The 22 players to agree to one-year contracts include pitchers Bryan Augenstein, Billy Buckner, Juan Gutierrez, Zach Kroenke, Jose Marte, Roque Mercedes, Kevin Mulvey, Jordan Norberto, Daniel Stange, Cesar Valdez, Esmerling Vasquez and Clay Zavada; infielders Tony Abreu, Brandon Allen, Pedro Ciriaco, Ryan Roberts and Rusty Ryal; outfielders Cole Gillespie and Gerardo Parra; and catcher John Hester.

“When we approached Todd about an extension it was with our team and the stability of our franchise as the framework of the negotiations and he was in complete agreement with our thought process,” Dan O’Dowd Rockies Executive Vice President and General Manager said. “His commitment to the standard of team, his strength of character and the mutual trust and accountability between Todd and the organization made the extension right for both of us.”

“This is a great commitment for the both the organization and me,” Todd Helton said. “Potentially it allows us to continue to put a championship caliber club on the field and allows me the opportunity to finish my career as a Colorado Rockie. Because I am a Rockie.”

Helton, 36, was Colorado’s first round selection in the June, 1997 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Tennessee and since his Major League debut in August of 1997 he has played in 1, 812 games and hit for a .328 average with 325 homers and 1,202 RBI. Last year he became only the 50th player in Major League history to tally 500 doubles and the 255th player in history to record 2,000 hits. Helton is just the fifth player all-time with 500 doubles, a .325 batting average and 320 homers. He is joined by Hall of Fame players Stan Musial, Ted Williams, Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth.

The Nationals currently have 53 players in their big league camp.

After a very lengthy battle with city and state leaders, the Marlins broke ground on their new stadium last year, with a targeted opening for April of 2012. While fighting for funding for the stadium, the Marlins’ payroll hit pathetic lows. Their four year total from 2006 – 2009 totaled just over $100 million. In January of this year, the union, Major League Baseball, and the Marlins issued a joint statement saying the team would be forced to increase payroll going forward because the violated the revenue sharing policy. Apparently, the Marlins were not using funds received by the success of other teams properly. With a team payroll that has reached over $45 million only once since 2000, it is not a stretch to think that the Marlins may have used those funds inappropriately.

Still, just three months after being scolded by baseball and the union and not adding any players of note in the offseason, Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria said “I am in this game to win. I’ll do whatever it takes.” Loria’s only moves to increase payroll this offseason was to lock up starting pitcher Josh Johnson and giving second baseman Dan Uggla a one year deal after trying in vain to trade him. Not one guaranteed free agent contract was given out and the team remains the same from 2009. Team officials insist that the young Marlins team will improve in the standings because their less experienced players will take a natural step forward in their progression, but Loria’s expectations of a playoff appearance seems farfetched. With the two time National League champion Phillies making some improvements, the Mets expecting better production out of their (hopefully) healthy stars, and the Braves banking on a mix of aging but talented veterans and young stars, the Marlins will have an uphill climb to improve upon their 87 wins from 2009 without adding any offense or pitching.

The Marlin’s core includes an assortment of youngsters but lacks enough big bats to make enough noise. The team scored the fifth most runs in the National League, but was on the middle of the pack in home runs. Uggla, while a poor defender, leads all major league second basemen in home runs over the last three years with 94. Since becoming a full time player, Cody Ross has shown an ability to hit for moderate power but has seen his average and on base percentage drop precipitously. Still, even with veteran Jorge Cantu in the mix at third base, there is no one in the lineup with the power and ability to properly protect Hanley Ramirez, the best player on the Marlins and one of the top players in the league.

The Marlins do have young talent in the pipeline, in addition to their young talent already on the roster. 22 year old Cameron Maybin will get a second chance to prove he can be the starting centerfielder. Maybin, who came to the Marlins for Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera, put up awful numbers in the first half of 2009 (.202 average 31 strikeouts in 84 at bats)but rebounded well when sent down to Triple-A (.319/.399/.463). He also excelled in a September call up for Florida (.293/.353/.500), renewing hopes that he can contribute despite his youth.

First base looks to be a competition between rookies Gaby Sanchez and Logan Morrison. Sanchez is running out of time to prove he can produce in the majors like he has in the minors. Morrison, only 22 years old, may be able to claim a starting job making the offense even more youthful and inexperienced. The Marlins expect even bigger things in 2010 from NL Rookie of the Year Chris Coghlan who set the table with an OBP of almost .400.

The Marlins starters after stud Josh Johnson becomes a list of hopes and what ifs. Can Andrew Miller be the pitcher the Marlins thought he was when he joined the team through the same trade that netted Maybin? Is Anibal Sanchez fully recovered from all of his injuries? Can Ricky Nolasco revert to his high winning percentage/respectable ERA days of 2008? Can Sean West build on his 20 impressive starts of 2009?

