Welcome one and all to the first webisode of MLB Weekend Update here at YouGabSports.com, where I’ll try to keep you abreast of all the happenings within the world of Major League Baseball within the last week.
Being that we are just a week away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring Training, now seems to be a perfect point to pick it up and start hurling the ball around again. So grab your gloves and let’s get this started here.
Opening Monologues
- Manny Ramirez recently rejected the Dodgers latest offer, a one-year deal worth $25 million, which would make Ramirez one of the highest paid players in the game. The move would have also enabled Ramirez to reenter the free agent pool after the 2009 season, when the hitting class is significantly weaker. Instead, Manny appears to be ready to sit out the 2009 season, perhaps because he feels he can make more money on Pros Versus Joes.
- Speaking of contracts, Ramirez’s former teammate Jason Varitek recently re-upped with the Red Sox, on a one-year deal worth $5 million, plus either a team option for 2010 at $5 million or a player option worth $3 million. Ironically, Varitek could have made upwards of $10-12 million in 2009 has he and his agent chosen to accept the Red Sox offer of arbitration. Instead, he had to crawl back and accept a one year offer for half the salary. Rumor also has it that one of the clauses written into the contract was that both Varitek and Boras had to watch Larry Luchino and John Henry bath in the other $5 million.
- A federal judge today released numerous documents detailing the government’s case against all-time home run king* Barry Bonds, including a positive drug test that they say can be linked back to the slugger. In a related story, Greg Anderson, Bonds’ former trainer and best friend, has stepped forward with a condom to prove how much shrinkage the star endured while on steroids.
- The World Baseball Classic is set to begin at 6:30pm on March 5th when China and Japan open the tournament, continuing the only worldwide baseball competition now that the Olympics no longer fields the sport. At 6:32pm, a collective yawn will be heard worldwide, slowly followed by a symphony of crickets, and the running of the tumbleweeds. Still, we need to give Bud Selig a $3 million dollar raise every year.
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