Hank: ‘Prior? We don’t want no stinkin’ Prior.’

http://riveraveblues.com/


Mark Prior is every baseball fan’s fantasy: A free agent pitcher with a career Major League K/9 IP of 10.37 and a career ERA of 3.51.

Of course, the flip side of that fantasy is Mark Prior’s current nightmare. Since carrying to the Cubs to within one bad play by their short stop of a World Series berth and throwing 235 innings in the process, Mark Prior has never been healthy. Since the end of 2005, he’s thrown just 43.2 innings of baseball, and after shoulder surgery last year, at the age of 27, Prior is trying to prove himself all over again.

For Yankee fans, Mark Prior would be everything Johan Santana, the other object of our dreams, is not. Prior is no sure thing. We don’t know how his arm will hold up or what sort of stuff he’ll have after an extensive rehab period. But he’s also carries a “low risk, very high reward” potential. So why not give him a contract offer and hope that, when he returns in May or June, he can throw four months of solid baseball?

Well, not so fast, says Hank Steinbrenner, the new Voice of the Yankees. In an article that says the Yankees have “an outside chance” at acquiring Johan Santana - is that even news anymore anyway? - Steinbrenner said the Yanks are going to pass on Prior. “We kind of looked into it, but at this point, no,” he said, sounding much like a 16-year-old girl.

I’m not sure why the Yanks are passing on Prior. Perhaps he’s indicated that he doesn’t want to come to New York or pitch in the American League. If that’s the case, I don’t blame him. New York isn’t exactly the city to come to if you carry around the potential of a Mark Prior but need some time to prove your health and ability.

But if the Yanks are passing on Mark Prior for reasons not related to his health, they’re probably making a little bit of a mistake. They’ve got nothing to lose from having Prior around and everything to gain.

Comments

13 Comments

1.
David says:
December 20th, 2007 at 11:05 am (Reply)

I wish Hank would just shut the hell up and let Cashman run this team.
1.
TurnTwo says:
December 20th, 2007 at 11:12 am (Reply)

do we know Cashman isnt running this team?
1.
Geno says:
December 20th, 2007 at 11:48 am (Reply)

Hanky on whether it’s he or Cash calling the shots: “The decision is my decision,” Steinbrenner said. “It doesn’t matter one way or another what somebody . . . you have to take advice, but ultimately, the owner has to make a decision.”
1.
TurnTwo says:
December 20th, 2007 at 11:54 am (Reply)

and rightfully so; he does pay the bills… thats the arrangement with any team, not just with the Steinbrenners.
2.
JRVJ says:
December 20th, 2007 at 11:20 am (Reply)

I’m pretty sure I read somewhere that Prior wanted to sign a one-year contract (to prove himself and go back to the FA market for 2009), and that he was to be available (at best) mid-season.

Do the Yanks really need a Prior rental for the latter half of 2008?

Phrased differently, assuming the Yanks keep the big 3, will Horne, et. al. not be available to pitch in the majors in the latter half of 2008?

Frankly, I think Horne and others will be available (and acceptable) in the latter half of 2008 if the Yanks need him/them.

From other things I’ve read, I get the impression there’s going to be a feeding frenzy for Prior (i.e., he’s not going to sign a $1-2 MM contract).

So to summarize, I’m not all that convinced Prior is necessary, but yes, he’d be interesting if he wanted to sign a cheap contract. If not, not so much.

P.S. Assuming the Yanks keep the big 3, the Yanks will probably have some spare arms in AAA (Igawa, Karstens) which won’t make the big league team.

I would not be against showcasing those young guys in spring training and even the early part of the season, and trading them ASAP for some value.
3.
Nefarious Jackson says:
December 20th, 2007 at 11:23 am (Reply)

For the love of GOD HANKenSTEIN SHUT THE F*CK UP ALREADY!!!
4.
Kanst says:
December 20th, 2007 at 11:25 am (Reply)

If I am Prior there is no way I go to the Yankees. They are in the AL, have a poor defense and no spot for him in the rotation. If I am Prior I am trying my hardest to end up in San Diego, great weather, great home pitchers park, chance to compete, weaker league.
5.
TurnTwo says:
December 20th, 2007 at 11:33 am (Reply)

Prior reportedly picked SD as his first choice, but they arent offering as much money as some other teams. I think i read that on mlbtraderumors the other day.
6.
Barry says:
December 20th, 2007 at 11:36 am (Reply)

All this Prior coveting is pretty silly I think. At this point, he’s not even worth Eric Duncan or Tyler Clippard. The chances of him ever pitching in the majors again is small, and ever pitching effectively is infinitesimal. His arm has already passed the point of no return. A couple of years ago, after several months of rehab, the hardest he could throw was low-80s velocity. He promptly injured him arm again afterward.
1.
Ben K. says:
December 20th, 2007 at 11:38 am (Reply)

Not true. He tried to rehab without surgery and couldn’t come back. Then he had surgery. Considering the success rates of surgery these days, what’s making you say that he’s passed the point of no return? You’ve seen his MRI results?
7.
Rob says:
December 20th, 2007 at 11:40 am (Reply)

I love Hank (so long as he doesn’t trade Hughes)!

The reason they shouldn’t be interested in Prior: He’s back on the market next year. Prior’s agent is telling teams they won’t do any two-year deals or even one year with an option. At best, the Yanks would get a few solid months. Then he’s back on the market again.

