Santana

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs07/columns/story?columnist=garber_greg&id=3185256


The Colts' Peyton Manning is a master at the play-action pass. "He makes it look like a run for a real long time, and then sets up faster than anybody I've ever seen. ... In my opinion, Peyton's the best right now," ex-NFL quarterback Steve DeBerg said.

Handsome and athletic, the Colts' Peyton Manning and the Patriots' Tom Brady lead the league in commercials and magazine covers. They are the best two quarterbacks in the NFL and play for, arguably, the best two teams. They also happen to share another, less savory trait: They are both, in a manner of speaking, terrific liars.

Listen to Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young:

"Both of them are pretty good at getting that ball in and letting people believe that the running back's got the ball. It's kind of lost its art form. There are very few, in my mind, that are really good at it."

Magic Men

Back in the 1960s when Sam Wyche played quarterback at Furman, the play-action pass was called the "Belly" series.

"You'd put the ball right in the belly of the back, and you would either give it to him or pull it back," Wyche explained.

He is better known for introducing the no-huddle as a standard offense when he was head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals, but Wyche is also an authority on the play-action pass. Here are a few of his favorite quarterbacks who mastered that rare art form:

Joe Montana: "I was lucky to learn from Bill Walsh and Joe Montana, too. I thought Joe was an outstanding ball-handler. [He would] give the illusion that something's about to happen -- it's happened so many times over in the study of film -- that the players have to react to it."

Boomer Esiason: "I remember Boomer used to really emphasize -- 'This is a run-action play.' What he was saying quickly to the linemen is 'I need a little extra time now, because this one is going to go down the field. We've got to give that receiver time to run.' Boomer was a little bit unusual because he was left-handed, so a lot of those fakes were coming at the side they weren't used to seeing."

Steve DeBerg: "He could literally make the ball disappear. In fact, sometimes in practice the ball would be stuffed under his shirt with a I-don't-know-where-it-is kind of look on his face. It's a lot like prestidigitation, magic, sleight of hand."

Peyton Manning: "Clearly, of all the guys I haven't coached, Peyton Manning would be among the best. When you break it down, what Peyton does is a thing of beauty. When you're sitting in the stands, you don't watch the guards and tackles play. They watch the ball, then suddenly the ball disappeared and then it pops up again. That's performance. That's entertainment."

-- Greg Garber

Young is talking about the play-action pass and, in the category of the rich get richer, Manning and Brady are among the league's most clever practitioners. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, nearly one in five NFL passes is typically a play-action pass. It's an under-the-radar play, but it is worth noting that there were a handful of critical play-actions in the first weekend of playoff games.

Perhaps the most pivotal touchdown of Wild Card Weekend came off a play-action fake. With San Diego trailing Tennessee 6-3, Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers appeared to hand off to LaDainian Tomlinson. But, pulling the ball back, Rivers threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Vincent Jackson. The Chargers, of course, went on to win.

On two of the four most critical passes during the Giants' 8-minute, 37-second, fourth-quarter drive, quarterback Eli Manning play-faked to rookie running back Ahmad Bradshaw. The Giants ran 15 plays, culminating in Manning's 4-yard scoring pass to Amani Toomer, to take an insurmountable 24-7 lead.

It's a simple premise but very difficult to execute cleanly because there are so many moving parts.

The quarterback, with the help of his 10 co-conspirators, must convince the defense that a run play is developing by appearing to hand the ball to the back. Then, when the defense reacts -- creating critical time and space -- the ball materializes in the quarterback's hand. When run properly, the pass rush has been neutralized, the linebackers and safeties lured a few steps closer to the line of scrimmage and the receivers have more room to maneuver.

Manning and Brady are already the best in the business at throwing the ball, but their ability to consistently create the illusion of a run gives them an even greater advantage.

It's almost not fair.

"Honestly, I watched a lot of Peyton Manning after my first year," Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. "He's probably the best. I try to extend the ball like I saw Peyton do a lot, and I think it sells it a little bit more."

Said Young: "Tom Brady is very good. He cares about getting it in the guy's belly, pulling it back out and letting the hand fly. It's a little piece of that puzzle that he enjoys."

All teams have different versions of the play-action pass, but clearly, teams that run the ball well are going to have an easier time fooling the defense. It helps to run play-action in down-and-distance circumstances when a run would be more plausible. Green Bay's Brett Favre wonders why teams don't use it more.

