About MLB Rumors

MLB Rumors is "a fun compilation of interesting tidbits, rumors and goings on around baseball." [SI.com writer Jon Heyman]. MLB Rumors, which was started November 9th, 2006, is a baseball rumors website updated twenty-four hours a day. It's goal from the beginning is to offer its readers new, relevant, and legitimate news each and everyday. Because of this, angry and supportive fans defend their team and make the site a much more interactive place. With Special Features that cover the MLB Draft, the free agent period, and include interviews with over forty executives and players, it is obvious why this site won the 2007 Best Sports Blog in just its first year in service.

MLB Rumors tries to get as many interviews as possible for its readers, and has successfully landed All-Stars Brandon Webb, Curtis Granderson, Jamie Moyer, and Harold Reynolds. He has also interviewed the 2007 First Overall Pick in the Draft David Price. Along with players, he has interviewed Padres GM Kevin Towers, Indians GM Mark Shapiro, Diamondbacks GM Josh Byrnes, and A's GM Billy Beane.

As of April 20th, 2008, the site has had 2 million visitors and has landed such advertisers as Nike, PetSmart, Cingular, Circuit City, Vitamin Water, and more! Of those vistors, 90 % come from the United States, 6 % come from Canada, and 1% come from Japan, Israel, Korea, and the Dominican Republic respectively.

MLB Rumors has been acclaimed by several Front Office executives and reporters including: Billy Beane, sports agent Joe Bick, Harold Reynolds, ESPN's Peter Gammons, Buster Olney, Jayson Stark, Chicago Sun-Times' Rick Telander, and many more!

Site Hacking

On July 20th, 2008, MLB Rumors was hacked and lost forever. While you still can visit the old site, the colors are different and the content is no longer updated. Luckily, I was able to move everything over and have MLB Rumors still running as normal. If you happen to open a link that sends you to a site with green and white colors, it is the article you are looking for, just linked to the old site. I'm sorry for any inconvenience this may cause and hope you continue to read MLB Rumors.

(February 20th, 2009)
It has been a long road back for the MLB Rumors to get the site back to pre-hacking numbers and speed. Despite the catching up, we are still looking to grow and expand! 2009 has gotten off to a fast start for MLB Rumors, with our numbers passing 330,000 mark just this past week!

About MLB Rumors

MLB Rumors is "a fun compilation of interesting tidbits, rumors and goings on around baseball." [SI.com writer Jon Heyman]. MLB Rumors, which was started November 9th, 2006, is a baseball rumors website updated twenty-four hours a day. It's goal from the beginning is to offer its readers new, relevant, and legitimate rumors each and everyday. Each article delivers the news and then Eli provides his own analysis on it. Because of this, angry and supportive fans defend their team and make the site a much more interactive place. With Special Features that cover the MLB Draft, the free agent period, and include interviews with over forty executives and players, it is obvious why this site won the 2007 Best Sports Blog in just its first year in service.

Eli tries to get as many interviews as possible for his readers, and has successfully landed All-Stars Curtis Granderson, Jamie Moyer, Cliff Floyd, and Harold Reynolds. He has also interviewed the 2007 First Overall Pick in the Draft David Price, who he still keeps in touch with today. Along with players, he has interviewed Padres GM Kevin Towers, Indians GM Mark Shapiro, Diamondbacks GM Josh Byrnes, and A's GM Billy Beane. All interviews are kept under twenty minutes and in no way are controversial.

As of April 20th, 2008, the site has had 2 million visitors and has landed such advertisers as Nike, PetSmart, Cingular, Circuit City, Vitamin Water, and more! Of those vistors, 90 % come from the United States, 6 % come from Canada, and 1% come from Japan, Israel, Korea, and the Dominican Republic respectively.

MLB Rumors has been acclaimed by several Front Office executives and reporters including: Billy Beane, sports agent Joe Bick, Harold Reynolds, ESPN's Peter Gammons, Buster Olney, Jayson Stark, Chicago Sun-Times' Rick Telander, and many more!

As of December, 28th 2007, MLB Rumors is a member of the Accredited Sports Blogs of America.

Sanchez to Indians?

