Mitre, Romero out 50 games

The Marlins and Phillies took hits to their pitching staffs with the 50-game suspensions of Sergio Mitre and J.C. Romero for the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

The Major League Baseball players union called the bans “unfair” because the relievers took supplements that failed to list a prohibited substance in its ingredients. A third-party arbitrator upheld Major League Baseball’s discipline, citing the sport’s drug agreement “no fault or negligence” standard, the union said in a statement.

“These players should not be suspended,” union general counsel Michael Weiner said. “Their unknowing actions plainly are distinguishable from those of a person who intentionally used an illegal performance-enhancing substance.”

Considering NFL players fought suspensions for unknown banned supplements in December, this could be players' attempt to fight back in baseball.

Baldelli gets new diagnosis

The ongoing health saga of Rocco Baldelli takes a twist for the better. It sounds like he might be able to treat his condition better after a new diagnosis.

In fact, a recent visit to the Cleveland Clinic led Baldelli's doctor there to conclude that his symptoms were more related to a set of diseases known as channelopathies than the more serious mitochondrial problems that Baldelli on Wednesday described as "the best diagnosis at the time."

"Basically, the situation has been clarified a little bit better because of further tests," Baldelli said by phone from Rhode Island. "It's positive news for my baseball career and my health."

Baldelli described channelopathy as "less severe and more treatable" than the mitochondrial disorder. According to MedicineNet.com, a channelopathy is a disease involving dysfunction of an ion channel for elements such as potassium, sodium, chloride and calcium.

Whatever the case, an improved Baldelli means an improved Tampa Bay Rays.

Pat "The Bat" in Tampa

Pat Burrell's addition in Tampa Bay will greatly help the young and improving Rays hit left-handed pitching. Burrell, however, is a better hitter than given credit for, and should play a constant role in the middle of Tampa's order.

He'll provide the righty bat to Carlos Pena's lefty bat, and while the two are streaky hitters around Evan Longoria, they should provide enough pop to keep the Rays dangerous. Burrell will also DH, leaving him with few or no fielding concerns.

Playing Games with Milton Bradley

How troubled a guy is Milton Bradley? He's got a lot of baggage, literally and figuratively, having worn out his welcome in six different cities over parts of nine MLB seasons.

That the Cubs picked him up will only add to odd drama which plays out on the North side of Chicago. Bradley should be an interesting addition, as the Cubs basically move the ever-stable Mark DeRosa to insert Bradley in right field. The move is a risk with both Bradley's mercurial personality swings and health problems (he's played 120 games or more just twice in his career).

That said, don't fault the Cubs for releasing DeRosa for Bradley. This is a move by a team trying to win it all. Despite a career year in 2008, DeRosa's right-handed bat was the weakest in the Cubs' murderers row featuring Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, Alfonso Soriano and Geovany Soto. The need for a lefty power bat made him the most expendable, especially when the Cubs landed utility-man Aaron Miles to fill in around the infield.

Bradley hits from both sides, and has put up better numbers than DeRosa for his career. If he plays more than halves of seasons in Chicago, and is availble for the postseason, Cubs fans should be pretty happy.

One big concern, however, is the money the Cubs have tied up in Kosuke Fukudome and Bradley over the next three years. Fukudome signed a $48-million deal last year. Now Bradley's signed a three-year, $30-million deal. If this doesn't work out, the Cubs could sink rather fast.

Fantasy Impact:Expect Fukudome to slide to center and platoon with Reed Johnson or win the job outright. He's good enough to play the lions share in center, and when Johnson starts, Fukudome can slide to right and give Bradley rest. He should hit better than he did in 2007. Bradley is coming off a career year, but don't expect those numbers to necessarily falter. He's in a good lineup, and his lefty bat should be right in the middle of the noise. His attitude and his health could be the only things that hold him back. Treat both players as fourth outfielders with good upside.