Brewers re-sign Jenkins

[nyy26wc]

1) The Brewers re-signed LF Geoff Jenkins to a 3 year, $23 million contract, covering 2005-07, with an option for 2008.

He would have been eligible for free agency after the season. After -1 RCAA/.808 OPS and -3 RCAA/.764 OPS seasons, Jenkins hit .538 SLG, .375 OBA, .913 OPS, 27 RCAA in 124 games. It was his 3rd year with 20+ RCAA in the past 5 seasons. Jenkins has a .865 career OPS, compared to his league average of .781, and 67 RCAA in 650 games.

Another 20+ RCAA season will put Jenkins into the Brewers top 10 career list--

RCAA 
1    Paul Molitor                371   
2    Robin Yount                 284   
3    Cecil Cooper                200   
4    Ben Oglivie                 138   
5    Sixto Lezcano               101   
6    Don Money                    96   
T7   George Scott                 93   
T7   Jeromy Burnitz               93   
9    Richie Sexson                89   
10   John Briggs                  84   
11   Gorman Thomas                78   
T12  Geoff Jenkins                67   
T12  Jeff Cirillo                 67   
14   Tommy Harper                 54   
15   Dave Nilsson                 46   

2) The Devil Rays renewed the contract of CF Rocco Baldelli and re-signed C Toby Hall and P Victor Zambrano to 1 year contracts.

Baldelli hit .416 SLG, .326 OBA, .742 OPS, -3 RCAA in his first 156 games.

We are now at the point where teams can renew the contracts of unsigned players at whatever rate they want, as long as it's not less than a 20% pay cut from the previous year, or the $300,000 minimum salary, whichever is greater. Meanwhile, in some cases, it was not entirely clear from news reports whether players were renewed or re-signed, so I'm making a best guess from what the articles say.

After starting his career with -1 RCAA/.768 OPS and -16 RCAA/.669 OPS seasons (he also played in 4 games in 2000), Hall hit .380 SLG, .295 OBA, .675 OPS, -19 RCAA in 130 games. He has a .690 career OPS, compared to his league average of .762, and -37 RCAA in 268 games.

After starting his career with 3.16 ERA/8 RSAA and 5.53 ERA/-13 RSAA seasons, Zambrano had a 4.21 ERA/7 RSAA in 28 starts (34 games). He has a 4.48 career ERA, compared to his league average of 4.50, and 2 RSAA in 112 games.

3) Former Reds managing partner Marge Schott died at the age of 75.

Schott was a limited partner at the time of her death.

4) The Whitesox re-signed P Damaso Marte to a 3 year, $4.5 million contract, with options for 2007-08.

After starting his career with 4.71 ERA/-1 RSAA and 2.83 ERA/12 RSAA seasons (he also pitched in 5 games in 1999), Marte had a career year, with a 1.58 ERA/26 RSAA in 71 games. Marte has a 2.97 career ERA, compared to his league average of 4.49, and 33 RSAA in 167 games.

5) The Marlins renewed the contracts of RF Miguel Cabrera and Ps John Beckett, Dontrelle Willis and re-signed P Mike Neu to a 1 year contract.

Cabrera hit .468 SLG, .325 OBA, .793 OPS, -1 RCAA in his first 87 career games.

After starting his career with 1.50 ERA/7 RSAA (4 G/GS) and 4.10 ERA/-1 RSAA (23 G/21 GS) seasons, Beckett had a 3.04 ERA/15 RSAA in 23 starts (24 games). He has a 3.32 career ERA, compared to his league average of 4.23, and 21 RSAA in 51 games.

Willis had a 3.30 ERA/12 RSAA in his first 27 career starts.

6) Jose Canseco was unimpressive in his workout with the Dodgers on Monday and the team told him they aren't interested in signing him. There's also speculation that he wasn't serious out the tryout, but rather just wanted media attention in order to promote an upcoming book.

7) The Braves re-signed 2B Marcus Giles to a 1 year contract.

After starting his career with -5 RCAA/.769 OPS and -6 RCAA/.714 OPS seasons, Giles hit .526 SLG, .390 OBA, .917 OPS, 43 RCAA in 145 games. He has a .838 career OPS, compared to his league average of .772, and 32 RCAA in 281 games.

In his first year as a starter, Giles ranked in RCAA among Braves 2B (list is since 1900, Giles's ranking would stay 2nd even if it wasn't)--

RCAA                          YEAR    RCAA    
1    Rogers Hornsby           1928       91   
2    Marcus Giles             2003       43   
3    Davey Johnson            1973       33   
4    Bill Sweeney             1912       27   
T5   Eddie Stanky             1948       20   
T5   Bill Sweeney             1911       20   
7    Eddie Stanky             1949       19   
8    Billy Herman             1946       18   
9    Tony Cuccinello          1936       14   
10   Lloyd Christenbury       1921       13   

8) The Pirates re-signed OFs Jason Bay and Tike Redman, 3B-RF Rob Mackowiak and Ps Josh Fogg, Jason Boyd and Oliver Perez to 1 year contracts.

Bay hit .529 SLG, .421 OBA, .949 OPS, 10 RCAA in his first 30 career games with the Padres and Pirates. He was acquired in the Brian Giles trade and is expected to be the Pirates starting LF. After having offseason shoulder surgery, the team is hoping he'll be ready for Opening Day. But, if he's not, he's not expected to be out for too long.

After starting his career with -5 RCAA/.730 OPS and -2 RCAA/.754 OPS seasons, Mackowiak hit .443 SLG, .342 OBA, .784 OPS, 4 RCAA in 77 games. He has a .754 career OPS, compared to his league average of .770, and -3 RCAA in 296 games.

