Mets,Lowe Have Ongoing Discussion

The New York Mets and free-agent starter Derek Lowe continue to have discussion on Lowe's services for the 2009 season. The Mets desperately need a strong number two starter to back the great Johan Santana, and the durable Lowe seems like a perfect fit. Writers in the community believe that if the Mets and Lowe come to terms, it will be a 2-year deal worth $30M and include a third-year option for the same price ($15M per season).

If Derek goes elsewhere, perhaps back to Boston where he had some playoff success, the Mets will need to act quickly and attempt to retain one of their own free-agents, Oliver Perez.

Photo Courtesy: ESPN: Mark Avery/AP Photo

Rays Ink Joe Nelson

The Tampa Bay Rays have strengthened their already amazing bullpen, signing 34-year old Joe Nelson to a 1-year deal worth $1.3M. Nelson pitched for the Florida Marlins last season, compiling a 2.00 ERA in 54 innings. Florida was forced to non-tender him this offseason.

Nelson was a journeyman pitcher until he put together his monsterous 2008 campaign, and hopes to continue his success with the "other" Florida team.

Photo Courtesy: ESPN: Scott Boehm/Getty Images

Quick Hits

• The Mets are in discussion with free-agent starter Derek Lowe. The 35-year starter would be a good, durable fit to the top of their rotation.
• The Washington Nationals have inked two veteran players: outfielder Corey Patterson and reliever Jorge Sosa. Patterson has a track record, but was nothing short of horrific in the 2008 campaign.
• Clay Hensley, formerly of the San Diego Padres, has joined the Houston Astros. The 29-year old posted a 3.94 ERA in the minor leagues but got eaten alive in the majors.
• Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim GM Tony Reagins made it clear that Manny Ramirez will not be a member of the halos' organization. With the Yankees out of the running thanks to their monster signing Teixeira, it seems like the Dodgers are the only organization with a true interest.

Teixeira Signs With Yankees

What an offseason for the New York Yankees. After spending more than $350 million on hurlers CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett, they have reportedly agreed to a 8-year deal worth upwards of $170M with first-baseman Mark Teixeira. Its quite suprising, as the front-runners for Tex's services to begin the day were the Boston Red Sox and Washington Nationals.

Mark made it clear he wanted to choose his destination before christmas, and the Yankees allowed him to grant this wish. The move solidifies the middle of the Yankees order and will seemingly push Nick Swisher back onto the bench role.

Photo Courtesy: ESPN: Gary A. Vasquez/US Presswire

Sorry Guys!

My computer crashed on December 8th and I failed to have internet access until today! All the freshest news and rumors will be back to MLB Notes & Tidbits so stay put!

Tigers Acquire Gerald Laird

The Texas Rangers have seemingly decided which of their 3 catchers to move, sending catcher Gerald Laird to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for pitching prospect Guillermo Moscoso as well as a second prospect.

Laird is a top defensive catcher, but is fairly mediocre with the bat. He boasts a .256 career batting average and will give you a few dingers here and there. Gerald made $1.6M in his first year of arbitration, and is now under Detroit's control for another 2 seasons.

Photo Courtesy: MLB.com

Furcal Declines A's Offer

In a completely stunning move, free-agent short stop Rafael Furcal has turned down the Oakland Athletics' contract offer, which was said to be a 4-year deal worth $35-40M. Oakland was known to be Furcal's best suitor, but will now continue on with Bobby Crosby at short.

The economy is really affecting players like Furcal, as even a top-flight short stop like himself can't seem to grab the money that his side commends. The Giants seemed to be in the market for Furcal, but decided that giving Edgar Renteria $9.5M per year was a better decision.

Photo Courtesy: Flickr.com: NJ Baseball

Quick Hits

• The Milwaukee Brewers have signed releiver Jorge Julio to a 1-year deal worth $900k. The deal also includes $900k in incentives. Julio is the typical case of a hard-thrower who surrenders too many walks and long balls.
• It appears that the Detroit Tigers and the Pittsburgh Pirates are coming close to a deal which will bring short-stop Jack Wilson to Detroit.
• The Atlanta Braves have made an offer to free-agent AJ Burnett, hoping to pair him with recently acquired Javier Vazquez.
• Free-agent starter Derek Lowe has received offers from two teams, but it was not made clear which teams this was. Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. wouldn't deny speculations, though.

Renteria/Giants Agree to 2-year Pact

As I believed would happen last night, the San Francisco Giants have signed short-stop Edgar Renteria to a 2-year deal worth $18.5M dollars. A 5-time NL All-Star, Renteria has been exceptional when he's been in the Nationa League, but slightly decent in the AL. Last year with the Detroit Tigers, he hit a mere .270 with 10 HR and 55 RBI. He's a career .290 hitter and will give the Giants a considerable boost at the top of their lineup.

Edgar will receive a $2M signing bonus, $7M in 2009 and $9M in 2010. His agreement also includes a $10.5M option for the 2011 season, with a $500k buyout.

I'm a huge fan of Renteria, and truly believe he will have a strong career in San Francisco. His average should slide back up into the upper .280's and he should connect with 15+ HR and drive in around 80 since he will likely be in the top 3 spots of the lineup. San Francisco has been tremendously active this offseason, already inking Renteria as well as reliever Jeremy Affeldt and Bob Howry.

