Sounds like trouble for the Central. Can't imagine Sale getting that much stronger.

For Sea :


And then there is Westmoreland. It remains head-spinning to see the numbers the outfielder put up in his lone season playing in the minor leagues. In 60 games for the Lowell Spinners, he hit .296 with a .401 OBP, .484 slugging mark, .885 OPS, seven homers, 25 extra-base hits and 19 steals in as many attempts over the course of 60 games.

Those numbers were accompanied by five-tool potential that earned him the title of the top prospect in the New York-Penn League as a 19-year-old. He seemed to have all of the on- and off-field attributes of a superstar in the making.

But the following spring, the outfielder was diagnosed with a life-threatening cavernous malformation on his brain. He required surgery on his brain stem at the start of 2010, a procedure that necessitated an arduous rehab process simply to be able to resume normal day-to-day functions.

Even so, he made extraordinary strides in his comeback to the point where he was able to play in a pair of rehab games in the Dominican instructional league after the 2011 season. However, while he continued his rehab in 2012, he again required surgery for a complication of a cavernous malformation in his brain.

Obviously, issues of quality of life are far more important for Westmoreland than his baseball playing future, and on that account, the surgeries that he's undergone have been successful. At a young age (22), he maintains extraordinary perspective and inspirational determination, willing to continue to do everything he can to pursue his dream of playing baseball even as he's mindful that such concerns are secondary.

Still, it is hard at times to shut out the notion of what might have been on the baseball field, of the seemingly limitless ability that, in 2012 or 2013, could have seen him as an emerging star in Boston.

Again, there are issues of personal well-being that are far more important than roster considerations. Nonetheless, as the Sox stand on the doorstep to spring training 2013, it is becoming ever more apparent how significant injuries have been in transforming an area of the team that could have offered breathtaking on-field skill and promise to one for which the Sox are engaged in something of a scramble.

Virtually every move in the outfield made by the Sox over the last three years -- the addition of Carl Crawford (himself part of the ill-fated Sox outfield history of recent years), of Cody Ross and Ryan Sweeney and Shane Victorino and Jonny Gomes -- in some measure reflects not just on what the Sox are trying to add, but also on the absence of players who once seemed like a central part of the team's future but whose health has not permitted such aspirations to be realized.

Thanks for the post, Rusty.

No doubt in my mind if it wasn't for the medical problems, Westmoreland would be starting for the Red Sox this year.

I'm in Arizona 8 months a year so I don't get to catch up on what's going on with Ryan. I did run into his dad last summer but didn't press for any information.

Two other kids that played HS ball with Ryan in 2008 are playing professionally. John Pedrotty is a LHP in the Arizona system and Tim Flight is a LHP in the Yankees organization. Not bad for a town of 17,000.

JEFF PASSAN

EXPERT

Alex Rodriguez the biggest name in a new PED report that could grow into BALCO-like scandal

A man in south Florida supplied performance-enhancing drugs to more than half a dozen major league players, including Alex Rodriguez, according to a Miami New Times report that officials at Major League Baseball believe will grow into a doping scandal that could rival the BALCO case that tarnished Barry Bonds.

The newspaper reported Tuesday morning that Anthony Bosch, a self-styled biochemist seen frequently in Latin American baseball circles, distributed large amounts of human growth hormone, synthetic testosterone and other cocktails of PEDs to players who previously had not been linked, such as Texas Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz.

Some of the players could be subject to a 50-game suspension for a violation of the league's PED policy, a league official told Yahoo! Sports. Three of Bosch's alleged clients – outfielder Melky Cabrera, pitcher Bartolo Colon and catcher Yasmani Grandal – already have been caught and suspended by the league.

Following a relatively quiet period, PED busts spiked in baseball last season. From Ryan Braun's positive test for testosterone – which got overturned because of alleged mishandling of evidence – to the suspensions of Cabrera, Colon, Grandal, Freddy Galvis, Marlon Byrd, Guillermo Mota and Carlos Ruiz, baseball is facing a renaissance of use, one it believes centered in south Florida.

While MLB had investigated wellness clinics and other suspected PED purveyors in the Miami area, it had not uncovered much of the blockbuster information revealed in the New Times story, the official told Yahoo! Sports.

