A tough call in Tampa

Jason Isringhausen's signing by the Tampa Bay Rays is going to make this spring bullpen-watch for fantasy owners. Isringhausen will directly compete with Troy Percival for closing duties with the Rays.

Tampa Bay is banking on Isringhausen's 2008 season being an aberration. His body of work allows that having him in camp is a risk worth taking.

"Gosh, I hear nothing but good things about this fella," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "We're looking forward to seeing him out there."

Isringhausen has compiled 293 career saves, sixth highest among active players and 22nd on the all-time list. Since 2000, his 284 saves rank tied for third (with Billy Wagner) among Major League pitchers, trailing only Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman. He is also the all-time Cardinals leader with 217 saves.

Isringhausen was selected to the National League All-Star team in 2005 and the American League squad in '00. He has pitched in five postseasons with St. Louis and Oakland and reached the World Series in '04. In 23 career postseason appearances, he is 4-5 with 11 saves and a 2.36 ERA; he saved a career-high 47 games in 2004, tied for the NL lead.

Count incumbent closer Troy Percival among Isringhausen's biggest fans after watching him pitch from the opposing dugout in the AL and being teammates with Isringhausen with St. Louis.

Yes, but dont' forget Grant Balfour, who'd appear to have a great makeup for a closer. The Rays also have David Price, who certainly could end up in the rotation. He's also got an impressive makeup for closing out baseball games. Whomever wins the job, they could easily tally 40 saves for a young contender.

Twins ink Crede

Joe Crede agreed with the Minnesota Twins to a 1-year incentive-laden contract. He's likely to be the Twins regular third baseman this year.

The Twins will sign Crede to one-year deal with a base salary of $2.5 million with the chance to earn as much as $7 million with appearance bonuses. The bonuses begin once Crede reaches 250 plate appearances and tops out at $7 million when he makes his 525th plate appearance.

Crede, while traveling to Fort Myers, has run into weather problems - in Minnesota. The Twins had scheduled a 3 p.m. press conference but that now has been pushed back until they learn when Crede will arrive in town.

Joe C. is the man! He’s producing all the way from the Twin Cities!

This a is very, very good deal for the Twins. A $7 million base salary seemed too high. A $5 million base seemed reasonable. But a $2.5 million base really helps the Twins out from a risk standpoint. If Crede is healthy, he should play like a $7 million player. If he breaks down, the Twins have a good Plan B in Brian Busher and Bredan Harris. And there’s money available to add move talent - perhaps a free agent reliever like Juan Cruz.

This also means the Twins will have to make another 40-man roster move to clear space for Crede. Update: To make room for Crede, the Twins have placed injured righthander Pat Neshek on the 60-day disabled list. Neshek will miss the entire 2009 season because of Tommy John surgery.

Agreed that Crede will be a great addition in Minneapolis. If his back is OK, he can field with the best of them, and he offers another bat that Minnesota craves. Solid pickup. What the White Sox cast off could end up hurting them in their own division.

Jose, can you leave?

The Esmailyn Gonzalez fiasco landed Jose Rijo a leave of absence from his front office position with the Washington Nationals..

Earlier this week, MLB investigators determined that Washington prospect Esmailyn Gonzalez had been signed by the Nationals while using a false name and age. The player, thought to be 16 at the time of his July 2006 signing, was actually four years older, and named Carlos Alvarez Daniel Lugo. Rijo brokered the signing, which rewarded Gonzalez with a $1.4 million signing bonus, the most Washington has ever paid for an international player.

While orchestrating the deal, the Nationals dealt with a Dominican street agent, Basilio Vizcaino, a childhood friend of Rijo's.

"Jose is on a leave," Washington team president Stan Kasten said. "With all the questions swirling and all the work being done still on this matter, we felt it would be a good time to be away from here."

Kasten said that Rijo remains an employee of the organization, but there is no timetable for his return.

Sounds like the Nationals are trying to determine how much Rijo knew about Gonzalez. Did he defraud his own team, or was he made a sucker by his own friend?

No Moneyball

Looks like a couple of Yankees got to experience a life less fortunate thanks to the Stanford scandal. Johnny Damon and Xavier Nady can't get to their fortunes.

Damon and Nady told FOXSports.com Friday morning that as a result their finances were frozen because of money they have with a Stanford company.

"I can't pay bills right now," the 35-year-old Damon told the website.