"I think at times we, including myself, have lost sight of it," Favre said. "People say, 'Well, you have to run the ball if you're going to have good play-action.' I think if you're a good magician, you can pull it off."

Deception. Illusion. Misdirection. That's what the play-action is all about.

"I think any time teams want to come and try to take away the run or put themselves in a position to make you throw the football, that allows you an advantage," said Dallas quarterback Tony Romo.

"Honestly, if the [defender] can't see the ball, he doesn't know where to go."

Tom Brady

Butler II/US Presswire

Tom Brady's ability to consistently create the illusion of a run gives him a great advantage.

The play unfolds …

Here, through the eyes of some of the league's best players, past and present, is what happens on a play-action pass:

Steve Young, Hall of Fame quarterback: "First thing is to have a running back that threatens people in the pre-snap. In other words, I want linebackers saying, 'I've got to watch this running back, because if he gets the football, I'm in trouble.'"

Play-Action Rankings

Although Manning is the consensus choice as the NFL's best play-action quarterback among the dozens interviewed for this story, statistics suggest that at least this year Brady has the edge. The Patriots' signal-caller has the league's highest passer rating on play-action plays (147.7), while Manning is tied for seventh, at 104.5. Twelve of Brady's league-record 50 touchdown passes came on play-action, another league-leading total.
Comp Pct Passer Rating TDs
Brady 2nd (68.4) 1st (147.7) 1st (12)
Manning 10th (63.7) 7th (104.5) tie - 7th (7)
Elias Sports Bureau
Steve DeBerg, 18-year NFL quarterback: "Some running backs don't want to act like they have the ball and get hit again, so it takes a special back to carry out the fake. Actually, the ultimate fake for a running back is that he gets tackled."

Matt Birk, Vikings center: "You identify the defense, get everybody going the same way, everybody on the same page, so every defender is accounted for. At the snap of the ball, you want to make sure it, as we say, smells like, feels like, tastes like run."

Bob Griese, Hall of Fame quarterback: "You turn your back to the line of scrimmage, turn your back to the coverage, so then when you come back around now you can't see, because everybody is standing up and you don't know where they went."

DeBerg: "It's interesting that a lot of quarterbacks don't like play-action. I didn't like it when I first started playing because I didn't like taking my eyes off the defense. In my opinion, it's the best pass protection you can have."

Donald Driver, Packers wide receiver: "We push off the ball hard enough to make the guys say, 'Oh, I think it's going to be a run,' because you're going to put your hands on him and block him (the defender)."

DeBerg: "The longer you can fake the run, whether it's a lineman, a quarterback and a running back, then it has more of an effect of making the defense get distorted, which gives the offense the advantage."

Tony Romo, Cowboys quarterback: "You're selling the play, you're giving good head movement and your shoulders, and you're trying to get the linebackers and safeties to bite a little bit."

Brian Dawkins, Eagles safety: "When the ball is snapped and the line's all low, and it's looking like a run -- everything is looking like a run, but if your eyes are not on the tight end or the receivers and they're releasing up the field, it's going to get you every time."

DeBerg: "In my mind I was trying to imagine that I was trying to make the ball disappear right in front of the defense's eyes. That's really kind of magic."

Attention to detail

DeBerg mastered the arcane art of the play-action pass and that skill helped him stay in the NFL for 18 seasons -- until the age of 45.

"It completely elevated and extended my game," DeBerg said. "It's attention to detail and it takes more effort to do it. Some quarterbacks just aren't willing to do the effort, but I believe it is very important.

"I would look at film from the 1940s and they'd do these things where you thought four different guys had the ball. It almost was like the Harlem Gobetrotters. They're doing stuff behind their back, between their legs. And then it became more and more of a passing game and the ball-handling skills became kind of a lost art."

Dick Vermeil coached both the Philadelphia Eagles and St. Louis Rams to the Super Bowl, thanks largely to his expertise on offense. He studied the play-action pass for years and came to the conclusion that his team's yards-per-completion and completion percentage were always "much better" with play-action.

Highest Play-Action Passer
Rating (Min. 50 Attempts)
Name Rating
1. Tom Brady 147.7
2. Jeff Garcia 132.4
3. Matt Schaub 117.4
4. Donovan McNabb 113.6
5. Matt Hasselbeck 111.6
7 (T). Peyton Manning 104.5
Elias Sports Bureau

"The real strong play-action [is] when everybody blocks the run full bore, then you start getting safeties coming up, especially when the tight end is down blocking and the guard is pulling and [the safety's] reading run all the way," Vermeil said.

