Kuzul

Jack Curry of the YES Network tweeted recently that the Yankees are having internal discussions about picking up free-agent outfielder Manny Ramirez.

What else is new?

For those of you who know anything about baseball, you know that you can always count on the Yankees to make offers to big ticket players every offseason, whether that be through trades or free agency.

Take Mark Teixeira as a great example.

At the end of the 2008 season, there were a lot of teams making a run at Teixeira, who was fresh off a phenomenal stand as a Los Angeles Angel.

The word was the Boston Red Sox were closing in on a deal with the star first baseman, when the Yankees came in and upped the deal by $15 million.

These sorts of things are typical of the Yankees.

That’s why people included them in the initial trade conversations surrounding Cliff Lee this off season, and that’s why they have been linked with Manny Ramirez for quite a while.

The tweet simply confirmed as fact that what had all assumed true at this point.

As for the possibility of picking up Ramirez, despite Curry saying that the chances are slim, don’t count them out.

Ramirez has a long history with the Boston Red Sox, which adds a sort of vengeful tinge to the possibility, but aside from that, Ramirez is a proven All-Star, the kind of guy the Yankees would like to have.

With nine Silver Slugger awards, 12 All-Star selections, and a World Series MVP, Ramirez has a list of accolades that would fit right in with the star power on the Yankees roster.

He would provide experience in the outfield, which could be useful with younger guys like Brett Gardner.

At the end of the day, no matter how slim people say the odds are, don’t count the Yankees out. They have a penchant for deep pockets, and picking up another star player would fit right in with their pattern of business, especially since they were unable to pick up Cliff Lee (which makes it even more clear that they have the money to throw around). 

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It’s official: The Chicago Cubs have signed left-handed first baseman Carlos Pena to a one-year, $10 million deal, something that will likely make a lot of Cubs fans happy and confused at the same time.

While this certainly isn’t a long-term fix, considering that Pena is 33, the Cubs could really benefit from his services for the year.

For one, he easily tops the other two true first basemen on the roster (Micah Hoffpauir and Xavier Nady) with 28 home runs and 84 RBI in 484 at-bats, a fairly impressive mark. Pena is also still a Gold Glove-caliber fielder. The Cubs really needed the defensive help.

Pena also gives the Cubs a valued asset in that he adds another left-handed power-hitting presence alongside third baseman Aramis Ramirez. While their ability to score has been decent, adding another lefty presence in the lineup simply adds another dimension to their game.

In spite of all of this, though, there are still some scary knocks against Pena.

For one, his injury situation from last year may cause some to question this pickup. Pena sat for a good while last year due to a torn plantar fascia, and while that doesn’t tend to be a recurring problem (given the proper time to heal), the fact that he is 33 and showing signs of injury issues should be a little intimidating for the Cubs brass.

Pena also had a tough year statistically last season. Sure, he may have put 28 over the wall and brought 84 players home, but he ended up with a career low .196 batting average and he struck out 158 times in 484 at bats.

It’s hard to know how this one will turn out.

For the price they are paying for him, the Cubs may be getting a deal. He adds a lot of dimensions to their game that will play well for Chicago. However, it seems to me that the risks may outweigh the benefits here.

Should Pena go down with another injury, he becomes useless. Should he slug another sub-.200 season, he will only hamper the Cubs offensively.

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It is with a heavy heart that the Cubs announced today the death of famed player and announcer Ron Santo.

The iconic third baseman played for the Chicago Cubs for thirteen of his fourteen MLB seasons (1960-1973), during which time he was a nine time All-Star selection, a five time Golden Glove winner and the recipient of the 1973 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award.

Ron Santo also had his number, No. 10, retired in September of 2003.

While his numbers (.277 batting average, 342 home runs and 1,331 RBIs) are quite impressive, especially for a third baseman, this isn’t quite what he is best known for.

Ron Santo accomplished everything he did while dealing with Type I diabetes. Not only does this make his accomplishments on the field extremely impressive, but it means that he has left a permanent mark on professional athletics as being one of the few athletes in history to play through a physically debilitating disease like diabetes.

Without Ron Santo, it wouldn’t be much of a stretch to say that the Chicago Bears would be without a quarterback. In 2008, Jay Cutler announced that he had been diagnosed with Type I diabetes, the same disease Santo suffered from. However, Cutler has played through the medical condition admirably, as he has led the Chicago Bears to a very impressive season so far this year.

Another great example would be David Garrard. While Garrard does not suffer from diabetes, he is held back by Crohn’s disease, a painful intestinal issue.

Players like Cutler and Garrard owe their careers to Santo, a man who proved that a player is not always limited by physical issues.

Ron Santo will be sorely missed by the family, friends, the Cubs organization and fans around the world for his contribution to the Cubs, as well as for his contribution to professional athletics at large.

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