A New Approach: Real-Time

[OOTPRealTime]

Here are a couple of semi-worthy news stories that took place while I was gone...

1/22/14 - Angels Re-Up with Chris Snyder - The Angels locked up catcher Chris Snyder to a one-year deal worth just over $1 Million. He spent last year in the Angels organization, playing mostly at Triple-A Salt Lake. At age 32, he will compete for a backup catcher role with Landon Powell behind starter Chris Iannetta.

1/23/14 - Pirates Purchase SP Gerrit Cole - The Pirates have purchased the contract of top prospect, right-handed pitcher Gerrit Cole. Cole, 23, won 14 games in Double-A last year but expect him to compete for a rotation spot this year and therefore added him to their 40-man roster.


TOP REMAINING MLB FREE AGENTS
by: Bubba Olmey, ESPN.com > Baseball

Here is a quick look at the top remaining free agents looking for homes as we approach Spring Training along with some possible/rumored destinations:

RH SP Matt Garza
Garza is coming off of a decent season with the Cubs, going 10-12 with a 3.84 ERA in 30 starts. He is rumored to be looking for at least six years at around $16 Million per year.
Rumored: Mets, Reds, Padres, Tigers

LH SP Jeff Francis
Francis bounced back nicely on a contract year but teams have shied away from him early. His representatives are standing firm on a five-plus season contract and over $10 Million per year of that deal. This is likely to come down as we go along.
Rumored: Rockies

1B Kendrys Morales
Morales comes with a compensation pick and that isn't helping his prospects. At this point his asking price is likely around four-years at $12 Million per at the most. Right now, there are no takers. At age 30, he hit 24 homers between Seattle and Oakland last year.
Rumored: Mariners, Indians, Marlins

CF Chris B. Young
The player traded to the M's for Morales is 30 years old but can play all three outfield positions. He strikes out a lot and suffers from bouts of inconsistency but does still possess and intriguing speed/power combination. Last I heard was that the market was bringing his asking price down to around 5-years, $10 Million per.
Rumored: Orioles, Cubs, Reds

RH RP Joe Nathan
The 39-year old is looking for one more contract, the main problem is that he is looking for four years on that last contract. Nobody wants to commit to that despite good numbers again in 2013. Somebody in need of a closer or set-up man will eventually give in.
Rumored: Royals, Tigers, Padres, Mets

SS Rafael Furcal
Furcal sat out all of last year after delaying Tommy John surgery that eventually cost him the entire season. His last action was with the Cardinals in 2012. He is trying to convince teams that he's healthy and ready for a return despite being 36 years old. The Derek Jeter announcement may be just the opening he was looking for.
Rumored: Yankees

OF Coco Crisp
He was tied closely to the Cardinals this off-season but they went with a cheaper Nelson Cruz. There isn't a lack of interest for the speedy outfielder, capable of playing all three spots at a high defensive level. Package that with some sneaky pop, he's going to get 4-years from somebody despite being 34 years old.
Rumored: Giants, Reds, Brewers, Mariners

[OOTPRealTime]

Does anybody know if there is a 2014 schedule that can be loaded in to my universe here? I'd like to have the real 2014 MLB schedule, including Spring Training if at all possible. Not aware if this is something the community takes on or if I should make other plans. Thanks in advance.

[OOTPRealTime]

I asked Mo for a meeting to discuss our budget and more specifically wanted to re-allocate money into scouting/development since we were so frugal with our money this year so far and we will definitely be going into the season without a major free agent signing - which, at the time of our initial meetings - is a change. I asked that we give more money to our scouting departments and our international complexes to operate.

My argument is that since we will be right around $110 Million in payroll - which ranks right around the middle of the league - we should re-allocate and spend more money on our scouting efforts as we continue to build up our minor league system. We aren't anywhere close to the player payroll budget and won't be. That's why I am asking for the adjustment. He agreed and approved it on the spot. He said that he would give "Big Bill" (DeWitt III) a call and let him know of the adjustment. He also let our CFO know to adjust the books.

The adjustment puts our scouting expenses at $18 Million (maximum) and our player development budget at $14 Million (about $5 Million more than the league average).

I thought that was going to be a much more difficult conversation. However, since Mo has been in this spot before, he understands and knows that it's best for the organization. Now, that said, if we have a down year, some of that money may need to be toned down if we don't hit our attendance numbers. Obviously, we'll do all we can to avoid that situation.

That's about all of the excitement for today.

Just 15 days until pitchers and catcher report to Jupiter for Spring Training!

[OOTPRealTime]

We heard back from catcher David Sopilka today and he has agreed to sign on in our minor league system. He will be assigned to Peoria to play with Jesus Montero behind the plate. He is a defensive-minded player who adds depth to a scarce position.

I hope to continue to hammer out the organizational depth chart (link in my signature) to get the entire organization in there here shortly. I also want to do a positional depth chart once that is completed.

The news is slow these days as we prepare for report day!! Believe me, things will be heating up. Really looking forward to running my first Spring camp.

[pete3]

I'm running a league in real time as well. Quick question: Are you going to be making the minor league affiliation changes that occurred this past offseason. I think one team changed and one team moved. I'm trying to figure out how to do that.

