Sunday, December 27, 2015

Cleaning out the inbox

Not a lot to clean out,but on another slow day,I've decided to go ahead and clean things up...

Give credit to Florida State as they are getting a new scoreboard and instead of scrapping their old one,they are giving it to 1-AA and in-state school Florida A&M.
The Rattlers will have to spend 100 grand for installing and programming it,but that is far cheaper than they could ever spend for a similar board.
Full credit to Florida State for a very classy move...

The biggest news item for the teams that we cover here was the Pittsburgh Pirates signing 32 year old vagabond John Jaso with the intention of platooning him at first base with Michael Morse until Josh Bell can develop into the eventual starter.
The two year contract is worth eight million and Jaso's attempt to play first base will be interesting to watch.
Jaso has played two games at first in his career after spending time at catcher and in the outfield and can he learn enough to be even close to average defensively to not be a liability?
Jaso hit .286 with 5 hrs in 70 games last season with Tampa Bay.

Pittsburgh also claimed righthander Yoervis Medina off waivers from the Cubs and added lefty Kyle Lobstein from the Tigers for future considerations.
Medina went 1-0 with a save last season as he split the year between Seattle and the Cubs.
Medina's numbers make me think that he could make the club as a long to middle reliever and a small move like this for depth could mean the Pirates are closer than expected to moving Mark Melancon.
Lobstein went 3-8 with an ERA of 5.94 for the Tigers and looks to be to headed to AAA Indianapolis for injury depth.
The Pirates lost reliever Bobby Lafromboise on the waiver wire to the Angels when they made the claim on Medina...

The Giants were idle,but the Indians made some depth decisions in pitching as the team bought Dan Otero from Philadelphia and signed southpaw free agents Tom Gorzelanny and Ross Detwiler to minor league deals.
Otero,a 30 year old righty,spent last season with Oakland before being claimed in the off-season by the Phillies on waivers.
Otero struggled last season with an ERA of 6.75 in 41 games,but had tremendous numbers with the A's in 2013 and 14,so this could be a case of buying low and with relief pitchers being such a variable from year to year-this could be an excellent addition at a cheap cost.
The 29 year old Detwiler went 1-5 with an ERA over seven in a season split between Texas and Atlanta.
The former Washington first rounder was used as a swingman as a Ranger and as a reliever in Atlanta,so the Indians could be looking at him in either role.
Gorzelanny,a former 14 game winner for the Pirates in 2007, has been a situational LOOGY for the Brewers and Tigers for the last two seasons and could fill in the same role in Cleveland.
Gorzelanny was 2-2 with an ERA of 5.95 in 48 appearances with Detroit last season and will turn 34 during the 2016 season.

The Indians also released Chris Johnson and ate the remaining season at eight million on his contract.
Johnson had been obtained in order to relieve Cleveland of the salaries of Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn in a trade with Atlanta last season.
Johnson hit ,289 with a homer in his one month cameo as an Indian.







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