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Yanks Decline Options For Wood, Berkman, Johnson
2010-10-27 16:24:00
The Yankees declined their 2011 options for Kerry Wood , Lance Berkman and Nick Johnson  and exercised their option on 2007 first rounder Andrew Brackman. It cost the Yankees $2MM to buy out Berkman's $15MM option and $250K to buy out Johnson's $5.5MM option. Wood, 33, posted a 0.69 ERA with 10.7 K/9 in 24 regular season appearances for the Yankees, and was outstanding in the playoffs. It would have cost the Yankees $11MM to exercise the righty's 2011 option, so turning it down was presumably easy for GM Brian Cashman and the rest of the team's front office. Berkman, 34, batted just .255/.358/.349 after the Yankees acquired him from the Astros in a July trade. Johnson performed worse than that in his 98 plate appearances. The 32-year-old posted a .167/.388/.306 line in his return to the Bronx. Like Berkman, he reached base without providing any pop.  Picking up Brackman's option was a formality. The 24-year-old posted a 3.90 ERA with 8.1 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in the minors last year, ...
More About: Options

MLBTR Chat Transcript
2010-10-27 15:59:00
Click here to read this week's chat transcript.
More About: Chat

Yankees, Girardi Closing In On Three-Year Deal
2010-10-27 15:41:00
The Yankees and Joe Girardi are closing in on a deal that would keep the manager in pinstripes for three years and pay him a total of $9-10MM, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Girardi's contract expires this week, but he and the Yankees could finalize a new deal by today or tomorrow, according to Sherman. Girardi, 46, led the Yankees to the ALCS this year, where they lost to the Rangers. In three seasons under Girardi, the Yankees have won one World Series title and posted a 287-199 regular season record. Jon Heyman of SI.com reported yesterday that the Yankees were set to start talks with Girardi on a three-year deal worth about $3MM per season.
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What About Yunel Escobar
2010-10-27 15:00:00
We did the shortstop keeper rankings last week, and one of the questions was succinct: “Yunel Escobar?” If only the answer could be as short as the question in this case. Of course, if you are in a shallow league or contemplating even ten keepers in a mixed league, the answer probably is: No. Even ...

Cubbie Ryne Sandberg to coach for White Sox?
2010-10-27 14:46:00
Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg's name has long been synonymous with the Chicago Cubs. After all, he played second base there for 15 years and then spent time managing teams in their minor league system, winning the Pacific Coast League Manager of the Year award this past season for his work with the Iowa Cubs. But he could soon be changing one Chicago uniform for another. Chicago White Sox bench coach Joey Cora is a finalist for the managerial opening of the Milwaukee Brewers, and Sox manager Ozzie Guillen says he'd consider giving Sandberg the job if Cora leaves, according to the Chicago Tribune.Sandberg, who was passed over to be the next Cubs manager after Mike Quade took the job, has said he's ready to look for jobs elsewhere. Let the rumors come to you. Follow Scoop du Jour on Twitter or Facebook.
More About: White Sox , Coach

Non-Tender Candidate: John Maine
2010-10-27 14:35:00
There's no question that John Maine's season began poorly. He struggled through nine early-season starts and didn't pitch after injuring his shoulder in May. If there was any doubt that he was a non-tender candidate, it disappeared later this summer when it became apparent that he would need season-ending arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder. Before the injury sidelined Maine, he posted a 6.13 ERA in 39.2 innings and walked too many hitters, so the Mets may be reluctant to offer the 29-year-old arbitration. Sure, Maine has potential, but he made $3.3MM this year and would make a comparable amount if the Mets tender him a contract.  Maine is still young and he has been effective in the past, so it's easy to see how the Mets might be tempted to keep him. The right-hander pitched to a 4.01 ERA in 87 starts from 2006-09 with 7.7 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9. That kind of production has value, even if Maine currently sits behind Johan Santana (also recovering from surgery), R.A. Dickey, Jo...

