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1/28/12

Baseball: Archie Bradley, Martin Perez, Daniel Bard, Lance Bergman



Archie Bradley, D-backs: The second of two Oklahoma high school pitchers taken in the top 10 of the 2011 Draft, he's no less impressive than state-mate Dylan Bundy. A three-sport standout in high school, Bradley signed with Arizona rather than play quarterback at the University of Oklahoma. He has a very exciting combination of size and stuff, with a plus fastball, a power curve and a changeup he didn't need in high school, giving him the chance to have three above-average pitches. And though he played other sports, he has a good idea of what he's doing on the mound, meaning he may not move as slowly as some prep pitchers do, starting with full-season ball in 2012. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120112&content_id=26330142&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb&tcid=tw_article_26330142

Martin Perez, Rangers: The prospect world can be a bit fickle. Some are not as high on Perez as they once were because he struggled in Triple-A in 2011. Command has been an issue for the Venezuelan at times and he struggled with it after his promotion, particularly in the strike zone, leading him to get knocked around quite a bit. But it's easy to forget he'll be just 21 for all of the upcoming season, and his pure stuff -- fastball, changeup, curve -- has the chance to be plus across the board. There's more than enough time for him to fulfill his enormous potential. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120113&content_id=26339048&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb&tcid=tw_article_26339048

The Boston Red Sox avoided arbitration with Daniel Bard according to Ian Browne of MLB.com. Bard’s signing leaves just David Ortiz, Andrew Bailey, and Alfredo Aceves as the remaining arbitration-eligible players of the Red Sox. Bard is going to try to earn a role in the starting rotation after having been the setup man in the Boston bullpen this past season. Bard, 26, went 2-9 with a 3.33 ERA in 70 appearances this past season. http://blog.prorumors.com/2012/01/rumors/red-sox-avoid-arbitration-with-daniel-bard/?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed
Berkman, who turns 36 on Feb. 10, replaces Albert Pujols, the starter at first base for the Cardinals from 2004-2011. Before Pujols moved from left field to become the Cardinals’ everyday first baseman, St. Louis had a pair of first basemen, Mark McGwire and Tino Martinez, who successfully played the position while at the same age Berkman is now. Mike Matheny, the Cardinals’ first-year manager, got a firsthand look as St. Louis’ catcher at the fielding performances turned in by McGwire and Martinez. So it reasons Matheny would be comfortable with Berkman as his first baseman in 2012 http://retrosimba.com/2012/01/23/at-36-lance-berkman-should-fit-fine-at-first-for-cardinals/?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

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