Monthly Archives: November 2009

Miguel Tejada: Plan-D for the Minnesota Twins

Posted on November 17, 2009 by Jeremiah Graves

“Miguel Tejada signs with the Minnesota Twins.” Reading that headline wouldn’t elicit the excitement it would have five years ago, but it’s still an intriguing proposition. Five years ago, Tejada was one of baseball’s best players and had recently signed … Continue reading →

Posted in AL Central, Baseball, Cheap Seat Chronicles, Free Agency, Miguel Tejada, Minnesota Twins, MLB, MVP | 3 Comments

Starting Five: A Look at the Contenders for the AL Cy Young Award

Posted on November 17, 2009 by Jeremiah Graves

Later today the Baseball Writers Association of America will announce who they’ve voted as this year’s American League Cy Young Award winner. Although some believe there’s an obvious front-runner for the award, the field is still “technically” wide-open after a … Continue reading →

Posted in Awards, Baseball, CC Sabathia, Cheap Seat Chronicles, Cy Young, Felix Hernandez, Justin Verlander, MLB, Roy Halladay, Zack Greinke | Leave a comment

Third Time’s the Charm: Minnesota Should Keep Chasing Adrian Beltre

Posted on November 16, 2009 by Jeremiah Graves

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. This famous saying serves not only as a motivational tool, but also as a solid offseason philosophy for small-market general managers. Twins’ general manager Bill Smith has made overtures for current … Continue reading →

Posted in Adrian Beltre, AL Central, American League, Baseball, Cheap Seat Chronicles, Free Agency, Injuries, Minnesota Twins, MLB | 3 Comments

Pirates’ Booty: Pittsburgh Open to Trading Ryan Doumit

Posted on November 16, 2009 by Jeremiah Graves

The air is crisp, the leaves are falling, and Scott Boras is on the prowl. It can mean only one thing. It’s November in Pittsburgh and it’s time for the front-office to rid the ballclub of any remaining veteran talent. … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, Cheap Seat Chronicles, MLB, MLB Trades, Pittsburgh Pirates, Ryan Doumit, Trade Rumors | Leave a comment

Felipe Lopez: Is He a Perfect Fit for Minnesota?

Posted on November 14, 2009 by Jeremiah Graves

If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times. The Twins need another infielder and they need a legitimate hitter to handle the two-hole in the lineup. Both of these facts have been beaten to death by Twins’ … Continue reading →

Posted in AL Central, American League, Baseball, Cheap Seat Chronicles, Felipe Lopez, Free Agency, Minnesota Twins, MLB | 3 Comments

Dan Uggla’s Stubbornness is Hurting His Trade Value

Posted on November 14, 2009 by Jeremiah Graves

Dan Uggla has no qualms about changing teams. Changing positions, however, is a whole different ballgame. Uggla, 29, is due a substantial raise via arbitration, and finds himself on the trading block as a result. The Florida Marlins aren’t inclined … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, Cheap Seat Chronicles, Dan Uggla, Miami Marlins, MLB, MLB Trades, National League, NL East, Trade Rumors | 1 Comment

Former Met, Edgardo Alfonzo is Keeping His Big League Dreams Alive

Posted on November 14, 2009 by Jeremiah Graves

Baseball can be a great game, a dream come true, if you will. However, baseball can also be a fickle game. That sentiment rings especially true for Edgardo Alfonzo. Alfonzo was once one of the top infielders in all of … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, Cheap Seat Chronicles, Edgardo Alfonzo, MLB, New York Mets, NL East | 1 Comment

Carlos Lee: Plan-C for Losers of the Bay and Holliday Sweepstakes

Posted on November 13, 2009 by Jeremiah Graves

Houston, you have a problem. Your ballclub is bad, really bad. The Astros—a perennial contender for much of the last decade—have fallen on hard times. From 1994 to 2006, Houston was one of the most competitive clubs in the National … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, Carlos Lee, Cheap Seat Chronicles, Drayton McLane, Houston Astros, Jason Bay, Matt Holliday, MLB, MLB Trades, Trade Rumors | Leave a comment

