Andersklasen's Blog

Rumor Winds Continue to Blow In MLB

Andersklasen — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 20:13:31 GMT

In the heat of the NFL free agency period, we can't forget about the MLB.

Baseball owners and GM's are continuing to attempt to make their respected teams better, and will keep at it right up until the trade deadline in July.

Here are some of the latest rumors floating through the MLB.

Brandon Inge

Inge appears to have lost his starting job in Detroit, but at least one team is apparently trying to land the veteran third baseman.

Joe Torre, the new manger of the Los Angeles Dodgers, is pushing for his team to make a move for Inge. Torre is not convinced that Nomar Garciaparra or Andy LaRoche are cut out to start for the Dodgers in 2008.

The Tigers have been trying to trade Inge for a while, and might be able to finally accomplish this.

Any possible deal is still in the very first stages, as it appears that only one preliminary call has been placed.

Brian Roberts

Roberts, the subject of a possible trade to Chicago, showed off his legs to the Chicago Cubs yesterday.

Roberts, much to the annoyance of Marlins starting pitcher Mark Hendrickson, stole two bases in a 7-5 Spring Training victory over the Marlins.

The Chicago Cubs had two scouts in the stands checking out the Orioles second baseman.

Roberts seems to be warming to the idea of possibly playing for the Cubs, as he was anxious to show off his stuff on Friday.

Miguel Cabrera

The four-time All-Star appears to like Detroit. According to Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated, Cabrera and the Tigers have started to talk about a long term deal.

Heyman doesn't have the specifics of any possible deal, but got Cabrera to admit that a ten-year deal worth about $200 million "sounds good."

Felix Hernandez

No Mariner has gone through arbitration since 2003, when current GM Bill Bavasi was hired.

Bavasi hates the arbitration process, according to John Hickey. Hickey expects a long term deal to be announced by the end of Spring Training regarding Hernandez, the number two pitcher in the Seattle rotation.

Sammy Sosa

According to Bob Dutton, Kansas City has no interest in acquiring free agents at this time, especially Sammy Sosa. Kansas City wants to build for the future with their young team.

This goes against an ESPN Deportes report that says that Royals GM Dayton Moore is interested in picking up Sosa.

Weird, Wild, and Wacky Baseball Injuries

Andersklasen — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 19:41:04 GMT

Thanks to Jeff Gordon of Fox Sports for the great idea, and Baseball World for some of the injuries.

There are many baseball players worldwide, and even more baseball fans. Fans like me look up to MLB players for their strength, courage, and willpower. However, some of the things they go through are downright hilarious.

I hope that by writing this article I can help you be able to better relate to those that you may idolize.

Ken Griffey Jr.

He is known as a superstar around the league. However, Griffey has suffered more than his share of rather humiliating injuries. Once, his athletic cup pinched him in such a way to make him miss a game.

Griffey was also the victim of a broken hand. Sounds manly, right? Wrong. When Griffey was on his yacht, cruising the Bahamas, he was wrestling with his kids. I think he lost that match...

Joel Zumaya

The flame throwing closer is also a flame throwing Guitar Hero player. Or should we say Guitar Hero victim? Although he vehemently denies it, Detroit team doctors think his obsession with the guitar game helped cause his strained forearm.

Zumaya's injuries are not limited to the embarrassing variety. This past off-season Zumaya suffered a shoulder injury while moving items from his parents house while the San Diego wild fires ravaged in the background.

Tom Glavine

Vomiting isn't a good thing. In fact, it can be very harmful. Tom Glavine actually broke a rib while vomiting on...airplane food.

Yeah, I knew that stuff couldn't be good for you. Actually, Glavine didn't miss any time with his punctured rib, thanks to the modern day pain killer.

Kevin Mitchell

Mitchell is no stranger to wacky injuries. He also hurt himself while vomiting. He also accidentally got rubbing alcohol and eyewash mixed up. According to rumors, Mitchell also missed a game due to a strained eyelid.

However, more interestingly, Mitchell missed four days due to an emergency root canal. He overheated a simple frozen doughnut, and was severely injured trying to consume the torched item.

There are many more wild injuries, but it would take too long to list them all. Here are lots more, put in simple bullet form.