The records of players' use, given to the New Times by a former employee at Bosch's Biogenesis clinic, are especially detailed in the cases of Rodriguez and Cabrera. Rodriguez, referred to as "Alex Rodriguez," "Alex Rod" or "Cacique," received HGH, testosterone cream and insulin-like growth factor, all banned under MLB's PED policy. He also was given "troches," a lozenge that has 15 percent testosterone, and other types of growth hormone, according to the report.

Rodriguez's account was "paid through April 30th" of 2012, according to the records.

Cruz, the slugging outfielder whom Bosch nicknamed "Mohamad," gave Bosch $4,000 in July 2012, the records said, for a regimen that included "troches."

The report also links Washington Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez to Bosch, though the five mentions of him in the records are less specific. While they include a $1,000 charge, Gonzalez's father, Max, said he was the one working with Bosch to lose weight.

Florida state and federal authorities have amped up their inquiries into Bosch in recent months, the league official said, as he operated a number of clinics that catered to athletes as well as the growing group that seeks HGH and testosterone as anti-aging treatments.

Pedro Bosch, a doctor who has worked in Florida for more than 35 years and is Anthony's father, supplied the fertility-drug prescription to Manny Ramirez that prompted his first PED suspension in 2009.

While the Drug Enforcement Agency looked into the Bosches supplying the players, it chose not to pursue a case, according to ESPN.com.

MLB and the players association strengthened the league's PED policy this offseason, instituting random blood testing for HGH and a stronger test for synthetic testosterone triggered by a variation from a baseline testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio the league will keep on every player.

No truth to the rumor that the MLB Players Association has hired Lance Armstrong as an advisor on "How to beat the Tests".

Following a relatively quiet period, PED busts spiked in baseball last season. From Ryan Braun's positive test for testosterone – which got overturned because of alleged mishandling of evidence – to the suspensions of Cabrera, Colon, Grandal, Freddy Galvis, Marlon Byrd, Guillermo Mota and Carlos Ruiz, baseball is facing a renaissance of use, one it believes centered in south Florida.

Oh my!

I thought this was a Latin American problem ?!?!?!? Why are these folks not being suspended as they suspend all the lower minor league drug users?!?!?

I think a lot of the owners and management would just as soon let the game go on without catching any more PED users. It's bad PR, and it makes for lower power numbers, which increase attendance.

joez wrote:

Following a relatively quiet period, PED busts spiked in baseball last season. From Ryan Braun's positive test for testosterone – which got overturned because of alleged mishandling of evidence – to the suspensions of Cabrera, Colon, Grandal, Freddy Galvis, Marlon Byrd, Guillermo Mota and Carlos Ruiz, baseball is facing a renaissance of use, one it believes centered in south Florida.

Oh my!

I thought this was a Latin American problem ?!?!?!? Why are these folks not being suspended as they suspend all the lower minor league drug users?!?!?

Which one of those players is not a Latin American player ? Your beer leagues are a haven for PED users. Ask your buddy Manny.

Let's see. Cabrera, Colon, and Mota have all been suspended at least once.

Q&A: Wright picks up knuckleball torch

Red Sox hurler following in the footsteps of Dickey, Wakefield

By John Parker / MLB.com

01/28/2013 10:28 AM ET

Red Sox farmhand Steven Wright isn't a typical prospect. He's 28 years old and has made just 16 appearances -- five of them starts -- above the Double-A level.

After several years of pitching conventionally and reaching Triple-A in 2009, Wright began throwing a knuckleball. It was just an out pitch at first, but as it became more effective, the former second-round Draft pick dedicated himself to becoming a full-time knuckleballer. He returned to Class A at age 26 to work on the pitch and made his way back up the Minor League ladder.

2012 was a banner year for the two knuckleballers in affiliated baseball: R.A. Dickey, 37, won the National League Cy Young Award and Wright established himself with a 10-7 record and 2.54 ERA while holding Double-A and Triple-A hitters to a .213 average. The Red Sox acquired Wright from the Indians at the trade deadline on July 31, bringing the knuckleball back to the organization a year after stalwart Tim Wakefield retired at 44.

