12/31/14

Reds Acquire Marlon Byrd

The Cincinnati Reds acquired outfielder Marlon Byrd and cash considerations from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for pitcher Ben Lively. Byrd, 37, has played in 1404 career games for the Philadelphia Phillies, Washington Nationals, Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, and Pittsburgh Pirates. He has a career batting average of .278 with 131 home runs and 618 runs batted in. He was an All Star selection in 2010 as a member of the Cubs. Lively, 23 in March, split the 2014 season with Class-A Bakersfield and Double-A Pensacola. In 26 games, he compiled a record of (13-7) with a 3.04 ERA.

12/31/14

Dodgers Designate Erisbel Arruebarrena for Assignment

The Los Angeles Dodgers designated infielder Erisbel Arruebarrena for assignment. Arruebarrena, 25 in March, made his Major League debut for the Dodgers in 2014. In 22 games, he hit .195 with no home runs and four runs batted in.

12/31/14

Rockies Sign Nick Hundley

The Colorado Rockies signed catcher Nick Hundley to a two-year contract worth approximately $6 million. Hundley, 31, has played in 560 career games for the San Diego Padres and Baltimore Orioles. He has a career batting average of .238 with 52 home runs and 214 runs batted in.

12/31/14

Cubs Sign Chris Denorfia

The Chicago Cubs signed outfielder Chris Denorfia to a one-year contract worth $2.5 million. Denorfia, 34, has played in 705 career games for the Cincinnati Reds, Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres, and Seattle Mariners. He has a career batting average of .272 with 38 home runs and 178 runs batted in.

12/30/14

Padres, Mariners Swap Smith, Maurer

The Seattle Mariners acquired outfielder Seth Smith from the San Diego Padres in exchange for pitcher Brandon Maurer. Smith, 32, has played in 865 career games for the Rockies, Athletics, and Padres. He has a career batting average of .265 with 85 home runs and 321 runs batted in. Maurer, 24, has pitched in 60 career games for the Mariners. He has a career record of (6-12) with a 5.58 ERA.

12/30/14

Rays Sign Asdrubal Cabrera

The Tampa Bay Rays signed infielder Asdrubal Cabrera to a one-year contract. Cabrera, 29, has played in 963 career games for the Cleveland Indians and Washington Nationals. He has a career batting average of .268 with 87 home runs and 451 runs batted in. He was selected to the All Star Game in 2011 and 2012. He also won a Silver Slugger Award in 2011.

12/30/14

Dodgers Sign Sergio Santos

The Los Angeles Dodgers signed pitcher Sergio Santos to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. Santos, 31, has pitched in 180 career games for the Chicago White Sox and Toronto Blue Jays. He has a career record of (7-12) with a 3.89 ERA and 39 saves.

12/29/14

Yamaico Navarro Re-Signs in Korea

The Samsung Lions re-signed infielder Yamaico Navarro to a one-year contract worth $950K plus incentives. Navarro, 27, has played in 79 career games for the Boston Red Sox, Kansas City Royals, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Baltimore Orioles. He has a career batting average of .206 with two home runs and 20 runs batted in.

12/29/14

Padres Acquire Shawn Kelley

The San Diego Padres acquired pitcher Shawn Kelley from the New York Yankees in exchange for pitcher Johnny Barbato. Kelley, 30, has pitched in 236 career games for the Mariners and Yankees. He has a career record of (17-17) with a 3.94 ERA and four saves. Barbato, 22, spent the 2014 season with Double-A San Antonio. In 27 games, he compiled a record of (2-2) with a 2.87 ERA and 16 saves. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Padres designated pitcher Keyvius Sampson for assignment. Sampson, 24 in January, spent the 2014 season with Triple-A El Paso. In 38 games, he compiled a record of (2-5) with a 6.68 ERA.

12/27/14

Phillies Sign Wandy Rodriguez

The Philadelphia Phillies signed pitcher Wandy Rodriguez to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. Rodriguez, 36 in January, has pitched in 258 career games for the Houston Astros and Pittsburgh Pirates. He has a career record of (91-94) with a 4.06 ERA. He also pitched two complete game shutouts in his career.

12/27/14

Starlin Castro Arrested

Chicago Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro was arrested this morning for questioning in the Dominican Republic. There was a shooting in a nightclub that left six people injured. People close to Castro were involved in the shooting. Castro, 25 in March, has played in 740 career games for the Cubs. He has a career batting average of .284 with 51 home runs and 294 runs batted in. He is a three-time All Star.

Update: Castro WAS NOT arrested. He went to the police station voluntarily. He is not in trouble.

