Week In Review

It's time to take a look back at the week that was..

• This week we learned that the Red Sox and manager Terry Francona have decided to part ways. In eight years as Boston's manager, Francona amassed a 744-552 record, reaching the playoffs five times and winning two AL pennants. However, the partnership could not survive after the team's meltdown in the final month of the season.
• The Marlins introduced Ozzie Guillen as their new manager and his four-year contract is reportedly worth about $10MM. To land the outspoken skipper, the Fish sent reliever Jhan Marinez and infielder Osvaldo Martinez to the White Sox as compensation. The Marlins also got right-hander Ricardo Andres in the swap.
• The Marlins' managerial post became available when Jack McKeon announced his retirement.  The last-place Marlins posted a 39-48 record under the octogenarian after manager Edwin Rodriguez resigned in June.
• Meanwhile, Rays bench coach Dave Martinez is at the top of Chicago's managerial wish list. The White Sox also like Yankees bench coach Tony Pena for the job.
• The Angels announced that General Manager Tony Reagins resigned, though he'll remain with the club as a special assistant. The Halos haven't been to the playoffs since 2009 and wrapped up the 2011 campaign with 86 wins.
• The White Sox and Sergio Santos agreed to a three-year, $8.25MM deal. The contract includes three guaranteed years (2012-14) and three option years for the White Sox (2015-17). The deal appears to be modeled on the one Joakim Soria signed with the Royals in 2008.
• Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp is a year away from hitting free agency and if they don’t lock him up by the time the 2012 season starts, it appears that he’ll test the open market. Agent Dave Stewart says that he hopes to complete an extension for by Opening Day 2012.
• The Marlins are more likely to look internally for third base help than they are to sign a major free agent like Aramis Ramirez.  Meanwhile, Ricky Nolasco appeared to be off-limits as recently as July, but the Marlins will reportedly give serious thought to trading Nolasco this offseason.
• Yankees president Randy Levine says that he wants general manager Brian Cashman to continue in his current role after the season, when Cashman’s contract expires.
• On Wednesday when the Red Sox thought they might wind up in a play-in game on Thursday, they considered acquiring a starter specifically for that game.  Royals lefty Bruce Chen was among Boston's trade targets but ultimately they decided against such a move and it turns out there was no play-in game for Boston anyway.
• There has been speculation that Billy Beane could leave the A's for another job, possibly with the Cubs, but Beane said that he plans on staying in Oakland in 2012.
• Jimmy Rollins finds the prospect of free agency "exciting," and the shortstop says that he's looking for a five-year deal on his next contract.
• The Athletics have received outfielder Eliezer Mesa from the Rockies to complete the Mark Ellis trade. Colorado acquired Ellis from Oakland for a player to be named later at the end of June.
• The Cubs have DFA'd right-handers Justin Berg and Brian Schlitter for assignment and put Carlos Zambrano back on the club's 40-man roster.
• The Marlins reached an agreement with second baseman Omar Infante on a two-year contract believed to be worth $8MM.  The Marlins acquired Infante in last November's Dan Uggla trade and plugged the 29-year-old in at second base this year.
• The Indians announced that they exercised their 2013 option for manager Manny Acta. Acta's three-year contract had been set to expire after the 2012 season.
• The Mets have exercised Terry Collins' contract option for 2013.  The manager signed a two-year deal for 2011 and 2012 last November, but GM Sandy Alderson has been pleased enough with Collins' work that he will bring him back for a third year.
• Dodgers owner Frank McCourt has told GM Ned Colletti that he will have the money needed to sign Clayton Kershaw, Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier to long-term contracts this off-season and the money required to compete in the free-agent market.
• 45-year-old knuckleballer Tim Wakefield says that he wants to pitch an 18th season for the Red Sox next year.
• On Tuesday, the Athletics acquired first baseman Kila Ka'aihue from the Royals for minor league pitcher Ethan Hollingsworth. 
• The Twins claimed right-hander Esmerling Vasquez off of waivers from the Diamondbacks.

