Yardbarker: Mark Grudzielanek

Looking Ahead at the 2009 Free Agent Market!

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 20:17:46 -0500

Now with some glaring holes going into next year. The Mets will have a new ballpark but they also will have to replace some parts.

Obviously the bullpen is a mess starting with Billy Wagner.

The second base position can be resolved with a veteran and that means that Castillo will be traded for a bag of balls.

The starting rotation is also very interesting thing to look at with Oliver Perez (who is only 27)who is going to be a free agent and has Scott Boris as a agent.

The Mets will have Pedro Martinez coming off the books. As well as Moises Alou, who has been a disappointment because he never plays.

Here are the 2009 Free Agents from those positions mentioned:

Second basemen
Willie Bloomquist (31)
Geoff Blum (36) - club option for '09
Jamey Carroll (35) - $2.5MM club option for '09 with a $0.15MM buyout
Craig Counsell (38)
Ray Durham (37)
Damion Easley (39)
David Eckstein (34)
Mark Ellis (32)
Mark Grudzielanek (39)
Jerry Hairston Jr. (33)
Orlando Hudson (31)
Tadahito Iguchi (34)
Jeff Kent (41)
Felipe Lopez (29)
Mark Loretta (37)
Nick Punto (31)

Starting pitchers
Kris Benson (33)
A.J. Burnett (32) - can opt out after '08 season
Paul Byrd (38)
Roger Clemens (46)
Matt Clement (33)
Bartolo Colon (36)
Ryan Dempster (32)
Shawn Estes (36)
Josh Fogg (32)
Freddy Garcia (33)
Jon Garland (29)
Tom Glavine (43)
Mike Hampton (36)
Mark Hendrickson (35)
Livan Hernandez (34)
Orlando Hernandez (43)
Jason Jennings (30)
Randy Johnson (45)
John Lackey (30) - $9MM club option for '09 with a $0.5MM buyout
Jon Lieber (39)
Kyle Lohse (30)
Braden Looper (34)
Rodrigo Lopez (33) - club option for '09
Derek Lowe (36)
Greg Maddux (43)
Pedro Martinez (37)
Jamie Moyer (46)
Mark Mulder (31) - $11MM club option for '09 with a $1.5MM buyout
Mike Mussina (40)
Carl Pavano (33) - $13MM club option for '09 with a $1.95MM buyout
Brad Penny (31) - $8.75MM club option for '09 with a $2MM buyout
Odalis Perez (32)
Oliver Perez (27)
Andy Pettitte (37)
Sidney Ponson (32)
Mark Prior (27)
Kenny Rogers (44)
C.C. Sabathia (28)
Curt Schilling (42)
Ben Sheets (30)
John Smoltz (42)
Tim Wakefield (42) - perpetual $4MM club option
Kip Wells (32)
Randy Wolf (32)

Closers
Brian Fuentes (33)
Eric Gagne (33)
Eddie Guardado (38)
Trevor Hoffman (41)
Jason Isringhausen (36)
Todd Jones (41)
Brandon Lyon (29)
Francisco Rodriguez (27)
Salomon Torres (37) - $3.75MM club option for '09 with a $0.3MM buyout
Kerry Wood (32)

Middle relievers
Jeremy Affeldt (30)
Luis Ayala (31)
Joe Beimel (32)
Joe Borowski (38)
Doug Brocail (42) - club option for '09
Shawn Chacon (31)
Juan Cruz (30)
Alan Embree (39) - $3MM club option for '09
Scott Eyre (37)
Kyle Farnsworth (33)
Casey Fossum (31)
Keith Foulke (35)
Tom Gordon (41) - $4.5MM club option for '09 with a $1MM buyout
LaTroy Hawkins (36)
Mark Hendrickson (35)
Matt Herges (39) - club option for '09
Bob Howry (35)
Jon Lieber (39)
Jason Johnson (35)
Damaso Marte (34) - $6MM club option for '09 with a $0.25MM buyout
Trever Miller (36) - $2MM club option for '09 with a $0.4MM buyout
Guillermo Mota (35)
Will Ohman (31)
Darren Oliver (38)
Chan Ho Park (36)
Horacio Ramirez (29)
Al Reyes (38)
Dennys Reyes (32)
Arthur Rhodes (39)
Juan Rincon (30)
Rudy Seanez (40)
Brian Shouse (40)
Russ Springer (40)
Mike Timlin (43)
Ron Villone (39)
David Weathers (39)
Kip Wells (32)
Matt Wise (33)
Jamey Wright (34)

Athletics go down in Oakland: homeruns by Royals beat the A's

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 13:45:09 -0500

Once again a former Athletic did damage to a struggling A's team that can't seem to get on track since the All Star break ended. The A's who have only won twice since the break, got the type of pitching that they desired over the weekend but Zack Greinke (8-7) tallied up 11 strike outs in 7 1/3 innings allowing only 1 walk and 2 earned runs to lead the Royals past the A's 4-2...

Top Pickups Around the Diamond- Week 8

Tue, 20 May 2008 21:41:48 -0500

We go around different fantasy leagues to see who some of the most added players are. We look at the numbers and history to determine if this player is worth it or not.

