Jason Varitek, Tim Wakefield and Jorge Posada have been fixtures in the AL East for the past 15 years, but they've all retired this offseason. Here are some links for Friday, starting with even more retirement talk…
- David Ortiz says he wants to keep playing for at least a couple more years, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. "As long as I feel good and I can swing the bat well I want to keep on playing," the 36-year-old said.
- Manager Joe Maddon told Newsday's Ken Davidoff that he believes the Rays can establish the standard for winning with a small payroll. Executive VP of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said the club isn't taking success for granted, even after three playoff berths in four seasons. “It's more about pushing forward and being driven by future success," he said.
- Jim Callis of Baseball America told Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com that the muscular frame of Orioles prospect Dylan Bundy isn't cause for concern. Callis said Bundy has a loose and fluid delivery despite his bulk.
- Callis also suggested infield prospects Manny Machado and Jonathan Schoop should both play shortstop in 2012 so the Orioles know whether they can handle the position long-term.
- Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos joined Greg Brady & Jim Lang on Sportsnet 590 the FAN and said Kyle Drabek is opening up some eyes and starting to make strides. The 24-year-old right-hander walked 55 in 78 2/3 innings last year.
- Anthopoulos said the trade market is quiet now, though he expects out-of-options players to become available toward the end of the month.
Ugh, I can’t imagine having a last name like Bundy.
Women would have to be deathly afraid of you I’d imagine…
“A Bundy never wins, but a Bundy never quits.”
Rays already have. Taken over from Charlie O’ and his “Angry A’s” teams as the tightest team in the game for wins produced.. Now if the rays had won *3* WS in a row..They might be as good $$ for $$ in a way…
Blah blah blah last place for 15 years blah blah number one picks
I was really surprised by Kyle Drabek’s struggles last year. Hoping he can turn it around, he has great stuff.
watched him pitch for the R-Phils a few years ago. Dude is pure nastiness.
Not unusual for a top prospect starting pitcher to struggle at age 24 during his first go round the Majors. It has happened to Clay Buchholz and Todd Stottlemyre.
Suck for 10 years and get all those number 1 draft picks. Yeah that’s a great model for success.
How many years do they have to be good before people stop saying this?
Who knows, but apparently it hasn’t worked well for the Orioles or Pirates much.
Pirates will look better in the future with a much better farm and in a much easier division.
It’s pathetic how the Orioles still have the worst farm system in the AL East.
Edit – They have the 2nd worst to Boston’s I believe (at least to Keith Law), but it was only 1 ranking better.
Jays, Rays and Yankees all in the top 10.
Derek Jeter was the 6th overall pick. Finishing with a bad record is a great model for success
I take it that you were really replying to Chris and not me.
I’m well aware of the Orioles’ situation. I’m an avid fan of the team. Unfortunately, it looks like another few years of suck.
I had no idea you were actually. And I wasn’t intending on being a jerk, I’m just simply stating they have poor ownership.
As a frustrated NY Knick fan, I know how it feels to have poor ownership lol
Dude the Rays have only one #1 overall pick on their team right now and that guy is D. Price. Shields, Hellboy, Moore and Davis where all picked after the 3rd round. Just admit your jealous and wish your team had the Rays scouting department and FO 🙂
they also had delmon young (who they turned into matt garza (who they turned into more prospects))
upton was a #2 overall; longoria was #3 overall; niemann was #4 overall. with price that’s about 15-20 WAR per year from top draft picks
the rays are the best-run team in the majors and i defend them on this subject all the time, but there’s no need to deny that the core of their team is built from top draft picks
Big Papi will play for a couple of more years or until the drug testing labs catch up with his masking agent.
As long as Ortiz puts up offensive numbers akin to what he did in 2011 he will be on the Red Sox payroll. He slips, he is done as he will not be offered a multi-year contract in Boston for that very reason. They know better.
As for Ortiz getting off the field face time with the media, Bobby V. will minimize his role considerably, by being the Red Sox front man and spokesman as he was with other the other teams he has managed. Some may not like this but the message from on high, in Boston, after the fiasco of 2011, is to win and stop screwing around with the media. Everyone on the 25-man roster is being paid to play the game to the best of their ability, period, and nothing more. Player controversy sells newspapers and increases TV and internet revenues but it doesn’t win ball games.
Tampa had a run of a decade or so where they were drafting the top 2-3 players available in the MLB draft, but, as pointed out herein, they are down to one #1 drafted player on their current roster. The team also has other high draft picks but most are or will begin to age out of their system in the next few years…
Even Billy Beane’s Oakland teams have their down cycles..so don’t expect that the successes enjoyed by the Rays these past three years is going to go on indefinitely. It won’t.
The Pirates/Orioles’s down cycle seems eternal
Poor choices of on and off the field leadership since Earl Weaver’s tenure in Baltimore are to blame. That plus playing in the AL east have all but put the Orioles out of business. Being so close to Washington and Philadelphia, one has to wonder why club ownership hasn’t given serious thought to moving, say, to Charlotte. Maybe they have, and have been denied, do you think? If full realignment of both leagues ever comes about, I would move the Orioles into an all-southern division along with the Rays, Braves, Marlins, Rangers, Astros, Nats and a new team in Charlotte, where they could be more competitive year in and year out.
The Rays run of success has a little time left, but they will have some choices to make. If they want to continue on their “win on a budget” ways then they will have to let the young guys who are the core of their team walk when they are no longer bargains. That means byebye, Price, Hellickson, Moore etc. etc. Let’s face it, these guys are GOOD, and there will be no hometown discount when the time comes. So it will be time to pay up or head back to start and rebuild another losing team devoid of talent. That moment isn’t exactly right around the corner for some of their young stars, but it’s coming…