Posted in
Sports by Z_man on Dec 18, 2009
Hello all! This past week was a huge week for many teams as they continue to fill their rosters for the up coming new season, which is just over 100 days away. The MLB announced this week that the season will start off where it left off, with the New York Yankees on the field. They will face off against the Boston Red Sox in Fenway Park, Sunday night April 4th. This will make for a can’t miss game, as these two clubs have produced the biggest rivalry the game has ever known. This event marks the fifth time in six years that the defending World Series champions have played in the season opening game. This is the second time that the Yankees and Red Sox have matched up in the season opening game. They matched up in 2005, after the Red Sox won the 2004 World Series, yet the Yankees won that game, at home, 9-2. This is the 30th time that these two clubs have started off the season against each other, and the Yankees hold a 18-10-1 record. The Red Sox may have the last laugh those as they will also host the Yankees final series of the season as well, in Fenway October 1-3.
Back to the off-season acquisitions, this week was one for the pitchers. Many have said that games are won and lost by pitching, and every club seems to need more pitching. This week four of the games top pitchers: Harden, Lee, Halladay, and Lackey all found new homes.
The big deal involved two former Cy Young pitchers and 7 prospects. The deal included 4 teams and nine players. Roy Halladay is going to Philadelphia and Cliff Lee is headed to Seattle and just about every top prospect from the Mariners and Phillies were involved.
There is not much that needs to be said about the top two names that most people do not know, being two of the top pitchers over the last few years. Cliff Lee will join Seattle’s near Cy Young Award winner of 2009, Felix Hernandez at the top of the pitching staff. Lee won the 2008 AL Cy Young with a 22-3 record, 2.54 ERA in 31 starts. Last season he split time between the Indians and Phillies. He was 7-9, with a 3.14 ERA in 22 starts with the struggling Indians until being traded to Philly where he amassed a 7-4 record in only 12 starts and a 3.39 ERA. Not to mention that he had a phenomenal 4-0 postseason and won two games against the Yankees in a losing effort in the World Series. Along with King Felix, who was 19-5, with a 2.49 ERA and 217 strikeouts, the Mariners will have arguably the best 1-2 punch in all of baseball. Roy Halladay is no slouch either, having won 16+ games each of the last 5 seasons with the Blue Jays. The last two years have looked like this: 17-10 record 2.79 ERA and 208 K for 2009 and 20-11 record and 2.78 ERA and 206 K for 2008. With numbers like these, it is easy to see why these two clubs gave up so much.
Here is how the deal went down: The Mariners sent Phillippe Aumont, RHP; Tyson Gillies, OF; and J.C. Ramirez, RHP to the Phillies. The Phillies then sent Kyle Drabek, RHP; Michael Taylor, OF; and Travis D’Arnaud, C to the Blue Jays. Michael Taylor then was moved to the Oakland A’s for infielder Brett Wallace.
Rich Harden also found a new home as he was signed by the Texas Rangers. Harden will receive a base salary of $6.5 million in 2010 with another $3.5 million in incentives that are maximized if he pitches at least 195 innings. Harden was 9-9 with a 4.09 ERA in 26 starts for the Cubs last season. In 141 innings, he struck out 171 batters and allowed 67 walks, and a 10.91 strikeout per nine innings which led all National League pitchers. The Rangers are hoping for numbers closer to his 2008 stats, when he split time between the Athletics and Cubs and went 10-2 with a 2.07 ERA in 25 starts.
And finally the Boston Red Sox added a big name pitcher of their own in John Lackey. Lackey was considered the best Free-agent pitcher on the market. The Red Sox took him off the market with a 5 – year $82.5 million contract. Last season his record was 11-8 in 27 starts with a 3.83 ERA. He had pitched his entire career for the Angels, for a career 102-71 record and life long 3.81 ERA. This signing came as a great surprise to all of Red Sox Nation, as there was little mention at all of negotiations by either side.
With all this action, these pitchers with new homes, there is still plenty of excitement left this offseason. The Lee/Halladay deal has been the largest yet this year, but there are plenty of top notch free-agent players available. I will help keep you informed on the latest and greatest action in MLB, so until next time….
Z-man