"I like that kind of play-action, I really do."

Watch for it this weekend.

You may see Brady walk up under center on the Jacksonville goal line to operate the Patriots' short-yardage jumbo package, which features linebacker Junior Seau (at fullback) and Mike Vrabel (tight end). Brady likes to fake a handoff up the middle and, when the linebackers and safeties bite, feather a pass out to Vrabel, who has caught 11 touchdown passes, including two this season and two in Super Bowls.

Manning likes to fake the handoff to Joseph Addai, then throw it down the field to Reggie Wayne or Dallas Clark.

"If you think it's a run for a while against Peyton Manning, he's really going to hurt you," DeBerg said.

"He makes it look like a run for a real long time, and then sets up faster than anybody I've ever seen. He has a quick release and is accurate. In my opinion, Peyton's the best right now."

Greg Garber is a senior writer for ESPN.com.

http://completist.wordpress.com/2008/01/11/fernando-martinez/

Yesterday I spent some time looking at Carlos Gomez, so it only seems appropriate to follow that up by looking at Fernando Martinez who recently finished up a more than adequate year at AA ball as an 18 year old. The Mets are confident enough in their young outfield prospects that this off season they traded away Lastings Milledge, who was one of the most promising prospects they’ve had in years (I know there were a lot of issues surrounding his character, but in usual Mets fashion they bought high and sold low with Milledge). A lot of things have been said about Martinez, who has been dubbed F-Mart for short, and here are just a few of the quotes I found regarding this young slugger:

“Martinez looks like a young Ted Williams.” - Anonymous scout

“Fernandez has great posture for being so young.” - Rafael Bournigal, Mets’ director of international scouting

“What we saw in [Martinez] was a 16-year-old kid with power, great ability and great character, above everything else.” - Omar Minaya

“The 18-year-old has that special something that causes the ball to crack off his bat in an unparalleled tone.” - Adam Foster of projectprospect.com

Without having ever seen Martinez play in person, it’s hard for me to know if any of these quotes are completely accurate. To be called a “young Ted Williams” seems to be a bit of a stretch since I seriously doubt that there are any scouts still living that saw Williams play in the late 1930’s. However, all reports on F-Mart seem to be consistent with one another and it sounds like he’s a good kid with a nice power stroke type swing. Listed at about 6′ 2″ and 190 lbs, he has a good build for his age and if it weren’t for a BABIP of .200 at A+ in St. Lucie last year, F-Mart would have few doubters. He also recently had his season at AA ball cut short due to a hand injury that seemed to sap some of his power. Just from watching clips of him on YouTube, it looks like he has a nice quiet swing, but I think he often leaves too much weight on his back foot and as a result hits a lot of ground balls to the right side. If he learns to shift more of his weight forward I think his power numbers will improve.

Another important fact to point out is Martinez’s splits against lefties and righties. In 2006, he posted a .349/.482/.831 stat line against righties and a .289/.350/.639 line against lefties. That’s a fairly large disparity, especially when you consider that his BABIP against lefties was 80 points lower than his BABIP against righties and 9 of his 12 homeruns came against right handed pitchers. It’s not an unusual problem for a young hitter to face, and I think his stats versus LHPs will increase with time, but his advancement through the minors and his success in the majors will problem depend on how quickly that adjustment occurs.

As far as comparisons go, Martinez is a special case. Since he’s played through A and AA ball at such a young age, there are very few players that would provide accurate comparable stats to go by. F-Mart is the only player to have at least 100 at-bats in A+ ball that I could find, so that makes it very difficult to even begin a list of players to compare him to. Generally, we can expect a hitter that has played at AA by the age of 19 to reproduce those stats in the majors by the age of 22 or 23. As an example we’ll take a look at B.J. Upton, Jose Reyes, and Juan Gonzalez:

Of course these trends aren’t 100% guaranteed, but they give us a rudimentary baseline projection system that can give us an idea of what to expect from a young hitter. We also might want to consider that Martinez was injured in 2007, so his stats at AA ball weren’t as high as the possibly could have been. Taking that into consideration and applying his numbers to our trends to come up with a conservative projection for Martinez, we come up with something that looks like this:
There’s always a chance that Martinez will hit a growth spurt or make an adjustment that will increase his production, but he’s just as likely to flame out before he reaches the majors (see Andy Marte). If he stays on the projection course he’s on now, then I can see him posting a slugging percentage close to .500 and an on-base of about .350 with a few 30+ homeruns season during the prime of his career. I’ve heard that he’s fast and could steal a lot of bases, but his stats don’t support that rumor, so until he develops that skill set I think most of his value will come from what he does at the plate.