The Indians are in the market for a closer and a second baseman, but may only want to splurge on one. If the Indians target a closer like Brian Fuentes, they could use a prospect or two and pursue Pirates second baseman Freddy Sanchez. According to the Beaver County Times, the Pirates are considering moving the second baseman, who hit .271 with 9 HR in 145 games. However, Sanchez is a career .300 hitter with two years left on his contract. He will make six million in 2009 and has an eight million dollar option for 2010, with a 600 K dollar buyout. 

The Indians have interest in Orlando Hudson, but he is reportedly asking for 12 to 13 million dollars annually. That is a lot for a second baseman, especially one who has a history of injuries. Working with the Pirates is risky though, considering Neal Huntington hand picked most of their young minor league talent when he was with the Indians. Other options for the Indians include Brian Roberts, Robinson Cano, Luis Castillo, and Mike Fontenot, among others.

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

Would The Indians Fire Wedge?

The Indians are currently 6.5 games out of first, and have lost 3 of their last 10 games. Wedge isn't all too concerned about his status, he is more focused on getting his team turned around. 

"I'm the manager," he said. "It is my fault. I'm not out there playing, but I'm the manager of this team, and I'm responsible for this club. I try to stay out of the way when things are going well and take full responsibility when they're not going well. The bottom line is, we're a better club than what we're showing and how we're playing. That has to be a direct reflection on me." 

This time last year, the Indians were 19-19, but that was when they had C.C. Sabathia and Cliff Lee, who was in Cy Young form. The Indians are hitting just .246 with runners in scoring position and the bullpen owns a 6.18 ERA so far. Wedge turned the team around last year to finish with an 81-81 record, so I suspect the Indians will give him another opportunity to turn them around before he is let go. 

It would make sense to bring in someone from the outside if he needs to be replaced. The team is still young and if they do indeed need to go in another direction, then it should be with someone with a fresh thinking. Guys like Alan Trammell of the Cubs or Willie Randolph of the Brewers could take a look at the job openings. John Farrell of the Red Sox is another good option, and Mike Hargrove, who is retired, would make for a nice reunion in Cleveland. He could also set up the return of Manny Ramirez, who was managed by Hargrove in Cleveland. But that is a long ways a way. Wedge's seat isn't as hot as we think, or as Indians fans may want it to be.

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

Indians Promote Three

The Indians have promoted Matt LaPorta, Luis Valbuena, and Josh Barfield from Triple-A Columbus prior to Saturday's game. LaPorta was the key acquisition in the CC Sabathia trade last summer, Valbuena was apart of the Mets-Mariners-Indians trade last offseason, and Barfield came over in the Kevin Kouzmanoff trade from two offseasons ago. LaPorta is hitting .333 with 5 HR in Triple-A, and will compliment lefty Dave Dellucci in the outfield. Valbuena, who is hitting .321 with 3 HR, will serve as a utility infielder.

Barfield will provide the Indians with more speed off the bench, as well as a late inning defensive replacement. The Indians overhaul comes after a 9-14 record this season. If they continue to struggle, we may see the Indians trade Cliff Lee or Jhonny Peralta for prospects.

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

Street to Indians?

According to Indians.com, Athletics closer Huston Street could be an Indians target this offseason as they look for a closer. The Indians plan to spend some money on the market this offseason, but will likely target an outfielder or second baseman with that money. The Athletics have shopped Huston Street around since last year, and he probably would have been traded by now if it weren't for the A's high asking price. 

The A's might have trouble trading him this offseason because they A's have a closer in Zeigler, and are shopping a closer who has failed to break twenty saves since 2006. The Indians would likely be willing to trade two or three prospects, but won't go past three, unless the prospects are low level with little upside. The A's are looking for a corner infielder this offseason as well as some pitching help. They would be smart to look at some of the arbitration eligibles available around the league in hopes of finding a bargain. Mark Teahen is a guy the Athletics could try to make a play for. He is young and has some upside, despite hitting just .255 this past season. 

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

Indians Sign Czech Catcher

The Indians signed 16-year old catcher Martin Cervenka to a non-drafted minor league contract. The Indians discovered the Czech catcher while evaluating players at Major League Baseball European Academy in Italy. Cervenka will continue to play with his club team in Prague until he is nineteen, spending summers at Academy's in Australia. However, the Indians like his raw tools and hope that this long term project will ultimately help the Indians and open a floodgate to more European players coming to the MLB.

