Peter Gammons Blog

Notes from the winter meetings spacer

December, 6, 2009
12/06/09
9:25
PM ET
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INDIANAPOLIS -- The Chone Figgins signing with Seattle should be announced Monday, and sometime this week the Cubs should trade Milton Bradley to Tampa Bay for Pat Burrell. Then they'll figure out where to place Burrell. Marlon Byrd could get signed away from Texas, and there may be a run on starting pitchers not named John Lackey or Roy Halladay -- proven starters like Joel Pineiro, Randy Wolf, Jon Garland and Vicente Padilla.

Most of the club officials got here late Sunday, which means face-to-face discussions are beginning. While the free-agent market is dominated by Matt Holliday, Jason Bay and Lackey, one general manager said Sunday, "My pick for the biggest free-agent surprise in terms of a contract bigger than some might have thought is Joel Pineiro. Since he changed his arm slot and became a dominant sinkerballer, he's been great."

Pineiro led the majors in double plays induced (33). He allowed one steal all season; granted, Yadier Molina was his catcher, but 1-for-5 is remarkable, and he had the highest ground-ball percentage. Thanks be to thee, Dave Duncan.

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ABOUT THIS BLOG

  • spacer Peter Gammons

    Hall of Fame baseball reporter Peter Gammons has worked for ESPN since 1988. He primarily serves as a studio analyst for "Baseball Tonight," but he also does regular spots for "SportsCenter," ESPNEWS and ESPN Radio and contributes to ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine.

    Gammons was voted the National Sportswriter of the Year for 1989, 1990 and 1993 by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association and was awarded an honorary Poynter Fellow from Yale University. But his highest honor was the 2004 J.G. Taylor Spink Award, voted on by the BBWAA and awarded at the Baseball Hall of Fame for outstanding baseball writing.

    Gammons, a 1969 graduate of the University of North Carolina, began his career as a reporter for the Boston Globe in 1969. He has also worked for Sports Illustrated covering the NHL, college basketball and major league baseball (1976 to '78, 1986 to '90). In 1986, upon his return to Sports Illustrated as a senior writer following a second stay at the Globe, he wrote numerous stories covering some of baseball's most important news events and authored Inside Baseball, Sports Illustrated's weekly baseball notebook. Gammons is also the author of "Beyond the Sixth Game," a look at free agency.

    Gammons is a gifted musician, and his debut album, "Never Slow Down, Never Grow Old," was released on Rounder Records. With the assistance of a crack band of Boston rockers, Gammons trades in his typewriter for a Stratocaster and delivers a rousing set of vintage classics, originals and rock obscurities -- all to benefit Theo and Paul Epstein's Foundation to be Named Later, a charity that raises funds and awareness for nonprofit agencies serving disadvantaged youth in the greater Boston area.

    Gammons' vocals and guitar are featured, along with guests such as Theo Epstein, Juliana Hatfield, George Thorogood, Little Feat's Paul Barrere, Kay Hanley and an all-star chorus consisting of past and present Red Sox players, including Jonathan Papelbon, Kevin Youkilis, Trot Nixon, Lenny DiNardo, Tim Wakefield and Bronson Arroyo, and NESN broadcaster Don Orsillo. Get more information from Rounder Records.

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