-Dexter Sports
3:16 PM
Dexter-Sports Inbox

Maybe it isn't quite of a buzz, but hey, I have some news and analysis for you.

• Blues Notes has the grades of the 2008 Dodgers posted today. I was surprised a bit with Furcal's A. But Hey, when he was on the field, he was a game changer. Unsurprisingly Andruw Jones got an F. But hey, he's got a hefty contract, doesn't that automatically give him a C?

• Metsmerized plays "Should I stay or should I go" in a recent post. It seems that they don't want to bring back anyone over there. The Mets will undoubtedly have one of the most interesting off-seasons. If they don't bring in a top tier pitcher and resign Oliver Perez, then I will be shocked. Imagine, Johan Santana, Ben Sheets/Derek Lowe, John Maine, Oliver Perez and Mike Pelfrey. Pretty good rotation. I think that the Bullpen has to be an issue here. If a top tier starter isnt brought in then expect Frankie Rodriguez to be closing out games in New York. They have to add someone to that pen. I'll suggest Braden Looper.

• The Boston Herald has a bunch of good information this afternoon. Micheal Silverman covers the to do list for Theo epstein this off-season. One major on the list has to be add bullpen help. Especially if Justin Masterson is not going to be a full time reliever. But I agree with Silverman. The Red Sox need to lock up the young guns to compete in the AL East in the not to distant future. Silverman also touched upon how hard it will be to obtain Jake Peavy. All I got to say is, Forget about it!

• According to the New York Daily News, Former Yankee and Met manager Willie Randolph is high on the list of potential managers to fill the void left when the team let go of Interm Dale Sveum. Randolph was interviewed by the Brewers in 2000 as a managerial candidate, but was not choosen. There is also rumor that he could join Manny Acta's staff in Washington. Heck, its a win win for Willie. He will make 2.9 million in 2009 if he isnt hired.
  

• And Finally, Bobby Abreu wants to stay in Pinstripes according to the New York Post. I think this would be a wise move, but Abreu could pick up a bit more money on the open market. The Outfield is a pretty weak position in the upcoming free agent market, and Abreu brings a pressence a lot of teams are looking for. Abreu hit .333 in clutch situations for the New York Yankees last season.
  

-Dexter Sports
1:20 PM
Dexter-Sports Inbox

Everyone knows that at this point of the baseball season, many teams are looking for help on the mound. For Teams like the Brewers and Tigers, it is becuase of the loss of key components to their rotation. For others, like the Cubs and Phillies, It is about improving their staff to get that closer to the goal of a World Series. Either way, the top teams in the league have to make choices. Heres what I think will happen on the deadline. Or at least a glance at what options teams will mull.

Milwaukee Brewers: BrewersNation hit the nail on the head with the starting pitching possibilities the Brewers will mull over. What should they do when the Time comes? If I am Doug Melvin I have to feel obligated to bring in C.C. Sabathia. The Brewers have one of, if not the best package to offer. The one thing that could hold them back is that Sabathia is going to take up a lot of payroll. I just have a feeling though. I really do not see Zach Grienke or Cliff Lee as options, as BrewersNation does, but I do think another veteran starter and Cleveland Indian Paul Byrd might be a good fit. Sure, he is Jeff Suppan Jr. but in the National League, Byrd could have success. He wouldn't be that much of an upgrade over Seth McClung either. One name that does fit is Daniel Cabrera. He is actually posting a 1.40 WHIP. Like I have mentioned before, The Brewers could snatch A.J. Burnett as well, just to block the Cubs from making a deal. The Brewers would pay him and then allow him to walk next season .

New York Yankees: As much as it makes sense, I do not see the Yankees going big pitching wise. Phil Hughes is on his way back, Sidney Ponson is loving New York, and I believe that Mr. Steinbrenner believes that Mike Mussina will keep up his first half performance throughout the year. That being said, I am not sold on this bullpen. Expect this team to get in the middle of Brian Fuentes talks. How about Aaron Heilman hopping on the seven train? I don't think that is likely, but it is possible. If the Yankees could land George Sherrill inter-division or another top notch reliever, such as Jon Rauch, It will make this team that much better. A mid range starter wouldn't do any good.

