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– Unfortunately, I’m out tonight and off to the cottage for Saturday & Sunday, so I won’t be able to do any more live coverage of the 2010 MLB trade deadline. Deal with it.

TRADES

– The White Sox have acquired RHP Edwin Jackson from the D’Backs for RHP Daniel Hudson and LHP David Holmberg. Hudson, 23, has a 6.32 ERA over three starts with the White Sox this season, but posted a 3.47 ERA over 17 starts with Triple-A Charlotte and was regarded as the top pitching prospect in the organization. Holmberg, a 19-year-old left-hander, is 1-1 with 4.46 ERA over eight starts with Chicago’s rookie league team in Great Falls this season. He was ranked as the organization’s top left-handed pitching prospect coming into the year by Baseball America. The 3-way deal that would send 1B Adam Dunn to the White Sox, RHP Edwin Jackson to the Nationals, and RHP Dan Hudson and a prospect to the Diamondbacks is still in play, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

– The Twins have acquired RHP Matt Capps from the Nationals for C Wilson Ramos. The 22-year-old catcher hit .296/.321/.407 with three doubles in seven games for the Twins back in early May but he has a .625 OPS in 278 at-bats for Rochester. Ramos is a defensive rock and posted impressive numbers in a short stint with the Twins in May while Joe Mauer was nursing an injury. He’s struggled a bit at Triple-A Rochester this season, but the 22-year-old has plenty of room to grow and should do just that in the Nationals’ system. Minnesota has had interest in Capps for some time and is now more confident about acquiring a reliever than a starter. Twins assigned a scout to follow Toronto’s relievers. He earns a base salary of $3.5M this year ($1.3M remains) and can be retained as an arbitration-eligible player for 2011, though he’s expected to get a raise. Capps will become the closer, with RHP Joe Rauch moving to setup man. Nonetheless, I give the winning nod to the Nats.

– The Padres have acquired 3B Miguel Tejada from the Orioles for RHP Wynn Pelzer and cash considerations. The 24-year-old Pelzer is a power pitcher whose fastball sits in the mid-90s. As a starter, he has a 4.20 ERA with 7.9 K/9 and 5.3 BB/9 in AA this year, but could become a future closer. Tejada is owed $2M for the remainder of the season.

– The Blue Jays have traded INF Brett Wallace to the Astros for OF Anthony Gose. Wallace, originally a utility infielder, appears to be stuck at first base for now. Gose, 19, is a potential Gold Glove-winning outfielder with tremendous speed and defensive skills. His career potential has been compared to that of Rays’ OF Carl Crawford. Gose stole 76 bases two seasons ago.

– The Rangers have acquired 3B Jorge Cantu and $600K from the Marlins for RHP Evan Reed and RHP Omar Poveda. Cantu, 28, has 10 homeruns and is batting .259/.308/.408 this season. He becomes a free agent at seaason’s end.The 28-year-old becomes a free agent after the season and has said he would like to sign with the Marlins. At this point, the club is considering multi-year deals Reed, 24, has posted a 1.76 ERA and 1.20 WHIP over 41 innings this season between Double-A and Triple-A. Poveda, 27, is currently on the DL recovering from Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery. Cantu will give the Rangers a solid right-handed bat for the stretch run.

– The Phillies have acquired RHP Roy Oswalt and $11M from the Astros for LHP J.A. Happ, INF Jonathan Villar and OF Anthony Gose. The Astros will pay $11M of the approximately $23M left on Oswalt’s contract through 2011. Oswalt did not demand that his 2012 mutual option for $16M be picked up by the Phillies, but he would receive extra compensation if or when the Phillies decline. The 32-year-old ace leaves Houston with a 3.24 career ERA and a 143-82 career record, just one win shy of the franchise’s all-time leader Joe Niekro. The Phillies look dangerous with a Halladay-Oswalt-Hamels 1-2-3 punch.

– The Braves acquired 2B Michael Noboa from the D’Backs for a PTBNL.

– The Tigers have acquired 3B Jhonny Peralta and cash from the Indians for minor league LHP Gionvanni Soto. The Tigers have now addressed their vacancy at third base, though Peralta has hit just .246 this season with a .698 OPS, seven home runs and 43 RBI. Soto is a 19-year-old left-handed prospect who has had some success at the Single-A level.

– The Dodgers have acquired OF Scott Podsednik from the Royals for a minor leaguer C Lucas May and RHP Elisaul Pimentel. The Dodgers beat out the division-rival Giants to land Podsednik, who has hit .310/.353/.400 with five homers, 44 RBI and 30 stolen bases in 390 at-bats for the Royals. The speedster will be highly useful to the Dodgers. The acquisition crowd the LA outfield for the long run, but for right now, with Johnson and Ramirez on the DL, it works well.

– Cubs’ 1B Derrek Lee has vetoed a trade to the Angels by invoking his 10-and-5 rights, a form of a no-trade clause given to players who have played for at least 10 years and the last five with their current team. Lee, who has a full NTC in his contract, is due just under $5M for the remainder of the season and indicated he wanted to finish the year with the Cubs. He will be a free agent at the end of the season. Lee entered Wednesday’s action hitting .248 with 11 home runs and 44 runs batted in.

RUMOURS

– Astros’ 1B Lance Berkman (NTC) (acquired Wallace to replace him). In: White Sox. According to the NY Post, the Astros have been given the go-ahead by a high-ranking executive that they can move Berkman and begin the rebuilding phase. The White Sox have expressed interest, but only as a backup plan if they fail to acquire Nats’ 1B Adam Dunn. Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse reports that there is buzz about the White Sox “going for” Lance Berkman. Berkman is batting .245/.372/.436 with 13 homers and 49 RBI in 298 at-bats this year. About $5.4M remains on Berkman’s $14.5M salary this season. The Astros hold a $15M option for next year, but they can buy it out for $2M.

– The 3-way deal that would send 1B Adam Dunn to the White Sox, RHP Edwin Jackson to the Nationals, and RHP Dan Hudson and a prospect to the Diamondbacks is still in play, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

– The Dodgers and Cubs are discussing a trade that could send LHP Ted Lilly and 2B Ryan Theriot to LA. It’s not known whether a deal is close. The Cubs would need to hand over some cash, as Lilly has $4.3M remaining and Theriot has $933K. Theriot received a $2.6M salary for 2010 after losing an arbitration case to the Cubs in February. He’s under team control through 2012; the FOX writers see him taking over at second base for the Dodgers. There aren’t a ton of great matches for Lilly at this point, as action with the Tigers, Twins, and Mets has cooled and the Phillies are out of the mix. I wonder if we’ll hear anything about the Cardinals and Padres looking at the lefty.

– Nationals’ 1B Adam Dunn. In: Rays, White Sox, Tigers. Out: Yankees, Giants. Three-way scenarios involving the Nationals, White Sox, Diamondbacks and RHP Edwin Jackson. Dunn is batting .275 this year with a .916 OPS and 23 homers. The Giants have minimal interest in Dunn at the current asking price. Believed to have asked the White Sox for either SS Gordan Beckha or both RHP Daniel Hudson and RHP Dayan Viciedo.

– Rockies’ OF Brad Hawpe. In: Padres, White Sox, Tigers. Chicago’s interest lies on Nats’ 1B Adam Dunn, while the Padres are believed to be less interested after acquiring 3B Miguel Tejada. Hawpe, 31, has about $2.8M remaining on his contract this year and will earn $10M in 2011 unless his team buys him out for $500K, as expected.

– Jon Heyman of SI.com writes that the Mets are reluctant to trade OF Jeff Francoeur for for the Royals’ OF Jose Guillen.

– Brewers: Pulled OF Corey Hart and 1B Prince Fielder off the block because they feel they are too close to contention to sell, despite being 48-55 and nine games out of first place in the NL Central.

– Cubs’ LHP Ted Lilly. In: Phillies, Dodgers, Twins and Tigers. Out: Mets, Twins (no-trade list). Lilly has $4M+ remaining on his contract for the rest of the season. Lilly, 34, has posted a 3.69 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in 18 starts this season.

– D’Backs’ C Chris Snyder. In: Nationals, White Sox, Red Sox. Trying to move both contracts without taking on any salary. Snyder makes $4.75M this year ($1.8M remains) plus $5.75M next year and either $6.75M or a $750K buyout in 2012. Snyder, 29, is hitting .231/.352/.426 with 10 homers this year.

– Cardinals inquire: LHP Jake Westbrook, LHP Aaron Cook. Cook’s return price is a reliever and a prospect. He’s owed $12M through the end of 2011.

– Cubs’ LHP Tom Gorzelanny. In: Mets.

– Red Sox’ SS Jed Lowrie. Out: Padres.

– Padres: searching for outfielders.

– Orioles’ 3B Ty Wigginton. In: Twins, Phillies and Giants.

– Jays’ LHP Scott Downs. In: Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, Twins. Jays have asked the Yankees for either RHP Joba Chamberlain or C Jesus Montero in exchange for LHP Scott Downs. Have asked the Red Sox for prospect INF Casey Kelly or INF Jose Iglesias for Downs. Mets turned down a deal that would have sent prospect OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis plus another prospect. Downs is hitting .185 against lefties this season. Downs owed $4M this season, free agent in 2011.

