At the age of 32, Mark Buehrle is obviously only searching for a three-year contract, and this makes him a popular candidate on the free agent market. According to Sports Illustrated, 14 teams are after him, with the Rangers, Nationals, and the busy Marlins the most aggressive pursuers. This could give Buehrle a bloated contract, but he is a solid pitcher with a very low injury risk who should end up being a solid signing. Buehrle would like a no-trade clause and $14 million a year; about his market value.

A few teams are interested in the top free agent third baseman; Aramis Ramirez. Among these teams looking for a solid bat at a weak offensive position are the Brewers, Phillies, and Angels. It's looking like A-Ram wants three or four years on his deal, but I wouldn't go past three seasons with Ramirez.

There are obviously more teams interested in Prince Fielder, and it looks like the high-priced free agent will wait until the Cardinals and Albert Pujols come to an agreement before signing; thus getting more money in the process. Fielder is viewed as the better investment due to his age, and it looks like he wants to play for an east coast team who will be able to contend next season. Count the Nationals, Rangers, Blue Jays, and Brewers as a few likely destinations for the slugger.

Two rivals are fighting for solid, veteran reliever Octavio Dotel. The 38-year-old would like to re-sign with the Cardinals, and the defending champs have offered him a one-year deal.

Former Indians third baseman Casey Blake is looking to rejoin the team, and nine teams have contacted the 38-year-old who bought out his contract in order to become a free agent. Although he was injured for most of last season, his agent says that he will be completely healthy to start the 2012 season.

36-year-old RHP Hiroki Kuroda would like to sign for around $12-13 million, and he has offers from the Diamondbacks, a club in Japan, the Rockies, Red Sox, and Angels. The D'Backs are really going after the former Dodger, and he will certainly be signed very soon if he stops asking for an option for a second season.

Garnering tons of interest

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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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11/14 MLB Rumors and News: The Dodgers

November 14th 2011 19:05

It looks like the Los Angeles Dodgers are poised to pay my 2011 NL MVP 160 million dollars over eight seasons. This is a bargain for the Dodgers, as Matt Kemp should easily be a 4.5 WAR player over that time span, and he is definitely one of the most talented players in the Majors right now.

Remember in the spring last year when the Milwaukee Brewers offered Prince Fielder a five year deal worth 100 million? And Fielder didn't even give a counter-offer? It looks like the Brewers are definitely going to move on, and it is obvious that Fielder is doing the same and really wants to test his value on the market. I believe that Fielder will get seven years and 156.5 million dollars on the open market in a deal that is similar to what Adrian Gonzalez got.

Ryan Doumit is a solid offensive catcher who is viewed as one of the best options available on the free agent market right now. Although many people don't personally like him, he isn't as bad of a player as some make him out to be. However, don't count on him signing with the Dodgers as he rejected their lowly one year deal that wasn't even worth three million dollars. They basically valued him as a replacement player and offered him less than they gave questionable outfielder Juan Rivera.

Jose Reyes says that the only way he signs with the Marlins is if Hanley Ramirez moves to third or center field. I would never move the already poor defensive player to CF, but a move to the hot corner wouldn't be the worst thing in the world for Han-Ram. I don't see the point in trading him if he doesn't move, unless of course, the package is too big to pass up on and Reyes signs on. However, that's just a bad risk, and a Reyes deal hinges on Ramirez's willingness to finally take on for the team and not kick the grounder.

"I'm as serious as my heart beats."

That interesting comment was said by former Dodgers ace Orel Hershiser when asked if he and former Dodgers star first baseman Steve Garvey were serious about becoming the owners of the unstable Los Angeles Dodgers. Although Hershisher could afford it, it will cost him somewhere between 800 million and 1.2 billion; I'm guessing the price is closer to 800 million.

As expected, quite a bit of teams are asking about acquiring young White Sox starters John Danks and Gavin Floyd. Personally, I would keep Danks and shop around Floyd only. They need to keep one of those guys in the rotation, and I would probably end up keeping Floyd in the end. I mean, anybody can be a contender in the AL Central, so why blow the better part of your rotation up?

The Dodgers may not have an owner, but they do have brains

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: MLB, MLB Rumors and News, Adrian Gonzalez, White Sox, Gavin Floyd, John Danks, Jose Reyes, Marlins, Hanley Ramirez, Brewers, Prince Fielder, Ryan Doumit, Dodgers, Matt Kemp, Juan Rivera, Orel Hershiser, Steve Garvey

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11/3 MLB Rumors: Brew Crew and Nats after Reyes

November 3rd 2011 15:49

I was left shaking my head in disgust when looking at the title on Yahoo! Sports baseball homepage for the free agent tracker. I've never liked Jeff Passan to begin with, but calling somebody a "major league imposter" is uncalled for and bush league. Everyone's favorite Yankee-hater and Rays-lover is at it again, and I really hope he learns to tone it down. It's one thing to criticize a player, but it's another thing when you insult them to that degree.

Because of injuries, GM Sandy Alderson won't re-sign Jose Reyes to a contract longer than five years. That makes a lot of sense, and I wouldn't give him over five years with or without injuries. This is a guy who could very easily bust out of his contract, because he is a 28 year old shortstop who relies heavily on speed. The Nats and Brewers appear to be the frontrunners, and I am sure that he won't make "Crawford money" in light of how that deal went down.

