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Update: Friday, Nov. 3 at 12:15 a.m. ET

The Angels-Cubs trade saga took a dramatic turn into the morning, as the Angels decided not to deal Haren and make him a free agent. MLB beat writer Alden Gonzalez tweets:

#Angels have declined the option on Dan Haren.

— Alden Gonzalez (@Alden_Gonzalez) November 3, 2012

It seems the L.A. brass couldn’t find a deal of equal or lesser value for Haren’s services than Marmol. They decided to cut their losses and make Haren somebody else’s problem.

Boy, it’s going to be awkward for Marmol in Chicago.

—End of Update—

Update: Friday, Nov. 2 at 10:30 p.m. ET

All of a sudden, it appears the Chicago Cubs have nixed the trade that would have sent Carlos Marmol to the Los Angeles Angels and Dan Haren to Chicago, according to Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com.

Rosenthal tweeted on Friday:

Source: Marmol would have OK’ed trade to #Angels, but #Cubs pulled deal off table and trade is not happening. Angels talking to other clubs.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 3, 2012

— End of Update —

The Los Angeles Angels have reportedly traded right-hander Dan Haren for Chicago Cubs reliever Carlos Marmol, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.

Heyman tweeted:

Haren was traded to #cubs, confirmed

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) November 2, 2012

Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com added:

Confirmed, #Angels and #Cubs swapping Haren and Marmol. Details still a little fuzzy, though.

— Alden Gonzalez (@Alden_Gonzalez) November 3, 2012

The trade comes as a bit of a surprise, but given Haren’s $15.5 million option for next season and his 12-13 record and 4.33 ERA last season, perhaps it isn’t that surprising after all.

Haren’s deal includes a $3.5 million buyout, but it obviously doesn’t matter too much for the Angels. 

Of the four Angels starters who had at least 30 starts last season, Haren tied with Ervin Santana for the fewest quality starts (15). While he did have a better second half of the season (6-5, 3.58 ERA), perhaps the damage had already been done.

This also makes it more likely that the Angels will give right-hander Zack Greinke what he wants this offseason. He’s arguably the top starter on the free-agent market.

Greinke posted a 15-5 record, a 3.48 ERA, a 1.20 WHIP and 200 strikeouts in just over 212 innings this past season with the Angels and Milwaukee Brewers.

As for Marmol, the 30-year-old posted a 3.42 ERA with 72 strikeouts in 55.1 innings (61 appearances) last season with the Cubs. Given that the Angels ranked 12th out of 14 American League teams in bullpen ERA last season (3.97), it’s no wonder why they are adding a reliever to their roster.

As for the Cubs, they ranked 14th out of 16 National League teams in starters’ ERA last season (4.52), so this works for both sides.

The Cubs went 61-101 last season, while the Angels finished with a 89-73 record, disappointing given preseason expectations.

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The 2012 Gold Glove winners from the National League and the American League were announced on ESPN2 Tuesday night, complete with some no-brainers and some surprises.

While some veterans tacked on yet another Gold Glove, there were a few youngsters who won their first fielding award.

Here’s a look at the 2012 winners, along with a breakdown of each player.

St. Louis Cardinals backstop Yadier Molina won his fifth consecutive Gold Glove Award, posting the second-best fielding percentage in the NL (.997), per ESPN. He caught the second-most innings among all qualifying catchers (1,161).

In the AL, Matt Wieters won his second straight Gold Glove Award. He posted a .991 fielding percentage this season, fourth among qualifying catchers, but he caught the most innings (1,189).

Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun tweeted: 

Wieters wins it — first Orioles position player to win consecutive Gold Gloves since Palmeiro in 1997-98

— Dan Connolly (@danconnollysun) October 31, 2012

Adam Laroche of the Washington Nationals collected his first Gold Glove Award at first base with a .995 fielding percentage (tied for first among qualifying first basemen). 

At second base, Chicago Cubs youngster Darwin Barney won the award after just two errors in 1,270 innings this season.

At shortstop, Jimmy Rollins of the Philadelphia Phillies won his fourth Gold Glove Award and his first since 2009. He had a .978 fielding percentage, tops among qualifying shortstops.

