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After the Los Angeles Angels signed Ervin Santana to a four year $30 million deal last Saturday, are the Giants be thinking of doing the same their own superstar, right hander Tim Lincecum?

Maybe, but not on immediate time. Club officials and Luncecum himself said last Sunday that multiplayer deal talks are not active, although everything can change with one phone call.

“Nothing’s going on right now,” Lincecum said Sunday. Generally, he added, the business side of baseball concerns him “very little. I’m just worried about the season. What I hear, I hear about from my agent [Rick Thurman] and I haven’t heard anything. I’m just playing the waiting game.”

Lincecum is the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner. Santana on the other hand, owns a 51-37 career record, an All-Star season, and finished 16-7 with a 3.49 ERA.

Lincecum is 18-5 with a 2.62 ERA and has a ML high 265 strikeouts last season. During the Giant’s opening workout for their pitchers and catchers, Lincecum threw with his usual flair off the bullpen. It was his third throwing session off a mound this year, and can clearly be said that he is still on the verge of “bringing the old out of himself.”

“My dad always says, ‘Find rhythm first,’ so I tried to do that,” Lincecum said.

At one point, Lincecum played with his two-seam fast ball. Guided by Mark Gardner, Lincecum threw one that the bullpen coached liked.  “Atta boy,” catcher Eli Whiteside hollered. “I figured it out,” Lincecum called back, grinning.

Even though the Nationals are filled with talented outfielders, Manager Manny Acta already made up his mind and appointed Lastings Milledge as the regular center fielder.

Last season was a good year for Milledge; playing everyday in the big league, hitting .268 along with 14 home runs and 61 RBIs.
“We have a center fielder. Lastings played the whole season there last year,” Acta said.

Acta and the rest of his coaching staff must now decide on who will be designated as left and right fielders: Adam Dunn, Elijah Dukes, Austin Kearns and Josh Willingham are potential candidates to play the said positions.

Adam Dunn earlier this week inked a two-year $20 million contract, will now be playing each and every day, although he could find himself playing first base. That is if Nick Johnson is not in good shape, or is traded elsewhere.

Constantly healing due to serious injuries, Dukes, Kearns and Willingham are expected to be in their best shape when exhibition season starts.
“We are going to have six weeks of Spring Training,” general manager Jim Bowden said.

“We are going to look at the health of all our players. I don’t think you can determine that in early March. I think it’s going to be late March before you can determine how healthy they are.

No. 2, you have to look at the performance of players beyond the health. Third is a trade option. Do we have an opportunity to make a deal and make our team better? Certainly, we have depth.”

Dan Uggla is going to cash in on a big payday.

How much will he be earning is the big question mark.

It was decided on Tuesday that the Marlins second baseman will be hitting $5.35 million this 2009.

Uggala was seeking the said amount, and the Marlins countered him with $4.4 million. In that instance, Uggala’s salary went to an arbitration hearing Wednesday in Arizona. The three arbitrators was forced to decide on to which of the amounts the All Star would be receiving.

The Marlins could have kept their negotiations with Uggla’s agent, Jeff Borris until the hearings began. But the team followed their policy to stop these kinds of talks if no agreement has been made after the said deadline.

“You never want to go to a hearing, win or lose,” Borris said. “You try to settle, but the Marlins have a policy. … Bottom line is the team is trying to make the best deal for them, and you can’t fault them for that. And the player is looking for the best deal for him, and you can’t fault him for that.”
Finding a resolution on this matter in a hearing is not a primary option, since by nature of the said arguments, derogatory compliments and other side comments are mostly conceived. In this regard, the Marlins and Uggla repeatedly said while going to the meeting, is but a business transaction.
Uggla said during the Marlins’ club caravan and Fan Fest last week, that there are no hard feelings. The Marlins felt the very same thing. In that same event, team president David Samson said in a town hall meeting that Uggla was deserving of the amount of money that he requested.

With the issue resolved, Uggla and the rest of the position players are expected for their first workout on Tuesday while Pitchers and catchers will begin on Saturday.

