Jayson Stark of ESPN.com pointed out a development that’s not a popular one among the players and their agents. Contracts for free agents are getting shorter.

Assuming no player remaining a free agent will receive a contract of three years or longer – and that seems reasonable less than three weeks from spring training – only eight players received a deal of that length. That’s the fewest long-term deals since 1994-95, a year that doesn’t really count because there was a strike going on. The most? Just three years ago, when 26 free agents signed deals of three years or longer before the 2007 season.

The “big eight” this winter, with their 2010 ages in parentheses: Matt Holliday (31), Jason Bay (30), Chone Figgins (32), John Lackey (31), Placido Polanco (34), Marlon Byrd (32), Randy Wolf (33) and Brandon Lyon (30). Note the profile: Young veteran, in his prime, without a major injury history.

Why? The economy is one big reason. One bad long-term contract (think oft-injured DH Travis Hafner of the Indians, who has two years and $24.5 million remaining on a horrible deal) and a team is starting from a money pit. Manny Ramirez, now 37, couldn’t even get a three-year deal last winter. Older than 35, a player is looking at two years, max.

Bobby Abreu (36) received good money from the Angels ($19 million), but just two years. So did Mike Cameron (37) from the Red Sox and Mark DeRosa (35) from the Giants.

Collusion? That’s what some agents might say. But there’s no doubt that the prime earning years of players is skewing younger and younger.

Contracts getting shorter and shorter originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Saturday, January 30th, 2010 at 13:10:27.

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Some of the best quotes about Mark McGwire’s confession that he took performance-enhancing drugs for much of his career:

“The so-called steroid era — a reference that is resented by the many players who played in that era and never touched the substances — is clearly a thing of the past, and Mark’s admission today is another step in the right direction.” – Commissioner Bud Selig.

“He has my forgiveness. If that’s all that stands in the way between him being inducted into Cooperstown, we should all forgive him.” – Former home run king Hank Aaron, to USA Today.

“I thought [McGwire] was a borderline Hall of Famer with his numbers. For the fact that he has a low batting average [.263], just a lot of bad seasons and the fact that a lot of those home runs were hit over a short period of time — which everyone suspected was due to steroids. But I’m not a guy that’s against the steroids. I’ve not held steroids against McGwire in voting. I think it’ll be interesting to see what his total does next year by admitting to it, just with his presence in baseball being the Cardinals’ hitting coach. If he had done this from the get-go, he would have had a much stronger chance.” – Bob Nightengale of USA Today, on McGwire’s Hall of Fame chances, to MLB.com.

“It’s very emotional, it’s telling family members, friends and coaches, you know, it’s former teammates to try to get a hold of, you know, that I’m coming clean and being honest. It’s the first time they’ve ever heard me, you know, talk about this. I hid it from everybody.” – McGwire, to the AP.

“Mark, steroids or not, was one of the greatest nicest guys you could possibly meet. People make a mistake and say, ‘Well, he used steroids. He’s a bad guy. He’s evil. He’s not worthy.’ I extremely regret telling the truth. I extremely regret writing that book. This thing has taken on a life of its own, and it’s far from over, guys.” – Former teammate Jose Canseco, to SiriusXM radio.

“I think that’s a lot of horse muffins [that steroids didn't help McGwire hit]. If it didn’t help him any, what the hell was he taking them for? Of course it helped him.” – Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller, 91, to ESPN.com.

“Can I get that home run he hit off me back? My numbers could have been better. That could have been an extra win for me. It’s unfortunate for guys who didn’t use steroids. Maybe they didn’t play as long as guys who did, don’t have the same numbers or didn’t make as much money. That’s not fair.” – Rangers pitcher Darren Oliver, to MLB.com.

“Maybe baseball will now realize this was an extremely serious problem and that they are still not in front of it. They are still playing catch-up.” – Former FBI agent Greg Stejskal, who uncovered the details of McGwire’s doping regimen from informants almost two decades ago, to ESPN.com.

More coverage: Mark McGwire timeline. Also, should he be in the Hall of Fame?

What they’re saying about Mark McGwire’s steroids confession originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Tuesday, January 12th, 2010 at 02:07:22.

