Cowboys and Romo Collapse

Cowboys' quarterback Tony Romo caused a stir in the locker room on Sunday when he collapsed in the shower and had to be helped to his feet by teammates.

Romo suffered a rib injury late in the team's season-ending blow out loss to the Eagles.

When Romo fell, teammates rushed to his aid, and one player called for paramedics. He reportedly had trouble breathing because of the rib injury.

Romo spoke at his postgame news conference but had trouble moving. He also had to be helped off a short stage where he addressed the media.

Marinelli, Crennel, Mangini FIRED

he day after the NFL regular season, the winless Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns and New York Jets are looking for new coaches.

Rod Marinelli was fired by the Lions on Monday after an 0-16 season and Romeo Crennel was let go as expected by the Browns. In a mild surprise, Eric Mangini was fired by the New York Jets, who lost four of their last five games and failed to make the playoffs with Brett Favre at quarterback.

Three coaches were fired during the regular season — Mike Nolan in San Francisco, Scott Linehan in St. Louis and Lane Kiffin in Oakland.

Mike Singletary replaced Nolan and will be retained after the 49ers went 5-4 in their final nine games. Interims Jim Haslett in St. Louis and Tom Cable in Oakland are on shakier ground.

Marinelli was 10-38 in his three-year stay, winning only one his last 24 games after the team started 6-2 in 2007. Marinelli was hired by Matt Millen, who was fired as team president three months ago.

Crennel, whose Browns finished 4-12 after going 10-6 last season, was dismissed after a 31-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Also, general manager Phil Savage was fired Sunday.

Crennel was 24-40 in four seasons and had been at risk last season before the team turned around. The Browns were hurt by injuries, including two that ended the season of quarterbacks Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn.

It also didn't help that they lost twice to the rival Steelers — Crennel was 0-8 against them and the only Browns coach never to beat Pittsburgh.

Mangini, dubbed "Mangenious" after taking the Jets to the playoffs as a 35-year-old rookie coach in 2006, was fired after his team lost four of its last five following an 8-3 start. The losses came after consecutive road wins over New England and Tennessee.

The Jets spent millions in the offseason and traded for the 39-year-old Favre after the quarterback unretired from the Green Bay Packers. But Favre threw just two touchdown passes and nine interceptions in those final five games and complained of back, neck and should pain.

"I don't think it was one thing," owner Woody Johnson said in announcing his coach's firing. "We had to go in a different direction. There's nothing specific. It's just a call we made. Hopefully, it's correct."

New York Jets Fire Eric Mangini

From Super Bowl to couch potatoes in less than 5 weeks.

The New York Jets were on a opium like high after beating the Patriots and Titans in back-to-back weeks, and had everyone calling for a New York vs. New York Superbowl. Only one New York team remains.

Bad play calling festered and spread like a disease over the last month of the season where not going for field goals or passing on third and short when you have a pro bowl running back who is in the midst of his best season. Many things went wrong this season for the Jets, who earlier this year made key acquisitions that had many NFL fans optimistic about gang green.

In the end the season came down to a must win game against the Miami Dolphins and some help from the Jacksonville Jaguars. Neither piece of help came through, the Jets lost their game and the Jags were steamrolled by Baltimore.

The hammer came down today as Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum said that they will be letting Eric Mangini go. A 9-7 season full of hope down the drain will do that for you.

Owner of the Jets Woody Johnson called Mangini and gave him the news. Johnson followed the call with a press conference in which he said that firing the head coach is the "...most difficult thing you can do, Eric has done amazing things, no one worked harder, he was a good teacher, but it was time to make a change. This decision was not made in the last seconds or couple games; this was a decision that was running through the season. We want to build on the successful foundation that he left, but as of right now we believe that we can find a better fit for this team"

Life long Jets fan Asad Aziz claimed to get over the fact that this season would end in disappointment weeks ago. "[The loss] had to do with poor coaching, poor execution, and bad play from Favre." Regarding Mangini, Aziz said "Mangini had to go, he constantly played way too conservatively in most situations, and situations where he should play conservatively he'd be aggressive. He was terrible at in-game adjustments. And people who say it should be Tannenbaum who should go are wrong because the personnel he brought in was good enough to get Mangini to 8-3 with a loss to the Raiders." Disappointed with the players and the outcome of the end of the season, Aziz followed his thoughts about Mangini by saying "The team sent seven players to the Pro Bowl, just look at the roster, there’s no way you should not be able to win 11-12 games with the squad he had."

An anonymous Jets player had strong words about the team, coach and general manager on Monday. "We are busting our butts out there and Favre is turning the ball over. We did not play the way we should, focusing on TJ [Thomas Jones] and running the ball. Bad coaching was prevalent and all they did was cater to Favre instead of letting this team play the way they were designed and that’s to run the ball."

As the Jets look to fill their new void, names like Bill Cowher will surface and resonate through the airwaves. What will the Jets do? What will Brett Favre do?

Only time will tell.

MLB News Heading into the New Year

- Tony Massarotti writes that the Red Sox had a shot at Mark Teixeira. The Scott Boras camp was proposing $176MM guaranteed for eight years with vesting options that could've brought the total to $220MM over ten years. Ultimately the Yankees beat Boston's offer by $10MM, with no options and a full no-trade clause.

- Viva El Birdos looks at what the Teixeira contract means for Albert Pujols. Will Albert seek the largest contract in baseball history? The Cardinals have him through the 2011 season.

- The Mets intend to make offers early this week to at least two and probably three free-agent pitchers -- Derek Lowe, Oliver Perez and Randy Wolf -- in hopes of signing one of them.

The Mets continue to rank the three in that order - Lowe, Perez, Wolf. The Mets haven't shown any indication of wanting to sign more than one. Lowe and Perez should be ready to sign soon now that Scott Boras isn't occupied with Mark Teixeira.

The Mets aren't terribly concerned about having only one left-handed reliever on the roster (Pedro Feliciano). They'll look for bargains rather than pursue a Joe Beimel type. Mets GM Omar Minaya does want to acquire a utility infielder, with Alex Cora atop the list.

- My theory on the late-moving free agent market: teams are just being cautious, aiming for January bargains on players like Adam Dunn, Brian Fuentes, Derek Lowe, Orlando Hudson, and Ben Sheets. Plus, many free agents wanted to wait out the Mark Teixeira negotiations to see who'd have money and needs afterward.

- The Red Sox reached agreements with Brad Penny and Josh Bard.

MLB Week In Review

If you haven't heard this week's top story, chances are you've been living under a rock, but we'll tell you anyway: The Yankees signed Mark Teixeira to an eight-year, $180MM contract. That means they've combined to spend over $420MM this offseason on three players, including C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett. Does this make them a clear favorite in the division, though? I personally don't feel like it does. Sabathia will essentially replace retired Mike Mussina's 2009 production (he'll be an upgrade, obviously, but Moose notched 20 wins in his final season), Burnett is a serious health liability, and adding Teixeira is a big improvement, but I don't think he puts this team over the top. The Yankees have gotten better, but if I'm spending $420MM on three players, I'm making sure it makes me the team to beat, and I'm not sure they've done that. Here's some additional reactions, and here's a few more. Additionally, Tex reportedly had a higher offer from the Nationals. The Nats were willing to go higher, but weren't given a chance to do so.

The Yanks also signed Chien-Ming Wang to a one-year, $5MM deal, and inked Kevin Cash to a minor-league deal that could be worth $700K.

The Giants added a third Cy Young winner to their rotation when they signed Randy Johnson to a one-year, $8MM deal that could potentially be worth $13MM with performance and award incentives. Giants fans will likely get the pleasure of seeing the Big Unit notch his 300th win, and there's no doubt he'll serve as a nice mentor for their young staff. Johnson's signing may cause the Giants to be more willing to trade Jonathan Sanchez.

Ryan Doumit signed a three-year extension with the Pirates, with a guaranteed $11.5MM and potentially worth as much as $27MM over five years. Nice signing for Pittsburgh, as Doumit has proven his value with the bat at a weak catcher position, but you have to wonder what the motive is. Rebuilding for the future, or enhancing his value as a trade chip? What do you guys think?

The Reds signed Willy Taveras to a two-year contract, though the terms of the deal are not yet known. You have to figure Taveras will work out better than Corey Patterson did in 2008.

Joe Nelson agreed to terms with the Rays on a one-year, $1.3MM deal for 2009. Great low-risk addition for the Rays, if you ask me. Twenty teams had expressed interest in Nelson, who posted a strong 2008 campaign with the Marlins.

Red Sox fans hoping that Kevin Youkilis would be next in line for an extension after Dustin Pedroia are going to be disappointed: Adam Kilgore at the Boston Glove says it's not happening.

One last bit of Rafael Furcal drama: Furcal stresses that there was never a deal in place with the Braves, not with him or with his agents.

My Take On The Yankees Spending

The Yankees simply did what they needed to do in order to better their franchise and their future.

Last week when the Yankees introduced C.C Sabathia and A.J Burnett they made it clear to everyone that their priority was pitching. They sured up their rotation and put together a 1-2-3 of C.C, Burnett and Wang that is arguably the best front of the rotation in the league.

Sabathia has been a target for the Yankees for over two years. When they decided to pass up on the opportunity to trade for Johan Santana they clearly were readying for C.C. So three trips cross country by Brian Cashman and 161 million dollars later and the Yankees had their guy.