Arizona Fall League Roundup: Mesa-Peoria Score 27 Runs
2010-10-27 14:00:00
Jim Mone - AP about 1 month ago: Cleveland Indians pitcher Carlos Carrasco, top right, jumps to avoid Minnesota Twins runner Ben Revere who was tagged out during a rundown between first and second by second baseman Louis Valbuena, left, in the second inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2010, in Minneapolis. Carrasco was covering first during the rundown. (AP Photo/Jim Mone) View full size photo » There were 27 runs, 37 hits, 9 errors and 8 walks in the Mesa-Peoria game on Tuesday afternoon. Before I highlight the hitting stars in this one, here is an excerpt from Kevin Goldstein's Monday Ten Pack yesterday: Zack Cox, 3B, Cardinals (AFL: Rafters)  Because of the late deal, he played just four games in the Gulf Coast League during the regular season, so he's getting more experience in the Arizona Fall League and looking overmatched so far, with a 2-for-19 line that includes nine strikeouts. While scouts believe he can hit, he's a bad-b...
More About: Roundup , Score

Big Papi confident Red Sox will bring him back
2010-10-27 13:31:00
The Boston Red Sox have till three days after the World Series ends to decide whether they want to pick up the $12.5 million, 2011 option for designated hitter David Ortiz. Over the course of 145 games this past season, Ortiz batted .270, hit 32 homers, drove in 102 runs, and scored 82 runs himself. Since beginning his major league career in 1997 with the Minnesota Twins, the 34-year-old has averaged .281, and hit 349 homers.He was at the Miami Heat-Boston Celtics game Tuesday night and the Boston Globe tracked him down to discover that he's feeling confident that the team will bring him back next year."We're going to talk next week," he told the Globe. If the team doesn't exercise the option, Ortiz will be a free agent five days after the World Series ends.Let the rumors come to you. Follow Scoop du Jour on Twitter or Facebook.
More About: Back

Tigers "Deeply Interested" In Carl Crawford
2010-10-27 13:31:00
The Tigers are "deeply interested" in Carl Crawford, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. As Rosenthal points out, Crawford and Austin Jackson would provide the Tigers with excellent outfield defense in spacious Comerica Park. Crawford can hit, too; the 29-year-old batted .307/.356/.495 this year with a career-high 19 homers. The Red Sox, Angels and Nationals are among the many potential suitors for Crawford. The Reds and Astros don't figure to pursue the left fielder, but that won't hurt his free agent stock much. He's in position to demand a $100MM deal, especially if the Yankees and Braves get involved. The Tigers started addressing their offseason needs last week by signing Brandon Inge to an affordable extension. They may soon do the same with Jhonny Peralta, so GM Dave Dombrowski figures to have the resources to make competitive offers to Crawford and other impact bats.

Potential Suitors For A.J. Pierzynski
2010-10-27 12:46:00
The White Sox may be the best fit of all for A.J. Pierzynski, who hits free agency this offseason. It once seemed as though Tyler Flowers would replace Pierzynski, but the White Sox could look to keep the 13-year veteran if they don't want to hand the starting catcher's job to a minor leaguer who slumped his way through the 2010 season. Pierzynski has said he's open to returning to the South Side, so it would not be surprising to see the sides reach a new deal. As MLBTR's Steve Adams pointed out when he examined Pierzynski's stock a few weeks ago, the relative strength of this year's free agent catchers could limit the catcher's bargaining power. Victor Martinez, Ramon Hernandez, John Buck and Rod Barajas will be available on the market and Miguel Olivo, Yorvit Torrealba and Bengie Molina could join them. But a number of teams will be seeking catching help this winter, so Pierzynski should draw interest if he doesn't return to Chicago. Here are some potential destinations fo...