And at the hot corner, Chase Headley of the San Diego Padres notched his first career Gold Glove Award. He had a .976 fielding percentage this season, second among qualifying third basemen.

In the AL, Mark Teixeira of the New York Yankees won his fifth Gold Glove Award at first base. He committed just one error in 1,032 innings.

At second base, teammate Robinson Cano won his second Gold Glove Award in three years. He posted a .993 fielding percentage (tied for first in the league among qualifying second basemen) while being on the field for 1,343 innings (most).

At shortstop, J.J. Hardy of the Baltimore Orioles swiped his first Gold Glove Award. He had a .992 fielding percentage this season (first among qualifying shortstops) in 1,439 innings.

And at third base, Adrian Beltre of the Texas Rangers claimed yet another Gold Glove. He posted a .974 fielding percentage (first among qualifying third basemen in the league).

Colorado Rockies star Carlos Gonzalez was honored with the Gold Glove Award for NL left fielders. He had a .982 fielding percentage this season (sixth among qualifying left fielders) while notching seven assists in the great expanses of Coors Field.

The center-field award went to Andrew McCutchen of the Pittsburgh Pirates, who had just one error in 1,364 innings of work (.997).

In right field, third-year pro Jason Heyward of the Atlanta Braves took home the Gold Glove. He posted a .986 fielding percentage (third among qualifying right fielders) while notching 11 assists (tied for first).

In left field for the AL, Alex Gordon of the Kansas City Royals won his second consecutive Gold Glove Award. He had a .994 fielding percentage this season (third among qualifying left fielders) while being out on the field for the most innings (1,424). He also had the most assists among left fielders (17).

In center, Adam Jones of the Baltimore Orioles took home the honor, his second since 2009. He had a .982 fielding percentage this season (10th among qualifying center fielders) with seven assists and posted the most innings in the field in the league (1,458).

In right, Josh Reddick of the Oakland Athletics took home his first Gold Glove Award. He posted a .983 fielding percentage this season (eighth among qualifying right fielders) while totaling 14 assists (tied for second).

NL pitcher Mark Buehrle of the Miami Marlins took home the honor, committing no errors in 202 innings this season. 

Jake Peavy of the Chicago White Sox and Jeremy Hellickson tied for the award in the AL.

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New York Yankees right-hander Phil Hughes was forced to leave Game 3 of the ALCS against the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday with a stiff back, according to ESPN’s Buster Olney:

Phil Hughes left tonight’s game with a stiff back. If the Yankees climb back into this series, his availability would be an open question.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) October 17, 2012

Hughes was lifted in the fourth inning after giving up a solo home run to Delmon Young and walking Andy Dirks.

Hughes posted a 4.23 ERA and 1.27 WHIP while going 16-13 for the Yankees this season. He had a strong game in the Yankees’ 2-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles in Game 4 of the ALDS, allowing just one run in 6.2 innings.

From the poor play of Alex Rodriguez to Hughes’ injury, there’s been a lot of turmoil in the playoffs for a team that posted the best record in the American League this season (95-67). This is certainly not the scenario New York could’ve predicted heading into the postseason.

Regardless of whether the Yankees advance past the ALCS, it is assuring that Hughes has been solid in the playoffs after an up-and-down career. The 26-year-old hasn’t been spectacular for New York this season, but he has been a viable starter in the rotation, and that holds promise for the former first-round pick.

Check back here for the latest updates on Hughes’ injury.

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There comes a time when you can’t keep tossing a guy into the lineup when he’s clearly past his prime.

Alex Rodriguez is past his prime and the New York Yankees have consequently decided to remove the veteran third baseman from the starting lineup for Game 3 of the American League Championship Series against the Detroit Tigers, per SportsCenter.

Instead, Eric Chavez will start in Rodriguez’s place. You know, that guy who seems like he must be at least 40 years old by now.

It doesn’t matter that Chavez is 0-for-11 with six strikeouts in the playoffs. The Yankees’ patience with Rodriguez is clearly wearing thin, as he’s gone 3-for-23 with 12 strikeouts in the postseason (Chavez can get at least three hits in his next 12 at-bats, right?).