12/26/14

Giants Sign Juan Gutierrez

The San Francisco Giants signed pitcher Juan Gutierrez to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. Gutierrez, 31, has pitched in 264 career games for the Astros, Diamondbacks, Royals, Angels, and Giants. He has a career record of (7-17) with a 4.49 ERA and 24 saves.

12/26/14

Hiroki Kuroda to Japan

Free agent starting pitcher Hiroki Kuroda has decided to return to Japan. He signed with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of Nippon Professional Baseball. Kuroda, 40 in February, has pitched in 212 career games for the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees. He has a career record of (79-79) with a 3.45 ERA. He pitched six career complete games with five of them being shutouts.

12/26/14

Nationals Sign Dan Uggla

The Washington Nationals signed infielder Dan Uggla to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. Uggla, 35 in March, has played in 1279 career games for the Florida Marlins, Atlanta Braves, and San Francisco Giants. He has a career batting average of .243 with 233 home runs and 690 runs batted in. He is a three-time All Star selection and a one-time Silver Slugger Award winner.

12/26/14

Rick VandenHurk to Japan

The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks signed former Major League pitcher Rick VandenHurk. VandenHurk, 29, has pitched in 50 career games for the Florida Marlins, Baltimore Orioles, and Pittsburgh Pirates. He has a career record of (8-11) with a 6.08 ERA.

12/25/14

Diamondbacks Sign Jordan Pacheco

The Arizona Diamondbacks signed infielder Jordan Pacheco to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. Pacheco, 29 in January, has played in 317 career games for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks. He has a career batting average of .281 with eight home runs and 106 runs batted in.

12/24/14

Merry Christmas!

I just wanted to take the time to thank everyone for reading my blogs. I started blogging because of an assignment for Sport Communication and Technology. I have enjoyed it so much that I have continued to blog on PiratesFreak94 and I have created NHL Talk and Other Info. This is my 364th post on PiratesFreak94. So far, I have gotten 2,284 views. Thank you all very much. I wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas!

12/24/14

Indians Sign Jeff Manship

The Cleveland Indians signed pitcher Jeff Manship to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. Manship, 30 in January, has pitched in 72 career games for the Minnesota Twins, Colorado Rockies, and Philadelphia Phillies. He has a career record of (4-9) with a 6.46 ERA.

12/24/14

Rockies Sign Roger Bernadina

The Colorado Rockies signed outfielder Roger Bernadina to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. Bernadina, 30, has played in 548 career games for the Washington Nationals, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, and Los Angeles Dodgers. He has a career batting average of .236 with 28 home runs and 121 runs batted in.

12/24/14

Blue Jays Sign Andrew Albers

The Toronto Blue Jays signed pitcher Andrew Albers to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. Albers, 29, made his Major League debut for the Minnesota Twins in 2013. In 10 games, he compiled a record of (2-5) with a 4.05 ERA. He also pitched a complete-game shutout.

12/24/14

Rangers Sign Tommy Field

The Texas Rangers signed infielder Tommy Field to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. Field, 28 in February, has played in 33 career games for the Rockies and Angels. He has a career batting average of .224 with no home runs and three runs batted in.

12/24/14

Marlins Sign Vinny Rottino

The Miami Marlins signed outfielder Vinny Rottino to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. Rottino, 34, has played in 62 career games for the Brewers, Marlins, Mets, and Indians. He has a career batting average of .165 with three home runs and 11 runs batted in.

12/24/14

Diamondbacks Sign Dan Runzler

The Arizona Diamondbacks signed pitcher Dan Runzler to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. Runzler, 30 in March, has pitched in 89 career games for the San Francisco Giants. He has a career record of (4-2) with a 3.86 ERA.

12/24/14

Reds Sign Two to Minors Deals

The Cincinnati Reds signed pitchers Jose Mijares and Michael Bowden to minor league contracts with invitations to spring training. Mijares, 30, has pitched in 324 career games for the Minnesota Twins, Kansas City Royals, and San Francisco Giants. He has a career record of (6-11) with a 3.23 ERA. He won the World Series with the Giants in 2012. Bowden, 28, has pitched in 103 career games for the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs. He has a career record of (3-5) with a 4.51 ERA.

12/24/14

Orioles Sign Delmon Young

The Baltimore Orioles signed outfielder Delmon Young to a one-year contract worth $2.25 million. Young, 29, has played in 1066 career games for the Tampa Bay Rays, Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Phillies, and Baltimore Orioles. He has a career batting average of .283 with 107 home runs and 550 runs batted in. He was the 2012 American League Championship Series MVP as a member of the Tigers.

12/24/14

Braves Sign A.J. Pierzynski

The Atlanta Braves signed catcher A.J. Pierzynski to a one-year contract. Pierzynski, 38 on December 30, has played in 1865 career games for the Minnesota Twins, San Francisco Giants, Chicago White Sox, Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, and St. Louis Cardinals. He has a career batting average of .281 with 177 home runs and 837 runs batted in. He is a two-time All Star selection, a one-time Silver Slugger Award winner, and he won the World Series with the White Sox in 2005.

