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Greinke: I inked with Dodgers because of money

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/mlb/#ixzz2M9Wz0B72

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BAL SPR T.J. McFarland (H,1) 0.1 1 1 1 1 1 13.50 Not helping case for Rule 5 pick

Just wondering if a camp has been set up for FAs that have not signed anywhere.

Lohse comes to mind.

Puig draws first outfield start, praise from Mattingly

By AJ Cassavell / MLB.com | 02/27/2013 8:14 PM ET

GLENDALE, Ariz. --

Posted on the clubhouse lineup card at Camelback Ranch on Wednesday morning was a sight Dodgers fans are looking forward to seeing many times in the future:

Starting outfielder Yasiel Puig.

The club's No. 1 prospect, according to MLB.com, got the nod in center field on Wednesday and batted eighth, marking his second start of the spring and his first start in the outfield. (He was the DH on Sunday.)

Puig didn't disappoint in the Dodgers' 11-7 victory over the Cubs, lining a pair of singles and scoring three runs in a 2-for-3 day. His most impressive at-bat of the afternoon may have come in the third -- a rocket to the 410-foot sign in dead center field that the Cubs' Scott Hairston dropped for an error just in front of the wall.

Puig is 4-for-11 with a double and three strikeouts this spring. But a far more accurate assessment of his performance during Spring Training comes from manager Don Mattingly, who has had his eye on the 22-year-old since Day 1 of camp.

"The best word for me with Yasiel is 'raw,'" Mattingly said. "This guy is full speed. He is a beast. It is a body in motion. When this guy comes around the bases, it's a train coming. ... But it's raw, and it's full speed, and I like it. It's like a wild horse."

The Dodgers signed the Cuban prospect to a seven-year, $42 million deal last June. That contract came a week before MLB began limiting bonus money for international free agents.

Puig hit .354 with five homers in the Minors last year in time spent between the Arizona Rookie League and Class A Rancho Cucamonga in the California League. But he scuffled a bit in the Puerto Rican winter league, hitting just .232 with one homer and 19 strikeouts in 69 at-bats.

Now he's in his first big league camp with the club, and it's been all positives for Mattingly, though he said that's easy when you're starting a season healthy and full of energy. The real test, he said, will come as the summer grinds along.

As for how long it'll be for Puig's progression to the big leagues (MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo has his ETA at 2014), Mattingly was succinct in saying, "It's up to him."

"We'll see," Mattingly said. "The story hasn't been written yet. He didn't get to play a whole lot last year. He had some injuries and whatnot. This year hopefully will be a full season with a lot of at-bats and you get a better picture."

Watching Steven Wright pitching for the Bosox tonight, and his knuckler is dancing. I think the Indians got the worst of that trade (for Lars Anderson)

Wright, Salazar, and Murata were pitching winterball in Panama two years ago. I posted at that time that Wright was working on the knuckler and it had improved significantly. Wright went on to pitch very well in Akron and I thought he would be headed for Columbus, but then came the trade. Long story short, Boston did get the long straw. I just hope Wright does not turn into another Wakefied as far as the Indians are concerned. Personally, I hope he does.

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http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/news/ ... la&c_id=la

Puig's RBI double 00:00:353/1/13: Yasiel Puig lines a double to center field to drive in Dee Gordon and tie the game in the top of the third

Cruz paces potent offense in slugfest loss to Angels

By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com | 3/1/2013 6:43 P.M. ET

TEMPE, Ariz. --

Josh Hamilton hit his first home run and the Angels erupted for seven runs in the third inning and five more in the seventh of Jered Weaver's debut on Friday, propelling them to their first Cactus League victory, 16-8, over a Dodgers split squad at Tempe Diablo Stadium.

Lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu, making his second appearance of the spring, gave up Hamilton's two-run homer in the first inning and three singles in the second, but got out of that frame unscathed thanks partly to right fielder Yasiel Puig, who threw out Luis Rodriguez trying to go from first to third on a base hit.

The homer to Hamilton -- a shot to right-center field that scored Mike Trout after he drew the first of two walks -- was the first slider Ryu had thrown all spring.

"I wanted to see how Josh would react," Ryu said, "but I got too much of the plate."

Ryu, signed out of South Korea for $36 million, felt very comfortable with his changeup throughout the afternoon, but was having a hard time finding the right grip.

"The seams are very different; the balls are more slippery," Ryu said through a translator. "But I don't want to make any excuses."

