is expected to be ready by the start of spring training.
Analysis: Kouzmanoff batted .260 with 23 home runs and 84 RBIs this season, when San Diego lost 99 games and finished last in the NL West. The surgery was performed Saturday. |
| 11/17/2008 |
Jeremy Affeldt, RP (SF) |
Jeremy Affeldt became the first of 171 free agents to agree to a contract, striking a two-year deal Monday with the San Francisco Giants.
Analysis: The 29-year-old Affeldt pitched for the Cincinnati Reds last season, going 1-1 with a 3.33 ERA in a team-leading 74 appearances. He struck out 80 and walked 25 in 78 1-3 innings. The 6-foot-4 Affeldt, originally drafted by Kansas City in the third round in 1997, recorded a 2.23 ERA in his final 34 outings of 2008. |
| 11/17/2008 |
Kelvin Jimenez, RP (CWS) |
The Chicago White Sox claimed right-handed reliever Kelvin Jimenez off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday.
Analysis: The 28-year-old Jimenez posted a 5.63 ERA in 15 appearances for the St. Louis Cardinals last season. He spent most of the season with Triple-A Memphis in the Cardinals' system, going 1-6 with a 2.92 ERA and 12 saves in 46 relief appearances. Jimenez, who'd been claimed by Toronto on waivers on Nov. 3, will be added to Chicago's 40-man roster. |
| 11/17/2008 |
Albert Pujols, 1B (StL) |
Pujols has won his second National League Most Valuable Player award on Monday.
Analysis: Pujols won by a comfortable margin over Philadelphia slugger Ryan Howard. Milwaukee's Ryan Braun was third and Los Angeles outfielder Manny Ramirez came in fourth after playing just two months with the Dodgers. Pujols hit .357 with 37 home runs and 116 RBIs despite playing much of the season with a sore right elbow. The Cardinals finished fourth in the NL Central. The St. Louis baseman got 18 of the 32 first-place votes. He also won the award in 2005. |
| 11/16/2008 |
Darrell Rasner, SP (NYY) |
The New York Yankees have reached an agreement in principle to sell Rasner's contract to a Japanese team.
Analysis: The Yankees will receive $1 million from the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of the Pacific League. Matt Sosnick, Rasner's agent, said they approached the Yankees about the possibility of a deal. "There's a lot more money to be made doing that for him at this point in his career," Sosnick said Sunday. |
| 11/13/2008 |
Wilson Betemit, 1B (CWS) |
The White Sox acquired Betemit from the New York Yankees on Thursday in a deal that sent Nick Swisher to the Bronx.
Analysis: Betemit, a switch-hitter who played four infield positions last season, hit .265 with six homers, 25 RBIs and 56 strikeouts in 87 games. |
| 11/13/2008 |
Nick Swisher, CF (NYY) |
The Yankees have given themselves an option at first base, acquiring Swisher from the White Sox for pitching prospect Jeff Marquez and infielder Wilson Betemit.
Analysis: Swisher, who turns 28 on Nov. 25, hit just .219 with 24 homers and 69 RBIs last season. His .332 on-base percentage was the lowest of his career. He could replace Jason Giambi at first base but also can play all three outfield positions. |
| 11/13/2008 |
Randy Johnson, SP (Ari) |
Johnson has filed for free agency after failing to reach a deal to return to the Diamondbacks.
Analysis: The 45-year-old lefty is five victories shy of 300 and "hopes to find a team where he can continue to pitch at a high level and contribute to another world championship," agents Barry Meister and Alan Nero said in a statement. Johnson, a five-time Cy Young winner, made $16 million with Arizona last year and went 11-10 with a 3.91 ERA. He struck out 173 and walked 44. |
| 11/13/2008 |
Kerry Wood, RP (ChC) |
It appears likely that Wood's career with the Chicago Cubs is coming to an end after the club acquired reliever Kevin Gregg from Florida on Thursday.
Analysis: Wood, the 1998 NL Rookie of the Year who saved 34 games this year, had been the longest-tenured player on the Cubs. General manager Jim Hendry said Wood was deserving of a three- or four-year deal and the Cubs are not prepared to offer him one. "We're just in a situation - and Kerry fully understands - that length of deal for the kind of salary that he could command right now is not our first priority," he said. |
| 11/13/2008 |
Kevin Gregg, RP (ChC) |
The Cubs acquired Gregg from Florida on Thursday for minor league pitcher Jose Ceda.
Analysis: Gregg was 7-8 with 29 saves and a 3.41 ERA in 72 relief appearances for the Marlins last season, holding batters to a .203 average. His future role with the Cubs is unclear. Closer Kerry Wood is a free agent, and Chicago already has a top setup reliever in Carlos Marmol. Greg joined the Marlins before the 2007 season in a trade from the Angels and had 32 saves in 74 relief appearances that year. |
| 11/12/2008 |
B.J. Upton, CF (TB) |
Upton had surgery on his left shoulder this week and the Rays expect him to be ready by opening day.
Analysis: Upton played much of the season with a sore shoulder - he throws right-handed - that affected his offensive production. He batted .288 with seven homers and 16 RBIs for the AL champions during the postseason, but hit .273 with just nine home runs in 531 at-bats during the regular season. |
| 11/12/2008 |
Henry Owens, RP (Fla) |
Owens was suspended for the first 50 games of next season on Tuesday after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.
Analysis: The 29-year-old righty has not pitched in the majors since June 2007 because of shoulder trouble. Owens made three relief appearances for the Marlins in 2006. He pitched 22 times in 2007, going 2-0 with four saves and briefly becoming the team's closer. He injured his right shoulder that year and was on the disabled list from May 9 until June 1. When he returned, he made just five appearances, went back on the DL and then had shoulder surgery on Aug. 30. |
| More Player News >> |