– Jays’ OF Jose Bautista. In: Phillies, Tigers, Braves, White Sox, Giants.

– Astros’ RHP Brett Myers. In: White Sox. Out: Mets.

– Brewers’ OF Jim Edmonds: multiple teams.

– O’s LHP Will Ohman. In: Giants.

– Angels potentially shopping OF Bobby Abreu, LHP Brian Fuentes, OF Hideki Matsui, and 2B Maicer Izturis might interest contenders. Abreu, Fuentes, and Matsui could be moved via waiver wire in August. Abreu is signed at $9M for next year and may have another $9M salary vest for 2012 and is hitting just .253/.347/.416 with 12 homers and 56 RBI over 380 at-bats this season.. Fuentes has been homer-prone and has over $3M left on his contract. Matsui’s market is limited by his DH profile, though he has tallied 122 innings in left field this year. *UPDATE* The Angels will not be selling at the deadline, as they believe they have a shot at the playoffs despite being 8.5 games back in the AL West and 12.5 games back in the hunt for the Wild Card.

– Indians are NOT shopping RHP Fausto Carmona. He’s potentially under team control through 2014.

– Yankees NOT shopping for a catcher.

– The NY Post reports that the Rays, Twins and Phillies are the most motivated buyers, while the Cubs, D’Backs and Blue Jays are the most motivated sellers.

– Mets may shop OF Jeff Francoeur after the non-waiver trade deadline.

– Yankees inquire: Scott Downs, Ty Wigginton

– Red Sox inquire: Rafael Perez, Will Ohman, Mike Gonzalez, Matt Capps, Michael Wuertz, Craig Breslow, Sean Marshall, Kerry Wood, David Aardsma, and Kyle Farnsworth. Searching league-wide for a reliever.

– Rockies inquire: 2B Ryan Theriot.

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MLB

– According to the NY Post, the Jays have asked the Yankees for RHP Joba Chamberlain in exchange for LHP Scott Downs. While the Yanks are currently down on Joba, the team still does not want to trade him. In addition, Jon Heyman of SI.com reports that the Jays asked the Yankees for top prospect C Jesus Montero in exchange for Downs. The Red Sox have been asked for prospect INF Casey Kelly or INF Jose Iglesias for Downs. Downs is hitting .185 against lefties this season. The Yanks have also asked the Orioles’ 3B Ty Wigginton.

– The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the talks between the Giants and Brewers regarding 1B Prince Fielder and OF Corey Hart are “dead in the water.” MLBTR reports that the Giants have also been linked to Royals’ OF Jose Guillen and OF Scott Podsednik as well as Nats’ OF Josh Willingham and 1B Adam Dunn.

– FOXSports is reporting that “multiple teams,” including the Nationals, are talking to the D’Backs’ front office about what it would take to acquire RHP Edwin Jackson. The Nats want to trade 1B Adam Dunn for pitching and then trade the pitching to Arizona for Jackson, according to the site. In Ken Rosenthal’s scenario, the White Sox would likely have to include RHP Daniel Hudson in order to acquire Dunn. In turn, the Nationals would then have the option to send Hudson, or one of their own prospects, in exchange for Dunn. This doesn’t make a ton of sense for the National. Jackson is set to make $8.35M next year and has about $1.5M left on his salary for this season.

– Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com reports that the Twins have inquired about Cubs’ LHP Ted Lilly. The Twins are on Lilly’s “no-trade list,” so other teams may have an advantage. Lilly is owed $4M for the rest of this season and would require additional compensation if he was to accept a deal to Minnesota.

– Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com reports that the Giants “have stepped up” for Marlins’ 3B Jorge Cantu. The Rangers and Rockies have also been in the mix for Cantu, but it looks like the Giants may have the advantage now. According to Rosenthal, the Marlins are believed to be looking for a young lefty pitcher. It’s not clear who the Giants are willing to offer, but prospects Eric Surkamp and Clayton Tanner could be the return.

– The D’Backs are considering using RHP Brandon Webb (shoulder) as a reliever. Webb hasn’t even faced live hitters yet, so there’s still quite a bit of ground to cover. Pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre said, “We’re going to have to discuss that. I think he would be up for that, but I need to sit down with (interim General Manager Jerry Dipoto) and find out the direction we want to head with this.” The bullpen could be the quickest way to ensure his return this season, as he wouldn’t need to build up his workload over several weeks in the minors. That said, the clock continues to tick on what looks like a wasted season.

– The Denver Post is reporting that the Rockies are interested in trading for Cubs’ 2B Ryan Theriot, who is hitting .281 with one homer and 21 RBIs. Current 2B Clint Barmes is eligible for arbitration and his salary will likely jump to $5M annually, the paper reports. The Rockies are also asking about Marlins’3B Jorge Cantu and Jays’ RHP Kevin Gregg.

– Tigers’ RHP Jeremy Bonderman told the Detroit Free Press that he is considering retirement. Bonderman, 27, will be a free agent after the 2010 season. He would likely return if the Tigers offer him a contract, but would otherwise only be open to signing with a team out west in order to be closer to his family in Pasco, Washington.

“(Owner Mike Ilitch) and the Tigers’ organization have given me an opportunity to provide for my family really well, and I feel like I’ve saved a lot of money and I have the ability to be able to do what I want — whether it’s be with my kids every day or go on fishing trips with my dad or brothers. At times I love it. At times I’m like, ‘Man.’”

– Former OF Dave Roberts, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in March, has completed chemotherapy. Roberts said he had eight chemotherapy treatments over four months. He is now scheduled to undergo three weeks of radiation in mid-August. Roberts, who was hired as a special assistant for the Padres, continued to move around the team’s minor league affiliates during chemotherapy, working with players on baserunning and outfield play. “Watching these guys each night has been very therapeutic…it’s made me feel very good.”

NHL

– The Blue Jackets have re-signed D Anton Stralman to a 1-year/$1.95M deal. Stralman and the Blue Jackets reached an agreement minutes before Stralman’s arbitration hearing was scheduled to begin. Stralman was expected to be awarded a raise, but the Jackets would’ve likely walked away and allowed him to become a UFA. Stralman scored six goals and 34 points in 73 games last season.

– Time is running out for the Blackhawks to sign G Antti Niemi before his arbitration hearing on Thursday. The Blackhawks probably won’t be able to work something out before Niemi’s arbitration date. Niemi is expected to ask for $3-4M next season while Chicago will probably argue that he deserves about $2M. Chicago has been dealing with significant cap problems this summer and if Niemi is awarded that much in arbitration, they’ll likely send him packing. Chicago also has the option of allowing Niemi to become a UFA rather than accepting his arbitrator awarded 1-year contract.

NFL

– Patriots’ WR Wes Welker (knee, shoulder) is still expected to be ready to go come Week 1, according to the Boston Globe. Though Welker is on active/PUP, the Globe is says that he could play in a playoff game if there was one today, and adds that he’ll get some preseason action. The Patriots are holding him out of the start of camp “to protect Welker against himself.” At this point, no one expects him to begin the year on reserve/PUP. It’s looking more and more likely that Welker will be there when the Pats play the Bengals in Week 1.

– Panthers’ WR Steve Smith (broken left arm) arrived at Panthers’ camp without a cast on his broken left arm. Smith hasn’t been able to lift weights and it’s unknown when he’ll be cleared to practice. He should be ready by the end of the preseason and ready for Week 1.

– The Panthers have signed 2nd-round pick QB Jimmy Clausen to a 4-year/$6.3M deal with $2.533M guaranteed. Clausen looks to be the second-string quarterback to start the season.

– Bengals’ WR Antonio Bryant will open training camp on the practice field, according to PFT. The Bengals’ website also says that Bryant could be used in the slot, where the team “liked what they saw” from him during the offseason. Other reports regarding Bryant’s health haven’t been nearly as positive, but he’ll be ready to compete with WR Terrell Owens for snaps to open camp.

– Redskins’ DE Albert Haynesworth is back in D.C. and ready to practice, confirms Jason Reid of the Washington Post. Haynesworth is reportedly optimistic after having conversations with teammates, and it doesn’t look like he’ll be a distraction. The Skins will need to keep him financially motivated all season long.

NBA

– The Oregonian reports that the Blazers are talking to the Knicks, Celtics and Bulls about G Rudy Fernandez. The 25-year-old Spaniard who set a rookie record when he made 159 three-pointers two seasons ago. “Some of the teams interested in Fernandez have offered a future first round draft pick, while other offers would pair Fernandez with another Blazers player,” the paper reports.

– Sources tell the Cleveland Plain Dealer that the Lakers are trying to package the G Sasha Vujacic, 26, who averaged 2.8 points, 1.2 rebounds, and .6 assists in the 8.6 minutes per game he played last season with a future 1st-round pick in order to unload his $5M salary for the year from the books.

TNA

– TNA star Kurt Angle posted the following message Twitter this morning, putting Hulk Hogan over in a big way:

“Hulk hogan could be one of the best human beings I ever knew. I have wrestled him. Now I work for him. I love you hulkster. Kurt.”