Weaver gave up a first-inning run -- on a single and two stolen bases by Dee Gordon, then an RBI double by Luis Cruz -- and retired the Dodgers on three straight flyouts in the second. The 30-year-old right-hander threw 41 pitches, most of them fastballs and changeups.

"It's always exciting getting out there in a game atmosphere, getting the competitive juices flowing again," Weaver said. "I came out of it healthy, so that's all you can ask for right now."

Hamilton, serving as the designated hitter in his second spring game, added a single to left field in his second and last plate appearance, sparking a seven-run inning that sent 10 batters to the plate.

Chris Iannetta reached on a misplayed grounder by Cruz with two outs -- making all of Matt Palmer's runs unearned -- Rodriguez, Luis Jimenez and Andrew Romine added RBI singles, Scott Cousins and Trout each walked, and Peter Bourjos hit a three-run triple to right-center field to give the Angels (1-5-2) a 9-3 lead.

Reliever Kevin Jepsen struggled in his debut, giving up a couple of runs on doubles in the left-center-field gap by Puig and Cruz.

Rodriguez, competing for the Angels' reserve infield spot, went 3-for-3. Cruz went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and Puig also drove in a couple of runs.

"He's a big kid, man," Weaver said of the Cuban outfielder. "It felt like Frank Thomas in the box."

Ryan Westmoreland, 22, has retired from baseball.
"With a clear mind and heart, as well as the unwavering support and friendship of my family, friends, agent(s), doctors, therapists and the Boston Red Sox, I have decided to voluntarily retire as a professional baseball player," Westmoreland wrote in an email Wednesday. The promising outfield prospect underwent surgery to remove a cavernous malformation from his brain stem in March 2010 and hasn't been able to fully recover.


Source: Providence Journal Mar 6 - 1:48 PM

Rafael Furcal needs elbow surgery


Updated: March 7, 2013, 10:22 AM ET
Associated Press

JUPITER, Fla. -- St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Rafael Furcal will have major surgery on his right elbow next week.

The team did not say in its statement Thursday how long the three-time All-Star will be out. Dr. James Andrews, the noted orthopedist, examined Furcal Wednesday and will perform Tommy John surgery.

Cardinals manager Mike Matheny and general manager John Mozeliak will discuss Furcal's status at a news conference at spring training Thursday.

The 35-year-old Furcal has been sidelined since reinjuring the elbow he hurt late last season. Furcal and the team had tried rehab rather than reconstructive surgery in the offseason.

Reds 7, White Sox 3
March 10, 2013

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) - Shin-Soo Choo is using this spring to adjust to a new team and a new position. On Sunday, he made his best showing yet.

The Cincinnati leadoff man got four hits, stole two bases and scored twice in a 7-3 victory over a split squad of Chicago White Sox.

"He's a heck of a ballplayer and a great addition to this lineup," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "He hasn't done anything that surprises me because we already knew he could do it all. He's a gamer and a hard worker, which is why we traded for him. The more comfortable he gets with a new team and a new position, the better he'll play."

After the Dec. 12 trade with Cleveland, Choo moved across the state of Ohio and to center field after a career spent as a corner outfielder. After six seasons with the Indians, he was disappointed to be moving on, but was warming to the Reds' way of life.

"I was definitely surprised when the trade came down," Choo said. "I had a really good experience in Cleveland, and when you're in a place for a such long time, you can get attached. But I'm with the Reds now and I couldn't be more excited about it. We have a real chance to win it all here, and I hope I can help us achieve that ultimate goal."

Choo is expected to be the table-setter for a powerful lineup, and certainly has the skills to do so. A lifetime .289 hitter with a .381 on-base percentage, Choo has speed to steal bases and enough power to leave the ballpark.

"It feels like I've been here a couple years," Choo said. "I fit in well here, and I think the guys are going out of their way to make me feel like a part of the group. It's a great clubhouse and there's a ton of talent here. I'm excited to be a part of this organization and I'm excited about the potential we have."

"In terms of playing center, I feel more comfortable every day. I was nervous the first few days, but I'm getting used to it. It's already starting to feel like my spot, my territory," he said.

Reds starter Johnny Cueto was erratic in his second spring start. He walked three and hit another, but completed four innings and gave up just two runs.

"He was just off with his command, which was odd because he's pretty sharp," Baker said. "When Johnny senses something wrong, he can correct it. That didn't happen today, but he knows how to pitch his way out of trouble. If it's one thing Johnny Cueto knows how to do, it's get out of a jam."

Chicago starter Gavin Floyd allowed four runs and struck out five in 3 1-3 innings.

