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MLBTR is reporting that the Phillies and reliever Chad Qualls have agreed to a one-year, 1.15 million dollar deal that includes performance bonuses. Qualls posted a 3.51 ERA with a 5.2 K/9, 2.4 BB/9, and 56.6% ground ball rate over 74.1 innings pitched in 2011. I would have preferred to see this be a minor league signing as I believe Qualls pedestrian numbers were helped by the pitcher friendly parks of the NL West. Let’s break down the stats a little more. (more…)
Tags: Chad Qualls
Mike H. and I will be combining to bring you a top 10 positional ranking for each position in baseball. We thought it would be fun to put the rankings together but also to mix up the criteria that the players are judged on. The criteria for each writer will be listed below and then we will reveal our picks. Keep in mind, these lists are based off of not only who is the best player right now, but who provides the most value for now and the future.
Mike H Criteria:
Johnny G Criteria:
Tags: Albert Pujols, Carlos Santana, Eric Hosmer, Joey Votto, Johnny G, Mark Reynolds, Mark Teixieria, Mark Trumbo, Miguel Cabrera, Mike Morse, prince fielder
One of the biggest targets the Flyers were rumored to be pursuing was taken off the market yesterday. Tim Gleason signed a 4 year, $16 million contract extension with the Carolina Hurricanes, ending any speculation that he would be traded. While it’s still technically possible that Gleason could be traded, it seems as though he won’t be going anywhere. Gleason was quoted as saying he was glad to “put the rumors to rest”, and he even has a no-trade clause in his new contract, which starts next season.
So, with Tim Gleason off the market, what do the Flyers do now? Who will they target?
Well, just because Gleason is off the market doesn’t mean the Hurricanes don’t still have other players they’d like to trade. I’d look at Bryan Allen as a potential candidate to be moved. My gut tells me the Flyers may look elsewhere unless they can acquire him fairly cheap, but there might be something interesting brewing. I’ve heard Tuomo Ruutu’s name mentioned more than any other player in the past few days, and one source even added “Ruutu could be wearing different colors by next week”. While Ruutu isn’t going to solve the Flyers’ blue-line issues, a package deal for Ruutu and Allen may very well be something we could see happen. Also, it’s safe to add Jaroslav Spacek and Joni Pitkanen to the list of Flyers potential targets at this point in time.
I have heard the Flyers and Kings have had some preliminary talks. Jack Johnson was a name that came up, although I find it hard to believe L.A. would be willing to deal him. Los Angeles and Philadelphia have historically been good trade partners, so a trade between the two clubs wouldn’t surprise me very much. No word yet on who the Flyers might be shipping the other way, but if I had to take a guess, I’d have to say Jake Voracek or James van Riemsdyk would interest the Kings.
Another name I’ve heard quite a bit in the last two days was that of Nicklas Grossman. Most of you are probably sitting there scratching your head saying “Who the hell is that?”, but Nicklas could very well be the Flyers’ best option at this point. Grossman plays with the Dallas Stars, and while he doesn’t light the lamp often, his presence is felt on the blue-line. At 6 foot, 4 inches and 201 lbs, he’s got the size Philadelphia is looking for. He’s a stay-at-home guy who the Flyers desperately need, and he would round out their top-6 quite nicely. I haven’t heard of any talks between the Stars and Flyers as of yet, but I’m sure Holmgren is at least kicking the tires on this one.
Here is a peek into Citizen’s Bank Park as the grounds crew rips up the playing surface after the Winter Classic and replaces it with a hybrid Riviera Bermudagrass. This re-surfacing was financed by the NHL because of he effects the Winter Classic had on the field.
Tags: CBP, citizens bank park, Phillies, Winter Classic
There’s been plenty of surprises this season in terms of players really stepping up and taking the bull by the horns. Expectations from each club remain high in hopes of making a playoff push, but some players have simply taken it to the next level this season and really stepped their game up. There have been tons of players that have shocked me this season, and while it’s been hard to cram everything into a list of 10 players, I feel this list to be accurate and fair. I’ll have another list in the coming days of the top 10 defenseman. Hope you enjoy!
#10 – Jonathan Toews (Chicago Blackhawks)
It’s tough for me to admit as a Flyers fan that Jonathan Toews is an all-around great player, but I have to give credit where credit is due. It almost seems like Toews improves more and more every season, and it’s no secret that he is a big part of the Chicago Blackhawks’ success in the past few years. If it weren’t for an injury, Toews would have made the All-Star game this year, and rightfully so. His 27 goals and 23 assists (50 points) so far this season are nothing to sneeze at. At age 23, Toews will only continue to get better, and could really shape into a true superstar in the coming years.
#9 – James Neal (Pittsburgh Penguins)
Have All Star exhibitions worn out their welcome?
Today marked a pointless day in sports. Today both the NHL All Star Game and the NFL Pro Bowl were played. Years ago, when the concept was developed, it was in a time where each sport didn’t have a dedicated cable network. It was a time, where exposure to players of distant teams were just box scores in the news paper. There were no Top 10s on ESPN. If you were lucky, there’d be a national game on every once in a while. They’d be consider a treat. That has all changed. The shine has worn off and so has the exculisivity of seeing each team. As Ricky Waters once asked, “For who, for what?” Both leagues will say that the game is for the fans, but the real answer is the “what”. It is purely a money maker for the league and the host city. (more…)
Tags: All Star Games
