Around The Majors- Wednesday

Rumors will come at 3:30pm eastern on the blogspot site, but a Tuesday recap, a look at the standings, news and notes, and this week's fantasy studs & duds will all be now on ATM.

Tuesday Recap
The White Sox swept a doubleheader from Detroit 5-3 and 8-7, beating Jeremy Bonderman in the first affair. Texas swept a big twinbill from the Mariners, 2-1 behind John Rheinecker and 4-3. Daniel Cabrera and Baltimore beat Tampa Bay 3-0, Dice-K outdueled Sabathia as Boston bested Cleveland 1-0, and McGowan and Toronto shut out the Twins 7-0. The Yankees roasted the Royals 9-4, and Oakland beat the Angels 4-3.
Philly edged Washington 4-3, Yovani Gallardo lifted the Brewers over the Reds 5-3, and John Maine homered and won as the Mets beat Pittsburgh 8-4 despite 2 homers by Jason Bay. Craig Biggio hit a grand slam to cap a 6 run 6th as the Astros downed the Dodgers 7-4. Zambrano and the Cubs edged the Cards 4-3, the Padres defeated the Rockies 5-3, and Livan and the D-Backs mauled the Marlins 9-3 despite 2 homers by Dan Uggla. The Giants scored 4 runs in the 9th to tie it, but a double by Edgar Renteria sparked a 3 run 13th as Atlanta bested the Giants 7-5.

Standings
Both the Yankees and Red Sox have won 5 straight games, and Boston remains 7.5 games ahead in the AL East. New York has won 8 of 10, Toronto has won 4 in a row to reach .500, Baltimore has won 7 of 10, and Tampa Bay has lost 4 in a row and 7 of 10. Detroit leads Cleveland by 1.5 in the AL Central, Minnesota is 8.5 back. The Angels have lost 7 of 10, but are still 2.5 games clear of Seattle, who has lost 5 straight and 7 of 10. The Mets have won 7 of 10 and leads Atlanta by 3 games in the NL East. Philadelphia has won 4 in a row and are now 5 games back. The Cubs have won 7 of 10 and are now only 3 games back of first place Milwaukee in the NL Central. Pittsburgh has lost 9 of 10. The Dodgers lead the Padres by a game in the NL West, and the streaking Snakes have won 4 straight to get to 2.5 back. Colorado is 5.5 behind. Cleveland leads the AL Wild Card by 3 games over Seattle, 4.5 over the Yankees, 7 over Minnesota, and 8 over Toronto. San Diego leads the NL Wild Card by a game over Atlanta, 1.5 over Arizona and the Cubs, 3 clear of Philadelphia, 4.5 over Colorado, 7 over Florida, and 7.5 ahead of the Cardinals.

News and Notes
- Bud Selig was there in 'Frisco for Bonds last night, and will "do his best" to be there when he breaks the record.
- Craig Biggio announced that he was going to retire at the end of the season. This is Biggio's 21st season with the Astros, and with 3,000 hits will be the first ever Houston player in the HOF.
- Patrick Arnold, the doctor who invented the Clear, believes that both Barry Bonds and Gary Sheffield both took performance enhancing drugs, though neither will admit that they knowingly took steroids.
- In a touching gesture, Colorado 1B coach Glenallen Hill wore a helmet while at work in last night's game and will continue to don the protection after Rockies AA 1B coach Mike Coolbaugh was killed on Sunday in the coaching box from a line drive to the head. "It just makes sense," Hill said. "I heard about Mike and it brought a lot of emotions, for his family, his children, safety, how many close calls I've had. It just makes sense." In a sports world where everything seems to be going wrong, something done right is something seen more and more rarely.
- Arizona legend Randy Johnson is trying to return for his team from a back injury, and pitched to hitters for the first time yesterday in his rehab. The Unit admitted that he doesn't know if he'll come back this season, or even the rest of his career. For one of the great hurlers of our generation, it seems like an unjust and unfit ending. His career is one that needs proper closure, whether you adored or despised the tall lefty. Let's all hope that Johnson comes back OK in time for the stretch run.
- Miguel Tejada has been cleared to play again after a fractured wrist. He could return as early as Friday night against the Yankees. Whether this opens up the slugging SS to further trade talks is yet to be seen. Find out if his name is among the rumors on blogspot at 3:30 eastern.
- The Cubs will get a little boost to their infield as Ronny Cedeno has been recalled from AAA. The White Sox have activated both Gavin Floyd and Scott Podsednik from the DL, Luis Terrero has landed on the shelf, and Dewon Day was demoted to AAA Charlotte. Scott Elarton was activated from the 15 day DL, as Ryan Braun was sent down. Elarton can now also be mentioned in trade talks. The Angels suffered a blow as they placed starter Bartolo Colon on the DL with irritation in his right elbow. Greg Jones was recalled as Kendry Morales was sent down to AAA Salt Lake. Dameon Easley has returned for the Mets from the bereavement list as Chip Ambres was sent down to AAA. Seattle activated reliever Mark Lowe from the DL as Ryan Feierabend was sent down.
- On tap for today, 3 day games as Toronto faces Minnesota at 1230, Germano goes for the Padres in Colorado at 330, and a Blanton-Lackey matchup goes down in LA at 330. Cole Hamels faces Washington, Bedard faces Tampa, Beckett-Carmona in Cleveland, and Glavine-Gorzelanny in New York. Meche faces the Yankees, Lowe pitches against Houston, and Rogers battles Contreras in Chicago. Ted Lilly goes for the hot Cubs in St Louis against Wainwright and the Cards (8pm ESPN).

