MLB rumors

• The Yankees and Red Sox are still battling for the services of Johan Santana. The same names are still being thrown around in possible deals, but New York's recent interest in Mark Loretta suggests that they may be thinking of including Robinson Cano in a trade. However, I still find that unlikely.
  
• If Boston does not get Santana, expect them to turn their attention to Oakland's Danny Haren. As a matter of fact, some feel that Haren is actually Boston's number one target and that they are just bluffing on Santana to drive up his price for the Yankees.
• A day after the Angels came out and say they and the Dodgers were not happy with the way the Marlins were handling trade talks for Miguel Cabrera, the Giants made a similar statement, saying that Florida's asking price is unrealistic. The Marlins probably wanted one of Tim Lincecum or Matt Cain plus more from San Francisco.
• Several teams are interested in Baltimore's Erik Bedard, including the Yankees, Mets, Mariners, Angels, and Dodgers. The Mets are reportedly throwing an offer of Carlos Gomez, Philip Humber, and Aaron Heilman out there while Los Angeles is dangling Matt Kemp, Clayton Kershaw, and Jonathan Broxton. They obviously would not include all three, but one might go in any deal for Bedard.
• The White Sox may talk with the Pirates about Jason Bay.
• Houston is reportedly very close to signing Kaz Matsui.
• The Rockies have re-signed Yorvit Torrealba to a two-year, $7.25 million deal with a $4 million mutual option for 2010.
• Toronto has expressed interest in Paul Lo Duca.
• LaTroy Hawkins is drawing interest from plenty of teams, including the Yankees and Tigers. Don't count out the possibility of the Rockies re-signing the reliever, either.
  

Mets send Milledge to Nats for two

The New York Mets sent outfielder Lastings Milledge to the Washington Nationals for catcher Brian Schneider and outfielder Ryan Church on Friday.

Milledge was touted by the Mets as a top prospect for the past several years, but attitude problems and mediocre performance prompted New York to deal the 22-year old who batted .272 with seven homers and 29 RBI last season.

Schneider leaves the Nationals after spending his entire eight-year career with the organization. He batted .235 with six homers and 54 RBI in 2007 and is a lifetime .252 hitter. Church, 29, hit .272, belted 15 long balls, and drove in 72 runs last year.

Santana sweepstakes drawing to a close?

• The Yankees are still the top dogs in the chase, but are very reluctant to offer Philip Hughes. They are currently offering Minnesota a package including Ian Kennedy and Melky Cabrera, but the Twins would prefer Hughes to Kennedy.
  
• Boston is giving the Yankees a run for their money, but they are still refusing to include Jacoby Ellsbury in any deal and will not budge on Clay Buchholz. They will, however, to send Jon Lester Minnesota's way along with some prospects, namely Brandon Moss, Jed Lowrie, and pitchers Michael Bowden and Justin Masterson. Obviously all four would not go in the trade, but I would assume at least two would have to be dealt.
  

Santana updates

• The Yankees have stated that Joba Chamberlain and Robinson Cano are untouchable, so one would assume that Philip Hughes and Melky Cabrera would be the main pieces of this deal. Jose Tabata and/or Alan Horne, another one of the Bombers' young pitchers, are other candidates who might be involved in the package. If New York does in fact deal Cabrera, they would be interested in Aaron Rowand.
• Boston is doing everything they can to keep Clay Buchholz and Jacoby Ellsbury out of these talks. They are reportedly offering Kevin Youkilis and prospects Jed Lowrie and Brandon Moss. However, Minnesota wants Ellsbury, and if the Red Sox decide to include the young outfielder in the deal, Santana will be playing in Boston next season.
  
• The Angels are trying to jump in on the Santana chase as well, and they have loads to offer including top pitching prospect Nick Adenhart. The Twins would probably also ask for Brandon Wood and another player, possibly Reggie Willits or Jeff Mathis. Ervin Santana may also be discussed.
  

Twins, Rays close to deal

The Minnesota Twins and Tampa Bay Rays are close to completing a significant trade, and no, it does not involve Johan Santana. In the deal, the Twins would send Matt Garza, Jason Bartlett, and Juan Rincon to the Rays for Delmon Young, Brendan Harris, and Jason Pridie.

Breaking down the candidates for Santana

1. New York Yankees- The Yankees are clearly the frontrunners for Johan Santana's services, and they have the goods that Minnesota wants. Melky Cabrera would have to go in any deal for the left-hander, and he would most likely have to be accompanied by Philip Hughes. New York probably will not be forced to include Robinson Cano, and if the Twins asked I'd imagine they would be turned down immediately. The Yankees have also deemed Joba Chamberlain untouchable. Don't be surprised to see a deal that would send Cabrera, Hughes, and another pitching prospect (maybe Alan Horne or Humberto Sanchez?) for Santana.
2. Boston Red Sox- Boston has enough to acquire Santana, but the question is whether or not they would give any of it up. The Red Sox have repeatedly stated that they are not trading Clay Buchholz, and although Jacoby Ellsbury is not untouchable, they would really like to do everything in their power to keep him as well. Jon Lester is another candidate to be involved in a potential deal, but Minnesota would want much more than Lester and some prospects.
3. Los Angeles Dodgers- The Dodgers have more than any other team on this list, but Ned Colletti has said that he does not want to give many of his young players up, and I can't blame him. The Marlins wanted some combination of Matt Kemp, James Loney, Andy LaRoche, Clayton Kershaw, and Chad Billingsley for Miguel Cabrera, but Colletti refused. For Santana, the Dodgers would certainly have to include one of Kershaw or Billingsley and then some. I would think the Twins would have the most interest in Kemp. The chances of Los Angeles making a deal for the two-time Cy Young award winner are very slim.
4. New York Mets- They are the least likely of any of the teams on this list to make a deal for Santana, especially because they will not include Jose Reyes in any trade for the 29-year old. The Mets could try and lure Minnesota into taking a deal consisting of either Mike Pelfrey or Philip Humber and Carlos Gomez or Fernando Martinez plus some other prospects, but I can't see the Twins biting on that. Pelfrey and Humber both saw their stocks drop this past season, and Gomez may never be anything more than a .240-.250 hitter on the major-league level.
5. Seattle Mariners- This one is really out there, but the Mariners are rumored to be in the running for the star pitcher's services. Things would start with Adam Jones, one of the top outfielding prospects in baseball. Minnesota may also ask for Jeff Clement and/or Wladimir Balentien, two more highly-touted minor-leaguers in Seattle's system. However, the Mariners love all three players, and it seems very unlikely that they would deal two of them in a deal for anyone.
   

