Throughout the Winter Meetings, I’ll react to the acts that are going on in Baseball.
Action:
Free-agent reliever Brad Lidge has informed his agents, Rex Gary & Jim Turner, that he plans to retire. One of the all-time class acts.
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) December 3, 2012
Reaction: I saw Lidge pitch once when he was with Houston. It was the year after he’d had his soul eaten by Albert Pujols, who sent a go-ahead home run in the NLCS so far into the night that I believe one of the Mars rovers recently discovered it. He got the save, if memory serves, but it was during one of the down points of his career. You see, Lidge was a player who was either lights-out or a heart attack waiting to happen, great one year but not-so-great the next, and injury-prone often (he mentioned on MLB Network this morning that he’s had 9 surgeries over his career). Overall, however, he had a good career, and as he retires he goes out with 225 saves, two All-Star Games, he played a role in a combined no-hitter against the Yankees, a World Series ring and appearances in two other World Series.
Action:
Hear exclusively Alex Rodriguez was playing with re-tear in surgically repaired hip Likely going for another surgery #Yankees (cont)
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) December 3, 2012
A-Rod will miss at least piece of ’13. Hope is surgery will allow for successful player again for #Yankees
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) December 3, 2012
Reaction: Oh, Alex Rodriguez. It never seems to end for him. With every successive year, his contract with the Yankees becomes even more of a albatross, and as his body breaks down and production decreases, it’s also becoming clear that the one saving grace the Yankees might have had- the attention that would come when Rodriguez could break Bonds’ HR record- is highly unlikely.
Action:
@ken_rosenthal reporting James Loney close to deal with the #Rays. James Shields on multiple teams shopping lists. He won’t come cheaply.
— Dan Plesac (@Plesac19) December 3, 2012
Reaction: And so it begins for the Tampa Rays, who many- including me- think will be a big mover-and-shaker at the Winter Meetings.They have an excess amount of good pitchers. Everybody wants good pitchers. And the Rays aren’t the market where they are able to sign lots of guys to long-term deals once they get expensive (with the exception of Evan Longoria, of course). To flip a pitcher could be a prudent move, for the right prospects. James Shields is the most likely to be dealt, but there have been on-and-off rumblings about David Price for about a year and a half. James Loney, meanwhile, seems like the type of guy who could turn out to be a shrewd move for the Rays. He had an off-year in 2012, but a rebound could give a good new cog to the Rays’ lineup.
Non-Baseball Action:
The 2012 #SISportsman of the Year: @kingjames // on.si.com/UkdUIR| twitter.com/SInow/status/2…
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) December 3, 2012
Reaction: Others might have been more deserving, but it is hard to argue with a MVP, a league title and an Olympic Gold medal.
Keep an eye open for more Action and Reaction throughout the Winter Meetings.
The Baseball Continuum 