Fantasy Studs & Duds
Hitting Studs
1) Dan Uggla, 2B, FLA
2) Alex Rodriguez, 3B, NYY
3) Ryan Howard, 1B, PHI
4) Hideki Matsui, OF, NYY
5) Robinson Cano, 2B, NYY
Hitting Duds (minimum 17 ab's)
1) Yadier Molina, C, STL
2) Jerry Hairston, 2B, TEX
3) Johhny Estrada, C, ARZ
4) Kenji Jojhima, C, SEA
5) Emil Brown, OF, KC
Pitching Studs
1) Lenny DiNardo, SP, OAK
2) Dustin McGowan, SP, TOR
3) Aaron Harang, SP, CIN
4) John Smoltz, SP, ATL
5) Yovani Gallardo, SP, MIL
Pitching Duds
1) James Shields, SP, TB
2) Mike Maroth, SP, STL
3) Scott Linebrink, RP, SDG
4) David Wells, SP, SDG
5) Armando Benitez, RP, FLA

Tuesday Baseball Rumors

Hockey will be back in a few weeks, baseball will be today and tomorrow, and the NFL will take over Thursday with the Training Camp Preview.

Rumors
- Dontrelle Willis is not available, but Seattle would part with CF prospect Adam Jones to get him. (South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
- The Rangers should package a reliever such as Joaquin Benoit with Teixeira to get the desired prospects that they'd want. The Angels, Dodgers, and Braves are interested. (Dallas Morning News)
- The Red Sox are also interested in Teixeira. (Fort Worth Star Telegram)
- The White Sox are paying a lot of attention to the Yankees, but they seem to only be interested in Jon Garland and Matt Thornton, not Javy Vazquez or Jose Contreras. White Sox scouts were seen in Tampa. The Mets are interested in Ty Wigginton, Ray Durham, and Tad Iguchi. (NY Post)
- The Yanks are interested in Wigginton and Wilson Betemit as well as relief pitchers. Roy Oswalt is likely staying in Houston. (Journal News)
- The White Sox are trying to trade Contreras and Jermaine Dye, and Seattle, the Mets, and the Dodgers have been scouting Chicago over the past week. (Chicago Sun-Times)
- Dye could go to the Angels, Cubs, or Indians. Contreras could go to the Mets. The White Sox rejected a deal that would've sent Garland to Atlanta for Edgar Renteria and a pitching prospect. (Daily Herald)
- The Phillies are buyers. They wouldn't give up too much for Steve Trachsel or Kyle Lohse, but may part with a player like Michael Bourn for Akinori Otsuka or Jon Rauch. (Wilmington News Journal)
- The Mets are interested in Mark Loretta and Jeff Conine. Ronnie Belliard is now off the market, and the asking price may be too high for Chad Cordero. (NY Daily News)
- The Mets, Phillies, Indians, Red Sox, Tigers, and Dodgers are all interested in Cordero. (Washington Times)
- The Dodgers and Indians are the most interested in Octavio Dotel, but Boston and the Mets are still in talks. (KC Star)
- Dotel's price may be too high for the Indians. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
- Bobby Kielty was just removed from the roster, and Boston leads several interested teams. (Contra Costa Times)
- The Tigers were seen scouting the Rockies last weekend, perhaps looking at Brian Fuentes. They were also looking at Cordero and Rauch of the Nats. (Denver Post)
- Josh Towers and Jack Wilson will likely stay on their respective teams, said JP Riccardi. (Toronto Sun)
- The Braves are interested in Garland, Contreras, and Livan Hernandez. (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
- Cleveland and Boston are interested in Dye, but the Red Sox may just go after Kielty or Reggie Sanders. The Rockies have asked about Kyle Farnsworth, but the talent wanted in return is too much even considering the money that the Yanks would fork over. Rauch, Cordero, Dmitri Young, and Ryan Church could be dealt by Washington. Mike Piazza could get traded to San Diego. The Dodgers will likely get Dotel. (Newark Star-Ledger)
- Scouts from the Tigers, Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Royals and Pirates were at the Astros game last night. (Houston Chronicle)
- St Louis may deal Jason Isringhausen. (St Louis Post Dispatch)
- The Reds, Padres, Cubs, and Phillies were scouting the Nationals. (Washington Post)
- The Braves and Angels are the most aggressive on Teixeira, with the Yankees, Red Sox and Giants also interested. The Yankees might be pursuing Adam Dunn, the Reds had scouts in Tampa yesterday. The entire Rangers bullpen is in play, as well as Kenny Lofton, Brad Wilkerson, and Sammy Sosa. (Ken Rosenthal)
- The Dodgers would have to deal James Loney in a Teixeira deal, and the Rangers may also want Clayton Kershaw. The Angels would have to trade Casey Kotchman, the O's would need to deal Daniel Cabrera, and Boston would have to trade Jon Lester of Clay Buchholz. The Yankees, Tigers, and Giants are longshots. The Mets would want the White Sox to pay at least half of Contreras' remaining salary. The Padres are interested in Loretta. (Jon Heyman)
- Executives say that Texas is intent on dealing Teixeira. The Yankees, Red Sox, Angels, Braves, and Giants are in talks. (Buster Olney)
- The Red Sox are the favorites to land Teixeira. The Yankees, Angels, Dodgers, and Giants are also interested. The Dodgers, Brewers, and Phillies are interested in Joe Kennedy. Scouts dismissed a Dunn-Washington deal. (Jim Molony, MLB.com)

