Yesterday, we found out that the Phillies were eying John Smoltz as a low risk, high reward signing to shore up the back-end of the rotation or set up insurance in case Brad Lidge doesn’t right himself.

According to ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick, the Phils have inquired about free agent relief pitcher J.J. Putz. Crasnick also named the Pirates and Astros as other potential suitors along with the Rangers.

Putz suffered a lost season in 2009 while with the New York Mets, appearing in only 29 games before injuring his elbow, which required season-ending surgery to remove bone spurs.

The 32-year-old pitched only 29.1 innings with the Mets, compiling a 1-4 record and a 5.22 earned run average. New York acquired him last year to be their setup man to Francisco Rodriguez.

Just a couple of season ago, Putz was one of the game’s best relievers with the Seattle Mariners. He made the All-Star team in 2007 after putting together a 40-save season with a 1.38 ERA in 68 games.

After having a fantastic 06 season, Seattle rewarded him with a three-year contract extension worth $13.1 million, which had a $9.1 million option, which the Mets obviously declined.

Putz’s agent Craig Landis said that he prefers to be a closer, however he would be open to an eighth-inning job depending on the circumstances such as money, location and chance to win.

The Atlanta Braves signed former Phillies closer Billy Wagner to a one-year contract worth $7-million, which is entirely way too high for a guy who is coming off Tommy John surgery.

Expect Putz and his agent to use Wags contract as a starting point in any negotiations because they have similar cases. Both players are coming off surgeries, and have a strong track history.

If the asking price for Putz is anything close to what Wagner got from Atlanta, you can count the Phillies out of the running. They will not overpay for a relief pitcher, especially one who is coming off a surgery.

According to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com, several teams are looking at J.J. Putz for help in the bullpen.

The top team are the Phillies who would love to use him as a back-up to the shaky Brad Lidge. Other teams include the Pirates and the Astros.

Putz was anything but what he was supposed to be with the Mets last season. He went down on the DL and just couldn’t quite get back. He was supposed to be the set-up guy to Francisco Rodriguez.

He was not set-up guy. He just set the Mets up.

Some believe he will be back as a good closer. Well let’s hope he does not go to Philly if that is the case.

The Philadelphia Phillies need our help, after wading through thousands of applications the Phillies ball girl staff is nearly finalized, just one spot remains. In order to pick the suitably appropriate woman for the job the Phillies have done the only reasonable thing, open the decision up to the public.

The 5 lovely ladies up for the job all seem like fine candidates, each with their own qualifications and special qualities. Me personally, I’m voting for Amandah (first from left) from Temple University, but hey, to each his own.

The Phillies site has video interviews with each woman, giving them the chance to espouse why they are the most qualified for the job, and I recommend being an informed voter and going through each of the clips. Make sure you vote and help make one lucky woman’s life immeasurably better by giving her the chance to be on the field with the Phillies.

[Phillies]

I found this card on the sidewalk the weekend before a Thanksgiving trip to see my mom, dad, brother, sister-in-law, niece, and nephew, who all live in a pretty city in the hills of North Carolina now. It was a good visit. I ate a lot of food, got drunk one night with my wife and my brother and his wife while my mom babysat their kids, played games with and read stories to my sweet, boisterous four-year-old niece, laughed at the comedic stylings of my two-year-old nephew, went on a nice walk with my dad, and spent a lot of time with my mom and the new love of her life, a tender little chunk of fur named Shaggy that she rescued from the dog pound a few months ago. 

“It’s nice to have something to take care of,” my mom said at one point, petting Shaggy, who doesn’t ever like to be apart from her for even a few minutes. My mom also helps take care of my niece and nephew now, and I got to witness some of this care, which brought back to me the way she was with my brother and me when we were little. It brought it back in a visceral way, something about the way she leaned down to help my niece and nephew color some pages with crayons. I could see it all happening years before, the soft voice encouraging my brother and me. She has always been a superstar of care, reaching out and holding tight to her loved ones.   

So I’m thinking of that today as I return to my daily life, which of course often includes a stop at my baseball card collection to try to make sense of this world. The collection continues, by little inexplicable miracles, to grow. I keep finding cards! I found this 1991 Charlie Hayes card just after I had finished one of my morning jogs up and down the streets of my neighborhood. I was walking up Western Avenue to get some quarters from the machine in the laundromat on Thomas. I noticed a little flash of muted color and looked down. The card was wet and had almost fused itself to the ground. If I hadn’t noticed it and carefully pried it up it would have disintegrated soon. It’s supposed to snow tomorrow here in Chicago, signaling the start of a winter that this card would not have survived.

I don’t have any deep feelings toward Charlie Hayes, beyond that he makes me smile for his involvement in a comedic riff by a friend that I’m not capable of transferring to the page. (Also, I see him catching the last out of the 1996 World Series, but the angst I have over that moment, which signaled the Yankees’ return to league dominance, centers more on Wade Boggs, who soon followed the Hayes putout with some nauseating on-field equestrianism, and Graig Nettles, whose 1978 one-game playoff-ending catch of a pop fly was vaguely but painfully echoed by Hayes in 1996.)

Nonetheless, I’m glad to have rescued the card from the world’s relentless all-encompassing road to ruin. All cards will disintegrate. Cover them in plastic if you want. Shield them from the elements. Pray for them morning, noon, and night. It’s only a matter of time. It makes you wonder why you hold on at all. Last night, in bed, I dropped into and then out of a shallow sleep, then I guess I started thrashing around a little, a physical manifestation of some mental anguish that had seized me like an owl snatching a vole in its talons.