Tuesday's MLB notes

• The Twins want Melky Cabrera and one of the Yankees' young pitchers for Johan Santana. Philip Hughes seems to be the most logical, as New York does not want to give up Joba Chamberlain and Minnesota will likely want more than Ian Kennedy. The Red Sox are also interested in Santana, but they would have to give up Clay Buchholz and Jacoby Ellsbury, something they are not willing to do.
  
• It's looking less and less like Miguel Cabrera is going to get traded. About a week after the Dodgers backed out of the Cabrera sweepstakes, the Angels are now pulling out because the Marlins are asking for much more than the Halos are willing to pay.
• The Dodgers are interested in Erik Bedard, but for some reason, the Orioles want to see what happens with Florida's Cabrera first before they try and trade the left-hander.
• Minnesota is very interested in Coco Crisp, and it has been reported that the Twins and Red Sox are in serious discussions about the center-fielder.
• Jose Guillen will probably wind up in either Kansas City or Baltimore.
  

Santana headed to the Bronx?

The Minnesota Twins and New York Yankees are in trade talks involving star pitcher Johan Santana. The Twins reportedly offered Santana a multi-year contract worth $93 million last week, but that seems to have fizzled out, and Minnesota is now shopping the two-team AL Cy Young award winner.

The Yankees would probably have to part with Philip Hughes and Melky Cabrera, and possibly more. Another candidate to be involved in a potential trade is Ian Kennedy. Both Hughes and Kennedy are two of New York's top pitching prospects, and each spent time in the majors last season.

However, the Yankees are not the only team making a big push for Santana. The Mets, Red Sox, and Dodgers are also trying to acquire the soon-to-be 29-year old left-hander, but the Bronx Bombers appear to be the frontrunners at the current time.

Santana went 15-13 with a 3.33 ERA and struck out 235 in 219 innings last season. He owns a lifetime record of 93-44 and an ERA of 3.22.

Preview: Vikings vs. Giants

The New York Giants have all but locked up a spot in the playoffs, while the Minnesota Vikings are fighting for their postseason lives. These two teams will meet on Sunday at the Meadowlands.

The Giants, 7-3, are sitting comfortably in the first wild-card spot in the NFC. They hold a two-game lead in the loss column over the 6-5 Detroit Lions, and that gap is essentially three games since New York holds the tiebreaker over Detroit. It would take a monumental collapse over the remaining several weeks of the season for the Giants to miss the playoffs.

Minnesota, on the other hand, owns a record of 4-6 and is tied for last in the NFC North. Excluding New York, five teams are positioned ahead of them for the sixth and final playoff spot in the conference. However, the Vikings will have a chance to make things much easier on themselves when they play some of those teams in the future, as they face off against the Lions next week and the 5-5 Redskins on Dec. 23rd.

On a negative note, Minnesota still isn't sure when star rookie halfback Adrian Peterson will return. The league-leading rusher tore his lateral collateral ligament in his knee two weeks ago against Green Bay and will most likely be on the sidelines for at least one more game. Fortunately for the Vikings, Chester Taylor was more than ready to carry the load in their last contest, rushing for 164 yards and three touchdowns against the Raiders in place of Peterson.

The Giants have some injury issues of their own. They lost second-year linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka to a broken fibula last week against Detroit, and halfback Brandon Jacobs left the game with a pulled hamstring. Kiwanuka is done for the year, and although Jacobs was last considered out for Sunday's game, there is still a chance he may play. Another New York halfback, Derrick Ward, is expected to miss his fourth straight game with an ankle injury. If neither player goes, Reuben Droughns will get the start and rookie Ahmad Bradshaw will handle some of the workload. Also, wide receiver Plaxico Burress is still being hindered by a bum ankle, and it has gotten worse over the past couple of weeks. He will play this weekend, but the 6'5" Burress is not close to 100%.

The last time these two teams met was back on Nov. 14th, 2005, a 24-21 Minnesota victory. Brad Johnson was the squad's quarterback that year, but the Vikings are now led by sophomore signal-caller Tarvaris Jackson. Jackson has struggled mightily in the six games he has played this season, throwing only two touchdown passes and compiling a paltry 55.5 quarterback rating. But, in the 24-year old's defense, Minnesota doesn't exactly have the greatest receivers. Bobby Wade leads the team in receiving yards with only 358, and the Vikings have only gotten three touchdowns from wide-outs this year, two of them coming from rookie Sidney Rice.

Giants' quarterback Eli Manning got back on track last week against the Lions, completing 28-of-39 passes for 283 yards and a touchdown. New York plays only one team over .500 the rest of the way, that team being the undefeated New England Patriots in week 17. The Giants sit two games back of Dallas for the NFC East lead, although the Cowboys hold the tiebreaker between the two squads, technically ballooning their cushion to three games.

Reds come to terms with closer Cordero

The Cincinnati Reds signed closer Francisco Cordero to a four-year, $46 million deal on Friday, the largest four-year contract ever for a closer. The deal also includes an $11 million club option for 2012.

Cordero, 32, saved 44 games in 51 opportunities and posted a 2.98 ERA last season for the Milwaukee Brewers. He also struck out 86 in 63.1 innings. The nine-year veteran spent most of his career in Texas with the Rangers (2000-2006), but was shipped to Milwaukee in a trade during the 2006 season.