Though still relatively new to the knuckleball, Wright is the next great hope to carry on a rare and curious baseball legacy.

MiLB.com: You spent some time in the Dominican Winter League following the regular season -- what was that experience like?

Steven Wright: It was awesome. It was a great chance to stay focused on pitching and a great atmosphere. I was playing for Escogido, so we were in the city and the fans were a lot of fun. I'd definitely recommend the league to anyone.

MiLB.com: What else have you been up to during the offseason?

Wright: I just got back from the Red Sox Rookie Program in Boston last week. I haven't been with the organization that long, so it was great to be at Fenway and meet the front office staff and the clubbies and see how everything clicks. I'd already talked to a bunch of people, but it was good to meet them and put faces to the names.

MiLB.com: It's been less than six months since the Red Sox acquired you from the Indians. Have you noticed any differences between the franchises?

Wright: No, it's all pretty much the same. The workouts are largely the same, maybe just doing different things on different days. I've enjoyed working with the people in both clubs.

MiLB.com: You were with Double-A Akron when you were traded to the Sox and assigned to Portland. The two teams played each other that first week -- was there ever any chance you were going to pitch against your old teammates?

Wright: Yeah, we were in Akron and what would have been my turn had I still been with the Aeros. The Sea Dogs didn't have too many starting pitchers at that time, though -- they were filling in with relievers -- and an actual starter was scheduled to go that day, so they pushed me back instead of him.

MiLB.com: Both you and the knuckleball have gotten a fair bit of attention lately. How much of that is due to the emergence of R.A. Dickey?

Wright: Oh, I think most of it. People are naturally interested in a strange pitch that not too many pitchers throw, but with R.A. having such an incredible season, it kind of spilled over on to me. As far as I know, we're the only two pitchers [in affiliated baseball] to rely on it primarily.

MiLB.com: It's been suggested that no one has ever thrown the knuckleball as hard as Dickey does. Are you similar?

Wright: I throw relatively hard too. We grip the ball the same way, more or less, although I prefer not to use the seams at all. Some guys like to hold the ball inside the horseshoe on the seams, but avoiding the seams feels best in my hand.

MiLB.com: Do you try to vary your delivery or arm slot, or are you concentrating on throwing it the same way every time?

Wright: I'm still pretty early in my knuckleball career ... so I'm focused on trying to make it the same every time. I know some people have experimented with dropping down a little, but I'm just trying to master the basic pitch without trying to introduce any wrinkles.

MiLB.com: Are there any things you have to work on -- maybe finger strength -- that is less of a factor for "conventional" pitchers?

Wright: Our workouts are pretty much the same. To be honest, I haven't been a full-time knuckleballer long enough to consider making changes.

It's important for all pitchers, of course, but I think even more so for me to concentrate on little things like controlling the running game, being quick to home and fielding the position. With the knuckleball, you're trying to make the batter mishit, so there are swinging bunts to contend with. And catching it can be hard, so you want to give your catcher every advantage you can by being quick to the plate and holding runners well.

MiLB.com: Rather infamously, the Red Sox had to reacquire catcher Doug Mirabelli partway through the 2006 season because regular starter Jason Varitek had such trouble catching Wakefield's knuckleball. How hard have you been on your catchers?

Wright: I've been really fortunate. My catcher in Akron, Roberto Perez, is just a tremendous defensive catcher, and it was just as good when I came to the Red Sox. In fact, Escogido brought in my catcher in Portland, Matt Spring, just to catch me in the Winter League.

It's a hard thing to catch a knuckleball, but I think you need to have the mentality that, "Okay, I'm going to miss a few, but that's fine." Sometimes people get psyched out by it before they need to.

MiLB.com: When you're struggling, what can a pitching coach tell you when he visits the mound? You presumably know more about the knuckleball than he does.

Wright: Communication is really important. I try to tell my coaches as much as I can about which things are important and which aren't so much. My pitching coaches have been able to say things like, "You were doing this when things were working, but now you're doing something different."

It's a little difficult when the pitch is so rare. But when I have questions about it, I'm able to talk to guys like Wake, R.A., Charlie Hough and Tom Candiotti. You know, I'll send out a text after a game and they'll usually respond in the next day or so with their thoughts. It's a great resource to be able to talk to some of the greats of the game like that, and one that not many people are fortunate enough to have.

