Kuzul

Most of the big free-agent names in Major League Baseball are off of the board now, allowing teams that came up short in the Josh Hamilton, Zack Greinke and B. J. Upton sweepstakes to try and find a consolation prize.Free-agent starting pitcher Edwin Jackson, who pitched well if not spectacularly for the Washington Nationals last season, is still available. And according to the Twitter feed of Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal, the San Diego Padres are "strongly pursuing" Jackson.San Diego would be Jackson's seventh big-league team in his 11 seasons. The well-traveled right-hander has packed a lot into those years, including an All-Star appearance with the 2009 Detroit Tigers.He threw one of the ugliest no-hitters in history on June 25, 2010 as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks. He may have walked eight in the 1-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays, but it was still a no-hitter, something the Padres ...

Unlike my previous articles which focused on the Pioneer Press' Tom Powers' idea that the "Minnesota Twins need more useful players, not stars," this article looks at a different side to Minnesota's typical strict budget roster moves.It is not normal for the Twins to rebuild by stacking their team full of proven stars.  However, after two horrible seasons, is it time to break this mold? The following article reviews five free agents the Twins should consider splurging on for 2013 (to rebuild their rotation and jump start the offense).Note: All players were listed as Free Agents when this article was written, via BaseballReference.com and MLBTradeRumors.com.Begin Slideshow

BREAKING NEWS: Stephen Strasburg has an innings limit.Okay, so it's not really breaking news at this point. Strasburg's innings limit and inevitable shutdown have been the baseball equivalent in media coverage to Tim Tebow and the New York Jets.During all the hubbub, the Washington Nationals have enjoyed a record-breaking season. They've won a franchise-record 82 games entering play on Tuesday, and that's a number that will almost assuredly increase over the final 28 games of the regular season.They're pretty much guaranteed a playoff spot at this point—barring a Boston or Atlanta-like collapse—so the now finalized shutdown of Strasburg has generated a lot of controversy amongst fans of the team and fans of the sport in general.While many argue that Strasburg should remain active for the postseason because of his impact on the rotation, there are an equal number of those who oppose such an opinion.Even though Strasburg is likely the ...

Stephen Strasburg's innings limit has been one of the hotter topics in baseball, and it's clear that the Washington Nationals will have a tough decision to make.However, it seems like the Nationals are already preparing to move on without Strasburg.According to MLB.com, Washington has interest in Ryan Dempster and Rockies catcher Ramon Hernandez. The Nationals have John Lannan in the minors, but they would definitely benefit from trading for Dempster.The consistent ace is 5-3 with a league-leading 1.86 ERA this year. A lot of teams will be pursuing Dempster, since Chicago is looking to stockpile prospects for future success. Washington has a great farm system, so they could definitely make a trade.If the Nationals did trade for Dempster, they would probably have Strasburg, Dempster, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmerman and Edwin Jackson in their rotation. After Strasburg leaves, Ross Detwiler would join the rotation.Washington would have to give up a lot, ...

On Friday, Baltimore Orioles pitcher Jason Hammel dominated the Washington Nationals in a 2-1 Orioles victory at Camden Yards. Saturday, Washington hurler Edwin Jackson returned the favor. Jackson tossed 6 1/3 strong innings, as the Nationals beat the Orioles 3-1. Jackson surrendered just one earned run on four hits, while striking out five on the night. With the victory, Jackson goes to 4-4 on the season and his ERA shrinks to 2.91.Tyler Clippard picked up the save for the Nationals—his 11th. Wei-Yin Chen took the loss for the Orioles. The rookie left-hander pitched five innings, giving up two earned runs on six hits. With the loss, Chen is now 7-3 with a 3.38 ERA.   Offensively, the Nationals got on the board first in the top of the second inning when Xavier Nady singled home Michael Morse. A throwing error by third baseman Wilson Betemit allowed Washington's first baseman Adam ...

The New York Yankees and Washington Nationals reportedly had talks earlier in the season regarding one of the Nationals' starting pitchers, says Josh Norris of the Trentonian Blogs.The deal would have involved infielder Eduardo Nunez, Single-A left-hander Nik Turley and an outfielder from Charleston. The outfielder would likely have been either Ben Gamel or Kelvin DeLeon, as Mason Williams and Tyler Austin appear to be untouchable at this point.In return, the Yankees likely would have received Edwin Jackson.Although there are no reports confirming that exchange, it makes sense logically.The package the Yankees were offering would be nowhere near enough to acquire Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez or Jordan Zimmermann, while it would be entirely too much to give up for the likes of John Lannan, Ross Detwiler or Chien-Ming Wang.The Nationals, a pitching-heavy team, definitely have a surplus of starters. However, the team may not want to trade one of its ...

Technically speaking, Edwin Jackson's complete game gem against the Reds on Saturday was a better performance than when he threw his no-hitter with the Diamondbacks.In his no-hitter, Jackson walked eight batters and threw 149 pitches. The "game score" for that game was an 85.Saturday, Jackson's "game score" was 87.Jackson needed just 92 pitches to get through nine innings in the contest, allowing just two runs on one hit and one walk while striking out nine.Ironically, Jackson summed up how he felt about his performance like this: "I felt all right. It's not necessarily the best I've felt but it's all mental."Really, Mr. Jackson?Not the best you've ever felt?Well, I'm quite curious to see what happens when you actually feel like you pitched well.Regardless, Jackson's performance continues a trend of great pitching for the Nationals.After Saturday's game, the Nationals team owns a combined ERA of 1.82. Opponents are hitting just .170 ...

Right now, the Chicago Cubs are a wreck of a team.Yes, they have some nice pieces in Starlin Castro and Matt Garza; but they also have a lot of veterans who simply won't stick around long enough to help the team when the time is right for contention. Carlos Zambrano and Ryan Dempster come off the books after this year (a combined $32 million commitment for 2012), and their starts every fifth day will need to be replaced.As of right now, it appears the Cubs' rotation will consist of some combination of Garza, Zambrano, Dempster, Randy Wells, Andrew Cashner, Travis Wood (my analysis of the trade can be read here) and maybe a surprise like Jeff Samardzija, Rodrigo Lopez, Jay Jackson or Robert Whitenack. However, Zambrano and Dempster likely won't be wearing a Cubs uniform in 2013, and Randy Wells probably shouldn't be either. I'd even be impressed if any ...

The first (extended) week of the baseball season has come and gone and it brought with it several surprising performances: From breakout rookie performances to former top talents finally looking like they are putting it together to veterans finding that spark once more. Here are 10 players that are worth adding if you are looking to fill a hole. Note: The number in the parentheses is the percent-owned in all ESPN Fantasy Leagues.Begin Slideshow

It is no secret that the New York Yankees will be shopping for starting pitching.How desperately has yet to be seen, as spring training just started and all eyes will be on the mound. It is comforting that the Bronx Bombers have the trade-bait to lure teams.Trades with teams who don’t look to be in contention pre-All-Star break are especially likely, as it then makes perfect sense to begin looking towards next season and to trade a top pitcher who still has market-value.Rumors are swirling of talks between the Yankees and Chicago White Sox trade, specifically about Edwin Jackson and how much he would cost for the Bombers to attain him.Is this trade a good idea for the Yankees?This is tough question, as even I can’t decide if Jackson would excel in the Bronx. The Yankees have to see what holes can be filled internally and what prospects and players they are willing ...