2007 A.F.C. Training Camp Preview

I'll be writing a paragraph about each club including addressing positional battles, the big questions, and the hot stories engulfing the football world. I might even throw in some fantasy notes if you readers behave well. In between divisions, I'll have little paragraphs on different topics including coaches who are on the hot seat with Matt Williamson of Scouts INC. So sit back and relax and enjoy the training camp preview.

A.F.C. East
Buffalo Bills
The Bills opened up camp on Thursday the 26th from St John Fisher College in Pittsford, New York. Buffalo had a really solid draft this year with Cal RB Marshawn Lynch in the first round, and LB Paul Posluszny in the 2nd. The interesting battle to watch in camp is whether Lynch will get the starting job right away, or if veteran Anthony Thomas will begin the season. With Willis McGahee now in Baltimore, the focus of the offense will likely be their passing game. That means that QB JP Losman will have to step up to the plate and prove himself this year. Can the Tulane product finally handle a starting role? The recievers Roscoe Parrish, Lee Evans, Josh Reed, and Peerless price will really have to step up in order for Buffalo to really thrive. The D is getting younger, and the less experienced players will have to replace Takeo Spikes, London Fletcher-Baker, and Nate Clements. Ball control will be the major focus on offense, and Buffalo will try to employ the wildly popular Tampa 2 defense. Check out Bills camp to see how it all comes together.
Miami Dolphins
The 'Phins opened up camp on Saturday from their training facility in Davie, Florida. Miami took a gamble in drafting Ted Ginn Jr over Brady Quinn, and it'll be interesting to see how he does as a reciever in addition to his return skills. Will Cam Cameron use Ginn like a Reggie Bush? Also, who will throw to Ginn for the majority of the season? Miami did everything in their power to acquire Trent Green from the Chiefs, but emerging youngster Cleo Lemon and rookie John Beck are in the fold and anxious to take snaps from Green in camp. How will that situation work out? The entire offense was generally disappointing last year, with the line under-performing, Ronnie Brown didn't play as well as he could have, and Chris Chambers had an awful year. I've heard scouts say that he can't be relied on anymore, and people have said that he'll have an amazing comeback campaign. Which will occur? The Dolphin front seven looks quite imposing, with the addition of Joey Porter to go alongside Jason Taylor and the rest of the D line. But the cornerback spot could be a huge weak spot, with Jason Allen and Will Allen starting. Can they handle the opposition's top wideouts? With a new power running scheme on offense, and Dom Capers' zone blitz defense on full display, Miami camp will be one to watch.
New England Patriots
Camp started on Saturday from Gillette stadium in Foxboro. The Pats have emerged as the favorites to hoist the Lombardi Trophy with a new set of recievers in Randy Moss, Donte Stallworth, Kelley Washington, and Wes Welker, and the addition of do it all defender Adalius Thomas. Tom Brady will have all the weapons he needs on offense, but will Laurence Maroney be able to carry the load as the feature back with Corey Dillon not returning? Maroney has all the tools to get it done, but the pressure will be all over the RB. The defense should be quite good at stopping the run, but the pass defense may be at risk, especially given the holdout of Asante Samuel. The battle at Safety should be very intriguing with Eugene Wilson, vet Rodney Harrison, and talented rookie Brandon Meriweather competing for two spots. The New England O will spread the ball and exploit the weakness of the opposition, while the defense will use the 4-3 and 3-4 and blitz from a variety of angles. Will Moss become a Patriot, or will his ego take command of the locker room? Find out at camp.
New York Jets
The J-E-T-S opened up their camp on Saturday from Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. The Jets used a soft schedule and a stout defense to make an improbable run to the playoffs, and they acquired Thomas Jones to shore up their running game. But will Chad Pennington be able to endure the wear and tear of yet another full season, and will the recievers play up to their level of last season? In addition, the Jets ranked 24th in the league in run defense, and will have to improve in order to sustain their successes. Will the Jets do even better this year in the 3-4 system, or will they fall on a hard sophomore slump under head coach Eric Mangini? With veteran David Barrett competing with youngsters Justin Miller and Darrelle Revis, the battle at CB will be one to watch. New York remains a mystery, and camp will definitely be an indicator of how the team will fare.

