As you will remember, back in January, a report surfaced linking several prominent MLB players to the Miami clinic to purchase several different kinds of banned performance enhancing drugs. Names that included Nelson Cruz, Ryan Braun and Alex Rodriguez. There are conflicting report as to whether or not Rodriguez has actually purchased the documents or if he just attempted to. There is also conflicting reports on if there is any physical evidence as well. The report stated that essentially what happened is a former Biogenesis employee contacted the players mentioned in the report along with various media outlets and MLB trying to solicit bids to “sell” the documents. Supposedly, Rodriguez “won” the auction of the documents.

Just last night, a report surfaced that Major League Baseball was attempting to secure the same documents from former Biogenesis employees. Rodriguez, of course, has denied all of this. I’m sure we will hear a lot more about this in the coming days and weeks. At this point, nothing Alex Rodriguez does or will do would shock me. He has become a walking pariah around baseball and the sports world.

Aardsma was drafted in the first round of the 2003 by the San Francisco Giants. He made his major league debut in 20o4 after skipping Double A and Triple A, however, his first major league stint was brief and was optioned to AAA Fresno. He would be called up six more times throughout the year, but was shaky at best during his rookie year. The following year, he was traded along with SP, Jerome Williams to the Cubs for veteran RP, LaTroy Hawkins.

The following few years, Aardsma would go on to pitch for the White Sox and Red Sox before discovering his niche as a setup man and closer for the Mariners. Having pitched excellently in 2009 and 2010, he suffered a devastating injury which required Tommy John surgery and forced him to miss the entire 2011 season. After the 2011 season, the Mariners non tendered him, making him a free agent. He would sign a one year deal worth 500k with the Yankees that included a club option for 2013, which was also worth 500k. Due to his Tommy John surgery having taken place in July 2011 and the subsequent recovery time, Aardsma was not activated by the Yankees until September 2012 and only appeared in one game for the Bronx Bombers.

Whoever signs Aardsma will definitely be hoping that he can regain the magic he found in 2009 and 2010 as a bullpen arm for the Mariners. He’ll likely have to settle for a minor league deal.

After the extension was announced, Goldschmidt had the following to say:

“This is the only place I wanted to be so I’m thrilled to know that I will be here long term. I can’t wait for the season to start, and I hope that we can bring another World Championship to the fans of Arizona.”

The 25 year old power hitter raked during parts of three seasons in the minor leagues from 2009 – 2011. He continued that during his first full season at the MLB level hitting a nice 286/.359/.490 with 20 homers and 83 RBI. He made his major league debut on 8/11/11 to assist the Diamondbacks with their playoff push and at the time of his call up, was leading the minor leagues in home runs with 30. During the 2011 NLDS vs the Milwaukee Brewers, Goldschmidt became just the third rookie in MLB history to hit a post season grand slam when he did so in Game 2.

Goldschmidt found his place in Diamondbacks history books last year as his 43 doubles and .497 slugging percentage were club records. He figures to improve on all of his rookie numbers just his second full season and will likely make the Diamondbacks look very wise by locking him up now rather than waiting a few years when his price tag and market value will definitely soar above this deal.

A former Yankee, signed as an amateur free agent by the club in 2000, Wang rose through the Yankees system. His jersey number (41) was retired by the Single A Staten Island Yankees in 2006. He made his big league debut for the Yankees in 2005 and went 8-5 with a 4.02 ERA. The next two years he would win 19 games each season (leading the league in wins in 2006).

Wang enjoyed a successful Yankees career until 2008 when he was running the bases during in interleague game in Houston vs the Astros.  He injured his right foot and was diagnosed with a torn Lisfranc ligament and partial tear of the peroneus longos in his right foot. The injury, while not surgical, would sideline him the rest of the year. His 2009 season was not much better. He injured his hips and throwing shoulder (which required surgery) and was placed on injured reserve. The Yankees went on to win the World Series without him and released Wang that offseason.

Wang would spend the next three season with the Washington Nationals but never regained the promise that he had when he was with the Yankees. However, he pitched extremely well during this year’s World Baseball Classic, which led New York to give him another shot. Hopefully Wang has put his injury history behind him and can rediscover the talent he once had.

Oct 6, 2012; San Francisco, CA, USA; Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman (54) pitches the ball against the San Francisco Giants during the ninth inning of game one of the 2012 NLDS at AT

Aroldis Chapman was interviewed by local media in Cincinnati yesterday and was asked about his preference as to whether he would like to start or continue as a closer. He answer was simple and to the point; he wants to be the closer. Chapman thrived in the role last year, going 5-5 with a 1.51 ERA, while striking out 122 and notching 38 saves for the NL Central Champion Reds.

Chapman has been pitching this spring as a starter. He pitched four innings yesterday and allowed only one run on two hits. He also walked three and struck out two. He was quoted after the game as saying:

“Truthfully, I would like to be a closer, but that’s not in my hands. In the beginning when I started closing, it was something I didn’t know about, but as I started throwing and getting into the late part of the game, when the game is more exciting, I kind of liked it. The adrenaline goes up. I would like to be in that situation. But that’s something I can’t control. I want to sit down and concentrate on whatever they (Reds) want me to do.”

Reds manager Dusty Baker would also like him to continue closing out games, but GM Walt Jocketty and others with the Reds would like to see what he can do in the rotation. The Reds signed the Cuban born southpaw to a 6 yr/$30.5 mil deal in January 2010 and likely want to see if they can turn that investment into a top of the rotation type of arm.

Chapman said that if he starts, he will use different pitches and a different approach:

“When you’re a starter, you start using your pitches in a different way. You try to save energy. When you save energy, you use speed as the game demands you. Later in the game, you throw harder. The game dictates how hard you throw.”