All of this equals an impressive list of young players who may or may not progress to the point of contention. But with a slap on the wrist from the league, a contentious stadium funding battle, and bitter fan base, the Marlins should have added veteran talent to ensure a run at a playoff spot and add some excitement to a quiet and nearly nonexistent crowd.

The Marlins should be emulating the Minnesota Twins, who open their new ballpark in just a few weeks. The Twins slowly increased payroll over time with the expectation that revenue would increase exponentially once they moved into Target Field. Due to this increase in revenue, the Twins expect to lose any revenue sharing dollars that have come their way in the past. Still, they made an effort to put their newfound dollars into the product on the field. Stadium financing was approved in May of 2006.

The club has locked up its young stars Justin Morneau and Michael Cuddyer and is on the verge of keeping MVP Joe Mauer in Minnesota for most if not all of his career. The Twins’ spending has resulted in two playoff appearances and attendance that has almost doubled that of the Marlins over the same time period.

The Marlins have attempted modest payroll increases in the recent past leading to a modest increase in attendance. From the years 2006 to 2007, the team raised payroll by $16 million. During that same period, the Marlins saw a corresponding 16% increase in attendance. When the team raised payroll by $15 million from 2008 to 2009, their attendance increased by 12%. Their overall attendance still ranked either 29^th or 30^th during those attendance “booms” because, despite massive increases, the payroll still never surpassed $37 million because of the extreme depths from which their salary structure began.

An influx of payroll and an increase of expectations along with the excitement of a new stadium could lift the Marlins out of the cellar in every conceivable revenue producing category. But until ownership shows that they are serious about competing and putting a successful product on the field, long term success is nothing more lip service and pipe dreams.

Still, with the large amount of young talent and rookies with high ceilings, the Marlins will have a good chance to sail past an aging Braves team and a pitching starved Mets team to make a Wild Card run in 2010. If Loria is to be believed when he says “I expect us to make the playoffs,” he will have to pull the trigger on a deal sometime this summer. The Marlins need to add a steady pitcher to back up Johnson and a power bat to give Ramirez some relief. So far Loria insists his team is ready to compete with what they have. He said, “We’ve got all the ammunition we need.” He is painfully wrong, but his reluctance to a sign a free agent this winter indicates that maybe he really believes the Marlins can contend with what they have right now. An optimist would say that Loria isn’t convinced this team this team is playoff bound and wanted to see how they responded to the first half of the season before investing in any expensive additions, but by then it may be too late

Manager Fredi Gonzales is seemingly on the hot seat to improve on last year’s second place performance, whether Loria improves the team or not. The Marlins as constituted can hang with the second tier of the National League East, and if they can make it interesting heading into July, the taxpayers of Miami, the player’s union, and major League Baseball will be watching to see how ownership responds.

With the moves, the White Sox have 52 players remaining in major-league camp: 27 pitchers, five catchers, 11 infielders and nine outfielders.

Marshall was 5-3 with a 3.20 ERA and seven saves in 50 games at Triple-A Sacramento last year before he was selected by Oakland August 9. He had two losses and a 14.73 ERA in 10 relief appearances with the A’s and is 1-4 with a 7.66 ERA in 61 career relief appearances over two seasons with Oakland.

“It is an honor to welcome Tony to the Association’s staff,” said Weiner. “Tony is as passionate about this union as any player I’ve known and is highly respected throughout the game. He will be a tremendous asset to the players’ cause.”

“I am excited to begin this next chapter of my life by doing my best to ensure that the MLBPA remains a strong and cohesive union,” stated Clark. “I am looking forward to developing relationships with all Union members, past and present, learning about the issues important to them, and keeping them informed and up to date on all issues related to the Basic Agreement.” Clark, 37, retired during the 2009 season, after spending 15 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and San Diego Padres. Originally drafted by the Tigers in the first round (2nd overall) of the 1990 Amateur Draft, Clark made his big league debut in September of 1995, and finished third in 1996 Rookie of the Year voting. Clark, a first baseman, played in 1,559 games, appeared in the 2001 All- Star Game and finished his career with 1,188 hits, 251 home runs and 824 RBI.

Tony became active in union affairs after attending his first Executive Board meeting in 1999. From there he became a team player representative, before spending his last seven seasons as an Association Representative, one of two players to serve in the Union’s most senior player leadership position. Tony was actively involved in the Union’s collective bargaining negotiations in 2002 and 2006, as well as in negotiations over the Joint Drug Agreement.