“Are you OK?” my wife asked.

“I don’t want to die,” I said.   

She tried to calm me down, and her touch actually did help. She tried words too, but words only go so far. Words, at best, are like the plastic covering protecting cards. Plastic won’t hold back the inevitable.

“That won’t happen for a long time,” she said.

“Ah,” I said. (It was sort of a muted scream.) My thoughts were: But it might happen at any time and, more powerfully, But it will happen. There aren’t any words to stave off that fact, especially at certain times of the night when the veil of day-to-day life drops.

It will happen. So what do we do with our time here? What do we do with this thin disintegrating gift? 

According to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com, the Atlanta Braves have reached a preliminary agreement with left-handed closer Billy Wagner on a one-year, $7 million deal with a vesting option for 2011.

The vesting option is for $6.5 million and will kick in if Wagner finishes 50 games for the Braves in 2010.

Wagner will be closing for the Braves in 2010

Wagner returned last season from Tommy John surgery in August and pitched two games for the New York Mets. In those two games, Wagner struckout four batters in two innings and his fastball was consistently in the mid-90’s.

Ironically, the first team Wagner faced in 2009 was the Braves. Convinced that Wagner could help them down the stretch, the Boston Red Sox traded for Wagner to be another bridge to closer Jonathan Papelbon.

In 15 regular season games for the Red Sox, Wagner had a 1.98 ERA and had 22 K’s in 13.2 innings. Wagner appeared in two postseason games for the Red Sox and gave up two runs in one total inning of work.

Let’s talk about Wagner in the playoffs for a second.

It’s funny how players are perceived in the minds of the media and fans. When someone mentions Wagner, the first thing they think of is a 100 mph fastball. The second thing would probably be solid closer for many years.

The one thing nobody mentions is that Wagner might just be the worst postseason relief pitcher of all time. When it comes to October baseball, Mariano Rivera he is not.

In 13 postseason games with the Houston Astros, Mets, and Red Sox, Wagner has a 10.32 ERA, has a 1.941 WHIP, and has given up 20 hits in 11.1 innings pitched. He has done more harm than good for his teams in the playoffs.

While the Braves are getting the guy who is sixth all-time in saves with 385, they are also getting the guy who might cost them a playoff game if they get there.

Because Wagner is a Type A free agent and the Red Sox offered Wagner arbitration yesterday, the Red Sox will receive the Braves’ first-round pick in 2010–plus a supplemental pick between the first and second rounds. The Braves have the 20th pick in the 2010 draft.

As Rosenthal mentions, the Braves will most likely recoup that pick because their former closers Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano are both Type A free agents and both were offered arbitration by the braves.

Financially, this isn’t a bad deal for the Braves because if they were to re-sign either Soriano or Gonzalez, it would have cost the Braves more money per year and more of a commitment. The Braves need all the extra cash they can get in hopes of eventually acquiring a bat.

Wagner will be 39 next year and has pitched for the Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, Mets, and Red Sox in his 15 year career.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

Jayson Stark reports that the Phillies have showed interest in 42-year-old free agent pitcher John Smoltz as low risk, high reward signing like they did last year with Pedro Martinez.

Smoltz isn’t the same pitcher he was five years ago, but he showed with the Cardinals last year that he can still be effective despite having a miserable couple of outings with Boston.

The former Atlanta Braves great appeared in eight games with the Red Sox last year, going 2-5 with a 8.32 earned run average in 40 innings before being designated for assignment on Aug. 7th.

He signed with St. Louis after being released by the Sox to start seven games for the Red Birds, and he pitched relatively well. Returning to the N.L., Smoltz went 1-3 with a 4.26 ERA.

His control wasn’t an issue last year with either team as he had very impressive strikeout-to-walk numbers, striking out 33 batters while walking just nine with Boston, and 40-to-9 with the Cards.

Smoltz’s trouble with the Bo Sox was that he was giving up way too many hits and home runs. In 40 innings with Boston, Smoltz gave up 59 hits and nine homers.

With Dave Duncan as his pitching coach in St. Louis, he was able to trim down on the hits and long balls. While playing for the Cardinals, Smoltz allowed 36 hits and three homers in 38 innings.

Smoltzy will be turning 43 in May so he’s on the downside of his career, however the age doesn’t show that he still can’t batters out. Jamie Moyer is 46-years-old, and is still getting it done.

When pitchers get past a certain age in their careers, they have to learn how to use their stuff and trust what they still have. It’s all about location, and utilizing your off-speed stuff rather than your heaters.

At this point in his career, he has to throw his sliders and breaking balls more often rather than falling back on his heater because it’s not that devastating fastball from years ago.

Smoltz isn’t found of Citizens Bank Park so that would be a hurdle in negotiations with the future Hall-of-Fame pitcher, but that will not be the biggest roadblock in signing Smoltz.

There are two major things that could get in the way of snagging Smoltz. The first is will he be willing to accept the role as a reliever, and the second is how much will he be asking for.

In his storied career, he has been both a great starter and a great reliever. At one time, he was among some of the game’s best closers. Will he go back to the bullpen as a seventh or eighth-inning guy?

I think he’s better suited for the ‘pen because he doesn’t have the stuff or the health to give you five-plus innings every fifth day. And for the Phillies, he would be insurance to Brad Lidge.