The huge human being that is Carsten Charles Sabathia will be wearing #52 for the Bombers and more than likely will start on opening day at the new Yankee Stadium. Many have brought up the weight issue and wonder if that will hurt C.C in the long run. But like he said himself "I'm a big guy, I've always been big" so nothing will change his size and the way he has performed I dont think anything needs to change. He is a work horse and a dominating pitcher that will grind out games and rack up innings to help the ball club.

Then we look at A.J Burnett, the former Marlin and Blue Jay is now a Yankee as well and coming off his best year, fans are looking to see the dynamite Burnett display his talents in pinstripes now. Burnett had 18 wins last year and baffled the Yankees in every attempt. His stuff is electric, he can dial it up to 98 mph and has sick breaking "stuff", the only downside is he has a knack for the DL. Everyone projects him to be back there this year although he was finally healthy last year. Names like Jarrett Wright and Carl Pavano are being linked to his name, but for 82.5 million dollars he better produce like a champ. Burnett has always said he likes playing on the big stage and play under the bright lights, well he now gets his chance under the big apples bright spotlight every five days.

The big fish on the offensive side of the ball the Yankees reeled in was Mark Teixeira. The gold glove first basemen fills a much needed hole for the Yankees in more ways than one. The bat he holds is lethal and having batted .300 with 30 home runs and knocking in 100 RBI's for seven years in a row now, he is a much needed addition. He will likely hit in the three hole protecting Alex Rodriguez, thus improving both their numbers and posing a huge threat to every pitcher. Teixeira also is a fantastic fielder and will not leave the Yankees scrambling for players like Cody Ransom to fill the void. Eight years and 180 million dollars locked him up for the Yankees who now have the top four paid players in the league.

1. Alex Rodriguez - 275 Million
2. Derek Jeter - 189 Million
3. Mark Teixeira - 180 Million
4. C.C Sabathia - 161 Million

But what does this mean for the Yankees in total? They add 2 power pitchers and one big bat. This means, more revenue and if all goes to plan, more wins. They are the favorite in Vegas for the World Series and now are back to the big scary spending crazy Yankees. What was done was nessesary for the Yankees, everything was done out of need and to better of the team. The addition of Teixeira will give the Yankees the power they lacked last year in the middle and hopefully set up more runs along the order. If healthy Sabathia and Burnett should add about 35 wins a piece and add stability. Of course there are still questions regarding center field but as of right now Nick Swisher or Melky Cabrera will play there. They are still trying to work a deal to send Melky and Kei Igawa in exchange for Mike Cameron.

Who knows what else is in store but one this we do know is the presents this holiday season were big, plentiful and expensive. Lets hope the Yankees get what they paid for.

Yankees Cash In Again, Sign Teixeira

The Yankees have added to holiday list and paid a pretty penny for it.

$180 Million over eight years will be given to Mark Teixeira to play first base for the Yankees.

The addition of Teixeira comes a week after CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett were added to the mix as well.

Who said America is in a recession?

Oh Boy...Manny Ramirez?

There is a report out that the Yankees are going to offer Manny Ramirez a 3 year 75 million dollar offer.

This was reported by a sketchy Dominican Republic newspaper. I hope this does not happen as I can not root for this guy, but we shall see. The Yankees are clearly trying to stock up on presents under their tree this year.

MLB Rumors - Week In Review

Here's a look back at the major happenings of the past week:

Rafael Furcal re-signed with the Dodgers in about as controversial of a way as possible. Paul Kinzer, Furcal's agent, had asked Braves GM Frank Wren to fax him a terms sheet in order to complete a deal. The next morning, Kinzer backpedaled, told the Braves a deal wasn't in place, and Furcal signed with the Dodgers later in the day. Wren has sworn off working with Kinzer or any agents in his firm as a result. Furcal will get three years, $30MM from the Dodgers, the same figure Wren and the Braves had offered. If I were from Atlanta, I'd be pretty furious over this one.

Don't expect a Jake Peavy trade to happen this winter after all. Padres CEO Sandy Alderson says Peavy will be with the club on Opening Day. We did hear a rumbling about a possible move to Boston for the San Diego ace, however.

We heard a lot of talk about the Mike Cameron/Yankees possible trade during the Winter Meetings, and those talks resumed early in the week. However, just a few days later, the talks seemed to be dead. The Yankees want the Brewers to pay too much of Kei Igawa's salary, and Doug Melvin isn't budging.

The Phillies re-signed Jamie Moyer to a two-year, $16MM deal. Eight million per year at 45 years old... tough to complain about that if you're Moyer. The Phillies also inked Chan Ho Park to a one-year, $2.5MM deal.

Daniel Cabrera signed with the Nationals this week on a one-year, $2.6MM deal. Cabrera's arm has always been praised, but he's never put it together in the Majors. The Orioles non-tendered him last week. If a change of scenery can benefit Cabrera, the Nats will have gotten a solid arm for a minimal price. I wouldn't count too much on that scenario, however.

Adam Dunn's first choice for 2009? The Cubs. But is the interest mutual, and could he actually play an effective right field? Dunn says he's not looking for a huge deal, just a fair one.

The Yankees won't be going after Ben Sheets. They've already signed their highly talented, but highly injury-prone pitcher for the offseason in A.J. Burnett.
The Angels re-signed Juan Rivera to a three-year, $12.75MM deal. If he can return to his 2006 form, that'd be a great signing.

Matt Treanor signed with the Tigers to serve as a backup for Gerald Laird.
Kenshin Kamakawi is drawing a lot of interest in America. This week, we specifically heard about the Mets, Orioles, Cardinals, and Twins linked to Kawakami. The Twins seem like a strange fit, with their young rotation seemingly set, and especially in light of Ken Rosenthal suggesting that Kawakami may command a larger deal than Hiroki Kuroda's three-year, $35.3MM deal.

And just in case you were wondering, no... Barry Bonds isn't retiring yet. Think anyone's changed their stance on baseball's home run king?

The Official Introduction

Ten minutes after New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman left the home of CC Sabathia last week, Sabathia phoned Cashman.

"I'm all-in," he said.
With those words, Sabathia committed to a seven-year, $161 million deal with the Yankees.

"I think this is the best place for me to try to win a championship," Sabathia said Thursday, on his way to the news conference where he was formally introduced. "Everybody had speculated about me staying in California. I had always talked about winning a championship, and you look at the Yankees, it's something they contend for" just about every year.

Sabathia was phoned twice during his negotiations by Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter -- recruiting calls -- and Jeter told him about how much fun it was playing in New York. The day after he reached his agreement with the Yankees, he called Jeter, and the friends talked again about what it would be like to play together.

Two days before Sabathia made his decision, Reggie Jackson had been in Las Vegas at the winter meetings as part of the Yankees delegation that met with the left-hander. Sabathia, who grew up in the Bay Area, found himself distracted by the presence of the Hall of Famer: "I was just thinking, 'Would it be weird to ask [Jackson] for an autograph?'"

It wasn't until subsequent meetings that Sabathia got to dig in and, without Jackson around, ask questions about the Yankees and New York.

Sabathia said that he and his wife, Amber, are in the process of finding a house.

Post Winter Meeting News

Well the hot item after the winter meetings still is Mark Teixeira. They Yankees, Red Sox, Orioles, Angels, Nationals and possibly others are still in the hunt. Teixeira said he wants to have a deal done by X-Mas.

- Yankees chairman Hank Steinbrenner wants to add Mark Teixeira to his roster, and he isn't the only person within the organization that wants to land the first baseman.

"[Chairman] Hank [Steinbrenner] wants him, but he isn't alone in the organization," the New York Post reported on Sunday, alluding to a source. "They need somebody to protect Alex [Rodriguez]."

As expected, the Yankees will focus on Manny Ramirez should Teixeira slip through their fingers.

- The New York Daily News has reported that outfielder Johnny Damon advised free agent pitcher A.J. Burnett to choose the Yankees over the Red Sox.

"Johnny talked to A.J. about New York, the differences between New York and Boston, how he views it," a Yankee official said. "Johnny couldn't be happier here, and he communicated those thoughts to A.J."

Alex Rodriguez also reportedly helped recruit Burnett to New York.

- Kenny Lofton was out of the game in 2008, but recently he tried to hurt the Yankees again when he attempted to dissuade CC Sabathia from signing with the club.

"He painted a bad picture of New York and the Yankees," a person with knowledge of the situation said. "A lot of negative things."

- CC Sabathia is expected arrive in New York on Monday night, take a physical Tuesday and possibly be introduced as a member of the Yankees on Wednesday.

Expect A.J. Burnett to follow after his $82.5 million deal is official. According to agent Darek Braunecker, no date for Burnett's physical has been set.

- The A's appear to be the frontrunners for free agent shortstop Rafael Furcal. Joel Sherman said the same on Friday. Rosenthal says the A's have upped their initial four-year offer to Furcal, and it appears to be the only four-year proposal on the table. Yahoo's Jeff Passan suggested on Wednesday that the Royals believe it will take four years and $44MM to sign him. The A's were reportedly in the $35-40MM range previously.

- The Mets have checked the bullpen off their list and will now look to upgrade the rotation. It seems that Oliver Perez and Randy Wolf are the top targets, with the pricey Derek Lowe a less likely possibility. McCarron notes that the Mets have a strong relationship with Wolf's agent Arn Tellem, who brokered the Francisco Rodriguez contract.