Photo Courtesy: Flickr.com: April A. Taylor

Khalil Greene Headed to St. Louis

The St. Louis Cardinals have acquired short-stop Khalil Greene from the San Diego padres for pitcher Mark Worrell and a player to be named later. This was simply a salary dump, as the Padres can't afford Greene's $6.5M price tag for next season. He will be a free-agent after the 2009 season, finishing off a 2-year/$11M deal he agreed upon spring training of 2008.

The 2007 team-MVP couldn't produce as well in '08, producing a terrible season which ended with him breaking a bone in his left-hand after striking a storage compartment in the dugout. St. Louis still receives an upgrade at short, where Felipe Lopez roamed last season. I appreciate the success Greene has had in the past, especially in 2007 when he connected with 27 home-runs, but he looked so over-matched this year that repeating such success seems like a stretch. He still has above-average power for his position though, and plays adequate defense.

Photo Courtesy: Flickr.com: imalmostboring

Quick Hits

• The Giants and short-stop Edgar Renteria seem to be hammering out the details of a deal, look for an announcement possibly tomorrow.
• Catcher Dave Ross has seemingly agreed to a 2-year/$3.5M deal with the Atlanta Braves. It should be announced as well tomorrow, pending a physical.
• The San Diego Padres are actively shopping short-stop Khalil Greene and his $6.5M salary, and could possibly have a deal done before the winter meetings on Monday.
• The Boston Red Sox have inked second-baseman Dustin Pedroia to a 6-year extension worth $40.5M. The deal will buyout one of Pedroia's non-arbitration years, all three of his arbitration years, as well as two free-agent years. Quite the hometown discount if you ask me.

Giants Sign Howry

The San Francisco Giants continued their remodeling of their 'pen today, signing veteran Bob Howry to a 1-year deal. It'll be worth $2.75M to begin with, but includes $500k based on games and another $1M based on games finished.

Quite the bargain, especially with the price of relievers steadily increasing. San Francisco is betting that Bob was overworked last year, as he posted a 5.35 ERA in a tremendously high 70 2/3 innings. He will assist Jeremy Affeldt and Brian Wilson at the end of games.

Photo Courtesy: ESPN: (Thomas E. Witte/Getty Images)

Cardinals Close To Signing Miller

UPDATE: The deal is a 1-year pact, and was finalized.

The St. Louis Cardinals, noting the fact that left-handed relievers are flying off the market, are close to a 2-year agreement with lefty Trever Miller. The 35-year old Miller posted a 4.15 ERA with the American League Champion Tampa Bay Rays, holding left-handers to a .209/.302/.308 line. He'll be brought in to get key left-handers out, and that's about all he's good at.

Not a big fan of Miller, but if he's signed for less than $2M i'd consider it a nice signing by the Cardinals. The Rays chose his $400K buyout instead of a $2M option for '09, so if St. Louis paid more than that I do not think it is worth it.

Photo Courtesy: (Flickr)

Trade Analysis: Javy Vazquez To Braves

The Atlanta Braves have acquired right-hander Javier Vazquez from the Chicago White Sox for a package of very quality specs. Let's take a look.....

Chicago White Sox receive:

Tyler Flowers (C)

Brent Lillibridge (SS)

Jon Gilmore (3B)

Santos Rodriguez (P)

This is certainly one of the best packages of specs the Braves could of created. Flowers tore up the Arizona Fall League this year and should become a terrific hitting catcher. As long as his defense improves, he'll be a fixture behind the dish in Chi-Town. Lillibridge is a highly-touted prospect who had a minor set-back in 2008. He combines an above-average glove with solid contact and speed. Gilmore is a career .294 hitter in the minors, but lacks power which will probably doom him at third. The last part of the deal, left-handed reliever Santos Rodriguez is by far the most intriguing. He posted 45 strike-outs in a mere 29 innings for the Gulf-Coast League, and surrendered only a .155 BAA.

Atlanta Braves receive:

Javier Vazquez (P)

Boone Logan (P)

The Braves figured that the Padres' asking-price for Jake Peavy was too high, and decided to rather save uber-prospect Tommy Hanson and get ace Javier Vazquez from the Chicago White Sox. Vazquez has 2 more years left on his deal, and is a quality pitcher. Last year he went 12-16 with a 4.67 ERA, but posted 200 K's in 208.1 innings and only allowed a WHIP of 1.32. He will thrive in the National League again, so expect him to slot right into the heart of Atlanta's rotation. As for Logan, the 24-year old Texas native was hit pretty hard in 2008. He allowed 57 hits in 42.1 innings, and posted a 5.93 ERA. He'll need to produce at a much better rate if he wishes to remain in the bigs.

Astros Resign Doug Brocail

Houston has now inked the last two free-agents to go, this time resigning their set-up man Doug Brocail. The 41-year old reliever posted a 3.93 ERA in the hitters' heaven of Minute Maid Park, and provides one of the two decent relievers Houston bolsters (Valverde being the other).

The Astros declined Doug's $3.25M option earlier in the offseason, but agreed upon a 1-year/$2.5M deal with a club option for 2010 worth $2.85M plus incentives. He will likely get most if not all of their set-up work, pending health.