I also noticed your question about the 2014 schedule. I haven't seen any and am thinking I might have to do it manually.

The ultimate question will be next season and whether it is possible to import the real new prospects.

[OOTPRealTime]

Originally Posted by pete3

I'm running a league in real time as well. Quick question: Are you going to be making the minor league affiliation changes that occurred this past offseason. I think one team changed and one team moved. I'm trying to figure out how to do that.

I also noticed your question about the 2014 schedule. I haven't seen any and am thinking I might have to do it manually.

The ultimate question will be next season and whether it is possible to import the real new prospects.

Good question and thanks for bringing up the minor-league affiliation changes. I haven't looked into that yet. Yes, I'd like to do that. My goal for this is to adopt any changes that the organizations do - that are non-personnel moves. Like a team changes cities, gets new uniforms, etc. Then let the rosters be completely left alone for this universe.

For the 2014 schedule. Let me know if I can help with that project. I don't have a ton of free time but I'm sure I can help in some way.

I'm not so concerned about the real prospects. Again, I'm looking to create my own universe and while it would be nice to have those players, I'm not so concerned about that.

[OOTPRealTime]

@KenRosenhaus Joe Nathan and #Dodgers close to breaking long spell of no big name signings. Told 2-years. Stay tuned. #MLB

@JohnHayman Confirmed: @Dodgers sign veteran closer Joe Nathan to a two-year deal. Creates dynamic 1-2 with him and Kenley Jansen.

@DodgerBlueLA Holy hell. Starters, just get us to the 8th and … ball game. Nathan to Jansen. #lightsout

JOE NATHAN SIGNS TWO-YEAR DEAL WITH DODGERS
Former Texas closer inks two-year deal with vesting option.
By: Sandy Guerrero, Dodgers.com

The hold-up on the Dodgers signing of veteran reliever Joe Nathan was his demand to be the ninth-inning guy for any club that commits to him. The minute that demand was waived, the Dodgers had the right money in place to get him to sign on the dotted line. With a dominant closer already in place, Kenley Jansen, who nailed down 38 games for the Dodgers a year ago, Nathan made the exception to sign in Los Angeles.

“I’ve always admired the Dodgers the Dodgers organization and they have what it takes to win right now, which is high on my priority list,” said the 39-year old Nathan. This will likely be my last contract and I want to be on a team that has a chance to get me back to the post-season. Nathan won his first ring last year with the Texas Rangers. A season that saw him close out 33 games and post a 3.67 ERA in 70 appearances.

The deal is two years in length at $12.7 Million per year. There is a vesting option for the second year (2015) and that is a caveat that seems unlikely to be reached, making this most likely a one-year deal. That performance milestone that needs to be reached is 35 “games finished.”

“We are thrilled to add a power arm and veteran presence to our mix here in LA,” new manager Tom Brookens said in a conference call. “I think we have the eighth and ninth innings figured out,” he added. Though he was non-committal on who exactly would be pitching the ninth inning, it would be hard to believe the Dodgers would go with a 39-year old veteran over the 26-year old phenom who has recorded 63 saves over the past two seasons for the team. GM Ned Coletti wasn’t so shy about naming the teams closer, “Kenley is our guy and that was the reason for the hold up. We wanted Joe. He wanted us. We just needed to come to the understanding that at the get-go, Jansen would be our ninth inning guy. He understands that.” Being a veteran, he also understands that nothing is guaranteed and a stretch of poor performance, stroke of luck or injury can thrust him back into the role he has coveted much of his career.

Nathan has 331 career saves...and counting.

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@ESPNRumorCentral Hearing that the #Giants are close with Coco Crisp. Could sign as early as tomorrow.

@JohnHayman Crisp has narrowed his search down to the #Reds and #Giants. Will know more tomorrow. Should sign his deal then.

[rpriske]

I am enjoying this enough that I think that might be the Dynasty I add when 15 comes out - real time Blue Jays for 2014.

I am running three now... might as well go for 4.

[OOTPRealTime]

Originally Posted by rpriske

I am enjoying this enough that I think that might be the Dynasty I add when 15 comes out - real time Blue Jays for 2014.

I am running three now... might as well go for 4.

Best of luck! It really is the most I've been entrenched in a dynasty since I started playing the game with OOTP5. And the season hasn't even started yet!

[OOTPRealTime]

COCO CRISP SIGNS ON WITH GIANTS
Giants fill void in left field and leadoff role with Crisp
By: Andrea Parks, Giants.com

The Giants have made yet another free agency splash by signing 34-year old outfielder Coco Crisp to a two-year deal worth $11.4 Million in total. The last two check marks needed on GM Brian Sabean’s 2014 off-season was a left fielder and a lead off man. He gets both with Crisp.

A fantastic defensive player, Crisp also has a rare power/speed combination and profiles as a leadoff hitter. He won’t have to move far, just across the bay from Oakland where he spent the last four seasons. In 2013 he hit .251 with a .320 on-base percentage, eight homers and 48 RBI to go along with 43 stolen bases. This decision was based on the teams unwillingness to bet on an Angel Pagan recovery from a season that saw his already limited power dip to an astonishingly low .324 slugging percentage.