Chapman likely wants to get his mind, body and mechanics ready for whichever position Cincinnati chooses him to be in this year. Can’t blame the guy for that, but either way, he’ll be firing 100 mph fastball at some point this year.

Bud Norris is the one most likely to be traded. He has historically owned the Cardinals. He has a career ERA of 2.74 in fifteen starts vs St. Louis. He is scheduled to make $3 mil for the Astros and is also currently their highest paid player. His name has been tossed around in trade rumors for over a year now and figures to be dealt on or before the July 31st trade deadline.

Harrell on the other hand is unlikely to be dealt unless its an offer that Astros GM, Jeff Luhnow, just cannot refuse. He was technically a rookie last year and pitched superbly to the tune of a 3.76 ERA, 11-11 record and striking out 140 batters in 193.2 innings pitched. He is also under team control until 2018 so the Astros have very little motivation to deal him unless the offer is too good for a rebuilding team to refuse.

Astros GM, Jeff Luhnow spent almost a decade working for the St. Louis Cardinals, mainly in their scouting department. He knows their system as well as anyone that currently works for the Cardinals and a trade between the two clubs would seem to be a good fit as the Cardinals have arguably the best farm system in baseball and the Astros have been purging their team of all major league veterans in lieu of younger prospects as they build for the future. The Cardinals also have a rotation spot open following the injury to staff ace Chris Carpenter.

Escobar was signed by the Toronto Blue Jays as an amateur free agent in 1992. He fluctuated between the rotation and the bullpen during the minor leagues and during his initial few years with the Blue Jays. It wasn’t until 2003 that he was established as a starter, finishing with a 12-8 record and a 3.92 ERA.

Following the 2003 season, Escobar signed a three year $18.75 million dollar contract with the Anaheim Angels and re-signed with the Angels after his contract expired to the tune of another 3 year deal but this time, it was worth 28.5 mil. He experienced the best season if his career in 2007, going 18-7 with a 3.40 ERA.

Throughout his entire career, he has been hampered by arm and shoulder injuries. Given the fact that he has suffered yet another injury and that he has been out of baseball for three years, we may very well have seen the last of Kelvim Escobar on a big league team.

Valverde spent the first five years of his career with the Arizona Diamondbacks. During that time period, he fluctuated as middle reliever, setup man and eventually, as closer. His final year in Arizona (2007) he led the NL in saves with 47. That offseason, he was traded to the Houston Astros for Chris Burke, Juan Gutierrez and Chad Qualls, the latter of which would eventually serve as the Diamondbacks closer a few years later. Valverde flourished in Houston, leading the NL in saves for the second consecutive year (2008) with 44 and finishing his two year stint in Houston with a total of 69 saves.

Valverde was labeled as a Type A free agent following the 2009 season. The Astros offered him salary arbitration, which he declined, meaning that if he were to sign with another team, the Astros would receive that teams first round pick and a sandwich pick between the 1st and 2nd rounds of the 2010 MLB Draft. Valverde eventually signed  a two-year, $14 million deal, with a third year team option for $9 million with the Tigers. The Astros received their first round pick (19th overall), which they used on high school SP, Michael Foltynewicz and a sandwich pick (33rd overall) which they used on 3B/C, Mike Kvasnicka.

Valverde’s Tigers career was superb. He led the AL in saves in 2011 with 49 and wrapped up a perfect season in which he did not blow a single save all year. He was a stabilizing figure in the Tigers bullpen and helped the Tigers through their playoff chase and World Series run.

The Tigers want Valverde back but only at their price. The veteran reliever is still holding out hope for a closer’s job, although, at this point, he likely realizes that he will need to settle for a major league contract with an opportunity for saves.

Crawford was drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the second round, 52nd overall, of the 1999 MLB Draft. He spent the first nine years of his big league career with Tampa Bay before signing a very lucrative seven year, $147 mil deal with the Boston Red Sox after the 2010 season. Although his career with Tampa Bay was superb, his career with Boston was anything but that.

In January 2012, Crawford injured his wrist, which later led to surgery. He began rehabbing his wrist, but then started having discomfort in his elbow and was told he had a sprained ligament. He tried to play through the injury was unsuccessful. Finally on August 23 2012, he underwent Tommy John surgery. Two days later, he was traded to the Dodgers as part of their newly discovered spending splurge under new ownership.

Crawford will likely begin the season on the DL as this injury does not appear to be serious (nerve irritation in his arm), but he is being shut down for a week nonetheless.  He will be a guy to keep on eye on as the Dodger made a huge gamble taking on the rest of his contract (five years remaining) for the now injury prone outfielder.

Feb 15, 2013; Port St Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets pitcher Pedro Feliciano during spring training workout at Tradition Field. Mandatory Credit: John Munson/THE STAR-LEDGER via USA TODAY Sports

In January 2011, Feliciano signed a two-year, 8 million deal with the Yankees, having spent the entirety of his eight career before that with the Mets. During the 2011 season, Feliciano was placed on the disabled list due to an injury in his left shoulder. He later was seen by world renown orthopedist, Dr. James Andrews, who recommended a six-week strengthening program for the pitcher. The Yankees blamed it on the Mets, saying that the Mets had severely overused him, however, his diagnosis was later confirmed to be a torn capsule and torn rotator cuff in his left arm (his pitching arm), requiring surgery to repair. He earned the full $8 mil from his contract and never threw a single pitch as a member of the New York Yankees.

Just last month, Feliciano signed a minor league deal with the Mets, hoping to resume his big league career. He owns a career record of 22-19 and a 3.31 ERA coupled with throwing 372.1 total innings.

Due to this heart issue, he has been shut down indefinitely as obviously, his health is the most important thing at the moment.