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| Gordon Beckham has been slated to start at second base for the White Sox in 2010, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: This news comes after the Sox traded Chris Getz and Josh Fields to Kansas City to acquire Mark Teahen, who will start at third base.
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| Chien-Ming Wang will have his right shoulder examined by orthopedist Dr. James Andrews on Monday, according to the Star-Ledger. |
Our View: The former 19-game winner is slated to throw a rehab game by April or May. Wang underwent season-ending arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder in June, and was sad to not be able to participate in the World Series.
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| Mariano Rivera has said he would like to pitch for five more seasons, according to the New York Times. |
Our View: Despite Rivera being nearly 40, this is not what the rest of baseball wanted to hear. In 2009 he was 44-of-46 on save opportunities and posted another microscopic ERA of 1.76.
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| Marcus Thames has been removed from the Tigers' 40-man roster, and will become a free agent, according to MLB.com's Jason Beck. |
Our View: Thames hit .252 to go along with 13 home runs in a part-time role for the Tigers last season. Expect him to stay in the American League.
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| Via a Japanese source, NPB Tracker reports that World Series MVP Hideki Matsui will not return to Japan in 2010, and will stay in America to play in the major leagues. |
Our View: He will have 14 teams to choose from, as his creaky knees make playing in the National League all but an impossibility. If he does not stay with the Yankees, there have been rumors that he could join up with countryman Ichiro Suzuki in Seattle.
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| The deal sending Mark Teahen to the White Sox in exchange for Chris Getz and Josh Fields is now official, according to MLBTradeRumors.com. |
Our View: The deal is finalized on the same day the White Sox officially decline Jermaine Dye's option for 2010. It looks like Teahen will be the team's right fielder next season.
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| Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports that the Brewers have traded shortstop J.J. Hardy to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for outfielder Carlos Gomez. Hardy batted just .229 in 414 at-bats last season. |
Our View: This move makes a ton of sense for the Brewers. With Alcides Escobar ready to take over at shortstop, and the Brewers thin in the outfield, Hardy was a perfect piece to trade away after he was benched and even demoted last season. The move almost surely signals the end of the short, but successful, Orlando Cabrera era in Minnesota.
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| As expected, the White Sox have bought out Jermaine Dye's 2010 mutual option, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: The move allows him to file for free agency. The Sox are not expected to offer him arbitration. Early possibilities for a 2010 team for Dye seem to be the Giants and Rangers.
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| The Rangers would like to re-sign outfielder Marlon Byrd, but realize that he may find a better deal elsewhere on the free agent market, according to MLB.com. GM Jon Daniels said, "Marlon was obviously a big part of our club. To his credit, he has put himself in a position to see what is out there, and he is going to explore that. We are going to explore our own alternatives, including the guys we already have. In a perfect world, we would like to have Marlon back. It is just not going to happen in the exclusive window period, if it is going to happen at all." |
Our View: A right-handed bat is a top priority for Texas, and the source states that the club may target Jermaine Dye as a stopgap if they do not lock up Byrd with a new deal.
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| The Rangers have been in serious talks regarding re-signing Omar Vizquel, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Vizquel can still get the job done defensively, and batted .266 over 177 at-bats with Texas in 2009. He would serve as a quality backup behind Elvis Andrus at shortstop if brought back for next season.
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