Chicago Cubs: I have a bad feeling the Cubs are going to try and land someone, and overpay. It seems that the Cubs are willing to deal Rich Hill, which could be a major mistake. It would not be hard for a team like the Athletics or Mariners would be happy to take on Hill and another prospect for the contracts of Bedard or Rich Harden. Jim Hendry has been too anxious in the past and might jump on a deal too fast. This is why the Cubs have not been successful in the past. They give up on players and prospects way too fast. Going for the wrong pitcher could really hurt this system yet again. I think that the Cubs have their eyes on the top four. Burnett, Sabathia, Bedard or Harden will be in a Cub uniform.

Los Angeles Angels: Here is a good phrase that tell you the Angels' pitching situation. "If it ain't broken, don't fix it." This staff has been just short of amazing. Ervin Santana, Joe Saunders, and reliever Jose Arredondo have all been pleasant. There is no room to make a deal. I also feel that if given the chance, Nick Adenhart will blossom in his second stint with the major leagues. Heck, Jon Garland, the 5th starter in this rotation, already has 7 wins. Signing Frankie Rodriguez long term though, could be a good option.

New York Mets: I am not sure if anything will be done at the deadline, but I know that if the Mets stay around .500, Omar Minaya will wheel and deal. Remember when he went and got Cliff Floyd and Bartolo Colon? Remember when he went and got Johan Santana? Be ready for it. Something is going to happen before the deadline. I believe that Freddy Garcia will also be a Met at the deadline. Beyond that, Bedard and Burnett should be two pitchers that Minaya talks about. It will be interesting to see if the Mets can pull something together for Sabathia. Though I doubt it will happen, I believe it is a possibility.

Philadelphia Phillies: We know that Gillick is going to make a move. The question is just when. Their Bullpen has been lights out. Chad Durbin and Brad Lidge have been pleasant surprises. And the rotation hasn't been that bad. But one more piece could solidify yet another division title. Bedard is definitely the favorite. I do think that Brett Meyers will turn it around here in the second half. That should be a big boost.

-Dexter Sports
11:24 PM
Dexter- Sports Inbox

According to Interim manager Jerry Manuel, 41 year old outfielder Moises Alou could hang it up after this season. After three stints to the DL already this season, It seems very likely that Alou will shut it down for the rest of the season.

Manuel hinted that fatigue is a major factor in Alou's inability to heal to his injuries. Well, Duh, he is 41. Alou, when healthy, has been one of the best hitters in the game. Here are the stats from his career.

SEASON	TEAM	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
1990	Mon	14	15	4	3	0	1	0	0	0	3	0	0	.200	.200	.333	.533
1990	Pit	2	5	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.200	.200	.200	.400
1992	Mon	115	341	53	96	28	2	9	56	25	46	16	2	.282	.328	.455	.783
1993	Mon	136	482	70	138	29	6	18	85	38	53	17	6	.286	.340	.483	.823
1994	Mon	107	422	81	143	31	5	22	78	42	63	7	6	.339	.397	.592	.989
1995	Mon	93	344	48	94	22	0	14	58	29	56	4	3	.273	.342	.459	.801
1996	Mon	143	540	87	152	28	2	21	96	49	83	9	4	.281	.339	.457	.796
1997	Fla	150	538	88	157	29	5	23	115	70	85	9	5	.292	.373	.493	.866
1998	Hou	159	584	104	182	34	5	38	124	84	87	11	3	.312	.399	.582	.981
2000	Hou	126	454	82	161	28	2	30	114	52	45	3	3	.355	.416	.623	1.039
2001	Hou	136	513	79	170	31	1	27	108	57	57	5	1	.331	.396	.554	.950
2002	ChC	132	484	50	133	23	1	15	61	47	61	8	0	.275	.337	.419	.756
2003	ChC	151	565	83	158	35	1	22	91	63	67	3	1	.280	.357	.462	.819
2004	ChC	155	601	106	176	36	3	39	106	68	80	3	0	.293	.361	.557	.918
2005	SF	123	427	67	137	21	3	19	63	56	43	5	1	.321	.400	.518	.918
2006	SF	98	345	52	104	25	1	22	74	28	31	2	1	.301	.352	.571	.923
2007	NYM	87	328	51	112	19	1	13	49	27	30	3	0	.341	.392	.524	.916
2008	NYM	15	49	4	17	2	0	0	9	2	4	1	1	.347	.389	.388	.777
Total	--	1942	7037	1109	2134	421	39	332	1287	737	894	106	37	.303	.369	.516	.885