- The Padres and Braves were discussing a 4-for-1 Jake Peavy deal in November. Yunel Escobar and Gorkys Hernadez were agreed upon. The conflict came as the Padres wanted Charlie Morton over Jo-Jo Reyes as well as Jeff Locke or Tyler Flowers over Blaine Boyer. To me that gap looks pretty sizeable, so maybe the trade was never close. At this point it seems like the Braves could end up with Javier Vazquez and Kenshin Kawakami as their rotation upgrades. They've reportedly made Escobar unavailable, leading Dan Hayes of the North County Times to suggest the Braves would have to remove Tommy Hanson's apparent "untouchable" tag to get Peavy. Everything I've read about Hanson has said the Braves are adamant about keeping him.

Yankees Add Another To Pinstripes - Sign Burnett

Free agent right-hander A.J. Burnett has reached preliminary agreement on a five-year, $82.5 million contract with the New York Yankees.

Burnett's agreement was confirmed by the office of his agent, Darek Braunecker, The Associated Press reported.

While Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and Braunecker are still negotiating final contract terms, the deal is expected to be complete once Burnett passes a physical.

Burnett, who turns 32 in January, will join CC Sabathia at the top of a revamped starting rotation in New York. The Yankees agreed to terms on a seven-year, $161 million contract with Sabathia earlier this week.

"I can sense the excitement and the confidence that's spreading around the entire organization about what we're getting done and what we may get done still," Yankees co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner told The Associated Press Friday before Burnett's decision became known. "A rising tide lifts all boats, and the confidence and the excitement right now among the team and the organization is contagious."

The Yankees made a late charge to beat out the Atlanta Braves for Burnett, who went 18-10 with a 4.07 ERA in 35 starts with Toronto this season. Burnett won 10 of his last 12 decisions. He set career highs in wins, strikeouts (231) and innings (221 1/3).

New York is still looking for one more starter, and Cashman left the winter meetings in Las Vegas this week to meet with longtime Yankee Andy Pettitte.

In December 2005, Braunecker and his agency, Frontline Athlete Management, negotiated a five-year, $55 million deal for Burnett that included an opt-out clause after three seasons. It was the first opt-out provision ever in a pitcher's contract.

Between the money that Burnett earned in Toronto and the guaranteed $82.5 million that he's scheduled to receive from the Yankees, his contracts will amount to $113.5 million over eight seasons. The addition of Sabathia and Burnett as free agents -- combined with Chien-Ming Wang's expected return to full health from a foot injury -- gives New York a top of the rotation that can stack up with Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and Daisuke Matsuzaka in Boston.

Burnett and Sabathia combined to go 35-20 with a 3.34 ERA this season. Yankees starters, in contrast, posted a 59-53 record with a 4.58 ERA. That includes the first 20-win season by Mike Mussina, who recently retired.

Although Burnett's numbers haven't always matched his talent, some scouts and front-office people think he made significant strides this season as the No. 2 starter in Toronto behind Roy Halladay.

Burnett also has a strong track record within the American League East. He's 20-5 with a 3.29 ERA against New York's divisional opponents in Tampa Bay, Boston, Baltimore and Toronto.

Winter Meetings Day 4 - Report 2

- According to SI.com's Jon Heyman, the Cubs and Mets are talking about a Jason Marquis trade. The Cubs will have to eat salary, unless they follow Heyman's suggestion to take Scott Schoeneweis.

- Tim Brown and Gordon Edes talked to involved execs (not with the Angels) who believe the Boras camp is "using the media to ratchet up the price beyond what any team had actually offered."

Brown and Edes say the Angels were told the Red Sox and Nationals offered eight years at about $20MM per. The Angels don't want to do an eighth year, so they'll look into trades for Jermaine Dye, Paul Konerko, and possibly Adrian Beltre. Raul Ibanez is the top free agent backup plan.

- Why did Yankees GM Brian Cashman jet off yet again this morning? Joel Sherman and George King of the New York Post have the answer.

Cashman headed to Texas to talk to Andy Pettitte. Cashman will offer Pettitte his last rotation spot for $10MM, and move on if he's not interested.

- Stark says the Phillies "stepped up their efforts" for Ibanez. What's more, Ibanez has been telling friends the Phils are his top choice.

According to ESPN's Jayson Stark:

Even as the Angels continue to pursue Mark Teixeira, it appears that Raul Ibanez has emerged as their No. 1 alternative if Teixeira signs elsewhere. There were indications that the Angels already have begun negotiating the parameters of a deal with Ibanez on a just-in-case basis.

- Jason Giambi maintains hopes of returning to the Yankees; he may be willing to take a discount.

- Dave Cameron believes the Rays won the Edwin Jackson-Matt Joyce swap, handily.

- Brett Saberhagen was hired as an agent for Dan Evans' firm. He'll focus on pitchers.

- Shawn Chacon's agent is trying to find his client a job. Troy Renck also notes that the Rockies' offer to Glendon Rusch is a $750K minor league deal.

-

Winter Meeterings Day 4 - Report 1

-The Yankees as the clear frontrunner for Burnett. They say Braunecker will contact other clubs today to give them one last chance to beat the Yanks' five-year, $85MM offer. Will the Braves counter? Burnett signing with the Yankees would be undesirable for the Blue Jays in two ways - they'd have to face him fairly often, and they'd (tentatively) get the Yanks' second-round pick instead of a first-round one.

- Buster Olney says the Yankees are confident they won't be overbid for Burnett, at least.

- According to WEEI's Lou Merloni, the Yankees' signing of C.C. Sabathia made the team more appealing to Lowe.

- Some Derek Lowe chatter this morning - Jayson Stark says the Yankees would remain interested in Lowe if they sign A.J. Burnett.

- Kevin Towers told reporters the proposed Jake Peavy deal with the Cubs is dead. The Cubs pulled out.

- Joel Sherman talked to a top exec involved in the talks who called the chances of a deal "remote." The rumor was the Yankees would acquire Mike Cameron for Melky Cabrera. Kevin Baxter of the L.A. Times was told the deal is done, however.

Ken Rosenthal says the potential deal hit a roadblock over the Yankees' desire to have Milwaukee pick up part of the tab on Cameron. Also, the Brewers want a second player after Cabrera. Tom Haudricourt says the Yankees tried to unload Kei Igawa on them.

- Here's a rumor from Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News that slipped through the cracks yesterday. His source says the White Sox seem to have the inside track on Bobby Abreu, assuming they trade Jermaine Dye first. Feinsand doesn't figure the Rays will match Abreu's price, though they met with his agents at in Vegas. He adds that Johan Santana is pushing the Mets to sign Abreu.

- Mike DiGiovanna says the Angels "are believed to be willing to offer at least seven years for something in the $160-million range" for Tex.

Jon Heyman says the Yankees have re-entered the Teixeira sweepstakes.

Summing up the reported offers made to Mark Teixeira:

Orioles: seven years, $140-150MM
Nationals: eight years, $160MM

- The Red Sox and Diamondbacks are having discussions about swapping Julio Lugo for Eric Byrnes. Lugo would play second base for Arizona, while Byrnes would be Boston's fourth outfielder. Lugo has $18MM left on his deal, Byrnes $22MM with no-trade protection.

Suns get J.Rich for Diaw and Bell

The Suns have acquired Jason Richardson and Jared Dudley from the Bobcats in exchange for Boris Diaw, Raja Bell, and Sean Singletary, according to ESPN Sports Center.

The trade call was completed at about 3:45 p.m. Phoenix time today, according to the Arizona Republic.

"He's athletic and gives us a really potent offensive player," Suns' General Manager Steve Kerr said. "He's also an excellent defensive players. and he's in his prime. He's a very high-character guy and well-regarded around the league for his professionalism.

Winter Meetings Day 3 Updates

- Dave Sheinin says the Nationals offered Mark Teixeira eight years and $160MM

Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun says the Orioles met with Boras last night and apparently made an offer. However, Peter Schmuck says the nine-year, $180MM report was "met with incredulity from O's officials."

- According to Yahoo's Tim Brown, the Phillies are close to signing Chan Ho Park. He says the Phils may view him as a starter. Park's average fastball velocity jumped from 88.4mph in '07 to 92.6mph in '08, leading some to label him a sleeper.

- According to Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times, the Cubs inquired on Chone Figgins. Figgins could theoretically fill Mark DeRosa's superutility role, though DeRosa seems likely to stay put. DiGiovanna says the Angels won't be sure of their needs until they sort out the Mark Teixeira and Brian Fuentes situations.

- MLB.com's Jim Street confirmed the deal. The Mariners give up Putz, Green, and Reed and get Heilman, Chavez, Carp, and Gutierrez. The Indians give up Gutierrez and get Valbuena and Smith. The Mets give up Heilman, Chavez, Carp, and Smith to get Putz, Green, and Reed.

The Mets succeeded in overhauling their bullpen without giving up premium pieces. Assuming Putz and K-Rod are healthy, they'll be playing seven-inning games.

The Mariners can try Heilman the rotation, and add good outfield depth. I'm kind of lukewarm on the Indians' benefit.

- The Dodgers have had internal discussions about extending their contract offer to Manny Ramirez to three years.

Dan Graziano's source suggests "there is a push by some members of the Yankees' organization to make a play for free-agent outfielder Manny Ramirez."

