See what happens when you're playing grab ass....

Aaron Cook still hasn’t made it to the mound this spring and it sounds like he is no closer now than he was a week ago. Obviously, I have no idea what’s wrong with his shoulder, but Cook hasn’t responded to treatment. His soreness has limited him to stretching and light throwing. Meanwhile, Esmil Rogers and Felipe Paulino are healthy and throwing gas. While they won’t admit it in public, the Rockies are moving on without Cook. If he doesn’t get healthy very soon, his spot in the rotation will be gone.

Clipped from: www.denverpost.com (share this clip)

There was no pain or anything in the winter leading up to this. It’s probably just from throwing 2 billion pitches in my life. I know that sounds sarcastic, but you just never know sometimes why this happens. — Aaron Cook

Speaking of Felipe Paulino, the guy has absolutely filthy stuff, but has yet to harness his potential. We all love Cookie, but his injury might open the door for someone better.

Clipped from: www.denverpost.com (share this clip)

I remember going back to the dugout and saying to everybody, ‘How does anybody ever hit this guy?’ — Chris Iannetta on facing Felipe Paulino last season

(more…)

A month later, when the Rockies first became interested in Young, I basically wrote the same thing that Mitch said. Turns out that, for the first time in Mitch’s life, he had formed an objective opinion about sports. Apparently, it is a popular belief because the Rangers are ready to dump Young, even if it means paying a significant portion of his salary while he plays for another team.

If he weren’t guaranteed $50M over the next three seasons, I might feel sorry for Young. As a career Ranger, Mike has endured years of losing and has been forced to move from second to short to third and now to the bench. Despite constantly changing positions, Young has made six All-Star teams and is a career .300 hitter. For several seasons in the last decade, he was basically Texas’s only bright spot. Now that the franchise has emerged from the depths of baseball hell, they want nothing more to do with Mike Young. It reminds me of when Roger Sterling dumped Mona for Jane. It is a really crappy way to treat someone that carried the franchise for so many years.

Adrian Beltre and Nolan Ryan discuss the upcoming season, Photo Courtesy of Lionsgate Publicity

Texas’s desire to replace Young with Adrian Beltre is understandable. At least during contract years, Beltre is an elite third baseman. However, it’s interesting that the Rangers don’t want Mike as their DH. For whatever reason, they think Mike Napoli will be a better option. That is quite a stretch.

Young, always one to take the high road, has had little to say about the Rangers’ off-season activity, but he has to be pissed. According to reports, he didn’t attend the Rangers’ yearly banquet because of the flu. It would be unfair of me to allege that his illness wasn’t legitimate, but Young’s absence from the AL Champ’s banquet does raise an eye-brow. His unhappiness is probably why the Rangers are suddenly dead set on getting rid of him.
(more…)