Just three days remaining in the season following today, and plenty of drama surrounding both Wild Card races, but let's take a step back for a moment to run down this week's top stories at MLBTR:

• The Cardinals and Lance Berkman agreed on a one-year extension for $12MM that includes a full no-trade clause. Have to think Puma could've pulled in multiple years, but he opted to stay where he wanted to be.
• The Mets extended Tim Byrdak for the 2012 season as well. The Mets rarely entertain extensions at this point in the season, but Byrdak was aggressive and approached the team.
• The Reds extended GM Walt Jocketty through 2014 this week, while the A's gave manager Bob Melvin a three-year extension as well.
• Jocketty also publicly stated that Brandon Phillips will be back with the Reds in 2012, but the outspoken Phillips was sure to chime in that he wouldn't be giving Cincinnati a hometown discount if they want to work out a multi-year deal.
• Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd said this week that manager Jim Tracy would be back in 2012, and possibly beyond. He also stated that the club plans on exercising Jason Giambi's option.
• Leo Nunez was placed on the restricted list by the Marlins this week after it was revealed that he's been playing under an assumed name and that he is actually 29 years old, not 28.
• The struggling Red Sox tried to acquire Chris Capuano from the Mets to make one start prior to the end of the season. Capuano wouldn't have been eligible for their postseason roster, should they make it.
• Yankees GM Brian Cashman admitted this week that his meeting with Carl Crawford at last year's Winter Meetings was intended to drive up his price.
• Rays executive VP of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said that the club doesn't plan on entering the offseason thinking they can afford to move some starting pitching, since pitching depth can be so fleeting.
• Giants ace Tim Lincecum is one of the rare (maybe the only) young stars who prefers short-term deals to a long-term contract. Then again, as Ben Nicholson-Smith pointed out in that post, that may be because he can earn as much in arbitration as most elite free agent pitchers receive on the free agent market.
• Kerry Wood will retire if the Cubs aren't interested in bringing him back in 2012.
• The Marlins will consider big-name free agents this offseason, and they've got their sights set on Aramis Ramirez, to name one.
• Major offseason signings are also possible for the Dodgers, and GM Ned Colletti talked about how the team could seek to improve their offense in the "most dramatic" way possible.
• The Nationals had a scout at C.J. Wilson's last start and have been said to be targeting an impact pitcher this offseason.
• Japanese lefty Tsuyoshi Wada has his sights set on pitching in the Majors next season.
• Orioles DH Vladimir Guerrero hopes to play for another two or three seasons before retiring.
• Once considered a major part of the Royals' future, Kila Ka'aihue was designated for assignment this week.
• Manny Ramirez now says he wasn't prepared for retirement and is willing to serve out his 100-game suspension if given the chance to sign somewhere and return to baseball.
• MLB would like to add an additional Wild Card team in each league and a one-game playoff to determine which Wild Card winners will advance. The system could be implemented next season but 2013 is more likely.
• The Astros officially "clinched" the No. 1 pick in the 2012 Draft this week.

We're just weeks away from the postseason, but there's still hot stove news flying around left and right, so let's look back at the past seven days:

• The top story this week came when the Cardinals signed Chris Carpenter to a two-year extension worth $21MM. That's a sizeable decrease from the $15MM salary they'd have paid him if the team had merely exercised his 2012 option.
• The Pirates extended general manager Neal Huntington on a four-year contract to continue exercising his long-term plan. Huntington has brought in names such as Jameson Taillon, Gerrit Cole, and Jose Tabata, just to name a few.
• The Diamondbacks will look into extending their own GM, as they consider the two-year club options on Kevin Towers' contract.
• Bob Castellini, owner of the Reds, says that both GM Walt Jocketty and manager Dusty Baker will be returning for the 2012 season.
• Giants CEO Bill Neukom announced that he will retire from his position at the end of the 2012 season. COO Larry Baer will step in and fill the vacancy.
• Logan Morrison filed a grievance against the Marlins over his demotion to Triple-A last month.
• Prince Fielder told reporters this week that 2011 will probably be his last year as a member of the Brewers.
• There have been some mentions of FIelder in connections with the Blue Jays  over the past several months, but from the sound of things, Toronto won't be handing out any six- or seven-year deals in the near future.
• Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez is looking for a multi-year deal if he hits free agency this offseason.
• Another big money Cubs option is Ryan Dempster's $14MM player option, but the 34-year-old right-hander said this week that he hasn't thought about whether or not he'll exercise the option to this point.
• The Reds are considering hammering out an extension for closer Francisco Cordero.
• The Marlins, who released Mike Cameron this week, are also said to be considering an extension for one of their players. They'd like to retain Omar Infante's services rather than let him hit free agency.
• Carlos Beltran figures to be one of the top names on free agency this winter, and he'd consider a return to the Giants, but only if the team adds more offense. Getting a healthy Freddy Sanchez and Buster Posey back doesn't sound like it'll be enough for Beltran, though.
• Russell Martin would like to return to the Yankees, but he knows that with prospects like Jesus Montero and Austin Romine coming down the pipeline, he may not fit into the picture.
• The Twins would like to re-sign one of Michael Cuddyer or Jason Kubel this offseason, and there's been no talk of reducing their $113MM payroll.
• Sticking in the AL Central, the Royals will decide between keeping Melky Cabrera for the 2012 season or flipping him for pitching help this offseason.
• Pedro Feliciano signed a big multi-year deal with the Yankees last winter, but failed to appear in a game this season. Now, not only is his 2012 season in jeopardy, but his whole career is in danger.
• Omar Vizquel would like to play again in 2012, but a more surprising name is also interested in making a comeback; Dmitri Young would like to return to baseball next year.

