Since a big portion of the Baseball Writers Association of America seems to be beyond their past over-reliance on win-loss records to evaluate starting pitchers, can we have a good old-fashioned mulligan on the AL Cy Young vote from 2005? Bartolo Colon, who won the award that year, had a 3.48 ERA, 157/43 K/BB ratio,…

Various rumors have been swirling around today about a potential three-team trade that would supposedly send Kevin Millwood to the Mets, Luis Castillo to the Cubs, and Milton Bradley to the Rangers. Even at first glance that seems like a “which one of these things doesn’t belong” test question, because while the Mets and Cubs…

Omar Vizquel must not have drawn any interest for a possible full- or even part-time job, because FOXSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal reports that he’s close to signing a one-year deal with the White Sox. Chicago has Alexei Ramirez entrenched at shortstop and plans to make Gordon Beckham an everyday second baseman after playing him at third…

For now at least the Rockies have held off on releasing Garrett Atkins, but the veteran third baseman admitted yesterday that he sees zero chance of remaining in Colorado: “I know that I’ll be on another team next year and I’m just getting ready to have a good season.” Atkins’ performance has declined significantly in…

Keith Law turns in his annual list of the top 50 free agents over at ESPN.com (Insider only).  On the heels of his Cy Young ballot yesterday, you won’t be surprised to learn that he has Carl Pavano at number one. OK, he doesn’t. I kid Keith because I love Keith.  His list, as always,…

If Tim Lincecum truly regrets anything, he probably regrets getting caught the most. But he’s pretty hip to the P.R. issues surrounding his pot bust and because of it he offered a statement following his post-Cy Young interview yesterday: “I made a mistake and I regret my actions. I want to apologize to the Giants organization and…

There aren’t many people who know the Red Sox front office better than Peter Gammons and Gordon Edes do, and this morning they provide their views as to what that front office is going to do this offseason. Their thinking: They both think that Jason Bay will stay in Boston, mostly because the Mets don’t…

As Matthew noted yesterday, while Aaron Heilman has started before, he’s probably a better bet to pitch out of the pen.  Seems that the Dbacks’ GM Josh Byrnes agrees, as he said last night that Heilman “definitely strengthens our bullpen.” Remember back when Heilman’s agent made a big fuss over this, saying “The object is…

Stephen Strasburg twisted his knee shagging fly balls yesterday. They say it wasn’t necessarily serious, but he “heard a ‘pop’ in his knee and crumpled to the ground” and is being sent to L.A. to be examined by an orthopedist.  This is the best part: Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo did not immediately return voice…

Paul Lo Duca was on XM radio yesterday lobbying for a spring training invite: “I’m completely healthy. I feel unbelievable. I’ve been hitting the last four or five days constantly and started my workouts. I feel great. My hand feels 100 percent for the first time in a while. My hamstring and my knee finally…

Free Agency Preview – Catcher Free Agency Preview – First base & DH Free Agency Preview – Second base Free Agency Preview – Third base Free Agency Preview – Shortstop Free Agency Preview – Outfield This is part seven in a series of columns looking at this winter’s free agents, trade candidates and non-tender possibilities.…

On the day before teams could officially make offers to another team’s free agents, most of the talk from GMs and owners related to which players they wouldn’t pursue. *As we touched on earlier, the Angels are out on Matt Holliday. *The Giants say it’s doubtful that they’ll be involved in the chase for Holliday…

FOXSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal, who suddenly joined twitter a mere two days after I whined about his absence mentions that that the Braves were turned down by the Brewers after offering Derek Lowe for Corey Hart. It wasn’t a tough call for Milwaukee. Hart’s stock is way down from a year ago and he likely could…

Aaron Heilman was traded for a third time in 12 months Wednesday, going from the Cubs to the Diamondbacks for prospects Scott Maine and Ryne White. There’s a good chance the Cubs would have non-tendered Heilman. The former Met did bounce back from an awful 2008, lowering his ERA from 5.21 to 4.11 last season,…

Talking to The News Journal’s Scott Lauber, Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. on Wednesday listed third base and bullpen help as his top priorities this winter, adding that he didn’t expect his team’s payroll to exceed $140 million by much if any margin. That doesn’t leave the Phillies with as much flexibility as anticipated. The…

As indecisive as the voters were on who was the NL’s best pitcher in 2009, there was an incredible consensus on the top three, with Tim Lincecum, Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright claiming 94 of the 96 available ballot spots. Not surprisingly, the two voters who were against the grain weren’t from the usual pool…

Angels owner Arte Moreno gave the Los Angeles Times a bunch of quotes that illustrate where his team stands entering free agency. *Reaffirming GM Tony Reagins’ quotes from a couple of days ago, Moreno said there will be no pursuit of free agent Matt Holliday: “He is not going to be an Angel. We are…

MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan reports that free agent outfielder Marlon Byrd is unlikely to re-sign with the Rangers after the two sides recently had unproductive talks. “We’ve had a decent amount of conversation,” general manager Jon Daniels said. “I expect them to test the market. Based on what they’re looking for … we’re not in a…

Showing more than ever before that they’re smartly willing to look beyond win-loss records to determine the league’s best pitcher, the Baseball Writers Association of America followed up their selection of 16-game winner Zack Greinke as AL Cy Young by giving 15-game winner Tim Lincecum the NL award. Lincecum received just 11 of 32 first-place…

Bob Nightengale of USA Today posted a bunch of interesting notes via Twitter today, including: * Tampa Bay has become “the clear-cut favorite” to acquire Milton Bradley from the Cubs. Last offseason the Rays pursued Bradley as a free agent before he signed a three-year, $30 million deal with the Cubs and now they can…