Spring Training will be opening its doors this Saturday at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter Florida.

Uggla, who in 2008 reaped 32 home runs and fellow All-Star shortstop Hanley Ramirez had 33, are the club’s top players, thus forming one of the most prolific middle-infield combinations in the Major Leagues.
Last year, he (Uggla) also set his personal high with 92 RBIs along with a .260 batting average with a .514 slugging average.

Uggla was voted twice as a reserve in the All-Star Game. He was picked as a rookie last 2006 and 2008.
As a Rule 5 Draft pick in December 2005, Uggla has become a stalwart image due to his history of making it into the big league, having steady numbers for a second baseman, garnering 90 home runs in his three seasons in MLB.

Astros shortstop Miguel Tejada was charged Tuesday on lying to investigators on the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball, reports said.
The Washington Post had reported that the Astros shortsop allegedly made some misrepresentations to some congressional staffers in an interview in a Baltimore hotel room on the subject of steroids in baseball. reported.

Tejada will be expected to appear on Wednesday, 11 am ET in US District Court in Washington. Charges against him were outlined and were filed in Washington Federal Court last Tuesday; indicating that a plea agreement has been reached with Tejada, and is expected to plead guilty, according to an ESPN report. The Astros have scheduled a 4 p.m. CT news conference for Wednesday at Minute Maid Park.

The conference will be aired live on MLB.com and will be attended by Tejada, his lawyer, Mark Tuohey; and agent Diego Bentz.
Tejada was accused by prosecutors of giving false statements in a conversation with former Athletics teammate Adam Pitt about steroids and human growth hormones. No other accusations were made.

Tejada can face a maximum penalty of one year in jail, but advisory sentencing guidelines call for a sentence of probation to six months behind bars, according to the Post report

The charges against Tejada came a little over a year after the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform asked the U.S. Department of Justice to open an investigation into whether Tejada really told false statements to members of the same committee in 2005 about his use of performance-enhancing drugs.

The allegations go back to 2005 when Tejada’s former temmate Rafael Palmeiro, tested positive in a steroid test on a vitamin B-12 injection allegedly given to him by Tejada.

Palmeiro gave the testimony while under investigation by the House Committee for possibly lying on the usage of performance-enhancing drugs.
Charges against Palmeiro was dropped since the Committee has no concrete evidence, although Tejada admitted during the investigation that he provided Palmiero and two other undisclosed Orioles players with B-12, also known as a steroid .

Tejada denied the use of performance enhancing drugs August of the same year, stating that he is not aware of the substance use by other players.
But the Mitchell Report released last December 2007 suggested something different. Former Sen. George Mitchell said that Tejada’s teammate Piatt, remembered that the he provided Tejada with steroids, testosterone and HGH in 2003.

Piatt gave Mitchell cancelled checks from his transactions with Tejada which amounted to $6,300. One $3,200 check coming from Tejada to Piatt was dated March 21, 2003.

After Randy Wolf returned to the rotation, the Dodgers brought back another familiar face to vie for the bullpen slot.

Jeff Weaver, winning 27 games while making 68 starts for the Dodgers during the 2004-05 season, signed an ML contract, plus a slot in Spring Training this Saturday at the club’s new Camelback Ranch-Glendale facility in Arizona.

Weaver contacted the Dodgers, telling the team of him pitching out of the bullpen after pitching in the Minor League in 2008. In turn, he will be earning $500,000 if he makes the roster.

Originally acquired by the Dodgers from the Yankees in a Kevin Brown trade, wanted a big deal after the 2005 season that wasn’t coming from the Dodgers after pitching 224 innings. Noticing that his market was limited, he signed a one year contract with the Angels in mid February of 2006.

By the end of June, a 3-10 Weaver was traded to St. Louis, where he was a different player. He pitched at the World Series clincher and despite the recovery, he was allowed to leave by the Cardinals and signed with Seattle in 2007, but with shoulder problems, Weaver finished the season at 7-13.

