Dbacks Acquire Haren, Deal Valverde

The Diamondbacks acquired pitcher Dan Haren and Connor Robertson in exchange for Brett Anderson, Greg Smith, Dana Eveland, Carlos Gonzalez, Aaron Cunningham, and first baseman Chris Carter. In addition, they traded Jose Valverde to the Astros for Chris Burke, Juan Gutierez, and Chad Qualls. This trade definitely improves both teams, but now it gives the Diamondbacks two number one starters, which is very impressive for the NL West. I'm not sure about the Astros trade, but we will see how that plays out over the 2008 season. I think what the Diamondbacks are doing is trying to save money rather than go with the best. They are pretty solid in the field as it is, so going with a lesser closer, like Tony Pena or Qualls, it will allow them to sign Haren and Webb long term. Also, I'm sure this makes the Diamondbacks much more attractive to free agent pitcher Hiroki Kuroda, who is still deciding between the Dodgers, Diamondbacks, and Mariners.

Padres, Cameron Parting Ways: The Padres and Mike Cameron failed to reach an agreement tonight and it seems both are ready to look elsewhere. From the Padres standpoint, teams are making progress with their "Plan B's," so if Cameron is undecided at this point, he is probably just waiting for a better offer. I'm not sure where he will end up, but at this point, don't be surprised if the White Sox jump in and offer him a one or two year deal. Another possibility is the Phillies, that is, if they do not sign Geoff Jenkins. The Rangers have said they have interest, but have remained quiet over the past couple of weeks.

Twins Land Lamb

The Twins are closing in on a two year deal with free agent third baseman Mike Lamb. Lamb will be the Twins everyday third baseman, and should benefit being a lefty and playing in the Metrodome. Also, he will see a familiar face in Adam Everett in the clubhouse. They both played together in Houston. Lamb batted .289 with 11 home runs and 40 RBIs for the Astros last season.

Phillies Looking For Pitchers

After the Phillies missed out on pitcher Randy Wolf, they have become more determined to find a proven pitcher. They have shown interest in Aki Otsuka of the Rangers, but nothing has progressed as of yet. Otsuka ended the year on the disabled list, so the Phillies would probably like to review his medical records before making a move. They do have Brad Lidge, so if they acquire a closer they would probably have them battle it out for the closer spot in Spring Training. They have denied reports that they are talking with Morgon Ensberg, so they probably see the value in pitching over offense. They plan to look at Kris Benson, but from what I am hearing, they have some interest in free agent pitcher Mark Prior. They have the money to spend, and would like to put themselves ahead of the Mets in a year when the Mets have remained relatively quiet.

Phils also in on Jenkins: The Phillies and Padres are the finalists for Geoff Jenkins. Both stadiums are similiar in that Jenkins hasn't had much success at either, but we will see what happens.

Thoughts On Mitchell Report

One of the biggest days in baseball history has come and gone, and I think a lot of people are disappointed with the results. While some were expecting more of the big name players, some were expecting that they were would be some tentative plan for the future. At least I was. I was also expecting Commissioner Bud Selig to have at least read through the Report before making it public. There is a lot more to it than the average fan thinks, even though some just care about the names on the list.

As for the players, I was not surprised to hear some of the names. However, I was surprised that Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte would be mentioned, when all the evidence they had was their training saying he recalled it. And, Clemens supposed use was well before drug testing began. I was surprised to hear Eric Gagne on the list, but the other names, like Gary Matthews, Paul Byrd, Rick Ankiel, Troy Glaus, and Jason Giambi, have all been mentioned before. And of those names mentioned above, they will likely not be disciplined because their reported use was before drug testing began in 2003.

As for teams, a lot of players on the list came from the 2000 World Series Champion Yankees. Nothing can be done now, but one could argue they had an unfair advantage. Also, I wonder how teams will treat a player on their team if he was named. Or the players. Does this end a career for a player like Jerry Hairston Jr., someone who has never been an All-Star? Finally, will the fans treat any one player different? Again, I think the better the player is, the less repercussions there will be, but we will see.

"Many players are named. Their reputations have been adversely affected, probably forever, even if it turns out down the road that they should not have been," Donald Fehr said. What Don Fehr said is probably the biggest effect the report will have. How does it change the reputation of Roger Clemens? How does it change the reputation of clean pitchers, like Greg Maddux, who sort of came up behind these pitchers. Better yet, how does it change the face of Mike Mussina, a teammate of both Clemens and Pettitte who has started to decline but has always been pretty consistent. Time will tell how these players are accepted by fans as we try to move away from the Steroid Era, but questions will always surround the players mentioned in the report.