Rich Harden suffered a strained shoulder from turning off his alarm.
Sammy Sosa was a victim of violent sneezing.
Brett Barberie got chili juice in his eye.
Kent Hrbek sprained his ankle while wrestling a clubhouse attendant.
Greg Harris flipped too many sunflower seeds in the clubhouse, straining his elbow.
Terry Mulholland got in a pillow fight and was hit in the eye with a pillow.
Nolan Ryan was bitten by a coyote.
Mark Smith got mad at his air conditioner and hurt his hand while striking it.
Dwight Gooden got hit in the face with a golf club, swung by a teammate.
Brian Anderson burned his cheek while checking to see if the iron was hot.
Jeff Judan suffered an infection from a tattoo.
Steve Sparks went to a motivational speaker, and tried to imitate him by attempting to tear a phone book in half.
Mark Portugal suffered food poisoning from mahi-mahi.
Wade Boggs strained his back while pulling on his cowboy boots.
Steve Foster hurt his shoulder while doing a segment on Jay Leno involving milk bottles.
Bob Feller lost control of his jacuzzi and was scalded by 200 degree water.
Paul Moliter got his knuckle dislocated when it got stuck in a glove.

Feel free to research these alleged injuries for yourself, but please tell me what you find in the comment section.

My Mock Draft

Andersklasen — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 23:32:11 GMT

1st pick

Greg Oden

2nd Pick

Kevin Duant

3rd Pick

Al Horford

4th Pick

Joakim Noah

5th Pick

Yi Jianlian

6th Pick

Mike Conely Jr.

7th Pick

Jeff Green

8th Pick (suns from bobcats)

Corey Brewer

9th Pick

Spencer Hawes

10th Pick

Brendan Wright

11th Pick

Acie Law

12th Pick

Nick Young

13th Pick

Al Thorton

14th Pick

Javaris Crittenton

15th Pick

Julian Wright

16th Pick

Rodney Stuckey

17th Pick

Jason Smith

18th Pick

Thaddeus Young

19th Pick

Rudy Fernandez

20th Pick

Gabe Puritt

21st Pick

Josh McRoberts

22nd Pick

Sean Williams

23rd Pick

Wilson Chandler

24th Pick (bobcats from suns)

Taigo Spliter

25th Pick

Derrick Byars

26th Pick

Nick Fazekas

27th Pick

Marco Belinelli

28th Pick

Jared Dudely

29th Pick (bobcats from suns)

Morris Almond

30th Pick

Petteri Koponen

Regarding: Twins' Hunter 'sick and tired'

Andersklasen — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 15:53:12 GMT

In response to:
Twins' Hunter 'sick and tired'
Torii Hunter has had enough. "I'm sick and tired of talking about it," the Twins' Gold Glove center fielder said. "I'm not talking about it anymore." So don't ask Hunter, who can become a free agent after the season, whether he believes he'll play in Minnesota next season.

Good for him. Way to dismiss any rumors already going on. He knows he probably won't be in a Twins uniform next year, and he doesn't want to dwell on it.

I have a post on who looking at him, here.

The Twins can't and won't openly shop Hunter as long as they're still in the playoff race. (They technically 'aren't in the race' when they're 10 games back with two weeks to play) <--- That isn't going to happen any time soon, so Hunter still has this season to rack up them HOF stats.

Bonds' son might not be working when dad breaks record - AP

Andersklasen — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 17:46:49 GMT

Associated Press June 27, 2007, 1:10 PM ET

SAN FRANCISCO -- Barry Bonds' son, a bat boy for the San Francisco Giants, is on the disabled list for his dad's home run chase.

AP Photo/Eric Risberg

Nikolai Bonds (right) will try to fight off boredom as an ankle injury will keep him from doing his bat-boy duties.

Nikolai Bonds tore two ligaments in his left ankle last week when he dunked during a pickup basketball game and came down on someone's foot -- and now the 17-year-old is hobbling around the clubhouse in a walking boot for the initial stage of what is expected to be a two-month recovery.

That means he might not be in a Giants uniform working as a bat boy when his father breaks Hank Aaron's home run record, as the younger Bonds has been for many of his dad's other milestones in recent years.

"He'll still be there," Barry Bonds said. "It's not serious. I don't think anything's that serious at 17. Who says he won't be down there. Who knows? We're not there yet."

