AROUND the MLB Thread

couldn't have been drug or passport related...

• The deal between Ronald Belisario and the Toronto Blue Jays has fallen through, reports Mike Wilner of Sportsnet (on Twitter). The two sides were very close to a deal before it fell apart. Belisario remains a free agent.

 

Rockies To Sign John Axford To Minor League Deal
By Steve Adams [February 2, 2015 at 2:53pm CST]

2:53pm: MLB.com’s Thomas Harding reports that if Axford makes the Major League roster, he will earn a $2.6MM base salary (Twitter link). That’s a fairly significant base salary for a minor league deal and likely explains why Axford was willing to take a non-guaranteed contract. I’d imagine that so long as Axford remains healthy, he’s a good bet to make the roster, and that guarantee may be larger than some big league deals he discussed with other clubs.

Additionally, per Harding, Axford can earn $1.5MM worth of incentives, meaning his deal can max out at $4.1MM.

2:22pm: The Rockies are in agreement with right-hander John Axford on a minor league contract with an invite to Spring Training, per the team’s transactions page. Axford is a client of the Beverly Hills Sports Council.

Axford, 32 in April, began the 2014 season closing games for the Indians but quickly ceded the job to standout Cody Allen, who took hold of the ninth-inning reins and never looked back. Things weren’t so rosy for Axford, who issued far too many walks and eventually was traded to the Pirates after an August waiver claim. Axford showed slightly better control in Pittsburgh than in Cleveland, and overall the former Brewers stopper pitched to a 3.95 ERA with 10.4 K/9, 5.9 BB/9 and a 53.6 percent ground-ball rate.

While the control numbers are clearly troublesome, Axford’s increase in ground-ball rate would play well in Colorado if he can limit his walks, and he’s never had a problem racking up strikeouts. As I noted earlier this morning, Axford sports (or rather, sported) the best velocity of any remaining free agent reliever, so there’s certainly some upside on this deal.

LaTroy Hawkins figures to man the ninth inning in Denver in what will be his final season, but it’s not out of the question to think that Axford could be in the mix to pick up some saves as well. It’s possible, even, that some ninth-inning work was dangled as an incentive to get him to agree to pitch half of his innings in the hitters’ haven that is Coors Field.

 

Giants' right-hander among four suspended for drugs
Comcast Sportsnet Bay Area – 8 hours ago

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball announced today that four Minor League players have been suspended following their violations of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

Free agent Minor League infielder Wilson Betemit has received a 50-game suspension without pay after testing positive for Amphetamine, a stimulant in violation of the Program. The suspension of Betemit will be effective immediately upon his signing with another Major League organization.

Boston Red Sox Minor League shortstop Ricardo Cubillan has received a 76-game suspension without pay after testing positive for a metabolite of Nandrolone, a performance-enhancing substance in violation of the Program. The suspension of Cubillan, who is currently on the roster of the Single-A Lowell Spinners of the New York-Penn League, will be effective at the start of the 2015 NYPL season.

San Francisco Giants Minor League right-handed pitcher Ethan Miller has received a 50-game suspension without pay after testing positive for Amphetamine, a stimulant in violation of the Program. The suspension of Miller, who is currently on the roster of the Single-A Salem-Kaizer Volcanoes of the Northwest League, will be effective at the start of the 2015 NWL season.

Free agent Minor League first baseman Tanner Norton has received a 50-game suspension without pay following a second positive test for a drug of abuse in violation of the Program. The suspension of Norton will be effective immediately upon his signing with another Major League organization.

 

excellent smiley use
although this would have been better

@THINKBLUE

 

is this a black thing?
wow, racist

Frank Robinson to become Manfred's lap dog
Associated Press — 7 hours ago



NEW YORK -- Hall of Famer Frank Robinson is leaving his job as executive vice president for baseball development in the commissioner's office to become a senior adviser to Commissioner Rob Manfred.

Robinson also was appointed honorary president of the American League on Monday in place of former Angels owner Jackie Autry. She had held the job since its inception in 2001, after then-Commissioner Bud Selig persuaded owners to eliminate the league offices.

Robinson, 79, hit 586 homers from 1956 to '76, won the American League Triple Crown with Baltimore in 1966 and became the first player to win MVP awards in both leagues, with Cincinnati in 1961 and the Orioles five years later.

He became the first black manager with Cleveland in 1975 and also managed San Francisco, Baltimore, Montreal and Washington. He was Major League Baseball's vice president of on-field operations (2000-02), a special adviser to the EVP of baseball operations (2007-09), a special assistant to the commissioner (2009-10 and 2011-12) and senior vice president for major league operations (2010-11).​

 

this just keeps getting worse and worse...

Josh Hamilton to get AC joint fixed
ESPN.com news services


Josh Hamilton will have surgery on a troublesome right shoulder that hampered him in 2014.

Josh Hamilton will undergo shoulder surgery on Wednesday and is expected to resume baseball activities in three to eight weeks, the Los Angeles Angels announced Tuesday.

The surgery will be to repair the AC joint in the lefty slugger's right shoulder.

Hamilton missed over 20 of his team's final regular season games last year with shoulder and other upper-body injuries.

The team said Tuesday surgery wasn't considered an option sooner because the 33-year-old outfielder just recently had his symptoms resurface.

A former AL MVP, Hamilton is entering the third season of a five-year, $125 million contract he signed with the Angels.​