Worse, they have six legit starting pitchers right now. And Horne will be ready when Prior would be. I say, let Prior prove himself on another team, then pay him if he does.
8.
steve (different one) says:
December 20th, 2007 at 11:41 am (Reply)

question: if you are Mark Prior and your mission for 2008 is to take a 1 year contract to restore your market value and cash in next offseason, why on earth would you sign with a team in the AL East?

answer: you wouldn’t.

you would go to an NL team with a big ballpark.

the only way the yankees would have a shot to get Prior would be to make an offer that is foolish given his situation.

it’s just not a good fit.
9.
Bo says:
December 20th, 2007 at 11:46 am (Reply)

Prior doesnt want a 2 yr deal. And why would the Yanks pay him for one yr and not reap the benefits in yr 2?

http://nc.startribune.com/blogs/neal/?p=299

There’s a good chance I may be unable to post until late today (if at all), so I’ll tee up a few things for you now, based on some responses I’ve read here.

Who’s really interested in Santana?: The way it was laid out to me, there are several teams interested, but the Red Sox and Yankees remain the two main suitors. Other teams will indicate that they might get heavily involved but, as of this writing, have yet to make a strong offer. The Angels, Mariners and Mets all have shown some degree of interest in recent weeks. I hate to write it again, but everything can change with one phone call.

What’s the deal with the Mets? Do they really have a shot? I still hear that, unless the names Wright and Reyes enter the picture (and I doubt they will), the Mets have no shot. The word at the winter meetings was that the Mets kept their name involved for PR purposes. This is an indication that the Twins may not be that fond of some of the Mets prospects.

The Yankees are in…no they’re out….they may be really close to getting Santana…no, now Hank says they’re on the outside: Heh, Hank Steinbrenner has to be a reporter’s dream. I think it’s obvious that Steinbrenner and GM Brian Cashman are sparring over players to offer to the Twins, but you can never count them out because they need Santana more than the Red Sox do and they can pay Santana what he wants. Hank could pop off at any time and say, “Costanza, get in here! Look, this Santana guy is just what we need, JUST WHAT WE NEED! I want him, and I want YOU go to Minneapolis and get him!'’

While we’re at it, why DO the Red Sox want Santana? We already have a good rotation…. This is not about the Red Sox keeping Santana away from the Yankees or making the Yankees drive up the price. I know a few Red Sox people. Boston trains in Fort Myers where the Twins are and I bump into their people all the time. I met GM Theo Epstein and assistant GM Jed Hoyer at the winter meetings when they were just wandering around the hotel with nothing to do. I’ve had no choice but to talk about, `The Nation.’ The Red Sox want to dominate. They want to build a dynasty in the AL East and keep the Yankees reeling for as many years as they can. A rotation of Josh Beckett, Santana, Dice-K and Schilling with Tim Wakefield and Clay Buchholz also in play helps them achieve their domination goals.

Are the Twins really serious about opening the season with Santana in the rotation? I, too, find that hard to believe. Most players who enter their walk year want to keep walking. While Santana’s camp hasn’t come out and said it, there are some rumbling that he won’t waive his no-trade clause during the regular season.

The Twins maintain that they aren’t afraid to open the season with Santana, and they may be willing to call his bluff at trade deadline. That’’s a big gamble. They should be looking to get the best deal possible now. If they can get four players in return for Santana, just look at what your getting with the top two players in that deal and hope player Nos. 3 and 4 will be equal to what you’d get in compensation picks. So as long as they are satisfied with the quality up top, they should pull the trigger.

Why can’t the Twins sign Santana? The Twins did offer a four-year, $80 million extension, which shows that, no matter who the pitcher is, they won’t sign someone for five, six, seven years. Many of those deals (Kevin Brown, Mike Hampton, Denny Neagle) end up being wasted money by the time the deal expires. You would think that Santana would be special case but, again, history warns against such a commitment. Just like with Torii Hunter and Carlos Silva, someone will pay Santana much more than the Twins.

If I were a fan, I would not let this organization off the hook because of that. The Twins could have signed a few players a year ago before salaries jumped forward again. Now that Joe Nathan has watched Mariano Rivera sign for $15 million a year at his advanced age, what do you think No. 36 is worth?

Not signing Santana a year ago, when he was asking them to, was a massive mistake. Now new GM Bill Smith is having sleepless nights trying to make a good Santana deal. Ownership needs to be proactive. It’s a $6 billion industry. Everyone is making money, right Carl?

What about Nathan? The Cubs? I still expect the Twins to look to trade Nathan once they move Santana. Just in case Santana does wind up with the Twins in April, you might as well keep the closer and see where the chips fall. If Nathan is put in play, I would expect several teams to jump at him. He’s too good and he’s inexpensive this season. I wrote last week that the Cubs would be interested if Nathan is put on the market. A radio station in Chicago mentioned Carlos Marmol as possible trade bait, someone here immediately threw Felix Pie into the deal. This has been advanced farther it should be. Nathan wasn’t on the trade block, last time I checked.

Ben Revere? Someone threw out this name too. First of all, I believe Revere hasn’t been in the organization long enough to be dealt. Secondly, he’s good. You want to keep Revere. He’s very fast, they think he’ll hit and he may be able to drop a few over the fence. Denard Span is still a good prospect, but there are people in the organization who feel Revere has more upside. Too bad he’ll need several more years before he’s ready.