Bonds' pursuit of Aaron's record has slowed significantly since his quick start this season. The San Francisco slugger had hit 11 homers by May 8, but has only hit four in 111 at-bats since then. His last, No. 749 of his career and 15th this season, came Friday against the Yankees.

Bonds wasn't scheduled to start Wednesday afternoon's series finale against the San Diego Padres, and the Giants have a day off Thursday.

"He's just going to try to do it quick," Nikolai Bonds said. "That's what I would do. That's the smartest thing to do. I'll still be there."

The younger Bonds has had a front-row view for many of his father's milestones, so watching history from the stands would be a new perspective.

"Seventy, 71, 72, all of those, and 660," he said, referring to when his dad broke the single-season home run record in 2001 and then tied godfather Willie Mays for third place on the career list with No. 660 in 2004. "I wasn't there for 700, but I was there for 715 and also 714 in Oakland."

For this milestone, Barry Bonds might be blowing a kiss and waving to Nikolai the way he does to his two daughters and wife, Liz. Typically, Nikolai is waiting for his dad with a congratulatory hug at home plate.

"We'll probably all come down on the field and give him hugs," Nikolai said. "I'll still be there with him."

~via ESPN.com

Garnett talks now include Suns' Stoudemire and third team

Andersklasen — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 16:53:01 GMT

By Chad Ford and Marc Stein
ESPN.com

There was a growing sentiment around the league Tuesday night that the Kevin Garnett sweepstakes are nearing a conclusion and that the Phoenix Suns are the most likely winners, with two trade scenarios emerging that could potentially land Garnett in the desert by draft night.

With the Los Angeles Lakers' attempts to construct a multi-team deal or a direct trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves collapsing, ESPN's Jim Gray reports that talk of a potential three-team trade that would involve Minnesota, Boston and Phoenix has been rekindled, in which the primary cost to the Suns would be All-Star forward Shawn Marion moving to the Celtics.

Yet an even bigger trade concept, ESPN.com has learned, was hatched Tuesday by the Wolves, in which Phoenix would likely be asked to trade away the player it has been trying not to trade, All-NBA center Amare Stoudemire, who would go to the Atlanta Hawks.

Either way, indications from various NBA front-office sources suggest that Garnett being moved in conjunction with Thursday's draft looks more likely than ever before, with the Suns -- identified by ESPN.com last week as KG's first choice for a new home -- in prime position to make the big score.

In the scenario reported by Gray, Garnett would go to Phoenix, Boston would land Marion and the Wolves would receive a package featuring the No. 5 overall pick in Thursday's draft along with undisclosed players from the Celtics and Suns.

The key stumbling block for Boston would be Marion's reluctance to play for the Celtics, which sources say was conveyed to both teams last week when the idea of a three-team trade involving these clubs was first made public. With Marion possessing the right to opt out of his contract after next season and become a free agent in July 2008, Boston would undoubtedly be seeking assurances from Marion's camp that he's interested in signing an extension with the Celtics, even though league rules technically would preclude such negotiations until after July 1 (and after the trade).

Head Of The Class

Kevin Garnett is a double-double machine. In fact, no player in NBA history has had as many consecutive seasons of averaging at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists per season as the Timberwolves forward.

Player Seasons Kevin Garnett 9 (1998-2006) Larry Bird 6 (1979-1984) Wilt Chamberlain 6 (1965-1970) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 5 (1971-1975) Charles Barkley 5 (1990-1994)

Another possible stumbling block: Minnesota, sources say, has been adamant that any trade with Boston would include Al Jefferson. The Celtics, in turn, are willing to part with Jefferson only if they're the team that gets Garnett. It remains to be seen if either side softens its stance in the final hours before the draft.

In the newer trade scenario, sources say, Minnesota is looking to acquire Atlanta's No. 3 and No. 11 picks in the draft along with several cap-friendly contracts from the Hawks and Suns. To participate, Atlanta wants Stoudemire from Phoenix.

Such a trade would hold significantly greater appeal to Minnesota than any Celtics' offer that didn't include Jefferson. The Hawks, meanwhile, would be able to reunite Stoudemire with ex-Suns teammate Joe Johnson and immediately field a promising big-and-small core to build around and make Atlanta competitive, given the current state of the Eastern Conference.

The Suns, though, are understandably reluctant to part with Stoudemire after he made the All-NBA first team in what appears to be the most successful comeback from microfracture knee surgery that the NBA has ever witnessed.

