Padres, Chase Headley avoid arbitration

The San Diego Padres and third baseman Chase Headley agreed to a one-year deal worth $8.575 to avoid arbitration, according to Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Headley, who earned $3.475 million last year, was seeking $10.3 million while the club was offering $7.075 million.

“He had a great year and he deserves to be rewarded. This is a defendable number. It’s a good raise, but he earned it. We’re happy it is done,” Padres general manager Josh Byrnes said.

According to the report, the two sides were not working on a long-term extension as part of this deal and Headley is currently scheduled to become a free agent after the 2014 season.

Headley led the NL in runs batted in (115) as he belted a career-high 31 homers last season.  His previous career high was 12 home runs.  In addition, he tied his previous career high of 17 steals.

He was especially good after the All-Star break (75 games, 289 at bats): .308 average, 23 home runs and 73 runs batted in.

In my early 2013 fantasy baseball rankings, Headley is my seventh-ranked third baseman.

Mariano Rivera will be back in 2013

Although he missed the majority of the 2012 season with a torn ACL, closer Mariano Rivera has told the Yankees that he wants to come back in 2013, according to George A. King III of the New York Post.

“Rivera contacted us and wants to play,” [Yankees general manager Brian] Cashman told The Post.

Excluding his rookie season (1995) when he all 10 of his career starts, Rivera has had a sub-3.00 ERA every year except 2007 (3.15).  From 2003 to 2011, that 2007 season was actually his only season where he did not finish with a sub-2.00 ERA.

More impressively, Rivera has a career 0.70 ERA over 141 innings in the postseason.

The only thing standing in the way of the all-time saves leader (608) closing games in the Bronx in 2013 is a one-year deal as Rivera is currently a free agent.

Trifone: A.L. Mid-season Award Winners

Yesterday, we named the National League mid-season award winners -- MVP and Cy Young.  (If you missed it, click here.)

Today, it's the A.L.'s turn.

Mid-season American League Most Valuable Player

Joey Bats is tied for the MLB lead in home runs with 27 and Adam Dunn is a virtual lock for comeback player of the year, with his 25 home run and 61 RBIs year so far.

One guy who is looking more and more like the rookie of the year AND MVP is Mike Trout, who in his first season is leading the league with a .341 average.  Bryce Harper has gotten a lot of hype, and is certainly having a great year, but Trout has been even better.

None of these guys have had a first half like Josh Hamilton.

Hamilton had a few week period that may have been the most incredible stretch in baseball history, including a four-homer game, which was the highlight of the first half of the 2012 season.  Early on, it looked as though Hamilton would challenge for the triple crown, although at this point, his average has dipped a bit.  He is hitting .308, is tied for the league lead with 27 home runs and leads the league in RBIs with 75, and is one of only two players with OPS above 1.000.

Mike Trout would actually be my number two, who has 26 stolen bases to go along with his league-leading average, and his emergence is a huge reason why the Angels have gotten back into it.

Still, even his numbers pale in comparison to Hamilton's, who is the pretty clear choice for mid-season AL MVP.

Mid-season American League Cy Young Winner

The mid-season AL Cy Young winner is the toughest award to give out, and the one that is the most debatable.  There are several good candidates, and it's a good thing there is a second half of the season to be played before we have to actually hand out the award.

By my judgement, coming in at number three for the award is Justin Verlander.  Typically, he's the guy you'd see at the top of the list.  Verlander is having a good, but not great year by his standards.  His 2.58 ERA is good enough for fourth in the league, he is tied for the league lead in strikeouts with 128, leads the league in complete games with five, and has a 9-5 record.  It's tough being Justin Verlander.  He puts up those great numbers, and somehow, we expect a little more.

My number two choice for the mid-season award is Jered Weaver, who is 8-1 with a 1.96 ERA, which leads the league.  Weaver has a sub 1.00 WHIP and is holding opponents to an average of under .200.  Weaver, like Verlander, has become a fixture among the top pitchers in the game, and seems to be a perennial contender to win the Cy Young.