Marlins "leaning toward" keeping Rodriguez at helm
2010-10-27 12:28:00
Edwin Rodriguez took over as manager for the Florida Marlins in June after the firing of Fredi Gonzalez (recently named Atlanta Braves manager) and led them to a 46-46 record. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel is reporting that the team is "leaning toward keeping Rodriguez as manager for at least one more season." In 2012, the team moves into a new stadium, so it may want a new big-name manager to wow its fans if next year doesn't go well on the field. Team president David Samson tells the paper that the search is "still at the internal stage." It looks like the search may never have to go any further than that.The team will have to wait till the World Series ends to make the announcement official. "After the World Series is a good time frame for completion to this process," Samson said. "I think [owner] Jeffrey [Loria] and [president of baseball operations] Larry [Beinfest] and all of us are being contemplative and making a plan."Let the rumors come to you. Follow Scoo...

Stan Musial Award Nominations: Fantasy Chapter
2010-10-27 12:00:00
Once again, as President of the Baseball Blogger Association's Fantasy Chapter, I have the honor of presenting the chapter's Stan Musial Award Nominations.The American League Stan Musial Award Nominations:1. Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers (3) 2. Jose Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays (1)3. Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers 4. Robinson Cano, New York Yankees5. Adrian Beltre, Boston Red Sox6. Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays7. Carl Crawford, Tampa Bay Rays8. Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins9. Paul Konerko, Chicago White Sox10. Shin-Soo Choo, Cleveland IndiansJustin Morneau, Nick Swisher and Brett Gardner also received votes.The National League Stan Musial Award Nominations:1. Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals (2)2. Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds (2) 3. Carlos Gonzalez, Colorado Rockies 4. Ryan Zimmerman, Washington Nationals5. Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Rockies 6. Matt Holliday, St. Louis Cardinals7. Adrian Gonzalez, San Diego Padres8. Aubrey Huff, San Francisco Giants9. Rickie Weeks, Milwaukee Brewers10....

Valentine a finalist in Milwaukee?
2010-10-27 11:58:00
Bobby Valentine 's name has come up for a few managerial openings this year (Baltimore Orioles, Florida Marlins) and now it's coming up again in connection with the Milwaukee Brewers. FOX Sports is reporting that Valentine is one of the finalists for the gig in Brew Town. But Valentine is working with ESPN right now and who knows if the Brewers could pay him enough cash to get him to move there?FOX Sports also claims Bob Melvin and Joey Cora are also finalists in Milwaukee.Not counting his two stints with the Chiba Lotte Marines, with which Valentine won the 2005 Japan Series, he has a Major League Baseball managerial record of 1,117-1,072 with the Texas Rangers and New York Mets. The 60-year-old won the National League pennant with the Mets in 2000. As a player in the big leagues, Valentine hit .260 with 441 hits and 157 RBIs over a decade.Let the rumors come to you. Follow Scoop du Jour on Twitter or Facebook.

Giants Notes: Payroll, Lincecum, Rowand
2010-10-27 11:27:00
The Giants have every reason to be focused on tonight's World Series opener with the Rangers, but first pitch is hours away, so there's still time for some updates on how the Giants got here and what they can expect next year: The Giants expected to lose money this year, but their playoff run has them primed for a $7-10MM profit, according to Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross of the San Francisco Chronicle. We heard earlier in the week that the club won't likely raise its payroll substantially in 2011. Bengie Molina texted Tim Lincecum to offer advice, even after the Giants traded the catcher to Texas, according to Henry Schulman of the Chronicle. Giants GM Brian Sabean told Bill Shaikin of the LA Times that he has been able to ?balance the team and balance the books? despite questionable contracts like Aaron Rowand?s and Barry Zito?s. Brian Wilson told MLB.com's Chris Haft that he approves of his GM's in-season moves. "Sabean nailed it. He really did. He went out and got the guy...
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Sandy Alderson Hiring Reactions
2010-10-27 10:34:00
The Mets are bringing in one of baseball?s most experienced executives to turn the franchise into a winner. Sandy Alderson became Oakland?s general manager in 1983, when Theo Epstein, Jon Daniels and Alex Anthopoulos were in grade school. Here are some reactions to the Mets? decision to pass on Josh Byrnes and bring in Alderson: Andy Martino of the New York Daily News reports that former Twins GM Terry Ryan and longtime GM Pat Gillick had some interest in the job. Martino also notes that Mets assistant GM John Ricco wants to be a GM at some point. Joel Sherman of the New York Post praises the Mets' decision and suggests the team can work through bad contracts and reach the top of the NL. Sherman and Mike Puma say the Mets were impressed with Byrnes, "but not enough to ignore their strong feelings about the instant credibility and sense of direction that would come with hiring someone with Alderson's gravitas." The Mets made an "excellent choice," ESPN.com's Keith Law writes (on ...
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Arizona Diamondbacks, 2010 Minor League Review
2010-10-27 09:15:00
Arizona Diamondbacks 2010 Minor Review Overall farm ranking via Baseball America: 2010 (27) | 2009 (26) | 2008 (15) | 2007 (3) | 2006 (1) | 2005 (13) | 2004 (13) Major League Record and Minor League Affiliates Records MLB: [65 ? 97] NL West AAA: [69 ? 74] Pacific Coast League ? Reno AA: ...
More About: Arizona , Arizona Diamondbacks