"I'm trying to make pitches and act like it's a middle-of-the-season game," Floyd said. "I threw all my pitches for strikes, but they just got some good hits off me. I still got some good work in. It is a process of little things here and there. As soon as you can try to emulate a real game, the more prepared you are for the season."

NOTES: White Sox DH Paul Konerko went 0 for 3 after recording hits in eight of his nine previous plate appearances. ... Chicago 3B Jeff Keppinger was scratched from the lineup because of shoulder soreness, but the ailment is not considered serious. He will not play the field again until Wednesday, but he may be a designated hitter before then. ... White Sox SS Alexi Ramirez was hit by a pitch from Cueto, but he remained in the game and was not seriously injured. ... With Team Canada eliminated from the World Baseball Classic, 1B Joey Votto is expected to return to the Reds' camp on Tuesday. Cincinnati has an off day on Monday.

Cespedes thrilled to have mother, family join him in US

By Jane Lee / MLB.com | 3/12/2013 7:31 P.M. ET

PHOENIX --

Sea más enfocado, más concentrado.

Be more focused, more concentrated. This is what Estela Milanes often told her only son last year, observing even from thousands of miles away that he was distracted, despite exceptional rookie numbers telling everyone else he was just fine.

Mother always knows best, and Yoenis Cespedes tried to take her advice to heart, as he always does. But pushing away these distractions while also adjusting to life in an A's uniform to play a game built on mental toughness wasn't easy, not when it was her he was worried about.

For more than a year, Milanes and 11 other family members were engaged in a lengthy struggle to emigrate from Cuba to the United States and join Cespedes, who defected from Cuba to the Dominican Republic in the summer of 2011 to seek an opportunity as a Major League Baseball player.

Cespedes, ultimately signed at age 26 by the A's to a four-year deal worth $36 million, was in contact with his family maybe 10 times during the first four months of the 2012 season. At one point, they were off the map and out of contact for three or four days.

"I had no idea where my family was," Cespedes said through translator Ariel Prieto. "They just disappeared."

They soon found safety, but it was fleeting. In October, following an extensive stay in the Dominican Republic, they were captured in a raid and detained as illegal immigrants in the Turks and Caicos Islands, falling under suspicion of being the subject of a human trafficking ring, according to the Turks and Caicos Sun.

Today, they are in Miami, and they were all treated to a surprise visit by Cespedes this weekend, mere hours after safely arriving in the United States. Cespedes left the A's to welcome his family on Saturday night, landing at their doorstep the next morning around 6 a.m.

"No one knew I was coming," Cespedes said Tuesday, back with the A's. "Everyone was sleeping, so I turned on all of the radios, all of the TVs. Nobody woke up, so I went upstairs and started knocking on all of the doors and screaming."

Even more screaming ensued when the surprise guest was revealed. There was hugging, there was crying. Pure joy filled this reunion of mother and son, separated for over a year. And the party, Cespedes says, lasted 12 hours, before he had to return to the airport for a one-way trip back to Phoenix.

"I'm very happy," said a noticeably relieved Cespedes, openly engaging with reporters in a way never seen before. "So much happiness."

Their time apart will last mere weeks, as Cespedes plans to fly them out to Oakland for Opening Day. Finally, Milanes will watch her son live out his dream in person, the dream she essentially created for him by raising him on a ball field.

For 10 years, Milanes was "the best lefty softball pitcher in all of Latin America," Cespedes proudly says, and he would attend each of her games, even if it meant escaping school early to make it by first pitch. She represented Cuba in the 2000 Summer Olympics, showcasing a precious arm that reached 80 miles per hour.

Imagine, then, her arm and Cespedes' bat coming together for a round of batting practice.

"No," Cespedes said, smiling.

It never happened, not after she once surprised him with a curveball that hit his ear while the two were once playing catch.

Milanes, 45, has since retired from the game, though Cespedes insists the talent is still there. For now, though, she'll remain a spectator -- sort of.

"She's going to be my second hitting coach," joked Cespedes. "She watched our games a lot last year and she would contact me by Skype and tell me what I was doing wrong."

How much could have been said? From the outside looking in, Cespedes appeared to handle life in the Majors with ease, leading the team with a .292 average while also collecting 23 home runs and 82 RBIs -- along with 16 stolen bases -- in 129 games. The speed, the power, all of his tools, came as advertised. And he flashed them all, even while learning a new position in left field. Naturally, he mastered that as well.

This year he has a handful of added weapons in tow: a clear mind and a full heart.