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One of the things that strikes you when you enter a major-league ballpark – one of the open-air ones, not a dome – is how perfect the grass looks.

The Scotts Co. is marketing to that whim with a new premium grass seed line. Beginning in April, Scotts is selling the seed blends and fertilizers for Fenway Park (Boston), Wrigley Field (Chicago), Great American Ballpark (Cincinnati), Citizens Bank Park (Philadelphia) and Busch Stadium (St. Louis). The cost: A lush $21.99 for a three-pound bag. (That’s roughly three times the cost of a typical bag. Depending on how big your lawn is, a season-ticket package might be cheaper.)

The seed blend in your market is most likely the one closest to you. If you’re in New England, it will be Fenway; in Ohio it’s Cincinnati, etc.

According to SI.com, it will be a slightly different blend than the actual park, in order to minimize upkeep. Because you don’t have a grounds crew tending to your every blade, that should be welcome.

Marketing to a “Lawn of Dreams” originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Monday, January 25th, 2010 at 11:56:01.

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Miguel Cabrera’s statistics, for age 26, are astounding. His average season, in the past three years: .312, 35 homers, 116 RBI, OPS (on-base plus slugging) of .931.

He’s among the elite hitters in baseball, and he’s done it with a big crutch. He admitted to the Detroit media this week that he’s an alcoholic, and has been in treatment for the past three months.

This came after Cabrera’s ill-timed drinking binge during the final weekend of the regular season last year, with the Tigers fighting for a playoff spot.

“This is a wonderful kid, and we’re happy because he has a great life ahead of him,” said Tigers manager Jim Leyland, to the Detroit News. “But for selfish reasons, we’re also happy because there’s no telling how good he can be.”

Now baseball history is full of players who could hit with a hangover, but getting help now can only bode well. As Michael Rosenberg of the Detroit Free Press wrote, Cabrera didn’t have a problem with not caring about baseball while he was drinking. He might have cared too much.

Is an MVP-type season coming? Wouldn’t be surprising at all.

How good can Miguel Cabrera be? originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Saturday, January 23rd, 2010 at 15:30:58.

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The arbitration process for young veteran players (those under six years of experience) is tricky for all involved. The actual process of arbitration is ugly – it’s a player you want to keep, but the argument process brings up ugly issues that creates bad blood. It’s why there was a flurry of activity on Tuesday throughout baseball with players and teams agreeing to one-year contracts in which the teams and players come to a compromise before even exchanging salary figures.

The Cleveland Indians hate arbitration so much, they haven’t used it since 1991. And Boston Red Sox GM Theo Epstein has a perfect record when it comes to arbitration: 0-0.

So while two-time Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum asked for an arbitration-record $13 million from the Giants – $5 million less than the team offered – Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon never got to that point, agreeing to a “bargain” $9.3 million, the biggest deal ever for a closer after his fourth season.

Why is it a bargain? He’ll make less than Francisco Cordero, Brad Lidge, Francisco Rodriguez, Joe Nathan and Kerry Wood. Papelbon, statistically has been better than all of them. He’s a four-time All-Star with a 1.84 career ERA, 151 saves in four seasons and a postseason reputation that was spotless until the final game of the Division Series against the Angels last October.

So why haven’t the Red Sox and Papelbon been able to agree on a longer-term deal? Papelbon seems content to prove himself year after year, pitching with a chip on his shoulder but risking major injury. And the Red Sox, mindful of a flame-out, are playing along.

And there’s another variable, too, in the team’s favor. The Red Sox are developing Daniel Bard into a closer, and he was solid in middle relief as a rookie in 2009. He throws just as hard as Papelbon, and is the insurance policy.

It’s a high-stakes game that both Papelbon and the Red Sox are taking, and one that really won’t come to a head for two more years, when Papelbon is eligible for free agency. And it’s Papelbon with the most risk. If he gets hurt, or takes a step back, he’s the one with a lot more to lose.

Red Sox, Papelbon at an uneasy truce originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Wednesday, January 20th, 2010 at 11:57:33.

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The NFL might get higher TV ratings, but there are instances in which baseball still shows it’s the national pastime.

The political world is abuzz after a Republican upset in the special election for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts. And one of the big reasons Democrat Martha Coakley lost to Scott Brown is because she showed she was out of touch with baseball fans.

