With basketball and football still under way, baseball is probably the last thing on the minds of sports fans. It might be hard to think about baseball with Christmas and New Year’s Day coming up, but a lot has happened that might change how 2012 will be play out.
Major-league general managers met for the annual winter meetings, which concluded Thursday. With general managers meeting from every major-league team, no one could pass up the opportunity to make some trades and sign some free-agent players to contracts.
The Miami Marlins were one of the teams that literally made a big splash in the free-agent market during the meetings. One of the first moves was to hire a new manager to take over for Jack McKeon, who decided to retire and return to his work as a special consultant to the Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria.
Former Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen was hired to guide the Marlins for their first season in downtown Miami.
The first free agent Miami signed during the meetings was shortstop Jose Reyes, formerly of the New York Mets. Reyes got a deal for six years and $106 million. Another all-star who will be taking his talents to South Beach was left-handed pitcher Mark Buerhle, whom the Marlins got for four years and $58 million.
The Marlins will have a reliable closer after signing free agent Heath Bell from the San Diego Padres for three years and $27 million. With a new look, new stadium, new skipper and some big name players in Miami, the Marlins look to be early competitors for 2012.
Perhaps the biggest name that was watched during the meetings was first baseman Albert Pujols. No one knew for certain if Pujols would stay in St. Louis or take the offer that was given to him by Miami. Miami offered him a 10-year, $220 million contract while St. Louis offered another contract for the same number of years for only $200 million.
But out of nowhere the Los Angeles Angels offered a 10-year deal for $250 million and Pujols agreed to it. The Angels also acquired former Rangers left-hander C.J. Wilson from free agency and agreed to terms for a five year, $77.5 million deal.
For the Detroit Tigers, the bullpen would be bolstered with veteran relief pitcher Octavio Dotel. Dotel was offered a one year deal for a reported $3 million with an option for another year. The 38-year-old right handed pitcher from the Dominican Republic came off a World Series victory with St. Louis, and the Tigers will be his 13th team in his 13-year major league career.
Also up for grabs from the meetings would be an ace Japanese pitcher named Yu Darvish.
The bidding for Darvish, a 25-year-old right-handed pitcher, began on Friday and will end on Wednesday. He will look over the bids and have 30 days to sign a contract or return to Japan. Darvish played with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters in 2011 and had a 18-6 record with a 1.44 ERA and 276 strikeouts with all of them being personal bests.
Sports fans might not be talking baseball in the middle of December, but a lot has happened already and more will happen.
