The Detroit Tigers and their lefthanded hitting centerfielder Curtis Granderson struck a $30.25 million, 5 year deal as the Tigers followed suit after the Colorado Rockies’ as the second team this winter to cast service time to the wind.

AP Sports writer Larry Lage reports for Yahoo sports;

A club option for 2013… could make the deal worth up to $43.25 million.

“The Tigers held all the chips and didn’t have to do anything,” Granderson said. “I’m very happy with the way everything happened.”

Tigers president Dave Dombrowski is not known to give long-term deals to players before they are even eligible for arbitration, but Granderson merited an exception.

What makes it different is the quality of player we’re talking about and his makeup as a person,” Dombrowski said.

Manager Jim Leyland said it was “a great deal” for Granderson and the Tigers.

“He’s the kind of player we want, not only in terms of ability but as a quality person,” Leyland told The Associated Press. “He’s as good as it gets on and off the field.”

Granderson had a standout season in 2007 with 23 homers, 74 RBIs, a .302 BA to go long with 23 triples and 26 steals.  His 23 triples led the majors and was the highest total since Ty Cobb’s 24 3-baggers for the 1917 4th place Detroit Tigers.

Lage adds;
 
He joined Willie Mays and Frank “Wildfire” Schulte as the only players in major league history with 20 steals, 20 homers, 20 triples and 20 doubles. Philadelphia shortstop Jimmy Rollins became a part of the 20-20-20-20 club later in the season.

Schulte was the first to accomplish the feat in 1911 while playing for the Chicago Cubs, and Mays did it in 1957 with the New York Giants.

The interesting thing about Granderson is that he achieved his 2007 stats while striking out 141 times, the most vulnerable aspect of his game.  In 2006, his first full season iin the majors, he hit .260 with 19 HRs and 68 RBIs while striking out 174 times — that’s a mere 7 less than Phillies’ lefthanded slugger Ryan Howard’s 2006 numbers; 181 strike outs while hitting 58 homers and driving in 149 runs.

It seems to me that Granderson could have held out for much more money, after all, Boston is forking over $70 million in its 5 year deal with rightfielder J.D. Drew who bombed royally in his first season with the Sox.  Granderson however seems to opted for security over mega-bucks.  But, hey $30 million over 5 years is nothing to sneeze at.  Managed properly and not squandered, he is set for life.

Granderson is an integral cog on a busy and potentially powerful Tigers squad which includes All-Stars Miguel Cabrera,  Edgar Renteria along with  Jacque Jones as well as lefthander Dontrelle Willis.

 The Tigers also re-signed starters Kenny Rogers, Nate Robertson, closer  Todd Jones and excercised their club option on catcher Ivan Rodriguez’s contract.  With another fine year from Granderson, the Tigers seem, on paper, sure to provide ample challenge for last season’s Central Division and AL Pennant winning Cleveland Indians.

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He’s not Mike Lowell, Miguel Cabrera, Garrett Atkins or Ryan Braun, but in signing free agent 3rd baseman Pedro Feliz, the Phillies acquired a regular 3rd baseman.

Feliz, who hit 20 HRs and drove in 72 runs with a .253 BA last season, 100 homers amd 383 runs over the last five seasons, is projected as a substantial improvement over the Phillies 3rd base committee of last season; Greg Dobbs, Wes Helms and Abraham Nunez with a collective .255 BA with 11 homers and 76 RBIs last year.    

The AP report on the deal for Yahoo sports quotes Phillies assistant general manager Ruben Amaro as stating;

 ”We feel that with the acquisition of Feliz, we have helped to solidify an already productive infield.  Pedro is an above average defender who will provide some overall balance to our lineup.”

Philly.com reporter Todd Zolecki notes that;

Feliz led National League third basemen with a .973 fielding percentage last season. The Bill James Handbook 2008 lists Feliz as having the fourth-best range factor (2.91) of big-league third basemen behind Ryan Zimmerman (3.07),  Scott Rolen (2.99) and Jose Bautista (2.92).

The Phillies feel sure that the righthanded hitting Feliz will better his offensive productivity at Citizen’s Bank Park with its’ leftfield and left-center dimensions.  And his defensive capability insures that 3rd base will not require the perenial late-inning defensive replacement — one less move per game for Manager Charlie Manuel to make. 

AP reporter Rob Maaddi notes for Yahoo sports;

Manuel thinks Feliz can benefit from hitting lower in Philadelphia’s potent lineup. Feliz sometimes batted behind  Barry Bonds with the Giants.