-Dexter Sports
10:18 AM
Dexter-Sports Inbox

The Mets have fired manager Willie Randolph and coaches Rick Peterson and Tom Neito have also been dismissed from the Mets. The decision comes early in the night, around 3 AM. Omar Minaya was the one who pulled the trigger.

Former White Sox manager Jerry Manuel will take over for the Mets on an Interim basis. Manuel is a quiet manager who has had success before.

This is just horrible timing to fire a manager. It should of happened earlier in the year. Manuel will now try and turn over a team that is expected to win the National League Crown. A press conference will be held at 5 PM on ESPN.

-Dexter Sports
4:26 PM
Dexter-Sports Inbox

Baseball is hopping with news including Willie Randolph's possible departure and the M's canning Bavasi. It has really been an interesting afternoon. And I am about to make it even more interesting with some more news. Let's go Around the Horn.

Top Stories:

• Omar Minaya is breathing down the neck of Mets manager Willie Randolph. Minaya stated in an interview on Sunday that Randolph was his "coach for today," and that he has time to reevaluate his coaching staff. The New York Daily News is reporting that they believe pitching coach Rick Peterson and first base coach Tom Neito could be gone before Randolph. They also report that Minaya has been given permission to fire Randolph when he feels ready. I believe the time has to be now if your going to do it. There is such little time to re cooperate from this start. I don't believe that there is a better manager available on the market that would be better than Randolph. If they decide on canning Randolph, I believe its a sign of giving up on the season. Charlie Manuel would be the interim manager if Randolph were fired.

• With Chien-Ming Wang out for six weeks or more, Tyler Kepner of the New York Times states the Obvious; It's time to turn up talks for C.C. Sabathia. If the Yankees want to compete, now has to be the time. Besides the promising Chamberlain, this staff has been questionable at times. Though Phil Hughes is do back soon, Sabathia would fit very well. He is pitching lights out right now, and the Yankees need to do something if they want to catch up to the Rays and Red Sox. I can't help but think the Yanks are the favorite to land Sabathia, but it will be tough to get him if they don't offer one of either Phil Hughes or Ian Kennedy. Throw in prospect Austin Jackson and possibly a power bat if the Indians are anywhere close to contention and it might be a deal.

• Reds GM Walt Jocketty stated today that there will be no fire sale this season. His reasoning being that having a winning season is a priority and Dusty Baker and himself have not been able to evaluate this team long enough yet. The Reds were reportedly shopping Bronson Arroyo, Ken Griffey Jr., Ryan Freel and Adam Dunn. All of those players would be hard to move anyways, because of their monstrous contracts. I still think it is a possibility to move an outfielder. Dunn and Griffey are free agents at the end of the year, so it would be a positive for the Reds to get something for those two if they can.

Links of Interest:

• Marlins slugger Jorge Cantu was close to signing a deal with the Mariners this off-season. He planned on battling for a utility role on the team. Looks like Cantu made the right choice to sign with Florida.

• With all the managerial firing talk floating around, Ernie Harwell, longtime Tigers announcer wrote an interesting piece for the Detroit Free Press about a managerial firing that happened before opening day.

• JoeSportsFan.com looks at 7 unique swings that were unconventional, but have worked out for the best.
  