N.F.L. Preseason TV Schedule
8/5- Hall of Fame Game- Saints vs Steelers (NFL)
8/9- Colts @ Cowboys (FOX)
8/10- Bills @ Saints (CBS)
8/11- Redskins @ Titans (NFL)
8/12- Seahawks @ Chargers (NBC)
8/13- Broncos @ 49ers (ESPN)
8/16- Dolphins @ Chiefs (ESPN)
8/17- Vikings @ Jets (FOX)
8/18- Chargers @ Rams (CBS)
8/19- Giants @ Ravens (NBC)
8/20- Bears @ Colts (ESPN)
8/23- Jaguars @ Packers (FOX)
8/24- Patriots @ Panthers (CBS)
8/26- Eagles @ Steelers (NBC)
8/27- Bengals @ Falcons (ESPN)

A.F.C. North
Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens will open their camp next Monday from McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland. The addition of Willis McGahee is huge for this team because it takes the pressue off of QB Steve McNair. McNair used his leadership skills to guide the club to the postseason, but the same success may not be guaranteed. Demetrius Wilson may turn into a go-to guy at WR behind Mark Clayton, and Derek Mason may be getting too old for a #1 target. That bein said, the rapport that Mason and McNair have can't be replicated, and Todd Heap remains a very steady target at Tight End. The big question is how the defense will cope with the loss of Adalius Thomas. He was everywhere and did everything last year, that the depth of the club will be tested. How will the players perform while taking up Thomas' many positions? A healthy Ray Lewis and Ed Reed might be able to overshadow the weaknesses elsewhere. The offensive line is very young, and rookie Ben Grubbs may have to take up a leadership role very early. Trial by fire, anyone? Come to Ravens camp and see how it all unfolds.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals opened up shop from Georgetown College in Georgetown, Kentucky on Friday. As the defense improves for the Bengals, players keep getting in trouble. The CB position will be a good battle to watch, with Johnathan Joseph, Deltha O'Neal, and rookie Leon Hall competing for the starting roles. Carson Palmer continues to recover from knee surgery, and he is this franchise. They still have Chad Johnson and TJ Houshmanzadah at WR, but the depth could suffer with the Chris Henry suspension and the loss of Kelley Washington. The team can also power the ball with Rudi Johnson and rookie Kenny Irons. The offensive line didn't protect Palmer well enough last year, and will have to in order to have a shot at the playoffs. Will Justin Smith emerge as the teams' leader of defense, and will the secondary be able to step it up? They may have to if the stripes want to make the playoffs.
Cleveland Browns
Cleveland began their training camp on Friday from their training facility in Barea, Ohio. The camp may have a flavor of urgency, with head coach Romeo Crennel firmly on the hot seat. Also, any QB race in camp is always exciting, with Charlie Frye, Derek Anderson, and Brady Quinn competing for the starting job. They'll have weapons to throw to in Kellen Winslow and Braylon Edwards, but the Browns are taking a risk by entrusting the running game with oft injured former Raven Jamal Lewis. Will he hold up, or will the QB's be handing off to a bunch of stiffs if Lewis gets hurt? The O-line was awful last year, but the personnel is there to succeed. If Quinn ends up the starter, the line MUST perform unless the team wants Quinn to turn into the next David Carr. The safety spot looks promising with Sean Jones and Brodney Pool possibly being a dynamic duo for years to come. OC Rob Chudzinksi will use the TE as a major weapon, and the 3-4 D under Crennel needs to perform to save him his job. Will the potential of this club be realized? Come to camp and find out.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Go out to Saint Vincent College in LaTrobe, The Steelers started camp last Tuesday. The Steelers have a new coach, and lots of questions surrounding Mike Tomlin. O-line leader Alan Faneca isn't happy, and that could be a major problem for Ben Roethliesberger, who's still trying to reach full strength after his various injuries. Joey Porter was a force on and off the field, and a new leader of the defense will have to be found. Maybe newly resigned S Troy Polamalu will fill that role. Rookie Lawrence Timmons will be tabbed with replacing Porter, and will be the key to the teams' LB corps. The power running game will not be the staple of the offense for the first time in years. How will Willie Parker adjust to being the focus of a single back set? Hines Ward is getting old and Santonio Holmes will have to play a big role in the receiving alongside TE Heath Miller. Will the 3-4 continue to work for the Steelers under Dick LeBeau even though Tomlin loves the Tampa 2? Will a dispute emerge regarding defensive philosophy? Find out in Steelers camp.

NFL Discussion With Scouts INC's Matt Williamson
What coaches find themselves on the hot seat as camp opens?
Matt Williamson: In Cleveland for sure, maybe Tampa Bay and Carolina. Washington possibly as well.

