Previously covered:
5th, Ryan Zimmerman 43.7 runs above average.
4th, Omar Vizquel 45.8 runs above average.
3rd, J.J. Hardy 48.7 runs above average.
2nd, Franklin Gutierrez 51.4 runs above average.
Tonight, the best player [FIELDER] from 2007-9: 2B Chase Utley.
I just want my Nationals to sign a GM. :lol
Apparently the Braves signed Hudson to a 3 year deal at less than 30 million total. Now to trade Derek Lowe to the Skankees.
You're not the only fan of an NL East team who yearns for a GM.
/me looks at Cajole.
Apparently the Braves signed Hudson to a 3 year deal at less than 30 million total. Now to trade Derek Lowe to the Skankees.
Apparently the Braves signed Hudson to a 3 year deal at less than 30 million total. Now to trade Derek Lowe to the Skankees.
We do have the relief pitching, I wonder if Cash could work something out...Derek Lowe sucks nuts. Jair o bust distinguished black fellow.
Apparently the Braves signed Hudson to a 3 year deal at less than 30 million total. Now to trade Derek Lowe to the Skankees.
We do have the relief pitching, I wonder if Cash could work something out...Derek Lowe sucks nuts. Jair o bust distinguished black fellow.
You're not getting a 23 year old star pitcher from us who is arbitration eligible for 3 more years, you asshole. THIS is why people hate you guys.
And Mr. Lime, that's all well and good... but the Braves are paying Lowe 15 million per year and he sucked pretty bad the second half of last year.
Lowe for Perez and Castillo.
Apparently the Braves signed Hudson to a 3 year deal at less than 30 million total. Now to trade Derek Lowe to the Skankees.
We do have the relief pitching, I wonder if Cash could work something out...Derek Lowe sucks nuts. Jair o bust distinguished black fellow.
You're not getting a 23 year old star pitcher from us who is arbitration eligible for 3 more years, you asshole. THIS is why people hate you guys.
And Mr. Lime, that's all well and good... but the Braves are paying Lowe 15 million per year and he sucked pretty bad the second half of last year.
Ken Griffey Jr. will be a Mariner in 2010
Posted by Larry Stone
MARK HARRISON / THE SEATTLE TIMES
Ichiro, left, and Ken Griffey Jr. slap hands as teammates carry them off the field after the team's 4-3 win over Texas put the final touches on the Mariners' turnaround season.
The official announcement probably won't come until later this morning, but Ken Griffey Jr. is coming back to the Mariners in 2010.
The outfielder, who will be 40 on Nov. 21, has reached a one-year agreement to play his 22nd year in the major leagues.
The contract figures are expected to be similar to last year, when Griffey earned $3.15 million in a contract that included incentives for attendance and playing time. His base salary in 2009 was $2 million, but it's possible the base might be slightly higher this year.
When 2009 ended for the Mariners, Griffey's future was one of their big questions, but it has now been answered.
Griffey is the fifth-leading home run hitter in major-league history with 630. He's 30 behind the next man on the list, Hall of Famer Willie Mays, whose guidance a year ago helped steer Griffey back to Seattle when he was also seriously considering the Atlanta Braves.
This time, however, the decision apparently came down to his family being OK with Griffey playing one more year, and the Mariners being comfortable with his role. Griffey is likely to have a reduced role after serving last year primarily as the team's left-handed designated hitter in a platoon with Mike Sweeney. Griffey's agent, Brian Goldberg, has said that neither money nor playing time would be an issue for his client.
Griffey was still a teenager when he broke into the majors with the Mariners in 1989, the son of former "Big Red Machine" outfielder Ken Griffey Sr. and the No. 1 pick in th e nation in 1987.
During his initial stint with the Mariner, he became one of MLB's iconic players, a featured star in Nike's ad campaigns and perennial All-Star, winning the American League's Most Valuable Player Award in 1997. He hit .304 that year with 56 homers and 147 RBIs -- one of five seasons in which he hit 45 or more home runs. He also participated in the signature moment in franchise history, scoring the winning run from first base on Edgar Martinez's double in the cllinching game of the 1995 Division Series against the Yankees at the Kingdome.
However, after the 1999 season, Griffey requested a trade to be closer to his family, and was eventually dealt to the Cincinnati Reds in a deal that brought Mike Cameron , Brett Tomko, Antonio Perez and Jake Meyer to the Mariners.
Griffey's second stint with the Mariners may have been set in motion in June of 2007, when he received a hero's welcome during a three-game interleague series between Seattle and Cincinnati at Safeco Field.
Last year, Griffey's fate remained undecided until after spring training opened, but on Feb. 21, he chose the Mariners over the Braves. Griffey was given considerable credit for improving a clubhouse that had been riddled with dissension the previous year.
Griffey returning for one more year
Sources with the Seattle Mariners have confirmed earlier reports that Ken Griffey Jr. has reached agreement on a deal that will bring him back for one more season.
An official announcement is expected Wednesday afternoon.
Griffey, who turns 40 on Nov. 21, hit .214 with 19 home runs and 57 RBIs while splitting time with Mike Sweeney as the Mariners' designated hitter in 2009.
At the end of last season, Griffey said he would like to return if the Mariners wanted him back, so the news doesn't come at a huge shock. But it likely will raise further debate over whether the team should be looking to get younger or if Griffey's presence outweighs his declining offensive production.
My take is that Griffey handled a reduced role in surprisingly good fashion last year and can help a young club with his veteran counsel, even if he isn't the feared slugger of old.
And it doesn't hurt to have a guy on your bench with some left-handed pop, as he continued to display last year.
Given Griffey's willingness to accept a small salary and whatever role the Mariners need, this one seems like a no-brainer. The man is the best player in franchise history. Having him remain part of that franchise is nothing but a positive.