Players mov'in the news

AL & NL hitters and Pitchers

Maicer Izturis SS Los Angeles Angels

Angels agreed to terms with infielder Maicer Izturis on a one-year, $1.6 million contract.
Fantasy Source spin: Izturis asked for $1.885 million and was offered $1.4 million in his second year of arbitration. The 28-year-old is a utility player for the Angels, but only injuries have prevented him from reaching 400 at-bats the last couple of years. With Erick Aybar still not having established himself and Howie Kendrick not yet proving he can stay healthy, Izturis is looking at plenty of playing time again in 2009.

Jason Kubel DH Minnesota Twins

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports that Jason Kubel's two-year contract with the Twins is worth "about $7 million" with a $5 million team option for 2011.
Fantasy Source spin: If those are indeed the terms the Twins did very well, giving themselves the option of buying out Kubel's first season of free agency for a mere $5 million while avoiding any real risk. He's expected to make around $2.75 million in 2009.
Source: Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Mike Lowell 3B Boston Red Sox

Mike Lowell swung a bat Tuesday for the first time since October hip surgery, taking 50 hacks off a tee.
Fantasy Source spin: Meanwhile, Lowell has been removed from Puerto Rico's provisional roster for the World Baseball Classic because of his uncertain health status. He remains on track to be ready for opening day, but it's unclear how much action he'll get during spring training.
Source: WEEI.com

Eric Hinske OF Tampa Bay Devil Rays

The Pirates are close to signing free agent Eric Hinske to a deal worth $1 million-$2 million.
Fantasy Source spin: It's not the right-handed bat the Pirates would prefer, but it's clearly better than settling for Luis Gonzalez. Hinske is no longer more than an emergency third baseman, but he holds his own defensively at the outfield corners and he was able to hit 20 homers in just 381 at-bats last season. He'll be the Pirates' best option to start in left, though he'll probably be penciled into a reserve role initially.
Source: FOXSports.com

AL Pitchers

Joaquin Benoit RP Texas Rangers

Joaquin Benoit underwent surgery Wednesday to repair a torn rotator cuff and will miss at least the first half of the season.
Fantasy Source spin: It was obvious that Benoit was nowhere near 100 percent while he was on the mound last season, so this doesn't come as much of a surprise. "Joaquin was affected most of last season, and it didn't allow him to perform to his abilities," said Rangers GM Jon Daniels. "He attempted to rehab the injury this offseason. He worked hard but the results weren't there. From all accounts, the surgery went well and he can begin the process of strengthening his shoulder now." Benoit is entering the final season of a two-year, $6 million deal and will be a free agent at season's end.
Source: Dallas Morning News

Garrett Olson SP Baltimore Orioles

Mariners acquired LHP Garrett Olson and infielder Ronny Cedeno from the Cubs for RHP Aaron Heilman.
Fantasy Source spin: That the Mariners are getting Olson here suggests that they had the chance to trade Heilman for Felix Pie and turned it down. Olson, who was traded from the Orioles to the Cubs for Pie last week, brings a 10-13 record and a 6.87 ERA with him to Seattle. He's still a decent bet to make it as a fourth or fifth starter, but he belongs in Triple-A right now. The Mariners have enough rotation candidates to send him down for the start of the year.

Jon Garland SP Los Angeles Angels

The Arizona Republic reports that Jon Garland and the Diamondbacks have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with an option for 2010.
Fantasy Source spin: According to the newspaper, "Garland's guaranteed money is believed to be in the $6 million to $8 million range" and it sounds like the option is a mutual one. Garland reportedly turned down a two-year, $14 million offer from Arizona last week.
Source: Arizona Republic

Javier Vazquez SP Chicago White Sox

Vazquez seems like an ace based on his strikeout-to-walk ratio, but he allows so many extra-base hits that his great strikeout rates don't matter. He can make a claim as one of the durable pitchers in the game, making at least 32 starts in each of the last nine seasons. Still, we have to forget about him as a potential ace since he had a better than league average ERA only once since getting out of Montreal in 2003.
Fantasy Source spin: Good for strikeouts and wins to carry in mixed leagues, but his ERA will hurt.
Source: Fanball.com


Andrew Brown RP Oakland Athletics

Andrew Brown said Tuesday that he's scheduled to meet with Dr. James Andrews this week and expects to undergo shoulder surgery.
Fantasy Source spin: Brown had a 2.05 ERA and .169 opponent's batting average through 30 appearances last season, but gave up four runs on July 25 and didn't pitch again because of shoulder problems that apparently haven't improved. "Hopefully, it's nothing major and I'm only out until the All-Star break," Brown said. "I know there is a small labrum tear, and the rotator cuff has some damage, but it might just be irritation. The MRI is not conclusive."
Source: San Francisco Chronicle

Jon Garland SP Los Angeles Angels

MLB.com reports that the Diamondbacks and Jon Garland "are closing in on a deal."
Fantasy Source spin: Garland previously turned down a two-year offer that the Arizona Republic pegged at around $14 million and the Diamondbacks are said to be up against their projected payroll numbers, so it'll be interesting to see which side blinks.
Source: MLB.com
NL hitters

Mike Lowell 3B Boston Red Sox

Mike Lowell swung a bat Tuesday for the first time since October hip surgery, taking 50 hacks off a tee.
Fantasy Source spin: Meanwhile, Lowell has been removed from Puerto Rico's provisional roster for the World Baseball Classic because of his uncertain health status. He remains on track to be ready for opening day, but it's unclear how much action he'll get during spring training.
Source: WEEI.com

NL Pitchers

Joaquin Benoit RP Texas Rangers

Joaquin Benoit underwent surgery Wednesday to repair a torn rotator cuff and will miss at least the first half of the season.
Fantasy Source spin: It was obvious that Benoit was nowhere near 100 percent while he was on the mound last season, so this doesn't come as much of a surprise. "Joaquin was affected most of last season, and it didn't allow him to perform to his abilities," said Rangers GM Jon Daniels. "He attempted to rehab the injury this offseason. He worked hard but the results weren't there. From all accounts, the surgery went well and he can begin the process of strengthening his shoulder now." Benoit is entering the final season of a two-year, $6 million deal and will be a free agent at season's end.
Source: Dallas Morning News


Andrew Brown RP Oakland Athletics

Andrew Brown said Tuesday that he's scheduled to meet with Dr. James Andrews this week and expects to undergo shoulder surgery.
Fantasy Source spin: Brown had a 2.05 ERA and .169 opponent's batting average through 30 appearances last season, but gave up four runs on July 25 and didn't pitch again because of shoulder problems that apparently haven't improved. "Hopefully, it's nothing major and I'm only out until the All-Star break," Brown said. "I know there is a small labrum tear, and the rotator cuff has some damage, but it might just be irritation. The MRI is not conclusive."
Source: San Francisco Chronicle


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Players Mov'in the News

Thursday Dec. 11, 2009 8:00am

Mets acquire Putz in 3 team, 12 player deal

Mets acquired RHP J.J. Putz, OF Jeremy Reed and RHP Sean Green; Mariners acquired OF Franklin Gutierrez, RHP Aaron Heilman, 1B Mike Carp, OF Endy Chavez, LHP Jason Vargas, OF Ezequiel Carrera and RHP Maikel Cleto; Indians acquired RHP Joe Smith and 2B Luis Valbuena.

The Mets will be praised for this, and they might even deserve it. However, Putz never did recover his best stuff after last season's elbow problems, and it's an open question of how he got his best stuff in the first place. In 2006 and 2007, he was about as dominant as any reliever in the game, amassing a ridiculous 186/26 K/BB ratio in 150 innings. However, he never showed that kind of potential in previous seasons and he didn't ever look like the same guy last season, even if he did finish with 56 strikeouts in 46 1/3 innings. Odds are that the Mets are getting a very good setup man. However, he'll probably never again be the pitcher he was in 2006 and 2007 and he'll be quite expensive to keep beyond next season. He's due $5.5 million in 2009 and $9.1 million if his option for 2010 is picked up.

Oliver Perez SP Mets

Mets GM Omar Minaya put the chances of re-signing Oliver Perez at "50/50."

The Mets probably won't be in on Derek Lowe or A.J. Burnett, leaving Perez as the top free agent starter they could possibly sign. It's believed he's asking for $70 million over five years, and agent Scott Boras has indicated the Mets won't get a discount.
Source: Newsday


Brad Penny SP Dodgers

The Rockies have reportedly decided against making an offer to free agent Brad Penny.

The Penny market remains quiet, and there's been no indication that he's received offers as of yet. The Red Sox and Giants are believed to have some interest.
Source: Rockies.mlb.com

Juan Morillo RP Rockies

According to MLB.com, Juan Morillo could be the other player in a proposed Willy Taveras-Tim Redding deal between the Rockies and Nationals.

