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As the MLB rumor mill continues to churn, many fans are beginning to show a disdain towards the carousel-style news surrounding their favorite players.

Just ask Philadelphia Phillies’ fans about Jayson Werth updates.

This week—particularly the past 48 hours—there is even more confusing media frenzied news to keep fans on the edge of their seat, as they wait with baited breath to find out the latest whispers.

But initial reports often become misleading if not interpreted properly, which in turn, can be emulated by the chain of articles that feed off of them.

Leading the way is the reported deal that the Yankees apparently offered Cliff Lee a six-year $140 million deal which is now being refuted by NY Daily News’ Mark Feinsand.

What is true is that the Rangers curiously offered Lee arbitration and are likely to match any offer made by any team currently hunting Cliff lee.

Another major storyline leading the way is the possibility of Derek Jeter not returning to New York, as GM Brian Cashman was reported telling Newark Star-Ledger reporter Ken Davidoff: “He should be nothing but a New York Yankee. He chooses not to be.”

This isn’t exactly solid news as it can also be construed that Cashman is reacting poorly to the Yankees current offer of three years, $45 million—turned down by Jeter—which Jeter thinks he is worth more than.

According to SI.com’s Jon Heyman, the Yankees plan to sweeten their deal, but no details were currently available at the time of this article.

And finally, Jason Stark of ESPN.com is reporting that “one source” says that talks between Javier Vazquez and the Florida Marlins are “getting hot.”

This is curious news considering Vazquez had a terrible season last year, and is widely viewed as being way past his prime at 34 producing a 5.32 ERA in 31 appearances as a Yankee.

Other reported clubs interested are the Cubs, Rockies, Nationals and Cardinals.

There is also a report from Stark—same article—that Vazquez declined a $20 million offer over two years, but that he is looking for a one year deal only.

A very curious decline indeed, but you can bank on thing: Vazquez will ultimately lead the way in MLB headlines in the coming days.

Of course, everything I mentioned could significantly change with Derek Jeter suddenly deciding to play for the New York Giants; Cliff Lee—after revealing his “true” sports love: soccer—deciding to play for Manchester United; and Javier Vazquez deciding to retire on the beaches of Florida, but agreeing to don a Marlins jersey as a team spokeperson for one year while sipping martinis and soaking in the sun, right?

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

LET’S MAKE A DEAL! Potential superstars in baseball are defined in multiple ways.

There’s the rising prospect, the reborn veteran, the under-the-radar sleeper, and of course, the proverbial number one overall draft picks like Justin Upton.

But the organizational side of a team is in a constant motion of re-tooling their investments in the same way a mechanic tinkers with a project car until he gets everything just right.

Heading into 2011, there are a bevy of players we can all talk about who could be considered potential superstars; I stuck with 10.

Let’s take a look at who’s who, and if there is a player you think could fit this bill, mention him below.

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In last week’s episode of As The Werth Turns, writers and fans were simply trying to make heads or tails out of whether or not the Philadelphia Phillies had a chance of retaining outfielder Jayson Werth. And while the saga continues to consume Philly fans, the organization continues on a slow and steady pace in their offseason wheelings and dealings.

The latest news is the signing of relief pitcher Jose Contreras to a two-year, $5.5 million contract.

This comes as a huge helping hand in the Phillies’ primary quest for quality upgrades to the bullpen, especially since the team has declined J.C. Romero’s option.

Phillies GM Rubin Amaro Jr. has already made it clear that settling the bullpen is of the utmost top priority, while supplementing that statement by also saying they haven’t closed the doors on any free agents—Jayson Werth included.

But open doors tend to let flies in or at least that’s what my mother used to yell.

The free-agency market is wide open right now, especially regarding outfielders. So the Phillies are afforded a nice stroll down Non-Tendered Way as they sip on their lattes and window shop. Players such as Magglio Ordonez, Josh Willingham, Aaron Rowand and even Carlos Quentin are all currently on display at your local MLB free agency store, so act now!

While the Phillies really don’t need to do anything out of haste, there is a growing sense of urgency as to what will be the end game.

Werth’s presence limits prospect Domonic Brown’s ability to be plugged into the starting role, but the expected heavy contract that Werth is gambling for ($120 million over six or seven years) is not something the Phillies will even remotely offer.

At best, they’ll slide a three-or four-year deal worth between $60 and 70 million across the table.

Another issue is the free agents I previously mentioned. Ordonez is like aged cheese at 36, Willingham was having a nice season in 2010 until the all-too-familiar injury bug bit him again, Rowand isn’t really an option and neither is Quentin, despite rumors of the Phillies thinking of making a run for him.

So here we are…left in the menacing grip of speculation and hope (for some).

But in my opinion, when you really gauge the free agency market, and what the Phillies still have to do in the bullpen, retaining Jayson Werth just makes perfect sense.

The almighty dollar seems to be the only real stepping stone. The Phillies know that Raul Ibanez has one more year left tops, and that’s if he even makes it through a full season.