With just a couple of weeks left in the season, there's plenty of talk giving us a picture of what can expect this winter, so let's run down the week's stories:

• Commissioner Bud Selig restated once again that he will retire after 2012, saying definitively that December 31 next year will be his last day. Selig also said he hopes to have expanded playoffs by 2012, but admitted that it's unlikely.
• Dodgers' GM Ned Colletti said there won't be any major changes to his club for 2012, and that his top priorities this offseason will be extending Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier. Clayton Kershaw is less of a priority because he's under team control for three more years.
• As of right now, however, Kemp's agent says the Dodgers have yet to approach him about a multiyear deal.
• Cardinals' GM John Mozeliak is confident he can re-sign Albert Pujols to play out the remainder of his career in St. Louis. Pujols doesn't want to think about the contract talks for now, and a surprise contender for his services was rumored when the Marlins' name came up.
• Lots of chatter this week about players extensions and new contracts this week, starting with a possible deal in the future for Miguel Montero and the Diamondbacks.
• Cameron Maybin and the Padres have mutual interest in hammering out an extension of their own, as Maybin is enjoying a breakout season in San Diego.
• Rafael Furcal hasn't been a member of the Cardinals for long, but both sides have interest in working out a deal for 2012.
• Because of their loyalty to this point, Chien-Ming Wang wants to pitch for tne Nationals once again come 2012.
• Carlos Pena and Aramis Ramirez hope to be manning the corner infield positions for the Cubs at Wrigley Field in 2012 and beyond.
• The Giants released both Aaron Rowand and Miguel Tejada after designating the pair for assignment in the previous week. Tejada plans to play again in 2012, but he'd probably be looking at a minor league deal after this season.
• Tejada's not the only one planning on returning; Jason Isringhausen is also intent on playing again in 2012, but unlike Tejada, Izzy's had a pretty solid rebound season.
• Both Mike Cameron and Hideki Okajima are pondering retirement following the 2011 campaign.
• As usual, the week consisted of many minor transactions such as waiver claims, minor league releases, etc. You can follow all of these transactions on Twitter with @mlbtrtrans, by clicking our Transactions tag, or using MLBTR's Transaction Tracker.

We're less then a month from postseason baseball, and we saw several deals this past week with the August 31st deadline to acquire playoff-eligible players. Let's run it all down:

• The Red Sox acquired Conor Jackson from the Athletics in exchange for minor leaguer Jason Rice. Acquired for bench depth, Jackson actually left today's game after a collision with the wall in right field.
• The Braves made a pair of acquisitions this week. They first struck a deal with the Pirates to bring back Matt Diaz in exchange for a player to be named later or cash, and later acquired Jack Wilson from the Mariners for a player to be named later.
• The Rangers also made two trades on the 31st, and like Atlanta, one included bringing back a familiar face. Texas sent cash to the Royals to bring back Matt Treanor, and they sent a player to be named later to the Orioles in exchange for Mike Gonzalez. The PTBNL wound up being Pedro Strop later in the week.
• In other Rangers news, Koji Uehara saw his $4MM option for 2012 vest when he appeared in his 55th game of the season.
• The Giants cut ties with a pair of veterans this week when they designated both Aaron Rowand and Miguel Tejada for assignment. In DFAing this pair, the Giants have agreed to eat a whopping $14.8MM in remaining salary.
• The Mets acquired Adrian Rosario and Danny Herrera from the Brewers to complete July's Francisco Rodriguez trade.
• Dodgers owner Frank McCourt reportedly received a $1.2 billion dollar offer to buy the club, but MLB is skeptical of the offer.
• The Mariners reached a deal on a two-year contract extension with general manager Jack Zduriencik.
• Long-time White Sox skipper Ozzie Guillen wants a contract extension, and is prepared to part ways with the organization if he isn't accommodated. The Sox could revisit trade discussions with the Marlins in what would be an incredibly rare transaction.
• Andy MacPhail has been the president of baseball operations for the Orioles since 2007, but this year could be his last. Two high-ranking O's sources expect MacPhail to walk away, but MacPhail himself said only, "Let's just get to the end of the year."
• The Royals have the best farm system in the game, but they're willing to deal parts of it if they can strike a deal similar to Cleveland's trade that brought Ubaldo Jimenez to the American League Central. Kansas City would like a controllable ace in any potential deal.
• Angels right fielder Torii Hunter said he's considering retiring after his current five-year, $90MM contract expires after the 2012 season. Hunter has said numerous times he'd like to return to the Twins to finish his career, but now says he's likely to retire an Angel and had some harsh words for Twins' GM Bill Smith.
• Brandon Phillips said it'd feel like a slap in the face if the Reds merely picked up his 2012 option and didn't extend him beyond next season. If the option is exercised without a long-term deal, Phillips says he'll test free agency after the 2012 campaign.
• The Blue Jays, Yankees, Red Sox, Nationals, Orioles, Rangers, and Rays are among the teams interested in Yu Darvish.

As we approach the waiver trade deadline, let's take a look back at the week that was..

• The Angels signed ace Jered Weaver to a five-year, $85MM contract extension.  The deal includes a full no-trade clause and various "significant" bonuses for winning the Cy Young and MVP awards and for earning All-Star berths.  Weaver was slated to hit free agency after 2012 and the extension buys out his final year of arbitration eligibility and four years of free agency,
• The Diamondbacks acquired second baseman Aaron Hill and shortstop John McDonald from the Blue Jays for Kelly Johnson.  Johnson should still be a Type B free agent in the AL which is likely Toronto's motivation in acquiring the impending free agent.  Meanwhile, Hill has an $8MM club option which is expected to be declined after the season.
• After a nine-year absence from Cleveland, Jim Thome is back with the Tribe.  The Indians are hoping that their all-time home run leader can help them leapfrog the Tigers in the standings and reach the playoffs once again.  The Indians will send a player to be named later to the Twins on or before October 15th.
• B.J. Upton was claimed off trade waivers by an unknown team and the Rays have until Monday to work out a trade with the claiming team or pull him back.  The center fielder is scheduled to become a free agent after 2012 and will be arbitration-eligible again this winter.  Meanwhile, Upton told reporters that he doesn't expect to return to the club next season.
• The Blue Jays claimed Dewayne Wise after he was DFA'd by the Marlins, meaning that the outfielder is now in his third stint with the club.  In 72 plate appearances, he posted a .239/.278/.269 line for Florida, appearing in left and center field.
• The Giants were awarded the waiver claim on Padres closer Heath Bell, but the two sides were unable to work out a deal.  Bell's future with the club is anything but certain but the closer said that he would accept arbitration if he is offered.
• Health permitting, the Cardinals will exercise their two-year, $21MM option on Adam Wainwright for 2012-13.  It's all still unofficial at this point since the Cardinals don’t have to make a decision until after the season ends.
• The Rockies acquired third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff and cash considerations from the A's for a player to be named or cash considerations.  The 30-year-old posted a .221/.262/.353 line with four homers in 149 plate appearances for Oakland this year.
• Joe Nathan would consider moving on from the Twins under the right circumstances and says that he would look at possible deals on a case by case basis.
• Don't expect the Cardinals to make any more moves, says GM John Mozeliak.
• Some baseball people who know A's GM Billy Beane well say that he might consider an offer to join the Cubs if they approach him about their vacant GM job.  There’s concern within the organization that Beane might leave if the A’s don’t get permission to build a stadium in San Jose and the team is sold.  The Cubs are also interested in Rays executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti, Rick Hahn, Josh Byrnes, and Yankees GM Brian Cashman.
• Lance Berkman intends to play in 2012 and that the Cardinals would be his first choice.
• The Rockies claimed Wandy Rodriguez off of waivers but balked when the Astros insisted on getting prospects and salary relief in return for the 32-year-old.  Rodriguez earns $10MM next year and $13MM in 2013. If he's traded, the Astros $13MM option for 2014 becomes a player option. 
• The Nationals don't intend to go after Prince Fielder once he reaches free agency.  Instead, the Nats may be more focused on finding a center fielder and a leadoff hitter.
• The Dodgers designated catcher Dioner Navarro for assignment and recalled A.J. Ellis in a corresponding move.
• After being released by the Phillies on Saturday, Aaron Heilman inked a minor league deal with the Pirates on Sunday.
• The Pirates designated lefty reliever Joe Beimel for assignment to open a spot on the active roster for Ross Ohlendorf.  Beimel, 34, has a 5.33 ERA, 6.0 K/9, 3.2 BB/9, 2.1 HR/9, and 41.2% groundball rate with 34 hits allowed in 25 1/3 innings this year.
• The Orioles designated Felix Pie for assignment to create roster space for Matt Angle.  Pie wound up being outrighted to Triple-A and he's expected to accept the assignment.