F-Mart has a lot of up-side, so these projection numbers are very preliminary, but I think he fits in with guys like Felix Pie, Hanley Ramirez and Cameron Maybin. That’s not a bad group to be in, but he’s definitely not the next Ted Williams and that will certainly come as a huge disappointment to a lot of Mets fans. In terms of card prices, as Martinez gets closer and closer to the majors, his prices will rise, but I think once he’s had 400-500 at-bats his prices will be significantly reduced. He might have a few good seasons early and that might translate into a rebound in prices, but for now there are much better investments out there. Wait to ick up some of his auto rookie cards after his first full year in the majors (the Mets are almost certain to bring him up before he’s ready) and then wait for his first big breakout performance and unload a few of them.

-Adam G.

http://www.minorleagueball.com/story/2008/1/11/133724/046

By FishHead
Posted on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 12:37:24 PM CDT

Considering this is a downtime for prospect talk, I figured we could get a little talk going about 2008 draft prospects. In my oppinion this is looking like a deep draft. Ive already come up with a mini-big board, all the info I have on guys is the stuff I read but here is my mini-big board:

1. 3B Pedro Alvarez
2. RHP Tim Melville HS
3. 1B Justin Smoak
4. SS Tim Beckham HS
5. LHP Brian Matusz
6. 1B Eric Hosmer HS
7. C Kyle Skipworth HS
8. RHP Tyson Ross
9. RHP Aaron Crow
10. RHP Alex Meyer HS
11. RHP Aaron Schafer
12. RHP Michale Pallazone HS
13. C Kyle Hightower HS
14. SS Harold Martinez HS
15. RHP BJ Hermsen HS
16. OF Isaac Galloway HS
17. RHP Garrit Cole HS
18. SS Brandon Crawford

Whats everyones oppinion and who are some guys im missing.

I found this article too on Eric Hosmer http://www.pgcrosschecker.com/2007/columnists/davidrawnsley/weeklycolumn/hosmer_special_hitter.aspx

The guy looks like a top prospect and if he didnt play first base he would possibly be the 2nd pick.

Ive heard Alvarez is one of the best hitting prospects to come out in the past 20 years.

And Ive also read that Matusz is only behind Santana in stuff right now!

What are everyones thoughts?

too early? no, too late

as an A's fan, i'm suddenly more interested in the 2009 draft. who's available at the top?

by jpahk on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 12:46:24 PM CDT


Not sure if he'll make his

way to the top of the list, but Robert Stock is someone to keep an eye out for. After skipping his senior year of high school, he'll only be 19 when draft eligible. He held his own as a 17 year old at USC.

Vogt early, Vogt often.
by Brickhaus on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 12:54:50 PM CDT
[ Parent ]


Wallace

Do not forget about Arizona State's Brett Wallace! He is the defending Pac-10 player of the year.

by gunkdog on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 01:00:26 PM CDT


Alonso?

No Yonder Alonso? He may go before Smoak.

by TheMike011 on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 01:08:04 PM CDT

http://rotoworld.com/content/home_MLB.aspx

A source told FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal that the Brewers and Mike Cameron have come to terms on a one-year deal.
It's very surprising to see Cameron settle for a one-year deal with at least a couple of other clubs interested in him. The Brewers will likely move Bill Hall to third base to make room for him. The move puts them in much better position to challenge the Cubs in the NL Central.
Source: FOXSports.com

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3192208

MLB said the unit "will have broad authority to conduct investigations." The limits of the unit were not immediately clear. Will it place moles in clubhouses? Will it secretly tail players away from ballparks?

Dan Mullin, a former New York City Police Officer who had been in baseball's senior director of security operations, was appointed vice president and head of the unit. George Hanna, a former FBI employee currently in baseball's security department, was appointed senior director of investigations.

MLB will require all employees of the team and the commissioner's office to report any information on the possible use of performance-enhancing drugs to the head of the department of investigations. All team baseball operations employees will be required to sign an annual statement that they have no undisclosed knowledge of drug use, possession or distribution by players or other team employees.