So….what’s your gut feeling: I still think he’ll end up with the Red Sox, and I don’t mind either package. I will say this: Some Twins people like Coco Crip and feel he can get back to his game if gets out of Boston. I think that’s possible, but Ellsbury could be very good. He had a .389 OBP throughout his minor league career and the Twins have watched him develop while facing their teams in the Gulf Coast League, Eastern League and Internatonal League. They know what they’re getting.

The Yankees have no shot if Hughes (a super stud of a prospect) isn’t in the deal.

Before I’d say yes to Theo, I would call the Angels and Dodgers one last time…

liondragon says:

December 20th, 2007 at 10:51 am

thanks for the update lavelle

Hawk says:

December 20th, 2007 at 10:56 am

LEN3…next time the Stribs toilet backs up, let maintenance handle it….or do they have you doing double duty?

JayTEE says:

December 20th, 2007 at 10:56 am

Thanks for addressing this stuff head-on. As opening day draws nearer, is there a point at which the Yankees say “Let’s wait until October. We can sign Santana as a free agent for about 5 million more a year than now but we won’t have to give anyone up?

Kevin H says:

December 20th, 2007 at 10:58 am

If Smith doesn’t get a deal of at least the quality of Cabrera and Hughes, he comes off as a total buffoon. And make no mistake, even Lester and Ellsbury are inferior to Cabrera and Hughes. Ellsbury is better than Cabrera, but Hughes is FAR, FAR better than Lester.

Tedge says:

December 20th, 2007 at 10:58 am

Just to bring it over to this one.

Pelfrey was a big time prospect for the mets that they drafted out of Wichita St. in 2005 and gave him a big signing bonus. He progressed very quickly through the minors but had a less than inspiring debut in the majors. This reduced his prospect status from potential #1 starter to more middle of the rotation. There are still many people that think that Pelfrey will be a very good pitcher and that 2007 was just growing pains that so many young pitchers experience. He’s 23, 6′ 7″ and throws very hard. He’s pretty much a two pitch pitcher (Fastball, changeup) and has to work on developing his slider. He wouldn’t be that bad of a player to get in a trade because he has a great arm. He almost sounds like he would make a good closer if he improves his control.

Major League Stats:
Record: 5-9
ERA: 5.55
OBA: .300
WHIP: 1.71
K/9: 5.59
K/BB: 1.14

Minor League Stats:
Record: 10-9
ERA: 3.12
OBA: .232
WHIP: 1.26
K/9: 8.53
K/BB: 2.69

One could say that his minor league numbers should translate to major league success. He’s still young and only has pitching parts of two major league seasons, albeit not very well.

Hughes is the best prospect and best player being offered to us in the Johan trade talks.

I think we should center a package around him, the only other pitcher that comes even close to matching his current skillset or potential is Clay Bucholz, and from what I have read he hasnt been offered to us in any trades.

snepp says:

December 20th, 2007 at 11:09 am

Denard Span is still a good prospect

Does the organization still view him that way?

BeardedTree says:

December 20th, 2007 at 11:11 am

Kevin H,

Its not just Lester/Ellsbury vs. Hughes/Cabrera. Its Lester/Ellsbury/(and another prospect or two) vs. Hughes/Cabrera

SBG says:

December 20th, 2007 at 11:12 am

If I were a fan, I would not let this organization off the hook because of that. The Twins could have signed a few players a year ago before salaries jumped forward again. Now that Joe Nathan has watched Mariano Rivera sign for $15 million a year at his advanced age, what do you think No. 36 is worth?

Not signing Santana a year ago, when he was asking them to, was a massive mistake. Now new GM Bill Smith is having sleepless nights trying to make a good Santana deal. Ownership needs to be proactive. It’s a $6 billion industry. Everyone is making money, right Carl?

In other words, last year’s off season (and the one before that) was an unqualified disaster, the ramifications of which we’ll feel for some time. Perhaps ownership’s response was to nudge the former GM aside.

As Twins Fans I heard Redsox still reluctant to include Ellsbury in deal for Johan instead Coco stinkin Crisp. No deal if The Redsox don't include Ellsbury/Buccholz. Walk away.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3163105

The baseball from the final out of the 2007 World Series is at Jonathan Papelbon's home in Hattiesburg, Md., according to the Hattiesburg American.

Well, part of it is.

The rest? You should ask the Boss.

If he could talk, he might say it was delicious. But the most he'll say is "woof."

"Boss," you see, is Jonathan Papelbon's dog. Boss likes to play with baseballs. And Boss found the baseball that Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek gave the closer after he struck out the Rockies' Seth Smith to clinch Boston's second World Series title in four years, the newspaper reported.

And Papelbon was left with a common excuse for not doing one's homework to explain what happened to a historic baseball artifact.

"My dog ate it," Papelbon told the newspaper. "He plays with baseballs like they are his toys. His name is Boss. He jumped up one day on the counter and snatched it. He likes rawhide. He tore that thing to pieces.

"I'll keep what's left of it," he told the paper.