Morillo is considered expendable in part because he's out of options. The hard-throwing right-hander had another disappointing season in 2008 and didn't pitch in the majors outside of a brief callup in July.
Source: Hot Stove Blog


Eric Byrnes OF Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks and Red Sox are reportedly discussing a trade of Eric Byrnes and Julio Lugo.

This makes a lot more sense for Boston than the Tigers talks, though they'd have to have some idea that Byrnes is willing to be a fourth outfielder in order to make the deal. Byrnes is owed $22 million over the next two years, while Lugo is due $18 million. If acquired, Lugo would take over as the Diamondbacks' second baseman.
Source: ESPN.com



Kyle Farnsworth RP Tigers

A source told ESPN's Steve Phillips that Farnsworth has agreed to a two-year, $9.25 million deal with the Royals.

We'd just love to see a sensible explanation of what makes Farnsworth worth $4.6 million per season in a multiyear deal in a world in which Bob Howry gets $2.75 million for one season. Farnsworth has finished with ERAs of 4.36, 4.80 and 4.48 ERA the last three years and hasn't thrown 70 innings in a season since 2005. His back issues often seem to have him day-to-day and prevent him from pitching on back-to-back days. Also, there was no hint that the Royals had any competition for his services. Like with Jose Guillen a year ago, Dayton Moore was probably bidding against himself.
Source: ESPN.com


Mark Teahen OF Royals

Royals manager Trey Hillman admitted Wednesday that he doesn't currently have Mark Teahen in his projected lineup.

Hillman seemed to like the same lineup we had written out when the Coco Crisp deal went down last month: CF Crisp, SS Mike Aviles, LF David DeJesus, RF Jose Guillen, 1B Mike Jacobs, DH Billy Butler, 3B Alex Gordon, C Miguel Olivo and 2B Alberto Callaspo. The extreme lack of OBP in the fourth and fifth slots is a major problem, but those were probably two of Hillman's easiest calls.
Source: Kansas City Star


Jack Wilson SS Pirates

Royals GM Dayton Moore denied that his team had any interest in trading for Jack Wilson.

The Royals would like to create payroll space for Rafael Furcal, but they're not going to make the effort to bring in an expensive, less-talented shortstop. There are no serious suitors for Wilson at the moment. The Twins and Dodgers could reconsider him at some later date, but they clearly have higher priorities.
Source: Kansas City Star

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Players mov'in the news

Huston Street
Dec. 10 4:35 am et

Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd hinted Tuesday that Huston Street would enter spring training as the favorite to close over Manny Corpas.

Going with Street would help preserve his trade value in case the team wants to move him later on. Just talking him up now can serve the same purpose. Spring training will help determine who is really the better bet of the two for 2009. A healthy Taylor Buchholz is actually probably the Rockies' best reliever, but he's clearly third in line for saves right now.
Source: Denver Post

Alan Embree
Dec. 10 - 4:31 am et

The Rockies are expected to announce the Alan Embree signing after Thursday's Rule 5 draft.

Embree is believed to be getting a one-year deal worth about $2.5 million.
Source: Denver Post

Jarrod Saltalamacchia C Rangers
Dec. 10 - 3:31 am et

The Red Sox resumed talks with the Rangers about their young catchers on Tuesday, but there were no signs that progress was made.

It's been speculated since last month that the Rangers would want Clay Buchholz and either Justin Masterson or Michael Bowden for Jarrod Saltalamacchia, a price the Red Sox aren't going to pay. The Red Sox will probably have to go in a different direction and have kicked the tires on free agent Josh Bard, the Pirates' Ronny Paulino and many others. It's believed that they'll non-tender Kevin Cash on Friday, so they are on the lookout for two catchers. Of course, it remains quite likely that Jason Varitek will be one of them.
Source: Boston Herald

Rafael Furcal SS Dodgers
Dec. 10 - 3:22 am et

The Dodgers have extended an offer to free agent Rafael Furcal.

The Press-Enterprise described it as a "short-term" proposal. Something like $25 million for two years might be what the Dodgers are thinking. "They told us they'd keep us apprised," GM Ned Colletti said. "They don't seem to be in a big hurry."
Source: Riverside Press-Enterprise


Rich Aurilia 1B Giants
Dec. 10 - 3:19 am et

Giants GM Brian Sabean said that he has reconsidered on Rich Aurilia and would like to re-sign the free agent.

To think that we were concerned about the Giants' offense. Aurilia did hit lefties well last season, but he ended up with way too many at-bats, 407 to be exact. Viewed strictly as a backup, he'd be fine. However, it seems best not to give Bruce Bochy the opportunity to overuse him again.
Source: San Jose Mercury News


Joey Devine Athletics
Dec. 10 - 3:16 am et

A's manager Bob Geren indicated he plans to alternate Joey Devine and Brad Ziegler in the closer's role depending on the game situation.

It's doubtful that such an arrangement would last in today's era. Devine has the better chance of running away with the job, but he's also the more likely of the two to go down with arm problems and miss half of the season. Fantasy leaguers may have to pair them.
Source: San Jose Mercury News



Randy Johnson SP Diamondbacks
Dec. 10 - 3:13 am et

The Astros and Angels have joined the crowd expressing interest in free agent Randy Johnson.

Both teams have met with Johnson's agents. The Giants, A's and Dodgers may be the best bets to land Johnson. He would prefer a western division team.
Source: East Valley Tribune

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Players mov'in the News

Matt Wieters-C-Orioles Dec. 9

Orioles manager Dave Trembley said he is "looking forward to seeing" Matt Wieters in the majors next season if the team completes a Ramon Hernandez trade.

"I think everybody is," Trembley added. If the backstop vacancy opens up with Hernandez moving elsewhere, Wieters is definitely going to be given a shot. The Orioles might, however, sign a capable veteran that could ease Matt's transition.
Source: Baltimore Sun



George Sherrill-R-Orioles Dec. 9

Orioles manager Dave Trembley suggested Monday that George Sherrill and Chris Ray could share closing duties next season.

"I don't think there will be competition,'' Trembley said. "I think I'm going to be afforded the luxury of having two guys that have done it... I don't think it's inconceivable that we could somehow share that role." It's way too early to buy much into that comment, but it does show that the Orioles have faith in Chris Ray being healthy to start the season. He is coming off Tommy John surgery. We'd still consider Sherrill the frontrunner to take the job full time.
Source: Baltimore Sun



Kris Benson-S-Phillies Dec. 9

Free agent Kris Benson said the Blue Jays, Indians and Dodgers have expressed interest in him.

Benson spent 2008 working his way back from rotator cuff surgery and went 1-4 with a 5.52 ERA in the Phillies' minor league system. He believes he's fully recovered now, so there's the chance he could turn into an adequate fifth starter.
Source: MASN Sports

Francisco Rodriguez-R-Angels Dec.

SI.com's Jon Heyman expects the Mets and Francisco Rodriguez to agree to a three-year deal worth about $37 million.

K-Rod certainly would have had more earnings potential if he had elected for a one-year deal with the chance to go back on the market next winter. However, the difference between $12 million per year and $15 million per year has a lot more to do with status than any real world consequences. At least this deal is still bigger than the three-year, $34 million contract he turned down from the Angels a year ago.
Source: SI.com


Alex Rios-OF-Blue Jays Dec. 9

When asked, Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi wouldn't rule out dealing Alex Rios.

There was considerable momentum behind a Rios-for-Tim Lincecum deal last winter, though the Giants did end up passing. Rios later signed a seven-year, $70 million deal with Toronto. "I think we'd be open to talk abut anybody, but if you trade a guy like Rios, how do you replace him, too?" Ricciardi said. "We're not actively shopping Rios. Last year it made sense because we knew [A.J.] Burnett may leave and Lincecum would have stepped right in. But I don't know if there's that type of deal out there that would make sense." Almost certainly not. Rios was a lot more attractive before landing the big contract and turning in a disappointing season.
Source: National Post


Mark Teixeira-1B-Angels Dec. 9

A front-office official for a team on the outside looking in at the Mark Teixeira chase said he expects the first baseman to sign with Boston.

"I think he’ll sign with the Red Sox," the official said. "They want him. They have a good relationship with (agent Scott) Boras, and in the end, they have the dollars to make it happen." While the Yankees, Orioles and Nationals all met with Teixeira in D.C. last week, his supposed strongest suitors -- the Red Sox and Angels -- have yet to sit down for a face-to-face. It's unclear whether any team has made an actual offer.
Source: Yahoo! Sports


Ramon Vazquez-3B-Rangers Dec. 9

Free agent Ramon Vazquez is telling people that the one-year offer he received from Arizona was way too low and that he already has a two-year offer from another team.