With Mike Quade fired and Theo Epstein kicking into "regime-mode", Mike Maddux and Dale Sveum- two former big-leaguers- could be in the mix to become the team's next manager. However, the Cubs are not talking with their legendary second baseman Ryne Sandberg. No, it's the Cardinals who are interested in his services.

As far the Cardinals go, they are talking with guys like Terry Francona, third base coach and former Cardinals big-leaguer Jose Oquendo, Joe McEwing, and Mike Matheny. These are some of the many very solid candidates that the Cards are considering, and it looks like there shouldn't be a huge drop-off in quality at manager; an overrated position anyway.

The D'Backs received John McDonald in a trade this offseason, and they have already re-signed him to a two-year deal worth three million. They are about to re-sign backup catcher Henry Blanco, but teammate Willie Bloomquist hasn't been talking after declining his half of the option- as did Blanco. Both were mutual options that the team picked up.

Brew Crew and Nats interested

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: MLB, MLB Rumors and News, Carl Crawford, Terry Francona, Joe McEwing, Mike Maddux, Ryne Sandberg, Jose Reyes, Sandy Alderson, Nationals, St. Louis Cardinals, Jose Oquendo, Mike Matheny, Cubs, Mike Quade, Theo Epstein, Brewers, D'Backs, John McDonald, Henry Blanco, Willie Bloomquist

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8/2011 PSW AL Gold Glove Team Update

August 30th 2011 15:05

The statistics used are UZR, DRS, ARM, RngR, and UZR/150, and Fld from www.fangraphs.com.

P Mark Buehrle- He has the best rSB in the AL and the highest DRS as a result of his ability to stop base-runners. That's really the only conceivable asset a pitcher brings defensively

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: MLB Teams, Brett Gardner, Mark Teixeira, Nick Swisher, Red Sox, Adrian Gonzalez, Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, Matt Wieters, Ben Zobrist, Evan Longoria, Alcides Escobar, Alexei Ramirez, Mark Buehrle, Ian Kinsler, Adrian Beltre, Howie Kendrick, Peter Bourjos, Jered Weaver, Mark Trumbo

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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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7/29 MLB Rumors: Heath Bell and Hunter Pence

July 29th 2011 12:37

Guys, I am finally back from a very lengthy vacation that did not produce a single blog post. A lot has transpired in my absence from this blog, and I am going to start things off with a rumor post that details potential trades in the MLB.

The Yankees are still searching for left-handed relief help with Rafael Soriano still on the DL, and Pedro Feliciano and Damaso Marte are out for the rest of the year. Boone Logan is their only lefty in the pen, and this is certainly a pressing need for the Bronx Bombers

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: MLB, MLB Rumors and News, Yankees, Boone Logan, Damaso Marte, Pedro Feliciano, Rafael Soriano, Red Sox, Carlos Quentin, Rangers, Neftali Feliz, Felix Hernandez, Athletics, Rich Harden, Astros, Wandy Rodriguez, Hunter Pence HOU, Clint Barmes HOU, Phillies, Domonic Brown, Mets, Braves, Padres, Heath Bell, San Francisco Giants, Carlos Beltran, Hiroki Kuroda, Ubaldo Jimenez

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5/2011 Starting Pitcher Rankings

May 22nd 2011 14:01

1. Tim Lincecum
2. Roy Halladay
3. Josh Johnson

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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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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: MLB, Jose Bautista, Carl Crawford, David Ortiz, Matt Joyce, Shin Soo-Choo, Denard Span, Alcides Escobar, AJ Pierzynski, Juan Pierre, Ozzie Guillen, Vernon Wells, Justin Smoak, Raul Ibanez, Ian Desmond, Matt Holliday, Carlos Gomez, Jonny Gomes, Dexter Fowler, Jim Tracy

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5/2011 Closer Rankings

May 12th 2011 14:23

1. Mariano Rivera
2. Jonathan Papelbon
3. Heath Bell

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: MLB, Closers, Mariano Rivera, Daniel Bard, Jonathan Papelbon, Chris Perez, Jose Valverde, Joe Nathan MIN, Joakim Soria, Matt Thornton, Neftali Feliz, Andrew Bailey, Francisco Rodriguez, Leo Nunez, Carlos Marmol, John Axford, Francisco Cordero, Heath Bell, Brian Wilson, Jonathan Broxton, Huston Street, J.J. Putz

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Devalue The No-Hitter

May 8th 2011 11:23

First off, Justin Verlander is a beast. He was throwing it 100 miles an hour even after he threw 100 pitches. Verlander and his pitching coach have worked to make Verlander a better pitcher by slowing down his delivery in order to increase his control. With this added knowledge, Verlander has been pinpoint accurate at the beginning of games. Although he won't pitch as fast in the beginning, his blazing speed is showcased at the end of the game. Verlander has always been great at maintaining a fastball that is actually fast through the late innings. He's starting to mix up his pitches more, and this may just be a glimpse of what is to come for Verlander as the year goes on. I mean, he's always been a slow starter. This is probably Verlander beginning to get back on track.

I have always been calling for the devaluation of the no-hitter ever since Edwin Jackson's "gem" last year. Jackson walked eight batters and had a game score of 85. To put that into perspective, Verlander had a game score of 90. Game score is a Bill James stat that basically calculates how well a player did during one particular game. This year, six pitchers have had a game score of at least 90. The highest, 92, was a three-hitter with 12 K's by Cliff Lee. I believe that we should use game scores to evaluate who truly pitched the best games

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: MLB, Tigers, Justin Verlander, White Sox, Edwin Jackson CHI, Phillies, Cliff Lee

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