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It has been reported that free agent Slugger Adam Dunn has signed a 4-year, $56 million deal with the Chicago White Sox. This is a huge move for the White Sox, who are unsure if first baseman Paul Konerko will return next season.

It is not certain that Konerko will leave Chicago, but Adam Dunn certainly replaces Konerko’s power if he does not re-sign. The deal will be finalized after Dunn takes a physical with the team. Dunn has been a big time power hitter throughout his career and he showed off his power again in 2010.

Dunn, 31, finished the 2010 season with a .260 batting average and 38 home runs. Dunn has now hit 35-plus home runs in seven straight seasons. On the flip side, Dunn is a career .250 hitter, but his power numbers have been so consistent that, overall, this is a good move for Chicago.

Whether Konerko departs or not will determine what position Dunn will play next season. He will certainly play a lot of DH, but if Konerko is not with the team, Dunn will see some time at first base. 

The White Sox’ offensive production should increase significantly with Dunn in the lineup. They are getting a guy who is second in the MLB in home runs since 2004 with 282, just behind the St. Louis Cardinals‘ Albert Pujols.

Notable Stats:

• 354 career home runs
• 880 career RBI

Source: Bob Nightengale of USA Today via Twitter

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It is being reported by Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal that Derek Jeter and his agent Casey Close will meet with the New York Yankee officials in Tampa, Florida. These negotiations have gone on long enough and things have certainly gotten ugly.

Maybe a deal can finally get done.

Jeter and Close have been looking for a deal in the range of five years, $22 million. General Manager Brian Cashman and the Yankees have not budged from their original three-year deal worth $45 million. Maybe Jeter and his agent are meeting to accept the original offer, or maybe they are meeting to try and get their five-year deal.

Either way, Cashman seems unlikely to budge after his comments in recent weeks. Cashman’s plan might be to convince Jeter that the deal is fair and he will not find such a deal elsewhere. Regardless of what happens at this meeting, these negotiations have gotten ugly already and will go to the next level.

Yankee fans have been getting  impatient with the two sides especially Jeter and Close. $15 million a year is more than reasonable and the fans have every right to be upset.

Hopefully this saga comes to an end and this can all be forgotten because No. 2 needs the New York Yankees, and the New York Yankees need No. 2

Source: Ken Rosenthal on Twitter

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After losing Juan Uribe to the Los Angles Dodgers, the San Francisco Giants have found their replacement in veteran Miguel Tejada.

It has been reported that Tejada has signed with the Giants for a one-year deal worth $6.5 million. Tejada’s deal also includes $500,000 in performance-based bonuses.

Tejada is not a major upgrade and is not the All-Star he once was, but the Giants needed to find a replacement for Uribe and Edgar Renteria. Renteria’s team option of $9.5 million was declined by the Giants. Tejada batted .269 with 15 home runs and 71 RBI with the Orioles and Padres last season. Tejada is 36 years old but does still have some power left.

Tejada is nowhere near his 2002 form when he won MVP honors, but he still has a lot to bring to the table for the Giants. Tejada was one of the few options available in free agency and the Giants have made their second splash during the offseason.

Last week, the World Series champs brought back first baseman Aubrey Huff for 2 years and $22 million.

General Manager Brian Sabean would have loved to keep his 2010 roster in tact, but he has to do his best with what is available. The Giants made a smart move in bringing back Huff and have made a solid move in signing Tejada, as he was one of the best shortstops available in free agency.

Source: Enrique Rojas on Twitter

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Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal has reported via Twitter that former San Francisco Giant infielder Juan Uribe has signed a three-year deal worth $21 million with the Los Angles Dodgers.

This is a nice deal for Uribe, 31, who batted .248 with 24 home runs and 85 runs batted in. The Dodgers will get some pop with Uribe’s bat and will certainly get experience. Uribe’s bat will boost the Dodger’s lineup and his glove will improve the Dodger’ infield— as he will probably play a lot of second base.

Uribe played at shortstop, second and third base last season, so he is certainly capable of playing second base.

The departure of Uribe does hurt the Giants—Uribe hit two big home runs and drove in nine runs during the Giants’ World Series run. Uribe will bring his two World Series rings to Los Angeles in hopes of bringing a World Series ring home for the Dodgers for the first time since 1988.

With a hole in the Giants’ infield, they must now explore other options around the league. Miguel Tejada, Jason Bartlett are available. Also available and rumored to have been contacted by the Giants already is Yankees’ shortstop Derek Jeter, but his price may be too high.

This is an interesting move that is all taking place within the National League West division. Many will anticipate this matchup next season because it is always fun to see a player take on his former team.

Career Stats: Uribe is a .256 career hitter with 1114 hits and 151 home runs under his belt.

Source: Ken Rosenthal on Twitter

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Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal has reported that the Florida Marlins have inked former Yankee, Javier Vazquez to a one-year deal worth $7 million. The deal also includes a full no-trade clause.

This is a risky move for the Marlins because Vazquez is coming off a terrible year with the New York Yankees. Fortunately for the Marlins, Vazquez has been a better pitcher in the National League. It’s a big move for Vazquez because he needs to bounce back after his sub-par 2010 season.

