Is that all there is?

[Guest AG/DC]

Folks are reporting to spring training and there are no offers for Mike Piazza?

Is this where it ends? Will he get a last hurrah, trying to DH and stay healthy? Will he kill a season with a second-division club?

[seawolf17]

Come on, Ducks. Do the right thing.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I can't imagine he'd play for the Ducks.

If he can't get a big-league roster spot, he should retire gracefully.

[metirish]

There was a picture in the Daily News yesterday showing Mike lugging a small propane tank in Miami, presumably for a barbeque.

[seawolf17]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: If he can't get a big-league roster spot, he should retire gracefully.

By selling out Citibank Park in Central Islip every day for a year.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I think that matters to you and about three other people.

[seawolf17]

I don't see what's so wrong with Piazza signing with an independent league if he can't get a major-league invite. The guy's a baseball player; if he wants to continue playing baseball, then he might not have any other options, and the Ducks have a solid history with ex-major leaguers on the roster and a dedicated fan base who'd be thrilled to see it happen.

I honestly wouldn't be surprised -- or disappointed -- at all. Why is retiring and playing golf every day more dignified or graceful than continuing to do what you love to do?

[Benjamin Grimm]

Well, because after a while the "hanging on" begins to look rather pathetic, as it did with Rickey Henderson.

Mike may feel differently, but if it was me, rather than subjecting my body to the rigors of catching for the equivalent of a low-minor league team, I'd get started on the rest of my life and spend time with the little daughter that he has.

He's already had a Hall-of-Fame career. The only thing he's missing is a World's Championship. And he's not going to get one of those in Central Islip.

[Guest AG/DC]

There's a lot not to like in Rickey Henderson, but I think there was nothing pathetic in his efforts to keep playing, and I was disappointed when he eventually stopped.

Why would you be spending time with Mike Piazza's daughter? Yee.

[Theoldmole]

Not saying he should do it, but if he sells out the park every day, that would be an indication it matters to more than three people.

[Guest AG/DC]

Not saying he's slacking, but that's only the third Molepost since February 1.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Piazza's presence would matter to more than three people.

It's the Ducks selling out their games that I don't think many people would care about.

I don't imagine that Mike Piazza is having wet dreams about selling out a little ballpark in Islip.

[Frayed Knot]

Also no jobs right now for Bonds, Sosa, or Clemens.
Under different circustances that could have made for one helluva HoF class in 2013.

Of course under different circumstances maybe some or all of them would still have jobs ... or maybe would have hung it up years ago.

[seawolf17]

I'm not saying that... but I am saying that he can be a marquee hero again, or he can be a part-time DH in Kansas City. I'd rather be a marquee hero in the Atlantic League than a fading superstar, but I don't really have that option myself.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Shawn Green also appears to be packing it in. He's said he wants only a job in SoCal, and the Dodgers and Angels have so far resisted employing him.

In unrelated news, who is that guy up there with the taped-up bat? Kingman?

[Benjamin Grimm]

Looks like the Bad Dude to me.

[Guest attgig]

Edgardo Alfonzo is a invite to the Texas Rangers hoping to win utility job. during the winter he hit .345/.414/.525 in 139 at-bats in Venezuela...enough to get an invite.

Maybe green and piazza should've played some winter league ball.

[Guest AG/DC]

Jason Tyner got signed to a minor league deal by Cleveland.

Once you get that first homer out of the way, it's smooth sailing.

[nymr83]

]Maybe green and piazza should've played some winter league ball.

piazza's knees probably don't need that. i'm shocked hehasnt caught on somewhere yet.

[Frayed Knot]

Bartolo Colon looks like he'll be signing with Boston while Trot Nixon hooks up with Arizona.

But that still leaves a pretty heftly list of the newly unemployed, including hitters:
Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Mike Piazza, Shawn Green, Shannon Stewart, Preston Wilson, Reggie Sanders, Kenny Lofton, Rondell White, Corey Patterson, Ryan Klesko, Julio Franco

and pitchers:
David Wells, Kyle Lohse, Freddy Garcia, Russ Ortiz, Eric Milton, Aaron Sele, Rodrigo Lopez, Armando Bentiez, Arthur Rhodes, Jose Mesa & Antonio Alfonseca

[TransMonk]

Weren't we rumored to have interest in Lofton?

[Frayed Knot]

Not that I know of.
They're really looking for a RH bat more than anything. Plus Lofton can't play the field on anywhere near his old level and with Endy around you don't want him for defense either.

[nymr83]

]Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Mike Piazza

throw in Clemens and you've got a great hall of fame class in 5 years.

[Guest KC]

Sammy Sosa ain't no hall of famer.

[TransMonk]

Found it from Jayson Stark, lost in the Santana scuttle:

Once the Santana trade is done, expect the Mets to swoop into the free-agent market to add an outfielder to replace Carlos Gomez. One name they've kicked around: Kenny Lofton.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&id=3225433

Though, I agree, he doesn't patch up any holes.

[nymr83]

why isn't Sosa a hall of famer?
and if your answer is "steroids," why ARE Bonds and Clemens and who knows how many other from this era who were suspected but never caught like Sosa going to get in?

[nymr83]

Lofton doesn't do shit for this team, they need a power-hitter on the bench. Given that Chavez is on the team that guy need not be a good fielder.

[smg58]

Fonzie parlayed a year with the Ducks into a camp invite in Texas this year, so it's not the worst situation if you think you can still play.

Shannon Stewart just got a deal with the Blue Jays.

Lohse is still holding out for a long-term deal, under the assumption that somebody will decide they need a pitcher badly enough before the season starts.

I know there are several teams who don't have better short-term options in centerfield than Patterson or Lofton, so I'm really surprised they're still available.

[nymr83]

Lohse is 28 years old and owns a 95 ERA+ for his career (100 last year)

Gil Meche at age 27, coming off a 99 ERA+ and owning a sub-100 mark for his career to that point got a huge contract from the royals.

Lohse was a more reliable innings eater as well.

[Guest Triple Dee]

Nymr83 wrote: why isn't Sosa a hall of famer? and if your answer is "steroids," why ARE Bonds and Clemens and who knows how many other from this era who were suspected but never caught like Sosa going to get in?

I think you'll find there's a new criteria when assessing entry; "the extent to which they misled the public balanced against a guestimate of their ability without PEDs"

On this criteria, Bonds is in, Clemens is 50-50 and Sosa, Palmeiro are out