How do you make that leap? First, Brown was shown on video shaking hands outside Fenway Park on Jan. 1. When asked about her campaign strategy of staying low-key, Coakley said: “As opposed to standing outside Fenway Park? In the cold? Shaking hands?”

That got the attention of former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling, who came out for Brown and against Coakley in his blog. No surprise there – Schilling is an outspoken conservative. Coakley took the bait and labeled Schilling a Yankees fan in an interview.

If there’s one thing Schilling isn’t, it’s a Yankees fan. (The title of Schilling’s post: “I’ve been called a lot of things…”). Schilling is still revered in Massachusetts for pitching hurt in the 2004 playoffs, and he used the spotlight to campaign for Brown.

As much as Brown’s victory is seen as a national movement, politics are always local, as the saying goes. The Red Sox sell out every game at Fenway Park and get huge TV ratings. They’re as New England as clam chowder. And Coakley painted herself as out of touch by not knowing who Curt Schilling was. Said Schilling at a Brown rally over the weekend:

“It does reflect on an elected official’s relationship with her constituents. I don’t think that somebody who’s lived here their whole life, not understanding the importance of the prominence of the sports teams in this city, it’s a big deal to people. I think it’s another sign of her aloofness, and just the fact that she’s very out of touch, I think, with the people.”

Coakley lost, the Democrats’ health care plan is wavering because of it, and it indirectly was caused by … the Boston Red Sox.

How the Red Sox might have changed the health care system originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Wednesday, January 20th, 2010 at 13:28:38.

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Sabermetrics is under attack. Not the actual science – the deep study of baseball statistics – but the name itself.

A New York marketing firm wants to trademark the term for its own commercial use – they’ve worked with ESPN Fantasy Baseball in past ventures (click on their dizzying Flash site under clients) – and the Society for American Baseball Research opposes the move.

At issue is who owns the term – and SABR should have a good case. After all, baseball stats pioneer Bill James named it after the group.

“We believe sabermetrics is a generic term and should remain in the public domain,” SABR executive director John Zajc said in a statement. “SABR is part of a larger movement toward open-source sharing of information. Having a private company own a federal trademark registration for a term in common use in our industry is not in line with that philosophy.”

James himself says he believes the phrase can’t be trademarked, because its definition is that statistical analysis of baseball stats are shared and open.

A couple of years ago, baseball stat services found themselves in a fight with MLB over who owns baseball’s statistics, and the courts determined that stats are in the public domain. It seems logical that “sabermetrics” should be, too.

Interested in learning more about sabermetrics? Check out our sabermetrics glossary, and how to apply it to fantasy baseball.

Who owns “sabermetrics?” originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Friday, January 15th, 2010 at 11:24:18.

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Baseball fans are quick to jump on teams like the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox and Dodgers for spending other teams into the second division.

But there’s another side to leagues with salary caps: a salary floor. And because the Marlins take money in revenue sharing – reportedly as much as they pay their entire roster – the Florida Marlins actually had to buckle to pressure from the players’ union last week to open that creaky wallet and pay their players a little more.

“In response to our concerns that revenue-sharing proceeds have not been used as required, the Marlins have assured the union and the commissioner’s office that they plan to use such proceeds to increase player payroll annually as they move toward the opening of their new ballpark,” Michael Weiner, the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, said in a statement.

It’s a strange argument, but the NBA and NFL have salary floors that are much more concrete than baseball’s. And the Marlins, who finished with a winning record last season despite spending just $37.5 million on players, probably have provided more bang for the buck than any other team, with two championships in the team’s brief history. It’s a lot better than the Mets, who haven’t won a title since 1986, and spent almost four times as much on players last season.

The first beneficiary of the Marlins’ new plan might have been pitcher Josh Johnson, who signed a four-year, $39 million contract last week, avoiding arbitration. It locks up a cornerstone of the Florida rotation as they rebuild their roster toward the opening of their new stadium in 2012.

Something smelled with the Fish; Marlins agree to open their wallet originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Sunday, January 17th, 2010 at 13:46:53.

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In the summer of 1998, Steve Wilstein was accused of breaking a certain code between sports writers and their subjects.

