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Yankees C/DH Jorge Posada has decided that he will hang up his cleats and retire from Major League Baseball, ESPN reports. This is relevant to Red Sox fans, since Jason Varitek is currently in the same situation that Posada found himself in.Jorge Posada has been a staple in the New York lineup since being drafted in 1990. This past season, injuries and poor performance caused a shift in the starting catcher role, which was filled by Russell Martin. Posada only played the field in 16 games in 2011: 14 of them coming at first base, one at second base and only one behind home plate.The fact of the matter is that Posada was no longer in the Yankees' plans, and even though he is a New York icon, they couldn't really do much for him. They already have a starting catcher in Martin, and surging prospect Jesus Montero will fill ...

For the first few months of the Cubs new administration, it has been relatively quiet on the forefront despite being in the running for several free agents throughout the offseason. However, yesterday Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer acquired first baseman Anthony Rizzo and Zach Cates, a 23-year-old pitcher from the San Diego Padres in exchange for Andrew Cashner and Kyung-Nin Ma according to MLB.com writer, Carrie Muskrat.Although this trade is not in the same league as signing Prince Fielder, nor does this mean that Rizzo will be the projected starting first baseman for the Cubs this season, but Rizzo is undoubtedly a promising prospect that will be a serious component in the Cubs future. It seemed evident Rizzo would be on his way out of Chicago after the Padres traded for Yondo Alonso. With this move, Epstein and Co. were able to jump and grab a premier prospect. Rizzo was called ...

About four months ago, I wrote an article wondering aloud whether the Detroit Tigers should give oft-injured fan favorite Joel Zumaya one last chance, with a new contract. Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski gave us an answer to that question at the winter meetings when he stated bluntly that the team will not offer Zumaya a major league contract; but they are happy to have him at camp as a non-roster invitee.Detroit did not even have a representative among the 50 scouts present at Zumaya's open workout in December. Clearly the Tigers have decided to move on without the flame-throwing righty and it appears the odds of him showing up at Tigers training camp as an invitee are very slim, despite his stated interest in remaining in Detroit.Rumors abound that the San Diego Padres are very interested in Zumaya, a San Diego native who would benefit from an extreme pitchers' park in ...

The Tampa Bay Rays are looking for more over-the-hill veterans to fill out their roster like they did last season. But as they saw last year, it’s not exactly the best way to go about it. Now with news that Jorge Posada may be on the team’s radar, I am convinced that the club is satisfied with being as mediocre as you can get.Posada had his worst statistical season of his career with the Yankees this year and the Rays want him. Why? I understand the veteran presence, but don’t they have enough of that? NBC Hardball Talk is reporting on Posada’s possible suitors: Javier Maymi of ESPNDeportes.com hears (link in Spanish) that the Rays are interested in the 40-year-old. Maymi confirmed the information with Posada’s father, who said he has also had some discussions with the Orioles and Phillies. However, he hasn’t decided whether he will play in 2012.This ...

I see your Albert Pujols and I raise you… Prince Fielder? In what is quickly turning into a Boston-New York AL West, the Angels and Rangers are in the process of engaging in a high-stakes arms race in an effort to establish themselves as the top dog in the AL West. Various reports list the Rangers as one of the potential suitors for free-agent slugger Prince Fielder.  This on top of the fact that they were recently awarded exclusive negotiating rights with Japanese pitching phenom Yu Darvish.  If they do manage to sign both players (which will probably cost them upwards of $300 million, including the $51 million posting fee for Darvish), then they will have essentially wiped out the gains the Angels made when they signed Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson. And that would be disastrous for Los Angeles. The Angels, flush with cash after reportedly inking a 20-year, ...

The Cincinnati Reds have suddenly been very busy upgrading the club. General manager Walt Jocketty swore to upgrade the club’s pitching, and he has done just that with the acquisitions of Mat Latos and Sean Marshall. One lingering question about the pitching staff is the closer position. The Reds appear to have a solid starting rotation and a solidified bullpen. Francisco Cordero was the Reds closer for the past four years, and performed admirably for the most part. Cordero notched 150 saves as a member of the Reds, but at the cost of a $46 million contract. The problem with Cordero is he is beginning to lose his appeal. Cordero turns 37 years old in May, and last season he regressed noticeably. His K/9 rate has dropped consistently, and he doesn’t have the best save percentage when compared to the elite of his position. There is also the issue of ...

After relentlessly attempting to land local product Gio Gonzalez and add another established pitcher to the rotation, the Marlins are forced to look elsewhere as the division rival Washington Nationals augmented their rotation with another young arm. It was disappointing for the Marlins because, in this particular case, they were willing to deal their top prospects, a change of times for a franchise who usually keeps and molds their farm system and deals their established starting players. The Oakland Athletics asked the Marlins for either Logan Morrison or Mike Stanton in a package deal for Gio Gonzalez and the team has deemed both "untouchable". So where does the team go from here? The current rotation of Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle, Ricky Nolasco, and Anibal Sanchez has an array of question marks to the point that it might not even be within the top 3 in the crowded NL East.The trade market currently consists of Wade Davis (Rays), ...

Free agency: the time where players and teams find each other. The winter meetings have already found Albert Pujols and Jose Reyes a home. As more teams obtain their offensive upgrades throughout the meetings, the talent pool of free agents decreases. Just Thursday both Josh Willingham and Michael Cuddyer were signed. While many of the well-known names have already committed to their 2012 teams, there are still some good bats available.When most think of the hitters available, they think of Prince Fielder, but there are others just waiting for a team to pick them up. Teams are always looking to bolster their lineup and will continue to do so throughout the offseason. For now, these are the best remaining free-agent hitters on the market. If you like what you see click here for more from Bleacher Report Productions.  Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

For all the mounting criticism directed at Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr.—he traded Cliff Lee, overpaid Ryan Howard, failed to extend Cole Hamels (so far)—there's no doubt he and the franchise made out beautifully in the just-announced re-signing of incumbent shortstop Jimmy Rollins.The Phillies gave Rollins a three-year deal worth $33 million with a vesting option fourth year. From the get-go, Rollins wanted a five-year deal and the Phillies felt they couldn't go higher than three.In the end, the Phillies got their man at their price. For a team with scant alternatives, the deal validates Amaro's hard line and keeps Philadelphia's window for a third championship open for the next few years.And for those preoccupied with Rollins' shortcomings—pops up too much, doesn't see enough pitches, takes plays off—the stats tell the story.Here are Rollins' ranks among major league shortstops over the last five seasons in the major player value categories:WAR: ...

Jimmy Rollins has agreed to a three-year deal with the Phillies, according to Jerry Crasnick of espn.com. The deal is said to be worth around $33 million with a fourth-year vesting option, according to Jim Salisbury of csnphilly.com. The Milwaukee Brewers were among other teams who were in the running for Rollins, but Crasnick himself stated, "Brewers made an offer, but he ultimately wanted to stay home."Rollins, who is 33 years old, hit .268 with 16 HR and 63 RBI last season. He has spent his entire career in Philadelphia, and Phillies fans will be satisfied to see him stay put.Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com