The Red Sox made a potential major upgrade to their bullpen Tuesday, acquiring Billy Wagner from the Mets for two players to be named later.
Wagner, who is sixth all-time in saves with 385, was activated from the disabled list last week after almost a year of rehabilitation from Tommy John surgery. The left-handed reliever pitched two scoreless innings for New York, striking out four and walking one.
Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.
It must be nice being a Phillies pitcher.
The Philly sluggers put 12 runs on the board in yesterday's game against the Diamond- backs, giving them a total of 25 runs scored in the three-game sweep. Joe Blanton went eight innings and allowed three runs, which is going to be enough to earn a W on most nights when you're on the same team as these hitters. The team has now won eight of their last nine games and look to be the favorites to repeat as NL champions.
The Dodgers catcher and Cardinals' shortstop both swatted grand slams for some rare RBI as their division-leading teams won.
Martin's sixth-inning blast broke a tie with the Cubs, and the Dodgers went on to win 7-2. His four RBI on that swing were more than he had in the previous 21 games. It was also Martin's first homer since July 26 and his fourth of the season after hitting 13 a year ago.
"I haven't trotted around the bases too often this year," Martin said. "It was nice just to get a breather."
NEW YORK -- Twice in the past week, a pitcher has been hit by a line drive back at him. And Billy Wagner's advice to Hiroki Kuroda of the Dodgers and Darin Downs, a Rays farmhand: You will never completely get over it.
In July 1998, Wagner took a liner off the left side of his head -- while he was on the same mound where Kuroda was felled 11 years later.
"You just have to kind of go straight through and say, 'Hey, I'm going to pitch through it, I'm not going to worry about it,'" Wagner told FanHouse on Tuesday. "But you do have that thought in the back of your mind. I still walk out there, I mean, in a minor-league (rehabilitation) game, you sit there and they call fastball away or something like that, you go, 'Awww.' You think about getting that ball coming back at you. There's no doubt."
It's been a season of ups and downs for Chicago Cubscloser relief pitcher Kevin Gregg. He started the year off in rough fashion with a 5.59 ERA in 10 appearances in April with only one save to show for his efforts. But, in each subsequent month, his ERA got better and better.
Sure, he was subject to a blow-up every now and again, but his May ERA was 3.86 to go with seven saves. His June ERA was even lower, at 2.77 with five saves, and July saw eight saves with a 1.93 ERA. Everything pointed to a pitcher moving in the right direction.
"I think we're going to make some changes as far as what we're going to do in late innings," manager Lou Piniella said. "We'll have some word [Tuesday]."
The reason for the change? Incumbent closer Kevin Gregg blew his sixth save of the season Monday night in San Diego, turning a 1-0 lead with two outs in the ninth inning into a 4-1 loss.
Our MLB editor files dispatches from the Winter Meetings in Las Vegas in Notes From Sin City.
While the baseball world watches and waits for Mark Teixeira and CC Sabathia to make up their mind, or even just for a scrap from super-agent Scott Boras, closer Francisco Rodriguez has become the belle of the Winter Meetings ball.
Though the Mets have yet to publicly acknowledge that they have signed the record-setting reliever, it is widely believed that Rodriguez has agreed to a three-year deal with the club worth roughly $37 million and containing a vesting option for a fourth year that could push its value past $50 million.
Problem solved, right? Third straight September swoon averted, right? Hardly.
Look, there's no doubt that the Mets' biggest need heading into the offseason was to fix their wretched bullpen. And there's no doubt that Rodriguez is a big part of the puzzle in that regard. But they also play in the same division as the reigning world champions and a pair of clubs in the Marlins and Braves who are capable of winning 85-plus games if things break right.
There isn't a team in baseball that couldn't use help in the bullpen. Fortunately for teams in need of relief help, this year's free-agent class is particularly deep in that area with record-setting closers Francisco Rodriguez and Trevor Hoffman on the market in addition to proven names like Brian Fuentes and Brandon Lyon and quality sleepers like Juan Cruz.
Despite that depth, it may take several weeks for the market to sort itself out. There are two dominoes central to the relief market -- the Mets, the richest club in need of a bullpen upgrade, and Rodriguez, the top closer available -- and neither seems to be in a rush.
K-Rod's agent has already come out and said that his client will not sign until after the Winter Meetings in Las Vegas, which wrap up two weeks from today. That's a move likely designed to heat up the market for Rodriguez, which has cooled considerably because of the surprising depth mentioned above. The record-holder for saves in a season is eyeing a record contract for a closer. He may get that, but with names like Hoffman and Fuentes also out there, it seems unlikely that he'll get the $75 million-plus deal he was looking for at the start of the offseason.
Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2009.
See this kid? That's right -- he's crying. Do you know who caused this? That's right: you, New York Mets. You did this to him not once, but twice, losing the final game of the season at Shea Stadium with a sizable division lead in September and your destiny in your hands.
Only bad people make children cry. And if you do fail for a third season in a row, this child will wind up spending more money on extensive therapy than you did signing Luis Castillo. Heck, with this wig on, it may already be too late. But maybe not. So here's what you -- the Mets -- can do to make sure that this child grows up to lead a somewhat normal life.
Though the Mets became the first team in major league history to fail to make the playoffs despite holding a 3 1/2-game lead in the standings in September, they appear to have no problem with the people running the team.
A formal announcement is expected by GM Omar Minaya no later than Tuesday. "Jerry did a very good job in a tough situation, overcoming injuries to [John] Maine and Billy [Wagner]," Minaya said after today's 4-2 loss to the Marlins ended the Mets' season. "I just talked to Jerry and told him I will sit down with ownership tomorrow and give my recommendation. But I was very pleased with the job he did." Owner Fred Wilpon also strongly endorsed Manuel while talking with reporters during today's game.
Minaya might not have deserved his extension, especially when you look through the prism of back-to-back September swoons, but it's hard to say the same for Manuel. He guided the Mets to a 55-38 record down the stretch after taking over for Willie Randolph in mid-June. Considering the hand he was dealt -- a very, very bad bullpen -- Manuel performed admirably as skipper
Indeed, had Billy Wagner not gotten injured, this would probably all be a moot point, and New York might be celebrating an NL East title. Here's to a few more years of Manuel describing Johan Santana as "gangsta" and threatening to "cut"Jose Reyes.
The Red Sox made a potential major upgrade to their bullpen Tuesday, acquiring Billy Wagner from the Mets for two players to be named later.
Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.
Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.
NEW YORK -- Twice in the past week, a pitcher has been hit by a line drive back at him. And Billy Wagner's advice to Hiroki Kuroda of the Dodgers and Darin Downs, a Rays farmhand: You will never completely get over it.
It's been a season of ups and downs for Chicago Cubs 
Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.
There isn't a team in baseball that couldn't use help in the bullpen. Fortunately for teams in need of relief help, this year's free-agent class is particularly deep in that area with record-setting closers Francisco Rodriguez and Trevor Hoffman on the market in addition to proven names like Brian Fuentes and Brandon Lyon and quality sleepers like Juan Cruz.
Though the Mets became the first team in major league history to fail to make the playoffs despite holding a 3 1/2-game lead in the standings in September, they appear to have no problem with the people running the team. 
