MLB Sporting News

Philadelphia Phillies sign free agent pitcher Joel Pineiro

2012-01-16T09:09:00.000-08:00

The Philadelphia Phillies added a little more depth to their rotation. They signed free agent pitcher Joel Pineiro. On a rotation that features Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay, and Cole Hamels, Joel Pineiro is not that flashy. The deal is reported to be for a single year, and the salary is unknown.

Pineiro has a career ERA of 4.41 and WHIP of 1.35. Last season, he had a 5.13 ERA and 1.51 ERA. Pineiro probably won't make the starting rotation, but he could see work out of the bullpen as a long reliever. In case of injury, the Phillies also have a solid pitcher to slot in now.

Tampa Bay Rays Make a Sneaky Good Signing

2012-01-15T07:28:00.000-08:00

The Rays are one of the best teams at managing their payroll and outperforming expectations. By signing Luke Scott, they continue this trend They do this by developing high quality position players and pitchers through their farm system. As well they have signed undervalued free agents. These "lottery ticket" type signings usually don't work out, but when they do, they are great.

They signed former Baltimore Oriole Luke Scott to a one year $5 million deal. The deal also includes a $6 million team option for 2013 with a $1 million buyout.

Scott hit 23, 25, and 27 homers respectively from 2008-2010. Scott's best season came in 2010. He hit 27 homers with a .284 average. Last year was a below average year for Scott; he hit 9 homers in 64 games. His batting average was also the lowest of his career at .220.

Luke Scott is not a flashy player, but he certainly can be a good hitter. The Rays bought the right lottery ticket. From a fantasy aspect, Scott has the potential to be effective if he has outfield eligibility in deep leagues. A few years ago he provided me with some homers to help me win a roto league. From both a real world and fantasy aspect, it is worth keeping an eye on Scott.

Yankees sign free agent pitcher Hiroki Kuroda

2012-01-14T09:32:00.000-08:00

The New York Yankees made two major moves to bolster their pitching rotation last evening. According to ESPN, the Yankees and Japanese pitcher Hiroki Kuroda agreed to a 1 year $10 million deal. The deal is low risk and high reward.

Kuroda has put up consistent statistics throughout his four-year major league career with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Currently 37 years old, Kuroda relies on ground balls and strike outs for his outs. Unlike Michael Pineda, more of a fly ball pitcher, Kuroda will not be hurt by Yankee Stadium. Kuroda is very similar to former Yankees pitcher, Chien-Ming Wang in that aspect.

Only once in his career has Kuroda had a winning record (2009 8-7). However, he lacked run support in Los Angels, a problem he won't have in New York. He has a career 3.45 ERA and 1.187 WHIP. Last year, he had a 3.07 ERA and 1.213 WHIP. In 2010, he struck out 7.3 batters per 9 innings, while in 2011, he struke out 7.2 batters per 9.

Kuroda did benefit from friendly ball parks and terrible offenses in the NL West, but he should drastically falter in the AL East. As a ground-ball pitcher, he will keep even the best offenses on hold. The Yankees new rotation featuring Michael Pineda and Hiroki Kuroda can compete with anyone.

Reaction to the Michael Pineda-Jesus Montero Trade

2012-01-13T18:38:00.000-08:00

The New York Yankees and the Seattle Mariners have worked out a trade that would send stud hitting prospect, Jesus Montero, to the Mariners for the stud young pitcher, Michael Pineda.

It seems that people think its either a terrible deal or a great deal for both sides. I am skeptical of Pineda's future success, but the deal overall was fair. Montero probably will be a quality power hitter. Pineda could be a solid number two pitcher.

Pineda went 9-10 last year with a 3.74 ERA. His splits in the second half and home/away make him mysterious though. At home last year, Pineda pitched to a 5-4 record with a 2.92 ERA. On the road, he had a 4.40 ERA with a 4-6 record. On the road, Pineda's ERA, wins, WHIP, and SO/9 were all lower. On a positive note his SO/BB ratio was higher on the road, 3.37 to 2.93. In the first half, went 8-6 with a 3.03 ERA. In the second half, he went 1-4 with a 5.12 ERA. Even though his ERA splits were drastic, his SO/9 were fairly consistent between the first and second half, 9.0 and 9.3. Pineda had an awful July in which he had a 6.75 ERA in five games. He recovered nicely in September; he pitched to a 4.00 ERA.