- Ken Rosenthal says the Yanks are offering $91MM over five years. He also learned that the Yanks will not sign both Burnett and Lowe - just one of them and then possibly other free agent pitchers. Similar to Crasnick's note below.

- Gordon Edes agrees, Lowe is not on the verge of signing. He does have offers in hand from the Yanks and Phillies, with the Mets and Red Sox in talks. The Brewers made contact but are considered a long shot. Edes says Lowe's desire to return to Boston has been overstated. Edes says the two offers are in the four-year, $65MM range, and a fifth year could clinch it.

- The Tigers are set to acquire Edwin Jackson from the Rays for outfielder Matt Joyce.

- The Royals hope to clear payroll to make room for Furcal, preferably by trading Jose Guillen. Orlando Cabrera is their backup plan. The Royals would eat some money to move Guillen, but predictably the market is "almost nonexistent."

Yankees Offer A.J Burnett $ 91 Million and 5th Year

The Yankees are now at $91 million in their proposal to A.J. Burnett, according to FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal.

The Yankees also along with the money have added a guaranteed 5th year, something the Braves only gave as an option.

There were reports that Burnett was holding out for a deal equal in value to the extension signed by Carlos Zambrano. If that was true, he'd seem to have it now. It's still a five-year proposal, apparently, so it looks like the Yankees are pretty dramatically overpaying here. Fortunately, they can afford to. There's very little chance of the Braves going that high, and the Red Sox seem to be out of the mix now.

Mets Bolster Bullpen - Add J.J Putz in Trade

Sources tell FOXSports.com that the three-team J.J. Putz deal is done.

The Mets will get J.J Putz, Jeremy Reed and Sean Green. Joe Smith and Luis Valbuena will go to Cleveland. The Mariners will receive Franklin Gutierrez, Aaron Heilman, Mike Carp and Endy Chavez.

Yankees One-Up the Braves

SI.com's Jon Heyman says the Yankees have topped the Braves' four-year, $60 million proposal to A.J. Burnett.

The assumption is that the Yankees went to $64 million for four years. All along it's appeared that the first team to go to five years would land Burnett, and that still may be the case. Heyman thinks the Yankees could go there. The Blue Jays have made it clear that they won't.

Yankees Close to Inking Lowe

Jon Heyman of SI.com reports that the Yankees are close to signing Derek Lowe to a four-year deal worth between $68 and $72 million.

However, the Phillies are apparently still in the mix, which could keep the Yankees from announcing the additions of both Lowe and CC Sabathia on the same day. Adding both starters would presumably take the Yankees out of the running for A.J. Burnett despite the fact that they were said to be ready to top the Braves' $60 million offer to him as late as Tuesday night.

Welcome to the Bronx C.C

The New York Yankees were "very close" to a preliminary agreement with CC Sabathia on Wednesday morning, following an in-person meeting between Yankees GM Brian Cashman and Sabathia in California, a baseball source with knowledge of the deal told ESPN.com.

Sources told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney the deal offered by the Yankees is now worth $160 million over seven years -- the most money ever paid a pitcher in major league history. The team had originally offered six years and $140 million.

While a deal is not yet done, a source told ESPN.com's Jayson Stark there are "zero major road blocks" that would prevent the Yankees from reaching agreement with Sabathia. Not all terms of the deal are agreed to yet, the source indicated. Sabathia also would need to take a physical.

The New York Post first reported Wednesday that Sabathia, the prize of this year's free-agent class, had decided to go with the Yankees after fielding offers from a number of teams.

Sabathia had been courted by the Milwaukee Brewers, the San Francisco Giants and the Boston Red Sox. The Los Angeles Dodgers said that Sabathia, who lives in California, had expressed interest in playing there, too, although the team did not publicly make him an offer.

But in the end, it was clear that no other team was going to come close to what the Yankees offered. That was despite varying signals from the Dodgers -- owner Frank McCourt reached out to Sabathia personally -- as well as the Giants, who had talked about meeting with Sabathia this weekend, and the Los Angeles Angels.

The Yankees had extended their six-year, $140-million offer to Sabathia nearly a month ago and were beginning to get nervous that he simply didn't want to pitch in New York.

But two days of face-to-face meetings with the Yankees in Las Vegas, followed by Cashman's session Tuesday night with Sabathia and his wife Amber in California, sealed this deal for Sabathia.

"He's now excited about becoming a Yankee," a source told Olney.
To the Yankees, Sabathia was more than just the No. 1 prize on the free-agent market.

He was the centerpiece of their entire offseason game plan. They went into the winter determined to add Sabathia and two other free-agent starters.

Winter Meetings Report 4 - Day 2

- The Cardinals, Angels, and Tigers are showing interest in closer, Brian Fuentes.

- Nolan Ryan says the Rangers examined Sheets' medical records and determined he's healthy. Sheets seems to have mutual interest, though the Rangers would need to move players to fit him in the payroll.

- The Royals have also been talking to Orlando Cabrera.

- Ken Davidoff and Kat O'Brien say Cashman bailed on his media session today to meet with Sabathia in San Francisco. Cashman may want to meet Sabathia's wife, who is obviously a factor in his decision.

Joey Porter Comes to Plaxico's Defense

Miami Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter had plenty to say when asked about New York Giants receiver Plaxico Burress' latest troubles, and Porter can speak from experience.

Porter, in an interview that will be aired Wednesday morning on "ESPN First Take" (10 a.m. ET, ESPN2), said some NFL players feel the need to have a firearm to defend themselves and their families, and that Burress, while caught in not "the smartest situation," has been unfairly portrayed in the media.

"Plaxico is like a brother to me. I take it real personal how he's being treated," Porter said. "Everybody has their mistakes, but that's exactly what they are ... Until you've been in that situation, when you've been robbed at gunpoint or you've had a gun waved in your face or had your house broken into before or been carjacked, you really don't know what it's like."

Burress was injured in the early morning hours of Nov. 29 when a .40-caliber Glock he was carrying in his waistband slipped down his leg, and as he grabbed at it, he accidentally pulled the trigger and shot himself in the thigh.

Teammate Antonio Pierce drove Burress to the hospital, and the Giants suspended Burress for the final four games of the regular season and placed him on the non-football injury list. Pierce remains active.

"For a person to carry a gun, I mean, you're not carrying a gun to show that 'I'm tough.' It's safety, it's nothing but safety," Porter said.

Porter had his own scare on Aug. 30, 2003, when he was with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He decided to fly out to see Colorado State, his alma mater, face Colorado. Afterward, he went to a Denver bar with some friends and, while standing in a parking lot with about 150 other people, got caught in the middle of a shooting.

Denver police said Porter was an innocent bystander, and that the shooting, which left one dead and five others wounded, was possibly gang-related.

Porter was struck in the buttocks by a 9 mm bullet, which lodged in his right thigh. The Steelers had feared Porter would miss half the season, but his wounds healed so quickly he missed only two games.

In the season opener, Burress, then in his fourth year with the Steelers, wore a sticker on his helmet bearing Porter's No. 55.

"When you get out of a situation like that and you've been in harm's way, the first thing that goes through your mind, I'd rather get caught and take the little penalty from the media, whatever the situation may be, than not have a chance to save my life," Porter said.

"It's tough out there so I'm not gonna say I condone what happened. It was a mistake by [Plax]. I know he wish he never did it. But I don't think it's as bad as everybody made it seem, either."

Porter brought up the 2007 shooting death of Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor, and the September shooting of Jacksonville Jaguars offensive lineman Richard Collier, who is paralyzed below the waist as a result.

"They're making [Burress] out to be such a bad guy but you look at all the guys that's been robbed this year, all the home invasions, all the guys that's been shot, like Collier, look how many times he got shot," Porter said in the interview.

"I mean, you look at Sean Taylor, he was trying to go by the rules of not having a gun because he got in trouble earlier that year with the gun. Something as simple as that, he gets a home invasion and he gets killed over something simple."

Porter said he does not have a bodyguard, but acknowledged that he owns a firearm, and has a permit to carry a concealed weapon in California, but not in Florida.

"I'm not saying I'm walking down the street with a handgun on my hip," Porter said. "I'm not doing it for show. It's not fun. Hopefully, in my lifetime, I never have to use it."

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who discussed the situation before Monday night's game between the Carolina Panthers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, said the NFL has a strict gun policy but also must manage it against the constitutional right to bear arms

"The real issue to me, is when the players feel they're unsafe, they shouldn't be there," Goodell said. "So get out, don't be there. If you feel the need to have a firearm to be someplace, you're in the wrong place."

Porter countered that thinking, saying, "It's a tough situation. I mean we're always in the spotlight. So you can't tell a person to stop living your normal life. You're gonna go out and do these things.

"I've had my house broken into before ... I know Plax had been robbed before ... But it's tough for us to say we're professional athletes so we're not supposed to protect ourselves."

The Latest News on A.J Burnett

- SI.com's Jon Heyman says the Yankees are considering making a five-year offer to Burnett. Dan Graziano believes Burnett has the personality to thrive in New York.

- Ken Rosenthal says it's not out of the question that Burnett's price could rise to five years, $100MM if the Yanks miss out on Sabathia.

More C.C News

- The word around Las Vegas, according to the Los Angeles Daily News, is that Giants officials are supremely confident that they are going to sign CC Sabathia.

- Theo Epstein was said to have taken CC Sabathia to lunch in Las Vegas on Monday.

The Red Sox are believed to have talked about parameters with Sabathia and perhaps even presented the left-hander with an offer.

