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Rocco Baldelli

Rocco Baldelli To Retire

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Rocco Baldelli told Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times that he will retire as a major league player. The former sixth overall pick will remain in the Rays front office as a special adviser in scouting and player development, the team has confirmed with a press release.

After a promising debut in which Baldelli played center field, stole 27 bases and added 51 extra base hits, the injuries started piling up. He missed the entire 2005 season and considerable chunks of the 2006-10 seasons as he dealt with foot, hamstring, and hip injuries, plus a type of channelopathy, which has caused muscle fatigue.

"It's tough, because you almost never put playing and being an athlete behind you," Baldelli told Topkin. "But in my mind, I already feel like it's a step behind me."

Baldelli, who is still just 29, decided to retire in October and spent a few months making sure he was ready to call it a career.

Baldelli Plans To Continue Playing

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In yesterday's game against the Orioles, Rocco Baldelli belted a two-run pinch hit homer in the seventh inning in his first big league swing of the season.  Prior to signing a minor league deal with the Rays, Baldelli worked with the club as a special assistant.  Now that he's back in the majors, he has no immediate plans to return to coaching, writes Ben Shpigel of the New York Times.

“I like playing; I don’t know what else I would do,” Baldelli said. “I have some ideas. What I did earlier this year was definitely pretty nice, but there’s nothing better than playing. Coming out here every day, it’s something that I’ve done the last ten years of my life and it’s not something I’m going to let go of easily," said the soon-to-be 29-year-old.

The right-handed hitter spent 2009 with Boston, posting a slash line of .253/.311/.433 in 164 plate appearances.

Rays Sign Baldelli To Minor League Contract

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12:46pm: Baldelli has officially been signed to a minor league deal, according to a Rays press release.

12:09pm: Rocco Baldelli is expected to sign a minor league contract with the Rays this afternoon, according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times.  Topkin says Baldelli is set to DH tonight for the team's High A club, the Charlotte Stone Crabs.  The Crabs boast familiar names such as Tim Beckham, Matt Moore, and Matt Bush.  Baldelli is transitioning from a special assistant role and trying to come back from a shoulder injury.  He hit .253/.311/.433 in 164 plate appearances for the Red Sox last year.

Odds & Ends: Loe, Baldelli, Vizquel, Hill

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Links for Tuesday, as catcher Chris Iannetta rejoins the Rockies after a torrid Triple A stint…

Rosenthal On Vargas, D’Backs, Hillman, Baldelli

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Jason Vargas is off to a hot start with the Mariners, but when they acquired him in the 2008 J.J. Putz deal, he wasn’t considered a major part of the trade. GM Jack Zduriencik tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that he asked for Vargas while trying to “finish up the deal.” Here are the rest of Rosenthal’s hot stove-related notes:

  • One NL official wonders how the D'Backs can operate without a left-handed reliever in a division that includes many imposing left-handed hitters.
  • The Royals fired manager Trey Hillman last week, but his baseball career is probably not over. Hillman is still "well-thought of in the industry," according to one GM. 
  • Rocco Baldelli could make a comeback this year. He's a special assistant to the Rays, and he continues to hit daily. The 28-year-old outfielder hit .253/.311/.433 for the Red Sox last year in 164 plate appearances.

The Latest On The Unsigned Position Players

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After recapping the most recent news on some remaining free agent starting pitchers yesterday, let's focus on the bats today. Here are the latest updates on a few of the notable unsigned position players:

  • Jermaine Dye: Dye had the Mariners on his wish list, but Seattle didn't have much interest in the 36-year-old. Another team out west, the Giants, also had no interest in signing Dye. Washington was in the mix for the right-handed slugger at one point, though they've since backed off. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe thinks Dye will sign somewhere soon, and an American League club where Dye could DH would make sense. Like Jarrod Washburn though, he'll likely need to reduce his asking price.
  • Gary Sheffield: Cafardo also believes Sheffield should sign soon, and tweeted that the veteran had "something on the table" a couple weeks ago. The Nationals also had discussions with Sheff, but the club seems happy with their current selection of outfielders for now. Even though he's 41, Sheffield could have value to a National League team as a pinch-hitter and part-time player, like he did for the Mets last year (.276/.372/.451 in 312 PAs).
  • Carlos Delgado: Delgado might end up being the offensive equivalent of Pedro Martinez: a hired gun that could contribute to a contending team in the second half of the season. The Mets were considered a possibility prior to their promotion of Ike Davis. Before Delgado catches on with any club, the 37-year-old will have to show that he's fully healthy following his second hip surgery in February.
  • Joe Crede: Considering Crede is a Scott Boras client, it's somewhat surprising that we've heard next to nothing regarding his status. Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reported in early March that Crede was hitting and throwing while he waited for an offer, but there has been very little news since then. Crede has homered 32 times over the past two seasons and plays an above-average third base, so it may be health questions that are keeping him on the free agent market. As MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith suggested earlier this month, a healthy Crede "could become an attractive mid-season option for risk-taking GMs."
  • Elijah Dukes: Shortly after Dukes' surprising release by the Nationals, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal tweeted that a few teams were interested in the 25-year-old. Since then though, we haven't heard anything concrete. Perhaps clubs are still hesitant to invest in Dukes, given his off-field history.
  • Rocco Baldelli: There was some speculation earlier in April that Baldelli could be an option for the Rays if they gave up on Pat Burrell, since Baldelli has been working out at Tropicana Field and wants to play. Burrell has played better since that point, hitting .275/.318/.500 in his last 11 games, silencing those rumors somewhat. For the time being, Baldelli will continue to serve as a special assistant for the Rays.

Check out our full list of available hitters here.

Could Rays Release Pat Burrell?

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Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times writes that the Rays will have to consider cutting Pat Burrell loose if their designated hitter doesn't start producing. Although Tampa Bay management maintains that they have confidence in Burrell's ability, Topkin speculates that by mid-May or early-June, the club may run out of patience.

Burrell hit .221/.315/.367 in 2009 and is off to another slow start in 2010, the final season of his two-year contract. He'll make $9MM this year, a figure which will likely make him unmovable. Topkin thinks that at some point the Rays "will just have to accept their mistake and cut him loose."

If they were to cut ties with Burrell, the Rays would have other options available. Hank Blalock is currently in Triple A, waiting for an opportunity to earn Major League playing time. Additionally, Topkin points out that Rocco Baldelli has been taking regular batting practice at Tropicana Field and would like to play again. The long-time Ray would be a cheap right-handed alternative, and, as this Rays Index article suggests, Tampa fans would have more patience with him than they've had with Pat the Bat.

Burrell's $9MM salary would be a huge cost for the budget-conscious Rays to eat, so expect them to give the 33-year-old every chance to succeed. However, if his struggles continue and compromise the club's chances of contending, they could be forced to make a change.

Odds & Ends: Lerew, Cuba, Coonelly, Hechavarria

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Links for Wednesday…

Baldelli To Serve As Special Assistant For Rays

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Rocco Baldelli will return to the Rays with a special assistant role, working with minor leaguers and other young players, reports Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times.  Baldelli is "not ready to retire," but has a shoulder issue currently.  Topkin notes that Rays exec Andrew Friedman didn't make the deal with the idea that Baldelli would later play for the Rays, but said "anything's possible."

Baldelli, 28, signed a $500K deal with the Red Sox in January of '09 and hit .253/.311/.433 in 164 plate appearances.  He dealt with foot, hamstring, and hip injuries, but also has a type of channelopathy, which has caused muscle fatigue.

Odds & Ends: Rangers, Wang, Indians

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A few links to pass along….

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