A new report has linked three Major League Baseball players to performance enhancing drugs.
Ryan Howard, Ryan Zimmerman, and Taylor Teagarden are three players who allegedly received PEDs from Charlie Sly, a pharmacist based in Austin, Texas. He worked at the Guyer Institute, an Indiana-based anti-aging clinic in 2011. In a documentary "The Dark Side" on Al Jazeera America that comes out on Sunday, Sly claims that he helped many professional athletes in many sports overcome injuries through drugs like Human Growth Hormone. The Huffington Post obtained the documentary on Saturday. While it remains to be seen whether anything will come out of this report, it is still something to monitor over the course of the next few months. Obviously, it could cause major implications for those three players--and perhaps others--if found to be true. NFL star quarterback Peyton Manning is among those named in the report. Sly has since responded to these claims publicly, negating any truth to them. This story is definitely one worth keeping tabs on, however, there is definitely a real chance it comes out false. --Devan Fink Story updated to reflect Sly's response.
0 Comments
The Washington Nationals have signed second baseman Daniel Murphy to a three-year deal, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com reports.
According to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, Murphy will make $37.5 million. Murphy does end up with a sizable contract in free agency, but earns less than what I initially thought he would make. Murphy ends up making a little less than Ben Zobrist (four-years, $56 million). Overall, though, a $12.5 million average annual value is definitely a fair deal for him. Along with Washington, the Mets and Dodgers were connected to Murphy throughout the offseason. The 30-year-old Murphy hit .281/.322/.449 with 14 home runs and 56 RBIs in 538 plate appearances with the Mets last season. According to FanGraphs, he was worth 2.5 Wins Above Replacement. Murphy is best known for his exhilarating postseason performance. He hit .328/.391/.724 in 64 playoff plate appearances, hitting seven home runs, including home runs in six straight games. He possibly earned himself millions with that performance. It's unknown how much of that was true power or just some seriously good luck, as Murphy has not really been considered a big power threat over his career, with his 14 homers in 2015 being a regular season career-high. Murphy has never been a great defensive second baseman. In fact, he posted a -1.3 Ultimate Zone Rating in 572 1/3 innings there in 2015, ranking him among the 25-worst in baseball. With that said, however, the Nationals hope his bat will play well in Washington. He has a career .751 OPS at Nationals Park, hitting four home runs and driving in 32 RBIs over 56 games there. The Nationals have needed a second baseman. They dealt their 2015 second baseman Yunel Escobar to the Angels earlier this offseason. The team was apparently close to dealing for the Reds' Brandon Phillips, but he did not waive his no-trade clause to complete the agreement. Murphy was given a qualifying offer from the Mets, so by signing him the Nationals will lose their 2016 first round pick. --Devan Fink
The New York Mets are officially out on re-signing Yoenis Cespedes, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported.
Any hope that the Mets would be able to retain Cespedes at the start of the offseason was slim, but this report completely closes the door on any possibility he returns. Talks between the Mets and the star outfielder appear to not have gone far, with Heyman reporting that New York floated the idea of a "two to three" year deal without even naming a price. Cespedes figures to get much more in free agency, with a five to six year contract likely being his ultimate destiny. Cespedes has been connected to teams like the Giants, Angels, Tigers, and White Sox, but his market has remained relatively quiet as of late. The market for free agent outfielders not named Jason Heyward has not intensified. The 30-year-old Cespedes hit .291/.328/.542 with 35 home runs and 105 RBIs in 676 plate appearances last season, playing with both the Tigers and Mets. According to FanGraphs, he was worth a total of 6.7 Wins Above Replacement, which is considered All-Star level production. As for the Mets, they are still looking for a right-handed outfielder, according to Heyman. Free agent Steve Pearce was mentioned in his article, but it is unknown whether New York has been in contact with his representatives. --Devan Fink
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced the signing of first baseman and outfielder John Jaso to a two-year deal. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported that the deal is worth $8 million.
Jaso, who had been a catcher for most of his career, is expected to play first base in Pittsburgh. The team non-tendered 2015 first baseman Pedro Alvarez because they felt his defense was subpar. The team feels that Jaso is an upgrade. "We feel the offensive upside is worth the calculated gamble that he's going to be able to first base," Pittsburgh GM Neal Huntington told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The 32-year-old Jaso was used specifically against right-handers with the Rays last year, but did post good numbers overall. He hit .286/.380/.459 with five home runs and 22 RBIs. According to FanGraphs, he was worth 0.7 Wins Above Replacement. Jaso has just five career innings at first base, so it is really hard to know whether he will be a solid addition there defensively or not. One has to assume, however, that he will be better than Pedro Alvarez, who was by far the worst defensive first baseman in the Major Leagues. In general, the Pirates will be trying to find some value in Jaso through a position change. They hope his bat will be able to play well for them in 2016 and 2017. --Devan Fink
The St. Louis Cardinals have agreed to sign right-handed pitcher Mike Leake, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The deal is pending a physical.
Chris Cotillo of SB Nation first reported that Leake was close with St. Louis. Rosenthal reports that Leake's deal is a five-year, $80 million deal with an option that could push the total guarantee to $93 or $94 million. Rosenthal also reports that Leake's deal includes a no-trade clause. The 28-year-old Leake was one of the top remaining starting pitchers on the free agent market and would make a lot of sense for the Cardinals, considering they lost John Lackey in free agency and Lance Lynn to Tommy John surgery. As of now, the Cardinals' rotation looks much more formidable with the inclusion of Leake. Adam Wainwright, Carlos Martinez, Jaime Garcia, and Michael Wacha are the other four starters on the St. Louis staff. The team had been in pursuit of the top starters on the free agent market, most notably David Price, but had fallen short on getting a deal done. St. Louis GM John Mozeliak then went on-the-record and said that he did not expect any "dynamic signings" the rest of the offseason. Leake may not be considered "dynamic," but he definitely fits the Cardinals' needs and overall makeup. Leake does not post eye-popping numbers on the mound, though he has shown to be reliable over the course of his career. In 2015, he went 11-10 with a 3.70 ERA and a 119 to 49 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 192 innings with both the Reds and Giants. According to FanGraphs, he was worth 1.7 Wins Above Replacement. Leake is a great ground ball pitcher, which will play well in Busch Stadium, considered a hitter's park. Leake ranked 15th in the Majors with a 51.8% ground ball rate, ahead of the likes of Clayton Kershaw and Gerrit Cole. In Leake, the Cardinals will be getting a consistent, durable starter to be a solid mid-rotation piece. In six seasons in the Majors, Leake has a 3.88 ERA and a 730 to 275 strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.65 K/BB) in 1083 2/3 innings. At $16 million per season, Leake will not make as much money as sone of his starting pitcher counterparts, as he ties Lackey in annual average value, but falls behind Jeff Samardzija, who made $18 million a season. Leake was also untied to draft pick compensation. --Devan Fink |
Categories
All
Archives
February 2017
|