Baseball Research Project - Baseball Historians and HRs, by Dave Rouleau
Beyond the Diamond: January 24th, by Pete Toms
- The Yankees and second baseman Robinson Cano are rumored to be close to a four-year deal worth 30 M$. This would take care of all his arbitration years and maybe include club options for a few free-agency seasons.
The 25-year-old has maintained a .314/.346/.489 batting line in three season with the Yankees and even finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting in 2005. His 301 total bases in 2007 ranked 10th in the American League, along with his 189 hits.
After a sub-par first half last season, he hit for an .953 OPS in the last three months and continued his career trend of handling both righties and lefties as a left-handed batter.
Defensively, the athlete signed out of the Dominican Republic has really come a long way since his rookie season where he ranked 36th in Fielding Bible ratings, but improved to 5th last season among all major league second baseman, with a +17 rating.
This signing would help stabilize the infield for the American League club, with Rodriguez signed until 2017, Jeter until 2010 and now Cano would be under control until at least 2011.
Robinson Cano at the 2007 Spring Training (Bill Richardson/BDD)
- San Diego beat writer Rich Folkers mentions in his blog today that Padres GM Kevin Towers mentioned in an interview today that in 1995, a short while after he took over the job, he almost made a deal that would have sent Mark McGwire to SD for five players.
"The deal might have happened Towers said but Alderson insisted on a sixth player and the trade fell through. "Talks broke off," Towers said. In 1997, McGwire was finally traded to the Cardinals, where he proceeded to hit balls to the moon, and all points beyond, including that 70 home run season in 1998.
Granted, the Padres would have had to part with several key players to land McGwire -- Towers was not sure of the names Wednesday -- and it could be argued that some of those players likely helped the Padres to the World Series in 1998"
- RHP Rafael Soriano agreed to a two-year deal with the Atlanta Braves today that will pay him nine million dollars.
Entering the 2008 season at 28 years old, the reliever has so far posted very good career numbers: 2.93 ERA, 1.025 WHIP and retired 247 batters in 243 innings pitched.
Attacking hitters with a devastating fastball-slider combination (fastball can reach high-90s), right-handed batters are especially sorry if we only take into account their .181 average against. in his career. He will be asked to close out games in 2008 after saving nine contests last year and only 13 in his whole career.