RHP Hector Ambriz
INF Brian Bixler
OF Michael Brantley
INF Asdrubal Cabrera
RHP Carlos Carrasco
OF Shin-Soo Choo
OF Trevor Crowe
LHP Kelvin De La Cruz
INF Jason Donald
RHP Jeanmar Gomez
INF Wes Hodges
LHP David Huff
INF/OF Matt LaPorta
LHP Aaron Laffey
RHP Jensen Lewis
CA Lou Marson
INF Andy Marte
RHP Justin Masterson
RHP Chris Perez
LHP Rafael Perez
INF Carlos Rivero
RHP Hector Rondon
CA Carlos Santana
LHP Tony Sipp
RHP Joe Smith
LHP Jeremy Sowers
RHP Mitch Talbot
RHP Jesse Todd
CA Wyatt Toregas
INF Luis Valbuena
OF Nick Weglarz
RHP Anthony Reyes

Optioned to AAA Tacoma (1):
Left-handed pitcher (1): Ryan Feierabend

Re-Assigned to Minor League camp (7):
Right-handed pitcher (2): Josh Fields, Steven Shell
Left-handed pitcher (3): Nick Hill, Chris Seddon, Mauricio Robles
Catcher (2): Luis Oliveros, Steven Baron

Today’s roster moves leave the Mariners with 55 players in their Major League Camp, 39 roster players and 16 non-roster invitees.

The announcements were made by Executive Vice President/General Manager Theo Epstein and Garciaparra.

“From the first day I had the thrill of putting on a Red Sox uniform and playing in front of all the great fans at Fenway Park, I have felt at home in Boston,” said Garciaparra. “While I had the privilege of playing with other legendary teams, I always saw myself retiring in a Red Sox uniform. Today I am honored to live that dream thanks to Mr. Henry, Mr. Werner, Mr. Lucchino, Theo, and this wonderful organization. I thank my family, friends, teammates, fans and all who have supported me throughout this wonderful journey.”

“Nomar will always hold a special place in Red Sox history and in the hearts of Red Sox Nation. His accomplishments on the field and in the community place him among the greatest players to wear a Red Sox uniform,” said Principal Owner John Henry. “We are very appreciative that Nomar is ending his career where it began.”

“It was always special to watch the fans cheer when Nomar came to the plate. He gave us some of Fenway’s greatest moments and will forever be a special part of the team’s history,” said Chairman Tom Werner. “We wish Nomar, his wife Mia, and their twin daughters all the best as they enter the next chapter in their lives.”

“We are pleased that Nomar Garciaparra feels such an enduring pride in, respect for, and connection to the Boston Red Sox and Red Sox Nation. I believe I can speak for our entire organization and our passionate fan base and say those sentiments are mutual; we feel the same pride, respect, and connection to Nomar,” said President/CEO Larry Lucchino. “Welcome home, Nomar.” Garciaparra, 36, owns a .313 (1,747-for-5,586) batting average, 229 homers and 936 RBI in 1,434 career games over 14 Major League campaigns with the Red Sox (1996-2004), Cubs (2004-05), Dodgers (2006-08) and Athletics (2009). During his nine seasons in Boston he compiled a .323 (1,281-for-3,968) batting average, 178 homers and 690 RBI in 966 games. He is fourth in club history in career batting average and fifth in slugging (.553) among players with at least 1,500 at-bats. Garciaparra also ranks among Boston’s top 15 in career doubles (9th, 279), extra-base hits (9th, 507), home runs (11th, 178), total bases (11th, 2,194), runs (12th, 709) and hits (14th, 1,281).

The right-handed hitter finished among the top 10 in American League Most Valuable Player voting five times with Boston, including four straight from 1997-2000. He is one of six players in Red Sox history to earn AL Rookie of the Year honors after hitting .306 (209-for-684) with 122 runs, 44 doubles, 30 homers, 98 RBI and 22 steals in 1997. He was voted onto six All-Star teams including five with Boston and started at shortstop in the 1999 contest at Fenway Park.

He joins Wade Boggs (1985-88), Carl Yastrzemski (1967-68) and Ted Williams (1941-42, 47-48, 57-58) as the only players in Red Sox history to earn AL batting titles in consecutive seasons, doing so in 1999 (.357) and 2000 (.372). His .372 average in 2000 is the fourth highest in club single-season history. Garciaparra owns the 19th-highest career batting average in Major League history among players with at least 200 career home runs.

He ranked second in the AL with a .325 (1,210-for-3,725) batting average from 1997-2003, including a league-best .337 (791-for-2,349) mark over the first four years of that span. During his time with Boston he tallied 100 runs six times, 100 RBI four times and 25 homers 4 times, including a career-high 35 in 1998.

Garciaparra appeared in 32 playoff games over the course of his career, batting .321 (36-for-112) with seven homers and 24 RBI. He hit .323 (31-for-96) with seven homers and 21 RBI in 25 postseason contests with Boston.

He was originally selected by the Red Sox with the 12th overall pick in first round of the 1994 First-Year Player Draft out of Georgia Tech. He was dealt to the Cubs as part of a four-team trade on July 31, 2004.