Garland Agrees To 1-year, $5.3 million Deal With Padres – I really like the Jon Garland signing. He’s a durable guy who knows how to pitch and he can bring additional leadership to a young pitching staff. He pitched great for the Dodgers last year down the stretch and I think he’s going to take full advantage of pitching in Petco. Sure it may have been more fun if the Pads signed Pedro instead but this is a much wiser decision that comes with less risk.
Mark Loretta Retires, Hired by Padres Front Office – Mark Loretta announced his retirement from playing baseball on Monday and in the same breath announced his hiring as a special assistant to the baseball operations staff of the San Diego Padres. Welcome back, Mark! (Cue War…)
Padres Sign Matt Stairs To Minor League Contract – The Padres signed 42 year old Matt Stairs to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. The Padres hope to use Stairs as a left-handed bat off the bench and in DH situations during interleague play. Stairs recently told ESPN that he’s lost 31 lbs. this off-season and is currently at 199 lbs. I’ll believe it when I see it and probably not even then.
Xavier Nady Reaches Deal With Cubs – Former Padres OF Xavier Nady has reached a preliminary agreement on a one-year, $3.3 million contract with the Chicago Cubs.
Changes to the 2010 NFL Season – Here are some quick bullets on changes you can expect in the 2010 NFL season as the CBA expires:
- Players would need six years in the league before becoming unrestricted free agents rather than four. Some veterans with less than six years in the league would become restricted free agents, meaning their current club will have the right to match an offer or be compensated for losing them. (Merriman, VJ, Cromartie, etc.)
- Each club already has one transition (franchise) player tag and would get a second. A transition player must be offered at least the average of the top 10 salaries for his position during the previous season, or 120 percent of the player’s previous year’s salary, whichever is greater.
- The eight clubs that made the divisional playoff round this year will have limits on signing unrestricted free agents under what’s called the Final Eight Plan.
- The 32 teams would be relieved of their obligation to fund numerous player benefit programs, including 401Ks, player annuity, severance pay, and tuition assistance. That would be a reduction of more than $7 million per club.
- A supplemental revenue-sharing plan will be scrapped by the league, which says about $100 million is involved; the union claims it’s closer to $200 million. That’s not a huge sum in the scheme of NFL finances, but would still hurt clubs on the financial bottom rung.
- There would be no salary floor or salary ceiling. In 2009, the cap was $128 million and the floor was $111 million.
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