However, it is believed that Boston is unlikely to top the Yankees' market-setting (or is it market-capping) $140 million, six-year bid and that Epstein probably focused on Sabathia's chances to win with the Red Sox.

Winter Meetings Report 3 - Day 2

- Some chatter today about Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz today. Rangers president Nolan Ryan admitted to interest, but Theo Epstein values him tremendously. Ryan's quote was a tad presumptuous:

I think he's a real talent. Obviously being a Texas kid we think will look really good in a Texas uniform.

- Four California teams are said to be eyeing Randy Johnson: the Dodgers, Angels, Giants, and A's. Mike DiGiovanna learned that the Dodgers and Angels are more on the fringes. We've also seen Johnson linked to the Cubs as a fallback for Jake Peavy.

- The Cubs would possibly entertain trading Carlos Zambrano if they acquire Jake Peavy.

- The Cards have Randy Wolf on the radar.

- The Rays have "at least some interest" in Garrett Anderson.

Significant Trade # 2 Done

An agreement has been reached to send Ramon Hernandez to Cincy for Ryan Freel and two prospects. The Orioles are sending over $1MM, so the deal requires approval of the commissioner's office. I can see how this might work out for both clubs; each player had worn out his welcome.

Winter Meetings Report 2 - Day 2

- So the Mets have signed K-Rod, and my inside source over at WFAN told me that the option for the 4th year is for $14 million. Excellent job by Omar Minaya with the money situation. This should pan out nicely for the Mets.

- The Indians appear to be close to signing closer Kerry Wood to a two-year contract, MLB.com has learned.

A third-year option may or may not be included. If Wood signs with the Indians, it would increase the Tigers' sense of urgency in talks for J.J. Putz.

BIG SIGNING #1 - K-ROD TO THE METS!

The New York Mets agreed to a three-year deal with free-agent reliever Francisco Rodriguez, a source told ESPN.

The deal, worth $37 million plus addition incentives, is pending a physical.
It is a one-year increase over the two years and $24 million the team is said to have initially offered Rodriguez, who broke the major league single-season saves record last season with 62.

FoxSports.com previously had reported that the Mets had offered Rodriguez a third year.

The Mets, whose bullpen was a major culprit in the team's September collapse, are in need of a front-line closer to replace the injured Billy Wagner, who likely will miss all of 2009 following elbow surgery.
The contract would pay Rodriguez about $3 million more than he was offered by the Los Angeles Angels in spring training and $6 million less than Wagner's deal with the Mets.

Winter Meetings Report 1 - Day 2

- The New York Mets are reportedly closing in on a three-year deal for free-agent reliever Francisco Rodriguez.

Sports Illustrated, the New York Post and Newsday reported that the team has offered K-Rod a three-year deal. It is a one-year increase over the two years and $24 million the team is said to have initially offered Rodriguez, who broke the major league single-season saves record last season with 62.

Sports Illustrated and Newsday reported that the deal is worth about $37 million. "It's going to get done,'' a person familiar with the talks said, according to SI.com.

Rodriguez's agent, Paul Kinzer, said, "I am more optimistic than I have ever been" about finalizing a deal between K-Rod and the Mets, according to the Post. "We will know more in the next 24 hours, but so far everything has been positive."

FoxSports.com previously had reported that the Mets had offered Rodriguez a third year.

The Mets, whose bullpen was a major culprit in the team's September collapse, are in need of a front-line closer to replace the injured Billy Wagner, who likely will miss all of 2009 following elbow surgery.

The contract would pay Rodriguez about $3 million more than he was offered by the Los Angeles Angels in spring training and $6 million less than Wagner's deal with the Mets, according to SI.com.

- WFAN's Sweeney Murti says the Braves are in serious discussions with the White Sox regarding Jermaine Dye.

It had been previously reported that the Braves had interest, so this is believable. Obviously, a Dye acquisition would clear the way for the Braves to trade Jeff Francoeur to the Royals for Zack Greinke, Joakim Soria and 1,000,000 shares of Walmart stock.

- Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune writes that it would "be a stunner" if the Cubs don't acquire Jake Peavy by the end of this week's winter meetings.

A four-team deal could be in the works with Peavy heading to Chicago, Mark DeRosa to Philadelphia, and Felix Pie to Baltimore. The Padres would receive Garrett Olson, J.A. Happ and Sean Marshall. The Cubs would also like to unload Jason Marquis and some of his $9.5 million 2009 salary on either the Orioles or Phillies. It seems like an excellent deal for the Cubs, who would open the '09 season with a rotation of Peavy, Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster, Rich Harden and Ted Lilly.

- The Los Angeles Dodgers are expected to announce the signings of Casey Blake and Mark Loretta on Tuesday.

Blake has agreed to a three-year deal worth slightly more than $17.1 million. It's believed the Minnesota Twins had offered him a two-year contract in the neighborhood of $14 million.

Loretta has agreed to a one-year, $1.25 million deal. He figures to be the Dodgers' primary backup at all four infield positions.


- Yahoo's Tim Brown talked to an AL exec whose team is in the market for a shortstop, and learned that the Rangers are quietly shopping Michael Young. Young's five-year, $80MM extension will begin next year. He's got no-trade protection to deal with. The Rangers would want young pitching back for Young. It will be hard to find a team willing to take on that contract.

SI.com's Jon Heyman says the Mets, Angels, Dodgers, and Royals inquired on Young. He says the Rangers are not shopping Young but will listen. The Mets might have to move Luis Castillo before they could slot Young in at second base.

- Joel Sherman says the "Blue Jays have now acknowledged there is almost no way Burnett is returning," which J.P. Ricciardi pretty much said publicly a few days ago. Sherman notes that they hope to sign Carl Pavano to a minor league deal.

- Young is not as pricey as we thought - Ken Rosenthal says he's already been paid $20MM in bonus money from his new deal, leaving $60MM or so over five years (Heyman said something similar). But, Rosenthal says the Rangers are unlikely to seriously consider trading him.

- According to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News, the Yankees are preparing an offer for Ben Sheets to be made within 72 hours. Feinsand believes it will be in the two-year, $26MM range.

- The Dodgers have made re-signing Furcal their top priority, says Tom Verducci.

Though Furcal reportedly rejected an Oakland offer of four years for $35-40MM, GM Billy Beane would not say his pursuit is over.

- According to Ken Rosenthal, the Giants intend to meet with C.C. Sabathia, perhaps in San Francisco this weekend. They weren't able to get together while Sabathia was in Vegas.

- Yahoo's Gordon Edes surveyed several club officials, and they believe the Red Sox will sign Mark Teixeira. They have the money and a strong relationship with Scott Boras. However, the Yankees are heavily interested even if they've yet to make an offer. And the Angels are said to be "desperate" to retain Tex. As far as we know, no one's made an offer. Edes sees the Orioles and Nationals on the periphery, though both clubs are serious about Teixeira.

C.C Wants to be in Dodger Blue?

Maybe CC Sabathia does indeed want to work close to home.

Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti told ESPN.com's Jayson Stark on Monday that he ran into the free agent on Sunday night in a hotel lobby and the left-hander told him that he wants to be a Dodger.

Although the New York Yankees and Milwaukee Brewers have made offers to the prize of the free-agent class, speculation continued that Sabathia would want to play near the home he is building in Southern California.

Colletti didn't rule out making a run at Sabathia, who along with Mark Teixeira are the two highest-priced free agents on the market.

"It's a possibility," Colletti said Monday. "It's an interesting dynamic with anybody who is long-term at a salary that's higher than most. When you're talking about a player who is long-term, it's going to change the dynamic of your team in some way."

Colletti insisted Monday he will work hard at this week's baseball winter meetings to settle things at third base and the middle of the infield. He has already met with representatives for free-agent shortstop Rafael Furcal at the Bellagio and was hopeful of re-signing third baseman Casey Blake. The sides apparently were discussing a three-year deal Monday.

Sabathia did meet with the Yankees on Sunday and Monday, and his representatives spoke with the Brewers on Monday.

According to a baseball man with knowledge of the meeting, Sabathia wanted to meet with the Yankees on Sunday because he's "trying to gather information" about the franchise and New York.

According to the New York Post, the Yankees also met with Sabathia's former teammate, Ben Sheets, on Monday.

Sabathia and his agent, Greg Genske, met for about 2½ hours on Sunday with Yankees GM Brian Cashman, manager Joe Girardi and adviser Reggie Jackson. And the main focus of the conversation, the source said, was whether Sabathia wants to be a Yankee.

Cashman met alone with Sabathia and his representatives on Monday.

"We're not being played. We're not being manipulated. We're not being used," Cashman said. "I just think that he's making a informed decision, and there is a process that that will take, and it will take as long as it takes."

The Yankees' six-year, $140 million offer to Sabathia has been on the table now for nearly four weeks. Not only has Sabathia not said yes, he has been sending messages to the three interested West Coast teams -- the Dodgers, Giants and Angels -- that he would like to play in California.

But in his meeting with the Yankees, Sabathia did not indicate that his delay in signing has anything to do with a preference to play elsewhere, the source said. He's simply attempting to assemble as full a picture as possible before making a major decision. "He just wants to know what it's like to play in New York," the source said.

Brewers general manager Doug Melvin met with Sabathia's representatives for a half hour on Monday afternoon.

Melvin said that the team was still in the running for the left-hander.