Where this leaves Helms is anyone’s guess for he was a major disappointment last season.  Indications are that the Phillies may try to move him as part of a deal for starting pitching help in light of the impending Twins trade of star Johan Santana to the New York Mets.

Meanwhile, Greg Dobbs seems sure to be moved to a utility and pinch hitter role.

On the pitching front, the Phils are watching closely to see if the Mets acquisition of Johan Santana actually takes place.

On Wednesday the Twins agreed to deal Santana to the Mets in exchange for four of the Mets’ best prospects.  But in order for the deal to actualize, the Mets and Santana have to come to agreement as to a long-term deal by Friday afternoon.  Now this may sound like a no-brainer, but the numbers are enough to make anyone blink a few times. 

Cleveland Plain Dealer Reporter Paul Hoynes writes;

If the Mets land Santana, it means they’ve agreed to a five to six-year deal that could be worth between $130 million and $150 million.  

For those crying gloom and doom negativity in Philly regarding falling back in the “arms race”, I see three potent young pitchers in the starting rotation in lefthander  Cole Hamels, Brett Myers and Kyle Kendrick who, if they live up to anything near potential, will eat up innings and rack up wins. 

If the Phillies can wrap Helms and disappointing Adam Eaton as part of a deal for quality starter and use whatever veteran lefty Jamie Moyer has left in the tank, they will be all over the Mets.

For their part, the Mets, even should they get the Santana deal done, are a less than solid starting rotation.  Since Pedro Martinez is at best questionable due to advanced age and after the nearly two season layoff due to injury and surgery, basically, that old Spahn, Sain scenario seems appropriate — Santana, Maine and two days of rain.

I’ll stick with shortstop Jimmy Rollin’s vintage 2008 prediction — Phillies win 100.  That’s 100 wins, the NL East and to the next levels of post-season play.

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Free Agent pitcher Jon Lieber, a 20 game winner with the Chicago Cubs in  2001, rejoins the Cubs in a one year, $3.5 million deal with another $ 4 million in incentives. 

His 20-6 season in 2001 was the pinnacle of his career having pitched 232 1/3 innings and ending with a 3.80 ERA in 34 games.

Lieber underwent Tommy John surgery in 2002 and missed the 2003 season but has been free of arm problems since.  After spending the 2004 season with the New York Yankees, he signed a 3 year, $21 million deal with the Phillies and carried the staff’s most wins in 2005 with a 17-13 mark and 4.20 ERA.  In 2006, he slumped to 9-11 with a 4.93 ERA and in 2007, he was sidelined through most of the season with a ruptured tendon in his foot which required surgery and finished 3-6 with a 4.73 ERA.

While the Phillies may be glad that the nearly 38 year old Lieber is gone;  Phillies Nation’s Tim Malcolm surmises that “his best days are likely behind him — maybe in Chicago he’ll redeem himself a bit…”, the Cubs seem glad to feel that they’ve bolstered their starting pitching through his acquisition.

Chicago Tribune’s Paul Sullivan repports the view of Cub management toward the acquisition;

“It gives us more depth with our starting pitching,” manager Lou Piniella said. “He’s experienced, a really good competitor, a good guy in the clubhouse and well-respected. He can come to camp and earn a spot in the rotation.”

“We’re really happy to bring back Jon Lieber,” general manager Jim Hendry said. “I think it makes a lot of sense. We’re trying to get as much volume as we can, depth-wise, into the rotation to make it more competitive in camp… You like to have seven or eight type of starters available (in spring training).”

Lieber will compete with Ryan Dempster for the No. 5 spot, with Sean Gallagher and Sean Marshall also on the periphery, assuming neither gets traded. Kevin Hart is likely to be given a chance to make the team in middle relief or long relief, Piniella said.

But whatever Lieber has left in the tank, the Phillies apparently decided that a repeat of a nearly 5.00 ERA is not a luxury they can afford.   Hopefully, he doesn’t come back to haunt the Phils either during the regular season on in the post-season play.

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Veteran Japanese pitcher Hideo Nomo, who won Rookie of the Year honors with his quirky skyward-glancing delivery in the strike-abbreviated 1995 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers and who had standout years with the Dodgers in 1996, 2002 and 2003 but who hasn’t pitched at the Major League level since 2005, was reported on a Royals’ press release to have been signed to a minor league contract by the Kansas City Royals which included an invitation to spring training and a shot to make the team.