That leaves only White Sox second year starter Chris Sale as my choice for the mid-season AL Cy Young award winner.  Sale is second in the league with an ERA of 2.27 and has 98 K's in 102.2 innings.  He also has a sub 1.00 WHIP and has opponents hitting under .200 for the year against him.  The White Sox are leading the AL Central, a division that everyone had yielded to the Tigers at the beginning of the year, and clearly, Sale and his 10-2 record are a big reason why.

I feel this race is the most subject to change, and by the end of the season, I'm not sure we won't see Verlander come back and win his second consecutive Cy Young.  However, midway through, Sale has the best numbers and currently deserves the award.

[Editor's note: This post is by John Trifone (@JohnnyT0122), who also contributes at our NFL site: Eat, Drink and Sleep Football (see John's archives).]

Trifone: N.L. Mid-season Award Winners

With the mid-summer classic tonight, it's a good time to hand out mid-season MVP and Cy Young award winners.  There are usually a handful of great options, leaving room for debate, and this year is no exception.

Mid-season National League Most Valuable Player

For NL MVP, I believe it to be a four-horse race.  Although guys like David Wright and Melky Cabrera are having excellent years, they fall a bit short when comparing them with the top contenders.

Losing Albert Pujols is clearly going to hurt a team, but Carlos Beltran has stepped up in a big way, hitting over .300 and yielding great power numbers, for the Cardinals.  He currently leads the NL in RBI's with 65 and is second in home runs with 20.

There was a lot of talk at the beginning of the year over what type of year Ryan Braun would have after his failed drug test was overturned due to a technicality in the offseason.  Braun has responded with a league-leading 24 home runs.  He also ranks second in RBIs with 61 and is hitting over .300, with 15 stolen bases to boot.

Colorado's Carlos Gonzalez ranks sixth in the league in home runs and RBIs and leads the league in runs.  He is also currently hitting an impressive .330, and with 11 stolen bases.  I believe Cargo is the most likely to finish the year strong, playing in a hitter's ballpark in Colorado.

At this point, I feel any of these three are great candidates.

As good as those three have been, however, Andrew McCutchen has been even better.  McCutchen is leading the majors with a remarkable .362 average at the midway point.  He is hitting for power with 18 home runs and 60 RBIs, but also is a threat to run, with 14 stolen bases.  If he keeps this up for the rest of the year, McCutchen could finish the season hitting .350 with 30 hrs, 100 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases.  Tough to argue with those numbers.  I'm not sure if he can keep it up, but to date he is the NL MVP.

[Matt Kemp was the clear front runner before his injury, and certainly deserves recognition for how he was playing, but because of the number of games he has missed, I chose not to throw him in the mix, even though his early pace had him way ahead of the pack.]

Mid-season National League Cy Young Winner

The mid-season NL Cy Young race was looking interesting for a while.  For a few weeks, I thought for sure it would be Cole Hamels, who had a great ERA and won seven consecutive starts after losing his first to start the year.  Then Gio Gonzalez kept winning, Brian Beachy looked great, and Matt Cain threw a perfect game.  Stephen Strasburg is becoming the phenom we all knew he would be.

And then there's R.A. Dickey.  What Dickey has done this year has been nothing short of incredible.

The guy threw consecutive one-hitters, has an ERA of 2.40, a WHIP of just 0.93, is second in the league in strikeouts with 123, has his opponents hitting .203 for the season, and by the way is 12-1.  Dickey has never been a great pitcher, but at 37, he seems to have found whatever he was lacking earlier in his career.  The knuckleballer is hands down the mid-season NL Cy Young award winner.

I'd say that Strasburg could challenge him for the award by year's end if not for his innings count.  My number two right now would Matt Cain, who at 9-3 with a 2.62 ERA and 118 K's is having a great season in his own right.  I think Cain could make it interesting by the end of the year, but at the break, Dickey is the clear choice for the mid-season Cy Young.

Tomorrow we will post my A.L. (mid-season) award winners.

[Editor's note: This post is by John Trifone (@JohnnyT0122), who also contributes at our NFL site: Eat, Drink and Sleep Football (see John's archives).]

Jacoby Ellsbury placed on 15-day DL

As expected, the Boston Red Sox placed center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury on the 15-day disabled list due to his subluxed shoulder.

