Rockies negotiate with Tim Redding

According to a Major League source, the Rockies are negotiating with one of their past targets, right-handed pitcher Tim Redding. Last winter, the Rockies intended to acquire Redding from the Nationals before he was non-tendered. Redding signed a one-year, $2 million deal with the Mets as a free agent and went 3-6 with a 5.10 ERA in 30 games, including 17 starts in his mets jersey.

The Rockies were not a finalist in the chase for former Pirates reliever Matt Capps, who is deciding between the Nationals and the Cubs. Redding could be asked to add the energy and experience to the bullpen.

Reliever Baez may join in Phillies

General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. of Phillies said last week that the club probably would sign a reliever in a couple weeks. It is unlikely to be right-handers John Smoltz, Chan Ho Park and Mike MacDougal. The Phillies have some concerns about Smoltz's durability, which might not be an issue except closer Brad Lidge and setup man J.C. Romero are recovering from elbow surgeries. The Phillies have expressed interest in MacDougal, but talks are not believed to be serious.

CSNPhilly.com reported that the Phillies have reached an agreement with a reliever. A good bet is right-hander Danys Baez, who has closing experience. That is something the Phils might need if Lidge and Romero are not ready to start the season. Baez went 4-6 with a 4.02 ERA in 59 appearances last season in the orioles jersey.

Yankkees add catcher Rivera

FOXSports.com reported that the Yankees have agreed on a Minor League contract with backstop Mike Rivera. The web site added that Rivera will be invited to Spring Training for the Yankees, who have catchers Jorge Posada and Francisco Cervelli on the 40-man roster.

Rivera batted .228 with two home runs and 14 RBIs while appearing in 41 games in 2009 in his brewers jersey.Considered an offense-minded catcher, Rivera missed 14 games with an ankle injury in his fourth season in Milwaukee.He originally signed as an amateur free agent by the Tigers in 1997, and is a career .244 hitter with 69 home runs in seven seasons in the big leagues.

Pirates term with Taschner to Minors deal

According to ESPN.com, the Pirates signed reliever Jack Taschner to a Minor League contract with an invitation to Spring Training on Wednesday. If he makes the Pirates' Opening Day roster, Taschner will earn $835,000, plus $465,000 in incentives based on appearances.

Taschner made 24 relief appearances for the Phillies this past season, posting a 4.91 ERA while striking out 19 batters and walking 20 in 29 1/3 innings in the phillies jersey. The left-hander also pitched in 20 games for Triple-A Lehigh Valley and posted a 2.08 ERA in 21 2/3 frames. Originally a second-round Draft pick by the Giants in 1999, Taschner spent his first four seasons in San Francisco.

Brodeur has become new shutout leader

New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur has a shutout through two periods on Monday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Mellon Arena and he passed Terry Sawchuk and become the NHL's new all-time shutout leader. Devils then erupted for three more tallies in the second period, as Patrik Elias and Mark Fraser all beat Andre Fleury and ended the Penguins' goalie's night.

Brodeur, who broke Patrick Roy's all-time wins record last season against Chicago Blackhawks and Roy's minutes played record last month in Boston, has 103 career shutouts. But Sawchuk recorded his 103 shutouts in 971 career games for the Red Wings, Bruins, Maple Leafs, Kings and Rangers. Well more and more fans will put on new jersey devils jerseys and support Brodeur.

Mariners sign Pedro Okuda to a Minor deal

It is announced that the Mariners signed 19-year-old amateur Pedro Okuda to a Minor League contract on Wednesday.
Okuda is expected to join the Mariners' Venezuela Academy after he graduates from high school this spring and will play during the 2010 season in the mariners jersey. Okuda was born and raised in Brazil but attended high school in Japan. Yasushi Yamamoto and Pat Kelly, the Mariners scouts first found Okuda in a youth tournament in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in May 2006.

"Pedro is a player that we have been scouting for several years, beginning when he participated in the Brazilian Baseball Confederation Academy in Brazil and most recently in Japan, where he is concluding his high school education," Mariners vice president of international operations Bob Engle said. "Thanks to the efforts of Yasushi Yamamoto and Pat Kelly, we have added a player who has proven to be an action player with a line-drive swing and plus speed. Pedro is a player who has a lot of spirit and enthusiasm, and we look forward to watching him develop in the Seattle Mariners' organization."

D-backs sign Rodrigo Lopez

The D-backs signed right-hander Rodrigo Lopez to a Minor League contract last Wednesday and invited the veteran to Spring Training. Lopez has spent parts of eight seasons in the big leagues with the Padres, Orioles, Rockies and Phillies and has a career record of 68-66 in 194 games, including 166 starts.