This move adds a veteran to the Marlin’s young starting rotation and can potentially be a great move if Vazquez returns to his 2009 form. Vazquez will need to forget about his 2010 season in which he post a 10-10 record with a 5.32 era. Just a year before his dreadful season with the Yankees, Vazquez won 15 games with a 2.87 era with the Atlanta Braves. The question for the Marlins is which Javier Vazquez will show up for them?

Vazquez has been known to be an innings-eater and a strikeout pitcher, but he will need to regain his confidence in Florida. The National League is where Vazquez belongs as it seems he just could not deal with the pressure of the American League and New York.

Vazquez is entering his 14h MLB season, and the Marlins will be his sixth different team that he has pitched for. 

Vazquez has had stints with the Expos, Yankees, Diamondbacks, White Sox and Braves. During his time with five different clubs, Vazquez has earned his way to a 152-149 record with a 4.26 era.

Source: Ken Rosenthal on Twitter

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In a contract negotiation that was already ugly, things between the Yankees and Derek Jeter have just gotten worse.

Bill Madden of the New York Daily News has stated that Jeter and the Yankees are at least $80 million apart in their contract negotiation.

It is possible that the two sides may be more that $80 million apart.

This is a nightmare for Yankee fans, as neither side has been budging while Jeter and his agent Casey Close’s demands have gone up. It has been reported that Jeter and Close are asking for $25 million a year, well within the range of what teammate Alex Rodriguez makes every year.

Whether Rodriguez has anything to do with Jeter’s stance in this negotiation, Brian Cashman and the Yankee organization stand strong with their initial offer of three years for $45 million. Jeter and Close’s demands seem to be in the area of six years, $150 million.

The Yankee shortstop is not going to find anything near the Yankees’ initial offers, and he and his agent’s demands have just been greedy. Jeter is an icon in Yankees history, but the fact remains he is 36 years old, and $25 million a year will not be the smartest investment for the next six years. Jeter still has some years left, and the three-year contract the Yankees have offered him is more than reasonable and generous.

Nobody wants to see Jeter in a different uniform next season, but it is time to start thinking if the two sides cannot come to a conclusion, Jeter just might be wearing No. 2 for a different team next season.

The Yankees have thrown away money before and have made investments that have turned out to be failures, but a six-year, $150 million deal is just not worth it for Jeter, who, at 36, is coming off his worst statistical season.

Source: New York Daily News

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Shortstop Derek Jeter just finished his 15th year with the New York Yankees, the final year of a 10-year deal. Prior to this off-season, many believed that the Yankees organization and Jeter would work out a new deal in no time. Well, things have gotten ugly and Yankees fans are beginning to think about life without No. 2

The problem with contract negotiations is that a player’s agent can be the one making all the demands, as we witnessed with Alex Rodriguez a few years back. Rodriguez went on to fire his agent Scott Boras and handle the negotiations himself.

The Yankees captain is coming off his worst year offensively, batting just .270. Yankee fans are used to seeing Jeter bat well above .300. With Jeter’s sub-par 2010 season, the question is now should the Yankees pay him like the great icon that he is? Or should they pay him like the .270 hitter he was this past season?

The Yankees have offered Jeter $45 million for three years, and that deal remains on the table. With Jeter and agent Casey Close wanting more money, they must wonder if Jeter will get at least $15 million a year elsewhere.

The answer is no.

Jeter and Close need to realize that this is an extremely generous offer from the Yankees and that he is not going to find another offer like this around the league. Granted, Jeter may be offended by general manager Brian Cashman’s comments about testing the open market but at the end of the day, Jeter signing this deal will make both parties happy.

The fact remains that the Yankees cannot let Jeter walk, and Jeter needs the Yankees as well. Fans are outraged at the situation already and things will only get worse if a deal does not get done. Fans have called in to radio shows, going as far to say that they will never step foot in Yankee Stadium if a deal does not get done.

As if things were not ugly already, the New York Post‘s sports cover page was a picture of Derek Jeter in a Boston Red Sox uniform with a title saying “Picture This!” This is the absolute last thing the Yankees and their fans want to see.

It is extremely unlikely that Jeter will ever play in Boston, but seeing that image of the captain in a Red Sox uniform should give the Yankees and their fans nightmares.

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After winning their first World Series since moving to San Francisco, the Giants took their first step in the offseason by giving their first baseman Aubrey Huff a two-year, $22 million extension. The deal also includes a $10 million club option for 2013. This is a great deal for the 33-year-old first baseman. 

After his 32 home run season with the Baltimore Orioles in 2008, Huff struggled a bit due to some injuries. Despite his struggles, Huff was picked up by the Giants and had bounce-back year.

The big first baseman hit .290 with 26 home runs and 86 runs batted in. Huff definitely earned this deal after the season he had, and also his World Series performance. Huff had five hits in five games including a big two-run home run in Game 4.

This is a big move for the World Series champions because they need some power in the lineup and that is exactly what Aubrey Huff brings. The chemistry on the Giants roster is great and it is important for them to keep these guys together, and signing Huff was the start of it.