"Last year I tried hard to concentrate, even with all of those issues with my family going on, but this year my mind is going to be completely free of that," he said. "I still worry about them a bit, but my mind is going to be completely clear knowing that they're here in the country."

An important face is still missing, though. Cespedes hasn't seen his 3-year-old son, Yoenis Jr., in two years, and he is working to bring him to the United States, even if only for one brief visit at a time. Until then, Cespedes will keep him engaged on the phone every so often.

And back on the field, he'll continue to engage those lucky enough to watch him play the game his mother taught him so well.

"Obviously we're extremely happy for him, and you think about what it would be like for you to be reunited with your family after so long," manager Bob Melvin said, "but I don't think we have that kind of perspective based on what he's been through. It's amazing."

After a winter walking the waiver wire, Russ Canzler wound up spending his March with the Orioles. He's gone 4-22 with no xb hits and a sub .500 OPS. It looks like he'll be moving again. Yankees are trying to resurrect the dead to play at the corners; Canzler might be a candidate if they can't find a retired 1B or 3B to join the team.

Intrigue of Puig tough for Dodgers to ignore

By Ken Gurnick / MLB.com | 03/11/2013 8:21 PM ET

PHOENIX --

To Don Mattingly, $42 million Cuban outfielder Yasiel Puig has gone from "fun to watch" to "surprising."

Whether that takes Puig onto the Opening Day roster if left fielder Carl Crawford goes on the disabled list, Mattingly still isn't saying.

"He can play, that's for sure, but that's not one of the things I'm willing to make a decision on or talk about," Mattingly said. "It's still too early."

OK, but the Dodgers' top prospect is hitting .452 after going 2-for-2 in Monday's 3-2 loss to the Brewers. He's not pull happy, he's learning to run the bases and trying to contain his aggressiveness on defense.

"He's surprised me," Mattingly said. "He struggled in Puerto Rico [Winter League], didn't play a lot of games last year [after signing]. I was excited to see him once he got some at-bats. The guy's going to be exciting on this level. He's smart, makes adjustments. He needs to play. He's rough, but he's a wild horse. He plays wild, but he's fun to watch.

"The thing I like about Puig is he doesn't swing and miss for a power guy. You don't see him miss very often. How many times have you seen him miss balls in the strike zone?"

Ronnier Mustelier shows hustle as well as hot bat that could land him third base job.

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS


Yankees know Cuban defector Ronnier Mustelier is a natural-born hitter and may be an option at third base

Though Mustelier came to spring training to compete for a job primarily as an outfielder, Joe Girardi worked him out at third base on Saturday, and played him there for 3 1/2 uneventful innings on Sunday against the Blue Jays. And if Mustelier can play an adequate third base, he will offer Girardi another option in completing the jigsaw puzzle created by the injuries to Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira.

DUNEDIN, Fla. —

The search is on for emergency help in Yankee camp, and the most unheralded candidate to emerge so far is a 5-foot-7 Cuban defector named Ronnier Mustelier, whom baseball people describe as a natural-born hitter.

“This kid’s going to hit, you can see that,” hitting coach Kevin Long was saying on Sunday. “The ability is there.”

Brian Cashman put it in more artistic context.

“He’s got a gift,” said the Yankee GM. “He impacts the ball with the bat differently than others do.”

Mustelier’s bat has the Yankees intrigued, to say the least. As a result, though Mustelier came to spring training to compete for a job primarily as an outfielder, Joe Girardi worked him out at third base on Saturday, and played him there for 31/2 uneventful innings on Sunday against the Blue Jays.

“We’re going to see what he looks like there,” said Girardi. “In talking to him, third base is where he played the most in Cuba.”


With that, Girardi paused, then echoed the sentiment of Long, Cashman and seemingly everyone who has seen him this spring: “The kid can hit, no doubt about it.”

First things first: At age 28, Mustelier isn’t really a kid. And for that matter, he’s not small, either. Short, yes, but at 210 pounds, he’s built like a tank, and hits with power, as he showed with an opposite-field home run to right-center field on Saturday.

In any case, if Mustelier can play an adequate third base, he will offer Girardi another option in completing the jigsaw puzzle created by the injuries to Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira.

Filling those openings is fast becoming the focal point of this spring training for the Yankees, especially now that Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter have come back from their respective 2012 surgeries to play again.

Filling Teixeira’s spot is trickier because the backup is third baseman Kevin Youkilis. It looks as if Juan Rivera can play the position, but at age 34, he hasn’t hit much in recent years, though he did go 3-for-3 on Sunday against the Blue Jays, and is now hitting .346 in 26 at-bats.