"Jacoby injured his right shoulder during yesterday’s game," per a team statement (via Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe). "An MRI was performed and showed findings consistent with a subluxed shoulder. We are in the process of gathering further information and determining the treatment plan. Jacoby will be placed on the 15-day disabled list prior to today’s game."

The team is expected to call up Jason Repko from Pawtucket to take Ellsbury's roster spot.

Through seven games, Ellsbury was hitting .192 with no home runs and no stolen bases.  He has four runs scored and three runs batted in.

Andrew Bailey out through the All-Star Break

Per Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald, Red Sox closer Andrew Bailey will have surgery to reconstruct the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right thumb.

The injury will keep Bailey on the disabled list until after the All-Star break, according to manager Bobby Valentine.

As far as which reliever will take over ninth-inning duties, the top candidates are Mark Melancon and Alfredo Aceves.

Melancon and Aceves are currently owned in 39 and 21 percent, respectively, of Yahoo! leagues.

Get our updated 2012 reliever rankings here.

Desmond Jennings hits three HRs Sunday

Tampa Bay outfielder Desmond Jennings hit three homers including a grand slam and drove in six runs in an 8-5 victory over the Orioles today.

"I felt good from the first at-bat, I felt like I was seeing the ball good and I was swinging at good pitches today," Jennings said. "I felt like I was swinging the bat good. I was swinging at pitches in the zone. Hitting them on the barrel and getting to pitches inside, that's a good sign for me."

Before today's game, Jennings had no home runs and only one run batted in this spring.

Jennings is now hitting .348 and has three home runs, four stolen bases and seven runs batted in this spring.

The Rays open up the regular season against the Yankees on Friday, April 6th.

In our fantasy rankings, Jennings is our 13th-ranked outfielder.

David Wright to sit out games Monday and Tuesday (at least)

Mets third baseman David Wright won't play on Monday or Tuesday, at least, when the team begins Grapefruit League play due to stiffness in his rib cage, per Anthony McCarron of the NY Daily News.

At this point, however, Wright says he would play if it were Opening Day (of the regular season).

“If the best thing is to just completely knock it out, to take a couple days off, that’s the best route,” Wright said. “If the doctor says I can continue to do stuff, obviously, I’d like to be out there, so.

“It’s kind of the perfect storm with what happened to Scotty (Hairston to an oblique injury on Saturday). I think it’s the correct decision, no question. Sometimes I can be hard-headed and stubborn. The medical staff might take it too slow, but in the end, it’s usually pretty good for you. I’ve tried to battle them the last couple of days. What happened with Scotty, they made it very clear and Terry made it very clear that they are going to run the show.”

Wright, who missed 60 games last year, hit a career-low .255 with 14 home runs and 13 stolen bases in 2011.

Going into 2012, Wright is our third-ranked fantasy third baseman after Jose Bautista and Evan Longoria.

Padres, Maybin agree to a five-year extension

Per Dan Hayes of the North County Times, the Padres and Cameron Maybin have agreed to a deal that will keep the center fielder in San Diego through the 2016 season.

The five-year deal is worth $25 million and the club has an option for 2017 as well.

“Cameron has certainly emerged as a core player,” [GM Josh] Byrnes said in a team press release. “During his time with the Padres, he has impressed us with his player and with his character. He has shown us that he is committed to the Padres, and we are happy to secure his rights through 2017.”

Last year, Maybin hit .264 with nine homers and 40 RBIs and stole 40 bases

In our fantasy baseball rankings, Maybin is our No. 43 outfielder.

VIDEO: J.P. Arencibia impersonating Tim Kurkjian

ESPN's Tim Kurkjian has a distinctive voice and Blue Jays catcher J.P. Arencibia does a great job of impersonating it.

In this video, Terry Francona is interviewing Arencibia, who is impersonating Kurkjian analyzing Jose Bautista:



Hilarious.

(Updated) 2012 Fantasy Baseball Preseason Rankings: Top 50 Outfielders

With his 50-game suspension for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing drugs overturned, one thing is clear: it's a positive (no pun intended) to his fantasy value.

