Around the Majors

Chicago White Sox

The White Sox have signed a Cuban player to a 4 year deal. We did that once. They also have not signed and don't appear to want to sign third baseman Joe Crede. Crede may be a good fit for the Yankees since he is known for having some pop and never taking a walk. The Yankees of course need to fill their void of players who never take a walk and have some pop after they sent Wilson Betemit to the White Sox earlier in the hot stove season.

Kansas City Royals

The Royals have once again showed that they are willing to throw down money when the player is right. They did so with Gil Meche two years ago, again with Jose Guillen last year, and this year they have done so with power righty and power tackler Kyle Fansworth. The deal is reported as a 2 year contract worth $9.25 million.

Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies signed outfielder Raul Ibanez to a 3 year $30 million contract. The Phillies were of course concerned with bringing in a known winner to help them get back to the World Series next season, and having spent all but three years of his career playing for the Mariners the Phillies knew they got their man. Those other three years? Kansas City.

Cleveland Indians

The Cleveland Indians have signed former Cubs reliever Kerry Wood to a two year $20.5 million contract. I'm just happy the Yankees are not the only team dishing out large contracts to injury-ridden pitchers. This deal obviously helps the Yankees look less crazy.

New York Mets

K-Rod just announced that the Mets are the team to beat. We heard it from Rollins a couple seasons back when he proved his prophetic gift foreseeing the Mets finishing an epic collapse in the 2007 season. The very next season, Carlos Beltran said that the Mets were now the team to beat, but the prophecy proved false as the Mets sucked all season long. Now K-Rod is saying it, but there is overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Are these words prophetic? We'll see...

New York Yankees

Besides the 5 year $82.5 million deal given to AJ Burnett, there's nothing really to update. But where there is no news, there's news to invent, and here is where the RJG speculative reporting that has won several awards since 1995 comes into play. The Yankees have been having trouble finishing the Mike Cameron for Melky swap on account of the large salary Mike Cameron would earn next season. To add another layer to the matter, the Rockies recently let go centerfielder Wily Taveras who is coming off an awful season where he batted .251. However, he did bat .320 the season before and stole 68 bases last season. The man is ridiculously fast, and can bunt his way on any time you need. He also had a post season cup of tea with the Rockies in 2007 and the Astro's in 2005. He doesn't have any pop in his bat (albiet playing in Colorado), but being caught 7 times and stealing 68 bases cannot be overlooked. It also can't be overlooked that the .251 average is a career low, and that his previous three seasons he batted .291, .278, and .320. He would not cost us Melky, and we could probably sign him for three seasons at the same amount they would pay Cameron for a single season.