This is a 14-time All-Star, three-time American League MVP and world champion, mind you. We are talking about a player who has hit 647 lifetime home runs, with a career .300 average.

But it’s pretty clear by now that the 37-year-old has slowed down dramatically.

He can’t get around on fastballs as well anymore and that’s been exposed in the playoffs. He’s a guy who thinks he’s about to hit a home run locked in on a fastball, but sees it instead blow past him for strike three. He’s a guy sending baseballs to female fans instead of sending baseballs out of the park.

He’s so past his prime that a guy who really is 40 years old, Raul Ibanez, is upstaging him.

The Yankees have dropped their first two games of the ALCS to the Tigers and they go up against Justin Verlander on Tuesday night. The last thing they need is a guy who is deteriorating physically and looking up into the stands rather than looking to make a difference on the field.

Joe Girardi made the right choice subbing Ibanez in for Rodriguez in Game 3 of the ALDS against the Baltimore Orioles, and he’s making the right choice keeping Rodriguez out of the starting lineup in a critical game for the Yankees.

It’s time for the Yankees to move on and try to salvage their season and leave Rodriguez behind.

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The San Francisco Giants were facing elimination in Game 3 of the NLDS against the Cincinnati Reds, but a scuffling offense was aided by a poor defense and the 2010 world champions lived to fight another day with a 2-1 victory.

Reds right-hander Homer Bailey — coming off 13 straight shutout innings, including a no-hitter — did everything in his power to guide Cincinnati to a victory at home, pitching seven innings of one-run ball while striking out 10. 

But the Giants clawed their way to two runs on the back of some blunders by the Reds to emerge victorious.

After Gregor Blanco scored the Giants’ first run in the third inning after getting hit by a pitch, a passed ball and a fielding error by third baseman Scott Rolen ultimately doomed Cincinnati.

Giants right-hander Ryan Vogelsong pitched five innings of one-run ball and the San Francisco bullpen did the rest on Tuesday, blanking the Reds the rest of the way.

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For non-traditionalists, Major League Baseball’s 2012 season has been a dream come true.

The wild-card system is different, the divisional round of the playoffs is different and even one extra team from each league has been included in the postseason.

Under the 2012 system, the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays would have faced each other in the divisional round of the playoffs last season. Instead, the Yankees faced the Detroit Tigers and the Rays faced the Texas Rangers.

So, as we head into the 2012 postseason, here’s a look at the new rules and what they mean for wild-card teams and divisional champions.

Begin Slideshow

When Cincinnati Reds right-hander Homer Bailey threw a no-hitter Friday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, he joined an exclusive club as the seventh pitcher/group of pitchers to hurl a no-hitter or perfect game in Major League Baseball…in the 2012 season.

Bailey, who entered the game with a 3.92 ERA and 1.30 WHIP, racked up 10 strikeouts with only one walk in the Reds’ 1-0 victory.

The question now becomes, with so many no-hitters and perfect games this season, where does Bailey’s performance rank?

Well, that’s a good question, and I’m going to answer it for you right now.

Read on for a ranking of the seven no-hitters/perfect games in 2012.

Begin Slideshow

Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker said on Tuesday that he suffered a “mini-stroke” on Friday, according to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com.

As Sheldon reports, Baker was admitted into a Chicago hospital last Wednesday and diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat. He suffered the stroke as he was being released from the hospital on Friday.

Reds bench coach Chris Speier is expected to manage the club through the Pittsburgh Pirates series on the weekend. Baker hopes to be ready for the Reds’ closing series to the regular season against the St. Louis Cardinals from Oct. 1-3.

The 92-61 Reds have already clinched the NL Central this season under Baker’s guidance after going 19-11 in August. It marked the second time the Reds have won the division since Baker took over in 2008.

As a three-time NL Manager of the Year, Baker has certainly earned his stripes. He won the award three times with the San Francisco Giants (1993, 1997, 2000).