Angels come out of nowhere to sign Hunter

It looked for sure that Torii Hunter would sign with either the Texas Rangers or Chicago White Sox, but he shockingly agreed to a five-year, $90 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday night.

The 32-year old Hunter spent all of his 11 seasons with the Minnesota Twins, collecting seven consecutive Gold Gloves (2001-2007) for his outstanding work in center field in the process. He also had the best season of his career at the plate this past year, batting .287 with 28 homers and 107 RBI. Hunter, a career .271 hitter, hit .278 while belting 31 homers and driving in 98 runs in 2006.

Hunter also hopes to bring some postseason experience for a club that has struggled in the playoffs their past few appearances. He is a lifetime .300 hitter in four October series'.

Kendall to Milwaukee; Hunter has five offers

• The Brewers signed Jason Kendall to a one-year deal. The 33-year old catcher batted .241 with three homers and 41 RBI with the Athletics and Cubs last season.
• The Angels may have interest in two of their former players: David Eckstein and Darin Erstad.
• The Yankees would consider trading Philip Hughes in a deal for Johan Santana. Boston might think about parting with Clay Buchholz.
• Cincinnati may deal either Ryan Freel or Josh Hamilton to clear a spot for prospect Jay Bruce. However, it seems very unlikely that they would trade Hamilton.
• Ian Snell of the Pirates may be on the trading block. The 26-year old right-hander posted a 3.76 ERA in 2007.
• It has been reported that Torii Hunter has at least five offers on the table. The Rangers and White Sox appear to be the two most aggressive teams in the sweepstakes, while the Nationals, Dodgers, and Royals have all made offers, as well.
• Troy Percival is drawing plenty of interest. Some teams chasing him include the Yankees, Giants, Brewers, Astros, and Rays. The 38-year old posted a 1.80 ERA and struck out 36 in 40 innings last season.
• There is a rumor that Oakland GM Billy Beane may trade both Danny Haren and Joe Blanton.
• The Mets may wind up non-tendering Johnny Estrada, whom they just acquired in a trade for Guillermo Mota yesterday.
• Texas is slightly interested in Scott Podsednik. The 31-year old outfielder was designated for assignment by the White Sox yesterday.
  

Brewers send Estrada to Mets

The New York Mets finally completed their search for their next catcher on Tuesday night, sending reliever Guillermo Mota to the Milwaukee Brewers for Johnny Estrada.

Estrada, 31, batted .278 with 10 homers and 54 RBI in 442 at-bats last year with Milwaukee. In 2006, he batted .302 and drove in 71 runs. He is a lifetime .280 hitter, his best season coming in 2004 when he hit .314 while driving in 76 runs for the Atlanta Braves.

The 34-year old Mota, once viewed as one of the league's best relief pitchers, is coming off a miserable 2007 campaign. He missed the first 50 games of the season thanks to a steroid suspension, and then proceeded to post a 5.76 ERA in 52 appearances. He also allowed eight home runs and blew three saves.

Around the majors

• The Yankees are reportedly interested in relievers Ron Mahay and Scott Linebrink. Because Linebrink is a type A free agent, they would have to relinquish their 28th overall draft pick to Milwaukee in exchange for the right-hander. The Astros, White Sox, and Pirates all have interest, as well. In Mahay's case, no draft pick would have to be given up in return because he is a type B free agent. Several other teams are also looking at him, namely Atlanta, the Brewers, Tampa Bay, Colorado, and Kansas City.
• The Rangers are discussing a potential five-year deal with Torii Hunter. Hunter met with Rangers' brass last night. The White Sox, Dodgers, and possibly even the Brewers will also make a play at the outfielder.
• The Indians signed Japanese reliever Masahide Kobayashi to a two-year, $6.25 million contract. Kobayashi, 33, went 2-7 with a 3.61 ERA in Japan last season.
• The Mets are rumored to be trying to make a trade with the Nationals involving catcher Brian Schneider and outfielder Ryan Church. Second baseman Ronnie Belliard was also a part of the talks at first, but the signing of Luis Castillo took Belliard out of the picture.
• The White Sox designated Scott Podsednik for assignment. They are also aggressively shopping shortstop Juan Uribe, as he is now out of a position due to the acquisition of Orlando Cabrera. The Devil Rays are showing interest in the 28-year old who hit 20 homers in 2007. Chicago, who just dealt Jon Garland for Cabrera yesterday, may be trying to clear payroll to sign Hunter.
  
• Pittsburgh relievers Solomon Torres, Damaso Marte, and John Grabow are all on the trading block and drawing interest. Marte is probably the most valuable of the three, as he posted a 2.38 ERA and struck out 51 in 45.1 innings last season.
• The Phillies may have interest in Baltimore's Melvin Mora. Mora would waive his no-trade clause should he get dealt to Philadelphia.
• Don't be surprised to see the Giants put Bengie Molina on the block, and with the scant supply of catchers in free agency, he would draw plenty of interest despite his old age.
  

Rollins captures first MVP award

Jimmy Rollins said at the beginning of the year that the Philadelphia Phillies were the team to beat in the NL East. He was right, and he backed up his talk with his play. The 28-year old shortstop won the National League MVP award, it was announced on Tuesday.

Rollins received 16 of a possible 32 first-place votes, edging out Colorado Rockies' left-fielder Matt Holliday, who received 11. Rollins also totaled 353 points in the balloting while Holliday finished with 336.

Rollins batted .296 with 30 homers, 94 RBI, and 41 stolen bases this past season and led the Phillies to their first NL East title since 1993. Philadelphia went 89-73, but was knocked out of the first round of the playoffs by Holliday's Rockies in three games. Rollins struggled in that series, batting only .182 (2-for-11). He did, however, knock in four runs.

Haynesworth to miss tonight's game

Tennessee Titans' defensive tackle and potential Defensive Player of the Year candidate Albert Haynesworth will miss tonight's game against the Denver Broncos due to a hamstring injury. Haynesworth has 30 tackles and a team-high 5.5 sacks. Cornerback Nick Harper and guard Benji Olson are also nursing injuries for Tennessee.

