GaryMrMets
12-18-2001, 10:25 PM
The Boston Red Sox signed two players today. Former Mets secondbaseman was signed to a minor league contract & pitcher Jon Burkett was also signed.
http://redsox.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/bos/news/bos_news_story.jsp?article_id=bos_20011218_baerga_ news&team_id=bos
News
12/18/2001 5:42 pm ET
Red Sox sign Baerga to minor league contract
BOSTON, MA -- Executive Vice President and General Manager Dan Duquette announced Tuesday that the Red Sox have agreed to terms with free agent infielder Carlos Baerga on a minor league contract with an invitation to Major League Spring Training camp.
"Carlos Baerga is an accomplished veteran Major League player," said Duquette. "The Red Sox have signed Baerga with an invitation to big league camp. He is capable of competing for an infield job during Spring Training."
Baerga, 33, is currently hitting .343 (34-99) with a .586 slugging percentage, a .409 on-base percentage, and a .991 fielding percentage in 28 games for Bayamon during winter ball in the Puerto Rican League.
The switch-hitting infielder is a three-time Major League All-Star and a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner during his nine-plus big league seasons with Cleveland (1990-96, 99), the New York Mets (1996-98) and San Diego (1999). Overall, in 1280 career games, he has a .291 average (1400-4807) with 246 doubles, 124 HR, 686 RBI, and 659 runs scored. Baerga owns two of the most prolific offensive seasons turned in by a second baseman in ML history when he became just the second player at his position to hit better than .300 with 20 or more HR and 100 or more RBI in both 1992 and 1993. Additionally, his 105 RBI in '92 were the most by an AL second baseman since Bobby Doerr recorded 120 with the Red Sox in 1950 and Baerga also became the first AL second baseman to have back-to-back 100-plus RBI seasons ('92-'93) since Doerr accomplishment the feat in 1948-50. In 1992, Baerga hit .312 with 20 HR and 105 RBI, was named to his first All-Star team, and named Indians Man of the Year for the second consecutive season. His 152 singles led the league while he finished second in the AL in hits (205), sixth in batting average and 10th in RBI. His 20 homeruns and 105 RBI in 1992 were franchise records for a switch-hitter.
Baerga broke his own records again in 1993 by turning in career-highs with a .321 batting average, 21 homeruns and 114 RBI. He also earned Silver Slugger Award honors. Baerga was voted to his second straight All-Star team in 1993 and became just the second Indians' second baseman to post back-to-back 20-plus home run seasons. Baerga also entered the ML record books when he became the first player in ML history to hit a home run from both sides of the plate in the same inning on April 8 against the Yankees.
In 1995, Baerga finished his fourth straight season with a .300-plus batting average when he hit .314 for the second straight year. In addition to Silver Slugger honors in 1994, he was also named an AP All-Star He was voted to his third All-Star team in 1995 when he helped lead Cleveland to an AL pennant and a World Series appearance. Baerga began the 1996 season by playing 100 games for the Indians before being acquired by the Mets in a trade-deadline deal. Prior to the trade, Baerga had reached base in 78 of 100 games with the Tribe but was limited to just 26 games due to injury. Baerga played both 1997 and 1998 with the Mets, recording a .986 fielding percentage and turning 95 double plays in 1998. Baerga played partial seasons with San Diego and Cleveland in 1999 and was a Spring Training Invitee for Seattle in 2001.
Baerga was originally signed as a non-drafted free agent by the Padres in 1985 and made his professional debut with class-A Charleston in 1986. He played in the Padres minor league system until being acquired by Cleveland in 1989. Baerga made his ML debut with Cleveland in 1990 and was the Tribe's most reliable pinch-hitter with 11 pinch-hits, which ranked second in the league. Baerga was named Cleveland's Man of the Year in 1991. Baerga, his wife, Miriam, and their children reside in Toa Alta, Puerto Rico.
---------------------------
http://espn.go.com/mlb/news/2001/1218/1297899.html
Tuesday, December 18
Â*
Red Sox add second starter in four days
Associated Press
BOSTON -- Free agent right-hander John Burkett has accepted a 2-year, $11 million offer from the Boston Red Sox, his agent said Tuesday, though the team has yet to complete the deal.
Burkett was 12-12 with a 3.04 ERA for the Atlanta Braves last season. He is 141-119 with a 4.23 ERA in 14 Major Leagues seasons with the Braves, Texas Rangers, Florida Marlins and San Francisco Giants.
Boston has already acquired left hander Darren Oliver from Texas and right-hander Dustin Hermanson from the St. Louis Cardinals in trades this off-season in an effort to bolster its pitching staff behind Pedro Martinez.
"I think he's real excited about it," Burkett's agent, Tommy Tanzer, said Tuesday. "It gives him a chance to play on a winning contending team. You don't often find a team where the manager (former Boston pitching coach Joe Kerrigan) is a pitching guy. That's an exciting team to be on."
Tanzer said Kerrigan played "a major part" in the discussions, and that the two got along well when Burkett toured Fenway Park last week.
Red Sox spokesman Kevin Shea said the team wasn't prepared to make an announcement.
"(General Manager) Dan (Duquette) left the door open a couple days ago to talking to a couple other pitchers even after we acquired Hermanson, but we've got nothing to announce yet," Shea said.
Burkett had sought a three-year deal but settled for two years at $5.5 million per year plus incentives, Tanzer said. He said he and Burkett received the offer Friday and told the Red Sox it was a deal Sunday, but have yet to hear back.
