BeckettPierreFan21

Merry Christmas, everyone.

A cheap Harley... :rofl

:rofl

Well I don't know about TO going to Dolphins, but I hear on ESPN radio days ago that there is a rumor that the Steelers want him since he's a FA next year.

This is if you haven't seen this article yet... I just saw it today.

MIAMI (AP) -- Armando Benitez agreed to a $3.5 million, one-year contract with the Florida Marlins late Saturday night, a move which prompted the team not to offer a deal to former closer Braden Looper. Benitez had 21 saves last season for the New York Mets before being traded to the Yankees in July. The Yankees dealt him to Seattle three weeks later. The signing is contingent on Benitez passing a physical, Marlins spokesman Steve Copses said. ADVERTISEMENT ``We think this guy has a great arm,'' Florida general manager Admin Beinfest said. ``We think Looper has a great arm, too. But Armando is an established closer, and we think he can flourish with our club.'' The right-hander was the Mets' closer since 1999, saving 160 games in 185 chances and representing them on this year's All-Star team. He blew six of his 10 postseason save chances while with the Mets, a major league record. Florida also agreed to a $2.5 million, one-year contract with right-hander A.J. Burnett and a $6.2 million, two-year contract with shortstop Alex Gonzalez., a deal that pays him $2.8 million next season and $3.4 million in 2005. The deadline to offer contracts to unsigned players on 40-man rosters was midnight Saturday. Beinfest said keeping Gonzalez -- who had just 16 errors in 678 chances last season -- was important in terms of defense, one of the Marlins' strengths last season. ``We think we have one of the best defenses in the game,'' Beinfest said. Starting pitchers Brad Penny and Carl Pavano were offered contracts by the deadline. Beinfest said he hopes both players are signed before the exchange of proposed arbitration figures on Jan. 18. Relievers Armando Almanza and Toby Borland were not offered deals and became free agents. Florida is hoping Borland will accept a minor-league deal, Beinfest said. Looper converted 28 of 34 save chances for the Marlins last season, during which he was 6-4 with a 3.68 ERA in 74 games. He was stellar before the All-Star break, going 4-2 with a 2.28 ERA and closed out 17 of his 20 save chances. But after the Marlins acquired Ugueth Urbina on July 11, Looper struggled, perhaps sensing correctly that his role was in jeopardy. He was 2-2 with a 6.14 ERA after the All-Star break, and opponents batted .291 against him, 44 points higher than they managed pre-break. In the postseason, he was 2-0 with one save and an ERA of 5.14. Gonzalez hit .256 with 18 home runs and 77 RBIs last season, but was wildly inconsistent. On June 20, Gonzalez was hitting .328 with 12 home runs and 50 RBIs, while striking out only 37 times. But in his final 83 games of the regular season, he hit just .192 with six homers, 27 RBIs and 69 strikeouts. The offensive struggles continued in the postseason, with Gonzalez hitting only .161 with 16 strikeouts in 62 at-bats. With one swing, though, he atoned for many problems; a walk-off home run in Game 4 of the World Series gave the Marlins a 4-3, 12-inning win and provided them with a boost of momentum that carried them through Games 5 and 6 to clinch the title. Penny was 14-10 with a 4.13 ERA in 32 starts last season for Florida, getting 138 strikeouts against only 56 walks in 196 1-3 innings. He won both of his starts against the Yankees in the World Series, and went 3-1 overall during the postseason. Pavano was 12-13 for Florida last season, but flourished in pitcher-friendly Pro Player Stadium, going 9-4 with a 3.44 ERA in the Marlins' home park -- more than two runs lower than his road ERA. And in the postseason, he was 2-0 in eight appearances (two starts), with a team-best 1.40 ERA. He held the Yankees to one run in eight innings in Game 4 of the World Series, easily handling the pressure of both baseball's biggest stage and opposing Roger Clemens in what is expected to be the six-time Cy Young winner's final start. The Marlins have traded pitcher Mark Redman, first baseman Derrek Lee and outfielder Juan Encarnacion, plus parted ways with catcher Ivan Rodriguez, Looper and Urbina during this offseason

Good luck to Woot dog! I'm gonna miss ya.

Happy Birthday! :happybday :balloons :brigginbounce :rock :party

he wasnt good last year, but for the right price, i wouldnt mind him on this team Well if you consider Ashby, let's hope he did good like he did when he played with the Padres before the Dodgers.