Being a free agent last 2008, he had Minor League stints with Milwaukee and Cleveland, but no Major League appearance. After leaving the Dodgers, his composite ERA for both leagues was at 6.00.

Also expected to be in the Dodgers’ huddle this year are relievers Relievers are Jonathan Broxton, Hong-Chih Kuo, Cory Wade, James McDonald, Guillermo Mota and Scott Elbert. The Dodgers are also considering Will Ohman, Dennys Reyes and Jamey Wright to be in the bullpen.

The club also announced that they are in terms with left-hander Shawn Estes and right-handers Ronald Belisario, Charlie Haeger and Tanyon Sturtze, all on Minor League deals with big league camp invites.

Just five days before the opening of Spring Training, second baseman Adam Kennedy was granted by the Cardinals his unconditional release last Monday, making it the Franchise’s most daring move of the off season, and they are still required to pay Kennedy for the remainder of his contract.

Kennedy is now eligible to sign with any team he wishes. In a usual scenario, any released player who signs with another club, it is the role of the new team to pay the said player the Major League minimum, and the original team fills in the slot for the rest of the contract. Kennedy is allocated $4 million in 2009 for his last season of a three year contract with the Cardinals.

Kennedy batted .280 with a .321 on base percentage and a .372 slugging percentage last year and sensing that his playing time was being cut, requested to be traded. Unable to work out a deal, the Cardinals held Kennedy until Monday.

“I tried to exhaust the trade market,” General Manager John Mozeliak said. “We thought we might have something happening that really came to an end this weekend. At that point it was just time. It was more fair for both parties to do it now than wait a couple weeks.”

The Cardinals are now facing to fill the spot Kennedy had left them. With no real favorite to man the second base, the potentials in which the Cardinals would be having are Brian Barden, Brendan Ryan, outfielder Skip Schumaker and Joe Thurston.
Other options for the Cadrinals are free agents Orlando Hudson, Ray Durham and former Cardinals player Mark Grudzielanek.

“Right now, we’re going to go with what we have,” Mozeliak said. “We would like to do this internally if we could, and we do have confidence that we can.”
On the lighter side though, if outfielder Skip Schumaker shows his qualifications playing second base, it could clear the Cardinals’ way for top priority Colby Rasmus to suit up for Opening Day.

Manager Tony La Russa was consulted in lieu with the Kennedy scenario, and was in favor of releasing Kennedy. The General Manager also stated that (the move) is a key point in order to make sure that everyone on the roster is on the same track.
“It was something that Tony and I have talked about the last few weeks in trying to put our best foot forward with our team,” Mozeliak said.
“I do think this was an opportunity to inject some energy into that position and really show that we are moving this club in a newer direction.”

When Randy Johnson pitches, everything stops and every eye is on him, waiting for yet another strike out. Last Saturday, he provide a glance of what is yet to come and what came to help him win 295 games, strike out 4,789 batters and of course five CY Young awards.

Below are some of the questions the left handed pitcher answered with a smile, and, despite all of his achievements, with immense humility.

Advise to young pitchers:

“There’s nothing in this game I haven’t done. You’re wondering whether you’re ever going to win a ballgame. And then I’ve won 10 games in a row. I’ve had surgeries. I’ve had to battle back from those kind of things.

“I’ve had bad games. I know how you can mentally be dragging a little bit towards the end of the year. I know the demands that Tim [Lincecum] will have this year after winning the Cy Young. The door is opening for Brandon Webb. The door is opening for a player like Tim Lincecum. “I won a Cy Young in Seattle and then I came to Arizona and won four in a row. Ironically enough, my best year statistically wasn’t until I won my fifth Cy Young.

Randy Johnson: The type of pitcher:

“At this point in my career, my ability and my skills may have diminished, but not my edge or my desire to still be good. As long as I have that, that’s what motivates me. That’s what motivated me and that’s why I was so dangerous, I suppose, because I could throw 100 mph and I wanted to win. Now I still want to win, but I can win throwing 92 and it’s made me a better pitcher, as well.”