Michael Pineda pitched at Safeco Field, one of the friendliest pitcher's parks in baseball. Yankee Stadium is one of the best hitter's parks in baseball.

Montero has less major league experience than Pineda. In 18 games last year, he hit .328 with 4 homers. His OBP was .406 in those games. He also had great minor league performance.

The other aspects of the deal are interesting as well. The Yankees will be sending talented pitching prospect Hector Noesi. The Mariners are sending highly touted prospect Jose Campos to the Yankees. This trade overall is pretty even. In five years, we'll know who won, but that still may be hard to determine.

Barry Larkin the lone Hall of Famer of the 2012 Class

2012-01-12T07:53:00.000-08:00

Shortstop Barry Larkin was the only member of the 2012 class that was admitted to the Hall of Fame. The long time shortshop for the Reds was above average at the plate and in the field. However, he was not a hall of fame caliber player. He is a career .295 hitter with 198 homers.

Plagued by injuries for much of his career, Larkin missed out on much time during his prime. Don't get me wrong. Larkin was a good player. He wasn't a great player. The major argument for Larkin stems from his position. For a shortstop, he was a very good hitter, but players shouldn't receive praise for hitting well as a shortstop. The only position in which extra consideration should be placed for hitting abilities is catcher. Catchers under extreme amounts of physical stress behind the plate, making their offensive abilities diminished. Shortstops are fatigued just as much as second basemen, third basemen, and outfielders.

Admitting Barry Larkin is controversial, but most seem to be in favor of it. I am happy for Larkin because he definitely was a good player. However, the standards of the Hall of Fame need to be maintained. We cannot admit borderline players like Barry Larkin like that.

Howard Kendrick signs a four year extension with the Angels

2012-01-08T10:46:00.000-08:00

Howard Kendrick signed a four year $33.5 million contract extension with the Angels. Kendrick is eligible for arbitration this year. Next year, he would have been a free agent. This contract will cover this current year, which was an arbitration year, along with three years of free agency.

Kendrick has been inconsistent at times and has had health problems. He played most of his career at second base, but he has also played third and first base. When healthy, Kendrick puts up decent numbers. Last year was by far Kendrick's best season. He hit .285 with 18 homers and 14 steals in 2011 in only 140 games.

Jorge Posada Set to Retire

2012-01-08T10:25:00.000-08:00

The New York Yankees seventeen-year catcher Jorge Posada is set to retire. Posada took over the starting catcher job in 1998, and he has been excellent since.

Posada is one of the best offensive catchers ever. He has hit 20+ homers eight times in his career. His career stat line is quite impressive: 275 homers / 1065 RBI / .273 AVG / .374 OBP. Posada had a great eye at the plate. Especially in his prime, he rarely swung at pitches out of the strike zone. If you wanted to get Jorge to swing, the pitcher had to throw a strike. This meant Posada saw better pitches. Four times in his career, Posada had an OBP higher than .400, a quite impressive stat. Posada's best season came in 2007 when he hit .338 with 20 homers. The five-time All-Star has also won five Silver Slugger Awards over his career.

The question whether Jorge Posada is a hall of famer is debatable. If I had to choose, I would barely let him in. He showed great offensive abilities consistently over his career at the hardest position in baseball.

Marlins trade Chris Volstad for Carlos Zambrano

2012-01-05T20:57:00.000-08:00

The Miami Marlins traded Chris Volstad for former Chicago Cubs' pitcher, Carlos Zambrano. The Cubs needed to rid themselves of Zambrano, a poisonous team member. He frequently complained and even fought with his teammates and managers. However, Zambrano is not a bad pitcher when he is motivated.

The deal is a risk for the Marlins. The gamble could net them a solid number two or three pitcher, but it could also decrease their team moral. Chris Volstad is at best a mediocre pitcher, but he will cost the Cubs a lot less money. Volstad's best season came in 2010 when he pitched to a 4.58 ERA and 12 wins. Last year, he finished 5-13 with a 4.89 ERA. Zambrano finished 9-7 with a 4.82 ERA.

How much more does Derek Jeter have left in him?

