SBNation.com: All Posts by Ken Neadlyhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46737/sbn-fave.png2012-12-22T20:54:21-05:00https://www.sbnation.com/authors/ken-neadly/rss2012-12-22T20:54:21-05:002012-12-22T20:54:21-05:00Ibanez to join Mariners
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<p>Veteran slugger's bat will help bolster the Mariners' lineup, as Ibanez will don a Seattle uniform for the third time.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.lookoutlanding.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Seattle Mariners</a> and <span>Raul Ibanez</span> have agreed to a deal, <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/282656258136354816">according to Ken Rosenthal</a>. This will be Ibanez' third stint with the Mariners, as he played in Seattle from 1996-2000 and again from 2004-2008. Last season he hit .240/.308/.453 with 19 home runs as a member of the <a href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">New York Yankees</a>.</p>
<p>Ibanez, 40, is a career .278/.340/.470 hitter with 271 home runs in his 17 major league seasons. Aside from the Mariners and Yankees, he has spent time with the <a href="https://www.royalsreview.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Royals</a> and <a href="https://www.thegoodphight.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Phillies</a>. His best season came in 2009, when he hit .272/.347/.552 with 34 home runs as a Phillie.</p>
<p>Ibanez hit three home runs during the postseason last year, including a two memorable ones in ALDS Game 3 against the <a href="https://www.camdenchat.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Baltimore Orioles</a>. With the Yankees trailing 2-1, Ibanez was called upon to pinch-hit for <span>Jim Johnson</span> and hit a game-tying home run. In the bottom of the 12th, Ibanez hit another home run to win the game. He repeated the heroics in Game 1 of the ALCS, hitting a game-tying home run with two outs in the ninth.</p>
<p>The Mariners have also added <span>Kendrys Morales</span> this week as they are trying to improve their offense.</p>
https://www.sbnation.com/2012/12/22/3796582/raul-ibanez-seattle-mariners-contractKen Neadly2012-12-22T20:24:17-05:002012-12-22T20:24:17-05:00Hanrahan to Red Sox
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<figcaption>Charles LeClaire-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>The Pirates' closer is headed to the American League as a key member of a six-player deal.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.overthemonster.com/">Boston Red Sox</a> acquired <span>Joel Hanrahan</span> from the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bucsdugout.com/">Pittsburgh Pirates</a> in a six-player swap. <a href="https://twitter.com/JonHeymanCBS/status/282606605227409409" target="_blank">Jon Heyman tweeted</a> that the Pirates will receive four players and the Red Sox will receive two. <span>Jerry Sands</span> and <span>Stolmy Pimentel</span> are known to be headed to Pittsburgh.</p>
<p>Hanrahan, 31, was 5-2 with a 2.72 ERA and 36 saves for the Pirates last season. For his career he is 22-17 with a 3.74 ERA and 96 saves over six seasons spent with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.federalbaseball.com/">Washington Nationals</a> and the Pirates. Hanrahan has been an All-Star the past two seasons for the Pirates and has saved 76 games over that span.</p>
<p>Hanrahan is eligible for arbitration this year and is scheduled to become a free agent after the season. Boston's bullpen struggled in 2012 when <span>Andrew Bailey</span> went down with an injury. <span>Alfredo Aceves</span> saved 25 games, but was 2-10 with a 5.36 ERA. They have also added <span>Koji Uehara</span> to the bullpen this off-season.</p>
<p>Sands, 25, was acquired from the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> on August 25th in the blockbuster that sent <span>Adrian Gonzalez</span>, <span>Carl Crawford</span> and <span>Josh Beckett</span> to Los Angeles. He has hit 119 home runs in is minor league career. Sands has 251 major league plate appearances and has hit .244/.325/.376 with four home runs in that limited time.</p>
<p>Pimentel, 22, was 6-7 with a 4.59 ERA over 22 starts for Double-A Portland. He is 39-41 with a 4.37 ERA over six minor league seasons.</p>
<p>The Pirates are expected to use <span>Jason Grilli</span> as their closer in 2013.</p>
https://www.sbnation.com/2012/12/22/3796438/joel-hanrahan-boston-red-sox-pittsburgh-pirates-tradeKen Neadly2012-12-12T12:32:33-05:002012-12-12T12:32:33-05:00Yankees to sign Ichiro
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<figcaption>Jesse Johnson-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>Veteran will rejoin Yankee outfield. </p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/">New York Yankees</a> will re-sign outfielder <span>Ichiro Suzuki</span>. <a href="https://twitter.com/cc660/status/278821475262283776" target="_blank">Craig Carton of WFAN</a> was the first to report the deal. <a href="https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/278849013711790080" target="_blank">Ken Rosenthal</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/JonHeymanCBS/status/278849329299591168" target="_blank">Jon Heyman</a> have both confirmed the reports. They are still working out the specifics of the contract.</p>
