Manny Ramirez
A lot of insiders have expected the New York Mets to make a run at Manny Ramirez but that doesn’t appear to be happening. The Mets instead are looking around for pitching. Ramirez looks like he has a couple suitors, with the San Francisco Giants showing the most interest. A new darkhorse? The Texas Rangers.

Ivan Rodriguez
The interesting news about Ivan Rodriguez is that there is virtually no news. The future Hall of Famer hasn’t drawn much attention from anyone and his hopes of landing a starting gig appear to be declining by the day.

Randy Wolf
Right now, it appears as if the Los Angeles Dodgers are the favorites to win the Randy Wolf sweepstakes. The other team to show a lot of interest was the Mets, who might actually prefer Wolf if Oliver Perez asks for too much money.

Post from: Knuckle Curve

-With the Angels turning their attention to Sabathia, some baseball insiders are wondering if the team has given up on the idea of re-signing Mark Teixeira. If that’s the case, Teixeira will likely end up either with the Boston Red Sox or the New York Yankees. However, don’t overlook his hometown Baltimore Orioles or the Washington Nationals.

-Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek reportedly got a one-year offer from Boston. If that’s true, that may be a sign that the Red Sox are looking to move on without him. There are rumors that the Red Sox may be looking to trade for one of the many young catchers in the Texas Rangers system if Varitek signs elsewhere.

-Andy Pettitte to the Houston Astros has been rumored. However, the latest rumor has Pettitte considering the Los Angeles Dodgers. If Joe Torre in LA, it’s certainly possible that he can convince Pettitte to give the West Coast a chance.

Post from: Knuckle Curve

CC Sabathia
The 2007 American League Cy Young Award winner pitched great for the Milwaukee Brewers after they aquired him in a midseason trade. The Brewers want to keep him and are reportedly willing to give him $20 million per year for the next five years. However, it is also being reported that Sabathia is being wooed by Derek Jeter and the New York Yankees.

Ryan Ludwick
In 2008, Ryan Ludwick had a breakout season. He got named to the National League All-Star team and was simply a force in the middle of the St. Louis Cardinals lineup. The Cardinals appear ready to bring Ludwick back into the fold, however the Atlanta Braves are believed to be making a push for his services.

Derek Lowe
Almost every team in baseball could use a veteran starting pitcher who could also become a closer if need be. With that in mind, there’s no wonder that Derek Lowe is getting a lot of attention already in free agency. The Los Angeles Dodgers are believed to want him back but both the New York Yankees and the New York Mets are believed to be quite interested.

Post from: Knuckle Curve

According to a report in the New York Daily News, Roger Clemens and country music star Mindy McCready had an affair that lasted approximately ten years. Clemens, who is married, reportedly consummated an intimate relationship with McCready shortly after the two met.

To add gasoline to this story, McCready was only 15-years-old when she met Clemens – who was 28 at the time. The two met at a bar when Clemens was out on the town with his Boston Red Sox teammates.

On the record, representatives of Clemens have denied the affair. The representatives are calling McCready a “friend of the family”. McCready has been vague when asked to give details, but said “I cannot refute anything in the story.”

Expect this topic to get even juicier over the next few days. I’m not sure what’s next for Clemens in 2008 because at this rate, he’s going to run out of available scandals. The only thing that appears not to be in the cards is a return to baseball.

In case you don’t know who Mindy McCready is, here she is singing, “Guys Do It All The Time.” Hmm…

Post from: Knuckle Curve