Rodriguez Lands Lucrative One-Year Contract with the Milwaukee Brewers

Posted on February 8, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Francisco Rodriguez is Milwaukee bound once again…

The 32-year-old Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher, “K-Rod” as he’s known, has agreed to a one-year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers worth $3.25 million plus incentives.

Rodriguez, a four-time MLB All-Star, could earn another $550,000 in bonuses. The contract includes a $100,000 bonus for 55 innings pitched and incentives for games finished; $50,000 each for 15 and 20 games; $75,000 for 25 and 30 games; and $100,000 each for 35 and 40 games.

Rodriguez, a World Series champion, has 304 saves in 12 seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers and Baltimore Orioles.

Milwaukee signed Rodriguez as a free agent last spring before trading him to Baltimore in late July in a deal for minor leaguer Nick Delmonico.

In 2008, Rodriguez set a major league record with 62 saves for the Angels. He has notched three finishes in the top five in Cy Young Award balloting.

Rodriguez brings depth and another veteran arm to a Milwaukee bullpen headed by Jim Henderson, who recorded 28 saves and struck out 75 batters in 60 innings as a 30-year-old rookie last season.

Hernández Agrees to Lucrative Seven-Year Extenstion with the Mariners

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Félix Hernández is officially the highest-paid pitcher in Major League history.

The 26-year-old Venezuelan right-handed starting pitcher for the Seattle Mariners has signed a seven-year contract extension with the team.

Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik announced the deal with Hernández at the news conference at Safeco Field. A source confirmed to MLB.com that the basic agreement is for seven years and $175 million, with some new language written in that would protect the Mariners if Hernandez misses a season with elbow problems.

Hernández has two years and $40.5 million remaining on his existing contract, but the final two years will reportedly be replaced by the new deal, which will now extend through 2019.

“I think it’s a great thing for the Seattle Mariners and it’s a great thing for Felix Hernandez. We’re looking forward to this guy being here for a long time, obviously,” said Zduriencik.

CC Sabathia of the New York Yankees currently has the largest overall contract for a pitcher, with a seven-year, $161 million deal he signed before the 2010 season. Zack Greinke signed the highest average-annual-value deal at $24.5 million with his six-year, $147 million contract in December with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Hernandez has been with the Mariners his entire Major League career and won the American League Cy Young Award in 2010. He pitched a perfect game last season while going 13-9 with a 3.06 ERA in 33 starts.

The three-time All-Star has pitched 200 or more innings in each of the past five seasons and has a career record of 98-76 with a 3.22 ERA.

Valenzuela Inducted into Caribbean Baseball Hall of Fame

Posted on February 3, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Fernando Valenzuela has earned his place in the hall…

The 52-year-old legendary Los Angeles Dodgers left-handed pitcher and current Dodgers Spanish-language broadcaster will be inducted into the Caribbean Baseball Hall of Fame this weekend during a ceremony at the Universidad Sonora as part of the Caribbean Series in Hermosillo, Mexico.

Valenzuela, born in Sonora, is being honored for his Major League Baseball career and his Mexican league play. Like those at Cooperstown, the Caribbean winter league inductees are required to be named on 75 percent of the ballots. Valenzuela garnered 175 of a potential 200 points.

During his illustrious career, Valenzuela was named an MLB All-Star for six consecutive years (1981-1986), earned his World Series champion ring in 1981 and won the Gold Glove Award (1986). He was also a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner (1981, 1983), the 1981 National League Cy Young Award and was named the 1981 National League Rookie of the Year.

Valenzuela made his major league debut with the Dodgers in 1980 as a 19-year-old with an exceptional screwball and spent 17 years in the majors.

Valenzuela threw out the first pitch Friday in the new 16,000-seat Estadio Sonora ballpark before the opening game of the 2013 Caribbean World Series between Mexico’s Yaquis de Obregón and the Dominican Republic’s Leones del Escogido.

Martinez Returning to Boston Red Sox in Special Role

Posted on January 25, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Former Boston Red Sox ace Pedro Martinez is heading back to Beantown…

The 41-year-old Dominican born baseball star, an eight-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young Award winner and 2004 World Series champion, is returning to the organization as a special assistant to general manager Ben Cherington.

Martinez, who joins former catcher Jason Varitek in that capacity, said he plans to dedicate his time to developing players and collaborating with team brass.

“I’ve been away long enough now,” said Martinez. “I spent time with my family, and now the situation is right. I think they need people like me that could probably relate to the players, relate to the front office, have the good communication and the interest that they need right now. I think the players still see me as a player and they can naturally communicate with me. I’m also a veteran, a real old veteran and I think I can offer some advice how to handle different situations.”