The Diamondbacks may be offering more playing time, but since Vazquez is 32 and hasn't made all that much money in his career -- his $810,000 salary in 2008 was his highest to date -- he may figure he's best off taking the high contact on the table. We could see the Yankees, White Sox or Phillies signing him for a utility role.
Source: Arizona Republic

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Players Mov'in the news

Mike Lamb-3B-Brewers Dec. 8 5:38 pm et

The Brewers are working to re-sign free agent Mike Lamb, MLB.com reports.

Lamb barely played after joining the Brewers on Sept. 5, going 3-for-11 the rest of the way, so it's something of a surprise that Milwaukee wants him back. Because Lamb is already getting $3 million in 2009 after the Twins cut him in the first year of a two-year deal, finding a team that will give him playing time should be his priority. In Milwaukee, he'd stand to compete with Bill Hall for starts at third.
Source: Hot Stove Blog


Erik Bedard-S-Mariners Dec. 8 5:34 pm et

Erik Bedard (shoulder) received the green light to begin a throwing program, MLB.com reports.

The favorable report should be enough to ensure that Bedard is tendered a contract before the Friday deadline. The Mariners could actually have an excess of pitching if Bedard is ready for the season. They have Brandon Morrow, Jarrod Washburn, Carlos Silva, Ryan Rowland-Smith and Miguel Batista to go along with Felix Hernandez and Bedard.
Source: Mariners.mlb.com


A.J. Burnett-S-Blue Jays Dec. 8 5:30 pm et

According to ESPN's Steve Phillips, indications are that the Braves and A.J. Burnett are moving closer to a deal.

Peter Gammons seems to think the same thing, though there are no quotes anywhere to back it up. The Cardinals' reported interest has failed to materialize, and it looks like Atlanta's four-year offer with a vesting option for a fifth year is the best proposal on the table.
Source: ESPN.com


Jerome Williams-S-Athletics Dec. 8 5:28 pm et

Athletics signed RHP Jerome Williams to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.

Williams got off to a really nice start in Puerto Rico this winter, but he had struggled over his last three starts and is now 1-3 with a 5.04 ERA and just 14 strikeouts in 30 1/3 innings. He had a 3.25 ERA in five starts and eight relief appearances in the Dodger system last season. He'll probably be a part of Triple-A Sacramento's rotation.

J.J. Putz-R-Mariners Dec. 8 5:19 pm et

Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times believes a J.J. Putz-to-Detroit deal could get done.

The Tigers are pretty short on talent to trade for someone who would be as sought after as Putz would be if put on the open market Baker believes the Mariners would have interest in Jeff Larish, but he's more of a No. 2 player in a Putz-type deal. Seattle would need to get a bigger talent along with Larish. The Indians have more to offer, and at $5.5 million for 2009, Putz is cheap enough that a team like the Red Sox or Yankees could potentially target him as a setup man.
Source: Seattle Times



CC Sabathia-S-Brewers Dec. 8 5:06 pm et

Dodgers GM Ned Colletti said it's "a possibility" the Dodgers could make an offer to free agent CC Sabathia.

Sabathia reportedly told Colletti he "wants to be a Dodger" in a chance meeting Sunday night. The speculation has long been that he'd prefer to join the Dodgers or Giants if the money is there.
Source: Hot Stove Blog


David Eckstein-SS-Diamondbacks Dec. 8 5:03 pm et

According to FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal, free agent David Eckstein is drawing interest from five teams, most of which want him as a second baseman.

He doesn't name the teams, though he speculates that Baltimore and San Diego have openings at shortstop for him. The Orioles are known to prefer Cesar Izturis.
Source: FOXSports.com

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Player News

Players in the News
provided by: Rotowire


Darren Oliver
Oliver accepted the Angels' arbitration offer before ...Oliver accepted the Angels' arbitration offer before the Sunday night deadline.

Fantasy Spin: Of the 24 free agents offered arbitration, only Oliver and David Weathers accepted. This means Oliver will be back on a one-year deal with the Halos, despite receiving some interest on the free agent market.

News:
Laird has officially been dealt to the Tigers for pitching prospects Guillermo Moscoso and Carlos Melo, according to MLB.com.

Spin: After trading away Ivan Rodriguez and announcing that Brandon Inge would play third base, it was pretty clear that the Tigers were going to acquire a catcher this offseason. By trading for Laird, they've also decided that they're not comfortable with opening the season with Dusty Ryan as their starting catcher. Laird will get hurt by the change in ballparks, but in he gets some job security.

News:
Reds GM Walt Jocketty vehemently denied a Dayton Daily News report that a deal to send Dye to the Reds for Homer Bailey and others had been struck, the Reds' official site reports.

Spin: It's no secret that Dye has been the subject of trade talks, and that the Reds at least at one point were involved, but apparently those talks haven't been recent. "Wrong. It's not even close," Jocketty said. "We haven't had any discussions with the White Sox since before Thanksgiving."

News:
Weathers accepted the Reds' arbitration offer before Sunday's deadline, the Reds' official site reports.

Spin: This means he'll be back for one more season with the team, presumably at a rate higher than the $2.75 million he made with them in 2008.

The Mets are desperate to move Castillo to create a spot for Orlando Hudson, according to Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.

Fantasy Spin: The only way to do it would be to exchange Castillo's contract for another of similar value, which is a difficult task. When the Mets asked the Rangers about a Castillo-for-Vicente Padilla ? a swap that would require the Rangers to move Ian Kinsler to left field ? they were told, "No thank you." The Mets will either need to take on someone with an equally bad contract or eat a lot of cash to move Castillo, which will be a more likely occurrence.

Francisco Rodriguez
Mets GM Omar Minaya is expected to ...Mets GM Omar Minaya is expected to meet face-to-face with Rodriguez, Brian Fuentes and Trevor Hoffman, as well as possibly Kerry Wood or his agents, during the Winter Meetings in Las Vegas, the NY Daily News' Mets blog reports.

Fantasy Spin: Minaya may make offers to several or all of the players, similar to what he did several years when looking for a catcher, with the first person to accept the offer to get the job as the closer. K-Rod is expected to demand the highest salary, with the Mets unlikely to go the five years, $75 million he originally wanted. Jon Heyman of the SI.com is reporting that Mets management has been internally discussing a three-year contract, and might include a fourth-year vesting option to Rodriguez.

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Who will bailout free agency ?

Winter Meetings Preview
by John Perrotto


As has been well-documented, the free-agent market has been extremely slow to develop; to date only 11 of the 171 players who filed for free agency have signed contracts. There is no word yet if Donald Fehr has asked Congress for a bailout.

It's already been quite the offseason for trades however, and we haven't even reached the Winter Meetings yet. Among the notable names who have been dealt since the Phillies put the finishing touches on their World Series victory are Matt Holliday, Nick Swisher, Javier Vazquez, Coco Crisp, Huston Street, Khalil Greene, Mike Jacobs, Scott Olsen, Josh Willingham, Kevin Gregg, and Greg Smith.

With the Winter Meetings beginning on Monday in Las Vegas, there is likely to be more player movement this week, and most executives and agents expect to see some of the bigger-name free agents begin to come off of the shelves during the four-day affair, along with the possibility of more trades being consummated.

Here is a team-by-team look at how the 30 clubs shape up at this point of the offseason, and what might be on their wish lists as they descend upon Las Vegas:

Diamondbacks: A second baseman to replace Orlando Hudson tops their priority list, and they may settle on a platoon of free-agents Damion Easley and Ramon Vazquez; they feel free-agent Mark Loretta and the Cardinals' Adam Kennedy are too expensive. They'll make outfielder Eric Byrnes available, choosing to stay with Conor Jackson in left and Chad Tracy at first base, but with two years and $22 million left on Byrnes' contract and coming off of a bad season shortened by a torn hamstring, he could be tough to deal. Catcher Miguel Montero could also be traded now that Chris Snyder has entrenched himself as a regular behind the plate.

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MLB Headlines

Padres shortstop Khalil Greene signs with Cardinals
CC Sabathia-S- Brewers Dec. 5 - 2:32 am et

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman plans to meet face-to-face with CC Sabathia at the winter meetings, sources told FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal.

Unless they're standing up, in which case it'd be face-to-chest. At $140 million over six years, the Yankees are believed to have by far the highest offer out to Sabathia.
Source: FOXSports.com

Paul Byrd-S- Red Sox Dec. 5 - 2:29 am et

Free agent Paul Byrd has made it known that he'd like to pitch closer to his home in Atlanta.