In addition, Rivera is also an outfield option, along with the likes of Matt Diaz, Melky Mesa and Zoilo Almonte, to replace Granderson.
Ronnier Mustelier homers in the sixth inning of a spring training game against the Phillies.

Youkilis won a Gold Glove at first base in 2007, but moving him obviously creates an opening at third. And since the Yankees seem determined to play Eduardo Nunez only at shortstop, that leaves journeyman Jayson Nix.

And now, perhaps, Mustelier.

So who is this guy, anyway? He says he defected by boat from Cuba in 2009 with 20 people, leaving behind a son, now 5 years old, that he hasn’t seen since then.

“I’m doing this for him,” Mustelier said recently through a translator.

The Yankees signed him for $50,000 going into the 2011 season, and since then he has created a buzz among hard-core fans who have followed him as he has hit impressively at every level of the minor leagues.

Here's a story about a non-Cuban baseball player. It looks Rockies have been no more pleased with their side of the deal than we have been.

Renck: Can Drew Pomeranz provide Rockies hope?
Posted: 03/12/2013 12:01:00 AM MDT
By Troy E. Renck The Denver Post

Drew Pomeranz is 10 pounds lighter than in 2012, and his mechanics have taken on a weightier change.

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The fastballs tumbled out of his left hand. There was funk in his delivery, and no fat on his body.

Chris Sale looks like Flat Stanley. But boy, does the Chicago White Sox ace give shape to a rotation. He was drafted in 2010, made his debut that season and owns a career 21-11 career record and a 2.89 ERA. He finished sixth in the American League Cy Young Award voting last year.

The Rockies' Drew Pomeranz was drafted eight spots ahead of Sale in 2010, is left-handed and creates deception with his motion. He's 4-10 with a 5.01 career ERA and finished last season white-knuckling a spot in the Rockies' league-abyss rotation.

The two squared off Monday at sun-drenched Camelback Ranch,
their teams' seasons framed by their potential. The matchup was revealing, showing the inexact science of the draft and how it can completely alter a franchise's outlook.

When the Rockies acquired Pomeranz in the Ubaldo Jimenez deal, they thought they were getting someone like Sale. Pomeranz represented a power arm capable of breaking bats and producing groundballs at high altitude.

As a veteran scout admitted Monday, "I haven't seen that guy yet."

And therein lines the Rockies' challenge. If they aren't going to spend money on free-agent pitchers, if they aren't going to sign a battery of veteran pitchers to minor-league deals — which understandably infuriates fans — they have to develop their young arms.

No excuses.

That's where Mark Wiley, the franchise's new pitching coordinator, should help, eliminating the clear disconnect that has existed in the minor leagues. The message needs to be consistent, the absolutes spelled out.

Even when the Rockies have drafted or acquired a top-flight talent — California prep star Tyler Matzek in 2009 and Pomeranz — their prospects' paths have been a slalom course of disappointment. In Pomeranz's case, he arrived at Coors Field unprepared to succeed, trying to survive slinging an 88 mph fastball.

This spring, pitching coaches Jim Wright and Bo McLaughlin identified a flaw in Pomeranz's delivery. The correction — getting length in his left arm as he brings the ball out of his glove — has paid dividends. His first pitch Monday was 93 miles per hour with late cut. He complemented it with an 81 mph curveball as he struck out the side in the first inning (Jordan Danks, Gordon Beckham, Adam Dunn).

"He is a power pitcher to me," said catcher Yorvit Torrealba, whose pitch sequences mirrored that of a regular-season game. "You don't see many left-handers who throw that hard."

The lure of prospects is intoxicating. They provide controllable
Colorado Rockies years and predictable salaries, and free a team to fill other needs.

But the equation only makes sense if they are good. Sale has the White Sox convinced they can reach the playoffs. He's expected to start on opening day.

Pomeranz's failure to develop is one reason pessimism surrounds the Rockies. He hasn't shown any consistency or durability. But for a team that has yet to engage in serious trade talks, Monday represented baby steps.

An AL scout who saw Pomeranz last September noticed a huge difference this spring in the 24-year-old's body — he's 10 pounds lighter — and his mechanics. The arm action remains slightly rigid but is greatly improved.

"It's better than it's been in a long time," said Pomeranz, whose only delivery issues Monday came from the stretch. "I am back to my old self."

Sale, who recently signed a five-year, $32.5 million contract, gives the White Sox an advantage. The onus is on Pomeranz to provide the Rockies hope.