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22
Jan
2009
Rumor Central - January 22, 2009 PDF  | Print |  E-mail
Rumor Central
Written by Kevin Orris   
Welcome once again to the one stop shop for the latest baseball rumors and news to help you win your fantasy baseball league!  Although rumors are sparing at this time of year with arbitration taking place, I'm here to keep you updated on all of the latest news!

General Rumors
  • Ken Rosenthal has written some excellent columns today, both of which featured the Yankees at FoxSports.com.  Rosenthal points out that the Yankees are looking to sign Ben Sheets and Juan Cruz, and still plan to trade either Xavier Nady or Nick Swisher.  The Yankees and Mets are believed to be the front runners for Freddy Garcia.
  • Max Scherzer has begun pitching already to gear up for the 2009 season, but has experienced some stiffness, which is expected, but watch out during spring training to make sure it is nothing more than that.
  • Joe Mauer believes that he may not be ready for spring training on time after undergoing kidney surgery.
  • Jim Leyland hinted today that the Tigers are going to sign a free agent reliever, who could be Brandon Lyon.  Leyland was hesitant to label Fernando Rodney as the closer at the Tigers off-season caravan today, but did note that he will have an important role in his upcoming contract year.
  • Tigers pitcher Nate Robertson has been doing pilates this off-season to help gain flexibility and recover from a hip injury that has slowed down his delivery in the past few years.  This is definitely soft evidence, and for more info on that, check out this article by fellow Fantasy Pro Patrick DiCaprio.
  • Jason Jennings is drawing interest from both the Diamondbacks and Rangers, both of which could use another starting pitcher.  

One Year Contracts

At this time of year, many players are signing one year deals to help avoid arbitration and land a spot on a big league ball club for 2009.  Below is a list of some of the most recent names to sign one year deals.

Adam Melhuse, Texas Rangers
Brandon Backe, Houston Astros
Tim Byrdak, Houston Astros
Luke Scott, Baltimore Orioles
Jack Taschner, San Francisco Giants
Jason Bartlett, Tampa Bay Rays
Jonathan Papelbon, Boston Red Sox
Erik Bedard, Seattle Mariners
Xavier Nady, New York Yankees
Melky Cabrera, New York Yankees
Ryan Church, New York Mets
Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners
John Buck, Kansas City Royals
Joel Peralta, Kansas City Royals
Robb Quinlan, Los Angeles Angels
Adam LaRoche, Pittsburgh Pirates
Zach Duke, Pittsburgh Pirates
John Grabow, Pittsburgh Pirates
Tyler Yates, Pittsburgh Pirates
Omar Vizquel, Texas Rangers
Chad Qualls, Arizona Diamondbacks

Headed to Arbitration

Here are some of the big names that are expected to be headed for arbitration:

Conor Jackson, Arizona Diamondbacks
Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies
Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers,

World Baseball Classic

Here's the latest news on the upcoming World Baseball Classic:
  • The Rays are trying to persuade Scott Kazmir to withdraw his name from the WBC United States roster.  Dan Wheeler has been talking to multiple players that plan on playing about what to expect since he participated in 2006.
  • Rich Harden is being kept out of the WBC due to a shoulder injury.  At this time, not many details are available.
  • Omar Quintanilla has been named to the Mexico provisional roster.
  • Although the Indians are in the rebuilding stage, they currently have eight players on provisional rosters.
  • The Marlins will not block Anibal Sanchez if he attempts to play for his native Venezuela in the WBC.
  • As much as he wishes to play for Mexico in the WBC, Brewers starter Yovani Gallardo believes his chances of playing are slim after returning from major knee surgery that forced him to miss most of the 2008 season.
  • The Angels are trying to prevent their players from playing in the WBC including Vladimir Guerrero, Mike Napoli, and John Lackey.
Other News

Here's the other big news in baseball this week:
  • Nick Markakis signed a 6 year, $66 million extension with the Baltimore Orioles earlier this week.
  • Jeff Kent has announced his retirement from baseball.
  • Mark McGwire's brother, Jay, is shopping around a book that he has written stating that he introduced Mark to steroids.
  • Rocco Baldelli has decided to take out an ad in multiple Tampa Bay newspapers thanking Rays fans for their support in his years in Tampa.
  • Steve Phillips has been added to the crew for the Sunday Night Baseball games on ESPN.
  • The Phillies and outfielder Jayson Werth have agreed to a two year deal to keep him in Philly.
  • Rangers pitcher Eric Hurley will miss the entire 2009 season with a torn rotator cuff.
Interesting Note

Today, January 22nd, Matt Wieters will appear for a chat on ESPN.com.   Go to this link to ask questions.

My apologies for the lack on links this week to outside sources, but most of these items have come from multiple sources and technical difficulties are preventing me from linking each item to a story.
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