Glen Perkins’ Grievance is Settled, His Future in Minnesota is Not

Posted on November 12, 2009 by Jeremiah Graves

Glen Perkins has dropped his grievance against the Minnesota Twins. The two sides were able to reach a settlement earlier today, thus avoiding the hearing that was planned for this Friday in New York. The grievance came as a result … Continue reading →

Posted in AL Central, American League, Baseball, Cheap Seat Chronicles, Glen Perkins, Injuries, Minnesota Twins, MLB, MLB Trades, Trade Rumors | 1 Comment

For the Minnesota Twins, Brandon Phillips is the Answer

Posted on November 11, 2009 by Jeremiah Graves

In baseball, it’s not always easy to find the answers. To this day it seems that almost no pitchers have found the answer to Albert Pujols’ bat and no hitters—except Chase Utley—have found the answer for CC Sabathia’s left arm. … Continue reading →

Posted in AL Central, American League, Baseball, Brandon Phillips, Cheap Seat Chronicles, Cincinnati Reds, Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins, MLB, MLB Trades, Trade Rumors | 1 Comment

Risk vs Reward: A Dozen Free Agent Pitching Options for the Twins

Posted on November 10, 2009 by Jeremiah Graves

The Minnesota Twins came into this offseason with three major goals: 1) Sign Joe Mauer to an extension 2) Improve the infield 3) Add at least one veteran arm to the rotation General manager Bill Smith got off to a … Continue reading →

Posted in AL Central, American League, Baseball, Ben Sheets, Brett Myers, Carl Pavano, Cheap Seat Chronicles, Chien-Ming Wang, Erik Bedard, Free Agency, Injuries, John Smoltz, Justin Duchscherer, Mark Mulder, Mark Prior, Minnesota Twins, MLB, Noah Lowry, Rich Harden, Rich Hill | 1 Comment

Seven Reasons Why the Twins Should Bring Back Joe Crede

Posted on November 9, 2009 by Jeremiah Graves

Minnesota general manger Bill Smith is a busy man. In the last week alone, Smith was rumored to be in on a deal for new Pittsburgh second baseman Akinori Iwamura, he traded away Carlos Gomez for J.J. Hardy, he exercised … Continue reading →

Posted in AL Central, Baseball, Cheap Seat Chronicles, Free Agency, Injuries, Joe Crede, Minnesota Twins, MLB | Leave a comment

Juan Pierre: Baseball’s Best Fourth Outfielder

Posted on November 8, 2009 by Jeremiah Graves

Juan Pierre is baseball’s best fourth outfielder. The problem is that Juan Pierre plays like—and is being paid like—a starting outfielder. Pierre, 32, has two more years and $18.5 million remaining on the five-year, $44 million pact he signed with … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, Cheap Seat Chronicles, Chone Figgins, Juan Pierre, Los Angeles Dodgers, MLB, MLB Trades, Trade Rumors | Leave a comment

Chien-Ming Wang: The Arm That Isn’t Available…Yet

Posted on November 7, 2009 by Jeremiah Graves

Chien-Ming Wang is a member of the World Champion New York Yankees, for now. The 29-year-old right-handed starter is eligible for arbitration this winter and the Yankees have until the December 12 deadline to offer him a contract for next … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, Cheap Seat Chronicles, Chien-Ming Wang, Free Agency, Injuries, MLB, New York Yankees | Leave a comment

Minnesota Exercises Michael Cuddyer’s 2011 Option

Posted on November 7, 2009 by Jeremiah Graves

The Minnesota Twins announced today that the club has exercised Michael Cuddyer’s 2011 option valued at $10.5 million. The option is part of the four-year deal Cuddyer signed in 2008. The right fielder will make $8.5 million in 2010, the … Continue reading →