Rivera wants to continue to play

[nyy26wc]

1) Yankees P Mariano Rivera says he'd like to play 3 more years after this one. His contract will expire at the end of the 2004 season and Rivera had previously said he would retire and turn to religion when that happens. Contract talks with the Yankees have begun and a deal could be struck before the Yankees Opening Day in Japan.

2) Pitchers and catchers report today for the Astros, A's, BlueJays, Brewers and Diamondbacks.

3) The Angels re-signed C Wil Nieves (terms not disclosed) and P Francisco Rodriguez ($375,000) to 1 year contracts.

Rodriguez has a 2.85 ERA/14 RSAA in 64 career games, including a 3.03 ERA/11 RSAA in 59 games in 2003.

Nieves had -6 RCAA/.474 OPS in 28 games with the 2002 Padres.

4) The A's re-signed SS Bobby Crosby, LF Bobby Kielty, INFs Freddy Bynum, Dan Johnson, Graham Koonce, Mike Rouse and Marco Scutaro, OF Matt Watson, C Adam Melhuse and Ps Frank Brooks, John Rheinecker, Justin Duchscherer, Chad Harville, Justin Lehr and Mike Wood to 1 year contracts.

Crosby will take over the starting SS job that vacated by Miguel Tejada's departure. He was rated the #2 hitting prospect in baseball, behind Twins C Joe Mauer, by John Sickels, who gave him an A grade.Crosby had a .939 OPS (.395 OBA, .544 SLG) in AAA in 2003 and was 0 for 12 in 11 games as a September callup.

After starting his career with -3 RCAA/.681 OPS (37 G) and 22 RCAA/.890 OPS (112 G) seasons, Kielty hit .400 SLG, .358 OBA, .758 OPS, -1 RCAA in 137 games with the Twins and BlueJays. He has a .795 career OPS, compared to his league average of .761, and 17 RCAA in 286 games. Kielty has a .367 career OBA. In December, the A's acquired him in a trade with the BlueJays.

5) The Orioles found out that minor league P Denny Bautista was actually born on August 23, 1980 and not September 23, 1982, as originally thought. Bautista was the key prospect in last year's trade that sent Jeff Conine to the Marlins.

The age change might change things, but before it happened, Bautista was given a B+ grade by Sickels, who ranked him as 33rd best pitching prospect in baseball and said "he could develop into a number one starter."

6) Redsox 1B-DH David McCarty is going to try to make the team not just in his regular role, but also as a lefty reliever.

McCarty has -64 RCAA/.668 OPS in 528 games, including a .491 SLG, .368 OBA, .859 OPS, 5 RCAA in 24 games with the A's and Redsox in 2003. He hasn't pitched regularly since high school.

7) The Giants signed 1B Damon Minor to a minor league contract and he'll report to the minor league camp.

Minor, who spent 2003 in the Phillies minor league system, had 1 RCAA/.751 OPS in 112 games with the 2000-02 Giants.

8) The Mariners re-signed SS Ramon Santiago, INFs Greg Dobbs and Luis Ugueto, OF Jamal Strong, C Ryan Christianson and Ps Cha-Sueng Baek, Jeff Heaverlo, Rett Johnson, Aaron Looper, Bobby Madritsch and Matt Thornton to 1 year contracts.

After starting his career with -6 RCAA/.671 OPS in 65 games in 2002, Santiago had a .284 SLG, .292 OBA, .576 OPS, -27 RCAA in 141 games. In January, the Tigers traded Santiago and minor league INF Juan Gonzalez to the Mariners for Carlos Guillen.

9) The Brewers signed P Chris Michalak to a minor league contract, with an invitation to spring training. They also re-signed Cs Chad Moeller and Kade Johnson, OF Brady Clark and Ps Tim Bausher, Jeff Bennett, Jorge De La Rosa, Ben Hendrickson and Chris Saenz to 1 year contracts.

Michalak has a 4.66 ERA/3 RSAA in 53 career games.

In his first year with more than 48 games, Moeller hit .435 SLG, .335 OBA, .770 OPS, -8 RCAA in 78 games. He has a .715 career OPS, compared to his league average of .777, and -27 RCAA in 188 games. In December, the Brewers acquired him from the Diamondbacks in the Richie Sexson trade.

Correction from yesterday--The Reds, not the Redsox, signed P Brian Rose to a minor league contract.

[gyb13]

Originally Posted by nyy26wc

5) The Orioles found out that minor league P Denny Bautista was actually born on August 23, 1980 and not September 23, 1982, as originally thought. Bautista was the key prospect in last year's trade that sent Jeff Conine to the Marlins.

The age change might change things, but before it happened, Bautista was given a B+ grade by Sickels, who ranked him as 33rd best pitching prospect in baseball and said "he could develop into a number one starter."

how did jeff conine yield a 'potential #1 guy'?

[nyy26wc]

Originally Posted by gyb13

how did jeff conine yield a 'potential #1 guy'?

.290 batting average + "proven veteran" + the Marlins's desire to reacquire someone who was a popular guy the first time they had him

[gyb13]

it was a rhetorical question

[nyy26wc]

Originally Posted by gyb13

it was a rhetorical question

Maybe that was rhetorical answer.