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DBacks are red,
Cleveland is blue
I just got traded
So "Nuts" to all you!
- First of all, Trevor Bauer should never, ever rap. Eminem and Jay-Z promise never to pitch in the majors. If the "rap" is meant to trash Miguel Montero, then Bauer is an ass. (So's Montero, but that's Wednesday's bullets.) If the rap is aimed at his critics on twitter, as Bauer claims, then Bauer is a moron. Does the code of rap battles dictate that Montero must now respond in rhyme?
- Kate Upton denies rumors that she's dating Justin Verlander. Forget it. You've still got no chance.
- In only slightly more serious Tigers news, Prince Fielder is glad they've added a left-handed batting practice pitcher. Seems like a good idea for every team, really. But I suppose they're hard to find.
- In more serious Diamondbacks news, Tyler Skaggs, Patrick Corbin and Randall Delgado will battle it out for the fifth spot in the Arizona rotation.
- Astros GM Jeff Luhnow is happy about the move to the American League. That he likes being able to use the DH is a big reason.
- Athletics closer Grant Balfour had arthroscopic knee surgery and will be out four to six weeks.
- Ryan Vogelsong is still enjoying the Giants World Series Championship. Well, duh. But he's also looking forward to pitching for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.
- Yasmani Grandal plans to apologize for his PED suspension to his Padres teammates on Saturday.
- The saga of the San Diego TV deal continues, but at least the Padres and Time Warner are talking.
- If you read my Minor League Wraps, you know what I think about baseball in Albuquerque, and I'm not just talking about having to spell Albuquerque. This year, the Isotopes are going to be putting all their baseballs in a humidor, just like the Rockies do. I hope I can retire my "Coors Field on steroids" line this season.
- The Rockies got Reid Brignac from the Rays.
- Brandon League is going to be the Dodgers closer.
- Ken Rosenthal has a long article on Zack Greinke being a "baseball junkie," Apparently, he goes scouting in the spring and has sat in the Brewers draft room on draft day and offered his opinions.
- Roy Halladay is hoping for a healthy 2013.
- Hank Aaron likes having both Upton brothers in the Braves outfield, but he remembers it was difficult playing with his brother Tommy. However, he hated to see Martin Prado get traded. He also talks a bit about Jason Heyward and he remembers Stan Musial.
- Didn't you used to be Chris Coghlan? What ever happened to him?
- Rafael Soriano has not reported to Nationals camp yet because of visa issues. Apparently the Dominican Government has to verify that he changed employers from the Yankees to the Nationals. I'm not making that up.
- The Red Sox say that their 793 game sellout streak will come to an end sometime this April.
- Mets owner Fred Wilpon says that things are looking up financially for the team and they should be able to expand their payroll soon. He says the payroll had to be cut in recent years for the team to pay down their debt.
- Newest Twins pitcher Mike Pelfrey hopes to be back from Tommy John surgery by opening day. His medical team might have a different opinion.
- Finally, and this is a paid ESPN Insider article, but Dan Szymborski argues that the Mariners are likely to get their money's worth from Felix Hernandez. Szymborski looks at every contract of more than four years given to a pitcher since 1990 and he notices that the contract given to truly elite pitchers tend more often than not to pay off. It's when you give a ton of money to the Mike Hampton or Carlos Zambrano (gulp) level pitchers that you end up getting burned.
And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster, because it's Saturday.