NL Central

If you're a veteran catcher, have your agent give the Houston Astros a phone call. The 'Stros just might need your services.

That's because 36-year-old Chris Coste, acquired by Houston earlier this year after the Philadelphia Phillies had placed him on waivers, has rejected the team's outright assignment to Triple-A Round Rock and is now a free agent.

A lot of people wonder what makes the Washington Redskins one of the worst franchises in professional sports. Surprisingly, the biggest reason isn’t fan censorship or poor management.

It’s the fact that iconic former Redskins are all too willing to drag the team through the mud on a daily basis.

First of all, here's a link that will help us establish a proper frame of reference. The sheet attached is from Cot's Baseball Contracts, a valuable source for contract information for baseball players. It breaks down the 2010 financial obligations of the Chicago Cubs.

According to this breakdown, the Cubs are already obligated to $119 million in 2010, a number that's down from the nearly $135 million it reached this past season.

I wrote a couple of weeks ago that the St. Louis Cardinals are facing a franchise defining off-season . Well, their off-season got off to a great start today.

Sure it’s just a couple of thousand people missing from one of the largest stadiums in the country. But is this a sign that Washington Redskins fans are fed up with the product?

It’s hard to tell what is a sicker part of the entire Washington Redskins-Jim Zorn saga, the fact that Daniel Snyder is arrogant enough to publicly humiliate his head coach without firing him, or that Jim Zorn has enough resolve to stick it out for the money.

Obviously, Snyder’s foolishness has the staying power of 10 years of futility, but there is something admirable about Jim Zorn’s refusal to buckle to the whim of a petulant billionaire .

Two weeks ago, I begged other Cubs fans to watch John Lackey pitch this October.

After his performance both on the mound and leaving it Thursday night, I again step before Cubs Nation at large and submit that Lackey should be Cubs' GM Jim Hendry's top target in free agency this winter.

Sigh. After the lost season for the Cubs, I could have easily stayed away until the organizational meetings next month. But when someone delivers you a gift, such as the Cubs in signing Rudy Jaramillo to serve as the new hitting instructor, you're obligated to say "Thank you!"

Milwaukee fans are used to seeing the above joyful celebration between Braun and Fielder, the two young faces of the Brewers franchise.

They are the ones people associate with the positive change that has taken place in recent years.  They are the ones fans buy tickets to watch more than anyone else on the current Brewers roster.  They are the ones fans of other teams think of first upon hearing the name of the Brewers franchise.

But they are also the ones that will cost more money than anyone else on this team in the long run.  

Lately, the Houston Astros have been hosting a game show. Haven't you heard?

It's called, "Who Wants to Be the Houston Astros Manager?"

Apparently, Bob Melvin and Manny Acta really do . And, of course, so does a motley cast comprised of the likes of Phil Garner, Dave Clark and several others.