MiLB.com: I guess you knuckleballers have your own sort of guild? Do you feel like you're kind of carrying the torch onward for the knuckleball?

Wright: I really have to credit the Indians organization for giving me the resources to work on the pitch -- they encouraged me, they brought in [Candiotti] to work with me, they introduced me to the group.

Yeah, there are so few of us that have tried to rely on the knuckleball -- no one really tries to be a knuckleballer, it's something you turn to when your other pitches aren't doing the job -- that it's an amazing thing to be a part of. It's exciting trying to carry on that tradition.

I think the Tribe is going to regret trading Wright....especially for that stiff, Lars Anderson. I see Anderson was just DFA by the Diamondbacks.

Jhonny Peralta has lost 18 pounds so far this offseason in an effort to improve his range at shortstop.
"It's good," Peralta said. "I've never been at this weight since I've been with Detroit. I finished last season at 236. I'm at 218 now. (Tigers general manager Dave) Dombrowski and everybody wanted me working on my range. That's why I tried to get lighter. So I can be quicker, especially up the middle." Peralta has made only 14 errors over the last two seasons, but his range has been among the worst in baseball at short, so losing some extra pounds probably won't hurt. Fantasy owners are more concerned about the career-low .689 OPS he had last season.

Source: Detroit News Feb 1 - 8:26 AM

Parra signs with Reds

The Reds made another move on Friday by signing LHP Manny Parra to a one-year contract with terms not yet known. It’s a Major League contract and RHP Todd Redmond has been designated for assignment to clear space on the 40-man roster.

Parra, 27, spent his whole five-year career with the Brewers — first as a starter before becoming a full time reliever last season. He was 2-3 with a 5.06 ERA in 62 appearances. Earlier in the winter, GM Walt Jocketty noted he might keep an eye on the lefty reliever market for bargains. The club has moved Aroldis Chapman to the rotation and had only Sean Marshall from the left side.

FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi reports that Manny Ramirez is in talks to play for the EDA Rhinos of the Chinese Professional Baseball League in Taiwan.
Ramirez has been playing in the Dominican Winter League in hopes of making a return to MLB, but Morosi's report indicates that he isn't drawing much interest. The 40-year-old hasn't played in the majors since April of 2011 and was released by the A's last season after hitting .302/.348/.349 with zero homers and a .697 OPS in 17 games with Triple-A Sacramento. He have likely seen the last of him in MLB.


Source: Jon Paul Morosi on Twitter Feb 5 - 10:04 AM

A's show off bobblehead that could change the industry

GAME ON!
Ted Berg, USA TODAY Sports3:33p.m. EST February 5, 2013 (Photo: Ben Margot AP)
TAGS
Oakland AthleticsCoco CrispAndrew McCarthy
On Monday, the Oakland Athletics provided a sneak preview of a Coco Crisp statuette to be distributed to fans attending their game against the Cardinals on June 29.


Though billed as a bobblehead, it actually appears to be more of a wobbletorso – a potentially groundbreaking advancement in bobble-technology undersold by the A's. And it is stunning: The figurine, which commemorates Crisp's take on the so-called "Bernie Lean" favored by the A's during their unlikely postseason run in 2012, is believed to be the first major in-stadium giveaway inspired by the 1993 TriStar pictures comedy, Weekend At Bernie's 2.

Rangers keeping open mind on young players

GM Daniels says Profar, Olt could make team manning different positions

By T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com | 2/5/2013 4:31 P.M. ET

ARLINGTON --

The Rangers aren't sure what's going to happen to Nelson Cruz, and they aren't sure what kind of offense they'll have without Josh Hamilton, Michael Young and Mike Napoli.

In a reverse of so many offseasons in the past, Texas actually goes into Spring Training feeling better about its starting rotation than perhaps any other part of the ballclub.

But the Rangers also feel good about some of their young players, and when they convene in Arizona next week for Spring Training, they are going to give those top young prospects every chance to make the team. General manager Jon Daniels said that includes the possibility of infielders Jurickson Profar and Mike Olt playing the outfield if that is what's best for the team.