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

Indians Finding Stroke

I'd like to welcome the newest website to the MLB Rumors Insiders, The Tribe Source, where they talk about the Cleveland Indians. Over at Tribe Source, they talk about Cliff Lee's excellent performance and how several Indians players are finding their swing, which will benefit them as they try to hold on to first place. "Paul Byrd will try and continue our winning ways (2-1, 2.92). He will take on the Angels young phenom Jared Weaver (1-3, 5.12), do not let those numbers scare ya, he was unhittable against us last year so we need to attack him." (Tribe Source). The Indians come into this game with pretty good odds. They are sending Paul Byrd to the mound, who is 3-0 with a 4.15 ERA lifetime against the Angels in five starts.The Indians have also won 13 of their last 16 and gained a lot of momentum on this three-game series behind the three-hit pitching of left-hander Cliff Lee yesterday. Furthermore, the Angels have lost five or their last six and are hitting .202 in their last six games.

Team by Team Updates from Orlando

Angels: After signing Gary Matthews to a five year deal, the Angels have kept fairly quiet. GM Bill Stoneman arrived late Monday and had minor discussions with a couple different teams. The Angels are tossing names around like Bartolo Colon and Felix Rodriguez in hopes of acquiring a bat. But other than just rumors, there has been no news to report.

Astros: The latest news from the Winter Meetings for the Astros is that Andy Pettitte wants to pitch next year and is leaning towards returning to the Astros. This could influence Roger Clemens decision on whether he wants to return to Boston, New York, Houston, or just retire. The Astros are also discussing a possible trade for Jason Jennings.

Athletics: The A's appear to be the number one team to sign Mike Piazza as their DH. The deal is a two year deal worth 15 million dollars. They are also working on a deal with Alan Embree.

Blue Jays: The Blue Jays are desperately trying to retain Ted Lilly but it appears that the Cubs are the favorite. Lilly has received a four year offer, worth 40 million dollars. "That's just hearsay from our end," Ricciardi said. "I personally talked to Ted Lilly on Saturday and had a great conversation with him. That's really all I can go on." The Blue Jays are also targeting Gil Meche, and are talking with the White Sox about trading Vernon Wells.

Braves: Reports from Orlando are saying that the Braves may look to trade Adam LaRoche and Marcus Giles. However, there are also rumors concerning Andruw Jones as well. It appears that GM John Schuerholz will look to trades before signings.

Brewers: The Brewers have been talking with teams about trading Geoff Jenkins or Kevin Mench, and have heard the Red Sox are interested in acquiring Derrek Turnbow. The Brewers are also interested in signing Kenny Lofton. They also are working a deal with Tony Graffanino who appears to be staying in Milwaukee.

Cardinals: The Cardinals have inked a five year, 65 million dollar deal with Chris Carpenter. The also plan to meet with Jason Schmidt. Other than that, the Cardinals have been relatively quiet.

Cubs: The Cubs have made an offer to Ted Lilly at an estimated 40 million over four years. They are also looking into Jason Schmidt and Gil Meche. They are also looking to trade Jacque Jones, have inquired about Jason Jennings, and may look to sign outfielders Cliff Floyd and Kenny Lofton.

Devil Rays: The Devil Rays main priority is to build their bullpen. However, that has not stopped them from looking to trade Rocco Baldelli, Jorge Cantu, or Carl Crawford. They are also working on a deal to sign Akinori Iwamura.

Diamondbacks: The Dbacks have been very quiet, hoping they could possibly sign Mark Mulder. The have also met with the agents of Keith Foulke.

Dodgers: The Dodgers appear to be interested in Jason Schmidt and have only had few conversations. On Monday, the Dodgers and Red Sox were talking about a trade for Manny Ramirez, but according to Colletti, the deal has a less than "5 percent" chance of getting done. They are close to finalizing a deal with Mike Lieberthal and rookie closer Takashi Saito.

Giants: The Giants have signed numerous players over the past week and have just began to finalize them. They have signed Dave Roberts, Rich Aurilia, Bengie Molina, and have resigned Pedro Feliz. The Giants are looking into signing Ryan Klesko, and have inquired about the Mariners Richie Sexon and the Cubs Jacque Jones.

Indians: Joe Borowski will take a physical either today or tomorrow for the Indians and then he will sign a one year deal. However, they will still look into signing Octavio Dotel or Keith Foulke. The Indians are really focusing on pitching and beefing up their bullpen after signing Dellucci.