After the 2004 World Series, the Red Sox and first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz haggled over custody of the ball that produced the final out of the team's Series championship in 86 years. Both sides eventually decided to give the ball to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Here you go. GET SANTANA YANKS. Give up Hughes, Cabrera, Jackson, Horne. That would give us a BONAFIDE Rotation. Check it out. 1)Santana 2)Wang 3)Chamberlin 4)Pettite 5)Kennedy. Granted Pettite will not be for too long but. anyone can find a 5 spot starter. maybe Rasner-Brackman.

Posted by: Yankees > Red Sox | December 20, 2007 at 10:54 AM

Dear Hankenstein:
Please refrain from any and all public comments until there is an agreed-to deal in place. At that time, we will host a press conference where we will make all senior Yankee leadership available to the Press. Answering every phone call from every credentialed writer, while noble, is not the way to conduct yourself or represent the views of the entire organization (specifically the "baseball people").

We need to conduct negotiations in a closed door environment. Opening the kimono for all to see reduces leverage and makes us look foolish (at best) and forces us to overpay (at worst). We've gone through great lengths to build and cultivate respect amongst our peers (GMs) and conducting negotiations through the Press undermines those well crafted efforts.

I'll call you as soon as we have anything viable to discuss.

Best Regards,
Brian Cashman
General Manager and Senior Vice President of Baseball Operations
New York Yankees Baseball Club
http://itsaboutthemoney.blogspot.com/

Posted by: jnr98 | December 20, 2007 at 11:05 AM

Santana is not going to the Red Sox. How long does it take to figure out who the fourth minor leaguer is going to be? So one more dinky player is going to make Bill Smith jump at the res Dox pile of garbage? Theo's not budging and all the leaks are just to drive up the proce for the Yankees. That's why they backed out originally (and maybe it's working).

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/jon_weisman/12/20/nl.rotations/index.html


Here's how they look, team-by-team.

Arizona Diamondbacks (16 points)

• Super above-average (4): Brandon Webb
• Above-average (6): Danny Haren, Micah Owings
• Average to above-average (2): Doug Davis
• Mystery (1): Randy Johnson
• Up-and-coming (3): Yusmeiro Petit, Esmerling Vasquez, Max Scherzer
• Below-average (0): Edgar Gonzalez, Dustin Nippert, Enrique Gonzalez

Comment: The acquisition Friday of Haren appeared to vault Arizona to the top. But even with the ex-Oakland hurler alongside the superb Webb (and the slugging Owings, whose hot hitting lifts him to the above-average category), the Diamondbacks won't intimidate you at the back end of the rotation -- at least until one of their prospects matures or Johnson shows he can stay healthy at age 44. Even a great group like this is fallible.

Los Angeles Dodgers (16 points)

• Above-average (9): Chad Billingsley, Brad Penny, Derek Lowe
• Mystery (2): Jason Schmidt, Hiroki Kuroda
• Up-and-coming (4): James McDonald, Clayton Kershaw, Hong-Chih Kuo, Scott Elbert/Jonathan Meloan
• Below-average (0): Esteban Loaiza, D.J. Houlton, Eric Stults

Comment: The front three is formidable, with Billingsley poised to become the staff ace. Question marks abound thereafter -- with Schmidt perhaps never regaining his old stuff, Kuroda needing to show his ability to transition to the U.S. and a long list of prospects needing to prove themselves (or a change to prove themselves) in the majors.

Milwaukee Brewers (14 points)

• Above-average (9): Ben Sheets, Carlos Villanueva, Yovani Gallardo
• Average to above-average (4): Jeff Suppan, Chris Capuano
• Up-and-coming (1): Manny Parra
• Below-average (0): David Bush, Claudio Vargas

Comment: Villenueva and Gallardo might not be national names (compared to Sheets, anyway), but they are the keys to making the Brewers' rotation among the tops in the league. Suppan and Capuano could be as good as you'll find in the No. 4 and No. 5 slots of an NL rotation -- and Bush has his fans as well.

Atlanta Braves (13 points)

• Above-average (6 points): John Smoltz, Tim Hudson
• Average to above-average (4): Tom Glavine, Chuck James
• Mystery (1): Mike Hampton
• Up-and-coming (2): Jair Jurrjens, Jo-Jo Reyes
• Below-average (0): Dan Smith, Jeff Bennett

Comment: Two keys to Atlanta's rotation, Smoltz and prodigal son Glavine, are each more than 40 years old, and Hampton hasn't pitched in a regular season game in more than two seasons. Jurrjens and Reyes are up-and-coming but unproven. And yet, as you'll see, this group qualifies as the best group of starters in the NL East.

San Diego Padres (13 points)

• Super above-average (4): Jake Peavy
• Above-average (3): Chris Young
• Average to above-average (2): Greg Maddux
• Mystery (1): Randy Wolf
• Up-and-coming (3): Justin Germano, Wade LeBlanc, Will Inman
• Below-average (0): Jack Cassel, Clay Hensley, Tim Stauffer, Cesar Ramos, Glendon Rusch

Comment: Some look longingly at Cy Young winner Peavy, but there are question marks behind the Padre ace. Young pitched superbly in '07 but missed several starts, while Maddux never missed a start but has become an average pitcher in his 40s. San Diego is taking a chance on Wolf, whom the Dodgers declined to resign after an injury-marred year.

