Major League Baseball News

For the last decade, the Florida Marlins organization has been all but loyal to its young bright stars. However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. On Wednesday, Hanley Ramirez and the Florida Marlins came to terms on a 6 year deal worth $70 million. Ramirez looks to be staying in Florida to help keep the Fish winning. Off to a great start, the Marlins must believe Hanley Ramirez is responsible for much of their early success. Moving from lead off batter to 3rd on command, Ramirez has amassed 9 Home Runs and 13 Stolen Bases while batting .330 through the first month and a half of the season.

Ramirez would have been eligible for arbitration at the end of the season, a reality that the Marlins were not ready to face. With Ryan Howard settling for a record $10 million, experts estimate Hanley could have been worth $12 after the hearings, which is right around the price the Marlins locked up arguably the best player in baseball for the next 6 years. Ramirez is the first player in MLB history to bat .300 and steal 50 bases in his first 2 seasons. He also showed signs of developing power, hitting 29 Home Runs last year as the lead off batter.

Hanley also won the NL Rookie of the Year in ‘06, and is on pace to become only the 4th player in MLB history to hit 40 Home Runs and swipe 40 stolen bases. The others are Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, and Jose Canseco. Look for the Marlins to only get better by the minute as Hanley Ramirez becomes one of the greatest baseball players to ever play the game.

In the off season, the Detroit Tigers made a big move sending Maybin and Andrew Miller to the Marlins for 3B Miguel Cabrera and SP Dontrelle Willis. Today, Miguel Cabrera and his fellow teammates celebrate a very special easter Sunday.

The Tigers and Miguel Cabrera have agreed to terms on an 8 year, $152.3 million contract. The contract includes the initial $11.3 million 1-year deal for 2008, adding an additional $141 million over the following 7 years ending in 2015.

After tearing up spring training and even homering in his first at-bat, this Detroit Tigers baseball club felt the pressure to sign Miguel to show him that he is in their immediate plans as well as future. In 2007, Cabrera batted .320 with 34 HRs and 119 RBIs in the NL as a Florida Marlin. He will be moving back from OF to 3B, starting at the hot corner for the Tigers in ‘08.

On Thursday, closer Jonathan Papelbon and the Boston Red Sox agreed to terms for a new contract worth $775,000. Papelbon was the last Red Sox 40 man player not under contract yet. When asked about his new contract, Papelbon explained that he felt “a certain obligation not only to [himself] and [his] family to make the money that [he] deserves but for the game of baseball.”

Last year, Jonathan Pabelbon earned just over $425K, making his new contract nearly a double raise. He will soon see another raise, being eligible for arbitration trials next year. Experts expect Papelbon’s looming contract to include a hefty multi-million dollar salary. He finished the ‘07 season with a 1.85 ERA, converting 37 of 40 save opportunities to saves.

The Boston Red Sox have broken the curse, twice. Perhaps the recent success of this ball club is largely in part due to manager Terry Francona. On Sunday, Red Sox management decided to reward him with a three year extension averaging $4 million per year through ‘11. There are also two club options for ‘12 and ‘13.

“Terry Francona has done an outstanding job in managing the Red Sox over the last four seasons,”GM Theo Epstein explains. Francona is the only manager in Bo’ Sox history to take the team to three postseasons. The Boston Red Sox pulled off a 4-game World Series sweep versus the St. Louis Cardinals in ‘04 and the Colorado Rockies in ‘07 with Terry Francona as manager.

Phillies home run slugging Ryan Howard finally got pay day, winning his arbitration hearings versus the Philadelphia baseball club on Thursday. His $10 million award is a new Major League Baseball record.

“My reaction is mostly relief,” Howard sighed. Baseball analysts expect his next salary to be worth close to $20 million per year. The highest the Phillies were willing to offer Howard before his $10 million settlement was $7 million.

Howard made $900,000 in ‘07 and $355,000 during ‘06, when he won the NL MVP.

C.C. Sabathia is fresh off of a Cy Young Award in ‘07, and he’s motivated as ever after losing to the Red Sox in the ALCS playoffs. However, being a free agent at the end of the year could only distract him, which is why he is waiting to discuss an extension until the end of the ‘08 season.

“I don’t want to go through the season thinking this will be my last year. I want to help my guys here win. Everybody knows how I feel about this place and this organization and the city,” he explains. “I’ve been here since I was 17 years old.”

Sabathia went 19-7 starting 34 games for the Cleveland Indians in 2007. He recorded a 3.21 ERA with 209 K’s and only 37 walks. He will lead the pack of free agents come season’s end.

Sources confirmed Tuesday that second baseman Ian Kinsler and the Texas Rangers have agreed to a 5 year deal worth $22 million, with a one year extension that could be worth $10 million for a deal that could be worth $32 million max. At age 25 last year, Kinsler joined a rare group of second basemen to hit 20 HR and steal 20 bases. The epic milestone is the 40/40 club, whose members include Barry Bonds, Jose Canseco, and Alex Rodriguez.

After passing a physical to complete the deal, the New York Mets officially have signed LHP Johan Santana to an MLB record setting contract for a pitcher. The terms of the agreement include a 6-year, $137.5 million contract with an option in 2014 and a $5.5 million buy out. This deal eclipses the previous record setting pitcher contract set by Barry Zito in 2006 when the Giants inked him for a 7-year, $126 million deal with an $18 million option in 2014 and a buy out at $7 million.

“It was unbelievable the work that went into this,” Mets GM Omar Minaya exhuberated. “It’s a historic day.” The Mets will begin the 2008 season with Santana the ace and opening day hurler, followed by #2 Pedro Martinez.