Pro Sports Wrap - Sports Personality of the Day:Tony Romo

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: MLB, MLB Rumors and News, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Indians, Mark Buehrle, Rangers, Angels, Phillies, Marlins, Nationals, St. Louis Cardinals, Albert Pujols, Octavio Dotel, Brewers, Prince Fielder, Dodgers, Hiroki Kuroda, Casey Blake, Rockies, D'Backs

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11/24 MLB Rumors: Reliever Rumblings

November 24th 2011 09:48

The New York Times reports that Joe Torre could be interested in owning- mostly partially owning- the Los Angeles Dodgers. While this doesn't seem likely, there is a chance that Torre ends up teaming up with somebody like Rick Caruso to own the team.

The Minnesota Twins are interested in re-signing Matt Capps and implementing him as their closer after Joe Nathan signed with the Texas Rangers. Capps is a slightly below-average closer, but he's the best option they have and will likely be cheaper than making a move like trading for Francisco Cordero or Huston Street.

Speaking of which, there are six teams interested in acquiring the Rockies closer. Street, like Capps, is 28 years old, and he was also the 2005 Rookie of the Year. He's about a league-average closer, and the six teams interested (per Sports Illustrated) are the Red Sox, Jays, O's, Mets, Marlins and Reds. The Reds are also trading their closer, and Street would present a minor upgrade over Cordero. The Jays, O's, and Mets have a huge need at closer, but it is interesting to note that the Mets rejected a previous deal from the Rockies in a proposed Street-Pelfrey swap.

According to the New York Post, Mariano Rivera might retire after the 2012 season. Mo has one year left on his contract, and below are two quotes to mull over. The best closer in history is about to turn 42, and he has saved a record 603 games over his Major League career so far. I don't think he should hang up the spikes now, as he has still been pitching at a very high level. However, he knows his body more than we all do, and I'm sure that the future Hall of Famer will make the best decision for himself.

"I don't know what will happen,'' said Rivera. "I have one year left. I might call it over. I will know more in spring training.''

"Every time I talk it gets worse and worse,'' Rivera said when asked about his vocal chord problems that have arisen this offseason which may require surgery.

There are a lot of replacement-level to average starter middle-infielders who are making bank this offseason, and Jerry Hairston Jr. could be among those guys. Hairston is really just a utility backup guy. Hairston is an above-average defensive outfielder, and he plays at a high level at second. However, he is considered to be mediocre at the hot corner. But with his positional versatility, Hairston is an intriguing option and provides value to a ballclub. He was worth 1.2 WAR in 376 plate appearances, so he is an inexpensive option who would be a solid stop-gap option.

In fact, there are three teams interested in signing Hairston; the Dodgers, Brewers, and Giants all want to sign him. The Dodgers lost Jamey Carroll to the Twins in free agency, the Brewers have a hole at short, and the Giants are obviously in the market for a shortstop with their situation at the position. The 35 year old did get a one-year offer from the Brewers to re-sign with the team, but it seems like the Brew Crew want to get a marquee shortstop. They have also made it clear that signing Yuniesky Betancourt is also an option, although everybody will agree that it's not exactly a good option.

The Nationals are fighting with the Miami Marlins to sign solid veteran free agent starter Mark Buehrle. The Nats have made him their number one priority this offseason Buehrle has been worth over 3 WAR for the past three seasons, and he will definitely bolster this rotation and is worth about 10-12 million on the open market.

Count Sandy Alomar Jr. out of the race for the Boston Red Sox manager opening, as Bobby Valentine has been swooning the Sox brass recently. I expect the Sox to name Valentine their manager, but there are still a couple of candidates remaining.

Will he retire after 2012?

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: MLB, MLB Rumors and News, Mariano Rivera, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Orioles, Sandy Alomar Jr., Twins, Matt Capps, Jamey Carroll, Mark Buehrle, Rangers, Joe Nathan, Mets, Mike Pelfrey, Marlins, Nationals, Brewers, Yuniesky Betancourt, Jerry Hairston Jr, Reds, Francisco Cordero, San Francisco Giants, Dodgers, Rockies, Huston Street

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11/19 MLB Rumors: Brandon Phillips Extension Talks

November 19th 2011 14:38

The Colorado Rockies were discussing a trade that would send closer Huston Street to the New York Mets for starting pitcher Mike Pelfrey. The funny thing is that the Mets rejected the deal, because they didn't really like Street. It's funny, because Street is a much better player than Pelfrey. I mean, Pelfrey is a below-average starter who would be an awful fit in Coors Field. Bob Geren is the New York Mets bench coach, and part of the reason why this deal didn't go through is because Street and Geren hate eachother from their days in Oakland. I don't blame Street, because Geren is an incompetent manager and most players hate playing for him. Tell me why he was hired again? Oh yeah, that's right, Sandy Alderson likes bringing in former Oakland guys; look at their manager Terry Collins (at least he's okay).