Following Mitchell's Lead

Highlights of commissioner Bud Selig's implementations based on George Mitchell's suggestions of policing drug use in the sport:

• Establishment of a department of investigations for the purpose of examining drug use
• Tip line for team employees to make Selig's office aware of violations of drug, betting and other rules
• Background checks and random drug tests for clubhouse employees
• Logging all packages sent to clubhouses
• Permanent credentials for drug testers

http://blogs.jsonline.com/brewers/archive/2008/01/11/brewers-reported-to-have-signed-cameron.aspx#comments


ESPN.com is reporting that the Brewers have reached a deal with free-agent centerfielder Mike Cameron.

I will get right on this and try to get it confirmed by either the club or the agent. But it certainly rings true to me, because as you bloggers know, I've been reporting for two days that the Brewers have been after Cameron.

Signing Cameron to play center would mean the Brewers are moving Bill Hall to third base and Ryan Braun from third to left. Cameron has to sit out the first 25 games, however, after being suspended for testing positive for a banned stimulant.

Stay tuned for more details.
Permalink | Mail to a friend
Comments
erbacaine

According to Fox Sports its a One year Deal so I like it....
January 11, 2008 2:15 PM | ReportAbuse
Vernon County Eddie

I like the signing.

But I don't follow the logic that it means Hall has to go to third and Braund to left.

Why not leave Braun, and move Hall to left.

Braun will get better, and we've got an up and coming left fielder.

why not, Tom?
January 11, 2008 2:18 PM | ReportAbuse
InFact

Sweet:

88-74
January 11, 2008 2:18 PM | ReportAbuse
Smoove D

What doesn't make sense is how LaPorta fits into this. Will Braun move again when LaPorta (to where?) comes up? Do they expect Fielder to be gone by then, opening a spot for LaPorta at 1B? WIll they leave Braun at third, move Hall to LF, and move Hall back to CF when LaPorta comes up?
January 11, 2008 2:19 PM | ReportAbuse
THE EXPRESS

Booooooooooo
January 11, 2008 2:20 PM | ReportAbuse
hmmmm

can cameron play right? is he better defensively than corey in center?
January 11, 2008 2:22 PM | ReportAbuse
julio machado

Will Drew Anderson finally be outrighted?
January 11, 2008 2:23 PM | ReportAbuse
pnedwek

The issue with Braun at 3B is more than just errors - its that his range is atrocious. I saw a stat that he had the 2nd worst 3B range for a full time starter of all time. If a 3B can't get to the ball, thats way more hits allowed than a pitching staff like the Brewers need since they aren't exactly Johan Santana to begin with.
January 11, 2008 2:23 PM | ReportAbuse
hoopsnerd

SmooveD: It's just a 1 year deal, I think they'll get rid of Cameron when/if La Porta is ready for the big show.

I don't really like it, but it can't really be assessed until we see what moves this was the precursor too.
January 11, 2008 2:23 PM | ReportAbuse
derflotr

ONE-YEAR deal, according to Foxsports.

Much improved defense, even more firepower with a bit more plate patience...this could be a very good signing.
January 11, 2008 2:24 PM | ReportAbuse
riversitter

freeaking head scratcher
January 11, 2008 2:24 PM | ReportAbuse
brewguru

Doug Melvin should be fired.
January 11, 2008 2:24 PM | ReportAbuse
pixote

"Here's the pitch -- curveball -- ooh, big swing and a miss! Strike three! That's his third strikeout of the afternoon, and the Brewers leave the bases loaded yet again."
January 11, 2008 2:24 PM | ReportAbuse
hoopsnerd

hmmm: Cameron is a stud defensive CFer, the problem is that he's a free swinging (160 SO) hitter and we need OBP. He's also bats R and we need a lefty.
January 11, 2008 2:24 PM | ReportAbuse
SouthSideRob

Another right-handed bat that has trouble making contact so basically we signed the right-handed version of Geoff Jenkins. God I hope this is just a small deal for a larger deal down the road. This is the only way this signing makes any sense...
January 11, 2008 2:25 PM | ReportAbuse
Dfre13

I hope DM knows what he is doing. I don't agree with this at all. I would rather have Geoff Jenkins than Cameron, at least Jenkins is a left-handed hitter and probably would be cheaper.