San Francisco Giants (12 points)

• Above-average (6): Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum
• Average to above-average (5): Barry Zito, Noah Lowry, Kevin Correia
• Up-and-coming (1): Jonathan Sanchez
• Below-average (0): Nick Pereira

Comment: The Giants should be upbeat about their starting pitching, if only because they have little else to be happy about in the post-Barry Bonds era. High-salaried Zito was a disappointment in '07, but youngsters Cain and Lincecum particularly impressed. With Lowry giving you decent outings and Sanchez on the horizon, San Francisco has itself a staff of quality, if lacking in depth.

Colorado Rockies (11 points)

• Above-average (6): Jeff Francis, Aaron Cook
• Up-and-coming (5): Franklin Morales, Ubaldo Jimenez, Jason Hirsh, Greg Reynolds, Taylor Buchholz

Comment: Colorado's rotation is the fifth from the NL West to be in the top half of the league. Two solid leaders, and then five younger fellows with potential who will have to sort themselves out. In theory, last year's playoff run will have provided valuable experience.


New York Mets (11 points)

• Above-average (3): John Maine
• Mystery (5): Oliver Perez, Orlando Hernandez, Aaron Heilman, Pedro Martinez*
• Up-and-coming (3): Mike Pelfrey, Phillip Humber, Kevin Mulvey
• Below-average (0): Jorge Sosa
* extra point given to Martinez for his super above-average potential

Comment: The potential of the Mets' rotation is exceeded only by its mystery, with the performance of pitchers who were injured and/or inconsistent in '07 too difficult to call.

Chicago Cubs (10 points)

• Above-average (9): Ted Lilly, Carlos Zambrano, Rich Hill
• Up-and-coming (1): Sean Marshall
• Below-average (0): Jason Marquis, Sean Gallagher, Kevin Hart

Comment: Lilly could get one less point and Zambrano one more, but it all evens out for now. In any case, the front three would give a team like the Dodgers a healthy battle, but the Cubs' depth consists of low-ceiling major-leaguers and prospects.

Philadelphia Phillies (10 points)

• Above-average (9): Cole Hamels, Kyle Kendrick, Brett Myers
• Mystery (1): Ryan Madson
• Below-average (0): Adam Eaton, J.D. Durbin, Francisco Rosario, Zach Segovia, J.A. Happ, Jamie Moyer

Comment: Hamels might only need an injury-free season to challenge for Cy Young award honors. But Kendrick and Myers have their flaws, and there isn't much else to shout about.

Cincinnati Reds (9 points)

• Above-average (6): Aaron Harang, Bronson Arroyo
• Up-and-coming (3): Homer Bailey, Johnny Cueto, Matthew Maloney
• Below-average (0): Matt Belisle, Bobby Livingston, Tom Shearn

Comment: Harang and Arroyo have done right by the Reds, but Bailey and Cueto can't arrive fast enough. It will be interesting to see how new manager Dusty Baker handles them.

Houston Astros (8 points)

• Super above-average (4): Roy Oswalt
• Mystery (1): Brandon Backe
• Up-and-coming (3): Troy Patton, Juan Gutierrez, Felipe Paulino
• Below-average (0): Wandy Rodriguez, Woody Williams, Chris Sampson

Comment: Oswalt is something like the Lone Gunman on a staff that will be struggling almost every other game, at least if this is the group to choose from at the start of the season.

Pittsburgh Pirates (6 points)

• Above-average (3): Tom Gorzelanny
• Average to above-average (2): Ian Snell
• Up-and-coming (1): Ty Taubenheim
• Below-average (0): Paul Maholm, Matt Morris, Zach Duke, John Van Benschoten, Yoslan Herrera, Bryan Bullington, Phil Dumatrait

Comment: At this point, it might be worth the trouble to distinguish the below-average talent from the really below average talent. All I can say is, the Pirates and the teams below them are the furthest from fielding a competitive rotation.

St. Louis Cardinals (6 points)

• Above-average (3): Adam Wainwright
• Mystery (1): Chris Carpenter
• Up-and-coming (2): Jamie Garcia, Anthony Reyes
• Below-average (0): Joel Pineiro, Brad Thompson, Braden Looper, Mike Maroth, Mark Mulder, Mitch Boggs

Comment: Thin.

Florida Marlins (5 points)

• Mystery (2): Anibal Sanchez, Josh Johnson
• Up-and-coming (3): Rick VandenHurk, Andrew Miller, Daniel Barone
• Below-average (0): Scott Olsen, Sergio Mitre, Ricky Nolasco, Chris Seddon

Comment: Thinner.

Washington Nationals (3 points)

• Mystery (3): John Patterson, Shawn Hill, Tim Redding
• Below-average (0): Jason Bergmann, Matt Chico, Tyler Clippard, John Lannan, Joel Hanrahan, Mike Bacsik, Collin Balester

Comment: Thinnest.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/tim_layden/12/19/steroid.accountability/index.html

This is great news, really. It turns out baseball doesn't really have a steroid problem at all. Never did.

What it had was a lot of players who experimented with steroids, and then, upon seeing the error of their ways, repented and went back to good old hard work. And some other players used steroids or human growth hormone to recover from injuries, but not to improve their performance.

Whew. This is comforting because, you know, after all the talk of the last few years and then last week's Mitchell Report, I was beginning to think the Grand Old Game had gotten itself into a real pickle.

All those names in the report, coming on the heels of the Barry Bonds indictment and the memorable congressional hearings of March 2005 (Mark McGwire to America, "I'm not going to go into the past or talk about my past.") and various other incidents. It was scary stuff. I was thinking I might have to stop taking my Tom Seaver lunchbox to work, in protest of the whole mess.