Cleveland is pretty obvious because of the team's failures. Romeo Crennel has this season to reach at least 8-8 or will probably be canned. Jon Gruden can't rest on the laurels of his championship forever, and the woes of the Bucs must stop this year, or Gruden will take his ring elsewhere. I don't know if John Fox would be fired, but the team is always hyped as favorites, only to disappoint. I think he had more time than just one year, but Williamson said that this year may be make or break. The Redskins have struggled under Joe Gibbs, but I can't see how he's ever fired. Sort of like Penn State when Joe Paterno was really struggling. I'm surprised that Williamson left Tom Coughlin off of his list. The Giants definitely must do well, or the disciplinary major will be gone for sure.

A.F.C. South
Houston Texans
The Texans opened up on Friday from their practice facility in Houston. New QB Matt Schaub will be the new franchise guy and the offensive line will have to do better in order to protect Schaub, or the Texans will never have good QB play. Ahman Green comes over from Green Bay to stabilize the running attack, but depth at WR isn't that great behind Andre Johnson. Kevin Walter and Jerome Mathis will compete for the starting job opposite Johnson. Mario Williams and DeMeco Ryans will continue to flourish in an improving defense, but will it have enough talent to succeed? Watch Texans camp to see what goes down.
Indianapolis Colts
The defending champs will open up next Monday from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Indiana. Peyton Manning has been brilliant over his career because of a dominant offensive line. With the retirement of Tarik Glenn, can the line pull it together, or will Manning find himself in his butt a little too often? Also, will Joseph Addai be able to carry the load for a full season? He'll be relied on a lot more to get the lion's share of the carries, and will have to step up and be the feature back. The defense finished really strong last season, but was that just a fluke or will the defense retain their top notch form that they had in the postseason? The front 7 looks good, but Kelvin Hayden and Freddy Keiaho will play big roles in Tony Dungy's Tampa 2 secondary. Check out Colts camp to find out the answers to these questions.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jags will conduct camp from their home Alltell Stadium in Jacksonville. They started on Saturday. Lots of questions surround the Jaguars before camp. The QB situation hasn't been resolved, with Byron Leftwich and David Garrard both gunning for the starting job. Will Maurice Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew be able to coexist for another season at Running Back? The team really lacks a number one receiver, and Jones, Williams, and Wilford don't make for a great trio of wideouts. The defense could be great if the players stay healthy, and Mike Peterson and Reggie Heyward can give the Jags a huge boost in the front 7. Williams and Mathis are two fabulous corners, but they're going to have 2 new starting safeties after they dropped Donovan Darius. Find out more story lines at Jags camp.
Tennessee Titans
The Titans started camp yesterday from the Baptist Facility in Nashville. Can Vince Young escape the Madden Jynx? Pacman Jones has been the major focus of the offseason, but they have to move on now that he's out of the picture. Young had a magical rookie season, but he has a very limited number of weapons to work with, with the losses of Travis Henry and Drew Bennett. They have David Givens as their top wideout, and they need him to have a major comeback season in order for the offense to be successful. Eric Moulds was signed as the 2nd reciever, and Tennessee needs him to be a solid possession guy and someone that the rest of the offesne could look for when they need leadership. The running back job will be completely wide open, with LenDale White, Chris Brown, and rookie Chris Henry all going out for the starting gig. One of these 3 guys needs to step up. The defense is one of the more underrated units in the game. and their 4-3 scheme may need to carry them at times. The Titans drafted Michael Griffin to start at one of the corner spots, and he may turn into a liability if he falters early. Chris Hope will be solid against the number ones, but Griffin may need help if he's isolated in the first few weeks. Find out how it goes down in Titans camp.

A.F.C. West

Denver Broncos

Broncos camp starts today from Dove Valley in Englewood, Colorado. Jay Cutler will be the obvious focus of camp. How will he fair after a rocky rookie campaign that showed a lot of promise, but just as many mistakes. Mike Shanahan is a very good coach of QB's and Cutler has the tools to become a franchise starter. Will his play elevate this offense into the league's upper echelon? He'll have the tools around him to do it with Travis Henry coming in from Tennessee and super talented TE Daniel Graham coming from New England. Rod Smith's career is in question right now because of a bad hip, and Brandon Marshall will have to step up as the 2nd reciever opposite Javon Walker. The defense could be downright frightening this year especially with Champ Bailey and Dre Bly shutting down recievers this year, and John Lynch still reaking havoc in the box. The D-Line could cause a nice battle with all the former Browns competing with free agent signee Sam Adams and trade acquistion Jimmy Kennedy, not to mention draftees Jarvis Moss and Tim Crowder. Denver wants to compete for the West crown, and camp should definitely be exciting.

Kansas City Chiefs

Herm Edwards and company started their camp on Friday from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls in River Falls. Larry Johnson has no contract. That needs to be resolved or this team will be on the clock for sure in April. And when he does sign, he'll realize that the O-Line is makeshift at best, and that the QB situation is very uncertain. Management apparently thought that Brodie Croyle was ready to go when they dealt Trent Green to Miami. Damon Huard will compete with Croyle for the opening day job. Besides for Tony Gonzalez, the team may not have many weapons. Eddie Kennison and Samie Parker are getting old fast, and Dwayne Bowe shows a lot of promise, but is still unproven. The defense will be average, and with an awful offense, we'll see if the Chiefs have any magic.

