Welcome to the Daily Link Dump!
To start us off, we have the news that many of you heard announced Sunday, the signing of Scott Hatteberg with the Cincinatti Reds. The Reds could use the Pickin' Machine as either a Pinch Hitter off the bench, or use it to pre-empt an Adam Dunn or Austin Kearns trade. But with Byrnes and Hatteberg gone, who will be the Team Dad?
CINCINNATI -- Scott Hatteberg agreed to a one-year, $750,000 contract Sunday with Cincinnati, giving the Reds more flexibility at first base. ... Hatteberg can make an additional $250,000 in performance bonuses, based upon plate appearances.And The Zito Rumors STRIKE AGAIN! Yes! Again! This time its Barry Zito and Mark Kotsay for BlueChip Prospects Chad Billingsley, Joel Guzman and former BlueChip Greg Miller! You will have a fun Job discussing this to no end, people!
Meanwhile, more players continue to drop out of the World Baseball Classic, making us wonder who the hell will play for the United States at all if this continues? The Dominican Republic and other countries, with the exception of Japanese MLB players, don't seem to be dropping out. Unless of course you count Danny Haren.
Roger Clemens reiterated that he will not decide if he will continue to play until after the World Baseball Classic, and most of us are still praying that in the event he does, he chooses the best option (IE: Houston).
In Contraction News, the A's are NOT the team being discussed (Thank You Lord). The teams in question are the Minnesota Twins, whom a judge rulled were allowed to leave the Metrodome after the 2006 season and the Flordia Marlins, who have no fans to actually care if they get contracted. MLB has the right in the current collective bargining agreement to contract teams, but must notify the players union before the end of July, so expect to see it pop up again. It makes you wonder, if there was a contraction, who would the A's try to draft?
The Cubs have struck a deal with Carlos Zambrano, IE: The ONLY healthy Cubs pitcher in the last 10 years. Or something like that.
Meanwhile, the Angels are still on the Verge, and most believe Jeff Weaver is simply lost somewhere down in Los Angeles, looking for the stadium.
The Toronto BlueJays are not the only Moneyball Team to have Manager woes, with conflicting information from JP and Gibbons.
Still, who knows what the Jays will do with Catalanatto... Catiananato... Katzalanatio? Catalaniato? Catlickano? Catadanatto! Screw it.
And RunRickyRun has to be happy, even if its not in Oakland. Lucky enough for us, we seem to be picked very well by some of the experts ourselves! Well, at least the Angels are sinking fast!
Was this a pain to put together? Well, I don't know. But it was fun. I'll shut up now.
Congratulations! You made it to the End of the Daily Link Dump! Now go watch TV or something, you lazy bum.
