MLB Rumors

The 2010 MLB season provided a few teams that finished well above expectations..

Who would have guessed that the San Diego Padres would be on pace to make the playoffs all the way up to the last game of the season?

Who would have guessed that the Cincinnati Reds, a team that hadn't made the playoffs in 15 years, would hold off the mighty St. Louis Cardinals for supremacy in the N.L Central?

And of course, there is the Rangers and Giants. Who would have thought that two average teams in '09 would defeat the heavily favored Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees?

As the MLB rumor mill continues to churn, many fans are beginning to show a disdain towards the carousel-style news surrounding their favorite players.

Just ask Philadelphia Phillies’ fans about Jayson Werth updates.

This week—particularly the past 48 hours—there is even more confusing media frenzied news to keep fans on the edge of their seat, as they wait with baited breath to find out the latest whispers.

LET'S MAKE A DEAL! Potential superstars in baseball are defined in multiple ways.

There's the rising prospect, the reborn veteran, the under-the-radar sleeper, and of course, the proverbial number one overall draft picks like Justin Upton.

But the organizational side of a team is in a constant motion of re-tooling their investments in the same way a mechanic tinkers with a project car until he gets everything just right.

Heading into 2011, there are a bevy of players we can all talk about who could be considered potential superstars; I stuck with 10.

With the Holiday Season on the Horizon, the end of 2010 drawing near and the year-end MLB awards handed out, there is no better time to look back at the season that was. 

Before long the gifts will be opened, the snow will melt away from the ground and all the trades and free agent signings will be complete, which will signify the start of Spring Training. 

The 2010 World Series is not over yet, but that doesn't mean it's too early to talk about players who could be changing teams this offseason.

Notable playoff players such as Texas Rangers pitcher Cliff Lee, Phillies outfielder Jayson Werth and Tampa Bay's Carl Crawford all could start with different teams next April on opening day 2011.

Free agency and trades make the hot stove season very exciting, and this winter is sure to see major players switch cities.

Next, we will look at 10 significant players who are free agents or may likely be traded this winter.

The rumors seem to be piling up on a day-to-day basis nowadays.

Yes, the Brewers are currently looking for a new manager, and Bobby Valentine seems to be the sure-fire candidate to succeed Ken Macha.

Doug Melvin has reportedly denied the reports, writes MLB.com correspondent Adam McClavy.

Asked by the newspaper whether he had been at least offered the job, Valentine said, "We have met but there is nothing ongoing and no follow-up meeting is scheduled."

Piece by piece, the 2011 Los Angeles Dodgers coaching staff is slowly coming together, and within the next few weeks, general manager Ned Colletti is expected to confirm all reports and make an official announcement about who will be working under new skipper Don Mattingly next season.

Ken Davidoff, a national baseball writer for Newsday, reported on Tuesday that pitching coach Rick Honeycutt has agreed to return to Los Angeles for a fifth season.

This year's free-agent class is fairly weak overall. This is true of the available outfielders as well. There is a lot of good talent at the top of the class, but from there, it declines fairly quickly.

With many teams looking to fill a hole in their outfield, you can expect a few bidding wars to occur over some of these players.

Begin Slideshow

Baseball’s free agency rules are reason No. 1,546,567 fans watch games. Or not. They are confusing, they are mundane, and many of them need to be revamped.

We are going to try to make some sense of one rule here in regards to the status of free agents and what it means for salary arbitration.

Generally, the Elias Sports Bureau releases free agent statuses three times a year. 

In July, usually in advance of the trade deadline, Elias will release its first projection of possible free agents for the coming winter.

Over the last several years, the Los Angeles Dodgers' management team of owner Frank McCourt and general manager Ned Colletti have utilized the deferred contract option as a tactic to bring in numerous big name players with highly valued contracts—without paying much up front.

Looking back at several of the players who were still part of the Dodgers payroll in 2010, and who will be receiving paychecks from McCourt into the future, there's no doubt that many of the deals have failed miserably.