Derek Jeter's Contract and the Top 25 Off-the-Field Stories of the MLB Offseason
The MLB offseason is one of the busiest times of the year in terms of sports.
In baseball, there are so many things that go on during the offseason that create numerous story lines that capture our attention.
The majority of our attention is taken by the big-name free agents being signed or the big name guy on the market who gets traded.
Other things that are heavily followed in the offseason are things like arbitration and the negotiations that go on as teams try to avoid hearings. There are also managerial changes as well as front office moves.
There are also many surprises, absolute shockers and controversies that arise during the offseason, with things like players being arrested or testing positive for illegal drugs.
There are several story lines that we devoted baseball fans follow throughout the offseason, and this slideshow highlights the top 25 of this past offseason.
25. Jeremy Accardo Finds a Home
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Jeremy Accardo was acquired by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2006 from the San Francisco Giants for Shea Hillenbrand. The trade proved to be a steal for the Jays. In 2007, Accardo filled in for the injured B.J. Ryan and saved 30 games, posting a fantastic 2.14 ERA.
The next few seasons would prove to be difficult for Accardo, as he dealt with injuries as well as poor management by the Blue Jays brass.
It never really made sense to fans why Accardo never really had a chance again with the Jays after being so dominant. I, like many others, developed a conspiracy theory about the Jays and Accardo, but, of course, it is just speculation.
This offseason, the Blue Jays finally parted ways with Accardo, giving him the opportunity to find a definitive role elsewhere. Accardo quickly signed a contract with the Baltimore Orioles and will most likely be a big part of their bullpen.
24. Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez Come Together
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Coming into the offseason, Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez were two of the more interesting free agents on the market.
Damon played last season with the Detroit Tigers and was almost dealt in August, but he chose to stay with the Tigers instead of going elsewhere.
Manny, on the other hand, was dealt midseason to the Chicago White Sox to help their chances of making the postseason. Of course, the White Sox did not and the Manny experiment wasn't exactly a success for the Sox.
In the offseason, both Damon and Manny garnered moderate interest from teams that were reluctant to pay much for either. In the end, oddly, the Rays, of all teams, picked up the former BoSox teammates for a good price.
23. Players Floating to Scott Boras
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Scott Boras has had an incredibly busy offseason, as many of his clients hit the open market. As the offseason comes to a close, it seems as though a ton of big name players have hired Boras in the past couple of months; it is a bit odd.
Here are some of the more interesting names who have hired Boras of late.
Robinson Cano: Hired Boras earlier this month, Maybe he is predicting that he will be a free agent next year or he is hoping Boras can work out a lucrative long-term deal with the Yankees.
Michael Bourn: The speedy center fielder also hired Boras earlier this month, most likely to score a big deal with the Astros.
Jayson Werth: Hired Boras before the offseason, and it obviously paid off, as he scored a massive contract with the Washington Nationals.
These are only a few of the big names who have hired on the best agent in the game, Scott Boras. No matter how much some hate him, he is the best and he gets the job done.
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22. Toronto Blue Jays Stack the Bullpen
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The Toronto Blue Jays have had an extremely nice offseason rebuilding their bullpen. In the offseason, the Jays lost their best reliever, Scott Downs, and declined their option on Kevin Gregg. In response to this, GM Alex Anthopoulos made a ton of good moves to shore up their pen.
Anthopoulos first signed veteran reliever and closer Octavio Dotel, who was a busy man last season, playing partly with the Pittsburgh Pirates as their closer and then later with the Dodgers. The Jays then signed Jon Rauch, who closed games for the Minnesota Twins last season and was instrumental in securing their playoff berth.
The Blue Jays also got Carlos Villanueva, who played with Milwaukee, and acquired Frank Francisco from the Texas Rangers for Mike Napoli.
Overall, the Jays will have a very nice and deep bullpen looking ahead to 2011.
21. Justin Upton Is Shopped by the Diamondbacks
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When Kevin Towers took on the general manager's role in the offseason, he began cleaning out all remnants of the former regime. Towers began by shipping away players like Mark Reynolds and at one point began trying to trade fantastic young outfielder Justin Upton.
I shouldn't say he was really trying to aggressively ship Upton—more that he was open for business in terms of Upton. It seemed odd that Towers would be so open to trading one of the best young outfielders in baseball, but hey, to each his own.
At the end of the day, though, Upton remained a Diamondback, and the trade talk quickly died down.
20. Kansas City Royals Stock the Farm System
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The Kansas City Royals spent the bulk of their offseason stocking up their already-impressive farm system with even more talent. The Royals really stocked up when they traded their ace Zack Greinke to the Milwaukee Brewers for a huge group of young talent, highlighted by Lorenzo Cain.
