The Minnesota Twins look to be a contender for Lee’s services. According to Jeff Fletcher of AOL Fanhouse the Twins have offered Aaron Hicks and Wilson Ramos two of their top prospects for Lee. Also in the running for Lee’s services are Mets, Reds, Dodgers and Phillies. The Reds are rumored to be offering power hitting first base prospect Yonder Alonso but consensus seems to be that it will take more then just Alonso to land Lee.

B.J. Upton has also been rumored to be a possible piece in a package for Lee as well. Upton has issues in the hustle department this year and his batting average is less then stellar. Frankly I don’t see this as a good option for the Mariners since they already have Gutierrez and Suzuki both of which are very similar players to Upton if not better.

There are other pitchers who could help and would cost less in a trade, such as Chicago Cubs left-hander Ted Lilly and Houston’s Roy Oswalt, but more in cash.

Lilly is making $13 million this season but likely will be a Type A free agent when his contract is up at the end of the season. Oswalt is making $15 million this season and is owed $16 million next year, with a $12 million club option in 2012.

Oswalt is expensive, but considering the cost of signing Lee as a free agent after the season, he could be a bargain for the next few years. He is only one year older the Lee and he is definitely wanting to get away from the struggling Astros to play for a contender.

Mr Shpunt, who has three physics degrees and lived the majority of his life in Russia, has freely admitted that he knows very little about the game of baseball.  Over the five years Shpunt was employed by the Dodgers he only attended one game, instead electing to watch games and channel his energy from his suburban Boston home. Mr Shpunt never guaranteed that he could make the Dodgers win but did say his energy could increase the chance of winning by 10% to 15%.

While the exact figures are unclear as to how much money was paid to Shpunt because no contract has been found, Bert Fields, an attorney for Jamie, said the Dodgers paid Shpunt a stipend, plus a bonus of “certainly six figures and even higher” depending on whether the Dodgers won the National League West title and how far the team advanced in the playoffs.

This is definitely one of the most bizarre stories I have heard when it comes to baseball and its quirky rituals.  Now I just have to figure how to convince an owner that I can channel positive energy to help them win. Any suggestions? Oh and I won’t work for less then six figures.

Roy Oswalt has made it know publicly that he would prefer to go to a winning team. He is making a lot of money with 2 years left on a $73 million deal. He also has a club option for $16 million in 2012, so he could be worth the investment for a team looking to solidify their rotation for the next few seasons. He is 32 years old this season, so his age could be a factor in any deal. The Texas Rangers seem to be the most logical place for Oswalt. They are currently in first place in a fairly weak AL West. They also are in dire need of a top-of-the-rotation starter to anchor them. Nolan Ryan has approached the Astros as to Oswalt’s availability. I could see the Rangers offering Chris Davis with a minor league pitcher or two thrown in.

Lance Berkman has also mentioned that he would be open to moving on if the right opportunity presented itself. Berkman, a switch-hitting power bat, could provide any lineup a major boost in run production. The most glaring fit, at least talent-wise, is the San Francisco Giants. The Giants anemic offense has been floundering all season yet they are still very much in the race in the NL West. Berkman could easily slide into the 1st base role and they could move Aubrey Huff to the outfield. The Giants have a lot of pitching talent so I would only assume that they could offer top pitching prospect Madison Bumgarner.

Carlos Lee is also another potential trading piece. Lee’s numbers this year are horrible and he tends to be a hack in the field. He is also owed $18.5 million a year through 2012 so if the Astros want to move him they would have to eat a ton of his contract.

Nobody in the league office has expressed concern yet over the dip in numbers. With the economy limping to restart itself, big corporations are cutting costs and it looks as though they are not spending lavishly on the big season ticket packages as they used to. Has baseball priced itself out of the average fan’s budget? According to the Team Marketing Report, the average ticket price in MLB is $26.79. I have to admit that prices have gotten to the point where I think twice before I plunk out my hard earned money to see a ball game. How will this affect these small market teams in the future? Will there be money to pay the demands of high priced free agents? There is a trend already in baseball where teams are going younger and cheaper (see Jermaine Dye). What would your plan of action be if you were the GM of one of these cash strapped teams?

On a side note, Biz of Baseball’s Maury Brown points out that two of the five record-breaking teams play in the AL East. If these numbers are a sign of apathy toward Yankees-Red Sox stranglehold, MLB could be facing this problem for awhile.

Olney’s theory of the Phillies thinking behind these discussions is that the Cardinals may not be able to afford Albert Pujols when he becomes a free agent after the 2011 season, where he is expected to command a contract similar to the one Alex Rodriguez signed with the Yankees for 10-years and $275 million. So far contract talks with Pujols and the Cardinals have not progressed and with the re-signing of Matt Holliday (OF) in St. Louis, many question whether the Cardinals will be able to afford both contracts long-term. If the Cardinals feel they can’t re-sign Pujols long-term, why not put him on the trade market like the Blue Jays did with Roy Halladay (RHP), who ironically the Phillies acquired this off season. Olney feels if that were to occur, the Phillies could present the Cardinals with a good alternative in Howard, who has more HR and RBI the past four seasons than Pujols and is a St. Louis native.