Photo Courtesy: ESPN: (J. Meric/Getty Images)

Astros Sign Often-Injured Hampton

The Houston Astros have reached a tenative agreement with free-agent pitcher Mike Hampton. The 36-year old left hander will sign a 1-year deal worth about $2M, with it also including about $2M in incentives. Houston signs a good low-cost high-reward type deal with a player for only 1 season. Even if Hampton runs into the usual injury bug, he won't become a contract burden at all.

Mike's career has been up and down, posting a 141-105 record in 14 seasons. He signed an 8-year/$121M deal with the Colorado Rockies in 2000, which proved to be one of the worst free-agent signings in history with Mike only playing limited time for the Rox before being shipped to Atlanta. He is notoriously terrible at staying healthy, most recently missing all of the 2006 season and beginning 2007 on the disabled-list. Hampton was only on the market for a 1-year deal, hoping to show that he's healthy again and ready to restart his career.

Photo Courtesy: ESPN: (Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Tazawa Close To Deal With Sox

Japanese right-hander Junichi Tazawa has rejected offers from all clubs exept the Boston Red Sox. The announcement of his signing could come as early as Monday, as the Red Sox have added yet another japanese arm to their arsenal. The 22-year old rightie told Japanese clubs not to draft him as he wanted to start a career in the MLB. This may have opened a can of worms, as MLB and Japanese baseball had a "gentleman's agreement" that they wouldn't touch the other countries players until they have proper experience.

The deal could open tons of possibilities for Japan to pursue MLB free-agents, possibly luring them into other lands just as the NBA is experiencing. It is quite disrespectful for the Red Sox to perform such a deed, but they have and it is time to assess the facts. Tazawa pitched for the Nippon Ham Fighters this year, going 6-1 with a 1.00 ERA in 54 innings. His fastball doesn't have much speed on it, ranging from 89-92, but he locates it well and has a bit of natural movement on it. He will be an expensive minor-leaguer and will probably need at least one season in the farm before makign it on the scene in Boston.

Photo Courtesy: (Daylife.com/Google)

Quick Hits

• The agent for free-agent closer Francisco Rodriguez has made it clear that he believes K-Rod won't sign until after the winter meetings, which are scheduled to being December 7th.
• The Oakland Athletics are examining the medical records of Nationals' first baseman Nick Johnson. Nick has been hit hard by the injury bug lately, but is quite the Beane player. He is a .400 OBP bat waiting to happen, and it would be a great move if they can lure him away from Washington instead of signing a free-agent like Jason Giambi.
• CC Sabathia's agent Greg Genske has closed talks down for the weekend, meaning that there still isn't a deal close for the franchise-caliber lefty.
• The Los Angeles Dodgers are looking into acquiring short-stop Jack Wilson from the Pittsburgh Pirates, but would require a large chunk of his salary to be paid by Pittsburgh. They have a hole at short with Rafael Furcal becoming a free-agent.

Pettite Considering Dodgers

It's been a horrifically slow offseason, but here's a post to keep you interested. Free-agent starter Andy Pettite feels that the Yankees are being a little too nonchalant with him and he isn't liking it too much. Reports say that Pettite has talked to ex-Yankee and current-Dodger manager Joe Torre about possibly signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers, even after making it clear that he wanted to resign with the Yankees or retire.

There's no doubt the deal would help LA, as they are lacking starting-pitching depth with ace Chad Billingsley breaking his left fibula a couple of days ago and free-agents Derek Lowe and Brad Penny looking to go elsewhere.

Photo Courtesy: ESPN: (Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Quick Hits

• The Tigers are expressing interest in Pittsburgh Pirates short-stop Jack Wilson, who is set to make $7M in '09 and holds a club option for 2010. Detroit is looking for a replacement for free-agent Edgar Renteria.
• The Arizona Diamondbacks have offered a contract to free-agent infielder Ramon Vasquez. Ramon had a nice season for Texas last year, hitting .290 in 109 games. He would likely become the teams' opening day second baseman.
• It looks like the Los Angeles Dodgers will let left-handed reliever Joe Beimel walk away. Beimel has allowed a gaudy one home-run in 116 innings the past two years. I consider him the best lefty on the market.
• The San Francisco Giants are big time players this early in the offseason, already touching bases with both Rafael Furcal and Edgar Renteria.
  

Giants "Seriously" Interested In Signing Hudson

MLB.com's Chris Haft is reporting that the San Francisco Giants are very interested in signing free-agent second baseman Orlando Hudson. Orlando might be seeking a 5-year/$50M deal, and it looks like the Giants still find that reasonable.

The Giants might be have an offseason for the ages, as they are attempting to sign CC Sabathia, Rafael Furcal or Edgar Renteria, as well as another reliever such as Juan Cruz. It might not be a bad idea to add a top-tier second baseman who can give a horrific offense some life.

Photo Courtesy: ESPN: (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Burnett Only Considering 5 Year Offers?

SI.com's Jon Heyman has the goods, the agent for free-agent pitcher A.J. Burnett is telling teams that his client is only accepting offers of 5-years or more. The Yankees seemed to be the prime candidate to sign Burnett, but multiple sources are beginning to wonder if they can take such a gamble by offering the injury-prone Burnett a proposal of that length.

The suprising front-runner for the Burnett sweepstakes now has to be the Boston Red Sox, who have touched bases with his agent and told multiple sources that they have signing A.J. a "priority".