Milwaukee left fielder Ryan Braun, last year's N.L. MVP, set career highs in batting average (.332) and stolen bases (33) and came close to career highs in runs scored (109), runs batted in (111) and home runs (33) last year.

While Braun had a career-best season, he's been as consistent as any other player over the past five years since being called up late-May 2007.

Despite playing in only 113 games in his rookie season, here are his career lows: 91 runs scored, 25 home runs, 97 runs batted in and 14 stolen bases. As a career .312 hitter, Braun has hit above .300 in four of five seasons and .320 or better three times.

Based on his first five seasons, here are his average stats per 162 games: 112 runs scored, 36 home runs, 118 runs batted in and 21 stolen bases.

Two reasons for a potential drop-off in production are: (1) the free-agent departure of Prince Fielder and (2) the possible constant questioning by reporters and taunting by fans, especially on the road, about the PED issue wearing thin on Braun.

Going into 2012, Braun is my No. 3 ranked outfielder behind L.A.'s Matt Kemp and Toronto's Jose Bautista, who still has third base eligibility. If Bautista was only outfield eligible, I would rank Braun second among outfielders behind Kemp.

Here are some notes on outfielders:

- Speaking of Kemp, he had a legitimate shot to win the triple crown last year. He finished first in the National League in home runs (39) and runs batted in (126) and third in average (.324). Kemp finished with career highs in home runs, runs batted in, runs scored (115), and stolen bases (40). Only one homer shy of his first 40-40 season, it was the second 30-30 season of Kemp's career.

- Cardinals outfielder Lance Berkman, who had his best season since 2008, finished seventh in N.L. MVP voting last year. In 145 games, Berkman hit .301 with 31 homers and 94 runs batted in. Although he hit for a higher average after the All-Star Break (.315 vs. .290), Berkman hit 24 of his 31 home runs and drove in 63 of his 94 runs before the break.

- Washington's Michael Morse, who has eligibility at first base and outfield, was fantasy bargain in 2011. Not only did he have a great season (.303 with 31 home runs and 95 runs batted in), he was consistent before and after the All-Star game: .306-15-49 (before split) and .299-16-46 (after break). That said, his two worst months were his first (April) and last (September) of the season.

- Last year, Tampa Bay's B.J. Upton was one homer and one RBI shy of the career highs he set in 2007. While Upton had a four-year low in steals (36) to go along with his 23 homers and 81 runs batted in, he has hit .243 or less in each of the past three seasons.

- Cleveland's Shin-Soo Choo, who missed half of last season due to his thumb injury, is healthy heading into 2012 and is looking to bounce back after a down season. Before last year, Choo had back-to-back seasons with .300 average, 20-plus homers and 20-plus steals. Choo provides plenty of upside as a bounce-back candidate.

- Atlanta's Jason Heyward has the potential to deliver a big return for fantasy owners in 2012. Heyward, who turns only 23 in August, had a shoulder injury that slowed him down last year, but he should be healthy to start the season. Heyward saw his average drop from .277 to .227 and his RBIs drop from 72 to 42 last year.

- Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki has seen his batting average decline from .352 in 2009 to .315 in 2010 to a career-low .272 in 2011. In fact, it was the first time in Ichiro's career that he hit below .300. Suzuki has stolen 40-plus bases in back-to-back seasons, but he's now 37 years old (i.e., eventually he will slow down) and he will hit third in the batting order, which will reduce his base-stealing opportunities some.

- As a former second-overall pick, Kansas City's Alex Gordon was a bit of disappointment based on his potential. In his first four seasons, Gordon hit .260 or lower, 16 homers or less and drove in 60 runs or less every season. Last year, Gordon had a breakout season setting career highs across the board: .303 average, 101 runs scored, 23 homers, 87 runs batted in and 17 stolen bases.

