A day after the Mets’ former closer said he’d be willing to return to New York, a club official told ESPNNewYork.com that it would consider re-signing Rodriguez as a free agent.
Francisco Rodriguez may have one unlikely suitor this offseason: the Mets.

“We haven’t ruled anything out,” the official told the website Monday. “We need a closer. It is a long way down the road. We haven’t had those meetings yet. But, for us, I wouldn’t rule anything out.”

The Mets traded Rodriguez to the Milwaukee Brewers last July in a money-saving move. Rodriguez could have earned $17.5 million next season if his 2012 option had vested. Rodriguez agreed to drop the option after joining the Brewers to so he could test the market this winter and ensure he’ll be a closer again.

On Sunday, Rodriguez told reporters that he had no hard feelings toward the Mets and would consider coming back to the club. Rodriguez, 29, was the team’s closer for 2 1/2 seasons.

Greg Dobbs/FLA – .317/.774, 22 R, 12 DBL, 2 HR, and 21 RBI. Mr. Sideburns signed with Florida on a minor league contract and has become the Marlins starting 3B by continuing to collect hits (albeit mostly singles). Where the hell was this type of production the past 2 years in Philly?

Jayson Werth/WSH – .233/.743, 35 R, 13 DBL, 10 HR, 27 RBI, and 9 SB. The Nationals are not getting what they paid for, but nobody really expected them to get $126M out of J-Dub either. He’s currently batting leadoff in Washington and is being outperformed by the previously mentioned Dobbs. Sad.

Juan Castro/LAD – .286/.619 in 7 games. He’s back with the Dodgers for the 77th time in his career (actually only his 3rd). Currently on the 7-day DL with the club’s Triple-A team in Albuquerque.

Cody Ransom/ARI – .313/.999, 58 R, 20 DBL, 18 HR, and 60 RBI with the Diamondbacks AAA squad in Reno.

Paul Hoover – signed a minor league deal with Boston over the winter, but it appears he’s no longer with the franchise and quite possibly is out of baseball

Mike Sweeney – retired, but still loves the bro-hug.

Jamie Moyer – rehabbing from arm surgery and getting face time on ESPN’s Baseball Tonight. I’m hoping he makes a comeback and sign with Seattle and pitched until he’s 50.

JA Happ/HOU – 15 GS, 3-9, 82.2 IP, 40:69 BB:K, 5.33 ERA, and a 1.49 WHIP. He leads the NL in losses and has been a train wreck this season, just like about everything else with the Astros.

Nelson Figueroa/HOU – 8 G, 5 GS, 0-3, 29 IP, 16:17 BB:K, 8.69 ERA, and a 2.10 WHIP. Figgy finally made his first MLB Opening Day roster in his 9 year career, but even he sucked too much to stick around in Houston. He’s currently toiling with the Astros Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City.

Chad Durbin/CLE – 28 G, 2-1, 31 IP, 12:28 BB:K, 6.68 ERA and a 1.77 WHIP. The Durbinator flip-flopped back-and-forth all offseason about possibly returning to the Phils, but finally settled in with the Indians at the last second. Looks like the Phils were smart in letting him walk.

Nate Robertson/SEA – Currently with the Mariners AAA team in Tacoma, but not sure why. And yes, he was a Phillie, even if you want to permanently erase his memory from your brain.

Recently, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported that New York Mets shortstop Jose Reyes is being courted by Boras.  Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal Tweeted that Reyes has spoken to Boras on the phone, but said there is no chance he is leaving his current agent.  Reyes is represented by Peter Greenberg of Peter E. Greenberg & Associates.  Greenberg represents a lot of foreign born players, including Bobby Abreu, Johan Santana, Martin Prado, and Maicer Izturis.

According to the MLBPA Regulations Governing Player Agents (As Amended Effective October 1, 2010), Boras is permitted to have communication with non-client players so long as he provides written disclosure to the MLBPA of that communication.  The written disclosure must include the date, time, and specific location where the communication occurred or is expected to occur, and state whether the communication included or involved, or is expected to include or involve, any recruiting.

In the past, we have covered Rafael Soriano’s switch from Greenberg to Boras, along with Carlos Guillen leaving Greenberg in favor of Octagon.

Rumors Of Jose Reyes Considering Switch To Scott Boras from Sports Agent Blog – Sports Agent News, Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Contract Negotiations, NCAA Rules and Regulations.

Kazmir, 27, was given his release Wednesday as the Angels closed out a three-game series in Seattle. Once among baseball’s most exciting young pitchers, and a two-time All-Star with Tampa Bay, Kazmir has declined rapidly since being acquired by the Angels in August 2009.