After reading this report, one has to question the credibility of Olney’s sources, who seem to be dreaming of proposing a potential fantasy baseball swap. Albert Pujols quite simply is St. Louis Cardinals’ baseball right now. He is a home-grown talent and will go down with the likes of Stan Musial in the Cardinals’ organization after he retires. The Cardinals would be doing their fans a huge disservice by putting Pujols on the market as he is arguably the best hitter of his generation. The likelihood of the Cardinals not taking into account Pujols’ contract demands when negotiating with Matt Holliday is rather slim, as I doubt the Cardinals would prefer to keep Holliday (no offense Matt, your a fine hitter) over Pujols. Another interesting note about these internal discussions is that Howard currently makes more than Pujols in the 2010 and 2011 seasons and is due to become a free agent in his own right after the 2011 season. Howard is set to make $19 million in 2010 and $20 million in 2011 as opposed to Pujols salaries of $16 million in 2010 and ’11. While Howard will not cost as much long-term as Pujols, he will still command upwards of $20 million a season and if money is an issue with Pujols going on the market, wouldn’t it make sense to go younger at the position and save money instead of tying yourself down with another long-term deal north of the $100 million mark. Buster Olney is a fairly reputable source for rumors and baseball news, but I have to question him on this one. The numbers and thought process from the Cardinals point of view just don’t add up. The mutiny from Cardinals fans after a Pujols trade could be ugly and who really wants to be known as the organization that traded away Albert Pujols?

Shapiro has had the role of general manager for the Indians going on nine seasons. He started with the Indians back in 1992 and has worked his way up to the top. Shapiro earn the “Executive of the Year” award in 2005 and 2007. Bud Selig also named him to the recently established “On-Field Matters” committee.

Antonetti first job in major league baseball was with the Montreal Expos. As assistant to Shapiro, Antonetti has worked very closely with the contract negotiations and he also oversees the farm system, professional scouting department, and statistical analysis systems.

The Indians are coming off a horrendous season in which they lost 97 games and tied the Kansas City Royals for last place in the AL Central division. Shapiro’s hand-picked manager Eric Wedge lost his job due to the poor performance of this team. However, there are some bright spots for the club. Grady Sizemore is a potential Comeback Player of the Year for the Indians after missing a large portion of the season due to injury. Shin-Soo Choo established himself as a very well-rounded outfielder hitting .300 with 20 home runs, 86 RBI, and 21 stolen bases.

Antonetti will definitely have his work cut out for him next off season.

Ben Sheets – The former Milwaukee Brewers right-hander signed a one-year deal worth $10 million plus incentives with the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday. Sheets is looking to prove to the A’s that he is fully recovered from elbow surgery that caused him to miss the entire 2009 season. The A’s were in attendance for Sheets throwing session last week and came away impressed enough to offer a large base salary for this season. Sheets is expected to be the Opening Day starter for the A’s and is a great mid-season trade candidate for a contender, if healthy, as he could net some quality prospects that A’s GM Billy Beane is notorious for looking to find.

Miguel Tejada – The former 2002 AL MVP recently signed a one-year deal worth $6 million with the Baltimore Orioles, a team in which he previously played for from 2004-2007. During his first stint with the Orioles, Tejada was one of the premier hitting shortstops in the game, but now is expected to shift over to third base in his second go-round with the team. While not the power hitter he once was, Tejada is still an above average hitter as his 2009 season of 14 HR, 83 RBI, and a .313 AVG with the Houston Astros shows. The Orioles hope Tejada can provide veteran leadership and play to a lineup filled with some exciting young hitters in Matt Wieters (C), Adam Jones (CF), Nick Markakis (RF), and Nolan Reimold (LF).

Jason Giambi – Another former AL MVP found a one-year deal to his liking, as Jason Giambi (1B) will return to the Colorado Rockies this season as a power bat off the bench. Giambi struggled last season as a member of the Oakland A’s as he hit only .193 in 83 games as he battled knee injuries before eventually being released. However, Giambi had success in limited duty with the Rockies as he was a solid contributor in the Rockies playoff run last season. In 19 games with the team, he hit .292 with 2 HR and 11 RBI. In 2010, Giambi will be regulated mostly to pinch-hitting duties and part-time work at first base as his days of being an everyday player are done.