While this is just speculation, I reported earlier that Hulk Hogan is looking to become the next big Billy Mays in terms of infomercials, and is already making moves within the industry to reach that goal. Oddly enough, Kurt Angle runs Angle Foods – a company that sells “affordable gourmet and performance meals,” similar to NutraSystem program. Could they be partnered? Stay tuned.

VoV

Marc Valeri – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
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NBA

– Rockets’ F Yao Ming (foot) said Monday he may quit basketball after next season if his foot injury doesn’t heal. Yao made the comments to the Chinese state media, so we don’t have many details or context yet, but he sounded pessimistic about his future and frustrated with the lack of progress in his recovery. Stay tuned.

– According to ESPN, Hornets’ G Chris Paul did not request a trade in his Monday meeting with the Hornets’ brass, according to new GM Dell Demps. Trading Paul would be a crazy move for the Hornets. They’d never get anything close to equal value and making trade demands would only make things worse. Paul has two years left on his deal before he can opt out and it’s very possible he’s still looking for a trade. Stay tuned.

– The Bulls are now “unlikely” to sign free agent G Tracy McGrady, a source tells ESPN.com. McGrady’s workout went fine physically, but the Bulls reportedly are not convinced that the former superstar is willing to accept a secondary role. In the Bulls’ crowded and talented rotation, McGrady couldn’t be guaranteed much more than 10-15 minutes a night.

NHL

– F Alexander Frolov could sign with the Rangers as soon as Tuesday. His agent said, “Alexander Frolov will soon put his signature on a contract with the New York Rangers. He made a decision that he will play one more year in the NHL. And then it will be clearer where he will continue his career.” Frolov has surpassed the 30-goal milestone twice in the last four seasons, but he’s coming off a disappointing 19-goal and 51-point campaign. Look for him to bounce back if he signs with the Rangers, especially if he ends up playing with F Marian Gaborik.

– The Islanders have signed F Matt Moulson to a 1-year/$2.45M deal. Moulson had an arbitration hearing scheduled for Monday morning, but the two sides managed to come to a last minute compromise. Moulson was a surprise last season, scoring 30 goals and 48 points in 82 contests.

MLB

– The Phillies have been trying to get Astros’ RHP Roy Oswalt, along with the Cardinals, Yankees and others, but the Philadelphia Daily News is reporting that the Phils are going to have to start looking somewhere else for pitching help. FOXSports reported yesterday that Oswalt, who has a no-trade clause, doesn’t want to play in Philadelphia, meanwhile, MLB.com had Oswalt tell them that “location doesn’t matter” yesterday. According to the Houston Chronicle, Oswalt won’t be waiving that no-trade clause unless the team that is getting him agrees to pick up his 2012 $16M option.

“The money part I can work out with anybody, that’s no big deal,” Oswalt told the paper. “We can work on doing different things as far as restructuring; whatever they want to do. I’m going to find a way to get it done if it works for both of us. I’m not going to go somewhere that’s going to be bad for me.”

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch says that the Cardinals aren’t feeling good about its chances to snag Oswalt. GM John Mozeliak tells the paper: “I can’t say I’m encouraged” about making a major pitching move.

As for the Phillies, other starting pitchers on the team’s radar, according to the Daily News, include the Pirates’ LHP Paul Maholm, Brewers’ RHP Dave Bush, and Orioles’ RHP Jeremy Guthrie.

– Tracy Ringolsby of FOXSports.com reports that the Rockies “continue to talk” with the Marlins about 3B Jorge Cantu. Like the Rangers, who also have interest in Cantu, the Rockies are looking for a right-handed RBI producer. Cantu has hit .260/.308/.410 this season with 10 home runs and 54 RBI in 366 at-bats. Moving him would allow the Marlins to free up playing time for recently-recalled prospect Logan Morrison.

– The Marlins have placed OF Chris Coghlan (torn left meniscus) on the 15-day DL retroactive to July 26. Coghlan suffered the injury while hitting Wes Helms’ with a pie to celebrate his walkoff home run on Sunday. He’ll visit a few doctors before deciding whether to have surgery, but either way, he’s likely to miss at least six weeks. Coghlan has a .268/.335/.383 batting line.

– WEEI reports that the Red Sox are looking to add another catcher prior to Saturday’s non-waiver trade deadline. One name mentioned is Mets’ C Rod Barajas. The Sox were offering RHP Ramon Ramirez, but that now appears to be off the table since Barajas went on the DL. Ramirez, who has a 4.69 ERA, is making $1.55M this year and will have salary increases for the next two seasons.

– The D’Backs are reportedly looking at offers for C Chris Snyder, RHP Chad Qualls, 1B Adam LaRoche and RHP Edwin Jackson. The Nats have interest in snagging Jackson, according to MLB.com, but the team has not been involved in talks with the Diamondbacks that would include a third team on such a deal. The White Soz had been rumored to be involved in such a deal.

– The Yankees have reportedly placed RHP Chan Ho Park on the trade block. Park has a 5.57 ERA, allowing seven homers in the 32.1 innings this season, but only allowed five in the 83.1 innings he threw for the Phils last year when he had a 4.43 ERA. The 37-year-old will be a free agent at year’s end after earning $1.2M this year.

NFL

– The Patriots have placed WR Wes Welker (knee, shoulder) on the active/PUP list to open camp. 98.5 the Sports Hub’s report that Welker would be medically cleared by now has been proven wrong. Still, Mike Reiss of ESPN Boston describes the move as “procedural,” and Welker is eligible to come off active/PUP at any time. His progress remains worth monitoring daily. He’ll be a candidate for reserve/PUP to begin the year if he can’t practice in camp.

– ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Jets are the latest team to touch base with Drew Rosenhaus regarding WR Terrell Owens. The Jets are replacing the Rams in Rosenhaus’ latest attempt to get more money out of the Bengals. Schefter calls a Jets-T.O. marriage “a long shot,” citing one person who called the likelihood “20%.” The Jets also made overtures about QB JaMarcus Russell, but never signed him. Schefter confirms that the Bengals remain the favourites to sign Owens.

– In an interview for USA Today, QB Brett Favre told the newspaper that he might play football until age 50. “Hell, you gotta quit sometime. Then again, maybe I will be doing this when I’m 50 years old, who knows?” Favre admitted that he felt “done” after last year’s NFC title game loss to New Orleans, but “the itch” has clearly returned.

– Doctors have informed Giants DE Osi Umenyiora (hip) that the lingering pain will not subside without surgery. Noted hip specialist Dr. Marc Philippon, who performed Alex Rodriguez and Kurt Warner’s operations, gave the prognosis. Umenyiora has opted to pass on surgery, and the Giants’ medical staff intends to help him “manage” the pain.

WWE

– It was announced during tonight’s Raw that the 7-on-7 Tag Team Match between Team Cena and Team Nexus at SummerSlam has been changed to an Elimination Tag Team Match. In an Elimination Tag Team Match, the contest must continue until all members of one team are taken out of the match, either by pinfall or submission. No new matches were announced for SummerSlam during Raw. The updated line-up after tonight’s show is as follows:

7-on-7 Elimination Tag Team Match
John Cena, Bret Hart, Edge, Chris Jericho, R-Truth, The Great Khali and John Morrison vs. Wade Barrett, Skip Sheffield, Michael Tarver, Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel, Darren Young and David Otunga

WWE Championship Match
Sheamus (c) vs. Randy Orton

World Heavyweight Championship Match
Kane (c) vs. Rey Mysterio

VoV

Marc Valeri – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
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NHL

– The NHLPA has officially filed a grievance on behalf of F Ilya Kovalchuk after the NHL rejected his 17-year/$102M deal with the Devils. The NHL is arguing that Kovalchuk’s heavily frontloaded contract is an attempt at circumventing the salary cap. “The NHLPA has filed a grievance disputing the NHL’s rejection of the Standard Player Contract between the New Jersey Devils and Ilya Kovalchuk. Under the terms of the CBA, the NHLPA and Mr. Kovalchuk are entitled to an expedited resolution of this matter. The NHLPA will have no further comment until this matter has been resolved by an Arbitrator.” The next step is for the two sides to work together to hire an arbitrator. Once the arbitrator has been selected, they will have 48 hours to rule on the case.

– The Canucks have re-signed F Mason Raymond to a 2-year/$5.1M deal worth $2.5M this season and $2.6M the following year, a substantial raise from the $760K he earned last season. Raymond, 24, enjoyed a breakout season, setting career highs in goals with 25 and assists with 28. Canucks’ GM Mike Gillis met with Raymond and his agent J.P Barry over dinner on Sunday, however the deal was not finalized until 8:55 am on Monday, just five minutes prior to his arbitration hearing.

– The Leafs are expected to take a more active role in attempting to trade D Tomas Kaberle on August 1 when they will contact the teams who have already tabled offers. The message to other teams will be “improve the offers, otherwise Kaberle will be taken off the market.” There hasn’t been much news of late, since teams have already submitted their offers, but GM Brian Burke hasn’t found one he’d like to pull the trigger on. There’s a chance, however, that the Leafs will start reaching out to teams that have made them offers in the near future.