Mariners: The Mariners are in hot pursuit of two pitchers. They plan to meet with Jason Schmidt and appear to be the favorites if the Cubs sign Lilly. However, Schmidt has said he wants to win now and has no problem leaving the West Coast. They are also looking to trade for Jason Jennings, but so are several other teams.

Marlins: The Marlins are showing serious interest in acquiring Rocco Baldelli. The Marlins are reluctant to part with pitching, but according to sources, Scott Olsen could get the deal done.

Mets: The Mets were in hot pursuit of Barry Zito but may have to settle for a veteran because of how high Zito's price tag is. Scott Boras is reportedly asking for a six to seven year deal, worth 102 million dollars. The Rangers seem more willing to offer the big deal.

Nationals: The Red Sox and Giants are talking a three way deal with the Nationals concerning Manny Ramirez. They would probably lose Chad Cordero and possibly acquire Noah Lowry. However it is just speculation. The Nationals Ryan Church, Jose Vidro, and Chad Cordero are all drawing interest in other trades.

Orioles: Rodrigo Lopez is on the topic of most general managers list of pitchers. The Mariners, Brewers, and Mets have all inquired about Lopez but no deal appears imminent. The Brewers have offered Kevin Mench but a formal offer will have to be sketched out. The Braves appear interested in Brian Roberts but the Orioles are reluctant to trade him.

Padres: The Padres are closing in on a deal with Greg Maddux. The deal is estimated at a one year deal worth 10 million dollars with an option for one more. They are also interested in Jason Schmidt and Ronnie Belliard.

Phillies: A frustrating off season so far might make a turn for the worst. Pat Burrell is drawing little to know interest and the Phillies continue to struggle to find pitching. Eaton only pitched in 65 innings and pitched okay when he returned. They are looking to Chicago to acquire Freddy Garcia, possibly reuniting Aaron Rowand. The Cubs might also be interested in Aaron Rowand because they are in need of a center fielder.

Pirates: The Pirates are talking with the Braves and Reds about Adam LaRoche and Adam Dunn. They have also inquired about Trot Nixon for right field. None of these deals appear to be finalized soon. The Pirates do have a slight advantage with the overload of pitching. They could acquire a decent hitter for a pitcher or two.

Rangers: The Rangers and Vicente Padilla have agreed to a three year deal, worth 33 million dollars. This will set the minimum for other second tier pitchers like Ted Lilly and Gil Meche. The Rangers also expect to make a serious run for Barry Zito, who is seeking a six year deal, worth 17 million annually.

Red Sox: The Red Sox are close to signing Julio Lugo and J.D. Drew. They also plan to finalize a deal with Daisuke Matsuzaka. Theo Epstein has also set a deadline for when he will stop trying to trade Manny Ramirez. THIS JUST IN: The Red Sox have agreed to a 5 year deal, worth 70 million dollars. I do not see Manny Ramirez being traded because the teams that are pursuing him do not have what the Red Sox want. Or they are not willing to part with what the Red Sox want.

Reds: The Reds have signed a 2 year deal, worth 5 million dollars total with Dave Weathers. Other than Weathers and Gonzalez, that is all the news from the Reds office. Adam Dunn is drawing some interest from teams but no deals have been worked out.

Rockies: The Rockies have signed LaTroy Hawkins and he will be their setup man. Several teams have inquired about Jason Jennings including the Astros, Cubs, Mariners, Mets, Rangers, and Twins. They also have interest in Kenny Lofton and Darin Erstad.

Royals: The Royals have focused on pitching, and have made an offer to Miguel Batista (3/24). They also have put Gil Meche as a top priority but it appears he will either go to the Cubs or Blue Jays.

Tigers: Jeremy Bonderman and Marcus Thames' names have come up in trades but the Tigers do not appear to be interested in trading them. They are interested in trading for Marlins pitcher Renyel Pinto. Pinto, 24, went to the Marlins last year in the Juan Pierre deal. He pitched from the bullpen most of the season.

Twins: The Twins are serious about acquiring Jason Jennings and a deal could get struck by tomorrow. With Liriano out for 2007 and Radke to retire, the Twins are looking for pitching and due to a lack of funds, will have to do it by trade. They are also working a deal to keep Rondell White.