12/24/14

Reds Sign Three to Minors Deals

The Cincinnati Reds signed infielder Ivan De Jesus, outfielder Jermaine Curtis, and pitcher Nate Adcock (pictured) to minor league contracts with invitations to spring training. De Jesus, 27, has played in 48 career games for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox. He has a career batting average of .205 with no home runs and five runs batted in. Curtis, also 27, made his Major League debut with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2013. In five games, he hit .000 with no home runs and no runs batted in. Adcock, 27 in February, has pitched in 43 career games for the Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers. He has a career record of (1-4) with a 3.86 ERA and one save.

12/24/14

Cubs Sign Adron Chambers

The Chicago Cubs signed outfielder Adron Chambers to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. Chambers, 28, has played 84 career games for the St. Louis Cardinals. He has a career batting average of .216 with no home runs and nine runs batted in.

12/24/14

L.J. Mazzilli Suspended

New York Mets prospect L.J. Mazzilli has been suspended for 50 games for testing positive for perfomance-enhancing drugs. Mazzilli, 24, is the son of former player and manager Lee Mazzilli. He split the 2014 season with Class-A Savannah, Class-A St. Lucie, and Triple-A Las Vegas. In 131 games, he hit .301 with 11 home runs and 79 runs batted in.

12/23/14

Braves Sign Jason Grilli

The Atlanta Braves signed pitcher Jason Grilli to a two-year contract with an option for the 2017 season. Grilli, 38, has pitched in 446 career games for the Marlins, White Sox, Tigers, Rockies, Rangers, Pirates, and Angels. He has a career record of (22-32) with a 4.16 ERA and 50 saves. He was selected to his first All Star Game in 2013 as a member of the Pirates.

12/23/14

Nationals Sign Ian Stewart

The Washington Nationals signed infielder Ian Stewart to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. Stewart, 29, has played in 511 career games for the Colorado Rockies, Chicago Cubs, and Los Angeles Angels. He has a career batting average of .229 with 61 home runs and 211 runs batted in.

12/23/14

Padres Sign Brett Wallace

The San Diego Padres signed first baseman Brett Wallace to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. Wallace, 28, has played in 311 career games for the Houston Astros. He has a career batting average of .242 with 29 home runs and 102 runs batted in.

12/23/14

Twins Sign Tim Stauffer

The Minnesota Twins signed pitcher Tim Stauffer to a one-year contract worth $2.2 million. Stauffer, 32, has pitched in 183 career games for the San Diego Padres. He has a career record of (32-34) with a 3.87 ERA.

12/23/14

Jack Hannahan to Korea

Free agent infielder Jack Hannahan signed a one-year deal with the LG Twins of the Korea Baseball Organization. Hannahan, 35 in March, has played in 614 career games for the Detroit Tigers, Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Indians, and Cincinnati Reds. He has a career batting average of .231 with 29 home runs and 175 runs batted in.

12/23/14

Cubs Claim Mike Kickham Off Waivers

The Chicago Cubs claimed pitcher Mike Kickham off waivers from the San Francisco Giants. Kickham, 26, spent parts of the 2013 and 2014 seasons with the Giants. In 14 games, he has a career record of (0-3) with a 10.98 ERA.

12/23/14

Marlins Claim Preston Claiborne Off Waivers

The Miami Marlins claimed pitcher Preston Claiborne off waiver from the New York Yankees. Claiborne, 27 in January, has pitched in 62 career games for the Yankees. He has a career record of (3-2) with a 3.79 ERA.

12/22/14

People Are Never Satisfied

Many people watch sports for entertainment. They watch games and cheer on their "favorite" teams. When their team wins, they are happy. At the end of the day, people are still not satisfied. I think this is ridiculous. The Pittsburgh Steelers won the yesterday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs to clinch a playoff spot. The problem? People are still pleading for the Steelers to fire Mike Tomlin, Todd Haley, and Kevin Colbert. What is wrong with these people?!?!?!?!?!?! The Steelers ended a playoff drought and people are still not satisfied. I am a huge Pirates fan. Every season, people keep ripping on the Pirates by saying "they suck" and that "they are cheap". This is pathetic. The Pirates are not "cheap". Did anyone see the Pirates sign Francisco Liriano to a three-year, $39 million contract? Did anyone see the Pirates win the bidding war for Korean shortstop Jung-ho Kang? The Pirates are not cheap! Also, they don't suck either. The past two seasons, they have had winning seasons and have made it to the playoffs. The Penguins are a solid team every year. People go into the each season expecting the Penguins to win the Stanley Cup. The fact of the matter is that the Penguins aren't going to win the Stanley Cup every year. Also, people need to stop calling Sidney Crosby a "crybaby". I will admit that I am not a Crosby fan perse, but he is not a crybaby. Does he look for a penalty on every play? No. Does he stand up for his team? Yes. If you want to see the real definition of a crybaby, look at Claude Giroux. He complains about practically everything. I am an optimist. I support my teams through thick and thin. When you root for a team, make sure that you know what you are talking about. I absolutely cannot stand bandwagon fans. They act like they know everything yet they have no information to back their point. Anyone who has these negative views needs to get a grip. Be happy for once. It is good for you.