It looks like the Braves would prefer to go after a big-name pitcher, but they might be better off spending $7 million or so on Byrd and using the savings to upgrade their outfield. If Atlanta isn't a fit, Byrd might instead join the Orioles or Nationals. The Red Sox have offered him arbitration, but he's expected to decline it.
Source: FOXSports.com

Jorge Julio-R- Brewers Dec. 5 - 2:24 am et

Jorge Julio is guaranteed $950,000 under the terms of his deal with the Brewers.

He can earn an extra $950,000 in incentives, including $600,000 based on games and $300,000 based on games finished, which he'd only reach if he becomes the Brewers' closer.

Khalil Greene signs with Cardinals

ST. LOUIS -- In a slow-moving market, the Cardinals are acting quickly. St. Louis answered the biggest question in its 2009 lineup on Thursday, trading for Padres shortstop Khalil Greene. A day earlier, the Cards signed reliever Trever Miller to a one-year contract.
The Redbirds announced the trade on Thursday evening after a day of reports and speculation. St. Louis will send relief prospect Mark Worrell and a player to be named later to San Diego.
More news: MLB.com

Make no mistake, the New York Mets' first choice is Francisco Rodriguez and not merely because he passes his 27th birthday next month. Younger, more accomplished and seemingly more ready to embrace a hire-wire role in a big market, K-Rod is what the Mets see. And the only reason they haven't pushed more to this point is that they have seen no reason to do so. They don't want to extend an offer and be the ones to establish the first parameter of the K-Rod market, according to MLB.com.

The Mets don't anticipate returning from Vegas with Putz, or any other closer, for that matter, on their roster. They view Putz and free agent Brian Fuentes are comparables and not merely because each has passed his 30th birthday. Neither is comparable, in the Mets' view, to Francisco Rodriguez.
Source: MLB.com

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MLB Heads Up News

The Rays don't expect B.J. Upton to be ready to play in time for the first spring training games following November shoulder surgery.

Upton probably wouldn't have been on the team anyway, but there's no chance of him participating in the WBC now. The Rays do expect him to be at full strength for the beginning of the regular season.
Source: Tampa Tribune


Mark Worrell-R-Cardinals Dec. 4 - 2:27 pm et

The Padres will get Mark Worrell and a player to be named from the Cardinals for Khalil Greene, according to MLB.com.

Worrell deserves a chance to make it as a middle reliever or setup man and will probably have some success at Petco. Still, unless the second player is better than he is, this will go down as quite a deal for the Cardinals.
Source: Hot Stove Blog


Edgar Renteria-SS-Giants Dec. 4 - 1:50 pm et

Giants signed shortstop Edgar Renteria, who had been with the Tigers, to a two-year, $18.5 million contract.

Renteria will probably resume hitting back in the National League -- he finished at .332/.390/.470 for the Braves in 2007 -- but whether he'll be an adequate shortstop remains to be seen. He's clearly lost some range the last couple of years, and he absolutely has to get into better shape if he hopes to stick around long enough to reach 3,000 hits (he's at 2,070 through his age-32 season). Frankly, we'd like him better at third base at this point of his career. The Giants, though, figure to drop out of the Rafael Furcal chase and keep Renteria at short. That makes Emmanuel Burriss part of the competition at second base with Kevin Frandsen and Eugenio Velez.

Mike Lincoln-R-RedsDec. 4 - 1:42 pm et

The Reds have re-signed free agent Mike Lincoln to a two-year, $4 million contract, according to the Denver Post.

Bob Howry gets $2.75 million for one year and Lincoln gets two?
The 33-year-old Lincoln was an adequate reliever for the Reds in his comeback season, finishing with a 4.48 ERA in 70 1/3 innings. Of course, it was his first major league action since 2004. Just once in his career has he thrown at least 50 innings and posted an ERA under 4.00. There's simply no reason to be giving such a pitcher a two-year guarantee.
Source: Denver Post


Randy Johnson-S-Athletics Dec. 4 - 1:29 pm et

The A's are targeting free agent Randy Johnson to be their fifth starter, sources told FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal.

Oakland is used to dealing with injury-prone pitchers and does need the depth after trading both Rich Harden and Joe Blanton. Johnson, though, may prefer to stay in the NL.
Source: FOXSports.com


Andy Pettitte-S-Yankees Dec. 4 - 1:27 pm et

Free agent Andy Pettitte remains focused on the Yankees, but is holding out for a better off than the one the team has on the table.

The Yanks are believed to be offering $10 million, which is down from $16 million last year. "I mean, to tell you the truth, like I’ve told you all a hundred times, I’ve made it loud and clear where I’d like to play at," Pettitte said. "I’m just basically sitting here letting my agents do their job really." $13 million would be a reasonable compromise.
Source: New York Times

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Harden should start playoff opener

By Barry Rozner
Daily Herald Columnist
Updated: 8/28/2008 7:17 AM

Baseball people rarely talk about tomorrow, let alone a month from now.

Superstitious as they are, and terrified of upsetting the baseball deities, they don't speak of the postseason until the moment they clinch.

But since the playoffs are inevitable, and having zero belief in jinxes and curses, I fear not a bit tackling a hypothetical Cubs playoff rotation.

As we've said all along, Rich Harden is and will be the Cubs' best pitcher as long as he's healthy, so the Cubs will watch his rest carefully while pitching him in as many games as possible.

At the same time, Ryan Dempster is the best among those who have been here all year, and untouchable at Wrigley Field.

That leaves the erstwhile ace, Carlos Zambrano, who throughout his career has been better on the road (.654) than at home (.571), and in 4 postseason starts, while never having won, he's been very good in two and both were on the road.

So here's a view as it stands now, five weeks before the first postseason game against Arizona:

The first thing the Cubs would have to do is sit Zambrano down and explain why he's not leading off.

If he pouts, breaks things, or cries, and looks like he'll tank it, this won't work at all and you scrap the idea before you start.

But if they believe he'll buy into it, you go with Harden first at home in Game 1 of the NLDS.

This allows you to come back with Harden in a decisive Game 5 at home on five days' rest if necessary, and it also gives you the option of using Ted Lilly in relief after 5 innings of Game 1 if Harden has reached his pitch count, forcing batters to look at a lefty throwing slow curves after the right-handed Harden fires bullets.

Lilly also has three days' rest after his inning of work and should be good to go in Game 4, if necessary.

Dempster goes in Game 2 at home and is also available for Game 5 at home on his normal four days' rest if Harden isn't ready.

Game 3 is Zambrano on the road, and if needed, Lilly goes in the fourth game. Game 5 at home is Harden or Dempster.

Either way, one of them gets an extended rest and is ready to go in Game 1 of the NLCS, which arrives eight days after Game 1 of the NLDS.

Let's assume a four-game NLDS, which the Cubs win, 3-1. They have Harden back for Game 1 of the NLCS on seven days' rest and Dempster for Game 2 on seven days, a fabulous scenario for your two best pitchers in October.

You should leave for the middle three of the League championship series up 2-0, especially if it's the Brewers and CC Sabathia is forced to pitch in a Game 5 of the NLDS for Milwaukee.

You have Zambrano in Game 3 on the road, Lilly in Game 4, and Harden comes back to pitch Game 5 on a comfortable five days off in between starts.

If a Game 6 is necessary, Dempster goes again on six days' rest at - guess where? - Wrigley Field, where he should win and send the Cubs into the World Series for the first time since Moses was in diapers.

Worst case, the Cubs have to play a Game 7 at home, and you've got Zambrano pitching. At that point, he'll probably be ready to tear someone's head off and pitch the game of his life - assuming he doesn't break his hand punching a wall between innings.

Even under those circumstances, if Harden has to pitch Game 5 in the NLCS, he's available to come back in Game 1 of the World Series on six days' rest.

And even if Dempster starts Game 6 of the NLCS, he's ready for Game 2 of the Series on five days' rest.

If Zambrano goes in Game 7 of the NLCS, he'll have six days off before the Cubs need him in Game 3 of the World Series, and Lilly goes in Game 4 with almost two weeks off unless he pitches in relief, which is quite possible.

But, aye, there's the rub.

Harden would have to come back in Game 5 of the Series on the standard four days' rest, and that's pushing it for him at that time of year.

Dempster would be better suited for that, so if the Cubs can win the NLCS early, and don't need him for Game 6, they might want to go to Dempster in Game 1 and Game 5 of the Series, with Harden in Games 2 and 6, when he'll have five days off between outings.

That might be the smart choice, and it means Dempster pitches at home in Game 5, whereas in Games 2 and 6 he's on the road.

Tough call.

As for Game 7 of the World Series?

Carlos Zambrano to win it all, a chance to clinch all three series for his team, and a solid selling point when they try to convince him this will work.