Crisp is like Pagan in many ways, including plus-plus defense in left field (can play center field also), speed and ability to put the ball in play. What seperates the two, and makes Crisp a more appealing option, is the bonus power. Crisp has a career slugging percentage of an even .400 in his ten seasons in the big leagues.

Crisp projects as their leadoff man going forward. The second year on the deal is a team option at $5.7 Million.

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@MLBDepthCharts Updated #Giants projected lineups after signing of Coco Crips. Signs point to new leadoff man.
Preview:


@CotsContracts Official contract on Crisp: 2-years, $11.4 Million. ‘14: $5.7 ‘15: $5.7 w/ team option (buyout is $600k). #MLB #Signing

@ajcbravestalk #Braves have purchased the contract LHP Sean Gilmartin. Went 11-8/4.49/1.48 in 29 starts at AAA LY. #MLB

@MLBDepthCharts #Twins purchased contract of RHP Bobby Lanigan; DFA’ed 3B Mark Sobolewski, who was taken off 40-man roster.

[OOTPRealTime]

Monday, February 3rd

I heard back from the agent for Jhan Marinez who has accepted our generous offer of one-year, $700k for him. He has just plain electric stuff and is too good not to be in the big leagues. We just need to hone it in. We’ll see how he responds and he could earn a new contract with us during the season. DK seems to think that if we can get him under control, he can be dominant.

@JoseSantos #Cardinals not done with big league signings. Add more bullpen depth with hard-throwing Jhan Marinez.

@zlamick I’m told Marinez will have a shot to make the club. “Electric” arm - just doesn’t know where it’s going. 40-man up to 39. #stlcards should be done.

@TheCardinalWay Assuming this is just a depth move, but there are worse options than Marinez. Apparently the guy is dirty. #MLB #Cardinals

@HaloNation The #Angels have signed 1B Matt McBride to a 1-year deal worth $880k. Hit .282 with 29 HR & 100 RBI for #Rockies AAA last year.

@BubbaOlmey McBride opted out of his deal with the #Rockies seeking a big league deal. He got it with #Angels. Could make O.D. roster backing up Pujols.

Tuesday, February 4th

I received some interesting news today out of our D.R. camp as the additional funds may already be paying dividends. There was a highly touted youngster there named Jose Gonzalez, a starting pitcher (eventually) and he is believed to have a bright future. He could have gone to just about any team that has a Dominican camp and he chose us. That’s a good get for Ocampo down there. We were just commenting that the cupboard was pretty bare there. Now we have somebody to look forward to. I wanted to get Oz and his staff some props and I didn’t want it to come from me, so I called on Derek to give him this bit of “insider” info and ask him to give a shout out. And, he did:

@dgold #Cardinals Dominican camp gets a big signing of 16-year old Jose Gonzalez, a RHP with high upside. Props to Oz Ocampo running things down there. #stlcards

I think it’s good to leverage a bit of information to get our guys some props through the local media. Ocampo works very hard for very little and the lifestyle isn’t exactly lavish to say the least - so anytime we can get them a little something, it’s a good thing.

More on Gonzalez from DK: The kid already shows signs of having good control of his pitches and that’s just hard to find at 16 years old in the D.R. He already throws four pitches (fastball, curveball, slider & changeup) and commands three of them well. He is a groundball machine and while he tops out at 92 MPH, we aren’t concerned because of these other rare pluses. He also shows signs of being a leader of his peers, all look up to him (literally - he’s 6’ 7” and figuratively). Exciting prospect. Will watch closely.

[OOTPRealTime]

BRIAN ROBERTS SIGNS WITH SAN FRANCISCO
Veteran second baseman inks one-year deal with Giants
By: Willie Kent, SFGiants.com

The Giants are not done this off-season. Just a four days after announcing the signing of outfielder Coco Crisp, GM Brian Sabean has added another veteran to the fold. Brian Roberts, 36, agrees to a one-year deal worth $4.32 Million. Second base is an unknown going into the season for the Giants and they would like to have a backup option to Nick Noonan, the 24-year old who spent most of 2013 with the Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies. There he hit .292 with nine homers, 78 RBI and played solid defense. Roberts provides that protection and/or competition that is needed at the position.

This will be the first uniform that Roberts will put on other than the Baltimore Orioles, with whom he has spent all of his 13 MLB seasons. Those seasons have included some great successes, including the 2005 seasons that saw him hit .314 with 18 homers and 73 RBI (all career highs) for the O’s. In 2007 he stole 50 bases. Since those early years, the injury bug has struck Roberts and he managed to appear in only 115 games during the three year stretch leading up to 2013. He had better luck last year and put up solid numbers in his age 35 year. He hit .278 with 13 homers, 54 RBI and 20 steals.

The Giants have been considered by many the “winners” of the off-season with some healthy spending and moves to improve the club. While that remains to be seen, they are definitely the most aggressive. Sabean has been the author of an off-season that includes six free agent signings: Crisp, Roberts, Mark Reynolds, Jorge De La Rosa, Ricky Nolasco and Grant Balfour. They also traded for reliever Steve Cischek (Miami) and picked up Vin Mazzaro from the Pirates in the Rule 5 Draft.