Photo Courtesy: ESPN: (Tom Szczerbowski/US PRESSWIRE)

Red Sox Ship Crisp To KC

The Kansas City Royals have made their second consecutive reliever-for-hitter deal, this time sending 27-year old Ramon Ramirez to the Boston Red Sox in return for center fielder Coco Crisp. They have now added both a powerful hitting first-baseman in Mike Jacobs as well as an above average center fielder and lead-off hitter. The 29-year old Crisp was behind rookie sensation Jacoby Ellsbury in Boston's center field depth chart, but still found himself playing 118 games and hitting .283 in the process. He added 20 steals, and has shown consistency at the top of their order for multiple seasons.

As for Ramirez, the 27-year old had a tremendous 2008 going 3-2 with a 2.64 ERA while holding opponents to a mere .222 batting average. He gives the Red Sox the option to shift pitcher Justin Masterson from the set-up role into the rotation if they feel it would better the club.

Photo Courtesy: ESPN: (Elsa/Getty Images)

Dempster Resigns With Cubs For $52M

The Chicago Cubs didn't let free-agency phase their prized starter Ryan Dempster, announcing early Tuesday that they have resigned the 31-year old starter to a 4-year deal worth $52M. The terms of the deal are as followed: He receives a $4M signing bonus, will make $8M in '09, $12.5M for '10, and $13.5M for '11. The deal also includes a 2012 player option worth $14M.

Dempster went 17-6 with a 2.96 ERA in over 200 innings. He was especially strong at home, so it's no wonder the Cubbies would want his right-arm to remain a fixture in their rotation and not someone else's.

Photo Courtesy: (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Giants Sign Affeldt

The San Francisco Giants made a superb signing on Monday, inking reliever Jeremy Affeldt to a 2-year deal worth $8M. Affeldt had a good season in Cincinatti, going 1-1 with a 3.33 ERA for a club with a definite lack of pitchers. He will likely get the set-up nod for the Giants, who just landed a tremendous 29 year old left hander.

It's definitely a good deal for GM Brian Sabean and San Francisco, landing one of the top 4 relievers on the market to a slightly below market value deal. While they were linked to another free-agent lefty in Joe Beimel, this deal likely pushes them out of the running. Rafael Furcal and Edgar Renteria seem like two other candidates that the Giants could land.

Photo Courtesy: (AP)

Albert Pujols Wins NL MVP

The National League MVP winner was announced today, as St. Louis Cardinals first-baseman Albert Pujols collects his second career MVP trophy. Pujols hit .357 with 37 home runs and 116 RBIs, all while dealing with an injured elbow which required offseason surgery.

It's the first time a 4th place Club held the MVP winner since Andre Dawson did it with the Cubs in 1987. Congratulations to Mr. Albert Pujols.

Other Notable Winners (Thus Far):
AL Cy Young: Cliff Lee CLE
NL Cy Young: Tim Lincecum SFG

AL ROY: Evan Longoria TB
NL ROY: Geovany Soto CHC

Photo Courtesy: (Jeff Curry/US Presswire)

Yankees Land Swisher

Seems like the Yankees finally got their hand on a true centerfielder, as they have acquired switch-hitting Nick Swisher as well as prospect Kanekoa Texeira from the Chicago White Sox. The Sox will receive infielder Wilson Betemit as well as prospects Jhonny Nunez and Jeff Marquez.

The White Sox needed to shed some salary, and trading Swisher makes sense in all aspects. They already have enough outfielders and there was no need to pay $22M over the next 3 years for Swisher. As for the Yankees, they were quite weak in center as Johnny Damon is pretty much a left fielder now, and Swisher still brings a game-changing glove as well as some pop. He launched 24 home runs in 588 plate-appearances last year.

Photo Courtesy: (Ron Vesely/Getty Images)

Cubs Acquire Gregg, Say Goodbye to Wood

The Chicago Cubs have acquired closer Kevin Gregg from the Florida Marlins in return for flame-throwing prospect Jose Ceda. Gregg was seemingly the veteran on a Florida Marlins club who finished 3rd in the National League East, saving 29 games and posting up a 3.41 ERA. He made $2.5M this year, and will likely get a raise in arbitration this off-season. As for Ceda, the 21-year old is the classic example of a live arm with control problems. He posted a 3.83 ERA between Single and Double A this year, but still has control problems with a horrific 4.89 career BB/K ratio.

On the flip side of this deal, Chicago Cubs GM Jim Hendry told the media that Chicago would indeed allow closer Kerry Wood to go elsewhere. Wood collected 34 saves of his own, posting a slightly lower 3.26 ERA compared to Gregg. Look for the Mets, Tigers, Angels, Indians to be in the market, with the dark horse being the Kansas City Royals.

Photo Courtesy: (Richard C. Lewis/Icon SMI)

Nationals Land Olsen/Willingham

The Washington Nationals have acquired left-handed starter Scott Olsen as well as outfielder Josh Willingham from the Florida Marlins. The Fish are seemingly rebuilding again, as they've already moved Olsen, Willingham, as well as first baseman Mike Jacobs.

The Marlins will receive second baseman Emilio Bonifacio, as well as minor-league hurler P.J. Dean and shortstop Jake Smolinski. Seems like a wierd deal for Florida, as they receive players at the two positions that they have a lock on. Bonifacio will be shaded by the powerful Dan Uggla, and Smolinski will never see time at short with Hanley Ramirez in front of him. Could this mean Dan Uggla might hit the market? It's quite the possibility, but they could always just move him to third.