He fits with the Phils as a reliever in my opinion, however he could also help the team’s depth at starting pitcher. Maybe promise him a chance to earn a starting job like they did with Chan Ho Park.

It’s unlikely that Pedro will be back, and Moyer seems to be a huge question mark so who knows who will be the fifth starter come opening day. So, depth is an issue in terms of starters.

Smoltz showed with the Cards that he can still be a serviceable starter, a guy who can give you five quality innings every fifth day. But can he do it over a full season is still up in the air.

With his past history of greatness, Smoltz may think that he’s due a few million bucks even though he hasn’t done anything other than show that he could be an OK fifth starter in the last couple of years.

The Phillies are in the market for bargain bin type pitchers for both the rotation and bullpen. Rather than overpay for quality, they’ll pay for average, which I have no problem with.

Some fans will have a problem with them looking at players like this because they aren’t “willing to throw out the big bucks,” however to those fans, didn’t they acquire a highly paid pitcher at the deadline?

Great teams are ones who aren’t afraid to take risks like signing a 37-year-old pitcher who missed most of the 2008 season with injury like the Phils did with Martinez.

If the Phillies have proved anything in the last year, the best deal doesn’t always come with the highest price tag. Instead of paying the premium to get Roy Halladay, they gave up less for Cliff Lee.

So, instead of targeting John Lackey or Randy Wolf in free agency, the Phils are looking at John Smoltz-type pitchers. Guys who can be bought for low, and give a high return.

Justin Duchscherer anyone?

According to David Murphy, the Phillies may look at signing starting pitcher John Smoltz and his walker.

We kid about the “walker” line. Somewhat.

The Phillies are considering John Smoltz.

Smoltz, the last of Atlanta’s big three still pitching, will turn 43 next May. He is coming off of a ixed season which saw him released from Boston, before joinging the Cardinals and chopping his ERA in half.

Of course, when you post a 2-5 record with an 8.32 ERA, anything would be better. Not sure how much better 1-3 and a 4.26 ERA would look in the Phillies rotation.

With numbers like hat, the team might be better bring back Pedro. And, don’t confuse our words. We’re not in favor of bringing back Pedro who has dominant stuff with a week’s rest, but not so much with four days between starts.

We like the thought of Smoltz. At least Ruben Amaro is looking to upgrade his rotation and realizes he can’t rely on Jamie Moyer.

Unless Amaro is looking at signing Smoltz with the idea that he’d pitch his way out of the rotation and into a potential closer’s role if Brad Lidge doesn’t return to his 2008 form, we don’t like this move one bit.

The Detroit Tigers did not offer second baseman Placido Polanco arbitration, which means any team can sign him without having to forfeit a draft pick since he’s a Type-A free agent.

Polanco, 34, hit .285/.331/.396 with 10 homers and 72 RBI in 675 plate appearances with the Tigers last season. He only struck out 46 times last season, which indicates he makes contact most of the time.

In his 11-year Major League career, he is a .303/.348/.414 hitter and he has played in Philadelphia before. The Phils acquired him from St. Louis for Scott Rolen then traded him to Detroit in 2005.

He has been linked to the Phillies multiple times thus far into the off-season as many believe they’re eying him to be their third base this coming season despite him not playing third since 2004.

With the Tigers last year, Polanco made $4.6 million so he will not cost as much as say Chone Figgins or Adrian Beltre, but he could give the Phillies something that no free agent third baseman can.

Polanco is a great situational hitter, something the Phils currently don’t have. The Phillies have a lot of strikeouts in their lineup, and penciling him into the lineup would add a contact bat who does the little things.

How many times have you seen the Phillies fail to get a key hit with runners in scoring position with two outs or unable to move a runner over? That’s where Polanco would help most.

Don’t be surprised if he is playing third base for the Phillies this coming year instead of Mark DeRosa, who many think is the favorite to land in Philadelphia or Beltre. Now, it will not cost them a pick to sign him.

On the day the New York Mets signed former Phillies catcher Chris Coste, the Fightins upgraded their bench by bringing in former Mets backstop Brian Schneider.

The Phillies signed catcher Brain Schneider to a two-year deal today.

Schneider signed a two-year, $2.75 million deal on Tuesday. He played for the Mets the last two seasons, hitting just .218 in 54 games last year. In a 10-year career with the Expos, Nationals and Mets, Scheider is a lifetime .251 hitter with 59 home runs and 356 RBI.

The 33-year old from Northampton High School represents an upgrade over Paul Bako and Coste, the two backups to starter Carlos Ruiz last year.

Coste, who split time with the Phils and Astros last year, signed with the Mets today. They guaranteed him a spot on their 40-man roster, something he was unable to find elsewhere.

It’s a great time to be a backup player in the majors these days.

So far this offseason, we have seen Andruw Jones, Omar Vizquel, and Alex Cora sign contracts. Now we can add another backup player to the list of players who have signed a contract.

According to Todd Zolecki, the Philadelphia Phillies have signed Brian Schneider to a two-year, $2.75 contract to be their backup catcher to Carlos Ruiz. Schneider spent the last two years with the New York Mets.

Schneider is headed to Philadelphia

When the Mets traded Lastings Milledge to the Washington Nationals for Schneider and Ryan Church before the 2007 season, I thought it was a good trade for the Mets.

Milledge was the Mets top young player at the time, but he is a clown and I have seen hundreds of Milledge types in my day. The Mets were getting back two professional ball players and with Schneider, they were getting a serviceable major league catcher.

