A-Rod Wins AL MVP, 2 Free Agent Signings
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While 3rd baseman Alex Rodriguez and the Yankees are apparently dotting the “i’s” and crossing the “t’s” on a new 10-year — $275 million deal to replace the remainder of the $252 million deal which his agent Scott Boras opted him out of during the World Series, A-Rod was the decisive winner of the AL MVP.
AP’s Ronald Blum reports on the MVP results for Yahoo sports;
A-Rod won his third AL MVP award Monday, easily defeating Detroit’s Magglio Ordonez after compiling an astounding season at the plate. Rodriguez received 26 first-place votes and 382 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, while Ordonez had two firsts and 258 points.
There’s not very much one can say about this one; A-Rod’s 2007 stats speak loudly for themselves; 54 HRs, 156 RBIs, 143 runs scored, .314 batting average, 24 stolen bases. Although rightfielder Ordonez put up some mighty 2007 numbers; 28 HRs, 139 RBIs, 117 runs scored and a .363 batting average, they didn’t compare with Rodriguez. Enough said! The only suspense left is about who will win the NL MVP, Colorado’s leftfielder Matt Holliday or Phillies’ shortstop Jimmy Rollins.
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3rd baseman and World Series MVP Mike Lowell ended his free agency today by apparently reaching a a three-year, $37.5 million deal with the Red Sox.
If true, Boston will be positioned to try for a repeat with all their key players from 2007.
AP Sports reporter Jimmy Golden notes for Yahoo sports;
In the three weeks since winning their second championship in four seasons, the Red Sox have re-signed their two biggest free agents, Lowell and pitcher Curt Schilling, and picked up options on Tim Wakefield and Julian Tavarez.
Lowell, a 33-year-old third baseman who made $9 million this season, was seeking four guaranteed years and might have gotten it elsewhere.
Lowell hit 21 homers this season while reaching career highs with a .324 average and 120 RBIs. Lowell moved into the fifth spot in Boston’s powerful lineup behind David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez.
Lowell batted .400 (6-for-15) during Boston’s four-game Series sweep of the Colorado Rockies, with four RBIs, three walks and a team-high six runs to earn MVP honors.
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Veteran lefthander and former free agent Tom Glavine, winner of 303 career games officially bolted the New York Mets to sign a one year, $8 million deal with the Atlanta Braves for what would appear to be the final season of his career.
Glavine spent the first 16 seasons of his 21 year career in Atlanta before jumping to the Mets where he spent the 5 years between 2003-2007 and where his ERA skyrocketed to 4.45 in 2007 in a 13-8 season for the Mets who blew a big NL East division lead to the Phillies over the final weeks of the season. Glavine got no-decisions in 2 decisive Mets’ losses to the Phils in the last month of the season.
AP Sports Writer Paul Newberry provides background for Yahoo sports;
Atlanta believes the crafty left-hander, who will turn 42 before next season, can help them get back to the playoffs after a two-year hiatus.
“Starting pitching has been our Achilles’ heel. We just didn’t have the depth we had in past years, and we wanted to address that,” new general manager Frank Wren said. “Tommy was our No. 1 target.”
This was an easy one to hit.
After turning down a $13 million option with the Mets for 2008, taking a $3 million buyout, he turned his attention toward the Braves. He gave Atlanta a hometown discount, agreeing to an $8 million, one-year deal that was the lowest he was willing to play for and wasn’t available to anyone else.
The Braves jumped on it quickly, wrapping up the negotiations in less than a week. No one else — not even the Mets — were ever in the mix.
“Sentiment goes a long way,” Braves manager Bobby Cox said, “but we all think Tommy can still win at the major league level. That’s the bottom line.”
Proving you can go home again, Glavine and the Braves got over the bitterness that accompanied their negotiations after the 2002 season.
During his 16-year tenure, Glavine had five 20-win seasons, captured Cy Young Awards in 1991 and ‘98, and helped the Braves win the first 11 of their unprecedented 14 straight division titles. He was MVP of their only World Series championship during the run, pitching eight scoreless [1 hit] innings in the deciding game of a 1995 victory over Cleveland.
“No place I ever went to as a visiting player was ever as remotely strange as coming here as a visiting player,” Glavine said.
Which is probably why his wife teared up when he tried on his Braves cap and jersey in the training room before the news conference.
And that’s probably why [GM Frank] Wren couldn’t stop smiling when Glavine buttoned up his No. 47 jersey with “Braves” written across the front and modeled the red-and-blue hat with an “A” above the bill.
“Looks good, doesn’t it?” Wren said.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s David O’Brien adds;
Washington and Philadelphia were among a handful of teams that expressed interest in Glavine, though the pitcher told his agent, Gregg Clifton, to let teams know that he wanted to first give the Braves an opportunity to get a deal done before he considered any other offers.
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