“The time is now. We have a good core group of players here and we are surrounding them by other quality players and people. We’d like to continue our winning ways and with some big contracts coming off the books this year (referring to Barry Zito and Tim Lincecum), we have the flexibility to go out and get our guys,” said Sabean.

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@SFGiants The #Giants officially add Brian Roberts to the 40-man roster. DFA Ryan Cavan.

@MLBDepthCharts The #Pirates have purchased the contract (and added to 40-man roster) LHP Hong-Chih Kuo.

@ChiTribCubs Roster move: 1B Justin Bour DFA’ed; purchased the contract of OF Jose Vargas

[OOTPRealTime]

CARDINALS LINEUP CONSTRUCTION FEATURES OPTIONS, QUESTIONS
by: Derek Gold, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

The Cardinals are just six days away from the pitchers and catcher reporting to Jupiter for Spring Training. I know, that seems crazy. But, it’s true. It begs the question: Are the Cardinals, who have been quiet this off-season done figuring in players for the 2014 season? If so, and it is likely that they are done, what does manager Mike Matheny have to work with when filling out that lineup card each day? Well, let’s take a look.

Leadoff: Ah, we start with one of the biggest question marks. The lead off spot, one that has been void of a consistent suitor since the days of Fernando Vina. The team traded for a “leadoff” type hitter in shortstop Leury Garcia, but at 22-years old and limited MLB experience, can he be trusted there? Last year, in Triple-A (Texas organization) he struck out 117 times in 585 at-bats and managed a .378 on-base percentage. Does that translate to a big league leadoff hitter? Let’s say no. What are the options then? What about Kolten Wong? Well, the same question marks apply to Wong as they do Garcia. He hasn’t logged a Major League at-bat yet. Last year in Memphis he hit .331 with a .383 on-base percentage and limited his strikeouts to 82. He has speed (11 steals) but not burner speed. There is also no guarantee that either Wong or Garcia are every day players. The leadoff spot then would become a revolving door that would include Jon Jay, Oscar Taveras, Matt Carpenter and, dare I say it, Yadier Molina.

2nd: This obviously depends on what shakes out with the leadoff spot, but for arguments sake, we’ll put Leury Garcia in the leadoff role. Wong becomes an option in the 2-hole, but then you’re looking at two players with exactly zero MLB at-bats under their belts, setting the table. Not ideal. So, this looks like a prime spot for another young player Oscar Taveras to utilize his skills. He makes consistent contact, can run and has pop. That still doesn’t solve the issue of inexperience at the top of the order. Insert Jon Jay. The most likely candidate to hit in the 2-hole when he is in the lineup. Last year, he hit primarily in this spot and posted a .292 batting average from there. In his career he is hitting .299 out of this role and it remains the best spot for him.

3rd: No more Carlos Beltran here. So, who steps up? The three obvious options are Allen Craig. Yadier Molina and/or Matt Holliday. With Holliday’s struggles a season ago and the overriding belief that he has began the downturn of his career, it’s unlikely the Cardinals will rely on him in this key spot. Craig took a step back last year and struggled with RISP. That leaves Yadier Molina, arguably the team’s overall best hitter in this role. Though, he also struggled last year. The third spot in the lineup will likely be reserved for the hottest hitter at the time and it’s unlikely that one name occupies it all season long. Heck, if Taveras is the player the organization thinks he is, this will be his spot for years to come - and it could start in 2014. For now, we’ll insert Molina.

4th: This is Allen Craig’s spot if he is not in the three-hole. He has the most power potential on the team at this point and prior to last year was an ace with RISP. The team believes he is going to bounce back from a down year in a big way. Now 29 years old, this is his time to shine. Regardless, if Craig is healthy and right (translated: locked in) he will be in the middle of this order and it would be surprising to see him anywhere outside the 3-5 range in the lineup.

5th: By default, this has to be Holliday, right? There are already rumors circulating that the team will not hesitate to play Taveras in right and Cruz in left if Holliday continues to show signs of decline. That said, it was one down year, and a year that many players would have loved to have had (.267-20-64). The now 34-year old doesn’t make excuses - but the drop off in production and increase in strikeouts (career high 143) is a cause for concern. Holliday should have every opportunity to earn this spot back and occupy the middle of the order, where he belongs and is paid to be.

6th:: This spot could go to either Matt Adams (if facing a RHP) or David Freese (if facing a LHP). If Adams is at first base - which I believe it the main plan as of right now - he should get the starts there against the righties. When facing left-handed pitchers, the Cardinals may employ Allen Craig at first base and that would free up a spot in the outfield for Nelson Cruz - who would fit nicely in the 6th spot in the lineup.

7th: We’ve mentioned Oscar Taveras and his relatively unknown value to the team right out of the gate. If he makes the team and earns a starting role, it’s easy to imagine him getting his feet wet in this spot. If he is playing, that either means Jon Jay is on the bench or Allen Craig is at first base and Taveras is patrolling right or left field for the day. The club certainly hopes that he comes out swinging and earns an everyday role. This would be a good place for him.