The Mets got what they expected out of Schneider in 2008. Schneider hit .257 with nine home runs and threw out 33 percent of the runners trying to steal against him.

However, in 2009 like most of the Mets players, Schneider suffered through an injury plagued season. Schneider missed 41 games with a lower back injury and his average plummeted to .218 and his OPS dipped to .627.

I like this signing by the Phillies. Would I have given him a two-year deal? It’s debatable.

Schneider is four years younger than Paul Bako and three years younger than Chris Coste (Coste recently signed with the Mets), who were the Phillies’ backup catchers last season. Schneider’s .345 caught stealing percentage in 2009 is also better than both of them.

Of course knowing the Mets luck with players once they leave Flushing, Schneider will hit .280 with the Phillies and throw out 50 percent of the baserunners trying to run against him.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

Mandy Housenick of The Morning Call is reporting that Northampton graduate Bran Schneider has signed a two-year free agent contract with the Phillies after passing a physical on Tuesday.

Schneider, who grew up a Phillies fan, hit .218/.292/.335 with three home runs and 24 RBI in 170 at-bats with the New York Mets last season while being slowed down by back, calf and knee injuries.

The 33-year-old left-handed hitting catcher is a career .251/.323/.697 hitter while playing for the Mets and the Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals.

He’s regarded as an excellent defensive catcher, committing only 36 errors in 877 career games. He caught 437 innings, and had a .997 fielding percentage while throwing out 34% of base stealers.

Schneider has always been a Phillies killer in his career, hitting .273/.354/.412 against Philadelphia while slugging six homers and driving in 54 runs in 108 games.

I think this is a good move on the part of Ruben Amaro Jr. , who has done nothing but good things since taking over as general manager last winter. Schneider provides a bat and defense at backup catcher.

Interestingly enough, this happened one day after former Phillies catcher and fan favorite Chris Coste agreed to sign with the rival Mets.

Well signings are happening with the Mets as we speak.

Yesterday they officially brought back INF Alex Cora.

I am pretty pleased with that. I think they did the right thing. He was good for the Mets when Jose Reyes was lost for the season. Cora held the fort down as best as he could. It was only a one year deal with an option for a second providing he meets certain requirements and it only cost the Mets $2 million.

Here’s where I am scratching my head.

Instead of bringing Brian Schneider back, they decide to bring in former Phillies catcher Chris Coste who, at 38 years old, is older than Schneider. It is for a split deal. So it is not going to kill the Mets. He still has to make the team. I like the idea of him having to prove himself worthy.

What does Coste think about it? Here’s what he told CSN:

I will always be a Phillie.

As far as Mets fans are concerned, you will always be a Philly too.

Did I mention Schneider is now with the Phillies? He just signed a two-year deal.

Coste is only supposed to be a back-up catcher. The question is to who? Will it be to Omir Santos? Indications seem to be “no”. Rumors are circulating the Mets are still keeping their options open for a primary catcher in either Bengie Molina or Henry Blanco, this according Ken Davidoff of Newsday.

This is how I feel. Schneider was really starting to have a good relationship with Josh Thole. Why not re-sign him to keep working with the kid? I would rather see Thole than Santos on the team next year.

The Mets insist on getting older and it is irking me. They need to get younger. Schneider was not bad for the Mets last year. He worked well with Thole when he came up. Coste was placed on waivers by the Phillies this year.

The offseason is still young and the Mets are making my brain hurt more than my media class.

Is this a sign of a horrible offseason? I will wait until the GM meetings to pass judgement.

Jeff Kolpack is reporting that former Phillies catcher and fan favorite Chris Coste has agreed to sign a deal with the New York Mets that will guarantee a spot on their 40-man roster come Spring Training.

Tom’s Take: It will be hard to see Coste playing for the hated Mets, that is if he makes the team of course. His story could eventually make it to the big screen, but his best days are behind him at the age of 37. The Phils waived him last year, and the Astros picked him up. Now, he’ll have a chance to earn a job on a bad Mets team. Good luck, Chris.

Mike Potter writes that the decision to sign DeWayne Wise to a minor league contract was a good move on the part of Ruben Amaro Jr. He thinks that Wise could contribute to the Phils this coming season.

Tom’s Take: With minor league deals, you never expect anything big to come out of it. Usually, these type of players are guys who are way past their prime or never really showed anything to warrant a guaranteed spot. Wise is a player like that, but who knows, it could pay off or it could not. We shall see.

David Murphy thinks that the Phillies will offer Chan Ho Park arbitration when the deadline passes on Tuesday, and he also expects Shane Victorino and Carlos Ruiz to be offered contracts to boot.

Tom’s Take: As much as I want to see Park come back to the Phils’ bullpen, I don’t see it happening. He wants to be a starter so if a team wants him, all they have to do is what the Phillies did last season. Give him a chance to start, and when, not if, he blows, send him to he ‘pen. Victorino and Ruiz will ink deals at some point, at least I expect so.

Sam Donnellon says that Chone Figgins would fit nicely atop the Phillies lineup this season, and that they should sign him to be their third baseman.

Tom’s Take: Figgins is everyone’s top target this off-season at the hot corner, however I’d rather not spend the money on a 32-year-old who relies on speed, especially if he wants 4-5 years at $50 million. I would rather go with a guy who has some power like Adrian Beltre, Mark DeRosa or Miguel Tejada; however I do agree that Figgins would be a good fit with the Phils.