Then I read what Andy Pettitte said in response to getting heaved under the Mitchell Bus, and I felt so much better. It turns out Pettitte only used HGH for two days in 2002 to help his recovery from elbow tendonitis. "I had heard that human growth hormone could promote faster healing for my elbow," Pettitte said in a statement issued through his agent. "I felt an obligation to get back to my team as soon as possible. For this reason, and for only this reason, for two days I tried human growth hormone. If what I did was an error in judgment on my part, I apologize. I accept responsibility for those two days."

Two days! That's like Andy hardly did anything wrong at all. Two days can't make you a better pitcher. Two days can't create all that nasty bite on a 2-2 curve ball to a left-handed hitter like David Ortiz.

Then comes Brian Roberts, the Orioles' second baseman. He saw Pettitte's two days and raised him. Roberts only used steroids once! And no sooner had the syringe been removed from his butt than Roberts was struck by an epiphany.

"In 2003, when I took one shot of steroids," said Roberts. "I immediately" -- immediately! -- "realized that this was not what I stood for or anything that I wanted to continue doing. I never used steroids, human growth hormone or any other performance-enhancing drugs prior to or since that single incident. I can honestly say before God, myself, my family and all of my fans, that steroids or any performance-enhancing drugs have never had any effect on what I have worked so hard to accomplish in the game of baseball."

This is poetry, is it not? No lie, I am puddling up, just cutting and pasting Roberts' words into this column. I can picture little Brian Roberts in the backyard, beating balls into a fence, dreaming of one day playing in the major leagues. Would that little boy use steroids to get better and make millions of dollars a year? Of course not. Who does this George Mitchell think he is, hunting down and exposing proud major league ballplayer?

We have all experimented, have we not? We have all explained behavior as a one-time aberration. How bad do you think I felt when I was home from college as a callow youth and sullied my parents' bathroom in the aftermath of a long evening of immature behavior? But like Roberts, I was just experimenting; he with steroids, me with shots of tequila, chased with, as I recall, Labatt's red. (My father was slightly more skeptical than Roberts's adoring public, which has rushed to congratulate him for "coming clean.")

Then there is Fernando Vina, the former journeyman major leaguer who now analyzes handsomely on ESPN. He was named in the report, too. But he, like Pettitte, wasn't trying to get an edge on anybody, he was just trying to recover from knee and hamstring injuries. "I tried everything rehabbing," Vina said in an interview with his employer. "I came to a point that I was desperate. For me, it was to try to get back on the field. That was the bottom line."

The bottom line for me -- and this feels so good -- is that there was no steroid era at all in baseball. There were just a few years when some very good players were wooed from good behavior by the temptation of illicit substances or forced through desperation and injuries to try something they would never have otherwise touched.

And there are also poor souls like Bonds and former Olympic sprinter Marion Jones. Barry has been saying for years now that he thought his trainer, Greg Anderson, was giving him flaxseed oil, not a cocktail of steroids that would make his head expand.

And Jones was stuck in the sway of Trevor Graham, who could field an Olympic team of his own with athletes he's coached who have tested positive or been suspended for steroid use. Mrs. Jones admitted in October that she was consuming steroids like Power Bars around the time she won five medals at the Sydney Olympics, but the thing is: She didn't know it! She also thought that Graham was giving her flaxseed oil.

It all makes sense now, doesn't it? Athletes don't cheat. They don't try to get an edge over other athletes. They might experiment with steroids. They might use a little something to get over an injury before getting clean. They might even do what some evil trainer tells them to do. But they would never just muck up their bodies and our beloved games with performance-enhancing drugs just to play better baseball or to run a race a little faster.

But if I had any doubt left at all, along came Roger Clemens, the big lug from Texas. His name was all over the Mitchell report, casting aspersions on those 354 career wins (65 of them in his 40s; incredible!) and 4,672 strikeouts. The accusations said he was injecting steroids like a professional cyclist in his prime. Big Rog would have none of it. "I want to state clearly and without qualification: I did not take steroids, human growth hormone or any other banned substances at any time in my baseball career or, in fact, my entire life," Clemens said Tuesday in a statement issued through his agent, Randy Hendricks. "Those substances represent a dangerous and destructive shortcut that no athlete should ever take."

You tell 'em, Roger. No excuses for you. No non-accountability accountability. You're my hero, man, my hero.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/hotstove07/columns/story?columnist=crasnick_jerry&id=3160218




Every major league ballplayer is driven to a certain degree. But to paraphrase a line from George Orwell's "Animal Farm,'' some players are more driven than others.

Maybe it's the sting of media criticism, the memory of a lost season, a recent steroid revelation or the desire to prove that everything is in good working order after an injury. Some players are getting an extra kick in the pants this winter as they find that interest on the free agent market is minimal.

As the Hot Stove season careens toward Christmas break, this week's "Starting 9" list is devoted to players who will be more motivated than usual in 2008. Here's a position-by-position look at major leaguers with a little something extra to prove.

Mark Prior
P Mark PriorWhen baseball people were mapping out Prior's Hall of Fame course in 2002, here's one development nobody envisioned: The Cubs non-tendering him after his fifth season, allowing him to be a free bird at age 27.