-Dexter Sports
8:56 PM
Dexter-Sports Inbox

Kenny Lofton could again become one of the best pickups for a team near the trade deadline. This time, he will be looking to come back to a game that he has seen nearly a 1/3 of a season pass by. There is no doubt that Lofton could be used. At 40 years of age, (we will be nice Kenny, We know your birthday is tomorrow) Lofton still has speed, the intangibles and great clutch hitting that has many teams interested in his services. Let's look deeper.

Lofton's career was given life again last season, as the Indians, yet again called on his services to help their team in a playoff run. Lofton, then with Texas, wasn't struggling at the dish, but it seemed that the highest active stolen base leader and 4 time gold glover's career was about to end. Then the Indians gave him a chance to fill in for the injured David Dellucci. After seeing him perform in clutch at bats, teams with injuries or in need of a boost are looking to Lofton to help them get over the hump.

Lofton is a career .299 hitter with a .372 OBP. Everyone knows that he can run, field, hit and scrap in any way to get on base. Soon enough someone will give Lofton a chance. Here are a list of teams that should do it as soon as possible.

Detroit Tigers: Why not? The Tigers let go of Jacque Jones and have now platooned youngsters Matt Joyce and Clete Thomas alongside slugger Marcus Thames. I think that bringing in Lofton in left could be a spark that this team needs. Considering Curtis Granderson has a hard time getting on at the lead off spot, Lofton could be that one hitter that gets on base and creates havoc at the top of the order.

Colorado Rockies: Though Clint Hurdle feels that Wily Taveras is producing with speed and getting on base, in all reality it is quite the opposite. Taveras is hitting a lowly .245 and though he has 20 stolen bases, it wouldn't hurt to platoon Lofton to get on base a bit more.With Brad Hawpe on the DL, Lofton could fill in for now.

Houston Astros: Michael Bourn has been fun to watch and he is a stealing machine, but Bourn is clearly not taking the first step to the stolen base; getting to first. Bourn has a .276 OBP, which is nothing to brag about. Lofton could come in and get on base a bit more, and though he might not steal a base every time he is on, Lofton can still hold his own on the base paths. It will take Ed Wade admitting that Bourn wasn't as ready for the bigs as he thought in November. Just imagine the offensive production that we could see from Carlos Lee, Lance Berkman, and Miguel Tejada if they had someone on base in front of them.

Cleveland Indians: The organization made the decision after their playoff run not to bring back Lofton, but now they might be who they call on to help spark their offense. The sexy option is to go after Matt Holliday or Jason Bay, but this seems a bit more realistic. If David Dellucci continues to stink it up or Ben Fransisco slows down his hot start, The Indians could be calling real soon.

New York Mets: With Moises Alou unable to stay away from the DL, the Mets might be forced to bring in someone that can fill the void in left field. Though Ryan Church has been a pleasant surprise and Angel Pagan looked good in spring training, it is time for the Mets to do something. Everyone is talking about firing Willie Randolph. How about picking up for the slacking Jose Reyes and oft-injured Luis Castillo by signing Kenny Lofton.

Wow, some very interesting stuff has gone down on the web. Here are some links for your Monday enjoyment.

• Badger Blogger is reporting that sources close to the Milwaukee Brewers are going to replace Ned Yost today with bench coach Ted Simmons. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Tom Haudricourt refutes this on his blog, saying there is no decision on Yost yet. Yost has managed the brewers since 2003. Though the Brewers have struggled, I cannot see this happening anytime soon. Yost should have a leash at least until the trade deadline. Especially with Ryan Braun's bat heating up and with shades of the Brewers coming out of their current slump.

• The Kansas City Star looks at how the Royals would do in the National League. I believe that this team might be a better one in the National League. If you move Billy Butler to first base (he has been taking ground balls) and make that bullpen just a bit better, they could compete in the NL Central. Throw in the fact that Trey Hillman loves to play small ball and you have a great NL ballclub. Like I have said before, I believe the Royals have the best pitching in the AL Central.

• Former Barry Zito Teammate Nick Swisher thinks that his former Ace will be just fine on the mound the rest of the season. Swisher said his 0-8 start is a simply, "a rough patch for him," and that he would get over it. As much as I want to agree with Swisher, It just seems to little too late. Zito walked six in five innings in his outing against the White Sox this weekend.
  