MNF: Titans, Broncos jockey for playoff position

What's at stake:

The Tennessee Titans come into this game with a 6-3 record. They are currently a half-game in front of the Cleveland Browns for the sixth seed in the AFC and a half-game behind the Jacksonville Jaguars for the five-slot. Tennessee lost to Jacksonville, 28-13, last week.

The Denver Broncos, despite entering tonight's game with a 4-5 record, sit only a half-game behind the first-place San Diego Chargers in the AFC West. They are coming off a 27-11 win over division rival Kansas City. With a win, the Broncos would not only move into a tie with the Chargers, but they would move to within one game of the sixth and final playoff spot in the conference.

Key offensive players:

LenDale White, halfback, Tennessee- The big 22-year old back has rushed for over 100 yards in three of his past four games, although he was held to only 12 yards on eight carries in the team's loss to Jacksonville last weekend. However, tonight would seem to be an ideal game for White to regain his form, as Denver has the 30th ranked run defense in the league.

Brandon Marshall, wide receiver, Denver- Although he is not very well known, Marshall is slowly developing into one of the NFL's better receivers. He has compiled 694 yards of 51 catches this season, and he is only 23. At 6'4", 230 pounds, Marshall also has great size. Look for him to take advantage of Tennessee's smallish defensive backs tonight. He is Jay Cutler's number one target.

Key defensive players:

Chris Hope, strong safety, Tennessee- Because Marshall is such a tough matchup for the Titans' cornerbacks, Hope is going to have to play a big role in providing some help over the top. One of the best safeties in the NFL, the physical 27-year old is not having near the impact that he had last season (121 tackles, five interceptions, 15 passes defended). He has only defended three passes all-year long. That needs to change, starting tonight.

Ian Gold, outside linebacker, Denver- Gold is going to need to help contain Vince Young and keep him in the pocket. Young obviously likes to run (217 yards on the ground this year), and when he is not allowed to roll out, his effectiveness is reduced quite a bit. The Broncos have to make him throw the football, as he the 2006-07 Offensive Rookie of the Year has only a 62.2 quarterback rating this season. Should Denver be successful in cutting off Young's rushing attempts, Gold will be a big part of it.

Keys to the game:

Tennessee- Don't allow out-of-nowhere rookie sensation halfback Selvin Young to beat you. If the Titans can contain him, it will force Cutler to throw the ball. Outside of Marshall, Cutler does not have many targets to throw to.

Denver- As stated previously, keep Young in the pocket. If they do that, they should win the game. However, it's much easier said than done.

Alex Rodriguez named AL MVP

Alex Rodriguez has won his third Most Valuable Player award, it was announced on Monday. Rodriguez won unanimously, getting 28 first-place votes and 382 total points. The closest competitor was Detroit's Magglio Ordonez, who received two first-place votes and 258 points.

Rodriguez became only the ninth player in MLB history to win the MVP award three or more times. He won the award for the first time with Texas in 2003 and then added two more in 2005 and 2007, both years with the Yankees. The 32-year old third baseman opted out of his contract with New York when the off-season began, but is now in the process of negotiating a 10-year, $275 million deal that would most likely keep him in the Bronx for the rest of his career barring a trade.

A-Rod batted .314 with 56 homers and 154 RBI this season. However, his playoff struggles continued, as he batted only .267 (4-for-15) with one homer that accounted for his lone RBI against the Cleveland Indians in the ALDS and went hitless with runners on base. Rodriguez is 8 for his last 59 (.136) in the postseason and 0 for his last 18 with men in scoring position.

Red Sox, Lowell agree to deal

The Boston Red Sox have reportedly agreed to a three-year, $37.5 million deal with Mike Lowell. Lowell batted .324 with 21 homers and 120 RBI last season and was named the World Series MVP. The 33-year old third baseman batted .353 with two long balls and 15 RBI in the postseason.

Angels send Cabrera to ChiSox for Garland

The Los Angeles Angels traded shortstop Orlando Cabrera to the Chicago White Sox for starting pitcher Jon Garland on Monday. Cabrera, 33, batted .301 with eight homers and 86 RBI in 2007. The 28-year old Garland went 10-13 with a 4.23 ERA for the White Sox last year. He threw 208.1 innings.

Glavine to Braves; Red Sox, Lowell closing in

• The Braves have agreed to a one-year, $8 million deal with Tom Glavine. Glavine spent the first 16 seasons of his career in Atlanta, winning one World Series and two Cy Young awards. The 41-year old left-hander was a member of the Mets the past five years. In 2007, he went 13-8 with a 4.45 ERA.
• The Red Sox are reportedly closing in on a deal with Mike Lowell. The terms of the contract are not yet known. Boston may also try to trade for Johan Santana if he becomes available, but Minnesota's recent offer to the 29-year old left-hander says otherwise.
• Torii Hunter will have dinner with Texas Rangers' owner Tom Hicks tonight. Although the Rangers are considered the frontrunners for his services, Hunter is also considering the Dodgers.
  

Mets sign Castillo; Rivera, Yanks reach deal

• Luis Castillo has reportedly agreed to a four-year, $25 million deal with the Mets. Castillo came over to the Mets in a trade with the Twins last season. He batted .301 with one homer and 38 RBI in 2007 overall. With the Mets, Castillo hit .296 with the lone homer and 20 RBI.
• The Yankees and Mariano Rivera have agreed to a three-year contract worth $45 million.
  

Scutaro to Jays; Twins made offer to Santana?

• The Athletics traded utility infielder Marco Scutaro to the Blue Jays for Kristian Bell and Graham Godfrey, two minor-league pitchers. Scutaro batted .260 with seven homers and 41 RBI in 338 plate appearances last season.
  
• The Cubs have shown interest in free agent second-basemen Luis Castillo and Kaz Matsui. Matsui's name reportedly surfaced in the Mitchell Report, however.
  