Photo Courtesy: (Kyle Terada/US Presswire)

Oakland A's Acquire Holliday!

The Oakland Athletics and general-manager Billy Beane have shocked the world today, acquiring the powerful left fielder Matt Holliday from the Colorado Rockies. In return, the Rockies will receive left-hander Greg Smith, reliever Huston Street, and super outfield prospect Carlos Gonzalez. You must believe that Oakland will extend Holliday, as its very un-Beane like to move your best prospect in a deal for a 1-year rental.

Quite the haul for Colorado, as they get two strong pitchers who will solidify both their rotation and pen as well as a strong outfield prospect who will thrive in hitter-friendly Coors. CBS is reporting that they might move closer Huston Street elsewhere, which strikes me as a terrible move if they go that direction.

Photo Courtesy: (Brad Mangin/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Quick Pitch

• There's been a lot of talk about which team is going to sign the 22-year old Japanese import Junichi Tazawa. If I were to guess, the Atlanta Braves seem to have the upper-hand.
• Shea Hillenbrand has hinted at coming back, especially after hitting .340 for an Independent ball club. I bet the Giants still whimper at giving Toronto Jeremy Accardo for the veteran Hillenbrand.
  
• Greg Maddux seems to be close to retiring, and if it's true I would be the first to congratulate him on an amazing career.
• Orioles' closer George Sherrill is being shopped around for rebuilding Baltimore, who should look for a couple of younger relievers to fit the bill.
  

Holliday To Cards Seems Dead

The Rocky-Mountain News recently had a chat with St. Louis Cardinals' GM John Mozeliak, who made it clear that he believes his club will not acquire outfielder Matt Holliday from the Colorado Rockies. Multiple news sources reported yesterday that St. Louis was the front-runner for the powerful left-fielder, possibly centering a deal around Ryan Ludwick. Talks seemed to have stalled once Colorado pushed their wants to Ludwick, Skip Schumaker, and reliever Mitchell Boggs. The three-some of players seemed to have demolished the deal for both sides.

You must be a bit more loose on Holliday talks if your the Cardinals, because everybody knows he's probably just a one-year rental. They should of been quite content with Ryan Ludwick and a strong reliever in Mitchell Boggs, but instead wanted to add Schumaker who would of only made their outfielder more crowded. Their best case scenario is still moving Holliday for some pitchers, so they will continue to test the waters all offseason until they find the right fit.

Photo Courtesy: (Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

Dodgers Buy Out Penny

The Los Angeles Dodgers have cut ties with 2007 NL All-Star Game starter Brad Penny, declining his $9.25M option for 2009. Penny disappeared late in the season after the Dodgers shut him and his bum shuolder down. The big right-hander went 6-9 with a 6.27 ERA in only 94+ innings after such a superb '07 campaign.

Brad will receive a $2M buyout and will be a great option for lower market teams to sign a low-risk high-reward type pitcher. He should still receive at least $6M per though (at least as I believe the market to be).

Photo Courtesy: (Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)

Burnett Opts Out Of Deal

Wow, who would of thought it? A.J. Burnett has opted out out his contract with the Toronto Blue Jays and will now become a free-agent. It was quite the predictable move, especially knowing he can get plenty more on the open market. Toronto still has interest in bringing him back, and it could be a perfect fit. The Yankees will still be there, especially if they somehow can't sign CC Sabathia.

Burnett is a strong pitcher when healthy, but healthy is rarely a term used with his name. It'll be interesting to see who receives the bigger bounty: A.J. Burnett or Ben Sheets, especially with their health concerns.

Photo Courtesy: (Getty Images)

Brewers Make Offer to CC

Milwaukee Brewers' GM Doug Melvin told the media today that his club has made a contract offer to prize free-agent pitcher CC Sabathia. "It's in their hands" Melvin told the press after revealing this information. He would not discuss dollar figures, but there's no doubt it has the chance to surpass Johan Santana's lucrative deal of last off season.

If Sabathia decides to leave Milwaukee, there will be boatloads of cash for him courtesy of the New York Yankees. He has expressed an interest in playing in his home state of California, making both the Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the picture.

Photo Courtesy: (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Dempster To Test Open Waters

Free-agent starter Ryan Dempster has informed the Chicago Cubs that he will test the market instead of signing an extension. While there's still a chance he will remain in Chicago (thanks in part to his great relationship with GM Jim Hendry), you must believe that he could get quite the contract elsewhere.

You want a black-horse? The Baltimore Orioles could use the 31-year old atop their rotation and seem to have the money to spend. Dempster went 17-6 with a 2.96 ERA in 206.2 innings this year and was the Cubs' Game 1 starter in the postseason.

Photo Courtesy: (Scott Boehm/Getty Images)

Red Sox Front-Runners for Teixeira?

Newsday's Kevin Davidoff has confirmed the ongoing rumor that the Boston Red Sox are going to make a serious push at free-agent Mark Teixeira. The move would cause quite the stir, as it would push Kevin Youkilis to third-base and push Mike Lowell seemingly out of Boston.

Teixeira must be happy, as the three major markets (Los Angeles, Boston, New York) are all going to a bidding war for the 29 year old's services. Expect him to receive ridiculous money and re-sign with the Angels. But hey, that's an Angel fan speaking.....