Giants’ manager Bruce Bochy will definitely be happy to have Huff for two more years because he gives the Giants a better chance at repeating.

With the pitching staff on the Giants, anything is possible for them. Starters Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain were outstanding in the playoffs and all they needed was a little help from the offense, and Aubrey Huff was apart of that help.

This is a great deal for Huff and the Giants as they look forward to next season so they can defend their title.

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Things didn’t exactly begin as planned for the New York Yankees against the Rangers on Friday night in Texas, but a slow start meant little in a 6-5 comeback victory that secured them a 1-0 ALCS series lead.

Yankees ace CC Sabathia could not find the strike zone to start the game, and his team stumbled to an early 3-0 deficit after a three-run home run by Texas outfielder Josh Hamilton in the first inning.

Sabathia’s struggles continued throughout the night, as he gave up another two runs off a Michael Young double in the fourth inning, giving the Rangers a 5-0 lead. Sabathia did not have his best stuff and threw more balls than strikes in an uncharacteristic performance. No. 52 departed after four innings, finishing with five runs allowed on six hits and four walks.

As Sabathia left the game, in came reliever Joba Chamberlain. Yankees fans cringe at the sight of Chamberlain, but the big righty came through on Friday, pitching a scoreless fifth inning with no hits and one walk allowed.

As Chamberlain settled things down for the Yanks, MVP candidate Robinson Cano finally got to Rangers starter C.J. Wilson, who had been brilliant all night long. Cano hit a solo shot in the top of the seventh, cutting the Rangers lead to 5-1. Cano finished 3-for-4 on the night with two RBI.

Relieving Chamberlain was Dustin Moseley, perhaps the most important pitcher of the game for the Yankees. Moseley pitched a scoreless sixth and seventh, striking out four and walking none. Moseley held the Rangers’ lead to four runs, which proved to be no problem for the Yankees offense.

After being dominant for seven innings, Wilson finally began to fold. The confident lefty gave up an infield single to a hustling Brett Gardner, who dove to first base to beat it out. Derek Jeter then hit a double down the line to score Gardner all the way from first.

That proved to be it for Wilson, as he could not get an out in the top of the eighth.

Darren Oliver relieved Wilson and loaded the bases for former Ranger Alex Rodriguez, who hit a bullet that took a tough hop right over Michael Young’s glove into the outfield. Rodriguez’s single scored Jeter and Swisher, cutting the Rangers’ lead to 5-4.

Cano followed with a single up the middle that tied the game at five. With runners on the corners, Marcus Thames singled to shallow left, scoring Rodriguez and giving the Yankees a 6-5 lead.

The Yankees’ eighth-inning man, Kerry Wood, relieved Moseley and gave up a leadoff walk to Ian Kinsler. The Yankees did not want to give up their lead right away, and they didn’t. Wood caught Kinsler sleeping and picked him off for the first out of the inning, then nailed down the final two outs of the eighth to set things up for Mariano Rivera in the ninth.

Rivera gave up a leadoff single, but it did not faze the best closer of all time. Rivera got the save as he always does, securing the Yankees’ dramatic comeback. 

Phil Hughes will be on the mound for New York in Game 2 on Saturday, as he will take on Colby Lewis.

in Texas

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The Yankees gave the ball to veteran lefty Andy Pettitte in Game 2 of the ALDS. On the mound for The Twins, was former Yankee Carl Pavano. The Twins needed Pavano to come through for them but the Yankee offense was too much for Pavano.

Pettitte went seven innings giving up five hits while allowing just two runs, and just one walk. Pettitte delivered as he always does, earning his 19th victory during the postseason, which is the most all time. 

The Twins got on Pettitte in the second inning when rookie Danny Valencia hit a sacrifice fly to score Delmon Young, giving the Twins a 1-0 lead. The Yankees responded in the fourth inning off an Alex Rodriguez sacrifice fly, scoring Curtis Granderson. The Bombers got one more in the fifth from an unlikely Lance Berkman. Berkman belted an opposite-field home run, giving the Yanks a 2-1 lead.

Pettitte continued to pitch well, and allowed his only other run in the sixth inning on an Orlando Hudson home run. The Twins tied the game at two, but it was only a matter of time before the Yankee lineup came alive. After a controversial pitch that was called a ball, Lance Berkman hit an RBI double, scoring Jorge Posada. Derek Jeter then singled in Berkman, extending the Yankee lead to 4-2.

Pettitte pitched a scoreless seventh, which would be his last inning of work. Kerry Wood entered the game in the eighth inning, resembling the Kerry Wood from his early days with the Chicago Cubs. Wood pitched a scoreless eighth, setting it up for Mariano Rivera.

The Yankees tacked on one more run in the ninth inning off a Curtis Granderson single. Granderson continued his hot hitting going 3-for-4 with an RBI. Mariano Rivera relieved Wood and gave up one hit in the ninth inning, but got out of it without allowing a run. Mo earned the save giving the Yankees a 2-0 lead in the series. 

The Yankees head back home, where 18-game winner Phil Hughes will go head to head with Brian Duensing.

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