Tigers, Peralta "Expected" To Agree On Extension
2010-10-27 00:47:00
The Tigers have already locked up one infielder (Brandon Inge) before the start of the free agency period, and now they may be on the verge of re-signing another. Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com reports that Detroit is "expected" to spend $0.25MM to buy out Jhonny Peralta's $7MM option for 2011 and instead work out a two-year contract with the shortstop. Morosi predicts Peralta's new deal will be worth "a little less" than the $11.5MM that Inge will earn over the two guaranteed years of his contract. Peralta had a .703 OPS in 2010, including a .253/.314/.396 line in 242 plate appearances as a Tiger. He provides solid power from the shortstop position, which is a big plus on a Detroit team that didn't generate much pop beyond Miguel Cabrera and the possibly-departing Magglio Ordonez. Without Peralta, the Tigers would be forced to explore the very thin shortstop market for a replacement that would've very likely been a downgrade. Morosi also mentions that Peralta's pending retur...
More About: Extension

Mets To Hire Sandy Alderson
2010-10-27 00:36:00
The Mets are set to hire Sandy Alderson as their new general manager, sources have told Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman (via Twitter). Heyman adds (in another tweet) that the hiring could be announced on Friday, the first off-day of the World Series. Alderson and former Arizona GM Josh Byrnes were the two finalists for the position and both men conducted follow-up interviews with the Mets over the last two days. Alderson, 62, has been considered the favorite for the last week, and indeed seems to have been a top candidate ever since his name was first mentioned in connection with the job. Alderson was general manager of the Athletics from 1983 to 1997, capturing three AL pennants and the 1989 World Series championship during his tenure in Oakland. He spent eight years as Major League Baseball's executive VP for baseball operations, four years as CEO of the Padres organization and most recently has been working for MLB to investigate drug use and identity fraud among Dominican pros...
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The Story of Bobby Jenks
2009-09-24 03:14:00
Bobby Jenks is out for the rest of the year and the rumors have begun to fly. See ESPN, the Examiner, RotoWorld, MLBTradeRumors, and even Bob Nightengale chime in with their belief Jenks will get traded this offseason. Entering his second year of arbitration, his steady save totals should augment his $5.6 million salary to ...
More About: Story , Bobby , The Story

Stream Team: A Full Thursday
2009-09-24 01:25:00
by R.J. WhiteFiled under: MLB Waiver WireLooking to cycle spot-starters each day? Check out the Stream Team , where we tab pitchers that are likely to help you in your quest for fantasy gold. Yesterday we spot-started Hiroki Kuroda again, and he was brilliant yet again. He threw six innings while giving up two runs, but both were unearned. He also threw in six strikeouts on his way to an easy win for the Dodgers. His six innings with no earned runs drops our September ERA to 3.26, using pitchers that are available in a majority of your leagues. I hope you're winning your championship game, and now I'll do my best to give you a bigger lead.Stream Team: A Full Thursday originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs  | Comments