White Sox: White Sox pitcher Brandon McCarthy may start in AAA next year unless they can trade one of their pitchers. Javier Vasquez and Freddy Garcia have both drawn a lot of interest from the Mets, Phillies, and Yankees and it is more than "50 percent" possible that one of them gets traded. The White Sox are also interested in acquiring Vernon Wells but I do not know if they have what it takes to trade him. They also have interest in Aaron Rowand.

Yankees: The Yankees have made an offer to Andy Pettitte worth 15 million for one year. The Yankees and Bernie Williams have also had minor discussions about a deal. They are also close to a deal with Kei Igawa. They have interest in Ted Lilly, Gil Meche, and Freddy Garcia (via trade).

Garland to Indians?

According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Indians are looking for a number three starter. The While the Indians have a couple young starters with potential behind Lee and Carmona, they would like to add an established pitcher who can put up double-digit wins. With that said, Jon Garland could be their guy. While he might return to the Angels, Garland may like Cleveland considering he pitched in Chicago for several seasons, and is very familiar with the division. He is just twenty-nine years old and could be on the verge of peaking. Garland made twelve million in 2008, and is probably looking at that or a little more in 2009. I'd say a three year deal worth somewhere between 30-36 million dollars would get it done.

Other pitchers they could pursue include Braden Looper, Jamie Moyer, and Randy Wolf.

From Buster Olney: The Indians and Royals "are not" talking about a deal involving Mark Teahen.  

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

The Offseason Is About to Begin!

When the Hotstove heating up and the GM's naming their desirables, it is time for the offseason. On this site, you can come and check out the latest rumors from around the league. Upcoming Dates:

Friday November 10th 5:00 p.m. ET: Akinori Iwamura
Teams to Watch: Indians, Phillies, Angels, Dodgers: Teams looking to get Aramis Ramirez may bid for negotiating rights to be safe. Although the Indians are not in the running to get Ramirez, they are looking to make a cheap splash.
My Guess: Indians

Friday November 10th: Daisuke Matsuzaka
Teams to Watch: Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, Cubs, Rangers, Indians: The only teams people know that may have made bids. The bids are expected to top 25 million. However, recent reports suggest that teams may have bid low near 15 million. Could this mean that the Seibu Lions would not accept any offer?
My Guess: Red Sox


Saturday November 11th: Aramis Ramirez
This is the last day the Cubs have to negotiate with him and Hendry is said to have made a "take it-or leave it" deal estimated to be around 5 years 70 million. A three million dollar upgrade annually from his original contract. At first, why would he not opt out and test the waters. But because he has said he wants to stay with the Cubs, makes many think he will accept a deal.
My Guess: Cubs, 5 years 73 million

Sunday November 12th: Offseason
Now the offseason can truly begin. Teams can negotiate with whoever they so please. Expect to see names like Miguel Tejada, Alex Rodriguez, and yes Manny Ramirez come up as possible trades. Other names: Vernon Wells, Dontrelle Willis, and Gary Sheffield. My guess, the first big name player to be traded:
Gary Sheffield


Top Suitors:
Cubs
Padres
Tigers

My Guess: Cubs
Actual: Tigers

Indians Sign Vizcaino

The Indians are preparing to sign reliever Luis Vizcaino, a source told Ken Rosenthal. Vizcaino, who was released by the Cubs, will only cost the Indians 400,000, with the Cubs picking up his 4 million dollar contract. The Indians own the second highest bullpen ERA (6.65 ERA), and they hope a fresh arm can keep their bullpen from falling apart.


This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

Indians Sign Pavano

The Indians and Carl Pavano have come to terms on a one year deal worth 1.5 million dollars, plus incentives. The Indians were intrigued by Pavano after his strong finish with the Yankees, going 4-2 in seven starts. The Indians would like Pavano to be their number three starter, behind Cliff Lee and Fuasto Carmona. Aside from landing a former 18-game winner, bringing Pavano into Cleveland, a low market town, should allow him to come back into form without too much pressure from reporters or the fans. 

It's a great move for both sides.

