Non-Giants League News Diary 12/04

The Padres are close to signing free agent Jose Cruz Jr., according to ESPN.com.

Mariners signed outfielder Jose Guillen, who had been with the Nationals, to a one-year, $5.5 million contract with a mutual option for 2008.

Brad Radke said Friday that he intends to make his retirement official before Christmas.

Astros GM Tim Purpura said he hasn't decided what to go about his third base situation.  An Ensberg trade remains likely.

David Weathers' physical with the Reds is scheduled for Monday. If he passes, he'll get a two-year, $5 million contract.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2685770

Apparently, when he said "Someone who doesn't take his team to the playoffs doesn't deserve to win the MVP," he didn't actually mean Ryan Howard, but some other 2006 NL MVP whom he did not name.

It is not his fault, however, for saying something stoopid. It's the media's fault for portraying his words in a way that made him look petty.

The article doesn't say whether Poo-Holes gave this latest interview in Spanish or English, but since it is the USA Today, it is possible that he just drew them a picture or nicely-colored pie chart that expressed his sentiments.

Also there is no truth to the rumor that Poo-Holes was so ashamed by finishing 2nd to Howard that he entered a mental health facility, became a woman (mostly), assumed the identity of a missing female hiker, and is planning a very detailed plan to kidnap the Philie Fanatic...or that his mother bakes cookies shaped like little baseballs.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Major league baseball will pay tribute to the civil rights movement with an exhibition game between the World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals and the Cleveland Indians in Memphis, Tenn., on March 31.

The game will be played at the home of the Cardinals' Triple-A affiliate and raise money for the National Civil Rights Museum, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, the Jackie Robinson Foundation, the Negro Leagues Museum and Memphis charities.

With the game, which would be repeated annually, baseball officials hope to attract more young blacks to the sport.

That's the same number quoted by FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal earlier, though ESPN says nothing about a fourth-year option. Padilla isn't worth $11 million per year, of course, but he does look like a better bet than Ted Lilly, Gil Meche and Jeff Suppan to us and none of those guys are going to go for much less than that. In fact, Padilla is the only one in the group likely to settle for the three-year commitment.

The Padres are close to signing free agent Greg Maddux, FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal reports.

Rosenthal doesn't know whether it's a one- or two-year deal. Maddux was believed to be asking for about $20 million for two years. He'd join a San Diego rotation that also include Jake Peavy, Chris Young and Clay Hensley

MLB.com says the deal is worth $33 million and contains a $12 million option for 2010. Daniels added that the Padilla deal would in no way hinder the Rangers' pursuit of Barry Zito.

* Reports that the Cubs are making serious runs at Jason Schmidt and Barry Zito appear to be vastly overblown. Zito is barely on their radar screen. And Schmidt's price tag ($15 million a year for three to five years) has them looking for less expensive options -- with a list topped by Ted Lilly and Gil Meche.

someone will pay that and it won't be us. He isn't worth a million per win... Ok, the 16K game was worth a million, but that's it!