Photo Courtesy: (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Quick Pitch

• The New York Mets have re-signed 2008 sensation Fernando Tatis to a 1-year extension worth $1.7M. The 33-year old hit at a .297/.369/.484 clip
• Wily Mo Pena has exercised his $2M player option and will remain with the Washington Nationals.
• The Detroit Tigers have declined short-stop Edgar Renteria's $12M option, making him a free-agent.
• Ken Griffey Jr. is now a free-agent, as the White Sox elect to buyout his $16M option at a $4M cost.
• The Milwaukee Brewers have chosen their new manager: Ex-Oakland Athletics skipper Ken Macha. Ken was introduced to the media today and signed a 2-year pact.
• Cincinnati might have interest in signing 33-year old Mark Mulder, who is quite the health risk. Seems like he could be a good low-risk, high reward type pitcher.
  

Royals Add Power, Land Jacobs

It didn't take long for the transactions to start being made this offseason, as the Kansas City Royals and Florida Marlins have already made a swap. The Royals will acquire first-baseman Mike Jacobs from Florida, while the Marlins will land reliever Leo Nunez from KC. The Royals injected quite a bit of power with Jacobs now in their reigns, as the 28-year old Jacobs hit 32 HRs and drove in 93 last season. As for Florida, Nunez had a career year in 2008 while posting a 2.98 ERA in 48.3 innings. He seems to get hurt often, but is only 24 and seems to be growing rapidly.

The deal seems pretty equal, as no matter how bad Jacobs fields over at first 30+ is superb and the 24-year old Nunez seems to be a closer candidate for the Fish in 2009. This move also seems to push one of Ryan Shealy or Ross Gload into the trade-market as the Royals have far too many first basemen.

Photo Courtesy: (Ben Margot/AP)

Angels Extend Guerrero/Lackey, Buyout Anderson

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim make quite a few decisions today corresponding to the 2009 club. They have agreed to exercise right-fielder Vladimir Guerrero's $15M option for next year, as well as right-hander John Lackey's $9M pact. Neither were unexpected, especially since they are both key players for the Angels and love Anaheim.
On the other side of the coin, the Angels paid left-fielder Garrett Anderson's $3M buyout instead of exercising his $14M option. This will be quite the move for the Halos, especially if Anderson resigns with the club for cheap. They will possibly save $8M with the move if G.A. agrees to a deal worth $5M or less.

Photo Courtesy: (Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

Kenny Rogers To Pitch Next Year?

When asked if he could pitch in 2009, Detroit Tigers left-hander Kenny Rogers replied positively and made it clear that he knows he can pitch. The 44-year old had a terrible 2008 campaign, as most Tigers did, going 9-13 with a 5.70 ERA. He seemed to have lost his touch, but admits that he would sign for much cheaper if the Tigers wanted him back in '09. "The Gambler" earned $8M this year, and hinted at a new deal in the $3M range. He might be a good fit for some other clubs if Detroit wanted to go into rebuild mode.

Photo Courtesy: (G. Newman Lowrance/Getty Images)

Dodgers Let Berroa Walk

The Los Angeles Dodgers have decided to pay short-stop Angel Berroa's $500,000 buyout instead of agreeing to his $5.5M option for next year. Berroa was acquired June 6th from the Kansas City Royals, and was the 2003 American-League Rookie of the Year. The Dodgers also have to make a decision on their other short-stop, Rafael Furcal.

Angel will definitely get a minor-league deal, but he could help some clubs out with his ability to play all 3 infield spots. He hit .230 with 16 RBI in 84 games for the club, but provided some very solid defense.

Cardinals Decline Mulder's Option

The St. Louis Cardinals are ridding themselves from the health-risk of starter Mark Mulder, informing his agent that they were declining his $11M option for next season. Mark will receive a $1.5M opt-out in the shuffle.

St. Louis received a mere six appearances, four of those starts, for their 2-year/$13M pact made in 2007. There wasted money should now go to a much more durable type, just as they did last year signing workhorse Kyle Lohse.

Photo Courtesy: (AP)

Oakland Close To Retaining Ellis

Update: The deal is done, its a 2-year pact worth $10-11 guranteed million plus incentives.

According to ESPN's Buster Olney, the Oakland Athletics are very close to re-signing 2B'man Mark Ellis. Ellis is a tremendous fielding second-baseman, and is at least average with the bat when healthy. He wasn't healthy last year though, as you can tell by his .233/.321/.373 line.

Mark and his family are very happy in Oakland, so a huge discount might be in effect for the Athletics. That would leave Orlando Hudson as the main second-baseman on the open market.

Photo Courtesy: (Phil Carter/US Presswire)

Brewers To Make Pitch To Sabathia

The Milwaukee Brewers have switched gears and have now decided to try hard to retain their amazing acquisition, left-handed free agent CC Sabathia. "At least we have a chance" newly signed GM Doug Melvin said when asked their chances of retaining the big hurler.

Milwaukee eclipsed the 3 million fan mark last year, mainly to the fact that they acquired Sabathia in early July. It will probably be an extremely smart financial and baseball decision to open up the pocket books for him.

Photo Courtesy: (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Phillies Punch Ticket To World Series

The Philadelphia Phillies, with quite a bit of help from Dodgers' short-stop Rafael Furcal, have won the National League Championship Series and will continue on to the Fall Classic. Leadoff hitter Jimmy Rollins hit a lead-off HR and Los Angeles had a back-breaking 5th inning which saw Rafael Furcal commit an astonishing 3 errors.