If you were betting, you'd say the Cubs will go the safe route, avoid anger, criticism and second guessing, and go with Zambrano first, followed by Dempster, Harden and Lilly.

But does it make the most sense?

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Fantasy Baseball News

Bay, Red Sox Blast Yankees - 08/28/2008
BY Aaron Gleeman

Johnson's four-hit gem leads Fish over Braves

Rangers' Hamilton out with abcessed tooth

Hamilton scratched from Rangers' lineup

Official: Red Sox acquire Kotsay from Braves

Report: Red Sox close to acquiring Kotsay

MLB to begin instant replay Thursday

Report: Drew headed to disabled list

As expected, the Red Sox made the trade for Mark Kotsay official Wednesday by sending 20-year-old outfield prospect Luis Sumoza to the Braves. My analysis of the deal from Boston's point of view can be found in yesterday's column, so let's focus briefly on Sumoza. A corner outfielder who didn't do much in his first two pro seasons, he's hit .301/.366/.549 in 51 games at low Single-A this year. While far from a top prospect, he's intriguing enough to be a nice haul for Kotsay.

* Meanwhile, Boston's blockbuster deal last month continues to pay off for the Red Sox, as Jason Bay drove in four runs Wednesday versus the Yankees and is now hitting .347/.387/.558 with four homers and 24 RBIs in 23 post-trade games. Of course, Manny Ramirez has been even better for the Dodgers, batting .380/.473/.620 with six homers and 21 RBIs in 24 games. In fact, only the Pirates have failed to get good value from the trade thus far.

Andy LaRoche was the centerpiece of the trade for Pittsburgh, but he's in a brutal 0-for-27 slump and has hit .119 in 21 games overall. Craig Hansen was demoted to the minors Wednesday after going 0-2 with an! 8.10 ER A in nine outings with the Pirates and 21-year-old pitching prospect Bryan Morris has been shut down for the remainder of the year at Single-A with biceps soreness. Only Brandon Moss has had any kind of success, and even he missed time with an ankle injury.

* Josh Johnson continues to look stronger and stronger in his return from Tommy John surgery, tossing his first career complete game Wednesday night while holding the Braves to one run on four hits. Johnson is now 4-0 with a 3.12 ERA and 48-to-20 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 57.2 innings spread over nine starts since coming off the disabled list, and as discussed previously in this space has actually increased both his fastball and slider velocity since going under the knife.

* Remember the criticism Aubrey Huff took following an offseason appearance on the Bubba the Love Sponge radio show? Huff said some negative things about Baltimore and interacted with a naked woman, which got him in all kinds of heat with fans and the local media. Oddly enough, that seems to have been forgotten now that he's having the best season of his career. Perhaps hanging out with BTLS, Spice Boy, Brent Hatley, and Melissa Midwest isn't so bad after all.

Huff went 3-for-4 with a homer in Wednesday night's victory over the White Sox and is now hitting .307/.366/.566 with 28 homers, 71 total extra-base hits, 84 runs, and 94 RBIs in 129 games. He ranks among the AL's top 10! in homers, runs, RBIs, slugging percentage, and OPS after pos! ting a m odest .280/.337/.442 mark with just 15 homers and 72 RBIs in 151 games last season. In his last 81 games-exactly half a season-Huff has hit .344 with 23 homers and 70 RBIs.

* David Purcey was talked up in this space as a worthwhile pickup in AL-only leagues when the Blue Jays called him up from Triple-A, which looked pretty silly after he went 2-4 with a 6.55 ERA through his first seven big-league starts. However, Purcey finally showed some of his potential in a losing effort Wednesday, tossing eight innings of one-run ball against the Rays while racking up 11 strikeouts versus zero walks.

His overall numbers remain ugly, but with a strong 176-to-50 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 179 innings between Double-A and Triple-A over the past two years Purcey strikes me as an underrated long-term bet. The former first-round pick is still relatively young at 26 and has above average stuff for a left-hander, working with a low-90s fastball and mid-80s slider. He could have some value down the stretch in AL-only leagues and makes a nice stash-away candidate for keeper leaguers.

* Manager Jerry Manuel laid out his plans for the Mets outfield Tuesday, saying that Ryan Church will play every day in right field while Fernando Tatis, Daniel Murphy, and Nick Evans split time in left field. Manuel indicated that Murphy will get most of the starts against right-handers, with Tatis and Evans sharing time against left-handers, but that could change if Murphy comes back down to e! arth a bit. It's tough to keep Tatis out of the lineup when h! e's hit .300/.365/.494 in 78 games.

AL Quick Hits:
Evan Longoria's fractured wrist hasn't healed enough for him to swing a bat yet, suggesting that he may not be ready to return next week .
Josh Hamilton was scratched from Wednesday's lineup with an abscessed tooth and may need a root canal .
Dustin Pedroia's first career grand slam Wednesday put an exclamation point on the Red Sox's blowout win over the Yankees . With Victor Martinez (elbow) on the verge of returning, Kelly Shoppach went 3-for-5 with a homer Wednesday to lead the Indians to their 10th straight win .
Troy Percival (knee) threw a bullpen session Tuesday and remains on track to come off the disabled list when eligible Saturday .
George Sherrill (shoulder) played catch Tuesday and said afterward that he's hoping to return next week .
It took 14 tries, but Ryan Feierabend finally turned in his first Quality Start in a no-decision Wednesday . David Murphy (knee) said Wednesday that he's hoping to return once rosters expand next week .
Ivan Rodriguez has just one RBI through 18 games with the Yankees after going hitless Wednesday and the team fell to 5-9 when he starts.

NL Quick Hits:
Carlos Delgado hit just .229/.306/.396 through June 25, but after going deep twice Wednesday he's batting .310 with 19 homers and 58 RBIs in 56 games since .
Mike Hampton lost Wednesday, but tossed eight innings of three-run ball for his fourth Quality Start in five tries this month .
Ryan Zimmerman homered Wednesday for the first time in 31 games since coming off the shelf . Manager Tony La Russa said Tuesday that Colby Rasmus won't be called up next month because "he hasn't earned it" while being injured for much of the season . Khalil Greene will have the cast removed from his fractured hand Friday, but remains unlikely to play again this season .
Zach Duke lost Wednesday, but allowed just two runs and completed eight innings for the first time in 47 starts dating back to September of 2006 .
Andrew Miller (knee) is expected to come off the disabled list when rosters expand next week, but may do so as a reliever . Hitting .278/.374/.465 with 13 homers and 20steals at Double-A, 21-year-old outfield prospect Cameron Maybin has been sidelined for the past week after being bit on the face by a spider.

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Fantasy Baseball fantasy player news

CBSSports.com
Fantasy Baseball

Ellsbury steals two bases Tuesday Boston rookie Jacoby Ellsbury stole two bases against the Orioles on Tuesday to raise his AL-leading total to 40. Ellsbury went 2-for-6 with two runs scored. Although he's been an overall disappointment in his rookie season, he did look good batting leadoff on Tuesday. Continue to start him in deeper mixed Fantasy leagues because of his ability to steal bases.

Kuroda's great run ends Tuesday Dodgers SP Hiroki Kuroda, who had allowed one earned run in at least seven innings in each of his last three starts, struggled by comparison Tuesday against the Rockies. He allowed four runs on six hits in six innings, walking one and striking out three. He suffered the loss. Kuroda still posted an impressive WHIP during Tuesday's game, so you can't really call it a bad start. He clearly looks like a serviceable Fantasy SP in mixed leagues, but his lack of strikeouts makes him a No. 5 or 6 option. His next start is scheduled for Sunday at Philadelphia.

Slowey strikes out a career-high 12 There are no 96 mph heaters from Twins SP Kevin Slowey. No bat-breaking sliders or splitters that feel like bowling balls to opposing hitters. It's all about pitching smarts and location for the 24-year-old right-hander, who struck out a career-high 12 batters against the Athletics on Tuesday, winning for the fourth time in five starts. He allowed two runs -- one earned -- on five hits, walking none. "I'd love to throw it 96 or 97, but I definitely don't. I don't have a slider like Joe Nathan," Slowey said. "But the Twins are huge proponents of location over velocityand I'm always making a big point of that. If you keep the ball low, 92 looks a lot harder than 97 at the belt." Slowey has a 2.14 ERA over that five-start stretch and has adecent strikeout rate despite his lack of overpowering stuff. He looks worthy of owning in all mixed leagues right now, so take a flier on him if he remains unowned in yours. His next start is scheduled for Sunday at the Angels.

