Baseball

According to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, the Florida Marlins are hammering out a deal with lefty reliever Randy Choate. 

The 35-year-old left-hander pitched for the Tampa Bay Rays last season and had a 4.23 ERA and 1.30 WHIP in 44.2 innings. Used in smart matchup situations, he limited left-handed batters to a .202 batting average in 138 plate appearances. 

The 2010 MLB winter meetings are in the books and the market has been set.

After watching Carl Crawford, Adam Dunn and Jason Werth rake in the dough, most of baseball's GM's are angry at the amount of cash being thrown around. Carlos Pena, who hit under .200 last season, scored a $10 million contract from the Chicago Cubs. 

Then there are the Cincinnati Reds.

Wondering where ace Cliff Lee will be bring his talents in 2011?

Here is the latest news.

Last night while attending a Christmas party, I happen to be introduced to a man who went to college with Lee’s Arkansas neighbor and happens to be one of his closet friends.

In asking what he had heard, the response was that Lee had not made a decision as of Friday afternoon.

Since his acquisition from the Houston Astros in 2008, Brad Lidge has been like a roller-coaster ride for the Phillies and their fans, and we've all just been along for the ride.

From the highs of his perfect season in 2008, to the lows of his league leading 11 blown saves in 2009, Lidge has become one of the most unpredictable closers in all of baseball, forcing fans to hold their breath as the ball leaves his hand.

New York Mets pitching prospect Jenrry Mejia scattered two hits while walking one and striking out four over three shutout innings for the Tigres del Licey in the Dominican Winter League on Friday.

The 21-year-old, making his second start of the fall, fanned three Aguilas batters in the first inning, working around a one-out double followed by a walk, and he recorded three ground ball outs in the second frame to set down the side despite an error by veteran first baseman Wily Mo Pena.

Nick Swisher: New York Yankees Star Weds TV Star Joanna Garcia

Nick Swisher of the New York Yankees will wed his fiance Joanna Garcia this weekend in Palm Beach, Florida.

Swisher and Garcia have been engaged since May, and according to NYDailyNews.com, this will be quite a large wedding with about 375 guests.

The Mariners were bad behind the plate in 2010. In fact, they were sub-par in every position except right field. Miguel Olivo was recently signed to a two-year deal by the team to be their everyday catcher. The deal is worth $7,000,000—a reasonable figure considering his ability to call a game. Offensively, however, he is barely an upgrade over the trio of backstops who butchered the position for most of Seattle’s 2010 season.

When the Oakland A’s acquired Michael Taylor as part of the Roy Halladay trade (he had a quick stop in Toronto before being shipped to Oakland in exchange for Brett Wallace), they thought they were acquiring a future star outfielder. 

At 6′6″, 260 pounds, the A's expected Taylor's power to continue to develop (he had hit .320 with 20 HR and 84 RBI in 428 AB in ‘09), but instead they got a player who regressed further than anyone could have imagined.

The MLB's winter meetings have come and gone, and the former Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke still has not been traded out of Kansas City.

Royals GM Dayton Moore made statements during the winter meetings that KC would be willing to trade their star player to anyone that was interested. In the end, there were some teams that would have like Greinke's services, but could never come to an agreement with the Royals for what they wanted in return.

The Yankees and Rangers have both made their offers and now wait for Cliff Lee to make a decision.

Here are the latest rumblings—