Baker was also a two-time All-Star as a player, winning the World Series in 1981 with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Reds certainly are hoping for an expedient recovery for Baker so they can get ready for the playoffs this season. As one of only three teams to have eclipsed 90 wins so far in 2012, Cincinnati is definitely not a club to take lightly. 

Contrary to past years, the team’s pitching (3.40 team ERA) has helped it soar this season, as starting pitchers Johnny Cueto, Mat Latos and Bronson Arroyo have been particularly solid. Closer Aroldis Chapman has saved 35 games for the Reds.

If Baker can fully recover by the time the postseason hits, don’t be surprised if the Reds do some damage and go on a run with that pitching staff.

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Update: Tuesday, Sept. 18 at 10:03 p.m. ET

The good news is that Scherzer’s injury doesn’t appear to be serious, per Jon Morosi of FoxSports.com.

Morosi tweeted on Tuesday:

Max Scherzer has no structural damage. He will not throw for a couple days, will be analyzed from there.

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) September 19, 2012

— End of Update —

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Max Scherzer left Tuesday’s game against the Oakland Athletics with right shoulder fatigue, according to Jon Morosi of FoxSports.com.

Morosi tweeted on Tuesday:

Scherzer right shoulder fatigue, will undergo MRI.

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) September 18, 2012

This is certainly a bad time for this to flare up for Scherzer. Not only are the Tigers 5.5 games back for a Wild Card spot in the American League, they are facing the Athletics, who lead the Wild Card race.

The 28-year-old right-hander was 16-6 with a 3.78 ERA and 1.27 WHIP headed into Tuesday’s matchup in Detroit. He had compiled 224 strikeouts in just 178.2 innings this season. He was even better after the All-Star break, posting an 8-1 record with a 2.61 ERA.

With the Tigers already on the outside looking in, if Scherzer is forced to miss time, it could be crippling for the squad. Despite the efforts of Scherzer and Justin Verlander, the Tigers have posted a starters’ ERA of 3.93 this season.

The Tigers, who are three games behind the Chicago White Sox, were largely expected to capture the AL Central this season after the signing of slugger Prince Fielder in the offseason. They have scored the ninth-most runs in Major League Baseball.

Including Tuesday’s game, the Tigers have 16 games to right the ship. With Scherzer aboard, there was still hope. 

Now, Detroit must wait for the MRI results and hope nothing is too serious. Otherwise, a club highly touted before the season could miss the playoffs altogether.

The good news for Detroit?

The Tigers play the Kansas City Royals and Minnesota Twins twice each before the end of the regular season.

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Shortstop Yunel Escobar has been suspended for three games by the Toronto Blue Jays, according to Dan Shulman of ESPN.

Shulman tweeted on Tuesday:

The #bluejays have announced Yunel Escobar has been suspended for 3 gms beginning tonight. MLB and MLBPA on board according to team release.

— Dan Shulman (@DShulman_ESPN) September 18, 2012

Escobar wore eye black labeled with a message in Spanish largely interpreted as a gay slur on Saturday against the Boston Red Sox, per CBS Sports’ Matt Snyder.

As Toronto’s starting shortstop, the 29-year-old from Cuba has hit .251 with nine home runs, 49 RBI and 55 runs and has added five stolen bases this season.

It’s certainly an unfortunate incident for baseball. Professional sports leagues in general (including, most notably, the NBA) have been trying to curb the use of gay slurs. They continue to be used far too loosely throughout sports and society, and you have to wonder what Escobar was attempting to accomplish with his eye black on Saturday.

It’s also poor publicity for the Blue Jays franchise, which has sunk after a strong start this season. The Blue Jays are currently 66-79, 16.5 games behind in the AL East and 16 games back for a Wild Card spot.

Escobar, who was with the Atlanta Braves before joining the Blue Jays midway through the 2010 season, hasn’t had a history of such actions. In fact, he hasn’t had any major clubhouse incidents, either. It’s certainly odd that he would randomly do this.

Hopefully the suspension handed down by the Blue Jays will be enough to send Escobar and the rest of Major League Baseball a strong message: There is no room for discrimination.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com