Cole Hamels had another strong start for the Phillies, showing why he's now one of the best 3 left-handers in baseball. 7 strong innings for the San Diego native, allowing 5 hits and 3 walks while striking out 5. Philadelphia closer Brad Lidge saved yet another game, and has yet to blow one all year.

Congratulations to the city of Philadelphia and their beloved Phils.

Photo Courtesy: (Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

Tempers Flare, Dodgers Take Game 3

The Los Angeles Dodgers, tired of being pushed around and thrown at by the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLCS, attacked Philadelphia tonight taking a 7-2 victory with them. After Manny Ramirez was thrown behind to for the second consecutive game and catcher Russell Martin was also hit, Dodgers starter Hiroki Kuroda threw a fastball behind the head of outfielder Shane Victorino and caused the benches to clear.

The hero of the night was rookie second-baseman Blake DeWitt, who hit a bases-clearing triple in the first inning to give LA an early 5-0 lead. Rafael Furcal homered later in the game, and Kuroda won his second start of the postseason. 16-game winner Jamie Moyer was the victim of the offensive onslaught in the first, only lasting 1 1/3 innings before being taken out by manager Charlie Manuel.

The series continues tomorrow night as Dodgers ace Derek Lowe faces Joe Blanton of the Phillies. Blanton pitched very well against the Brewers in the first-round, but definitely has his work cut out for him against the now hot-tempered Dodger club.

Photo Courtesy: (AP)

Indians/Carroll Close In Negotiations

The Cleveland Plain-Dealer is reporting that the Cleveland Indians and infielder Jamey Carroll are "close" to a deal. The 34-year old infielder hit .277 in 402 plate-appearances, seeing more time than expected thanks to the struggles of Asdrubal Cabrera. Jamey plays second and third adequately well, and holds a $2.5M club option for 2009. The talks might mean that the two sides are talking about agreeing to a slightly smaller figure, maybe in the $1.5M range.

Phillies Stun Lowe & Dodgers, Take Game 1

The Philadelphia Phillies ruined starting-pitcher Derek Lowe's night, blasting 2 home-runs off of the right hander in the 6th inning to swing the game from a 0-2 defecit to a 3-2 lead. Both Chase Utley and Pat Burrell went yard, and the Dodgers offense couldn't come back on Cole Hamels and their studded bullpen.

The series continues tomorrow with a day-game between the two clubs. Right handers Chad Billingsley and Brett Myers will go at it at 4:35 EST. Expect Billingsley to mow down the Phillies hitters and even out the series.

Photo Courtesy: (Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

Hudson to Mets?

According to MLB.com beat writer Marty Noble, second-baseman Orlando Hudson "yearns" to play for the Mets. This would be a perfect fit, as long as the Mets can somehow distance themselves from Luis Castillo and the wad of money still owed to him.

Noble goes on to list some variables, including whether or not Hudson wants to play in new Citi Field and of course the money aspect. I'd have to agree that the Mets should sign Hudson, as he would fit perfectly in their 2-hole and give them very solid defense.

Photo Courtesy: (Al Bello/Getty Images)

Cubbies Extend Harden

Chicago will be seeing more of Rich Harden, deciding to exercise the 26-year old's $7M option for next year. Harden was spectacular for the Cubs, going 5-1 with a 1.77 ERA and 89 strike-outs. The move was made one-day after tests had shown that there was no structural damage in Rich's pitching shoulder.

Despite having a disappointing post-season, Chicago has quite a bit to look forward to next year with Milwaukee losing Sabathia as well as their own club keeping the mighty rotation intact.

Photo Courtesy: (ESPN)

Cubs-Dodgers Hold Decisive Game 3

Sorry for the lack of posts the past few weeks guys, been pretty busy. Let's move on to some of the news:

The Chicago Cubs will attempt to keep their season alive tonight, as they send Rich Harden out to the hill to face the Los Angeles Dodgers and Japanese-import Hiroki Kuroda. The Cubbies were embarrassed in the friendly confines of Wrigley Field as they lost both of their games by decent sized margins and now face a 2-0 deficit in this best-of-5 series. Speaking of Japanese imports, Chicago manager Lou Pinella made it clear that Kosuke Fukudome will not be the team's right-fielder for the remainder of the series. Seems like a smart move, as Kosuke declined each and every month of the year.

I have to give the edge to Chicago in this one as Harden is a very tough pitcher to be facing in Game 3 of any series, especially when you see guys like Dave Bush starting Game 3's elsewhere. Rich is going to have to keep pounding the strike zone, as Los Angeles has been working the count quite a bit against those Cubs and don't figure to let up in front of their home crowd.

Photo Courtesy: (ESPN)

Bedard Likely To Be Non-Tendered

All signs are pointing to the Seattle Mariners non-tendering starting pitcher Erik Bedard this offseason. Bedard had a tremendous year with the Baltimore Orioles last year, striking out 221 batters in only 182 innings before being shipped to the Mariners. The Seattle Mariners came in and offered a package centered around outfield prospect Adam Jones, and Baltimore had no choice but to accept the generous offer. Erik had a below-average 2008 campaign , disappointing plenty of Mariners fans with both his attitude and health, and forcing the Mariners hand into making this decision. Not to mention the fact that Bedard is still having arm problems and will miss the beginning part of 2009.