12/22/14

Twins Sign Two to Minors Deals

The Minnesota Twins signed first baseman Brock Peterson and catcher Dan Rohlfing to minor league contracts with invitations to spring training. Peterson, 31, made his Major League debut for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2013. In 23 games, he hit .077 with no home runs and two runs batted in. Rohlfing, 26 in February, spent the 2014 season with Triple-A Rochester. In 75 games, he hit .205 with two home runs and 23 runs batted in.

12/22/14

Phillies Sign Three to Minors Deals

The Philadelphia Phillies signed first baseman Chris McGuiness and pitcher Sean O'Sullivan and Kevin Slowey to minor league contracts with invitations to spring training. McGuiness, made his Major League debut with the Texas Rangers in 2013. In 10 games, he hit .176 with no home runs and one run batted in. O'Sullivan, 27, has pitched in 53 games for the Los Angeles Angels, Kansas City Royals, San Diego Padres, and Philadelphia Phillies. He has a career record of (10-17) with a 5.91 ERA. Slowey, 30, has pitched in 137 career games for the Minnesota Twins and Miami Marlins. He has a career record of (43-36) with a 4.62 ERA. He has pitched three career complete games with two of them being shutouts.

12/22/14

Twins Sign Phil Hughes to a Three-Year Extension

The Minnesota Twins signed pitcher Phil Hughes to a three-year extension. He is already signed through the 2016 season. His contract will now run through the 2019 season. Hughes, 28, has pitched in 214 career games for the Yankees and Twins. He has a career record of (72-60) with a 4.32 ERA and three saves. He has pitched three career complete games with one of them being a shutout. He was a 2010 All Star selection and he won the World Series with the Yankees in 2009.

12/22/14

Nationals Sign Heath Bell

The Washington Nationals signed pitcher Heath Bell to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. Bell, 37, has pitched in 590 career games for the New York Mets, San Diego Padres, Miami Marlins, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Tampa Bay Rays. He has a career record of (38-32) with a 3.49 ERA and 168 saves. He is also a three-time All Star.

12/21/14

Twins Sign Wil Ledezma

The Minnesota Twins signed pitcher Wil Ledezma to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. Ledezma, 34 in January, has pitched in 192 career games for the Detroit Tigers, Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, Washington Nationals, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Toronto Blue Jays. He has a career record of (15-25) with a 5.40 ERA.

12/21/14

Indians Sign Scott Downs

The Cleveland Indians signed pitcher Scott Downs to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. Downs, 39 in March, has pitched in 619 career games for the Chicago Cubs, Montreal Expos, Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Angels, Atlanta Braves, Chicago White Sox, and Kansas City Royals. He has a career record of (38-40) with a 3.56 ERA and 27 saves. He pitched a complete-game shutout in the 2004 season as a member of the Expos.

12/19/14

Royals Release Carlos Peguero

The Kansas City Royals released outfielder Carlos Peguero. Peguero, 28 in February, has played in 69 career games for the Mariners and Royals. He has a career batting average of .196 with nine home runs and 28 runs batted in.

12/19/14

Red Sox Re-Sign Craig Breslow

The Boston Red Sox re-signed pitcher Craig Breslow to a one-year contract worth $2 million. Breslow, 34, has pitched in 479 career games for the Padres, Red Sox, Indians, Twins, Athletics, and Diamondbacks. He has a career record of (22-23) with a 3.20 ERA and seven saves.

12/19/14

Giants Acquire Casey McGehee

The San Francisco Giants acquired infielder Casey McGehee from the Miami Marlins in exchange for pitchers Kendry Flores and Luis Castillo. McGehee, 32, has played in 711 career games for the Cubs, Brewers, Pirates, Yankees, and Marlins. He has a career batting average of .264 with 65 home runs and 359 runs batted in. Flores, 23, spent the 2014 season with Class-A San Jose. In 20 games, he compiled a record of (4-6) with a 4.09 ERA. Castillo, 22, spent the 2014 season with Class-A Augusta. In 48 games, he compiled a record of (2-2) with a 3.07 ERA and 10 saves.