The Lakers, meanwhile, haven't abandoned all hope of partnering Garnett with the increasingly frustrated Kobe Bryant just yet. Another concept in circulation Tuesday raised the possibility of a multi-team trade in which the Indiana Pacers' Jermaine O'Neal would go to Atlanta, with Lakers forward Lamar Odom and young center Andrew Bynum heading to the Pacers. That package, at worst, would send the No. 3 pick in the draft to Minnesota as the main payoff for Garnett.

But the Suns increasingly look like the favorites, given that Phoenix is Garnett's preferred destination if he has to leave the only NBA city he has ever known and with the Suns clearly possessing more trade assets. The Wolves are looking for a combination of high draft picks, top young talent and expiring contracts to provide cap relief. The Lakers don't have a draft pick higher than No. 19 to offer and Minnesota, sources say, is not interested in Odom because of the two years and nearly $28 million left on the lanky lefty's contract.

It's believed that the Suns will continue trying to keep Stoudemire out of any deal, but sources say that the athletically gifted 24-year-old is not untouchable -- not with the Wolves having finally made the philosophical commitment to end the Garnett Era after years of speculation and with Phoenix feeling as though there is no better player it could acquire to counter San Antonio's Tim Duncan, who is seen as the Suns' biggest obstacle to getting out of the Western Conference playoffs.

Sources say Minnesota, furthermore, clearly hopes to complete a Garnett trade before the draft begins in hopes of securing a pick in first half of the lottery to go with its own No. 7 selection. The fact that Wolves owner Glen Taylor left the country for China on Tuesday afternoon for his honeymoon doesn't appear to have slowed the Wolves down at all.

Yet it remains to be seen if the Hawks, who have been notoriously reluctant to make roster moves of any sort for months because of their uncertain ownership situation, will actually commit to join in on a trade of this magnitude.

In any case, it's a trade that, even without completion, has seemingly eclipsed one of the most anticipated drafts in years.

~ESPN.com

Cirillo's bases-loaded single lifts Twins over Jays in 12th

Andersklasen — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 15:01:53 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- In a game as well pitched as this one, even Jeff Cirillo thought it was a bit of a shame to win it the way he did.Gimpy knees and all, Cirillo limped off the bench and blooped a bases-loaded single in the 12th inning to lift the Minnesota Twins to a 2-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night."I almost feel a little guilty because the ball fell," Cirillo said. "It was a flukey hit, but you know, I'll take it."With the count 1-2, Cirillo hit a flare to shallow center field off lefty Brian Tallet (2-2). Vernon Wells and shortstop John McDonald both dived for the ball, but it landed just in front of Wells and allowed Michael Cuddyer to score.Cirillo snapped an 0-for-8 skid with Minnesota's seventh walk-off hit of the season, and the Twins poured out of the dugout to mob him at first base."It's weird, you're celebrating a hit, but it's a bloop hit," Cirillo said. "It's like, whatever, OK, let's jump up and down and go home."Jason Kubel had the other RBI for the Twins, who had to scratch and claw for this win with reigning AL MVP Justin Morneau on the bench for the fourth straight game with a bruised right lung. But the pitchers for both sides were the stars of this game."Everybody was pitching well tonight and it was a matter of who was going to flinch first," Toronto catcher Gregg Zaun said. "We're talking a matter of inches from missing Vernon's glove."Juan Rincon (3-1) pitched a perfect 12th to support starter Scott Baker, who struck out a career-high nine and allowed just one run and four hits in seven-plus innings.Toronto starter Shaun Marcum was just as good, allowing one run and six hits in eight-plus innings.He moved into the rotation early in May when Victor Zambrano went on the disabled list with a strained forearm. Marcum has been rock solid since, going 3-1 in nine starts and has allowed more than two earned runs in only two of those outings."He's a little bulldog," Zaun said. "He goes out there and pounds the strike zone and mixes his pitches very well. He's not afraid of anybody's lineup and just pours it in there every night and takes his chances."But after hitting three home runs and scoring eight runs for Roy Halladay in a victory over the Twins on Monday night, the Jays couldn't get much going and lost for the first time in five games.After Baker and Marcum put zeros on the board through the first 6 1/2 innings, the Twins finally picked up a run in the bottom of the seventh.Marcum walked Cuddyer with one out, then gave up a single to Torii Hunter and another to Kubel that made the score 1-0.But the damage could have been worse were it not for an outstanding play by Alex Rios in right field. With Hunter on third and one out, Redmond lifted a fly ball to shallow right. Rios caught it and made a strong throw home to Zaun, who just barely tagged out Hunter before he crossed the plate to end the inning.Hunter thought Zaun missed the tag and argued with home plate umpire Mike Winters. Manager Ron Gardenhire came to Hunter's aid and was eventually ejected."I just wanted to get the focus off Torii," Gardenhire said. "[Winters] made the right call."Baker came out for the eighth, but walked Zaun and gave up a single to Aaron Hill before being pulled. After Adam Lind's bunt moved the runners up, pinch-hitter Howie Clark tied the game with a sacrifice fly to right field.But that was all the Jays could muster offensively. The first four hitters in Toronto's lineup -- Wells, Rios, Matt Stairs and Troy Glaus -- combined to go 2-for-20 with eight strikeouts.Blue Jays slugger Frank Thomas came up empty again in pursuit of career homer No. 500, going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts."Bake just did a fantastic job," Gardenhire said. "That was two good pitching staffs going after each other."Game notes
The Blue Jays struck out a season-high with 15 times in the game. ... Baker's previous career high for strikeouts was eight on May 20, 2006 at Milwaukee. ... Cuddyer moved from RF to 1B in place of Morneau. ... After finishing a triple shy of the cycle on Monday night, Rios was 0-for-5 on Tuesday.