It's not final yet, as Seattle could still have some faith in a player that they gave up so much for. Erik wasn't terrible this year as he went 6-4 with a 3.67 ERA, but his multiple character flaws including not allowing the club to let him push his pitch count past 100 doesn't make Seattle too fond of keeping him.

Photo Courtesy: (Nick Laham/Getty Images)

Rays/Red Sox Tied for AL East Lead

The Boston Red Sox obliterated the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field tonight, blasting 6 HRs and cruising to a 13-5 win. The victory ties the Red Sox for first place in the AL East, and pushes the storybook Rays into serious pressure going into tomorrow's game. What's worse for Tampa is that their ace Scott Kazmir looked lost on the mound, serving up 9 earned-runs in 3 innings. He gave up home-runs to David Ortiz, Mike Lowell, Jason Bay and Jason Varitek, and didn't give the Rays a chance to win this game.

Josh Beckett and Andy Sonnastine will decide the AL East leader tomorrow, so look for an exciting game through-and-through.

Photo Courtesy: (AP)

Brewers Fire Yost

The Brewers are officially done with manager Ned Yost, firing the skipper earlier this afternoon. Yost served as Milwaukee's coach for the past 6 seasons, not making it to the postseason in either of those years. He received quite a bit of criticism for not confronting players who were slumping or having problems, and served as a lightning-rod for the media lately. Milwaukee personnel said that it was a strict ownership decision, and that they were not about to fall short of the playoffs like they did in 2007. Especially after acquiring CC Sabathia from the Cleveland Indians, you wouldn't expect this Brewers club to fall like they have been. Milwaukee and Philadelphia now sit deadlocked on the top of the NL Wild Card, both having the day off today.

Photo Courtesy: (AP)

Royals To Sign Furcal?

According to Baseball Prospectus, the Kansas City Royals are very interested in signing perennial free-agent SS Rafael Furcal. Rafael is finishing up his 3-year, $36M deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and has been hurt quite frequently during his stay in Hollywood. Furcal has missed most of the year, but was on fire earlier in the year with both the bat and the glove in the beginning of '08. No doubt theres tons of durability issues with Furcal, but he has the best short-stop arm in the league and will provide the Royals with an above average leadoff-hitter to pair up with recently signed Jose Guillen and youngsters Billy Butler and Alex Gordon. Still this report could be speculation, as the Dodgers might be interested in bringing him back and therefore taking him off the market altogether.

It'll be a very smart move for the Royals to pursue Furcal, as they could then move Mike Aviles to second-base and have a legitimately improved infield defense as well as an added dimension to the top of their lineup.

Photo Courtesy: (Luis M. Alvarez /AP Photo)

Big Z No-Hits Astros

Chicago Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano no hit the Houston Astros and lefty Randy Wolf on Saturday night, walking only 1 and striking out 10. After getting scratched from his last start, Zambrano came out throwing hard and making Houston look helpless. The game was played in Milwaukee's Miller Park, as the last two games between the Astros and Cubs were postponed thanks to Hurricane Ike. It was the first no-hitter in a neutral park since 1900, so Carlos pretty much made history. Congratulations to big Carlos Zambrano on the feat, which was the 2nd of the year following Red Sox hurler Jon Lester's back in May.

Photo Courtesy: (Morry Gash/AP)

David Price Makes Major-League Debut

The Tampa Bay Rays' prize possession made his major league debut today, as 2007 1st Overall pick David Price came in for relief against the New York Yankees. The left-hander, who's all but dominated the minor-leagues, went 5 2/3 innings allowing 2 earned-runs on 3 hits and no walks. He struck out 4 in the process.

It looks like Price might make a start sooner rather than later, as the Rays rotation has struggled the past few games (aside from James Shields' masterpiece).

Photo Courtesy: (AP)

K-Rod Saves Number 58

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim closer Francisco Rodriguez made history today, collecting his 58th save in 2008. The save gives K-Rod the major-league record for most saves in a season, passing the White Sox's Bobby Thigpen. He also did it with less blow saves, only letting 6 get away compared to Thigpen's 8.

Congratulations to Francisco Rodriguez, and it'll be interesting to see if he chooses to stay in Anaheim or if he'll move on for big money. New York Mets anyone?

Photo Courtesy: (AP)

Rookie Gives Mets Victory

After allowing the Braves to beat up on their bullpen in the first game of a double-header, the New York Mets came back with avengence and dominated the Atlanta Braves. The story of the night was rookie Jon Niese, the Mets number one rated prospect coming into this season. The 21-year old Niese went 8 innings allowing 6 hits, walking 2, and striking out 7. After getting attacked in his major-league debut for 5 runs in only 3 innings, he pitched a very strong game and lead his club to a 5-0 victory. Jose Reyes had a strong game, going 3-5 with a solo-HR, and David Wright and Carlos Beltran connected for HR's number 29 and 24 respectively. Atlanta falls to 66-83 and finds themselves out of the playoff hunt in 2008.

The Good: Niese pitching 8 terrific innings
The Bad: Atlanta starter Jo-Jo Reyes, who allowed 5 hits and 4 runs in 2 innings.

Photo Courtesy: (Julie Jacobson/AP)