"Until we're told we're no longer involved, I take it that we have a chance," Melvin said, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "Teams can pull out, too. I don't know what else is out there. If they told us we weren't still in it, we'd move on."

Sources told the Chicago Tribune that the Brewers had added a sixth year to their initial proposal and that Melvin was considering adding an opt-out clause after three years.

SI.com took that one step further, saying the Brewers were considering an opt-out clause after only two years. That would make Sabathia a free agent again at age 30.

Melvin wouldn't comment on specifics of the deal.

Sabathia's agents have made no public comments since he became a free agent, and Cashman admitted the pitcher is "handling it in a very stealth mode." He brought in Jackson because he was from the Bay Area, became a star with the Yankees and could "give a perspective."

"When all the dust settles, this is the place he had the most fun," Cashman said.

When Sabathia reaches an agreement, teams that fail to land him will scramble for other free-agent starters, a group that includes A.J. Burnett, Derek Lowe and Oliver Perez.

"No one's told me they're waiting for CC to make a decision. It would make sense that that's how things are being directed, but I don't know if that's the case or not," Cashman said.

That's one of the reason's this offseason's free-agent market and trades have been slow to develop.

"It would be nice to be able to say right now that I feel that we're going to leave here with a deal but I can't honestly represent that," Cashman said. "I'm always a negative guy, anyway, too. Think the worst, hope for the best."

Sabathia was scheduled to leave the winter meetings Monday night after huddling with the Boston Red Sox, who are not considered serious suitors.

Giants Possibly Pursuing Anquan Boldin?

The Giants could look to deal for Cardinals receiver Anquan Boldin if Plaxico Burress is done in New York.

Eli Manning no longer has a legitimate top threat without Burress, who could never take the field for the Giants again.

Boldin was unhappy that Arizona didn't upgrade his contract last offseason, and could be upset once again if the Cardinals pass on giving him a big payday.

New York, set at many positions, could offer a first rounder and a little more to the Cardinals for Boldin.

Big News Involving C.C, Burnett, Tex & More

Latest reports out of Las Vegas as of 6:15 pm are the Red Sox are the favorite for Mark Teixiera. If the Sox sign Tex then they will trade Lowell and move Youkilis to 3B. Get ready for your mind to be blown. The Sox with the addition of Tex could possibly trade David Ortiz to free up cap room and make more space for the big switch hitting gold glove first baseman.

The Atlanta Braves are making a full court press on A.J Burnett and expect them to sign him. So the Yankees can cross him of their list. Now the big question is where will C.C sign. Sources now say although the meeting with the Yankees and Sabathia went "great" he still prefers the west coast. Angels are the favorite but they also want Tex back. Should the Angels give C.C 120-130 million you can expect C.C to play for the Halo's. For the sake of the New York Yankees...and especially if the Red Sox get Tex...SIGN HIM IMMEDIATELY...WOW HIM TO DEATH.

Now that Burnett could possibly be out of the picture for the Bronx Bombers, look for them to set their sights permanently on Derek Lowe and Andy Pettite.

According to Michael Kay of 1050 ESPN Radio when speaking with Yankees manager Joe Girardi, Ben Sheets is one of Giardi's favorite players. Girardi told Kay that he would love to have Sheets and that he would take the 20 starts Sheets would give him in exchange for the 15 he would miss because he knows how well those 20 starts would be.

A.J Burnett and Manny Ramirez + more News

The Dodgers are losing patience with Manny Ramirez.

The Los Angeles Dodgers entered the offseason with 12 free agents. As general manager Ned Colletti tries to address voids in the infield, left field and the pitching staff, he appears to be running low on patience for determining where the team stands with Manny Ramirez.

Colletti isn't ruling out a return engagement for Ramirez in Los Angeles in 2009, but he doesn't sound thrilled with the way things have gone thus far with Ramirez and his agent, Scott Boras.

"I just find it curious,'' Colletti said. "We made a [contract] offer and never heard back. We made a [salary] arbitration offer and never heard back. Maybe we have to look into the communications we're using.''

So what are the chances that Ramirez will be a Dodger next season?

"If he shows up in spring training, we'll find him a hat, we'll find him a shirt and we'll play him in the field and figure it out then,'' Colletti said. "But I can't wait until the day he shows up to go after a third baseman or a shortstop or another reliever.''
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Free-agent right-hander A.J. Burnett's agents will be in Las Vegas this afternoon and think talks are progressing with Braves.

• Arizona wants to sign veteran infielder Mark Loretta.

• The Rangers still will talk about catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, even with Gerald Laird having been dealt to Detroit.

More News As of 4:20 pm

- The Tampa Bay Rays have courted Milton Bradley by taking him and his agent out to lunch. According to SI.com's Jon Heyman, the Rays are "thought to be considering" Milton Bradley, Pat Burrell, Bobby Abreu, Jason Giambi, and Raul Ibanez. Heyman adds that Ken Griffey Jr. would be thrilled to play for the Rays.

- Joel Sherman learned from Towers that if he doesn't reach an agreement on a Peavy deal with the Cubs at the Meetings, he will keep the pitcher to start the season. The Dodgers are apparently the only other team to which Peavy has approved a trade.

Sherman adds that the Cubs "are willing to let [Peavy] keep his no-trade clause." Not sure if Sherman is trying to say the Cubs would replace Peavy's partial no-trade rights for 2011 and part of 2012 with full no-trade powers.

- The "great" meeting the Yankees had with C.C Sabathia yesterday could be attested to then bombers bringing in Reggie Jackson. Reggie Jackson joined Brian Cashman and Joe Girardi in what was generally described as an informational meeting with CC Sabathia, mainly with the free agent wanting to collect the information about the Yankees.

The Latest News

- According to Jon Paul Morosi of the Detroit Free Press, the Tigers are targeting Kerry Wood and J.J. Putz for their closer vacancy. The Mets are also competing for both relievers.

Also, ESPN's Jerry Crasnick notes that the Tigers considered trading for Angels catcher Mike Napoli before they acquired Laird. The price for Napoli was too high. WEEI reports that the Tigers also inquired on Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Taylor Teagarden. The Tigers decided against Jason Varitek after he was offered arbitration. According to WEEI's Lou Merloni, Varitek continues to seek a multiyear deal and a starting gig.

- According to Paul Hagen of the Philadelphia Daily News, the Phillies have inquired on Twins outfielder Delmon Young. Hagen believes the Twins would want shortstop prospect Jason Donald in return.

- Joel Sherman of the New York Post says the Indians hope the Mets sign Francisco Rodriguez, as they'd like to get a bargain on Brian Fuentes. The Tribe could also attempt to acquire J.J. Putz from the Mariners.

- According to Ken Rosenthal, the Dodgers are waiting to hear back from Casey Blake about a recent offer. They should hear his decision today. Blake is reportedly seeking three guaranteed years.

- According to ESPN's Jayson Stark, the Phillies and Jamie Moyer "continue to haggle purely over dollars." Phils GM Ruben Amaro Jr. admitted the negotiations have been "a little disappointing."

- The Cardinals are a serious bidder for A.J. Burnett. They also pursued him back in 2005. The Blue Jays would get the Cardinals' #19 pick next June if they sign him. However, Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch recently wrote that the Cards "are not expected to pursue the free agent pool's bigger fish: C.C. Sabathia, Ben Sheets, A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe."

Possible Trade In the Works

The Dodgers and Yankees are reportedly discussing a Robinson Cano deal, with Matt Kemp potentially going the other way.

This has been in the rumor mill since the very end of the season, and it's still hard to tell how much stock to put into it. The Dodgers could use a long-term second baseman, and Cano for Kemp seems pretty even on paper. Still, with so much upside for both players involved, it might be tough for either team to pull the trigger. The current round of talks also include the possibility of Melky Cabrera going to the Dodgers and the Yankees getting some young pitching in return.

More News From Winter Meetings

- Ok So ESPN's has reported that C.C Sabathia and the New York Yankees had a "Great" meeting today. Other news with C.C...the Brewers have added a year to their offer so that it is now a six year deal. They are also talking about adding a opt out clause after year three.

- The Houston Astros have said they are willing to trade Miguel Tejada.

- The Cubs and Padres will be talking once again today regarding a possible Jake Peavy trade.

- Inside sources have said that the offer the Mets offered to K-Rod last night was for three years.



Stay tuned for all the winter meeting goodies right here!

Winter Meetings - Day 1 Rumors and Such.

The biggest deal in the works for day one which kicked off at 12:00am on December 8th was Jermaine Dye to the Reds in exchange for young pitcher Homer Bailey. These rumors started a couple days ago but today we got official news from the Chicago White Sox GM and agent of Jermaine Dye that this deal is not true.

- Walt Jocketty on the report: "Wrong. It's not even close." The Reds haven't had talks with the Sox since before Thanksgiving.

- ESPN's Jerry Crasnick adds that Dye and his agent "haven't heard a word" about a trade. Reds assistant GM Bob Miller rejected the report, adding, "We haven't talked to White Sox since we got here."

The Mets are reported to be offering Francisco Rodriguez, Kerry Wood and Brian Fuentes offers withing the next 24 hours, barring the acceptance from K-Rod who will get the first offer. Stay tuned.

Moving on, a lot of players have declined arbitration from their present teams, C.C Sabathia, Ben Sheets, Oliver Perez, Milton Bradley, Manny Ramirez, Derek Lowe, and Casey Blake are just the big names that declined.