The Phillies also know to get that true relief arm that can “seal the deal,” you have to have a hefty coin on hand. If the Phillies can come to some sort of happy median, however, you kill two birds with one stone while still saving enough to enjoy that latte and a nice morning bagel from South Street Philly Bagels (613 South 3rd Street…it’s a wonderful little place, take your kids!)

But the hitch is on Werth’s agent, Scott Boras, and Werth himself regarding their willingness to accept a three- or four-year deal if offered.

The market should rear its ugly head soon and show Werth that it isn’t what he perhaps thought it was going to be for free agents looking to score that monumental deal.

But until something comes to a head, the fans will continue to chomp at the bit, while the organization continues to take it easy.

To be honest, it will all be “Werth” it if the Phillies find a way to retain the Philadelphia mainstay while beefing up that pen.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Every year after following all of the off-season trades, baseball fans and managers are always on the lookout for specific individuals who will wind up being impact players.

They could be prospects, rookies or even a player who has been seemingly on the slide the last couple of years, all thanks to some new digs and a new approach in mechanics.

I’d like to take a look at some players who I feel could make an impact in 2011. As always, if there is a player who you think should be mentioned, leave a comment below, and perhaps why you feel they could be an impact player in 2011.

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Since the start of the NLDS, many insiders, beat writers and aspiring columnists all agreed that outfielder Jayson Werth was playing his last games in a Philadelphia Phillies uniform.

But now, the rumors suggest the Phillies could make a big push for Werth and actually pursue the Philadelphia mainstay.

Earlier this week, it was rumored that the Phillies had “zero chance” in bringing back Werth, but SI.com’s Jon Heyman has ‘Tweeted’ that GM Ruben Amaro Jr. told the Philadelphia Inquirer he wants an answer soon, but that a quick deal is unlikely.

The Philadelphia Phillies have a couple of other little player puzzles to solve, such as their attempt to retain reliever Jose Contreras and their interest in reliever Joaquin Benoit as a possible insurance policy, but there is also another player puzzle in the mix that is directly related to Jayson Werth.

Top prospect, Domonic Brown.

In many respects, Brown is said to be a fine replacement for Jayson Werth. He’s just as tall, just as fast, seemingly just as good of an outfielder, and almost as good as a hitter.

But he isn’t Jayson Werth.

In my personal opinion, I can’t see the Phillies parting ways with Werth so long as they can stave off his junkyard dog agent Scott Boras and come to an agreeable deal.

What I can see, however, is Domonic Brown being brought up and kept in the dugout as an insurance policy for fading outfielder Raul Ibanez.

But that’s just speculation on my part.

Think of it this way: Raul Ibanez is declining and becomes a free agent in 2011. If the Phillies had an opportunity to construct an outfield with Shane Victorino, Domonic Brown and Jayson Werth, don’t you think they would try?

I know I would if I worked for the organization.

In addition to that being my lineup, I would have Ibanez as a bench player and possible DH in inter-league play, and solid trade bait at the end of the 2011 season, with a free spot to possibly bring up John Mayberry.

The Phillies have already admitted to needing a left-handed reliever more than anything, but addressing the outfield situation is also a top priority. Werth does have a nice situation in Philadelphia, in a very hitter-friendly park that he is already acclimated to.

There isn’t a zero chance Jayson Werth could stay in Philly, but the clock is ticking and just about everyone wants to see a resolution to this ongoing saga.

Hopefully, this will prove to be a “Werthy” pursuit, and we’ll see the scruffy-looking outfielder in a Phillies uniform for years to come.

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Believe it or not, the 2011 MLB season is just around five months away, and one of the rising topics in  many circles is where exactly some of the free agent relievers are going to wind up, or what is going to happen to them prior to spring training.

I picked out 10 guys who are sure to draw attention—some more than others—as we slowly move along the MLB offseason.

You’ll notice that two teams in particular (Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago White Sox) are the most active teams with a bevy of players they are either getting rid of, and/or considering.

Let’s take a look at who I have, and if there is a name you want to throw out there, do so below in the comment section.

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Already hours into the first day teams can contact free agents in MLB, everybody is wondering what kind of deal the Yankees will offer Cliff Lee if the opportunity arises.

Well it’s not about if, but rather when.

The Yankees are not the first team mentioned as possible suitors for Lee. The Washington Nationals have also entered in their hats; already throwing a sales pitch—no pun intended—towards Lee.

The Boston Red Sox are speculated as another team that will “sideline” themselves as they watch the bidding wars intensify over the next several weeks; a situation that is inevitable.

But what about those Yanks?

The Yankees have already eaten a huge chunk of “Sabathia pie” with his gigantic $161 million contract, and there’s plenty more still on the plate. A. J. Burnett is like unwanted luggage, remaining on the team for the interim, and Andy Pettitte is not yet ready to commit to playing in 2011.

With so many questions, and a collectively old team, it makes sense to grab Lee, right?

Not quite so.

The rumor circulating is that Cliff Lee will try his hand at grabbing a similar deal that C.C. Sabathia was awarded (seven years, $161 million) a couple of years ago. The only team rich enough and dumb enough to sign a 30-year-old pitcher to a multi-million, multi-year deal, is the Yankees.