Here are our top 50 outfielders for the 2012 season:

1. Matt Kemp, Dodgers
2. Jose Bautista, Blue Jays
3. Ryan Braun, Brewers
4. Carlos Gonzalez, Rockies
5. Justin Upton, Diamondbacks
6. Jacoby Ellsbury, Red Sox
7. Curtis Granderson, Yankees
8. Andrew McCutchen, Pirates
9. Josh Hamilton, Rangers
10. Nelson Cruz, Rangers
11. Mike Stanton, Marlins
12. Desmond Jennings, Rays
13. Matt Holliday, Cardinals
14. Hunter Pence, Phillies
15. Jay Bruce, Reds
16. Alex Gordon, Royals
17. Michael Morse, Nationals
18. Shin-Soo Choo, Indians
19. Carl Crawford, Red Sox
20. Ben Zobrist, Rays
21. Shane Victorino, Phillies
22. B.J. Upton, Rays
23. Michael Bourn, Braves
24. Drew Stubbs, Reds
25. Jason Heyward, Braves
26. Corey Hart, Brewers
27. Adam Jones, Orioles
28. Lance Berkman, Cardinals
29. Brett Gardner, Yankees
30. Howard Kendrick, Angels
31. Nick Markakis, Orioles
32. Andre Ethier, Dodgers
33. Jayson Werth, Nationals
34. Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners
35. Chris Young, Diamondbacks
36. Carlos Beltran, Cardinals
37. Michael Cuddyer, Rockies
38. Logan Morrison, Marlins
39. Melky Cabrera, Giants
40. Delmon Young, Tigers
41. Nick Swisher, Yankees
42. Peter Bourjos, Angels
43. Cameron Maybin, Padres
44. Jeff Franceour, Royals
45. Torii Hunter, Angels
46. Martin Prado, Braves
47. Matt Joyce, Rays
48. Emilio Bonifacio, Marlins
49. Alex Rios, White Sox
50. Jose Tabata, Pirates

Other Positions: C - 1B - 2B - 3B - SS - OF - SP - RP

To keep track of our updates, follow us on Twitter @EDSBaseball and/or LIKE us on Facebook.

Joel Zumaya out for year with torn UCL

If it weren't for bad luck, it seems as though Minnesota's Joel Zumaya wouldn't have any at all.

The hard-throwing, 27-year-old reliever threw only 13 pitches at a batting practice session on Saturday before suffering what has now turned out to be a season-ending injury.

An MRI has revealed that Zumaya has a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow and he will miss the entire 2012 season.

Zumaya, who signed a one-year deal with the Twins, is guaranteed only $400,000 since he won't be on the team's opening day roster.

“He’s distraught, as you’d expect,” [Twins general manager Terry] Ryan said (via Matt Snyder of CBS Sports). “He’s going to come in here in the next day or so and we’re going to talk about the immediate future for him.”

Having last pitched in a regular-season game in June 2010, a successful rehab from Tommy John surgery would mean that Zumaya would go nearly three calendar years in between pitching in a major league game.

Report: Chris Perez out 4-6 weeks

The Cleveland Indians play their regular-season opener on Thursday, April 5th at home against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Whether or not they will have Chris Perez available to close on Opening Day is now uncertain.

Per AP's Tom Withers, Perez is "out 4 to 6 weeks with strained oblique."

Six weeks from today is April 8th so if Perez is not available on Opening Day, he should be back close to that time.

Nationals, Zimmerman agree to six-year extension

The Washington Nationals and third baseman Ryan Zimmerman have agreed to a six-year contract extension, per ESPN's Buster Olney.

According to the report, the deal includes an option for the seventh year, which means that Zimmerman, who was under contract through 2013, could be a National through 2020 based on the new deal.

"All along, all I've wanted is to be able to stay with the Nationals, which I consider my hometown team, and help the franchise become a winner while also being compensated fairly," Zimmerman said in a statement Saturday. "I'm from Virginia, I was drafted by the Nationals and I've seen this organization make great progress since I signed here. I want to see it through to the ultimate goal of winning a World Series."

Zimmerman, who was the franchise's first draft pick in the post-Expos era, played in only 101 games and set six-year lows last year in runs scored (52), home runs (12) and runs batted in (49).

In our fantasy rankings, we have Zimmerman as the fifth-ranked third baseman.

(Updated) 2012 Fantasy Baseball Preseason Rankings: Top 25 Shortstops

We noted in our first basemen rankings that the position is especially deep in A.L.-only leagues but not very deep in N.L.-only leagues as seven of our top eight-ranked first basemen play in the American League.