2012-01-02T12:54:00.000-08:00

After a sub-par 2010 season,the Yankee's shortstop Derek Jeter bounced back. In 2010, he hit a career-low .270. In 2011, his averaged .297. Jeter is no longer the hitter he used to be. His oWAR has been falling, and his defensive skills continue to regress.

However, like it or not he will be around for a while. He still has two years left on his current contract, and will probably be around for an additional two years after that. At this point, he is no longer a rock solid hitter. At best, he hits .300 with 10 homers. At worst, he could drop to .260 or even lower. Jeter hit a career-low 6 homers in 2011; he's never hit fewer than 10 homers in his career. To be fair, he did only play in 131 games this year.

Even though Jeter's skills continue to degrade, he is still an important part of the Yankees. He is the modern-day franchise. If you ask people to name a player on the Yankees, most will say Jeter. Whether Jeter continues for two more years or longer, he will remain the team's captain.

Chicago White Sox trade Carlos Quentin to the San Diego Padres

2011-12-31T14:06:00.000-08:00

The Chicago White Sox traded slugger Carlos Quentin to the San Diego Padres for prospect pitchers Simon Castro and Pedro Hernandez. Castro and Hernandez are decent prospects, and the White Sox are desperately in need of young pitchers.

Carlos Quentin has been an erratic, yet effective hitter. His best season with the White Sox came in 2008 when he hit 36 homers and 100 RBI. He also hit a career-high .288 in that season.

Throughout his career, Quentin has dealt with injury problems. He has never played over 131 games in a season. Each of the last four seasons Quentin has hit at least 21 homers. Last year in only 118 games, Quentin hit 24 homers.

At only 29 years old, Quentin could be an effective and affordable option for the Padres. The Padres have had one of the worst offenses in the league. Quentin could help change that.

John Danks signs a $65 million five-year contract extension with the Chicago White Sox

2011-12-30T09:21:00.000-08:00

The White Sox signed their best pitcher John Danks to a five-year $65 million contract. John Danks is not an ace, but he is a solid number two pitcher. He was very consistent from 2008 to 2010. In 2011, he had one of worst years. He had a horrible start to the season, but he bounced back in the second half. He had a 4.33 ERA and 1.34 WHIP.

The White Sox lost Mark Buehrle, their dominant lefty, to the Miami Marlins. Buehrle won 13 games last season. Since 2008, Buehrle and Danks had comparable numbers. If the White Sox let Danks go as well then they would literally have no good starters.

Yankees sign Hideki Okajima to a minor league deal

2011-12-29T10:08:00.000-08:00

Hideki Okajima signed a minor league deal with the New York Yankees. He pitched five seasons for the Boston Red Sox from 2007 to 2011. His best seasons came in 2007 and 2008. He pitched to a 2.22 ERA and 2.61 ERA in each year respectively.

Okajima is a lefty known for his awkward yet effective windup. The Yankees have needed a solid lefty for years. Damaso Marte and Boone Logan are two of the Yankees lefty relievers of recent years. Both have shown glimpses of success, but they are nothing more than mediocre. Okajima is a shot in the dark. He could be healthy and return to his past success. Or he could completely fail. The Yankees took risks last year with Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia. They need to keep making these gambles to succeed.

Red Sox trade outfielder Josh Reddick for Reliever Andrew Bailey

2011-12-29T10:00:00.000-08:00

The Boston Red Sox pulled off a big trade that will bolster their bullpen. They traded a mediocre outfielder for an all-star caliber closer. Josh Reddick is a 25 year old outfielder coming off the best season of his career. In 87 games, he hit .280 with 7 homers. He is not a great player. He will not be a great hitter. However, the Oakland Athletics knew they would not be able to pay Andrew Bailey, their closer, when his contract expired.

Andrew Bailey has pitched for three years with the Oakland Athletics. The biggest risk with Bailey is injury problems. He has frequently had elbow and shoulder problems. However, when Bailey is healthy, he is one of the best pitchers. In his 2009 rookie season, he pitched to a 1.84 ERA and .88 WHIP and he saved 26 games. In 2010, he pitched to a 1.47 ERA and .96 WHIP. He saved 25 games last year. Last year, he saved 24 games, pitching to a 3.24 ERA and 1.10 ERA.

At only 27 years old, Bailey should be entering the prime of his career. The Red Sox lost their former closer Jonathon Papelbon to the Philadelphia Phillies. If Bailey stays healthy, he could fill in nicely for Papelbon.

