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Buying out the arbitration years of young starting pitchers has become a trend in recent years.  These are usually very team-friendly deals, often with option years for the last year of arb eligibility and the first of free agency.  We’ve seen Chris Young, Matt Cain, James Shields, Noah Lowry, and Ian Snell opt for security rather than maximize their year-to-year earnings.  Which young starters might be next for an extension?

• Rich Hill – The 28 year-old southpaw will hit arbitration before the 2010 season.  He posted a 3.92 ERA in his first full season in ’07 and has tossed 318 career innings.  I haven’t read anything about the Cubs considering signing him to an extension.
• Felix Hernandez – The Ms have already made an offer to Felix, who turns 22 in April.  He’s already thrown 465 innings in his career.
• Fausto Carmona – The 24 year-old has 289 career innings, posting a stellar first full year in ’07.
• Scott Kazmir – The 24 year-old only has two arb years left, and it looks like both parties may prefer going year to year.  He’s logged 570 innings already.
• Adam Wainwright – The 26 year-old is arb-eligible after this season, and I expect the Cards to look into an extension for him.  He’s thrown 279 innings.
• Tom Gorzelanny – Gorzelanny, 25, has 269 career innings.  Another solid healthy season and I imagine the Bucs might offer him a deal similar to Snell’s.
• John Maine – Preliminary extension talks have begun with Maine, who’s arb-eligible after this season.  He turns 27 in May and has 324 career innings.
• Cole Hamels – The 24 year-old southpaw has 315 career innings.  He called his recent renewal a "low blow," but won’t make a million bucks in ’09 either.
• Jered Weaver – The 25 year-old probable Opening Day starter has logged 284 innings.  A big year could lead to talks.
• Some other young starters who could get long-term deals with strong ’08 seasons: Jeremy Guthrie, Brian Bannister, Wandy Rodriguez, Dustin McGowan, Tim Lincecum, Chad Billingsley, Zack Greinke, Kyle Kendrick, Yovani Gallardo, Matt Garza, and Phil Hughes.

Matt Birt checking in for the afternoon to cover all your trade rumor needs.  Hopefully you’re prepping your kegs and eggs for tomorrow’s St. Patrick’s Day festivities.  Unfortunately, tomorrow morning I will be talking all things Catch-22 with a bunch of seventeen and eighteen year-olds, when I’d like nothing more than to celebrate with my family and pals.  Such is life.

While I cover rumors, I’ll be listening to Edinson Volquez dominate the Phillies (I’m liking that trade more and more), and dreaming of the day the Reds run out a rotation of Harang, Arroyo, Cueto, Volquez, and Bailey.  Please feel free to email me with any rumors that cross your path.

Posted by Matt Birt

Good morning baseball fans. Cork Gaines of Rays Index here out of the bullpen to get you through your Sunday brunch, The Sports Reporters and various stages of your hangovers. Fear not, I will try not to type too loud. If you have any trade rumors, signing news or George Bell sightings, hit me up HERE.

On Saturday morning, I spoke with Matt Bishoff and Matt Wilson of No Bias Baseball.  Surf over there – you can listen on the site or even download an mp3 of the podcast.  I jump in about eight minutes through.

I feel refreshed this morning after letting the MLBTR Bullpen step in for the rumors this past weekend.  The team was excellent.  I used to be a full nine-inning blogger but these days I like to come out after six and still get the win.  This analogy is starting to confuse me.

I didn’t do a good job explaining what the ’pen currently looks like, so here is our tentative schedule.  All times are in CST.

Monday-Friday
Tim Dierkes

Saturdays
9am-1pm: Big Mike Glab
1pm-5pm: UmpBump team

Sundays
9am-1pm: Nat Boyle
1pm-5pm: Matt Birt
5pm-9pm: Aaron Shinsano of East Windup Chronicle

Unscheduled Contributors
Joe Pawlikowski of River Ave. Blues
Cork Gaines of Rays Index
Andrew Stoeten of Drunk Jays Fans

I should also mention Brian Ward, owner of the Blogs By Fans network.  Brian has done a lot of behind the scenes stuff for me and will be doing my site redesign.  Fingers crossed, we hope to have that ready around Opening Day.

Hello friends. Stoeten here, from the Drunk Jays Fans, taking a shift at the helm of MLB Trade Rumors. Evidently the clocks went ahead last night, so I’m checking in a little later than I had planned to, but… well, let’s not get too deep into why I’m only coming around at 7:30 here in the east. Let’s just enjoy this time we get to spend with each other.

Feel free to hit me here if I’ve made any glaring errors or used the proper, Canadian spelling of "rumours".

Beginning today, Umpbump.com is taking over Saturday afternoon blogging duties here at MLBTR. Each week a different Umpbump writer (there are five of us) will bring you all the latest from the free agent and trade fronts.

Our goals are simple: to provide the same quality rumors you’re accustomed to, and to shamelessly plug our site at every opportunity.

If you haven’t been to Umpbump.com yet, check out our Hot Offseason Action series, where we belittle and berate each team for their blunderous offseason bungling and sparingly salute them for scarce successful stratagems. Point and laugh at our Unfortunate Facial Hair.

Next week, Paul will be your Saturday afternoon blogger. Please, be kind.

By Umpbump Coley

I am going to make another video mailbag soon (check out the previous stuff here).  Submit your mailbag questions to mlbtraderumors2008@gmail.com and I’ll answer a few in the video.  And in case you were wondering…yes, my awesome bookshelf will remain the backdrop for now!  I may knock it up a notch and wear a collared shirt though.

This is Matt Birt checking in for the afternoon shift.  I’ll be with you every Sunday from 1 to 5pm CST.  I’m looking forward to my expanded role here, and I hope that I’m able to serve this community well.

I’ll follow Nat’s lead and give you a little background information on myself.  I’m currently a high school English teacher in Ohio, hoping to enter a university in the fall to study English Literature.  The ultimate goal is the Ph.D., but I’ll settle for admission to a university for the time being.  Besides literature, I have a strong interest in creative writing, philosophy, and guitar.  I am impatiently awaiting the inaugural season of the MLB Channel, as an entire off-season without Baseball Tonight is too much to bear.

Like Nat, I’ll be in front of my computer the rest of the afternoon, so hang tight and hopefully something of extreme interest comes down the pike.  Please do not hesitate to email me with anything you find relevant or interesting.

By Matt Birt

Nat Boyle here blogging from the windy tip of Cape Cod. Since I’ll be the regular Sunday morning starter here at MLBTR I thought I’d open with a little about myself. Seems the polite thing to do.

I’ve been a contributor for MLBTR since September. I’m a Boston University communications grad turned filmmaker living in Boston, currently studying graphic/web design.  Along with cinema, I have a strong addiction to all things baseball. And today is day one of my favorite league’s slow live draft, so I’m definitely geeking out.

It’s Sunday which means a lot of trees have been cut down to deliver our weekly motherload of hot stove activity. So, sit back and click that refresh button.  Or better yet, subscribe to the RSS. I’ll be here super-glued firmly to my computer devouring all things baseball.

Oh, and if you’ve got a rumor, email me.

By Nat Boyle