Diamondback Jay
Psalms 23:1
Cardinals re-sign Carpenter
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) - St. Louis Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty looked at the price of pitching on the free-agent market and decided to throw his money at a guy he already had.
The Cardinals announced a five-year deal with 2005 NL Cy Young Award winner Chris Carpenter on Monday, locking him up through the 2011 season for about $65 million. The deal also includes a club option for 2012 that would bring the total value to $77 million.
"It was important for us to show what we think of him," Jocketty said on the first day of baseball's winter meetings.
Carpenter was 15-8 with a 3.09 ERA last season, finishing third in Cy Young balloting and helping the Cardinals win their first World Series title in 24 years. He was 3-1 with a 2.78 ERA in five postseason starts, including the clincher in the division series against the Padres and eight shutout innings in Game 3 of the World Series against the Tigers.
St. Louis has made the playoffs in each of his three years there, reaching the World Series twice.
"This is a place you're going to have an opportunity to win every year," Carpenter said during a conference call with reporters stationed at the meetings outside of Orlando. "Winning the World Series is the best feeling I've ever had playing sports. I'd love to do it again."
Carpenter had been signed for $7 million in 2007 with a $9 million option for '08. But with pitchers such as Adam Eaton getting more than $8 million per year from the Phillies, Carpenter might have made more if he pitched out his contract and hit the free-agent market.
"I don't know how much is enough," he said. "I'm comfortable here, my family's comfortable here, and we have an opportunity to win here."
Carpenter led the NL with a 1.81 ERA at home last season, and was tied for the league lead with three shutouts overall. In three years with St. Louis he is 51-18 with a 3.10 ERA in 93 starts and the Cardinals are 65-27, a winning percentage of .707, during that span.
His 36 victories the last two seasons are tied for first in the major leagues with Jon Garland of the Chicago White Sox.
"Chris is one of the elite pitchers in all of baseball," Cardinals chairman William O. DeWitt said. "In addition to becoming just the second Cardinal to win a Cy Young Award, Chris has been the leader of our pitching staff and we are pleased that he will continue in that role for the next five seasons."
The Cardinals signed Carpenter as a free agent in 2003 even though he was recovering from shoulder surgery, and he missed that entire season. He rewarded them with a 15-win season in 2004 before a biceps injury knocked him out of the postseason.
"It's an honor. It's nice to know they believe in me this much to keep me around for five more years," he said. "Any security is good security, no matter how long it is. Getting here from the situation I've been in, it's a great feeling. It lets you relax and concentrate on what you need to do, and that's relax and pitch. There's no other worry."
Jocketty said taking a chance on Carpenter and Jeff Suppan made the championship possible. Suppan, the MVP of the NL championship series, was originally signed for two years and $6 million.
"We wouldn't have had the success we've had if we hadn't signed those guys," he said.
Padres Lure Maddux Away From Dodgers
The Padres are closing in on a major off-season coup, nearing an agreement with free-agent right-hander Greg Maddux, FOXSports.com has learned.
The deal, which would be a significant blow to the Dodgers, the Padres' NL West rival, will be for either one or two years, or possibly one year with a club option.
Pitching for both the Cubs and Dodgers in 2006, Maddux posted a record of 15-14 with a 4.20 earned run average and 117 strikeouts in 210 innings pitched.
Maddux, who has a home in the San Diego area, has a record of 333-203 and an ERA of 3.30 over his 21-year career.
Mariners kick off Winter Meetings by signing Guillen
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) - Seattle signed Jose Guillen to a one-year, $5.5 million contract Monday with a mutual option for the 2008 season, giving the Mariners a starting right fielder and reliable bat in the middle of the order.
The announcement of the deal was the first formal signing of the four-day baseball winter meetings that began Monday. Guillen missed much of the 2006 season following reconstructive surgery on his right elbow - and his addition is only a start for Seattle, which also is looking to upgrade its starting rotation.
The contract allows Guillen to earn up to $3 million in performance bonuses. He will take over right field from Ichiro Suzuki, who is moving to center field.