Morneau returns to Metrodome - AP

Andersklasen — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 02:31:05 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Justin Morneau said his first night in the hospital after a collision with Florida Marlins catcher Miguel Olivo was a scary one.

Once doctors determined that his bruised right lung was not a serious injury, Morneau became the butt of jokes.

"It was a little embarrassing," he said Tuesday, his first day back with the Minnesota Twins since being injured in Miami on Friday. "You run the catcher, the catcher's supposed to fall over, not you. I got a few messages for that one."

The reigning AL MVP said he still isn't sure when he will return to the lineup, but is hoping sometime in the next few days. He had a CT scan Tuesday that still showed some damage from the hit, but said he was feeling better every day.

"Hopefully, as soon as possible, but I don't want to put a date on it," Morneau said when asked about his return. "It should be, hopefully, in the next couple of days, but you don't want to push it too much and then have something come back and all of a sudden I'm out for two or three weeks."

Morneau said he still has some general soreness in his chest, "but nothing I'm taking any crazy painkiller for."

Morneau came around third base and slammed into Olivo awkwardly and immediately crumbled to the ground. The ball scooted by Olivo, and Morneau had the presence of mind to touch home plate, but he left the game after that.

"It was pretty scary. After it happened, I thought I just got the wind knocked out of me and then I get up and I got back to the dugout and started coughing," Morneau said. "Then I'm coughing and spitting up blood and anytime that happens, that's real scary."

Morneau was taken from the stadium on a stretcher and stayed in a Miami hospital for three days before returning to the Twin Cities on Monday.

"It wasn't too sore, but once we got back in the clubhouse it started to get real sore and I started to get a little bit worried and that probably didn't help anything," Morneau said. "We get over to the hospital and everything looked to be all right and it was just kind of a lot waiting around to get the tests done and make sure everything was OK."

Once all the fears had subsided, Morneau started taking some abuse from friends such as Minnesota Wild wing Mark Parrish and former Twin Corey Koskie.

"Koskie asked me if I wanted him to come over and teach me how to run over the catcher," Morneau said with a smile. "He could set his kids up and start with his youngest one, who is 1 1/2 or whatever. So, I told him that was real good.

"Parrish asked me if (Vancouver defenseman and Morneau buddy) Willie Mitchell taught me how to hit. That was good stuff."

All joking aside, Morneau's injury has put manager Ron Gardenhire in a tough spot. He has used veteran Jeff Cirillo at first base primarily since Morneau went down, but Cirillo had a rough game there on Monday in an 8-5 loss to the Blue Jays and his achy knees kept him out on Tuesday night.

So Gardenhire was forced to move right fielder Michael Cuddyer to first base and put Jason Tyner in right.