• It looks like Craig Biggio is preparing to make a comeback to baseball. Biggio will be coaching high school baseball. Congrats to St. Thomas High School in Houston. His son Conor is a football and baseball player there. Biggio will be the best at teaching his kids how to take one for the team.

• Many reports are swirling around the league that Willie Randolph's job is also on the line. The Mets were victorious in an 112 victory at Yankee Stadium. As with the case of Ned Yost, I think that Randolph's job is safe well into July. Though he has last year's drop off at the end of the season on his conscience, Randolph should get his troops rolling here quite soon. Like Yost, Randolph lost one of his best pitchers in Pedro Martinez, and has looked for a replacement constantly.
  

- Dexter Sports
11:58 AM
Dexter-Sports Inbox

What a great day of baseball last night. We saw George Sherill challenging Big Papi and winning, the Rays moved into first place with a walk-off in the 11th and the Tigers continue to lose ball games. Lets take a look at some news from around the league last night:

• Jered Weaver made a very good start for the first time in a while last night against the White Sox. He went seven one hit innings with 6 strike outs. Too bad he couldn't get the win. This means that Weaver might be on track. After an atrocious outing last time out against Kansas City, where he gave up 8 runs in less than 4 innings, Weaver was able to mix his stuff very well. Weaver wasn't credited with the win, but Fransisco Rodriguez got his league leading 16th save. The Angels pulled it out 2-0. Manager Mike Scioscia stated that Weaver's stuff was the best he has seen in two years.

• The Tigers dropped another heart breaker to the Kansas City Royals, 3-2. Soon enough this offense has to break through right? Jon Paul Morosi, writer for the Detroit Free Press, comments on the situation in Detroit, and how even thought he economy is bad, the Tigers are still pulling great attendance numbers.

• The Mets are mixed up their roster quite a bit yesterday. First off the Mets designated pitchers Nelson Figueroa and Jorge Sosa. Replacing those two will be former brewers Matt Wise and Claudio Vargas. Vargas will join the rotation and start tonight against the Nationals. Look for Vargas to try and steal the last spot in the rotation and prove Milwaukee wrong tonight. The Mets also placed outfielder Angel Pagan on the 15 DL and called up Fernando Tatis.
  

• Yankees Vice President Hank Steinbrenner is at it again. In a recent report, Hank has called out the Yankee team saying that they have not been playing the way at the level are capable of. Steinbrenner notes that he thinks it will turn around and if it doesn't by this year than he will make it "by force" next year. The Yankees lost a close one to the Rays last night, when Gabe Gross singled up the middle to drive in the winning run. Heres a news flash Hank, your team isn't going to win with Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada on the DL. It also doesn't hurt that Latroy Hawkins, Andy Pettite were the only free agent acquisitions of last year. Some of the blame has to float your way. Too bad you couldn't seal the deal on Johan. 19th in team ERA in the league isn't going to win you a lot of ball games, even if your offense isn't struggling.

• Eric Gagne was back to closing Tuesday night after a one game absence from it. Gagne got the save against the Dodgers, in an outing where he looked pretty comfortable. Here is an audio piece of a post game interview with Gagne. He sounds pretty pumped. Audio courtesy of Sportsbubbler.com. Speaking of the Brewers, for those worried about the middle of the order, the last few games are a sign of things to come. Ryan Braun has busted out the whooping stick, with 4 dingers in the last three games, also tagging a blazing double last night. Braun is in the zone and it looks like Prince Fielder is about to heat up as well.

Todays Transactions:

• The Pirates placed catcher Ryan Doumit on the DL today. This will give Ronny Paulino a great opportunity to make a case to be traded to a team in need of a catcher. The Pirates called up Raul Chavez from AAA Indianapolis.
  

