Milwaukee Brewers Sign Braden Looper

Braden Looper, the former St. Louis Cardinal RHP, signed with the Milwaukee Brewers with a one year, $4.75 million guaranteed, plus $1 million in incentives for 2009, plus a club option for 2010 for $6 million or $6.5 million (depending on incentives) plus a $750,000 buyout (or $1 million, depending on incentives). The Brewers were in dire need of starting pitching after CC Sabathia bolted for NY and Ben Sheets rejected arbitration. Looper was 12-14 with the Cardinals in 2008, pitching nearly 200 innings with a 4.16 ERA.

Gabe Kapler signs with Tampa Bay Rays

OF Gabe Kapler signed a one-year, $1-million contract with the Rays Monday, which came as a little bit of a surprise after a weekend in which he was rumored to be headed to Philadelphia. Kapler hit .301 with Milwaukee last year.

Brewers Avoid Abitration with JJ Hardy

The Brewers signed shortstop J.J. Hardy to a one-year, $4.65 million contract on Monday and avoided arbitration, a raise from Hardy's $2.65 million contract from 2008. Hardy, 26, batted .283 with 24 home runs and 74 RBIs in 146 games last season.

Brewers and Trevor Hoffman Reach One Year Deal

The Milwaukee Brewers seem to have found their closer, opting for likely future Hall of Fame closer and all time saves leader Trever Hoffman on a one year, $6 million contract. Hoffman, who is 41 years old, had been the closer for years in San Diego, but recent ownership problems and financial issues with the Padres, along with other issues, made Hoffman expendable. After a rough start, he finished last season with a respectable 30 saves and a 3.77 ERA. The Brewers, pardon the beer pun, hope he still has something in the tank.

Chad Cordero to Have Throwing Session for Interested Teams

Chad Cordero, the 26 year old former Washington Nationals closer who is recovering and rehabbing from shoulder injury, is planning to have throwing sessions with teams that might be interested in his services. Current teams reportedly in the hunt are the Nats, Diamondbacks, Brewers and Tigers.

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.

Yanks get their man, CC agrees to 7 year, $161M deal pending physical

CC Sabathia has decided to sign the richest contract of any pitcher in Major League history with the New York Yankees. An official announcement will not be made until many items can be agreed upon and reflected in the contract's language. Sabathia must also pass a physical examination, but that is expected to be a mere formality.

An additional season and $20 million, authorized by Hal Steinbrenner and offered in the final minutes, sweetened the package. The deal now represents a record-setting seven-year pact for about $161 million, adding to the original offer presented to Sabathia on Nov. 14, which was reported to be for $140 million over six years. Reports on Wednesday afternoon said the package is worth $161 million and will include a buyout clause that will give Sabathia the right to opt out after three years, which was added to allay any concerns Sabathia and his family had about living in New York.

Sabathia in Pinstripes

The NY Post is reporting that CC Sabathia is going to accept the 6 year, $140 million offer from the Yankees. Apparently the meeting with Cashman went well and Sabathia took the money offer.

CC Sweepstakes...Citibank Bailout to Make CC a Yankee?

I'm wondering if the new Citi bailout by the feds will affect the Mets ability to pay what the Yankees will pay for CC Sabathia. According to sources, the Mets may have a problem with their $400 million deal with Citibank for naming rights on the stadium, although to this point Citi is publicly stating they are honoring the agreement. One wonders how Milwaukee Brewers fans/taxpayers will enjoy helping the Mets sign Sabathia with the continued payment on the naming rights deal after the federal government bailout, and how it will look to use that money from Citibank, while Citi lays off 52,000 workers, to hire one 28 year old free agent pitcher. And we thought an AIG retreat was bad...