8th: We’ve come full circle from the leadoff spot where we mentioned both Leury Garcia and Kolten Wong. For this exercise, we have Garcia leading off and that would mean it wouldn’t be surprising to see Wong here in the 8th hole.

There are so many variations that could be derived from what the Cardinals have on their 25-man roster as we speak. Matheny has not been shy about shifting things up and trying new combinations. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise anybody to see 100+ variations of his lineup. The main questions still remain in two key spots. Who sets the table from the leadoff spot? And, who is the guy that takes control in the middle of the lineup and provides that power vacated by Carlos Beltrans’ departure to Seattle? We are only a couple of weeks away from seeing the first variation of Mike Matheny’s 2014 Cardinals lineup. A lot will need to be answered before that card needs to be turned in on March 31st.

[OOTPRealTime]

Friday, February 7th

Well, I officially booked my flight for West Palm Beach, Florida for Monday. It’s that time. My first Spring Training as a GM. I’m really excited for this. We have a great group of guys - and we hope we have one more joining us (Joba) - and with Mike at the helm, I am supremely confident that we’ll run the best camp possible and bring the best team with us North to St. Louis when the time comes. That seems like years away - but it will be here before you know it.

I sat down with Mike, DK and a few of the pro scouts to make up our official invite list for Spring Training 2014. Here it is:

Pitchers (report Wednesday, February 12th at 7:00 AM EST)
Maikel Cleto
Jamie Garcia
Joe Kelly
Lance Lynn
Carlos E. Martinez
Shelby Miller
Michael Wacha
Adam Wainwright
Mitchell Boggs
Randy Choate
Eric Fornataro
Alexi Ogando
Marc Rzepczynski
Fernando Salas
Eduardo Sanchez
Rafael Dolis
Jhan Marinez
Trevor Rosenthal
Jason Motte (+)
Seth Maness (NRI - “Non-roster invitee”)
Keith Butler (NRI)

Catchers (report Wednesday, February 12th at 7:00 AM EST)
Yadier Molina
Jose Molina
Tony Cruz
Audry Perez
Cody Stanley (NRI)
Travis Tartamella (NRI)
Juan Castillo (NRI)
Casey Rasmus (NRI)

**We need to invite a few more catchers for early in camp when we have so many pitchers - mainly to catch bullpens. Stanley, Tartamella, Castillo and Rasmus will all eventually be sent to minor league camp.

Position Players (report Monday, February 18th at 7:00 AM EST)
Allen Craig
Matt Adams
Kolten Wong
Daniel Descalso
Matt Carpenter
Jermaine Curtis
David Freese
Leury Garcia
Pete Kozma
Shane Robinson
Justin Christian
Matt Holliday
Juan Lagares
Jon Jay
Thomas Pham
Oscar Taveras
Nelson Cruz
Xavier Scruggs (NRI)
Greg Garcia (NRI)
Jake Lemmerman (NRI)
Mike O’Neill (NRI)
Stephen Piscotty (NRI)
James Ramsey (NRI)

Our staff has arranged flights, transportation and lodging for all of our players invited to Major League camp. We are ready to get this started!

[OOTPRealTime]

INDIANS SIGN MIKE GONZALEZ
Expected to compete for closer's role.
By: Kenny Belle, Indians.com

Mike Gonzalez closed out 36 games a year ago for the Milwaukee Brewers. The 35 year old was the best option in a bullpen blamed for costing the Brewers a playoff spot in the National League. He finished with a 3.30 ERA and a 1.10 ERA, both very respectable figures pitching in 73 games. He joins the Indians bullpen after signing a three-year, $17.7 Million deal this morning.

The Indians were not shy about letting the baseball community know they were looking for a new closer after the former ninth inning guy, Chris Perez, faltered a season ago. General Manager Pat Corrales and manager Terry Francona say that Perez will not be considered for that role in 2014. The candidates now include this newly acquired front-runner in Gonzalez and two leftovers from 2013 in Cody Allen and Pedro Strop.

Allen, 25, posted a 3.39 ERA with a 1.27 WHIP and managed saves in 11-of-15 tries after Perez was ousted. Strop, 28, was acquired at the end of last year in a trade with the Orioles, following a season that Strop had a 3.42 ERA for Baltimore in a set-up role.

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@CotsContracts Mike Gonzalez with O's: '14: $5.2 Million; '15: $5.9 Million; '16: $6.6 MM - vesting opt. for 35 games finished in '15

@MLBDepthCharts We have Mike Gonzalez as the front-runner for the closer's job for the #Indians entering camp. Followed by Strop, then Allen.

[OOTPRealTime]

As I prepare to set up shop in my office overlooking the field from the right field gap in Roger Dean Stadium for the next month and a half, I have been reflecting on how I got here. The last two and a half months have flown by. With meetings, budgets, negotiations, one big trade and building a roster that I believe is the best for the now and for the future, here we are. I will be joined by the entire staff today and in the coming days with all pitchers and catchers reporting for duty by Wednesday morning. On that note, I sent a quick text to the agent for Joba Chamberlain with a deadline to sign if he wants to be a member of the Cardinals. That deadline is tomorrow. He has had plenty of time to field offers and I have a rule that I'm adopting, starting right now. All players will be signed and in camp on the report date. That is, off-season free agents. Now, if there are injuries and extenuating circumstances, we'll deal with it. But, we don't want players who are just looking to shorten their training camp by holding off signing on the dotted line. This message was received with a bit of surprise and maybe there is a better offer out there for him, but we want him in camp with the rest of our pitchers when we open on Wednesday. Period. Most likely, he won't be signed and we'll move forward with what we have - which, honestly, is enough.