Daniels said the Rangers aren't necessarily trying to make up for the loss of Hamilton and others. Instead they are just trying to find ways to allow some talented young players to have an impact on a ballclub that still expects to contend for a division title and more this coming season.

"We're looking at the versatility, athleticism and depth of our young players and some of our established big leaguers," Daniels said. "We see that as an asset. We're excited about the team we've got, and chances are you're going to see guys play different spots. It's by design."

Daniels said Texas has told Olt, Profar and others to be "ready for anything" when they come to Spring Training next week.

"Our message with these guys is, 'You're a baseball player,'" Daniels said. "Whether you're a middle infielder or a corner infielder, you may play some in the outfield. Be prepared. If you want to be a Major League player, be ready to be versatile."

The Rangers' outfield already took a hit when Hamilton left to sign a five-year deal with the Angels. Cruz's situation creates some more uncertainty. He is under investigation by Major League Baseball for possible links to a Miami clinic that was allegedly selling performance-enhancing drugs.

Cruz, through a law firm, has denied any allegations that he used performance-enhancing drugs. Daniels said Cruz is expected to be in camp on time, and the outfielder is still planning to play for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic. The Rangers still have to brace for the possibility Cruz could be subjected to disciplinary measures by the Commissioner's Office, which could include a 50-game suspension even without a failed drug test.

Beyond that, Daniels said Texas' goal is just to put the best team possible out on the field. That could include some of the Rangers' young players if they prove versatile enough to play multiple positions.

"The bottom line is we've got the best third baseman in the game [Adrian Beltre] on our ballclub," Daniels said. "Barring injury, Mike is not going to play much third base. But we believe in the talent, and there may be other ways to get him out there."

Daniels said earlier in the offseason that the Rangers did not want Olt or Profar sitting on the bench if there wasn't a regular spot in the lineup for them. That still may be the case, but Texas intends to be more open to possible ways for Olt and Profar to make the team, even with a set infield of Beltre at third, Elvis Andrus at shortstop, Ian Kinsler at second and Mitch Moreland at first.

"Our stance with Jurickson is if he demonstrates he's one of our best 25 and maybe one of our best nine, if we're convinced he can make an impact on the team and continue his progress, we'll be open-minded," Daniels said. "We see him long-term as a shortstop and a middle infielder, but he may take some balls [in the outfield].

"We don't want guys to take a step backward, but there may be roles carved out for those guys. They may not be seven-days-a-week jobs, but they can still impact the ballclub."

Rangers pitchers and catchers report next Tuesday, with position players due in on Feb. 15. Texas is taking 63 players to camp and appears to be done as far as offseason acquisitions.

Pitcher Kyle Lohse and outfielder Michael Bourn remain free agents, but Daniels does not expect to get involved with either one. The Rangers showed some interest in both earlier in the offseason, but they have held back as Spring Training approaches.

"You never 100 percent close the door on everything," Daniels said. "Our job is to stay open-minded. But we are fully prepared and expecting to go to camp with the team we have."

The Rangers' main targets in free agency were Hamilton and pitcher Zack Greinke, and both signed elsewhere. The team was also unsuccessful in trying to trade for pitcher James Shields and outfielder Justin Upton. Instead the Rays traded Shields to the Royals, and the D-backs traded Upton to the Braves.

The Rangers' biggest offseason acquisitions have been designated hitter Lance Berkman, catcher A.J. Pierzynski and relievers Joakim Soria, Josh Lindblom and Jason Frasor. That has left the perception that this has not been a good offseason for Texas as far as trying to improve a team that won 93 games last season, but finished second behind the Athletics in the American League West.

Daniels is aware of the perception, but still maintains his optimism about putting a winning team on the field.

"I'm excited about our team," Daniels said. "I'm excited about the core group that we have, the guys we were able to fit in and the young players we have. We need guys to perform like they are capable of and we need to be healthy. But we like what we have. There were a couple of guys we identified early on that went elsewhere, but that's part of the deal.

"In a couple of cases, it was our decision not to finalize the deal. A couple of cases went beyond what we were willing to do. But we like our club and the possibilities ahead of us."