Nomo was an integral cog in the Dodgers’ 1995 NL West Division crown, their 1996 Wild Card finish.  The Dodgers didn’t advance in post-season play either in 1995 or in 1996 although Nomo and Ramon Martinez were the stalwarts of the Dodgers’ starting rotation throughout both seasons.  Nomo, who has a career mark to date of 123-109 with a 4.21 ERA including two no-hitters (one in each league), struggled in 1998 with the Dodgers and the Mets, went 12-8 in 1999 with the Milwaukee Brewers,  struggled with the Detroit Tigers in 2000 before finishing 13-10 with Boston in 2001 before returning to L.A. in 2002 and 2003 having fine seasons.  But then his ERA exploded in 2004 and 2005 and he left baseball for the 2006 and 2007 seasons.

The Royals, who have finished last in the AL Central division with disastrous records over the past four seasons since 2003 when they finished 4 games above .500, could use a veteran to add depth to the starting rotation to go along with Brian Bannister (12-9, 3.87 ERA), Zack Greinke  (7-7, 3.69 ERA),  Gil Meche (9-13, 3.67 ERA) and mid-season acquisition Kyle Davies (7-15, 6.09 ERA).

AP Sports writer John Marshall reports for Yahoo sports the reactions of KC’s general manager to the signing as well as his own observations;

“He’s been a successful major league pitcher in the past, and we wanted to give him an opportunity to compete for a job,” Royals general manager Dayton Moore said Friday. “Any player we bring into major league camp, we feel can compete for a job, and he’s going to get a chance.”

Nomo, who’s had a history of shoulder problems, could fill a spot in the rotation or as a reliever. An added benefit would be mentoring Yasuhiko Yabuta.

If he is added to the major league roster, Nomo would get a $600,000, one-year contract and have the chance to earn $100,000 in performance bonuses.

New Royals manager Trey Hillman spent the past five seasons managing the Nippon Ham Fighters in Japan and helped lure Yabuta to Kansas City. The 34-year-old right-hander agreed to a $6 million, two-year contract in November and is expected to compete for a spot as the Royals’ primary setup man.

Nomo’s two no-hitters include the first — and still only — no-hitter in the history of Colorado’s Coors Field in 1996 — a 9-0 win over the Rockies only marred by 4 walks vs 8 strikeouts, and the another, a 3-0 win on April 4, 2001 over Baltimore while pitching for Boston in 2001.  The April 4 date, in the second game of the season,  was the earliest no-hitter ever in MLB history.  Nomo walked 3 while striking out 11.

The Royals press release also notes that “he has made seven starts this winter for the Leones del Caracas in the Venezuelan Winter League, compiling a 0-2 record.”

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The Oakland Athletics and Chicago White Sox pulled the trigger on a deal sending centerfielder/first baseman Nick Swisher to the White Sox in exchange for three minor leaguers from the White Sox system.

AP sports reporter Josh Dubrow reports for Yahoo sports;

The White Sox are hoping that the addition of Swisher will help them rebound from a 72-90 season and get back to the level they were at when they won the 2005 World Series.

The 27-year-old Swisher batted .262 with 22 homers and 78 RBIs in 150 games in 2007, his third full big league season. He also drew 100 walks, ranking him sixth in the AL, for a career-best .381 on-base percentage.

Swisher’s patience could be an important addition to the White Sox, who were last in the majors in 2007 with a .318 on-base percentage.

The interesting thing about Swisher’s stats is that he knows how to work walks.  In 2006, his 2nd full MLB season, he worked 97 walks vs 152 strikeouts while hitting .254 and had a .372 OBP while hitting 35 homers and driving in 95 runs.  In 2007, he worked 100 walks, but cut down his strikeouts to 131.

AP also reports that free agent starting pitcher Matt Clement and the St. Louis Cardinals agreed to terms of a 1 year, $1.5M deal laden with incentives.

Clement had missed last season while recovering from shoulder surgery and had last pitched for the Boston Red Sox in 2006 compiling a 5-5 record in 12 games compiling an 6.61 ERA, on the high side of Adam Eaton.

The AP post reported;

The 33-year-old right-hander is 87-86 with a 4.47 ERA in nine major league seasons with San Diego, Florida, the  Chicago Cubs and Boston. An AL All-Star in 2005 with the Red Sox, he made at least 30 starts in each of his first seven full big league seasons from 1999-2005 before shoulder problems limited him to 12 starts for Boston in 2006.

Clement gets a $1.25 million salary this year and can earn an additional $5.25 million in performance bonuses, receiving the full amount if he pitches 200 innings.