The Royals now have the best farm system in the major with players like the aforementioned Cain and up-and-coming third baseman Mike Moustakas. The Royals have put themselves in an excellent position for the future.
19. Milwaukee Brewers Stack Rotation
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The Milwaukee Brewers have had a very successful offseason in terms of additions and acquisitions. The main area they improved in was their rotation, which wasn't very strong last year. The Brewers, in the offseason, made two big moves that dramatically changed the dynamic of their rotation.
Their first move was the lesser of the two, as the Brew Crew acquired one of the Toronto Blue Jays' best pitchers in Shaun Marcum. In return, the Blue Jays received one of the top prospects in the Brewers' farm system in infielder Brett Lawrie.
Their second move was one of the biggest of the entire offseason. In what was a bit of a surprising move, the Brewers acquired ace pitcher Zack Greinke from the Kansas City Royals in return for a truckload of good prospects.
18. A Ton of Managerial Changes
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There were several managerial changes that happened this offseason...
Atlanta Braves: Bobby Cox retired like he said he would (Brett Favre could take a lesson or two) and will most likely end up in Cooperstown. Taking over for the legendary manager will be Fredi Gonzalez.
New York Mets: The Mets signed Terry Collins as their new manager, replacing Jerry Manuel, who did not enjoy a very successful tenure with the Mets.
Pittsburgh Pirates: After yet another terrible season, the Pirates have replaced former coach John Russell with the experienced Clint Hurdle.
Toronto Blue Jays: The Toronto Blue Jays dealt with the departure of the great Cito Gaston by grabbing former Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell.
Seattle Mariners: The Seattle Mariners go through managers like I go through licorice. The most recent move has seen Eric Wedge take the reins of the team.
It is not common that so many managerial changes happen in one offseason.
17. Milton Bradley in Trouble...Again!
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Milton Bradley cannot keep his nose out of trouble. Bradley has had an incredibly long rap sheet of not only being a clubhouse cancer, but also having trouble with the law.
Bradley's most recent issues have come with his family. He was arrested last month for allegedly making threats against a woman, who was later identified as his wife.
Recently, the disgraced Bradley has been semi-cleared of all charges and now feels like he is in the clear. Other people, however, say that this is a "very optimistic way of looking at things," as charges could be laid at any point during the next year.
It is only a matter of time before Bradley is ditched by yet another team.
16. Baltimore Orioles Have a Fantastic Offseason
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The Baltimore Orioles had one of the best offseasons out of anyone this year, surprisingly. The Orioles primarily upgraded the offense, as they made several great additions to their hitting.
One of the first was Mark Reynolds, who the Orioles acquired from the Diamondbacks. Reynolds, who has previously hit 45 home runs in a season, will add power to the Orioles lineup and will give them a good player to man the hot corner.
The O's also acquired power-hitting shortstop J.J. Hardy from the Milwaukee Brewers to essentially replace the sure-handed Cesar Izturis. The Orioles also helped their infield by adding the veteran Derrek Lee to the mix as their everyday first baseman.
The O's also upgraded their bullpen, adding pieces like Kevin Gregg and Jeremy Accardo to shore up what has been a somewhat shaky bullpen in the past. Overall, the Orioles had a fantastic offseason.
15. Los Angeles Angels Miss Out on Carl Crawford and Others
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The Los Angeles Angels went into the offseason with all of their playoff hopes resting on the top free agent outfielder, Carl Crawford.
The Angels had an opening in left field with the speedy Peter Bourjos in center and defensive-minded (no longer center fielder) right fielder Torii Hunter. The Angels also needed some help at the top of their lineup, and Crawford was an ideal fit.
Unfortunately, the Angels did not succeed in their bid for Crawford and he instead signed with the Boston Red Sox. So the Angels were quite disappointed, as the only thing they had hoped for did not happen.
In the end, though, the Angels took on the massive contract of Vernon Wells to fill the void that was supposed to be filled by Carl Crawford.
14. Jayson Werth Signs With the Washington Nationals
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Jayson Werth was one of the biggest free-agent signings of the offseason. Werth came into the offseason after a few consecutive good seasons as one of the top free agents.
Originally, most figured that the Boston Red Sox or another American League team would be picking up Werth, but Jayson shocked the baseball world by signing a massive seven-year, $120 million contract with the Washington Nationals, of all teams.
To a lot of people, not only did the team he signed with come as a bit of a surprise, but the amount of money they paid Werth was shocking as well. It was a bizarre signing overall and it was one of the bigger stories of the offseason.
13. Vernon Wells Traded
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It seemed Alex Anthopoulos had done the impossible when he unloaded Vernon Wells and his massive contract. Vernon has one of the biggest contracts in MLB, and it was surprising to see the Los Angeles Angels take it on.
