October 22, 200322 yr DESIGNATED HITTERS Player Team Expectations Ellis Burks Indians C: $5 million (likely will return for less money) Brad Fullmer Angels (career may be over) Ben Grieve Devil Rays Not likely to be re-signed Al Martin Devil Rays Edgar Martinez Mariners Might retire Dean Palmer Tigers Won't be back; might retire Ruben Sierra Yankees Frank Thomas White Sox M: $8 million (expected back)
October 28, 200322 yr Why did the Angels release Brad Fullmer? He was one of our best hitters until he got hurt last year. Is he not healing well? I can't understand why we would get rid of Brad. -- Joe Schwartzman, Visalia, Calif. Joe: General manager Bill Stoneman said the injury had nothing to do with the release of Fullmer. Brad is recovering from his knee surgery ahead of schedule and will probably be ready for Spring Training next year. Stoneman said the Angels released him because the team didn't see a lot of at-bats for him at designated hitter next year with the emergence of Jeff DaVanon as the likely right fielder and the continuing evolution of Tim Salmon into more of a DH role. With Fullmer up for arbitration, it seemed to Stoneman that if the Angels released him now, it would give him more of a chance to shop around for other clubs instead of having to wait until December, when they would have non-tendered him like they did last year. (Fullmer will be back and I think Seattle may pick him up to replace Edgar Martinez).
October 28, 200322 yr Author Edgar Martinez shouldn't retire. He's still one of the best (if not the best) DHs in baseball, and this year he hit .294-24-98 in a pitcher's park.
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