"He fits real well in our lineup among (Raul) Ibanez, (Richie) Sexson and (Adrian) Beltre," manager Mike Hargrove said in a statement. "Considering the production he has shown in his career, it's a significant acquisition for us. He plays the game with a lot of passion and heart - he's not afraid to stick his nose in there."
The 30-year-old Guillen batted .216 in 69 games last season during his second year with the Washington Nationals, hitting nine home runs and 40 RBIs before his elbow injury.
He underwent a thorough physical with the Mariners' medical staff and the team believes he will return to full strength for 2007.
"We feel like this is a signing with some real upside," general manager Bill Bavasi said. "Our doctors have given him a very complete physical and we are very confident he's healthy. When Jose has been healthy in his career he's put up numbers."
During one season with the Los Angeles Angels in 2004, Guillen had several run-ins with manager Mike Scioscia that ended with Guillen being left off the roster for the division series against the New York Yankees after being suspended for the final eight games of the regular season. The team punished him for a tantrum he threw in the dugout and clubhouse after being removed for a pinch-runner on Sept. 25 that year.
Guillen was suspended for one game and fined late in 2005 for throwing a tantrum - and a lot of equipment - during a game against the New York Mets.
Guillen is a career .272 hitter with 143 home runs. He also played for the Oakland Athletics and Cincinnati Reds in 2003, as well as Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay and Arizona.
Rangers re-up Padilla, set sites on Zito
The Rangers are closing in on their first major free-agent signing of the off-season, nearing an agreement with free-agent right-hander Vicente Padilla on a three-year contract worth approximately $34 million, FOXSports.com has learned.
The deal is expected to include a club option for a fourth year.
Padilla had a record of 15-10 with a 4.50 earned-run average and 156 strikeouts over 200 innings pitched for the Rangers in 2006. Over his eight-year major-league career, Padilla has an ERA of 4.06 and a win-loss record of 66-61.
Padilla was originally acquired by the Rangers in a trade on Dec. 12, 2005 from the Phillies in exchange for right-hander Ricardo Rodriguez.
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) - St. Louis Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty looked at the price of pitching on the free-agent market and decided to throw his money at a guy he already had.
The Cardinals announced a five-year deal with 2005 NL Cy Young Award winner Chris Carpenter on Monday, locking him up through the 2011 season for about $65 million. The deal also includes a club option for 2012 that would bring the total value to $77 million.
"It was important for us to show what we think of him," Jocketty said on the first day of baseball's winter meetings.
Carpenter was 15-8 with a 3.09 ERA last season, finishing third in Cy Young balloting and helping the Cardinals win their first World Series title in 24 years. He was 3-1 with a 2.78 ERA in five postseason starts, including the clincher in the division series against the Padres and eight shutout innings in Game 3 of the World Series against the Tigers.
St. Louis has made the playoffs in each of his three years there, reaching the World Series twice.
"This is a place you're going to have an opportunity to win every year," Carpenter said during a conference call with reporters stationed at the meetings outside of Orlando. "Winning the World Series is the best feeling I've ever had playing sports. I'd love to do it again."
Carpenter had been signed for $7 million in 2007 with a $9 million option for '08. But with pitchers such as Adam Eaton getting more than $8 million per year from the Phillies, Carpenter might have made more if he pitched out his contract and hit the free-agent market.
"I don't know how much is enough," he said. "I'm comfortable here, my family's comfortable here, and we have an opportunity to win here."
Carpenter led the NL with a 1.81 ERA at home last season, and was tied for the league lead with three shutouts overall. In three years with St. Louis he is 51-18 with a 3.10 ERA in 93 starts and the Cardinals are 65-27, a winning percentage of .707, during that span.
His 36 victories the last two seasons are tied for first in the major leagues with Jon Garland of the Chicago White Sox.
"Chris is one of the elite pitchers in all of baseball," Cardinals chairman William O. DeWitt said. "In addition to becoming just the second Cardinal to win a Cy Young Award, Chris has been the leader of our pitching staff and we are pleased that he will continue in that role for the next five seasons."