While Burke has repeatedly said that he is not actively shopping the 32-year old Czech blueliner, he has been listening to offers since Kaberle’s NTC expired at the end of the season.  Kaberle has one season remaining on his contract that will see him earn $4.25M this season. It is believed that the Leafs are looking for a player and a draft pick for the four-time All-Star. In 82 games last season, Kaberle had seven goals and 42 assists while posting a career worst -16 plus/minus rating.

– According to a Russian report, the Rangers and Kings are interested in UFA F Alexander Frolov. The Kings have been actively seeking a skilled winger this off-season, but they missed out on F Ilya Kovalchuk and F Simon Gagne, and are now bringing their attention back to re-signing Frolov, who’s spent his entire 7-year career with the Kings. The Rangers’ interest in Frolov is dated back to last season, but they may not have the cap room to fit Frolov in unless they execute a salary dump afterwards. The KHL’s SKA St. Petersburg might also be in on the Frolov sweepstakes. Stay tuned.

MLB

– Alex Speier of WEEI.com reports that the Jays are seeking “one or two” top prospects in exchange for LHP Scott Downs. Downs is enjoying a nice 2010 campaign and would make a great addition to any contending team’s bullpen, but two top prospects is a very steep price. The Yankees and Red Sox are believed to have the most interest while the Twins, Reds and Mets have all been linked.

– Buster Olney of ESPN.com reports that the Nationals have “made progress” in their attempt to acquire D’Backs’ RHP Edwin Jackson.This report comes less than an hour after FOXSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal wrote that the D’Backs “will not hesitate” to deal Jackson is presented with a strong enough proposal. The Nationals have a decent farm system and should be able to find common ground with Arizona before Saturday’s trade deadline.

– A source told FOXSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal on Monday that the Cubs are willing to eat some of OF Kosuke Fukudome’s remaining salary in a trade. Rosenthal’s source says that Cubs GM Jim Hendry and Co. would take care of part of the $4M that Fukudome is owed this season and even part of the $13.5M that he is owed in 2011. Fukudome has hit just .257/.365/.402 in two-plus major league seasons and he’s batting only .253/.356/.410 over 229 at-bats this year. Few teams have interest currently.

– A source told ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark on Monday that it’s “highly unlikely” Cubs’ 1B Derrek Lee will waive his NTC. Lee will be a free agent at the conclusion of this season and he’d draw a decent package of prospects if moved before Saturday’s non-waiver deadline. The Cubs are 10 games back in the NL Central and would probably like to get some value for the 34-year-old former slugger. But he has full power over any trade and it will not matter if GM Jim Hendry decides to label his club as “sellers.”

– Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com reports that the Rays have expressed some interest in D’Backs’ RHP Chad Qualls. Qualls opened the season as the D’Backs’ closer, but he lost the job quickly and has an ugly 8.49 ERA, 2.11 WHIP and 32/15 K/BB ratio over 35 innings. The Mets have been linked to Qualls, but how interested they are remains unknown.

NFL

– Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the Rams have decided to pass on the idea of signing free agent Wr Terrell Owens. Rams brass met Monday to discuss Owens’ fit in St. Louis, and decided against the signing. The Bengals are now the clear-cut favorites to sign T.O..

WWE

– CM Punk (loose bodies in elbow) recently underwent minor surgery which has caused his elbow to lock up. He’s expected to be kept out of the ring for 2-to-4 more weeks.

VoV

Marc Valeri – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
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NBA

– The Houston Chronicle reports that Rockets’ GM Daryl Morey met with F Chris Bosh in Dallas moments after the free-agency window opened at midnight Eastern last night. Morey made sure Rockets fans know what he was doing, tweeting, “Just finished meeting with @chrisbosh – great player & person. He is about winning so I focused on how w/Houston he can win a championship.”

The Rockets would have to do a sign-and-trade deal with the Raptors to make Bosh a member of the team. The paper reports that the forward made it clear yesterday “through third-party intermediaries he ‘definitely’ would consider the Rockets and specifically cited an interest in playing with F Yao Ming and the chance to play on ‘a world stage.’” Possible sign-and-trade deals that were put together with Bosh’s help are in place with a few teams, including the Rockets, according to the paper’s source.

Yao is doing his part to get Bosh to come to Houston as well. He sent Bosh a Tweet about an hour before midnight, according to the AP, that read, “Hey Chris, hopefully you’ll play with us next season. I’ll be healthy and I’d really look forward to playing together.”

– The Hawks are “cautiously optimistic” that G Joe Johnson will accept the 6-year/$124M offer they made to the scoring guard at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday morning. Johnson would be insane not to accept the offer, even though he’ll probably still hear what some other teams like the Bulls and Knicks have to say. Although the deal sounds crazy from the Hawks’ perspective, David Aldridge points out that Johnson will only be 31 in the summer of 2012 and he’ll still have significant trade value. And even more interestingly, the current Hawks ownership likely won’t be running the team when Johnson is in the fifth and sixth years of this deal.

– ESPN reports that Thunder team reps showed up at F Kevin Durant’s doorstep at 12:01am last night to start talking about a contrct extension. The 21-year-old NBA scoring champion is likely to end up with the maximum 5-year/$80M offer from the Thunder.

– The Bucks have signed F Drew Gooden to a 5-year/$32M deal. Gooden was solid for the Clippers last year and should be productive for the Bucks if he gets his 30 minutes per game.

– The AP is reporting that Byron Scott has accepted the Cavaliers’ coaching job, and that the team will make an announcement later on Thursday. Consider this a done deal. We’ve read some reports that Scott will play a big role in bringing F LeBron James back to Cleveland, and he also has plenty of head coaching experience between New Jersey and New Orleans. Brian Shaw removed his name from consideration on Wednesday, clearing the way for Scott.

– The Bucks appear to be close to a deal that would bring back free agent G John Salmons next season. A deal has not been met, but it does sound like Salmons, who opted out last week, may be ready to return to the Bucks.

MLB

– According to ESPN, there are six teams in the running for Mariners’ LHP Cliff Lee, who becomes a free agent at season’s end, and the Mariners are not on the list. Lee is likely to get dealt at the trade deadline, with the Phillies, Yankees, Mets, Rangers, Dodgers and Twins being the most likely suitors. The Twins are thought to have a good chance at acquiring him if they include prospect C Wilson Ramos in a package. Other GMs also tell ESPN that the Mariners might not want to wait until the end of July to trade Lee because if he has any kind of minor injury, his stock will plummet. Stay tuned.

– The Rangers are set to acquire C Bengie Molina and a PTBNL from the Giants for RHP Chris Ray. The swap only needs approval from MLB commissioner Bud Selig, which should come before the night is through. Molina will immediately provide the Rangers with a solid, veteran presence at catcher and should show better power marks in the club’s cozy ballpark. Ray, 28, has a 3.41 ERA, a 1.26 WHIP and a 16/16 K/BB ratio in 35 appearances this season. He will pitch in middle relief in San Francisco.

– MLB.com reports that the Nationals called the White Sox to ask about the availability of OF Carlos Quentin, as well as the D’Backs in regards to RHP Dan Haren and RHP Edwin Jackson. The players that Washington is getting the most calls about are 1B Adam Dunn and OF Josh Willingham.

The Phillies are also reportedly interested in Haren. According to Crasnick, the D’Backs are out scouting Phillies prospects for a possible trade. Haren, who turns 30 in September, is in the second year of a 4-year/$44.75M contract. He is owed $12.75M over each of the next two seasons. His contract includes a $15.5M club option for 2013. It’s not known who the D’Backs may be interested in, but Domonic Brown, Jarred Cosart and Jonathan Singleton would probably be near the top of their list.

NHL

– The Wild have re-signed F Guillaume Latendresse to a 2-year/$5M deal worth $2.5M annually. Latendresse blossomed in Minnesota last season after coming over in a trade from the Canadiens. After posting two goals and one assist in 23 games with Montreal, Latendresse was dealt to the Wild on November 23 and responded by scoring 25 goals and 12 assists in 55 games with Minnesota.

NFL

– Virginia Beach Police have changed their stance, refusing to put a title on Eagles’ QB Michael Vick’s role in the shooting that occurred at his 30th birthday party. Police originally said that Vick was “not a person of interest.” That led some folks to believe that he wouldn’t face any discipline from the league. However, the fact that he apparently lied about when he left the party and more witness evidence means that the police may want to talk to Vick soon. They aren’t calling him a suspect, a person of interest or a witness. But with Vick’s federal probation officer now investigating as well, this is headed down a very bad road for Vick.

– PFT reports that at least one team interested in a trade for WR Vincent Jackson has learned that the Pro Bowler expects to be suspended four games to open the 2010 season. With two DUIs as a pro, V-Jax is a multiple offender of the Personal Conduct Policy. Whether or not Jackson is on the Chargers’ 2010 roster, it sounds like Legedu Naanee is going to start games to open the season, with Malcom Floyd filling in as the nominal “No. 1 receiver.” Craig Davis would be No. 3, and Antonio Gates’ targets would also rise. Jackson’s trade value will obviously take a hit with this news. He won’t be available until Week 5, and would be just one more misstep away from an even lengthier ban.