<p>Suzuki, 39, came to the Yankees at the trade deadline last season after spending 11 ½ years with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lookoutlanding.com/">Seattle Mariners</a>. The move to the Yankees seemed to reignite his career as he hit .322/.340/.454 after joining the team. Ichiro also hit .353 with a home run in the 2012 ALCS. He was the only Yankee regular to hit above .250 in the series. Overall he hit .283/.307/.390 with 29 stolen bases in 2012.</p>
<p>For his career, Ichiro has has hit .322/.365/.419 with 2,606 hits, 104 home runs and 452 stolen bases. Suzuki is a 10-time All-Star and Gold Glove winner. He also won both the American League MVP and Rookie of the Year awards in 2001.</p>
<p>Suzuki will join <span>Brett Gardner</span> and <span>Curtis Granderson</span> in the Yankee outfield. <span>Nick Swisher</span> is not expected to return. The Yankees also completed a one-year deal on Tuesday with third baseman <span>Kevin Youkilis</span>.</p>
https://www.sbnation.com/2012/12/12/3758186/yankees-ichiro-close-to-agreementKen Neadly2012-12-12T11:57:32-05:002012-12-12T11:57:32-05:00Snag in Red Sox, Napoli deal?
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<figcaption>Tim Heitman-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>The signing has yet to be made official.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.overthemonster.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Red Sox</a> and <span>Mike Napoli</span> made some noise on the first evening of the Winter Meetings back on December 3rd, when the two sides reached a three-year, $39 million agreement pending a physical. Now, it's been over a week later and a deal has yet to be officially announced.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/boston-red-sox-mike-napoli-free-agent-deal-may-be-in-jeopardy-121112">Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports</a> speculated that the deal may have hit a snag yesterday. Napoli was to take a physical on Monday morning and be introduced at a press conference on Tuesday. The press conference has yet to take place.</p>
<p>The longer the deal goes unannounced, the more you have to wonder if Boston found something in Napoli's physical that is giving them cause for concern.</p>
<p>Napoli, who played in only 108 games last season because of a quad injury, had a bit of a letdown in 2012. He hit .227/.343/.469 with 24 home runs after hitting .320/.414/.631 with 30 home runs in his breakout campaign of 2011. Napoli has spent seven seasons in the Majors with the <a href="https://www.halosheaven.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Angels</a> and <a href="https://www.lonestarball.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Rangers</a>.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/nickcafardo/status/278895435161141248">According to Nick Cafardo</a> of the Boston Globe, the Red Sox are trying to work through issues on Napoli's deal, but nothing has been resolved yet.</p>
https://www.sbnation.com/2012/12/12/3758828/snag-in-red-sox-napoli-dealKen Neadly2012-12-11T12:01:59-05:002012-12-11T12:01:59-05:00Mets up offer to R.A. Dickey
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<p>Extension would keep pitcher in New York through 2015. </p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">New York Mets</a> have upped their offer to Cy Young award winner <span>R.A. Dickey</span>.<a href="https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/278494725445672961" target="_blank"> According to Ken Rosenthal</a>, they are offering a two-year extension worth $20 million. They had previously offered two-years, $16 million.</p>
<p>Dickey, 38, went 20-6 with a 2.73 ERA in 233 ⅔ innings in 2012. He also led the league in strikeouts, starts, complete games and shutouts. The Mets have been trying to trade Dickey for top prospects, but teams may be hesitant to offer top prospects for a 38-year old knuckleballer.</p>
<p>Dickey is 61-56 with a 3.98 ERA during his 10-year career. He has spent time with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lonestarball.com/">Rangers</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lookoutlanding.com/">Mariners</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.twinkietown.com/">Twins</a> and Mets. Since joining the Mets, Dickey has thrived. In his three seasons in New York, he is 39-28 with a 2.95 ERA over 616 ⅔ innings pitched.</p>
<p>The Mets have already signed third baseman <span>David Wright</span> to an eight-year $138 million extension this offseason. The deal keeps Wright in New York until 2020.</p>
https://www.sbnation.com/2012/12/11/3754240/mets-up-offer-to-dickeyKen Neadly2012-12-10T23:16:46-05:002012-12-10T23:16:46-05:00Twins, Correia reach agreement
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<figcaption>Doug Pensinger</figcaption>
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<p>The pitching-starved Twins added depth with the signing.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.twinkietown.com/">Minnesota Twins</a> reached an agreement with <span>Kevin Correia</span> on Monday evening. ESPN's <a href="https://twitter.com/jcrasnick/status/278341570669998081" target="_blank">Jerry Crasnick reports</a> that it is a two-year deal that will pay the right-hander $10 million.</p>