Jim Thome – After his brief flirtation with a return to the South Side of Chicago for 2010 fell through, the future Hall-of-Famer signed a one-year deal worth $1.5 million with the Sox’ division rival, the Minnesota Twins, on Tuesday. Like many other sluggers on the market, Thome had a hard time finding a deal to his liking before finding the Twins to be his best option for 2010. Thome is expected to get roughly 250-300 at-bats this season as a part-time DH and occasional first base option for the Twins. The Twins potential lineup against right-handed pitchers is arguably the most dangerous in all of baseball with reigning AL MVP Joe Mauer (C), Justin Morneau (1B), Jason Kubel (DH/OF), Michael Cuddyer (RF), Thome, and Denard Span (CF).

Xavier Nady - The Chicago Cubs have added some much-needed power and depth to their outfield with the signing of Xavier Nady to a one-year deal on Tuesday. Nady only played in seven games with the New York Yankees last season as he had to undergo the second Tommy John surgery of his career last July. The surgery is typically done on pitchers and has an estimated recovery time of anywhere from 10-12 months. However, Nady is reportedly ahead of schedule and is looking to make a big contribution in 2010. In 2008, Nady had the best season of his career as he had a .305 AVG, 25 HR, and 97 RBI, all career highs. The Cubs are hoping Nady is healthy as they expect him to be the right-handed form of a platoon in right field with current outfielder Kosuke Fukudome. If healthy, Nady should provided solid numbers as a fourth outfielder.

Jon Garland – The San Diego Padres added another arm to their rotation with the signing of Jon Garland to a one-year deal worth $4.75 million with a mutual option worth $6.75 million for 2011. While not a top-of-the-rotation starter, Garland is a reliable work-horse who has pitched at least 191 innings a season since 2002. Last season, Garland was 11-13 with a 4.01 ERA with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers. The Padres are ecstatic to add a pitcher of Garland’s caliber to their host of young arms as he is expected to ease some of the load off of the young pitchers and give them some more seasoning. If nothing else, the Padres are getting a guy that will provide quality starts and eat up some innings.

It is not known exactly how many teams where present for yesterday’s session, but according to those in attendance the list of MLB teams represented was high. The teams rumored to have the best chance of signing Sheets are the New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Texas Rangers. Sheets held three separate throwing sessions consisting of 20 pitches each. He was listed as topping out at 92 mph with his fastball and his signature curveball was said to be moving well. Many scouts came away impressed from the session and thought Sheets looked healthy and ready to contribute this season. However, many of the scouts also noted that Sheets looked “gassed” after only 60 pitches as his stamina will need to improve after missing a whole year of pitching. Matthew Cerrone of MetsBlog.com reports that Sheets is looking for $10 million, along with incentives and possibly a second year player option in his new deal. However, Sheets is more likely to find a deal similar to the one Brad Penny signed with the St. Louis Cardinals earlier this off season.

The biggest problem for Sheets in his career has been injuries. He has only pitched more than 30 games in 4 of his 8 seasons in the league. In my opinion, his career is very similar to Kerry Wood, as they are both former first round draft picks who have shown flashes of domination, but due to injuries have never won more than 14 games in a season. I feel Sheets will be a good gamble and the potential steal of the free agent market if healthy, but he needs to lessen his rumored current demands for his new deal. A team to watch in the Sheets market is the Seattle Mariners, as GM Jack Zduriencik is the former Director of Scouting for the Milwaukee Brewers and played a key role in the team drafting Sheets out of college. For more info on Sheets and his road to recovery, ESPN.com’s Tim Kurkjian has a good story up on Sheets and what he expects to provide this season.

For the Mariners, this is an excellent deal as they have locked up a 23 year old pitcher who is already considered the ace of their staff. This is also a good deal for Hernandez as he can avoid the arbitration process and be a free agent again when he is in the prime of his career at age 28, where he should find another lucrative long-term deal barring injury. In my opinion, it is encouraging to see teams realizing the importance of keeping their home-grown talent in the organization. In this era of free agency, it is common to see players jet from team to team every off season and fail to establish continuity with one club. The Florida Marlins are another team that did a great job of locking up their home-grown ace with their re-signing of Josh Johnson to a long-term deal last week.

It is no secret that the Mariners have been the most active team this off season. In my opinion, they have set themselves up to make a big run at the Los Angeles Angels and the re-signing of Hernandez might be the best and most important move of them all. Mariners fans should be encouraged by their organization’s activity this off season and should be in store for an exciting season.

Despite having an awful second half with the Chicago White Sox last season, Dye finished the 2009 campaign with .250 AVG, 27 HR, and 81 RBI. However, Dye’s defense is average at best at this point in his career and his skills are best suited as a DH or backup outfielder. For the Cubs, it would be a decent gamble as Dye would provide a power bat off the bench and give the team a solid alternative in right and left field should Alfonso Soriano or Kosuke Fukudome get injured or struggle. The Cubs are also rumored to be interested in free agent outfielder Xavier Nady as well as a possible fourth outfielder.

What do you think? Can Dye rebound from his miserable second half and still be a solid contributor or should the Cubs look elsewhere?