In particular, Martinez will spend time mentoring the team’s young pitchers.

“I love to teach. I love to deal with the players,” he said. “I have a very good relationship with the players and I’m also fun. I like to have and I think they need a little bit of that in the clubhouse.”

Though he said a comeback was out of the question — “Don’t even think about me coming back,” he said — he’s looking forward to getting his “nose dirty.”

“I miss the field,” said Martinez. “Once I get on the field, I’m going to get involved and get going. I like the field. I like the feel of the sun, sweating on the field and hopefully some of the knowledge I have I’ll be able to communicate to someone and have someone take advantage of it.”

Martinez spent seven seasons in Boston (1998-2004), winning two of his three Cy Young Awards and a World Series ring during his time with the Red Sox. He went 117-37 (a franchise-best .760 winning percentage) with a 2.52 ERA in his seven seasons with the Red Sox, leading the league in ERA four times in that span.

Martinez left the Red Sox after the 2004 season to sign with the Mets, for whom he pitched four more seasons. His final season in the majors was 2009 with the Phillies.

“I am thrilled to be returning to this organization and to the city I love,” Martinez said in a statement. “Ben Cherington’s meetings this week have been outstanding. It is an honor to be back with the Red Sox and help in any way I can. I am grateful to our leaders; I believe in them, and I thank them for allowing me to return to the field and help us win again. My heart will always live in Boston.”

Cuellar Named the Minnesota Twins’ Bullpen Coach

Posted on October 22, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Bobby Cuellar is heading to the Minnesota Twins’ bullpen…

The 60-year-old Mexican American former professional player has been hired as the bullpen coach to assist the team’s manager Ron Gardenhire, the team announced Monday.

The Twins earlier let go of Gardenhire’s long-time bullpen coach Rick Stelmaszek, a reaction to a second straight season of close to 100 losses.

Cuellar, who was born in Alice, Texas, served in the minor leagues as the pitching coach for the Rochester Red Wings for last four years, his second stint in that role. He was previously New Britain‘s manager in 2008 and the bullpen coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2006 and 2007. Before that, he spent four seasons as the Twins’ Triple-A pitching coach. In 2002, he was credited with helping a young Johan Santana develop the trademark changeup he used to become a two-time AL Cy Young Award winner.

Cuellar also is fluent in Spanish, fulfilling the Twins’ desire to add a coach who could better communicate with their players born in Latin countries.

“He’s got a lot of knowledge, a lot of familiarity, and he knows Gardy and (Anderson) well,” said Twins’ general manager Terry Ryan. “Chemistry is important on every major league staff.”

Cuellar played briefly with the Texas Rangers in 1977 as a relief pitcher. He’s a graduate of the University of Texas.

Nationals Pitcher Gonzalez Earns His MLB-Leading 19th Victory

Posted on September 10, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

There’s no denying Gio Gonzalez is making a strong case for this season’s Cy Young Award…

The 26-year-old Cuban American baseball earned his Major League Baseball league-leading nineteenth victory and his Washington Nationals teammates did their part with three home runs to defeat the New York Mets 5-1 on Monday night.

Gonzalez’s performance this season has helped make him a prime contender for the league’s coveted pitching prize. But that’s something he’s not thinking about right now.

“When you start looking at one thing, it’ll drive you crazy,” he said after the game. “If it comes, it comes.”

Mets pitcher R.A. Dickey currently has 18 wins and a better ERA than Gonzalez, and he’ll be starting against the Nationals on Tuesday. Asked whether he was eager for Washington to face Dickey — and perhaps dent his Cy Young chances — manager Davey Johnson had a simple answer.

“Not really,” he said.

Kurt Suzuki put the Nationals ahead with a home run right after catcher Kelly Shoppach dropped his foul popup for an error. Ryan Zimmerman launched a two-run shot later in the third inning and Ian Desmond added a two-run drive in the fourth.

That was more than enough for Gonzalez (19-7) and the team with the best record in the majors. The lefty gave up three hits over six innings, none until the Mets’ Scott Hairston homered in the fourth.

Gonzalez worked around five walks and extended his career high for wins. He seemed relaxed enough, chatting with fans in the front row while waiting in the on-deck circle in the sixth as Suzuki batted.

Gonzalez matched a season high for walks, but he lowered his ERA to 2.93.

“Couldn’t find the strike zone,” he said. “Drank a little too much coffee. I don’t know what it was.”

The Nationals opened a six-game swing that ends this weekend in Atlanta, where they’ll play their closest pursuers in the NL East.

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