Polanco out until at least weekend Tigers 2B Placido Polanco was scratched from the starting lineup about an hour before the first pitch with a sore right knee. He was replaced by Ramon Santiago. Manager JimmyLeyland said after the game Polanco will not play Wednesday. This is too bad, because Polanco was hot and hitting with more power because he has stopped choking up on the bat. Consider him a viable option in any Fantasy league once he is healthy again, but track his progress through the weekendbefore considering him for Fantasy Week 22 (Aug. 25-31).

Braun out of Brewers lineup Tuesday The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports that Brewers OF Ryan Braun, who left Monday's game against the Astros when his back problem resurfaced, is not in the lineup tonight against Houston. "I think I could play today," said Braun. "It's just one of those nagging injuries that's probably notgoing to go away completely while I'm playing. I'll have to deal with it. I hope it goes away completely. But, realistically, the way this game is, it probably won't." Braun played in only two games in Fantasy Week 20 (Aug. 11-17), and he's off to a bad start in Fantasy Week 21 (Aug.18-24). When healthy, Braun is a must-start OF/3B, and a lotof people left him in their lineup this period as he's starting in 91 percent of leagues. Keep an eye on his statusover the next few days before making plans for Fantasy Week 22 (Aug. 25-31).

Torres doesn't take mound Tuesday Brewers closer Salomon Torres (groin) was not needed during Tuesday's game against the Astros. He has missed the last three games since injuring his groin Saturday. We're not exactly sure how serious this injury is for Torres, so we'll have to wait and see if it keeps him off the field for any significant period of time. When healthy, Torres is a solid low-end No. 1 Fantasy closer in mixed formats. * Wood gets work in Tuesday for Cubs Cubs closer Kerry Wood got some work in Tuesday in a win over the Reds. It was a non-save situation and Wood struck out two and allowed one hit in an inning of work. Wood looks ready to resume his role of closer, making him a must-start Fantasy option on a competitive Cubs squad. Get him back active.

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Futures

August 18, 2008
Future Shock

by Kevin Goldstein

Gordon Beckham, SS, Low-A Kannapolis (White Sox)
The eighth overall pick in June, Beckham didn't sign until last week, and he hadn't played for nearly two months, so a slow start could easily be excused. No excuses are necessary though (so much for the rust factor), as in his first weekend as a pro he went 7-for-11 with a double, a home run, four walks, and no strikeouts. Beckham has all the tools and abilities to be a star-level player, combining contact skills with above-average power, and just enough in the way of both speed and arm strength to become at least an average shortstop. Just as importantly, all of his skills are advanced enough to project a quick rise to the majors, and Beckham should be up in Double-A by mid-2009, if not earlier.

Dellin Betances, RHP, Low-A Charleston (Yankees)
The Yankees shelled out $1 million in 2006 to sign Betances, but injury problems have slowed his progress significantly. He pitched just seven games last year before being shut down with a sore arm, and the first two months of this year were filled with what can only be described as dominating wildness, as the six-foot-eight righty struck out 64 in 55 innings, while also walking 40. Then came another shutdown for some vague reason which was never called anything more specific than "a tired shoulder." The good news is that the off period lasted only a month, and Betances has put together his best run as a pro since returning, including a career-high 12 strikeouts on Saturday in just six innings. Since his return, he's whiffed 62 in 49 1/3 innings while allowing just 37 hits and, even more promising, walking just 18. Nobody has ever questioned his stuff or projection, and he just might finally be on track.

Alex Carnevale is a contributor to Baseball Prospectus

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Players Update Hot Bats and Hot Arms

Fantasy Baseball News
Hot bats hot arms update

Hitters
NL
Matt Holliday - OF, Colorado Rockies
Jul. 5, 11:46 p.m.Matt Holliday went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer and a sac fly in the Rockies' 12-6 win over the Marlins on Saturday. Fantasy Source spin: Not quite as much drama tonight, though the Marlins did come back from 8-0 down to score three runs in both the sixth and seventh innings. However, the Rockies merely responded in the bottom of each inning. Holliday could have had his second grand slam in two days if not for a passed ball leading to a run before his three-run homer in the fourth. He's up to 13 bombs for the year.
Damion Easley - 2B, New York Mets
Jul. 5, 11:17 p.m.Damion Easley had three hits and scored twice Saturday in the Mets' 9-4 win over the Phillies. Fantasy Source spin: Easley has hit in seven straight, raising his average from .252 to .287. While he's a candidate to break down himself while playing regularly, it looks like he'll be a nice asset in NL-only leagues while Luis Castillo is sidelined.
Garrett Atkins - 3B, Colorado Rockies
Jul. 5, 12:14 a.m.Garrett Atkins went 5-for-6 with a homer and three RBI in Friday's victory. Fantasy Source spin: Atkins entered with a .470 average and a .788 slugging versus lefties, yet Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez let Taylor Tankersley face him in the sixth inning anyway. A two-run homer followed, and Tankersley was removed for a right-hander immediately afterwards. More than anything else in the wild one, it was that one decision that probably cost the Marlins the game.

Pitchers
Jake Peavy - SP, San Diego Padres
Jul. 5, 11:34 p.m.Jake Peavy shut down the Diamondbacks for seven innings in a victory Saturday night. Fantasy Source spin: Heath Bell and Trevor Hoffman allowed single runs in relief, but San Diego held on to win 4-2. Peavy allowed three hits and struck out six. He has a 2.17 ERA in five starts since coming off the disabled list.Next start: 7/5: @ARI
Dave Bush - SP, Milwaukee Brewers
Jul. 5, 9:50 p.m.Dave Bush pitched eight innings of one-run ball and struck out seven Pirates in another strong outing Saturday. Fantasy Source spin: Bush didn't get a decision, as Paul Maholm matched him pitch for pitch before both were taken out to start the ninth. Bush has allowed exactly one run in three of his last four outings.Next start: 7/5: PIT

AL
Ian Kinsler - 2B, Texas Rangers
Jul. 5, 10:35 p.m.Ian Kinsler delivered his 14th homer and his 28th double Saturday against the Orioles. Fantasy Source spin: Dustin Pedroia over Kinsler as the AL starter at second base is probably the worst choice made by the fans in the All-Star balloting, though on performance alone, Pedroia certainly has more business starting the game than Ken Griffey Jr. does. Kinsler is hitting .328 and is leading the AL in runs scored by a wide margin (currently 16 runs, depending on what Ichiro Suzuki does tonight). Pedroia does have the clear edge on defense, but it doesn't make up for what Kinsler has done at the plate.

Pitchers
Andy Sonnanstine - SP, Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Jul. 5, 10:51 p.m.Andy Sonnanstine improved to 10-3 on the season by shutting out the Royals for seven innings on Saturday. Fantasy Source spin: The Rays have won Sonnanstine's last seven starts, with the right-hander picking up four victories in the process. His ERA stands at 4.31, his low point of the season. J.P. Howell and Grant Balfour finished the shutout.Next start: 7/5: KC
Mike Mussina - SP, New York Yankees
Jul. 5, 7:39 p.m.Mike Mussina picked up his 11th win of the season by holding the Red Sox scoreless through six innings Saturday at Yankee Stadium. Fantasy Source spin: The Sox managed just four hits off Mussina. He struck out five and walked only one batter. Jose Veras and Kyle Farnsworth held it together and carried a 2-0 lead into the ninth. Mariano Rivera entered the game and picked up his 23rd save of the year, but it wasn't easy or pretty. He allowed a couple of hits and beaned two batters before striking out Coco Crisp, getting Jason Varitek to pop out, and finally striking out Julio Lugo. Mussina was the hero today though. He's now 11-6 with a 3.64 ERA this season and will face the Blue Jays next time out.Next start: 7/5: BOS

SPORTINGNEWS.com

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Breaking News Union Meets Over Maple Bats

Fantasy News
Tabloid Paige Update

Major League Baseball News

Jays come out swinging in Cito's return
Today, June 24, 2008, 22 minutes ago Jordan Bastian
Jays' bats erupt early, often vs. Reds

MLB, union meet over maple bats
Today, June 24, 2008, 24 minutes ago Alyson Footer
The recent explosion -- literally -- of maple bats has forced representatives from MLB and the union to evaluate the threat of injury, and the first step toward a resolution took place Tuesday.

Bush delivers stellar effort in win
Today, June 24, 2008, 29 minutes ago Adam McCalvy
Five days after he took a no-hitter into the eighth inning at Miller Park, Dave Bush held the Braves to a run on four hits in a 4-3 Brewers win at Turner Field on Tuesday.

Fatherhood sidelines Wright
Today, June 24, 2008, 29 minutes ago T.R. Sullivan
Jamey Wright is expected to miss the first two games of the Astros series to be with his wife, Marnie, who is giving birth to the couple's second child.

