Right-hander Jeff Weaver signed a one-year deal with the Angels on Wednesday.
Weaver went 14-11 with three complete games, two shutouts and a 4.22 ERA in 34 starts last season with the Dodgers. He was eighth in the NL in starts and innings (224) and sixth in complete games. He also had 157 strikeouts and 43 walks, a ratio of 3.65 that was eighth in the league.
He set career highs in wins, strikeouts and fewest walks, and tied his mark for starts.
The report has no mention of Weaver’s salary, but we can safely assume that he’ll be paid less than Bartolo Colon in 2006, though considerably more than Oil Can Boyd.
The Reds have signed Karl “Tuffy” Rhodes (above) to a minor league contract, a curious move considering Dwight Gooden is long since retired.
Sammy Sosa has turned down the Washington Nationals offer of a one-year, $500,000 deal. Sosa is said to be feeling disrespected by the paltry salary, and who can blame him? Between the declining production, ability to alienate teammates and tarnished reputation, why wouldn’t every club in the big leagues be killing each other to give Sammy a cool million?
It was only last June, by the way, that Sports Illustrated devoted several pages to Sammy’s smooth transition in Baltimore, describing him as a joyous presence in the Orioles’ clubhouse.