"Just have to roll with it," Gardenhire said. "Teams go through it. Obviously we've got some people beat up and stuff, guys just have to step up."

The timing really couldn't be worse. After the Twins wrap up a four-game series with the Blue Jays on Thursday, they embark on a 10-day, 11-game road trip before the All-Star break.

"Cuddy can handle it. He's played everywhere," Morneau said. "We're doing what we can to fill all the holes right now. We have a lot of guys banged-up. Hopefully I can get back sooner than later and help us win."

By JON KRAWCZYNSKI, AP Sports Writer

Minnesota Twins trade rumors

Andersklasen — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 01:13:58 GMT

Johan Santana

Johan Santana's contract expires after the '08 season. He has stated that he wants to stay with the Twins, but the question is how much of a discount will he give? He was quoted saying that he wants to stay in Minnesota for a while, but even he knows that time is running out for that re-signing; "I'm in no hurry. At the same time, I think the sooner the better -- and the cheaper it will be." Santana was also quoted saying that wanted a contract at least as long as Barry Zito's eight year deal with San Francisco.

He is making $13 million this year, and $13.25 million next year. After that, it's still being debated. Some people think he will receive $20 million a year after '08. Others say he will be the first $200 million pitcher.

The Twins had a no 'in-season negotiation' policy, but will ignore that for Santana, as they continue to negotiate with him.

Santana's current contract is a complex one. He receives a $100,000 bonus for every World Series MVP or Cy Young Award he gets. He gets a $50,000 bonus for every Gold Glove, AL MVP, League Championship Series MVP, or if he is 2nd in the Cy Young voting. He also gets a $25,000 bonus for every All-Star selection, 2nd in AL MVP, or 3rd in Cy Young voting.

He had a limited no-trade-clause (can decline trades) as well. In '05 he could block trades to 3 teams, 8 in '06, 10 in '07, and 12 in '08. He received a full no-trade-clause because he was in the top 3 in the Cy Young voting in either the '06 or '07 seasons. In '09 he can receive a full no-trade-clause if he gets a top 3 Cy Young vote in '08.

Complex or not, his name has been circulating, and teams are interested. Here's one of them:

Mets:
This may just be a rumor started by Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, but it's plausible. Previous to 6/19 I wouldn't think that Santana (with a full no-trade clause this year, and likely one next year) would want to go to a NL team, where he would have to bat. But after the game of 6/19 against the Mets, where Santana belted a double, I've changed my mind.

So will GM Terry Ryan resign him before his value goes up, or wait until it's at the peak and trade him? Only time will tell.

______________________________________

Torii Hunter

Torii Hunter's contract is up after the '07 season, so if the Twins are out of the playoff race, they'll look to sell him somewhere, to prevent him from just walking out. However, this won't even be thought of happening until the Twins are at least 10 games out with the end of the season coming soon.

Torii says that his heart lies in Minnesota, so an offer that is somewhat competitive might keep him here. Torii would have to ignore many more juicer offers from other ball clubs.

Texas Rangers:
With many players coming off of the team in '08, the Rangers will be looking for more pop in their lineup, not to mention defense. With $6 million from Gagne, $6 million from Lofton, $4.35 million from Wilkerson, $2.4 million from Sosa, and $1.2 million from Mahay. Subtracted from the escalating salaries, they should gain about $13 million. (Also, if A-Rod leaves New York, the Rangers will save an additional $27 million. If they wanted Hunter, they definitely have the funds.

Boston Red Sox:
The Red Sox could defenitely go for Hunter, (it's not like they don't have the money needed) but they have a hot prospect, Jacoby Ellsbury, who seems ready to come up. It would be an odd situation for him to be blocked out of a job for four or five years.

Other notable seekers:
Yankees, Cardinals

Teams with openings:
Twins, Phillies, Astros, Athletics, White Sox, Braves, Marlins, Cardinals, Rangers, Pirates, Padres, and Reds.

________________________________________

Luis Castillo

Castillo's contract is up after the '07 season. He is currently making $5.75 million. Many people doubt he will return, as the Twins have young Alexi Casilla all ready for his departure.

Teams interested:

New York Mets:
Castillo has long been connected with the Mets, and almost signed with them three years ago before the Marlins gave him a better offer. Even during his stint with the Marlins, the Mets almost traded for him.