WWE

– The situation with Wade Barrett’s work visa is said to be not as serious as it’s been made out to be. Apparently everyone knew the situation was coming as Barrett had been talking about it for weeks. He is expected to be back in the country as early as today and back on WWE TV as early as this coming week. There is still no word on Drew McIntyre’s return but it’s believed that he may be out for a bit longer.

– WWE officials have told the members of Nexus to play the heel role while in public in front of fans. They’re not allowed to pose for photos or sign autographs and are wearing the ‘N’ armbands while out. The decision has made that The Nexus stable will remain on the RAW roster and won’t be doing any run-ins on SmackDown. Most expect that this may change eventually.

TNA

– 4FWOnline reports that tentative plans call for Velvet Sky to turn on Madison Rayne during the Women’s Knockout Champion’s title defense against Angelina Love at next month’s Victory Road pay-per-view, costing her the belt. She would then join back up with Angelina Love, reuniting the original members of “The Beautiful People.” At last night’s Impact taping (scheduled to air on July 8), Rayne challenged Love to put a retirement stipulation in their Victory Road match. She agreed and it was announced that should Velvet Sky or Lacey Von Erich interfere in the match, Rayne will lose the title via disqualification.

VoV

Marc Valeri – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
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NBA

– According to Yahoo! Sports, a source close to Suns’ F Amare Stoudemire now refutes that he isn’t interested in being traded to the Cavaliers. Amare apparently never said that he won’t play with F Shaquille O’Neal, and his representatives haven’t even spoken with the Cavaliers. He seems most likely to end up in Cleveland, and he’ll have the option of exercising his $17.7M player option for next season.

– According to Yahoo! Sports, the Blazers are working on deals for Bulls’ F Tyrus Thomas and Lakers’ F Sasha Vujacic. The Rockets and Nuggets have also made offers for Thomas. The Nuggets have also made offers for Clippers’ F DeAndre Jordan, Spurs’ F Antonio McDyess and Pistons’ F Ben Wallace.

In a related note, the Rockets were in on the Caron Butler sweepstakes, but since the trade to Dallas, the team has turned its attention to Thomas and Wizards’ F Antawn Jamison.

– The Washington Post reports that the Wizards are closing to moving F Antawn Jamison to the Heat in an effort to keep reducing their payroll. The Cavaliers had previously expressed interest as well. The Wizards have reportedly not ruled out the option of buying out F Drew Gooden.

– Yahoo! Sports reports that the Spurs are shopping G Roger Mason Jr.

– The NY Daily News reports that Jerry Colangelo may come out of retirement to GM the Nets.

MLB

– Red Sox’ C Victor Martinez isn’t open to negotiating a contract extension with the Red Sox during the season. “As soon as the season starts, I don’t want to be talking about numbers or be talking about something that can distract me from the game and distract my teammates. That’s the last thing I want with this great team they’ve put together. Maybe, who knows, they come to me in spring training with something. Honestly, I’m all open now until the season starts. As soon as the season starts, I barely talk to my mom.” Martinez, 31, becomes a free agent after the 2010 season, but has expressed interest in staying in Boston for the remainder of his career. He batted .336/.405/.507 in 56 games after joining the Red Sox at the trade deadline.

– According to FOXSports.com, the Tigers and free agent OF Johnny Damon are very close to finalizing a deal. The Tigers reportedly offered Damon a two-year/$14M not too long ago, but ESPN’s Buster Olney was told by MLB executives this weekend that the 36-year-old outfielder will be lucky to find a one-year/$7M deal. Damon hit .282/.365/.489 with 24 homers and 107 runs scored last year for the Yankees. The Braves and Rays have also expressed interest, in case this deal falls through.

– According to a report by San Francisco Chronicle writer Susan Slusser, Gregg Clifton, LHP Mark Mulder’s agent, is saying reports of his client’s retirement are not correct. “Not accurate. Mark has not made a decision.” The news of Mulder’s retirement was initially reported by Lance Allan of TMJ4 in Milwaukee on Sunday and then confirmed by Brewers pitching coach Rick Peterson. Expect Mulder to sign a minor-league deal and try to work his way back up to the bigs.

– The Diamondbacks and RHP Edwin Jackson avoided arbitration on Sunday by agreeing to a two-year/$13.35M contract. The deal buys out Jackson’s final two years of arbitration. Jackson asked for $6.25M and was offered $4.6M for 2010. The midpoint between those two is just over $5.4M, so the Diamondbacks are essentially buying out Jackson’s last arbitration year for about $8M.

– The Rangers have signed OF Endy Chavez to a minor league contract with a $1.25M club option for 2011. Chavez will earn $1M if he makes the team this season. Chavez, 32, underwent right knee surgery last July and hit .273/.328/.342 last year in 182 plate appearances.

– The Nationals have signed OF Willy Taveras.

– The Marlins have signed 3B Mike Lamb.

– The Reds have signed RHP Kip Wells.

– The Rockies have signed RHP Juan Rincon.

NHL

– Hurricanes’ F Ray Whitney’s trade value has climaxed of late, according to reports. More than half the league has expressed interest.

WWE

– The latest issue of WWE Magazine features a sneak peek at what the University of Phoenix Stadium is going to look like next month for WrestleMania XXVI.

Here are some of the details:

- The dome in the University of Phoenix Stadium will be open, making WrestleMania XXVI an open-air event.
- The stage will be 120′ wide and will be elevated 8 ft above the ground. The entrance ramp and various parts of the set will be surrounded by “cauldrons of fire” that will burn high or low, depending on what the action in the ring calls for. Each cauldron burns at about 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
- There will be a 110′ tall structure built above the ring holding 30 tons of light, sound and video equipment similar to the one we saw at WrestleMania 24.
- Over 1,500 miles of cables and wire will be ran through the stadium to light the ring, stage and entrance way.
- Close to 400,000 pieces of fireworks will be used and shot over 200 ft into the air above Phoenix.
- A $250K four-sided LED big screen with 150 speakers will hang under the ring structure ensuring a great view for everyone.

– WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his JRsBarBQ.com blog with an update on his health, his WWE status and what the future holds for him. Ross lashes out at fans asking about his return and the future of his WWE career.

His WWE Return: “If I get asked one more time when I’m going back to work at WWE, I think my head will explode. My career will take whatever direction it’s meant to take when contract negotiations commence. One never knows how that process will go until it begins. I do expect it to go well.”

Working From Home: “We have several, viable opportunities that will allow me to do some fun things and rarely leave Oklahoma which is a somewhat popular option with some members of my household. … I would be less than honest if I did not say that being at home, working on projects from Norman and from this region of the country isn’t an intriguing option for me to explore.”

Life After WWE:”I do know that my feelings toward broadcasting, my love of sports and entertainment, and emotionally engaging in whatever I do is alive and well. I’m certainly not burned out or even charred around the edges and sincerely feel that my best days lie ahead.”

NFL

– NFL Network’s Steve Wyche reports that the Saints are expected to place the franchise tag on impending free agent FS Darren Sharper. Sharper, 34, is the NFL’s active interceptions leader by a considerable margin. The Saints may approach Sharper about a two- or three-year deal before the July 15 deadline for franchise players to sign multi-year contracts.

TNA

–TNA iMPACT! is moving to Monday nights on March 8th and will be going head-to-head with WWE RAW every week. TNA President Dixie Carter tells the Hollywood Reporter that moving iMPACT! to Monday nights is a good move for her company and the industry as a whole.

“We feel strongly that Monday nights is where the majority of wrestling viewers have been historically. Having two Monday night wrestling shows with healthy competition between them can make for great TV. Our goal is not to beat ‘Raw’ immediately, but we feel confident this will accelerate our growth and make it fun for wrestling fans,” Carter said.

WWE spokesman Robert Zimmerman said,

“It’s somewhat of a different audience. On Monday nights we’re one of the top cable shows. We’re focusing on our new show for Syfy, “NXT,” and ‘Wrestlemania XXIV’. We’re not too concerned. We’re in good shape.”

VoV

– Email – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
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NHL

– The Thrashers have traded F Ilya Kovalchuk, D Anssi Samlema and a second-round pick to the Devils for F Niclas Bergfors, D Johnny Oduya, F Patrice Cormier, a first and a second-round pick. The Blackhawks, Bruins, Flyers, Flames, Kings and Rangers were also in the mix. Kovalchuk, a UFA at season’s end, is still looking for a 10-12-year/$120M deal that will see him make the league-maximum $11.2M annually. With the uncertainty of whether the cap may go up or down, it’s hard to believe any team will pay that. And as good as Kovalchuk is, he’s no Alexander Ovechkin who is the league’s highest paid player at $9.3M. It is likely just a contract demand in order to weasel his way out of Atlanta. Kovalchuk recently rejected a Thrashers extension worth 12-years/$101M.

