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Quick Hits: Strasburg, Pujols, Wilken

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Weather permitting, Nationals phenom Stephen Strasburg will make his 2011 MLB debut tonight, almost one year from the day of having Tommy John surgery performed on his elbow.  Whether or not Strasmas is cancelled, here are today's links…

  • Strasburg still needs to knock a little rust off his command, Nationals GM Mike Rizzo told ESPN's Jayson Stark.  Stark takes the stance that the Nationals are not rushing Strasburg back.  Stark's colleague Keith Law has a fantastic article discussing the Tommy John procedure and recovery, with help from pitchers Jarrod Parker and Chad Durbin.  For a look at what Strasburg did during his down time and how he's changed in the last year, check out Dave Sheinin's article from the Washington Post.
  • SI's Jon Heyman hears that the Cardinals are "not completely confident" Albert Pujols will remain in St. Louis, which is one reason they didn't trade Lance Berkman (Twitter link).
  • The Chicago Sun-Times talked to Tim Wilken, the Cubs' director of amateur and professional scouting, about the possibility of an extension in the wake of Oneri Fleita's four-year deal.  Such a move would quickly sour many Cubs GM candidates, hears Yahoo's Jeff Passan (Twitter link).  Wilken recently told Baseball America's Phil Rogers that it's been 20 years since he's had the kind of ownership commitment toward draft and international free agent spending that he had in 2011.
  • NPB Tracker's Patrick Newman explains why he's predicted against Yu Darvish being posted in past years, but also outlines why he can see the righty being posted this winter.
  • Tigers righty Doug Fister has "basically turned himself into the modern version of Brad Radke," writes Dave Cameron of FanGraphs.  Does he represent the best acquisition by a contender this summer?  Hunter Pence belongs in that discussion as well.

Furcal, Cardinals Have Mutual Interest

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TUESDAY: Furcal told Strauss, "I'd want to play for St. Louis,"  adding that he still needs to sit down with his agent Paul Kinzer and talk business.  

MONDAY: The Cardinals hope to explore a new contract with shortstop Rafael Furcal by month's end, GM John Mozeliak told Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  Mozeliak acknowledged that making it work financially is a challenge, but a Furcal contract is on his to-do list for September.  A shorter term is preferable for the team, and that's expected for Furcal since he's missed so much time due to injuries over the last few years.

Furcal, 34 in October, is hitting .228/.278/.390 in 134 plate appearances since the Cardinals acquired him at the trade deadline.  Mozeliak has bigger fish to fry in potential free agents Albert Pujols, Lance Berkman, and Chris Carpenter, so signing Furcal quickly and affordably makes sense.  Technically Furcal faces a $12MM club option with a $1.3MM buyout.  That'll be declined, but a one-year deal for $4MM plus incentives seems reasonable.

NL Central Notes: Barmes, Cardinals, Cubs, Garza

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Let's take a look at some news out of the NL Central, where the Brewers hold a comfortable 10.5 game lead over St. Louis..

Quick Hits: McGowan, Kuo, Edwin Jackson

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Five years ago today, the Athletics claimed righty Jerome Williams off waivers from the Cubs.  Williams pitched 30 innings for the Nationals the following year, but then didn't pitch in the Majors until last month with the Angels.  Williams went through a lot in the meantime, and considers his return to the bigs "a fairy tale."  On to today's Labor Day links…

  • Dustin McGowan makes for another nice story; the Blue Jays reinstated him from the 60-day DL today.  The former first-round pick once seemed on the cusp of big things, but he hasn't pitched in the Majors in more than three years due to a pair of surgeries on his right shoulder.  He'll be one of seven arbitration eligible Blue Jays, but McGowan won't cost much to retain.
  • Dodgers reliever Hong-Chih Kuo is learning to manage his anxiety better, and intends to pitch next year, writes Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times.  If the Dodgers tender Kuo a contract, he'll earn at least $2.18MM in 2012.
  • Free agency will be "interesting," Cardinals starter Edwin Jackson tells Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  The Scott Boras client, who turns 28 on Friday, has a 3.78 ERA on the season and is on track to make 30+ starts for the fifth consecutive year.
  • Reliever Bobby Jenks is probably done for the season, Red Sox manager Terry Francona told WEEI's Rob Bradford and others today.  The big righty signed a two-year, $12MM deal after being non-tendered by the White Sox in December, but pitched only 15 2/3 innings for Boston due to a back injury.    