On the way to becoming the next Jim Palmer, Prior turned into a right-handed version of Steve Avery. He's pitched a total of 329 innings since 2004, and he heard a lot of whispers that he was "soft'' before Dr. James Andrews took a good look at his shoulder and found he was legitimately hurt.

Prior might still be a Cub if he were willing to lock into a club option for 2009. But he wants to test the market as a free agent, and the Cubs weren't interested in investing another $3 million in him next season only to watch him go 10-2 and hit the road. Now he's out there for the taking.

San Diego is a natural fit for Prior, for lots of reasons other than the weather. Prior went to high school in the city and his family still lives there. Petco Park is a great pitchers' park, and San Diego's coaching and training staff has a reputation for working well with pitchers.

The prospect of joining a staff with Jake Peavy and future Hall of Famers Greg Maddux and Trevor Hoffman has some appeal, as well.

The Padres have made an offer, but Houston, Cincinnati, Washington, the New York Mets, St. Louis, Texas, Florida and Cleveland are also in the mix. If an interested suitor is willing to overpay for a year's worth of Prior, it might be tempting enough for him to look beyond California.

Others: Andy Pettitte, Dontrelle Willis, Chris Capuano, Kris Benson, Randy Johnson, Jason Schmidt, Zach Duke, Eric Gagne, Vicente Padilla, Scott Olsen, Adam Eaton, Bartolo Colon.

Michael Barrett
C Michael Barrett Barrett's signature 2007 moment occurred June 1, when he duked it out with teammate Carlos Zambrano in the Chicago Cubs' dugout. Barrett never clicked with manager Lou Piniella, and the altercation sealed his fate in Chicago. The Cubs traded him to San Diego on June 20.

As it turned out, the black eye and fat lip that Barrett incurred were a sign of things to come. He hit .226 for San Diego and walked twice in 136 plate appearances. Barrett suffered a concussion that limited him to 49 at-bats in August and September, and the Padres went 11-20 in games he started.

Despite all that, the Padres offered Barrett salary arbitration, and he accepted and signed a one-year deal Wednesday. Since the Padres aren't inclined to pay Barrett $3.5 million to back up Josh Bard, they'll continue to entertain trade offers. But other than Pittsburgh, it's been hard to find a team with interest.

Others: Johnny Estrada, Paul Lo Duca.

Nick Johnson
1B Nick Johnson Johnson will never be the classic slugger, but there's a lot to like when he's on his game. He's a .395 career on-base guy, a doubles machine and a slick fielder around the bag. When he's not in the trainer's room, he also defines the term "low maintenance.''

But after breaking his leg in a collision with Washington outfielder Austin Kearns in September 2006, Johnson spent all of last season on the disabled list. The injury was bad enough for him to visit the Mayo Clinic and have a titanium rod inserted into his hip and through his femur. The Nationals officially gave up on the possibility of a return in August.

Now the Nationals say Johnson should be at full strength on Opening Day. If that's true, manager Manny Acta will have a hard time finding at-bats for last season's feel-good story, Dmitri Young. But that's a whole different issue.

Others: Carlos Delgado, Richie Sexson.

Kaz Matsui
2B Kaz Matsui The last time Matsui signed a multiyear contract -- for three years and $20.1 million with the Mets in 2003 -- it was a fiasco. He arrived in New York with a big buildup and left with every conceivable shortcoming exposed.

As if the .256 batting average, the defensive lapses and the disabled list time weren't enough evidence that he was a flop, we learned that Matsui needed eyeglasses and had an annoying habit of circling ground balls to avoid the backhand play. In hindsight, it's hard to believe the Mets actually moved Jose Reyes to second base to make room for Matsui at shortstop.

Matsui found new life in Colorado last season. But skeptics point to his home-road splits as evidence that he was a Mile High mirage. Matsui hit .330 with an .863 on-base-slugging percentage at Coors Field and .249 with a .637 OPS on the road.

That disparity didn't prevent Houston general manager Ed Wade from signing Matsui to a three-year, $16.5 million contract. Here's hoping Matsui does a better job justifying this expenditure than the Mets' investment in him.

Others: Ray Durham, Adam Kennedy, Josh Barfield.

Miguel Tejada
SS Miguel Tejada His streak of 1,152 consecutive games ended in 2007. His power numbers have taken a dip. And after lots of Rafael Palmeiro references and Vitamin B-12 related suspicions, he took up four pages in the Mitchell report.

Now that the Astros have surrendered five players to acquire Tejada from Baltimore, they want him to combine with Lance Berkman, Carlos Lee and Hunter Pence and upgrade an offense that ranked 13th in the National League.

The Astros don't expect the same Tejada who hit 34 homers and drove in 150 runs for Baltimore in 2004 in the first year of a six-year, $72 million contract. But a reasonable facsimile sure would be nice.

Others: Bobby Crosby, Adam Everett, David Eckstein.

Scott Rolen
3B Scott RolenRolen isn't the first player who had trouble getting along with Larry Bowa or Tony La Russa. But his contentious relationships with both managers make you wonder if it's all their fault, or if Rolen might be a little too principled or strong-willed or sensitive for his own good.

The situation in St. Louis appeared to reach the point of no return when La Russa went on a stream-of-consciousness rant about Rolen at the winter meetings. Among other things, La Russa said the quest to find the source of his rift with Rolen is "driving me nuts.''