With just about a week left for the winter meetings to begin we’re all getting pretty damn angsty to see Omar make some deals. However, we must remain patient since big free agent signings and trades really don’t get done until after the meetings and even later – especially if you’re trying to lock up a Bora$$ client.

In the meantime the Mets have made a couple of small, yet necessary, “organizational depth” — I guess you could say, moves. A couple of days ago we heard they were planning on bringing back (P) Elmer Dessens whom was a nice and reliable surprise out of our bullpen last  failure season. Today the Mets re-signed the veteran backup utility infielder, Alex Cora, to a one year $2 mil. deal  just as last year and with a 2011 option and they also signed (C) Chris Coste whose contract amount remains unknown. The only thing I disagree with here is the amount of money that has been given to Cora the past 2 seasons, for a much cheaper price we could have gotten Omar Vizquel who may be old, but can still be a fine back-up, probably better than Cora. I guess at this point it was more of a respect thing.. being that Cora worked his ass off for us in Reyes’ absence and did a decent job considering he had those torn ligaments in his thumb(s).

Cora, 34, played 82 games this year batting .251 with 18 RBIs and eight steals. He made 54 starts at shortstop and filled in for Jose Reyes after he went on the DL.  Cora himself was out by August since both his thumb ligaments were torn and required surgery.

Coste, 36, played in 88 games for the Phillies and the Astros batting .224 with 2 HRs and 18 RBIs. He will obviously serve as a back-up’s back-up in AAA.

So what if these guys aren’t superstars that will turn the team around?  They’re back-up’s which is something the team took a lot of heat for lacking last season and now that the Mets begin to add some they get criticized for and made fun of by the fans. It ticks me off. I’m not saying we gotta’ throw a party and cheer all day for the signings, but these aren’t the only deals Omar and Co. are going to make, relax, and stop posting sarcastic ass remarks all over message boards and comment sections in blogs because it shows your lack of knowledge and understanding of the teams needs as a whole.

Let’s keep the faith in Metland, and hope Omar goes into these winter meetings with some sort of plan and focus and gets us our guys in a reasonable way that won’t empty the farm for a rental or cut our spending salary drastically on some one that isn’t Holliday or Bay.

The Arizona Fall League is over, but two Kentucky college alums are still playing in winter league action. The two Philadelphia Phillies farmhands are both playing for Yaquis de Obregon in the Caribbean league. You can see their stats so far this winter below:

3b Neil Sellers — EKU — AA Reading Phillies

• .371, 3 HR, 18 RBI in 27 games
• .371/.414/.539

RHP B. J. Rosenberg — UofL — AA Reading Phillies

• 0-0, 6.75 ERA, 7 games
• 2 saves, 6.2 IP, 6 SO/4 BB

Adrian Beltre isn't going to hit 48 homers like he did in 2004. He isn't going to drive in 120 runs, either. But he would give the Twins 20-30 homers and stellar defense at third base.

There are four sure-fire stars on the free-agent market–Matt Holliday, Jason Bay, John Lackey, and Chone Figgins–but there are countless others that, though classified as B-list free-agents, are capable of putting up solid numbers. Having predicted where the top-five free-agents will land, here now are my predicted destinations for free-agents six through ten.

6. Andy Pettitte: Pettitte has been a tremendously dependable pitcher over the course of his career, and especially in the playoffs. He can be counted on to accumulate 12-15 wins during the regular season, 3-4 more during the playoffs, and an ERA in the low 4’s. There is no reason for him to leave the World Series champion New York Yankees, and they have no reason not to retain him. He, who won all three playoff-series clinchers, will stay with New York, barring an unexpected retirement.

7. Marco Scutaro: Alex Gonzalez, who was the shortstop for the Boston Red Sox last season, signed a one-year deal with Scutaro’s old team, the Toronto Blue Jays, so it’s only fitting that the 34-year old signs with the Red Sox. There aren’t a lot of pleasing shortstops on the market (it’s Scutaro, a 36-year old and intriguing Miguel Tejada, and offensively-challenged Adam Everett, and that’s about it), and not many that are available via trade (unless Boston trades Florida the farm for Hanley Ramirez), but though it appears Scutaro is the only option for Boston, they want him and he wants the Red Sox.

He picked a good time to have a career year. This past season, he hit .282 with 12 home-runs and 60 rbi’s out of the leadoff spot, and posted a tremendous .379 on-base percentage. He is aging, and would probably want a three-year deal from Boston, but he’s a very good defender (he only made 10 errors), doesn’t strikeout very often (he had only 75 strikeouts compared to 90 walks in 144 games), and would be a good fit with Boston. If he is signed by the Red Sox, he will be their sixth shortstop in as many years.

The eccentric closer would solve many of the Phillies bullpen troubles.

8. Jose Valverde: The fiery closer has been one of the best in the business over the past three seasons. He saved over 40 games in both 2007 and 2008, and though he appeared in just 52 games in 2009 for the Houston Astros, the 31-year old compiled 25 saves in 29 chances, allowed only 15 runs in 54 innings, and had his best ERA, 2.33, since his rookie year with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Not many teams are looking for a closer. The lack of demand for a saves machine is either because they can’t afford to spend money, or because they have their own options in-house or on the farm. One team in particular needs to add bullpen stability, and that would be the National League’s representative in the World Series, the Philadelphia Phillies. Their closer, Brad Lidge, had a nightmarish regular season. In four more innings than Valverde, he had a 7.21 ERA, allowed 51 runs, 11 home-runs, walked 34, and blew 11 saves. He pitched well in the postseason before being shelled in his lone World Series appearance, but the Phillies should certainly be on the lookout for a replacement.