• Reggie Sanders may retire if he does not sign with the Dodgers, Giants, or Padres.
• The Twins reportedly made Johan Santana a five-year, $93 million offer for a contract extension. The 29-year old Santana has been mentioned as a potential trade candidate this off-season.
• The Marlins may still pursue Yorvit Torrealba now that he is no longer talking to the Mets.
• Boston is reportedly interested in Kerry Wood of the Cubs. The Red Sox would want him to fill the role that Eric Gagne was supposed to in the second half of 2007. Gagne is drawing interest from the Tigers, as they will probably be without Joel Zumaya for a while. The Yankees, Rangers, and Reds are also examining Wood.
  
• Because their deal with Torrealba came apart at the seams, the Mets are still actively searching for a catcher. Ramon Hernandez appears to be their primary target, although don't discount the possibility of Paul Lo Duca coming back for at least one more year. New York may also take a look at Miguel Olivo or Gerald Laird in a potential trade, although the Marlins will most likely non-tender Olivo. Michael Barrett and Jason Kendall are two other candidates who could be on the radar.
  

MLB rumors, 11/17

• It seemed to be all but a done deal, but catcher Yorvit Torrealba will not be signing with the New York Mets. Supposedly, Torrealba had agreed to a three-year, $14.4 million deal with the Mets, but things fell apart right at the end. It is not known what caused the sudden break-off of negotiations, but some feel it may be that Torrealba failed a physical. The 29-year old had shoulder problems all of last season.
• Contrary to reports, the New York Yankees have not made an offer to Mike Lowell. It was rumored that the Yankees offered the third baseman a four-year, $60 million contract, but Hank Steinbrenner says that is not true.
• Tom Glavine is reportedly close to a deal with the Atlanta Braves. A deal may get done as soon as tomorrow.
• The Los Angeles Dodgers, along with at least nine other teams, are very interested in center-fiedler Aaron Rowand. Although there is a good chance that he re-signs with the Philadelphia Phillies, Rowand may very well wind up in a different uniform in 2008. The Chicago White Sox, Rowand's former team, are also rumored to have interest.
• The Texas Rangers are rumored to be deep into negotiations with Torii Hunter, and some say it's only a matter of time before a deal gets done. Hunter is seeking a six or seven-year deal worth somewhere around $90 million.
• The Dodgers appear to be falling out of the Miguel Cabrera sweepstakes, and their counterparts, the Los Angeles Angels, may not be too far behind. The Florida Marlins are asking for the world for the 24-year old superstar, and neither team is willing to part with what Florida is demanding. The Marlins were asking the Dodgers for Chad Billingsley, James Loney (a player the Dodgers absolutely love), and prospects. The Angels would have to give up Howie Kendrick and probably top prospect Brandon Wood.
  
• The Mets are looking at several options for second base, including David Eckstein. Eckstein, a life-time shortstop, is reportedly looking for a deal similar to the one Julio Lugo got from the Boston Red Sox last off-season (four years, $36 million). Don't count out the Mets turning back to Luis Castillo, either, as he did a very good job for them in 2007. However, the Houston Astros appear to be his most likely suitor right now. Another rumor is that New York may pursue Arizona Diamondbacks' second-baseman Orlando Hudson in a trade, but that is extremely unlikely.
  

Bonds indicted by federal grand jury

MLB slugger Barry Bonds was indicted for perjury and obstruction of justice by a federal grand jury on Thursday. The 43-year old Bonds lied to the jury in telling them that he did not knowingly take performance-enhancing drugs.

There is rumored to be a mountain of evidence against the outfielder, who has several times denied taking steroids or any type of performance-enhancer. In December 2003, Bonds testified that his trainer, Greg Anderson, did not give him any drugs because Anderson "knew (Bonds) was against that." The home run king is also being charged with lying that Anderson never injected him with steroids.

Bonds holds the all-time home run record with 762 long balls. He broke Henry Aaron's record of 755 back on Aug. 7th against the Washington Nationals. Now a free agent, Bonds batted .276 with 28 homers and 66 RBI in 340 at-bats with the San Francisco Giants last season. He has spent 15 of his 22 professional seasons with the Giants, but he will be wearing a different uniform in 2008 if another team is willing to take him.

Mets close to deal with Castro; Torrealba too?

The New York Mets are close to an agreement with free agent catcher Ramon Castro, who batted .285 with 11 home runs and 31 RBI with the Mets in 2007.

The Mets will also reportedly offer another free agent catcher, Yorvit Torrealba, a three-year deal worth $15 million. Torrealba, 29, batted .255 with eight homers and 47 RBI with the Colorado Rockies last season.

Yankees in discussions with A-Rod

Two weeks removed from opting out of his contract and testing free agent waters, Alex Rodriguez has turned back to the New York Yankees and wants to be a member of the team for a fifth year.

Rodriguez and his agent, Scott Boras, were reportedly looking for a 10-year deal worth in the neighborhood of $350 million. However, the 32-year old third baseman did not draw too much interest due to his astoundingly high price-tag, and now will most likely make even less money than he would have had he not opted out of his contract with the Yankees.

Still, for New York to officially get a deal done with A-Rod, they want Boras out of the picture, meaning Rodriguez would have to fire him. Either way, Yankees' radio announcer John Sterling said that on a scale of 1-to-100 on whether the MVP candidate would return to the Bronx, the answer is 101.

Because New York was preparing for Rodriguez to walk, they had talks with the Florida Marlins about Miguel Cabrera, but the discussions were not very serious and the Marlins were asking for much more than the Yankees were willing to play. New York was also reportedly showing interest in free agent Mike Lowell, although most fully expect Lowell to return to the Boston Red Sox. However, now that A-Rod is back in the picture, don't look for the Yankees to pursue either of those two avenues any longer due to the fact that Cabrera would cost way too much in return and Lowell is 34 years old.

