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Pro Sports Wrap - Sports Personality of the Day:Tony Romo

It isn't always pretty, but Francisco Cordero gets the job done, and there are quite a few teams clamoring for his services via trade. Cordero is about a league-average closer, and a solid prospect is about what the Reds should expect from a deal. However, there is a good chance that a team overpays for him and factors in his gaudy save numbers a little too much.

Although the Padres have given a two year deal to Heath Bell, they don't really like the prospects of him re-signing. Bell could stand to make more with one of the many west coast teams interested in him, and one can't rule out the Red Sox as players in the race for Bell. Even though he is a little overrated, Bell is still a pretty good closer, but a team looking to give him- as Sports Illustrated states- three years and 30 million is giving up too much.


In yesterday's post, I stated that the only way Jose Reyes will sign with the Marlins is if he plays at shortstop. People, for some strange reason, believe that Hanley Ramirez and Reyes are friends; that's not the case. Regardless, Han-Ram isn't pleased about moving over to third if Reyes is signed. A move to third would help the Marlins defensively, because it means that Ramirez has less chances to screw up in the field. It's obvious that Hanley doesn't want to move to a less prestigious position on the diamond, but I really wish he would do what's best for the team and for himself. Doesn't he want to win a ring?

Aramis Ramirez wants a four year deal (even if it's an option) according to FOX Sports, and that really seems like a stretch to me. He may be a solid hitter at a weak position offensively, but he's too old to be seeking a four years. A-Ram obviously wants the opportunity to win a ring at the age of 33, but he may want to lower his demands to make him more appealing to contenders.


The Rangers, Yankees, Red Sox, Rockies, Indians, Cubs, Phillies, and Giants all want to take a gamble on former stud center fielder Grady Sizemore. It would be a calculated risk, but I really don't think the Yanks, Phils, or Sox have a need for Grady right now.

C.J. Wilson is easily the best starter on the free agent market right now, and the rival Angels are interested in acquiring the ace to an already impressive rotation. Right now, Wilson obviously wants to make 100 million over six seasons, but I honestly think six years may be a couple of seasons too many. Five is the most I would go, and a year really does make a difference between a good deal and a bad deal when you are investing this much money per season.
Teams are calling
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We all know that TLR retired, Davey Johnson is getting ready for another season in Washington, the Sabathia deal, and the moves dealing with Dempster, Grady, and Carmona. I don't want to focus on those moves at the moment, but I will take a look at the Derek Lowe trade and the obvious Brian Cashman re-signing.

Derek Lowe was traded to the Indians for some random minor leaguer, and the Braves will pay ten of the 15 million that the righty is due in 2012. It's a good deal for both teams, as the Braves save some money and get a prospect while getting rid of a starter in a crowded rotation. Lowe has always oupitched his ERA, in that his predictive stats are always better than his actual earned runs allowed. I do expect him to have a better 2012 campaign, but he won't set the world on fire (it's Derek Lowe guys). Still, the Indians get an above-average pitcher who fits in nicely.

We all knew that Brian Cashman was going to get re-signed, and the best GM in baseball was given a three year deal a day after his contract ran out. Yeah, he's definitely with the Yanks for the long term. The problem is that Cashman sometimes gets overrided by guys like Oppenheimer, Hal, and Levine; but he rarely ever makes a wrong move and has mastered the ways of faking out a rival. How you likin' Crawford guys in Boston?

I am hearing that the big stars like James Shields, Aramis Ramirez, and Albert Pujols are going to stay put with their respective teams. I doubt the Cubs bring back A-Ram, but it wouldn't be the stupidest idea seeing that he is still a decent hitter at arguably the weakest offensive position in baseball. Shields is staying for sure, and I bet Pujols sticks with the team that he belongs with. I say this because I can't possibly visualize him playing for a team like the Cubs at all.
Indians
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1. Edwin Rodriguez steps down

Marlins fans were shocked when Edwin Rodriguez unexpectedly resigned yesterday (not re-signed). He was frustrated with their current ten game losing streak and 1-18 slump. Rodriguez is the first Puerto-Rican manager in history, and the Marlins had no intention of firing him. He was doing a good job this season, and won the respect of his players. I guess this slump was too much for him, and it's a shame that he quit.

"This was an extremely frustrated, proud man,"president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest said. "This kind of caught us a little off guard. I know there's been a lot of speculation, everything, but this is not something I thought was going to happen today."

2. McKeon to Marlins?

"So we can move ahead with the business of playing baseball and trying to win games," Beinfest said. "When you have a change like this, with a popular person, I think it's tough on a lot of people. You just need to go play baseball, and that's first and foremost."

Jake McKeon is most likely going to be named as the new interim manager. That quote above from Beinfest was about how the Marlins are going to try to name a interim manager as quickly as possible. McKeon was the Marlins' manager in 2003 when he was Manager of the Year and guided the Fish to a World Series title. Cubs fans and Yankees fans (like me), block that year out.
McKeon retired after the 2005 season, and he is now 80.

3. Yankees (Read: Swisher) rally past Cubs

Speaking of the Yanks and Cubbies, here's a mini-recap of the final game in the three game series involving these two storied franchises. The Bronx Bombers came back to win this one 10-4. Chicago won the first game, but the Yankees charged back and won the last two games in this three game set.

Nick Swisher was up with nobody out and two runners on and took a 2-0 pitch for a ride into right field. The 407 foot shot broke a 4-4 tie and gave the Yanks a commanding lead they would never relinquish. The Early Wynn home run by Swisher was yet another hit in a recent hot streak for Swishalicious after two bad slumps earlier this season. The Yanks had a big ninth inning to make it 10-4.

A-Rod went 3-4 with 3 runs, a walk, an RBI, and a double. He's been playing with a strained left shoulder for weeks now. What a beast. Brett Gardner hit his first career homer that led off a game, and he finished with an impressive line. Gardner went 3-5 with two runs, one steak, and a dinger.

James Russell and Sean Marshall got clobbered by the Yanks' hitting, and CC Sabathia wasn't even good on this day when offenses ruled. A-Ram went 4-5 with a run, and Soriano had his own Early Wynn shot.

4. Pujols injured

Every Cardinals' fan will cringe when they read this headline. The best player in baseball sprained his left wrist and also injured his shoulder trying to tag out Wilson Betemit in the sixth inning. Both players collided, but it really wasn't anyone's fault. It was just a baseball play gone bad. Skip Schumaker hit a walk-off homer to beat the Royals 5-4 in a bittersweet game for the Cardinals.

5. Verlander does it again

Man is Justin Verlander a monster. He led the Tigers to a 9-1 trouncing of the Colorado Rockies after pitching his second straight complete game. He wasn't quite as dominating as James Shields was, but Justin Verlander was definitely good enough. The only run he gave up was a long solo shot by Ty Wigginton in the fifth inning. It was the .267 hitter's seventh dinger of the season, and it measured at about 424 feet. That was one of only four hits Verlander gave up. He has thrown at least 100 pitches in all of his starts this season. I wouldn't be worried though because this guy has endurance.

Brennan Boesch's hot streak continues as he hit 3-4 with 3 runs, one RBI, and a monster solo shot of his own that went 422 feet out. Miguel Cabrera was 2-4 with 3 runs, a double, an RBI, and a walk. Alex Avila was 2-4 with a run and two ribbies. Rex Brothers gave up 3 runs (2 earned) on two hits and walked one without getting an out in the seventh inning.
The word "slump


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