<p>Correia, 32, was 12-11 with a 4.21 ERA over 171 innings last season for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bucsdugout.com/">Pittsburgh Pirates</a>. He is 60-65 for his career with a 4.54 ERA over 10 seasons. Correia has also spent time with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">Giants</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.gaslampball.com/">Padres</a>.</p>
<p>The Twins acquired <span>Vance Worley</span> last week from the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thegoodphight.com/">Phillies</a>. Correia and Worley will be joined by <span>Scott Diamond</span> in Twins rotation. The Twins have traded <span>Denard Span</span> and <span>Ben Revere</span> with the hopes of beefing up their starting pitching this season. Worley was acquired along with Alex Meyer and <span>Trevor May</span> in those deals.</p>
<p>Correia will be making his first appearance in the American League. He has struck out six batters per nine innings over the course of his career, but last season struck out just 4.7 per nine.</p>
https://www.sbnation.com/2012/12/10/3753414/kevin-correia-twinsKen Neadly2012-12-08T20:19:40-05:002012-12-08T20:19:40-05:00Dodgers, Greinke agree to contract
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<figcaption>Kirby Lee-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>The Los Angeles Dodgers have reportedly agreed to sign Zack Greinke to a six-year $147 million contract. </p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Los Angeles Dodgers</a> have agreed to terms with <span>Zack Greinke</span>, according to numerous reports Saturday night. It's been widely rumored for the last couple of days that either the Dodgers or <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lonestarball.com/">Rangers</a> were going to end up with the top free-agent pitcher. The Dodgers have won out with a deal worth $147 million over six years pending a physical, <a href="https://twitter.com/JonHeymanCBS/status/277592567745490944" target="_blank">Jon Heyman reports</a>. The $24.5 million annual average is the highest </p>
<p>Greinke, 29, split his 2012 season between the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.brewcrewball.com/">Milwaukee Brewers</a> and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.halosheaven.com/">Los Angeles Angels</a> and went 15-5 with a 3.48 ERA and 200 strikeouts in 212-⅓ innings pitched. For his career, he is 91-78 with a 3.77 ERA over nine seasons spent with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.royalsreview.com/">Royals</a>, Brewers and Angels.</p>
<p>Greinke is the latest big salaried addition to the team since their ownership change. The Dodgers acquired <span>Hanley Ramirez</span> from the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fishstripes.com/">Marlins</a> and <span>Adrian Gonzalez</span>, <span>Josh Beckett</span> and <span>Carl Crawford</span> from the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.overthemonster.com/">Red Sox</a> last summer. They also are in negotiations with Korean left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu. The two sides have until 6 p.m. PT on Sunday to work out a deal.</p>
https://www.sbnation.com/2012/12/8/3745120/zack-greinke-los-angeles-dodgers-contractKen Neadly2012-12-05T01:49:27-05:002012-12-05T01:49:27-05:00Rays acquire Yunel Escobar
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<p>The Marlins reportedly unload another veteran.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.draysbay.com/">Tampa Bay Rays</a> have acquired shortstop <span>Yunel Escobar</span> from the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fishstripes.com/">Miami Marlins</a> in exchange for infielder <span>Derek Dietrich</span>, according to multiple reports via <a target="_blank" href="http://www.mlbdailydish.com/2012/12/4/3729690/mlb-winter-meetings-rays-yunel-escobar">MLB Daily Dish</a>.</p>
<p>Escobar, 30, spent last season with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bluebirdbanter.com/">Toronto Blue Jays</a> where he hit .253/.300/.344 with nine home runs. He is a career .282/.353/.390 hitter over six seasons with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.talkingchop.com/">Atlanta Braves</a> and the Blue Jays.</p>
<p>Escobar was acquired by the Marlins in the mega deal that sent <span>Jose Reyes</span>, Josh Johnson, <span>Mark Buehrle</span>, <span>Emilio Bonifacio</span> and <span>John Buck</span> to Toronto on Nov. 19 last year. Escobar came under fire last season for printing a homophobic slur in Spanish on his eye black. He is set to earn $5 million next season and the Rays hold $5 million options for each of 2014 and 2015.</p>
<p>Dietrich, 23, split time between A+ Charlotte and Double-A Montgomery where he hit .279/.338/.457 with 28 doubles, 10 triples and 14 home runs in 132 games. He was a second-round pick of the Rays in 2010. He split time between second base and shortstop last season.</p>
https://www.sbnation.com/2012/12/5/3730338/yunel-escobar-raysKen Neadly2012-12-05T00:54:39-05:002012-12-05T00:54:39-05:00Asdrubal Cabrera headed to Diamondbacks?