The Cardinals have an $8.75 million option for 2009 with a $250,000 buyout. The option would increase to $9 million and the buyout $500,000 if Clement reaches 160 innings this season; $9.5 million and $1 million for 180 innings; and $10 million and $1.5 million for 200 innings.

The option would become $11 million and the buyout $2 million if Clement finishes in the top five in 2008 Cy Young Award balloting.

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Baseball news over the past few weeks has mostly centered around the bidding for a Johan Santana trade, the Mitchell steroids inquiry and allegations of usage against Roger “the Rocket” Clemens, Barry Bonds,  Andy Pettitte and others as well as the baseball pundits regarding the Hall of Fame Class of 2008. 

Boston slugger David “Big Papi” Ortiz, one of Santana’s closest friends  recently indicated to the media that he “doesn’t think Boston will make a deal for the pitcher.”

Meanwhile, new Yankees boss Hank Steinbrenner, upon returning to his office after the holidays and working on a possible deal, is quoted by NY Daily News sports writer Anthony McCarron as saying;

“I think the Twins realize our offer is the best one,” Steinbrenner said Wednesday in a telephone interview. “I feel confident they’re not going to trade him before checking with us one last time and I think they think we’ve already made the best offer.”

Steinbrenner said the offer “does not include two of the three young pitchers” - Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy, from a group that also includes untouchable Joba Chamberlain - “but it’s still the best one. And let’s face it, we’re the best able to handle the kind of contract (extension) Santana will be after.”

Steinbrenner would not divulge the Yanks’ offer, but multiple reports have pegged it as Hughes, outfielder Melky Cabrera, pitching prospect Jeff Marquez and another prospect. Santana, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, probably would require a huge extension with his potential new team to waive his no-trade clause. Some reports have said it could be as much as six years for $120 million.

Wow, I can still remember the joint holdouts of Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale in 1966 where they haggled with the Dodgers and ended up with 1 year deals for a total of roughly 1% of the projected of Santana’ projected pay for a single season.  Drysdale probably made more for his TV segments on the Brady Bunch.

Meanwhile, the Yanks senior vice president Steinbrenner has turned thumbs-down on re-signing steroids allegation-besieged Roger Clemens.  NY Daily News sports writer McCarron reports;

“I’m not signing Clemens,” Steinbrenner, the Yankees’ senior vice president, said in a telephone interview yesterday. He said the Yanks are not looking for rotation stopgaps - like they were last season - because they are so enamored of their young starting pitchers. And Steinbrenner feels the Yanks already have a strong mentor to the young arms in Andy Pettitte, whom Steinbrenner praised for his “veteran leadership.

“Andy is (signed) for one year and he’s only 35 and he knows how to pitch in the big games,” Steinbrenner said. “Roger does, too, but let’s face it, he’s going to be 46 (in August).

“Pettitte is just as good with the young pitchers, though Clemens was great with the young kids last year. I don’t think Roger is going to come back anyway.”

Hmmm, Clemens not signed for 2008?  How would “the Rocket” look in red pinstripes?  Perhaps mentoring young lefty ace Cole Hamels and spot starting instead of Adam Eaton and his nuclear mushroom ERA?  But, alas, I don’t think that the Phillies have $28M for a handful of starts.

And speaking of HGH and other steroids, I’m just bored to tears with all of the Mitchell investigations’ machinations regarding Clemens and the others.  Aside from tangently mentioning the HGH/steroids issue here, this blog steers clear of all such steriods discussion and conjecture and sticks to MLB purism.

Personally, I’d rather see a few certain “too tired” political leaders shot up with steroids — it might endow them with some strong backbone.

And here are some of the Hall of Fame 2008 class of candidates.  We once again find lefthanded starter Tommy John, imposing reliever Goose Gossage, outfielders Jim Rice, slugger Mark McGwire, Andre “the Hawk” Dawson, pitcher Bert Blyleven, shortstop Dave Concepcion and Dave Parker all vying for the Hall along  with first-time candidates shortstop Shawon Dunston and pitcher Jack Morris, base-stealer extraordinaire Tim Raines and dominant reliever Robb Nen.

Tuesday, January 8 is Hall of Fame selection announcement day.  As always, “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat” should be interesting.

Finally, I’m waiting for the 2008 version of Jimmy Rollins setting the stage announcement that the Phillies are once again the team to beat in the NL East.  See ya Mets, wouldn’t wanna be ya!

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