A look back at the week that was here at MLBTR …

• Monday's deadline to sign selections from June's draft came and went, with its usual flurry of last-minute announcements. Here's the complete list of first and supplemental rounders who signed.
• The Cubs dismissed longtime general manager Jim Hendry.
• The Pirates extended outfielder Jose Tabata and began discussing an extension with second baseman Neil Walker.
• The Royals extended outfielder Jeff Francoeur.
• The Tigers acquired outfielder Delmon Young in exchange for righty reliever Lester Oliveros.
• Cubs right-hander Carlos Zambrano had a grievance filed on his behalf by the MLBPA after being placed on the disqualified list last week.
• The Rockies acquired lefty Drew Pomeranz from the Indians to complete the Ubaldo Jimenez trade.
• Similarly, the Mariners acquired reliever Chance Ruffin from the Tigers to complete the trade that sent Doug Fister and David Pauley to Detroit.
• Rockies starter Jason Hammel became a likely trade candidate this offseason.
• The Yankees and other teams were reportedly scouting Athletics right-hander Rich Harden.
• The Astros placed three notable players on waivers: Wandy Rodriguez, Brett Myers and Clint Barmes.
• The Athletics placed three players — Harden, Craig Breslow and Coco Crisp — on waivers, too.
• Braves third baseman Chipper Jones announced he will return for 2012. Former Yankee Orlando Hernandez announced his retirement.
• The Mets pulled back Jason Isringhausen, Tim Byrdak and Scott Hairston after they were claimed on waivers.
• The Yankees claimed left-hander Aaron Laffey on waivers from the Mariners, designating Gustavo Molina for assignment in a corresponding roster move. They also claimed lefty reliever Raul Valdes from the Cardinals.
• The Rangers acquired right-handed reliever Tim Wood from the Pirates.
• The Astros acquired Domingo Santana to complete the Hunter Pence trade with the Phillies.
• A handful of players were plucked off the scrap heap: The Blue Jays signed Kyle Davies to a minor league contract. The Braves signed Juan Jaime to a minor league contract after he was released by the Diamondbacks.  The Braves signed infielder Wes Helms. The Rockies signed left-hander J.C. Romero.
• Some other familiar faces were sent packing: The Astros released right-hander Nelson Figueroa. The Indians released outfielder Austin Kearns. The Rockies released first baseman Mike Jacobs. The White Sox released right-hander Brian Bruney. The Phillies released a pair of former big leaguers: Jack Cust and Aaron Heilman. The Yankees released pitchers Buddy Carlyle and Greg Smith.
• Seven players were removed from their respective teams' 40-man rosters by being designated for assignment: Randy Williams (Red Sox), Kevin Mulvey (Diamondbacks), Trever Miller (Blue Jays), Luis Lebron (Orioles), Pat Neshek (Padres), Reggie Willits (Angels) and Edgar Gonzalez (Rockies).

