NBA
– Blazers’ F Greg Oden (left knee) will undergo microfracture surgery and miss the entire 2010-11 season. Let the ‘bust’ labels continue.
– Blazers’ F Brandon Roy’s (knee) MRI didn’t reveal an immediate need for knee surgery, but he’ll be sidelined for Thursday’s and Saturday’s games, and then be re-evaluated in a week. As suspected, the MRI didn’t really tell the Blazers anything they didn’t already know. The good news is he doesn’t need surgery, but the bad news is that he’s basically day-to-day until further notice. He’s done for this week, and the Blazers are the only team in the league with just two games next week.
– Sixers’ G Andre Iguodala (Achilles) still has no idea when he’ll be ready to play. “It’s not something that there’s a time limit on. If you break something, you know it’s three or four weeks. You know exactly when you’re coming back. This is just off and on. One day, it’s fine. Then the next day something can set it back real easily – something as simple as changing direction from offense to defense…and you’re right back where you were initially.” He’s probably done for the week, but will hopefully be ready to go on Tuesday at Washington.
– Lakers’ F Theo Ratliff (torn meniscus in left knee) will undergo arthroscopic surgery and miss 3-4 weeks.
MLB
– Phillies’ ace RHP Roy Halladay has won the 2010 NL Cy Young. Doc was the unanimous choice, and rightly so. He posted a fantastic 21-10 record, 2.44 ERA and 1.04 WHIP over 33 starts in 2010 while striking out 219 batters and walking only 30. Roy also pitched a perfect game in late May–the first of his career and the 20th in MLB history. Cardinals’ RHP Adam Wainwright finished second in the Cy voting and Rockies’ RHP Ubaldo Jimenez finished third.
– The Twins have signed manager Ron Gardenhire to a 2-year contract extension. Gardenhire was named the AL Manager of the Year on Wednesday afternoon and rewarded with an extended commitment Wednesday night. He led the Twins to a second straight AL Central crown this past season and boasts a terrific 803-656 career managerial record. His entire staff was also re-upped for two years.
– A source told ESPN NY’s Wallace Matthews on Wednesday that SS Derek Jeter wants at least a 4-year contract from the Yankees. The Yanks, according to the source, are only willing to offer a 3-year deal. Nonetheless, a deal is going to get done in the long run. Jeter hit just .270/.340/.370 in 663 at-bats this year and is no longer a strong defensive shortstop, but he is playing on his status as the face of the Yankees franchise in an effort to land one last long-term contract.
– The Marlins have signed C John Buck to a 3-year/$18M contract. Buck slugged 20 home runs for the Blue Jays in 2010, but he registered a mediocre .281/.314/.489 batting line and seems unlikely to match those power numbers next season. The questionable moves by the Fish this offseason continue
– The Blue Jays have acquired OF Rajai Davis from the Athletics for RHP Trystan Magnuson and RHP Daniel Farquhar. Davis became expendable once the A’s acquired OF David DeJesus from the Royals. He should start in right field next year for Toronto with Jose Bautista sliding to third base. He finished with 50 steals in 61 tries in 2010 while batting .284/.320/.377.
– Jon Heyman of SI.com reports that free agent LHP Jorge De La Rosa has drawn interest from “7 or 8″ teams. He posted a mediocre 4.22 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in 121 2/3 innings for the Rockies in 2010, but he’s one of the few reliable starting pitchers on the market this winter and is likely to cash in. The Pirates have made him their primary offseason target and the Brewers and Rangers are thought to be interested. The Rox are also hoping to re-sign him.
– The Rockies have placed RHP Manny Corpas on unconditional release waivers. Corpas, who saved 19 games and put up a 2.08 ERA in 2007 during Colorado’s run to its only World Series appearance, has failed to post lower than a 4.52 ERA in three seasons since. In 56 games during the 2010 season, Corpas went 3-5 with a 4.62 ERA and 10 saves. He filled in as the closer while Huston Street was on the disabled list to begin the year. The 27-year-old Panama native was signed to a 4-year contract following his stellar 2007 campaign that ran through 2011 and included club options for 2012 and 2013.