He is essentially Bill Hall (strikes out a lot) with a better outfield glove. Plus we won't see him until late April/early May.
January 11, 2008 2:26 PM | ReportAbuse
PlayoffsorBust

LaPorta is at best 2 years away - too long for the Brewers to worry about as far as personell moves go. This team has to win now, and thinking about LaPorta all the time isn't going to do that - I definetly don't want to put all outfield moves on hold because a young star MIGHT turn out to be a stud in 2 years - the Brewers have looked to winning in the future for a sickening amount of time. I think DM knows that he and Yost are on the chopping block if this season doesn't produce. I like the move in that it helps our defense in a number of areas.
January 11, 2008 2:26 PM | ReportAbuse
force out

Dude! This is rad. He's like a poor man's Torii Hunter, and I mean that as a compliment.
January 11, 2008 2:26 PM | ReportAbuse
PeteRose

Perfect, I love this signing. We cannot go wrong with a one-year deal. My buddy, in San Diego, says Cameron can mash the ball, and is a great fielder. Our defense and team speed drastically increases with the signing. . .GOOD WORK DOUG MELVIN.

Albeit, I still do not like Bill Hall and Cameron in the same line-up.
January 11, 2008 2:28 PM | ReportAbuse
mikeyb

Heck yea! Now, Melvin can sit back and wait for the proposals to come for Capuano/Bush/Vargas without having to fill a need. Definitely stoked about this move. The Brewers should be able to make a final evaluation on Gwynn Jr. now when Cam sits out against righties and serves his 25-game suspension.

http://blogs.jsonline.com/brewers/default.aspx

I just got it confirmed that the Brewers indeed have signed free-agent centerfielder Mike Cameron. The deal is for one year plus a club option for 2009 but I haven't learned the financial numbers yet.

After serving a 25-game suspension at the start of the season for testing positive for a banned stimulant last year, Cameron will take over in center field for the Brewers. Bill Hall will move from center to third base, with Ryan Braun shifting from third to left.

Cameron, 35, has played for the Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati, Seattle, the New York Mets and San Diego in 13 seasons in the majors. He is a career .251 hitter with 216 home runs, 786 RBI and a .341 on-base percentage.

Last year in San Diego, Cameron batted .242 with 21 homers and 78 RBI in 151 games. He is a three-time Gold Glove winner.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3192184

The Milwaukee Brewers have reached an agreement with center fielder Mike Cameron, according to major league sources.

Cameron, 34, hit 21 homers and drove in 78 runs for the Padres last year. He will miss the first 25 games of the 2008 season, as he serves a suspension under the terms of baseball's drug-testing program.

Cameron will presumably play center field for the Brewers, who have reportedly spoken with Bill Hall, the team's center fielder last year, about moving to third base. If that happens, Ryan Braun would shift from third base to left field.

Buster Olney is a senior baseball writer for ESPN The Magazine.

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7663966

Free-agent center fielder Mike Cameron has reached preliminary agreement with the Brewers on a one-year contract with a club option for 2009, according to major-league sources.


The deal is pending a physical.

The Yankees had aggressively pursued Cameron, but their decision to pass on him indicates that they are still considering a trade for Twins left-hander Johan Santana. They were not willing to absorb the salaries of both Cameron and Santana, sources say.

The Brewers had wanted a quick answer from Cameron, intending to pursue other free agents if he signed with another club. The Yankees were unwilling to abandon their pursuit of Santana in order to sign Cameron.

The addition of Cameron likely will result in the Brewers moving Bill Hall to third base and Ryan Braun to left field.

Cameron, 35, will miss the first 25 games next season while serving a suspension for testing positive for a banned stimulant.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/

According to Ken Rosenthal, the Brewers have signed center fielder Mike Cameron to a one-year deal with a club option for 2009. The amount is not yet known, but this seems like a solid move by Doug Melvin.

Rosenthal adds that one reason the Yankees may have passed is that they were unwilling to pay both Cameron and Johan Santana. (Really?)

Once Cameron finishes his 25 game stimulant suspension, he'll push Bill Hall to third and Ryan Braun to left field. So the Brewers gain defensively and get a career .251/.341/.445 hitter to play center (definitely above average for the position).

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/


Your usual dose of random rumors and links...