Royals Team calendar touches on depression, creepiness

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 13:36:43 -0500

Now that the Kansas City Royals have improved their record to 3-0, the new darlings of baseball have apparently become instantly marketable as you can see in the clever photography shown above from their new calendar . The edgy stills are just creepy teasers of what's available in the full set, shot by renowned bearded hipster and full-time scarf wearer, Nathan Van Wilderhauser of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. (more...)

Tigers Lose Season Opener in Extras

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 15:55:11 -0500

The Detroit Tigers kicked off their season today, facing off against the division rival Royals. Justin Verlander pitched against Kansas City's Gil Meche. There were two new Tigers in the line up, Miguel Cabrera and Edger Rentaria. Cabrera started off the game slow in the field, getting his first error this year. He didn't exactly hit the ground running in the box either, stranding three runners and going 0-2. Renteria on the other hand, drew a walk and drove home Carlos Guillen for the Tigers first run of 2008 for two of his first at bats. The regular suspects were producing in the motor city, with Guillen, Ordonez, Inge, and Rodriguez combining for six of the first seven hits. Meche walked home Rodriguez for the second run of the game by pitching four straight balls to Gary Sheffield after initially pitching two strikes. Magglio and Placido both had an at bat with the bases loaded in the fourth but failed to come through. By the midway point Meche had seven hits, four walks, and two earned runs. While in the other dugout Verlander had only one hit and four strikeouts. After Renteria and the usual Detroit star players produced as expected Cabrera got his first hit, run, home run, and RBI for the 2008 season and as a Tiger. Cabrera hammered one of Meche's pitches over the left field wall to put the Tigers ahead three to nothing. Detroit seemed comfortable with Verlander giving up only one hit leading into the sixth inning. Alex Gordon drove one way back and out of there bringing around two runs and making this a one run ball game. Suddenly the Verlander and the Tigers were a little uneasier. The Tigers went three up three down in the bottom of the sixth and would move on to the seventh clinching on to a one run lead. Verlander walked Mark Teahen to start off the inning that was followed by Ross Gload's single that pushed Teahen to third. Verlander retired after striking out six with two earned runs, and a one run lead. Jason Grilli replaced Verlander and started out with John Buck getting a single and driving home Teahen and moving Gload to second, still no outs. The game was tied at three when Tony Pena Jr singled shifting Gload to third. Bobby Seay replaced Grilli with one out and runners on the corners. Gathright lined out to Renteria, which made it two outs, then Aquilino Lopez came in to replace Seay on the mound. Mark Grudzielanek drove home Ross Gload, the go ahead run. Alex Gordon flied out which ended a rough two-inning stretch for the Tigers. Meche retired with his team now clinching a one run lead, leaving the team's fate in the hands of Brett Tomko. The Bottom of the seventh started out promising with Gary Sheffield drawing his third walk of the game. However, Magglio grounded into a double play. Miguel Cabrera followed him by striking out swinging and bringing Detroit into the eighth down by one. Tomko would stick around for the bottom half of the eighth and Guillen, the first man up, made him pay by slamming a ball and tying the game up at four. Denny Bautista would stand on the mound for the additional innings. Bautista would walk the first Royal up, Teahen. Gload would sac bunt Teahen to second, one out. John Buck would come up next and send a ball soaring to Inge. Teahen would try and score but was called out at the plate while Buck posted up at second, two outs. In a déjà vu sort of way Pena Jr shot one right at Inge as well, only this time Buck would make it home and give the Royals a one run lead with a man on first. Gathright was walked which brought up Esteban German with a runner on first and second. Bautista struck out German to end the inning, but the damage was done. The Tigers would have to at least have one player cross the plate in order to keep playing. Joakim Soria stared down Clete Thomas to start the bottom of the eleventh. Thomas would lead off with a double that almost tied up the game falling in the warning track dirt and ricocheting off the wall. The tying run sitting at second, Brandon Inge stepped up and sac bunted Thomas to third. Edgar Renteria came up, not doing anything since he drove in the first run. He dug a hole starting out 0-2, he took two balls to even the count as the stadium became electrified. He swung for the fences but the breaking ball snuck by him. Placido Polanco would step into the batters box with two outs. Polanco drove a liner towards the gap but Alex Gordon made a diving stop and throws out Polanco ending the game and sealing an opening day victory over the Tigers for Kansas City. Both Renteria and Cabrera went 1-5 with an RBI. Miguel had a throwing error and a homer in his debut in Detroit. Verlander, like the rest of the Tigers played well initially but failed to take advantage of big plays that could've pushed them ahead for good. Nunez got the win for KC and Bautista earned a loss. Both starting pitchers will be nursing an unusually high ERA for a stutter step at the start of this season. It was a hard fought loss for the Tigers and a narrow escape for the Royals. This season and baseball looks to send to MLB in a different direction than the course it has been set on for a few seasons now.

2008 American League Fantasy Second Base Rankings

Mon, 24 Dec 2007 21:51:20 -0500

Take a look at the American League second basemen and how they rank fantasy wise.

You Can't Spell Grudzielanek Without DL

Mon, 05 Mar 2007 20:10:46 -0500

Mark Grudzielanek will start the season on the DL after arthroscopic knee surgery today.