Time to catch up on the last week at MLBTR…

• The Tigers extended GM Dave Dombrowski through 2015 and manager Jim Leyland through next season.  Dombrowski will celebrate his tenth season as the Tigers' GM next April.
• The Cubs hired Jim Hendry three months after the Tigers hired Dombrowski, back in 2002.  It appears that Hendry will have one more shot to take the Cubs to the promise land, as Bob Nightengale tweeted that the team's ownership is currently planning to keep Hendry for next year, barring a change of thinking.
• Carlos Zambrano provided the drama for the Cubs on Friday, allowing five home runs to the Braves, earning an ejection, and then clearing out his locker and telling the team trainer he was retiring.  The next day the Cubs announced they placed Zambrano on the disqualified list, meaning 30 days without pay, which would save the team over $1.6MM.  The players union will file a grievance, of course.  You have to think the Cubs will unload Zambrano at any cost this winter.
• The list of players who have cleared waivers is up to ten, with ESPN's Buster Olney reporting nine of them.
• The Dodgers signed first round draft pick Chris Reed for $1.589MM.  The Stanford lefty was drafted 16th overall.  With just over 25 hours remaining until the draft pick signing deadline, 23 of the 33 first round picks are unsigned.
• A couple of prominent players switched agencies: Blue Jays outfielder Colby Rasmus jumped from Bobby Barad to Beverly Hills Sports Council in advance of his first arbitration year, while Tigers closer Jose Valverde switched from Praver/Shapiro to Proformance a few months prior to the team's decision on his $9MM club option.
• Mets shortstop Jose Reyes was placed on the 15-day DL for a hamstring strain Monday, after missing about two weeks for a similar injury in July.  The latest DL stint prompted many analysts to wonder how much Reyes' injuries will cost him as a free agent.
• White Sox lefty John Danks told the Chicago Sun-Times he loves Chicago and hopes to remain with the White Sox.  Danks is due a sizeable arbitration raise next year, after which he'll be eligible for free agency.
• Many players landed on the scrap heap last week.  J.C. Romero was released by the Yankees, Arthur Rhodes was released by the Rangers, the Red Sox cut Kevin Millwood loose, the Braves released Scott Proctor, the Marlins cut Wes Helms, the Cardinals released Blaine Boyer and Ron Mahay, the Royals released Kyle Davies, and the Pirates released Lyle Overbay.  Also, Dave Bush elected free agency from the Cubs.    
• Six players were removed from 40-man rosters by being designated for assignment: Luke French (Mariners), Juan Jaime (Diamondbacks), Tim Wood (Pirates), Raul Valdes (Cardinals), Austin Kearns (Indians), and Tommy Manzella (Astros).
• On the positive side, many players were rescued from the scrap heap: Millwood signed with the Rockies, the Yankees brought Proctor back, the Diamondbacks reunited with Overbay, the Phillies inked Jack Cust, the Cardinals signed Rhodes, the Padres signed Pedro Feliz, and the D'Backs claimed Manzella.

Here's a look back at the week following the trade deadline..

• The Mets remain highly unlikely to offer Jose Reyes a contract similar to Carl Crawford's contract at seven-years, $142MM.  Reportedly, both the guaranteed money and the length of Crawford’s contract would be unappealing to the Mets.
• No surprise here, Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. doesn’t want to let Jimmy Rollins slip away when he hits free agency.
• After a career that has spanned nearly two decades, Matt Stairs announced that he's retiring.  The 43-year-old was designated for assignment by the Nationals last Wednesday and released on Monday.
• The Twins recently approached Michael Cuddyer about a contract extension and floated the idea of a two-year, $16MM deal.  The conversations didn’t progress from there and Cuddyer appears to prefer to postpone negotiations until after the season.
• The Braves are in the market for a right-handed pinch hitter who can complement the left-handed hitting Eric Hinske off of the bench.
• Closer Heath Bell intends to accept arbitration after the season from the Padres if the two sides have not worked out a contract extension.  Later on, Padres owner Jeff Moorad said that he doesn't mind if Bell accepts arbitration after the season.
• Baltimore released Justin Duchscherer, who never appeared in a game for the Orioles.  The 33-year-old right-hander spent the entire season on the disabled list with a strained left hip after signing a one-year deal in February that paid him $700K plus incentives.
• Later that day, the Orioles claimed Jo-Jo Reyes after the Blue Jays designated the left-hander for assignment.
• After opting out of his deal with the Athletics, pitcher Willie Eyre agreed to a deal with the Orioles.
• Brett Carroll refused an outright assignment from the Brewers and is now a free agent.
• The Mariners released Jack Cust, who was designated for assignment last week.
• The Athletics designated left-hander Jerry Blevins for assignment in order to call up Adam Rosales from Triple-A.
• David Purcey was designated for assignment by the Tigers to clear a spot for reliever David Pauley.
• The Rangers designated Arthur Rhodes for assignment, to create roster space for newly-acquired right-hander Mike Adams.
• The Phillies released reliever Danys Baez after he cleared waivers.  The veteran had been designated for assignment recently to create a spot for Brad Lidge.
• This week we learned that Japanese pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma hired Paul Cobbe of Sosnick-Cobbe Sports as his new agent several months ago.
• First baseman Lyle Overbay was DFA'd by the Pirates.
• Red Sox righty Clay Buchholz is unlikely to pitch again in the regular season due to a stress fracture in his back which explains why the Red Sox picked up Erik Bedard.

