Content provided in partnership with
This time, Clemens was on the business end of a high hard one
Sporting News, The, Dec 23, 2005 by Ken Rosenthal
The most interesting perk in RHP A.J. Burnett's contract with the Blue Jays: His wife is entitled to eight round trips by limousine per season between Toronto and her home in Maryland. Karen Burnett doesn't like to fly. But more significant, Burnett has the right to opt out of his five-year, $55 million deal after three years, a clause that has drawn immediate scorn from rival execs.
- Most Popular Articles in Sports
- The first family: Archie, Peyton and Eli are incredibly famous, immensely ...
- The growing gap: driving distances are skyrocketing on the PGA Tour. So why ...
- Which pistol caliber for self defense? Four different people come to four ...
- Drag racing - National Hot Rod Association
- The world's most popular .22: the Marlin Model 60 just keeps on ticking
- More »
"On the off-chance that he's not overpaid, he can leave," one says. "Fantastic." > Before jumping on the Reds for their seemingly lopsided Sean Casey-for-Dave Williams trade, let's see what they do with the $6.1 million they saved in the exchange. They made a surprising late run at free-agent RHP Matt Morris. They also acquired 2B Tony Womack from the Yankees, a more that will cost them $1.1 million. Womack adds speed but not on-base percentage. > Remember Carl-a-palooza, the free-agent tour conducted last offseason by RHP Carl Pavano? Morris took the opposite approach, refusing to allow teams to recruit him. "Matt and his wife, Heather, basically said, 'We're going to treat this very objectively and not go through recruitment, which tends to color your objectivity;" said Morris' agent, Barry Axelrod. > Rival executives were stunned when the Marlins declined to offer salary arbitration to free-agent closer RHP Todd Jones after Jones' two-year deal with the Tigers became public knowledge. The Marlins would have received two compensation picks if they had extended the offer, giving them five selections in the first and sandwich rounds, including the two they will receive for Burnett, plus their own. The only logical conclusion: The Marlins don't want to pay big money to that many draft picks. Before acquiring Alfonso Soriano from the Rangers, the Nationals balked at a three-way trade that would have brought them Reds OF Wily Mo Pena with Blue Jays RHP Miguel Batista going to the Reds and Nationals OF Brad Wilkerson going to the Jays. Pena, 23, is six years younger than Soriano but not nearly as refined. > The revamped Rockies' bullpen will feature five relievers who throw 92 mph or faster: LHPs Brian Fuentes and Ray King and RHPs Jose Mesa, Mike DeJean and Scott Dohmann. King has decent career numbers at Coors Field: one run allowed in 8 1/3 innings with a .148 opponents' batting average. > The Rockies' additions of King and Mesa and the Pirates' signing RHP Roberto Hernandez could benefit those clubs in both the short and long term. Veteran relievers always are in demand at the July 31 nonwaiver deadline, when they can be flipped for prospects. > Best line from an executive on new Rangers G.M. Jon Daniels, who is drawing widespread criticism for driving too hard a bargain in proposed trades: "In every trade proposal, he's asking for the other general manager's first-born, plus two pitchers." > Another great quip from the meetings: Team USA manager Buck Martinez, when asked if managing in the World Baseball Classic will increase his desire to pursue another major league job, said, "Only if I have the same team."
Find Research Guides for:
Most Popular Articles in Sports
- The first family: Archie, Peyton and Eli are incredibly famous, immensely ...
- The growing gap: driving distances are skyrocketing on the PGA Tour. So why ...
- Which pistol caliber for self defense? Four different people come to four ...
- Drag racing - National Hot Rod Association
- The world's most popular .22: the Marlin Model 60 just keeps on ticking
- More »