They could move Lidge to the eighth inning, thereby taking the pressure off to increase his effectiveness, put Ryan Madson in as he setup man’s setup man, and Valverde in as closer. The 6′4″, 250 pound Dominican has been very dependable and will come relatively cheap. Unless they want uncertainty throughout their ‘pen, the Phillies should pounce on Valverde.

9. Adrian Beltre: In 2004, the third-baseman’s final season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Beltre hit 48 homers–25 more than in 2003–drove in 121–41 more than in 2003–and batted .338–94 points higher than in 2003. Since this unbelievable season, Beltre hasn’t clubbed more than 26 homers or driven in more than 99 rbi’s in a season, disappointing throughout his five seasons with the Seattle Mariners, but he’s only 30 years old and is still an accomplished hitter.

On top of his offensive production, he is a tremendously gifted defensive third-baseman, which makes him that much more appealing on the free-agent market. The Red Sox have been linked to him, but he would fit more with the Minnesota Twins, a team in dire need of offense and particularly a third baseman. He would not only give the Twins one of the best defensive infields in the majors, but also 20-30 home-run power. Throughout his career in Seattle, his on-base percentage was awful, hovering around .300, yet in the 6th or 7th hole in Minnesota’s lineup, he would be a significant upgrade over the Brian Buscher/Brendan Harris/Joe Crede trio.

Harden should draw a lot of interest, and could be an ace if healthy.

10. Rich Harden: If there is a high-risk, high-reward player on the market, it’s the 27-year old Harden. The gifted right-handed starting pitcher has spent the bulk of his seven-year career with the Oakland Athletics. Over the course of his tenure in the league, he has compiled 50 wins to just 29 losses, and a 3.39 ERA. Despite these outstanding numbers, he has made only 127 starts, or an average of 18 per season. So, he’s been injury-plagued throughout, but he has a very good repertoire, with a wide array of strikeout pitches. Last season with the Chicago Cubs, he allowed just 122 hits in 141 innings while striking out 171 batters.

He should have plenty of suitors this offseason, given his age and ability. The Red Sox just signed knuckleballer Tim Wakefield to a two-year deal, making him their fifth starter once again. Daisuke Matsuzaka is also returning to the rotation, and the team has also expressed interest in Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay, who is on the trade market. But, despite having five starters and interest in a sixth, they should pull out of the Halladay Sweepstakes and focus on an inexpensive option.

Because of Harden’s injury history, teams will be hesitant to give him a multi-year deal. So, why don’t the Red Sox sign him to a one-year, $8 million contract? He could make 30 starts, something he has done only once, win 15-18 games, and make an already stacked rotation dominating. Worst case, he makes 15 starts, wins seven-to-nine games, and spends the majority of the year on the shelf. Given Harden’s potential for greatness, if Red Sox General Mananger Theo Epstein wants to improve, he’ll take the gamble.

Phillies pitcher Jamie Moyer underwent successful surgery yesterday to combat a small area of potentially infected blood, according to a report by the Inquirer’s Andy Martino.

He should be ready by spring training as he prepares to battle Kyle Kendrick and a yet to be named player for the team’s fifth starter spot.

For me, Thanksgiving is the best holiday of the year. It’s one of the few times of the year when all bets are off when it comes to food. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie.

It doesn’t get any better than that.

Thanksgiving is also the time of year where we give thanks to what we have in life. It’s no different for all 30 teams of Major League Baseball. Each team has something they can be thankful for.

NL East

Philadelphia Phillies: The Phillies should be thankful that they have one of the best GM’s in the game in Ruben Amaro Jr. A GM who doesn’t get nearly the credit he deserves.

Atlanta Braves: The Braves should be thankful the Minor League Player of the Year, Jason Heyward is on his way. The kid looks like a star.

Florida Marlins: The Marlins should be thankful they are getting a new stadium in 2012. Maybe then they can keep their young stars like Josh Johnson

New York Mets: The Mets should be thankful that 2009 is finally coming to an end. 2010 can’t be much worse.

Washington Nationals: The Nationals should be thankful that new GM Mike Rizzo has more of a clue than former GM Jim Bowden

NL Central

St. Louis Cardinals: The Cardinals should be thankful for the fact that they get to watch the best player in the game on a day in and day out basis.

Chicago Cubs: The Cubs should be thankful that after so many years of being labeled “lovable losers,” they are finally dedicated to winning. Whether or not they are making the right moves to win is another story.

Milwaukee Brewers: The Brewers should be thankful that they have an owner in Mark Attanasio, who runs a small market team, but has a big market mentality.

Cincinnati Reds: The Reds should be thankful that Jay Bruce, Drew Stubbs, and Joey Votto are young stars, who should provide a solid foundation for the future.

Houston Astros: The Astros should be thankful that Wandy Rodriguez established himself as a solid No. 2 starter in 2009.

Pittsburgh Pirates: The Pirates should be thankful for the fact that GM Neal Huntington has the team moving in the right direction. The Pirates are making the right moves to compete in the future.

NL West

Los Angeles Dodgers: The Dodgers should be thankful for Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp, who appear to be the foundation of the Dodgers’ offense for years to come.

Colorado Rockies: The Rockies should be thankful that they have one of the best and exciting young teams in baseball. The Rockies have finally figured out how to win in Colorado.