The Cardinals signed Carpenter as a free agent in 2003 even though he was recovering from shoulder surgery, and he missed that entire season. He rewarded them with a 15-win season in 2004 before a biceps injury knocked him out of the postseason.
"It's an honor. It's nice to know they believe in me this much to keep me around for five more years," he said. "Any security is good security, no matter how long it is. Getting here from the situation I've been in, it's a great feeling. It lets you relax and concentrate on what you need to do, and that's relax and pitch. There's no other worry."
Jocketty said taking a chance on Carpenter and Jeff Suppan made the championship possible. Suppan, the MVP of the NL championship series, was originally signed for two years and $6 million.
"We wouldn't have had the success we've had if we hadn't signed those guys," he said.
Padres Lure Maddux Away From Dodgers
The Padres are closing in on a major off-season coup, nearing an agreement with free-agent right-hander Greg Maddux, FOXSports.com has learned.
The deal, which would be a significant blow to the Dodgers, the Padres' NL West rival, will be for either one or two years, or possibly one year with a club option.
Pitching for both the Cubs and Dodgers in 2006, Maddux posted a record of 15-14 with a 4.20 earned run average and 117 strikeouts in 210 innings pitched.
Maddux, who has a home in the San Diego area, has a record of 333-203 and an ERA of 3.30 over his 21-year career.
Mariners kick off Winter Meetings by signing Guillen
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) - Seattle signed Jose Guillen to a one-year, $5.5 million contract Monday with a mutual option for the 2008 season, giving the Mariners a starting right fielder and reliable bat in the middle of the order.
The announcement of the deal was the first formal signing of the four-day baseball winter meetings that began Monday. Guillen missed much of the 2006 season following reconstructive surgery on his right elbow - and his addition is only a start for Seattle, which also is looking to upgrade its starting rotation.
The contract allows Guillen to earn up to $3 million in performance bonuses. He will take over right field from Ichiro Suzuki, who is moving to center field.
"He fits real well in our lineup among (Raul) Ibanez, (Richie) Sexson and (Adrian) Beltre," manager Mike Hargrove said in a statement. "Considering the production he has shown in his career, it's a significant acquisition for us. He plays the game with a lot of passion and heart - he's not afraid to stick his nose in there."
The 30-year-old Guillen batted .216 in 69 games last season during his second year with the Washington Nationals, hitting nine home runs and 40 RBIs before his elbow injury.
He underwent a thorough physical with the Mariners' medical staff and the team believes he will return to full strength for 2007.
"We feel like this is a signing with some real upside," general manager Bill Bavasi said. "Our doctors have given him a very complete physical and we are very confident he's healthy. When Jose has been healthy in his career he's put up numbers."
During one season with the Los Angeles Angels in 2004, Guillen had several run-ins with manager Mike Scioscia that ended with Guillen being left off the roster for the division series against the New York Yankees after being suspended for the final eight games of the regular season. The team punished him for a tantrum he threw in the dugout and clubhouse after being removed for a pinch-runner on Sept. 25 that year.
Guillen was suspended for one game and fined late in 2005 for throwing a tantrum - and a lot of equipment - during a game against the New York Mets.
Guillen is a career .272 hitter with 143 home runs. He also played for the Oakland Athletics and Cincinnati Reds in 2003, as well as Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay and Arizona.
Rangers re-up Padilla, set sites on Zito
The Rangers are closing in on their first major free-agent signing of the off-season, nearing an agreement with free-agent right-hander Vicente Padilla on a three-year contract worth approximately $34 million, FOXSports.com has learned.
The deal is expected to include a club option for a fourth year.
Padilla had a record of 15-10 with a 4.50 earned-run average and 156 strikeouts over 200 innings pitched for the Rangers in 2006. Over his eight-year major-league career, Padilla has an ERA of 4.06 and a win-loss record of 66-61.
Padilla was originally acquired by the Rangers in a trade on Dec. 12, 2005 from the Phillies in exchange for right-hander Ricardo Rodriguez.
