Ryan Howard, Phils Avoid Arbitration

Ryan Howard, who led the majors in HR and RBI last year, signed for three years with the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies worth a reported $54 million. The $54 million averages out to $18 million per year for the rest of Ryan Howard's arbitration eligible years. Howard had requested $18 million, the Phillies had originally countered with $14 million, which had them both headed for an ugly arbitration. This signing avoids that, and puts the 29 year old in the fold for three more years. Howard was the 2005 Rookie of the Year and the 2006 MVP.

Red Sox Sign Kevin Youkilis to Four Year Deal

The Boston Red Sox avoided arbitration with 1B Kevin Youkilis with a four year, $40 million contract with a club option for 2013. Youkilis, a Gold Glover, was third in the balloting last year for Most Valuable Player and hit .312 with 29 HR's and 115 RBI's.

Royals Find Their Utility Man in Willie Bloomquist

Willie Bloomquist, the utility man who played seven years for the Seattle Mariners, is reported to be signing with the Kansas City Royals in a two year deal worth $3 million total. Bloomquist, who nearly played every position for the Mariners, is more speed than power, and hit .279 last year in 71 games without a home run, but had 14 stolen bases in those 71 games.

Red Sox, Mark Kotsay Agree to One Year Deal

Continuing the news out of Boston, the Red Sox have agree to a one year, $1.5 million deal with OF/1B Mark Kotsay. It was thought that Kotsay would not be re-signed due to the recent signing of Rocco Baldelli, but the deal did indeed get done. Kotsay, 33, was acquired by the Sox from the Atlanta Braves last year and hit .226 in the 33 games he played in the AL, but was hitting .289 with the Braves when he was acquired. He is expecte to be a left handed bat off the bench and reserve OF.

Jason Giambi to Sign with Oakland Athletics

The A's reunion with Jason Giambi is merely a physical away from completion, according to MLB.com. The deal for the (ahem) 1B and more likely DH is reportedly a guaranteed one year deal worth $3.5 million with a club option for 2010 for $5 million with a $1 million buyout. This is probably a win win...the A's basically get a decent bat in the lineup for relatively cheap $3.5 million, and Giambi goes back to a team before that whole steroids thing made Giambi a bad name. Giambi, of course, was not offered arbitration by the New York Yankees (which freed up some necessary payroll), and hit .247 with 32 HR's last year after an injury plagued 2007. This offer from the A's is just a little less than the $23 million he made last year.

Mark Teixeira Signing Adds Insult to Milwaukee Brewers' Injury

According to this article on MLB.com, the signing by the Yankees of Mark Teixeira double screwed the Milwaukee Brewers. Not only did the Yankees take their #1 starter and free agent CC Sabathia, but the signing yesterday of Mark Teixeira, according to the antiquated system for compensation for free agent signings, also screwed the Brewers out of their #1 compensation pick.

It is an interesting read, I highly recommend it. This may push a lot of small market owners to start demanding a new free agent system. Now I know that a lot of people are angry with the New York Yankees, and I have a little of that too, it seems to me that the Yankees are largely just playing the game according to the screwed up rules set up by the collective bargaining MLBPA and the MLB owners. Obviously, any system of real revenue sharing would bring about much screaming from NY and Boston markets, who are the big winners in this system, but really many of the other markets would do well to start watching their home town teams religiously and then the advertising revenue local would increase such that free agent signings would be possible there as well. The real problem for smaller market clubs is not that they are not big towns, usually...the problem is that they do not have the passion about their teams in large enough numbers to stay competitive.

That said, the system I think should change, and I've long advocated a salary cap system like the NBA for baseball. Oh, and let Mark Cuban buy a team.

Rich Get Richer III: Mark Teixeira Goes to NY Yankees

And it is done. Mark Teixeira has agreed to an 8 year, $180 million contract to be the first baseman for the New York Yankees. Obviously this does not mean that the Yankees will win the World Series, of course, but they certainly made a few Yankee fans happy. But as I read somewhere, being a Yankee fan, unless you grew up in NYC, is a little like cheering for Brad Pitt to get the girl at the end of the movie. Teixeira, Sabathia and Burnett were the girls, and Brad Pitt got them all.

Frankly, I'm wondering if other MLB owners aren't a little excited about the spending spree, given the luxury tax money going to the other clubs. If I were an owner of a small ballclub in this market and economy, I might hope NY continues to spend, spend, spend.

Anyway, there will be rumbling, but essentially the problem is with the ownership structure and lack of salary cap in baseball. I think a system like the NBA makes sense, with the allowance for guaranteed money and "Larry Bird" exceptions. But I don't foresee Boston and NY agreeing to that anytime soon.

So for now, Yankees and Red Sox will build through free agency, smaller clubs will build through signing their young talent to long term deals before they know how good they are, and that will be baseball.

Angels say "Uncle" to Teixeira

A report on Foxnews.com is stating that the Anaheim Angels have pulled out of the race for signing Mark Teixeira, meaning likely that he will not return to the Halos next year. With the Red Sox previously stating that they were being outbid, it looks like Teixeira will go closer to where he grew up (in Baltimore), with the Nats and Orioles still apparently bidding, but recent word is that the Yankees are considering tendering an offer. Nothing like Boras negotiations to keep the Hot Stove warm.

Nats and O's offer Texeira big deals; Sox, Halos, Yanks also interested

According to Bill Ladson of MLB.com, via a major league source, the Washington Nationals have offered the switch-hitting first baseman an eight-year, $160 million contract that would pay Teixeira an average of $20 million per season. The Nationals would not confirm the dollar figures.

The Angels, Orioles, Red Sox and Yankees are also in the mix. A published report said that the Orioles offered Teixeira a seven-year, $150 million contract.