The possibility of his 300^th victory with the Giants and not with Arizona or Seattle.

I’ve done a lot in Arizona; it would have been fitting to do it there. It’s not like I’m not familiar with the San Francisco Giants. I’ve pitched against them quite a bit. I’m familiar with the ballpark. I’m familiar with the Bay Area. It’s where I grew up. It’s as good of a last chapter, if you will, of my career that there could be.”

There’s not a blank page yet. We’re still filling the page up. The author’s still at work. I haven’t had a 5.00 ERA since, because my back has been surgically fixed. If I do, I’ll retire.”

2006 NL MVP Ryan Howard signed a three-year contract worth $54 million, on an extension deal with the Phillies, and laid out his final three years of salary negotiation.

What made the deal so intriguing is the fact that Howard and the Phillies franchise seem to be far apart during previous contract extensions, and it seems both parties will continue doing this process until Howard becomes a free agent after 2011.

“We’re pleased to have gotten this behind us,” Ruben Amaro, General Manager of the Phillies said during a conference at Citizens Bank Park. “I think it’s important for the players to worry about playing baseball; to get them ready to defend our title.”

In an estimate, Howard will be earning $15 million this season, $19 million the following year and $20 million in 2011. Only five players earned more than Howard last year: Alex Rodriguez ($28 million), Jason Giambi ($23.4 million), Derek Jeter ($21.6 million), Manny Ramirez ($18.9 million) and Carlos Beltran ($18.6 million).

Considering that Howard will be declared NL MVP over the next season, his current salary will be added $1 million over the next two years. A Gold Glove Award and All-Star appearances will also spell bonuses for Howard and as well as $1 million if he is traded before Nov. 1, 2010.

“I’m happy to have this done and to know that I’ll be in Philadelphia for at least another three years. Both sides are happy, and now I’m just focused on getting the season started and having fun.” Howard said in a statement

The cost for Howard’s signing certainty was significant since the Phillies tried to evaluate free-agent players or which of their players to extend, like they did this offseason for Howard, Hamels, Madson and Werth.

“We know where we’re at with the dollars on him. My job is to try to put a championship-caliber club on the field every single year, and knowing exactly where the dollars are going to be over the next several years on some of our higher-priced players, it helps me a lot.” Amaro said when asked about the $4 million gap on Howard’s request of $18 million as to the Phillies’ offer of $14 million.

Jimmy Rollins also singed with the Phillies until 2010 and a 2011 club option, Brad Lidge through 2011, 2012 club option, Hamels through 2011 and Chase Utley through 2013.

Amaro said that they made contact with Casey Close, Howard’s agent and also with Howard’s family. Now specific agenda was brought out, but he said they talked about several conditions that would convince Howard to signing a long-term deal.

Amaro was asked if he was disappointed that the Phillies couldn’t sign Howard to a longer deal, he said, “I don’t know if “disappointment” is the way to depict it. … It’s three years, and it’s a significantly long time. Ultimately, we came to the conclusion it was the right thing to do.”

There was also some rumors that the parties had reached an standoff on a multiyear contract with Howard believing to be asking a contract similar to New York Yankees’ Mark Teixeira’s eight-year, $180 million contract. Also, there were some speculations stating that the parties weren’t getting along, even though no real evidence of such came out of the public.

Putting those into perspectives, it is safe to say that Howard didn’t agree to a single contract the Phillies had offered him for the last three years.

“No negotiation is simple, but the goal is always the same,” Amaro said. “Get a deal done, and get a deal that is equitable. We’ve been trying to build a relationship with Casey and Ryan and the family, and I think that at the end of the day, we got done what was necessary, and frankly, it was the right thing to do for our organization. … Things that happened prior with Ryan, I don’t know why, but they were being depicted in a different way. They weren’t adversarial. It was just a matter of us agreeing to disagree, and that happens a lot in any kind of business. I don’t think it made us love Ryan any less, and I don’t think Ryan loved us any less.”