* The Reds brought Walt Jocketty aboard as a special advisor to President and CEO Bob Castellini today. For now, Wayne Krivsky's job appears safe. But jeez, with Walt in the house he has to be feeling a little pressure, doesn't he? In other news, the Reds talked with Brett Tomko's agent this week.
* The Tigers signed Matt Mantei for the league minimum. He can ask for his release if he's not in the bigs by May 1st. As Jon Paul Morosi notes Mantei hasn't pitched in the Majors for more than two years.
* RotoAuthority ranks the third basemen for fantasy baseball.
* Buster Olney says the A's talks with the Braves for Mark Kotsay "have a chance of becoming serious today."
* Gotham Baseball's Mark Healey has a source who believes the Mets will get Johan Santana "no matter what they have to do."
* The Rangers made the Eddie Guardado deal official, and also brought Jamey Wright back on a minor league contract.

http://gothambaseballmagazine.com/forums/index.php?topic=583.0

Had a very intertesting talk today with one of my MLB guys...he says that the Mets are going to get Johan "no matter what they have to do"

This guy would know, so I'm starting to think it will happen.

http://www.metsblog.com/

...posted by Matthew Cerrone...

…this has me a bit worried…

The Yankees are showing ‘serious interest’ in free-agent OF Mike Cameron, writes Ken Rosenthal at FoxSports.com.

…it seems to me that if the Yankees acquire cameron, Melky Cabrera will be as good as traded…however, where will he be traded to…hopefully not to the Twins, along with Phil Hughes, in a deal for Johan Santana…instead, from what i can gather, melky could be used in a deal to get a set-up man, which could allow Joba Chamberlain to slip back in to the starting rotation…

…as i said yesterday, and this is total speculation, but i wonder if all the rumored talk between the Red Sox and Twins and the Yankees and Twins has more to do with Joe Nathan than santana…just a thought…

…Update…3:00 pm…

According to Buster Olney at ESPN.com, the Brewers are ‘on the verge of an agreement’ with Cameron.

…thanks to Jason B for the link, and thanks to buster for calming my initial fears…

…Update…3:20 pm…

According to Rosenthal’s recent report, Cameron and the Brewers have reached agreement on a one-year deal.

…well, that was quick…

http://gothambaseballmagazine.com/forums/index.php?topic=583.0

Had a very intertesting talk today with one of my MLB guys...he says that the Mets are going to get Johan "no matter what they have to do"

This guy would know, so I'm starting to think it will happen.

Joba Chamberlain to start the year in the Pen?
lookoutformn Post #1: 2:45 pm Quote | Report Violation
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Yankees GM Brain Cashman said that due to an unspecified innings limit on Joba Chamberlain in 2008, the 22-year-old could begin the year in the pen.


per rotoworld
LouHermanMantle Post #2: 2:49 pm Quote | Report Violation
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If Hank only learned to SHUT UP then we might not be talking about this. What part of Cashman has control over operations doesn't he understand? I hated George...in a good way, but this guy is just ticking me off.....


KingofNYCEH1 Post #3: 2:58 pm Quote | Report Violation
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I feel Joba is better off in the pen this season. I just don't trust Farnsworth. Besides kennedy could be the 5th starter.

Wang

Pettitte

Hughes

Mussina

Kennedy
lookoutformn Post #4: 3:43 pm Quote | Report Violation
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I feel Joba is better off in the pen this season. I just don't trust Farnsworth. Besides kennedy could be the 5th starter.

Wang

Pettitte

Hughes

Mussina

Kennedy


you think Kennedy is ready?
KingofNYCEH1 Post #5: 3:47 pm Quote | Report Violation
Total Posts: 2172


I feel Joba is better off in the pen this season. I just don't trust Farnsworth. Besides kennedy could be the 5th starter.

Wang

Pettitte

Hughes

Mussina

Kennedy


you think Kennedy is ready?



We'll find out. In the few innings he pitched, he did pretty well.
El_Dood Post #6: 3:53 pm Quote | Report Violation
Total Posts: 1266


The Yanks are smart to keep Joba in the 'pen to start the '08 season. He's simply not ready to take on a starter's full season workload...here's what he's done in recent years:

'05: ~120 IP at Nebraska
'06: ~90 IP at Nebraska
'07: ~115 IP total between the minor & majors

If they were to throw him into the rotation right off the bat, he'd be potentially doubling the workload his arm has been accustomed to over the last few years. To rush him like that - a la Mark Prior - would be very short-sighted. Let him build up his endurance and ease him into the higher IP #'s...perhaps by mid-season or so they'll look at moving him into the rotation.