Oakland Raiders
The circus known as Raider camp began on Friday from the Napa Valley Marriot in Cali. Randy Moss has finally been traded and now the JaMarcus Era can finally begin by the bay, right? Not so fast, he'll be in a big camp battle with Josh McCown for the starting job. Will either be ready for the start of the season? The O-Line is young and inexperienced, and Jake Grove, Robert Gallery, and Paul McQuistan will need to be steady starters for the QB's to even have a chance. 32 year old head coach Lane Kiffin could be in over his head. LaMont Jordan will need a big comeback season for this offense to even look respectable. After a 4 game suspension, Dominic Rhodes can push Jordan for carries. The outlook is bleak, but anything could happen in Oakland.

San Diego Chargers

The Bolts started camp yesterday from Chargers Park in San Diego. The roster is still top notch, but the coaching will have to be up to the task to get the most out of the talent it has. Norv Turner and 2 new coordinators will be taking over this year, and it'll have a lot of work to do. The new colors are sweet, and LT will be too. Antonio Gates will once again be the focal point of the passing attack, but Phil Rivers will need the wideouts to step up if the Chargers want to contend for a title. Eric Parker isn't a number one, but maybe Vincent Jackson and rookie Craig Davis could emerge into viable targets. Can Rivers take the next step and be an elite QB in this league? The front 7 is still strong from the Wade Phillips days, but the secondary might leave something to desire. Florence and Cromartie will battle for a starting job opposite Jammer, but the safety spot will have to be lead by Marlon McCree, because they'll probably have to start a rookie at the strong spot. So much talent, so many questions. Gear up for Chargers camp.

Monday Baseball Rumors

The latest baseball rumors coming hot and fresh to you right now.

Rumors
- The Angels are in the market for Adam Dunn, Mark Teixeira, Troy Glaus, Jermaine Dye, and Reggie Sanders. (LA Daily News)
- The Mets, Braves, and Mariners are interested in Livan Hernandez. The Mets could deal for a 2nd baseman like Ty Wigginton, Orlando Hudson, Ray Durham, Jorge Cantu, Tad Iguchi, Mark Loretta, or Mark Grudzielanek. The Yankees aren't sure that they're ready to trade Scott Proctor for Wigginton or Jeff Conine. They'd want a bullpen arm in return. They'd rather deal Kyle Farnsworth more then Proctor, and Tampa Bay and Colorado are interested only if a large chunk of salary is picked up. The Mets are eyeing Nats relievers Jon Rauch and Chad Cordero. Boston would like to acquire a player like Bobby Kielty before they trade Wily Mo Pena to the White Sox. Oakland is looking to deal Joe Kennedy, and the Brewers, Phillies, and Dodgers are interested. (Newark Star-Ledger)
- A Diamondbacks official said that it'd be a surprise if Hernandez was dealt. (Arizona Republic)
- The Pirates are in talks with Toronto about Jack Wilson, and asked about Glaus. Boston is interested in Salomon Torres, and the Red Sox are shopping Wily Mo Pena. The Mets aren't interested in Jose Castillo, and will use Ruben Gotay for now. (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)
- Boston isn't that interested in Torres anymore, but are interested in Damaso Marte. (Pittsburgh Tribune Review)
- The Phillies are going after Josh Towers. (Toronto Sun)
- Wigginton could go to the Twins or Yankees. (St Petersburg Times)
- The Rockies have inquired about Rauch, Cordero, Akinori Otsuka, Julian Taverez, and Manny Delcarmen. (Denver Post)
- Boston is trying to deal Pena and Joel Piniero. They're also interested in Kielty. They could trade Jon Lester in a package for a slugger. (Boston Herald)
- Matt Morris and Omar Vizquel could be the most likely players to go. (San Francisco Chronicle)
- The Giants could deal Ryan Klesko before the deadline. (Contra Costa Times)
- The Nats are willing to part with Dmitri Young and Ronnie Belliard. (Washington Times)
- The Cards want to deal David Eckstein, Juan Encarnacion, Kip Wells, and maybe Anthony Reyes as well. (St Louis Post Dispatch)
- The Tigers may get Cordero for a package including prospect pitcher Jair Jurrjens. (Flint Journal)
- The Yankees signed recently released reliever Scott Williamson. (New York Times)
- The Nationals are trying to trade for Dunn. Reds scouts were seen at A Potomic over the weekend. The Twins and Angels are looking for offense, but the Padres may not be that interested. Nats scouts were seen at AA Binghampton looking at Mets prospects who could go to Washington for Rauch, Cordero, or Belliard. The Dodgers are the frontrunners for Dotel, and could get SS prospect Chin-Lung Hu in return. Tony Abreu seems out of reach. Cleveland is also interested in Dotel, but don't want to meet the asking price of Franklin Gutierrez or Ben Francisco. Boston likes Dotel as well. Cleveland, Boston, the Angels, and the Cubs are interested in Dye. Loretta, Mike Lamb, Klesko, and Piazza and options for San Diego but Matt Stairs is not. The Mets and Braves aren't interested in Hernandez. (Ken Rosenthal)
- Jason Jennings and Kyle Lohse could be dealt before it's all said and done. (Jon Heyman)