“Right now it’s the best thing for (Kazmir),” manager Mike Scioscia said. “Hopefully he can get off that treadmill and restore his career, because he was really struggling trying to get the ability to compete again, and I mean get his tools where can compete again up here. He wasn’t going in the right direction.”

The breaking point for the Angels came Tuesday night when Kazmir made his fifth rehabilitation start with Triple-A Salt Lake and gave up six earned run and five hits in 12/3 innings. In his five starts with Salt Lake, Kazmir had a 17.02 ERA in 151/3 innings.

Kazmir made one start for the Angels this season, giving up five earned runs in 12/3 innings on April 3 against Kansas City. He was placed on the disabled list April 8 with lower-back soreness.

Kazmir was one of baseball’s best prospects when the Rays acquired him from the Mets in July 2004 for RHP Victor Zambrano. A year later he was Tampa Bay’s best pitcher, and he made his first All-Star Game appearance in 2006.

In 2007, Kazmir had his best season, going 13-9 with a 3.48 ERA and an AL-high 239 strikeouts, still a Rays record. He was an All-Star again in 2008 but struggled in the second half and labored during the postseason.

Kazmir pitched poorly with a drop in his velocity during 2009. He was traded to the Angels for INF Sean Rodriguez and two minor-leaguers, LHP Alex Torres and 1B Matt Sweeney.

Kazmir’s first full season with the Angels ended with a 9-15 record and a 5.94 ERA. He went to the disabled list twice, with a hamstring injury, then with fatigue in his pitching shoulder.

“I don’t think we need it. Right now, I’m happy with the guys we’ve got and I’m hoping they get us to the dance. This is a good team that is not playing as good as it is.”

Charlie Manual has been really concerned about the offense and is questioning the team’s strength at the plate. The Phillies have struggled offensively this season, but are still holding their ground. With a record of 36-25, the Phils are  3 games up in the National League East and had the best record in the League as of Monday. Don’t be suprised if  Ruben bites the bullet and adds a bat or two, but I doubt we will see any move of epic proportions.

According to the NY Times,   The Blue Jays among other teams have been monitoring the situation of the New York Mets and Jose Reyes.

With Fred Wilpon’s recent published comments and the Mets’ financial distress paint a dreary picture for the team’s prospects of re-signing Jose Reyes. But there are other teams that have the resources and interest to land him, one of which presents a surprising possibility.

Quoting unnamed sources, Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopolous made “exploratory contract” with the New York club regarding the pending free agent during spring training and that “no trade proposals were made.”

The Giants have been mentioned as another interesting option, if the situation arises. The Giants have abundance of  young pitching and they are to believed to be shopping for a short stop.

Injuries (hamstring and calf injuries and a thyroid problem) slowed the native of Villa Gonzalez in the Dominican Republic the last two seasons but he has shown a return to his previous form thus far this season. Reyes is batting .316 and is among the National League leaders in doubles (14, tied for third), triples (6, first) and stolen bases (17, second).

According to the Times, the St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox and Washington Nationals are other teams could be interested in signing Reyes as a free agent.

This brings us to the New York Mets, and the baseball trade rumors swirling around ace shortstop Jose Reyes. It looks like the Mets aren’t going to contend again this year and management has to decide if they should keep Reyes, who’s on the last year of his contract, trade him, or let him walk at the end of the season.

Forget about letting him walk. Reyes either stays a Met or gets traded before the deadline. Looking at the club’s payroll, it appears they can afford to keep Reyes this season and should be able to come up with the cash for a new contract next year as they only have $66.8 million on the books for 2012. This is largely due to the fact the contracts of Reyes, Oliver Perez, Carlos Beltran, and Luis Castillo will have expired.  Francisco Rodriguez is owed another $17.5 million, but only if he manages to finish 55 games this season.

The big decision for the Mets is what to do with Reyes. On one hand, trading him gives the team a chance to build for the future with some solid prospects. But on the other hand, you’ve already got one of the best baseball players in the game, so why not add to the puzzle and build around him?

If they do decide to trade him, the Mets have to get the timing down pat and deal Reyes when his value’s at the absolute peak. It’s unlikely they’ll deal him this early in the season and will wait until at least June unless they get an offer that blows their socks off.

If the Mets want to clean house and start from scratch, Reyes will be a goner. But if they view him as a franchise player and a foundation to build on, they won’t ship him out for odds and ends. Everybody has their opinion, but it’s going to come down to what the Mets feel is the best for the team in the long run.

A lot of fans feel the club has already seen the best of Reyes and he’s on the downslide, but looking at his statistics, that’s a hard argument to make. He’ll be 28-year-old in June and possibly entering his prime years as a baseball player.