Prince Fielder or Albert Pujols?

2011-12-26T12:22:00.000-08:00

Both Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols are spectacular players. There is no debate over who has had the better career (Albert Pujols), however, which player would you rather have your team sign.

Albert Pujols, the former St. Louis Cardinal, is arguably a top-ten player ever even at the age of 31. Prince Fielder is no where near that level. Even so, I would rather have Prince Fielder on my favorite team than Albert Pujols.

Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols were about even at the plate last year. In 162 games, Prince hit .299 with a .415 OBP and 38 homers. His oWAR (offense wins above replacement) was 5.9. In 147 games, Pujols hit 37 homers with a .366 OBP and .299 average. His oWAR was 4.5. Last year, Fielder and Pujols were relatively similar.

Defensively, Pujols has a huge advantage. He is one of the best defensive first basemen in baseball. The two-time Gold Glove winner had a dWAR of .9 last year. Therefore, Pujols combined WAR was 5.4. Prince on the other hand, had a dWAR of -.7, and has never had a positive dWAR. His combined WAR for last year was 5.2. Therefore, Pujols and Fielder were nearly identical in performance last year.

Yes, Pujols has the edge in legacy and consistency. He has hit 40 homers six times in his career. He is a career .328 hitter as well. However, when teams pay for a hitter, they have to pay for future performance, not past performance. The St. Louis Cardinals enjoyed having Pujols, the best player in baseball, but they knew his performance would fall off over the next four years. The Anaheim Angels signed Pujols to a 10 year $254 million contract. Pujols will be 42 at the end of his contract. Pujols will be fine for the next five years, but it is silly to tie up this much money into a hitter in the second half of his career. The New York Yankees made the same mistake with Alex Rodrigeuz. A-Rod began breaking down around age 33. In 2011, at the age of 35, he only played 99 games. The worst part: he is signed until 2017.

Prince Fielder is only 27 years old. He almost certainly will not receive a contract offer of over 7-8 years. If a team signs him to an 8 year deal, he will be around 35 by the end of it. No matter what you are receiving 3-4 of Prince's best years.

Teams need to stop giving out mega-contracts to players over 30. Whichever team gets Fielder will be in a better position than the Angels.

Is CC Sabathia the most consistent pitcher in baseball?

2011-12-25T08:37:00.000-08:00

The New York Yankee's ace pitcher CC Sabathia is not the best pitcher in baseball, but he is a top ten one. He won the Cy Young award in 2007 with the Cleveland Indians. Since 2007, he has finished in the top five of Cy Young voting 4 times.

He wins games. Yes, wins are variable stat, but one can't ignore how consistent his totals have been. Every year since 2007, Sabathia won at least 17 games. He won 19 games three times in his career (2007, 2009, and 2011). His only season of 20 wins came in 2010.

Also since 2007, he has struck out at least 197 batters, including a impressive totals in 2008 (252 K) and 2011 (230 K). In addition, his SO/9 has never been below 7.4 since 2007.

Even with those impressive stats, CC Sabathia's most impressive feat is his durability. His career low in games pitched was 28 in 2006. In his eleven year career, he has averaged 34 games pitched a season. That's what makes CC Sabathia valuable. He doesn't get hurt. When the Yankees signed him to an 8 year deal in 2008, they knew they were getting a durable pitcher. After being plagued by busts like the fragile Carl Pavano and the aging Randy Johnson, they finally got a consistent pitcher.

Carlos Beltran reaches a two year deal with the Cardinals

2011-12-24T07:50:00.000-08:00

Matthew Leach of MLB reports the St. Louis Cardinals signed Calros Beltran to a two-year $26 million deal. Cardinals fans still have fond memories of when closer Adam Wainwright struck out Carlos Beltran, a Met at the time, looking in game seven 2006 NLCS. The Cardinals completed a major upset with that win, and went on to win the 2006 World Series.

Now Beltran will be joining the Cardinals. Even though Beltran does not play at the level he used to, he is still a very productive hitter if healthy. In 142 games last season, he hit .300 with 22 homer and 84 RBI. Plagued by injuries in 2009 and 2010, it was nice to see Beltran bounce back to a fraction of his former self. He never played over 81 games over those two years.

