AGRI Biz

The Seattle Mariners mean business. General Manager Jack Zduriencik is entering just his second offseason at the club’s helm, but clearly has the franchise headed in the right direction. Last offseason, he engineered a number of low-risk, high-reward deals and helped turnaround a club that had just 61 wins in 2008 to 85 victories a year ago. Aside from adding a solid crop of new players, Zduriencik also took strides by hiring manager ...

This year 171 players filed for free agency. Of the 171 total free agents, 99 are from the National League and 72 are from the American League. Unlike last yearÆs class of free agents, only a select few in this crop figure to land blockbuster deals. In fact, an increasing number of teams are choosing to improve via trade or by promoting young talent from within the farm system. As such, many of ...

Atlanta is at it again. Just a day after acquiring Billy Wagner to serve as the clubÆs new closer, the Braves have reportedly signed free agent reliever Takashi Saito to a one-year deal. Ken Rosenthal of FoxSportsáreports, via Twitter, that Saito's base salary will be $3.2 million, according to a major-league source. He can earn $2.3 million in appearance-based incentives. The move further reinforces the back end of a bullpen that could have ...

Placido Polanco is coming back to Philly. á After spending four and a half years in Detroit, the Phillies have reportedlyásigned the 34-year-old to take over as the clubÆs everyday third baseman. á The contract is believed to be a three-year, $18 million deal with a fourth-year mutual option for 2013. á As is customary with all deals, finalization of the contract is pending a physical. á Polanco spent parts of four seasons in Philadelphia and posted a ...

This year 171 players filed for free agency. Of the 171 total free agents, 72 are from the American League and 99 are from the National League. Unlike last yearÆs class of free agents, only a select few in this crop figure to land blockbuster deals. In fact, an increasing number of teams are choosing to improve via trade or by promoting young talent from within the farm system. As such, many of ...

This year 23 free agents were offered arbitration. Of those 23, ten are Type A free agents and thirteen are Type B. Teams that sign a Type A free agent will lose their first-round pickùif that club finished in the top fifteen in the leagueùas well as a sandwich pick between rounds one and two of the draft. Teams that sign a Type B free agent do not lose a draft pick, but ...

That didnÆt take long. á Just hours after the deadline for teams to offer arbitration, the Atlanta Braves have reportedly signed free agent closer Billy Wagner to a one-year deal, according to Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports . á The deal is reportedly worth $7 million and has a $6.5 million vesting option for 2011. á The option reportedly becomes guaranteed if Wagner finishes 50 games next season. á As with all pending deals, it wonÆt become final ...

Twins general manager Bill Smith had better have the PohladÆs checkbook ready. As Tuesday nightÆs 11 p.m. deadline for teams to offer arbitration came and went, it officially sounded the real opening bell on free agency. DonÆt get me wrong, I know that free agents, all 171 of them, have been able to sign with teams since November 20th, however, teams rarely sign any Type-A or Type-B free agents prior to the ...

The Red Sox may no longer need a shortstop. á Just one day after I went on a lengthy diatribe regarding BostonÆs inability to find a suitable shortstop, the club has reportedly found a solution. á The solution is none other than current second baseman Dustin Pedroia. á "They've asked me if I think I could play shortstop," Pedroia said. "They've put it out there and I've told them I'm all for it.ö á The Red Sox arenÆt ...

The Boston Red Sox need a shortstop. It’s as simple as that. It’s time for the club to forget about acquiring ace Roy Halladay or a slugging first baseman like Adrian Gonzalez or Miguel Cabrera. The Red Sox's No. 1 priority needs to be acquiring a legitimate starting shortstop. The club hasn’t had a reliable shortstop since Nomar Garciaparra left town in the infamous 2004 trade that aided the Sox in breaking an 86-year ...