Happy Trails Ivan Rodriguez: Pudge Finally Retires

The Supreme Court sides with Larry Flynt in the defamation suit Hustler Magazine v. Falwell in February. In April, Sonny Bono is elected mayor of Palm Springs, California, and Roy Orbison dies of a heart attack in December.

The year was 1988, the same year the Texas Rangers signed Ivan Rodriguez out of Puerto Rico. Old. School.

After 21 seasons in the big leagues (yep, some of you aren't even that old) Rodriguez is hanging up his catching equipment. The 40-year-old backstop, who owns the all-time record for Gold Gloves at catcher (13), intends to announce his retirement formally at a ceremony on Monday in Arlington, where he spent his first 12 big league seasons.

Smokin' Hot Stove: Big Names Tossed Around

Some big names have been thrown out in the early winter meeting talks, but little has been seen to back up the smack.

Coveted 2003 Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay is probably the biggest fish out there, while other names strung out on the trade market like Dan Uggla and Detroit Tigers teammates Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson provided little more than mullings.

A few minor deals were struck in Indianapolis Monday, with Brian Bruney heading to the Washington Nationals for a player to be named later along with Pudge Rodriguez, and Tigers lefty Clay Rapada being shipped off to Texas for a bag of cash and some guy they'll decide on in the future. The busy Motor City Kitties did agree to a $1.55 million, one-year deal with shortstop Adam Everett, though.

Free agent righty Brad Penny somehow reached a tentative agreement on a $7.5 million, one-year contract with the St. Louis Cardinals, pending a passed physical. Hopefully he'll remember to zip his fly this time.

Of the 23 free agents offered arbitration by their former club last week, only three accepted by the midnight deadline: Minnesota Twins right-hander Carl Pavano, Atlanta Braves reliever Rafael Soriano, and Colorado Rockies reliever Rafael Betancourt. Lots of work to be done there.

Stay tuned for more Hot Stove Goodness over the next four days!

[MLB.com] | [Hot Stove Blog] | [The Diamond Cutter]

Pudge Not Ready To Call It Quits

Ivan Rodriguez must not know how to golf. Or fish. Or relax.

The 38-year-old catcher reached a preliminary agreement with the Washington Nationals Monday on a two-year, $6 million contract. All he has to do is pass a physical.

The 14-time All-Star, 13-time Gold Glove winner, and 1999 AL MVP split last season between the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers, hitting a combined .249 with 10 home runs and 47 RBIs. Pudge is the big league leader in games caught at 2,288... which should come as no surprise since he's been playing in the big leagues since Joe Mauer was in second grade.

In Washington, he'll likely play second fiddle to Jesus Flores, who missed most of last season after being hit by a foul ball. He returned for three at-bats in early September before undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum. In 93 at-bats overall, Flores batted .301 with four longballs and 15 RBIs.

[Washington Post] | [National Baseball Report] | [Nationals Farm Authority]

Let's Get Denarded In Here

Much to my delight and amazement, the Minnesota Twins managed to put together two wins -- in a row -- after their 5-4 victory over the Texas Rangers Wednesday night, coming back from a 4-run deficit for the second straight day.

This marks the first time in all 19 days of August so far that the Twins have strung together one win after another. Pretty impressive stuff there. Spoiling Ivan Rodriguez's re-debut with his parent team, Denard Span (officially batting .300 on the season) went 3-for-4, hitting the tying double before sliding past Pudge with the go-ahead run on an Orlando Cabrera base hit in the sixth inning to make it 5-4.

Pudge Gets to Keep His Giant Belt Buckle

Ivan Rodriguez is headed back to the Texas Rangers.

The All-Star catcher, who began his career with the team when he was just 19 years old, was acquired Tuesday in a trade with the Houston Astros for minor league pitcher Matt Nevarez and two players to be named later.

"It’s been a long time," he said. "I’m glad that I’m back."

Pudge, now 37, signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with Houston back in March, batting .251 with eight homers and 34 RBIs in 93 games with the club. While the Astros have fallen from the NL playoff chase, the Rangers are head-to-head with the Boston Red Sox in the Wild Card rase.

Pudge Is Old School

Ivan Rodriguez caught his 2,227th major league game Wednesday night, passing legendary backstop and all-around ornery bastard Carlton Fisk, to become the all-time leading catcher in games started behind the plate.

And he did so against the team who raised him.

Pudge May Finally Have a Home

Ivan Rodriguez is almost officially a Houston Astro. The two sides are reportedly nearing a $1.5 million, one-year contract, according to some random anonymous person familiar with the details.

The negotiation could also contain $1.5 million in performance bonuses (based on games played and plate appearances) which is a nice price for Houston, who is looking at replacing Brad Ausmus after the backstop became a free agent and signed on with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Among the Astros, the Minnesota Twins, San Francisco Giants and Florida Marlins -- where he enjoyed a 2003 World Series Championship -- have also shown interest in the catcher. The only problem with most of those options is that Pudge refuses to be anybody's backup.

"It’s very important for me [to be a starter] because I feel good enough to play every day," he said. "I feel very good, ready to play a whole season."

A deal with the 37-year-old veteran could help the 'Stros, considering they have all of ONE victory so far this Spring. The old school backstop has been tearing it up with Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, going 9-for-15 with two home runs and six RBIs in four games. He hit .276 with 7 homers and 35 RBIs over 115 games between the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees last season, boasting a .993 fielding percentage with 620 putouts and just 5 errors on 6 passed balls. Not bad for an old man.

[Houston Chronicle] | [The Crawfish Boxes] | [MLB Rumors] | [Astros Dugout]

Farny = Pudge

The New York Yankees have found themselves a replacement for Sarah's boyfriend the injured Jorge Posada: veteran backstop Ivan Rodriguez. Yeah, he's 36 and still pretty awesome, which you may not be able to tell by his 32 RBIs.

They acquired the 14-time All-Star from the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday for Kyle Farnsworth, who is one of my favorite players to laugh at.

Pudge Keeps His Tiger Stripes

The Tigers ended the long period of uncertainty (OK, more like a week or two of speculation) and announced on Tuesday that they have exercised Ivan Rodriguez's $13 million option for 2008- meaning the 36 year-old Pudge will be back with Detroit for a fifth season.

Club president and GM Dave Dombrowski was complimentary, but not quite enthusiastic, about the 18 year MLB veteran.

"We still feel that Pudge is one of the better catchers in baseball," Dombrowski said. "We just felt that he did a solid job for us this year, and we feel like he's still one of the top catchers available in the game."

Not surprisingly, Pudge's uber-agent Scott Boras agrees with the club's decision.

"I think it was a very easy decision," Boras said. "It's clear that if he was a free agent, he'd be getting a multi-year contract."

A quick look at the other catchers (potentially) on the free agent market this year, courtesy of MLB Trade Rumors:

Brad Ausmus (39)
Michael Barrett (31)
Ramon Castro (32)
Jason Kendall (34)
Paul Lo Duca (36)
Jorge Posada (36)
Jose Molina (33)
Yorvit Torrealba (30)

[ Detroit Tigers ] | [ Bless You Boys ]