Bergfors and Cormier were two of the Devils top prospects and the price may prove to be a little tough to swallow for a rental player, but there’s no doubt that the Devils chances of winning the Stanley Cup just got a whole lot brighter. In Kovalchuk, Jersey is getting one the NHL’s best and most consistent goal scorers to compliment a team that doesn’t need to score many goals to win games. They should be considered a serious Stanley Cup contender, but whether or not they can lock up Kovalchuk in the offseason remains unknown. He may be more flexible when negotiating an extension with a franchise that has a long track record of success. Stay tuned.

– According to TSN, the Leafs and Oilers could be working on a deal. The Oil, among many other teams, have expressed interest in F Alex Ponikarovsky, and it’s believed that Toronto will move him in order to try and re-acquire some of their lost draft picks. Ponikarovsky, specifically, is expected to bring back a second-round pick. D Garnet Exelby and F Lee Stempniak have also been the subject of trade rumours.

Like Ponikarovsky, Stempniak and Exelby are scheduled to be UFAs this summer, but both still carry hefty price tags. Stempniak is making $3.5M this season ($2.5M cap hit), while Exelby is on the books for $1.7M ($1.39M cap hit), so moving these players isn’t a simple process.

TSN reports that the Oilers are pushing hard to move out bodies, but Oilers’ GM Steve Tambellini hasn’t reached a point of desperation where he’s willing to sweeten the pot to make a deal. The Leafs would likely move either Exelby or Stempniak for Oilers’ captain F Ethan Moreau and a draft pick in order to compensate Moreau’s $1.75M contract ($2M cap hit). Stay tuned, as Leaf land is going to get active soon.

– TSN reports that Oilers’ D Sheldon Souray is down to six teams that he’d waive his no-trade clause for. Souray’s broken hand, however, might make it difficult for the Oil to move him at the deadline. The list is expected to consist of the Ducks, Stars, Kings, Capitals, Rangers and Flyers.

– The Hurricanes are working on a trade that will send D Niclas Wallin to the Sharks. Wallin, who has a no-trade clause in his contract, was not in the lineup when the Hurricanes played the Flames in Calgary on Wednesday as the final details of the deal are still being worked out. Stay tuned.

– The Bruins have begun actively shopping F Michael Ryder. Ryder, 29, has 12 goals and 20 points in 54 games with the Bruins this season. Ryder signed a three-year/$12M contract with the team in 2008.

– Leafs’ D Mike Komisarek (shoulder) will undergo season ending surgery. He will sit out for Team USA at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

– The Hurricanes have placed F Tuomo Ruuto (UBI) on the IR.

– The Islanders have placed D Brendan Witt on waivers.

NBA

– The NY Post reports that trade talk between the Suns and Nets regarding F Amare Stoudemire is dead. Stoudemire reportedly may remain in Phoenix and exercise his option, making him a UFA after next season rather than this season. The Suns are believed to be working on one more deal before trying to move him at the deadline. Stay tuned.

– According to DallasBasketball, the Mavericks could deal F Josh Howard by the February 18 trade deadline. The Mavs are saying it he won’t be moved, but those close to Howard are supposedly saying he’s headed to the Raptors or Heat. A lot of teams are apparently interested in Howard, but don’t likely have the pieces that the Mavericks would like in return. The Mavs are unhappy with their play of late, and it’s believed that a trade could be coming, whether it involves Howard or F Drew Gooden or F Erick Dampier. Stay tuned.

– Hornets’ G Chris Paul (knee) will be out about four-to-six weeks after having arthroscopic knee surgery Thursday. Paul will start rehabilitating immediately and be on crutches for two or three weeks. If he spends two weeks on crutches, it still seems a bit optimistic that he would be able to return two weeks later in game shape. Of course we’re early in the process, but the “six week” side of that timeline seems to be where they should realistically target.

– Yahoo! Sports reported that before the Clippers relieved Mike Dunleavy of his coaching duties, they told other teams that they would keep F Marcus Camby if they were contending for the playoffs, and they would move him if they were not. This sounds like common sense, but it does give us a more definitive idea of what they plan to do with him.

NFL

– RB LaDainian Tomlinson said Thursday that he’s come to terms with the fact that he won’t be back in San Diego in 2010. “I’m not coming back. I’ve accepted it.” The future Hall of Famer said of his time with the Chargers that the “the football part is fun, but the business part sucks.” LT doesn’t know when he’ll be released, but his agent will likely call the team to “expediate the process.”

– Beat writer Mike Triplett calls the report of a new contract for Saints’ QB Drew Brees “a bit premature.” Triplett does expect Brees to get a new deal “at some point over the next two years,” but he points out that the sides have held no serious discussions on a contract. The Saints are expected to open talks this offseason, but “nothing is imminent.” Brees has two years remaining on his original six-year/$60M deal.

– Free agent QB Chad Pennington (shoulder surgery) “has decided to make it his priority to stay with the Dolphins,” according to the Miami Herald’s Jeff Darlington. Pennington is willing to back up QB Chad Henne, and the Dolphins will “entertain the possibility” only after they see him throw — specifically a 15-yard out route. His shoulder was discovered to have only damage to the labrum and the shoulder capsule, leading to expectations of a full recovery. If Miami opts against re-signing him (QB Pat White and QB Tyler Thigpen are under contract), the Cardinals are believed to have interest in Pennington as veteran insurance behind Matt Leinart

– Broncos’ WR Brandon Marshall said Thursday that he’s open to playing for the Broncos next season. “Last year I handled things totally wrong. I just looked at the business side of things and took things too personally.” Marshall is attempting to repair his image, but the Broncos would clearly prefer to trade him this offseason. Perhaps Marshall’s agent has finally made it clear that his best way to get a contract extension is to play the role of the good soldier.

MLB

– The Mariners are set to re-sign LHP Erik Bedard to an incentive-laden deal starting at one-year/$1.5. Bedard, 30, underwent shoulder surgery last August and is expected to miss the first few months of the season, though there is nothing confirmed on that end. The Mariners are still shouldering his medicals bills and have kept close tabs on his progress. According to Kirby Arnold of the Everett Herald, who was linked in the piece by Street, Bedard is expected to begin a throwing program in Arizona shortly.

– The Tigers have officially signed RHP Justin Verlander to a five-year/$80M extension. The new deal buys out his final two years of arbitration and his first three years of free agency. Consistent with the competitive spirit of Verlander, his contract beats out the five-year/$78M deal the Mariners gave RHP Felix Hernandez last month. It’s hard to argue against him. Verlander, who turns 27 later this month, has quickly emerged as one of the game’s top workhorses, leading the AL with 240 innings pitched, 269 strikeouts and 19 wins last season. He has logged at least 200 innings in each of the last three seasons and is just tapping into his considerable potential. The term “ace” is thrown around pretty liberally, but Verlander has shown that he can be a true leader of a staff, even at a young age.

– The Twins have signed 2B Orlando Hudson to a one-year/$5M deal. Hudson, 32, is expected to take over starting second base duties in Minnesota. O-Dog hit .283/.357/.417 with nine home runs, 35 doubles and eight stolen bases in 551 at-bats last season and should provide a nice spark at the top of the Twins’ 2010 lineup.

– According to the Boston Globe, Padres’ GM Jed Hoyer said trading 1B Adrian Gonzalez is not a foregone conclusion. “The team’s position with regard to Adrian has not changed at all. We are excited to have him under contract for the next two seasons. He is a great player who fits our city, team, and payroll remarkably well. We have had, and will continue to have, dialogue with Adrian’s representatives about keeping him in San Diego long-term. It is still early in that process and attempting to draw conclusions in the middle of any negotiation is an inexact science.” Hoyer assessment is more optimistic than that of team CEO Jeff Moorad, who said on Wednesday that “early signals” are that Gonzalez will be too rich for the Padres.

– Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic hears that the Diamondbacks and 3B Mark Reynolds are working on a contract extension. Reynolds, who turns 27 this season, batted .260/.349/.543 last year with 44 home runs and 102 RBI in 578 at-bats. He was the only player in the majors to compile at least 40 homers, 100 RBI and 20 stolen bases in ’09, and he’s set to earn the league minimum this season. The D’Backs are expected to make him a long-term offer by the start of spring training.

– 1B Nomar Garciaparra told WEEI.com on Thursday that he is not ready to retire. This contradicts earlier reports from the San Francisco Chronicle that stated Nomar is “widely expected” to call it quits. The 36-year-old free agent has drawn little interest on the open market this winter, but he informed WEEI’s Lou Merloni that he “feels better now that has in quite some time.” Garciaparra had a .281/.314/.388 batting line in 160 at-bats for the A’s last year and will be lucky to find anything greater than a minor league contract.

– Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports that RHP Edwin Jackson and the Diamondbacks appear to be headed for an arbitration hearing. Jackson filed at $6.25M and the team offered $4.6M when arbitration figures were exchanged last month. According to Piecoro, the Diamondbacks have approached Jackson about a two-year deal that would buy out his remaining arbitration years, but a hearing is still the most likely scenario.

– FOXSports reports that LHP Jarrod Washburn is leaning towards retirement. Washburn is saying he’ll retire unless he gets a decent offer, but he’s limited himself to the Twins and Mariners, the teams nearest his Wisconsin birthplace. He went 9-9 overall with a 3.78 ERA with 100 strikeouts. Washburn will need to broaden his horizon if he wants work.