• The Reds placed Shortstop Jeff Keppinger on the DL as well today. To fill the roster spot the Reds called up Paul Janish from AAA Louisville. This could be a great opportunity to call up youngster Homer Bailey to make a spot start, considering the Reds could fill the short stop vacancy in different ways. This is the second shortstop to go down with a broken left knee. Alex Gonzalez started the season on the DL with a bum knee.
  

• Marlon Byrd will join the Rangers tonight after being reinstated from the DL. Byrd could be the lead off spark the Rangers have been looking for all season. The only question is who he will be replacing in the lineup. With Joey Hamilton in center and Brandon Boggs killing the ball, the only spot seems to be right field, where he would replace David Murphy.
  

-Dexter Sports
11:10 PM

We are seeing teams finally make their first moves of the season. We know about the Frank Thomas move, but what else is happening around the league? Lets take a look.

• The Brewers optioned Dave Bush to AAA Nashville today. Somehow, despite numerous teams needing pitching, Bush cleared waivers. I thought teams like the Tigers, Yankees, Astros, and Rockies would be interested. This puts the brewers in a great position if Manny Parra struggles, because he can easily be optioned.

• The Diamondbacks recalled Max Scherzer today. It is about time that this happened. Scherzer is Baseball America's # 4 Prospect for the Diamondbacks. He was the 11th pick in the 2006 draft. He brings a 98 MPH fastball from the pen, but only touches 88-93 as a starter. The Diamondbacks see him as a starter, but will fill a pen role for now.

• The Rockies optioned 2nd basemen Jayson Nix to AAA Colorado Springs for relief pitcher Jose Cappellan. We thought this might happen a week ago, and sure enough it looks like Clint Barmes has taken this job away. I would like to see Ian Stewart steal some at bats here.

• Brandon Moss will look to continue his Japan Heroics in the Majors. Moss will replace Sean Casey on the roster after he went down on the 15 day DL. He should get a lot of playing time with Mike Lowell out. I like Brandon Moss to stay on the roster from here on out. He will be a great bat to have off the bench and as a major filler if someone gets hurt.

• Nate McLouth continues to kill the ball. He along with Carlos Delgado and Paul Konerko belted two home runs today. McLouth was the first Dexter Sports pick up of the week. He is hitting .333 with 6 homers and 21 RBIs.

• Mets outfielder Moises Alou will come back on Monday against Pittsburgh. This means Angel Pagan's time is over for now. Look for teams to spark interest in him. Most likely Moises Alou will end up on the DL like usual. I think that Pagan is a good value for the mets. He is a cheap version of Coco Crisp or Reed Johnson.

-Dexter Sports
10:01 AM

Good Morning. Well if you are the Rockies or Padres, then heck your just going to bed. Man, who would think when I went to bed that the Rockies would of played the equivalent of two and a half games. Heck, I'm surprised that Jake Peavy didn't pitch all 22 innings. Anyways, lets get to what I have for you this wonderful Monday morning.

• Speaking of the Rockies and Padres, Did you know that Rockies Lefty Reliever Brian Fuentes was cut from his high school baseball team as a junior? It's interesting because he is the type of guy that puts the team first, though teams have spited him before. Five million a year ain't bad for someone who shouldn't have made it in the college game. Fuentes has become one of the best setup men in the league.

• The Detroit Tigers bats should wake up again this weekend against the Toronto Blue Jays. Today, the tigers will take on 25 year old call up David Purcey to make a spot start because of the emergency relief appearance of A.J. Burnett this week. Dustin McGowan will go for the Jays on Saturday. He is 1-2 with a 9.95 ERA in three starts against the Tigers in his career. The numbers for A.J. Burnett do not get any better. He is 1-1 with a 9.88 ERA in three starts against the tigers.
  

• This weekend's best pitching match up will take place today. Johan Santana will take the ball for the Mets, while Cole Hamels, the changeup wizard will go for the Phillies. Not only is this a rivalry, but Johan looks to improve after giving up four home runs against the brewers in his last start.

• Wow, It sure hasn't been talked about much but Manny Ramirez is inching closer to 500 homers for his career. I wonder where we will rank him all-time when it is all said and done. He is the first player, I can say that i have witnessed his whole career, that is in the 500 Homer club.