I wanted to give a little more information on my background and how I grew to become the General Manager of a Major League baseball team. I'll be doing this in installments throughout the years, telling stories and providing background. Here is the first.

ABOUT PARKER CAMPBELL, part I

This is the part where I tell you a little bit more about myself and how I got here. I was born in a suburb of Phoenix, Arizona in 1974 to Howard and Marie Campbell. My dad was a ball player, made it to the cusp of the Majors with the Yankees but was blocked by more than enough talent. It wasn’t the same back then, you couldn’t just request a trade to another organization that would give you the chance to play like you can now. That fact never seemed to leave my dad. He was a laborer for a living and he blamed that on baseball. It took too many of his years, chasing a dream that he couldn’t get the proper education and training to enter a field that would really allow him to raise his family the way he wanted. Marie was his high school sweetheart and followed him everywhere he went. She supported him through everything. She died too early, at age 50 of breast cancer. My dad was long lost on a path to alcoholism and who knows what else. Luckily he has two boys that would do anything for him – just as he would have and still would do anything for us.

This is not a story of a child growing up with a silver spoon in his mouth, handed the wealth and background to get an Ivy League education and the contacts to get into the sport he loves. There are plenty of those out there so if you’re looking for that story, just check into some of the other biographies of my counterparts. I’m not bitter – it’s not their fault – some, not all, were just born into a different situation. I am one that was taught to fight for everything you have and everything you dream to have in life. My dad taught me that you should follow you dreams, no matter what they are or how far-fetched they may be perceived to be. He also taught me that you should let people figure out their own path – no matter how strongly you believe to the contrary. He proved that with his actions. He didn’t want me to pursue baseball or a life in it. He didn’t want me to turn out like him – despite the fact that I idolized my father and a life of hard work to provide for your family was nothing I shied away from. Regardless, he let me be me and he had no control over his baseball-playing skills and initial love the of the game being ingrained in his son. His second born son that is. My older brother, Joe, had a temper you wouldn’t believe. He truly thought that he should get a hit, steal second and third base and score stealing home every single time he came to the plate. And if that didn’t happen – he’d lose it. So, needless to say, he didn’t make it in this sport – and he couldn’t care less. That’s not to say he isn’t proud of his little brother and he is still a fan of the game – but playing it – or being too closely involved was not healthy for him. Joe is a very close friend and supporter to this day. My dad is the same and for that I am lucky. We were there for each other when my mom passed. That was a dark time in all of our lives. But, we got through it and we convinced ourselves, with the help of suggestions from others that we’re stronger men for it.

I entered high school at age 15 standing 4-foot, 9-inches tall and weighing a full 145 pounds. I wasn’t even taken seriously when I showed up for baseball tryouts. Luckily, they had a freshman team and my father had a reputation as a good player himself. Without that, the baseball life may have died on the vine right there. Football remained king in Arizona – well, I’m sure you can imagine, that wasn’t much of an option for me. Of course, the quarterback of the football team was also the star pitcher and prom king and all of those other things. His name was Raylan Crowder. He was a specimen. He was also a genuinely good guy who “got it” and embraced the role of leader, teammate and friend. He made everybody feel as though they were better friends with him than they probably actually were. I was no exception. I think he may have gravitated to me because I was the exact opposite of him physically speaking. I wasn’t gifted with a body reminiscent of Zeus, so I had to fight, scratch and claw for everything I achieved. He was a natural. I met Raylan at freshman orientation at Camelback High School and his reputation as a supreme athlete preceded him. We grew up on opposite sides of town and played against him in a few tournaments but never really knew anything about him. He was a football player through and through but he was an outstanding pitcher as well. We became friends and he will remain a part of my life to this day. Anyway, I made the freshman team and battled for my at-bats. I was a middle infielder - mostly shortstop as I had a good throwing arm. I could play outfield or second base or third base. Really, I'd do anything to be on the field. I quickly build a reputation as a hard worker and tough player. I would take out the opposition to break up double plays. I had good speed (probably my best asset) and utilized it on the base paths. I earned enough respect to make the Varsity and earn a starting spot my Sophomore year. Hitting a growth spurt and getting properly weight trained certainly helped in that. Raylan made the Varsity as a freshman and was already the team's ace by seasons end. I'll get more into my playing days in future installments.

Next installment: (these will be unscheduled; they will just make their way in from time to time) “Meeting the love of my life and building my family”

[OOTPRealTime]

First of all, I am working with “Bigrod” who has completed most of the 2014 schedule (really just worried about the MLB schedule) to get that loaded in. I’d like to have the real schedule. Also, I have changed the “Tucson Padres” to the “El Paso Chihuahuas” in the PCL and did the realignment of that AAA league. That moves Memphis to the American-Southern division with Nashville (MIL), New Orleans (MIA) and Round Rock (TEX). I’m going to be updating the logos, caps and jerseys for 2014 as they become available.

