There wasn't a lot of baseball news this weekend, but what did happen was certainly noteworthy. According to a WFAN report, Jorge Posada has decided to retire (although he hasn't officially announced it yet). This doesn't come as a huge surprise, as Posada was nearing the end of the road as it was. If he wanted to keep going, he would have had to sign a small contract with a team looking primarily for a DH -- and that team wouldn't have been the Yankees. It sounds like he didn't get an attractive enough offer to persuade him to stick around, so he's hanging up the spikes. Scratch one off the "potential DH signings" list.
So now there are only two members of the Core Four: Jeter and Mariano. It seems likely that Mo will be the next to retire, although crazily enough, he'll probably still have something left in the tank whenever he decides to call it quits. As for Jeter...well, we'll see how that goes.
Here's a good article on Posada's career from the New York Times. It focuses a bit more on him as a person, which I found a refreshing take.
In other news, Howie Kendrick signed a four-year, $33.5-million extension with the Angels, avoiding his last year of arbitration. For everyone still hoping for an Upton extension, yes, some players do sign contracts that late in the arbitration process. But I don't think Kendrick is a great comparison for Upton: he was coming off a career year, and his previous track record was much less impressive than Upton's. I wouldn't get your hopes up too high.
0 recs | 52 comments
OT: How about that Tim Tebow guy?
sternfan1 - January 9, 2012
Jesus put his cleats on yesterday.
dude just wins.
Peter Piontek - January 9, 2012
Yesterday he put up the numbers to go with it
316 Ygs passing
50 yds rushing
2 TD passes 1 Rushing TD 0 TOs
125 QB rating. Brees the night before
sternfan1 - January 9, 2012
Yeah i've been on the Tebow bus since he was drafted.
It’s not always pretty but he’s a leader of men. (not a gator fan) Just as in baseball , sometimes the scouting just doesn’t justify a players ability.
Peter Piontek - January 9, 2012
Brees completed more than 48% of his passes. Jussayin.
pudieron89 - January 9, 2012
Comp % is more useless than BA by a wide margin
sternfan1 - January 9, 2012
how much of that 316 was YAC?
he had a good game, but let’s not go anointing him after his last 3 shittiful performances.
pudieron89 - January 9, 2012
103 of Thomas' 204 yds were YAC
He had 120 YAC on 32 receptions during the regular season.
Jason Collette - January 9, 2012
that's a lot of receptions!
oh wait…season
pudieron89 - January 9, 2012
geez, i wonder what Tebow could do if he
had a Calvin Johnson, Coulson, Julio Jones to throw to
let’s not forget the Broncos dumped their 2 best WRs the last 2 seasons and cheap shot Harrison took care of Decker early on
sternfan1 - January 9, 2012
This is probably your best troll in a while.
pudieron89 - January 9, 2012
whatever that's supposed to mean
plenty of QBs sitting at home out of football with tighter spirals and better footwork than Tebow
nobody knows exactly what it takes to be a successful QB, but Tebow can play for my team anytime
sternfan1 - January 9, 2012
it definitely correlates with more of what tebow lacks (skill, pocket presence, awareness, progression/looks) than what he has (faith, mobility)
pudieron89 - January 9, 2012
had to laugh at this
Jason Collette - January 9, 2012
Lol that's great.
Peter Piontek - January 9, 2012
He was Wee Willie Tebow yesterday
certainly threw the balls where the defense wasn’t….and where they weren’t was close to D. Thomas. I don’t blame the Steelers for going 8 in the box on the opening play of OT based on what the Broncos had done all day long on 1st down but Ike Taylor is not the kind of player that can be left alone like that.
Jason Collette - January 9, 2012
Posada retiring is disappointing.
I thought he could help as a complimentary player, 200-250 ABs, between DH, 1B and PH. He’s no longer a full time player at any position, not even DH
sternfan1 - January 9, 2012
On a team that likes to carry 12 pitchers, it is tough to carry someone for that amount of playing time
Jason Collette - January 9, 2012
He would have taken the spot of E. Johnson with more of an offensive side
I went over this several times including mu fanpost. With Zobrist playing full time 2B we don’t need a Johnson type
sternfan1 - January 9, 2012
And if Zobrist ever gets hurt?
mr. maniac - January 9, 2012
then S-Rod/Brignac can fill in for that day while someone EJ-like is promoted from Durham
I think the obvious bench right now is C (Molina/Lobaton), IF (S-Rod/Brignac), Fuld and Guyer. My guess is that Elliot Johnson is probably behind Canzler and maybe even Ruggiano for a bench spot right now.
AndrewTorrez - January 9, 2012
what is with all the dislike for EJ
he has speed, can play multiple positions, switch hitter (although not a good hitter, but won’t be as bad as he was last year). That is an ideal #25 and I would much rather him than a no glove, no speed, back-up DH in Canzler and Ruggiano who is basically EJ except limited to OF.
Dbullsfan - January 9, 2012
What was the team's record when he played?
Transplanted - January 9, 2012
seriously
Dbullsfan - January 9, 2012
If he wants to stick to the roster, he needs to improve what he struggled with
Mainly the bunting and contact.
