Kuzul

According to Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com, the Cleveland Indians have agreed on a one-year contract for corner infielder Mark Reynolds. The deal is valued at $6 million, but could be worth as much as $7.5 million if he reaches certain performance bonuses.  Though the Indians now have a first baseman for next season (also an experienced designated hitter and third baseman), allowing for 24-year-old Lonnie Chisenhall to take over at third base, the Tribe definitely paid too much for Reynolds' services in 2013.Reynolds is coming off of a year where he saw his power numbers take a dip, batting a mere .221 with 23 home runs and 69 RBI.  He owns a lifetime .235 batting average, and though he has some good pop to his bat, he has struggled to bat over .221 the last three seasons.  If you ask me, a guaranteed $6 million dollar contract doesn't warrant the numbers ...

With yesterday’s non-tender deadline making Ian Stewart a casualty, the Chicago Cubs now have to take a very long look at their third base position. Ian Stewart is a player who has never really lived up to expectations. Once rated No. 4 on Baseball America’s top prospect list, Stewart now finds himself looking for a job. The move has also left the Cubs with two third basemen on the 40-man roster. They are Josh Vitters and Luis Valbuena. Junior Lake can also play third, but the organization has had him playing the outfield during winter ball as a tryout. Are the Cubs ready to head into 2013 with Valbuena as their starting third baseman? Probably not. Valbuena filled in for the injured Stewart in 2012 and could have seized the moment. Nobody was waiting in the wings, and he really didn’t have any pressure. All Valbuena had to do was ...

The deadline to tender arbitration-eligible players a contract has come and gone. A few names jump out as players the Boston Red Sox might have some interest in bringing to spring training. Most of the attention will be placed on pitching, pitching and more pitching. If the Sox have learned anything the last couple of seasons, it's that they can't have enough pitching options available to them through the season. Most of the these pitchers can be brought in on minor league deals with an invite to spring training or on a major league contract with a low base salary accompanied by incentives. The Mets cut Mike Pelfrey loose, someone the Sox might bring in on a one-year, low-base contract with incentives. Pelfrey might be receptive to this coming off of Tommy John surgery to rebuild his value. The Nationals let both John Lannan and Tom Gorzelanny go, two more options for the Sox if ...

This is the time of year when baseball teams decide whether or not to tender offers to arbitration-eligible players.Slugger Mark Reynolds, who played a major role at first base and third base for last season’s Wild Card Baltimore Orioles, recently received word that he was non-tendered and is now a free agent. Is it possible that he could now become a target of the Red Sox? The news of Reynolds’ non-tender was first reported in a tweet by MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli. Mark Reynolds has been non-tendered.— Brittany Ghiroli (@Britt_Ghiroli) December 1, 2012  MLB Trade Rumors reported in October that Baltimore had paid Reynolds a $500,000 buyout instead of accepting his 2013 contract option. This still gave the team the option to negotiate a contract with him through arbitration, provided it tendered him a contract.Ultimately, the Orioles decided it was in their best interest to not offer him a contract. According to ...

The Baltimore Orioles non-tendered infielder Mark Reynolds He will be an interesting possible target for the Tampa Bay Rays' vacancy at first base. The Orioles announced that Reynolds, along with infielder Omar Quintanilla and right-handed pitcher Stu Pomeranz, would become free agents via their official Twitter account.   INFs Mark Reynolds & Omar Quintanilla, and RHP Stu Pomeranz will not be tendered contracts by the Orioles and will become free agents.— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) December 1, 2012   Brittany Ghiroli from mlb.com spoke with Reynolds and posted his reaction on her Twitter account.   Reynolds is now a free agent: "It is what it is and move on. I'm excited to get out there and see what’s out there for me."— Brittany Ghiroli (@Britt_Ghiroli) December 1, 2012   Reynolds fits the mold of what has become the traditional Rays free-agent acquisition. He is a good defensive player coming off of a disappointing season, but ...

It's just been that kind of year.Nothing has gone right for the Boston Red Sox. Their lone bright spot, rookie Will Middlebrooks, hit .288/.325/.509 with 15 home runs before breaking his wrist. While he's only been placed on the 15-day DL, there's a very good chance he misses the rest of the season.Boston is now in a delicate situation. The Sox need a third baseman, but need to avoid any options that will make the roster too rigid in the future.Here are a few waiver wire options Boston can explore before the final trade deadline.Begin Slideshow

This just disgusts me.In a close game. In a meaningful game for the AL wild-card standings. The umps do yet again what they've been so good at doing for the last two and a half seasons:Screw up royally.It was the bottom of the fifth inning at Comerica Park. The Baltimore Orioles against the Detroit Tigers. And, well, this video will give you a better description of what happened. It'll save me from butchering what actually happened with my naturally and genetically poor storytelling.This whole incident to me is ridiculous. And for multiple reasons.First baseman Mark Reynolds should never have been ejected.The home-plate umpire shouldn't have had the final ruling on a play at first base.The runner should have been out.In real time, from the standard camera angle from which every station shoots infield plays, it looked like Reynolds' foot left the bag before he made that great play on third ...

The Baltimore Orioles' fantastic start to the season is even more surprising when one considers the injuries they have had, but with several key players set to return sooner rather than later the Orioles could improve on their already impressive record.A few players the Orioles were counting on to have big seasons have yet to even suit up for Baltimore this summer. Other key contributors started the season healthy but ran into problems early.It doesn't really matter when they got hurt but one thing is clear, the O's are winning without them so who knows how good they can be with them.Begin Slideshow

In 1987, Tony Gwynn led the league with a .370 batting average. He scored 119 runs, drove in 54 runs, stole 56 bases and won a Gold Glove. He finished ninth in the MVP voting. "Ninth!" Gwynn said, via the New York Daily News in 1996. "It bugged the hell out of me for awhile. It really did. But I don't worry about it anymore. You find your niche. I have fun with it now. I just do what I do: see the ball, and hit it." The San Diego Padres scored 668 runs, or about 4.12 runs a game, in 1987. National League teams scored about 731 runs or 4.52 runs a game. Gwynn drove in 8.1 percent of the Padres' runs and scored 17.8 percent of their runs in 1987. Gwynn was not a home run hitter. He had an economical swing that allowed him to make contact. He ...

Heading into the 2012 season there are very few reasons to be excited if you’re an Orioles fan. But to be clear, there are still things to be excited about. LineupThe power supply is certainly in this line-up, even if it’s a tad inconsistent (especially to compete in the AL East). But with Brian Roberts, Nick Markakis, and Adam Jones  there is certainly some consistency in the top of this order. The problem lies in Mark Reynolds (.221), Chris Davis, (.255), and Matt Weiters (.261) driving in those ducks on the pond. Even with Reynolds' 37 home runs, he was one of the least efficient sluggers in baseball (just 86 RBIs), and he continued his streak of leading the league in strikeouts with 196 (only 75 BB). This lineup will have trouble finding consistency if someone can’t become the RBI machine in the 4 spot that they need (Baltimore turns its lonely eyes to you Mr. Wieters). Now ...