– Mets’ GM Sandy Alderson is hoping to announce a new manager Tuesday. While it’s not a deadline, the Mets should have all of their interviews out of the way by then and enough time for processing. Chip Hale and Bob Melvin chatted with Mets officials Wednesday and Wally Backman and Terry Collins will get the same treatment Thursday. Those are the four finalists for the position. As of now, there is no clear front-runner.
– Little opposition has emerged to Major League Baseball expanding its playoffs for 2012 as the sport’s top officials discussed the concept during two days of meetings. While commissioner Bud Selig has yet to formally propose adding two more wild-card teams, he said during the World Series that he was giving the plan serious consideration. GMs and owners were waiting to hear whether Selig would directly address them on the matter Thursday, when three days of meetings conclude.
NHL
– The Flames have acquired D Anton Babchuk and F Tom Kostopoulos from the Hurricanes for D Ian White and F Brett Sutter. Babchuk is the top scorer of the bunch, with three goals and eight points in 17 games. He should continue to see time with the man advantage in Calgary. The move came one week after Sutter was charged with assault following an incident outside an Arizona bar. But assistant GM Jay Feaster was adamant the deal was in the works before that happened. The deal gives the Flames a little bit of cap relief.
– Leafs’ G Jean-Sebastien Giguere (groin strain) will miss 1-2 weeks. Giggy pulled himself from Tuesday’s game against Nashville in the third period with the injury. Jonas Gustavsson will take over the goaltending duties in Toronto in the meantime with recent call-up James Reimer serving as his backup.
– After a skirmish at the end of the Flyers/Canadiens game, captain Mike Richards had some choice words for D P.K. Subban.
Richards: “He’s (Subban) a guy that’s come in the league and hasn’t earned respect. It’s just frustrating to see a young guy like that come in here and so much as think that he’s better than a lot of people. You have to earn respect in this league. It takes a lot. You can’t just come in here as a rookie and play like that. It’s not the way to get respect from other players around the league…Hopefully someone on their team addresses it, because, uh, I’m not saying I’m going to do it but something might happen to him of he continues to be that cocky.”
Subban: “I have lot of respect for the guys in this league and (Richards) is a player who has been around for a while. He’s won a (Olympic) gold medal, he’s the captain of the Flyers, and he’s a player I looked up to when I was still playing in Junior. I just try to play the game as hard as I can. I’m a rookie in this league and I’m just trying to go out there and earn my respect…I play them tough, I play them hard. I do everything I can to make sure he doesn’t score. If you’re intimidated by guys, you’re going to get eaten alive. You can’t be intimidated. I’m going to go out and play it the way I’ve always played it.”
Don Cherry: “It’s good to be cocky when you come in the league. Really, it’s good to be cocky. I like that. But you’ve got to show a little respect…If he has a big mouth like that, he’s gonna get hurt.”
– Kings’ F Scott Parse (hip) will undergo surgery and miss 3-4 months. Parse has played in just five games this season after missing the first 11 with an injured groin.
WWE
– CM Punk (torn glute muscle) is now considered a “sure thing” for WrestleMania 27 after choosing physical rehabilitation instead of surgery, and could return to the ring as soon as January. Punk will be joining the ringside announcing team on this week’s Superstars and will likely continue there until healthy.
– Nexus member Skip Sheffield (broken ankle) is still on crutches after suffering the injury in August. He’s expected to be sidelined for at least 3 more months.
– Daniel Bryan posted a message on Twitter about WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross calling his match on Monday’s “Old School” RAW:
“Just watched Monday’s RAW. Jim Ross is still the absolute BEST. It was an honor and a thrill to hear him to do commentary on my match.”
NFL
– Texans’ coach Gary Kubiak insisted Wednesday that QB Matt Schaub (knee) did not need surgery for his inflamed bursa sac during his Tuesday hospitalization. “No. Just needed some rest, needed some treatment; made a decision that it was best to give it there than sitting around here all day.” Sending Schaub to the hospital seems overly precautionary if all he needed was treatment on the knee. Kubiak added that “we really don’t know” when the injury occurred.
– Steelers’ WR Hines Ward (concussion) was a full participant in Steelers practice Wednesday. “I’m good. I took the concussion test, passed it. … I feel fine. I don’t have the symptoms they think I should have.” Ward is on pace for a terrible 54 catches and 667 yards this season. The catch and yardage totals would be lows for Ward since 2000.