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<figcaption>Jared Wickerham</figcaption>
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<p>The Indians' shortstop could be dealt to Arizona in four-team deal. </p> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/Buster_ESPN/status/276105720183783425" target="_blank">According to Buster Olney</a>, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Arizona Diamondbacks</a> have been working on a four-way deal that would land them <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.letsgotribe.com/">Cleveland Indians</a> shortstop <span>Asdrubal Cabrera</span>. The Diamondbacks have been focusing on acquiring a shortstop since the offseason began, even offering <span>Justin Upton</span> in potential deals.</p>
<p>Cabrera, 27, has been an all star in each of the past two seasons. He has hit 41 home runs over that span. Last season he hit .270/.338/.423 with 16 home runs. Cabrera is under contract for two more seasons. He is scheduled to earn $6.5 million in 2013 and $10 million in 2014.</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/276092186532118528" target="_blank">Ken Rosenthal reports</a> that the Indians are after <span>Tyler Skaggs</span>. The 21-year-old made his major-league debut last season when he started six games for Arizona. Skaggs was the 13th-ranked prospect headed into the 2012 season by Baseball America. He was 9-6 with a 2.87 ERA over 22 starts with Double-A Mobile and Triple-A Reno.</p>
<p>There is no word on what the other two teams are in this deal.</p>
https://www.sbnation.com/2012/12/5/3730228/diamondbacks-after-asdrubal-cabreraKen Neadly2012-12-03T22:22:53-05:002012-12-03T22:22:53-05:00'4 or 5' teams in on Josh Hamilton
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<figcaption>Tim Heitman-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>The top free-agent slugger has plenty of suitors. </p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.overthemonster.com/">Boston Red Sox</a> are among "four or five" teams eying free-agent slugger <span>Josh Hamilton</span>, according to <a href="http://www.weei.com/sports/boston/this-just-in/21244906/sources-sox-among-4-5-hamilton-suitors" target="_blank">Rob Bradford of WEEI</a>, who says Boston is only interested in a short-term contract.</p>
<p>It is rumored that Hamilton wants a seven-year deal, but sources tell Bradford that none of the teams has been ready to offer more than three years.</p>
<p>Dan Plesac of MLB Network tweeted that the <a href="https://twitter.com/Plesac19/status/275795361518481409" target="_blank">Texas Rangers are interested</a> in bringing Hamilton back and that the <a href="https://twitter.com/Plesac19/status/275785036987514881" target="_blank">Milwaukee Brewers may be entering the mix</a> for the five-time All Star and 2010 American League MVP. Hamilton hit .285/.354/.577 with 43 home runs last season.</p>
<p>Teams might be shying away from a seven-year deal given Hamilton's age (he turns 32 in May) and his past issues with substance abuse. The first pick of the 1999 draft didn't make his Major League debut until 2007. Since his arrival, he has hit 161 home runs with 553 RBI.</p>
<p>It has been a busy day for Boston at the Winter Meetings, as <span>Mike Napoli</span> signed a three-year $39 million contract earlier in the day.</p>
https://www.sbnation.com/2012/12/3/3725032/josh-hamilton-rumors-red-sox-brewersKen Neadly