Rolen is a tough guy to trade because of his declining performance and the three years and $36 million left on his contract. Teams want to know if his shoulder is really healthy before they take the plunge.

Either St. Louis GM John Mozeliak ships Rolen to the Giants, Brewers or another team looking for a third baseman, or Rolen and La Russa achieve the seemingly impossible and find a way to coexist. Something has to give.

Others: Eric Chavez, Joe Crede, Dallas McPherson, Morgan Ensberg.

Jason Bay
OF Jason Bay Two months into the 2007 season, Pirates manager Jim Tracy said Bay has the potential to hit 45 homers one day.

"Is he capable of being a superstar-type player? Yes he is, in my opinion,'' Tracy said in June. "Didn't Manny Ramirez and Andruw Jones and Chipper Jones blossom into who they've become? They began their careers as big-time helpers and blossomed into aircraft carriers.''

Four months later, Tracy was unemployed, and the Pirates could only wonder why their would-be aircraft carrier was putting up numbers more befitting a tugboat.

Bay homered eight times in 211 at-bats after the All-Star break on the way to a .247-21-84 season. Although he was bothered by tendinitis in his knee, he declined to use that as an excuse. Bay's name came up recently in trade speculation to Cleveland and San Diego, but the Pirates have refrained from dealing him when his value is at an ebb. As long as he's still wearing a Pittsburgh uniform, they need him to produce like the Jason Bay of old.

Andruw Jones
OF Andruw JonesThere's a widespread perception that Jones posts big numbers against mediocre pitching and disappears against the frontline guys. Just for kicks, we took a spin through some of his individual matchups to see how he fares.

As it turns out, Jones is a career 2-for-13 (.154) against Brandon Webb; 3-for-16 (.188) against Aaron Harang; 7-for-37 (.189) vs. Pedro Martinez; 8-for-45 (.178) against Brett Myers; 3-for-20 (.150) off Carlos Zambrano; and 1-for-15 (.067) vs. Jake Peavy.

But it's not all gloom and doom. Jones wears out Roy Oswalt to the tune of a .538 average (7-for-13), and he has six homers in 45 at-bats against Brad Penny.

Jones was bad enough last season that agent Scott Boras quickly relented on his desire for a long-term contract and sent him to the Dodgers for two years and $36.2 million. If Jones can re-establish himself under Joe Torre in Los Angeles, he has a chance to go back out on the market and score a bigger deal at age 32.

Jim Edmonds
OF Jim EdmondsEdmonds is 37 years old and showing all the signs of a guy nearing the end. Since his huge 2004 season with St. Louis, his home run total has declined from 42 to 12, his RBI output has slipped from 111 to 53, and his OPS nosedived from 1.061 to .728.

Will the sun, sand and familiar surroundings of his native California lead to a revival? That's what the Padres were hoping when they traded third base prospect David Freese to St. Louis for Edmonds last week.

The Padres are leaning hard on aging, left-handed hitting outfielders with health issues. Brian Giles, San Diego's right fielder, is trying to come back from offseason microfracture surgery on his right knee.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3163167



Pitcher Dontrelle Willis has reached an agreement in principle on a three-year, $29 million contract extension with the Detroit Tigers, a source told ESPN.com.

Dontrelle Willis

Willis

The deal includes incentives that could push the total value to more than $30 million, the source said. An announcement was expected after Willis took a physical exam Thursday in Detroit.

The Tigers acquired Willis and star third baseman Miguel Cabrera from the Florida Marlins in an eight-player trade at the winter meetings two weeks ago in Nashville. Willis will join a Detroit rotation that also includes Justin Verlander, Jeremy Bonderman, Nate Robertson and Kenny Rogers.

Willis, 25, has a 68-54 record an a 3.78 ERA in parts of five seasons with the Marlins. He went 10-15 with a 5.17 ERA last season.

Willis earned a base salary of $6.45 million for the Marlins last year. He would have been eligible for free agency after the 2009 season, but is now locked up through 2010.

Jerry Crasnick covers baseball for ESPN.com.

http://yankees.lhblogs.com

News item: Royals sign LHP Ron Mahay for two years, $8 million.

Reaction: That’s a lot of money for a guy best suited for the sixth or seventh inning. Still, kudos to the Royals for finally spending some money these last two years. But kudos also to the Yankees for showing restraint. They were 37-19 the last two months of the season without having a lefty they could count on.

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News item: Curt Schilling rambles on for 3,200 words about Roger Clemens in his blog.

Reaction: Zzzzzzzzzz.

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News item: Hank Steinbrenner tells Newsday that there’s an “outside chance” the Yankees will get Johan Santana.

Reaction: This story has now officially gotten tiresome. Trade for him, don’t trade him, let’s just move on. Bill Smith seems to be the Steve Trachsel of GMs.

The more interesting part of that story were Hank’s comments about how it’s his decision ultimately. He referred to himself as “the owner.”

The Hank and Hal Show has become a solo act, it seems. Little Stein has made all the right moves so far, keeping the free agents and showing patience on the Santana front. Were he talking to reporters these days, I’d love to know whether Brian Cashman thinks he has the same powerful job he negotiated for in 2005. The ultimate disposition of the Santana situation will be a sign, as Cashman does not want to trade Hughes or sign any pitcher for six years and $120 million.