Managers of the Year: Wedge, Melvin

Eric Wedge and Bob Melvin both won Manager of the Year for their respective leagues, Wedge for the American League and Melvin for the National League, it was announced on Wednesday.

Both managers took their teams to the league championship series in the postseason, Wedge with the Cleveland Indians and Melvin with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Wedge's Indians blew a 3-1 series lead against the Boston Red Sox in the ALCS and lost in seven games while Arizona was swept by the Colorado Rockies.

Wedge led Cleveland to a 96-win season and its first division title since 2001. Melvin managed the Diamondbacks to a 90-72 record and its first division title since 2002.

Cubs send Jones to Tigers for Infante

The Chicago Cubs sent outfielder Jacque Jones to the Detroit Tigers for utility player Omar Infante on Monday. The 32-year old Jones was almost dealt to the Florida Marlins in the middle of the season, but the deal fell apart at the last minute. He batted .285 with five homers and 66 RBI in 452 at-bats for the Cubs this year. In 2006, his first season in Chicago, Jones also batted .285, but with over five times as many home runs (27) and 81 RBI.

Infante, 25, recorded a .271 batting average with two homers and 17 RBI in 166 plate appearances this year. He spent all six years of his career in Detroit, where he posted lifetime numbers of a .253 average with 32 long balls and 154 RBI in 1,592 at-bats. As his statistics demonstrate, Infante is not known for his bat, but for his versatility in the field. In 2007, the utility man played 20 games at second base, 14 at shortstop, nine at third, and 19 in the outfield.

NFL midseason playoff predictions

AFC

1. New England Patriots (16-0)
This one is pretty self-explanitory. They have a pretty manageable schedule the rest of the way, although they do have a date with Pittsburgh in Foxborough on Dec. 9th and then a game at the Meadowlands against the Giants in the final week of the season. However, I cannot see anyone ruining New England's bid for an undefeated campaign. Tom Brady is simply playing at another level and is on pace to shatter Peyton Manning's single-season touchdown mark, and Randy Moss has a good shot at breaking Jerry Rice's single-season receiving touchdown record. The defense clamps down late in games, as we witnessed this past week against the Colts, and Brady will always come through in the clutch no matter what, also evidenced in their last game. To contrast this year's Patriots' team with last season's, take a look at this nugget: Reche Caldwell was the squad's number one receiver last year. This year? He was cut before the season started, and New England's number three receiver, Wes Welker, has as many receptions (61) and more touchdowns (seven) than Caldwell had all of last season. So, good luck to everyone in trying to beat this team in the playoffs. I just don't see it happening.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers (13-3)
The Steelers have proven that their 8-8 campaign last year was a mere anomaly. Pittsburgh is back, much due in part to the fact that Ben Roethlisberger is 100% and playing the way he did back in the 2005-06 season when he led his team to a Super Bowl title. He has thrown 20 touchdowns compared to six interceptions and has posted a quarterback rating of 111.9 through eight games. The running game has also been phenomenal, with Willie Parker among the league leaders in rushing yards. Most importantly, the Steeler defense is darn near impenetrable once again, and after the show it put on the other night against Baltimore, one must be inclined to say that this team will be a force to be reckoned with in the postseason. Pittsburgh has a very easy schedule the rest of the way and, unlike the Colts, does not have to deal with the rest of the AFC South, although they do play Jacksonville at home on Dec. 16th. The Steelers may be the only AFC team capable of beating the patriots.

3. Indianapolis Colts (11-5)
They may have cost themselves potential home-field advantage in the playoffs with that loss to New England, and now they have to worry about fending off the charging Titans for the division title. The schedule doesn't get much easier for Indianapolis, as they have to travel to San Diego to play a desperate Chargers' team this Sunday and have games remaining against the Jaguars and Tennessee at home and a game on the road against the Ravens. Each and every one of those teams will be fighting for their playoff lives, as even the 6-2 Titans are no sure thing for the postseason in the deep AFC. This will make things difficult for the Colts down the stretch, and I can see them finishing 4-4 in their final eight games. They key for them is to simply hold on and beat the teams they should (Kansas City, Oakland, Atlanta, Houston) and they should be okay. Their chances in the playoffs? I don't like them too much with the Patriots and Steelers in the same conference.

4. San Diego Chargers (10-6)
They were already lucky enough to be playing in the NFL's second-worst division (only the NFC West is worse). They get even luckier now that the Chiefs, the only team with a realistic shot at beating them out for the AFC West crown, may have lost Larry Johnson for the season. Still, San Diego has a lot to be worrying about right now. They just gave up 296 yards to a rookie in Adrian Peterson (I don't care how good he is; you just can't do that) and 35 points to his Vikings. If Minnesota nearly dropped 40 on them, how in the world are the Chargers going to fare against playoff teams? They have a big meeting with the Colts at home this week, and I do think they will win that one being that they really, really need it. They then have games at Jacksonville, Kansas City (always a tough place to win whether the Chiefs have Johnson or not), and Tennessee, and they have to play the Ravens and Lions at home. I think there is enough talent here for them to be able to pull it out, but don't expect much out of them in the postseason.

5. Tennessee Titans (10-6)
The Titans are going to be one of the more dangerous wild card teams in recent memory. They have a very stingy defense and an extremely versatile quarterback, not to mention a fine ground game, as LenDale White has come into his own. They have a huge meeting coming up at home with the Jaguars this week, but considering they beat the Jags in Jacksonville the first week of the season, I can't see Tennessee winning this one. I just don't see them sweeping a division rival that's that talented. However, things get a little easier for them after that, as they play Denver and Cincinnati, albeit on the road, two games they should win. They are then home for Houston, and that's when things get tougher, as they play the Chargers at home and then go to Kansas City. The Titans then finish the season at Indianapolis. All they need to do is go .500 in that span, and that should lock them up the fifth seed. Expect them to give their first-round opponent fits.