Rosenthal On Bedard, Papi, Gonzalez, Berkman

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Here are some interesting tidbits courtesy of Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com:

  • The Red Sox wanted to acquire then Mariners starter Erik Bedard so badly that they tried to trade for the lefty while he was still on the disabled list in July. Fortuitously, Bedard threw a simulated game at Fenway Park when the M's were in Boston on July 23, shortly before his return from the DL. So, the Red Sox had a good chance to scout him before making an offer to Seattle and consummating the eventual trade.
  • Offseason negotiations between impending free agent David Ortiz and Boston "will not necessarily go smoothly," opines Rosenthal. The Red Sox will want to limit the years on a new deal for Papi, while the DH will seek a multiyear pact and a raise on his $12.5MM annaul salary.
  • Rangers lefty Mike Gonzalez, acquired last week from the Orioles, could be a huge pickup for Texas, which lacks a lefty killer in its bullpen.
  • Texas was serious about acquiring Lance Berkman from the Cardinals, but the Big Puma didn't want to be a rental player for the second consecutive year, according to Rosenthal, and St. Louis wanted to retain the veteran slugger in hopes of re-signing him this offseason.

NL Central Notes: Brewers, Berkman, Cordero

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The Pirates signed Aramis Ramirez as an amateur free agent on this date in 1994. Ramirez spent five and a half seasons with the Pirates before they shipped him to the Cubs. Here are the latest links from the only division Ramirez has ever known…

  • The Brewers are talking about possible upgrades, but aren't close on completing any deals, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
  • St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writers are in general agreement that a deal between the Cardinals and Lance Berkman seems likely next year.
  • Reds closer Francisco Cordero told Mark Sheldon of MLB.com that he would love to return to Cincinnati in 2012 and pitch under Dusty Baker again. The Reds have a $12MM club option for Cordero ($1MM buyout), who says he'd like to retire with the Reds. 
  • MLBTR's Tim Dierkes took a look at the upcoming closer carousel earlier today. Don’t forget to check out closernews.com for the latest fantasy news on relievers.

NL Central Notes: Berkman, McLane, Crane

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Lance Berkman doesn't expect to be traded, but he doesn't have the final say in the matter. Here's the latest on the switch-hitting slugger, plus an update on his former team…

  • Cardinals GM John Mozeliak acknowledged to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that trading Berkman doesn’t make a lot of sense considering the team’s 2012 plans (Twitter links). The Cardinals are more inclined to keep him and attempt to work out a deal after the season, because signing Berkman from another team would likely cost St. Louis a top draft pick.
  • There's a definite possibility that MLB won't approve the sale of the Astros from Drayton McLane to Jim Crane, according to Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle.
  • However, Astros officials told Brian McTaggart of MLB.com that they haven't been informed that Crane's bid is in trouble.

Lance Berkman: “I’m Not Going To Get Moved”

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Lance Berkman told reporters that he doesn't expect the Cardinals to trade him by tomorrow's deadline, MLB.com's Matthew Leach reports. Despite rumors that the Rangers could have interest, Berkman expects to finish the year in St. Louis.

“I’m not going to get moved,” he said. "I think the ship has sailed. I really do."

Berkman explained that he wants to stay put and believes that the Cardinals want to keep him. Since Berkman projects as a low Type-A free agent, the Cardinals could end up with two compensation picks in next year's draft if he declines an arbitration offer to sign elsewhere. As a result, GM John Mozeliak would likely require significant prospects in any deal.

The Rangers placed Nelson Cruz on the disabled list and expect to be without him for three weeks. However, GM Jon Daniels said he expects to rely on internal solutions and the Rangers have called up Leonys Martin to take Cruz's place on the roster. Texas remains interested in Berkman, according to Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com.

The Cardinals have until tomorrow to weigh all offers for Berkman, who has cleared waivers. The 35-year-old has a .289/.405/.570 line with 30 homers.

Morosi On Giants, Braves, Berkman

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Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports has been tweeting up a storm today…

NL Central Notes: Astros, Carpenter, Berkman

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We've already checked in on the Pirates and here's the latest on the rest of the NL Central as the first-place Brewers rest…

  • Jim Crane's purchase of the Astros is on hold because MLB is investigating employment and war profiteering charges against the incoming owner, according to Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle. However, current owner Drayton McLane remains optimistic that the sale will go through within ten days.
  • Matthew Leach of MLB.com says the Cardinals will likely find a way to bring Chris Carpenter back in 2012, even if it doesn't mean exercising his $15MM option. I took a close look at the option last week, explaining that there are ample reasons for the Cards to pick it up.
  • Though Lance Berkman projects as a Type A free agent in the National League, he would be a much higher Type A free agent in the American League, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes reports (on Twitter). It's noteworthy since the Rangers just lost Nelson Cruz to the disabled list and could consider Berkman, who has cleared waivers.
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