Everybody is here and accounted for. We are officially in Spring Training 2014! It’s a good feeling to be in Jupiter, Florida and we begin our trek to a Championship right here, right now. I quickly met with Mike Matheny and Derek Lilliquist to discuss our pre-Spring plan for our pitchers. We talked about each and every arm in camp - just to make sure we are on the same page. I stay in the background for the most part early on in camp. I’ll start make decisions with Mike as we get to some cut days. Our first Spring Training game is exactly 17 days from today. We plan on our first cut on Monday, March 3rd and make cuts as needed as we go along to get to our 25-man roster. Again, we are hoping for two things: 1.) growth in all areas of our club and 2.) HEALTH!

I spoke with the agent for Joba Chamberlain and when he told me that they still needed more time, I held up my end of the deal and told him that we were no longer to be considered. He thought I was bluffing. Clearly, I wasn’t. He asked me to give him a couple of more days to try to convince Joba to sign on board. I told him that we aren’t interested. That’s that.

These first couple of days of camp will be mainly some short bullpen sessions and meetings to discuss things with Lilli and Mike. The rest of the squad will be fully reported on Monday (President’s Day). That’s when I’ll address the club along with ownership and some key team executives.

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@DFWSports Reports are that the Rangers have agreed to terms with Matt Belisle, strengthening the bullpen. #notconfirmed

@KenRosenhaus Rangers have signed Belisle to a two-year deal. First reported by @DFWSports.

RANGERS BEEF UP BULLPEN WITH BELISLE; COULD CLOSE
By: Nolan Washington, Rangers.com

The Rangers search for a closer has not ended with the signing of 33-year old Matt Belisle, however, they have added another possibility. Belisle spent the last five seasons in Colorado and pitched very well there (considering some of the elements), including posting a 2.93 ERA, 1.09 WHIP in 2010 and 10 wins in 2011. The last two seasons were solid but not spectacular.

Known more as a set-up man in his days at Coors Field, he recorded just seven saves in those five seasons. So, it’s hard to believe that GM Jon Daniels looks at this signing as the answer in the ninth inning, replacing Joe Nathan. However, it does add another option for manager Ron Washington. “There is no question that losing Joe (Nathan) hurts our bullpen. That said, we do think we have plenty of options and we will have somebody step up and take on that important role of closer. Matt could be that guy. Time will tell,” said Daniels.

The deal is two-years; $16.4 Million.

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@BubbaOlmey Matt Garza has made his decision and will sign on in New York. The @Mets, that is. #mlb #hotstove

@GoMetsGo Love it! The rotation is STACKED! Welcome Matt Garza to the mix. Hughes and Garza join Wheeler and Harvey. Let’s go! #Mets

METS ADD MATT GARZA TO ROTATION
By: Darryl Hough, New York Post > Sports > MLB > Mets

The Mets have added a second big-name free agent to the rotation that finished the 2013 season with a 4.14 ERA, ranked 10th in the National League. Matt Garza went 10-12 with a 3.84 ERA for the Chicago Cubs last season, pitching amid much angst about the direction the club, among other things. Garza, now 30 years old, is a consistent performer despite past attitude flare ups, something the Mets are used to by now.

Garza cashes in for one last big contract that will pay him $67.6 Million over five years in New York, a place he says he always has wanted to play. “I didn’t care if it was the Mets or the Yankees, I just wanted to play in New York. The fan base is so great here and I am a passionate player. I appreciate passionate fans. I’m really excited,” said Garza at a news conference announcing the pact. GM Sandy Alderson has this to say: “We are excited to add Matt to our rotation and join Phil Hughes in our revamped pitching staff. He is just what we are looking for. A veteran with experience and a history of success. He also demonstrates a passion for the game that we would like to instill in our clubhouse.”

Manager Don Mattingly was fully prepared to take a year off from the game after a rough experience in Los Angeles with the Dodgers. However, he was assured by Alderson that he would be given the tools to succeed in Flushing. So far, that promise has been backed up. The Mets this off-season have been agressive in getting rid of “dead weight” (Parnell, Hefner, Gee) and adding, what they believe are quality players. All of the sudden, the Mets are on the radar as a potential suitor to upend the incumbent NL East Champion Washington Nationals.

Now, what to do about that offense?

[pete3]

I got my schedules from Bigrod too. The only thing I'll forewarn you about is that doing the realignment and then importing the schedule will probably have your minor league schedules wrong, if you care about that. Also, not sure if you are using the minor leagues as they came in the game Quick Start, but if you did, some of the divisions alignments are wrong. I had to manually adjust three leagues I think.

Again, this doesn't affect the Majors, but thought you might want to know if you care. Also, be on the lookout for the affiliation change in the Appalachian League. I think it was Bristol. Whoever it was, they were the White Sox and now they are Pirates. This is probably a little more complicated to adjust because you would probably want to make sure the players stay with the Sox organization rather than switch. Also, the Royals Arizona League is being eliminated while the White Sox are adding an Arizona League team.

