Normally a cost-conscious team, there's no doubt the Royals have benefited from the savings of the Perez deal. According to FanGraphs dollar per WAR estimations, Perez has been worth $78.7 million so far. And there's still this upcoming season remaining on the $7 million portion of the deal.

Yasel doesn't strike me as a pragmatic thinkin' kind of fellow....

Yes, teams do this all of the time. They approach the player and offer to overpay for arb and maybe pre-arb years, in order to buy out some FA years. And if the player says "no thanks", like, for example Papelbon and Ellsbury, then you pay what you have to, and they fucking take the biggest offer at the end. You don't just throw extra cash at them now in case they change their mind. Nobody does.

I read the book "The Best Team Money Could Buy" a few months ago. Apparently Puig is/was in some pretty hot water with a mexican drug cartel that assisted him in getting out of Cuba. Those guys want you to keep your word

Did they even try with Ellsbury or Pap?

Yes.  Multiple times.  Same with Varitek.  Only reason Varitek resigned was that he didn't get what he wanted on the market.  Boras guys always go to the market.  ALWAYS

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — An elderly male usher (who was likely not playing attention to the action on the field) was struck by a ball during Boston Red Sox batting practice Monday but appeared to be fine when he was removed from the field on a stretcher.

The usher was in the left-field stands when he was hit in the upper body on a Hanley Ramirez's ball. He was conscious and immediately tended to by Boston's trainers and medical personnel. The usher scraped his elbow when he fell and his arm was bandaged.

The Red Sox halted batting practice when the usher was hit. Ramirez, David Ortiz and manager John Farrell left the batting cage and walked into the JetBlue Park stands to check on him. Ortiz gave him his bat before high-fiving him. Ramirez signed a ball and Farrell shook his hand before walking down to the field.

Tulo calling out the Rockies:

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Colorado Rockies manager Walt Weiss took issue Monday with Troy Tulowitzki's published comments that the team has grown comfortable playing in a state-of-the-art spring training facility that's the equivalent of a "country club.''

Tulowitzki told USA Today Sports that he prefers his new spring training home with the Toronto Blue Jays in Dunedin, Florida, to the 140-acre complex that Colorado and the Arizona Diamondbacks share at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick.

"I like this place a lot better than Arizona,'' Tulowitzki told the newspaper. "That place was like a country club. Guys got comfortable because it was so nice.''

Weiss, in his fourth year as Rockies manager, disputed the notion that the Colorado players have gotten soft because of the amenities at Salt River Fields. Colorado's half of the facility includes six practice fields, modern training and video rooms, a 108-seat theater and an 11,000-square foot weight room.

"I think that's the furthest thing from the truth,'' Weiss told reporters. "We have a nice place here and we're proud of it, but our guys are mentally tough and they compete. I have no issue with our guys being soft or country-clubbish. Our guys are the opposite of that.

"so pissed off i got traded to a good team."

I see viewers, which I have not seen in a long time.

Just like I have neglected this little area here for a long time.

Still, if you post, I will respond.

For anyone that just swings by

I am still looking for 2 people to fill up one of the fantasy leagues I run. The live draft is on Sun Mar 27 12:00pm PDT.

If you send my your e-mail address in a return private message, I will send you an invite a.s.a.p.

Please, help a guy out.

Catching a professional baseball game is hardly a cheap outing anymore, but a baseball game is about more than sitting in the stands and rooting for the home team. It’s also one of the best places each and every summer to enjoy a beer.

On average, two beers at a major league ballpark will run you $11.89, according to a study by GoBankingRates. That’s less than the average parking fee. But depending on your team of choice, it could cost a lot more.

For example, make a point to swing by the ATM if you’re going to see either the Cubs, Red Sox or Phillies. Drafts at each team’s stadium run $7.75 each, the most expensive in Major League Baseball. The least expensive beer can be found at an Indians or Diamondbacks game, costing just $4.

Curious who was the priciest and cheapest? Here’s the average price for two beers at each team’s home stadium.

Most expensive:

1) Boston Red Sox – $15.50
2) Chicago Cubs – $15.50
3) Philadelphia Phillies – $15.50
4) Minnesota Twins – $15|
5) Atlanta Braves – $14.50

Cheapest:

1) Cleveland Indians – $8
2) Arizona Diamondbacks – $8
3) Los Angeles Angels – $9
4) St. Louis Cardinals – $10 (tie)
4) Detroit Tigers – $10 (tie)
4) Tampa Bay Rays – $10 (tie)
4) Sand Diego Padres – $10 (tie)
4) Houston Astros – $10 (tie)
4) Texas Rangers – $10 (tie)
4) Oakland Athletics – $10 (tie)

What’s especially interesting is how some of America’s biggest beer cities fell in the breakdown.

For instance, take Milwaukee. It’s one of the hubs of big beer – and the park’s title sponsor is Miller Brewing Co. So you might expect beers to be a little less expensive, but they run $6 apiece.

Similarly, in Denver, where the Colorado Rockies play at Coors Field, you’ll pay $6 for a beer – even though Blue Moon Brewing Co has a brewery located in the stadium.

The two craft beer hubs with major league teams, meanwhile, go in opposite directions. San Francisco will charge you $7 for a beer at a Giant’s game. But down in San Diego, a craft beer stronghold, you’ll pay just $5 – and you’ll have your choice of one of the widest (and most enticing ) selections of beers of any major league stadium. (In all fairness, though, if you want a big glass of one of the local brews, it’s going to cost you a lot more than $5.)

So, as Fielder was going against a lefty, and, as Freddie Freeman owns 6 inning Stephen, I leave Prince on my bench today.

I hate it when the otherwise right decision bites me in the ass.