MLB 2011!!

[-Jrabbit]

Seems like a pretty paltry number of first place votes, actually.

[EPW]

Indeed!

[SlowwHand]

UPDATE: Rangers ink Joe Nathan to two-year contract, moving Neftali Feliz to rotation



UPDATE II: Via Jeff Wilson, Nathan will earn $7 million in 2012 and 2013 while the contract includes a $9 million club option for 2014 or a $500,000 buyout.

UPDATE: Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that Nathan is guaranteed $14.5 million over the length of the contract, including the buyout for the option year.

Meanwhile, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports that Feliz has been informed he will indeed make the move to the starting rotation.

8:07 PM: In a move that likely indicates Neftali Feliz is headed to the starting rotation next season, T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com reports that the Rangers have signed Joe Nathan. Full details aren’t yet known, but Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports that he will receive a two-year contract with an option for a third year.

Nathan, who turns 37 tomorrow, made his way back from Tommy John surgery this season and posted a 4.84 ERA, 14 saves and 43/14 K/BB ratio over 44 2/3 innings. The veteran right-hander pitched much better when he regained the closer’s role from Matt Capps following the All-Star break, posting a 3.91 ERA and 22/5 K/BB ratio over 23 innings.

While the Rangers waffled on the situation earlier this year, they have said that they want to make a decision Feliz’s status going into spring training, so this would presumably set the stage for him to make a permanent move to the starting rotation.

Nice.

[EPW]

For Nathan, at least.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Baseball is on the verge of signing a 5 year extended CBA. This level of labor peace is unreal!

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/7269300/major-league-baseball-players-owners-sign-new-labor-agreement

Some pretty significant changes with the CBA as well:

Baseball became the first of the major North American professional leagues to agree to blood testing for HGH. An initial positive test for HGH would result in a 50-game suspension, the same as a first positive urine test for a performance-enhancing substance.

The extra wild cards in each league will be added for next season, which means the playoff field will expand immediately, a source told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney. The two wild cards in each league -- the non-first place teams with the best records -- will meet in a one-game playoff, and the winners will move on to the Division Series.

This agreement calls for the Houston Astros to switch from the NL Central to the AL West in 2013, leaving each league with three five-team divisions. It's baseball's first realignment since the Milwaukee Brewers went to the NL after the 1997 season.

On the economics, the threshold for the luxury tax on payrolls will be left at $178 million in each of the next two seasons, putting pressure on high-spending teams such as the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies not to raise their spending even more. The threshold rises to $189 million for 2014-16.

The minimum salary reaches the $500,000 mark in 2014, and then there will be cost-of-living increases in both of the following two years. There will also be a new "competitive balance lottery" that gives small-market teams extra selections in the amateur draft.

Major league free agent compensation will be completely revised in 2013, with a team having to offer its former players who became free agents the average of the top 125 contracts -- currently about $12 million -- to receive draft-pick compensation if a player signs with a new team. It eliminates the statistical formula that had been in place since the 1981 strike settlement.

Owners achieved their goal of reining in spending on amateur players coming to the major leagues. For high school and college players taken in the June amateur draft, there will be five bands of penalties, starting with a 75 percent tax on the amount 0-5 percent over a specified threshold for each team next year, based on its selection spot. For teams going 5-10 percent over, the tax will rise to 100 percent and they will lose their next first-round draft pick. If a team goes more than 15 percent over, it could lose its following two first-round draft picks.

For players taken in the 11th round and beyond, teams may give them signing bonuses up to $100,000 without it counting against the new threshold.

The labor deal also will limit the use of smokeless tobacco by players, but not ban it during games, as some public health groups had sought.

A baseball union summary obtained by The Associated Press says that players have agreed not to carry tobacco cans in their back pockets or use tobacco during pregame or postgame interviews, and at team functions.

Good stuff there - really happy with the limits on money given to amateur players.

[Imran Siddiqui]

And Ryan Braun is your NL MVP with 20 out of the 32 first place votes:

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/7269575/ryan-braun-milwaukee-brewers-wins-nl-mvp

[Demonbinder]

New CBA calls for expanded replay after discussions between MLB and umpires union. Does anyone else think they should go to hockey's system where they go to a outside location to make call rather than have the umpires go into clubhouse to look at it? I think that system is much better.

[H Tower]

What is this crap? The Cubs are pursuing Pujols and Fielder? I don't mind a casual investigation of the possibilities, but they can't be serious, can they? I thought they were going to try to build a winner, not attempt to buy one.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports...,3096075.story

FoxSports.com reports: Sources say the Cubs are pursuing both Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder, partly because of the dwindling number of free-agent sluggers that figure to be available in coming years, and also the new restrictions placed on spending in the amateur draft.

Although Pujols at 31 is nearly 3 1/2 years old than Fielder, sources say the Cubs would be more willing to go long term with him because he has a better glove and is in better shape than Fielder.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Best options possible at 1B, and Pujols would bring veteran leadership and sell plenty of jersies .

[H Tower]

I'm not going to deny Pujol's skills, but the general consensus in Chicago these days is that the cubs need to blow up the franchise, dump bad contracts, and find a way to rebuild. Signing Pujols fits more in the "we are trying to win now" caegory.

[rah]

It's probably all smoke being blown up fans butts to make them think they are trying to win now while they blow it up. They do have to sell tickets regardless of their intention.
I can see the fake moaning now. "We tried so hard"


But in all honesty, denying St. Louis Pujol would be worth a chuckle or two, but it's not going to happen.

[-Jrabbit]

Is it actually possible the Buehrle is going to sign with Florida?

I thought his whole idea was to go to St Louis, and I've also read that the Yankees have him designated as a guy who can thrive in the bright lights there...

[rah]

never underestimate the OZZIE factor.

[Imran Siddiqui]

I'm not going to deny Pujol's skills, but the general consensus in Chicago these days is that the cubs need to blow up the franchise, dump bad contracts, and find a way to rebuild. Signing Pujols fits more in the "we are trying to win now" caegory.

Well they do need to sell tickets . Complete rebuilding efforts are usually horrible for ticket sales and TV viewership.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Is it actually possible the Buehrle is going to sign with Florida?

I thought his whole idea was to go to St Louis, and I've also read that the Yankees have him designated as a guy who can thrive in the bright lights there...

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