Last season, Lopez appeared in seven games for the NL champion Phillies. Lopez's best seasons came in 2004-05 when he was 14-9 and then 15-12 for the Orioles. Lopez joins right-hander T.J. Beam, outfielder Drew Macias and catcher Carlos Corporan in Spring Training. Now he is going to wear the diamondbacks jersey and play for the team.

Harper will manage Giants' affiliate

It is reported that Harper will lead the Giants' Class A California League affiliate in San Jose named its 2010 field staff.
Harpe spent the previous two seasons as the Giants' roving Minor League catching instructor. Before that, he managed for seven seasons in the Angels' Minor League system, including two seasons at Triple-A Salt Lake in 2006-07. Harper has played 16 Major League seasons and was the No. 1 catcher for the 1991 world champion Minnesota Twins in the twins jersey.

Gary Davenport will return to San Jose as hitting coach while Jerry Cram will serve as pitching coach. Andy Skeels, who managed San Jose to a 93-47 regular-season record and the California League title last season, is expected to receive a promotion quite possibly to Double-A Richmond.

Capitals assigned Nylander to AHL

Caps General Manager George McPhee announced last weekend that the Washington Capitals have sent center Michael Nylander to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League.

Nylander has played 920 career NHL games for the Capitals, New York Rangers, Boston, Chicago, Tampa Bay, Calgary and Hartford. He has not played an NHL game in the nhl jersey this season.

Flames and Avalanche highlights Sunday schedule

First place in the Northwest Division will be on the line in the NHL as part of its two-game schedule. At 8 p.m. ET, the Calgary Flames and Colorado Avalanche, who are tied for first in the Northwest, will battle with each other at the Pepsi Center. The Flames have picked up points in eight of their last 10 games, while Colorado is coming off a 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday.

The Lightning are also in action on Sunday, they willl visit the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center at 7 p.m. ET. Chicago is at the top of the Central Division with 41 points, while the Lightning are two points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Now put on your own nhl jerseys and support your favorite teams!

Martin Brodeur ties another record

It is reported that Martin Brodeur tied Patrick Roy's record for regular-season appearances by a goalie on Wednesday night when he started for the New Jersey Devils against the Montreal Canadiens. Roy, who played for Montreal and Colorado, appeared in 1,029 games in his 18-year career. Brodeur is in his 16th season, all with the team in his new jersey devils jersey.

It's the second time in two seasons that Brodeur has equaled Roy's records in a game against Montreal Canadiens. Brodeur tied Roy for career wins last March, getting No. 551 in the Bell Centre.

Phillies add veteran Gload

It is announced at the Winter Meetings that the Phillies had signed free-agent outfielder Ross Gload to a two-year contract. Gload hit .261 with six home runs and 30 RBIs in 230 at-bats last season with the Marlins. He has also hit .283 with a .328 on-base percentage in an eight-year career with the Cubs, Rockies, White Sox, Royals and Marlins.

Gload joins a Philadelphia bench that includes outfielder Ben Francisco, catcher Brian Schneider and infielders Greg Dobbs and Juan Castro. It is cool for him to put on the phillies jersey.

Reliever is a free agent now along with Moseley and Brown

Jose Arredondo was not offered a contract by the Angels by Saturday's deadline, casting the right-handed reliever into free agency after the club confirmed he will undergo ligament-replacement surgery and miss the entire 2010 season.
Arredondo was one of three players to not receive contract offers from Los Angeles, along with pitcher Dustin Moseley and infielder Matt Brown.

None of the three was arbitration-eligible, and the Angels had to announce decisions on the other seven who are eligible: infielders Erick Aybar, Maicer Izturis and Howie Kendrick; catchers Jeff Mathis and Mike Napoli; outfielder Reggie Willits; and left-handed starter Joe Saunders.

Arredondo was a key member of the Angels' 2008 bullpen, posting a 10-2 record and a 1.62 ERA. But he played badly last season with a 6.00 ERA in 68 appearances and 76 innings. He spent part of the season on the disabled list due to a painful right elbow.

Pirates sign Cedeno

The Associated Press reported that The Pirates have avoided arbitration with Ronny Cedeno by coming to terms on a one-year deal worth $1.125 million. Cedeno earned $822,500 last season, when he batted .208 with 10 homers and 38 RBIs in 105 games combined with the Pirates and Mariners in his pirates jersey.

The Pirates signed Bobby Crosby to a one-year contract Thursday, and the former American League Rookie of the Year Award winner is expected to vie with Cedeno for the starting shortstop job in Spring Training. "I think anybody needs to be pushed a little bit here and there," manager John Russell said. "Cedeno showed people in Pittsburgh he can play short. He makes great plays. He can drive a ball and can do some very fun things. Then sometimes, you'll go, 'What was that?'