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Aftermath Of The Draft Where Players Stack Up

Tabloid Paige Fantasy Baseball News

Aftermath Of The Draft

June 22, 2008

By Dennis Paige

After using a high pick, to get the highest rated players for your team, how are they stacking up? My guess is not to well. Starting Monday, we are going to look at the over all picture, and give some analysis and opinions, that are going to be very controversial. Monday's, headline, "They Call Themselves Pros". And what good is spring training anyway? Tuesday's headline," What Happened To The Naturals"? Are we missing something here? Wednesday's headline, "Where Are The Arms"? I didn't throw a hundred count and still landed on the DL . Finally on Thursday's headline, "It's All In The Mind Or Is It"? Read the conclusion to make your own desecration.

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Fantasy Sports Latest News and Get'em Set'em

Fantasy Sports Baseball News

Clement: Take Two - 06/18/2008

BY Aaron Gleeman

Reyes tweaks hamstring, hopes to play Weds.

Dodgers'KurodatoundergoMRIonshoulder

Red Sox place Colon on DL with stiff back

Konerko placed on DL with oblique strain

Mets fire Randolph, Peterson

Mariners adding Clement, demoting Balentien

Ichiro plays right for first time since 2006

Moving Ichiro Suzuki back to right field in order to get Willie Bloomquist's horrible bat into the lineup is a mistake, but the Mariners made a good decision Tuesday in the wake of firing general manager Bill Bavasi by recalling Jeff Clement from Triple-A. He got all of 56 plate appearances to prove himself last time and struggled, but hit .287 with nine homers, nine doubles, 23 RBIs, and a .670 slugging percentage in 24 games at Tacoma following his demotion. Clement didn't start Tuesday because the Mariners were facing a left-hander and clearly needed Jose Vidro to go 0-for-5 while dropping his OPS to .578, but should see the bulk of the action at designated hitter against right-handers. He has a strong all-around offensive game that includes 25-homer power and could emerge with mixed-league value wherever he's eligible at catcher. For now, count on him being an asset in AL-only leagues if the Mariners show some patience.While the Mariners hopefully allow Clement more than 15 games to sink or swim this time, here are some other notes from around baseball .

Brandon Webb was pulled from his start last Wednesday after just five innings and 58 pitches amid concerns about decreased velocity, saying afterward that he may be going through a "dead arm" period. If that outing caused worry among his fantasy owners, Tuesday's start against the A's may cause something a little closer to panic. Webb allowed seven runs without making it out of the fourth inning, once again showing diminished velocity and shaky command.Webb served up multiple homers for the first time in 39 starts and walked five batters for the first time in 31 starts. Since beginning the season 9-0 with a 2.56 ERA, Webb has gone 2-3 with a 4.54 ERA. That's hardly disastrous, of course, but something clearly isn't right with him right now. He's scheduled to face the Twins in Minnesota on Sunday, but pushing him back wouldn't be such a bad thing given his recent struggles and 5.11 career ERA on turf.

Tuesday was rough on the Dodgers' rotation, as Brad Penny landed on the disabled list with shoulder tendinitis and Hiroki Kuroda was scratched from his scheduled start Wednesday with shoulder soreness of his own. An MRI on Penny's shoulder revealed no structural damage and for now the injury is expected to sideline him for just 2-3 starts, but returning after the minimum 15 days on the DL is far from a sure thing given that he's been complaining of soreness all month. Kuroda is scheduled to undergo an MRI instead of pitching Wednesday, at which point the team should have a better handle on his status. Derek Lowe will take his place, with recent call-up Eric Stults taking the mound Thursday and Clayton Kershaw getting the call Friday. Saturday's start may go to either Chan Ho Park or Hong-Chih Kuo unless the Dodgers want to call up another prospect. Stults has minimal fantasy potential, but the injuries give Kershaw more job security.

Bartolo Colon surprised everyone by looking like his old self through five starts for the Red Sox, going 4-1 with a 3.41 ERA. Unfortunately, Colon struggled in his sixth outing Monday and was placed on the disabled list Tuesday with back soreness. He apparently tweaked his back while taking a big cut at the plate, meaning that like Chien-Ming Wang he's sidelined thanks to interleague play. Unlike Wang, he's not expected to miss a huge chunk of time. In fact, Colon indicated Tuesday that he may have been able to avoid the DL altogether, but the Red Sox understandably chose to play it safe. Colon's injury means that Justin Masterson will now remain in the majors once Daisuke Matsuzaka returns from the DL this weekend, giving the Daily Dose favorite at least a couple more starts to impress. Masterson is 3-1 with a 2.90 ERA through five starts and has induced a grounder on an outstanding 54 percent of his balls in play.

AL Hits:

Closing with J.J. Putz (elbow) sidelined, Brandon Morrow slammed the door on a one-run lead Tuesday to give Felix Hernandez his fourth straight win . Jon Lester tossed seven shutout innings Tuesday, allowing three or fewer earned runs for the 10th straight start . Milton Bradley is considered day-to-day after leaving Tuesday's game with a strained quadriceps, but given his injury history some time off should be expected . Jason Giambi homered twice Tuesday and is now sporting a ridiculous .376/.485/.788 line since mid-May . Livan Hernandez came into Tuesday's game 0-3 with a 9.38 ERA and .438 opponent's batting average over his last six starts, but held the Nationals to one run over seven innings . Scott Kazmir was on track for his eighth streight Quality Start before being pulled from Tuesday's game in the fifth inning due to a high pitch count . Mike Aviles smacked a game-winning solo homer Tuesday and now has nine extra-base hits in a dozen games . Mark Ellis reached base five times Tuesday, homering twice and scoring four runs . Edgar Renteria collected his 2,000th career hit Tuesday and is still nearly two months shy of his 33rd birthday.

NL Hits:

Jose Reyes is considered day-to-day after leaving Tuesday's game with a strained hamstring . Much to Bill Hall's chagrin, Russell Branyan homered Tuesday for th! e eighth time in 18 games . Chase Headley made his season debut Tuesday, starting in left field and batting sixth while going 2-for-4 with two strikeouts . Manager Joe Torre said Tuesday that he doesn't expect Rafael Furcal (back) to return before the All-Star break, clearing the path for Nomar Garciaparra to see time at shortstop soon . Chris Carpenter (elbow) was cleared to resume throwing after Dr. James Andrews found no structural damage during an exam Monday . Ryan Braun went deep twice Tuesday, giving him 15 homers over the past 34 games after homering a total of five times through his first 35 games . John Lannan tossed seven innings of two-run ball Tuesday against the Twins, but took the loss as the Nationals failed to give him more than two runs of support for the sixth straight start . Manny Parra allowed a career-high 10 hits in his last start, but bounced back Tuesday with seven shutout innings against the Blue Jays.

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Tabloid Wire: Fantasy Baseball News to Use

Fantasy Sports Baseball News

Bad News for Wang, Bavasi

06/17/2008

BY Aaron Gleeman


Ichiro plays right for first time since 2006

Mariners relieve GM Bavasi of duties

Wang out at least ten weeks, possibly season

Cards' Molina suffers concussion in collision

Konerko could land on DL with rib-cage strain

Wang to undergo MRI for foot injury

Nady suffers sprained shoulder, day-to-day

Monday brought just about the worst possible news on Chien-Ming Wang's right foot injury. He may miss the remainder of the season after being diagnosed with a mid-foot sprain of the Lisfranc ligament, which fantasy football owners no doubt recognize as a dreaded injury. Wang is likely to avoid surgery and a late-season return hasn't totally been ruled out, but he'll wear a protective boot while walking on crutches for at least six weeks. Even before official word on Wang's injury came out the newspapers in New York were filled with speculation about the Yankees going after C.C. Sabathia, so now that Wang is likely done for the season the Sabathia gossip can be expected to intensify dramatically. Indians general manager Mark Shapiro spent all winter saying that the Indians wouldn't trade Sabathia despite his being an impending free agent, but has recently backed off that stance somewhat. After missing out on Johan Santana this offseason it certainly makes sense for the Yankees to make a strong push for Sabathia and the Indians' disappointing season is surely behind Shapiro's changing tune. With that said, the Yankees either couldn't or wouldn't put together a package for Santana that enticed the Twins. They're probably more willing to part with Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes now, but both pitchers have also seen their stock decline somewhat of late. For now the Yankees will replace Wang with journeyman Dan Giese, who'l l make his first MLB start Saturday against the Reds. Giese is 31 years old and has spent a decade in the minors, going 25-12 with a 3.25 ERA and 297-to-60 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 343 innings at Triple-A. Aaron Small going 10-0 before sliding back into obscurity is proof that strange things can happen when the Yankees call up a minor-league veteran, but Giese is at best a passable fifth starter. While the Yankees lose a pitcher who's gone 46-15 (.754) over the past three seasons compared to the rest of the staff going 182-151 (.546), here are some other notes from around baseball .