Leave me a comment on what you think about this whole issue...

Quote: CNN.com

Notes: Twins Sign Everett

Although the Mitchell Report was released today, teams are still working to improve their teams. First, the Twins were quick to sign Adam Everett after he was released by the Astros. Everett, who is much better defensively, hit .232 with 2 HR and 15 RBI in 66 games. I think he will probably share time with Brendan Harris, unless he can turn things around.

- The Yankees finally finalized the Alex Rodriguez deal. It is a ten year deal worth 275 million dollars loaded with incentives.

- The Cubs may sell Wrigley Field to an Illinois agency, according to reports. Well, as long as the name stays Wrigley Field, I think people will be fine. But if it is not, there will probably be problems.

- The Devil Rays reached an agreement with OF/DH Cliff Floyd.

- The White Sox are listening to offers for Paul Konerko. Maybe if the White Sox would absorb some of the cash, the Giants would be interested. They seem to be interested in aging players right now.

- The Reds are determined to trade for a big name pitcher.

- Rockies are closing in on free agent pitcher Luis Vizcaino, according to reports.

- As the Cubs try desperately to acquire switch-hitting lead off hitter Brian Roberts, second baseman Mark DeRosa is wondering why. DeRosa put up good numbers, fit well in the clubhouse, and is now a fan favorite. We'll see what happens, but the Cubs seem determined to trade a few prospects for a big name player.

- The Phillies are jumping in on the Geoff Jenkins race.

- Japanese pitcher Hiroki Kuroda is still up in the air. The top four teams are believed to be the Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Mariners, and Royals.

- Rockies looking at veterans like Kip Wells and Mark Hendrickson.

- The Blue Jays are still in the hunt for a catcher.

More updates coming soon...

Mitchell Report Update

Here is around the clock coverage of the Mitchell Report:

Here is the complete list from the Mitchell Report:
Marvin Bernard
Barry Bonds
Bobby Estalella
Jason Giambi
Jeremy Giambi
Benito Santiago
Gary Sheffield
Randy Verlarde
Lenny Dykstrka
David Segui
Larry Bigbie
Brian Roberts
Jack Cust
Tim Laker
Todd Hundley
Hal Morris
Mark Carreon
Matt Franco
Rondell White
Roger Clemens
Andy Pettitte
Chuck Knoblauch
Jason Grimsley
Greg Zaunn
David Justice
F.P. Santangelo
Glenallen Hill
Mo Vaughn
Denny Neagle
Ron Villone
Ryan Franklin
Chris Donnels
Todd Williams
Phil Hiatt
Todd Pratt
Kevin Young
Mike Lansing
Cody McKay
Kent Merker
Adam Piatt
Miguel Tejada
Jason Christansen
Mike Stanton
Stephen Randolph
Jerry Hariston Jr.
Paul Lo Duca
Adam Riggs
Bart Miadich
Fernando Vina
Kevin Brown
Eric Gagne
Mike Bell
Matt Herges
Gary Bennett Jr.
Jim Parque
Brendan Donnelly
Chad Allen
Jeff Williams
Howie Clark
Nook Logan
Rick Ankiel
Paul Byrd
Jay Gibbons
Troy Glaus
Jose Guillen
Gary Matthews, Jr
.Jose Canseco
Jason Grimsley
Darren Holmes
John Rocker
Scott Schoenweis
Ismael Valdez
Matt Williams
Steve Woodard
David Bell

Updated at 3:53 p.m. CT

Blue Jays Closing In On Eckstein

The Blue Jays are closing in on a deal with shortstop David Eckstein, according to FOXSports.com. The Blue Jays admitted that they do not have a prospect ready to take over at short, so bringing in Eckstein as a stop gap is a great move. Eckstein batted .309 for the Cardinals last season with 3 HR, 31 RBI and 10 stolen bases.

Cubs Non-Tender Prior

The Cubs have opted not to tender a contract to Mark Prior, making him a free agent. Prior has a 42-29 record and 3.51 ERA since he made his big league debut in 2002, but his career has been littered by injuries. I guess the Cubs felt the money was not worth the risk, I agree with them. I think the next team to sign him might get something out of him, but you cannot blame the Cubs for not giving him a chance. He just wanted too much money. If you remember in 2005, the Cubs turned down a deal from the Orioles that would have sent Mark Prior and Felix Pie to Baltimore for Miguel Tejeda and prospect Erik Bedard. I wonder what would be different if that went through. Other notable non-tenders are: Adam Everett, Morgon Ensberg, Emil Brown, and Dallas McPherson, among others.