Instead of worrying about what could have happened, let's talk about what might happen. That's what rumors are about, right? Brandon Phillips was easily the NL's best second baseman this season, and it is incumbent upon the Cincinnati Reds to extend him. He's got one more year left on his contract, thanks to a team option that was exercised on Halloween, but the Reds would obviously want their second best player to stay longer.

"We've made progress, but we're not close," GM Walt Jocketty said Thursday, MLB.com reports. "It will take a little bit of time. It's a complicated contract. It gets down to trying to determine the number of years and amount of dollars. We're still a ways apart on both."

Jose Molina knows quite a bit about the AL East, because he's only played in the AL East for the last four and a half seasons. Molina is a solid defensive player behind the plate, but he is poor with the stick. The Tampa Bay Rays are about to give him a one-year deal with a 2013 option stuck to it. The veteran catcher will surely put pen to paper soon, and Molina will be an average backup to John Jaso. And really, that's all Molina does; he backs up younger players behind the plate.

ESPN analyst Bobby Valentine has been in the running for the Boston Red Sox vacancy at manager, and he is seemingly always a candidate for every team. Right now Valentine is the frontrunner, but don't count out other established candidates such as Torey Lovullo, Sandy Alomar Jr., and Gene Lamont.

Set to make 12 million but more is coming with a possible extension

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: MLB, MLB Rumors and News, Torey Lovullo, Jose Molina TOR, Red Sox, Rays, John Jaso, Sandy Alomar Jr., Gene Lamont, Athletics, Mets, Sandy Alderson, Terry Collins, Bob Geren, Mike Pelfrey, Reds, Brandon Phillips, Walt Jocketty, Rockies, Huston Street

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11/15 MLB Rumors: Closer news on Cordero and Bell

November 15th 2011 19:31

It isn't always pretty, but Francisco Cordero gets the job done, and there are quite a few teams clamoring for his services via trade. Cordero is about a league-average closer, and a solid prospect is about what the Reds should expect from a deal. However, there is a good chance that a team overpays for him and factors in his gaudy save numbers a little too much.

Although the Padres have given a two year deal to Heath Bell, they don't really like the prospects of him re-signing. Bell could stand to make more with one of the many west coast teams interested in him, and one can't rule out the Red Sox as players in the race for Bell. Even though he is a little overrated, Bell is still a pretty good closer, but a team looking to give him- as Sports Illustrated states- three years and 30 million is giving up too much.

In yesterday's post, I stated that the only way Jose Reyes will sign with the Marlins is if he plays at shortstop. People, for some strange reason, believe that Hanley Ramirez and Reyes are friends; that's not the case. Regardless, Han-Ram isn't pleased about moving over to third if Reyes is signed. A move to third would help the Marlins defensively, because it means that Ramirez has less chances to screw up in the field. It's obvious that Hanley doesn't want to move to a less prestigious position on the diamond, but I really wish he would do what's best for the team and for himself. Doesn't he want to win a ring?

Aramis Ramirez wants a four year deal (even if it's an option) according to FOX Sports, and that really seems like a stretch to me. He may be a solid hitter at a weak position offensively, but he's too old to be seeking a four years. A-Ram obviously wants the opportunity to win a ring at the age of 33, but he may want to lower his demands to make him more appealing to contenders.

The Rangers, Yankees, Red Sox, Rockies, Indians, Cubs, Phillies, and Giants all want to take a gamble on former stud center fielder Grady Sizemore. It would be a calculated risk, but I really don't think the Yanks, Phils, or Sox have a need for Grady right now.

C.J. Wilson is easily the best starter on the free agent market right now, and the rival Angels are interested in acquiring the ace to an already impressive rotation. Right now, Wilson obviously wants to make 100 million over six seasons, but I honestly think six years may be a couple of seasons too many. Five is the most I would go, and a year really does make a difference between a good deal and a bad deal when you are investing this much money per season.

Teams are calling

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: MLB, MLB Rumors and News, Yankees, Red Sox, Indians, Grady Sizemore, Rangers, CJ Wilson, Angels, Phillies, Jose Reyes, Marlins, Hanley Ramirez, Aramis Ramirez, Francisco Cordero, Padres, Heath Bell

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11/1 MLB Rumors and News: Lowe Traded and Cashman Re-Signs

November 1st 2011 18:33

We all know that TLR retired, Davey Johnson is getting ready for another season in Washington, the Sabathia deal, and the moves dealing with Dempster, Grady, and Carmona. I don't want to focus on those moves at the moment, but I will take a look at the Derek Lowe trade and the obvious Brian Cashman re-signing.