No offense Yankees fans, but if they were to offer Cliff Lee a deal like that, you have to admit it’s a bad move on the organization’s part with so many other glaring issues.

C’mon folks, let’s be honest. Cliff Lee is a great pitcher with a boat load of talent and value in his postseason capabilities. But to entertain a six, or even seven year deal, with a pitcher that is already 30, is just silly.

Sure, it may get them another notch in their bed post in another year or two—all assumption being placed on the fact the Yanks land Lee—but how much baggage will be left at the airport when Lee’s age eventually catches up with him?

There is another side to the story; a side that has the Yankees by the you know what.

There are simply no pitchers on the market right now—none that haven’t already been locked up anyway—so in a sense, the Yankees have to make a move.

In addition, they are devoid of an actual potent starting rotation. So yeah, the Yankees have to pull the trigger.

On the plus side, there isn’t a team out there who can out bid them.

Boston would be the closest, but they’ve already locked in Josh Beckett through four years for close to $70 million, and they certainly won’t offer more than five years to Cliff Lee.

Washington has absolutely no buying power what-so-ever to compete against the Yankees, and while there is always the possibility of Texas holding onto him—yikes, near miss on another unintentional pun—their media market, buying power and merchandising market combined isn’t enough to compete with the Yankees bloated checkbook.

In the end, there is little evidence and argument to bring to the table that would refute Cliff Lee eventually becoming a Yankee, but that doesn’t mean it’s the wisest choice for the Bronx Bombers.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The World Series is usually a contest that features the best of the best in all of baseball, but that’s not always the case. Sometimes, the best teams are defined by what they overcame, rather than what they prevailed over or commanded.

In respect to this year’s World Series, I would like to take a look at 10 teams from the past that were not the top hitting teams in their respective divisions, and how their unexpected offensive performances carried them above and beyond to the rank of Champion.

I chose five teams from the American League, and five from the National League (by current placement), and ranked them from 10th best to the number one team that won a World Series, when they really weren’t expected to at all.

So sit back and enjoy.

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Fake bearded towel waving Giants fans watched as Matt Cain was able to deliver a crushing defeat to the heavy hitting Texas Rangers, and for many fans, the idea of capturing their first World Series since 1954 is but a stone’s throw away.

Cain kept his 0.00 postseason ERA intact going nearly eight as he dazzled and confounded the Rangers’ hitters, while postseason veteran Edgar Renteria did the rest, going 2-4 with a key home-run in the fifth inning that got things going.

And boy did they go.

Another game in which the Giants overwhelmed the Rangers with a monster inning—seven runs in the eighth inning this time—and they did it with no men on and two outs, leaving some very critical questions on the table as the Texas Rangers head back to Arlington.

This Rangers team was supposed to out hit the Giants, but instead have been out hit themselves.

This Rangers team was supposed to, at the very least, match arms with the Giants rotation, but have seen two of their best postseason pitchers literally man handled.

And that was inside a very pitcher friendly park.

Now the series moves back to an Arlington Park that is known for affording hitters with great success, and one has to wonder if this Rangers team can slow down the torture that cometh.

But it isn’t just about slowing the Giants down.

The old adage location, location, location has been the key to every team’s demise who has faced the Dirty Dozen, so every pitch simply has to be perfect. These Giants hitters are patient, crafty and have found a way to adjust to pretty much anything you throw at them.

But that’s not all.

Their defense is nearly impenetrable, their pitching is nearly unhittable, and 20 runs in two World Series games is unthinkable.

Right on par for Halloween.

So the question now is how will the Rangers reverse what has been done. It seems as if they have done all they can to win a ball game, but to no avail.

Well this is also a team that can’t be overlooked.

Much like the Phillies, the Rangers have extremely good bats in their lineup, and extremely good pitching left to be used, so the Texas Rangers’ bats will have to come alive in Game 3 if they are to believe they even have a shot at winning this thing.

The pitching is a no-brainer: stop pitching these guys inside and over the middle.

It’s almost as if everybody still wants to challenge this team’s legitimacy as a true hitting ball club. Well guess what, they are!

If you’re going to pitch to the dirty dozen, then you must dig deep for that nasty, dirty stuff.

Sloping curves to the corners, changeups and breaking balls that break to the outside and anything else you can whip up that doesn’t sail over the middle of the plate. And hang in the zone like a feather without any wind under it.

The series is quickly turning into a lopsided contest, something the Giants want. So if the Rangers want to show up, now would be a good time.

For the Giants, the only stigma left to be avoided is turning into the 1981 Yankees.

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In a game steeped in desperation, the Philadelphia Phillies came alive to send Game 6 of the 2010 NLCS back to Philadelphia, and the good doctor provided the cure for the woeful Phillies at just the right time.

But for the Phillies, the importance was in HOW they won this game.

Miscues in the field, lack of power, nearly zero base stealing: All of these things have plagued the Phillies and prevented them from either closing out a winnable game, or stopping the Giants.

Let’s take a look at how Philadelphia fared this time around, as we get ready for Saturday.

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