Good luck with your spring training.

[OOTPRealTime]

Originally Posted by pete3

I got my schedules from Bigrod too. The only thing I'll forewarn you about is that doing the realignment and then importing the schedule will probably have your minor league schedules wrong, if you care about that. Also, not sure if you are using the minor leagues as they came in the game Quick Start, but if you did, some of the divisions alignments are wrong. I had to manually adjust three leagues I think.

Again, this doesn't affect the Majors, but thought you might want to know if you care. Also, be on the lookout for the affiliation change in the Appalachian League. I think it was Bristol. Whoever it was, they were the White Sox and now they are Pirates. This is probably a little more complicated to adjust because you would probably want to make sure the players stay with the Sox organization rather than switch. Also, the Royals Arizona League is being eliminated while the White Sox are adding an Arizona League team.

Good luck with your spring training.

Thanks! Yea, I am not worried so much about the correct minor league schedules. So, I just imported the major league one for now. Big ups to Bigrod for that. Such a huge help.

Thanks for the heads up. Yeah, I did the re-alignment in the PCL and I'm thinking about how I am going to change Bristol. What I'll probably do is create a new team in the Appalachian League and name them the Bristol Pirates. I'll then create a new team called the Glendale Sox in the AZL. Then, I'm going to move all of the players (using the Commissioner mode) to that team from the Bristol Sox to the newly created Glendale Sox fo the AZL -and then delete the Bristol team completely. Then, I'll disband the Surprise Royals team by moving their players to Idaho Falls and let their AI decide who stays and who goes.

[OOTPRealTime]

We had all of the pitchers report yesterday and have a quick meeting with both manager Mike Matheny and pitching coach Derek Lilliquist. It was also good to see Yadier Molina step up and address the guys as a group. He is really starting to embrace the leadership role we need him to have. He does it on the field for sure, but he was a little shy after Albert bolted and left him as the leader in the clubhouse. He is starting to embrace that role and a lot of credit has to go to Matheny, who was Yadi's mentor when he first broke into the big leagues in 2004. Their relationship is very strong and that's very important. Mo knew this going in when he hired Mike without any prior managerial experience. It has proved to be a good hire. That said, Mike is in his third year now and despite some success (reaching the NLCS in 2012) and a solid record last year, we'd like to see him lead this team to a new level of success.

Today the pitchers and catchers will go through their physicals and then a quick workout with our strength and conditioning coach to with some simple tests to see where they stand following the off-season. Pete Prinzi will then report back to Mike if he thinks anybody is behind where they should be. At that point, Mike will inform me of those players. We hope not to have any of those players.

Jason Motte is still recovering from Tommy John Surgery performed prior to last season. He is expected back early in 2014 but this will not be a normal Spring Training for him by any means. He is a passionate pitcher and will do everything he can to get back on that mound - but it's the job of our trainer (Greg Hauck) and rehab staff (led by Adam Olsen) to get him where he needs to be without risking re-injury. Motte was the closer before Trevor Rosenthal broke onto the scene and locked up that job. Motte will likely be the 8th or 7th inning guy when he returns. If Rosie struggles, he will most likely be the first to get a chance to win his job back.

I'm particularly interested in the shape of Shelby Miller who will be a hot topic during camp this year. Many believe he should be in the rotation (and we project him there) but he is young and really needs to come to camp and EARN that job. I think he knows that. But, just to make sure, I had one of the clubbies let him know that I'd like to speak with him upstairs (my office is on the second floor - right above the clubhouses at Roger Dean Stadium) after he gets his physical. I'm sure his initial reaction to that was one of trepidation - thinking he may be in trouble. I told Mike that I think a quick conversation with him would be a good way to get him motivated to get camp off on the right foot. He agreed, but thought it may be more effective for me to have that conversation. We'll play the card of how I am rooting for him but Mike makes the decision on his role.

Here is a quick synopsis of that conversation:

Me: Shelby, just wanted to let you know that we expect big things from you this year. From my seat, I'm rooting for you and we'd like to see you in that starting rotation from day one.

Shelby: Absolutely. That's what I want as well.

Me: We aren't going to hand anything to you though, you'll need to earn it. We have a lot of quality arms as you know. Your teammates want that job also and your performance this Spring will determine that. Again, Mike makes that decision, not me. Just wanted to make sure you realized the magnitude."

Shelby: Yes, sir. I appreciate that. No doubt. I'm excited to get going. I've been keeping up with Pete's workouts and am ready.

Me: Good to hear. That's really all I have. Go get 'em.

Shelby: Phew. I thought I was in trouble or something.

Me: Did you do something to warrant that?

Shelby: (laugh) No, sir. I'm good. Thanks.

Me: You got it. See you out there.

Like I said, a quick conversation just to make sure we were on the same page. It was an off-season with little correspondence and much media hype about his role. It's just good practice to be on the same page. He's a good kid. He likes to have a good time and live it up. He'll need to reign that in a bit - though, he did just get married this off-season, so that may help. He has a world of talent and we want him to tap into that right now.

We share a complex with the Marlins in Jupiter at Roger Dean. The grounds are the exact same size, mirrored on each side, split right down the middle.



We are not far away from this...