Basisphilosophie » e and executives scrambling to fill roster

SAN DIEGO - Baseballs winter meetings ended with an old-style spurt of swaps, with All-Stars switching teams at a rapid pace and executives scrambling to fill roster voids.Alfredo Simon, Dee Gordon, Yoenis Cespedes, Miguel Montero, Jeff Samardzija, Brandon Moss, Dan Haren and Howie Kendrick were among the All-Stars dealt by the time teams headed home Thursday, and Matt Kemp and Jimmy Rollins were on the verge of switching clubs.The Los Angeles and Chicago teams were the epicenter of change along with Miami.Twelve trades involving 44 players were made over the four days, according to Major League Baseball, up from five swaps last year and three in 2012. There hadnt been this many trades at a winter meetings since 2006.People are motivated, Seattle general manager Jack Zduriencik said.With major league revenues in the $9 billion range, increased sharing and changes to rules for the amateur draft, more clubs have money to spend and large-market teams are more constrained.The four organizations chasing San Francisco in the NL West all changed their top baseball front-office official since last years gathering: Tony La Russa took over at the Diamondbacks, Andrew Friedman with the Dodgers, A. J. Preller with the Padres and Jeff Bridich with the Rockies. Matt Silverman replaced Friedman with the Rays.People have been very, very aggressive, Detroit general manager Dave Dombrowski said. Action starts more quickly, so when you get here I think youre prepared to move. Secondly, a lot of free agents started to sign. I think a lot of clubs were open-minded. Theres been some change of regimes that have also contributed to that.A $155 million, six-year agreement between left-hander Jon Lester and the Cubs late Tuesday night seemed to break a market logjam.In deals announced just before midnight Wednesday, the Dodgers acquired Kendrick from the Angels to play second and worked to obtain Rollins from Philadelphia in a remake of their middle infield. They dealt Gordon, Haren — who is mulling retirement — infielder Miguel Rojas and a player to be named or cash to the Marlins as part of a seven-player trade for left-hander Andrew Heaney, right-hander Chris Hatcher, infielder Kike Hernandez and catcher Austin Barnes.The Dodgers then sent Heaney, considered one of baseballs top pitching prospects, to the Angels for Kendrick.And as dawn broke, the Dodgers had a deal in place to send Kemp and catcher Tim Federowicz down Interstate 5 to San Diego for catcher Yasmani Grandal and two pitchers. The trade was pending physical exams and approval by the commissioners office of the $32 million the Dodgers would send the Padres to help offset the $107 million remaining in the final five years of Kemps deal.And the Dodgers also worked to complete a $48 million, four-year agreement with pitcher Brandon McCarthy.Detroit made a pair of trades, sending Rick Porcello to Boston for Cespedes and two minor leaguers and replacing Porcello on its staff with Alfredo Simon, obtained from Cincinnati for two minor leaguers. Reds GM Walt Jocketty made that deal in a hotel hallway — Dombrowskis room was right near his.Boston also completed a one-year, $9.5 million deal with free-agent pitcher Justin Masterson, who began his career with the Red Sox, and worked to finalize a trade with Arizona for pitcher Wade Miley.Theres obviously been a lot more movement. The pace has quickened, certainly, Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington said. As expected, it picked up after Lester.The Cubs also have a $20 million, two-year deal with right-hander Jason Hammel. And they acquired All-Star catcher Miguel Montero from Arizona as they try to bring a World Series title to the North Side for the first time since 1908.On the South Side, the White Sox struck a $46 million, four-year deal with closer David Robertson and acquired starter Jeff Samardzija from Oakland after adding reliever Zach Duke and first baseman Adam LaRoche earlier in the off-season.Other teams in the Central divisions were adding, too. Minnesota and right-hander Ervin Santana worked to finalize a $55 million, four-year agreement, and AL champion Kansas City had a $17 million, two-year deal in place with Kendrys Morales. He figures to take over at designated hitter from Billy Butler, who left as a free agent and agreed to a $30 million, three-year deal with Oakland.Jocketty attributed much of the action to new team bosses.I think they wanted to be active and try to do things quickly, he said. Taylor Gabriel Bears Jersey . Hes the same player he always was, only now his efforts are being rewarded. The rookie manager has made a habit of heaping praise on others when things are going well, and accepting criticism when they arent. But in the case of Hurtado, its what the coach is NOT saying that may be the secret to a superb run of form. Cody Parkey Bears Jersey .com) - Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh called Joe Flacco the NFLs best quarterback last week. http://www.bearsrookiestore.com/Bears-Joel-Iyiegbuniwe-Jersey/ . Beckham says "nothing has been confirmed yet, but its something I am very excited about." He adds that "Miami is something that really excites me because there is a great energy down there. Aaron Lynch Bears Jersey . Despite Arsenals financial firepower, the 31-year-old midfielder was the only arrival in the January transfer window. Signed until the end of the season as injury cover, Kallstrom might not be fit until mid-March after arriving Friday at Arsenal having injured his back earlier in the week while training with Spartak Moscow. Trey Burton Bears Jersey . - Wesley Matthews got a chance to practice his bow-and-arrow 3-point celebration on Sunday night.