A look back at the busy week that was here at MLBTR …

• The Giants acquired infielder Jeff Keppinger from the Astros.
• The Tigers acquired third baseman Wilson Betemit from the Royals.
• The Pirates signed right-handed reliever Jason Grilli.
• The Mets became certain that they won't trade shortstop Jose Reyes.
• The Dodgers became "open for business" as sellers.
• Padres owner Jeff Moorad reportedly told reliever Mike Adams that he wouldn't be traded, though that was later refuted.
• Cubs GM Jim Hendry explained his deadline approach. The North Siders became willing to eat a large chunk of Alfonso Soriano's contract if someone would take him off their hands.
• The Giants became the leaders in the sweepstakes to land Mets outfielder Carlos Beltran.
• Cardinals GM John Mozeliak called a Colby Rasmus trade highly unlikely, though the rumors persist.
• Dodgers starter Hiroki Kuroda was uncertain about waiving his blanket no-trade clause. The Tigers, for one, were interested.
• Rays starter James Shields may have become available to trade suitors. The Yankees, for one, checked in on the right-hander. Outfielder B.J. Upton was in the same boat.
• The Red Sox expressed interest in signing Jacoby Ellsbury to a contract extension. Boston owner John Henry predicted a quiet deadline for his club.
• The Astros showed a willingness to deal outfielder Hunter Pence. The Pirates were among the teams eyeing Pence.
• The Mariners signed 16-year-old Venezuelan pitching prospect Victor Sanchez.
• The Reds also signed a 16-year-old Venezuelan pitcher, Jonathan Perez. The righty was inked for $825K.
• The Pirates were also thought to be interested in Orioles setup man Koji Uehara, as were the Twins. Pittsburgh also discussed a package with the A's involving Josh Willingham and Craig Breslow.
• The Braves became intent on acquiring another hitter.
• The Reds had a few notable players on their radar: Wandy Rodriguez, Chone Figgins and Coco Crisp. The Indians were also interested in acquiring Crisp.
• The Orioles and shortstop J.J. Hardy finalized a contract extension.
• The Indians were rumored to be seeking a starting pitcher and an outfielder.
• The Rockies became willing to move one of their relief pitchers, including closer Huston Street.
• The Phillies and Marlins discussed a trade involving Florida closer Leo Nunez. Philly was also engaged in talks with the Royals regarding outfielder Melky Cabrera.
• The Tigers expressed interested in acquiring Orioles starter Jeremy Guthrie. They also expressed interest in Aaron Harang, as did the Tribe.
• The Rockies were not actively shoppin Chris Iannetta, but the Indians and Pirates expressed interest in the catcher.
• The Red Sox checked in with the A's on right-hander Rich Harden.
• The Diamondbacks released reliever Aaron Heilman, who then signed a minor league deal with the Phillies.
• A slew of minor transactions came to pass. The Mets signed Fernando Perez. The Orioles acquired Zach Phillips from the Rangers. The Yankees signed Marcus Thames after he was released by the Dodgers. The Mets claimed Mike Baxter from the Padres.
• As well, a handful of players were given their walking papers. The Rays designated Adam Russell for assignment. The Orioles designated Chorye Spoone for assignment. The Tigers designated Brandon Inge for assignment. The Nationals designated Chad Gaudin for assignment and then gave him his unconditional release. The Athletics designated Jerry Blevins for assignment. The Indians designated Jared Goedert for assignment. The Mets designated Nick Evans for assignment. The Phillies designated Danys Baez for assignment. The Blue Jays designated Jo Jo Reyes for assignment.