Good morning.
Here are several links from the past week that will make your Monday at the office a bit more bearable:
- The Braves found a replacement in right field for Jason Heyward, inking a four-year deal worth $44 million with free agent Nick Markakis. Shortly after the contract was signed, Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal announced that the 31-year-old, who had spent his entire professional career in the Orioles organization, was “leaning toward surgery to repair [a] bulging disc in neck” but was expected to be in the Opening Day lineup.
- The Yankees and relief ace Andrew Miller came to an agreement on a $36 million, four-year contract. Caitlin Rogers of Pinstripe Alley thinks this signing means last year’s closer and current free agent, David Robertson, is likely to sign elsewhere:
The Yankees have said that they’re still interested in re-signing D-Rob if his price comes down, but does anyone really think that he’ll take less money after seeing Miller’s contract? If anything, it seems to solidify that he will get a deal worth quite a bit more, since he successfully took over the closer role from Mariano Rivera, and has pitched well for the Yankees for years. Miller has been a good reliever for a few years since moving from the rotation to the ‘pen, but he doesn’t have closer experience. Now that Robertson’s a ”proven closer,” and after a postseason where the bullpen was everything, there’s bound to be a team out there that will pay him the ”Papelbon money” that he supposedly wants. It could be the Astros, since they had been linked to Miller (and he supposedly turned down their offer of 4-years/$40 million) and have been linked to Robertson. Now that the Yankees have Miller, the Astros might be willing to throw D-Rob all the money.
- The Rays’ managerial search has finally come to an end. The franchise hired Indians’ bullpen coach Kevin Cash to replace Joe Maddon. Rays Colored Glasses’ Robbie Knopf says that Cash, who turned 37 on Saturday, will oversee a roster that appears destined to get younger.
- Staying a wee bit longer within the American League East, Michael Silverman of the Boston Globe points to the importance of grooming the next Jon Lester, as the Red Sox have had few homegrown aces since the 1950s.
- Jayson Werth drives his Porsche like teammate Ian Desmond swings a bat. According to Justin Jouvenal and James Wagner of the Washington Post, the Commonwealth of Virginia wasn’t amused:
Werth, 35, was found guilty of misdemeanor reckless driving Friday for the July 6 incident, and Fairfax County General District Court Chief Judge Penney Azcarate sentenced him to 10 days in jail.
“Speed kills and does not discern what he or she does for a living,” Azcarate told Werth. “[Interstate] 495 is not a racetrack.”
Werth’s attorney, Rodney G. Leffler, said he planned to appeal his client’s conviction, and Werth probably will not serve his sentence before that appeal is resolved. Leffler argued Werth could not have been traveling as fast as Green said and attacked the calibration of the trooper’s speedometer but to little avail.
Werth, who wore a charcoal suit and glasses along with trademark long hair and bushy beard, testified in his own defense, saying he was not sure how fast he was going at the time of the offense but believed it was less than 100 mph.
“It’s possible I exceeded 90 miles per hour,” Werth said in court.
Green said the incident began around 9:40 a.m. on a Sunday. He heard the engine of Werth’s Porsche rev on the Georgetown Pike on-ramp for the Beltway. Werth drove onto the Beltway, and Green said he began pacing the player’s vehicle.
Green testified he pulled Werth over on the exit for the George Washington Parkway a short time later.
Green said he approached Werth’s vehicle with his gun unholstered but not pointed at Werth.
He asked Werth what he was doing, and Werth told him: He was “pressing his luck.”
- The Mariners gave free-agent slugger Nelson Cruz a four-year contract worth $57 million. Beyond the Boxscore’s Neil Weinberg isn’t the least bit surprised. Although he thinks Cruz, another former Oriole, is no bargain, “the Mariners don’t have the luxury of spending this money more wisely on a player who fits this need, at least in free agency.”
- Writing in Sports on Earth, Brian Kenny makes a pitch for Dick Allen’s entry into Cooperstown through the Veterans Committee Golden Era balloting. According to Kenny, Allen (.292/.378/.534, 61.3 fWAR) put up outstanding offensive numbers, racked up during a period of pitcher dominance, which haven’t received sufficient attention. (Interestingly, while the MLB Network anchor discusses Allen’s reputation of a “malcontent,” he surprisingly offers no mention of Allen’s poor defense.) The vote results will be revealed later today.
That’s it. Have a walk-off week!