In return, the Blue Jays received catcher and first baseman Mike Napoli (who was later swapped for Frank Francisco), as well as throw-in outfielder Juan Rivera.
Wells gives the Angels the best defensive outfield in the bigs and gives the Jays salary relief and a space for Rajai Davis. It had been reported that the Jays sent $5 million to the Angels as well.
12. Jose Bautista Deadline and Contract Problems
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Jose Bautista had a monster season in 2010, as he led the major leagues in home runs with 54 and drove in a ridiculous 124 runs. Bautista came out of nowhere, shocking the baseball world.
Unfortunately for Bautista, this great season has created somewhat of a predicament for the Jays. Jose has never been this good, so it is hard to imagine he will repeat. The Jays have wanted to lock up Bautista for the long term but don't want to make another mistake like they did with players like Alex Rios and Vernon Wells.
Recently, Bautista set a deadline like Albert Pujols and said that after Valentine's Day (his arbitration hearing) he would no longer be open to discussing a long-term deal. Of course, on Monday, Jose and the Jays postponed the hearing so that they can discuss a deal once again. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
11. New York Yankees Lose Out on Cliff Lee
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The New York Yankees really fell short in the offseason as far as free agency was concerned. The Yanks made it clear that their main target was Cliff Lee and that they would pursue him until the world's end. It was no secret that New York's rotation wasn't very strong, so signing Cliff was absolutely the top priority.
Oddly enough, though, the Yankees didn't get their way and were unable to lure Lee. Losing Lee was a big blow to the Yankees, a franchise now faced with a mediocre rotation. Adding in Andy Pettitte's retirement, the impact is far greater. The Yankees have only added Bartolo Colon to their rotation.
10. Alfredo Simon Arrested
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One of the few dampers on what has been a very productive offseason for the Baltimore Orioles has been Alfredo Simon. The 29-year-old Orioles relief pitcher was arrested earlier in the offseason and was charged with involuntary manslaughter.
Simon reportedly fired celebratory shots into the sky in the Dominican Republic and accidentally shot and killed his cousin, Michael Esteban Castillo Almonte.
Dominican authorities are attempting to hold Alfredo for upwards of a year, as investigating the case itself takes six months at least. Obviously, Simon's lawyer is trying to appeal the decision, but it is highly unlikely that they will get what they want. It is also extremely probable that Simon will not make it back for the start of the season.
This could possibly be the end of his short career.
9. The McCourt Divorce
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In October of 2009, the owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Jamie and Frank McCourt, filed for separation and began the process of going through all the court proceedings.
Unfortunately, the two and their lawyers have been in a continued argument over who gets what, most of the fighting coming over who would get what in terms of the Dodgers. Later in the month, Frank fired Jamie from her position as CEO of the Dodgers, which made things even worse for the two.
Even now, in 2011, the battle between the two rages on, and not only have things at home been bad, but things with the team have been bad as well. The problem with the divorce "stuff" is that the Dodgers have been put under financial constraints, leaving the team with little money to work with and uncertain ownership. It is possible that the McCourt divorce could even take up to another year to resolve.
8. Josh Hamilton's Pneumonia and Arbitration
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In early January, Josh Hamilton, the reigning AL MVP, was diagnosed with pneumonia. It was odd to hear, as Hamilton was placed in the hospital and supervised and taken care of for five days. Hamilton was then discharged on the 16th of January and has been given the all clear.
The other Josh Hamilton storyline was his arbitration case, which loomed just recently. The Texas Rangers appeared reluctant to go to a hearing with Josh, as they most likely would have had to bring up Hamilton's drug use in an effort to get him to take less.
In the end, the Rangers got their wish (sort of) and were able to lock up Hamilton for two years at $24 million.
7. Bernie Madoff and the New York Mets
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Bernie Madoff's name has recently appeared in the media in connection to the New York Mets. From reports, it is said that Madoff had close ties with Mets owner Fred Wilpon, who is now in a bit of hot water.
Apparently the Mets had 16 accounts with Bernie Madoff, which they reportedly profited a grand total of $90 million from. The Mets have some explaining to do and it looks as though, for the next year or two, the road is not going to look too bright for the Mets and their ownership.
Wilpon could certainly have a ton of money to repay, which could leave the Mets in shambles for a bit. Some people are comparing the Wilpon empire to companies like AIG and Enron. Not a good road ahead for the Mets at all.
6. Brian Cashman Versus Yankees Ownership
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Brian Cashman and the New York Yankees ownership did not seem to be on the same level during the offseason. The semi-controversy began when the Yankees signed free agent reliever Rafael Soriano to a three-year contract worth about $35 million.