Mariners general manager Bill Bavasi deservedly got the ax Monday after guiding the team to a pitiful 322-395 (.449) record in parts of five seasons at the helm of the one of the game's largest payrolls. Bavasi spent much of his tenure simply making the Mariners older by pulling off several misguided trades and overpaying mediocre veteran free agents, leading to an MLB-worst record despite a $110 million payroll to build around Felix Hernandez and Ichiro Suzuki. Manager John McLaren will almost surely follow Bavasi out the door soon enough, but before that happens he decided to make a big lineup shift Monday. McLaren moved Ichiro from center field back to his old spot in right field, which is a questionable enough decision on its own. Not only did Ichiro win a Gold Glove in center field last season, during his career he's hit almost exactly as well in center field (.332 with an .800 OPS) as he has in right field (.331 with an .814 OPS). Toss in the fact that MLB right fielders as a group out-hit MLB center fielders by 50 points of OPS and the move seemingly makes zero sense. So why did McLaren make the switch? To get Willie Bloomquist and his .256/.312/.322 career mark into the lineup in center field, naturally. He's long been among the worst hitters in baseball and is far from a great defensive center fielder, yet Ichiro changed positions so that Bloomquist could start there Monday as Seattle fell to 24-46.

Mike Gonzalez has posted a sparkling 0.82 ERA and 12-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio during his minor-league rehab assignment, which apparently convinced the Braves that he's ready to return from Tommy John elbow surgery. Gonzalez is expected to come off the disabled list Wednesday and manager Bobby Cox replied "yes, absolutely" when asked Monday night whether he could quickly be in the mix for saves given the team's bullpen struggles."We may put him in a game just to see, we'll play it by ear," Cox said. "Hopefully we can count on him for the very end, eighth and ninth innings. If he's back to his old form, it's a huge plus." Gonzalez has been sidelined for 13 months, but already appears to have rediscovered his stuff and has some past experience closing within his 2.29 ERA over 186 big-league appearances. If he can put together 2-3 strong outings right away, expect Gonzalez to be in the mix for saves.

AL Quick Hits

David Ortiz (wrist) had his cast removed in favor of a splint Monday, but there's no timetable established yet for his return . Travis Hafner has suffered a setback in his recovery from a strained shoulder and appears unlikely to be activated this week . Ramon Vazquez came into this year as a! .250/.3 19/.343 hitter in 490 career games, but after going 3-for-4 with a homer Sunday he's now batting .336/.404/.534 in 48 games this season . Bartolo Colon allowed four runs over four innings Monday before leaving his start with back soreness . Fernando Rodney came off the disabled list Monday, with Joel Zumaya set to join him in the Tigers' bullpen later this week . Curt Schilling (biceps) has been shut down for a few days following what was described as a "sluggish" bullpen session over the weekeend . After sending a personal letter to every MLB team pleading for a job, Jay Gibbons has signed with the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League . Kevin Youkilis was scratched from Monday's lineup with back spasms, giving Sean Casey a start at first base.

NL Quick Hits

As expected, manager Manny Acta said Sunday that Jesus Flores will remain the Nationals' starting catcher even after Paul Lo Duca (hand) returns from the disabled list . Micah Owings struggled Sunday for the fourth straight start, making him 0-3 with a 9.95 ERA during that stretch after beginning the season 6-2 with a 3.73 ERA through 10 outings . Cole Hamels held the Red Sox to two runs over seven innings Monday despite serving up solo homers to J.D. Drew and Dustin Pedroia . Xavier Nady has been diagnosed with a sprained shoulder after colliding with the outfield wall Saturday, meaning that a trip to the DL is possible . About a month into his 4-6 week recovery timetable, Nick Johnson (wrist) is scheduled to be examined Tuesday . Ryan Church (concussion) is aiming to return on June 23, saying Sunday that he hasn't "had any spells or anything like that" recently . Eric Byrnes (hamstrings) is hoping to begin a minor-league rehab assignment this week, with manager Bob Melvin saying Sunday that he'll be back by June 23 at the latest . Despite an ugly looking collision at home plate Sunday, Yadier Molina appears to have avoided serious injury and may stay off the DL.

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AL and NL players of the week

NEW YORK, June 16 (UPI)

NL Baseball Players of the week.

Florida pitcher Ricky Nolasco and Pittsburgh catcher Ryan Doumit were chosen to share Monday's National League player of the week honor.

Nolasco had two wins and 15 strike outs in his two starts last week, giving up just two earned runs and 10 hits in improving to 7-4 on the season.

Doumit led the National League with four home runs. He scored eight runs and hit .400 for the award period June 9-15. In the Pirates three-game series against Washington, Doumit was 9-for-11 hitting with four home runs and seven runs batted in.

Also considered for NL player of the week were Florida's Jorge Cantu, San Diego's Edgar Gonzalez and Philadelphia's Pat Burrell, Ryan Howard and Jamie Moyer.

AL Baseball Player of the week

Cleveland pitcher C.C. Sabathia, who won twice last week.
Sabathia was 2-0 with a 1.59 earned run average. Last Tuesday he pitched a five-hit shutout against Minnesota and on Sunday went eight innings while striking out 10 San Diego Padres. He walked just one batter and allowed a .193 batting average over his 17 innings of work last week.

Other players considered for player of the week, for games played June 9-15 were Cleveland's Grady Sizemore, New York's Alex Rodriguez and Boston's J.D. Drew.

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Yesterdays Games Today's News

A-Rod hits homer with help from fan Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez hit a solo home run to right fieldin Saturday's win at Houston. The ball carried over the walland just beyond the reach of right fielder Hunter Pence, who had his glove knocked away at the last moment by a fan wearing an Astros t-shirt. A-Rod got an assist on the homer, but this one makes up for the one he lost earlier in the season on a bad call by an umpire. A-Rod went 2-for-3 with two walks and three runs scored in the game and has seen his batting average climb all the way to .322.

Ellsbury steals two bases Saturday Red Sox CF and leadoff hitter Jacoby Ellsbury had another solid game Saturday against the Reds. Ellsbury finished the afternoon contest 2-for-5 with a run scored and two stolen bases. Ellsbury's two stolen bases gives him the outright lead in the American League with 31 -- Ichiro has 29. He's now hit in five straight games and has scored a run in seven of his last eight. Keep him starting in all Fantasy formats.

Nady leaves with shoulder injury Pittsburgh RF Xavier Nady, who went 2-for-4 with a long homerun Saturday against the Orioles, left the game in the ninthinning after slamming into the wall in foul territory going after a fly ball hit by Ramon Hernandez. Nady drifted over in foul territory and didn't seem to realize how close he was to the wall. He slammed hard shoulder first and dropped to the ground in pain. Nady is hitting a solid .314 this season with 10 homers and 49 RBI. When healthy, he's a decent option in NL-only leagues and some mixed Fantasy formats. Check back to see the extent of the injury. Nady walked off the field holding his arm in visible pain.

Orioles rally for closer Sherrill Orioles closer George Sherrill blew just his third save of the season Saturday against Pittsburgh, but ended the night with the victory. The usually dependable Sherrill, who was seeking his 23rd save in 25 tries, allowed a two-run homer to Adam LaRoche in the ninth to give the Pirates a 7-6 lead. Baltimore came back against Matt Capps (0-2). Oscar Salazar,who replaced an injured Melvin Mora in the first inning, tied it with his first home run since 2002 and Ramon Hernandez singled home the winning run. Sherrill gave up two hits and two earned runs, striking out one. Sherrill was looking for back-to-back saves but couldn't close the door on the Pirates. He still got the win, so the Fantasy points were there. One blown save shouldn't start ringing any alarms. He's looked like a very capable closer in this his first season doing the job and should continue to be starting in all Fantasy leagues.

Lee just misses fifth straight win Indians SP Cliff Lee pitched well after Cleveland staked him a 3-0 lead in the first inning Saturday against the Padres and was in line for his 11th win before the bullpen blew a 3-2 lead in the eighth. Lee allowed eight hits and two runs -- including a Justin Huber solo homer in 6 1/3 innings. He didn't issue a walk and struck out six. Lee almost had his fifth straight win Saturday and unfortunately had to take a tough no decision. Lee has not been as good on the hill as he was earlier in the season. However, the Indians are still keeping him in the win columnand that's what Fantasy owners care the most about. Lee remains a high-end Fantasy SP. His next scheduled start is for either Thursday against the Rockies or Friday against the Dodgers. Either way, Lee will pitch on the road where heis 7-1 with a 2.92 ERA this season.

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