Rodriguez received a deal worth $6 million over two seasons. The 38-year-old is likely being brought on board for his leadership — a trait that has been severely lacking in Washington the last few years.

As far as his production, Rodriguez isn’t close to his prime but he’s still pretty good. He hit .249 last year with ten homers, 47 RBIs, 55 runs and 23 doubles.

If all goes as planned, Flores will be seeing the most action behind the plate. Rodriguez will fill in when needed and help Flores master the position while also working with the young pitching staff.

Honestly, his contract sounds a bit inflated for a player who doesn’t produce much anymore but it’s difficult to fault the Nationals for looking for veteran help.

Pudge Rodriguez is moving on to the Nationals (Image: Zuma Press)

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In 144 games, Scutaro set career-highs in batting average (.282), on-base percentage (.379), slugging percentage (.409), homers (12), RBIs (60), runs (100), doubles (35), walks (90) and stolen bases (14). That was an impressive feat considering that he’s gotten regular at-bats the previous five seasons.

Although he was primarily a shortstop for the Blue Jays, he’s able to play multiple positions. As a result, certain teams are going after him with the idea that he’ll be a full-time player at a different position — such as third base.

Teams interesting in Scutaro include the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox. Even though he’s 34, Scutaro is likely to get a multi-year deal worth a good amount of money. It’ll be interesting to see if the native of Venezuela can build off his career year.

Marco Scutaro will be a sought after free agent (Image: Zuma Press)

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Last season, Vizquel played a bench role with the Texas Rangers. In 177 at-bats, the native of Venezuela hit .266 with one homer, 14 RBIs and 17 runs. With the White Sox, Vizquel will continue play a utility role — likely spending time at shortstop, third base and second base.

The veteran won’t hesitate helping out the younger players on the roster.

Said Vizquel: “I look at myself as a mentor to some other guys. I don’t think that’s going to be an issue. I’ve always been there for younger guys.”

Vizquel’s deal is believed to be worth around $1.4 million.

“I feel pretty comfortable that I can do the job in the field,” said Vizquel, “that I can still run and hit and do everything that a major league player is asked to do.”

Omar Vizquel signs with the White Sox (Image: Zuma Press)

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On Tuesday, they were officially eliminated after losing to the Los Angeles Angels by a final count of 5-2. Bobby Abreu homered in the first inning and the Angels never trailed again. Angels starter Sean O’Sullivan pitched five innings to improve his record on the season to 4-2.

With the Rangers out of the picture, that means that the Boston Red Sox have clinched the wild card. With a record of 91-66, the Red Sox are considered by many to be the favorite in the American League — even though they will be the wild card.

The only race in the American League that is still up for grabs is the AL Central. Currently, the Detroit Tigers lead the Minnesota Twins by two games.

There will be no playoffs for Josh Hamilton and the Rangers (Image: Zuma Press)

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On Sunday, the Cubs decided to suspend Bradley for the rest of the season. Reading between the lines, it’s safe to say that Bradley won’t be wearing a Cubs uniform any time soon.

Said Jim Hendry, the GM of the Cubs: “Recently, it’s become intolerable to hear Milton talk about our great fans the way he has. We pride ourselves on having the greatest fans in baseball, so at this time we felt it was best to send him home for the rest of the season.”

It didn’t help that Bradley was also a dud at the plate. The 31-year-old hit only .257 with 12 homers, 40 RBIs and 61 runs. Last year with the Texas Rangers, Bradley hit .321 with 22 homers, 77 RBIs and 78 runs.

It’ll be interesting to see what the Cubs do with him in the offseason. A trade makes the most sense but after Bradley’s implosion this season, the market will undoubtedly be very small. If Chicago wants to trade him, they’ll likely have to eat most of his salary.

Milton Bradley and the Cubs have divorced (Image: Zuma Press)

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Lackey went all nine innings for a five-hit shutout. The win was his tenth of the season and his ERA lowered to 3.53. Lackey now has at least ten victories in each of the last seven seasons. As a rookie in 2002, he had nine victories in 18 starts.

The big hit for the Angels was a two-run blast by Torii Hunter in the fourth inning. In the 7th, Erick Aybar added a run scoring double.

With the win, the Angels now have three straight victories and hold a three-game lead over the Texas Rangers in the AL West. Los Angeles’ record of 84-55 is the secnd best mark in the American League — only behind the 91-50 New York Yankees.

While Lackey may fly under the radar now, he won’t in the offseason. He’s hitting the free agent market and many league experts believe he’ll receive the largest contract of any free agent pitcher.

John Lackey - Los Angeles Angels (Image: Zuma Press)

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While Hamilton has talked about missing a few weeks, the Rangers believe he can be back sooner than that. In fact, Texas is holding out hope that their slugger can return by this weekend.

On the season, Hamilton is hitting .270 with ten homers, 49 RBIs and 43 runs. Compared to his near MVP season last year, his numbers this year are disappointing. That said, the Rangers are desperate to get him back in the lineup. As of late, scouts have commented that Hamilton has looked better than he has all season.

Without Hamilton, it’ll be difficult for the Rangers to make the playoffs. As it stands, the Rangers are 76-60 and trail the Boston Red Sox by 2.5 games in the AL Wild Card race.

Josh Hamilton - Texas Rangers (Image: Zuma Press)

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“For them to tell me there’s a good chance I’ll be available the last two weeks,” said Young, “that’s great news to me.”

Arguably the best player on the Rangers, Young has hit .322 with 22 homers, 67 RBIs and 76 runs this season. The loss of Young goes beyond the numbers.

“There’s no way to replace Michael,” explained outfielder Marlon Byrd. “He’s the leader.”

For the Rangers to stay alive in the AL Wild Card race, they will have to find a way to replace their third baseman. Currently, they are 2.5 games behind the Boston Red Sox. If Texas slumps at all, they could be met with the end of their 2009 baseball playoff chances.

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Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers make a lot of sense. They could use help in the starting rotation and they offer Smoltz a chance to play for a legitimate World Series contender.

Texas Rangers
If Smoltz wants to stay in the American League, the Rangers appear to be the team most interested. The Rangers recently released Vicente Padilla and could use Smoltz’s leadership.

Retirement
It’s very possible for Smoltz to simply hang up his glove. He’s a proud player and if he just doesn’t have it anymore, the 42-year-old will admit it.

Minor Leagues
The Red Sox haven’t counted out the possibility of staying in their organization. Smoltz may head to the minor leagues to figure out what is wrong and why he has a 8.33 ERA this season.

John Smoltz Destinations and Rumors (Image: Zuma Press)

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After missing his start on Wednesday against the Boston Red Sox, Padilla underwent a number of tests. The surprising result showed that he has H1N1 A influenza — also known as swine flu.

According to reports, Padilla may not be the only player on the Rangers with swine flu. A number of other players have reported flulike symptoms including Omar Vizquel, Eddie Guardado and Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

The good news for Padilla and the Rangers is that the native of Nicaragua is already feeling better. In fact, he may be back on the mound as early as Tuesday.

On the season, Padilla has a 7-5 record with a 4.67 ERA and a WHIP of 1.52. The Rangers are currently in second place in the AL West.

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