MLB.com Rumors
- Jay Payton, Steve Trachsel, and Kevin Millar are players most likely to be traded by Baltimore. Payton could go to the Mets.
- Boston, San Diego, and the Mets are the frontrunners for Dye. The Dodgers are in on Jose Contreras.
- The Indians are still looking at Kenny Lofton.
- Shannon Stewart, Dan Johnson, and Mike Piazza could be dealt by the A's before the deadline.
- The Yankees could try to get Teixeira for Andy Phillips and second tier prospects. The Yanks could still get Johnson for Sean Henn, and they're looking at Young and Zach Greinke.
- Grudzielanek, Emil Brown, and Ross Gload could be dealt by the Royals.
- The Braves could have the edge for Greinke, and are interested in CJ Wilson.
- The Nats could deal Ryan Church, and Washington scouts were seen at Tigers minor league games.

Around The Majors- Monday & SoccerScope

In the baseball portion of the post, I'll recap Sunday's games, look at the standings, and go through the news and notes. The rumors will be tonight on sprungonsports.blogspot.com at 3:30 pm eastern. On SoccerScope, the scores, standings and schedules from the past week, the MLS All Star Game, David Beckham's debut, and a preview of the SuperLiga.

Sunday Recap
The Royals took 2 of 3 from Detroit as the defeated the Tigers 5-2. The Yankees scored 10 in the 4th and Shelley Duncan hit 2 home runs as New York mutilated the Rays 21-4. Roy Halladay threw a 3 hitter as Toronto blanked Seattle 8-0. Boston bested the White Sox 8-5, the Angels tamed the Twins 7-2, Jeremy Guthrie and the O's blanked the A's 2-0, and Cleveland downed Texas 8-3.
Florida ripped the Reds 9-3, Washington scored 3 in the 8th to shut out Colorado 3-0, and Woody Williams and Brad Lidge combined on a 1-0 shutout of Pittsburgh. The Brewers edged the Giants 7-5, Yusmeiro Petit and Arizona blanked the Cubs 3-0, and Philly shut out San Diego 9-0. Chip Ambres' first major league hit since 2005 led the Mets past the Dodgers 5-4, and St Louis scored 5 in the 10th to beat the Braves 7-2.

Standings
The Yankees have won 8 of 10 and are 7.5 games behind the Red Sox in the AL East. Cleveland is 1 game back of Detroit for first place in the AL Central. The White Sox have lost 7 of 10 and are tied with the Royals for last place. The Angels are 2 games clear of Seattle in the AL West, and Oakland has lost 8 of 10. The Mets lead Atlanta by 3.5 games in the NL East. Philadelphia is 5 back. The Cubs have won 7 of 10 to get to 3.5 games back of first place Milwaukee in the NL Central. Pittsburgh has dropped 8 of 10. The Dodgers lead the Padres by a game in the NL West. Arizona is 3.5 back, 2 ahead of Colorado, and 9 clear of the Giants who have lost 7 of 10.

News and Notes
- In a tragic story, Tulsa Drillers 1st base coach Mike Coolbaugh passed away last night after being hit in the head with a line drive in Sunday night's game. The 35 year old Coolbaugh was a former ML player with the Cardinals, and will be missed by the Rockies orginization and by all of baseball. The staff at SOS sends out their heartfelt condolences. This should be a lesson that baseball is a dangerous sport, and that all participants in the game should always be careful and be aware of their surroundings at all times.
- Jon Lester has gone all the way back from cancer and will start for the Red Sox tonight against Cleveland. It's a feel good story, and we all wish him well, as long as Boston doesn't win the game.
- Astros ace Roy Oswalt will miss his start on Wednesday becaus of soreness in his upper chest. Matt Albers will start in his stead.
- The Angels recalled Pitcher Joe Saunders from AAA. Minnesota will get a hitting boost, as Rondell White has been reinstated from the DL. Garrett Jones was sent down by the Twins. To make room for Jose Molina, the Yankees designated C Wil Nieves for assignment.
- On tap for tonight, Lester's return will be on ESPN2 at 7pm. Aaron Harang faces Milwaukee, Santana faces Toronto, and Clemens pitches in KC. Maddux faces Francis in Denver, Miller-Buehrle in Chicago, Smoltz-Cain in San Francisco (10:15pm ESPN2), and Gaudin-Colon in LA.