Mitchell Report Expected Tomorrow

Tomorrow, former Senator George Mitchell will release the results of his committee's 20-month investigation into the use of performance-enhancing drugs in the MLB. The report says that between 60-80 people will be named, and it has been reported that the list contains All-Stars, and even a few MVP's. The break through in the investigation was when long time Mets batboy Kirk Radomski agreed to help in the investigation. Radomski pleaded guilty to providing players with performance-enhancing drugs during his time as batboy. Players that have been named already include Jose Guillen and Jay Gibbons, and we will know more of them tomorrow.

At the Winter Meetings, I had the opportunity to talk with a few General Managers and high ranking executives, who did not seem too worried about the report. One executive told me that he does not think it will have too much of an effect on free agent signings, or trades. However, one told me that he was anxious to see who will be named. I also wanted to get the side of the reporters, who also did not express much concern. While some speculated, even guessed who, they did not think it would have too much of an impact on the market. Jose Guillen, for example, still received a three year deal worth 36 million dollars after violating the league's joint drug prevention and treatment program.

This week, I emailed a few agents just to get their take on it. While I am anxious to see who will be named, I'm more anxious to see how the fans will react to a player on their team if named. One agent, who asked to remain anonymous said through email that, "I think it's more of a feeling of anxiety given the fact that you just really don't know how exposure of this nature is going to effect a client and his career. If the player is a front-line guy, then the effect would likely be minimal, in my opinion. If it's a marginal guy, then it could be used as an excuse for ending his career quickly." Another agent went on to say, "I haven't talked to anyone worried at all." So there is a degree of anxiety with it coming out, and I think there will be more to say come tomorrow afternoon.

The question I have is, after it is released, what is next? Will they continue to investigate, or does it stop. What will the Commissioners Office do? Offer harsher penalties? Maybe, but I still think some of it will continue. But who is at fault for all the steroid use? The teams blind judgment.The players poor decision making. MLB. I think all have some fault in this matter. As of right now, we cannot be sure the magnitude the Report will have on the game, but in 24-hours, we will know a lot more, and a lot of questions will have to be answered.

Padres Outfield Taking Shape?

The Padres were surprised to hear that Kosuke Fukudome did not accept their offer, and are moving quickly to fill their spots. They have contacted both Geoff Jenkins and Mike Cameron in the past 24 hours and hope to sign both for next season. This could suggest that the Pirates are asking for too much in return for Jason Bay, or that the Padres would rather have a lefty in their lineup like Jenkins. One thing is for certain, the Padres are looking for two outfielders, and at least two more pitchers before Opening Day.

UPDATE: According to Buster Olney of ESPN, the Padres are talking a deal with the Pirates that would send Jason Bay to the Padres. I suspect that Michael Barrett would be in the deal, along with Matt Antonelli.

Still something wrong with Prior?: The Cubs seem more content with letting Mark Prior go after hearing that there is no guarantee that he will be back by May. More importantly, the Padres have cooled to the idea of bringing him in after reviewing his medical records. Prior is looking for three million dollars next year, but probably deserves a million at most, with incentives. I suspect the Cardinals, Rays, Mariners, and Royals to be some of the teams interested in bringing him in for a reduced price.

Keep Eye On Mariners

The Mariners have been working very hard to improve their pitching since they failed to finish the season strong and push into the playoffs. Bill Bavasi has mentioned Johan Santana, Erik Bedard, and Dan Haren as possible targets, and don't be surprised if they land one. Although they do not have the best prospects, they could package a trade around outfield prospect Adam Jones, and pitching prospect Brandon Morrow. I don't know how much Bedard would help, just because the Angels have improved so much, but it would be an addition nonetheless.

Rays Close In On Floyd: The Rays are closing in on a contract with Cliff Floyd. Not a bad signing, because he did hit well in Chicago. Floyd will probably platoon with Gomes at DH.

Rangers Close In On Kazuo Fukumori

The Rangers are close to signing Japanese reliever Kazuo Fukumori, a 31-year-old right-handed reliever. In 2007, he was 4-2 with a 4.75 ERA in just 36 innings, but in 2006, he had a 2.17 ERA and 21 saves in 58 innings, so he will probably be their setup man.