After starting his career with 2.03 ERA/4 RSAA and 4.35 ERA/0 RSAA seasons, Fogg had a 5.26 ERA/-16 RSAA in 26 starts. He has a 4.63 career ERA, compared to his league average of 4.20, and -12 RSAA in 70 games.

After being out the majors in 2001 and having a 7.94 ERA/-13 RSAA in 2002, Boyd had a 4.30 ERA/-1 RSAA in a career high 44 games with the Indians. He has a 5.76 career ERA, compared to his league average of 4.46, and -20 RSAA in 101 games. In October, the Pirates claimed him off waivers from the Indians.

Perez has a 4.65 ERA/-18 RSAA in 40 career games, including a 5.47 ERA/-21 RSAA in 24 starts with the 2003 Padres and Pirates.

9) The Rangers re-signed INF Jason Bourgeois and Ps Joaquin Benoit, Colby Lewis and Ricardo Rodriguez to 1 year contracts.

After starting his career with a 5.31 ERA/-3 RSAA in 17 games (13 starts) in 2002 (he also made 1 start in 2001), Benoit had a 5.49 ERA/-6 RSAA in 25 games (17 starts). He has a 5.55 career ERA, compared to his league average of 4.50, and -13 RSAA in 43 games.

After starting his career with a 6.29 ERA/-5 RSAA in 15 games in 2002, Lewis had a 7.30 ERA/-32 RSAA in 26 starts. He has a 7.08 career ERA, compared to his league average of 4.52, and -37 RSAA in 41 games.

Rodriguez has a 5.71 ERA/-19 RSAA in 22 career games, including a 5.73 ERA/-14 RSAA in 15 starts in 2003.

10) The Mariners re-signed INF Willie Bloomquist and P Rafael Soriano to 1 year contracts.

After starting his career with 8 RCAA/1.102 OPS in 12 games in 2002, Bloomquist hit .321 SLG, .317 OBA, .638 OPS, -9 RCAA in 89 games. He has a .706 career OPS, compared to his league average of .763, and -1 RCAA in 101 games.

11) The April 16 Yankees-Redsox game, in Fenway Park, has been moved back an hour, to 8:05, and will be FOX's first nationally televised game of the season. It's the first nationally televised weekday regular season game, excluding ESPN, since Fox showed Mark McGwire break Roger Maris's record on September 8, 1998.

12) The Yankees finalized Travis Lee's 1 year, $2.25 million contract.

13) The Padres re-signed 2B Bernie Castro, SS Khalil Greene and Ramon Vazquez, 3B Sean Burroughs, OFs Freddy Guzman and Henri Stanley, Cs Humberto Quintero and Tom Wilson and Ps Justin Germano; Ben Howard; Scott Linebrink; Chris Oxspring; Jake Peavy; Brian Sweeney; Jason Szuminski; Dennis Tankersley and Rusty Tucker to 1 year contracts.

After starting his career with -6 RCAA/.640 OPS in 63 games in 2002, Burroughs hit .402 SLG, .352 OBA, .755 OPS, 5 RCAA in 146 games. He has a .724 career OPS, compared to his league average of .770, and -1 RCAA in 209 games.

After starting his career with 1 RCAA/.706 OPS in 2002 (he also played in 17 games as a September callup in 2001), Vazquez hit .341 SLG, .342 OBA, .684 OPS, -4 RCAA in 116 games. He has a .685 career OPS, compared to his league average of .768, and -6 RCAA in 261 games.

After starting his career with -3 RCAA/.719 OPS in 2002 (he also played 9 games in 2001), Wilson hit .391 SLG, .331 OBA, .722 OPS, -5 RCAA in 96 games with the BlueJays. He has a .721 career OPS, compared to his league average of .761, and -9 RCAA in 201 games. In January, the Padres claimed him off waivers.

In his first season with more than 22 games, Linebrink had a 3.31 ERA/8 RSAA in 52 games with the Astros and Padres. He has a 4.14 career ERA, compared to his league average of 4.29, and 1 RSAA in 94 games.

After starting his career with a 4.52 ERA/-8 RSAA in 17 starts in 2002, Peavy had a 4.11 ERA/-5 RSAA in 32 starts. He has a 4.25 career ERA, compared to his league average of 4.23, and -13 RSAA in 49 games. Coming up through the system, Peavy was a highly regarded prospect and, if the Padres are going to be a sleeper team, they will be counting on his development.

14) The Reds re-signed OF Ryan Freel to a 1 year contract.

15) The Expos re-signed 2B Henry Mateo, OFs Ron Calloway and Juan Rivera and P Luis Ayala to 1 year contracts.

Mateo has -14 RCAA/.577 OPS in 127 career games, including a .273 SLG, .304 OBA, .576 OPS, -12 RCAA in 100 games in 2003.

Calloway hit .374 SLG, .282 OBA, .656 OPS, -31 RCAA in his first 126 career games.

Rivera has -7 RCAA/.729 OPS in 88 career games, including a .468 SLG, .304 OBA, .773 OPS, -2 RCAA in 57 games in 2003. After spending his whole career with the Yankees, in December, Rivera was traded to the Expos as part of the Javier Vazquez/Nick Johnson deal.

Ayala had a 2.92 ERA/17 RSAA in his first 65 career games.

[nyy26wc]

16) The Mets re-signed OFs Jeff Duncan and Prentice Redman and Ps Jeremy Griffiths, Jae Weong Seo and Grant Roberts to 1 year contracts.

Seo has a 3.80 ERA/9 RSAA in 33 career games, including a 3.82 ERA/9 RSAA in 31 starts (32 games) in 2003.

17) Recommended reading--

Part 1 of a 4 part series on competitive balance in baseball
http://www.all-baseball.com/mikesbballrants/

A look at Jim Tracy's ideas for the Dodgers lineup
http://cmdr-scott.blogspot.com/2004_...24937485913564