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

Weekly Roundup

What started as a nice start to another baseball season, we were blindsided with the news that Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart was killed in an automobile accident. Off to a promising start with a six inning shutout performance, the top pitching prospect looked to be blossoming into a true major leaguer. The news of his death was a tragedy, not to mention the three other lives that were taken as well. The Angels, already with their three top pitchers on the DL, are now forced to find a replacement. The Angels held a very nice ceremony for the victims before Saturday's game, and were able to beat the Red Sox in his honor. On a lighter note, there were several young players who had nice weeks, and teams are looking to these guys to build off their strong starts.

Jordan Schafer, Braves: .348 AVG, 2 HR, .423 OBP.

- Schafer has put up great numbers at the plate and has shown off his speed in the outfield. 

Emilio Bonifacio, Marlins: .500 AVG, 1 HR, .517 OBP, 4 SB.

- Bonifacio is off to a great start at third for the Marlins. The talent has always been there, it's poor consistency that has been the problem.

Adam Lind, Blue Jays: .400 AVG, 3 HR, 12 RBI, .419 OBP.

- Entering his third major league season, Lind has taken big strides at the plate. He could play a big role in the Blue Jays playoff hopes this season.

Jeremy Guthrie, Orioles: 2-0 W-L, 2.25 ERA, 5 K, 12 H.

- Guthrie has been an Orioles project for the past three seasons, and he might be putting his stuff together. He did put up 10 wins last season, and is off to a good start this year.

Josh Johnson, Marlins: 2-0 W-L, 0.57 ERA, 1 ER, 15 SO.

- Johnson is a big, hard throwing right hander who combines his fastball with a hard slider. He was able to beat Johan Santana today, and is hoping to lead that young rotation.

Here are some other young players whose first week is something they would like to forget:

John Lannan, Nationals: 0-2 W-L, 10.00 ERA, 10 ER, 3 BB, 9 IP. 

- The Nationals hope Lannan can breakout for the Nationals after putting up 10 wins last season, but he hasn't been able to command his fastball early on.

Scott Olsen, Nationals: 0-2 W-L, 14.63 ERA, 8 IP, 13 ER, 2 HR, 6 BB.

- The Nationals hoped that when they traded for Olsen, he would emerge into a solid top of the rotation starter to lead the Nationals. So far, that hasn't been the case.

Chris Davis, Rangers: .045 AVG, 1 H (22 AB), 0 HR, 0 RBI, 10 SO.

- There is a lot of pressure on Davis to put up big numbers after having a breakout 2008 campaign. So far he has struggled mightily and the Rangers could be scrambling if Davis doesn't pick it up.

Injuries

Brandon Webb, Diamondbacks: 15-day DL, shoulder tightness.

Doug Brocail, Astros: 15-day DL, strained rotator cuff.

Rumors

After Cole Hamels struggled through his first outing, several believe that he is showing the effects of an overworked pitching from last season. Hamels told the Philadelphia Inquirer that he is "fine now."

The Angels may be forced to add another pitcher with Escobar, Lackey, and Santana on the DL. Pedro Martinez is available. The LA Times mentions Anthony Ortega and Darren Oliver asi in-house possibilities.

Dodgers outfielder Delwyn Young is out of options, and several scouts have been watching him during his rehab assignment. The Indians, Pirates, and Phillies are interested.

Minor League Update

Juan Miranda, Yankees (AAA): .474 AVG, 2 HR, 11 RBI.

- The Yankees won't hesitate to recall Miranda if Teixeira goes down for an extended amount of time.

Matt LaPorta, Indians (AAA): .625 AVG, 1 HR, 1 SO, .667 OBP.

- LaPorta could be playing for the Indians very soon if he continue to swing a big bat.

Tyler Flowers, White Sox (AA): .417 AVG, 1 HR,  2 RBI, .500 OBP

- Flowers is the young power hitter the White Sox hope can fill the shoes of Jim Thome or Jermaine Dye when there time with the team runs out. So far he is looking really good.

David Price, Rays (AAA): 0-0 W-L, 4.91 ERA, 4 SO, 3.2 IP.

- Price will be pitching for the Rays at the major league level really soon. Once he gets comfortable and into more of a routine will the Rays give him the opportunity. 

What to look for next week...

Interviews will start to be scheduled next week.

Rich Harden, who is coming off a solid 10 strikeout performance, will be making his second start of the season. Some think that Harden is already DL bound, so it will be interesting to see if he can string together back to back strong outings.

The Pirates, Cubs, Nationals, Rays, Dodgers, and Mets all have their home openers. 

