Taijuan Walker,
Mariners: With the way Walker pitched in his first full season, the Mariners
will quickly forget they didn't have a first-round pick in 2010. The SoCal high
school product was a multi-sport star and, as a result, is really focusing on
pitching full-time for the first time as a professional. So far, so good, as
Walker has been dominant as the Mariners have been cautious with him up until
this point. The stuff is there, with a mid-to-high 90s fastball and excellent
curve. His changeup is rapidly improving. That three-pitch mix, his size and
athleticism could all add up to a frontline starter in the future. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120112&content_id=26330142&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb&tcid=tw_article_26330142
Drew Pomeranz,
Rockies: The tail end of the 2011 season was a whirlwind for Pomeranz. As the
player-to-be-named in the Ubaldo Jimenez Trade Deadline deal with Cleveland, he
sat in limbo for a long stretch, unable to pitch, waiting for his part of the
trade to be completed. Then he had to have his appendix removed. Despite all
that, he pitched very well for the Rockies and earned his first callup to the
big leagues, throwing five shutout innings in his debut. When fully healthy, he
has a plus fastball and curve. His changeup isn't quite as good, but it's still
an effective pitch. If the former Ole Miss southpaw commands the ball the way
he did in the big leagues late last year -- that had been an issue for him in
the past -- he'll be just fine, and he should get a long look for a rotation
spot this spring. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120113&content_id=26339048&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb&tcid=tw_article_26339048
It seems as if the Yankees are determined to get rid
of A.J. Burnett has they have been getting the
word out ever since the Michael Pineda-Jesus Montero swap that they would love
to deal him, according to Jayson Stark of ESPN. Start reports that the Yankees
would prefer to take on somebodies bad contract rather than eat Burnett’s
salary, but there aren’t many comparable options out there. Jason Bay of the
Mets may be the best fit if teams are looking to just swap bad contracts.
Burnett is owed $33 million over two years while Bay is owed $32 million over
the same time period. Alfonso Soriano and Adam Dunn are two other names that
have been thrown around as possibilities, but both have contracts that extend
beyond 2014 which pretty much kills those possibilities. http://bronxbaseballdaily.com/2012/01/rumor-yankees-continue-to-shop-a-j-burnett/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Carlos Pena was, of course,
a member of the worst-to-first 2008 Rays (not Devil Rays, that’ll cost you).
That club won 97 games, Tampa Bay’s first ever American League East title,
Tampa Bay’s first ever playoff series, and Tampa Bay’s first American League
Championship, all just a year after Pena and his .430 wOBA could only power the
team to a 66-96 campaign. He was also there for 2010, the Rays’ second division
championship, but that team’s success was almost despite him. Pena still
provided his trademark power, slugging 28 home runs, but his strikeout problems
and a sharp dip in BABIP led to just a .196 batting average and a .326 wOBA.
Between the failures of 2010 and his contractual demands — he sought and
eventually received eight figures on a one-year deal — Pena and the Rays
diverged for the 2010 season. http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/carlos-pena-returns-to-the-trop/
Cory Hahn made his way
down the third base line of El Dorado Field to home plate with the assistance
of his father, Dale, late Saturday afternoon. The crowd at El Dorado High
School greeted him with a standing ovation. After all, he is the main
attraction. "He's a star now," said former Los Angeles Angels
announcer Rex Hudler. "He's got a chance to encourage a lot of people –
more than he would if he were a ballplayer." The former Mater Dei baseball
star was the guest of honor as a who's who of Orange County baseball sluggers
took part in the 1st Annual Trinity Bat Company Home Run Challenge. Proceeds
from the charity event were donated to the Cory Hahn Fund. High schoolers,
minor leaguers and major leaguers, including Angels catcher Hank Conger and
first baseman Mark Trumbo, attended. However, Trumbo didn't participate while
still recovering from a stress fracture in his right foot. http://www.foxsportswest.com/01/21/12/Hahn-inspiring-beyond-baseball/landing_angels.html?blockID=650944&feedID=9174
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