A New Metric for Evaluating The Fantasy Season
2009-09-24 00:10:00
This is a guest post by reader Brian M., who showcases his method for evaluating fantasy team performance in his H2H league irrespective of standings. The article explores use of a composite-Z score to compute a power ranking in a fantasy league. We think this is an interesting idea whose applicability into other ...
More About: Fantasy , Season , Metric

Fantasy Fill-Ins: Thursday
2009-09-23 22:42:00
by Knox BardeenFiled under: MLB Waiver WireFor a number of major league teams Mondays and Thursday s are travel days. Every Wednesday and Sunday, Fantasy Fill -Ins finds guys who should be widely available on the waiver wire and can step in for the day, helping you gain ground or hold off the pack.There are nine games scheduled for Thursday. That means we may need to scrape the bottom of the barrel to find some solid fill-ins. Here are five of the best options.Jack Cust, Athletics - Cust hasn't been the model of consistent hitting this season and as of late he's been less then stellar batting .221 over the last month. But, he has a pretty good track record against Scott Feldman (five hits and two home runs in 15 at-bats) so could fill-in nicely on Thursday. Cust is only owned in 16% of fantasy leagues.Fantasy Fill-Ins: Thursday originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:42:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email t...

Odds & Ends: White Sox, Mets, Millwood, Marquis
2009-09-23 22:39:00
Another round of links... According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, the entire White Sox coaching staff, including hitting coach Greg Walker, pitching coach Don Cooper, bench coach Joey Cora and first base coach Harold Baines, received contract extensions Wednesday afternoon that will keep them all with the club through 2011. The Dallas Morning News' Tom Cowlinshaw believes Kevin Millwood's $12 million option for 2010, which vested Monday, is a fine deal. "If you're general manager Jon Daniels or team president Nolan Ryan or manager Ron Washington and you're going to be judged next season by how much your team lives up to this overhyped notion that 2010 is the Rangers' year," Cowlinshaw writes, "you need Kevin Millwood on that wall." According to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat (via Twitter), Cubs players didn't find out about Milton Bradley's apology until his statement was released to the media Wednesday afternoon. That certainly won't help the level of perceived sinceri...
More About: White Sox , Mets , Marquis , Odds

Pitching Forecaster: Rotation roulette is upon us
2009-09-23 21:46:00
If you are playing for a Fantasy title over the season's final week, you know that figuring out rotations is a crapshoot. Eric Mack does his best to get inside the heads of all 30 managers in his last Pitching Forecaster.
More About: News , Rotation

Roto Rush: My Apology to Derrek Lee
2009-09-23 21:37:00
by Matt SnyderFiled under: MLB Injury Report, MLB Locking Your Lineup, MLB Waiver WirePoppin' out of the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.Before the season started, I was rough on Derrek Lee . I named him the biggest bust on the Cubs for this coming season and included him on the list of "five guys to lose" your fantasy league. I even predicted Mike Fontenot would hit more home runs than Mr. Lee. Obviously, it sounds outlandish now, in hindsight, as Lee clubbed his 35th home run Tuesday night. In the process, he established a new career high in RBI with 109. His OPS is the second-highest it's ever been -- trailing only his insane 2005 season when he did an Albert Pujols impersonation.Roto Rush: My Apology to Derrek Lee originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:37:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Lin...

