Octavio Dotel can still throw heat and the Pirates are putting the task of closing out ball games for the 2010 season for him as they signed him to a 1-year/$3.5 million deal.  There is a club option for $4.5 million in 2011 and a $250,000 buy out.  Dotel wanted to close while with the White Sox, that much was clear.  What was unknown heading into the offseason was what team was willing to sign him and have him close?  Keep in mind Dotel is 35, but again he still can …

Jose Offerman was at it again and by “at it” I mean beating people up in baseball.  Last year Offerman hit an opposing catcher in the head with a bat after being hit by a pitch in an Independent League game.  While in Winter ball this year Offerman swung a forearm at an umpire after the ump made a call to Offerman’s disliking.  Here is the video and if you look at the slow motion replay I don’t think the forearm actually nailed the ump, but nonetheless who the hell does …

In a four-player trade between the Oakland Athletics and San Diego Padres, the A’s picked up Kevin Kouzmanoff and a minor leaguer for Scott Hairston and Aaron Cunningham. Kouzmanoff, a very underrated player, is coming off his best season as a major leaguer. He his 18 homeruns with 88 RBIs for the Padres in 2009. The trade marks the end of the Eric Chavez era in Oakland, not that he played much the last few years.
The Padres made the trade to cut some future payroll as Kouz is poised to …

With 30 MLB organizations, you would think that there would be enough money to pass around, right?
Not according to the most powerful union on earth – the MLB players’ union.
The Florida Marlins have grudgingly reached an agreement with the players’ union to increase their spending of payroll to avoid a violation of baseball’s revenue sharing provisions. Now, what is an increase – that’s not defined.
Year after year, the Marlins have had one of the lowest payrolls in all of baseball, but it’s not that they’ve been one of the worst …

Mark McGwire has finally broken his silence.  Since the congressional hearings in March of 2005, McGwire was harder to find than Osama BinLaden.  McGwire repeately said he didn’t want to talk about the past, but he never quite came out and said ‘no, I didn’t take steroids,’ like Roger Clemens did.  Mark McGwire is most known for being a power hitting and break Roger Maris’ HR record of 61 home runs in 1961 by hitting 70* in 1998 (Sosa hit 66*).  McGwire has 583* homers for his career and posted 6 years of …

It has been reported by SI.com that the Mets have reached an agreement with All-Star OF Jason Bay.  No details of the signing were listed just yet as the official announcement will come next week as well as a physical. 
There are literally no details of the signing as of now but I had to get this out there.  I had a feeling the Mets would sign him, for one Bay was definitely going after 5-years and a lot more money than mid market teams were willing to pay him so his …

All offseason, the Giants were standing by claiming to be a big player in the free agent market. And then they did nothing – for nearly two months. Finally, on Monday, the team agreed to terms with free agent Mark DeRosa to a reported 2 year/$12 million deal.
While with the Indians and Cardinals in 2009, DeRosa hit .250 with a career-high 23 homeruns with 78 RBI. The low average can be attributed to an injured wrist in St. Louis which never really healed despite resting it for a few weeks …

The Yankees have acquired Javier Vazquez, yet again. This time they got Vazquez in a trade from the Braves which sent Melky Cabrera along with Mike Dunn and Arodys Vizcaino to the Braves. Just when I thougt the Braves had a top 3 rotation in baseball they go ahead and TOTALLY DISMANTLE IT.
In the National League pitching wins ball games all day, every day. To go out and get a mediocre OF (with lots of potential) is just stupid. Vazquez was 2nd in K’s last year with 238 and 6th …

After the summer that Roy Halladay and the Blue Jays went through from trade to no trade, did you really think this deal would be made so easily?
It took two full days and four teams, but Halladay was finally traded from Toronto to the Philadelphia Phillies. Yes, Cliff Lee was still a part of this trade – as he was traded from the Phils to the Seattle Mariners. The new team involved from the initial reports of this trade is the Oakland Athletics, who traded one prospect for another.
Ok, well …

In a potential 3-way blockbuster deal the Toronto Blue Jays are going to ship Roy Halladay to the Phillies and the Phillies are going to ship Cliff Lee to the Mariners.  The deal has been agreed upon but not finalized because the Phillies have to work out a contract extension with Roy Halladay first. 
In the initial reports from SI.com it is also unclear who on the Mariners is involved in this trade and where they are going. The trade is very prelimiary as of this minute but it seems very …