The Giants should be thankful for Lincecum

San Francisco Giants: The Giants should be thankful for being able to watch Tim Lincecum every five days. His unique delivery continues to amaze fans and baffle hitters.

San Diego Padres: The Padres should be thankful that it appears that they will not be trading star first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.

Arizona Diamondbacks: The Diamondbacks should be thankful that Brandon Webb is making progress and looks to be healthy in 2010.

AL East

New York Yankees: The Yankees should be thankful that they are the Yankees. No other team in professional sports has the advantage they have.

Boston Red Sox: The Red Sox should be thankful for their minor-league system, which allows them to trade for players like Victor Martinez and potentially Roy Halladay or Miguel Cabrera.

Tampa Bay Rays: The Rays should be thankful that they have the most athletic team in baseball and after so many years of losing, they have a winner in Tampa.

Toronto Blue Jays: The Blue Jays should be thankful for the fact they got to watch Roy Halladay pitch in a Blue Jays’ uniform for the last 12 years. He will go down as the best player in franchise history.

Baltimore Orioles: The Orioles should be thankful for that after so many years of not having a clue, they are moving in the right direction. Matt Wieters, Adam Jones, Brian Matusz, and Nick Markakis provide a solid foundation for the future.

AL Central

Minnesota Twins: The Twins should be thankful for Joe Mauer. When it is all said and done, I believe he will go down as the greatest catcher of all time.

Detroit Tigers: The Tigers should be thankful for Mike Ilitch. Despite a ravaged economy in Detroit, Ilitch does his best to put a winner on the field in the Motor City.

Chicago White Sox: The White Sox should be thankful for employing Ozzie Guillen. His press conferences have provided baseball fans with hours of comedy. Oh yeah, the guy is a pretty good manager.

Kansas City Royals: The Royals should be thankful that there is only more year left in the Jose Guillen era in Kansas City.

Cleveland Indians: The Indians should be thankful that Grady Sizemore, Carlos Santana, Azdrubal Cabrera, Matt LaPorta, and Shin-Soo Choo provide hope for the future.

AL West

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: The Angles should be thankful for that they have one of the best run organizations in baseball. The job Arte Moreno and Mike Scioscia have done in Anaheim has been impressive.

Seattle Mariners: The Mariners should be thankful for the fact that if they make a couple of solid moves this offseason, they could win the AL West in 2010.

Texas Rangers: The Rangers should be thankful for GM Jon Daniels. His trades and drafting over the last four years have the Rangers poised to make a run at the AL West crown in 2010.

Oakland A’s: The A’s should be thankful for Andrew Bailey. The 2009 AL Rookie of the Year and a great year and should anchor the backend of the A’s bullpen for years to come–or at least until Billy Beane trades him.

I would like to give thanks to all my readers for taking the time out of their days to read my blog. For that, I am truly grateful.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE AND THEIR FAMILIES!!!

On this day of giving thanks for the incredible people and events in our lives, we’d like to do the same. However, DailyPhiladelphian.com isn’t a mushy sports site. And, let’s face it, Philly sports fans are a tough, blue collar bunch.

Instead, we’re giving out the first annual DailyPhiladelphian.com Turkey Awards. Winners of these awards were selected based on results from a comprehensive grading scale that included stupidity, narcissism, greed, arrogance, and performance — or lack thereof.

Winners of these prestigious awards will receive a certificate in the mail in the coming days.

STUFFING AWARD: The Andrews Brothers — Shawn and Stacy.

Stacy and Shawn Andrews win the Stuffing Award.

This award is given to the athletes who operate the best Ponzi scheme and stuff their pockets with other people’s money.

These two clowns have bilked a millionaire out of  investment money in the biggest and best Ponzi scheme this side of Bernie Madoff. First, Shawn Andrews sits out 2008 with depression and back issues. Then, he comes back in great shape, only to suffer more back pain the first day of training camp. After sitting out all preseason, he says he’s a beast and ready to take on Julius Peppers. The next day, he misses practice. A week later, he ends up on IR and is being paid to sit in Los Angeles and tweet on Twitter all the damn day.

Stacy Andrews signed a six-year, nearly $40 million contract this offseason to be the Eagles starting right guard. He actually got that contract when coming off of ACL surgery. A 300-pound linemen coming off knee surgery is never good. Then, add in the fact that this guy has twice lost his starting slot this year because he flat out can’t play. He can’t pick up the Eagles blocking schemes. He’s gone from starter, to part of the rotation, to starter to not dressing.

Mrs. Andrews must be so proud of her boys.

CRANBURY SAUCE AWARD: Philadelphia Eagles front office.

This award goes to the executive(s) making the most boneheaded free agency decision of the year. Letting Brian Dawkins, the heart of a city, team and fan base board a plane during free agency was plain dumb. Granted, we wouldn’t have matched Denver’s deal either. However, Dawk wanted to be here and would have signed a fair deal before free agency began. The Eagles decision makers of Andy Reid, Joe Banner, Jeff Lurie and Tom Heckert decided to take a chance. As soon as they let Dawk board a plane, the man was leaving town. They insulted the guy who symbolized the ferocious nature of the Eagles defense. More importantly, they let an athlete who “got” what Philly fans are all about leave town. It will be a long time before we have someone who connects with Philly fans in this way and excite us with his inspired play again.

COLE SLAW AWARD: Brett Myers, Philadelphia Phillies.

Brett Myers capturd the coveted Cole Slaw Award.