Transplanted - January 9, 2012
the bunting was odd because he has always been a good bunter
the Durham radio guy said on the broadcast while he was up for a couple days last year that he was one of if not the most fundamentally sound including bunting players he’d ever seen
Dbullsfan - January 9, 2012
He would profile as the solid bunter
But that was just ugly watching last year
Transplanted - January 9, 2012
This counts for Tebow why not EJ?
MakeitRayn - January 9, 2012
I think EJ can help a team
I just don’t see a need for two backup shortstops on a roster than already has Ben Zobrist on it.
AndrewTorrez - January 9, 2012
"hitter" should be used loosely
508 OPS vs LHP (when he tends to get his AB)
643 OPS vs RHP
200 career PA, but 14 BB & 60 K’s is extremely tough to defend keeping on the 25 man for back to back seasons.
Jason Collette - January 9, 2012
But how many extra games did the team win when he played
That’s all that matters
Transplanted - January 9, 2012
...what
Steve Slowinski - January 9, 2012
Using the Bartlett scale
Transplanted - January 9, 2012
Why do you think he will hit better?
mr. maniac - January 9, 2012
because, 1 he can't hit much worse, 2. he had the injury that threw off his year
and he also showed improvement over time at AAA, I don’t think he will ever hit enough to be a starter but no reason he can’t hit enough to warrent being a #25 given his speed/defense
Dbullsfan - January 9, 2012
The assumption that he can't hit much wirse has many many problems.
The only reason he got the job was because of a high BABIP in Durham.
mr. maniac - January 9, 2012
1 is not a good reason.
Hatfield - January 9, 2012
its the reason most use (including me) that Brignac will bounce back
I’m pro-briggy too, but at least EJ has proven he can hit in the high minors. .319/.375/.475 his last season in AAA. Briggy’s only full minor league season sniffing that was in high A in california. So if people think Briggy can “hit enough” to be our starting SS, how come EJ can’t “hit enough” to be our 25th man utility guy.
Dbullsfan - January 9, 2012
Because, in the opinion of most, Briggy has an obvious mechanical flaw that one hopes could be fixed.
Hatfield - January 9, 2012
Sounds like Theriot is going to do that
When you look at roster construction in the past, it’s not like them to go light on MI:
2011: Zobrist (674), Brignac (249), Johnson (181), Rodriguez (436)
2010: Rodriguez (378), Bartlett (532), Zobrist (655), Brignac (326)
2009: Zobrist (599), Bartlett (567), Iwamura (260), Brignac (93)
2009 is a good example because when Iwamura went down, Zobrist shifted to fulltime 2B and the team went with Gross/Kapler in RF all season. Looking at current roster construction, with Posada on it, what does the team do if Zobrist went down? Shift Rodriguez to 2nd & give Brignac all of that PT again that he struggled mightily with last season? Or, are you ready for a Beckham appearance?
Jason Collette - January 9, 2012
if any player goes down a call up is usually what takes place
sternfan1 - January 9, 2012
seriously, SF1 is right on this one (!)
I expect the Rays to sign an Adam Kennedy-type, stash him at Durham, and call him up if Zobrist gets hurt. That makes a lot more sense than carrying two utility infielders.
AndrewTorrez - January 9, 2012
.
Your FA 2b types (cross off Santiago)
Your FA SS types (cross off Santiago & Cedeno)
Any of them look like guys to stash in Durham and call-up in case of emergency?
Jason Collette - January 9, 2012
Izturis or Wilson, perhaps?
not sure what the market is for the rest of these guys, and of course a few (Miles, Inglett, and old friend Felipe Lopez) are probably not great fits.
AndrewTorrez - January 9, 2012
Actually, Izturis already has a minor league deal with Milwaukee
Wilson would be entertaining for these types of things http://www.sbnation.com/2012/1/4/2681620/jack-wilson-gif but we’re talking about a guy who has been below replacement level over the past two seasons.
Jason Collette - January 9, 2012
sounds like he'd be beloved in Durham
you basically get two options when you’re talking about a AAA stash: either someone who can play SS but can’t hit (your Jack Wilson-types) or someone who can hit a little bit but can’t play short (Miles, Inglett). In recent years the Rays have tended to gravitate towards the latter — Joe Dillon, Adam Kennedy, Felipe Lopez — so that might suggest they’d have more interest in those types of players.
AndrewTorrez - January 9, 2012
Teahen on ST invite?
Waived by Jays.
joeybw - January 9, 2012
Good lord, no
He’s been below replacement level for three full seasons now, in hitters parks
Jason Collette - January 9, 2012
rather have Daric Barton
pudieron89 - January 9, 2012
if both were on ST invites, I would prefer Barton also
joeybw - January 9, 2012
You both know that name should not be mentioned here, don't you?
Barton, Barton, Barton!
budman3 - January 9, 2012
Could Garza be coming back to the AL?
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/01/09/cubs-and-tigers-down-the-road-in-trade-talks-regarding-matt-garza/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Jason Collette - January 9, 2012
You must Login with your SB Nation account and be a member of DRaysBay to post a comment.