The first acquisition has happened, the Detroit Tigers have signed catcher Gerald Laird.

Keep it here for the latest Winter Meeting News!!

Sorry

Once again i say sorry for the lack of posting, its finals time and ive been doing work. But here we go. Day 1 of the Winter Meetings and Football is getting really heated. Ive got news and exclusive information from Winter Meetings coming, stay tuned.

Jordan Could Have Been a Knick

After the 1995-96 season, there was a possibility of Michael Jordan signing with the New York Knicks in free agency.

At the time, the Knicks were owned in part by ITT, which also owned Sheraton Hotels.

A plan was possibly concocted where Jordan would receive substantial Sheraton holdings, perhaps in endorsement money which would be separate from the salary cap and seemingly within the rules, though a circumvention.

Jordan's agent David Falk initially told the Bulls it would take a salary starting in the mid to high $20s of millions of dollars to sign Jordan.

In the end, the Bulls topped that figure at $30 million and he never played for the Knicks.

Thanks For Nothing

Stephon Marbury will soon either be ordered to stay home indefinitely or be released by the New York Knicks, a source told the New York Daily News.

Marbury again declined to play Wednesday night against the Pistons, the second time he had done so in six days. The same source told the Daily News that Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni considered sending Marbury home that night.

The Knicks are down to two healthy guards -- Chris Duhon and Anthony Roberson -- after Nate Robinson missed Wednesday's game with a groin injury and Cuttino Mobley has not yet been cleared by team doctors.

Marbury is one of the league's highest paid players and is scheduled to make at $20.8 million this season.

Favre Initially Doubted His Decision Of Coming To New York

Brett Favre spoke with Peter King following the Jets' win at Tennessee on Sunday.

"I remember those days," said Favre about how during the summer he only wanted to play for the Packers or Vikings. "I was not open to playing anywhere else, but for all the wrong reasons. For revenge, or whatever. And that was wrong. I knew what a change it would be, especially in New York. I was about to be 39, and New York wasn't a great fit. The media, coming off a 4-12 season, learning a new offense, the high expectations ... Did I really want to go through that?

"A change like that would have been tough on a 22-year-old. As a matter of fact, after I reached the agreement with the Jets, we were in the plane coming up to New Jersey and I thought, 'Oh no! What am I doing? I'm making a big mistake.'

"It might have been more than I was up for. But then [wife] Deanna said something to me that made sense. She said, 'Hey, whether you're here one year, two years, or five weeks, whatever, you've got to be committed.' And she was right. I owed it to the Jets to give them everything I had.

"And it's been great. It hasn't been all smooth, but I've enjoyed it. I'm having fun. Now, if we were 3-8 instead of 8-3, I know I'd be back on the farm next year and it'd be over. But I'm just going to play as hard as I can every week the rest of the way and we'll see how it goes."

With all that being said, Jets fans are happy he is here, and he is playing great for them. The fact that he almost renigged on his decision would make me doubt his commitment. Then again it would have been more important if this came out 2 weeks into the season rather then now. Will Favre come back? Maybe if the Jets make a real run in the playoffs, but as of right now its up in the air in my opinion. All I know is that hes playing like a guy who is 100% committed to winning. With the Jets in first place, I'm sure that does not hurt either.

Orioles In The Hunt For Burnett

The Orioles have joined five other teams in the race to sign free-agent pitcher A.J. Burnett this offseason.

"There is sincere and mutual interest (with the Orioles)," agent Darek Braunecker said. "We're not here to waste people's time or our time. We don't need to create a false market for A.J. Burnett."

Also in the hunt are the Phillies, Braves, Red Sox, Yankees and Blue Jays.

Angels Shifting Thoughts and Money To C.C?

The Angels are in discussions with CC Sabathia and could offer him a contract that approaches the $140 million that was offered by the Yankees.

Team officials claim that the focus has shifted off of free-agent first baseman Mark Teixeira because the Angels are hesitant to guarantee him more than seven years.

"We've had discussions about what the potential framework of a deal might be," general manager Tony Reagins said, not willing to rule Teixeira out. "At this time, I would say we still have interest at a high level. We understood going into this that it was going to take some time to accomplish."

The Big Trades In The Big Apple

As many of you have heard the New York Knicks are preparing for 2010 when a slew of free agent eye candy will be available for the taking.

The Knicks took their first real step towards their goal of getting significantly under the cap by trading Jamal Crawford, Zach Randolph and Marty Collins, freeing up almost 27 million in those three players alone for 2010.

There has been a snag in the deal involving Randolph and Collins. The Knicks sent Randolph and Collins to the Clippers in exchange for Tim Thomas and Cuttino Mobley. It has been reported now that Cuttino Mobley has failed his physical due to a heart condition he has been playing with his entire career. Although it has not hampered him in his career to date, its a concern for the Knicks and the league as far as putting the trade through.

The Knicks have said they will not void the trade, but Mobley will be seeing another heart doctor today for an 2nd opinion.

The biggest thing to take from this trade is the Knicks are finally on the right track to success. Yes they got rid of their two best players and two best scoring options but they are getting ready for LeBron. And that is a great thing to be patient for.

Gang Green Ends Titans Perfect Season

Undefeated no more are the Tennessee Titans thanks to Leon Washington and the New York Jets.

The Jets proved to the world on Sunday that they are for real and are going to make a real push in the AFC.

The Jets out matched the Titans at every position from quarterback to defensive line. Calvin Pace was around Kerry Collins all game and the run game that Tennessee is known for was shut down thanks in large part to Kris Jenkins.

With this big win for the Jets they must gather a few things. The first being that they now know they are a complete 180 from the team they were last season. They move the ball and have a defense that can stop everything. They now know they can hang with anyone, who else is out there that is on the same caliber as the Titans? The Giants and the only way gang green faces big blue is in the Super Bowl.

Leon Washington has become such a weapon for the Jets that at any second he can blow up your team and won't look back....unless its to see how far ahead of the defense he is already. 2 touchdowns for Washington on Sunday further proved why this team would not be where they are today without him.

Although the Jets are not totally in the clear, the Patriots got revenge on the Dolphins for the wildcat game 1.0 with a big win as Randy Moss scored 3 touchdowns and Matt Cassell threw for 400 yards again. The Bills trampled the Chiefs putting over 50 on the scoreboard. That being said the Jets with the win today proved to be a force to be reckoned with in the league. Momentum is on their side now heading down the home stretch.

And for the record, yes I did pick the Jets to win today.

Somewhere Mercury Morris is laughing and sipping champagne.

Brewers and Giants Talking a Cain for Fielder Deal?

A non-Giants' source has told the San Francisco Chronicle that there remains some dialog between the Giants and Brewers about a possible deal for first baseman Prince Fielder or shortstop J.J. Hardy, but the source said the Brewers are hesitant to move them, particularly Fielder.

Tony Romo: One Hell of a Guy

So Tony Romo is apparently a really nice guy, even though he plays quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys.


The Dallas Morning News reported on Wednesday that the Cowboys quarterback took a homeless man to the movies recently.

The man, who goes by Doc, was outside a theater when a man came up and offered to pay his way to see a movie. Planning on passing out fliers for a consignment store across the street, Doc declined. But then he realized that he had just turned down Romo.

He ran across the street, asked for the day off and ran back to the theater. Romo and Doc ended up sitting together watching the movie "Role Model." Doc told the newspaper that he informed Romo that he hadn't showered in days.

"Don't worry about that," Romo said, according to the newspaper. "I'm used to locker rooms."

He confirmed the encounter with Doc but wouldn't elaborate.

This latest gesture really impressed Doc.

"For me, it was a blessing," Doc said. "It came at just the right time. It gave me some encouragement and faith in mankind. I just wanted to say thank you."

So Romo is now Mother Theresa. I commend him on his nice gesture, maybe he should have offered him a shower, then again he said he did not mind the stench.

Touchdown Romo to Doc.

Message To All Readers

Thank you for reading and sticking with this. I have tried hard to update this as much as possible. Of late i have been really busy and have just posted stories i found interesting. The post right before this is my first actual written post and i loved writing it on the train as it was stalled for a half hour. I will be updating more often. Thanks once again.

New York Sports, At an All Time High?

New York is already the sports and media capitol of the world and yet this year its getting even bigger. In case you forgot the New York Giants won the Super Bowl last year adding another notch to the New York greatness belt. So what do they do this year well all they have done was post a 9-1 record through 10 games, and are arguably the best team in the league. Getting their last win over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday as they ran for 207 yards on the team with the best run defense....not so much. All of the prognosticators said there is no way the Giants can bounce back with the losses of Osi Umenyiora, Michael Strahan, Gibirl Wilson and Kawika Mitchell. Yet Justin Tuck, Mathias Kiwanuka, Fred Robbins, Cory Webster and Aaron Ross have this defense heralded as the main component for a repeat of the 2007 season.

Then there are the New York Jets. In the off season the Jets were poised to turn their fortunes around so they opened their wallets and did just that. Inking Alan Faneca, Calvin Pace, Kris Jenkins, and Brett Favre are now paying off in huge dividends. This past Thursday the Jets topped the first place Patriots to leap frog them and take the thrown in the AFC east. The run defense has improved dramatically with Jenkins plugging up the middle with his 350 lbs+ frame. Now being 7-3 the Jets are ready to face off with the 10-0 Tennessee Titans and really be put to the test. Brett Favre has been slinging the ball around like he did in Green Bay and has the Jets offense looking potent. Rookie TE Dustin Keller has become a great target for Favre along with Lavereus Coles and Jerricho Cotchery. Could the Jets and Giants both be on their way to first round byes in the playoffs?? Or better yet begin to book their tickets to Tampa...