– The Cubs have re-signed RHP Carlos Marmol to a one-year/$2.125M deal and 1B Kevin Millar.

– The Mets are targeting C Rod Barajas.

– The Tigers have reportedly cooled in their interest in OF Johnny Damon. Damon is now seeking a two-year/$11M deal.

– The Dodgers have signed RHP Jeff Weaver to a one-year/$800K deal.

– Blue Jays’ RHP Dirk Hayhurst (shoulder) will undergo exploratory arthoscopic surgery. His timetable is currently unknown.

WWE

– On Superstars, WWE confirmed reports that the new brand will be known as WWE NXT with a 10-second promotional spot hyping the new show. The show was called “Revolutionary” and we got a first look at the new NXT logo. WWE is setting the bar high for this new show. Based on what we’ve heard, the show will be be a hybrid of pro wrestling and reality TV, similar to WWE’s Tough Enough and UFC’s Ultimate Fighter series. WWE NXT ill feature almost exclusively young talent from WWE’s developmental system, with the possibility of veterans appearing on the show to teach the young guys. WWE really is hoping to introduce the next generation of Superstars to fans in a whole new way, allowing us to get to know the wrestlers in and out of the ring. Whether the wrestlers are competing for a title or a WWE contract remains to be seen, but at least they’re trying something new. As for what happens to ECW, expect to see most of the talent wind up on Raw and SmackDown. The ECW title will likely be put to rest in the near future as well.

– WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his JRsBarBQ.com blog. Some highlights:

The End of ECW: “I will always have great respect for the Original ECW because of the passion and work ethic of all involved. Paul Heyman had great vision for what he wanted to create and his talents bought into that vision. I bring this up because the letters “ECW” will leave weekly TV in 3 weeks and will be replaced with a new, WWE produced program. Anxious to see what they come up with for Sy Fy.

His Health: “I am excited about the future primarily because I’m feeling so much better physically and am presently in a great place mentally.”

His Future: “Must be lots of new rumors on the ‘net about my future. If any of you get some concrete info on what I will be doing for a living in the coming months, years, etc, please let me know because my status, goals for the future, etc are the same as I have repeatedly stated for months … I have actually been discussing some projects totally unrelated to the wrestling biz which are intriguing.”

– As reported here earlier in the week, WWE superstar Gregory Helms was found with a Soma pill (a schedule four narcotic muscle relaxer) in his bag when arrested with Chris Jericho. Helms was unable to produce a prescriptionfor the pill at the time of arrest, but it did not get him into any trouble with the police.

If Helms didn’t have a prescription for the drug as he told police, WWE would be forced to suspend him for 60 days on his second Wellness violation. WWE’s current policy says that every prescription a wrestler has is supposed to be filed ahead of time with Dr. David Black. All prescriptions are supposed to be written by the company doctors who travel with the WWE crew. Helms has a previous violation against him for his name coming up in the Signature Pharmacy scandal in 2007 and has never failed a WWE drug test.

There has been a lot of talk backstage regarding Helms’ future with WWE after the incident. It’s estimated that Helms missed out on a $5K payday when he was pulled from the Royal Rumble PPV days after the arrest. Helms was said to be apologetic to WWE officials for the incident. He appeared on this week’s ECW show, getting beat down by Ezekiel Jackson and William Regal after they talked about his “rough week.”

TNA

– Despite the positive spin he’s putting on TNA in media interviews, Hulk Hogan has been complaining to friends that he’s frustrated with several things in TNA.  Hogan feels pressure to push people he does not believe in – namely, some of the TNA originals. Word is that Dixie Carter doesn’t want the TNA originals to be buried by Hogan’s buddies, but there are some TNA originals that Hogan sees nothing in and wants to get rid of.  Hogan is said to be a big fan of Abyss as well as Tomko, saying at least both men look like wrestlers.

– Eric Bischoff is still intent on bringing Jim Ross into TNA as an announcer. After many months of speculation as to what he’d do when his WWE contract expired, Ross signed a short-term extension back in December and is expected to be with WWE through mid-2010. That said, the face of the pro wrestling industry is sure to change this year, with TNA likely going to Monday nights at some point, so who knows what the future holds.

VoV

– Email – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
– Twitter – @VoiceofValeri
– Facebook – facebook.com/thecanadianrage

VoV

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MLB

– Jon Heyman of SI.com reports that the Yankees, Tigers and Diamondbacks have reached an agreement on a three-way trade. Heyman writes that assuming medicals check out, the trade is a go. OF Curtis Granderson will head to New York while RHP Edwin Jackson and RHP Ian Kennedy go to Arizona and RHP Max Scherzer, LHP Daniel Schlereth, OF Austin Jackson and LHP Phil Coke would land in Detroit. Stay tuned for confirmation.

– RHP Ben Sheets’ agent Casey Close will meet with the Mets and Yankees, among other teams, reports Joel Sherman of the NY Post. Close doesn’t expect a throwing audition for either team, but both would could certainly consider signing the 31-year-old right-hander to an incentive-laden deal. Sheets comes with some risk, obviously, because he hasn’t appeared in a major league game since 2008 and underwent major elbow surgery last February.

– The White Sox have signed INF/OF Mark Teahen to a three-year/$14M contract. The White Sox bought out his final two years of arbitration and his first year of free agency. He’ll take home $3.75M in 2010, $4.75M in 2011 and $5.5M in 2012. Teahen, 28, was acquired from the Royals in exchange for 2B Chris Getz and 3B Josh Fields in November. Early indications are that the .269/.331/.419 lifetime hitter will play third base with the White Sox in ’10.

WWE

– Eddie “Umaga” Fatu was set to return to WWE by the end of the year or early 2010, reports The Sun.

WWE officials confirmed to The Sun that Fatu would have been back on the roster had he passed a screening test – one WWE source said they expected him to return by the Royal Rumble providing he passed his screening test. Fatu only had two strikes on his record when he was released by WWE this past June after refusing to enter a rehabilitation center following his second violation of the company’s drug testing policy. Had he returned to the company, his previous two offenses would have remained.

In October, Umaga told colleagues that he was speaking to WWE about returning to the company. This was the reason he gave for pulling out of a previously scheduled ‘shoot’ interview filming. Figure Four Weekly’s Bryan Alvarez also reports that Hulk Hogan wanted to bring Fatu to TNA following the ‘Hulkamania’ tour of Australia. However, he told people there was no way he was going to TNA and that he was heading back to WWE once the tour had commenced.

Fatu died on Friday after his wife found him unresponsive inside their Houston area home. He reportedly died of a heart attack. The official report on his death is expected to be released this week. Fatu’s passing was not acknowledged during last night’s episode of Raw.

VoV

-– You can keep up with VoV through Twitter by clicking here.

MLB

– The Nationals have signed C Ivan Rodriguez to a two-year/$6M deal. Pudge will receive $3M each in 2010 and 2011.

– The Cardinals have signed RHP Brad Penny to a one-year/$7M deal.

– The Tigers have re-signed SS Adam Everett to a one-year/$1.55M deal.

– OF Jason Bay is already being heavily pursued by the Mariners, Angels, Giants and Cardinals.

– FOXSports is reporting that a potential three-team trade is in the works between the Yankees, Tigers and D’Backs. The Yankees would receive OF Curtis Granderson and two prospects from Arizona. The Tigers would receive RHP Max Scherzer from Arizona, as well as prospect OF Austin Jackson, LHP Phil Coke and LHP Michael Dunn from the Yankees. The D’Backs would receive RHP Edwin Jackson and RHP Ian Kennedy. Stay tuned.

– According to the NY Post, the Mets are going to try and land either RHP John Lackey or Rangers RHP Kevin Millwood. They are also looking into LHP Doug Davis, RHP Jason Marquis and RHP Jon Garland. The team has looked into RHP Joel Piniero and had internal discussions about trading for Royals RHP Gil Meche.

– The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Pirates RHP Matt Capps and C Ryan Doumit are indeed on the block. The Rangers and Mariners reportedly have interest.

– ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark has heard that the representatives for free agent Randy Wolf are still discussing deals with multiple teams. Several news outlets reported Monday night that a three-year deal was agreed to by both Wolf and the Brewers, but the left-hander’s representatives are apparently still fielding offers. Stark says a “half-dozen” clubs may be involved in ongoing negotiations for the 33-year-old southpaw.

– Yankees GM Brian Cashman confirmed Monday that he’s spoken with the representatives for free agent RHP Jason Marquis. Marquis went 11-6 with a 3.65 ERA during the first half of the 2009 season but 4-7 with a 4.56 ERA after the break. Cashman called the 31-year-old “tough,” but added “there are definitely pitchers that are on the market that are worth having conversations with.” The Yankees will explore all options on the open market this winter.

– According to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Indians may be shopping RHP Kerry Wood at this week’s Winter Meetings. It makes no sense for a baseball team to pay a closer $10.5M when they can’t hold leads. Wood posted a 1.38 WHIP and 63/28 K/BB ratio in 55 innings this past season while earning 20 saves. The Indians could turn to RHP Chris Perez next year if they’re able to get rid of the 32-year-old Wood.