Reyes averaged 16 triples and 65 stolen bases between 2005 and 08 before being injured for most of 2009. He rebounded last year with 10 triples and 30 stolen bases, showing he hasn’t lost his speed. The three-time All-Star also got off to a great start this year and led the NL in hits with 4f after the first 34 games. He also had a .331 batting average to go along with a .507 slugging percentage and .379 on-base percentage.

He also has a sunny disposition and doesn’t seemed too concerned about things he has no control of, such as trades and free agency. The Mets need to take a long, hard look at the situation to make sure they don’t blow it.

They’re not the most talented bunch and could use some starting pitching, especially with Chris Young and Jenrry Mejia dealing with injuries. They could also stockpile their farm system by dealing Reyes as he’s the team’s most tradable asset, along with third baseman David Wright. In addition, Reyes will be looking for a long-term deal next season and could break the bank, considering that Carl Crawford got a $142 million deal in free agency.

Keeping Reyes means the fans won’t look at the Mets as a team that’s bailing on them and will also help them sell some tickets. They won’t save any significant money by dealing him before the July 31^st trade deadline either. He’s still the team’s top player as he can hit, run, and play defense while keeping himself in great shape. He could easily be an elite layer in the league for another five years.

Trading Wright looks to be a better option and his power means the Mets should get something decent in return. Reyes’ speed is more productive than Wright’s power at Citi Field, making the shortstop more valuable at this point.

The Mets don’t have a lot of time to make up their minds as the trade deadline will be here before they know it and Reyes is a hot commodity right now. If they are not in financial desperation, it’d be a good idea to keep him and try to add a good supporting cast through some shrewd managerial moves.

For his career, Giambi has hit 421 homeruns over 17 season with the Athletics, Yankees, and Rockies. He’s a former MVP and 5 time All-Star with a .929 OPS. If not for his involvement with PEDs back in the day, we might be looking at possible future Hall-of-Famer.

Article via: http://morehardball.blogspot.com/

The Science of Baseball; What is the Fastest a Pitcher Can Throw?

He made his major league debut later that night, going 1-for-3 with a sac fly. He then went 1-for-4 on Tuesday night with an RBI groundout.

The Dodgers have installed Sands as their starting left fielder, and he could even relieve left-hander James Loney at first base against southpaw pitchers.

So what can Sands offer to fantasy managers in 2011 and beyond?

Here’s what Baseball America had to say about him earlier this spring:

Sands has plus power to all fields. He focused on shortening up his swing coming into last year, and he now has a sound stroke with some loft and above-average bat speed. While he has trouble laying off high fastballs at times, he shows an aptitude for handling breaking pitches, so he shouldn’t just be a one-dimensional slugger.

Sands was a 25th round pick in 2008, and began his pro career at the rookie level Gulf Coast League. Three and a half years and nearly 70 homers later, Sands graduated to the majors.

• 2008 (Gulf Coast League): 146 at-bats, 29 runs, 10 HRs, 33 RBI, .205/.346/.438
• 2009 (Pionner League, Single-A): 267 at-bats, 63 runs, 19 HRs, 58 RBI, .315/.401/.618
• 2010 (Single-A, Double-A): 502 at-bats, 102 runs, 35 HRs, 93 RBI, .301/.395/.586

Sands does have below-average speed, though he did steal 24 bases in 28 tries (including 18 of 20 last year) in the minors.

The 6′4″, 220 pound slugger has enough power potential to stick as a corner outfielder, though he’s unlikely to offer a spectacular batting average.

Sands has hit seventh in the Dodgers lineup in his first two major league games. His fantasy value will be somewhat limited, but his scorching hot bat will likely attract some adds. The reality is, however, he’s unlikely to be useful in a 14-team mixed league. He has some value in deep keeper/dynasty formats, but for now, he’s not worth an add.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: FANTASY BASEBALL INSIDERS

Follow Fantasy Baseball Insiders on Facebook and Twitter

2011 Position Rankings: C / 1B / 2B / 3B / SS / OF / SP / Top 100

Previous articles from Fantasy Baseball Insiders:

• Brett Anderson or Trevor Cahill?
• How Good is Michael Pineda?
• Is Bruce Chen Worth a Waiver Wire Flier?
• Week 3 Closer’s Corner: Thornton, Franklin Nathan & More
• Cheap Steals to Replace Rajai Davis
• Is Chris Narveson Worth a Waiver Wire Flier?
• How Good is Starlin Castro?
• 2011 All-Breakout Team
• The Top 10 Rookies in 2011
• The Sub-2.50 ERA Curse: Why Five Elite Starting Pitchers May Regress in 2011