Beltran will provide a much needed spark for the Cardinals who lost their stud-hitter Albert Pujols to the Anaheim Angels. This time, Beltran will try to help the Cardinals win a championship directly not like in 2006.

Nationals trade for Gio Gonzalez

2011-12-22T20:03:00.000-08:00

The Washington Nationals are on a steady course out of mediocrity. They already had frontline starters Jordan Zimmermann and Stephen Strasburg. Now they add another great starter. The Nationals sent prospects A.J. Cole, Brad Peacock, Tommy Milone, and Derek Norris to the Oakland Athletics for starting pitcher Gio Gonzalez.

Brad Peacock is one of the Nationals best pitching prospects. However, Gio Gonzalez is a proven starter. In 2010 and 2011 respectively, Gonzalez pitched to a 3.23 ERA and 3.12 ERA. This year, he won 16 games with one of the worst offensives behind him. He struck out 26 more hitters than in 2010. His SO/9 rate rose from 7.7 to 8.8. He was named to the all-star team in 2011.

The Athletics got some great prospects in the deal. They will not be competitive for at least 3 years, and by that time Gio would have hit free agency. They trade him at the height of his value.

Texas Rangers win the right to negiogate with Japanese star Yu Darvish

2011-12-20T15:32:00.000-08:00

The Rangers want YU! Ok, sorry for that overused pun. With a record bid of $51.7 million, the Texas Rangers won the right to negotiate with Japanese super-star pitcher, Yu Darvish.

Last year, Darvish posted a 1.44 ERA with 18 wins and 276 strikeouts in only 28 games. He has won the ERA title in his league twice. He has also struck out the most batters three times.

Most times Japanese pitchers do not successfully transition to the MLB. Former Japanese pitchers, Hideo Nomo and Takashi Saito had good careers. Daisuke Matsuzaka had two decent years for the Red Sox, but has regressed ever since. Matsuzaka was 26 years old when he played for the Red Sox in his "rookie" season. Darvish is 25 years old.

The contract the Rangers could give Darvish could be around that of C.J. Wilson's five-year $77.5 million. Why would the Rangers give up a solid pitcher like Wilson to take a risk on an unproven Japanese pitcher? Money. It's a gamble, but if Yu Darvish is even moderately successful, he will generate great revenue from Japan.

I hope this doesn't prove costly for the Rangers.

Arizona Diamondbacks sign Jason Kubel to a Two-Year Deal

2011-12-19T17:50:00.000-08:00

Jason Kubel and the Arizona Diamondbacks have agreed to a two-year $15 million deal reports Jon Heyman of CBS.

Jason Kubel is not a great player. He plays average defense. He has a little bit of power. Overall though he is not a stud player. In 99 games last season, he hit 12 homers. In 2008, Kubel hit 20 homers. In 2009, he hit his career-high of 28 homers. In 2010, he hit 21 homers. Kubel is a career .271 hitter that hit .300 in 2009.

The signing was a good move for the Diamondbacks who were desperately in need of more depth. In Arizona's hitter friendly park, Kubel could put up another 20+ homer season.

Phillies Resign Jimmy Rollins

2011-12-18T13:27:00.000-08:00

The Philadelphia Phillies resigned their own Derek Jeter. Jimmy Rollins, a free agent, looked like he was heading to another team, but the Phillies swooped in. The deal is reported to be $33 million over 3 years.

Rollins has proven his versatility and dexterity over the years. Since becoming the Phillies starting shortstop in 2001, Rollins has won three Gold Gloves and one MVP. In addition, he is a three-time All-Star at shortstop. In 9 out of 11 seasons, he has stolen at least 30 bases. In his 2007 MVP season, he hit .296 with 30 homers, 20 triples, 38 doubles, and 41 steals. In 2011, he hit .268 with 16 homers and 30 steals. Since his 2007 MVP season, Rollins' slugging percentage has gone down ever year except in 2011.

Rollins has regressed over the years, but he still is one of the best defensive shortstops in the game. His 2011 WAR (wins above replacement) was 3.7 with a .7 in dWAR (defensive WAR). Only twice, has Rollins had a negative dWAR, which probably was more of a fluke than anything else. Four times in his career Rollins had a dWAR over 1.

Even though Rollins has regressed and will continue to over the next three years, he is a fan favorite. He is the Phillies' version of Derek Jeter. He helped the Phillies win their first title since the 80's in 2009. Maybe Rollins will be able to spend his entire career in a Phillies uniform.