– According to Joel Sherman, the Mets and Brewers have discussed a trade involving RHP John Maine and OF Corey Hart. It’d seem to be easier for the Mets to buy a Hart-type outfielder in free agency than to replace Maine’s upside in the rotation, but they likely have some concerns about how Maine’s shoulder will respond going forward. If the Brewers made the deal, they’d enter the market for a right fielder.

– According to MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro, Dodgers OF Juan Pierre has “drawn interest from the Pirates, White Sox and an third unidentified team.” Pierre, 32, hit .308/.365/.392 this past season with 16 doubles, eight triples, 30 steals and 31 RBI in 380 at-bats. The Dodgers are reportedly interested in dealing him for a pitcher with a similarly bad contract.

– The Mets have increased efforts to land C/OF Josh Willingham or Angels OF Juan Rivera to fill their left field void, according to the NY Post. The Mets are concerned that the markets for OF Matt Holliday and OF Jason Bay will push them out of contention for either big-ticket free agent. Rivera has two years at $9.5M left on his deal, while Willingham’s 2009 salary of $2.95M should at least double through the arbitration process. Holliday’s signing, whenever that may be, should set off a large domino effect of corner-outfield transactions.

– LHP Mike Gonzalez has declined an offer of arbitration from the Braves. The Braves weren’t so fortunate with RHP Rafael Soriano, who accepted arbitration and could earn up to $8M through the process. Gonzalez is interested in landing a mutli-year contract with another club and is likely to do so. The 31-year-old had a 2.42 ERA this past season.

– RHP Jose Valverde has declined an offer of arbitration from the Astros. The Astros would have been forced to pay the Type A free agent close to $10M through arbitration, but will now receive two draft picks when he signs elsewhere. The 31-year-old posted a 2.33 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 25 saves in 29 opportunities for Houston this past season.

– RHP Brandon Lyon has declined the Tigers’ offer of arbitration. Lyon stood to make close to $6M through the arbitration process, but will instead seek out a multi-year deal on the open market. The 30-year-old posted a 2.86 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in 65 appearances while serving as Detroit’s primary setup man in 2009 and has drawn a fair amount of interest.

– Braves RHP Rafael Soriano, Rockies RHP Rafael Betancourt and Twins RHP Carl Pavano have all accepted arbitration.

– The Pirates have signed RHP Vinnie Chulk.

PGA

– In another twist related to Tiger Woods, a woman was taken to the hospital from the golfer’s home in Windermere, Florida this morning. Some resources describe the woman as white, blonde and middle-aged. Reports have also cited that a black Escalade with a license plate one digit different than Woods’ infamous ride on Black Friday was following the ambulance, with a younger, attractive female driving. (Elin Woods’ mother, Barbro Holmberg, was said to be at the house on Black Friday.) Meanwhile, Elin has reportedly purchased a home with her sister, Josefine, on a remote island in her native Sweden. Tiger’s alleged mistress count has reached double digits, and rumours swirl over who will land the first one-on-one interview with the world’s best golfer.

NHL

– F Darren McCarty has officially retired from the NHL. McCarty played in 758 NHL games over the course of 15 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings and Calgary Flames. McCarty had 127 goals, 288 points, and 1477 penalty minutes. He also played in 174 playoff games and scored the game-winning goal in the fourth and final game of the 1997 Stanley Cup Playoffs. McCarty marks the first of Detroit’s “Grind Line” to retire.

– Devils G Martin Brodeur has tied G Terry Sawchuk’s all-time regular season shutouts with 103.

NBA

– Rumours are circulating that Blazers G Jerryd Bayless has requested a trade. Can’t confirm yet, so stay tuned.

WWE

– In an interview with political website TheHill.com, former WWE CEO and United States Senate hopeful Linda McMahon spoke about a number of topics pertaining to pro wrestling. McMahon acknowledged that steroids were a “significant problem” in WWE back in 2006 before the company relaunched its drug testing program. She says WWE’s Wellness policy is “as good as it can be for today. But as technology advances and more is known and developed, we’ll continue to develop our policy, as we have done over the years.”

“Unlike football or baseball or basketball, where steroids can actually enhance performance, they do nothing to enhance performance in WWE,” McMahon said. She added that its mostly about a wrestler’s “charisma, the ability to connect with the audience, and how successfully they can act and perform within the storyline.” No mention about the long standing culture of freakishly muscular wrestlers getting pushed or the increasing pressure for wrestlers to stay in shape and maintain an HDTV-friendly physiques.

WWE legends Superstar Billy Graham and Bruno Sammartino have been very outspoken towards Linda McMahon since she began her Senate campaign. Graham recently told the Hartford Courant, “She may look like a Sunday school teacher, [but her] hands are as bloody as her husband’s, because she is aware of every move in the ring.” Linda called Graham a “self-confessed liar” and dismissed Sammartino as someone who has “still got sour grapes because he didn’t make as much money as the guys today are making.”  She said, “You’re going to always have the old-timers who are going to come out and say [things],” she said. “It’s just not like that.”

– Charlie Haas reportedly asked WWE for his release within the last few months. Apparently officials were going to grant him the release at first but changed their minds and gave him a raise instead. There was a rumour going around that Kurt Angle had a spot for Haas in TNA so WWE kept Haas around instead of having him jump to TNA.

– Regarding the discussed Undertaker origin film, it looks to be a long way off. There has bee been no movement of late on the proposed Western film or the planned WWE Studios re-launch of the Chuck Norris Missing in Action series.

– WWE officials are looking to shoot a documentary on the weeks leading into Wrestlemania XXVI, titled The Road to Wrestlemania. However, it should be noted that WWE is very early in its process.

VoV

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MLB

– According to Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse, there’s a rumour floating around that the Mets have acquired RHP Edwin Jackson from the Tigers. Price adds that the news is unconfirmed and he simply “heard it in the lobby” at the Winter Meetings in Indianapolis. Jackson, 26, went 13-9 in 2009 with a 3.62 ERA and 1.26 WHIP over 33 starts. He’d be a great addition to any rotation, and the Mets can certainly use him. Going from the AL to the NL might also be a plus.

– According to Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune, the Padres are talking with teams about RHP Heath Bell and the Cubs are among those with interest. Bell, 32, had a superb 2009 season, finishing with a 2.71 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 42 saves in 68 appearances. The Padres are likely to ask for a nice package of prospects in return for the closer. He was also shopped at this year’s trade deadline and drew interest from multiple teams.

– According to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News, the Cardinals are nearing a deal with free agentRHP Brad Penny. Penny flourished once he returned to the NL this past season and the Cards are banking on that success continuing. He should do well under the tutelage of St. Louis pitching coach Dave Duncan and brings a little more fire to a rotation that already features RHP Chris Carpenter and RHP Adam Wainwright. The 31-year-old Penny went 11-9 with a 4.88 ERA and 1.40 WHIP in 2009 and 4-1 with a 2.59 ERA once he arriving in San Fran.

– Marc Carig of the Newark Star-Ledger reports the Yankees have expressed interest in free agent UTIL Mark DeRosa. Carig adds that Yankees GM Brian Cashman is expected to meet with DeRosa’s representatives at some point during this week’s Winter Meetings. The 34-year-old hit .250/.319/.433 with 23 homers and 78 RBI in 2009 and could be asked to play left field in NY.

– Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com writes that RHP Carl Pavano will likely accept arbitration from the Twins. This most likely means that his agent Tom O’Connell is not confident Pavano will be able to find a two-year deal in free agency. Pavano, 33, was 14-12 with a 5.10 ERA in 33 starts with the Indians and Twins in 2009.

– A source told David Lennon of NY Newsday that the Mets are not interested in Rays OF Pat Burrell. They aren’t interested in a straight-up swap, and they aren’t interested in the proposed three-way trade rumoured in recent weeks. That should put this rumour to rest for now.

– Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com reports that the Tigers and Pirates are among three teams with the most interest in free agent SS Adam Everett. Everett is believed to be seeking a one-year/$3M deal. The Pirates seem unhappy with SS Ronny Cedeno, and they could have the payroll flexibility to make it happen. Everett, 32, hit just .238/.288/.325 for the Tigers in 2009, but is known as a supreme defender.

– Joel Sherman of the NY Post reports that the Yankees have dealt RHP Brian Bruney to the Nationals for a PTBNL. Bruney finished the 2009 season with a 3.92 ERA, 1.51 WHIP and 36/23 K/BB in 39 innings of relief. The 27-year-old was also linked to the Braves this winter. He’ll take on a setup role in Washington.

– Cubs manager Lou Piniella reiterated Monday that the Cubs are “set” with RHP Carlos Marmol at closer and are “very happy with him.”
The Cubs have been linked recently to Padres closer Heath Bell, but wild speculation tends to run rampant in the baseball world at this time of year. Or perhaps the rumors are true and they would like to add him as a setup man. Either way, it appears Marmol will open 2010 as Chicago’s ninth-inning man.