For shortstops, it is the opposite.

In our rankings, five of our top six shortstops play in the National League. There is a gap between the top three and the next group of shortstops and all three of those elite shortstops play in the N.L.

Here are some notes on shortstops:

- Since becoming the Rockies everyday shortstop in 2007, Troy Tulowitzki has put up great numbers when he was on the field. Tulo set a career high in runs batted in (105), hit 30 homers for the second time in his career and batted .300-plus for the second straight season in 2011. On the other hand, the 27-year-old missed 19 games last season and has averaged only 134.4 games per season since 2007.

- With the offseason acquisition of Jose Reyes, the Marlins have two of my top three fantasy shortstops. Although Hanley Ramirez will move to third base, he has shortstop eligibility as well. The good news is Reyes hit a career-high .337 and won the N.L. batting crown last year and stole 39 bases despite missing 36 games last year. Like with Tulowitzki, that's the biggest problem with Reyes, who has played 133 games or less in each of the past three seasons.

- Speaking of Hanley Ramirez, he had his worst season of his career and missed 70 games. Ramirez, who hit only .243 last year, is a career .306 hitter that averaged 25 homers and 39 steals per year from 2006 to 2010. Based on his average draft position of 20 from Mock Draft Central, HanRam could easily be one of the biggest early-round bargains after several seasons of being a top-five pick.

- Unlike many shortstops, Detroit's Jhonny Peralta won't help you on the basepaths. For his career, he has a total of nine stolen bases. Unlike many shortstops, Peralta will help you with the power categories. For the fourth consecutive season, Peralta finished with 80-plus runs batted in and he hit 20-plus homers for the fourth time in his career.

- In his four seasons in the big leagues, White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez has been solid and steady if not spectacular. There has been relatively little season-to-season fluctuation in his stats and here are his four-year averages: .279 career hitter, 17 home runs, 12 steals, 75 runs scored and 71 RBIs.

- Although he doesn't turn 22 years old until March 24th, Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro already has already hit .300 in two major league seasons. In fact, Castro finished fourth in all of baseball in hits (207) after Michael Young, Adrian Gonzalez and Jacoby Ellsbury. The Cubs will move Castro, who hit 10 homers and stole 22 bases last year, to third (from leadoff) in the batting order this year.

- Before last season, Cleveland's Asdrubal Cabrera hit a total of 18 home runs in four seasons (1,415 at-bats). Out of nowhere, Cabrera hit 25 home runs (in 604 at-bats) last year. In addition to his power surge, he set career highs in runs scored (87) and runs batted in (92) while tying his previous career high in steals (17).

- In 56 games last year, Dodgers shortstop Dee Gordon ran 31 times and was successful of 24 of those steal attempts. While he will provide absolutely no power (zero homers and 11 RBIs last year), he has the potential to lead the league in steals if he plays 150-plus games.

Here are our top 25 shortstops for the 2012 season:

1. Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies
2. Hanley Ramirez, Marlins
3. Jose Reyes, Marlins
4. Starlin Castro, Cubs
5. Elvis Andrus, Rangers
6. Jimmy Rollins, Phillies
7. Asdrubal Cabrera, Indians
8. Jhonny Peralta, Tigers
9. Alexei Ramirez, White Sox
10. Derek Jeter, Yankees
11. J.J. Hardy, Orioles
12. Erick Aybar, Angels
13. Dee Gordon, Dodgers
14. Marco Scutaro, Rockies
15. Yunel Escobar, Blue Jays
16. Stephen Drew, Blue Jays
17. Emilio Bonifacio, Marlins
18. Rafael Furcal, Cardinals
19. Zack Cozart, Reds
20. Ian Desmond, Nationals
21. Sean Rodriguez, Rays
22. Jed Lowrie, Astros
23. Alcides Escobar, Royals
24. Jason Bartlett, Padres
25. Cliff Pennington, Athletics

Other Positions: C - 1B - 2B - 3B - SS - OF - SP - RP

To keep track of our updates, follow us on Twitter @EDSBaseball and/or LIKE us on Facebook.