To begin with, most people thought it was a silly thing to sign a guy who will be used as a setup man for that much and apparently so did Brian Cashman. Cashman spoke out, sort of, against the signing of Soriano, saying that he wasn't really a part of it.
He was right, because apparently it was all Yankees ownership that did the dealing with Soriano and Cashman had nothing to do with it.
It was also reported in the offseason that Cashman would have preferred managing a team in a smaller market.
5. Cliff Lee Saga
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Cliff Lee was the biggest of the big-name free agents coming into the offseason.
Early on in the offseason, it was made "clear" that the New York Yankees and the Texas Rangers were the sole front runners in the Cliff Lee sweepstakes. The Yankees and Rangers went back and forth with Lee and his representatives with offers and different perks for signing with the respective teams.
After a while, certain sites and sources began reporting a mystery team in what had appeared to be a two-horse race. Of course, they were right and the Phillies came out of nowhere and offered Lee a contract that was less than what the others had offered.
Lee accepted the Phillies' offer, slapping the faces of both Rangers and Yankees brass at the same time. With the signing of Lee, the Phillies now have one of the best rotations in baseball history.
4. Michael Young's Fallout with the Rangers
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Oh, how quickly things can change.
Michael Young has been a member of the Texas Rangers for 10 seasons and has made many sacrifices for the club. Michael has played all around the infield and has moved several times for the sake of the ball club.
In 2004, Michael moved from second base to shortstop in order to make room for Alfonso Soriano. In 2009, Michael was asked if he could move to third base to make room for young shortstop Elvis Andrus. Obviously, Michael was disgruntled, but he got over it, being the team player he is.
Fast-forward to this offseason, when the Rangers signed third baseman Adrian Beltre, who will quite obviously man third every day. So where did that leave Young? Apparently unwanted, as Young appeared to be heading to split DH duties with the recently-acquired Mike Napoli.
Needless to say, Young is not a happy camper. It has long been speculated that the Rangers and Young were going to part ways, but only recently has the Rangers GM said that Young has come right out and demanded a trade. Unfortunately, no deals have happened, and it appears as though the Rangers are going to keep Young. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
3. Albert Pujols Contract Talks
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Albert Pujols is one of the best hitters that Major League Baseball has ever seen. Albert has been as consistent as anyone and has put up numbers some cannot even dream about. There have never been problems with the Cardinals and their star slugger until recently.
As we all know by now, Pujols is set to become a free agent after this season. It is also well known that the Cards and Pujols have always had a ton of mutual interest in keeping Albert in St. Louis for the remainder of his career.
Thus, this offseason both sides sat down and commenced the process of hammering out a long-term deal. Unfortunately for the Cards, negotiations have not gone smoothly by any means.
Albert and his representatives have been searching for a contract somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 years and $300 million. The Cards, however, have not been willing to even go near that offer; however much they want Pujols, they aren't willing to pay that much.
Adding even more complications has been the deadline set by Pujols that is rapidly approaching. It appears likely that a deal will not be consummated and that Pujols will be a free agent in 2012.
2. Andy Pettitte Retirement
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As if the Yankees offseason wasn't already going wrong with the failed attempts to get big-name free agents like Cliff Lee, they also received devastating news in terms of their rotation.
Andy Pettitte, who everyone knew hadn't decided as to whether or not he would keep playing, made the tough decision to end his career, at least for now.
New York had already been worried about the state of its rotation, but this is the ultimate punch in the face. The Yankees were banking on Andy playing again and it has not played out well.
Pettitte has had a wonderful career that is Hall of Fame worthy, but he may not get into Cooperstown, as his career has been somewhat overshadowed by PED allegations.
1. Derek Jeter Contract Problems
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At the commencement of the offseason, everyone knew that Derek Jeter would once again be in pinstripes come Opening Day. There was no doubt.
But what almost nobody expected was how difficult it would be for the two sides to come to an agreement.
Much of the offseason was devoted to covering the continuing problems the Yankees and Jeter had in working out a contract. Negotiations began hopefully, but the sides were obviously far apart, and then came the problems.
Apparently, a lot of "verbal sniping" was exchanged between the two sides, as the Yankees said things like Jeter "needs to drink reality potion." After it was clear that Derek and ownership were both shaken by the discussion, people became unsure as to whether or not Jeter would actually be in pinstripes come the end of the offseason.
Eventually, the problem was resolved and they came to an adequate compromise. In the end, a three-year contract worth approximately $51 million was agreed upon, with an option for 2014.
Even though they did resolve the problem, the Yankees deserve some shame for dragging one of their greatest players ever through the media mud like they did.
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