Tigers pitcher Rick Porcello will make his second start of the season.

 

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

2008 American League Awards

What an interesting year it has been! Here is who MLB Rumors thinks is worthy of 2008 MLB Awards in the American League:

AL MVP: Kevin Youkilis, Red Sox (.312 AVG, 29 HR, .390 OBP)

- A controversial pick over Pedroia or Morneau, but Youkilis played a big role in the Red Sox playoff run. He hit .377 with runners in scoring position and made just seven errors playing three positions over the course of the season. 

AL Cy Young: Cliff Lee, Indians (22-3 W-L, 2.54 ERA, 170 K)

- Leading the league in wins and ERA makes him the obvious choice for the Cy Young. The only thing holding him back is that he is playing for the Indians, who struggled mightily this year. However, Lee was coming off a bad season and came back to dominate nearly every opponent. Roy Halladay and Mike Mussina are up there, but this is Lee's for sure.

AL Rookie of the Year: Alexei Ramirez, White Sox (.288 AVG, 20 HR, .374 AVG w/ RISP)

- While you could argue that Ramirez is not a rookie since he played in Cuba, but many GMs planned on having Ramirez start in Double-A if he had signed with them. All Ramirez needed was a month to adjust and he dominated the rest. He hit for power and average, and held his own wherever the Sox put him on the field. 

AL Comeback Player of the Year: Edwin Jackson, Rays (14-11 W-L, 4.42 ERA, 108 K)

- Jackson is a surprise pick but after losing fifteen games in 2007 and being in the minors for some of 2006, he makes for a great choice. He played a huge role in the Rays playoff run this season and should be rewarded for it.

AL Manager of the Year: Joe Maddon, Rays

- Enough said.

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

Indians Shopping Lee?

The Indians may look to shop struggling starter Cliff Lee if he cannot return to 2008 form. Lee, who went 22-3 with a 2.54 ERA last season, is 1-3 with a 5.25 ERA in three games. The Indians have an eight million dollar club option for next season, and may look to trade him to spend that money elsewhere. I think an eight million dollar option on a former Cy Young winner is the type of player you hold on to, especially because their starting rotation is not very strong.

However, if a team comes in and can offer a solid prospect or two and is willing to take on some of the money, it might be hard to pass up. The Diamondbacks, Phillies, and Dodgers could all pursue Lee if he were to become available.

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

Indians Like Martinez?

The Indians are reportedly interested in Pedro Martinez, the Cleveland Plain Dealer is reporting. The Indians made a play for Pedro Martinez before they acquired Mark DeRosa, who maxed out their payroll. Martinez is playing very well in the WBC, and several teams have entered the race for the veteran. The Dodgers and Mets have shown interest in Martinez, while the Cardinals, Orioles, Pirates have had internal discussions about him. 

Martinez is expected to sign by early next week, giving him time to get ready with his team for the regular season. I expect a one year deal in the 3-4 million dollar range makes sense.

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

Indians Make Offer To Nelson

The Indians have reportedly made an offer to reliever Joe Nelson, the Cleveland Plain Dealer is reporting. Nelson, who was non-tendered by the Marlins after going 3-1 with a 2.00 ERA in 59 games, has drawn interest from at least 18 teams. However, his agent told reporters that the Indians are one of his four preferred teams. 

Nelson, 34, is probably looking at a two year deal worth around 3-5 million dollars. 

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

Indians Closing In On Wood?

According to Anthony Castrovince, the Indians are closing in on a two year deal with Kerry Wood. Wood, who was not offered arbitration by the Cubs, would close for the Indians. The GMs are in Meetings right now but will begin meeting with agents after lunch. 

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

DeRosa to A's or Cardinals?

Indians third baseman Mark DeRosa is drawing interest from several clubs. The St. Louis Dispatch suggests the Cardinals could look to add DeRosa as a utility player, or at least at third base until Troy Glaus can return. DeRosa is hitting .253 with 6 home runs in 39 games this season, and the Indians would benefit from him getting on hot streak right now.

The Indians are looking for major league ready pitching to help in the bullpen. The Athletics are pretty deep when it comes to their bullpen, so a trade is possible. Mike Wuertz has a 2.08 ERA in 20 games this season, but he plays a pivotal role in the A's bullpen and may not be available.

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.