"That started on Tuesday. I had to pay a trainer for working out during the offseason. I told him, 'Just hold on for a little bit, and hopefully, all this stuff gets resolved.'"

Said Nady: "I'm affected in some ways; I have the same [advisor] as Johnny,"

"He said I didn't have money with Stanford [investments]. But all my credit-card accounts are frozen right now because of that situation. I'm trying to get an apartment in New York. I can't put a credit card down to hold it."

I bet that trainer wouldn't postpone payment with many clients less pocketed than Damon.

Roberts staying in Baltimore

I like the Orioles's 4-year $40-million deal with Brian Roberts. He's a spark-plug type who turns 32 in the fall, but he's growing better with age, and seems to be in his prime.

The Orioles faced constant rumors about his availability, and now that they've locked up a good second baseman for years to come, they can focus on pitching and power hitting.

Barnett on Texas radio

Dave Barnett joined the Texas Rangers radio broadcast team. Barnett does a nice job, although he seems slightly surprised by everything that happens during a game. That's better than Rangers TV play-by-play man Josh Lewin, who just seems constantly overwhelmed.

No Marlins deal, so Pedro to Mets?

Pedro Martinez will not be pitching for the Florida Marlins in 2009.

On Saturday night, a report on ESPNdeportes.com stated the Marlins had discussions with agent Fernando Cuza regarding Martinez. The report added Florida may have begun preliminary contract talks, and that the two sides were expected to continue talking this week.

As of late Sunday afternoon, the Marlins were not considered a possible fit.

Martinez has a home in Miami, and he has expressed privately a desire to pitch for the Marlins. On Monday, Cuza is expected to have discussions with the Mets about a possible return to New York. The right-hander also is expected to test the free-agent market.

Hampered by injuries last year, Martinez was 5-6 with a 5.61 ERA in 20 starts. He threw 109 innings.

It's either Pedro was asking for too much, or Florida doesn't believe he's healthy, because they need some help in the rotation. Sergio Mitre is out for 50 games, and that means the Marlins can use a live arm. Maybe Pedro doesn't have one, or at least not enough of one.

Coming to america

Lose a long-standing ace (John Smoltz), sign a Japanese ace (Kenshin Kawakami). Kawakami brings a ton of success to Atlanta.

Kawakami, the 2004 Central League Most Valuable Player, has a 112-82 career record with a 3.22ERA in 11 seasons in Japan. He was 9-5 with a 2.30ERA for the Chunichi Dragons in 2008, despite missing several weeks with a back strain.

The 5-foot-10 right-hander would be an important addition to a Braves rotation that will be without John Smoltz, who has reached a preliminary agreement with the Boston Red Sox on a one-year, $5.5 million contract.

Smoltz certainly has a better track record in MLB than Kawakami, who's never thrown a pitch on North American soil. Having good stuff, despite his diminutive frame, expect Kawakami to succeed like many other Japanese aces.

Broxton is closer material

If Jonathan Broxton is the Dodgers closer this year, is that such a bad thing? Losing out in the Trevor Hoffman sweepstakes might leave the Dodgers with less depth in the 'pen, but Broxton is strong and talented. He's certainly more than capable of handling the closer role.

Broxton struck out 88 batters in 69 IP in 2008. He saved 14 games while filling in as closer. He's a no-brainer to star in the position with his 3.02 ERA and a 1.174 WHIP last season.

If you can't beat 'em...

Sign away their players. Boston, out-hustled for first in the American League East by the Tampa Bay Rays and then again in the ALCS, will sign former Rays outfielder Rocco Baldelli. He'll play a backup role.

The Red Sox have been looking for a right-handed hitting fourth outfielder this offseason but their interest in Baldelli was tempered by the mitochondrial disorder from which the Cumberland, R.I., product was believed to have suffered. The disease causes a person to tire more easily and recover more slowly.

A re-evaluation this offseason determined Baldelli suffers from a less serious and more treatable form of channelopathy.

Hard to call Baldelli a difference-maker for the BoSox, but if he's healthy, he's pretty good. His loss won't break the Rays, who were without his services save for a month of games last season.

Fantasy Impact: He's a sleeper. Baldelli is considered a talent, but his health issues hold him back. Don't draft him, but don't leave him off your radar, either.

Brewers sign Hoffman

The Brewers sign closer Trevor Hoffman to a one-year $6M deal.

Hoffman's numbers aren't what they were in the early part of his fabled career, but he's averaged over 50 appearances the past five seasons. The 41-year-old struck out 38 batters in 45.1 IP in 2008, and while he saved just 30 games, that total should go up on a winning team.