SoccerScope
- A week ago on the 15th, Houston and Toronto ended in a scoreless draw, with Maurice Edu picking up a red card for TFC.
- Yesterday, Brian Ching scored twice as Houston earned a 3-3 road draw at New England. A John Wolyniec goal in the 19th minute led Red Bull New York past DC United 1-0. Fred picked up a red card for the black and red. Eddie Johnson had 2 goals as KC tied Colorado at 2. Jose Burciaga picked up a red card for the Wizards. 2 goals by Guillermo Barros Schelotto was the game's scoring as Columbus blanked Toronto 2-0.
- Thursday on ESPN2, Red Bull New York hosts Chivas at 7pm.
- New England and New York both have 27 points to lead the East, 1 ahead of KC, 2 clear of Columbus, and 3 ahead of DC. Toronto has 19 points, Chicago has 16. Houston has 34 points, 4 ahead of FC Dallas, and 10 clear of Chivas. Colorado has 18 points, Los Angeles has 13, and Real Salt Lake has 9.
- Last Thursday, the MLS All Stars defeated Celtic FC 2-0 in the ASG in Denver. RBNY's Juan Pablo Angel and Juan Toja scored the goals. This is further proof that the level of Soccer is rising here in the US and that MLS is a force to be reckoned with.
- David Beckham debuted for the Galaxy with much fanfare on Saturday. He came on as a sub in the 77th minute in LA's 1-0 loss to Chelsea, and didn't do much but still got a large crowd to come. He's making MLS a household name around the world, and just his presence will elevate the league. The next thing he must do is play very well so the Galaxy (one of the league's marquee clubs) can get back into the playoff hunt. Beckahmania has offically begun.

Sunday Trade Rumors

Sorry I couldn't get to today's usual NFL and MLS blog. MLS will go along with tomorrow's baseball blog, while the NFL will be in full force on Tuesday as I do a Training Camp Preview for all 32 teams. But now, baseaball rumors.

Rumors
- Texas believes that it has a better chance at moving Mark Teixieira then Eric Gagne. The Yankees seem unwilling to part with the top prospects needed to haul in Teixieira, but the Angels can build a package around Casey Kotchman. The Mets are interested in Dontrelle Willis, but Florida probably won't deal him at his lowest value. The Yankees, Red Sox, Braves, and Angels are interested in Teixieira. Count Cleveland out of the Gagne sweepstakes. (NY Post)
- The Marlins are quietly trying to move Willis. (New York Times)
- Jose Contreras and Matt Morris seem like the best starters available. Kyle Lohse, Joe Kennedy, and Steve Trachsel are also out there. The Mets, Phillies, Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Rockies, Cardinals, Angels, and Indians are interested in a starter. (Chicago Tribune)
- Contreras, Lohse, and Odalis Perez are the 3 best starters that are definitely available. (Newark Star-Ledger)
- The Dodgers said no thanks to the offer of Scott Proctor for Wilson Betemit. (LA Times)
- Toronto has interest in Jack Wilson. (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)
- Boston is looking at A's OF Bobby Kielty. They're also heavily scouting Teixeira. (Boston Globe)
- The Tigers are likely unwilling to part with the prospects for Teixeira. His preference would be to go to Baltimore, but the O's aren't ready to part with Daniel Cabrera. (NY Daily News)
- The Tigers and Indians are looking at a list of Octavio Dotel, Al Reyes, Chad Cordero, Jon Rauch, and Steve Kline for bullpen help. The Mets could deal for Ronnie Belliard. (Newsday)
- The Yankees seem impressed with Ty Wigginton. (Journal News)
- The Mets covet Mark Loretta. (Houston Chronicle)
- The Twins have interest in Dmitiri Young and Wigginton, but the Mets and Yankees are interested in Wigginton. Jeff Conine to the Twins would make sense. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
- The Dodgers, Cubs, Brewers, Yankees, Indians, Braves, and Red Sox are interested in Dotel. The Braves, Yankees, and Cubs are interested in Zach Greinke. (KC Star)
- Colorado is interested in Julian Taverez, Manny Delcarmen, Akinori Otsuka, and Kyle Farnsworth. Boston has a deal in place to send Wily Mo Pena to the White Sox for a low level minor leaguer. (Denver Post)
- The A's seem in no hurry to deal Dan Johnson to anyone, including the Yankees for Sean Henn. Seattle and Atlanta have scouted Morris. (San Francisco Chronicle)
- The Giants would deal Noah Lowry in a deal for Teixeira. (San Jose Mercury News)
- Livan Hernandez is on the market, and coule benefit the Mets, Braves, or Phillies. The Mariners have had scouts follow the Yankees this past week. The Yanks like Wigginton and the Rays like Proctor, but any deal would be more than a 1 for 1. New York would like Al Reyes in any trade. (Buster Olney)
- After Scott Olsen's recent antics, Florida may want to trade him. (Palm Beach Post)
- The Cardinals may be shopping reliever Russ Springer. (St Louis Post Dispatch)

Baseball Trade Update

UPDATE (12am eastern) - The Yankees have acquired Catcher Jose Molina from the Angels in exchange for minor league relief pitcher Jeff Kennard. The defensive minded backstop was batting .228 with no homers and 10 RBI's. Kennard was 1-4 with a 2.73 ERA in 31 relief appearances at Double-A Trenton. The Yankees were seeking a better backup for Jorge Posada, and Los Angeles just got Mike Napoli back from injury and have 24 year old prospect Jeff Mathis waiting in the wings for the Halos.