• Mike Sweeney stuck out for the first time this season Wednesday night. That is interesting, especially since that is all he could do in Kansas City.
  

• Detroit Tigers' outfielder Curtis Granderson will began a rehab assignment today. He will start off in Low A West Michigan, but make his way to AAA Toledo for the weekend. Granderson should be up and ready in the tiger's lineup next week. The free press also notes that Reliever Joel Zumaya has been throwing off the ground. Manager Jim Leyland said he was, "firing the ball." that is good news for this weak pen.

-Dexter Sports

Wednesday night's action is going to be interesting for a bunch of teams. It should tell a lot for a lot of fantasy options as well. Lets dig in.

• Roy Oswalt should get his season started right this evening as his Astros take on Kyle Kendrick and the Philadelphia Phillies. Oswalt has said numerous times this season he hasn't had great stuff and has had to rely on the fastball. Though the Phillies aren't the easiest team to face in a streak, their lineup though is predominately right handed. If Oswalt can contain Howard and Utley, he should be all right.

• Matt Chico vs. John Maine: This is my favorite pitching match up of the night. I love what Chico brings to the mound, and though John Maine is a future ace, his ability to shut down and offense is still in question. Tonight will be the real test against a nationals offense that ranks 25th in runs scored.
  

• Two extremely touted offenses start a series tonight in Baltimore. The Orioles and White Sox have both shown that they can score this season. The Match Up I am interested in though in though is Jose Contreras vs. Adam Loewen. Both have faced control issues to start the year. I like Contreras to start a hot streak tonight and get in a groove, as he is known to do from time to time. THATS A FANTASY ALERT FOLKS!
  

• The Two AL Central Heavy Weights battle it out in Cleveland tonight. C.C. Sabathia will take the mound for the Indians. He is 0-2 with an 11.57 ERA. Cleveland Indians fans don't worry, the Tigers send out Armando Galaragga for his first start of the year. He was acquired from the Rangers in the off-season. I like Sabathia to tease the Tigers Lineup and look great, even though he is 13-8 against the tigers all time with a 4.30 ERA.
  

• Jesse Litch will take the mound for the Toronto Blue Jays tonight. Manager John Gibbons has been high on this kid since spring training, and he might be the best number 5 starter available in fantasy leagues. Litch is 2-0 with a 3.32 ERA. He will face a struggling Rangers offense tonight.
  

• Livan Hernandez looks to be the first pitcher to four wins this season, as his twins come off being swept in a mini series against the tigers this week. The Twins offense will face Jamie Shields and a Rays team that is offensively powered so far this season by B.J. Upton and Carlos Pena. I think it is safe to say that Livan has been a pretty good filler for Johan Santana.
  

--Dexter Sports

Here is the Latest on the Baseball front-

• Announced less than an hour ago by the Baltimore Sun, the Orioles have released OF Jay Gibbons. The Orioles have now finalized their roster, meaning that Scott Moore will make the team as a spare outfielder, third baseman and first baseman. The Orioles will have to still pay the more than 11 million dollars owed to him, but it is the best move for the future. Gibbons is suspended for the first 15 games due to failing the MLB Drug Test.

• Claudio Vargas could be signing with a club sooner, rather than later. Vargas, who was released by the Brewers earlier this week could be heading to inner-division rival Houston. The Astros released starter Woody Williams, who struggled all spring. Vargas is a good fit, especially if Shaun Chacon struggles. The Mets also seem to be in the picture, especially with Orlando Hernandez struggling with velocity and heading to the disabled list. Vargas could be a spot starter and work in the pen for the mets.

• Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Doug Davis has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Davis will make his first two starts of the year and then will undergo treatment. He expects a full recovery and will be back with the parent club within a month and a half. Our thoughts go out to him and his family.

• Finally, the Padres have placed Center fielder Jim Edmonds on the 15 day disabled list. This means that talks between the cubs and padres could heat up on the Matt Murton front.
  

Thats all for this round-up, up next Ill put together the Rule 5 Draft All-star team!