Derek Lowe was traded to the Indians for some random minor leaguer, and the Braves will pay ten of the 15 million that the righty is due in 2012. It's a good deal for both teams, as the Braves save some money and get a prospect while getting rid of a starter in a crowded rotation. Lowe has always oupitched his ERA, in that his predictive stats are always better than his actual earned runs allowed. I do expect him to have a better 2012 campaign, but he won't set the world on fire (it's Derek Lowe guys). Still, the Indians get an above-average pitcher who fits in nicely

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: MLB, MLB Rumors and News, Yankees, Brian Cashman, CC Sabathia, Damon Oppenheimer, Hal Steinbrenner, Randy Levine, Red Sox, Carl Crawford, James Shields, Indians, Grady Sizemore, Derek Lowe, Fausto Carmona, Braves, Nationals, Albert Pujols, Tony La Russa, Cubs, Ryan Dempster, Aramis Ramirez

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10/2011 Historical Player Profile: Johnny Grubb

October 5th 2011 15:27

A former first round draft pick, Johnny Grubb spent 16 seasons in the Major Leagues with the San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Indians, and Texas Rangers while winning a World Series ring with the Tigers in 1984. In 1974, Grubb was an All-Star in the only season that he would be on the All-Star team.

Overall in his career, he was a very patient hitter who was also above average (120 career RC-plus). However, Grubb was also a terrible defensive player who did not have much power at all (99 homers). In 1978, he was traded from the Indians to the Rangers for two prospects after spending only one full season in Cleveland. He played 44 games for his new outfit, and he had the best season of his career (3.4 WAR) while with the Indians. Grubb had more walks than strikeouts, and that's actually not surprising because he his career walk percentage is very close to his career strikeout rate and is in fact higher than it by .1

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: MLB, Indians, Tigers, Rangers, Padres, Johnny Grubb

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8/2011 MLB Power Rankings

August 26th 2011 11:24

1. Red Sox
2. Yankees
3. Phillies

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: MLB, MLB Rankings, MLB Power Rankings, Yankees, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Orioles, Rays, Indians, Tigers, Twins, Royals, White Sox, Rangers, Angels, Mariners, Athletics, Astros, Phillies, Mets, Braves, Marlins, Nationals, St. Louis Cardinals, Cubs, Brewers, Reds, Pirates, Padres, San Francisco Giants, Dodgers, Rockies, D'Backs

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8/2011 Center Fielder Rankings

August 6th 2011 14:07

One of the premier positions in baseball is center field. First off, it is the second most important position on the diamond- after shortstop- and many of the game's greats were center fielders. Below are my rankings of the center fielders in baseball today. (Minimum 750 plate appearances as a center fielder since 2009)

1. Rangers Josh Hamilton

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7/30 MLB Rumors: Ubaldo Jimenez

July 30th 2011 14:20

Ubaldo Jimenez is the best pitcher up for grabs right now, and I don't think much of an argument can be made for anybody else. He is going to be extremely difficult to get, and he probably won't be traded at all. In any case, add the Detroit Tigers to the list of teams in the hunt for Jimenez. The Reds, Indians, Yankees, and Red Sox are also interested.

Rockies

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: MLB, Yankees, Red Sox, Indians, Tigers, Nationals, Jason Marquis, Reds, Ramon Hernandez, San Francisco Giants, Eli Whiteside, Rockies, Ubaldo Jimenez

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6/22 Sports History: Darryl Kile passed away

June 22nd 2011 12:57

2002 Darryl Kile is found dead in his hotel room before a Route 66 rivalry game. The Cardinals pitcher's tragic death still brings a tear to my eyes today.

1926 Grover Cleveland Alexander was picked off of waivers by the Cardinals from the Cubs. The pitcher was 39 at the time

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: NFL, Champ Bailey, Kurt Warner, MLB, Red Sox, Indians, Twins, Athletics, Phillies, Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Cubs, Anthony Young, Bill Veeck, Bobby Cox, Carl Hubbell, Carl Pohlad, Darryl Kile, Grover Cleveland Alexander, Lou Gehrig, Pete Rose, Russ Nixon, Sandy Koufax, Tom Seaver, NBA, Knicks, Rockets, Clyde Drexler, Pete Maravich, Other, Sports History, Ernie Els, Defunct Quebec Nordiques, Eric Lindros

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6/4 Game Previews: Tigers and Indians

June 14th 2011 14:43

The Indians have unsurprisingly cooled off from their very unexpected hot start to the season, and the Detroit Tigers have now caught up with them for the AL Central lead. This game features an interesting pitching duel between two guys who have been doing well so far this season. Justin Verlander has been terrific, as always, and Justin Masterson is having a good year as well.

Although wins are a stupid stat for pitchers, I have a tidbit involving wins that is more of a fun fact. Verlander has not lost a game since April 27th, while Justin Masterson has not won a game since April 26th

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: MLB, MLB Predictions, Indians, Michael Brantley, Justin Masterson, Asdrubal Cabrera, Tigers, Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera, Alex Avila, Jhonny Peralta

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5/21 Baseball Stats Check

May 21st 2011 15:56

1. Jonny Gomes has the lowest BABIP at .185 as well as the 14th highest strikeout rate 31.2%. He is hitting .176.

2. A.J. Pierzynski is hitting .252, but he has the lowest strikeout rate in the league at 5.8

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