6. Jacksonville Jaguars (10-6)
The Jaguars are again going through another season with the potential to be foiled by injuries, as David Garrard is still out for another few weeks with a bad ankle. Quinn Gray has not been good (at all) filling in, posting a 57.4 quarterback rating and completing under 50% of his passes. However, the running game and the defense should be enough to carry Jacksonville to a playoff berth. When Garrard returns, the Jags will be that much more dangerous, and I think they just beat out the Browns for the sixth and final postseason spot in the AFC. How scary they will be in the playoffs completely depends on how healthy Garrard is. Losing Marcus Stroud for four games due to a steroid suspension shouldn't hurt this team that much as they still have big John Henderson in the middle, but it could spell the end of their season at the same time. They are so many ifs with this team it's ridiculous, and their schedule doesn't make things any easier for them. They are at Tennessee this weekend, and after home games against the Chargers and Bills (anything but a pushover team), they travel to Indianapolis and then to Pittsburgh two weeks later.

On the outside looking in: Cleveland Browns
The Browns have been the feel-good story of the AFC this year, as quarterback Derek Anderson is putting up MVP-type numbers and Braylon Edwards has developed into one of the best receivers in the league. However, the fact that they have to play at Pittsburgh and at Baltimore in the stretch run pretty much takes them out of the equation. The Steelers smoked them on opening day in Cleveland, and I don't see why things will be any different this time around, especially on the road. The Browns were able to top the Ravens earlier in the year, but Baltimore will be desperate and playing on their home field, so I think the Ravens will beat them as well. You can't deny the fact that Cleveland is no joke though, and as long as Anderson can maintain what he's doing, the Browns will be a contender in the AFC for many years.

NFC

1. Green Bay Packers (12-4)
Their week two win over the Giants gives them the tiebreaker if both teams go 12-4, which I think will happen, so Green Bay gets the one-seed. Brett Favre may very well be the MVP of the league, as he is doing it with much less talent around him than Tom Brady. Most importantly for the Packers, their defense has been very good, as they have arguably the best cornerback duo in the NFL with Charles Woodson and Al Harris. Green Bay has a pretty easy schedule from here on out, as they are home against Minnesota and Carolina the next two weeks and also play Oakland at home and St. Louis on the road. They do have to play the Lions twice, though, and have a date at Dallas on Nov. 29th. The Pack also has one game left against the Bears in Chicago, always a tough team to play on their home field. Despite the fact that I think they will get the number one seed, I don't think this is the best team in the conference.

2. New York Giants (12-4)
After looking like one of the worst teams in the NFL two weeks into the season, the Giants have rallied for six straight victories behind what is arguably the best defense in the league and now sit a game back of Dallas in the NFC East with a huge matchup looming against them this Sunday. A victory over the Cowboys would vault them to the top of the division and essentially assure them a playoff spot. The pass rush has been the key for New York, as they have recorded 28 sacks during their six-game winning streak. If the defensive line can keep applying that kind of pressure to opposing quarterbacks, this Giants' team is going to be very hard to beat. They have a fairly easy schedule after the Dallas game, their toughest games coming at Detroit, at Chicago, and at home against New England in week 17. If the Patriots have already lost a game by then, look for them to rest guys for the playoffs, making things much easier on the G-Men. New York is the best team in the NFC, and they will prove that this weekend.

3. New Orleans Saints (10-6)
The Saints looked absolutely awful in their first four games, getting embarrassed and shut down in each and every one of them. However, they have improved drastically the past four weeks and are finally starting to resemble the team that went to the NFC Championship Game last season. New Orleans has an extremely easy schedule over their last eight weeks, with games at home against St. Louis, Arizona, and Philadelphia and road games against Houston, Carolina, and Atlanta. Their two toughest games left are home against Tampa Bay and then at Chicago in the final week of the season. Drew Brees looks like an entirely different quarterback now, but the lack of a running game is going to hurt this team. If Deuce McAllister was here, they could very well be 5-3 and in sole possession of first place in the NFC South instead of 4-4 and in second. Either way, the Saints will be in the playoffs. How dangerous they will be remains to be seen.

4. Seattle Seahawks (10-6)
Seattle has been one of the most unimpressive teams in the league the past few weeks, losing three of their last four and seeing their once dominant ground game disappear into thin air. Shaun Alexander, two years removed from an 1,880-yard, 27-touchdown season, is putting up a mere 3.3 yards per carry and is again being hampered by injuries. Their defense, ranked 18th in the NFL, has also been getting torched, and it is coming off a game in which it gave up 33 points to Cleveland. However, luckily for the Seahawks, they have a very painless schedule the rest of the way, with games against the 49ers, Rams, Cardinals, Panthers, Eagles, and Falcons. Their toughest contests will be against Chicago and Baltimore at home, but neither of those teams are anything to write home about this season. The Seahawks can also thank the football gods for allowing them to be in the NFC West, a.k.a. the most pathetic division in the National Football League. So, how about their chances of a postseason run? Unless Alexander somehow regains his old magic, their is nothing to get excited about in January for the state of Washington.

5. Dallas Cowboys (10-6)
At 7-1, they can do no wrong right now, but things are about to get much tougher for the Cowboys. They play the Giants at the Meadowlands this weekend, and then have the Redskins twice, the Packers, and a game in Detroit, not to mention the fact that they have the Eagles at home (it's always tough to sweep a division rival) and a game at Carolina. Dallas' offense has been clicking on all cylinders through the first nine weeks, but they will now face several very good defenses, including New York on Sunday. The Cowboys will still be a top three team in the conference when all is said-and-done, but don't look for them to maintain what they're doing now. However, the talent they have should be enough for them to make a nice run in the playoffs. The key is their pass rush which, outside of DeMarcus Ware and Greg Ellis, has not been that effective. Cornerback Terence Newman also needs to step up his game in the secondary, as Dallas' defensive backs are vulnerable to the big play, and taller receivers like Plaxico Burress and Randy Moss had their way with the Cowboys this season.

