NL West

Young shortstops are getting a lot of focus these days, but the names generally mentioned are Alcides Escobar and Elvis Andrus.  There’s a third speedster who belongs to be included in that group, the Padres’ Everth Cabrera.

Before we get into too much detail, let’s take a look at his line from last season:

377 At Bats
.255 Batting Average (96 Hits)
2 Home Runs
31 RBI
59 Runs
25 Stolen Bases
.342 On Base Percentage
.361 Slugging Percentage
.328 Batting Average on Balls in Play

I was foolishly under the impression that things couldn’t get any murkier for the Los Angeles Dodgers front office.

Then I came across a startling article in the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday that claims Dodgers owner Frank McCourt is running out of money.

Uh-oh.

The piece, written by John Emshwiller, details some very disturbing facts that have emerged from the divorce papers filed between Frank, the team owner, and his soon-to-be ex-wife Jamie, former Dodgers CEO.

Rumors have been flying about him since the trade deadline last July. Padre fans, as well as the San Diego media, sat on the edge of their seats as the hours and minutes ticked away, wondering if Adrian Gonzalez was about to be traded.

The deadline came, and the news that followed shocked everybody when it was learned that it was Jake Peavy that had been dealt and not Gonzalez.

Now that the offseason is in full swing, the Gonzalez rumors have started to fly once more—though this time they don't involve the Boston Red Sox.

Thus far, the offseason for the Los Angeles Dodgers has been mired in speculation about the divorce of Frank and Jamie McCourt.

Does the team have enough expendable money to fill their roster holes? 

Will Frank have to sell the team to a third party? 

Is this organization dedicated to winning even with the front office distractions? 

But no amount of off the field drama can sour the recognition being earned by Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp.

This Article Originally Appeared on Friar Forecast

With the trade for Aaron Heilman the Arizona Diamondbacks addressed one of their needs for the 2009 offseason. Going into the free agency period Arizona general manager Josh Byrnes publicly stated he was interested in finding a reliever, a veteran bench player, and a No. 4 starter for the rotation.

Now that the free agent market is officially open the Diamondbacks are free to negotiate with any of the current crop of players on the market. The deadline for filing for free agency is now closed meaning we now know who is available.

On Friday November 20, Chien Ming Wang spoke to reporters in Taiwan about his questionable future with the New York Yankees organization. Wang has been plagued by injuries the last two years and is no longer the Yankees ace pitcher. 

When speaking to reporters in Taiwan, Wang said that the Yankees are his "first choice". But afterwards mentioned that he would be alright pitching for any other major league team. 

Going into this offseason the Arizona Diamondbacks identified three areas they wanted to address before Spring Training 2010 arrived.

They wanted to find one or possibly two candidates for the starting rotation, a veteran position player that could come off the bench and provide an offensive spark, and they wanted a veteran in the bullpen to anchor the young pitching staff.

The Diamondbacks hoped to fill at least one of these needs through a trade but conceded they would be active in the free agent market, something the team has not been in the past.

For the second consecutive year, San Francisco Giants ace Tim Lincecum has been named the National League Cy Young Award winner following one of the closest races ever.

Phew...

When I was asked in advance to write an affirmative reaction piece to the announcement, I knew it was going to be a tall order if someone other than the Freak took home the hardware.