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Around Baseball: November 8th… Steroids, Free Agency, Collusion And A New Name In Florida
By Administrator | November 9, 2007
The Mitchell Commission is reportedly set to issue its report…
According to player agents who attended a union meeting in New York City, there are eleven current free agents named in the Commission’s report on the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball. Reportedly, all eleven players have been notified by the Commission. To read more on the Mitchell Commission Report, click here.
The Red Sox have made a ‘really strong’ offer to free agent Mike Lowell…
Boston reportedly included a guaranteed third year in their latest proposal to the third baseman. There has been widespread belief throughout baseball that Lowell wants to stay in baseball and that he would extend a hometown discount to the club if they gave him a three-year deal. So now we’ll wait and see whether the third baseman REALLY wants to stay in Boston — will he put his money where his mouth is (like Curt Schilling) or will he sell out for an extra year (like Johnny Damon)? The next four days will tell the story. To read more on Mike Lowell’s status, click here.
The NY Yankees could be on the verge of imploding…
The tenure of Hal and Hank Steinbrenner as the ‘front men’ for the New York Yankees organization is off to an inauspicious start. First, A-Rod opted out of his contract with the Bronx Bombers in spite of being owed $81 million. Next, the team extended an embarrassing contract offer to former-manager Joe Torre that was a transparent effort to move in a new direction while deflecting criticism… a ploy that backfired and earned them scorn from across the sport. Then, southpaw Andy Pettitte declined his option to remain with the pinstripes despite the chance to earn $16 million. Now, free agents Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada have BOTH failed to respond to respective 3-year, $40 million contract offers from the Yankees… with many observers convinced that BOTH players will dabble into the open market in response to: 1) the team’s failure to sign them last spring, 2) their apparent distaste for the manner in which Hal and Hank dissed Torre, and 3) the paucity of free agents in a market that promises to be lucrative for the few impact players available for bidding. The Steinbrenner boys say that they are preparing new offers for both players, but has too much water passed under the bridge? Has the shine worn off the Yankees reputation? To read more on Mo and Jorge, click here… to read more on Jorge, click here.
Are teams colluding?
According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, MLBPA Executive Director Don Fehr is throwing the “c word” around again - suggesting that recent statements out of the GM meetings in Orlando are indicative of collusion by major league franchises. To read more on collusion, click here.
A new name in Tampa…
They are now the Rays, not the Devil Rays… they now represent Florida sunshine, not a creature of the sea… but astute baseball observers k now that without an infusion of salary and some quality pitching, the Rays are likely to remain the lovable losers from The Sunshine State. To read more on the name change in Tampa, click here
Topics: Around Baseball, Sox Players |