“We just didn’t get the bounce of the ball.” “Some of the decisions just didn’t go in our favour.” “We just didn’t capitalize on our chances.” These are all common excuses that are offered up by losing teams. Whether general managers, coaches or players voice them, they always sound like hollow clichés; attempts to find meaning in a failed season without ever addressing the real problem. Contrast these excuses with what you hear from winning teams. “Every player on this team is behind the manager and what he is trying to do at the club.” “We have an incredible spirit in this group; there are no bad characters in our locker room.” “When one of us is beaten on the pitch, the others dig him out of trouble and pick up the slack.” Do you see the difference? Losing teams make excuses about bad luck, about being cheated by the referee or about failing to execute in decisive moments. Winning teams talk about the strength of the relationships they have between their players. The strength of those relationships is often referred to as team chemistry. Winning teams have it and losing ones don’t. Signing new players can often disrupt a team’s chemistry because doing so introduces new variables into the team dynamics. There is a hierarchy in every locker room; there are leaders and there are followers, there are big personalities and there are quiet ones. When new personalities come into the group in the form of new signings, it can often upset the equilibrium that has been carefully crafted by the manager. It makes midseason signings even more precarious, because the team has already established its own hierarchy. It is one reason why midseason signings often need a full preseason with their new team to fully settle; they need to find their place within the team’s hierarchy, and this is often done over the course of preseason. This makes it a real challenge for any manager to integrate new players into his team during the season. Which makes the Vancouver Whitecaps’ midseason additions of both Kendall Waston and Mauro Rosales even more impressive. Both players have settled into the Whitecaps’ team very quickly and have played vital roles in Vancouver’s push to the MLS playoffs. Waston scored the only goal of the game in Saturday’s 1-0 victory over the Colorado Rapids, while Rosales has added genuine pedigree to the Whitecaps’ midfield alongside Pedro Morales. Their value on the field is the easiest thing to assess. When Waston won everything in the air in the final 15 minutes of the Whitecaps’ 1-0 victory in Seattle over the league-leading Sounders two weeks ago, fans could see the importance of finally having a dominantt central defender in the team.dddddddddddd When Rosales set up both of Sebastian Fernandez’s goals in Vancouver’s 2-0 win over FC Dallas the week prior, fans could see the importance of getting quality service from wide areas in the team. Their value off the field is much more difficult for fans to quantify. Fans often don’t get to see what goes on behind the scenes, so making that assessment is largely down to guesswork. But there are clues to be seen if one looks closely enough. Waston is a gentle giant who walks around with a perpetual grin on his face. He has a huge personality, which comes across in his interviews and promotional appearances. But on the field he is not to be messed with, and he has brought a considerable physical presence to the Whitecaps’ lineup. When he scored on Saturday, he was mobbed by his teammates – all of them appreciative of what the “big man” has brought to the team. When Kekuta Manneh came into Saturday’s game as a substitute, he brought energy and urgency to the Whitecaps’ play. He forced Colorado onto the back foot and gave their defenders fits with his direct running. After Waston scored the go-ahead goal, Manneh continued to drive forward looking for another goal. In one sequence, after taking on three defenders, Manneh was sent sprawling to the turf but no foul was called. The Rapids immediately took possession and looked to hit Vancouver on the counter attack. Yet who was the first Whitecap to sprint 40 yards to put pressure on the ball with Manneh caught out of position? 33-year old Rosales. Given Rosales’ background in the game – he has played for storied sides like Dutch club Ajax and Argentina’s River Plate and Newell’s Old Boys – it would be easy for him to rest on his laurels and let his teammates carry the workload. But Rosales has done the opposite. He has knuckled down and worked his socks off since arriving in Vancouver, often leading the charge in games when possession needs to be recovered. His technical ability is superb, but it is his work-rate and professionalism that has been most impressive to his teammates. He routinely works with Vancouver’s younger players, passing along the years of knowledge he has gained to the next generation. That attitude is infectious, and it is one reason why the Whitecaps clinched a playoff berth in Carl Robinson’s first year in charge of the club. With four wins and 13 points from their last five games, Vancouver is one of the hottest teams in Major League Soccer heading into the playoffs. The Whitecaps travel to Texas on Monday to prepare for their MLS Playoff Knockout Match against FC Dallas, live on TSN on Wednesday night. Blackhawks Jerseys Store Cheap Wild Jerseys Cheap Red Wings Jerseys Cheap Maple Leafs Jerseys Penguins Jerseys Store Capitals Jerseys For Sale Blues Jerseys Store Cheap Kings Jerseys Adidas Lightning Jerseys Stars Jerseys For Sale Cheap Predators Jerseys Ducks Store Sharks Jerseys For Sale Cheap Sabres Jerseys Rangers Jerseys For Sale ' ' '