Fantasy Impact: Hoffman's getting up there in age, and he's not nearly as dominant as he once was. He's still Trevor Hoffman, however, and he's better than any option the Brewers had last year. Expect Hoffman to save over 30 games, but back him up with another able-bodied closer.

Cubs, Tribune Co. down to three

The Chicago Tribune is down to the final three bidders for the Cubs, and a decision could come any day.

While all three seem solid candidates, I'm struck by the quote on Tom Ricketts:

"There are a lot of people in this world that would say Tom Ricketts is their best friend," said Curt Conklin, a college roommate who has worked at Ameritrade and Incapital. "If you wanted to go have a beer, Tom was there.

He sounds perfect for the North side.

Rangers eyeing Buchholz

The Boston Red Sox roster now features a smorgasboard of starting pitching thanks to the signing of John Smoltz. Mike Hindman of the Dallas Morning News believes the Rangers are after fading phenom Clay Buchholz, who would seem to be one of the odd men out in the Red Sox roatation this year.

The prevailing thought has long been that Texas wants the Nederland, Texas native Buchholz (Nolan Ryan let it slip that he thought Buchholz would look good in a Rangers uniform) and Boston wants the Carrollton native Taylor Teagarden.

Both Texas and Boston have given indication that those players are not available. My guess -- and it's just a guess -- is that Jon Daniels and Theo Epstein are quibbling over what extra piece(s) Texas would have to add to Jarrod Saltalamacchia in order to get Buchholz.

How this all plays out for Texas may depend on what happens with veteran catcher Jason Varitek. If Boston can land him on a two year deal, I suspect that they will pull back, limp along with the declining leader for another couple of years and then pounce on Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer when he becomes a free agent after the 2010 season.

I'm not sure teams think as far ahead as 2011 on free agent signings, but who knows? Buchholz for Saltalamacchia seems good to me straight up. Texas shouldn't not throw in more unless it's on the cheap.

On second thought...

Given his reduced production over the past few years in New York, I'm convinced Jason Giambi's return to Oakland is fueled by one thing: he thinks BALCO is still open.

Romero saga strange

Not only did MLB suspend Phillies pitcher J.C. Romero for a banned steroid that wasn't on the bottle of his supplement of choice, the league also attempted to stop him from playing in the World Series.

But if MLB had its druthers, Romero never would have thrown a pitch in the postseason. A first-time positive test carries a 50-game suspension, which may be appealed. Aware that an appeal process would last well into the postseason and push any suspension back to opening day 2009, baseball took an unusual step and offered to cut Romero's suspension in half to prevent him from playing in the postseason.

"We generally do not negotiate discipline in the drug area," Manfred said. "If he appealed it would go beyond the World Series. We offered to reduce the suspension to avoid him being in the World Series.

"I think a scientist will tell you that the [banned] substance was no longer in [Romero's] system, but the appearance of it - you prefer to avoid. With any drug program, the goal is to remove the athlete as quickly as possible."

Asked if he believed the Phils' World Series title was tainted, Manfred said "No."

Why all the odd and special treatment in this case? Baseball never seemed quick to suspend a player in the past. Appeals almost always drag on for days and weeks.

Cubs, Peavy might still be possible

Jim Hendry made it clear in a Tuesday conference call that he's not done looking for starting pitching. The obvious question - is Hendry still working to acquire San Diego dynamo Jake Peavy?

The biggest payroll obstacle in taking on the $63 million Peavy is guaranteed for the life of his contract remains the Cubs' 2010 projections. None of the payroll-clearing deals of the last week did anything for 2010, and that means the flexibility to add Peavy probably doesn't exist without a nod from the team's new ownership group.

Selection of a winning bid for the club is said to be close -- perhaps by the end of next week -- and that might be just in time for the Cubs' front office to make a deal before spring training.

Also, the Cubs acquired three well-regarded pitching prospects from the Cleveland Indians in the Mark DeRosa trade last week, giving them deeper reserves of young talent to help pull off a trade.

But the biggest impediment to a deal might be the Padres' willingness to trade their ace, considering their own potential sale to Jeff Moorad's group of investors. Under financial pressures related to a divorce, the Padres' owners had ordered payroll cuts that led to aggressive shopping of Peavy. Some have speculated Moorad won't want to trade one of the team's most valuable commodities.