"I think even though he's played a while, I still don't think he's a veteran player. So, I think he falls into that mental lapse, concentration lapse on the field, and we just need to get him more concentrated and focused." Cedeno spent the 2005-08 seasons with the Cubs.

Milan Lucic will appear on NHL Live

It is reported that Boston Bruins forward Milan Lucic will be among the guests on NHL Live! scheduled from noon to 2 p.m. on NHL Network and NHL.com and broadcast on XM Radio.

Lucic will appear in-studio at the NHL Store Powered By Reebok in Manhattan to speak with hosts Deb Placey and E.J. Hradek. Lucic is 2-3-5 in 10 games for the Bruins this season in his boston bruins jersey and enjoyed a 17-goal campaign in 2008-09. Monday's show also includes New York Islanders coach Scott Gordon and TSN analyst Bob McKenzie.

Upshall and Downie will appear on NHL Live!

Phoenix Coyotes forward Scottie Upshall will be among the guests on NHL Live!, scheduled from noon to 2 p.m. on NHL Network and NHL.com. Upshall has 7 goals, 5 assists and 30 penalty minutes in 27 games in coyotes jersey this season. He has 118 points in 257 NHL games.

Also speaking with hosts Rob Simpson and Stan Fischler are Tampa Bay Lightning forward Steve Downie, as well as Kevin Allen of USA Today and Washington Capitals/Versus announcer Joe Beninati. NHL Live! is broadcast from the NHL Store Powered By Reebok in Manhattan.

Coyotes' Jovanovski is suspended two games

The National Hockey League announced that Phoenix Coyotes defenseman Jovanovski has been suspended for two games without pay, due to an incident in NHL game against the Minnesota Wild on December 7. Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and based on his average annual salary, Jovanovski will forfeit $67,357.52. The money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.

Jovanovski delivered a blow to Minnesota's Andrew Ebbett and penalty was assessed on the play. Jovanovski will miss Thursday's game at Los Angeles and Dec. 12 against San Jose Sharks. He will be eligible to return on Dec. 14 at Detroit in his coyotes jersey.

Rockies haven't decided on acquiring Betancourt

Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd said the club and free-agent Rafael Betancourt have not made much progress in negotiations yet. If he accepts by Monday, he'll be treated as an arbitration-eligible player. If he doesn't accept and signs elsewhere, the Rockies will be entitled to two early picks in 2010 First-Year Player Draft.

O'Dowd refused to say what the Rockies will do with Betancourt, because the decision was pending. The Denver Post reported that Betancourt will be the only free agent the Rockies will offer arbitration. It suggested that Betancourt could end up with about $5 million through arbitration. The Rockies declined a $5 million option for 2010 in the hope of negotiating a different deal. The Rockies will continue to negotiate with three other free agents, starting pitcher Jose Contreras, reliever Joe Beimel and catcher Yorvit Torrealba. Hope all of them can put on the rockies jerseys and play for the team.

Dodgers has termed with Miller and Redman

The Dodgers agreed to terms with pitcher Justin Miller and outfielder Prentice Redman recently. The right-handed Miller, was 3-3 with a 3.18 ERA in 44 games with the Giants this year. He made his Major League debut in 2002 with Toronto and has been exclusively a reliever since 2005. He has also pitched for Florida and Chiba Lotte in Japan. According to the Los Angeles Times, Miller signed a contract that pays him $850,000 if he makes the Major League roster.

Being a brother of former Major Leaguer Tike Redman, Miller last played in the Major Leagues in 2003 with the Mets. He had been in Seattle's farm system for the past three years. Now he is going to put on dodgers jersey and pitch for the dodgers.

Ovechkin is suspended for two games

The NHL announced that Washington Capitals' superstar Alexander Ovechkin has been suspended for two games due to a collision with Tim Gleason from the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday night. Ovechkin said he was just trying to make a normal hit on Gleason, but the defenseman turned quickly and he didn't react immediately.

This was his second game misconduct in the last three games. He was also called for a five-minute boarding major and game misconduct in last week's game against Buffalo Sabres. His fans will not see him playing in his capitals jersey for a while.

2010 Entry Draft will be host in L.A.

The National Hockey League officially announce on Friday that the Los Angeles Kings will host the 2010 NHL Draft at Staples Center on June 25-26 in 2010. The report can be seen on Kings web site.

It will be the first time that the NHL's selection process has been held in Southern California. Vancouver was the host for the entry draft in 1990 and 2006. Montreal hosted the Entry Draft last June with the New York Islanders John Tavares in
islanders jersey.