Update on why Foulke signed with Red Sox: BOSTON (AP) -- Keith Foulke had just returned home from his first visit to Boston and was still undecided about re-signing with the Oakland Athletics or joining the Red Sox. A call from hockey great Bobby Orr helped nudge the right-hander to the East Coast. "He left a message saying that you win in this town and you are forever idolized,'' Foulke said on Friday during a visit to Fenway Park. The call from the Bruins great wasn't the main reason Foulke, a longtime hockey fan, selected Boston, but it was "another selling point,'' he said Friday. The Red Sox also offered Foulke a four-year contract that guaranteed him $24 million and a chance to win a World Series. "Just the excitement of playing for a team with this heritage and this history is something I want to do before I retire,'' he said. And the fact the Red Sox have not won a World Series title since 1918? "I haven't won one either, so we have something in common,'' Foulke said. Foulke's agreement last week came after a season in which the Red Sox tried various pitchers in the closer's role, with varying degrees of success. Foulke's 43 saves with Oakland last season were more than the entire Red Sox bullpen. "We went after Keith so hard because we really think he's one of the best pitchers in baseball,'' Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein said. "We told Keith we see him as a real weapon in helping us win games, and we told him we're going to pitch you as much as possible, in the most important innings as possible and have you impact as many games as possible,'' Epstein said. Foulke's contract guarantees him $20.25 million if the deal ends after three seasons. He gets a $1.5 million signing bonus, $3 million next season, $7 million in 2005 and $7.25 million in 2006. The Red Sox have a $7.5 million option for 2007 with a $1.5 million buyout. If the team elects to give him the buyout, Foulke gets a $3.75 million player option. The option would become guaranteed if Foulke finishes 45 games in each of the first three seasons or a total of 95 games in 2005 and 2006, and if he finishes at least 53 games in 2006, the price increases to $7.75 million. The option also becomes Foulke's at $7.75 million if he finishes in the top five in Cy Young Award voting in any of the first three seasons. Foulke, 31, was 9-1 with 43 saves and a 2.08 ERA for Oakland last season, when he earned $6 million. He has 143 saves in a career that started with San Francisco in 1997; he was traded to the Chicago White Sox later that season and went to Oakland for the 2003 season. Leaving Oakland was a difficult decision, but playing for the Red Sox allows Foulke "the pursuit of bigger dreams.'' Epstein refused to comment on whether the Manny Ramirez for Alex Rodriguez trade was still a possibility, a deal that could lead to Nomar Garciaparra getting traded to the Chicago White Sox. "The way I see it, you have four all-stars involved, and no matter what happens, I'll have two great players behind me,'' Foulke said.

you want cheese with that whine? :lol :rofl

Ichiro Suzuki's four-year contract is worth $44 million and contains a $6 million signing bonus. Wow that is overpaid... :confused

This is obvious. I've been saying this for a while. If they sign Pudge or Javy and don't use that $15 Million that would go to Vlad on pitching, they're fools. True. :thumbup

bad signing hmmm...in 4 years, with the rate he's declining, he'll be batting .240 and will be 15 and 15 cs on the basepaths... :o Is he really gonna bat under .250?

Twins agree to terms with catcher Blanco December 18, 2003 MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The Minnesota Twins agreed Thursday to a one-year contract with former Atlanta catcher Henry Blanco, a deal that includes a team option for 2005. The Twins hope Blanco, who was the backup starter to Javy Lopez, can provide some depth at catcher in the departure of All-Star A.J. Pierzynski, who was traded to San Francisco last month. Blanco, 32, batted .199 with 13 RBIs and one home run in 55 games for the Braves last season. He became a free agent last month when he refused an outright assignment to Triple-A Richmond. ADVERTISEMENT He's currently batting .297 with 37 RBIs and nine homers in 44 games for Caracas in the Venezuelan Winter League. Blanco originally signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent in 1989 and has spent nearly five season in the major leagues with Los Angeles, Colorado, Milwaukee and Atlanta. Also on Thursday, the Twins invited catcher Joe Mauer, the team's top draft pick in 2001, to spring training as one of 12 non-roster players. Mauer, a former Cretin-Derham Hall High School standout who's steadily improved in Minnesota's minor league organization, will have a chance to win Pierzynski's old spot. Other non-roster players who were invited to spring training were: catchers Chris Heintz, Brandon Marsters and Gabby Torres; infielders Jake Mauer, Alex Prieto and Luis Rodriguez; and pitchers Jess Crain, Seth Greisinger, Peter Munro, Jeromy Palki and Joe Roa.

Interesting... I can't wait when he officially signs.

I don't like this, and I think we will regret this trade. We won't resign Nomar after this year, and I really don't know how much better if better at all trading Maggs for Nomar and Williamson will make us. I'd almost rather trade Maggs to the Dodgers for young pitching. Although, i'm biased, and obviously don't want to trade Maggs at all, so maybe i'm wrong about this. Maggs, but they say that the Ramirez/A-Rod trade might fade...

So they want to play where Matsui is gonna get alot of cheers? Is that game gonna play home for Yankees or Devil Rays?

If you like the fish, your gonna love my team :hat Miami Marlins Miami Marlins 6-3 W/L Record Starting Lineup Javy Lopez Carlos Delgado Luis Castillo Mike Lowell Edgar Renteria Albert Pujols Juan Pierre Sammy Sosa Bench Jeff Conine Ken Griffey Jr. Micheal Ryan Joe Vitiello Starting Rotation Pedro Martinez Livan Hernandez Jose Contreras Brian Anderson Bullpen Eric Gagne John Smoltz Matt Mantei Dan Plesac Pubes, you got pretty good team there. :thumbup

Batman Return.

How can this rumor be true? It's not even reported on other Sports websites.

Guillen just signed with Oakland. He didn't sign with the A's, he signed with Angels (according to what he said to AP on an article of his signing, 2 years with $6 million dollars).

sign SS Rich Aurilia. Good move Where's links to it?

Updates on Guillen, he signed a deal today: ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Oakland Athletics left fielder Jose Guillen said Tuesday he has agreed to a two-year contract with the Anaheim Angels worth about $6 million, "I'm very happy," Guillen said in the Dominican Republic. "I wanted a contract guaranteeing several years with one team, and that's the most important thing. I'm thrilled to be part of the Angels, a team that won the World Series just a year ago." Angels vice president Tim Mead said the team wasn't prepared to announce a deal. The agreement is expected to be completed once Guillen takes a physical. Guillen made his first playoff appearance last season with the AL West champion A's. He hit .455 against Boston in the division series despite playing with a broken left hand. Guillen batted .265 in 45 games with the A's and had 23 RBI. Oakland acquired Guillen from Cincinnati in July.