Odds & Ends: Webb, Chapman, ChiSox, Brewers
2009-09-23 20:44:00
Wednesday evening link session... ESPN.com's Buster Olney thinks Brandon Webb is right in not accepting a compromise deal from the Diamondbacks. He lists multiple teams that would be willing to offer the former Cy Young Award winner a lucrative one-year contract, including the Dodgers, Angels, Cubs, White Sox, Yankees and Red Sox. Scott Merkin of MLB.com gathered this quote from White Sox GM Kenny Williams, regarding his outlook heading into the offseason: "No. 1, I don?t like what I see on the free agent market, and what I do like, it?s going to cost you a No. 1 pick. " According to Jorge Arangure of ESPN.com, Aroldis Chapman 's agent will be present at Yankee Stadium this weekend to take in a game against the Red Sox. Chapman, though, will remain in Andorra. Arangure also "tweets" that Cuban first baseman Jose Julio Ruiz has finally become a free agent. The 25-year-old hit .305/.408/.467 over 52 games in the Serie Nacional last season before suddenly defecting to the Dominican Re...
More About: Brewers , Odds , Ends

Elias Rankings Update
2009-09-23 20:42:00
At the end of each season, The Elias Sports Bureau ranks all MLB players numerically based on a bunch of stats. Every player is categorized in one of five position groups and by league. The rankings cover a two-year time period. They are used to determine whether free agents are Type A, Type B, or neither. If you'd like a reminder on how draft pick compensation works, read up here. Eddie Bajek of Detroit Tigers Thoughts reverse-engineered the Elias Rankings last year. Eddie's incredible work was made possible in large part due to information provided by ESPN's Keith Law. Eddie is now providing the rankings exclusively to MLB Trade Rumors. Today's snapshot covers the beginning of the 2008 season through September 22nd, 2009. The rankings will change over the remainder of the season. View the latest Elias Rankings below.
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Scouting the Unknown
2009-09-23 20:30:00
For a quick summary of each minor leagues leader boards, Rotoworld’s (Circling the Bases Blog) Matthew Pouliot complied the AAA OPS leaders, AAA ERA leaders, and Eastern League OPS and ERA leaders(AA). Not all of the names you’ll recognize, some you will because I wrote about them (Carlos Santana), others you will because they are ...
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Top Eastern League Players of 2009
2009-09-23 19:09:00
Today our series of minor league rankings moves down to the Double-A level. The Eastern League is one of three AA leagues. In my opinion this is the level that has the most exciting prospects. You get guys like Carlos Santana, Pedro Alvarez and Jesus Montero.Top 25 Eastern League Batters (minimum 50 at-bats) Name Team BB% K% AVG OBP SLG ISO Spd BABIP wOBA Daniel Nava Red Sox 17.50% 10.20% 0.364 0.479 0.568 0.203 2.8 0.382 0.471 Ryan Strieby Tigers 16.20% 27.20% 0.303 0.427 0.565 0.262 3.6 0.359 0.445 Pedro Alvarez Pirates 13.30% 26.60% 0.333 0.419 0.59 0.257 2.2 0.407 0.444 Brandon Snyder Orioles 11.80% 22.40% 0.343 0.421 0.597 0.254 1.8 0.404 0.444 Michael Taylor Phillies 9.90% 16.00% 0.333 0.408 0.569 0.236 6.9 0.361 0.438 Ike Davis Mets 11.20% 29.00% 0.309 0.386 0.565 0.256 0.9 0.381 0.426 Scott Sizemore Tigers 13.30% 20.20% 0.307 0.402 0.535 0.228 6.1 0.353 0.422 Carlos Santana Indians 17.40% 19.40% 0.29 0.413 0.53 0.241 3.4 0.314 0.418 Brian Dopirak...
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Death, Taxes & Closer Turnover: Jenks is done
2009-09-23 18:12:00
A couple quick closer notes before I lock myself in a convention hall for the rest of the day... White Sox close Bobby Jenks will be shut down with a calf injury.  Time to grab Matt Thornton and his 80 K's in 67 IP.  David Aardsma is suffering from a bit of stiffness in his back.  Mark Lowe was used in his place.  Lowe is not as good an option as Thornton and may not see many more chances if Aardsma's back feels better, but for those desperate for that extra save... Houston Street will get his closers role back.  Thank you Franklin Morales for the solid fill in work. Non-closer news: Disregard my match-up of Freddy Sanchez for Thursday, his knee injury is going to keep him out a bit longer.
More About: Taxes , Death , Closer