This award is presented to the Philly sports personality who has the strangest “luck” or circumstances each year. Brett Myers heads the list following his unique path in 2009. The man who was a hero in the 2008 playoffs, thanks to a 13-pitch at-bat against CC Sabathia, had hip surgery in late May/early June. He displayed immense dedication in trying to get back to pitch late in the season and in the World Series despite setbacks that included a stiff shoulder.

The strangest twist in Myers rehab, and the ultimate deciding factor in winning this award, came right before his first rehab start in Clearwater. The night before the game, Myers went to dinner with family and friends and ended it with a black eye that caused him to delay his rehab outing.

First, he told Phillies officials that he was playing catch with his young son who managed to throw a ball square in daddy’s face. Minutes later, he called back to confess the truth. He said he was in the back of his SUV, being driven by the family nanny, when he tripped on his kids toys and whacked his head on the door of the vehicle.

We later found out that Myers friends were involved in an altercation of some type, but Myers was not involved in that incident in any way whatsoever.

No matter how he had his eye turn black and blue, this story is so strange that Myers won the Cole Slaw Award unanimously.

TRYPTOPHAN AWARD: Philadelphia 76ers.

DailyPhiladelphian.com presents this award to the team whom doctors prescribe as a cure for insomnia. The Sixers fit the bill this year. They are uninteresting and play uninspired basketball. Not even your most ardent NBA or Sixers fan cares about this squad. Not all the Guys Night Out specials in the world will come close to filling the Wachovia Center this year. We’d write more, but they already have more space in this write-up than they deserve.

SWEET POTATO PIE AWARD: Andy Reid, Philadelphia Eagles

Andy Reid captured the Sweet Potato Pie honors.

Reid and the Eagles seem to be cleaning house with the Turkey Awards this year. The Sweet Potato Pie Award goes to the most arrogant person in Philly sports. The fact that Reid is so uptight in news conferences, thinks he knows it all, refuses to acknowledge the need to run the ball, or refuses to admit signing the Andrews brothers was a mistake all could have secured this dishonor for Reid.

Instead, he wins it for trying to dictate how Les Bowen and the rest of the media should do their job. When Stewart Bradley was lost for the season to an ACL injury, Bowen tried calling the player himself. Imagine that. Trying to interview the guy who is injured. A guy who plays for the Eagles, the team you cover for a major daily newspaper.

The nerve of that guy Bowen. Reid set him straight telling Les and the rest of the media that he set the rules upon his arrival to town and that only the head coach could discuss player injuries. Not trainers. And, certainly not the injured players themselves. “That was breached,” said Reid.

Andy, the media does NOT work for YOU. They are not Dave Spadaro (whom we personally like, but is on the Eagles payroll).

Your Daily Philadelphian has trouble thinking of anything more arrogant than telling someone else how to do their job, a job for which you personally have no training or experience. Yes, we question how Reid does his job and make suggestions. However, he is in the public spotlight much like a politician. It’s called fair comment and criticism. Trying to dictate how people do their jobs is just wrong, Andy.

BUTTERBALL AWARD: Ed Stefanski, Philadelphia 76ers

Ed Stefanski is this year's Butterball Award recipient.

As bad as many thought Billy King was, Stefanski has set even lower standards. King was known for signing players such as Kenny Thomas and Samuel Dalembert to max contracts, as well as for changing coaches as much as Bobby Clarke did with the Flyers.

Stefanski, in his second full season as the head guy in Sixerland, is on his third coach. He abruptly canned Mo Cheeks last year after sticking the guy with Elton Brand. Then, he let Andre Miller, the player who led the playoff charge the last two years, leave own via free agency. Lou Williams puts up stats, but he’s not a legit NBA point guard.

The Sixers have completely fallen off the radar and are in salary cap hell thanks to the Brand deal. Even if the Sixers had money to spend next summer when Lebron, D-Wade and others are free agents, what players in their right mind would want to join this mess. A mess created by Stefanski.

What’s worse is that the man has seemingly gone from being one the of the approachable sports executives in town to being in a game of “Where’s Edwardo?” He came to town and took calls from, and proactively called, season ticketholders. After last season, he went into hiding while searching for a head coach.

Eddie, you need to be there in good and bad times the way Pat Croce was. You especially need to do that when you created the bad times we’re now subjected to.

Enjoy your butterball today, Edward.

James Paxton; Photo: UK Athletics

The holiday season is officially here. With Thanksgiving in mind I thought I’d pass along my list of reasons for baseball fans in Kentucky to be thankful this year. Feel free to pass along your lists as well

I’m thankful for:

• Another season to watch James Paxton in college
• A healthy return in 2010 for Brandon Webb
• A second consecutive World Series appearance from Joe Blanton.
• Conference titles from UofL and WKU
• The resurgence of Scott Downs
• A respectable Lexington Legends team in 2009
• Bowling Green becoming the third minor league franchise in the state
• A playoff appearance for the Louisville Bats
• Josh Anderson and Brandon Webb being inducted into the EKU and UK Halls of Fame
• Dan Uggla, Austin Kearns, Todd Wellemeyer and Corey Hart dominating offseason storylines.
• Sawyer Carroll continuing to prove his detractors wrong.
• Christian Friedrich moving even closer to the big leagues.
• Kentucky high school alums Robbie Ross, Ben Revere and Chaz Roe moving up their organization’s prospect lists.
• What’s sure to be an even greater impact from Kentucky on major league baseball in 2010!