Steve Torrealba has signed a deal with the Cardinals. I assume it’s a minor league contract but the note I saw didn’t say that specifically. Given that Tony Genius thinks that Mike Matheny is a good player, Swings Like Girl has a chance to stick in St. Louis if he throws well.
It’s actually a major-league deal, if you can believe it. I believe it means Eli Marrero will be given the boot. Good for Torrealba. If the Braves were going to go with a no-hit catcher, I would rather him at 25 years old and getting paid the league-minimum than the 31-year-old, vastly overpaid Blanco.
Don’t know if any of y’all noticed this, but the New York Post reported this morning that Glavine will cast his lot with the Phillies very soon.
http://www.nypost.com/sports/mets/26521.htm
Naturally, their take is that the Mets ‘lost out’ on the Glavine stakes, and combine that with the AJC’s reporting that the Braves are not going to either would kinda lead to that conclusion….
I saw where teh Braves’ 6 hour meeting with Glavine was being described as “contentious”. Anyone know why this is the case? I mean, I understand that the braves have a different idea of his value than he does and the other teams do, but that doesn’t seem like enough to generate anger.
At least one source has reported that the Braves did add a third guaranteed year, but at less money than the other two teams offered.
Good question, Colin. I wonder if it has anything to do with Glavine’s status in the players’ union. I was watching some commentators the other night muse on whether Thome signed with the Phillies in part due to pressure from the union, which wants free agents to take larger money contracts (as opposed to ‘home-town discounts’) so the market doesnt “deflate”.
I could see Glavine telling the Braves that he REALLY wants to stay with them, and the Braves responding that they REALLY don’t want to commit any more starting pitching money past 2005, when they have to start paying Hampton.
I mean, Glavine certainly has earned the right to demand a contract out of the team he’s served so well, but it’s the nature of free agency that he is NOT a brave now, and they really have no obligation to him. I’m sure they’d like him to be back next year. But i can also definitely understand if they dont want to end up in a situation where they’ve got 3 starting pitchers earning eight figures in 2006.
What’s going on with Maddux?
Haven’t heard anything about Greg. There hasn’t been anything published of substance in the last four days (according to Google News). The most I’ve seen is a NY area writer who thinks that Maddux will re-sign with the Braves, but he’s just guessing.