Two bits of news from the weekend that you may have seen elsewhere, but are worth noting nontheless. Brian Fuentes signed a two-year deal with the A’s yesterday. The Pirates really don’t have any business giving 35-year old relievers multi-year contracts, so it’s pretty easy to see why they dropped out of the bidding when they did. Who’s ready for the “Tony Watson Is a Sleeper To Make This Team” Spring Training watch?
Second, Ian Snell signed with the Cardinals earlier in the weekend. Dave Duncan has quite a reputation for himself by fixing struggling pitchers, so this signing makes quite a bit of sense. Snell went way off the rails last year, walking nearly as many as he struck out and getting shelled in a great pitcher’s park in Seattle, but he’s still on the right side of 30 and there’s a chance that maybe Duncan can help him find some of the lost zip on his fastball and turn him back into a serviceable pitcher. It’s just a minor league deal, so there’s not really any risk for the Cardinals.