The San Diego Padres Trade Pitcher Mat Latos to the Cincinnati Reds

2011-12-17T16:25:00.000-08:00

The Cincinnati Reds pulled off a big deal that landed them one of the best pitchers in baseball. According to ESPN, the Reds will send Yonder Alonso, Yasmani Grandal, and Edison Volquez to the San Diego Padres. Mat Latos will be the number two pitcher behind Johnny Cueto, and Bronson Arroyo, Mike Leake, and Homer Bailey fill out the rest of the rotation.

Latos pitched to a 3.47 ERA and a 1.184 WHIP in 2011. In 2010, he finished 8th in Cy Young voting. He had a 2.92 ERA in 2010. For the past two seasons, Latos has had a SO/9 over 8 (9.2 in 2011 and 8.6 in 2010). Although Latos only won 9 games in 2011, he will win many more with the stronger Cincinnati Reds.

Yonder Alonso, an infielder, and Yasmani Grandal, a catcher, are both acclaimed prospects and were the major players the Padres traded for. Edison Volquez has been inconsistent over the past three seasons, and has been unable to overcome many injuries.

Colorado Rockies sign Michael Cuddyer

2011-12-16T09:12:00.000-08:00

Just a day after the Minnesota Twins signed Josh Willingham to a three year deal, the Colorado Rockies signed Michael Cuddyer to a $31.5 million deal according to MLB.

Cuddyer's power potential goes up in Colorado. He hit 20 homers in 2011. Cuddyer is one of the most versatile players in baseball. He has played all three positions in the outfield, and has improved his throwing speed, making him a great right fielder. His good arm could save countless runs. Cuddyer has also played both corners of the infield, first and third base.

Although Cuddyer is better than Willingham, the Twins could not afford Cuddyer.

Minnesota Twins Sign Free Agent Josh Willingham

2011-12-15T17:08:00.000-08:00

The Minnesota Twins signed Outfielder Josh Willingham to a three year $21 million deal. With Michael Cuddyer likely leaving, Willingham will replace much of Cuddyer's level of production. While Cuddyer is a more consistent hitter, Willingham offers more upside. Cuddyer has hit at least .271 for the last three seasons, and hit a career high .284 this year.

Willingham hit a career-high 29 home runs this past season, but his average was a putrid .246. The thirty-two year old outfielder has hit twenty plus home runs in four of the last six seasons. Willingham has played his last three seasons with the Washington Nationals and Oakland Athletics; both of these teams have pitcher-friendly parks.

Target Field, the Twins' stadium, favors pitchers, but with Willingham's success for the A's and Nationals, he should continue posting twenty plus homers a season.

The Twins still need to bolster their starting staff and relief core, but adding Willingham solidifies the middle of their lineup.

Mark Melancon traded to the Red Sox

2011-12-14T19:38:00.000-08:00

The Houston Astros sent Mark Melancon to the Red Sox for short stop Jed Lowrie. Mark Melancon, a former Yankee reliever, saved twenty games last year for the Astros. He had a 2.78 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP.

Melancon probably will not be closing for the Red Sox in 2011. He could add much needed depth to the Red Sox bullpen.

Jed Lowrie was a former number one draft pick for the Red Sox. He has always been a streaky player that hits for contact.

Although the trade is not going to have major effects, each side has the potential for upside.

Milwaukee Brewers to Sign Third Baseman Aramis Ramirez

2011-12-13T17:27:00.000-08:00

The Chicago Cubs lost their third basemen Aramis Ramirez to the Milwaukee Brewers. Ramirez was with the Cubs for eight seasons after being traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates. The deal is reported to be $36 million over three years with the bulk of the money in the last two years.

Ramirez is a veteran third baseman who has been fairly consistent over his career. He has hit at least 20 home runs in nine seasons and at least 30 homers in four seasons. After a poor statistical season in 2010 in which Ramirez hit .241, he bounced back in 2011. He hits .306 with 26 homers.

Will Milwaukee get the 2010 Ramirez or the 2011 Ramirez? At only 33 years old, Ramirez still has the potential to continue his success. Only this time, he the friendly confines of Wrigley Field will not be so friendly for Ramirez when he is in a Brewer's uniform.