6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-6)
It will come down to Tampa Bay, Washington, and Detroit for the sixth and final playoff spot in the NFC, and I think the Buccaneers take it. First of all, they have the easiest schedule of the three, as they play Atlanta twice, San Francisco, and Carolina at home. They also play the Redskins at home, and that will probably be the game that decides which of the two teams goes to the postseason. Because the game will be at Tampa Bay, I'm going with the Bucs. Jeff Garcia is once again leading a team lacking in true talent to a potential playoff berth, as he has his team in first place in the NFC South. I don't expect that to last, however, with the Saints rolling and having many very winnable games on their schedule over the final eight weeks of the season. The Buccaneers' defense has been the key to their success, though, as linebacker Barrett Ruud is making a case for Defensive Player of the Year and third-year defensive tackle Jovan Haye has emerged into one of the conference's better interior linemen. And how about the play of halfback Earnest Graham in place of Carnell Williams? Despite all of this, I don't expect Tampa Bay to make much noise in the playoffs. They will be pesky, though.

On the outside looking in: Detroit Lions
They are the NFC's version of the Browns. The Lions are currently sitting at 6-2 and have won three straight. However, their second-half schedule is absolutely brutal. They have to play Green Bay twice, the Giants, Dallas, San Diego on the road, and Kansas City. Their game at Arizona this weekend won't be a cakewalk either, as the Cardinals desperately need this game to have any hope at making a run at the postseason. It also doesn't help that the Redskins pounded Detroit 34-3 earlier in the year, so if the Lions are fighting with them for the final playoff spot in the closing weeks of the season, Washington will own the tiebreaker. Plus, as I stated before, the Buccaneers have the much easier schedule down the stretch and have more experience. Either way, you have to give Jon Kitna props for backing up his talk with his play.

Pats top Colts behind two fourth quarter TDs

Tom Brady recovered from a rocky start to throw two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter to help his New England Patriots rally back from a 10-point deficit for a 24-20 over the Indianapolis Colts in a game that some viewed as one of the best matchups in decades.

The Colts had multiple opportunities in this game, but failed to score a touchdown in two of their three trips to the red-zone. They drove 52 yards down the field on their first drive of the game, but Adam Vinatieri missed a 50-yard field goal. The Patriots then went three-and-out, and Indianapolis marched 88 yards back down the field on seven plays only to come away with three points on a 21-yard field goal by Vinatieri.

New England then got into a rhythm offensively on their next set of downs. Laurence Maroney pounded the Colts' defense with short but effective bursts up the middle, and Brady capped off the drive with a four-yard touchdown toss to Randy Moss, giving the Patriots a 7-3 lead.

Indianapolis was once again able to get into the red-zone on their next possession, but, for the second time, was not able to get the ball into the end-zone and had to settle for three more points on a 25-yard boot by Vinatieri. It was only a few minutes later that Brady committed his first error of the game, and one of only a handful this season.

After moving the ball to the Colts' 38-yard line, a Brady throw intended for Donte Stallworth was intercepted at the two-yard line by Antoine Bethea, shifting the momentum toward Indianapolis' side as the first half winded down.

The Colts tried to play it conservatiely with under two minutes remaining until halftime, but were able to make a big play anyway. Peyton Manning threw a short screen pass to halfback Joseph Addai who then proceeded to take it 73 yards for a score, giving Indianapolis a 13-7 advantage at intermission.

After New England went three-and-out to start out the second half, Manning was intercepted by Rodney Harrison on the Colts' first possession of the third quarter. However, the Patriots could not do anything with the football and, after going backward 10 yards, were forced to punt.

The lack of offense continued on Indianapolis' next drive, as they ran Addai four times and then punted. New England then took the ball 75 yards down the field for a 34-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski to cut the deficit to three, 13-10. It appeared that the momentum was starting to swing toward the Patriots' side, as they again forced the Colts to punt on their next possession. However, Brady threw another interception on their ensuing drive, as Gary Brackett tipped it several times in the air before coming down with it and returning it 28 yards to the New England 47.

With good field position to work with, Indianapolis went back five yards on their first two plays, thanks to a sack by Mike Vrabel and a negative rush by Addai. That quickly changed after a 17-yard pass from Manning to tight end Dallas Clark on third-and-15, and after a few carries for short yardage by Addai, Manning pushed into the end-zone with a one-yard sneak to give the Colts a 20-10 lead with 14:04 to play in the fourth quarter.

The Patriots then began their fourth quarter rally, with Brady throwing passes of 15 and 55 yards to Moss and finishing the drive off with a three-yard toss to Wes Welker, making the score 20-17. Indianapolis then committed two penalties on their next possession, and Manning was then sacked to end the drive. He fumbled, but recovered.

Brady and New England then took over at their own 49-yard line with 3:58 to play. It took only three plays for the Patriots to get the ball in the end-zone, highlighted by a 33-yard pass to Stallworth which got them to the Colts' 13. Brady capped off the drive with a 13-yard touchdown throw to Kevin Faulk, handing New England their first lead since the second quarter, 24-20.

Indianapolis would have one more chance with just over three minutes to play, but on third-and-nine, Jarvis Green sacked Manning and jarred the ball loose, and Rosevelt Colvin proceeded to pick up the football and put the game away.

The Colts had won their last three meetings with the Patriots coming into this game, including the playoffs. With the win, New England kept their undefeated streak going and improved to 9-0 while Indianapolis fell to 7-1.

Torre to Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers hired former New York Yankees' manager Joe Torre to a three-year deal worth $13 million on Thursday. The 67-year old Torre led the Yankees to the playoffs in each of his 14 years there, collecting four championships and nine division titles along the way.

Torre turned down an offer from the Yankees following their elimination from the postseason in the ALDS, losing to the Cleveland Indians in four games. New York failed to make it out of the first round of the playoffs in Torre's final three seasons with the team and hasn't made it to a World Series since 2003, where they lost to the Florida Marlins.

Torre will take over a Dodgers' team that won 82 games this year, performing well under expectations. Many had penciled them in to win the National League West at the beginning of the season.