Tanzer said he wasn't worried about the delay but said, "It is unusual because no other people in the whole wide world do things like this."
http://redsox.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/bos/news/bos_news_story.jsp?article_id=bos_20011218_baerga_ news&team_id=bos
News
12/18/2001 5:42 pm ET
Red Sox sign Baerga to minor league contract
BOSTON, MA -- Executive Vice President and General Manager Dan Duquette announced Tuesday that the Red Sox have agreed to terms with free agent infielder Carlos Baerga on a minor league contract with an invitation to Major League Spring Training camp.
"Carlos Baerga is an accomplished veteran Major League player," said Duquette. "The Red Sox have signed Baerga with an invitation to big league camp. He is capable of competing for an infield job during Spring Training."
Baerga, 33, is currently hitting .343 (34-99) with a .586 slugging percentage, a .409 on-base percentage, and a .991 fielding percentage in 28 games for Bayamon during winter ball in the Puerto Rican League.
The switch-hitting infielder is a three-time Major League All-Star and a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner during his nine-plus big league seasons with Cleveland (1990-96, 99), the New York Mets (1996-98) and San Diego (1999). Overall, in 1280 career games, he has a .291 average (1400-4807) with 246 doubles, 124 HR, 686 RBI, and 659 runs scored. Baerga owns two of the most prolific offensive seasons turned in by a second baseman in ML history when he became just the second player at his position to hit better than .300 with 20 or more HR and 100 or more RBI in both 1992 and 1993. Additionally, his 105 RBI in '92 were the most by an AL second baseman since Bobby Doerr recorded 120 with the Red Sox in 1950 and Baerga also became the first AL second baseman to have back-to-back 100-plus RBI seasons ('92-'93) since Doerr accomplishment the feat in 1948-50. In 1992, Baerga hit .312 with 20 HR and 105 RBI, was named to his first All-Star team, and named Indians Man of the Year for the second consecutive season. His 152 singles led the league while he finished second in the AL in hits (205), sixth in batting average and 10th in RBI. His 20 homeruns and 105 RBI in 1992 were franchise records for a switch-hitter.
Baerga broke his own records again in 1993 by turning in career-highs with a .321 batting average, 21 homeruns and 114 RBI. He also earned Silver Slugger Award honors. Baerga was voted to his second straight All-Star team in 1993 and became just the second Indians' second baseman to post back-to-back 20-plus home run seasons. Baerga also entered the ML record books when he became the first player in ML history to hit a home run from both sides of the plate in the same inning on April 8 against the Yankees.
In 1995, Baerga finished his fourth straight season with a .300-plus batting average when he hit .314 for the second straight year. In addition to Silver Slugger honors in 1994, he was also named an AP All-Star He was voted to his third All-Star team in 1995 when he helped lead Cleveland to an AL pennant and a World Series appearance. Baerga began the 1996 season by playing 100 games for the Indians before being acquired by the Mets in a trade-deadline deal. Prior to the trade, Baerga had reached base in 78 of 100 games with the Tribe but was limited to just 26 games due to injury. Baerga played both 1997 and 1998 with the Mets, recording a .986 fielding percentage and turning 95 double plays in 1998. Baerga played partial seasons with San Diego and Cleveland in 1999 and was a Spring Training Invitee for Seattle in 2001.
Baerga was originally signed as a non-drafted free agent by the Padres in 1985 and made his professional debut with class-A Charleston in 1986. He played in the Padres minor league system until being acquired by Cleveland in 1989. Baerga made his ML debut with Cleveland in 1990 and was the Tribe's most reliable pinch-hitter with 11 pinch-hits, which ranked second in the league. Baerga was named Cleveland's Man of the Year in 1991. Baerga, his wife, Miriam, and their children reside in Toa Alta, Puerto Rico.
---------------------------
http://espn.go.com/mlb/news/2001/1218/1297899.html
Tuesday, December 18
Â*
Red Sox add second starter in four days
Associated Press
BOSTON -- Free agent right-hander John Burkett has accepted a 2-year, $11 million offer from the Boston Red Sox, his agent said Tuesday, though the team has yet to complete the deal.
Burkett was 12-12 with a 3.04 ERA for the Atlanta Braves last season. He is 141-119 with a 4.23 ERA in 14 Major Leagues seasons with the Braves, Texas Rangers, Florida Marlins and San Francisco Giants.
Boston has already acquired left hander Darren Oliver from Texas and right-hander Dustin Hermanson from the St. Louis Cardinals in trades this off-season in an effort to bolster its pitching staff behind Pedro Martinez.
"I think he's real excited about it," Burkett's agent, Tommy Tanzer, said Tuesday. "It gives him a chance to play on a winning contending team. You don't often find a team where the manager (former Boston pitching coach Joe Kerrigan) is a pitching guy. That's an exciting team to be on."
Tanzer said Kerrigan played "a major part" in the discussions, and that the two got along well when Burkett toured Fenway Park last week.
Red Sox spokesman Kevin Shea said the team wasn't prepared to make an announcement.
"(General Manager) Dan (Duquette) left the door open a couple days ago to talking to a couple other pitchers even after we acquired Hermanson, but we've got nothing to announce yet," Shea said.
Burkett had sought a three-year deal but settled for two years at $5.5 million per year plus incentives, Tanzer said. He said he and Burkett received the offer Friday and told the Red Sox it was a deal Sunday, but have yet to hear back.
Tanzer said he wasn't worried about the delay but said, "It is unusual because no other people in the whole wide world do things like this."