If Hendry can't land Peavy, plenty of free-agent pitchers remain on the market, although Derek Lowe is pricing himself beyond reason. Productive innings-eaters such as Braden Looper and Tim Redding more likely would fit the Cubs' needs.

On the conference call, Hendry did not indicate that ownership would allow him to spend more money, but he did say the Cubs are no longer positioning themselves against teams in their division. Hendry said the team is aiming higher than that these days. He might be asking for the extra money. Looper, Redding, et al just won't cut it in Chicago these days.

Brewers closing in on closers

The ongoing saga that is the Milwaukee Brewers bullpen continues to twist in the wind. Rumors of Trevor Hoffman blowing in from San Diego were one thing. Now, from the East, like a cold Nor'easter comes injury-ravanged Chad Cordero into the conversation.

The Brewers have been tracking his rehabilitation since the Washington Nationals nontendered Cordero last month, and have already seen him throw at least once.

The Brewers have been linked to Cordero before, once rejecting a trade offer that would have sent Cordero to Milwaukee for second baseman Rickie Weeks during the 2007 Winter Meetings. That was at the height of his run as the Nationals' closer, a four-year period from 2003-07 in which Cordero notched 127 saves. Along the way, before his 26th birthday, he became the second-youngest player in Major League history to reach the 100-save plateau (Francisco Rodriguez owns that title, recording his 100th save as a 25-year-old).

I understand the attraction, but hasn't Milwaukee learned about shaky closers from their 2008 mess at the back of the bullpen? Eric Gagne and company proved more to be stooges than musketeers or even amigos. Now Brewers candidates Hoffman (aging) and Cordero (injured) offer them little in terms of probable stability at a position that demands it. Good luck!

Cap hall of fame voting

ESPN's Jim Caple makes a weak plug for Bert Blyleven's election to the baseball hall of fame. It isn't strong enough. Blyleven is not a hall of famer in my mind.

Here's an idea: rather than allow revisionist history to decide who does or doesn't make it to the hall, lets cap hall of fame voting for a period of 15 years after a player leaves baseball. That gives voters 10 years to decide whether a player is worthy of Cooperstown. What better a time to deem a player hall-worthy than the 15 years following his career? His performance is still fresh in voters' minds, not faded like the yellowing papers and anachronistic yesteryear statistics voters have to mull over to elect players they've never seen.

The debates on older players like Blyleven and Ron Santo are tiresome. Let's move on.

A's get a C for this move

I'm not quite sure what the A's are thinking bringing in both Jason Giambi and Matt Holliday as it seems a divergent path from GM Billy Beane's "Moneyball" philosophy, but hey, it's interesting to see Oakland acquire veterans rather than trade them away. Here's one explanation from the San Francisco chronicle on the Giambi move:

The Giambi signing, though, is as useful for the team's twin goals in 2009 - to score four runs per game and to actually have recognizable human beings doing so. There is, as Lew Wolff will tell you, nothing worse in the game than players you don't know doing not enough to make you care.

And because he costs one-fifth the current asking (but not taking) price Ramirez is demanding, Giambi can fail in Oakland by being only one or more of the following three things:

-- Finished as a hitter.

-- Nostalgic for the Yankees.

-- Caught wearing the gold thong in front of his locker.

We're not sure if the signing is fully and solely Beane's idea, although it does have that Frank Thomas/remainder bin feel to it.

Ah, yes. Frank Thomas. I forgot Beane brought Fading Frank to town, too.

Fantasy Impact: It's a stretch to say Giambi is no longer productive, but an even bigger stretch to believe he's still a top fantasy performer. He's productive, but he can really hurt you in batting average. An even further slide by the 34-year-old-to-be could be disasterous if taken too early in a fantasy draft. Giambi is probably most safely taken just outside of the first 8 rounds.

Marquis' Rockies role

The Cubs trade of Jason Marquis for Luis Vizcaino is little more than a salary dump for the Cubs, who acquire a potential setup-type reliever in Vizcaino. Marquis, who earns $9.8 million in 2009, was just to expensive to keep.

Fantasy Impact: Despite his mediocre 4.55 career ERA, Marquis always seems to find a way to win. He's always played for winners, and that helps. If the Rockies can recapture a little magic from 2007, Marquis might be a nice pickup for a fantasy team as a spot starter who is likely to beat lower-end teams on a regular basis.

Vizcaino is nothing more than a middle-reliever. The Cubs have both Carlos Marmol and Kevin Gregg to handle closing duties.