Wilstein, a writer from the Associated Press, was covering a Cardinals game and saw a bottle labeled androstenedione – then a substance not illegal in baseball at the time – in Mark McGwire’s locker. He wrote about it, a story about it that still resides in a few hard drives on the Internet today:

“Sitting on the top shelf of Mark McGwire’s locker, next to a can of Popeye spinach and packs of sugarless gum, is a brown bottle labeled Androstenedione.

“For more than a year, McGwire says, he has been using the testosterone-producing pill, which is perfectly legal in baseball but banned in the NFL, Olympics and the NCAA.

“No one suggests that McGwire wouldn’t be closing in on Roger Maris’ home run record without the over-the-counter drug. After all, he hit 49 homers without it as a rookie in 1987, and more than 50 each of the past two seasons.”

Note Wilstein’s hesitation. “No one suggests…” Wilstein didn’t want to accuse McGwire of cheating. After all, it wasn’t a banned substance. But baseball, and most major American sports, only had policies against recreational drugs such as cocaine and marijuana. Steroids didn’t help baseball players with hand-eye coordination, right?

McGwire felt like his privacy was invaded and most took to the Cardinals slugger’s defense as Wilstein’s tactics were questioned. McGwire went on to break the single-season home run record. Wilstein became an advocate for drug testing and faced the heat. He retired in 2001, but is vindicated today. He wrote a scathing column for CNN.com on Wednesday, the day after McGwire admitted he was taking a lot more than andro.

The scathing third paragraph:

“McGwire’s entire playing career is indelibly stained and his judgment is not to be trusted. What else are we to make of a man who cheated and didn’t come clean for 20 years? Can he be trusted to coach other players who may be using steroids? Is he fit for any job that is also a test of character and personal standards? Baseball should bar him from coaching and never again allow his name on a Hall of Fame ballot.”

I’m curious: Is there a disconnect here between baseball fans and the media that this amplifies? Are Wilstein and other writers going too far? Taking it too easy?

And what do you think of Mark McGwire’s Hall of Fame chances?

Revisiting the 1998 Mark McGwire story that changed everything originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Wednesday, January 13th, 2010 at 23:58:13.

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The wild card of the free agent season isn’t even a player likely to be in the big leagues this season. So the fact the Cincinnati Reds will pay 22-year-old left-hander Aroldis Chapman around $5 million annually seems like a huge waste for a struggling, mid-market team. (The contract is heavily backloaded, but the Reds are still on the hook for the full amount, of course.)

But put against the backdrop of the amateur draft and the rest of the free-agent market, the Chapman signing makes a lot more sense.

Stephen Strasburg is 21, was the No. 1 pick in the draft last summer, and commanded a huge salary from the Washington Nationals: four years, $15.1 million. Strasburg throws around 100 mph, and so does Chapman. It’s highly unlikely either will start the 2010 season in the majors. This move is almost like the Reds bought themselves a No. 1 overall draft pick. If he had been born American or gone to college here, he might have been the top overall pick. (Another flaw in the system, but an argument for another day.)

Now put Chapman against another pitcher who will make $5 million a year, such as former Phillies pitcher Brett Myers, who agreed to a one-year, $5 million contract late last week with the Houston Astros. Myers (73-63 in his career, 4.40 ERA) is good, not great.  There will be players like Myers available every offseason – a decent pitcher capable of winning some games. But not a difference-maker.

Myers is better now, but how about two years from now? And in 2012, if Chapman develops into the top-flight starter he’s projected to be, the Reds will look very smart.

If he doesn’t? Well, the Reds have to do something.

Mid-market teams can’t bank on getting lucky with their own draft picks.  The big-market farm systems are just as good these days, if not better. Signing an unproven talent such as Chapman is a major risk, but these are the kinds of moves in which a team such as the Reds, with a payroll that can’t keep up with the division rival Cardinals or the Cubs (let alone the Yankees and Mets) can become competitive.

(Until a big-market team signs Chapman to a CC Sabathia-like deal in 2016. But they’ll cross that bridge later.)

Aroldis Chapman? $25 million? Cincinnati? At least they’re trying originally appeared on About.com Baseball on Monday, January 11th, 2010 at 13:03:03.

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