Then we move to the other dominant story in New York, the Yankees and Mets. For the first time in 14 years the post season was vacant in the room which was reserved for a New York franchise. The off season brings enormous questions for both teams. The Yankees have freed up 80 million in cap space and are ready to unload on the free agent market. #1 target is C.C Sabathia. They have already placed their offer of 6 years for 140 million. The richest contract for a pitcher in history. #2 on their list is A.J Burnett. Their offer for him came today supposidly for 5 years and 80 million. The next intriguing options for the Yankees are Derek Lowe and Mark Texieria. Oh and lets not forget the bombers are interested in acquiring Jake Peavy from the Padres. (Give them Robinson Cano, Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes or Austin Jackson and call it a deal!) Its clear that the opening of the New Stadium will bring change to the Yankees line up and rotation as they will do all it takes to win. High Payroll and all.

The Metropolitans have issues of their own like the bullpen that were catalysts for 30 blown saves this past season. So with Billy Wagner out for the season a closer is priority #1 for the Mets. Names being floated around surround Francisco "K-Rod" Rodriguez. Rodriguez's agent wants 100 million over 5 years. That's 10 million more than Mariano Rivera, the greatest closer of all time who set the reliever contract record last season by getting 15 million a year. Other names out there Brian Fuentes and Kerry Wood. The Mets are in desperate need of all bullpen help as their leading candidate for closing and being a big player is Aaron Hielman...how did that work out last year. Priority #2 for the Mets is to get another starter. Oliver Perez is a free agent will they bring him back? Pedro Martinez apparently has said he is looking at other places to pitch and probably has outstayed his welcome. As far as position players the Mets are pretty set. Their left side of the infield is set for years. 2nd base is still a question mark and Carlos Delgado was given a 1 year extension. The Mets could get a veteran like Raul Ibanez to play left field while Dave Murphy matures more.

Then last but not least are the lovely New York Knicks. The Knicks are actually winning. That's right winning not losing like we are use to. The hire of Mike D'Antoni has proven to be a success thus far. The Knickerbockers are the highest scoring team in the league and are actually a threat. Stephon Marbury has all but been banned from the Garden and Eddy Curry iis literally to fat to play. But the face paced, shooting 7 seconds or ill kill you offense that worked so great for the Suns is clearly doing well in the big apple. Jamal Crawford and Zach Randolph have been key components in D'Antoni's full octane style of play averaging close to 20 points a game, and for Randolph he is adding a slew of rebounds and is a walking double-double. Chris Duhon has given them stable point guard play, someone who has a pass first mentality and gets assists. How long can this New York team play this well, will we be able to mention the Knicks and the playoffs in the same sentence once again? Then comes next season....at forward number 23 from Akron Ohio...LeBron James?? Hey you never know

LeBron Getting Ready For Steep Offers

Sonny Vaccaro, a former shoe executive who is as well connected as anyone in the game of basketball, believes LeBron James will end up with the Knicks in 2010.

The Nets were once believed to be the favorites to land James, but with their Brooklyn arena project stalled, the club looks like they will be stuck in New Jersey.

“LeBron’s relationship with Jay-Z will go on regardless,” Vaccaro said. “He’ll be an international celebrity in New York. If the Nets aren’t in Brooklyn, he’s not going over there for even $200 million. They’re putting pieces together. They’re doing the right things. They’re just living in the wrong building.”

Cleveland Pursuing All Time Saves Leader

The Indians want to sign reliever Trevor Hoffman, but they won't target just the former Padres' closer.

"If there's a back-end bullpen alternative out there, then we're going to explore it," GM Mark Shapiro told MLB.com on Friday.

Randy To The Cubs?

The Cubs are reportedly interested in signing free agent pitcher Randy Johnson to a one-year deal.

General manager Jim Hendry still wants to re-sign Ryan Dempster, but is moving ahead with contingency plans in case Dempster leaves.

Johnson's agent, Alan Nero, said on Friday that Johnson "would seem to be a perfect fit" for the Cubs.

Yanks Eyeing Peavy

The Yankees are keeping an eye on San Diego's Jake Peavy as they continue to court free agents like CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe.

The Yankees and Padres have had "numerous discussions" about Peavy, according to a Major League source.

The Braves recently pulled out of the race for Peavy, and Padres GM Kevin Towers said Thursday that the Cubs are no longer a player in the trade talks.

"As of right now, there hasn't been a deal that's been presented to us that we could accept," Towers said.

Yankees Ready to Spend

Yankees co-chairman Hal Steinbrenner claims that the team is prepared to spend whatever they have to in order to field a championship-caliber team next season.

"We're going to do what we do every year, and that's try to field a championship team," Steinbrenner said on Tuesday. "That's not going to change. We know that we've got some weaknesses, and we're going to fix the problems as best we can. If that means spending money, obviously that means spending money. The philosophy has not changed."

New York is expected to be very aggressive beginning on Friday, when free agent offers can officially be made.

"Everything has a price," Steinbrenner said. "We understand free agency. We're going to go after what we need, and if what we can do and what we're willing to do is not enough, then it won't be enough. But we're going to pursue the market aggressively."

Longoria and Soto Win ROY

The rookie races were all but over by July, when Evan Longoria and Geovany Soto gave an All-Star glimpse of things to come.

Longoria won the American League Rookie of the Year award in a unanimous vote and Soto ran away with the NL honor Monday, capping impressive seasons that included All-Star appearances for both players at Yankee Stadium.

Pretty rare stuff for a pair of first-timers -- but these were no ordinary freshmen.

"I had a great year, bar none," Longoria said. "I know I have the ability to do more."

Following a season of breakthroughs for the AL champion Rays, Longoria became the first Tampa Bay player to win a national award from the Baseball Writers' Association of America. The power-hitting third baseman received all 28 first-place votes, making him the league's first unanimous rookie winner since Nomar Garciaparra in 1997.

Soto, the steady catcher with pop who helped the Cubs win the NL Central, got 31 of 32 first-place votes. The other went to Cincinnati's Joey Votto.

"It's kind of surreal. It really hasn't sunk in yet," Soto said on a conference call from Puerto Rico.

Called up from the minors in April, Longoria batted .272 with 27 homers and 85 RBIs despite missing five weeks after breaking his right wrist Aug. 7. Confident at the plate and splendid on defense, he was a big reason for the Rays' stunning surge to the World Series after 10 straight losing seasons.

"I definitely felt some awe most of the time during the season. I kept that to myself," Longoria said on a conference call from his California home. "I didn't start the year in the big leagues. I struggled all the way through high school ball and college ball. The journey that I went through as a baseball player -- to be sitting here means a lot."

Chicago White Sox second baseman Alexei Ramirez was the runner-up after receiving 18 second-place votes. Boston outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury finished third.

Soto hit .285 with 23 homers, 35 doubles and 86 RBIs. He became the first catcher to win Rookie of the Year in either league since Mike Piazza of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1993.

The previous winner from the Cubs was pitcher Kerry Wood 10 years ago.

"I just didn't want to put extra pressure on myself. I just wanted to do my job as the team required," Soto said.

The Rays were so sure Longoria would become a big star that they gave him a $17.5 million, six-year contract after only six major league games. The deal could be worth up to $44.5 million over nine seasons.

So far, he's delivered.

Tampa Bay started play in 1998 and had never won more than 70 games until Longoria helped lead the Rays to 97 wins this year and the AL East title. He also hit a tying double with two outs in the eighth inning during the July 15 All-Star Game in New York.

Soto became the first National League rookie catcher to start an All-Star Game. In addition to his productive hitting all season, he did a nice job handling a Cubs pitching staff that compiled a 3.87 ERA, third-best in the NL. He even caught a no-hitter by Carlos Zambrano.

Soto credited backup catcher Henry Blanco and other veteran teammates for giving him advice and pep talks that guided him through a "roller coaster" year.

"That's what helped me have a strong season all the way around," Soto said. "I did try to act very sure about myself, very secure. But I had doubts."

After his injury, Longoria, who turned 23 last month, returned in time for Tampa Bay's playoff run. He homered in his first two postseason at-bats against the White Sox, then connected four times against Boston in the AL Championship Series to set a rookie record with six homers in one postseason.

But his offensive tear ended in the World Series, when Longoria went 1-for-20 with nine strikeouts and two RBIs as the Philadelphia Phillies beat Tampa Bay in five games.

"Obviously, I would have loved to play well and help the team," Longoria said. "I was still pretty content that we had a great year."

The 25-year-old Soto had a disappointing October after his team compiled the best regular-season record in the National League. Bothered by a nagging hand injury, he went 2-for-11 (.182) with no RBIs as Chicago was swept in the first round by the Dodgers, leaving the Cubs without a World Series title since 1908.

Balloting for BBWAA awards is conducted before the postseason. Votto garnered 21 second-place votes and 76 points to Soto's 158. Atlanta pitcher Jair Jurrjens came in third.

"I worked really, really hard in past years," Soto said. "I feel very, very special right now. It's a very good moment in my life."

The NL Cy Young Award will be announced Tuesday.